Put the picks in the bowl...
...so, time to go bowlin'. Here, with semi-pseudo-in-depth analysis, are my picks for all 32 bowl games. Teams in bold are in the top 25, and thus count for my top 25 record. And, of course, the Big Ten teams count for that record too.
So, here we go, your college bowl picks to bet against!
Poinsettia Bowl: Utah v. Navy--And we start off with an unassuming matchup, but usually most of these games are at least entertaining. Here, I'm gonna pick the minor upset...Navy by 3
New Orleans Bowl: Florida Atlantic v. Memphis--Florida Atlantic went an unassuming 7-5, and it scored the nice "upset" against Minnesota. Memphis, another 7-5 team, was also unassuming. Mainly because I saw them more and I liked what I saw, I'll pick Atlantic here. Fla. Atlantic by 3
Papa Johns Bowl: Cincinnati v. Southern Miss--An old Conference USA matchup returns. Cincy, of course, is now in the Big East, and is getting that nice reputation as a giant killer. It shouldn't be too much of a problem for them to beat their old whippin' boys here. Cincy by 8
New Mexico Bowl: New Mexico v. Nevada--Two teams which I haven't seen, so I'm just going on record here. And New Mexico has the better one so...New Mexico by 4
Las Vegas Bowl: BYU v. UCLA--UCLA was up, and then it fell off the table. BYU hasn't lost a conference game in 2 years. And though it may be a small conference, it's enough to prepare them for bowlin'. BYU by 6
Hawaii Bowl: East Carolina v. Boise State--Another unassuming CUSA pick, but they go against the second best mid-major team in the country. Last year, they shocked Oklahoma in a BCS game. This time, there should be no shock. Boise State by 7
Motor City Bowl: Central Michigan v. Purdue--Central Michigan, your MAC champions. Purdue went down after losing to the Buckeyes. To the untrained eye, this looks like a mismatch, but it's gonna be a pretty entertaining game. Look for the mid-major to take this one...Central Michigan by 3
Holiday Bowl: Arizona State v. Texas--Nice, early big bowl game. Two teams that had a shot at the good stuff, only to stumble a little down the stretch. However, I think this might cement the Pac-10's legacy as a dang good conference this year. Arizona State by 3
Champs Sports Bowl: Boston College v. Michigan State--Well, they had the shot at the BCS until the last couple of weeks. Now, they get to take it out on yet another Big Ten team. They're poppin' up like flies, aren't they? BC by 5
Emerald Bowl: Maryland v. Oregon State--Oregon State was just on the south side of awesome this year, with nice wins over USC and Oregon (despite not having to face Dennis Dixon). Maryland just squeezed out a bowl bid. It's pretty, well, academic. Oregon State by 7
Texas Bowl: TCU v. Houston--Yet another one of those unassuming CUSA teams. This time, they face a down TCU team that was picked to go places early in the year. But now, they get to have a home-state bowl...loss. Houston by 3
Meineke Bowl: Connecticut v. Wake Forest--Wake has actually done some good things this year. Problem: They go up against a team that's done great things this year. This may be a game, but UConn gets it done. UConn by 4
Liberty Bowl: Mississippi State v. UCF--Boy oh boy...two big wins for Mississippi State this year, but then, they wouldn't have a bowl game if they didn't have at least one. UCF didn't have too many big ones...though they played Texas to the hilt, they got slammed by South Florida. Could we have another Mississippi State upset, please? Mississippi State by 2
Alamo Bowl: Penn State v. Texas A&M--The Aggies got the drop on the Longhorns. I'm not sure whether JoPa will be awake long enough for Penn State to avoide getting the drop put on them...but they're talented enough to overcome that. Penn State by 3
Independence Bowl: Colorado v. Alabama--The question, of course, is this: Irresistible Force (Colorado O), Immovable Object (Alabama D). Well, the Tide did get rolled a coupla times...but this is Colorado, the entire state is flaky! Alabama by 6
Armed Forces Bowl: California v. Air Force--Cal just fell apart the second half of the season. Air Force was good, but could not bring down BYU. I think Cal really, really wants to make its statement...but I'm not sure they can. Air Force by 3
Sun Bowl: South Florida v. Oregon--The Cinderella team meets the team that fell fast from grace. If Dennis Dixon were available, not only would there be a contest, these two wouldn't even be meeting. As it is...South Florida by 7
Humanitarian Bowl: Fresno State v. Georgia Tech--The blue field should be more home for the WAC team than the ACC team, here. Fresno State by 3
Music City Bowl: Florida State v. Kentucky--In light of a quarter of the Florida State team getting suspended for this game...gee, you think that's news? Something happens about every year down here...Kentucky by 10
Chick-fil-A Bowl: Clemson v. Auburn--Now here's a good one. Despite the better record, Clemson is the underdog. But it's gonna prove that it has bite as it takes down Auburn in the upset...Clemson by 4
Insight Bowl: Indiana v. Oklahoma State--Oklahoma State just barely got its bowl bid. Indiana got its on the roller-coaster season it's had since Terry Hoeppner died in the offseason. I think in this game, heart will win out. Indiana by 5
Outback Bowl: Wisconsin v. Tennessee--This is a pretty unassuming good game matchup. It'll be very, very entertaining. That said, I think the Badgers will stick yet another stake in the heart of Phil Fullmer here. Wisconsin by 4
Cotton Bowl: Missouri v. Arkansas--Two teams on the outside of the BCS lookin' in. Both have chips on their shoulders, but Mizzou's is much, much larger. Mizzou by 7
Capital One Bowl: Michigan v. Florida--With all the turmoil of not having their coach coach, I don't think Michigan stands a prayer. Florida by 6
Gator Bowl: Virginia v. Texas Tech--Little consolation for losing to their big rivals, I know, but Virginia will gladly slash into the Red Raiders. Virginia by 5
Rose Bowl: USC v. Illinois--The first BCS game. And I'm gonna tell you right now. Juice Williams? No fluke. The Trojans are gonna find that out really quickly. Illinois by 3
Sugar Bowl: Hawaii v. Georgia--Okay, Boise State last year, undefeated. And Georgia's about to get waylaid by another WAC team, and that'll yet again open up the playoff can of worms. Hawaii by 4
Fiesta Bowl: West Virginia v. Oklahoma--Before Rich Rodriguez decided to stick it to West Virginia, this was gonna be an interesting game. Now...Oklahoma by 12
Orange Bowl: Kansas v. Virginia Tech--Well, comin' down the home stretch are these two teams. I think Kansas, though, has run out of steam. Va. Tech by 4
International Bowl: Rutgers v. Ball State--And the two bowls that snuck in behind the BCS. In one you've got a nice Rutgers team against a surprising Ball State team. But Rutgers is slightly more stable. Rutgers by 4
GMAC Bowl: Tulsa v. Bowling Green--In the other, you've got two really underrated teams going at it. In the slight upset, BGSU by 4
BCS National Championship: Ohio State v. LSU--Here it is. All the marbles. The National Championship on the line. Once again, the Buckeyes go against an SEC team. All the hoopla of Les Miles going elsewhere have died down. Who will emerge the champion of the most flawed system in the world? Well, this time the Buckeyes aren't relying on just one guy who gets injured on the opening kickoff, so here we go. The bias shows, but my prediction for the National Championship Game of College Football...I'm even gonna give you the score:
OHIO STATE 30, LSU 27
There you go. Take all of those picks to the bank and bet the other way! We'll see how they shake out as the month goes along, and I'll see you tomorrow for more NFL picks!
So, here we go, your college bowl picks to bet against!
Poinsettia Bowl: Utah v. Navy--And we start off with an unassuming matchup, but usually most of these games are at least entertaining. Here, I'm gonna pick the minor upset...Navy by 3
New Orleans Bowl: Florida Atlantic v. Memphis--Florida Atlantic went an unassuming 7-5, and it scored the nice "upset" against Minnesota. Memphis, another 7-5 team, was also unassuming. Mainly because I saw them more and I liked what I saw, I'll pick Atlantic here. Fla. Atlantic by 3
Papa Johns Bowl: Cincinnati v. Southern Miss--An old Conference USA matchup returns. Cincy, of course, is now in the Big East, and is getting that nice reputation as a giant killer. It shouldn't be too much of a problem for them to beat their old whippin' boys here. Cincy by 8
New Mexico Bowl: New Mexico v. Nevada--Two teams which I haven't seen, so I'm just going on record here. And New Mexico has the better one so...New Mexico by 4
Las Vegas Bowl: BYU v. UCLA--UCLA was up, and then it fell off the table. BYU hasn't lost a conference game in 2 years. And though it may be a small conference, it's enough to prepare them for bowlin'. BYU by 6
Hawaii Bowl: East Carolina v. Boise State--Another unassuming CUSA pick, but they go against the second best mid-major team in the country. Last year, they shocked Oklahoma in a BCS game. This time, there should be no shock. Boise State by 7
Motor City Bowl: Central Michigan v. Purdue--Central Michigan, your MAC champions. Purdue went down after losing to the Buckeyes. To the untrained eye, this looks like a mismatch, but it's gonna be a pretty entertaining game. Look for the mid-major to take this one...Central Michigan by 3
Holiday Bowl: Arizona State v. Texas--Nice, early big bowl game. Two teams that had a shot at the good stuff, only to stumble a little down the stretch. However, I think this might cement the Pac-10's legacy as a dang good conference this year. Arizona State by 3
Champs Sports Bowl: Boston College v. Michigan State--Well, they had the shot at the BCS until the last couple of weeks. Now, they get to take it out on yet another Big Ten team. They're poppin' up like flies, aren't they? BC by 5
Emerald Bowl: Maryland v. Oregon State--Oregon State was just on the south side of awesome this year, with nice wins over USC and Oregon (despite not having to face Dennis Dixon). Maryland just squeezed out a bowl bid. It's pretty, well, academic. Oregon State by 7
Texas Bowl: TCU v. Houston--Yet another one of those unassuming CUSA teams. This time, they face a down TCU team that was picked to go places early in the year. But now, they get to have a home-state bowl...loss. Houston by 3
Meineke Bowl: Connecticut v. Wake Forest--Wake has actually done some good things this year. Problem: They go up against a team that's done great things this year. This may be a game, but UConn gets it done. UConn by 4
Liberty Bowl: Mississippi State v. UCF--Boy oh boy...two big wins for Mississippi State this year, but then, they wouldn't have a bowl game if they didn't have at least one. UCF didn't have too many big ones...though they played Texas to the hilt, they got slammed by South Florida. Could we have another Mississippi State upset, please? Mississippi State by 2
Alamo Bowl: Penn State v. Texas A&M--The Aggies got the drop on the Longhorns. I'm not sure whether JoPa will be awake long enough for Penn State to avoide getting the drop put on them...but they're talented enough to overcome that. Penn State by 3
Independence Bowl: Colorado v. Alabama--The question, of course, is this: Irresistible Force (Colorado O), Immovable Object (Alabama D). Well, the Tide did get rolled a coupla times...but this is Colorado, the entire state is flaky! Alabama by 6
Armed Forces Bowl: California v. Air Force--Cal just fell apart the second half of the season. Air Force was good, but could not bring down BYU. I think Cal really, really wants to make its statement...but I'm not sure they can. Air Force by 3
Sun Bowl: South Florida v. Oregon--The Cinderella team meets the team that fell fast from grace. If Dennis Dixon were available, not only would there be a contest, these two wouldn't even be meeting. As it is...South Florida by 7
Humanitarian Bowl: Fresno State v. Georgia Tech--The blue field should be more home for the WAC team than the ACC team, here. Fresno State by 3
Music City Bowl: Florida State v. Kentucky--In light of a quarter of the Florida State team getting suspended for this game...gee, you think that's news? Something happens about every year down here...Kentucky by 10
Chick-fil-A Bowl: Clemson v. Auburn--Now here's a good one. Despite the better record, Clemson is the underdog. But it's gonna prove that it has bite as it takes down Auburn in the upset...Clemson by 4
Insight Bowl: Indiana v. Oklahoma State--Oklahoma State just barely got its bowl bid. Indiana got its on the roller-coaster season it's had since Terry Hoeppner died in the offseason. I think in this game, heart will win out. Indiana by 5
Outback Bowl: Wisconsin v. Tennessee--This is a pretty unassuming good game matchup. It'll be very, very entertaining. That said, I think the Badgers will stick yet another stake in the heart of Phil Fullmer here. Wisconsin by 4
Cotton Bowl: Missouri v. Arkansas--Two teams on the outside of the BCS lookin' in. Both have chips on their shoulders, but Mizzou's is much, much larger. Mizzou by 7
Capital One Bowl: Michigan v. Florida--With all the turmoil of not having their coach coach, I don't think Michigan stands a prayer. Florida by 6
Gator Bowl: Virginia v. Texas Tech--Little consolation for losing to their big rivals, I know, but Virginia will gladly slash into the Red Raiders. Virginia by 5
Rose Bowl: USC v. Illinois--The first BCS game. And I'm gonna tell you right now. Juice Williams? No fluke. The Trojans are gonna find that out really quickly. Illinois by 3
Sugar Bowl: Hawaii v. Georgia--Okay, Boise State last year, undefeated. And Georgia's about to get waylaid by another WAC team, and that'll yet again open up the playoff can of worms. Hawaii by 4
Fiesta Bowl: West Virginia v. Oklahoma--Before Rich Rodriguez decided to stick it to West Virginia, this was gonna be an interesting game. Now...Oklahoma by 12
Orange Bowl: Kansas v. Virginia Tech--Well, comin' down the home stretch are these two teams. I think Kansas, though, has run out of steam. Va. Tech by 4
International Bowl: Rutgers v. Ball State--And the two bowls that snuck in behind the BCS. In one you've got a nice Rutgers team against a surprising Ball State team. But Rutgers is slightly more stable. Rutgers by 4
GMAC Bowl: Tulsa v. Bowling Green--In the other, you've got two really underrated teams going at it. In the slight upset, BGSU by 4
BCS National Championship: Ohio State v. LSU--Here it is. All the marbles. The National Championship on the line. Once again, the Buckeyes go against an SEC team. All the hoopla of Les Miles going elsewhere have died down. Who will emerge the champion of the most flawed system in the world? Well, this time the Buckeyes aren't relying on just one guy who gets injured on the opening kickoff, so here we go. The bias shows, but my prediction for the National Championship Game of College Football...I'm even gonna give you the score:
OHIO STATE 30, LSU 27
There you go. Take all of those picks to the bank and bet the other way! We'll see how they shake out as the month goes along, and I'll see you tomorrow for more NFL picks!