Frisco Football Classic, Miami (Ohio) vs. North Texas
This game should not exist, as it did not before this month and will not after this month. It reminds me of the bowl of petunias, briefly called into existence by the uncloaked engaging of the Heart of Golds improbability drive whose only thought before crashing into Magrathea was Oh no, not again. So, whatevs. Not the MAC team. North Texas State
Gasparilla Bowl, Florida vs. UCF
Well, Florida was a hot mess this year, other then scaring Alabama. My bet is UCF would love nothing more than to beat the Gators, and this may be their best chance. Central Florida
Friday, Dec. 24
Hawaii Bowl, Memphis vs. Hawaii
I always wonder if playing this game is wise for the visitors. How are you going to keep them in Memphis after they have seen Waikiki? Hawaii
Saturday, Dec. 25
Camellia Bowl, Ball State vs. Georgia State
Again, other than the even too obvious even for me Ball State jokes or David Letterman references, I got nothing. When in doubt, avoid the MAC. Georgia State
Monday, Dec. 27
Quick Lane Bowl, Western Michigan vs. Nevada
True Interesting Fact: sure, every FBS school in the state of Michigan made a bowl game, but at least the others got to leave town. (Well, to be fair, Kazoo is closer to Chicago than Detroit) Nevada has the pro prospect QB, so I will go there. To quote Jonathan Richman, Reno Reno Reno Honey, Reno Reno Reno. Nevada
Military Bowl, East Carolina vs. Boston College
No real sense of either team and I am getting lazy so Boston College
Tuesday, Dec. 28
Birmingham Bowl, Houston vs. Auburn
Really, as much as I dogged on Nix, and he deserved it, he at least had the ability to make plays. Some of which were good. I do not see much for the Auburn offense in its present incarnation. Score one for the Group of Six. Houston
First Responder Bowl, Air Force vs. Louisville
On one hand, AF has an offense that is hard to prepare for, but then Louvuhl has the time to prepare for it. Louisville
Liberty Bowl, Texas Tech vs. Mississippi State
AKA the Adam James Bowl. Somehow, I think that Old Miss State is going to have a fire lit under them for this one. Mississippi State
Holiday Bowl, NC State vs. UCLA
I originally had a Chip Kelly joke about Ducking out, but the opportunity for that has passed. I will go with UCLA and its superior ground game. UCLA
Guaranteed Rate Bowl, Minnesota vs. West Virginia
So the Gophers epitomized up and down. Beat Wisky, beat Purdue, lose to Illinois and Bowling Green. I am going with the like to Fleck up their opponents in big games and spend the down game in their PJs. Minnesota
Wednesday, Dec. 29
Fenway Bowl, Virginia vs. SMU
I suspect the Fenway Bowl deliberately chose to go up against the more established (as in, it has been played before) Pinstripe Bowl as part of the boring and interminable for everyone outside of a 200 mile corridor of I 84 baseball rivalry. I also suspect bowl organizers are going to miss out on the one thing that might make this game interesting, which is awarding an additional 10 points for anyone who can kick a field goal over the green monster. The Cavaliers play out for their departing coach. Virginia
Pinstripe Bowl, Virginia Tech vs. Maryland
An old school South Atlantic League rematch. My VTU booster friend Bill assures me that Fuente was the only thing standing between VTU and a return to football glory. Somehow I think there are deeper issues. Anyway, here is one for our newly departed yankguy. Maryland
Cheez-It Bowl, Clemson vs. Iowa State
I think, back and September, it would have been only a mild surprise to see this as the Cotton Bowl, what with ISU an only sightly dark horse candidate for the Pure Prairie League Champ. Neither team lived up to its hype, and ClemSIN markedly so, although they still managed a nice 9 wins with a substandard offense because they had a stout defense. The DC is the Oklahoma coach in waiting now, though, and the OC is the Virginia coach, though the Worst Scrabble Draw Ever never seemed to progress this year. The opportunity is there for an upset. Iowa State
Alamo Bowl, Oregon vs. Oklahoma
And this could have been the Orange Bowl as recently as four weeks ago, before the Ducks got absolutely bitch slapped twice by the Utes and Oklahoma lost to OSU for the first time since back when the Republican party was a functional political party and not a cult of personality. Now both teams are on interim coaches. I was so hoping the rumors that Oregon wass going to go with joint coaches were true if only in the sense I hope every Indy 500 ends with a massive crash from which everyone walks away unharmed). Anyway, although the Heisman hype was way premature, Caleb Williams is an exciting talent, and he will be setting himself up for next year. Oklahoma
Thursday, Dec. 30
Duke's Mayo Bowl, North Carolina vs. South Carolina
Worst menu item ever. It is sort of amazing that UNC and South Carolina play so rarely. SoCar was a pretty run of the mill God apostrophe s conference team, but I am not picking UNC for anything, ever. South Carodamnlina
Music City Bowl, Tennessee vs. Purdue
Is Tennessee coming off an emotional win with title implications that saps it of the necessary energy? No? Well then. Tennessee
Peach Bowl, Michigan State vs. Pittsburgh
I will not lie. Given our pass defense this is a pretty bad match up for us. Granted the month off will help us get healthy, but even when we were healthy we got pretty shredded. There is, at this writing, the possibility that Pickett will not play in order to prepare for the draft, but I do not thing that will happen. Anyway the game matches us against former DC Pat Narduzzi, creator of the No Fly Zone (as opposed to the current No, Fly! Zone). Despite his defensive chops, the Pitt defense is not all that. I am hoping our ground game lead by Doak Walker winning, unfairly excluded from the Heisman ceremony III and our big play wide receivers can help us outscore the Panthers. A high scoring game, but in the end
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