As I listen to a single CD with Dennis DeYoung’s Desert Moon album from 1984 and Back to the World release from 1986, I must take on the charge of picking the winners of the bowl games that start next week. I will also pick my National Champion. Those of you paying attention already know I have already placed a mythical crown on the team I think will win it all: AL-AH-BAMA…my apologies to Keith Jackson.
I never thought I would say this. There are too many college football bowl games.
I hearken back to a Bill Mallory coached Indiana team from 1994, they finished with 7 wins and 4 defeats. They did not get a bowl invitation. Ole Miss’ team in 2001 with Eli Manning at quarterback went 7 and 4. They did not get a bowl invitation. This year there are a few teams playing in bowl games with a 5-7 record. Indiana is 6-6. Many teams are. This is pathetic. I am a strong proponent of letting the boys “play on!”…but not this way. Corporate sponsorship and the perks that go along with are in great part to blame. You will see empty seats galore at the bowl games this year, more so than usual.
Soap box kicked out from underneath me. On the the picks.
New Mexico Bowl: Arizona beats New Mexico
Las Vegas Bowl: BYU beats Utah…Utah bragging rights. Kickoff at 2:30 Eastern. Folks in bed by 9:30.
Camellia Bowl: Ohio beats Appalachian State….and everyone goes home with the dumbest looking bowl shirt ever. Cameillia Bowl indeed.
Cure Bowl: San Jose State beats Georgia State…No Doze stock jumps 4 points.
New Orleans Bowl: Louisiana Tech beats Arkansas State…Ruston folk enjoying Bourbon Street.
Miami Beach Bowl: South Florida beats Western Kentucky….and I hope it is badly.
Idaho Potato Bowl: Akron beats Utah State: Go Zips.
Boca Bowl: Temple beats Toledo…MAC teams are compelling television according to my brother-in-law. Boca Bowl? Microwave?
Poinsettia Bowl: Boise state beats Northern Illinois. I am getting a headache doing this.
Go Daddy Bowl: Bowling Green beats Georgia Southern…Erk Russell would be proud. I wish the Go Daddy bowl would go…away.
Bahamas Bowl: Middle Tenn beats Western Michigan…seventy people at the game 78 watching on television.
Hawaii Bowl: Cincinnati beats San Diego State…a semblance of yesteryear
St. Petersburg Bowl: Marshall beats UConn…Herd faithful not pleased with opponent. I can see why. Go Herd!
Sun Bowl: Washington State beats Miami…. Game is supposed to be played on New year’s Eve…not December 26th.
Heart of Dallas Bowl: Southern Miss beats Washington…Heartburn of Dallas.
Pinstripe Bowl: Duke beats Indiana…Hoosiers need it worse. I hope they win. I refuse to pick Coach Wilson’s squad to beat a team coached by Coach Cut. Never happen.
Independence Bowl: Virginia Tech beats Tulsa…it ends where it began. In 1993 a Frank Beamer coached Hokie team beat Indiana in this bowl. Coach Beamer has had the VTU boys in a game every year since. He wins this one on his way out. Pretty cool.
San Francisco Bowl: UCLA beats Nebraska…5-7 Cornhuskers? Shame on them for showing up. Oh how the mighty have fallen.
Military Bowl: Navy beats Pitt…Pitt won’t stop the run.
Quick Lane Bowl: Central Michigan beats Minnesota…The Gophers are 5-7 also. Good grief.
Armed Forces Bowl: Air Force beats Cal…I can’t pick against the fly boys!
Russell Athletic Bowl: North Carolina beats Baylor….Injuries have riddled the boys from Waco and it almost makes you feel sorry for them.
Arizona Bowl: Colorado State beats Nevada…Have my doubts I will watch this one.
Texas Bowl: LSU beats Texas Tech…in what should be a good game. Nice match up here.
Birmingham Bowl: Auburn beats Memphis…and they should in Alabama.
Belk Bowl: Mississippi State beats NC State…if the cowbells are allowed across state lines, the Starkville bunch will head home happy.
Music City Bowl: Texas A&M beats Louisville…the stadium will look like a bird watching convention but that won’t stop the guys from College Station.
Holiday Bowl: USC beats Swissconsin…the men of Troy have a short trip to San Diego. It will probably be cold in Madison by then and they won’t thaw out enough to play football.
Peach Bowl: Houston beats Florida State…upstarts do well.
Orange Bowl: Oklahoma beats Clemson in first semi final.
Cotton Bowl: Alabama beats Michigan State in second semi final setting up back to the future match-up of Oklahoma and Alabama.
Outback Bowl: Northwestern beats Tennessee…Pat Fitzs caps off a great season at alma mater in Evanston.
Citrus Bowl: Michigan beats Florida…whatever.
Fiesta Bowl: Notre Dame beats Ohio State…in a game the Domers need to keep gaining momentum if they want to chase down Al.
Rose Bowl: Iowa beats Stanford…a determined bunch of corn pickers looking to dash Stanford and the guy that should win the Heisman Trophy. I think the fella from Alabama will win it tonight, Mr. Henry. He is 1A on my ballot.
Sugar Bowl: Ole Miss beats Oklahoma State: The year of shoulda-woulda- coulda for the Rebels. Hard to believe a Reb team can be disappointed in a 9-3 season. I suppose that is a good problem to have and an indication of how things have improved under Coach Freeze.
Gator Bowl: Georgia beats Penn State…in Coach Richt’s swan song at UGA. Is he even coaching the bowl?
Liberty Bowl: Arkansas beats Kansas State: Napworthy.
Alamo Bowl: Oregon beats TCU…
Cactus Bowl: Arizona State beats West Virginia…in a game whose name seems to have been made with Coach Hayden Fox in mind.
THE CHAMPIONSHIP: Alabama beats Oklahoma…The Tide Rolls on. Congrats, Brother Tim.
Speaking the Bowl Picking Rights…
Danny Johnson