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Our experts weigh in on four of the biggest questions in NASCAR as the Sprint Cup Series braces for Chase race No. 7 Sunday at Martinsville Speedway:Turn 1: NASCAR put new rules in for Sprint Cup veterans running in Xfinity and Trucks. No more than 10 Xfinity races and seven Truck events a season, and none during the Chase in each series. Whats your take?Ricky Craven, ESPN NASCAR analyst:?it was time for a formula like this to be created. Its an opportunity to expand the field of young drivers in the Xfinity series, and we need young talent to be identified. There is a long list of stars retiring in the next five years, and those seats need to be filled with talent.Ryan McGee, ESPN.com: Im all for it. Ive been for it for years. I totally understand the rock and the hard place that Xfinity and Truck owners are between. Sponsors are incredibly difficult to come by in those series and those sponsors want established names behind the wheel. This allows for just enough of that but also allows those owners to bring along young racers. Plus, the Cup guys winning races within those series Chase formats unquestionably waters down the postseason. Fans have been telling me they wanted something like this for years, like all the way back to the Mark Martin-stinking-up-the-Busch-Series show days. Now they have it.John Oreovicz, ESPN.com: Fan unrest has been building up for quite some time, so this came as no surprise. It took only a couple of races this playoff season for NASCAR to realize that Cup drivers were not only sometimes devaluing the Xfinity and Truck Chases, they also had the potential to actually affect the championships, whether through a wreck or team orders. I think its a good move to keep Cup veterans out of the lower series Chases.Bob Pockrass, ESPN.com: Wait and see. The Kyle Busch rule -- this year it would have impacted only Kyle Busch, Brad Keselowski and Joey Logano -- will help quiet fans angry over Cup drivers taking Xfinity/Truck glory and potentially impacting their championships. But Im not convinced it helps developmental drivers because it encourages sponsors who want Cup drivers to spend less money, and that could impact opportunities down the road.Turn 2: NASCAR had hoped to announce an entitlement sponsor by the end of October. Its the end of October and no announcement. Concerned?Craven:?I am not concerned, and I truly dont understand why an announcement will be made in the middle of our playoffs. Ive been told an announcement is coming and I have no reason not to believe that. I also believe that in spite of some of the challenges our sport faces, we bring value that cant be found elsewhere.McGee: Yes. And Im far from alone. These days, when Im dropping in at the track sporadically, the single biggest conversation people want to have is about this. Theres uncertainty in the garage air. Thats not good.Oreovicz: Yes. Its getting late in the game and in the not-so-distant past, blue-chip companies would have been lined up to bid for the opportunity to take over title sponsorship of the Cup Series. With attendance and television numbers down, NASCAR needs this transition between title sponsors to have a positive impact at what is a critical point in time for auto racing as a whole.Pockrass: For sure. It should have announced a sponsor over the summer as corporations started making 2017 budgets. This is not a good sign. Those in the industry and the garage are concerned. While the racing has improved in 2016, the vibe on the sport has not.Turn 3: What did you think of the Joe Gibbs Racing driver strategy to run in the back at Talladega?Craven:?I thought they did exactly what they needed to do to enhance their chances at winning the title. They played within the rules. At the very least they played in the environment that creates unintended consequences. I feel for the fans of those drivers, but its hard to blame teams trying to win a title.McGee: It was the racing equivalent of an NFL team not playing its starters in the final game of the regular season. I understood it, but I hated it. Gibbs and his people are smart enough to know the big picture from the little one.?If one of those cars goes on to win the championship, the Talladega thing will become nothing more than a footnote. So taking a ton of flak this week from fans and media will be a small price if they meet their ultimate goal.Oreovicz: It cheated fans of the team and its drivers and proved that under the right circumstances, you can still points race in the elimination-style Chase. Nobody predicted 37 cars would be running at the finish, including 34 on the lead lap, and that darn near made the strategy backfire on JGR. But as Kyle Busch said, dont blame the players, blame the game.Pockrass: Hated anyone who did it -- Tony Stewart included -- but understood why they did it. The best thing is they wont do it next year for the full race because it is the second race in the round.Turn 4:?Of the final eight drivers in the Chase, which would you consider the long shot to win the title?Craven:?I would say Kurt Busch has gotten less attention than any of the other seven drivers and hes probably made the least noise in terms of performance. I think its nice that every one of the eight drivers remaining has won in 2016, which makes it especially tough to pick an underdog.McGee: At this point, were down to all big-timers, so long shot is a tough term to apply. But as Denny Hamlin fans will angrily tell you, Ive questioned that teams ability to be consistent enough to win the Cup. His three wins are great and that run of top-10s he posted leading into the Chase was one of the best of the year, but since the Chase started, hes posted three finishes of 15-plus in six races. The good news is that Martinsville is up next, wheres hes lights out. But based on his postseason thus far it might be win or bust.Oreovicz: Carl Edwards out of the Gibbs/Toyota half of the equation, Kurt Busch from the rest.Pockrass: Kurt Busch. His winning drought is longer than any other driver remaining in the Chase except Carl Edwards, and Busch has led only seven laps in the last 14 races. 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Jason Witten Jersey .Y. -- Injured Buffalo Sabres forward Marcus Foligno did not practice with the team Monday and head coach Ron Rolston said its unlikely hell play in Wednesdays season opener in Detroit. OK, heres the deal: The following information is for entertainment purposes only. Please dont copy my selections and paste them into your bowl confidence pools and then curse me out on Twitter three weeks from now about my (possibly) horrible selections.To be honest, Im confident in about the first 10 selections. After that, theyre pretty much toss-ups, and the outcomes might come down to what always matters most during bowl season: motivation.Here are my bowl predictions, ranked in the order of most confident to least confident.?40. St. Petersburg Bowl: Miami (Ohio) vs. Mississippi State?(Dec. 26, 11 a.m. ET, ESPN/ESPN App) (Tropicana Field, St. Petersburg, Florida)Im betting the Bulldogs will be highly motivated to finish 6-7. Prediction: Mississippi State 45, Miami (OH) 2439. Miami Beach Bowl: Central Michigan?vs. Tulsa?(Dec. 19, 2:30 p.m. ET, ESPN/ESPN App) (Marlins Park, Miami)The football gods apparently frowned on the Chippewas controversial, 30-27 win at Oklahoma State. Central Michigan dropped six of its last nine games. Prediction: Tulsa 48, Central Michigan 2738. Nova Home Loans Arizona Bowl: South Alabama?vs. Air Force?(Dec. 30, 5:30 p.m. ET, Campus Insiders) (Arizona Stadium, Tucson, Arizona)Air Forces biggest win this season might have been somehow keeping coach Troy Calhoun for another year. Prediction:?Air Force 34, South Alabama 2037. College Football Playoff semifinal at the Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl: No. 4 Washington?vs. No. 1 Alabama?(Dec. 31, 3 p.m. ET, ESPN/ESPN App) (Georgia Dome, Atlanta)We can try to pretend the Peach Bowl will be close because we want to watch a competitive game. It wont be. Tide roll. Prediction:?Alabama 27, Washington 1036. San Diego County Credit Union Poinsettia Bowl: BYU?vs. Wyoming?(Dec. 21, 9 p.m. ET, ESPN/ESPN App) (Qualcomm Stadium, San Diego)The Cougars quietly won seven of their last eight games, with the only loss coming by one point at Boise State. Prediction:?BYU 28, Wyoming 1735. Motel 6 Cactus Bowl: Boise State?vs. Baylor?(Dec. 27, 10:15 p.m. ET, ESPN/ESPN App) (Chase Field, Phoenix)The Bears -- and much of their coaching staff -- checked out a while ago. Prediction: Boise State 38, Baylor 2134. Popeyes Bahamas Bowl: Eastern Michigan?vs. Old Dominion?(Dec. 23, 1 p.m. ET, ESPN/ESPN App) (Thomas A. Robinson National Stadium, Nassau, Bahamas)The Monarchs have lost once since September and wont fall in their first-ever bowl game. Prediction: Old Dominion 38, Eastern Michigan 2833. Famous Idaho Potato Bowl: Idaho vs. Colorado State?(Dec. 22, 7 p.m. ET, ESPN/ESPN App) (Albertsons Stadium, Boise, Idaho)Georgia fans might want to tune in to see what the Bulldogs offense used to look like under Rams coach and former UGA OC Mike Bobo. Prediction: Colorado State 41, Idaho 2432. Hawaii Bowl: Hawaii vs. Middle Tennessee?(Dec. 24, 8 p.m. ET, ESPN/ESPN App) (Aloha Stadium, Honolulu)Ill like the Blue Raiders chances of winning a lot more if quarterback Brent Stockstill returns from a broken collarbone. Prediction: Middle Tennessee 48, Hawaii 3431. National Funding Holiday Bowl: Minnesota?vs. Washington State?(Dec. 27, 7 p.m. ET, ESPN/ESPN App) (Qualcomm Stadium, San Diego)The Gophers were underdogs to begin with, and now theyll be missing 10 players who are suspended. Cougars coach Mike Leach does look a little bit like Carl Spackler. Prediction: Washington State 41, Minnesota 2130. Foster Farms Bowl: Indiana?vs. No. 19 Utah?(Dec. 28, 8:30 p.m. ET, Fox) (Levis Stadium, Santa Clara, California)The Utes beat exactly two teams (BYU and USC) that are playing in bowl games. Theyll make it three against Indiana. Prediction: Utah 24, Indiana 1729. Birmingham Bowl: South Florida?vs. South Carolina?(Dec. 29, 2 p.m. ET, ESPN/ESPN App) (Legion Field, Birmingham, Alabama)Even without coach Willie Taggart, who left for Oregon, the Bulls have too much firepower in quarterback Quinton Flowers and tailback Marlon Mack for the Gamecocks. Prediction: South Florida 34, South Carolina 2728. Gildan New Mexico Bowl: New Mexico?vs. Texas San Antonio?(Dec. 17, 2 p.m. ET, ESPN/ESPN App) (University Stadium, Albuquerque, New Mexico)The Lobos are playing at home. They might have lost at New Mexico State and, ahem, Rutgers, but they rarely lose at home. Prediction: New Mexico 38, UTSA 3127. Goodyear Cotton Bowl Classic: No. 15 Western Michigan?vs. No. 8 Wisconsin?(Jan. 2, 1 p.m. ET, ESPN/ESPN App) (AT&T Stadium, Arlington, Texas)The undefeated Broncos did an amazing job rowing their boats to a New Years Six bowl, but Wisconsins defense is going to feel like whitecaps. Prediction: Wisconsin 27, Western Michigan 2026. Lockheed Martin Armed Forces Bowl: Louisiana Tech?vs. No. 25 Navy?(Dec. 23, 4:30 p.m. ET, ESPN/ESPN App) (Amon G. Carter Stadium, Fort Worth, Texas)Im guessing that loss to Army still stings. Prediction: Louisiana Tech 30, Navy 2125. New Era Pinstripe Bowl: No. 23 Pittsburgh?vs. Northwestern?(Dec. 28, 2 p.m. ET, ESPN/ESPN App) (Yankee Stadium, Bronx, New York)The Panthers and Wildcats last played in 1973, when Pitt freshman Tony Dorsett ran for a then-school-record 265 yards in a 21-14 victory. Prediction: Pittsburgh 49, Northwestern 3524. AdvoCare V100 Texas Bowl: Texas A&M?vs. Kansas State?(Dec. 28, 9 p.m. ET, ESPN/ESPN App) (NRG Stadium, Houston, Texas)While Kansas States Bill Snyder has accomplished some amazing things, he hasnt enjoyed postseason success. The Wildcats have dropped seven of their past eight bowl games. Prediction: Texas A&M 31, Kansas State 2123. Military Bowl Presented by Northrop Grumman: No. 24 Temple?vs. Wake Forest?(Dec. 27, 3:30 p.m. ET, ESPN/ESPN App) (Navy-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium, Annapolis, Maryland)Im waiting for our President-elect to weigh in on #WakeyLeaks before I make my official selection. Prediction: Temple 23, Wake Forest 1322. Belk Bowl: Arkansas?vs. No. 22 Virginia Tech?(Dec. 29, 5:30 p.m. ET, ESPN/ESPN App) (Bank of America Stadium, Charlotte, North Carolina)Being Bret Bielema might not be that fun at the Belk Bowl. Prediction: Virginia Tech 41, Arkansas 3121. Hyundai Sun Bowl: No. 18 Stanforrd?vs.dddddddddddd North Carolina?(Dec. 30, 2 p.m. ET, CBS) (Sun Bowl, El Paso, Texas)Stanford star Christian McCaffreys final college game might be pretty memorable against North Carolinas defense. Prediction: Stanford 42, North Carolina 3820. Rose Bowl Game Presented by Northwestern Mutual:?No. 9 USC?vs. No. 5 Penn State?(Jan. 2, 5 p.m. ET, ESPN/ESPN App) (Rose Bowl, Pasadena, California)The Trojans probably shouldnt take a big lead over Penn State in the first half. Prediction: USC 31, Penn State 2719. Zaxbys Heart of Dallas Bowl: Army?vs. North Texas?(Dec. 27, noon, ESPN/ESPN App) (Cotton Bowl, Dallas)The Mean Green beat the Black Knights 35-18 on Oct. 22, but its hard to defeat a team twice in the same season. Ask LSU. Prediction: Army 23, North Texas 1418. Boca Raton Bowl: Memphis?vs. Western Kentucky?(Dec. 20, 7 p.m. ET, ESPN/ESPN App) (FAU Stadium, Boca Raton, Florida)How much will the Hilltoppers miss head coach Jeff Brohms playcalling? He has already left to become Purdues new coach. Prediction: Western Kentucky 48, Memphis 4217. Capital One Orange Bowl:?No. 6 Michigan?vs. No. 11 Florida State?(Dec. 30, 8 p.m. ET, ESPN/ESPN App) (Hard Rock Stadium, Miami Gardens, Florida)The Wolverines better be ready to play, or FSU tailback Dalvin Cook might be running around like a jive turkey. Prediction: Michigan 27, Florida State 2016. Camping World Independence Bowl: NC State?vs. Vanderbilt?(Dec. 26, 5 p.m. ET, ESPN2/ESPN App) (Independence Stadium, Shreveport, Louisiana)Youre not in the SEC East anymore, Commodores. Prediction: NC State 27, Vanderbilt 2015. AutoNation Cure Bowl: UCF?vs. Arkansas State?(Dec. 17, 5:30 p.m. ET, CBS Sports Network) (Camping World Stadium, Orlando, Florida)After going 0-12 in 2015, the Knights can finish with a winning record in coach Scott Frosts first season. Plus, UCF is playing at home. Prediction: UCF 27, Arkansas State 2014. R+L Carriers New Orleans Bowl: Southern Mississippi?vs. Louisiana Lafayette?(Dec. 17, 9 p.m. ET, ESPN/ESPN App) (Mercedes-Benz Superdome, New Orleans)Its going to be a Ragin party in the Mercedes-Benz Superdome on Saturday night -- before the game kicks off. Prediction: Southern Miss 31, Louisiana-Lafayette 2813. Dollar General Bowl: Ohio?vs. Troy?(Dec. 23, 8 p.m. ET, ESPN/ESPN App) (Ladd-Peebles Stadium, Mobile, Alabama)Touchdowns wont come cheap in what might be one of the better defensive battles of the postseason. Prediction: Troy 21, Ohio 2012. Franklin American Mortgage Music City Bowl: Nebraska?vs. No. 21 Tennessee?(Dec. 30, 3:30 p.m. ET, ESPN/ESPN App) (Nissan Stadium, Nashville, Tennessee)Regardless of the outcome, theyre both champions in my book. Prediction: Tennessee 34, Nebraska 2811. TaxSlayer Bowl: Georgia Tech?vs. Kentucky?(Dec. 31, 11 a.m. ET, ESPN/ESPN App) (EverBank Field, Jacksonville, Florida)Georgia Tech coach Paul Johnson would like nothing more than a 3-0 record against SEC teams this season. Prediction: Georgia Tech 34, Kentucky 2710. Buffalo Wild Wings Citrus Bowl:?No. 20 LSU?vs. No. 13 Louisville?(Dec. 31, 11 a.m. ET, ABC/ESPN App) Camping World Stadium, Orlando, Florida)LSU tailback Leonard Fournette will run wild against a shaky Louisville defense in his final college game. Prediction: LSU 38, Louisville 319. AutoZone Liberty Bowl: Georgia?vs. TCU?(Dec. 30, noon, ESPN/ESPN App) (Liberty Bowl Memorial Stadium, Memphis, Tennessee)Georgia wasnt great in coach Kirby Smarts first season, but the Horned Frogs were even more inconsistent. Prediction: Georgia 24, TCU 208. Allstate Sugar Bowl: No. 14 Auburn?vs. No. 7 Oklahoma?(Jan. 2, 8:30 p.m. ET, ESPN/ESPN App) (Mercedes-Benz Superdome, New Orleans)OU coach Bob Stoops takes down the big, bad SEC once again. Prediction: Oklahoma 27, Auburn 247. Las Vegas Bowl presented by Geico: Houston?vs. San Diego State?(Dec. 17, 3:30 p.m. ET, ABC/ESPN App) (Sam Boyd Stadium, Las Vegas)Motivation might be a concern for the Cougars, who lost coach Tom Herman to Texas. But on the flip side: Aztecs senior Donnel Pumphrey?can become the FBS all-time leading rusher in his hometown. Prediction: San Diego State 35, Houston 316. Raycom Media Camellia Bowl: Appalachian State?vs. Toledo?(Dec. 17, 5:30 p.m. ET, ESPN/ESPN App) (Cramton Bowl, Montgomery, Alabama)It looks to be a very even matchup, but Ill go with the Rockets because of quarterback Logan Woodside, who threw 43 touchdowns with only nine interceptions. Prediction: Toledo 27, Appalachian State 245. Outback Bowl: No. 17 Florida?vs. Iowa?(Jan. 2, 1 p.m. ET, ABC/ESPN App) (Raymond James Stadium, Tampa, Florida)Florida ranks ninth in the FBS in net punting with a 40.9-yard average; Iowa is 45th at 38.4 yards. Give me the Gators. Prediction: Florida 17, Iowa 134. College Football Playoff semifinal at the PlayStation Fiesta Bowl: No. 3 Ohio State?vs. No. 2 Clemson?(Dec. 31, 7 p.m. ET, ESPN/ESPN App) University of Phoenix Stadium, Glendale, Arizona)Its going to be a classic. Prediction: Clemson 42, Ohio State 403. Valero Alamo Bowl: No. 12 Oklahoma State?vs. No. 10 Colorado?(Dec. 29, 9 p.m. ET, ESPN/ESPN App) (Alamodome, San Antonio, Texas)Colorados defense will be rested and ready for OSUs high-powered offense. Prediction: Colorado 31, Oklahoma State 282. Russell Athletic Bowl: No. 16 West Virginia?vs. Miami?(Dec. 28, 5:30 p.m. ET, ESPN/ESPN App) (Camping World Stadium, Orlando, Florida)The U is back -- maybe next season. Prediction: West Virginia 34, Miami 311. Quick Lane Bowl: Maryland?vs. Boston College?(Dec. 26, 2:30 p.m. ET, ESPN/ESPN App) (Ford Field, Detroit)Both teams improved on 3-win seasons in 2015, and the Eagles will end a five-game bowl losing streak. Prediction: Boston College 21, Maryland 17Bonus pick!Air Force Reserve Celebration Bowl: North Carolina Central?vs. Grambling State?(Dec. 17, noon ET, ABC/ESPN App) (Georgia Dome, Atlanta)The Tigers have suffered one loss this season -- a 10-point defeat at Arizona on Sept. 10. Prediction: Grambling 27, NC Central 21 ' ' '