Nevada vs. Arizona (-9.5)
Dec. 15
This should be a fun start, right? Two high-powered offenses, bad teams, etc etc? I'm not quite sure why Arizona is such a big favorite, but I do expect them to win.
My pick: ARIZONA
Famous Idaho Potato
Toledo vs. Utah State (-10.5)
Dec. 15
It's famous! It's in Idaho. It's a potato? Utah State is pretty good.
My pick: UTAH STATE
S.D. County Credit Union Poinsettia
BYU (-3) vs. San Diego State
Dec. 20
I like Bronco Mendenhall, and I think BYU is pretty good, too. I like how ESPN, in the little Matchup things, lists BYU as 0-1 in their division.
My pick: BYU
Beef 'O' Brady's St. Petersburg
UCF (-7) vs. Ball State
Dec. 21
My natural inclination is to pick the upset, since UCF lost the CUSA title game. But! Nobody cares about the CUSA title game, and Ball State is pretty mediocre. UCF is too, but less.
My pick: UCF
R+L Carriers New Orleans
East Carolina vs. Louisiana-Lafayette (-6)
Dec. 22
I'm kind of surprised that both of these schools' coaches are still around, especially ULAF. East Carolina is not a good football team.
My pick: ULL
MAACO Las Vegas
Washington vs. Boise State (-5.5)
Dec. 22
Boise State's pretty good; Washington is less so.
My pick: BOISE STATE
Sheraton Hawaii
Fresno State (-12.5) vs. SMU
Dec. 24
It has been years since I have watched an SMU football game.
My pick: THE REAL FSU
Little Caesars Pizza
Western Kentucky (-5.5) vs. Central Michigan
Dec. 26
If CMU weren't so thoroughly uninspiring a football team (according to the Football OUtsiders rankings, CMU is worse than Auburn (so is East Carolina; see above)), I would pick the upset. But even with all the whatnot going on at Western Kentucky, with the stench of Petrino, I can't pick Central Michigan to win this. I do like the regional face-off flavor of this game.
My pick: WESTERN KENTUCKY
Military Bowl Presented By Northrop Grumman
San Jose State (-7) vs. Bowling Green
Dec. 27
I was just telling my wife there's not enough militarism in America today. Bowling Green: also not terribly good at football. Let's see if San Jose State plays hard for their interim coach.
My pick: SAN JOSE STATE
Belk
Cincinnati (-7) vs. Duke
Dec. 27
I notice the defensive line coach is the interim coach for Cincinnati, that's neat. I assume that, just as I would, they will play real hard to impress Tommy Tuberville.
My pick: CINCINNATI
Bridgepoint Education Holiday
Baylor vs. UCLA (pick'em)
Dec. 27
This is the first decent game, isn't it? What a crap bowl lineup we have. But this one is pretty good, two improving teams. It's also real tough to pick! I am going with the coach I like better.
My pick: BAY, LORD OF THE BEARS
AdvoCare V100 Independence
The Ohio University vs. Louisiana-Monroe (-7)
Dec. 28
Ohio is slightly overrated, LA-MO slightly underrated.
My pick: LA-MO
Russell Athletic
Rutgers vs. Virginia Tech (-2.5)
Dec. 28
Woof. Virginia Tech's best win, I guess, either pasting Bowling Green or Duke? Rutgers beat a bunch of nobodies, and they're sad about not going to the BCS. Va Tech doesn't want to go out with a losing record.
My pick: VA TECH
Meineke Car Care of Texas
Minnesota vs. Texas Tech (-13)
Dec. 28
TOMMY! Another line coach, this time TTU's offensive one, is the interim coach. This is the dumbest bowl season ever.
My pick: TEXAS TECH
Bell Helicopter Armed Forces
Rice vs. Air Force (-1.5)
Dec. 29
This is really an unfair advantage, for the Air Force to get to play in the Helicopter Bowl. My favorite line in the STATS LLC bowl preview: "Rice has split two bowl games since a postseason drought from 1962 to 2005." Even though they finished with a bunch of bad teams, Rice has the Big Mo Mentum. I think this is my first upset pick so far.
My pick: RICE
New Era Pinstripe
West Virginia (-4) vs. Syracuse
Dec. 29
It's a new era of distinctly flawed football! We live-tweeted a Syracuse game, that was fun. It would also be good to the Belk Bowl teams, but their basketball teams, and then have those four play. Last year I picked Clemson to beat West Virginia, and I was (to put it gently) wrong about that.
My pick: WEST VIRGINIA
Kraft Fight Hunger
Navy vs. Arizona State (-14.5)
Dec. 29
The dumbest bowl name of them all returns to grace for another year with its stupidity. I tend to think the option is less of an advantage with plenty of time to prepare. If nothing else, I think ASU can just outscore this game.
My pick: ARIZONA STATE
Valero Alamo
Texas vs. Oregon State (-2)
Dec. 29
Remember the Alamo Bowl is a thing I would say a lot if Auburn ever went to bowl games ever again. I think Oregon State is pretty good, and Texas lost their offensive coordinator.
My pick: OREGON STATE BEAVERS
Buffalo Wild Wings
TCU (-2.5) vs. Michigan State
Dec. 29
I hadn't realized how close Michigan State was to a much better record. Only one of their losses was by more than four points. I like TCU and I think Patterson is a better coach, but Michigan State looks like the better team.
My pick: Michigan State
Franklin American Mortgage Music City
NC State vs. Vanderbilt (-7)
Dec. 31
Vandy is dandy, and Doeren is scorin'. Uh, yeah. I was surprised that NC State fired Tom O'Brien. NC State got beat handily by Virginia and Tennessee; Vandy was competitive against everybody not in the top five, and they beat (an admittedly much worse, much later in the season) Tennessee.
My pick: VANDY
Hyundai Sun
USC (-10) vs. Georgia Tech
Dec. 31
Georgia Tech should not be in a bowl game.
My pick: USC
AutoZone Liberty
Iowa State vs. Tulsa (pick'em)
Dec. 31
Iowa State should not be in this bowl game.
My pick: TULSA
LSU (-4) vs. Clemson
Dec. 31
Hot Tiger on Tiger action. Do you remember when Auburn used to play in bowl games, like the Peach Bowl? I do. Anyway, I think LSU can slow down Clemson's offense. I do not think Clemson can slow down LSU's offense.
My pick: LSWHO?
TaxSlayer.com Gator
Mississippi State (-2) vs. Northwestern
Jan. 1
Mississippi State didn't beat anybody of note. Northwestern didn't really, but they got closer. Mississippi State is coming off a disappointing season close-out.
My pick: NORTHWESTERN
Heart of Dallas
Purdue vs. Oklahoma State (-16.5)
Jan. 1
I like Oklahoma State, big. They didn't just fire their coach and they're actually a good team. If it comes to a shoot-out, OSU is much better positioned to win. This might be one of those 45-28 kind of games, in Oklahoma State's favor.
My pick: OKLAHOMA STATE
Outback
South Carolina (-5) vs. Michigan
Jan. 1
I'm surprised this line isn't bigger. South Carolina lost to better teams, beat better teams, and has been more consistent doing so.
My pick: YEAH CLICK CLACK SOUTH CAROLINA
Capital One
Georgia (-10) vs. Nebraska
Jan. 1
Georgia comes out of the SEC Championship game feeling like they were a play away from beating the defending (and soon to be) national champions. Nebraska does not come out of their conference title game feeling good. I would be very sure about this pick, except for the possibility that Georgia will be overlooking Nebraska. It's been a really long time since I picked against Nebraska in a Pick Them.
My pick: UGA
Rose Bowl Game presented by Vizio
Wisconsin vs. Stanford (-6.5)
Jan. 1
Stanford is good, Wisconsin is out a head coach. If Beliema were still around, this might be an upset pick: Wisconsin's losses were all pretty close, big win over Nebraska, etc etc, but the way it went down, I feel like Wisconsin will not be 100% mentally, which they would have to be to win this game. I'm interested to see how Barry works out, though.
My pick: SAMFORD
Discover Orange
Northern Illinois vs. Florida State (-13)
Jan. 1
Other than FSU overlooking Northern Illinois, is there any reason to pick the upset? Maybe NIU playing to prove they can win without their head coach? MACtion? The only thing is, FSU may have heard all that "NIU shouldn't be here" talk. Plus, if any team is going to have a pointless upset against an inferior team, FSU would be that team.
My pick: FSU
Allstate Sugar
Louisville vs. Florida (-13.5)
I think Louisville has more going for them than NIU -- better coach, better team -- but they're also playing a better team. This might look close in the first half, and then not at all at the end.
My pick: FLORIDA
Tostitos Fiesta
Oregon (-9.5) vs. Kansas State
Jan. 3
Maybe the only thing, as an Auburn fan, that I have really liked about this season is seeing a bunch of other teams feeling like they got screwed out of a national title shot. What's neat about this game is, it's two teams that are a bad match-up for each other. I also want to see if Klein had a concussion, and if so, if he's better now. This is the pick, of teams that I have seen play a good bit, that I am least sure about.
My pick: KANSAS STATE
AT&T Cotton
Texas A&M (-4.5) vs. Oklahoma
Jan. 4
I'm a little surprised TAMU is favored, not for my pick but for the national perspective. If it comes to a shoot-out, I like TAMU's chances. They're two teams that have had great offensive numbers, but Texas A&M has done so against better teams.
My pick: TAMU
BBVA Compass
Pittsburgh vs. Ole Miss (-3.5)
Jan. 5
Both of these teams actually closed out pretty strong. Looking over the season, though, Ole Miss has clearly played the tougher schedule. Also, I like that Blind Side guy.
My pick: OLD MIST
GoDaddy.com
Kent State vs. Arkansas State (-4)
Jan. 6
Even without a coach, Arkansas State is better and they've been here before.
My pick: ARKANSAS STATE
Discover BCS National Championship
Notre Dame vs. Alabama (-10)
Jan. 7
Siiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiick.
My pick: alabama
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