Wednesday, December 08, 2004
THE TEN BOWLS THAT I GIVE A DAMN ABOUT
Why am I not previewing all 28 bowl games?
Because most of these lower-echelon bowl games are dreadful this year. But knowing me, I'll probably watch those lower-echelon bowl games. Marshall vs Cincinnati in the Fort Worth Bowl? Miami, OH vs Iowa State in the Independence Bowl? I know the casinos near Shreveport are really fired up about that matchup.
So with that, I'll give you guys my take on the 10 bowl games that I give a damn about. In other words, the 10 bowl games that I must watch.
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(From 10 to 1)
10. FIESTA BOWL --- Pittsburgh vs Utah (Jan. 1, ABC 5:30 Pacific)
---The Utah Utes are 11-0 for the first time in school history. It is important for the Utes to win the Fiesta Bowl, since they are considered to be a mid-major. Utah quarterback Alex Smith is a playmaker. He's one of the main reasons why the Utes are playing on New Year's Day. There's a reason why Florida hired head coach Urban Meyer. What Meyer has done at Bowling Green and now at Utah is simply incredible. I don't see Meyer looking ahead to 2005, as the Utes should take care of Pittsburgh easily.
9. MPC COMPUTERS BOWL --- Virginia vs Fresno State (Dec. 27, ESPN 11 a.m. Pacific)
---Pat Hill's Fresno State Bulldogs will take on anybody, anytime, and anywhere. Over the past couple of seasons, Fresno State has defeated Oregon State, Washington, Kansas State, Colorado, and Wisconsin. Can the Bulldogs beat Virginia? They may very well do so. But Virginia is thinking of the MPC Computers Bowl as a springboard for the 2005 season. Al Groh's Cavaliers have a lot of talent. And it begins with junior running back Wali Lundy, who led the ACC in touchdowns with 16. The Cavaliers started off 5-0, but finished the regular season at 8-3. If you want to look at a possible darkhorse for the national championship next season, look no further than Virginia.
8. ROSE BOWL --- Michigan vs Texas (Jan. 1, ABC 2 p.m.)
---Yes, I'm mad as hell that Texas is in Pasadena. If this game were being played in any other stadium than the Rose Bowl, I would consider this a Top 5 matchup. But nevertheless, the Rose Bowl will be the first that Michigan and Texas will play each other. That's mindboggling to me. Two of the more historic programs in all of college football and they have never played each other. But enough about history. Two players to watch will be Michigan wide receiver Braylon Edwards and Texas running back Cedric Benson. Edwards and Benson have matured greatly over their careers and look to be Top 10 picks in the NFL Draft this upcoming April.
7. GMAC BOWL --- Memphis vs Bowling Green (Dec. 22, ESPN2 5 p.m.)
---This is the best of the "mid-major matchups". Last year, it was Boise State-TCU in the Fort Worth Bowl. This year, it's Memphis vs Bowling Green in the GMAC Bowl in Mobile, Alabama. Both teams are 8-3. Memphis running back DeAngelo Williams is only a junior, but is the best running back that nobody has heard of. The Wynne, Ark. native led all of Conference USA with 1828 rushing yards and 21 touchdowns. If he were to leave Memphis after this season, he's a first round pick in my opinion.
6. SUGAR BOWL --- Auburn vs Virginia Tech (Jan. 3, ABC 5 p.m.)---Did Auburn get screwed out of the Orange Bowl? Who knows. But all I know is that the Tigers better get over their "snub" soon, because Virginia Tech will come to play. The Hokies are a good team that in their own right could have been in the Orange Bowl this season. They played USC very tough back on August 28 and lost to North Carolina State when they missed a field goal at the end. Beware of Beamer Ball, Auburn fans. Special teams are going to be very crucial in this game.
5. CAPITAL ONE BOWL --- Iowa vs LSU (Jan. 1, ABC 10 a.m.)
---Iowa's Kirk Ferentz and LSU's Nick Saban may be two of the best coaches in the country. This is going to be one hell of a game, pitting the Big Ten vs the SEC. LSU is 9-2, coming off of a 2003 season that saw them beat Oklahoma in the Sugar Bowl. Iowa is the least respected big-time program of the past 5 years. All they have done the last 3 seasons is win. The Capital One Bowl will be a great way to kick off 2005.
4. PEACH BOWL --- Florida vs Miami (Dec. 31, ESPN 4:30 p.m.)
---The Peach Bowl representatives in Atlanta have to be happy with this matchup. Atlanta may not be a great professional sports town, but it is a great college football town. Sure, Florida and Miami have been down this year. But it's still Florida-Miami. Ron Zook will not coach the Gators in Atlanta on New Year's Eve, since he took the Illinois job. Defensive coordinator Charlie Strong will coach the Gators instead. This game will come down to the quarterbacks, Florida's Chris Leak and Miami's Brock Berlin. It's hard to tell who's the senior here, Leak or Berlin. Berlin is the senior, while Leak is only a sophomore. But if you've watched both of these teams, you would believe that Berlin is a sophomore. The more poised Leak will thrive in Gainesville once Urban Meyer comes to town. The Peach Bowl will be a great way to end 2004.
3. LIBERTY BOWL --- Louisville vs Boise State (Dec. 31, ESPN 12:30 p.m.)
---I'd love to spend New Year's Eve in Memphis. Hell, I'm less than 200 miles away. But to get back on topic, somewhat, this may be the best Liberty Bowl ever. At the start of the season, who thought that we would have a Louisville-Boise State matchup? Well, that is the case because the Mountain West champ, Utah, is in the Fiesta Bowl. So the Liberty Bowl committee took the liberty, pardon the pun, to invite Boise State. You want offense? The Liberty Bowl will have it. This game could get up into the 50s. Louisville joins the Big East next season, so this will be their final trip to Memphis for a while.
2. HOLIDAY BOWL --- California vs Texas Tech (Dec. 30, ESPN 5 p.m.)
---The #4 team in America gets to play in the Holiday Bowl. Simply unbelievable. But believe me, there are worse places to play a bowl game than San Diego. That being said, the Cal Bears are on a mission. Usually I don't like to count a team out, but I'm not giving the Texas Tech Red Raiders a chance in hell to win this game. Aaron Rodgers should throw for at least 450 yards against the pitiful Texas Tech defense. I heard today that Mike Leach is a candidate for the Washington job. Don't do it, Huskies. He's all offense and no defense.
1. ORANGE BOWL --- USC vs Oklahoma (Jan. 4, ABC 5 p.m.)
---With all due respect to Auburn, you couldn't ask for a better national championship matchup. USC and Oklahoma are the two most talented teams in the country. USC's Reggie Bush and Oklahoma's Adrian Peterson have been the two best players in college football this season. If I had a vote for the Heisman Trophy, I'd give it to Bush, with Peterson coming in second. Both USC and Oklahoma deserve to be in Miami on January 4. One thing's for sure, we will not have a split national champion like we saw last year.
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Is a playoff system needed? Probably.
For the time being, enjoy the bowl games. Sure, over half of the Division 1-A teams are in a bowl game this season. But for me, I enjoy seeing teams like Wyoming going to a bowl game. The Las Vegas Bowl will be the first bowl game for Wyoming since 1993. Hopefully the good folks from Wyoming will travel down to Las Vegas and have a good time while supporting their Cowboys.
So there you go, the 10 bowl games that I give a damn about.
As always, the comments box is open. Discuss.
Because most of these lower-echelon bowl games are dreadful this year. But knowing me, I'll probably watch those lower-echelon bowl games. Marshall vs Cincinnati in the Fort Worth Bowl? Miami, OH vs Iowa State in the Independence Bowl? I know the casinos near Shreveport are really fired up about that matchup.
So with that, I'll give you guys my take on the 10 bowl games that I give a damn about. In other words, the 10 bowl games that I must watch.
--- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- ---
(From 10 to 1)
10. FIESTA BOWL --- Pittsburgh vs Utah (Jan. 1, ABC 5:30 Pacific)
---The Utah Utes are 11-0 for the first time in school history. It is important for the Utes to win the Fiesta Bowl, since they are considered to be a mid-major. Utah quarterback Alex Smith is a playmaker. He's one of the main reasons why the Utes are playing on New Year's Day. There's a reason why Florida hired head coach Urban Meyer. What Meyer has done at Bowling Green and now at Utah is simply incredible. I don't see Meyer looking ahead to 2005, as the Utes should take care of Pittsburgh easily.
9. MPC COMPUTERS BOWL --- Virginia vs Fresno State (Dec. 27, ESPN 11 a.m. Pacific)
---Pat Hill's Fresno State Bulldogs will take on anybody, anytime, and anywhere. Over the past couple of seasons, Fresno State has defeated Oregon State, Washington, Kansas State, Colorado, and Wisconsin. Can the Bulldogs beat Virginia? They may very well do so. But Virginia is thinking of the MPC Computers Bowl as a springboard for the 2005 season. Al Groh's Cavaliers have a lot of talent. And it begins with junior running back Wali Lundy, who led the ACC in touchdowns with 16. The Cavaliers started off 5-0, but finished the regular season at 8-3. If you want to look at a possible darkhorse for the national championship next season, look no further than Virginia.
8. ROSE BOWL --- Michigan vs Texas (Jan. 1, ABC 2 p.m.)
---Yes, I'm mad as hell that Texas is in Pasadena. If this game were being played in any other stadium than the Rose Bowl, I would consider this a Top 5 matchup. But nevertheless, the Rose Bowl will be the first that Michigan and Texas will play each other. That's mindboggling to me. Two of the more historic programs in all of college football and they have never played each other. But enough about history. Two players to watch will be Michigan wide receiver Braylon Edwards and Texas running back Cedric Benson. Edwards and Benson have matured greatly over their careers and look to be Top 10 picks in the NFL Draft this upcoming April.
7. GMAC BOWL --- Memphis vs Bowling Green (Dec. 22, ESPN2 5 p.m.)
---This is the best of the "mid-major matchups". Last year, it was Boise State-TCU in the Fort Worth Bowl. This year, it's Memphis vs Bowling Green in the GMAC Bowl in Mobile, Alabama. Both teams are 8-3. Memphis running back DeAngelo Williams is only a junior, but is the best running back that nobody has heard of. The Wynne, Ark. native led all of Conference USA with 1828 rushing yards and 21 touchdowns. If he were to leave Memphis after this season, he's a first round pick in my opinion.
6. SUGAR BOWL --- Auburn vs Virginia Tech (Jan. 3, ABC 5 p.m.)---Did Auburn get screwed out of the Orange Bowl? Who knows. But all I know is that the Tigers better get over their "snub" soon, because Virginia Tech will come to play. The Hokies are a good team that in their own right could have been in the Orange Bowl this season. They played USC very tough back on August 28 and lost to North Carolina State when they missed a field goal at the end. Beware of Beamer Ball, Auburn fans. Special teams are going to be very crucial in this game.
5. CAPITAL ONE BOWL --- Iowa vs LSU (Jan. 1, ABC 10 a.m.)
---Iowa's Kirk Ferentz and LSU's Nick Saban may be two of the best coaches in the country. This is going to be one hell of a game, pitting the Big Ten vs the SEC. LSU is 9-2, coming off of a 2003 season that saw them beat Oklahoma in the Sugar Bowl. Iowa is the least respected big-time program of the past 5 years. All they have done the last 3 seasons is win. The Capital One Bowl will be a great way to kick off 2005.
4. PEACH BOWL --- Florida vs Miami (Dec. 31, ESPN 4:30 p.m.)
---The Peach Bowl representatives in Atlanta have to be happy with this matchup. Atlanta may not be a great professional sports town, but it is a great college football town. Sure, Florida and Miami have been down this year. But it's still Florida-Miami. Ron Zook will not coach the Gators in Atlanta on New Year's Eve, since he took the Illinois job. Defensive coordinator Charlie Strong will coach the Gators instead. This game will come down to the quarterbacks, Florida's Chris Leak and Miami's Brock Berlin. It's hard to tell who's the senior here, Leak or Berlin. Berlin is the senior, while Leak is only a sophomore. But if you've watched both of these teams, you would believe that Berlin is a sophomore. The more poised Leak will thrive in Gainesville once Urban Meyer comes to town. The Peach Bowl will be a great way to end 2004.
3. LIBERTY BOWL --- Louisville vs Boise State (Dec. 31, ESPN 12:30 p.m.)
---I'd love to spend New Year's Eve in Memphis. Hell, I'm less than 200 miles away. But to get back on topic, somewhat, this may be the best Liberty Bowl ever. At the start of the season, who thought that we would have a Louisville-Boise State matchup? Well, that is the case because the Mountain West champ, Utah, is in the Fiesta Bowl. So the Liberty Bowl committee took the liberty, pardon the pun, to invite Boise State. You want offense? The Liberty Bowl will have it. This game could get up into the 50s. Louisville joins the Big East next season, so this will be their final trip to Memphis for a while.
2. HOLIDAY BOWL --- California vs Texas Tech (Dec. 30, ESPN 5 p.m.)
---The #4 team in America gets to play in the Holiday Bowl. Simply unbelievable. But believe me, there are worse places to play a bowl game than San Diego. That being said, the Cal Bears are on a mission. Usually I don't like to count a team out, but I'm not giving the Texas Tech Red Raiders a chance in hell to win this game. Aaron Rodgers should throw for at least 450 yards against the pitiful Texas Tech defense. I heard today that Mike Leach is a candidate for the Washington job. Don't do it, Huskies. He's all offense and no defense.
1. ORANGE BOWL --- USC vs Oklahoma (Jan. 4, ABC 5 p.m.)
---With all due respect to Auburn, you couldn't ask for a better national championship matchup. USC and Oklahoma are the two most talented teams in the country. USC's Reggie Bush and Oklahoma's Adrian Peterson have been the two best players in college football this season. If I had a vote for the Heisman Trophy, I'd give it to Bush, with Peterson coming in second. Both USC and Oklahoma deserve to be in Miami on January 4. One thing's for sure, we will not have a split national champion like we saw last year.
--- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- ---
Is a playoff system needed? Probably.
For the time being, enjoy the bowl games. Sure, over half of the Division 1-A teams are in a bowl game this season. But for me, I enjoy seeing teams like Wyoming going to a bowl game. The Las Vegas Bowl will be the first bowl game for Wyoming since 1993. Hopefully the good folks from Wyoming will travel down to Las Vegas and have a good time while supporting their Cowboys.
So there you go, the 10 bowl games that I give a damn about.
As always, the comments box is open. Discuss.
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