In Which I Talk (and Snark) About Sports…

[mmerriam]

There are more bowls this year than ever before, which is stupid, because most of these teams don't deserve to be in a bowl game. You have teams that are 6-6 and have lost their last 4 or 5 games now playing in bowls when they should be home watching them. Next year I expect to see the Taco Salad Bowl and the Campbell Soup Bowl added to the list. Maybe we can bring in some teams with losing records!!!

Anyway, on to the picks!

EagleBank Bowl:Wake Forest vs. Navy
I'm not sure why I should care. At least there is still a bank out there solvent enough to sponsor a bowl. This is a rematch from earlier in the year. Navy wins 17-13 in a yawner.

New Mexico Bowl Colorado State vs. Fresno State
Fresno State has too much offense for Colorado State. 38-24 Fresno St.

St. Petersburg Bowl:South Florida vs. Memphis
There's a bowl game in Russia? Oh, no, it's in Florida. Neither of these teams are particularly deserving of being in a bowl game, but with so many bowls, that's more and more common. Memphis wins 28-24.

Pioneer Las Vegas Bowl:BYU vs. Arizona
This one could be good, if Arizona doesn't choke on it. Which they will. The pundits love to whine about how underrated the Pac-10 is. It's not: the conference isn't all that good (though still better than the Big Ten and ACC). BYU 35 - Arizona 17.

R+L Carriers New Orleans Bowl:Troy vs. Southern Miss
Again, not sure why I should care. Troy picks up a nice win for their program, 35-20.

San Diego County Credit Union Poinsettia Bowl:TCU vs. Boise State
This will be one of the most competitive games of the entire bowl season. It might actually be the best game of the bunch. BSU 42 - TCU 40 in the last 5 seconds.

Sheraton Hawaii Bowl:Hawaii vs. Notre Dame
I bet the kids at Hawaii would love to go to different bowl game for a change. As for ND, they don't deserve to be in a bowl game. Hawaii's tough at home and I don't care what ESPN "Oh God , Charlie Weiss is the GREATEST X's And O'S COACH EVAH!!!" pundits think, because seriously, some of them are saying ND will win by 30 points. Did they watch Notre Dame this year? Hawaii wins 42-20.

Motor City Bowl:Central Michigan vs. Florida Atlantic
All these Michigan schools in bowl games, and none of them the Michigan Wolverines. What is the world coming to? CMU 24 - FAU 21.

Meineke Car Care Bowl: North Carolina vs. West Virginia
This could be a good game as well. I'm going with the West Virginia Mountaineers because they have more Big Game XP. Final score: 27- 20.

Champs Sports Bowl:Florida State vs. Wisconsin
Seriously, the Big Ten sucks this year. Florida St. 38- 17 over the hapless Badgers.

Emerald Bowl: California vs. Miami (Fla.)
I'm looking for a complete beat down here: California 49 - Miami (Fla) 13.

Independence Bowl:Louisiana Tech vs. Northern Illinois
Who are these teams? Louisiana Tech wins, I think, but not by much. Say, 21-17.

Papajohns.com Bowl:Rutgers vs. N.C. State
mmm…pizza…mmm… Oh yeah. 42-17 in favor of N.C. State.

Valero Alamo Bowl Northwestern vs. Missouri
Northwestern is too slow, too small, and too everything to handle Chase Daniels. Missouri 56 - Northwestern 21.

Roady's Humanitarian Bowl Maryland vs. Nevada
So, like, it was a humanitarian gesture inviting these teams to a bowl game, right? Maryland wins 35-24.

Texas Bowl:Rice vs. Western Michigan
Rice is in a bowl game. It is indeed the end of the world. What's more, they are going to win! 42-12 Rice in a smashing victory. Then the world ends…

Pacific Life Holiday Bowl:Oregon vs. Oklahoma State
This might be more of a track meet, as neither team has much defense and both have a lot of offense. Easily the highest scoring game of the bowl season: Oklahoma State 63 -Oregon 55.

Bell Helicopter Armed Forces Bowl:Air Force vs. Houston
Houston 41 - Air Farce 20. 'nough said.

Brut Sun Bowl: Oregon State vs. Pittsburgh
I think Oregon State is going to be looking to put the hurt on someone. I think Pitt is the exact wrong opponent. 36-35 Pitt.

Gaylord Hotels Music City Bowl: Vanderbilt vs. Boston College
Who thought this match would be a good idea? Really, who? B.C. 38 - Vandy 17.

Insight Bowl: Kansas vs. Minnesota
"Come on Gophers, try not to lose! If you do, we will get the blues…" Kansas 48 - Minnesota 12 in an ugly beating.

Chick-fil-A Bowl LSU vs. Georgia Tech
On paper this looks like a good game. It's not. Georgia Tech wins 35-28 and it's not the close.

Outback Bowl Iowa vs. South Carolina
How did these teams get into this game? Iowa 17 - S.C. 14.

Capital One Bowl:Georgia vs. Michigan State
This could be a good game. Except the Big Ten sucks, remember? Georgia wins 38-16

Konica Minolta Gator Bowl: Nebraska vs. Clemson
Two teams who have fallen and are back on the way up. Nebraska is a little further along the road to recovery. NU wins 28-19.

Rose Bowl presented by Citi: Penn State vs. USC
I want so badly for Penn St. to win this game. I want Papa Joe to get the victory and I want to see Pete Carroll and all the ESPN "experts" look shocked. I really want the ESPN pundits to shut the hell up about how great a coach Pete Carroll is (though I admit, he really is a great coach). Too bad I won't get my wish. USC 48 - Penn St. 28.

FedEx Orange Bowl: Virginia Tech vs. Cincinnati
Does anyone else remember when the Orange Bowl was between the winner of the Big Eight and the runner-up in the Big Ten. Does anyone remember all those great games? You kids get off my lawn! Virginia Tech in a close game, 28-27.

AT&T Cotton Bowl: Texas Tech vs. Ole Miss
Texas Tech gets over the sting of being smacked by Oklahoma and not going to a BSC game. Coach Leech, who didn't get the Auburn job, gets a chance to kick the snot out of an SEC team. Tech pulls their heads out and decide to maul their next opponent and it sucks to be Mississippi. Texas Tech in a blow out: 62-21.

AutoZone Liberty Bowl: East Carolina vs. Kentucky
And we get to watch Kentucky get reamed by a small conference school. Sweet! ECU 47 - Kentucky 18.

Allstate Sugar Bowl: Utah vs. Alabama
I pray for a good game. I expect Alabama to come out angry and take it out on Utah. 'Bama 36 - Utah 20.

International Bowl: Connecticut vs. Buffalo
If ever a team deserved to win a bowl game, it is Buffalo. This is why: http://sports.espn.go.com/espn/eticket/story?page=buffalo58 and win they will, because Turner Gill is a great coach who gets the best from his kids. Buffalo 26 - UConn 21.

Tostitos Fiesta Bowl: Texas vs. Ohio State
Texas probably deserves to be in the championship game. Ohio State doesn't deserve to be in this level of a bowl game at all. Texas needs to shellac O-State and then needs Florida and Oklahoma to grind it out to a tie or something. UT pours it on: Texas 56 - Ohio St. 17.

GMAC Bowl: Tulsa vs. Ball State
Both of these teams are coming off conference championship losses. Both of these teams are pretty good. Tulsa 38 - Ball St. 30.

FedEx BCS National Championship: Oklahoma vs. Florida
I desperately want Oklahoma to win this game, not because I'm from Oklahoma, or because my wife is an alum of OU, but because I want the sportswriters and ESPN pundits to SHUT THE HELL UP ABOUT TIM TEBOW!!! If OU can pounce quickly, they can win. Sadly, I expect their secondary to fold up and flop under the pressure. Florida 48 - Oklahoma 42 and another year of listening to ESPN babble on about how Tebow is the greatest quarterback, no greatest player--no greatest person--no greatest anything ever!!! since…EVER!!!