So Many Bowl Games
So little to care about....
Those of you who have known me/been reading this blog long enough know how much I loathe the college bowl season. Sure, it's more football to watch, some even being pretty good match ups, but this has become such a diluted joke over the last 5-10 years that it's hard to care. It literally means nothing. Hell, if you put a gun to my head I couldn't tell you how many bowl games there have been, nor who has played in them. But that's OK because I can pretty much guarantee that none have been very noteworthy.
But, there are some good ones coming up and what kind of homer would I be if I didn't touch on the Holiday bowl - those of you who'll remember the middle of the Mack years, this was our home away from home during late December so it's good to be going back. Let's jump in, shall we...I'm only touching on ones that I think are semi interesting, so take that for what you will.
Little Caesars Bowl: Western Michigan vs Purdue - Just kidding...
Holiday Bowl: Cal vs. Texas - I'll be honest, I know very little about this Cal team other than they started the year very slow, but picked things up during November. Teams have struggled to pass the ball against them (oh great), but teams have also had success running the ball against them (woo hoo). With that said, here's one thing Texas fans need to fully accept before tomorrow night: Cal is very capable of winning this game. Make no mistake about it.
What I'm most interested in seeing is how either (or both) of these young quarterbacks do given the extra practice these past three weeks. I'm not expecting mountains to move or anything, but I'd like to think that we'll see a new level of sharpness from both of them. The good news is the extra time has hopefully given our RBs time to heal and get 100% as I imagine they will need those guys to carry the load. Defensively I expect this Texas team to give Cal a lot of fits - if they can create turnovers they'll have a better than good chance.
I like Texas in this game assuming Brown and Bergeron are healthy. Control the clock, take care of the ball and don't cripple your defense: If Texas' offense can do that they'll win this game.
Texas - 31
Cal - 23
Alamo Bowl: Washington vs. Baylor - Heisman jinx alert!!! I couldn't be happier for RGIII as he's a very deserving winner. And kudos to heisman voters for NOT just picking someone playing the title game. Griffin deserved this award hands down for how he's carried this program from the depths of college football. And such a great person too.
Anyway, give me Washington by a few points for the sheer fact that Griffin and Baylor are caught up in the hype and likely didn't take advantage of the extra practice time. And Washington has a pretty balanced offensive attack.
Washington - 37
Baylor - 34
Meineke Car Care Bowl: Northwestern vs. Texas A&M - Looks good on paper for the Wildcats, but as Stewart Mandel pointed out so succinctly: one of these teams struggled to barely get bowl eligible, while the other team shot themselves in the foot time and again this season and could have just as easily been 9-3 as they were 6-6.
I'm not underestimating Northwestern's ability to over achieve, but I know how potent the Aggie offense can be (and usually is). I'll take the Aggies by 10 here as I just think they're a better team.
Texas A&M - 34
Northwestern - 24
Outback Bowl: Michigan State vs. Georgia - This to me is one of the more intriguing and exciting games of the bowl season. Talk about two very evenly matched teams. This is one of those situations where I think the time off will hurt Georgia more than Michigan State. Lost in all the Alabama/LSU love fest is the fact that the Bulldogs were riding a pretty spectacular winning streak heading into the SEC title game - and yet again just as Richt was left for dead after the first few weeks of the season (what else is new).
Like 75% of SEC teams, Georgia's defensive perception is largely fueled by the fact that it's in the SEC - but make no mistake, Michigan State is a pretty stout team ranking in the top 5 nationally in defense - and that's against some pretty good offenses. I think you're going to see a much more focused Michigan State team who's going to take this game a lot more seriously than their SEC counterparts. I like the Spartans to push the Bulldogs around in this one.
Michigan State - 28
Georgia - 20
Gator Bowl: Ohio State vs. Florida - Don't really care about this game, but just wanted to point out that both teams enter this affair at 6-6. Now tell me college football isn't cyclical....
Rose Bowl: Oregon vs. Wisconsin - Another one that's pretty high on my list of games to watch. If there's one thing that can torment Oregon's high-flying offense it's a powerful defensive push from the line. Although the Badgers are known for the big, powerful lines, I'm not sure they can get the job done this time around - Wisconsin's defense isn't as stout as it's been in the past. The good news is they have a pretty balanced offense which they will need in order to score....a lot. Russell Wilson is going to have use his arm more in this one for the Badgers to have a real shot. He's capable of it, but it's not a sure thing by any means.
I expect LaMichael James to have a field day running around the ends of those slow, white Wisconsin boys. I'm just saying...
Oregon - 39
Wisconsin - 30
Fiesta Bowl: Oklahoma State vs. Stanford - GREAT way to cap off the holiday weekend of bowl games. This one should be a lot of fun. Stanford has the closest thing to a true pro-style offense in big-time college football and very few teams, including the Cowboys, have faced such a thing. I expect Stanford to run, run, run the ball with quite a bit of success. Oklahoma State does have some athletes at the linebacker and secondary positions so they should make things difficult for Luck in the passing game.
I think Mike Gundy will have his team fired up and ready to come out and make a statement in this one. Stanford faced two similar offenses to Okie State's this year - Oregon (loss) and USC (triple OT win) - and were lucky to come out 1-1. I think Okie State has too much up their sleeve here and they bring home a BCS trophy for Mr. Pickens.
Oklahoma State - 44
Stanford - 35
Sugar Bowl: Michigan vs. Virginia Tech - I'm still so mad at this I could spit. Plain and simple corruption with the Sugar Bowl folks. No chance in hell Virginia Tech deserved this invite. None at all. This is the definition of shady...
Cotton Bowl: Arkansas vs. Kansas State - It's criminal that the Cotton Bowl is played on a Friday night....and January 6 no less. Unreal. Either way, this should be a great game to watch. It's funny because this is like the bizzaro Big 12/SEC match up - Kansas State has the far superior defense here and Arkansas has the far superior offense. Something's gotta give. There have been many instances this season when I simultaneously thought Arkansas was one of the nation's more overrated teams (SEC West will get you some pub) and Kansas Stat was one of the nation's more underrated teams. I guess we'll find out now won't we.
The Razorbacks have a damn good quarterback and some fine athletes all over the field. Kansas State's defensive front seven is very stout and if the Razorbacks are going to win they'll have to do it in the air (which shouldn't be too much trouble). This is really a toss up for me - I'm going against conventional wisdom and picking the Wildcats.
Kansas State - 31
Arkansas - 27
Championship Game: LSU vs. Alabama - I mean, I'm going to watch it because what the hell else is on, right? Look, I'm not a hater by any means at all, but you couldn't ask for a more anti-climactic game here. I'm sorry, but college football is too short with way too many good teams for this shit to happen. Both of these teams are very, very good - there's no denying that. And I'll be honest, I'm really torn here between 2 key points of college football: 1) it's VERY hard to beat one opponent (especially a really good one) twice in a year, and 2) more times than not the best team is going to win.
I truly believe LSU is the better team here. And I believe they will struggle mightily to beat Alabama. But at the end of the day I think they will. I don't need to say anything else - remember, we've already seen this movie before....just this time we'll see some less crappy offense.
LSU - 20
Alabama - 15
I'll let that sit for a while - I've got a hum dinger of an NFL regular season wrap up coming next week, as well as a year in review of 2011. I know you're all on the edge of your seats about that one. I'll leave you with this one little nugget of awesome though - thanks to Julio Jones last night, the Bearden Wonder locked up the championship for the Ghosts of Al Davis fantasy football league!!!! Woo Hoo!!! Jager bombs all around...
Those of you who have known me/been reading this blog long enough know how much I loathe the college bowl season. Sure, it's more football to watch, some even being pretty good match ups, but this has become such a diluted joke over the last 5-10 years that it's hard to care. It literally means nothing. Hell, if you put a gun to my head I couldn't tell you how many bowl games there have been, nor who has played in them. But that's OK because I can pretty much guarantee that none have been very noteworthy.
But, there are some good ones coming up and what kind of homer would I be if I didn't touch on the Holiday bowl - those of you who'll remember the middle of the Mack years, this was our home away from home during late December so it's good to be going back. Let's jump in, shall we...I'm only touching on ones that I think are semi interesting, so take that for what you will.
Little Caesars Bowl: Western Michigan vs Purdue - Just kidding...
Holiday Bowl: Cal vs. Texas - I'll be honest, I know very little about this Cal team other than they started the year very slow, but picked things up during November. Teams have struggled to pass the ball against them (oh great), but teams have also had success running the ball against them (woo hoo). With that said, here's one thing Texas fans need to fully accept before tomorrow night: Cal is very capable of winning this game. Make no mistake about it.
What I'm most interested in seeing is how either (or both) of these young quarterbacks do given the extra practice these past three weeks. I'm not expecting mountains to move or anything, but I'd like to think that we'll see a new level of sharpness from both of them. The good news is the extra time has hopefully given our RBs time to heal and get 100% as I imagine they will need those guys to carry the load. Defensively I expect this Texas team to give Cal a lot of fits - if they can create turnovers they'll have a better than good chance.
I like Texas in this game assuming Brown and Bergeron are healthy. Control the clock, take care of the ball and don't cripple your defense: If Texas' offense can do that they'll win this game.
Texas - 31
Cal - 23
Alamo Bowl: Washington vs. Baylor - Heisman jinx alert!!! I couldn't be happier for RGIII as he's a very deserving winner. And kudos to heisman voters for NOT just picking someone playing the title game. Griffin deserved this award hands down for how he's carried this program from the depths of college football. And such a great person too.
Anyway, give me Washington by a few points for the sheer fact that Griffin and Baylor are caught up in the hype and likely didn't take advantage of the extra practice time. And Washington has a pretty balanced offensive attack.
Washington - 37
Baylor - 34
Meineke Car Care Bowl: Northwestern vs. Texas A&M - Looks good on paper for the Wildcats, but as Stewart Mandel pointed out so succinctly: one of these teams struggled to barely get bowl eligible, while the other team shot themselves in the foot time and again this season and could have just as easily been 9-3 as they were 6-6.
I'm not underestimating Northwestern's ability to over achieve, but I know how potent the Aggie offense can be (and usually is). I'll take the Aggies by 10 here as I just think they're a better team.
Texas A&M - 34
Northwestern - 24
Outback Bowl: Michigan State vs. Georgia - This to me is one of the more intriguing and exciting games of the bowl season. Talk about two very evenly matched teams. This is one of those situations where I think the time off will hurt Georgia more than Michigan State. Lost in all the Alabama/LSU love fest is the fact that the Bulldogs were riding a pretty spectacular winning streak heading into the SEC title game - and yet again just as Richt was left for dead after the first few weeks of the season (what else is new).
Like 75% of SEC teams, Georgia's defensive perception is largely fueled by the fact that it's in the SEC - but make no mistake, Michigan State is a pretty stout team ranking in the top 5 nationally in defense - and that's against some pretty good offenses. I think you're going to see a much more focused Michigan State team who's going to take this game a lot more seriously than their SEC counterparts. I like the Spartans to push the Bulldogs around in this one.
Michigan State - 28
Georgia - 20
Gator Bowl: Ohio State vs. Florida - Don't really care about this game, but just wanted to point out that both teams enter this affair at 6-6. Now tell me college football isn't cyclical....
Rose Bowl: Oregon vs. Wisconsin - Another one that's pretty high on my list of games to watch. If there's one thing that can torment Oregon's high-flying offense it's a powerful defensive push from the line. Although the Badgers are known for the big, powerful lines, I'm not sure they can get the job done this time around - Wisconsin's defense isn't as stout as it's been in the past. The good news is they have a pretty balanced offense which they will need in order to score....a lot. Russell Wilson is going to have use his arm more in this one for the Badgers to have a real shot. He's capable of it, but it's not a sure thing by any means.
I expect LaMichael James to have a field day running around the ends of those slow, white Wisconsin boys. I'm just saying...
Oregon - 39
Wisconsin - 30
Fiesta Bowl: Oklahoma State vs. Stanford - GREAT way to cap off the holiday weekend of bowl games. This one should be a lot of fun. Stanford has the closest thing to a true pro-style offense in big-time college football and very few teams, including the Cowboys, have faced such a thing. I expect Stanford to run, run, run the ball with quite a bit of success. Oklahoma State does have some athletes at the linebacker and secondary positions so they should make things difficult for Luck in the passing game.
I think Mike Gundy will have his team fired up and ready to come out and make a statement in this one. Stanford faced two similar offenses to Okie State's this year - Oregon (loss) and USC (triple OT win) - and were lucky to come out 1-1. I think Okie State has too much up their sleeve here and they bring home a BCS trophy for Mr. Pickens.
Oklahoma State - 44
Stanford - 35
Sugar Bowl: Michigan vs. Virginia Tech - I'm still so mad at this I could spit. Plain and simple corruption with the Sugar Bowl folks. No chance in hell Virginia Tech deserved this invite. None at all. This is the definition of shady...
Cotton Bowl: Arkansas vs. Kansas State - It's criminal that the Cotton Bowl is played on a Friday night....and January 6 no less. Unreal. Either way, this should be a great game to watch. It's funny because this is like the bizzaro Big 12/SEC match up - Kansas State has the far superior defense here and Arkansas has the far superior offense. Something's gotta give. There have been many instances this season when I simultaneously thought Arkansas was one of the nation's more overrated teams (SEC West will get you some pub) and Kansas Stat was one of the nation's more underrated teams. I guess we'll find out now won't we.
The Razorbacks have a damn good quarterback and some fine athletes all over the field. Kansas State's defensive front seven is very stout and if the Razorbacks are going to win they'll have to do it in the air (which shouldn't be too much trouble). This is really a toss up for me - I'm going against conventional wisdom and picking the Wildcats.
Kansas State - 31
Arkansas - 27
Championship Game: LSU vs. Alabama - I mean, I'm going to watch it because what the hell else is on, right? Look, I'm not a hater by any means at all, but you couldn't ask for a more anti-climactic game here. I'm sorry, but college football is too short with way too many good teams for this shit to happen. Both of these teams are very, very good - there's no denying that. And I'll be honest, I'm really torn here between 2 key points of college football: 1) it's VERY hard to beat one opponent (especially a really good one) twice in a year, and 2) more times than not the best team is going to win.
I truly believe LSU is the better team here. And I believe they will struggle mightily to beat Alabama. But at the end of the day I think they will. I don't need to say anything else - remember, we've already seen this movie before....just this time we'll see some less crappy offense.
LSU - 20
Alabama - 15
I'll let that sit for a while - I've got a hum dinger of an NFL regular season wrap up coming next week, as well as a year in review of 2011. I know you're all on the edge of your seats about that one. I'll leave you with this one little nugget of awesome though - thanks to Julio Jones last night, the Bearden Wonder locked up the championship for the Ghosts of Al Davis fantasy football league!!!! Woo Hoo!!! Jager bombs all around...
posted by The Bearden Wonder at 5:32 PM
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