What is worse, bowls with silly names (uDrove Humanitarian) or bowls with no names (New Mexico)? I like UTEP but they are losers and their team sucks. Also I like Bronco Mendenhall a lot more than Mike "Dumb Enough to Buy Whores with a University Expense Card" Price.
My pick: MORMONS
uDrove Humanitarian: Northern Illinois vs. Fresno State
NIU was upset in the MAC title game and also their coach left. FSU West has a worse record, but they've lost to better teams.
My pick: FRESNO STATE
R+L Carriers New Orleans: Ohio vs. Troy
I learned today that Ohio has never won a bowl game. History means a lot to me.
My pick: TROY
Beef 'O' Brady's St. Petersburg: Louisville vs. Southern Miss
This is a bowl name that's too easy to make fun. For several moments I was confused that this was a game when I first saw it, but then I remembered Louisville is no longer in C-USA (new division names: Losers and Forgettables). I don't really have a good reason to pick either of these teams.
My pick: SOUTHERN MISS
MAACO Las Vegas: Utah vs. Boise State
I think Boise State is roughly as good as TCU, who beat Utah real bad. I think Boise will be disappointed and it won't be a blow-out, but I still expect them to carry even this crappy bowl game.
My pick: BOISE STATE
San Diego County Credit Union Poinsettia: San Diego State vs. Navy
I watched part of the Army-Navy game and I was not terribly impressed with Navy's defense. San Diego State has moreover looked pretty good this season, losing to four games but all pretty close and all to decent teams.
My pick: SAN DIEGO STATE
Sheraton Hawaii: Tulsa vs. Hawaii
I think Todd Graham is kind of a dick.
My pick: HAWAI'I
Little Caesars: Florida International vs. Toledo
So this is a bowl game in Detroit, for a bunch of kids from south Florida, playing on an FIU team that won six games.
My pick: TOLEDO
AdvoCare V100 Independence: Georgia Tech vs. Air Force
I do like the option. I am assuming that Josh Nesbitt will not be able to play, but if he can he will still probably be rusty.
My pick: AMERICA'S AIR FORCE
Champs Sports: NC State vs. West Virginia
Champs is an interesting bowl consolation for two teams that lost their conference/division championships in the last game of the season. Losers. I was going to go with NCSt but I think the coaching situation in West Virginia will galvanize the Mounties.
My pick: WEST BY GOD VIRGINIA
Insight: Iowa vs. Missouri
I am going with the team with the better offense, defense, coach, and record, so long as it has fewer recent arrests/suspensions. I do think Iowa is a little better than people think, though.
My pick: MISSOURI
Military Bowl Presented By Northrop Grumman: Maryland vs. East Carolina
I was just in Maryland!
My pick: MARYLAND
Texas: Illinois vs. Baylor
Ron Zook is not a great coach. I like that Baylor quarterback. Also, in the Who Wants to Be Here More contest, I think Baylor has an advantage.
My pick: BAYLOR
Valero Alamo: Oklahoma State vs. Arizona
Arizon has faced a couple of OSU-caliber offenses so far this season, and they gave up big points both times. Oklahoma State's two losses came to better teams than Arizona's five, and Arizona had a big losing streak. Also, I like Mike Gundy.
My pick: OKLAHOMA STATE
Bell Helicopter Armed Forces: SMU vs. Army
There's both a Military Bowl and an Armed Services Bowl? I like June Jones and also Army football loses bowl games. Army's logo looks like it should be a unit in a Super Nintendo game.
My pick: PONY EXPRESS
New Era Pinstripe: Kansas State vs. Syracuse
With two teams with equal records, I tend to pick based on who had the tougher schedule, and that's KSU. Also somebody on my trivia team (Suck It Trebek) is a KSU alum.
My pick: KANSAS STATE
Franklin American Mortgage Music City: North Carolina vs. Tennessee
Tennessee has beaten exactly one decent team this year (Kentucky). FSU, Clemson, and East Carolina are all at least that good, and they're all UNC wins. Also I would like to compare a couple of close calls: Tennessee barely beat UAB in overtime; North Carolina barely lose to LSU.
My pick: NORTH CAROLINA
Bridgepoint Education Holiday: Nebraska vs. Washington
Wait, what? Why is this a bowl game, even ignoring the already-played-one-blowout-game factor?
My pick: NEWBRASKA
Meineke Car Care: Clemson vs. USF
Kyle Parker should have taken the money; the Auburn game alone shaved three years off his life expectancy. Also, USF beat Miami, who beat Clemson. That's math.
My pick: SOUTH FLORIDA
Hyundai Sun: Miami vs. Notre Dame
Wake the echoes, right. These teams are bad. Miami just lost a coach, while Notre Dame has a good coach in Brian Kelly. Also Notre Dame looks like they improved at the end of the season, while Miami didn't.
My pick: CATHOLICS
AutoZone Liberty: UCF vs. Georgia
Georgia's having a down year, and UCF has ten wins, but I won't let a C-USA title trick me. UGA's got too much offense.
My pick: GEORGIA
I don't think FSU's got the defense to stop South Carolina's talented offense. Also, Ponder isn't playing, is he? The thing that makes me question this pick is that Spurrier hasn't been a great bowl coach.
My pick: SOUTH CAROLINA
TicketCity: Northwestern vs. Texas Tech
Oh, Tubby! You might remember that Northwestern has never won a bowl game, and they'll be without their regular quarterback. On the other hand, TTU has really beaten anybody of note. Still, hard to pick against out hero the catfish cooker. Also, why is something called the TicketCity Bowl playing on New Years' Day?
My pick: TEXAS TECH
Outback: Penn State vs. Florida
Neither of these are particularly good teams, but Florida is not as not good. I doubt this game will be as exciting as last year's rendition. Even though he kind of tricked them last year, I think Florida's players will show up for their coach on his way out. On the other hand, I doubt Paterno recognizes most of his players.
My pick: FLORIDA
Capital One: Michigan State vs. Alabama
Two disappointed teams. Also, did you know Nick Saban used to be the head coach at Michigan State? It's true! Alabama is a better team, even though I hate to admit it.
My pick: Alabama
Gator: Michigan vs. Mississippi State
How fun. Michigan playing Mississippi State, much less as an underdog, in a bowl game is something that would have been hard to imagine a few years ago. I think a good rule is to go with the coach that is rumored to be leaving for a better job, not the one rumored to be leaving for being fired.
My pick: MISSISSISSIPPI STATE
Rose Bowl Game presented by VIZIO: Wisconsin vs. TCU
I might be overly influenced by Bret Bielema stomping some folks, but I have trouble imagining this Wisconsin offense being stopped. I haven't watched a ton of TCU games, but the thing in my mind is the recentish Auburn-Wisconsin Citrus Bowl, wherein the highly regarded Auburn defense just couldn't handle the big, effective Wisconsin offense. That's what I see here.
My pick: WISCONSIN
Tostitos Fiesta: Oklahoma vs. Connecticut
Except for this one, all the BCS bowls should be at least watchable and mostly
good games. Way to dick things up, Fiesta Bowl.
My pick: OKIES FROM MUSKOGEE
Discover Orange: Virginia Tech vs. Stanford
It's difficult for me to get a handle on how good Virginia Tech actually is. They lost those first two and then went victorious in a mediocre ACC. I think Luck is the best single player in the game.
My pick: SAMFORD
Allstate Sugar: Arkansas vs. Ohio State
I am inclined to pick Arkansas solely on OSU's past failures against SEC teams. But also I am an SEC homer, as the talk radio people would say. Legitimate reasons: Arkansas has played a much tougher schedule; I think both Auburn and Alabama would beat OSU.
My pick: ARKANSAS
GoDaddy.com: Miami (Ohio) vs. Middle Tennessee
MTSU beat both Western Kentucky and Florida International by only one point each.
My pick: MIAMI (OH!)
AT&T Cotton: Texas A&M vs. LSU
I still refuse to believe that TAMU is a good team, but LSU is only half of a good team. Both teams lost close games to Arkansas. LSU's close game with Auburn is more impressive than beating Nebraska or Oklahoma, in my opinion. I am taking the Tigers in a close one. Again, let me point out that Mike Sherman is not a good coach.
My pick: LSU
BBVA Compass Bowl: Pittsburgh vs. Kentucky
I am going to miss the nightmare pizza mascots. I would have picked Kentucky, but with the Stach leaving, I think Pitt shows up to get rowdy (?) and beat Kentucky, who is without their regular quarterback.
My pick: PITT
Kraft Fight Hunger: Boston College vs. Nevada
Nothing fights hunger like an unnecessary bowl game in California. At least Nevada has beaten a good team.
My pick: NEVADA
Tostitos BCS National Championship Game: Auburn vs. Oregon
Auburn has played the tougher schedule and has more experience with close games so far. Also, are you willing to bet against Cam Newton? I wouldn't. If Oregon wins, though, it won't be a surprise, because these Ducks are pretty good. I think Chip Kelly is a genius.
My pick: AUBURN
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