Morning Wrap: Ohio State Down Alabama in Sugar Bowl

((ht: espn.com))

There was little question at the end of the so-called "SEC Era". Especially when the SEC's best went down to the best of the Big 10.

Ohio State used the feet of Ezekiel Elliot and the arm of freshman Cardale Jones to run away from the much-hyped Crimson Tide 42-35 late Thursday night.

As expected, the game went down to the wire with the Buckeyes taking the lead late in the 4th quarter on an 85 yard TD run by Elliot. Elliot finished with 230 yards rushing and 2 TD's on the night. His score put tOSU up 42-28.

Bama did come back. Blake Sims hit Amari Cooper with 1:59 left in the game closing the gap to 7, but it would be as close as the Tide would get. 

Nick Saban's team did get the ball back with well under a minute left in the game. Sims threw a hail mary pass into the end zone at the buzzer, but it was picked off. Game over.

Ohio State moves on to face Oregon in the National Championship game on Jan. 12th in Dallas. It should be one heck of a game.

TCU Makes Statement by Blowing out Ole Miss in Peach Bowl

((ht: espn.com))

Shhh...quiet. Don't tell Texas Christian they aren't playing in the College Bowl Playoff this year. If their Peach Bowl game performance is an indicator...they may be in said playoff next year.

TCU ran out to a 28-0 halftime lead and coasted to a 42-3 rout of alleged SEC West power Ole Miss. And really, the game wasn't that close.

Ole Miss could scratch out only 129 yards of total offense including a total of 9 yards running the ball. Rebel QB Bo Wallace wasn't much better throwing for 109 yards and 3 interceptions.

As for the Horned Frogs, 3 TD passes by Trevonne Boykin were more than enough as TCU finishes the season 12-1. Ole Miss finished 9-4.

Your highlights from ESPN.com:

Basta Breakdown: Cardinal End Poor Season on High Note, Thrash Terps 45-21

By: Ben Leonard

Follow Ben on Twitter @Ben___Leonard

Stanford came into Tuesday’s Foster Farms Bowl as heavy favorites against the Maryland Terrapins. They left nothing to be desired after a dominant 45-21 win over the Terps, controlling both sides of the ball. The Cardinal held 35-7 lead early in the third quarter, and took their foot off the gas after that. They did so without Ty Montgomery, who was out with a shoulder injury. A senior, Montgomery did not have a chance to end his career on a high note. Although Montgomery did not have a chance to do so, the Cardinal did not squander their opportunity to bring momentum into 2015 after a disappointing 8-5 season.

Quarterback Kevin Hogan had a nearly flawless game, completing fourteen passes of twenty passes for 189 yards and two touchdowns. The chilly conditions at Levi’s Stadium didn’t fluster Hogan, who had no trouble throwing the ball to all sides of the field. His continued stretch of efficiency could make him jump to the NFL after this season, opening the door for redshirt freshman Keller Chryst to take over. Chryst appeared to be picking Hogan’s mind in the waning stages of the game, looking for nuggets of wisdom from the senior signal-caller.

Hogan (8) mentors Chryst (10) on the sideline in Tuesday's bowl game. (Image: Own)
HOGAN (8) MENTORS CHRYST (10) ON THE SIDELINE IN TUESDAY’S BOWL GAME. (IMAGE: OWN)

Hogan appeared calm, cool, and collected in the pocket, with Maryland’s defensive front providing little resistance. He worked the intermediate passing game very well, completing seven passes of more than ten yards. He connected twice with receiver Devon Cajuste for scores, who took advantage of an undersized Terps’ secondary. Hogan spread the ball very well, with ten different receivers catching passes. He seemed to go through his progressions very slowly, a product of Montgomery’s absence. Hogan looked to his tight ends frequently, completing seven passes for 102 yards, including seventy-one to freshman phenom Austin Hooper. Hogan’s efforts earned him the Foster Farms Bowl offensive MVP award.

Hogan’s only miscue came on a fumbled handoff early in the third, when he inexplicably dropped the ball before handing it off to his back. It did not hurt the Cardinal in the end, as Maryland quarterback C.J. Brown immediately threw an interception to safety Kyle Olugbode. Brown overthrew his receiver by several feet, giving Olugbode an easy play on the ball. Stanford would respond with a quick touchdown drive, capped by Cajuste’s second touchdown catch. Cajuste finished with four catches for forty-seven yards, and will announce whether he will stay for another season at Stanford, or leave for the NFL on Wednesday.

David Shaw finally let Christian McCaffery do his thing, something Stanford fans have been calling for all season long. McCaffery’s speed and agility is well-suited for outside runs, and Maryland’s poor secondary allowed Stanford to utilize McCaffery to exploit this weakness. Stanford’s offense more closely resembled Oregon’s spread offense on Tuesday night to take advantage of this deficiency. They utilized intermediated passes and runs outside the tackles to avoid Maryland’s relatively stronger defensive front.

unnamed-3
THE CARDINAL SPACED OUT THEIR OFFENSE ON TUESDAY, AS SHOWN ABOVE.



He rushed for fifty-seven yards on just seven carries, and returned four punts for eighty-one yards. His electric play-making ability figures to play a larger role in 2015, although his style does not necessarily fit Stanford’s philosophy of physical running.

In spite of a poor second drive, the Cardinal defense was dominant, holding Maryland to just seventeen rushing yards. They controlled the line of scrimmage all game long, only letting up with the score well out of hand in the second half. Dual-threat quarterback C.J. Brown was kept in check, throwing for just 205 yards on twenty seven attempts. A big twenty-six yard catch by receiver Stefon Diggs led Maryland to their only score in the first half, facilitating the drive. Outside of that drive, the Terps gathered just 178 total yards. Foster Farms Bowl Defensive MVP James Vaughters led the charge for the Cardinal, sacking Brown twice and forcing a fumble. Tuesday’s game was the last for Vaughters at Stanford, who will enter the NFL Draft after graduating.

Although Stanford won just eight games in 2014, they were one play away from beating both Notre Dame and USC. They did not have quite as awful of a year as it has been made out to be, and have a bright future with McCaffery leading the charge. Whether or not Hogan leaves, the Cardinal are poised for a more successful 2015 campaign. Their school bowl record forty-five point outburst gives the offense confidence for next year, with Montgomery and Peat being the only players likely to leave. That is not the case on defense, with A.J. Tarpley, Vaughters, and Henry Anderson all graduating, to name a few. The Cardinal may be disappointed with 2014, but the Foster Farms Bowl was something to “cluck” about.

BASTA: A Way Too Early Look at the Foster Farms Bowl

((HT: BASTA/Ben Leonard))

Stanford was officially given a berth in the Foster Farms Bowl on Sunday, which has previously been dubbed the Emerald Bowl, the Kraft Fight Hunger Bowl, and the Fight Hunger Bowl. It was held at AT&T Park for all of its previous existence, and now is being moved to Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara. The bowl will remain at the venue for at least the next six years, after the Big Ten and Pac-12 Conferences signed a pact for the aforementioned time. The game will pit the Cardinal and the Maryland Terrapins on December 30th, a foe that Stanford has never played.

Both teams come into the bowl game with identical 7-5 records, although they can not be treated as equal. Maryland, for some reason, is geographically “close enough” to fellow Big Ten schools to become affiliated with the inferior conference. Some of their marquee victories include Syracuse, Penn State, and Iowa, not exactly world-beaters. Stanford would be the clear favorite in this matchup, independent from the fact that the bowl amounts to a home game.

The Cardinal will come into the game with tremendous confidence, after blowing out Cal and #9 UCLA in consecutive weeks. They also are much more physically talented than their record indicates, as 2014 was a season of gross underachievement for a team with one of the best defenses in the country. Maryland is particularly weak running the ball, as they are 106th in the nation in rushing yards per game. They are comparatively not as terrible through the air, but are still a modest 74th in the country in passing yards per game. Stanford should be able to bottle up the Terp’s poor rushing, and key in on shifty quarterback C.J. Brown. Brown is somewhat of a dual-threat quarterback, who has been mediocre through the air, but excels at running the ball and improvising. He is a sixth-year senior, stemming from a medical redshirt that he obtained after tearing his ACL in 2012, and brings experience to the table for the Terps. Despite Brown’s experience, the Cardinal defense will likely be too much for an underwhelming Maryland offense.

Stanford’s offense also holds a major advantage over Maryland’s defense. Maryland has been dreadful against the run, allowing over two hundred yards on the ground per game. Their secondary has been similarly mediocre, 80th in the nation in allowing 236.5 yards per game through the air. Quarterback Kevin Hogan and Stanford’s offense finally found its stride last Saturday against UCLA, a lethal combination of accurate passing and establishing the running game. Stanford controlled the game so well that Hogan only had to throw three passes in the second half. UCLA’s defense was no joke, second in the Pac-12 in total defense heading into the game, yet Stanford had their best game of the season against the unit. Once a weakness, Stanford’s offense should now be considered a strength, if Hogan continues to play at a high level. Stanford fans should hope that he does, which would help both in the short and the long term. Hogan has one more year of eligibility remaining, but could elect to spurn Palo Alto for the NFL with a quality performance in the Foster Farms Bowl. Stanford fans would certainly welcome his departure, as highly-touted recruits Keller Chryst and Ryan Burns would get to duke it out for the starting job.

Could The #FreeGSU Movement Get Legs After All...???

((HT: The Coastal Source))

Georgia Southern student Jeremy Mack has created an online petition to see if his Eagles (and Brother Phil's Eagles for that matter) could get an NCAA waiver to participate in bowl season if there are not enough bowl eligible teams in the first place...

His petititon is hyah...

His interview with FOSG's Big Frank and Stefanie to explain himself is below...


The HQ is for it...

We're fairly certain Southern is for it...

And it might even mean a bid in the Camellia Bowl for them- which is a new bowl game in Montgomery for December 20th, by the way...

The Eagles are currently 7-2, 6-0 in the Sun Belt. They're are currently 1st in the conference standings, and the rest of their season is interesting. The Eagles travel to Texas State and Navy before finishing the season at home against Louisiana-Monroe.

Could be 9-3 or so... and the waiver might be theirs...

ICYMI: Bill Snyder Faster Than Gatorade, North Carolina Faster Than Cincinnati...

((HT: Max Olson's Vine/WRALSportsfan.com))

Kansas State seemed to have no problems with Michigan and their freshman starting QB last night in Tempe- winning 31-14...

But the moment that some kept their eyes on was with 2:25 remaining when K-State head coach Bill Snyder outran his impromptu winner's shower...


Always coaching that Snyder...

And North Carolina but 16 on the board in a hurry and made very quick work of Cincinnati in Charlotte, 39-17
Tarheels coach Larry Fedora knew that, once his quarterback situation calmed down in the last half of the season, that everything would be fine...

A Tricky Throwback In St Pete

((HT: ESPN))

Since East Carolina was fighting for a 10-win season in Conference USA, but they had to get through Ohio U to do it...

In front of friends and family at the Suncoast Dome (you know... where the Devil Rays play baseball), Vintavious Cooper ran for 198 yards and Shane Carden was 29-for-45 for 273 yards and a score as the Pirates won 37-20...

Carden even caught a TD pass from Cam Worthy to put the Pirates up 31-20 half way through the fourth...

Let's Get You Ready For The New Mexico Bowl

Bowl season begins today in Albuquerque, New Mexico as Colorado State and Washington State meet in the Gildan New Mexico Bowl.

We will let the bowl itself let you feel the excitement and anticipation for the game.  Cue up the band.

Thanks Gildan New Mexico Bowl


Love the rendition of Feliz Navidad because the natives will tell you there is nothing like Albuquerque during the Holidays.

By the way it's been 10 years since Washington State has been to a bowl game so to Cougar fans the New Mexico Bowl is a big deal.  A few of those loyal Coug fans made the trip.

Thanks KXLY-TV Spokane, WA


Of course it all about the bowl gifts and the New Mexico Bowl has some nice ones.

• Gift suite (Includes 23 inch Toshiba 1080P LED TV, Blu-Ray player, Fossil watches, Skullcandy headphones, iPhone cases, Bluetooth sound system
• Portable mobile device charger
• 8 GB USB drive
• Oakley Breadbox sunglasses
• A hat
• Oakley Fine Knit beanie
• Oakley Flak Pack XL backpack
• Gildan stadium blanket

For those who care about the football game, it's hard to believe that Colorado State and Washington State have never met.    

Just a guess but I bet many points will be scored in this one.

Bowl-a-Palooza Begins: Picks and Pans From The Season of Wasted Memories

((Overheard at random bowl game presentation))

Bowl Game Rep: "Congratulations coach, you and the (fill in team) get to travel to (fill in city) to play in the 45th annual (fill in the blank) bowl."
Coach or Athletic Director: "Thanks. It's an honor to play in the (fill in the blank) game. After finishing 4th in our conference, we consider it an honor." "We hope our fans will come out to visit your fine city and watch us win our 7th game of the season."
Bowl Game Rep: (leans over to AD)--"We can talk later about tickets. You'll be obligated for about 12,000 of them.
AD: "Huh"?
Bowl Game Rep: "Don't worry, we will sell them to you at face value. You can then sell them, give them away, whatever you want to do"
AD: "What if we don't sell all of them?"
Bowl Game Rep: "Well, that's up to you. As long as you pay us for the tickets, what you choose to do is up to you"
AD: "Uh, okay"

Now imagine you are Nebraska Athletic Director Shawn Eichorst. Your team had a disappointing 8-4 season. You are picked to go to the Gator Bowl. Your opponent? The Georgia Bulldogs, otherwise known as the team you played last year.

The ticket allotment (Nebraska Buys): 12,000. Now, just 11 days from the game you've sold 3,000 of them. Guess who's on the hook for the rest? Add that to the cost of hauling the band, the athletic department and everyone else to Florida and guess who is losing money on this deal?

But Bowl Games are wonderful. Right? They are the way thousands of College Football addicts come down from their season long high and find an excuse to not engage with family during the holidays.

Sounds cynical and narcissistic? Yeah, it does. But that's exactly how modern day college football works.

Deal with it.

If you've read this far, here's a list of this years games and who we think will win them:

Gildan New Mexico Bowl: Washington St. vs. Colorado State. Our Pick: WSU 43, CSU 31

Royal Purple Las Vegas Bowl: Royal Purple? What's that? Fresno St vs. USC Our Pick: USC 33, Fresno St 21

Famous Idaho Potato Bowl: Not to be confused with Famous Jameis the FSU QB. Buffalo vs. San Diego St. Our Pick: Buffalo 27, SDSU 10

R+L Carriers New Orleans Bowl: We are obligated to pick the Cajuns here. Tulane vs. La. Lafayette. Our Pick: LaLaf 35, Tulane 27

Beef O'Brady's Bowl: Bad food, bad game. East Carolina vs. Ohio. Our Pick: ECU 37, Ohio 10

Sheraton Hawaii Bowl: Yay! Trip to Hawaii. Oregon St vs. Boise St. Our Pick: OSU 45, BSU 37

Little Caesar's Bowl: Do we all get $5 pizzas now? Bowling Green vs. Pitt. Our Pick: Pitt 27, BGSU 21

San Diego Credit Union Poinsettia Bowl: Long title, dull game. Northern Illinois vs. Utah State. Jordan Lynch (NIU) 33, Utah St 23

Military Bowl: Hoping to come in close to budget. Maryland vs. Marshall. Maryland? Our Pick: Terps 31, Herd 21

Texas Bowl: Uh…yeah. Minnesota vs. Syracuse. Our Pick: Gophers 27, Orange 21

Fight Hunger Bowl: No, Jennifer Lawrence and the Hunger game won't be here. Washington vs. BYU. Our Pick: Huskies 41, Cougars 17

New Era Pinstripe Bowl: Nothing says college football better than Yankee Stadium. Notre Dame vs. Rutgers. Yawn. Irish 23, Rutgers 17

Belk Bowl: Discount clothing for everyone! North Carolina vs. Cincinnati. Yawn. Tar Heels 31, Bearcats 27

Russell Athletic Bowl: This might be a good one. Louisville vs. Miami. Our Pick: Teddy B (Louisville) 43, The U 31

Buffalo Wild Wings Bowl: Try the Spicy Garlic. Kansas St vs. Michigan. Yawn. Wildcats 35, Wolverines 23

Bell Helicopter Armed Forces Bowl: Hopefully the chopper works. Navy vs. MTSU. Huh? Navy 31, MTSU 28

Franklin American Mortgage Music City Bowl: This might be a good one. Georgia Tech vs Ole Miss. Ole Miss 27, Ga. Tech 23

Valero Alamo Bowl: Good matchup, 2 uninterested teams. Oregon vs. Texas. Oregon 43, Texas 23

National University Holiday Bowl: 2 dull bowl games in San Diego? Arizona St vs Texas Tech. ASU 41, T-Tech 37

AdvoCare V100 Bowl: What is V100? A radio station? Boston College vs. Arizona. Good matchup. Arizona 37, BC 33

Hyundai Sun Bowl: Pretty, but doesn't work well. UCLA vs. VaTech. UCLA 34, VaTech 20

AutoZone Liberty Bowl: Sure. Enjoy your BBQ. Miss. State vs. Rice. Rice 31, Miss St. 28

Chick Fil A Bowl: Great storyline, not-so-great game. Texas A&M vs. Duke. Johnny Football's 45, Duke 31

Taxslayer.com Gator Bowl: The teams aren't interested, the fans even less so. Georgia vs Nebraska. UGA 41, Nebraska 31

Heart of Dallas Bowl: Why? North Texas vs. UNLV. Do you care? UNLV 23, N.Texas 21

Outback Bowl: Best halftime press meal. Period. LSU vs. Iowa. Tigers 20, Iowa 14

Capital One Bowl: Most depressing stadium ever. Game won't be much better. S.Carolina vs. Wisconsin. Gamecocks 28, Badgers 21

Rose Bowl: 'Nuff Said. Michigan St. vs. Stanford. Cardinal 24, Sparty 21

Tostitos Fiesta Bowl: Just like the chip, not pretty or deep. Baylor vs. UCF. Bears 47, Golden Knights 37

Allstate Sugar Bowl: Will this finally shut Bob Stoops up about the SEC? Alabama vs Oklahoma. Crimson Tide 35, Sooners 20

ATT Cotton Bowl: Decent not great. Missouri vs. Okie State. Mizzou 31, Okie State 21

Discover Orange Bowl: They still play this game? Good matchup. Ohio State vs Clemson. Tigers 41, Buckeyes 40

BBVA Compass Bowl: Congrats, you won a trip to Birmingham. Houston vs. Vanderbilt. Vandy 33, Cougars 24

GoDaddy Bowl: If you are interested. We aren't. Ball St. vs Arkansas St. Arkie St. 34, Ball St 23

Vizio BCS National Championship. This might be fun. The only fun one. FSU vs. Auburn. Seminoles 48, Tigers 47

A Bowl Game in the Bahamas?

((espn.com))

Huh?

Last year there weren't enough 6-6 college football teams to play in the over-abudance of post-season exhibitions--uh, we mean bowl games, so they allowed a few 5-7 and 6-7 teams.

But yet today, the NCAA allowed more bowl games.

ESPN.com's Brett McMurphy reports that beginning next season, there will be bowl games in Boca Raton, Florida and Nassau, Bahamas.

Yes, the Bahamas.

The games will have ties to Conference USA and bring the bowl game total to 38.

Why?

We don't really know. We assume there is a call for such a thing. The Boca game will be played at Florida Atlantic's new facility, the Bahamas game, uh...15,000 seat Thomas Robertson stadium. Which, is interesting.

We've been to Nassau twice on scuba diving trips and had nary the idea such a stadium existed.

Yet it apparently does.

We also don't understand exactly how these games will be filled. Though our guess is that it will be from the mildly successful teams in C-USA and say, the Sun Belt.

Because in College Football, though a 7-5 record with no conference title will get you a pretty decent bowl game, in the smaller D-1 leagues, it might not.

So...since there apparently is a large enough segment of the population who is completely lacking in having any life and will watch anything that has the word "Football" attached on T.V, our friends at the 4-letter helped these two games be born.

Good luck.

And if you are playing in the Bahamas bowl, we hope you enjoy conch and bring your scuba gear.

Some pre-travel planning advice from your friends at OSG Sports:

ICYMI: Louisville Takes Care of Sleepwalking Florida

No, this is NOT the biggest upset in BCS history as ESPN billed it. But it sure the heck surprised an awful lot of people.

The University of Louisville and coach Charlie Strong surprised the sleepwalking Florida Gators 33-23 in Wednesday nights Sugar Bowl. We also should note, Strong was a former Florida assistant.

When the Cardinals Terell Floyd returned an interception on the 1st play of the game for a TD, you knew something was up.

And while Teddy Bridgewater (2 TD passes) outplaying Gator QB Jeff Driskel (2 INT's and a fumble) was a surprise to nobody, the way the Cardinals dominated a Florida team who didn't seem like they were interested in the game, surprised all the so-called experts.

After all, wasn't Florida "allegedly" the best team in the SEC? They got the BCS berth even though they were ranked lower than Georgia who actually showed up to play in the Cap One Bowl. Yet they looked like they wanted to be anywhere BUT New Orleans. And we might add, the Gator fans were noticeably absent as well, reports saying they only sold 1/2 to 2/3 of their ticket allotment.

Louisville, the Big East champ was ranked #22 going into the game and next year, they will be a member of the ACC. Both teams finish the season with 11-2 records.

Your highlights from the Bowl Network known as ESPN:

Ragin' Cajuns win the New Orleans Bowl

This made The Lovely Bride's day.....

Lousiana-Lafayette (her alma mater) won their second straight bowl game Saturday afternoon, holding off the East Carolina Pirates 43-34.

For those who didn't watch this, it was actually a pretty good game, with the Ragin' Cajuns getting out to an early 21 point lead before the Pirates clawed their way back.

The game came down to a 4th down play with just over 2:30 left when Melvin White knocked down Pirate QB Shane Carden's pass to WR Andrew Bodenheimer.

Once again, Ragin' Cajuns QB Terrance Broadway was the star, going 21-31 for 316 yds and a TD along with running for 108 yds and a TD.

The win game La.Laf it's second straight 9-win season and more than likely assures head coach Mark Hudspeth as being a hot coaching commodity for next seasons version of the Coaching Carousel.

Here's one of the highlights, Broadway hitting WR Javonne Lawson for the TD late in the 3rd qtr.

Happy College Bowl Season: You Pick 'em...

Okay, actually, I'll pick 'em and try and rank them. Mostly because while some of these 32-plus games may be very good, the majority will be awful and the season, well, it will drag on for what seems like forever.

We've made our feelings known in the past about the bloated, overweight, biased system that penalizes teams like the 8-4 MTSU Blue Raiders and rewards UNWORTHY 6-7 teams like Georgia Tech. It's borderline criminal.

But we digress.



Rather than bore you with a lengthy discourse on why roughly 15 of these games shouldn't exist, we'll just list them. If you are bored enough to watch them all, well, then you pick which ones should go away.

Here's our list: (BCS Championship game at the bottom)

Gildan New Mexico Bowl:

Nevada (7-5) vs. Arizona (7-5). Hmmm. How does New Mexico, a state with arguably the worst college football teams in the whole U.S, get a bowl game? This will a track meet. With very little defense. (You've been warned). Our Pick: Arizona 47, Nevada 41

Famous Idaho Potato Bowl:

Toledo (9-3) vs. Utah St. (10-2). This might actually be a good matchup, but who is going to actually see it? Hey, congratulations, you are going to a bowl game....In Idaho...Utah St has a better defense, they should win. Our Pick: Utah St. 37, Toledo 23

Beef O'Brady's Bowl:

UCF (9-4) vs. Ball St. (9-3). How does a crappy chain of alleged sports bars get a bowl game? And in the incredibly exciting town of St. Petersburg to boot? This may be played in front of a crowd of 12. And no, we don't know much about either team. Crap shoot. Our Pick: UCF 27, Ball St. 17

San Diego County Credit Union Poinsettia Bowl:

BYU (7-5) vs. San Diego St. (9-3). The obvious question: Can they fit that name on a t-shirt? We're guessing the East Coast audience for this will be minimal...at best. Again, we don't know much about either team. But really, we don't care. Our Pick: SDSU 31, BYU 28

R+L Carriers New Orleans Bowl:

E.Carolina (8-4) vs. La. Lafayette (8-4). We have to be interested in this game. TBL gives us no choice since she went to La.Laf. Nothing says bowl game like an 11am (cst) Kickoff on a Saturday in New Orleans. Another potential Loooonnnngggg game. Our Pick: La. Laf 42, E.Carolina 31

The MAACO Bowl Las Vegas:

Washington (7-5) vs. Boise St. (10-2). Good, luck, enjoy Vegas and get a free car paint job. No, all kidding aside, this might actually be a decent game. It's just the title here. Besides, who wouldn't want a free (to them) trip to Vegas? Our Pick: Boise St. 31, Washington 17

Sheraton Hawaii Bowl:

Fresno St. (9-3) vs. SMU (6-6). Oh boy. How exactly did SMU get this trip? Oh, right, June Jones used to coach there. This used to be a big deal, cool game. Key word used to. You may see some stragglers looking to avoid a Christmas Eve party watching this, but that would be the only reason. Our Pick: Fresno St. 40, SMU 27.

Little Caesar's Bowl:

W. Kentucky (7-5) vs. C. Michigan (6-6). Pizza, pizza. This game isn't worth much more than a $5 "Hot and Ready". But it will be played. And it will be on TV too. So there's that. WKU will have some interest since Robert Petrino esq will coach them in 2013. Our Pick: WKU 33, CMU 28.

Military Bowl--Presented by Northrup Grumman:

San Jose St. (10-2) vs. Bowling Green U. (8-4). Must be nice to be a military contractor that makes enough money to underwrite a really unnecessary college bowl game. Wouldn't this game be more relevant with Military Acadamies in it? Just wondering...Our Pick: SJSU 35, Bowling Green 21.

Belk Bowl:

Cincinnati (9-3) vs. Duke (6-6). This will be well attended, but again, it's two totally un-interesting teams. It will be crowded because Duke will bring a crowd, if the alumni realize what's happened and they are in a bowl game. ---sigh--- Cincinnati can again wistfully dream of being in the ACC, only not.
Our Pick: Duke 27, Cincy 23.

Bridgepoint Education Holiday Bowl:

Baylor (7-5) vs. UCLA (9-4). Two games in San Diego? Two minor games in the same place, just a few days apart. But...this should actually be a pretty good game, if anyone tunes in to see it. The Bruins have a slightly better defense here, that should be enough. Our Pick: UCLA 43, Baylor 31.

AdVoCare V100 Independence Bowl:

Ohio (8-4) vs. UL-Monroe (8-4). We liked this better as the Poulan Weedeater Bowl. Just sayin'. Shreveport is lucky to have the team that finished in the middle of the SEC West pack. haha!. This is actually a pretty even matchup. And we REALLY are curious how many Ohioans show up. Our Pick: UL-Monroe 31, Ohio 25.

Russell Athletic Bowl:

Rutgers (9-3) vs. Va.Tech (6-6). Really? These two are going to play? Rutgers is decent, or at least they are on paper. But Va. Tech? How did they get here? You want to know why we hate the bowl system? Teams like the Hokies shouldn't be rewarded for a crappy, underachieving season like this. Our Pick: Rutgers 12, Va.Tech 10. 

Meineke Car Care Bowl of Texas:

Minnesota (6-6) vs. Texas Tech (7-5). OK. Let's take a head count here. Who's excited about this game? Anyone? Bueller? Bueller? Are those crickets? The Gophers at least have a good story considering how bad they were last season. We're pretty sure Tech just wants to forget 2012. Our Pick: Tech 31, Minnesota 21.

Bell Helicopter Armed Forces Bowl:

Rice (6-6) vs. Air Force (6-6). We hate to say this...but, are either of these teams worthy of post-season play? Yeah, we get that Air Force is a military team, so they have a claim. But will you sit down and watch this game. No, neither will we. Our Pick: Rice 31, Air Force 28.

New Era Pinstripe Bowl:

West Virginia (7-5) vs. Syracuse (7-5). Wasn't WVA in the Top 5 not-so-long ago? And Geno Smith, wasn't he going to win the Heisman? Yeah, that worked out pretty well didn't it? Another in the long list of "Why are they playing this?" games. Our Pick: WVA 41, Syracuse 31

Kraft Fight Hunger Bowl:

Navy (7-4) vs. Arizona St. (7-5).  Enjoy San Francisco, hope the weather is good. Two pretty decent running teams, one not-so-interesting game. But that, we suppose, is why they play them. Our Pick: ASU 34, Navy 23

Valero Alamo Bowl:

Texas (8-4) vs. Oregon St. (9-3). This actually looks like it might be a pretty decent matchup. Two fairly evenly matched teams. Texas isn't what they think they are and Oregon St. may be more than they think. We might even watch this one if time...and TLB allows it. Our Pick: Oregon St. 33, Texas 27.

Buffalo Wild Wings Bowl:

TCU (7-5) vs. Michigan St. (6-6). This game may be as generic as BW3's chicken wings. Oh, yeah...I said it!. TCU, considering what happened this season could be named Bowl worthy, but Michigan St? No, not at all. But welcome to Arizona. Our Pick: TCU 27, Mich. St. 21.

Franklin American Mortgage Music City Bowl:

NC State (7-5) vs. Vandy (8-4). Vandy deserved better than staying at home. Really, they did. NC State should count themselves lucky. 11am is REALLY early for a New Years Eve kickoff. Our Pick: Vanderbilt 37, NC State 17. 

Hyundai Sun Bowl:

USC (7-5) vs. Ga. Tech (6-7). I suppose since I bought a Hyundai this year, these two teams owe me. But dude. Ga.Tech has NO business in a bowl game. NONE. But yet they are. And they play the years biggest underachieving team. Our Pick: USC 34, Ga.Tech 10. 

AutoZone Liberty Bowl:

Iowa St. (6-6) vs. Tulsa (10-3). Explain again to me how Iowa State is bowl eligible? Or worthy? Yeah, Tulsa earned it. Enjoy Memphis, try the ribs. But come on...No, quite sure we won't be watching this one. Our Pick: Tulsa 42, Iowa St. 0 (anger pick)

Chick Fil-A Bowl:

LSU (10-2) vs. Clemson (10-2). Finally, an interesting game. This one is always good. And sold out. This we'd watch...if we didn't have plans for the night. Ooops. But Clemson is an ACC team, and ACC always looses to the SEC. Our Pick: LSU 31, Clemson 27. 

TaxSlayer.com Gator Bowl: 

Miss. St (8-4) vs. Northwestern (9-3). We find it funny our Jacksonville friends are stunned the Chick Fil A is a better game than theirs. Guys, it has been, for a long time. That being said, this should be a decent, if boring matchup of two dull teams. Our Pick: Miss. St. 23, Northwestern 21. 

Heart of Dallas Bowl:

Purdue (6-6) vs. Oklahoma St. (7-5). Uh...so, the Cotton Bowl isn't played in the Cotton Bowl on Jan.1 but this game is? Can someone please explain this? And really, is there a cry for this matchup?
Purdue is like most of the Big/Little 10, NOT BOWL WORTHY AT ALL! Our Pick: Okie St. 40, Purdue 0000000

Capital One Bowl:

Georgia (11-2) vs. Nebraska (10-3). The runner-up but shunned bowl. This might actually be a good game, but man, have you ever been to the stadium? It's about as old and depressing as they come. And I say that having grown up in Orlando. IF Georgia is interested, it's a blowout, but will they be? Our Pick: UGA 41, Nebraska 31. 

Outback Bowl:

S.Carolina (10-2) vs. Michigan (8-4). The best halftime meal in the business. Bar none. This would've been a good game if ANYONE in the Big/Little 10 was worth a crap. But they aren't. S. Carolina will be too strong...and fast. Our Pick: S.Carolina 28, Michigan 21. 

The Rose Bowl presented by Vizio:

Wisconsin (8-5) vs. Stanford (11-2). Is there any less interesting BCS game this eyars. Oh...wait, maybe the Orange Bowl. Anyway, Wisconsin will be sans coach. Stanford is Wisconsin only much, much better. Our Pick: Stanford 34, Wisconsin 23. 

Discover Orange Bowl:

Northern Illinois (12-1) vs. FSU (11-2). Who did the Orange Bowl piss off to be saddled with the games they have the past couple years? That being said, all the grief N.Illinois gets, they'll probably play FSU close. Because FSU is an ACC team and they all underachieve. Our Pick: FSU 31, NIU 21. 

Allstate Sugar Bowl:

Louisville (10-2) vs. Florida (11-1). This looks closer on the surface than it will be. Just don't see Louisville hanging with the Gay-Tors. Ever. Still don't think Florida is all they think they are, but they really are better than Louisville. Our Pick: Florida 23, Louisville 10. 

Tostitos Fiesta Bowl:

Oregon (11-1) vs. Kansas St. (11-1). This could very well be the best of the bowl games. A great matchup of two similar teams. This, we may watch. Our Pick: Oregon 47, K-State 41. 

AT&T Cotton Bowl:

Texas A&M (10-2) vs. Oklahoma (10-2). Another very good matchup. We'll be curious to see if Bob Stoops can come up with something to slow Johnny Football. It can...and has been done. Our Pick: Oklahoma 34, A&M 31 (upset)

BBVA Compass Bowl:

Pittsburgh (6-6) vs. Ole Miss (6-6). Explain why this game is being played again please? Or why either of these teams get to play in a bowl game. We are pretty sure there will be nothing more boring on TV that day than this. No interest. AT ALL. Our Pick: Ole Miss 14, Pitt 14. 

Go Daddy.com Bowl:

Kent St. (11-2) vs. Ark. St. (9-3). Hmmmm. Much like a GoDaddy commercial, this is a pretty poor tease of a game. Two teams very happy to be bowling, but who actually will watch? Our Pick: Kent St. 33, Ark. St. 31. 


YOUR BCS CHAMPIONSHIP GAME (It's the BCS, it is a business, not the NCAA)

Alabama (12-1) vs. Notre Dame (12-0). A game for the ages. (right?). We aren't 100% sure these are the 2 best teams in college football. But we could be wrong. Notre Dame's had a great year, but we don't think they are in the same category here. Playing Boston College, Navy and Pitt. can't prepare you for this.

OUR PICK: Alabama 27, Notre Dame 10. 

Your 2012 Bowl Rundown

Gildan New Mexico
Nevada vs. Arizona Albuquerque, N.M.
University Stadium Dec. 15
1 p.m. ESPN

Famous Idaho Potato
Toledo vs. Utah State Boise, Idaho
Bronco Stadium Dec. 15
4:30 p.m. ESPN

S.D. County Credit Union Poinsettia
BYU vs. San Diego State San Diego
Qualcomm Stadium Dec. 20
8 p.m. ESPN

Beef 'O' Brady's St. Petersburg
UCF vs. Ball State St. Petersburg, Fla.
Tropicana Field Dec. 21
7:30 p.m. ESPN

R+L Carriers New Orleans
East Carolina vs. Louisiana-Lafayette New Orleans
Mercedes-Benz Superdome Dec. 22
Noon ESPN

MAACO Las Vegas
Washington vs. Boise State Las Vegas
Sam Boyd Stadium Dec. 22
3:30 p.m. ESPN

Sheraton Hawaii
Fresno State vs. SMU Honolulu
Aloha Stadium Dec. 24
8 p.m. ESPN

Little Caesars Pizza
Western Kentucky vs. Central Michigan Detroit
Ford Field Dec. 26
7:30 p.m. ESPN

Military Bowl Presented By Northrop Grumman
San Jose State vs. Bowling Green Washington, D.C.
RFK Stadium Dec. 27
3 p.m. ESPN

Belk
Cincinnati vs. Duke Charlotte, N.C.
Bank of America Stadium Dec. 27
6:30 p.m. ESPN

Bridgepoint Education Holiday
Baylor vs. UCLA San Diego
Qualcomm Stadium Dec. 27
9:45 p.m. ESPN

AdvoCare V100 Independence
Ohio vs. Louisiana-Monroe Shreveport, La.
Independence Stadium Dec. 28
2 p.m. ESPN

Russell Athletic
Rutgers vs. Virginia Tech Orlando, Fla.
Florida Citrus Bowl Dec. 28
5:30 p.m. ESPN

Meineke Car Care of Texas
Minnesota vs. Texas Tech Houston
Reliant Stadium Dec. 28
9 p.m. ESPN

Bell Helicopter Armed Forces
Rice vs. Air Force Fort Worth
Amon G. Carter Stadium Dec. 29
11:45 a.m. ESPN

New Era Pinstripe
West Virginia vs. Syracuse Bronx, N.Y.
Yankee Stadium Dec. 29
3:15 p.m. ESPN

Kraft Fight Hunger
Navy vs. Arizona State San Francisco
AT&T Park Dec. 29
4 p.m. ESPN2

Valero Alamo
Texas vs. Oregon State San Antonio
Alamodome Dec. 29
6:45 p.m. ESPN

Buffalo Wild Wings
TCU vs. Michigan State Tempe, Ariz.
Sun Devil Stadium Dec. 29
10:15 p.m. ESPN

Franklin American Mortgage Music City
NC State vs. Vanderbilt Nashville, Tenn.
LP Field Dec. 31
Noon ESPN

Hyundai Sun
USC vs. Georgia Tech El Paso, Texas
Sun Bowl Dec. 31
2 p.m. CBS

AutoZone Liberty
Iowa State vs. Tulsa Memphis, Tenn.
Liberty Bowl Dec. 31
3:30 p.m. ESPN

Chick-fil-A
LSU vs. Clemson Atlanta
Georgia Dome Dec. 31
7:30 p.m. ESPN

TaxSlayer.com Gator
Mississippi State vs. Northwestern Jacksonville, Fla.
Everbank Field Jan. 1
Noon ESPN2

Heart of Dallas
Purdue vs. Oklahoma State Dallas
Cotton Bowl Jan. 1
Noon ESPNU

Outback
South Carolina vs. Michigan Tampa, Fla.
Raymond James Stadium Jan. 1
1 p.m. ESPN

Capital One
Georgia vs. Nebraska Orlando, Fla.
Florida Citrus Bowl Jan. 1
1 p.m. ABC

Rose Bowl Game presented by Vizio
Wisconsin vs. Stanford Pasadena, Calif.
Rose Bowl Jan. 1
5 p.m. ESPN

Discover Orange
Northern Illinois vs. Florida State Miami
Sun Life Stadium Jan. 1
8:30 p.m. ESPN

Allstate Sugar
Louisville vs. Florida New Orleans
Louisiana Superdome Jan. 2
8:30 p.m. ESPN

Tostitos Fiesta
Oregon vs. Kansas State Glendale, Ariz.
U. of Phoenix Stadium Jan. 3
8:30 p.m. ESPN

AT&T Cotton
Texas A&M vs. Oklahoma Arlington, Texas
Cowboys Stadium Jan. 4
8 p.m. FOX

BBVA Compass
Pittsburgh vs. Ole Miss Birmingham, Ala.
Legion Field Jan. 5
1 p.m. ESPN

GoDaddy.com
Kent State vs. Arkansas State Mobile, Ala.
Ladd-Peebles Stadium Jan. 6
9 p.m. ESPN

Discover BCS National Championship
Notre Dame vs. Alabama Miami
Sun Life Stadium Jan. 7
8:30 p.m. ESPN

What say you, college football fan...???

The Champions Bowl is now The Sugar Bowl

Confused by the title?

You probably should be, though the SEC, The Big 12/10 and the Sugar Bowl say this is and was part of the plan all along.

The so-called "Champions Bowl" a game agreed upon by the SEC and Big 12/10 to showcase the respective league champs will be played in New Orleans at the Sugar Bowl.

No, the Sugar Bowl is not going away, in fact, really nothing much changes other than the opponent for the SEC team. In fact, the game only will feature the SEC or Big 12/10 champ if that team is NOT in the soon-to-come college football playoff.

Trust us, this will all become clear in 2014 when the BCS goes away....

Right?

Yeah, surprisingly, this story was broken by ESPN, who by the way will pay the bowl $80 million a year to televise the game.

Read the ESPN.com story from Brett McMurphy RIGHT HERE

McMurphy also mentioned the other College Football semi-final game sites look to be the Fiesta, the Chick Fil-A and the Cotton.

Should make some interesting changes to viewing habits....

Here Comes College Football Playoff. Say Goodbye To Bowl Games

We now have a college football playoff to determine a national champion.  We have to wait two years but we have one.

The BCS Presidential Oversight Committee agreed to in their terms, “to launch a new four-team, seeded post-season playoff to determine the national collegiate champion.”

In a joint statement the 12 members of the committee said the new four team playoff  will make the college football season better, “..while protecting the regular season and bowl experience.”

The regular season is fine, bowl experience?

With the new playoff format the bowls have begun to die a slow and painful death.  Now the BBVA Compass  Bowl or the New Mexico Bowl have no meaning other than fill programming for ESPN. 

Heck the bowls might become college football’s version of the NIT or the CBI.  Can you tell me who won the CBI last year?

The playoff genie for major college football is out of the bottle.  Once it starts in two years it will doom the bowl system.

As college football’s final four gains popularity there will soon be cries for expanding the playoff to eight or possibly 16 teams. 

The NFL jumped on the popularity of their playoffs by adding Wild Card rounds.  College football will feel that pressure to.

That in turn will deem bowl games even more irrelevant than they are now, especially if the playoff format expands to all conference champions. 

Now there’s a concept worth exploring.

Of course with 11 conferences and independents (see Notre Dame & BYU) the term “at-large” berth will find itself in the college football vocabulary. 

In the meantime enjoy the corporate sponsored bowl games while the last. 

Bowl season is here: Yawn..

Hey, because we know you are only slightly more excited than the programmers at ESPN, we give you...Bowl Picks.

And yeah, we know you'll read it because for the most part...none of you will actually attend any of these and thusly, your school will end up paying the bowl game more money for unused tickets than you'll actually make for playing the game. And your college kid will pay higher student fees next year to pay it off.

Yeah, that's how the bowl system works.

So here are your picks: (and yes, there are way too many games you've never heard of)

12/17--Gildan New Mexico Bowl--Really? They play a bowl game in New Mexico?

Temple 31
Wyoming 23


12/17--Famous Idaho Potato Bowl--Congrats, you had a good season. You get to go to Idaho.

Ohio 29
Utah St. 21


12/17--R&L Carriers New Orleans Bowl--At least this game has New Orleans going for it.

San Diego State 21
La.Lafayette       27 (TLB's alma mater)


12/20--Beef O'Brady's Bowl--Bad food=bad bowl game. Hope they don't cater the press meal.

FIU          31
Marshall   14


12/21--San Diego County Credit Union Poinsetta--Really? Even they sponsor a game?

TCU 38
La.Tech 12


12/22--Maaco Las Vegas Bowl--What's played in Vegas stays in Vegas. Why is Boise St here?

Arizona St. 10
Boise State 44


12/24--Sheraton Hawaii Bowl--Yay Hawaii. Oh wait. How much is it going to cost Southern Miss?

Nevada                       23
Southern Mississippi  30


12/26--AdvoCare V100 Independence Bowl--More fun when it was Poulan/Weedeater Bowl. Shreveport for Christmas. What a prize...

Missouri     34
N.Carolina 31


12/27--Little Caesars Bowl--The reason they sell $5 pizzas.

W.Michigan 17
Purdue          20


12/27--Belk Bowl-- Yay! Discount clothing for everybody!

Louisville 37
NC State 27


12/28--Military Bowl by Northrup Grumman--A bowl game put on by a defense contractor. How appropriate.

Toledo   18
Air Force 34


12/28--Bridgepoint Education Holiday Bowl-- The Who..what bowl?

California    12
Texas           19


12/29--Champs Sports Bowl--At least they get a free trip to Disney World out of this. But the penalty is playing in the decrepit Citrus Bowl stadium.

Florida State    35
Notre Dame    24

12/29--Valero Alamo Bowl--Good place to go for great food, for a bowl game...not so much.

Washington                    26
Baylor (Featuring RG3)  44


12/30--Bell Helicopter Armed Forces Bowl--What? No military academies playing? Huh?

BYU      41
Tulsa      31

12/30--New Era Pinstripe Bowl--Congrats, your playing your bowl game in the Bronx.

Rutgers    20
Iowa St.   31

12/30--Franklin American Mortgage Music City--Yes, a mortgage company that sponsors a bowl game. Wonder how long before it is foreclosed on?

Mississippi State 10
Wake Forest        28


12/30--Insight Bowl--No insight needed. If you are here, you are playing in a half-full stadium.

Iowa          13
Oklahoma  41


12/31--Meinke Car Care Bowl of Texas--We'll ask it. Why does this game exist?


Texas A&M     35
Northwestern   38


12/31--Hyundai Sun Bowl--The only people who enjoy this work at CBS affiliates and don't have to do early news that day.

Ga.Tech     41
Utah           31


12/31--AutoZone Liberty Bowl--Come to Memphis, eat the BBQ and look for Elvis. Yawn....


Cincinnati    17
Vanderbilt    23


12/31--Kraft Fight Hunger Bowl--Come on! 6-7 UCLA in this game. Both teams here sucked this year, here is your reward.

Illinois    3
UCLA   2


12/31--Chick-fil-A Bowl--Almost always the best bowl game of the year. This might be the exception.

Virginia   17
Auburn    18


1/2/11--TicketCity Bowl--Yes, this is a real game. Though it sounds like a Bowling Alley.


Houston   43
Penn St.   21


1/2/11--Outback Bowl--Nobody goes, but best--press-meal--ever.

Michigan State  21
Georgia             28


1/2/11--Capital One Bowl--Again, yay! You get to go to Disney. Boo, you are playing in horrible football stadium.

Nebraska    13
South Carolina 28


1/2/11--TaxSlayer.com Gator Bowl--Really? At least they have a good sense of humor. It should be called the Urban Meyer bowl.

Ohio State 6
Florida      7


1/2/11--Rose Bowl Game presented by Vizio--A win-win only because most people will watch this on their Vizio's rather than in person.

Wisconsin     31
Oregon          28


1/2/11--Tostitos Fiesta Bowl--Chips and salsa for everyone. It's a BCS game so by divine commandment we are forced to watch.

Stanford    23
Okie State  45


1/3/11--Allstate Sugar Bowl--They should be forced to have nobody go to this game for picking Va.Tech. Unfortunately Va.Tech is going to have to pay for all the unused tickets. And student fees will go up because of it.


Michigan      34
Va.Tech       31


1/4/11 Discover Orange Bowl--Poor Orange Bowl. Saddled with a Big East team every year. We won't be watching this game.

West Virginia     37
Clemson             31

1/6/11--AT&T Cotton Bowl--Wonder how the customer service is at this game? Yeah, that's what I thought too.

Kansas State    27
Arkansas         41


1/7/11--BBVA Compass Bowl---Happy New Year, you are playing in a bowl game nobody will watch or go to in Birmingham, AL. Congratulations for that.

SMU          34
Pittsburgh   17


1/8/11--GoDaddy.com Bowl--Just like the commercials, a total tease. Misleading only because it is a bowl game nobody will watch.


Arkansas State     31
Northern Illinois  17


1/9/11--Allstate BCS Championship Game--Nothing like having to wait another month for this. Although we don't know why anyone would be excited...

Alabama  6
LSU        9