Birmingham, AL plays sponsor to the Compass Bowl on January seventh with the Pitt Panthers competing with the Mustangs. The Panthers come in following the 1-year Todd Graham experiment at head coach. Graham quit his post on December 14th to take the head coaching job at Arizona State. Defensive Coordinator Keith Patterson will put on the headset for the Panthers in this clash of titans. SMU comes into competition with the threat of the “Death Penalty” passed on in the 1980′s still being debated today. Former Nfl and Hawaii coach June Jones is already in his 4th year on the sidelines of Southern Methodist University. The betting line has this set at Pittsburgh (-3) with an over-under of 47 points.

Super Bowl betting

Pittsburgh comes into competition with a 6-6 record plus a 4-3 record in the Big East. Winning against #16 South Florida 44-17 on September 29th, they have had one competition against a rated adversary. Pittsburgh’s defense gives up 22.4 ppg, while their offense puts up 25.8 ppg. Junior Quarterback Tino Sunseri comes into the competition with 2,433 passing yards plus a passer rating of 124.8. Junior Running back Ray Graham has totalled 958 rushing yards and 9 Touchdowns to date this year. Sophomore Wide receiver Devin Street is Sunseri’s favorite target catching 48 receptions with 2 Touchdowns. Junior Wide receiver Mike Shanahan is an excellent 2nd target with 35 receptions and 4 Touchdowns.

Super Bowl betting

SMU comes in the match with a 7-5 record plus a 5-3 record in Conference USA. They’ve gone 1-2 against rated foes this year, winning over #20 TCU and losing to #8 Texas A&M and #11 Houston. The Mustangs offer up 24.5 ppg on defense while their offense averages 25.7 ppg. Depending on the run-and-shoot offense to put up substantial statistics in offense, June Jones has traditional had pass-heavy teams in the past. This Mustangs squad this year has a 1,000 yard rusher, a rarity in the Jones’ method. Senior Quarterback J.J. McDermott with 3,182 passing yards and 16 touchdowns lifts up the passing game. Junior Running back Zach Line has had an excellent year with 1,224 rushing yards and 17 Touchdowns. Senior Wide receiver Cole Beasley with 79 catches and 954 receiving yards and Junior Wide receiver Darius Johnson with 72 catches and 998 receiving yards steady the Mustangs receivers.