December 31st. The final day of the old year, one which was somewhat disappointing for those of us who are utter fanatics of college football.
Sure, there were some compelling storylines (5 undefeated teams, Iowa making a deep run despite nearly losing to just about everyone, Bobby Bowden's impending firing, Southern Cal being bad, etc.) and some compelling single events (a thriller in Blacksburg, Legarette Blount sucker punching a guy on the first night of the season, Stanford running up the score on Southern Cal, etc.) but 2009 lacked the general weirdness of 2007 and 2008. Still, 'twas a good season overall, and the year wasn't that bad, either. So as the decade ends, we shall evaluate the last college football to be played this calendar year, starting wiiiiiiith...
Bell Helicopter Armed Forces Bowl
Houston vs. Air Force
Anyone else find it odd that Bell Helicopter sponsors a bowl? Yes, I understand Bell has made many types of helicopters for the US military for many, many years. But still, don't you want your bowl to be sponsored by something that people can buy realistically? Take the Chick-Fil-A Bowl. You watch it, you get hungry, you remember the bowl name, you buy some Chick-Fil-A. I'm not sure that this theory works with helicopters:
Wife: Honey! We need to go to Aunt Martha's in Wisconsin!
Husband [quietly, to himself]: Hmmm, that's quite a drive. [looks at television, showing this bowl game, sees bowl sponsor] I've got it! We shall purchase a helicopter and fly to Aunt Martha's!
Wife: Sweetie, we can buy plane tickets for roughly one thousand times less than the cost of a helicopter.
Husband: [shouted, at top of lungs] CURSE YOU BOWL GAME!!!!!
[end scene]
(PS, to the American Theatre Wing: You can send me my Tony in the mail.)
Your football analysis can be found below...
Should I watch this game? Well, do you like conflicting styles? Then yes. Houston's got one of the best offenses in the country, and they averaged 43.9 points per game. Air Force, meanwhile, allows only 15.3 points per game, and has the best pass defense in the country, something that should worry pass-wacky Houston. This is going to be a ridiculously close game to call, and as bad as I've been on my picks, you should take this one as a complete shot in the dark. I have no idea who will win this game.
CFR Pick: I've belittled Houston all year, and I will continue to do so. I'm picking Air Force, since I think defense trumps offense more than the other way around.
Brut Sun Bowl
Oklahoma vs #21 Stanford
Well, Oklahoma's season pretty much defines "disappointing" doesn't it? Starting out in the top 5, coming off a season where you played in the national title game, you expect better than a Sun Bowl berth at the end of the year. Losing your superstar tight end and quarterback surely didn't help the Sooners, but I'm not sure that they would have done that much better with Bradford. Maybe 2 more wins, but lest we forget, Oklahoma was only up 10-7 on BYU when Bradford got hurt the first time. Even with a healthy Sam Bradford, Oklahoma might have only made it to the Cotton Bowl.
Stanford, on the other hand, had a surprisingly good year with a surprisingly good running back. Toby Gerhart. Gerhart played his way into the Heisman conversation, and he ran over some of the Pac-10's better teams. Stanford, however, has trouble with non-Pac-10 foes this year, beating mediocre Notre Dame by only 7 and losing to a Wake Forest team that ended up going 5-7. With the Pac-10 1-2 in bowls right now (by the way, thanks Cal and Oregon State...), Stanford has to show that they can beat the best non-conference foe that they've faced all year. This game will really give us a good picture of the Pac-10's strength or weakness.
Should I watch this game? Yes, actually. Game should be a good one, and it will be interesting to see if Oklahoma's defense (which has been spotty at times, yet good at others) can keep Gerhart from gaining 200 yards. I, for one, think they can.
CFR Pick: Another toss up in a day of good games. I'm taking Oklahoma in this one, assuming that they all make it onto the field without separating shoulders and tearing ACLs. The Pac-10 may have "something to prove" but I doubt this is the game in which they'll prove it.
Texas Bowl
Navy vs. Missouri
Wait, the state of Texas sponsors a bowl? That's impressive. I look forward to seeing if Navy's triple option offense can run the ball against Missouri. It'll be a sight to see, I'm sure. Missouri's run defense is 12th in the nation, but they play in the normally pass wacky Big 12. It will be interesting to see how they perform against a Navy rush offense that is 4th in the country. Navy played inferior competition most of the year, but their only loss to a non-bowl team is a defeat at the hands of pathetic Hawaii. Missouri, meanwhile comes in riding a 3 game win streak. It should be 5, but they lost to Baylor somehow.
Should I watch this game? Yes, especially since this day and the two that follow it are all about watching teams you normally don't get to. Plus, this game should be pretty good, what with the defensive/offensive matchup. Plus, the option is always fun to watch, even if you fail at it.
CFR Pick: I'll take Missouri, but that might be more of a guess...
Insight Bowl
Iowa State vs. Minnesota
Two of the barely bowl worthy teams from two pretty bad conferences (Texas notwithstanding) (Oh, while we're on that subject, how'd Iowa State end up in the Big 12?). Honestly, I'm not sure how Minnesota finished bowl eligible. They finished below non-bowl eligible Purdue in conference. That's insane! It really blows my tiny little mind.
To be fair, the game's on the NFL network, meaning that if you could watch it, you also have a lot of TV channels. And something, anything, else must be on. Heck, I'm not even sure why the NFL would agree to take this garbage. I guess it's because either of these teams could beat the Rams.
Should I watch this game? Two 6-6 teams battling it out in a bowl that means almost nothing. I'd rather watch Army play Notre Dame in the 10,000 Flushes Toilet Bowl. I can't watch this one, since I don't have NFL Network. Even if I could watch the game, I highly doubt that I would.
CFR Pick: Eeeeeh...I don't know. Tough call, really. Minnesota's 0-2 overall in this game. Iowa State's 1-0. I'll take the Cyclones, with no degree of confidence at all.
Chick-Fil-A Bowl
Virginia Tech vs Tennessee
The matchup of the night. Indeed, the matchup I've been eagerly waiting for ever since the announcement. As avid readers know, I went to two college football games this year: one in Blacksburg, VA and one in Knoxville, TN. This game should be a good one, featuring two defenses that are pretty good and two bad offenses. How bad? Well, Virginia Tech's put up some impressive point totals this year, but those point totals normally came against bad teams. 7 of their 24 points against Alabama came on a kick return, they only scored 16 against ECU and Nebraska, and they managed just 17 points at home against Carolina in their loss to the sticky feet back in October. Yes, Tech comes in riding a win streak, but note that the 42-13 final against UVa is belied by the fact that Tech was up 14-13 at the half. Plus, here's a weird statistic for you:
Virginia Tech's record in the city of Atlanta in 2009: 0-2
Virginia Tech's record any place on earth other than Atlanta in 2009: 9-1
Maybe all that time in Blacksburg made the Tech players wary of flashing lights and car horns and indoor plumbing...
Tennessee, meanwhile, keeps getting positive press. I've heard at least 2 ESPN announcers say that they're playing "really good football" right now. Really? Tennessee's won 4 of its last 5 games. If you do absolutely no research whatsoever, that looks good. Then you look at the games: crushed South Carolina (legit), beat Memphis (cupcake, doesn't count), got killed by Ole Miss (self-explanatory), beat Vandy (conference cupcake, doesn't count), beat Kentucky in overtime (Kentucky went to a bowl, so we'll call this one legit). Look, I agree that the Vols are not pushovers and should not be thought of as such. But to call wins over 2 bowl teams, 2 awful teams, and a loss to the underachievers at Mississippi "really good football" is a bit of an overstatement, dontcha think?
Should I watch this game? Yes, because it will be a good one. Lots of defense, lots of run plays. Game should be over in plenty of time for New Year's Rockin' Eve. Really, who doesn't love Dick Clark? Oh, and my favorite team's playing. I might be a wee bit biased.
CFR Pick: As bad as I'm doing at picking games, plus considering the awfulness that is the ACC, I shudder to do this. But I'm picking Virginia Tech. I won't ever pick against 'em. You all already knew that, so it does boggle the mind a bit as to why you're reading this. Let's end this post...
So that's all for the 5 games on the 31st. Stay tuned (or see above if you're reading this one later) for a review of bowl week 2 and the preview of the New Year's Day games.
Monday, December 28, 2009
Friday, December 25, 2009
Bowl (P)review: Week 2
After that disastrous first week, we're going to go to December 30. The 31st, 1st, and 2nd will be the subject of their own previews, as they are simply too massive to wrangle all at once. Hopefully my picks are better for this one. They can't be much worse, eh? Moving along, allow me to offend. First up...Clemson fans!
Gaylord Hotels Music City Bowl
Clemson vs. Kentucky
What's it say about Clemson's division of the ACC that they lost the ACC Championship Game and slid to the 5th best bowl the ACC has to offer? While we're on the subject, what's it say about the conference as a whole that Clemson nearly won the ACC title game? Either way, this will be a matchup between two teams that frankly aren't that good. They're major conference teams that are both glad to be in bowls, but neither team is jaw-droppingly good. Other than CJ Spiller, who is an amazing kick returner, and an alright running back. Yes, he's just "alright" as a running back. And before you point me to his awesome stats in the ACC Championship Game, please take a gander at his 18 yard game against
Now that I've really offended the Spiller-worshiping Clemson fans (SIDE NOTE: Come burn me in effigy on the quad!
Should I watch this game? Watch the kickoffs and punts to see Spiller do well. You can nap through the rest.
CFR Pick: Clemson by at least 14.
Advocare V100
Texas A&M vs. Georgia
Texas A&M really only did one semi-important thing this year. That semi-important thing? They stuck with
Should I watch this game? Yeah, probably. Take the edge off that first day back from Christmas vacation, plus you'll get to see some decent football.
CFR Pick: Never pick a Big 12 team over an SEC team if you can help it. I can help it. Ergo, UGA wins this one.
EagleBank Bowl
UCLA vs.
Should I watch this game? Well,
CFR Pick: UCLA will win, but
Champs Sports Bowl
#15 Miami vs #25 Wisconsin
Miami's an alright football team, one of the better in the sea of mediocrity that is the Atlantic Coast Conference.
Should I watch this game? Yes, as this one and the Orange Bowl will help answer one of this season's biggest questions: Who's worse? The ACC or the Big 10? Should the game end in overtime, I believe we can all settle on a tie.
CFR Pick:
Roady's Humanitarian Bowl
#20
I got one right! I mean, Bowl Review: Day 4
Ah, sarcasm saves me again...thanks, SMU! Shall we overview? I believe we shall.
Hawaii Bowl
Southern Methodist-45, Nevada-10
I'm going to skip the surreptitious analysis of the game. I mean, really. It was 45-10. What's there to analyze? Instead, allow me to ask this: What does this mean for the WAC? I mean, the BCS gave us a royal screwing by having TCU and Boise play each other instead of actually going out and embarrassing a major program again. So we really don't know how good the WAC is. But we do know that Nevada had an awesome conference run and defeated all but Boise State in conference play. Plus, they gave the Broncos an excellent run for their money before going down late in the game.
When one considers that the WAC is 0-2 in their bowls thus far with Nevada getting crushed and Fresno getting upset by upstart Wyoming, the conference is in dire need of a win. Since TCU could beat Boise by 30 this season, Idaho is now the WAC's best hope to win a bowl when they play Bowling Green on the 30th.
I am merely happy to have gotten a pick right. Yeah, I don't suck too bad!
CFR Picks: 1-5
Meanwhile, and I don't know why I didn't address this last time, the Pac-10 is 0-2 in bowls. Now, Pac-10 apologists will point to all sort of various things that have happened this year, as well as the conference's bowl record in previous years. I know this because I tried to rationalize with Pac-10 fans on the ESPN forums after the Oregon State/BYU game. It is a mistake that I will not repeat.
The point is simple: The season that's going on right now, the Pac-10 is 0 for 2. End of story. You want to stop the articles and complaints? Win a game and quit making excuses. There, I said it. I feel better.
Hawaii Bowl
Southern Methodist-45, Nevada-10
I'm going to skip the surreptitious analysis of the game. I mean, really. It was 45-10. What's there to analyze? Instead, allow me to ask this: What does this mean for the WAC? I mean, the BCS gave us a royal screwing by having TCU and Boise play each other instead of actually going out and embarrassing a major program again. So we really don't know how good the WAC is. But we do know that Nevada had an awesome conference run and defeated all but Boise State in conference play. Plus, they gave the Broncos an excellent run for their money before going down late in the game.
When one considers that the WAC is 0-2 in their bowls thus far with Nevada getting crushed and Fresno getting upset by upstart Wyoming, the conference is in dire need of a win. Since TCU could beat Boise by 30 this season, Idaho is now the WAC's best hope to win a bowl when they play Bowling Green on the 30th.
I am merely happy to have gotten a pick right. Yeah, I don't suck too bad!
CFR Picks: 1-5
Meanwhile, and I don't know why I didn't address this last time, the Pac-10 is 0-2 in bowls. Now, Pac-10 apologists will point to all sort of various things that have happened this year, as well as the conference's bowl record in previous years. I know this because I tried to rationalize with Pac-10 fans on the ESPN forums after the Oregon State/BYU game. It is a mistake that I will not repeat.
The point is simple: The season that's going on right now, the Pac-10 is 0 for 2. End of story. You want to stop the articles and complaints? Win a game and quit making excuses. There, I said it. I feel better.
Wednesday, December 23, 2009
Bowl Review: Day 3
The odds of me going 0-34 are one in 582076609134674077265625. Mind you, the odds of me going 0 for 5 were one in 3125. So maybe I'm special. (PS: Given odds are assuming there's a 50/50 chance that either team wins the game...) Heck, I can't get much worse at this, right? Let's run briefly over the games.
Maaco Bowl Las Vegas
#18 Oregon State-20, #14 BYU-44
Well the irony of this one is that I nearly picked BYU. "Nearly" mind you doesn't count as "did" and so I can't cling feebly to that.
The Mountain West still has the Pac-10's number, and they spent most of the night calling the Pac-10. Prank calls. Unforgivable things, and the like.
The story of this game, at least to the casual eye of an observer, was the wind. The wind, which caused 2 Oregon State punts to net 6 yards, once by pushing the ball backwards in mid-air, and then by pushing the ball into the stands. Honestly, this game was a little closer than the score would indicate, but I suppose that the difference between 24 points and 17 points matters little in the grand scheme of things. Let's move on.
CFR Picks: 0-4
San Diego County Credit Union Poinsettia Bowl
#23 Utah-37, California-27
You know, my picks have gotten so horrible that my dad, one of the 2-5 readers this thing has, requested that I change my pick in the Pitt/UNC game. That's how horrible my picks have been. Like, if you bet money based on my picks, you have probably been shot in one or both kneecaps by now. I'm not sure I want to pick Virginia Tech to win their bowl in next week's preview. That is how bad this has gotten.
This game again showed a Pac-10 team being beaten by a Mountain West club. What's worse for that hated conference on the left coast is this: From empirical evidence available this season and last, the best conference on the West Coast is a non-automatic qualifying conference.
Utah continues to win bowl games, and Cal breaks their streak of wins as an unranked club. Right when I pick them to win. Never again, Pac-10. Never again. (PS: Southern Cal, I have never ever liked you, but please win on the 26th so I can feel like I suck less.)
CFR Picks: 0-5
I'm going to turn this into a blog about knitting or something. I can't ever be this wrong about knitting, right? Until next time...awayyyyy we go!
Maaco Bowl Las Vegas
#18 Oregon State-20, #14 BYU-44
Well the irony of this one is that I nearly picked BYU. "Nearly" mind you doesn't count as "did" and so I can't cling feebly to that.
The Mountain West still has the Pac-10's number, and they spent most of the night calling the Pac-10. Prank calls. Unforgivable things, and the like.
The story of this game, at least to the casual eye of an observer, was the wind. The wind, which caused 2 Oregon State punts to net 6 yards, once by pushing the ball backwards in mid-air, and then by pushing the ball into the stands. Honestly, this game was a little closer than the score would indicate, but I suppose that the difference between 24 points and 17 points matters little in the grand scheme of things. Let's move on.
CFR Picks: 0-4
San Diego County Credit Union Poinsettia Bowl
#23 Utah-37, California-27
You know, my picks have gotten so horrible that my dad, one of the 2-5 readers this thing has, requested that I change my pick in the Pitt/UNC game. That's how horrible my picks have been. Like, if you bet money based on my picks, you have probably been shot in one or both kneecaps by now. I'm not sure I want to pick Virginia Tech to win their bowl in next week's preview. That is how bad this has gotten.
This game again showed a Pac-10 team being beaten by a Mountain West club. What's worse for that hated conference on the left coast is this: From empirical evidence available this season and last, the best conference on the West Coast is a non-automatic qualifying conference.
Utah continues to win bowl games, and Cal breaks their streak of wins as an unranked club. Right when I pick them to win. Never again, Pac-10. Never again. (PS: Southern Cal, I have never ever liked you, but please win on the 26th so I can feel like I suck less.)
CFR Picks: 0-5
I'm going to turn this into a blog about knitting or something. I can't ever be this wrong about knitting, right? Until next time...awayyyyy we go!
Monday, December 21, 2009
Bowl Review: Day 2
R + L Carriers New Orleans Bowl
Southern Miss-32, Middle Tennessee-42
Well, crap. Hopefully I'll do better at bowl picking than my current 0-3. On the bright side, this one featured Southern Miss in their away jerseys, meaning that we didn't get blinded by the canary yellow.
Honestly, this game wasn't as close as the score indicates, Southern Miss's last touchdown was utterly meaningless, scored to close the gap from 16 points down to a more manageable 10 with only 27 seconds left. Middle Tennessee's quarterback, Dwight Dasher ran for 200 yards AND threw for 162. Hard to lose when your quarterback puts up those kind of numbers. That's all I got...
CFR Pick count: 0-3
Southern Miss-32, Middle Tennessee-42
Well, crap. Hopefully I'll do better at bowl picking than my current 0-3. On the bright side, this one featured Southern Miss in their away jerseys, meaning that we didn't get blinded by the canary yellow.
Honestly, this game wasn't as close as the score indicates, Southern Miss's last touchdown was utterly meaningless, scored to close the gap from 16 points down to a more manageable 10 with only 27 seconds left. Middle Tennessee's quarterback, Dwight Dasher ran for 200 yards AND threw for 162. Hard to lose when your quarterback puts up those kind of numbers. That's all I got...
CFR Pick count: 0-3
Sunday, December 20, 2009
Bowl Review: Day 1
Oops.
Oh, you don't know why I typed that? The short version is because there were 2 bowls today and I missed on both of my predictions. I'll repay you with a timely post:
New Mexico Bowl
Fresno State-28, Wyoming-35 (2OT)
You know, if you ignore the fact that these were two mediocre teams, this was actually a very good game. Good hard hits, a thrilling comeback in regulation, and some good overtime play. My thoughts?
Well, in the first overtime, Fresno State successfully got the ball down onto the one yard line of Wyoming and managed to do nothing in 4 tries...That's actually a credit to Wyoming's defense, as it is just about impossible to stop 4 straight runs up the middle. Fresno State did nothing wrong, and I hope that this episode doesn't encourage more coaches to try play action or sweep plays from the 1 yard line. Since it occurred in a fairly obscure bowl between two fairly obscure teams, I'm sure that won't be the case.
Any hoo, in the next overtime, Wyoming played it safe and went for the field goal. In footage that you can no doubt catch on youtube or ESPN, the kicker missed, but Wyoming players and fans were already headed onto the field. Look, guys, the football's in the air for, like, 3 seconds. Can't you wait for the referee to signal? Is that so hard? Premature celebrations bug the heck out of me, especially in light of the fact that, had Fresno won the game, the sting would have been made much more bitter. Kinda like what happened to Kentucky in this nifty link. So fans, I beseech you, wait for the refs' signal. It's not too hard, it doesn't take too long, and it keeps you from looking like an idiot...
Finally, for this game at least, take note that Fresno tried the ol' "offensive lineman gets the ball" trick again in the second overtime. If you'll recall, this happened during the last week of the regular season (second, equally nifty, link) during the final play against Illinois. This time it was intentional. Ironically, this time it didn't work. I'm not sure what that should tell us, but I'm sure it tells us something.
Congrats to Wyoming on winning their first bowl since 2004, and only their second since 1966. Also, congrats on starting bowl season off right!
CFR Pick counter: 0-1
St. Petersburg Bowl presented by Beef 'O' Brady's
Rutgers-45, UCF-24
See the post below this one? Where it says UCF will upset Rutgers? Yeah, whoever wrote that is an idiot.
Oh, you're still here? Well, I can analyze this one pretty simply: Once I found out exactly what Beef 'O' Brady's was, my interest in this game plummeted. I figured after the high scoring first half that we'd be in for something of a shootout. Unfortunately for those of us who thought UCF might win, they left their offense in the locker room for the 3rd quarter, and an 11 point halftime lead became an insurmountable 21 point 4th quarter lead. The onside kick attempt that was run back for a touchdown probably didn't help...
Congrats to Rutgers, you beat a team from an inferior conference. Since you play in the Big East and played one of the worst nonconference schedules imaginable (Howard, Florida International, Maryland and Texas Southern), that's basically what you've done all year. Nice job.
CFR Picks: 0-2
Tune in tomorrow to see if I'm really as bad at this as it seems!
Oh, you don't know why I typed that? The short version is because there were 2 bowls today and I missed on both of my predictions. I'll repay you with a timely post:
New Mexico Bowl
Fresno State-28, Wyoming-35 (2OT)
You know, if you ignore the fact that these were two mediocre teams, this was actually a very good game. Good hard hits, a thrilling comeback in regulation, and some good overtime play. My thoughts?
Well, in the first overtime, Fresno State successfully got the ball down onto the one yard line of Wyoming and managed to do nothing in 4 tries...That's actually a credit to Wyoming's defense, as it is just about impossible to stop 4 straight runs up the middle. Fresno State did nothing wrong, and I hope that this episode doesn't encourage more coaches to try play action or sweep plays from the 1 yard line. Since it occurred in a fairly obscure bowl between two fairly obscure teams, I'm sure that won't be the case.
Any hoo, in the next overtime, Wyoming played it safe and went for the field goal. In footage that you can no doubt catch on youtube or ESPN, the kicker missed, but Wyoming players and fans were already headed onto the field. Look, guys, the football's in the air for, like, 3 seconds. Can't you wait for the referee to signal? Is that so hard? Premature celebrations bug the heck out of me, especially in light of the fact that, had Fresno won the game, the sting would have been made much more bitter. Kinda like what happened to Kentucky in this nifty link. So fans, I beseech you, wait for the refs' signal. It's not too hard, it doesn't take too long, and it keeps you from looking like an idiot...
Finally, for this game at least, take note that Fresno tried the ol' "offensive lineman gets the ball" trick again in the second overtime. If you'll recall, this happened during the last week of the regular season (second, equally nifty, link) during the final play against Illinois. This time it was intentional. Ironically, this time it didn't work. I'm not sure what that should tell us, but I'm sure it tells us something.
Congrats to Wyoming on winning their first bowl since 2004, and only their second since 1966. Also, congrats on starting bowl season off right!
CFR Pick counter: 0-1
St. Petersburg Bowl presented by Beef 'O' Brady's
Rutgers-45, UCF-24
See the post below this one? Where it says UCF will upset Rutgers? Yeah, whoever wrote that is an idiot.
Oh, you're still here? Well, I can analyze this one pretty simply: Once I found out exactly what Beef 'O' Brady's was, my interest in this game plummeted. I figured after the high scoring first half that we'd be in for something of a shootout. Unfortunately for those of us who thought UCF might win, they left their offense in the locker room for the 3rd quarter, and an 11 point halftime lead became an insurmountable 21 point 4th quarter lead. The onside kick attempt that was run back for a touchdown probably didn't help...
Congrats to Rutgers, you beat a team from an inferior conference. Since you play in the Big East and played one of the worst nonconference schedules imaginable (Howard, Florida International, Maryland and Texas Southern), that's basically what you've done all year. Nice job.
CFR Picks: 0-2
Tune in tomorrow to see if I'm really as bad at this as it seems!
Friday, December 11, 2009
Bowl (P)Review: Week One
So bowl season is juuuuust about here. I know you're thinking: why do I care? And the answer for the first week is: "I don't know." The first 7 days of bowl season are rather underwhelming, but writing up a review of all 34 at once with my over-long writing style would create a document longer than the US Constitution. And just as important, I might add! (Satirical side note: The US Government ignores both my blog and the Constitution) For bowl season, there will be a weekly preview and day-by-day reviews. (Well, that's the plan...we all know how great I am at updating this thing.)
Moving along, our order will be chronological, and I'll even tell you if you who I think will win, and if you should even bother to watch the bowl in question. This week's more of an appetizer than a main course. Which is regrettable, as this appetizer is like getting a chicken wing and a plate full of goo. I will leave you to determine which of the following games is the "chicken wing" in the above metaphor. We go!
December 19, 2009
New Mexico Bowl
Fresno State vs. Wyoming
Well, the first bowl of the year takes place in an obscure state between two obscure teams that roughly 7 people care about. Fresno played a challenging schedule against several good teams. Wyoming, meanwhile, played Texas close for 1 quarter, then faded to 5th in its conference, getting a bowl berth by beating similarly mediocre Colorado State in its final game. The outcome doesn't look too brilliant for the Cowboys, though they are in their first bowl since 2004. So there's something to cling to.
Should I watch this bowl? Well, if you have nothing to do on Saturday at 4:30, sure. If you have something better to do (examples: brush your teeth for 3 hours, repaint your ceiling, take a nap) then I'd say do that.
CFR pick: Fresno State should win this one. That's all I got...
St. Petersburg Bowl presented by Beef 'O' Brady's
UCF vs. Rutgers
You know, I get the feeling that bowl season would be better if the good bowls were spaced out a bit, to build the excitement. Central Florida and Rutgers play in this game which should have better quality football than Wyoming/Fresno, but is that really saying all that much? Rutgers had a pretty disappointing year, especially when one considers their 8 wins ring hollow due to their awful conference and their fairly bad non-conference schedule. The Scarlet Knights only played one major conference opponent outside of the Big East, and that opponent was Maryland; the worst team in the pretty darn bad ACC. UCF, meanwhile, played multiple good teams and lost to most of them. They did, however, beat a ranked Houston team, which is more impressive than the ranked team Rutgers beat: South Florida.
Should I watch this? Honestly? I'm going to watch this game just to hear how many times they say the sponsor's name. "Beef 'O' Brady's" is just fun to say. Do I have any idea what the heck it is? No. Which is another reason to watch! Oh, you want a valid football reason to watch this game? There are none unless you're a Rutgers or UCF fan. Condolences if you are, by the way.
CFR pick: I'm picking Central Florida for the upset. I am going to watch this game only because I love you, dear readers, and I am willing to punish myself for your entertainment.
December 20, 2009
R+L Carriers New Orleans Bowl
Southern Mississippi vs. Middle Tennessee State
I love bowl season. As I understand it, it's a feast of football. Unfortunately, these first three games serve as atrocious appetizers. It'd be like going to a swanky restaurant and having someone offer you fish heads as your appetizer. Sure, you'll be getting filet mignon after a bit, but the fish heads are hard to swallow. This particular bowl, for example, features two middling teams from two middling conferences. At least the diversity in play style will be nice: MTSU is a defensive team, while Southern Miss is offensively minded. Unfortunately, to watch this game one must look directly at Southern Miss's bright yellow unis, which can cause blindness, as shown below:
Sorry, folks. I had to warn you, though...
Should I watch this game? Look at the photo above. Are you nauseated? If yes, then don't watch the game. If no, keep reading.
Look at the matchup of the two teams. Did you know these teams existed? If no, then don't watch the game. If yes, then stop playing so much NCAA on your Playstation and still don't watch the game.
CFR Prediction: Southern Miss wins thanks to a good running game and the fact that they'll play a Sun Belt team.
December 22, 2009
MAACO Bowl Las Vegas
#18 Oregon State vs. #14 BYU
A bowl featuring two ranked teams! Oh my gosh! Bowl season has begun!
No, seriously, this actually should be a pretty good game. Sadly, it features two teams that fit the definition of "pretty good." "Pretty good" means you don't lose games to teams that you're supposed to beat, but it also means that you don't upset many opponents. In this case, the greatest contribution either of these teams made to the season was BYU's defense hurting Sam Bradford. Oregon State climbed into the Top 25 by beating a series of bad teams during conference play. Really, I can't say much more about this one. Here's hoping that it's better than that Southern Miss/MTSU game...
Should I watch this game? Well, it's the first matchup of semi-decent teams during bowl season, plus it's the only football game on Tuesday. Tuesday's a pretty dry night for TV. Need proof? I'm typing this on a Tuesday. We're watching an episode of Dirty Jobs where they're working with cows that have windows in them. I am not joking. You should watch this game, if only for your sanity.
CFR Pick: I'm picking Oregon State. Oregon State was not great but they finished second in a major conference against major conference competition. BYU finished second in their conference; a minor conference with one good team. They beat Oklahoma (a win that got less and less impressive as the weeks wore on), got killed by Florida State (a loss that got worse and worse as the weeks wore on), and never stood a chance against TCU. So...that's why I'm picking Oregon State. Mind you, last season the Pac-10 was 1-5 against Mountain West teams, so I could be wrong.
December 23, 2009
San Diego County Credit Union Poinsettia Bowl
#23 Utah vs. California
Another MWC/Pac-10 matchup. I imagine that these sort of things get people into seats, especially in California. Here on the east coast, however, we don't care all that much. Utah's a far cry from the dominant team of last season, and the California Golden Bears were incredibly spotty this season. This game's a bit of a toss up, depending totally on which California team shows up: The one that knocked off Stanford at Stanford? Or the one that lost 42-3 and 30-3 in consecutive weeks to Oregon and Southern Cal, respectively. Note that the teams that killed Cal were the teams that Stanford defeated later in the season. Welcome to the Pac-10, arguably the most muddled conference in the country. Utah's the third-best team in the Mountain West, which isn't really an insult when you consider that the BEST team in the Mountain West is TCU. Plus, Utah is a boring state.
Should I watch this game? Yes, since this should be a good game featuring two fairly good teams. Also, since it's not played in Utah or Ohio, the game will be in a place that doesn't suck.
CFR Pick: Cal's undefeated when unranked. I'm picking them. That is the reason why. Is it a good reason? No. But you know what? It's as likely to be right as any of the other picks.
December 24, 2009
Sheraton Hawaii Bowl
Nevada vs. Southern Methodist
You know, last year Notre Dame won this bowl, and started the year ranked because a victory in the Hawaii bowl proved that they were "back." This season, of course, proved that they were not. Southern Methodist, meanwhile, is back in its first bowl since the 1980's. For those of you who don't know, SMU is the only football program to ever get the "Death Penalty." (The fact that about 100 other teams should have gotten some sort of similar penalty is irrelevant...) SMU has finally made a partial recovery after 22 years of mediocrity. Way to go, Mustangs. As for Nevada, they're one of the better teams in the WAC. So Conference USA and the WAC get to go to Hawaii? And two major conference teams have had to go to Idaho for their bowl in the past? What the heck, man?
Should I watch this game? I doubt it. It'll just make you want to go to Hawaii, and it could lead to you becoming a fan of mediocre teams like SMU or Nevada. And no one wants that, right?
CFR Pick: Southern Methodist to win this game, then, since they won the Hawaii Bowl and had their first decent season since the '80s, Lou Holtz will pick them to win the national title in 2010.
December 26, 2009
Little Caesar's Pizza Bowl
Marshall vs. Ohio
An obscure school from West Virginia plays an unimportant school from the scar on the face of the earth known as Ohio. To add to the awfulness, the two teams play one another in Detroit. I know Michigan's been hit hard by the recession, but hard enough to host a bowl game featuring a MAC school and a .500 Conference USA school? Poor state. Oh, and as a final note, ESPN has this ranked as the worst bowl game this season. Hard to disagree with that one.
Should I watch this bowl? Are you a US interrogator? Do you need information out of an Al-Qaeda operative who won't talk? Sit him in a chair, tape open his eyes, and make him watch this game. He'll crack by the first commercial break. All other people should steer clear.
CFR Pick: My pick? The remote, so I won't have to watch this crap. As for a team to win? Ohio.
Meineke Car Care Bowl
#17 Pittsburgh vs. North Carolina
You have to feel for Pitt. They're one badly blown lead away from playing in a BCS game. Instead they wind up here, in a bowl game named for a company that is known for fixing George Foreman's brakes. Carolina, meanwhile, went on a hot streak starting the last weekend of October. Unfortunately for them, that hot streak ended the last week of the season when they lost to lowly NC State. Come to think of it, Pitt lost to NC State, too. At least they have that in common. This game will feature two teams that can really only wonder what might have been this season: Carolina fizzled early, Pitt fizzled late. Anyone else get the feeling this bowl should have been sponsored by a soda company?
Should I watch this game: Yes, especially since it's an opportunity to wash the taste of that previous one out of your mouth. Also, it'll be interesting to see if Pitt can redeem itself. The last time they beat an ACC team was September 2, 2006. The team they beat? UVa...
CFR Pick: Well, Pitt's a good team. A ranked team, even. They should defeat Carolina easily. Which is why I'm picking UNC. Carolina's lost to UVa and NC State this year. They beat Miami and Virginia Tech. The way Carolina's been playing, they'll beat the superior Pitt Panthers. Don't ask me why.
Emerald Bowl
Boston College vs. #24 Southern Cal
You know, if you'd told me at the beginning of the year that Southern Cal would wind up in a low-caliber bowl, I'd have been pleased with you, yet assumed that you know nothing of how college football works. See, stuff just happens for Southern Cal. They've been to 7 BCS bowls in the 7 seasons prior to this one. Other than their one (pronounced "one!" not "two," Coach Carroll) National Title season, the Trojans have consistently lost one game per year to the worse teams in the Pac-10. Yet the other good teams in the Pac-10 always roll over and die when Southern Cal comes to town, and SC goes to the Rose Bowl every dang year. So it's refreshing to see the Ketchup and Mustard finish tied for 5th in their conference, above only 4 teams, only one of which is headed to a bowl. Heck, had Southern Cal not played San Jose State and Notre Dame, they'd be in danger of not going bowling at all. Does this have anything to do with the bowl? No, but I just thought you'd like your weekly dose of USC hating...
Boston College, meanwhile, is an overachieving team. This doesn't mean they'll win.
Should I watch this game? It's an opportunity to see Southern Cal AND hear, inevitably, about Matt Ryan. Now, note that Matt's been out of college for 2 years now. I guarantee that if you drank a shot of whiskey each time Matt Ryan's name is said during this game that you'd be hammered by the end of the 1st quarter. I'd recommend avoiding this one, and instead playing with your day-old Christmas presents. Or nursing your day-long post-Christmas hangover.
CFR Pick: Picking Southern Cal to win, hoping that the game gets canceled when Pete Carroll's ego causes the stadium to collapse under its weight.
That's all for the first week of bowls. Keep checking back for game reviews and the week 2 preview!
Moving along, our order will be chronological, and I'll even tell you if you who I think will win, and if you should even bother to watch the bowl in question. This week's more of an appetizer than a main course. Which is regrettable, as this appetizer is like getting a chicken wing and a plate full of goo. I will leave you to determine which of the following games is the "chicken wing" in the above metaphor. We go!
December 19, 2009
New Mexico Bowl
Fresno State vs. Wyoming
Well, the first bowl of the year takes place in an obscure state between two obscure teams that roughly 7 people care about. Fresno played a challenging schedule against several good teams. Wyoming, meanwhile, played Texas close for 1 quarter, then faded to 5th in its conference, getting a bowl berth by beating similarly mediocre Colorado State in its final game. The outcome doesn't look too brilliant for the Cowboys, though they are in their first bowl since 2004. So there's something to cling to.
Should I watch this bowl? Well, if you have nothing to do on Saturday at 4:30, sure. If you have something better to do (examples: brush your teeth for 3 hours, repaint your ceiling, take a nap) then I'd say do that.
CFR pick: Fresno State should win this one. That's all I got...
St. Petersburg Bowl presented by Beef 'O' Brady's
UCF vs. Rutgers
You know, I get the feeling that bowl season would be better if the good bowls were spaced out a bit, to build the excitement. Central Florida and Rutgers play in this game which should have better quality football than Wyoming/Fresno, but is that really saying all that much? Rutgers had a pretty disappointing year, especially when one considers their 8 wins ring hollow due to their awful conference and their fairly bad non-conference schedule. The Scarlet Knights only played one major conference opponent outside of the Big East, and that opponent was Maryland; the worst team in the pretty darn bad ACC. UCF, meanwhile, played multiple good teams and lost to most of them. They did, however, beat a ranked Houston team, which is more impressive than the ranked team Rutgers beat: South Florida.
Should I watch this? Honestly? I'm going to watch this game just to hear how many times they say the sponsor's name. "Beef 'O' Brady's" is just fun to say. Do I have any idea what the heck it is? No. Which is another reason to watch! Oh, you want a valid football reason to watch this game? There are none unless you're a Rutgers or UCF fan. Condolences if you are, by the way.
CFR pick: I'm picking Central Florida for the upset. I am going to watch this game only because I love you, dear readers, and I am willing to punish myself for your entertainment.
December 20, 2009
R+L Carriers New Orleans Bowl
Southern Mississippi vs. Middle Tennessee State
I love bowl season. As I understand it, it's a feast of football. Unfortunately, these first three games serve as atrocious appetizers. It'd be like going to a swanky restaurant and having someone offer you fish heads as your appetizer. Sure, you'll be getting filet mignon after a bit, but the fish heads are hard to swallow. This particular bowl, for example, features two middling teams from two middling conferences. At least the diversity in play style will be nice: MTSU is a defensive team, while Southern Miss is offensively minded. Unfortunately, to watch this game one must look directly at Southern Miss's bright yellow unis, which can cause blindness, as shown below:
Sorry, folks. I had to warn you, though...
Should I watch this game? Look at the photo above. Are you nauseated? If yes, then don't watch the game. If no, keep reading.
Look at the matchup of the two teams. Did you know these teams existed? If no, then don't watch the game. If yes, then stop playing so much NCAA on your Playstation and still don't watch the game.
CFR Prediction: Southern Miss wins thanks to a good running game and the fact that they'll play a Sun Belt team.
December 22, 2009
MAACO Bowl Las Vegas
#18 Oregon State vs. #14 BYU
A bowl featuring two ranked teams! Oh my gosh! Bowl season has begun!
No, seriously, this actually should be a pretty good game. Sadly, it features two teams that fit the definition of "pretty good." "Pretty good" means you don't lose games to teams that you're supposed to beat, but it also means that you don't upset many opponents. In this case, the greatest contribution either of these teams made to the season was BYU's defense hurting Sam Bradford. Oregon State climbed into the Top 25 by beating a series of bad teams during conference play. Really, I can't say much more about this one. Here's hoping that it's better than that Southern Miss/MTSU game...
Should I watch this game? Well, it's the first matchup of semi-decent teams during bowl season, plus it's the only football game on Tuesday. Tuesday's a pretty dry night for TV. Need proof? I'm typing this on a Tuesday. We're watching an episode of Dirty Jobs where they're working with cows that have windows in them. I am not joking. You should watch this game, if only for your sanity.
CFR Pick: I'm picking Oregon State. Oregon State was not great but they finished second in a major conference against major conference competition. BYU finished second in their conference; a minor conference with one good team. They beat Oklahoma (a win that got less and less impressive as the weeks wore on), got killed by Florida State (a loss that got worse and worse as the weeks wore on), and never stood a chance against TCU. So...that's why I'm picking Oregon State. Mind you, last season the Pac-10 was 1-5 against Mountain West teams, so I could be wrong.
December 23, 2009
San Diego County Credit Union Poinsettia Bowl
#23 Utah vs. California
Another MWC/Pac-10 matchup. I imagine that these sort of things get people into seats, especially in California. Here on the east coast, however, we don't care all that much. Utah's a far cry from the dominant team of last season, and the California Golden Bears were incredibly spotty this season. This game's a bit of a toss up, depending totally on which California team shows up: The one that knocked off Stanford at Stanford? Or the one that lost 42-3 and 30-3 in consecutive weeks to Oregon and Southern Cal, respectively. Note that the teams that killed Cal were the teams that Stanford defeated later in the season. Welcome to the Pac-10, arguably the most muddled conference in the country. Utah's the third-best team in the Mountain West, which isn't really an insult when you consider that the BEST team in the Mountain West is TCU. Plus, Utah is a boring state.
Should I watch this game? Yes, since this should be a good game featuring two fairly good teams. Also, since it's not played in Utah or Ohio, the game will be in a place that doesn't suck.
CFR Pick: Cal's undefeated when unranked. I'm picking them. That is the reason why. Is it a good reason? No. But you know what? It's as likely to be right as any of the other picks.
December 24, 2009
Sheraton Hawaii Bowl
Nevada vs. Southern Methodist
You know, last year Notre Dame won this bowl, and started the year ranked because a victory in the Hawaii bowl proved that they were "back." This season, of course, proved that they were not. Southern Methodist, meanwhile, is back in its first bowl since the 1980's. For those of you who don't know, SMU is the only football program to ever get the "Death Penalty." (The fact that about 100 other teams should have gotten some sort of similar penalty is irrelevant...) SMU has finally made a partial recovery after 22 years of mediocrity. Way to go, Mustangs. As for Nevada, they're one of the better teams in the WAC. So Conference USA and the WAC get to go to Hawaii? And two major conference teams have had to go to Idaho for their bowl in the past? What the heck, man?
Should I watch this game? I doubt it. It'll just make you want to go to Hawaii, and it could lead to you becoming a fan of mediocre teams like SMU or Nevada. And no one wants that, right?
CFR Pick: Southern Methodist to win this game, then, since they won the Hawaii Bowl and had their first decent season since the '80s, Lou Holtz will pick them to win the national title in 2010.
December 26, 2009
Little Caesar's Pizza Bowl
Marshall vs. Ohio
An obscure school from West Virginia plays an unimportant school from the scar on the face of the earth known as Ohio. To add to the awfulness, the two teams play one another in Detroit. I know Michigan's been hit hard by the recession, but hard enough to host a bowl game featuring a MAC school and a .500 Conference USA school? Poor state. Oh, and as a final note, ESPN has this ranked as the worst bowl game this season. Hard to disagree with that one.
Should I watch this bowl? Are you a US interrogator? Do you need information out of an Al-Qaeda operative who won't talk? Sit him in a chair, tape open his eyes, and make him watch this game. He'll crack by the first commercial break. All other people should steer clear.
CFR Pick: My pick? The remote, so I won't have to watch this crap. As for a team to win? Ohio.
Meineke Car Care Bowl
#17 Pittsburgh vs. North Carolina
You have to feel for Pitt. They're one badly blown lead away from playing in a BCS game. Instead they wind up here, in a bowl game named for a company that is known for fixing George Foreman's brakes. Carolina, meanwhile, went on a hot streak starting the last weekend of October. Unfortunately for them, that hot streak ended the last week of the season when they lost to lowly NC State. Come to think of it, Pitt lost to NC State, too. At least they have that in common. This game will feature two teams that can really only wonder what might have been this season: Carolina fizzled early, Pitt fizzled late. Anyone else get the feeling this bowl should have been sponsored by a soda company?
Should I watch this game: Yes, especially since it's an opportunity to wash the taste of that previous one out of your mouth. Also, it'll be interesting to see if Pitt can redeem itself. The last time they beat an ACC team was September 2, 2006. The team they beat? UVa...
CFR Pick: Well, Pitt's a good team. A ranked team, even. They should defeat Carolina easily. Which is why I'm picking UNC. Carolina's lost to UVa and NC State this year. They beat Miami and Virginia Tech. The way Carolina's been playing, they'll beat the superior Pitt Panthers. Don't ask me why.
Emerald Bowl
Boston College vs. #24 Southern Cal
You know, if you'd told me at the beginning of the year that Southern Cal would wind up in a low-caliber bowl, I'd have been pleased with you, yet assumed that you know nothing of how college football works. See, stuff just happens for Southern Cal. They've been to 7 BCS bowls in the 7 seasons prior to this one. Other than their one (pronounced "one!" not "two," Coach Carroll) National Title season, the Trojans have consistently lost one game per year to the worse teams in the Pac-10. Yet the other good teams in the Pac-10 always roll over and die when Southern Cal comes to town, and SC goes to the Rose Bowl every dang year. So it's refreshing to see the Ketchup and Mustard finish tied for 5th in their conference, above only 4 teams, only one of which is headed to a bowl. Heck, had Southern Cal not played San Jose State and Notre Dame, they'd be in danger of not going bowling at all. Does this have anything to do with the bowl? No, but I just thought you'd like your weekly dose of USC hating...
Boston College, meanwhile, is an overachieving team. This doesn't mean they'll win.
Should I watch this game? It's an opportunity to see Southern Cal AND hear, inevitably, about Matt Ryan. Now, note that Matt's been out of college for 2 years now. I guarantee that if you drank a shot of whiskey each time Matt Ryan's name is said during this game that you'd be hammered by the end of the 1st quarter. I'd recommend avoiding this one, and instead playing with your day-old Christmas presents. Or nursing your day-long post-Christmas hangover.
CFR Pick: Picking Southern Cal to win, hoping that the game gets canceled when Pete Carroll's ego causes the stadium to collapse under its weight.
That's all for the first week of bowls. Keep checking back for game reviews and the week 2 preview!
Tuesday, December 8, 2009
Saturday in Review: Conference Championship Edition!
The last "normal" Saturday of the year featured arguably the best games all season, and my favorite team wasn't even playing! Let's review these games:
#1 Florida-13, #2 Alabama-32
Well, I'll admit that this one surprised me more than a little. I did expect Alabama to win, but I did not expect to see a 19 point defeat of the Swamp Lizards. 'Bama's quarterback, McElroy, looked very good against a normally excellent Florida defense that was depleted by the loss of Carlos Dunlap, their best pass-defender. Throw Mark Ingram into the mix, and you had a combination that kept the Gators defense out of sync for most of the game.
It wasn't for lack of trying on the commentators' part, as CBS's resident Florida fans Gary Danielson and Verne Lundquist did their darndest to root for the Gators directly from the press box. Every time Alabama did something, Verne practically spat out the play call. Maybe he had money on the game. Or he'd been drinking again, I dunno. Either way, it was interesting to hear the announcers talk about how great of a warrior and a champion Tim Tebow is, even though Tebow had a distinctly average (not bad, just average) game.
Look, this was probably the most watched college football game thus far this season, so the odds favor that you actually saw this game and are reading this bit solely to humor me. We'll move on to bigger, better, more interesting things after this brief blurb: Alabama's defense looked excellent, and the Tide look to be heavy favorites in the National Title game against Texas. Speaking of Texas...
#3 Texas-13, #22 Nebraska-12
Well, the Longhorns are in the BCS Title game, a fact that is almost entirely due to their preseason ranking coupled with their anemic conference and their pathetic non-conference schedule. Don't get me wrong, there were six teams that were undefeated coming into championship weekend: Alabama, Florida, Texas, Cincinnati, Boise State, and TCU. Of those, only Florida and Alabama don't play in an awful conference. Only Alabama, Cincinnati, and Boise played ranked non-conference teams. My point? Well, in a season like this one, preseason rankings basically determined the National Championship matchup way back in August. There was no way any of us could have known that, but it's true. Had Cincinnati or TCU started the year a wee bit higher, then they would be in the title game and Texas would be on the outside looking in. It's just the way things go in the not-at-all-adequate method that college football uses to determine its champion.
Still, one wonders how the Longhorns will fare against an SEC defense. Colt McCoy is an excellent quarterback, but the Nebraska defense and the monster known as Ndamukong Suh, wreaked havoc on the Longhorns offensive line all night. Alabama certainly doesn't have anyone as good as Suh on its defensive line, but their all-around D might be better than Nebraska's, a thought which should terrify the Longhorn faithful.
I suppose some analysis is in order. I mean, it's what I don't get paid to do here, right? If Nebraska had something, anything, resembling a competent offense, then we'd be looking at a different score here. That's not an insult to Nebraska, they just have no offense. Look no further than the Virginia Tech game, where the Nebraska defense was superior to the Hokie offense on all but one drive, yet the Huskers lost the game because all 15 of their points came on field goals. The same can be said here, with all 12 points coming on the leg of Alex Henery. Some of these Nebraska scoring drives started ridiculously close to Texas's end zone. When a team starts a drive on the opposing team's 10 yard line, more than 3 points should result!
And, finally, there was the penultimate play. You all know what I'm talking about: Colt McCoy's inexplicable roll out on a play that started with 7 ticks left on the clock, his waiting to throw the ball until the last possible second, and the fact that the clock did at one point read 0:00. All of that happened while Texas was within field goal range and (here's the weird part) still had a timeout left! The refs did make the right call, as much as it pains me to say it. There was still 1 second left on the clock when the ball hit the ground, and Texas was completely entitled to the field goal attempt that they received. This is, however, an example of those seconds that mysteriously disappear during football games. Who knows how many times a ball gets thrown away and a second sneaks off the game clock. Moments like this are enough to make one wonder.
Any hoo, Texas's kick was good (barely) and the BCS was saved the embarrassment of having either a minor conference team (unthinkable!) or a Big East team (never!) or a Florida/Alabama rematch (honestly, probably what would have happened if Verne Lundquist ran the BCS) in the National Title game.
The best part of the postgame? The Texas players, especially those on offense, leaping about as though they'd accomplished something at the end of the game. 15 of the yards on the game winning drive were from a horse-collar tackle. The offense did almost nothing the entire night. And, here's the best bit, you beat a team that you were favored to beat by 14 by a grand total of a point. Yes, you've done so much. (NOTE: I'm being a bit extreme here. Texas is undefeated, and their offense did look good in many of their games this season. But if they think they can play the way they did on Saturday and defeat Alabama, then they are in for a bitter disappointment)
My question (which all UNC fans who still feel betrayed by Mack Brown will appreciate) is this: WHAT THE FRICK WAS THE TEXAS COACHING STAFF THINKING!?!?! Seriously, you have a shot at a title game sitting in front of you, and you choose to run a play that can very easily backfire. Nebraska's defense had hounded McCoy all night; what if they'd gotten to him? Texas's kicker hit the field goal with about half a foot of clearance to spare, meaning a sack probably results in a loss. What if the pass had been thrown and then picked off? What if the pass was completed, but thanks to slow play development the clock ran out? What if McCoy's toss had hung in the air for a second longer? That's too many factors to risk! Mack must have been wondering what to wear in Pasadena, because he sure as heck wasn't thinking of football when this play ran through his headset and was somehow approved. If Texas does somehow win the National Title, remember this play, because it will remind you just how thin the margin between championships and Cotton Bowls can be.
Yet we base our bowl system mostly (key word there, mostly) on reality rather than "what ifs" and thus does Texas skip merrily into the title game. Hats off to Nebraska for playing Texas tightly, and look for the Huskers to keep making waves in the Big 12, especially since they bother to play defense in a conference that long forgot what the 7-letter "d-word" means.
#5 Cincinnati-45, #15 Pittsburgh-44
Another near-upset turns out to be a...set. Is that the proper term for a non-upset? Or would that be a downset? Oh, well. Pitt loses at home due to a missed extra point of all things. Mind you, before we're too hasty on the kicker, let's not forget that Pitt blew a 21 point lead. And that one isn't the kicker's fault, now is it?
Congrats to Cincinnati on the undefeated season, though the afore mentioned clock management issue in the Big 12 Championship game means that the Bearcats (still an awful mascot) will not be competing for a national title. Less of a pity than a sad dose of reality. Though that sad dose of reality might turn into an overdose if Brian Kelly splits Cincinnati for Notre Dame. On one hand, I can see why Coach Kelly might stay: Secure job, the satisfaction of winning with a program he built, and a cupcake conference help. But Notre Dame has money, tradition, and (most importantly) is not in Ohio, making it a very appealing place. Either way, congrats to Cincy! Enjoy your beating by Florida in the Sugar Bowl. If Coach Kelly leaves, it might be your last BCS showing for a looooooong time.
New Mexico State-7, #6 Boise State-42
The number six team in the country beats the second worst team in its godawful conference by 35 at home. You really want a review of that? Didn't think so.
#16 Oregon State-33, #7 Oregon-37
You know, Oregon is actually a pretty good football team. I did not think, after that disaster in Boise back in September, that I'd be typing that. The Ducks deserved to win the weakened Pac-10, and they did so with a close win over their rivals.
Oregon State, meanwhile, nearly won the conference while garnering practically no attention whatsoever from the national media. Perhaps that's the key to success, as attention seems to lead to defeat at least once a season. (See also: Southern Cal every single year of the Pete Carroll era)
It will be interesting to see how the Pac-10 performs this bowl season, as they've beaten up heavily on one another during the regular season, with no one team looking that impressive. I suppose we'll see. One thing I do know: Not a single team in the conference plays defense at all. That could very well hurt come bowl time...
#10 Georgia Tech-39, Clemson-34
A real shootout between teams that lost last week. Pity that Georgia Tech won, I'd love to see the BCS explain Clemson getting into the Orange Bowl while Virginia Tech, the highest ranked team in the conference, went to play in the Chick-Fil-A Bowl.
Despite my above comment, I am actually glad that the Yellow Jackets and their illegal cut blocks/really awesome run attack won. It would have looked really bad for the conference to have had its highest ranked team lose to its rival then lose to an unranked school in the championship.
This game was actually pretty good. Just so long as you ignore the fact that these two were the best teams in the ACC, yet they'd be the 5th and 7th best teams in the SEC. Neither team brought a defense to the game, and the result was a high-flying scoring bonanza. Georgia Tech is headed to the Orange Bowl as the ACC's lone BCS team, while Clemson gets the honor of playing Kentucky in the Music City Bowl...
Arizona-21, #18 USC-17
Ahem...BWAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!
OK, let's try and analyze this one. Southern Cal runs up the score on a helpless UCLA squad, and then gets beaten at home by Arizona. The Men of Troy have gone from perennial power to 5th place in a 10 team conference. When you factor in that this conference includes the cupcake known as Washington State, this year was a massive disappointment for the Trojans.
Southern Cal deserved this, and frankly I hope Boston College smacks them around in their bowl.
Arizona, meanwhile, was a surprise this season. Way to go, Wildcats! After, like, 5 years of being predicted to do something, you finally finished higher than 4th in the conference!
#19 California-10, Washington-42
California's record as a ranked team: 5-4
Cal's record as an unranked team: 3-0
Washington's record against teams from California: 2-2
Washington's record against other states: 3-5
There's some weird facts for you. I figure I'd be equal and give y'all facts for both the teams. I look forward to watching Cal win their bowl, since they're playing Utah and they're unranked. Washington, meanwhile, beat 2 ranked teams this season, and they've been fairly mediocre in all their other games. Movin' right along...
#21 Houston-32, ECU-38
Houston's quarterback Case Keenum is really really good at throwing the football. Unfortunately for Mr. Keenum, the Houston defense sucks. The result? Games like this one, which featured Houston doing next to nothing defensively, and allowing ECU to pull the upset against Conference-USA's reigning hype machine.
ECU has won the conference for the second year, and will be headed to the run down slag heap known as the "Liberty Bowl" as a reward. The bowl has plenty of prestige, but the stadium is in awful shape. Houston will be playing in the Bell Helicopter Armed Forces Bowl (I didn't make that one up!) against Air Force.
I wonder, even though Houston is favored, is it an upset if the Cougars win? Air Force clearly has the favor of the bowl's sponsor and the bowl's name. Idle wondering, I suppose. Let's move along...
#23 West Virginia-24, Rutgers-21
Special thanks to the Big East conference for allowing us to watch their mediocre brand of football when the larger conferences have championship games.
West Virginia's not been so great this year, and Rutgers has been awful. Look, I'm taking it slower this week. The last two took it out of me, and bowl season's taxing on everyone!
Still, here's one last look at the Bottom 95:
On Thursday, Western Kentucky completed the imperfect season. 0-12! Harder, apparently, than going 12-0...Central Michigan beat Ohio for the MAC championship. No one, not even the MAC, cares...Fresno State beat Illinois on a two point conversion that was caught by an offensive lineman. That's my nominee for Play of the Year...Wisconsin crushed Hawaii...UConn beat South Florida in a snowy game in Connecticut, which seems a bit unfair to the Tampa-based Bulls...
During the next week, Army/Navy analysis, Bowl Previews, and some coaching commentary. Stay tuned for partial excitement!
#1 Florida-13, #2 Alabama-32
Well, I'll admit that this one surprised me more than a little. I did expect Alabama to win, but I did not expect to see a 19 point defeat of the Swamp Lizards. 'Bama's quarterback, McElroy, looked very good against a normally excellent Florida defense that was depleted by the loss of Carlos Dunlap, their best pass-defender. Throw Mark Ingram into the mix, and you had a combination that kept the Gators defense out of sync for most of the game.
It wasn't for lack of trying on the commentators' part, as CBS's resident Florida fans Gary Danielson and Verne Lundquist did their darndest to root for the Gators directly from the press box. Every time Alabama did something, Verne practically spat out the play call. Maybe he had money on the game. Or he'd been drinking again, I dunno. Either way, it was interesting to hear the announcers talk about how great of a warrior and a champion Tim Tebow is, even though Tebow had a distinctly average (not bad, just average) game.
Look, this was probably the most watched college football game thus far this season, so the odds favor that you actually saw this game and are reading this bit solely to humor me. We'll move on to bigger, better, more interesting things after this brief blurb: Alabama's defense looked excellent, and the Tide look to be heavy favorites in the National Title game against Texas. Speaking of Texas...
#3 Texas-13, #22 Nebraska-12
Well, the Longhorns are in the BCS Title game, a fact that is almost entirely due to their preseason ranking coupled with their anemic conference and their pathetic non-conference schedule. Don't get me wrong, there were six teams that were undefeated coming into championship weekend: Alabama, Florida, Texas, Cincinnati, Boise State, and TCU. Of those, only Florida and Alabama don't play in an awful conference. Only Alabama, Cincinnati, and Boise played ranked non-conference teams. My point? Well, in a season like this one, preseason rankings basically determined the National Championship matchup way back in August. There was no way any of us could have known that, but it's true. Had Cincinnati or TCU started the year a wee bit higher, then they would be in the title game and Texas would be on the outside looking in. It's just the way things go in the not-at-all-adequate method that college football uses to determine its champion.
Still, one wonders how the Longhorns will fare against an SEC defense. Colt McCoy is an excellent quarterback, but the Nebraska defense and the monster known as Ndamukong Suh, wreaked havoc on the Longhorns offensive line all night. Alabama certainly doesn't have anyone as good as Suh on its defensive line, but their all-around D might be better than Nebraska's, a thought which should terrify the Longhorn faithful.
I suppose some analysis is in order. I mean, it's what I don't get paid to do here, right? If Nebraska had something, anything, resembling a competent offense, then we'd be looking at a different score here. That's not an insult to Nebraska, they just have no offense. Look no further than the Virginia Tech game, where the Nebraska defense was superior to the Hokie offense on all but one drive, yet the Huskers lost the game because all 15 of their points came on field goals. The same can be said here, with all 12 points coming on the leg of Alex Henery. Some of these Nebraska scoring drives started ridiculously close to Texas's end zone. When a team starts a drive on the opposing team's 10 yard line, more than 3 points should result!
And, finally, there was the penultimate play. You all know what I'm talking about: Colt McCoy's inexplicable roll out on a play that started with 7 ticks left on the clock, his waiting to throw the ball until the last possible second, and the fact that the clock did at one point read 0:00. All of that happened while Texas was within field goal range and (here's the weird part) still had a timeout left! The refs did make the right call, as much as it pains me to say it. There was still 1 second left on the clock when the ball hit the ground, and Texas was completely entitled to the field goal attempt that they received. This is, however, an example of those seconds that mysteriously disappear during football games. Who knows how many times a ball gets thrown away and a second sneaks off the game clock. Moments like this are enough to make one wonder.
Any hoo, Texas's kick was good (barely) and the BCS was saved the embarrassment of having either a minor conference team (unthinkable!) or a Big East team (never!) or a Florida/Alabama rematch (honestly, probably what would have happened if Verne Lundquist ran the BCS) in the National Title game.
The best part of the postgame? The Texas players, especially those on offense, leaping about as though they'd accomplished something at the end of the game. 15 of the yards on the game winning drive were from a horse-collar tackle. The offense did almost nothing the entire night. And, here's the best bit, you beat a team that you were favored to beat by 14 by a grand total of a point. Yes, you've done so much. (NOTE: I'm being a bit extreme here. Texas is undefeated, and their offense did look good in many of their games this season. But if they think they can play the way they did on Saturday and defeat Alabama, then they are in for a bitter disappointment)
My question (which all UNC fans who still feel betrayed by Mack Brown will appreciate) is this: WHAT THE FRICK WAS THE TEXAS COACHING STAFF THINKING!?!?! Seriously, you have a shot at a title game sitting in front of you, and you choose to run a play that can very easily backfire. Nebraska's defense had hounded McCoy all night; what if they'd gotten to him? Texas's kicker hit the field goal with about half a foot of clearance to spare, meaning a sack probably results in a loss. What if the pass had been thrown and then picked off? What if the pass was completed, but thanks to slow play development the clock ran out? What if McCoy's toss had hung in the air for a second longer? That's too many factors to risk! Mack must have been wondering what to wear in Pasadena, because he sure as heck wasn't thinking of football when this play ran through his headset and was somehow approved. If Texas does somehow win the National Title, remember this play, because it will remind you just how thin the margin between championships and Cotton Bowls can be.
Yet we base our bowl system mostly (key word there, mostly) on reality rather than "what ifs" and thus does Texas skip merrily into the title game. Hats off to Nebraska for playing Texas tightly, and look for the Huskers to keep making waves in the Big 12, especially since they bother to play defense in a conference that long forgot what the 7-letter "d-word" means.
#5 Cincinnati-45, #15 Pittsburgh-44
Another near-upset turns out to be a...set. Is that the proper term for a non-upset? Or would that be a downset? Oh, well. Pitt loses at home due to a missed extra point of all things. Mind you, before we're too hasty on the kicker, let's not forget that Pitt blew a 21 point lead. And that one isn't the kicker's fault, now is it?
Congrats to Cincinnati on the undefeated season, though the afore mentioned clock management issue in the Big 12 Championship game means that the Bearcats (still an awful mascot) will not be competing for a national title. Less of a pity than a sad dose of reality. Though that sad dose of reality might turn into an overdose if Brian Kelly splits Cincinnati for Notre Dame. On one hand, I can see why Coach Kelly might stay: Secure job, the satisfaction of winning with a program he built, and a cupcake conference help. But Notre Dame has money, tradition, and (most importantly) is not in Ohio, making it a very appealing place. Either way, congrats to Cincy! Enjoy your beating by Florida in the Sugar Bowl. If Coach Kelly leaves, it might be your last BCS showing for a looooooong time.
New Mexico State-7, #6 Boise State-42
The number six team in the country beats the second worst team in its godawful conference by 35 at home. You really want a review of that? Didn't think so.
#16 Oregon State-33, #7 Oregon-37
You know, Oregon is actually a pretty good football team. I did not think, after that disaster in Boise back in September, that I'd be typing that. The Ducks deserved to win the weakened Pac-10, and they did so with a close win over their rivals.
Oregon State, meanwhile, nearly won the conference while garnering practically no attention whatsoever from the national media. Perhaps that's the key to success, as attention seems to lead to defeat at least once a season. (See also: Southern Cal every single year of the Pete Carroll era)
It will be interesting to see how the Pac-10 performs this bowl season, as they've beaten up heavily on one another during the regular season, with no one team looking that impressive. I suppose we'll see. One thing I do know: Not a single team in the conference plays defense at all. That could very well hurt come bowl time...
#10 Georgia Tech-39, Clemson-34
A real shootout between teams that lost last week. Pity that Georgia Tech won, I'd love to see the BCS explain Clemson getting into the Orange Bowl while Virginia Tech, the highest ranked team in the conference, went to play in the Chick-Fil-A Bowl.
Despite my above comment, I am actually glad that the Yellow Jackets and their illegal cut blocks/really awesome run attack won. It would have looked really bad for the conference to have had its highest ranked team lose to its rival then lose to an unranked school in the championship.
This game was actually pretty good. Just so long as you ignore the fact that these two were the best teams in the ACC, yet they'd be the 5th and 7th best teams in the SEC. Neither team brought a defense to the game, and the result was a high-flying scoring bonanza. Georgia Tech is headed to the Orange Bowl as the ACC's lone BCS team, while Clemson gets the honor of playing Kentucky in the Music City Bowl...
Arizona-21, #18 USC-17
Ahem...BWAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!
OK, let's try and analyze this one. Southern Cal runs up the score on a helpless UCLA squad, and then gets beaten at home by Arizona. The Men of Troy have gone from perennial power to 5th place in a 10 team conference. When you factor in that this conference includes the cupcake known as Washington State, this year was a massive disappointment for the Trojans.
Southern Cal deserved this, and frankly I hope Boston College smacks them around in their bowl.
Arizona, meanwhile, was a surprise this season. Way to go, Wildcats! After, like, 5 years of being predicted to do something, you finally finished higher than 4th in the conference!
#19 California-10, Washington-42
California's record as a ranked team: 5-4
Cal's record as an unranked team: 3-0
Washington's record against teams from California: 2-2
Washington's record against other states: 3-5
There's some weird facts for you. I figure I'd be equal and give y'all facts for both the teams. I look forward to watching Cal win their bowl, since they're playing Utah and they're unranked. Washington, meanwhile, beat 2 ranked teams this season, and they've been fairly mediocre in all their other games. Movin' right along...
#21 Houston-32, ECU-38
Houston's quarterback Case Keenum is really really good at throwing the football. Unfortunately for Mr. Keenum, the Houston defense sucks. The result? Games like this one, which featured Houston doing next to nothing defensively, and allowing ECU to pull the upset against Conference-USA's reigning hype machine.
ECU has won the conference for the second year, and will be headed to the run down slag heap known as the "Liberty Bowl" as a reward. The bowl has plenty of prestige, but the stadium is in awful shape. Houston will be playing in the Bell Helicopter Armed Forces Bowl (I didn't make that one up!) against Air Force.
I wonder, even though Houston is favored, is it an upset if the Cougars win? Air Force clearly has the favor of the bowl's sponsor and the bowl's name. Idle wondering, I suppose. Let's move along...
#23 West Virginia-24, Rutgers-21
Special thanks to the Big East conference for allowing us to watch their mediocre brand of football when the larger conferences have championship games.
West Virginia's not been so great this year, and Rutgers has been awful. Look, I'm taking it slower this week. The last two took it out of me, and bowl season's taxing on everyone!
Still, here's one last look at the Bottom 95:
On Thursday, Western Kentucky completed the imperfect season. 0-12! Harder, apparently, than going 12-0...Central Michigan beat Ohio for the MAC championship. No one, not even the MAC, cares...Fresno State beat Illinois on a two point conversion that was caught by an offensive lineman. That's my nominee for Play of the Year...Wisconsin crushed Hawaii...UConn beat South Florida in a snowy game in Connecticut, which seems a bit unfair to the Tampa-based Bulls...
During the next week, Army/Navy analysis, Bowl Previews, and some coaching commentary. Stay tuned for partial excitement!
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