Titans Fan Guide: Bowling Before Christmas Edition

It’s that time of year again! A period in which companies that you’ve probably never heard of and awesomely named ones

December 20

Louisiana Tech vs SMU 8 PM ESPN

DXL Frisco Bowl

Location: Toyota Stadium (home of the MLS franchise FC Dallas)

- The Bulldogs travel to "neutral" site Frisco to take on the home state Mustangs in what is expected to be a wild one. La Tech is coming off a 6-6 season, which was good for a fourth place finish in the C-USA West division. SMU is coming off a 7-5 record (fourth place in American West division). A fun note: SMU is the rare school to have its new hire coach the bowl game instead of his predecessor. SMU hired former Cal HC Sonny Dykes after Chad Morris left for Arkansas. Apparently DXL is a company that markets itself to the big men clientele. Somewhat offhand related note to the Titans and Nashville: MLS has decided that Nashville is getting an expansion franchise.

Louisiana Tech prospect to watch

1. Jaylon Ferguson 6'5 255 OLB RS Junior

- Plus football IQ and instincts. Very good athleticism. Production is off the charts good as he put up 26.5 sacks and 121 tackles in his career. A pass rush specialist that can also cover pretty well. He has accepted the Senior Bowl invite and will be participating in that event.

SMU prospect to watch

1. Courtland Sutton 6'4 216 WR Junior

- Sutton is a WR1 caliber of receiver. Great ball skills. He really blossomed under former HC Chad Morris' guidance. Elite physical tools along with plus hands. Route running is average. Speed threat as well. Teams will fall in love with his size and speed combo. It has been said elsewhere that Sutton is comparable to Julio Jones but I won't go that far. He's been my WR1 all year despite SMU's struggles to get him the ball. My only reservation about him is the lack of production in some games this year.

December 23

Texas Tech vs South Florida NOON ESPN

Birmingham Bowl

Location: Legion Field

- If you like scoring at a rapid clip, then this is the game for you. Two of the country's high powered offenses take each other on in Birmingham. It will be interesting to see how motivated the Red Raiders will be after almost getting their coach Kliff Kingsbury fired. While USF has put up points, it hasn't looked pretty at times. Pay attention to USF QB Quinton Flowers. He good. Could there be a future Titans QB in this game?

Texas Tech prospect to watch

1. Nic Shimonek 6'3 210 QB RS Junior

- Shimonek has had a winding journey throughout his career. He transferred from Iowa as a true freshman, redshirted, and sat behind current Kansas City Chiefs QB Patrick Mahomes for a number of years. He was even benched this year as well. Shimonek's biggest issue is that he's very turnover prone and takes unnecessary gambles at times. There's also the stigma of Air Raid passers not faring as well at the next level. He's a system QB but has some potential to break the mold.

2. Keke Coutee 5'11 180 WR Junior

- Coutee (pronounced as Cutie) is the Red Raiders go to weapon whenever they need a big play. He's a dynamic athlete at the position and has some special teams value as a return man. Production is there as expected from that program in Lubbock. Has over 2200 yards on 148 receptions thus far. 18 total touchdowns.

South Florida prospect to watch

1. Quinton Flowers 6'0 210 QB Senior

- Flowers is my favorite QB to watch out of this year's class. He's a very good athlete and is exciting to root for. Character and work ethic is a major plus. There's nothing stopping this guy from anything. Flowers is the quintessential comeback story that makes this country so great. He lost both parents in high school and brother (college) but he kept on pushing and is one of the best QBs no one talks about. Tremendous dual threat passer.

San Diego State vs United States Military Academy at West Point 3:30 PM ESPN

Lockheed Martin Armed Forces Bowl

Location: Amon G Carter Stadium (Home stadium for TCU). Forth Worth, Texas

- If you want to see what a game looks like when it takes less than three hours, you've come to the right place. Both teams LOVE to run the football and run it some more. SDSU features one of the better backs in the country while Army features a collective of backs. Army is on a high after winning the Commander in Chief trophy while beating hated rival Navy to get it. Be prepared for an inundation of Lockheed Martin ads featuring the beautiful F-22 and F-35 fighter/bomber variants.

SDSU prospect to watch

1. Rashaad Penny 5'11 220 RB Senior

- The Aztecs saw one record breaking running back leave, only to have another one blow up the record books even further. Penny should've been a Heisman finalist. Rushed for over 2000 yards and 19 touchdowns as a senior. A solid receiving threat out of the backfield as well.

December 24

Fresno State at Houston 8:30 PM ESPN

Hawai'i Bowl

Location: Aloha Stadium, Honululu, HI

- Ed Oliver. That is all. He's a beast defensive tackle. And oh, Fresno State had a pretty good season under Jeff Tedford so there's that. While everyone is getting settled down on the mainland after desperate last minute Christmas shopping, these two teams will venture onto the big island to do battle. Christmas in Hawaii? Doesn't get any better, folks.