College Football: A Guide to the Bowls

Thursday, January 7, 7PM
National Championship Game: #2 Texas vs. #1 Alabama
The real grandaddy of 'em all!
Prediction: Gotta go with Alabama here. They've looked a lot more balanced on offense and Nebraska gave the Tide's supremely more talented defense a blueprint for how to stop the Longhorns.
Result: Alabama def. Texas 37-21
Just about every year, the national championship game reminds me of why I like the NFL better. This one was certainly no different. Really just a big fat disappointment on so many levels. McCoy was out in about 30 seconds (I found it quite amusing when he said after the game that he'd never been hurt before - I think he's been injured in about 50% of the games I've seen him play. Watch for this issue in his NFL career too), which was doubly unfortunate because it looked like he was actually going to generate some offense. Texas' defense, and especially Sergio Kindle, gave it a pretty good effort, but couldn't overcome the lack of production on the other side of the ball. Alabama sure looked good against Florida, but things were different here, as they made embarassing special teams errors, gave up two long touchdowns to a backup QB who stared down Jordan Shipley on every play, and didn't get their first 3rd down conversion until the 4th quarter. McElroy's definitely trended down towards his average and gave a conservative performance that most of the high school quarterbacks in the country could have equaled. Mark Ingram played okay when he wasn't drinking pickle juice on the sidelines to stop cramping (seriously? cramps are keeping you out of a good chunk of the national championship game?), but I only saw him really break three or four tackles and I'd have to give most of the credit to the offensive line. His little freshman backup outplayed him. Speaking of Alabama's vaunted offensive line, where were they on the five sacks of the apparently broken-ribbed McElroy? When the most compelling story is that a freshman backup quarterback transformed from the least accurate passer in Longhorns history to sort of okay, I'd say you have a lemon.
Yell at the TV Moment: Another moronic 4th down interception. Alabama calls for that fake punt (a whole new level of moronic), the punter throws the ball a few yards short of the first down and Blake Gideon intercepts it. Okay, but why not knock it down and take possession 20 yards closer to the end zone? Maybe you could have had a TD instead of a field goal. Why does no one ever notice this?
Announcing Commentary: Brent was okay, I guess, but is Herbstreit losing it? He had volume modulation issues all night, didn't speak for the first three minutes, and referred to the QBs as Gilbert Brown and Brett McElroy.


Wednesday, January 6, 6PM
GMAC Bowl: Central Michigan vs. Troy
Last chance to see Dan LeFevour and the scrappy little Chippewas!
Prediction: I know absolutely nothing about Troy, and looking at their schedule, the only teams they've played that I've even heard of are Arkansas and Florida...and they got killed. Look for Lefevour to lead his team to victory in his last game.
Result: Central Michigan def. Troy 44-41
A heck of a lot better than the national championship game. I wouldn't mind watching these two teams, and especially these two quarterbacks, play more often. I was a little surprised that the defenses didn't fare better, since it looked for all the world like the two teams were running the same offense. It was a fantastic cap to Dan LeFevour's prolific career, but Troy QB Levi Brown also looked good, very accurate (if a really awkward runner!). You'd think that all of those field goals early would have hurt the Chippewas, but they came back with just enough at the end. Kudos to LeFevour for dealing with all those dropped passes! Hope to see both quarterbacks in the NFL.
Yell at the TV Moment: I know that CMU had an interim coach, but I still have to quibble with some of the decision making. First, down 24-19 in the third quarter, the Chippewas faced a 4th and 2 near midfield and punted. Their defense hadn't really stopped Troy all night and they didn't here either. Only a subsequent kickoff return TD by the shifty Antonio Brown kept it from slipping away. Later the Chips were down 34-27 when a terrific LeFevour pass brought the ball inside the 5-yard line with 1:26 to go. Troy called its final timeout. CMU then called two pass plays in a row, the second of which scored a touchdown with 1:17 to go. Why not run down the clock at least a little? Instead, they left enough time for Levi Brown to drive for the tying field goal.

Tuesday, January 5, 7PM
Orange Bowl: #10 Iowa vs. #9 Georgia Tech
This is a pretty good matchup and I'll be anxious to see how Iowa does. Georgia Tech's rushing offense is powerful, but the Hawkeyes defense is built to stop just such an attack. They will, however, have to account for WR Jonathan Baldwin and his ridiculous stat lines (i.e. Thrown to: 3, REC: 2, YDS: 137, TD: 2). Georgia Tech's defense has been very inconsistent and I'm not sure the ACC has the kind of giant linemen rushing attack that the Hawkeyes are going to bring.
Prediction: One of the main reasons the triple option works is that it requires extra prep time that opponents generally don't have. Iowa has it now and I think they'll be ready. Iowa in a low scoring one.
Result: Iowa def. Georgia Tech 24-14
I really thought Iowa's Big Ten-ness was going to come back and bite them here. They dominated the game early, but failed to put it away when they had the chance, and GT climbed right back in on Ricky Stanzi's standard early pick-six. Luckily for the Iowa, their defense was fantastic all night and Jonathan Dwyer gave them a present by inexplicably running backwards into his own end zone on a stuffed run on the Yellow Jackets' second to last possession. Sometimes, you can't make all the plays yourself. Hats off to the Hawkeyes for their first big bowl win since 1959. They've got a lot of this team coming back, so look for them to make some noise next year.
Chuckle at the TV Moment: I loved Iowa's fake FG call up 17-14 in the 4th quarter, but K Daniel Murray probably shouldn't be running sweeps!


Monday, January 4, 7PM
Fiesta Bowl: #6 Boise State vs. #4 TCU
They should probably rename this one the 'This Proves Nothing' bowl. These two teams are obviously pretty talented, but we were wondering how talented they were next to the big powers, not next to each other. Still, two accomplished offenses and one good defense should be at least entertaining to watch.
Prediction: Good defense trumps good offense. As long as it stays disciplined on the trick plays and wacky (WAC-y?) formations, TCU should be golden.
Result: Boise State def. TCU 17-10
Definitely not what anyone expected out of this one. TCU started the game by spotting the Broncos to a defensive touchdown (an especially bad idea when you're playing a team that's known to have weak defense), and while they didn't make any more mistakes like that, they never really seemed to be the aggressor in this one. I thought the most telling moment came in the third quarter. TCU was down 10-7 and just plodding along when Boise State turned it over near midfield. The Frogs drove into the red zone and it seemed like they finally might wake up a little. But then: QB keeper, QB keeper, hopeless screen pass, FG to tie. No life, then or ever. Most surprisingly, the story of the night was the Broncos' defense, which held TCU to 36 rushing yards and intercepted Andy Dalton three times. Might be time to stop doubting Boise State.


Saturday, January 2, 8PM
Alamo Bowl: Michigan State vs. Texas Tech
Lots of drama to go around here. Texas Tech has no coach and a very suspicious electrical closet that may or may not be surrounded by police tape, and Michigan State has had about half of its team suspended. It's hard to tell who's going to show up and what kind of mood they'll be in.
Prediction: Michigan State is occasionally good and has a decent quarterback in Kirk Cousins, but they've shown a real inability to get the job done when it counts. Despite the circus in Lubbock, I think the Red Raiders will take this one.
Result: Texas Tech def. Michigan State 41-31
Well, Texas Tech did take this one, but it was a very good showing by Michigan State. The Spartans mixed it up nicely and may have set the record for most trick plays in one game by a Big Ten team. Things were progressing quite nicely until QB Kirk Cousins threw what is fast becoming his patented late game interception with five minutes to go. This one was particularly egregious, as he threw from one hash all the way over to the other sideline. Hey kid, your arm's not *that* good. Meanwhile, the Red Raiders don't have Mike Leach, but they still has his potent offense, and they used their speed to great advantage, particularly at the end of the game. Both teams did a pretty good job on defense, but the Spartans couldn't stop 'em when it counted.
Yell at the TV Moment: The Mike Leach controversy is a tough situation. We don't know the facts now and we may never know them. So it's pretty sad to see an adult Raider fan in the stands with a sign that has 'Leach' in a heart and 'Adam' in a circle with line through it. Unless you're Leach, Adam James, or the trainer (who seems to have taken Adam's side by the way), you have no idea what happened and it's pretty low to pick on a 20-year-old kid. I guess ethics isn't exactly the specialty in Texas football, but it's pretty sad to be a 40-year-old bully.


Saturday, January 2 1PM
Papajohns.com Bowl: South Carolina vs. Connecticut
Another interesting matchup here. Connecticut has quietly had a pretty good season, especially if you consider the fact that their five losses were by a combined 15 points. And South Carolina has been inconsistent, which is becoming par for the course for them, but they've also got some big wins, most notably a convincing 34-17 thrashing of Clemson in the regular season finale. And South Carolina QB Stephen Garcia has been getting better with every game this season.
Prediction: Spurrier is well on the way to having the weapons he's been waiting for in this one and he'll have the Gamecocks ready to go.
Result: UConn def. South Carolina 20-7
South Carolina must be the most inconsistent team in the history of college football. In this game alone, they dropped 12 passes (9 on offense and 2 INTs on defense), committed three stupid personal fouls (and one dubious roughing the passer penalty), fumbled more than once including a snap that ruined a FG attempt, overthrew about 10 open receiveres, and made some of the worst decisions of all time. The Huskies' two-headed rushing attack looked good, but they got a gift here. Spurrier said after the game that it was a "sad, sad effort" and he was correct.
Yell at the TV Moment: South Carolina went for a 4th and 19 in that no man's land where it's just a little too far to kick a field goal. QB Stephen Garcia threw a jump ball inside the 10 which was intercepted by UConn's Robert Vaughn. The interception gave the ball to UConn inside the 10, while simply knocking the pass down would have give the ball to UConn 25 yards upfield. This happens a lot and the announcers never say anything!


Friday, January 1, 7:30PM
Sugar Bowl: #3 Cincinnati vs. #5 Florida
This game was somewhat interesting to begin with, but has been made much more interesting by the coach drama on both sides. The questions here are on defense for both teams. Does Cincinnati have the size and speed to hold Florida? Can Florida recover from the Alabama debacle quickly enough to stop the Bearcats' short passing game?
Prediction: I've been tempted to pick Cincinnati since the matchup announcement, but the Brian Kelly debacle happened. Florida rolls over a flat Cincinnati defense. (Go Bearcats)
Result: Florida def. Cincinnati 100-24
Okay, well, I think it was more like 50-24, but it felt like about 1,000,000-24. Nightmarish couple hours for the Bearcats and their fans. Really though, they ought to keep their heads up - being utterly overmatched and playing poorly are two different things. Really makes you wonder exactly how good Alabama is, doesn't it?
Yell at the TV Moment: I know you Gators aren't exactly premed, but was it really a good idea to gatorade ice bath a man with heart problems?


Friday, January 1, 3:30
Rose Bowl: #8 Ohio State vs. #7 Oregon
The Pac 10 has done very poorly up to this point in the bowl season. That said, Ohio State has done poorly against all decent teams for the last three years.
Prediction: Despite my love for the Big Ten, I am officially done being embarassed by the Buckeyes. And, if there's anything Oregon should be able to stop, it's a running quarterback. Ducks run away with it.
Result: Ohio State def. Oregon 26-17
I am very disappointed with this game. After years, YEARS, of Ohio State embarrassing the Big Ten in national games, they convincingly win this one, just so they can remain teetering on the edge of respectability. I assume this is a ploy to get to next year's championship game so they can get blown out there. I will say that this was the best game plan I've ever seen Tressel come up with and by far the best game that Terrelle Pryor has ever played and it leaves lots of questions. Was this a one-time fluke or the sign of things to come in 2010 for the Buckeyes? How much did the Pac-10's incredible terribleness factor into this? This is the marquee game for a surprising run by the Big Ten conference in the Bowl games - is it for real?


Friday, January 1, 12PM
Capital One Bowl: #13 Penn State vs. #12 LSU
This may be the most intriguing bowl matchup of all. In general, LSU is pretty good at the Big Ten beatdown, but it's definitely an off year for them. From Penn State's perspective (and that of the average college football fan), a win against the SEC is a win against the SEC.
Prediction: Really tough call here. Penn State usually doesn't do too well against teams that have a game plan that deviates wildly from 'run up the middle'. LSU's game plan won't be that, but the question is, will it be a game plan they can execute with the talent they have? Breaking news: a recent search of my friend the internet tells me that resident Tiger battering ram Charles Scott will not play. I'm really afraid that I'm just picking this because I want it so bad (ironic because I barely even consider Penn State part of the Big Ten), but I think the Nittany Lions can take this one.
Result: Penn State def. LSU 19-17
I'm delighted to see the Big Ten get a win over the SEC, but I do have to admit that the terrible field conditions were a big help. LSU is iffy this year for sure, but we might have had a different outcome had they been able to use their speed advantage. I'm a big advocate of the go for the throat and put the game away when you have the chance, and I really thought Penn State's conservative play calling (FOUR FG from inside the 10? Is that a new record?!?) was going to kill them, but they held the ball when they had to. Another notch in JoePa's cap.


Friday, January 1, 10AM
Outback Bowl: Northwestern vs. Auburn
Yep, it's the Big Ten thing again. I grew up about a mile from Northwestern's home stadium, so though I'm not a huge fan, I sometimes can't resist. QB Mike Kafka is a great athlete and fun to watch and this is one the Cats might be able to win.
Prediction: I'm going to go with my Chris Todd jinx (despite Northwestern's leaky defense) and pick the 'Cats in a sloppy squeaker.
Result: Auburn def. Northwestern 38-35 (OT)
Wow, was I close to calling this one perfectly! It was a sloppy squeaker all the way (eight turnovers? eight?) and if Northwestern had a halfway competent kicker, they would have won! It would also have helped if Mike Kafka hadn't been on a mission to equal his season interception total. Auburn looked dominant in the first half, but didn't quite put it away and, despite giving up completely on their running game, the 'Cats took advantage later on.
Hilarious Moment: Didn't it look like Northwestern hadn't informed their substitute kicker (who may or may not have been 12 years old) that they were going to fake the field goal? When they all shifted and snapped the ball, he was still standing in his kicking stance looking confused.


Thursday, December 31, 2:30PM
Texas Bowl: Navy vs. Missouri
Probably the least interesting of the ones I'm watching, but I do like to watch that triple option. Mizzou QB Blaine Gabbert was bothered by an ankle injury for the latter part of the regular season, so it will be nice to see him healthy again.
Prediction: Mizzou should show a little better here than they did in their regular season, but I still think Navy's discipline wins the day.
Result: Navy def. Missouri 35-13
Second straight 'fantastic execution by a service academy' game today! Navy was relentless on both sides of the ball, and prolific enough on offense to ovecome three turnovers in the red zone. Mizzou, for its part, had the same problem it has had all year: hard to win if you can't get anything at all going on offense.
Yell at the TV Moment: What in the world was with those QB draws that Missouri kept calling? Every single one ended in a four yard loss. I can look at Blaine Gabbert and tell you that a draw is not a good idea.


Thursday, December 31, 1PM
Sun Bowl: Oklahoma vs. #21 Stanford
If someone had told you at the beginning of the season that this would be a good matchup, could you ever have believed it? Oklahoma's had a pretty terrible season, but Stanford has quite a bit less talent. A chance to see how the Cardinal perform on a national stage once again and also to see what's happened to Oklahoma since they fell off the radar after their loss to Texas.
Prediction: I can't believe I'm going to say this, but I have to go with Stanford. Despite what the media would have you believe, they're not all Gerhart. Sophomore QB Andrew Luck is very efficient, especially considering his limited experience, and I expect the extra practice time will help him a lot.
Result: Oklahoma def. Stanford 31-27
I'd like to say in my defense that I didn't realize that Andrew Luck was not going to play for Stanford. If he had played, I'm pretty certain they would have won. Instead, their game plan was indeed Gerhart Gerhart Gerhart and though they managed to do that out of about 27 different formations, eventually the Sooners caught on. Still Stanford did a good job to hang on. Every time it seemed like it was about to get out of reach, they caught a break or blocked a punt or got an interception. They just didn't have quite enough (quarterback) in the end.
Yell at the TV Moment: I hate when the announcers aren't even paying attention. After one Stanford drive, Craig Bolerjack raved about how Harbaugh trusted backup QB Tavita Pritchard in the red zone. They had called four running plays, one out of the wildcat, for which Pritchard wasn't even on the field. Now that's trust...


Thursday, December 31, 11AM
Armed Forces Bowl: Houston vs. Air Force
This isn't one I'd typically be too excited about, but I wouldn't mind one more chance to see onetime Heisman candidate Case Keenum play for the Cougars. Air Force has also had a nice little season and purportedly has a pretty solid defense. It will be tested by Houston's air attack.
Prediction: I want to go with my gut and take the scorers, but Air Force played tight with TCU and with Utah, which is more impressive than any wins Houston has. Falcons over the Cougars (get it?)
Result: Air Force def. Houston 47-20
Say what you want about service academy football, but you can't argue with the execution. Air Force was this game on solid blocking, accurate throws, disciplined coverage, and just enough creativity to keep the Houston defense guessing. It obviously wasn't Houston's best game, but they would have been outclassed either way.
Best Moment of the College Football Season, Hands Down: Air Force calls its final timeout with just under 20 seconds to go in the first half and the ball inside the Houston 10-yard line. They attempt to run a play, but the quarterback falls down with :12 on the clock. Air Force, knowing it can't stop the clock, has their field goal team ready to go. They sprint on to the field from the 30-yard line in formation, line up and snap the ball with :03 to go. The kicker drills the field goal, and they jog into the locker room without even a celebration. Beautiful.


Wednesday, December 30, 7PM
Holiday Bowl: #20 Arizona vs. #22 Nebraska
Well, I'm not all that interested in this as a matchup, but I'd like to take advantages of all my chances to see Ndomukong Suh. He'll be matched up against a very calm quarterback in Arizona's Nick Foles.
Prediction: Well, I don't know that Arizona's O-line is so solid, so Suh really should cause some problems for them. That said, I doubt Bo Pelini managed to pull an offense (or a rabbit) out of his hat in the last couple of weeks. I'll be rooting for Nebraska, but I think Arizona scores just enough and stops 'Husker RB Roy Helu Jr. just enough to take this one.
Result: Nebraska def. Arizona 33-0
Wow. I thought the SMU win was a surprise, but THIS was a surprise. Nebraska's first touchdown was completely set up by its defense and I thought, well, okay, par for the course. But then the 'Huskers rushing attack exploded! Which set up the short passing game very nicely. Nebraska had some new looks and clearly used their extra practice time to good advantage (I think they may have equaled their point total for the whole rest of the season), but you gotta wonder what Arizona has to say for itself. Your defense has to be pretty terrible to make Zac Lee look like an efficient passer. All joking aside though, kudos to Bo Pelini - the Huskers are back and I bet they can't wait until next year.
Cry at the TV Moment: Nick Foles' stat line: 9/30, 48 yards, INT


Tuesday, December 29, 7PM
Champs Sports Bowl: #15 Miami vs. #25 Wisconsin
Oh, you know me, I try to keep up with the Big Ten. Miami's success has been well documented this year, but Wisconsin has pretty quietly had a decent little season as well with defeats at the hands of top Big Ten teams Iowa and Ohio State and a 'we shall never again speak of this' loss to Northwestern. Wisconsin relies heavily on John Clay in the run game, but Miami should have that handled and it will be up to QB Scott Tolzien to pick up the slack. Meanwhile, the Badgers will have their hands full with 'Canes QB Jacory Harris and his corps of speedy receivers.
Prediction: Gotta like Miami in this one. I can't imagine the Badgers can keep up with this kind of team speed.
Result: Wisconsin def. Miami 20-14
Oh, Wisconsin, I apologize one million times for doubting you. I guess I have to point out that even Northwestern could have taken down this flat and beat up Miami team, but it's still a great, great, great win for you and for the Big Ten! Miami was quite a bit speedier, but they really only showed it in the first 20 and last 175 seconds of the game. Otherwise, Wisconsin's fantastic D-line pressure, bruising running game and, most surprisingly, laser accuracy from QB Scott Tolzien (product of Fremd High School in Palatine, IL!) rendered speed a moot point. It was old school versus sandlot and old school won tonight - love it!
Yell at the TV Moment: Man, broadcasting is for idiots these days. Wisconsin's 1st TD drive was as follows: a lovely pass down inside the five, one run up the middle, and a sweep into the end zone. After the extra point, ESPN went to commercial, came back, and recapped the drive. Who needs a recap of a three play drive?
Random Note: If you had watched only the action *between* snaps, you would definitely have concluded that Miami won in a blowout. Man can those guys celebrate! Meanwhile, good old Wisconsin kept it close to the vest.


Monday, December 28, 4PM
Independence Bowl: Texas A&M vs. Georgia
Nice of these guys not to conflict with the Bears on Monday Night Football. If you haven't gotten a chance to see Aggies QB Jerrod Johnson, you'd be wise to take advantage of this chance. Johnson has completed 60% of his passes for 28 TDs and only 6 INTs and has rushed for 455 yards with 93 of them coming in his spectacular game against the Longhorns. Sophomore WR Ryan Tannehill is also a backup QB and you can expect a trick play or two from him. On the other side, an off year for Georgia (despite incredible talent A.J. Green at the WR spot) presents a chance for the Big 12 to make a statement.
Prediction: This should be a pretty high scoring game. As high as I am on the young Aggies, Georgia has a better record against a much stronger schedule. If Mark Richt can keep his players disciplined, Georgia should have the talent to win this one.
Result: Georgia def. Texas A&M 44-20
So I saw the final score of this one before I watched the game and was pretty darn confused when I watched the teams feel each other out for almost the entire first half. How in the world was Georgia going to get to 44 points when it hadn't scored with 2:35 to go in the 1st half? But then, the Aggies special teams entered the fray and what a disaster! Jerrod Johnson and the hurry-up offense were actually fairly successful (471 total yards) and would have had A&M right in the game, but it's pretty darn hard to overcome four huge special teams gaffes (blocked FG, kick off return TD, blocked punt recovered on the Aggies 2, and a snap over the punters head, also in A&M territory). Georgia, for its part, gained 366 yards, but I think about 150 of them came on bull rushes in the 4th quarter when the Aggies defense was exhausted.
Yell at the TV Moment: None really, other than the announcers mispronouncing Washaun Ealey's name as Washaun Early (that's right, the easy one). I was way too involved in the Bears' overtime win to get that excited about this one!


Saturday, December 26, 7PM
Emerald Bowl: Boston College vs. #24 USC
It's kind of amazing that USC is still ranked after a string of terrible conference losses, but maybe its their consolation for failing to qualify for the BCS for the first time in eight years. Prediction: Haven't gotten a chance to check out BC this year, but a quick glance at their schedule reveals that they haven't beaten a decent team all year. And even with a shaky QB and without half of their skill players, USC still qualifies as a decent team. Trojans should take this one easily.
Result: USC def. Boston College 24-13
Usually I leave the conspiracy theories to my mother, but I'm pretty certain this game was fixed. USC got an awful lot of help from the refs, both in booth reviews and dubious 3rd down penalties. Hilariously, it probably didn't need to be fixed, since BC has a 25-year-old freshman pitcher for a QB. Football players throw to players while baseball players throw to spots and judging by the number of passes Shinskie threw behind his guys, he hasn't quite learned the difference. USC should have taken this one easily, but didn't for two reasons: 1) The combination of RB Montel Harris and the BC offensive line was terrific and 2) Barkley still isn't quite ready to go. Despite all of the praise earlier this year, Pete Carroll knows it too. Nothing says 'I don't trust my quarterback' like a receiver screen behind the line of scrimmage on 3rd and 5.
Yell at the TV Moment: Eh, not a yell really - this was a reasonably calm one to watch...but this announcing team is rapidly becoming hard to deal with. Rod Gilmore occasionally says interesting things, but then Joe Tessitore immediately repeats it, which is pretty annoying.
Random note: I certainly won't argue that Taylor Mays is a once in a lifetime physical specimen, but if he's so good, why does every big play go right through where he was standing at the snap?


Saturday, December 26, 3:30PM
Meinecke Car Care Bowl: #17 Pitt vs. North Carolina
Tough consolation prize for a team that nearly got the Big East Conference's BCS bid. UNC has been very Jekyll and Hyde this year, so it'll be interesting to see not only how they match up with the Panthers, but which UNC team shows up.
Prediction: Dion Lewis will run wild and Pitt's defense should be able to put a damper on the Tar Heels anemic offense.
Result: Pitt def. UNC 19-17
This kind of game was really par for the course for the Panthers this season. Dion Lewis runs wild, Bill Stull is uneven at best while the announcers praise his every move, Dave Wannstedt is seriously outcoached, and Pitt leaves it up to chance in the end. Butch Davis and UNC had a terrific game plan - the play mix on offense was fantastic and took advantage of the skills of T.J. Yates (it's tempting to think he's terrible, but he's really just inconsistent), Greg Little, and especially Ryan Houston (where did this guy come from?) - but didn't quite have the talent to carry it out. They probably also should have rethought leaving the middle of the field wide open on every 3rd down.
Yell at the TV Moment: Greg Little, what a maroon! He's got some serious talent, but punting the ball into the stands after UNC's first TD was one of the dumber things I've seen all year. If I were a pro scout, this kind of boner would make me think twice about drafting a guy. Later in the game, he bowled over the sound guy on the sideline and walked past him onto the field without so much as a glance to see if he'd killed him. Nice kid.


Thursday, December 24, 7PM
Hawaii Bowl: Nevada vs. SMU
I always like to watch Nevada's pistol offense and when Wolfpack QB Colin Kaepernick gets going, he seems to cover five yards with each step. I also wouldn't mind a chance to check out former Hawaii coach June Jones' new charges at SMU.
Prediction: Nevada RB Vai Taua has been ruled academically ineligible and I don't know who his backup will be, which makes this hard to pick. I haven't seen SMU play this year, but looking at their schedule, their best moment is a 28-21 win over East Carolina, which isn't spectacularly impressive. When in doubt, I usually go with the scorers, so I'll say the Wolfpack.
Result: SMU def. Nevada 45-10
Another coming out party for a true freshman quarterback. In this case it was SMU starter Kyle Padron, who torched Nevada's secondary all day (though it is worth pointing out that he had enough time to salt, cut, and eat a steak dinner before throwing on most plays). Had I realized that both Taua *and* Luke Lippincott were out, I might have picked SMU, but the Nevada offense was the least of its problems on a very sour ending note to its season. I said I hadn't seen SMU play this year - judging by their complete unpreparedness, apparently neither had the Wolfpack defense.
Yell at the TV Moment: Why was SMU throwing deep up 38-3 with 8 minutes left? I guess we didn't need much more proof that June Jones was a jerk, but this was low even for him.


Wednesday, December 23, 7PM
Poinsettia Bowl: #23 Utah vs. California
I'm not particularly interested in either of these teams, but this is a good match up between two teams who should be playing each other more often. Cal RB Jahvid Best will not play after that gruesome concussion, but his replacement, Shane Vereen, is pretty good in his own right and will be the center of the Bears' offense. Utah is a pretty well-balanced team and will be looking to prove itself against a major conference team.
Prediction: I haven't seen Utah this year, but their three losses came at the hands of Oregon, TCU, and BYU and they were close against Oregon and BYU. Meanwhile, Cal had an up and down season and was blown out by Oregon, USC, Oregon State and, improbably, Washington. The Utes have a good blueprint and I think they'll win in a close one.
Result: Utah def. California 37-27
This was one of those games that felt like a blowout but never quite was. What it was, however, was a real coming out party for Utah freshman QB Jordan Wynn, who was almost unfailingly calm and accurate. Cal did go up 14-0 early, but then returned to being embarrassingly outcoached as usual. It's really, really hard to believe that Kevin Riley is the best QB on Cal's roster. In the second quarter, Utah realized that RB Shane Vereen was Cal's only weapon and then it was all over for the Bears. A not-so-great cap to a really disappointing season for Cal - seriously overrated early, blown out a couple of times in conference, beaten by a Mountain West team in a bowl game.
Yell at the TV Moment: Two specific coaching complaints for Jeff Tedford. Down 30-21 with 9 minutes remaining and facing a 4th and 3 near midfield, why punt? You need two scores and your defense needs a stop either way. And a minor complaint: Cal's first play from scrimmage was a fake reverse and then the expected Vereen run up the middle. Come on, you're the favorite and Vereen is your workhorse. Forget the trickeration and just block.


Tuesday, December 22, 7PM
Las Vegas Bowl: #18 Oregon State vs. #14 Brigham Young
Here's a chance to see two quarterbacks who should have their names called in April. Oregon State's Sean Canfield and BYU's Max Hall will both be playing in their last collegiate games. Canfield looks more like a prototypical NFL passer and has come charging out of the gates this year after an inconsistent career. Meanwhile, what Max Hall lacks in size and arm strength, he makes up in accuracy and leadership.
Prediction: The Beavers have more weapons (particularly the Rodgers brothers) and should be able to take this one, though they'll have to be sure and account for Cougars LB Coleby Clawson (he of injuring Sam Bradford fame).
Result: BYU def. Oregon State 44-20
Well, the wind certainly didn't help here (it's not often that you see two punts under ten yards and a goalpost net fiasco so severe that a costumed mascot tries to help), but as I mentioned above, this really was the story of two quarterbacks. Correct analysis, incorrect prediction. Max Hall went out in style with some help from twin backfield beasts Harvey Unga and Manase Tonga, while Sean Canfield can't be excited about what he did to his draft prospects. Not only was he inaccurate, the Beavers looked like a team without a leader, which shouldn't happen with a senior quarterback. BYU stacked the box and decided to hold the Rodgers brothers in check and make Canfield beat them. Successful game plan, especially when Mike Riley isn't in an 'adapt the Beavers game plan' mood. OSU was thoroughly outcoached and outplayed.
Yell at the TV Moment: What in the world was Mike Riley thinking with that fake punt on their first drive of the 4th quarter? Yes, it was 4th and relatively short, but you're in your own territory and your offense has been terrible. Even if you pick up the first down, what are the odds that you then drive the rest of the field? Punt the ball and hope for better field position next time.