BCS Championship Game -- Florida (12-1) vs. Oklahoma (12-1) (Dolphin Stadium Miami, Florida January 8, 2009 8pm FOX)

Dan: Florida -3

Florida -3? Seriously? Am I missing something? I don’t care what Okahoma’s offense has looked liked against the inept defenses of the Big 10. No way this game is within a touchdown. Florida is dominant this year.

Florida 38 Oklahoma 27

Matt: Florida -3

I think this a great matchup. But I must preface by saying that as far as I’m concerned this is NOT the National Championship game. USC – Florida would have been. I don’t know how USC did not get the benefit of the doubt from pollsters this year. Literally every player on their starting defense will be playing on Sundays. But I digress…

It’s possible that this is the last game of the Tim Tebow era. I’ve been a huge fan and hope he sticks around for another year, but honestly, what else is he going to prove. Urban isn’t going to change to a dropback passing offense just so that Tebow can show he is an NFL QB. Seriously, in 50 years are we going to be looking back at Tim Tebow like we do with Roger Staubach and all the other legends of the game? It’s possible.

I really think that Florida’s defense will show a dimension of speed that Oklahoma hasn’t seen all year. Watching them against Georgia and Alabama, and it’s ridiculous how fast guys like Brandon Spikes and Major Wright are. (By the way, if you want your son to be a great football player, just name him Major. Has there ever been a Major who was a chess player or chemist or something. No. They are all football players). And I don’t think that Oklahoma’s defense is up to the task of slowing down Tebow, Harvin and Rainey.

I would pay $50 pay per view to see USC-Florida on January 17th.

Florida 41 Oklahoma 24

Mike: Florida –3

An underrated factor in this game could be the “Heisman effect.” Sam Bradford will be inundated with media opportunities and appearances on the dinner circuit during the time period leading up to the bowl, which could have a deleterious effect on his performance. In any event, Florida has a much stronger defense than Oklahoma and an equally capable offense. Moreover, Oklahoma should be very afraid about the prospect of facing a focused and fired up Tim Tebow.

Finally, can someone at the Downtown Athletic Club please tell Billy Sims that he is no longer welcome at future Heisman ceremonies (or, if you prefer, can someone play Hootie Johnson to Billy Sims’s Doug Ford)? Sims ruined Jason White’s ceremony with his obnoxious “Boomer Sooner” chants and he was at his misbehaving worst again this year. Sims basically uses the Heisman as his one opportunity to be back in the spotlight (aside from when he makes the news for beating his wife) and it’s unfortunate that he can’t let the actual award candidates enjoy their moment in the sun. Memo to Billy: you’re over 50 years old now. Grow up.

Florida 41 Oklahoma 21

Doug: Florida -3

This game just seems too easy for me to pick, and that makes me upset. The two best programs in the country with the most talent are Florida and USC, and we had a perfect scenario that could have led to that dream matchup this year. Instead, everyone decided to ignore USC until it was too late, and now we are stuck with an overrated Big 12 team against Florida. That really bothers me as a college football fan. I love all the "wait, USC should be #1!!" discussion from the media hacks and Mike Lupica types after the Rose Bowl. Where were any of you BEFORE the Rose Bowl when it actually mattered?? Why was there no one standing on a mountaintop before the Rose Bowl saying USC was the best team in the country?? Anyone who has watched college football this year knew that USC was probably the best team in the country, and yet these hacks voted in OU instead to the national title game. What a load of garbage. We go through this every year. USC gets jobbed and left out of the title game, and then they annhilate some Big 10 team so badly in the Rose Bowl that everyone scratches their head and says "man, maybe USC is the best team in America." When are the people of college football going to wake up and realize that USC deserves to be playing for the national title EVERY YEAR??

For that reason, I am rooting for Florida to drill Oklahoma like 50-17 or something like that. I would love to see OU get so badly beaten that everyone shakes their head and says "what were we thinking by leaving USC out of this game?? No wonder the title game always stinks." The Big 12 has been overrated all year, but unfortunately America didn't seem to realize it until bowl season started.

The thing about these Big 12 teams that puts them at a disadvantage in a game like this one is that there are no championship-caliber defenses in the Big 12. Sam Bradford and the OU o-line have been playing borderline touch football for the last few months, so we won't really know what they look like when they go up against a fast and physical defense. Look at what happened to Texas on Monday. They were an offensive juggernaut all year, but they had problems with Ohio State's defense. I just don't think you can win games like this one if your defense is mediocre and your offense hasn't been tested against a physical defense. Florida is going to smack OU in the mouth and try to dominate them up front. Because OU hasn't faced that all year, we have no idea how they will react. History tells us that they will not react well to that type of pressure from Florida.

Florida is a complete team. They have a great offense that has been tested in the SEC, they have a great defense, a great head coach, and great special teams. They have played against fast teams, physical teams, and great defenses. Nothing that OU does will be new for them. But for Oklahoma, EVERYTHING that Florida does will be a new experience for them. It's hard to prepare for it if you haven't faced it. I just think the matchups are incredibly favorable to the Gators.

OU's offensive line is being touted as a juggernaut, but people said that about Ohio State's o-line prior to the LSU game last year. Ohio State hadn't seen anything like LSU's d-line, and they were completely overmatched in the game. Same for the Ohio State defense against LSU. LSU was running and throwing all over them, and I think Florida will do the same against OU.

One caveat on this game for you Florida bettors out there though. As we have seen, bowl games are straight up wacky, and sometimes you never know what a team's mindset will be like heading into a game. Florida has a great coach and a great team, but maybe they don't come out ready to play for whatever reason. Maybe OU plays with a chip on their shoulder that Florida can't match. You never really know in these types of games. My read of this game is that Florida is going to win BIG, but we probably won't be able to tell how this game is going to turn out until we see these teams match up on the field. I thought Utah wouldn't be able to match up physically with Bama, but they proved to be more than capable of doing so (more on that down the road).

Maybe this game will end up turning out a lot different than I thought it would, but I'm rooting for the Gators to win big and expect that to show on the field.

One final subplot. The coach who wins this game will officially go into a different strata in the coaching world. If Stoops wins this game, he will have two national titles to go with about 10 Big 12 championships. He'd be in the category among the all-time greats if that happens (probably even above a guy like Lou Holtz). As for Urban Meyer, he would suddenly have two national titles in three years and probably would be in position to win a 3rd if Tebow comes back next year. The sky would be the limit for Urban Meyer at Florida. Isn't it conceivable that he could win like 5-6 titles there or something like that?? At what point would Urban Meyer start to look for a new challenge?? He doesn't seem like a career Florida guy. Could get interesting if he wins this game on Thursday.

Florida 41 Oklahoma 17

International Bowl -- Buffalo (8-5) vs. Connecticut (7-5) (Toronto Rogers Centre Toronto, Ontario January 3, 2009 12pm ESPN2)

Tie Ins: Big East #4-5 vs. MAC #3

Dan: UConn -4.5

I don’t care if Mike Brey’s son plays for Buffalo. You can be damn sure I’ll be watching Big East Hoops (Pitt v. Georgetown, ND v. St. Johns) or NFL playoff action on this early Saturday in January. Also, I watched Buffalo against Ball State. They are not very good.

UConn 24 Buffalo 17

Matt: Buffalo +4.5

I really can’t believe that Turner Gill didn’t get a job this year. The guy can obviously coach – he got freaking Buffalo to a bowl game. The same Buffalo that routinely went 0-11. You’re telling me that Dabo Swinney or Gene Chizik are better head coaches? I don’t buy it.

But on the flip side, I can also see big time programs being a little leery of hiring him (and it has NOTHING to do with his or his wife’s race). There is a huge difference between the Buffalo Bulls and War Eagle. Urban Meyer dominated at Bowling Green, took another step up to Utah and dominated, then went to Florida. It’s hard to jump from a MAC school to the SEC. I kind of like what Brady Hoke from Ball State did. He accomplished everything possible at Ball State. Take a step up and turn around San Diego State, which should be possible in a few years, and then he will have every big time program convinced he is can’t miss.

As for the game, the key for Buffalo will be slowing down Donald Brown, who averaged about 150 yards a game. I’m not going to pretend to know anything about Buffalo football, but I think UConn pulls out a close one.

UConn 24 Buffalo 21

Mike: Buffalo +4.5

It has been repeated ad nauseam, but how did Syracuse miss the boat on Turner Gill? Actually, this bowl features two coaches that would thrive in the Dome, given that Randy Edsall is a fine coach and a Syracuse alumnus. As for the game, I think that the Bulls are more equipped to put points on the board. Connecticut's Donald Brown is a great running back, but the Huskies' quarterback play is just atrocious. I have honestly been unable to watch a full UConn game because their passing game hurts my stomach.

Buffalo 29 Connecticut 24

Doug: Buffalo +4.5

Throw out the records when these two get together! I'm sure the locals in Canada are fired up about this Buffalo-Connecticut tilt.

I really don't know where to lean on this game, but I'll give the edge to Buffalo since they are probably more psyched to be in this game than UConn is. UConn basically has MAC talent at the moment, so there's not a real big talent difference between the programs if there is one at all.

I'll take the Buffalo Bulls to cover the points and pull out the win. Great year for them. I think Turner Gill better get ready to move on though if he wants to get a big-time job. He had a lot of seniors on his team this year. Winning in the MAC can be a crapshoot to some degree, especially when you are a program like Buffalo that probably has among the worst talent in the league.

Buffalo 21 UConn 17

AllState Sugar Bowl -- Utah (12-0) vs. Alabama (11-1) (Superdome New Orleans, Louisiana January 2, 2009 8pm FOX)

Tie Ins: SEC Champ vs. At-Large

Dan: Utah +10.5

I really have to feel sorry for Alabama. They had one hell of a season, and if they had played Florida in early October, maybe things would be different. But they didn’t, and Florida is so dominant right now that Alabama will have to settle for Utah in New Orleans. Not much of a consolation prize. I think that the situation, combined with some internal turmoil, could result in this game being much closer than it should be. But Saban will have just enough left in the bag to pull off the win.

Alabama 31 Utah 28

Matt: Utah +10.5

Utah is legit. They beat TCU and destroyed BYU. And I think that Kyle Whittingham is a high quality coach and will have Utah ready to play. I just don’t think they will be able to match up with Alabama in the trenches to be able to keep this close, even with Andre Smith’s premature declaration for the NFL Draft. The only thing that might give them a chance is Alabama playing poorly with a hangover from the SEC Championship game. But with Saban on the sidelines, I don’t really see that happening.

If there was one place I could be this bowl season, it would be on Bourbon Street sucking down Hand Grenades and mixing it up with Bama Nation. The Super Dome may be the most depressing building in America, and obviously the city of New Orleans is disappearing, but there really is no place like Bourbon Street.

Alabama 30 Utah 20

Mike: Alabama –10.5

See, e.g., Georgia versus Hawaii in the 2007 Sugar Bowl. Way too much force up front for the Tide.

Alabama 31 Utah 17

Doug: Alabama -10.5

I know everyone is expecting a repeat of last year's Georgia-Hawaii game, but I'm actually a little leery of my pick here. Utah is a much better team and program than Hawaii (who is the equivalent of a MAC school at the end of the day). Utah football is actually pretty strong. They are one of the premier programs in the "Mountain" region, and they can recruit a lot of the better players in the Utah/Colorado/Nevada/Wyoming/Montana/Idaho/Northern Arizona regions. Plus, with their Mormon tie-in, Utah is going to get some quality out of state Mormon kids who want to play football. Utah doesn't have Alabama talent or anything, but they are one of the better "mid-majors" out there. Kyle Whittingham has proven to be a good coach for that program as well. Utah is actually the fastest growing state in the country according to the latest US Census, so I could see them staying around as a good program. Plus, with the cold weather in Utah, it makes sense that the state would be emerging as a football-friendly state.

With all that said, Alabama is the second best team in the country if you ask me. They have dominant line play (although their best lineman has been suspended for this game), and their defense is physical and tough. I think Utah will come ready to play, but Alabama will wear them down in the second half. I am a little worried that Bama will not be as focused for this game, but I have faith in Nick Saban to have his guys ready to play.

Should be an interesting scene down on Bourbon Street with the Bama fans and the Utah fans. I'd love to see how those two fanbases interact. If anyone catches any good footage of some Mormons pounding Hurricanes and Hand Grenades on Bourbon Street, please email them immediately to weisnd.blogspot.com.

Rollllllllllllll Tiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiide!

Alabama 30 Utah 13

AutoZone Liberty Bowl -- Kentucky (6-6) vs. East Carolina (9-4) (Liberty Bowl Memorial Stadium Memphis, Tennessee January 2, 2009 5pm E

Tie Ins: CUSA #1 vs. SEC #6-8

Dan: East Carolina -1.5

Ugh. Am I the only one that hates these random crappy bowl games thrown in to the mix after January 1st just to enable ESPN to stretch out the national title game for another week? This is brutal. I know my colleagues here at WEISND are in stark disagreement with my opinion on these 6-6 match-up bowl games in mid-December. But in January? How can you possibly defend this? I’ll go with Skip, I guess.

East Carolina 24 Kentucky 21

Matt: Kentucky +1.5

I really have no opinion on this game.

Kentucky 20 ECU 17

Mike: East Carolina -1.5

Yawn.

East Carolina 21 Kentucky 17

Doug: East Carolina -1.5

This game is a dud on the surface, but East Carolina could really finish off a strong season with a win here over an SEC team. The Pirates have had a nice year with some quality wins, so I am rooting for them to pull this one off.

Just a word of advice for Skip Holtz. I know you are waiting for the right job to open up (perhaps it is even the ND job?), but I would be careful about staying at East Carolina too long. East Carolina has decent tradition (as someone who worshipped former Bengals QB Jeff Blake in the mid-90s, I have some history with that program), but it's a very cyclical program. With the competition from UNC and now a resurgent NC State for recruits, it's not easy to have a lot of sustained success at East Carolina. If I was Skip Holtz, I would be looking to parlay his success at ECU to another job in a BCS conference where he has a chance to win. I thought Syracuse was a perfect fit for him, but I guess he didn't want that job. I don't know, I hope he doesn't stay too long and suddenly find himself tied down at ECU with a bunch of 8-5/7-6 type seasons.

While I'm here, a couple thoughts on the Kentucky basketball team. They are starting to play better, but that team is a long way from what I would call a quality team. UK has some nice young players with Jodie Meeks and Patrick Patterson, but Gillespie needs to continue to recruit and bring in high-quality guys who want to wear that Kentucky jersey. They badly need a point guard and some other guards who can handle the ball and knock down shots. I think Gillespie is doing fine at UK, but the expectations are eventually going to rise significantly for this program. With his track record at Texas A&M, I think he'll eventually get that program back to playing at a high level.

East Carolina 23 Kentucky 13

AT&T Cotton Bowl -- Mississippi (8-4) vs. Texas Tech (11-1) (Cotton Bowl Dallas, Texas January 2, 2009 2pm FOX)

Tie Ins: SEC vs Big 12

Dan: Texas Tech -5.5

At this point, my faith in the Big 12 is looking misplaced after Missou’s struggles with Northwestern. However, this still strikes me as a mismatch. I loved going with Ole Miss in the SEC because the powers that be in the SEC were down this year. TT was looking like they had a chance to play for the national title not too long ago. They should be able to take care of business against an Ole Miss team whose defense has no chance of stopping Michael Crabtree.

Texas Tech 31 Ole Miss 21

Matt: Texas Tech -5.5

I think this game all comes down to the mindset of Texas Tech. Are they upset that they’re not in the BCS, Harrell didn’t get the invite to New York or their coach is constantly mentioned as a candidate for every opening in America? Or are they happy to be playing in a January bowl game. It sounds like the game is a sellout and I’m sure it’s going to be 80% or more Texas Tech fans, so I think they will come out fired up for this one. It is the last game for Harrell and probably Crabtree and I think they score plenty of points to win this one.

Texas Tech 43 Ole Miss 31

Mike: Mississippi +5.5

Mississippi's defensive front four will be the difference this game, thus proving yet again that football is won in the trenches, not on the chalkboard. But don't tell that to Charlie Weis because he isn't listening.

Mississippi 28 Texas Tech 27

Doug: Mississippi +5.5

Pretty interesting game for the locals in Dallas. If they can pry themselves away from the Cowboys drama, they should have a good game to watch at the Cotton Bowl.

I love watching this Ole Miss team play, so I'm going with a sentimental pick here. Ole Miss plays physical football and tries to win games in the trenches. Texas Tech loves to fling it around, and they have been better this year defensively.

My top five coaching performances of the year:

1) Paul Johnson
2) Turner Gill
3) Houston Nutt
4) Nick Saban
5) Brian Kelly

I'm hoping to watch some of this game because I'd like to see how Michael Oher looks. Get me the "Blind Side" to the Bengals!!

Ole Miss 24 Texas Tech 21

FedEx Orange Bowl -- Cincinnati (11-2) vs. Virginia Tech (9-4) (Dolphin Stadium Miami, Florida January 1, 2009 8:30pm FOX)

Tie Ins: Big East Champ vs. ACC Champ

Dan: Cincy -1.5

I have gone with Va Tech a couple times this year. Each time though, I kept getting burned. While it would not surprise me if Beamer has his team fired up and ready and they take down the Bearcats. However, I think Brian Kelly’s commitment to the program in Cincy is starting to pay dividends. I expect them to play inspired football, hitting hard and going non-stop just like they have played all year.

Cincy 24 Va Tech 21

Matt: Cincy -1.5

I really could go either way here. As much as Brian Kelly appears to be a coach on the rise, it’s tough to go against BeamerBall in a big game against an unproven opponent. In the end, it comes down to who do I think is the better team, and that is Cincy. If they play their aggressive game, they should be able to beat VT. Just don’t let Tyrod Taylor beat you and don’t have any dumb special teams plays. I hear there are plenty of good seats available for this one.

UC 24 VT 20

Mike: Virginia Tech +1.5

When pundits mention their disdain for the BCS, they never seem to recognize that the primary rationale behind the creation of the BCS was not really to give us a true “national champion.” Rather, the BCS is the product of a cartel that sought to guarantee that its members would have annual access to a giant chunk of money. In other words, the BCS exists solely to serve the financial interests of the “Big 6” conferences through automatic inclusion in the most lucrative bowls. Consequently, we get ACC-induced snoozefests each year, such as Wake Forest-Louisville, Kansas-Virginia Tech and this year’s clunker.

Virginia Tech 20 Cincinnati 16

Doug: Cincinnati -1.5

A little background since I’m headed down there for the game this week. First of all, the Orange Bowl is HURTING this year with regard to ticket sales. I mean, real bad. Part of it is the economy and part of it is the teams in the game, but there is literally no demand for this game. I originally planned to buy tickets to this game through the UC athletic department since I knew they were going to be pushing it to sell out their ticket allotment (approximately 17,500 tickets). I figured any contribution to the total would be good for UC football and their reputation for bowl travel in the future. Well, that was my plan anyway.

About a week or so after tickets went on sale, articles started popping up about the lack of demand in the Miami area. There were reports that tickets were going for $10 on Stubhub. I figured that I might as well take a peek at Stubhub just to see if the rumors were true, and I can confirm that they were. People are literally giving away tickets to this game. There were $200 club seats and $250 sideline seats going for $40-50 all over the place on Stubhub. It’s hard to turn down deals like that, and a lot of the ticket packages on Stubhub threw in a bunch of extra perks (parking passes, tailgate party passes, programs, souvenirs, etc) to up the ante. It’s great for the fans since we can get outrageous seats at bargain basements prices, but I have to think the Orange Bowl is upset about the lack of demand for this game.

From the UC side, it’s obviously the biggest football game in school history, and it seems like a lot of Cincy people are going to make the trip. With the Bengals wrapping up another typical losing season, fans in Cincy are looking for a team to get behind. I think there is a lot of excitement for this game from the UC side, and UC has already sold out their ticket allotment. Not bad for a school that has had trouble selling out their own stadium. With all the people from Ohio who are living down in Southwest Florida (Ft. Myers, Naples, Sarasota, etc), I’m glad to see that the Bearcat Nation stepped up for this game.

As for Virginia Tech, let’s just say that they aren’t quite as fired up about this game. I can’t say that I blame them. They’ve been in the Orange Bowl a few times now, and I can understand why they aren’t all that fired up about going back to Miami to play a team like UC with no tradition and no big name players. Virginia Tech has rebounded nicely, but they still went 9-4 this year. Virginia Tech fans have been spoiled by the great success of their program in the last decade. I can see why they are having trouble selling their tickets. It sounds like they are going to eat about half of their ticket allotment. Yikes.

If I was the Orange Bowl, I’d be petitioning the BCS to get rid of the ACC and Big East tie ins. The Orange Bowl is one of the legendary bowl games out there, and you can’t beat the Miami location. South Beach, great weather, great tradition, great food. There is a lot to offer, but the Orange Bowl keeps getting stuck with these weak games. What are those tie ins doing for that bowl?? If anything, they are killing the Orange Bowl. You have the Fiesta Bowl grabbing quality teams from the Big 12 every year, the Rose Bowl gets USC and the Big Ten, and then you have the two weakest conferences going to the Orange Bowl. UC-Virginia Tech is the type of game that should be on at noon on ESPNU. You are just asking for a half-filled stadium for a game like that.

With that backdrop in mind, you would assume that Cincy has a major edge when it comes to motivation for this game. Here’s my concern though. Cincy might be a little TOO jacked up and nervous for this game. This game is being viewed as a make or break moment for the program. It’s almost like there is too much riding on it. For Virginia Tech, they can just go in and try to win the football game. Frank Beamer is a great coach who knows how to win these types of games, and he might be viewing this game as an opportunity to get a jump start on the 2009 season. Virginia Tech came alive under Tyrod Taylor down the stretch.

The Bearcats had a remarkable year with an 11-2 season, but I can’t shake that turrrrrible performance in Hawaii out of my mind. After watching ND throttle Hawaii, I am a little concerned as to why Cincy needed a miracle comeback to win that game against the Warriors. Tony Pike is a good quarterback, but UC has trouble running the ball. If Virginia Tech turns them into a one-dimensional team, it could be trouble. The good news for UC is that their special teams are outstanding, and VT’s offense is really not all that great. One key for UC will be to avoid turnovers and dumb penalties. They have a tendency to shoot themselves in the foot at times. If UC can keep this game as a low scoring affair, they have a great shot to win.

I am not going to lie that UC might be in a little bit over their head in this game, but I have no choice but to support the Bearcats. I’m a believer in Brian Kelly, and I think he is going to have his team play inspired football in front of a national tv audience on Fox. Thank god for ESPN taking over the BCS in a couple years by the way. Having the BCS games on Fox is a joke. Complete amateur hour in every way.

I’m looking forward to getting down to Miami for the game. I sort of wish they still played the game at the original Orange Bowl instead of at Dolphins Stadium. Dolphins Stadium looks nice, but it’s not even really in Miami. Oh well. I’m hoping to join the Bearcat Nation in partying it up on South Beach after a big BCS bowl win.

Cincinnati 24 Virginia Tech 21

Rose Bowl Game Presented by Citi -- Penn State (11-1) vs. USC (11-1) (Rose Bowl Pasadena, California January 1, 2009 4:30pm ABC)

Tie Ins: Big Ten Champ vs. Pac Ten Champ

Dan: USC -10

Easiest pick of all the games. USC is such a predictable team it is almost unfair. They’re going to kill out of conference opponents at the beginning of the year, struggle through a couple PAC 10 games in the middle of the year, and then whoop Notre Dame. If those struggles included a loss (like this year), then they are going to absolutely destroy an overmatched Big 10 team in the Rose Bowl.

USC 52 Penn State 14

Matt: USC -10

I’m like the guy from the Bible who had to see it to believe (Simon?). Until I see a Big 10 team take down USC, I will not believe it can happen. I’ve heard all about this Spread HD offense, but where was it when they needed it against Iowa? If you can’t put points on Iowa in the biggest game of the season, you are not scoring on this historically good USC team. I know you’re not supposed to draft safeties that high, but how can Taylor Mays not be a top pick. That guy is a freak of nature. Watch how high I predict the margin of victory:

USC 48 Penn State 6

Mike: USC –10

Gambling Commandment #12: never bet against Pete Carroll in a bowl game against a Big 10 foe, regardless of spread. Gambling Commandment #13: never bet against Pete Carroll when his team is motivated by a perceived lack of respect.

USC 38 Penn State 14

Doug: USC -10

First of all, I love the Rose Bowl. It's my favorite bowl, it's the best setting of all the bowls, it's always on New Years Day (except for the years when it is the title game) and there is something about "The Grandaddy of Them All" that makes it a special event every year. If you grew up in the Midwest, the Rose Bowl is THE bowl game to watch. Throw in Msuberger and Herbstreit, and I still say the Rose Bowl is the marquee event of the bowl season (even bigger than the BCS Championship Game if you ask me). I'm headed down to the Orange Bowl this year, so I'm a little bummed that I'm probably only going to catch bits and pieces of the Rose Bowl if I watch it at all.

I went down to Lexington for part of the holidays, and I was listening to some random sports show on the drive down there. Anyway, the guy on the show was saying that the easiest pick on his bowl pick schedule was for Penn State to cover the spread against USC in the Rose Bowl. WHAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAT?! Are people really going to talk themselves into a Big 10 team yet again against USC?? Cmon, how many times do we have to see USC bludgeon a Big 10 team before people start getting the message that USC is playing at a different level than the Big 10 teams?? Michigan, Illinois, Ohio State, and now Penn State. It doesn’t matter who the opponent is. USC has the best defense in the country, and their offense always shows up in the big games (especially when they are playing in their home base in SoCal).

Penn State fans, I know you are fired up about this game and think that your guys are underrated and all that. I appreciate your enthusiasm for this game, and I’m not going to put you down for thinking you can win. That is life as a college football fan. I’ve talked myself into thinking ND could beat USC on a few occasions, so it’s not like I don’t know what you are going through. I know Joe Pa has a great record in bowl games, and I know Penn State has a stout defense to go with the Spread HD. Maybe you aren’t getting any respect and will prove me wrong. I'm actually glad that Penn State is in this game. They haven't been to the Rose Bowl in a long time, and I think it will be cool to see those PSU and USC uniforms on the same field. We've already seen enough USC-Michigan games, and Ohio State is playing USC again next year. Penn State is the best the Big 10 can offer this year.

But you would have to be crazy to bet on Penn State here. Penn State’s offense is not going to have any success against this USC defense, and USC is going to find ways to score points against the Nittany Lion defense. Pete Carroll is the best big game coach in America, and USC owns the Rose Bowl (especially against the Big 10).

Just look at the rosters here!! USC has All-Americans all over their defense, and their young offense is turning it up a notch. Every guy on their defense is probably going to play in the NFL someday. Taylor Mays, Maulauga, Cushing, Clay Matthews, Fili Moala. Absurd. Penn State is trotting out a nice Midwestern roster with some nice players, but they are in over their heads heading out to LA.

I really hope a lot of people talk themselves into Penn State just because it will be funny when USC is up 21-3 in the second quarter and “Conquest” is playing every other down.

If you ask me, USC is still one of the two best teams in the country. I think they have the best defense in the country, and I'd take Pete Carroll against anyone in a big game. I want to see them play Florida after all these games are over. If they smoke Penn State in this game, I think USC should get a share of the title.

If this line drops into single digits, you should be looking to bet big money on the Trojans. That’s free money if you ask me.

USC 31 Penn State 10

Konica Minolta Gator Bowl -- Nebraska (8-4) vs. Clemson (7-5) (Jacksonville Municipal Stadium Jacksonville, Florida January 1, 2009 1pm

Tie Ins: ACC #3 vs. Big 12/Big East/Notre Dame

Dan: Nebraska +2.5

I thought for sure Clemson had packed it in mid-season, but they won their final 3 to make it to 7-5. While that is obviously a huge disappointment considering early season expectations, it is better than that expected on November 1. However, other than the blow-out against Oklahoma, Nebraska won the rest of its last 6 games. Bo has started to turn thinks around in Lincoln. I think the long delay will not do Clemson any favors.

Nebraska 21 Clemson 20

Matt: Nebraska +2.5


I know nothing about this Dabo Swinney guy, but I do know that when schools make sentimental choices for interim coaches, it rarely works out. Bill Stewart is a huge question mark running the West Virginia program, as anyone who watched his postgame interview after the bowl game could tell you. The sideline reporter was literally laughing in his face after he went on some rant about how his players are good fathers and husbands and God bless ESPN and tons more of totally off the wall stuff.

As for the game, I wouldn’t be shocked if Clemson wins. They’ve been playing well down the stretch. But even though Tommy Bowden is gone, I don’t trust a Clemson team that has any expectations on it. Everyone is expecting them to win, but I think Nebraska and the Big Red Nation will descend upon Atlanta and throw the ball all over Clemson.

Nebraska 42 Clemson 35

Mike: Clemson –2.5

This is a tough one to pick, but I must give some credit to Dabo Swinney for holding Clemson together after their early season turmoil.

Clemson 21 Nebraska 17

Doug: Nebraska +2.5

A couple bowl notes. First, I had no idea this game was on CBS now. Was this game on CBS last year?? I thought the Gator Bowl was an NBC staple. Does that put the NBC bowl game count at ZERO now?? NBC Sports!! Why do they even call themselves a sports division?? NBC Sports has become an absolute disgrace. In our youth, they were a juggernaut of the sports tv world. They used to be the home of AFC football, the NBA, ND football, and they were good for some bowl games and other major events (Olympics, tennis, US Open golf). Now they are down to ND football, one NFL game on Sunday night that I’ll admit that I forget to watch more often than not, the Olympics, tennis/golf, and that’s it. And NBC wonder why no one watches their programming during the week.

Second, who is going to bring more fans to J-Ville?? I honestly am not sure. We all know about Nebraska’s reputation for travel. They will bring hordes of fans just about anywhere. But Clemson fans are no joke!! When I went to that Wake-Clemson game earlier this year, Winston-Salem turned into Death Valley North. There was orange everywhere, and the SEC haircuts were flowing at the local bars. I think the city of Jacksonville stumbled upon a pretty lucky matchup to get these two fanbases. Should be some entertaining action going on down at “The Landing” this weekend. If there are any Husker or Tiger fans reading this blog, I recommend Legends!

As for the game, I like the Huskers here. I like what Bo Pelini is doing at Nebraska, and the Huskers are starting to hit their stride a little bit. They haven’t really beaten anyone of note, but they’ve won five out of their last six games. Pelini is going to have some work to do on the defensive side of the ball, but I really think the Huskers could be the team to beat in the Big 12 North next year. And if Pelini can recruit well, they could eventually get into the conversation again with the big boys in the Big 12.

Now, Clemson, here we go. I don’t want to knock this Dabo Swinney guy since I know nothing about him, but let me just go on record and say that I think Clemson fans will be grumbling about this hire in the very near future.

Dear college football athletic directors,

For the love of god, stop hiring interim coaches based on how they look over a 2-3 game period!! A lot of times the players are going all out for the interim coach, but these emotional runs are not sustainable. You need to make sure the coach is ready to be a long term fit at your school. Can he recruit?? Does he have a leadership plan for the ups and downs? Does he have an idea how to implement a program??

We saw it with Bill Stewart, we've seen it guys like Mike Davis and Brian Ellerbe. How many of these "interim" hires actually work out?? Maybe Swinney is a rising star in the coaching profession who would have been hired anyway, but I'd be shocked if he was the best guy out there for this program. I had never even heard of this guy until he got hired. It wasn't like he was some hot coordinator. Obviously, there are "no-names" out there on coaching staffs who may have the goods to be a good head coach. Urban Meyer was a WR coach at ND when he got hired for his first head coaching job, so it is possible. I just think Clemson took a huge risk with Swinney, and I don't think he'll be the long term answer at Clemson.

Clemson is a good job. They could have hired a good young coach if they had done their homework. To just hire the interim coach who ran off some wins at the end of the year is asking for trouble. Maybe Swinney will work out, but I'll take a guess that he doesn't.

Nebraska 35 Clemson 31

Capital One Bowl -- Georgia (9-3) vs. Michigan State (9-3) (Florida Citrus Bowl Orlando, Florida January 1, 2009 1pm ABC)

Tie Ins: Big 10 #2 vs. SEC #2

Dan: Michigan State +7.5

Georgia is just not as good as people expected them to be. At the end of the year they barely beat a miserable Auburn team and then gave up 200 yards in one quarter to lose to Georgia Tech. The rest will be great for Ringer who was showing some wear and tear at the end of the year. I think MSU has a chance to win this game, but the cover should be easy.

Georgia 24 MSU 21

Matt: Georgia -7.5

Two vastly overrated teams. I know that Matthew Stafford is supposed to be a top 2 pick in the NFL Draft, but honestly, I just don’t see it. Way too inconsistent. Of course, I also thought that Matt Ryan would be a bust and it looks like he is Peyton Manning Jr. So we’ll see. It should be a good matchup of Moreno vs. Ringer, and while I have little faith in Georgia’s D to slow down Ringer after their performance against Tech, I think they make a few more plays and escape with a W.

Georgia 30 Michigan State 20

Mike: Michigan State +7.5

Another motivation play here. Georgia has played to the level of its competition all year and, after starting the season ranked #1, the Bulldogs cannot be excited about playing in the Capital One Bowl. By contrast, look for Mark D’Antonio to have the Spartans playing with a huge chip on their shoulder.

Michigan State 24 Georgia 21

Doug: Georgia -7.5

Another great bowl game that I enjoy watching, but I hate this matchup. Absolutely hate it. Michigan State is bogus. They got spanked by every good team they played this year, but there’s really no one else to stick in this game for the Big 10. In fact, this game really shows how much the Big 10 misses a relevant Michigan program. The Big 10 cannot afford for Michigan to be lousy again next year.
Michigan State has a terrible quarterback and a mediocre defense. After watching them against Ohio State, I pretty much have written them off as a legitimate program. They confirmed that when they got annihilated by Penn State.

Georgia has been overrated all year, but they are still a quality program with big time athletes. Georgia has top 15 talent. Michigan State doesn’t.

While I’m here, let this post serve as notice to the Lions to please not draft Matt Stafford with the first pick in the draft. I know they need a quarterback, but good god. Stafford is not that impressive, and I haven’t seen anything out of this guy that points to him being a future Pro Bowler. Why would you hand that guy a $50 million contract?? If I was the Lions, I would be addressing that o-line by drafting one of the top LT prospects (Oher or the Alabama guy). There are two good ones out there, and the Lions could benefit by taking either one. Build from within and then find an undervalued QB on the trade market who you can use as a stopgap for a couple years. Look at what Parcells did in Miami. He beefed up his lines, he found Pennington off the scrap heap, and the Dolphins won the AFC East. It’s not that difficult. You win in the NFL by having great line play, and guys like Parcells have figured this out. The people running teams like the Lions and Bengals haven’t, and that’s why they are picking at the top of the draft every year. There isn’t a great defensive tackle or d-lineman out there in the draft this year, so the Lions should be going o-line if you ask me.

Then again, as a Bengal fan, I am hoping that one of those offensive tackles is available at #6, so maybe I should be pulling for the Lions to take Stafford. If the Bengals could get Oher with the #6 pick, I would be thrilled. Plug him in there for the next 10 years as an anchor and then build up the line around him.

Who am I kidding? The Bengals are drafting Beanie Wells, and I’m already hot and bothered before the pick has even been made. The Bengals have money tied up in bad or hurt o-linemen, and they are probably thinking that they need a splash to get fans to buy tickets for next year (even fans really just want to see a winning product). Beanie will be laying on the carpet in Detroit during the preseason with a bum foot or an ACL, and Mike Brown will turn ghost white knowing that he blew another high draft pick.

Georgia 24 Michigan State 10

Outback Bowl -- South Carolina (7-5) vs Iowa (8-4) (Raymond James Stadium Tampa, Florida January 1, 2009 11 am ESPN)

Tie Ins: Big Ten #3 vs SEC

Dan: South Carolina +3.5

Iowa was hot at the end of the season, but other than Penn State did not really beat anyone worth talking about. South Carolina has had a pretty bad season and did not close strong, but they still have more talent than the Hawkeyes. I expect the Big 10’s futility to continue against Spurrier and the Gamecocks.

South Carlina 21 Iowa 17

Matt: South Carolina +3.5

I really have no opinion on this game. How the heck is this matchup a New Year’s Day Bowl? Iowa hasn’t beaten anyone other than that predictable win over Penn State. I guess I’ll take the SEC team here.

South Carolina 17 Iowa 14

Mike: Iowa –3.5

I expect a slugfest between Iowa’s powerful offensive line and Shonn Greene against a physical Gamecock front seven. Ricky Stanzi is no world beater for the Hawkeyes, but until Steve Spurrier can prove that he has a reasonably competent quarterback on campus, I refuse to select South Carolina.

Iowa 20 South Carolina 10

Doug: Iowa -3.5

The Big 10 gets their bowl win! This game is the only game I think the Big 10 is winning this year. Yikes.

I love the Outback Bowl, especially the 11am start. Nothing better than shaking off the New Years’ Eve cobwebs and throwing on that Outback Bowl at 11 am on the east coast. This game is usually a competitive game, and I like seeing the Big 10-SEC matchups. I hear so much Big 10-SEC trash talk throughout the year that I like to see these games settled on the field.

Pretty evenly-matched teams, but Iowa has a pretty good history of playing well in the Outback Bowl. I’ll take the Hawkeyes. Kirk Ferentz should have a statue built of him on the Iowa campus for all these great Outback Bowl wins. And I’m only half-joking about that. This guy delivers 7-8 wins a year for an Iowa program that probably has the 8th or 9th best talent in the league. The fact that he is always on the hot seat at Iowa is one of the most mind-boggling things in sports these days.

Iowa 17 South Carolina 10

Chick-fil-A Bowl -- LSU (7-5) vs. Georgia Tech (9-3) (Georgia Dome Atlanta December 31, 2008 7:30pm ESPN)

Tie In: ACC #2 vs SEC

Dan: Georgia Tech -4

I’m still riding the Paul Johnson bandwagon hard while avoiding the Les Miles train at all cost. LSU just doesn’t have a quarterback this year and I don’t think they can score enough points to hang with the punishing GT rushing offense. LSU has packed it in this year and they are down for the count.

GT 31 LSU 17

Matt: Georgia Tech -4

It’s going to be very interesting to see how the locals react when/if Les Miles struggles again next season. I know that he has a national championship, but doesn’t it seem like nobody has really quite warmed up to him as a really good coach. This season has been a total disaster. The putridity of the offense is defensible, although hitching your seasons fortunes to such a thug as Perriloux was dumb. However, the downfall of the defense has been unbelievable. Did Dorsey mean that much to this team? (Not if you ask Chiefs fans) I think GT blows the doors off of LSU in this one. The triple option is running on all cylinders now.

Georgia Tech 41 LSU 20

Mike: Georgia Tech –4

Using my aforementioned powers of “motivation prognostication,” I hereby declare that LSU will not be very excited to play this game. More importantly, the 2008 Bayou Bengals have underachieved all season long and there is no reason to believe that this game will be any different. For what it’s worth, I would love to see Paul Johnson stalking the sidelines in South Bend, even though it will never happen.

Georgia Tech 28 LSU 14

Doug: Georgia Tech -4

Maybe my bowl game lock of the year. A motivated Georgia Tech team looking to put a cap on an outstanding first season for Paul Johnson versus a dispirited LSU team that is just looking to get this season over with. LSU is going to get smoked in this game, especially since they probably haven’t faced an option team all year. A disciplined team like Georgia Tech is going to have a field day against LSU’s defense.

I have some thoughts on LSU that I’ll maybe save for a blog post, but I will say that I think that program has hit a bit of a crossroads. Les Miles is fully in charge of this program now, and it’s a bit interesting that he had a bad year in the first year he didn’t have Bo Pelini around or some of the old Nick Saban players. It looks like they are making a change at defensive coordinator with the reports that they are going to bring in John Chavis from Tennessee, so maybe they are going to look better defensively next year. They certainly took a step back without Bo Pelini around on that defense. If “The Hat” has another down year, there will be some heavy grumbling from the fanbase. They had a lot of veteran players this year, so there’s no reason why they shouldn’t have been a top 15 team this year. Disappointing year in Baton Rouge.

It is amazing to me the level of financial commitment that you see at these big time SEC schools. Money is no concern in the SEC. These schools are constantly hiring and firing coordinators and paying big money to pry assistants from other schools. The arms race in the SEC is crazy to me.

Meanwhile, Georgia Tech has to be flying high after that huge win at Georgia at the end of the year. Paul Johnson is a straight up miracle worker. He’s probably the coach of the year if you ask me, and Georgia Tech must be doing cartwheels to have him around.

Georgia Tech 33 LSU 10

Insight Bowl -- Kansas (7-5) vs. Minnesota (7-5) (Sun Devil Stadium Tempe, Arizona December 31, 2008 5:30pm NFL Network)

Tie Ins: Big 10 #6 vs. Big 12 #6

Dan: Kansas -10.5

For the most part Kansas blew out inferior teams and got blown out by superior teams. Minnesota though was in a late season funk and I don’t think they’ll be out of it even after the month off. Expect a good offensive performance from Kansas and another dud from a Big 10 team.

Kansas 42 Minnesota 17

Matt: Kansas -10.5

This is one of the worst bowl matchups if you ask me. Minnesota, who played the system to get bowl eligible despite a losing conference record, against a team that was largely irrelevant in its own conference. This game is right where it deserves on the NFL Network where nobody can watch it.

Kansas 49 Minnesota 3

Mike: Minnesota +10.5

I realize that Minnesota did not exactly sprint to the finish line, but I do not give much credence to the theory of “momentum.” In fact, I posit that this concept is particularly dubious during bowl season, insofar as teams are idle for an extended period of time before their games. As with my Missouri-Northwestern pick, I refuse to lay a huge number of points on a Big 12 team that does not play defense (yes, I realize that “Big 12 team that does not play defense” is redundant).

Kansas 27 Minnesota 21

Doug: Kansas -10.5

Maybe not a great bowl game, but you can't beat the location. I can't say enough good things about the Tempe area and the Mill Avenue location. I personally think the BCS should go back to Tempe and forget the Glendale experiment. From what I have heard from Buckeye fans who went out there for the Florida game a couple years ago, it's the equivalent of having a game in the middle of the suburbs. What is the appeal for that?

This pick is all about conference affiliation. I’ll be the first to admit that I think the Big 12 is overrated, but the Big 10 is an abomination this year. And of all the teams to be in a bowl game, Minnesota is probably the least deserving of the bunch. They lost 55-0 to Iowa in the last game of the year!! How are they in a bowl game??

Kansas has been up and down, but at least they have done some nice things this year. Todd Reesing is a playmaker at quarterback, and they can put up some points.
10.5 points is a lot to give here, and I do think that Minnesota could show up in this game with a chip on their shoulder. But Minnesota is maybe the worst bowl team out there this year, and I don’t see them being competitive in this game.

Kansas 34 Minnesota 21

Gaylord Hotels Music City Bowl Boston College (9-4) vs. Vanderbilt (6-6) (LP Field Nashville, Tennessee December 31, 2008 3:30pm ESPN)

Tie Ins: ACC vs SEC #5

Dan: BC -4

I don’t expect this one to be very close. Vandy has lost 6 of its last 7 including Duke and Tennessee. BC has won 4 of its last 5. The Eagles should be able to control the line of scrimmage and push Vandy around.

BC 24 Vandy 10

Matt: Vandy +4

I’m going way out on a limb here, but everyone says that these bowl games come down to motivation. Well, Vandy hasn’t played a bowl game in decades and finally gets one right in their home town. Meanwhile, BC played for the ACC Championship in their last game and now has to deal with the disappointment of getting passed all the way down to a pre New Years Day Music City Bowl. I know Vandy has been playing terribly and doesn’t have the talent that BC does, but I think that they are fired up for this one and pull off the shocker. Plus, it gives a little extra incentive to root against BC.

Vandy 20 BC 17

Mike: Vanderbilt +4

To borrow a phrase from Doug: death, taxes and Boston College winning a low-level bowl in unimpressive fashion.

Boston College 17 Vanderbilt 14

Doug: Boston College -4

While I’m a little nervous about this pick considering that Vandy is playing at home and probably will be fired up about this game, I can’t pick against BC in a bowl game. BC has become “Pre Jan 1 Bowl Game U” in the last decade. They just show up at these lousy bowl games, bring zero fans, and then win. Vandy has played turrrrrible football in the second half of the season. BC is a physical team that plays more of an SEC style of football, so they should be able to push around Vandy.

One of the top 3 goals for Notre Dame next year should be to beat Boston College. I know that’s crazy to have as a team goal, but I really think that needs to become a top priority. Whatever we do as a team this offseason, we should be tailoring our plans partially around beating the Eagles. In other words, we need to get more physical and beat them at the line of scrimmage. If we do those things, we not only will beat BC but will probably match up better against teams like Pitt and Michigan State. While I would love to beat USC and win a BCS bowl game and all that, I really would like to go at least 2 out of 3 against the Pitt/MSU/BC group. Baby steps for this program is where my head is at.

In fact, my top four goals for ND for 2009 would be:

1) Beat Boston College
2) Win a January 1 or later bowl game
3) Blow out all the bad teams on the schedule\
4) Finish strong down the stretch (5-1 or 6-0)

Laugh all you want, but BC is a serious football school that we should not be taking lightly any longer. While the Hawaii game was fun, that type of game plan is not going to work against a smart, disciplined team like BC. They will double team our wide receivers like they did this past year, and make us beat them the old-fashioned way. We better be up to the task.

BC 20 Vandy 10

Brut Sun Bowl -- Oregon State (8-4) vs. Pitt (9-3) (Sun Bowl El Paso, Texas December 31, 2008 2pm CBS)

Tie Ins: Big 12/Big East/Notre Dame vs. Pac 10 #3

Dan: Pitt +3

It sounds like Jacquizz Rodgers is not 100% healthy, so I’m going to go with Pitt and LeSean McCoy. I am normally not very confident in Wannstedt, but I think he has something going with this year’s Pitt team. I expect them to wrap up the season with a win.

Pitt 28 Oregon 24

Matt: Pitt +3

Dave Wannstedt is lucky. His secret to winning is so simple that even he can’t screw it up. Just hand the ball to Shady McCoy early and often. With Quizz Rodgers doubtful, I don’t think Oregon State can hang with Pitt.

Pitt 26 Oregon State 16

Mike: Oregon State -3

Mike Riley has more experience in preparing his team for a bowl and he is simply a better coach than Dave Wannstedt. Even if Jacquizz Rodgers cannot return, this should be easy pickings for the Beavers.

Oregon State 35 Pittsburgh 17

Doug: Pitt +3

Wow, very interesting game here. Very manly undertones with the Brut sponsorship. I don't wear cologne, but is Brut still a popular cologne?? All I can think of is Wayne's World.

While Oregon State has a great history in bowl games, I feel like Pitt really wants to win this game and use it to build for next year. Pitt is sort of on the verge as a program, and they need a win here to keep their momentum going. If Pitt wins this game and gets to 10 wins, it would be a pretty darn good year for them.

Mike Riley is a good coach, but I wonder if he can get his team up for the Sun Bowl in El Paso against Pitt. I just can’t see them being fired up for this game, especially when they were thinking Rose Bowl in the last week of the year. Jacquizz Rodgers is out for the game, so Oregon State is going to have to find some answers on offense without him.

I know we’ve already discussed it on the blog, but I can’t believe LeSean McCoy is coming back next year. It blows me away. The guy is one of the 2-3 best running backs in the country, and he is ready to go to the NFL next year. If you are a running back, there is absolutely no reason to come back to college once you have established that you are ready to go to the league. All you are doing by staying in college is adding wear and tear to your legs and increasing the risk that you get hurt. With his reckless style of running, he could easily get hurt. If McCoy comes back next year and gets hurt, he’s done. And if he comes back and rushes for 1500 yards, is he really going to improve his draft stock that much?? Maybe, but is it worth the risk? No. He really needs to reconsider this plan to come back to college. And I’m not just saying that because Pitt is on ND’s schedule next year. Ok, maybe a little.

If Shady comes back, Pitt will probably be a top 20ish team. I love watching him run the ball. He's fast, breaks tackles, and he's explosive. I would love to see ND find a running back like LeSean McCoy. Pitt fans have to be crossing their fingers hoping he comes back, but I personally think he’s going to have a huge game in the Sun Bowl and then bolt for the NFL.

Pitt 23 Oregon State 20

Bell Helicopter Armed Forces Bowl -- Houston (7-5) vs. Air Force (8-4) (Amon G. Carter Stadium Fort Worth, Texas December 31, 2008

Tie Ins: Mountain West vs CUSA

Dan: Air Force +2.5

Points, points, and more points. This stretch of bowls is definitely offense driven. Houston’s run defense is one of the worst in the country. I expect Air Force to run the ball successfully and control the tempo of the game. If they can keep control of the game and keep Houston off the field for long stretches of time, I think they can win this game. But I’m not sure they can hold down the Houston offense enough for the win.

Houston 42 Air Force 41

Matt: Air Force +2.5

What the heck – it’s the Armed Forces bowl so I go with the armed forces of Air Force. By the way, how weird is it that Bell Helicopter sponsors a bowl. Chick Fil-A, Tostitos, Outback – I can see all those. Maybe I go out and buy some more of their stuff after watching the game. But how many people are going out and buying a freaking helicopter after watching this one?

Air Force 31 Houston 30

Mike: Houston –2.5

Interesting contrast of styles here, as Houston will attack through the air and Air Force, despite its name, will attack on the ground. This was an entertaining bowl last year and I am a little disappointed that I will not get to watch this year.

Houston 38 Air Force 34

Doug: Houston -2.5

My initial pick here was Air Force, but now I’ve seen that Houston has already played Air Force this year. Really??? Why was this bowl game scheduled?? Couldn’t the people running these bowl games have created a different matchup?? That is ridiculous. With all the different bowl games out there, I can’t believe that we are seeing repeats of regular season games.

If this was the first meeting between the two teams, I would have picked Air Force to win. It is very hard to deal with the option when you are facing it for the first time. But if Houston has already played Air Force this year, they know what’s coming. They’ll be ready for Air Force, and the Cougars have a pretty potent offense of their own.

I hate picking Houston just because of David Klingler, but I think they’ll win this game. Plus, I actually thought Andre Ware did a nice job announcing the ND-Hawaii game. He was very complimentary of Jimmy Clausen and the Irish. I’ll throw a bone to his alma mater.

Houston 31 Air Force 17

Pacific Life Holiday Bowl – Oklahoma State (9-3) vs. Oregon (9-3) (Qualcomm Stadium San Diego, California December 30, 2008 8pm ESPN)

Tie Ins: Big 12 #3 vs. Pac 10 #2

Dan: Oregon +3

Two more high powered offenses square off in the holiday bowl. My initial inclination was that the fighting Gundy’s would run away with this one. I have not been all that impressed with the PAC 10 this year, while the Big 12 is arguably the best conference in football. But over the past 3 games the Oregon offense has looked unstoppable. Additionally, I have more faith in Oregon’s defense to make a couple big plays.

Oregon 48 Oklahoma State 41

Matt: Oklahoma St -3

The Holiday Bowl is always one of the most entertaining and to me it signals the start of the meaningful bowl games. I know that Oregon absolutely pummeled Oregon State in their last game, but I just like the way that Oklahoma State has been playing all year. Who would have thought after that press conference last year that Mike Gundy would have transformed himself from a punchline into an actual good football coach. I wonder if whenever he goes out in public people still yell out to him “I’m a man, I’m 40!” I know if I ran into him those would be the first words out of my mouth. “For doing everything right.”

Oklahoma State 38 Oregon 30

Mike: Oregon +3

Perhaps the best game on the docket this bowl season, especially for Notre Dame fans, who will get a rare opportunity to witness two teams that feature an efficient and explosive running attack. The difference in this game will be Oregon’s superior defense and the experience of the Oregon coaching staff.

Oregon 41 Oklahoma State 31

Doug: Oklahoma State -3

I have had a tough time making up my mind on this game, so I went back and looked at some past Holiday Bowl results to see if that cleared up the picture. Unfortunately, all that did was make things more confusing. The Pac 10 and Big 12 have basically split this series, and there is no real pattern at all to this game.

All I know is that the Holiday Bowl will probably be wacky, and chances are that it will be high-scoring. The Holiday Bowl is usually one of the better pre January 1 bowl games, and this game will probably not disappoint. If you look at the conference tie-ins, it’s easy to see why this game is usually a good one. One of the best teams in the Big 12 against one of the best teams in the Pac 10. It’s similar to the Citrus Bowl or the Cotton Bowl in terms of the quality of teams that they are getting. If anything, this game should really be on New Years’ Day, but I’m happy we get it before January 1st.

The Big 12 has been a better league than the Pac 10 this year for the most part. Oregon has been red hot down the stretch and might be looking to pull a Texas and use this game as a springboard, but they’ve also had their share of ups and downs this year. I’ll take the Cowboys to win and cover.

Oklahoma State 37 Oregon 31

Texas Bowl -- Western Michigan (9-3) vs. Rice (9-3) (Reliant Stadium Houston, Texas December 30, 2008 8pm NFL Network)

Tie Ins: Big 12 vs CUSA

Dan: Rice -3

Here is a shoot-out that should be fun to watch. It is also another game where I like the favorite. Rice has won 6 straight in fairly impressive fashion. Meanwhile, Western Michigan’s two toughest MAC opponents (CMU and BSU) beat them by a combined 33 points. I don’t think Western Michigan’s offense is quite good enough to hang with Rice’s in this shoot-out.

Rice 41 Western Michigan 31

Matt: Rice -3

Jarett Dillard is the best player that most people haven’t heard of. Look for him on Sundays.
Rice 41 Western Michigan 13

Mike: Rice –3

This game should serve as Exhibit A for those petitioning to reduce the number of bowl games. As an aside, I am surprised that Bill Cubit from WMU has not received more consideration for some major head coaching jobs such as Syracuse. Cubit has really done a nice job in Kalamazoo.

Rice 35 Western Michigan 31

Doug: Rice -3

The Texas Bowl was actually an option for ND this year. Thank god for the Hawaii Bowl. If we were playing Rice on the NFL Network, I would not have watched the game. I don’t have the NFL Network, and I’m not going to a sports bar on a Tuesday to watch ND-Rice. I’m glad it worked out for us in the Hawaii Bowl. It was a perfect venue for the team, and the nationwide audience certainly did not hurt the program. Recruits will take notice that ND can still find a way to an attractive venue even when we have a bad year.

As for the game, it is played in Houston, so I expect Rice to have the homefield advantage. My strategy in this bowl season has been to pick against MAC schools, so I don’t see any reason why I won’t continue with that theme in this game.

Rice 47 Western Michigan 35

Roady’s Humanitarian Bowl – Maryland (7-5) vs. Nevada (7-5) (Bronco Stadium Boise, Idaho December 30, 2008 4:30pm ESPN)

Tie Ins: ACC #8 vs. WAC

Dan: Nevada -1.5

Nevada is an underrated team. Their spread offense will cause the inconsistent Maryland defense problems. Maryland has not seen an offense like this yet this year and that will cause them difficulties all day.

Nevada 31 Maryland 21

Matt: Nevada -1.5

Maybe I’m just a worrier, but I think every Irish fan should be petrified of Colin Kaepernick. The guy threw the ball for 2500 yards and ran for over 1000. I think Nevada beats an unmotivated Maryland team and the stage is set for the showdown in South Bend!

Nevada 34 Maryland 22

Mike: Maryland +1.5

My pick assumes that Maryland will show up ready to play in a meaningless game on the blue turf. In addition, Nevada’s familiarity with the blue turf could become an advantage if the Wolfpack players can avoid the usual onset of vertigo that befalls most visiting players. Still, I just can’t pick a WAC team as a favorite over an ACC team. I can, however, and will, pick Nevada over Notre Dame on opening day next year.

Maryland 31 Nevada 24

Doug: Nevada -1.5

There is a 0.0% chance that Maryland is going to be “up” for this game. NO CHANCE. A random Tuesday afternoon game on the blue turf in Boise, Idaho?? No way. When the Terps laid out their preseason goals for this year, what are the odds that they put down “get to Bosie for the Humanitarian Bowl” as one of their preseason goals?? I looked up the weather for this game (thanks weather.com), and it is going to be a high of 37 degrees tomorrow with a low of 28. It is going to be cold, and there will probably be five people in Boise from Maryland for this game. It will be Ralph Friedgen’s wife and maybe a couple other player families. That’s it. Maryland might as well keep the plane running on the runway for this one.

Meanwhile, the WAC usually gets fired up for this game, and I would expect Nevada to be psyched up to have a chance to beat an ACC team and set up the preseason talk for them as a “BCS buster.” I haven’t watched Nevada play yet, but I’m interested in this game just to see what the fuss is about and how they would match up against Notre Dame.

If I was the ACC, I’d strongly consider revisiting their bowl tie-ins. What the heck is the ACC doing in this game?? None of their fanbases want anything to do with it, and there is no geographic tie-in at all. Give this game to the Mountain West or something.

Nevada 23 Maryland 14

Valero Alamo Bowl – Missouri (9-4) vs. Northwestern (9-3) (Alamodome San Antonio, Texas December 29, 2008 8pm ESPN)

Tie Ins: Big 10 #4 or #5 vs Big 12 #4

Dan: Missouri -12.5

Let’s see… Big 10 v. Big 12, one time Heisman hopeful against Northwestern defense… No chance. This one will not be close. The break will have done Missouri good and they will be back in early season form. You can expect a blow-out.

Missouri 38 Northwestern 14

Matt: Northwestern +12.5

I was all set to pick Missouri in this one without even thinking twice. In my bowl confidence picks, I had Missouri way up towards the top. And while I still think Missouri wins, I don’t think it’s a foregone conclusion that they blow out Northwestern as everyone seems to be predicting. Could someone remind me what it exactly it is about Missouri’s season I am supposed to be impressed with? It seems like a Big 10 team or two always surprises every bowl season, and I think NW keeps it close.

Missouri 41 Northwestern 35

Mike: Northwestern +12.5

This is just too many points for a Missouri team that does not play a lick of defense.

Missouri 45 Northwestern 38

Doug: Missouri -12.5

I know it’s the Alamo Bowl, which is almost always a great game. And I know Missouri is extremely overrated, but I’ve watched Northwestern enough times over the years to know that they are a complete paper tiger. Northwestern is not a good team, and their 9-3 record is a complete mirage. Northwestern has a pretty good offense, but they are trotting MAC talent out there.

Missouri actually reminds me a bit of the Charlie Weis Notre Dame teams. I think the rest will be a good thing for them. Finesse teams like Missouri and ND get worn down over the course of the season, and that’s essentially what happened to Missouri. In the beginning of the year, they started out like a house of fire and couldn’t be stopped on offense. I think we’ll see that team in this game.

I like what Northwestern is doing, but I really am down on the Big 10 and Midwestern football. Wisconsin did the league no favors with that atrocious showing the other night, and I expect more of the same throughout the bowl season. The Big 10 has real problems, and they aren’t going to be corrected any time soon.

Missouri 38 Northwestern 21

Papajohns.com Bowl - NC State (6-6) vs. Rutgers (7-5) (Legion Field Birmingham, Alabama December 29, 2008 3pm ESPN)

Tie Ins: Big East vs ACC or SEC

Dan: Rutgers -7

PapaJohns.com bowl! Why the “.com”? I don’t get it. As for the game, each team is riding a winning streak – 4 for NC State and 6 for Rutgers. As a matter of fact, Rutgers has been killing its opponents over the last 5 games. Whatever was wrong with Schiano’s team for the first half of the season has been rectified. Meanwhile, I think that despite the fact that NC State’s 4 wins included 2 victories over ranked teams and one over Miami (FL), I am not as convinced in their resurrections. I think it was a product of the weak ACC and kind of flying under the radar. Expect Rutgers to come out firing and not stop. NC State is going to struggle to stop the strong Rutgers passing offense.

Rutgers 34 NC State 20

Matt: NC State +7

You just knew that Tom O’Brien was going to get NC State turned around. It looks like he’s got the QB of the future in freshman Russell Wilson. Both these teams went on great runs to make it to bowl games, and I think that Rutgers wins a good game. The fact that Rutgers under Greg Schiano has proven not to be a flash in the pan is somewhat of a small miracle. He’s a damn good football coach.

Rutgers 30 NC State 27

Mike: NC State +7

Both of these teams, buttressed by great QB play, finished the season on a high note, so it will be interesting to see whether each team can sustain their momentum after a lengthy layoff. Since I believe that these teams are evenly matched, I will take the points.

Rutgers 26 NC State 24

Doug: NC State +7

Maybe the most intriguing thing about this game is that it’s played at Legion Field in Birmingham. Both coaches should have to come out and wear one of those Paul Bryant hats on the sideline.

If this game was based solely on the last month of the season, it probably would have been played in the Orange Bowl. Both of these teams were red hot at the end of the year. If you were a Cincinnati fan, would you have any interest in playing Rutgers right now?? Me neither.

NC State only finished 6-6, but they won their last four games. Tom O’Brien is only in his second year at NC State, but they are already turning the corner as a program. O’Brien is 7-1 in bowl games. Russell Wilson is starting to make some plays at quarterback for the Wolfpack. I think they have a great shot to move into the upper-echelon in the ACC over the next couple years.

Meanwhile, Rutgers is boiling hot as well. They absolutely shredded people down the stretch and won their last six games. Greg Schiano has done a remarkable job to get that program back on track.

I think these two teams are evenly matched, so I’ll take the points and take Rutgers to win a close game.

Rutgers 31 NC State 27