Now here's a game with some chest hair. I'm going with the team that has faced much better competition. This is as good a place as any to point out that the top four teams in the Big 12 South went undefeated against everyone else.
My pick: OSU
Texas Bowl: Rice vs. Western Michigan
All these Michigan teams in bowl games, and Michigan isn't one of them. Rice is playing a home game, and they've got all those gaudy passing numbers.
My pick: RICE RICE BABY
Armed Forces Bowl: Houston vs. Air Force
You've really got to pick the military in the Armed Forces Bowl, don't you? No, I guess not. But I did anyway. This is another rematch. This time I am going with the previous winner. Like with Louisiana Tech, I am picking with my heart, not my mind grapes.
My Pick: AIR FORCE
Sun Bowl: Oregon St. vs. Pittsburgh
As I understand it Oregon State will be short a few players, which should balance out Pitt's bad head coaching (why do people hire NFL retreads?). Also, did Pitt want people to stop calling them Pitt?
My pick: PITT
Music City Bowl: Vanderbilt vs. Boston College
A home game for an excited Vanderbilt team. Boston College is better, and I think they're a pretty good team, but this is a letdown game for them (and America). Vanderbilt will win a narrow one.
My pick: VANDY
Insight Bowl: Kansas vs. Minnesota
I've got some insight -- into bad football teams! HA! Not really. Kansas is pretty good. They just beat Missouri, and Minnesota has lost four in a row. I think Mangino is a pretty good coach, and there's a reason they're favored so heavily.
My pick: KU
Basically a home game for a hit Georgia Tech team with better coaching. LSU has a big talent advantage, but they've had one against almost every team they've played, and here we are. All the talent in the world can't overcome poor coaching and not caring. I think LSU will do better against the option that Georgia did, but not enough to make a difference.
My pick: GA TECH
Outback Bowl: South Carolina vs. Iowa
Steve Spurrier: how the mighty have fallen. I think it's fair to say that, despite hopes that only grew stronger after a pretty good first season, Spurrier is not going to turn South Carolina around. A fact of which I only recently became aware: Iowa's Shonn Greene is the only player in the country to rush for 100 yards in every game this season. Usually I think these New Year's Day matchups of good but flawed teams favor the SEC, but Iowa is playing well and South Carolina is not.
My pick: IOWA
Capital One Bowl: Michigan St. vs. Georgia
Looking over the lines, I see that (rightly) the Big 10 is only favored in one game, the previously mentioned Outback Bowl. Otherwise they all look like big disadvantages for the midwest's finest, including this game. Georgia has had a disappointing season and I can't imagine they're excited about this game, but Michigan State got pasted against every decent team they played.
My pick: UGA
Cotton Bowl: Texas Tech vs. Ole Miss
That Auburn did not even seriously consider hiring Leach, and that they did hire Chizik, is evidence of some deep malady that only fire and prayer and perhaps death can remedy. One of the many things I like about Leach is that by all accounts he's an excellent motivator, which will help keep them focused on this crappy matchup. Maybe he'll say that, if it were forty years ago, this would be exactly the game they deserved. I am tempted to say that Ole Miss will upset TT because of the letdown effect etc, but I am going to resist it.
My pick: TEXAS TECH
Liberty Bowl: Kentucky vs. East Carolina
I'm still not sold on East Carolina and will take the SEC-homer upset. I know Kentucky hasn't done anything special, but looking at their results, neither has ECU since their first two games (both of which had a lot of the shine taken off). It's hard to get excited about either of these, but at least Kentucky lost to better teams.
My pick: UK
Gator Bowl: Clemson vs. Newbraska
Two of Clemson's wins came over 1-AA teams. Newbraska has a bad defense, but I think they can score enough on Clemson to pull through. Bo Pelini versus Dabo Swinney? Come on. No way. Get serious. Clemson is favored, but the stench of Tommy Bowden still hangs heavy enough to lose this game.
My pick: NEWBRASKA
International Bowl: Connecticut vs. Buffalo
Either of the coaches in this game would have been better hires for Syracuse. This bowl game kind of looks like a play-off for most difficult areas to recruit in I-A; one lucky team will play western region winner Idaho.
My pick: UCONN
GMAC Bowl: Tulsa vs. Ball St.
Hoke is headed to San Diego State: a lateral move, in coaching terms, but a much nicer climate. Even with all the disfunction, these kind of games tend to go with the better offense, and I think that's Ball State. I hope I'm right about this, because Todd Graham is kind of a dick.
My pick: BSU
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