Predictions on all 34 bowl games

I apologize in advance for the length of this post. Don't blame me. Blame everyone who together established 34 bowl games this year. Yes, 34.

Dec. 20:

EagleBank Bowl — Wake Forest vs. Navy (in Landover, Md.):
As much as I love bowl games (at least a decent amount of them anyway), I hate rematches, and our first game this bowl season is a rematch. Navy went to Winston-Salem earlier this year and upset Wake Forest, who was ranked at the time, 24-17. I know the Midshipmen look to be rolling after dismantling Army last weekend, but in spite of that and what will probably be a home-field advantage, I see the Demon Deacons getting revenge this time around because for one, it knows what to expect from Navy, and two, Wake Forest has to feel somewhat disrespected since the Humanitarian Bowl in Boise passed on them.

New Mexico Bowl — Colorado State vs. Fresno State (in Albuquerque, N.M.):
First let me start by saying that I have a big problem with any 6-6 team like Colorado State getting in any bowl game, and it's match-ups like these I hate as a result. I'm picking Fresno State to win not because of record, but because the Bulldogs have a coach like Pat Hill who is willing to take any gambles, whether it's going for it on 4th and 1 against Boise State on his own side of the 50, or playing on the road against anybody and being willing to do it. I knew Fresno State wasn't a BCS team like some were suggesting it would be earlier this year, but the Bulldogs are a good team, and yes, they are better than the Rams.

magicjack St. Petersburg Bowl — Memphis vs. South Florida (in St. Petersburg, Fla.):
I almost feel sorry for the Big East because it ends up with crappy match-ups like this, but I don't because it's its own doing (much like the Big XII and BCS). Memphis is another 6-6 team in a bowl (can you imagine being a 6-6 team who didn't make a bowl this year?). South Florida has George Selvie, who I think is one of the best defensive ends in college football and will be a top five pick in next April's draft. I'll take the Bulls over the Tigers at their home-away-from-home, which apparently is where the Rays played a couple of World Series games this year.

Pioneer Las Vegas Bowl — No. 17 BYU vs. Arizona (in Las Vegas, Nev.):
I like Arizona. I like Mike Stoops, I like the Wildcats QB Willie Tuitama. I'm sure Arizona is pumped to be bowling for the first time in 10 years, but this isn't probably what it had in mind, playing a 10-2 BYU team. I really like the Cougars' signal-caller Max Hall and their coach, Bronco Mendenhall, as well (if you recall, I actually picked BYU to be the Mountain West team from the Beehive State playing in a BCS game this season. Whoops!), and as much of an oxymoron as it seems, BYU owns Las Vegas. This is the fourth straight year the Cougars are playing in this game (kind of like USC and the Rose Bowl). I expect BYU to continue its recent domination of this game and beat Arizona.

Dec. 21:

R+L Carriers New Orleans Bowl — Southern Miss vs. Troy (in New Orleans, La.):
Southern Miss is another 6-6 squad from Conference-USA. Troy on the other hand, won the Sun Belt conference (rather convincingly I might add), and played Georgia, Ohio State, and LSU all on the road this season. In fact, the Trojans had a 31-3 third quarter lead in Death Valley before LSU pulled off that miracle comeback. I'll tell you right now, if the Golden Eagles get behind 31-3, they have no chance of coming back. I'll take Troy to win this game.

Dec. 23:

San Diego County Credit Union Poinsettia Bowl — No. 9 Boise State vs. No. 11 TCU (in San Diego, Calif.):
First off, can I buy stock in a local bank that has enough money to sponsor its own bowl game in this economy? Wow. On a serious note, I mentioned this to Dave in the column I wrote for class yesterday that this, in my opinion, is the best non-BCS game on the bowl docket this year. On one hand, you have the Broncos, who have their third undefeated regular season in five years and with one of the best running backs to ever play in the WAC, Ian Johnson. Meanwhile, there's the Horned Frogs, whose two defeats this year were at Oklahoma and in the final minutes at Utah. Not too shabby. I actually like TCU to win its second Poinsettia Bowl in three years. Gary Patterson always has a stingy defense, and the Horned Frogs have won their bowl games the last three seasons. Plus, this game is in LT's house. I'm taking his alma mater.

Dec. 24:

Sheraton Hawaii Bowl — Hawaii vs. Notre Dame (in Honolulu, Hawaii):
This is another part of the reason why I can't stand 6-6 teams in bowls. I actually saw a list that had this game ranked better than the Outback (which I obviously took offense to). Simply put, Notre Dame shouldn't be bowling. The Fighting Irish have completely forgotten over the last 15 years or so how to prepare for these kinds of games, and I'm stunned that Charlie Weis is still around. I can't blame the Hawaii Bowl for picking Notre Dame since it needed a 6-6 team so desperately and the Fighting Irish fans probably have more money for a trip to the Islands than say, Colorado State fans do. But here's why I'm picking the Rainbow Warriors — they nearly beat Cincinnati last weekend (actually had a two-touchdown lead in the second half on the Big East champs), and after playing in the Sugar Bowl against Georgia last year, Notre Dame isn't going to intimidate these guys. Hawaii wins its own bowl game.

Dec. 26:

Motor City Bowl — Florida Atlantic vs. Central Michigan (in Detroit, Mich.):
Boy, how glad are Minnesota fans that the Golden Gophers didn't end up in this game? Usually, this game takes the MAC title game winner and it was set to select Ball State. That was before it lost to Buffalo, however. After Turner Gill's squad opted for the International Bowl, Central Michigan ended up in its third straight Motor City Bowl and will face Florida Atlantic, who won the Sun Belt last season and is coached by Howard Schnellenberger. The Chippewas have a phenomenal quarterback in Dan Lefevour, while the Owls are led offensively by Rusty Smith (yes, that is really his name). Florida Atlantic did play at Michigan State earlier this season (Javon Ringer ran all over them) and at Texas (Colt McCoy torched them). I'm picking the team who knows what to expect, which is Central Michigan.

Dec. 27:

Meineke Car Care Bowl — West Virginia vs. North Carolina (in Charlotte, N.C.):
Don't let the fact that this game is in the Tar Heel State fool you. It's clear to me that Butch Davis has North Carolina heading in the right direction again, and it might be just a matter of time before it owns the ACC under his guidance. However, the Mountaineers still have an awesome quarterback in Pat White, who will play his final game for West Virginia after starting four years there. By the way, White and the Mountaineers have won three straight bowl games, all of which came in the month of January. It's hard to imagine West Virginia fall from the top of the Big East like it has, but between White and running back Noel Devine, I think the Mountaineers have enough to beat the Tar Heels in what ought to be an exciting bowl game.

Champs Sports Bowl — Wisconsin vs. Florida State (in Orlando, Fla.):
Our first bowl game this winter featuring a Big Ten squad is in Orlando. The Seminoles may be playing in their own state and in front of what will probably be a partisan crowd since this marks the fifth year in a row the Badgers play in a Florida bowl, but despite that, I'm sure Wisconsin will still have a good following. After watching Florida tight end Aaron Hernandez dominate Florida State's defense, I'm betting Bret Bielema wished he had Travis Beckum. However, Garrett Graham emerged as a solid tight end for Wisconsin this season, and if Dustin Sherer can get him the ball and utilize him in the open field, the Badgers have a shot. But assuming Florida State doesn't find itself suspending half the team again for cheating in a music theory class, I expect Rhodes Scholar Myron Rolle and the Seminoles to emerge victorious.

Emerald Bowl — Miami (Fla.) vs. California (in San Francisco, Calif.):
I think this is an interesting match-up that if it weren't a bowl game played inside a baseball stadium and with two teams sharing the same sideline and being separated at midfield, it would probably get more hype than it actually will. I know this is essentially a home game for the Golden Bears, but I'm not buying them here. The Hurricanes missed out on a bowl last year, and you can bet Randy Shannon will have his defense ready to feast on Cal QBs Kevin Riley and Nate Longshore. Seeing how Cal doesn't run the triple option like Georgia Tech does, I'm taking "The U" to win this game.

Sunday, Dec. 28:

Independence Bowl — Northern Illinois vs. Louisiana Tech (in Shreveport, La.):
O.K., this is when you know you have too many bowl games. First of all, this is going on at the same time as Sunday Night Football (and with the flex scheduling, the SNF game on this date will probably have a major impact on the NFL playoffs). Secondly, this game is supposed to feature a Big XII team against an SEC, but with both conferences getting two in the BCS, both of this year's teams were at-large picks. Northern Illinois went 6-6 (great, now 6-6 teams from the MAC are playing in bowls. Just what we need) this season and was the fifth-best team at best in its own conference. Louisiana Tech, who is from the WAC, is similar, but at least the Bulldogs are 7-5 and have a win over Mississippi State to its name. Seeing how the game is in Shreveport, I'll take Louisiana Tech, but quite honestly, this is probably the one bowl game I can care less about.

Monday, Dec. 29:

Papajohns.com Bowl — North Carolina State vs. Rutgers (in Birmingham, Ala.):
Even though the Wolfpack finished 6-6, I'll give Tom O'Brien's squad credit because at least N.C. State won its last four games of the regular season to get to this point. Kudos for not packing it in (no pun intended). However, as horrible as the Scarlet Knights looked early on, Greg Schiano got it turned around, as Rutgers finished tied for second with Pitt (and technically wins the tie-breaker because of head-to-head, but as we all know, that doesn't mean anything when selecting bowls). Both teams come into this game red hot like a Papa John's pizza (I know that's bad, but I couldn't resist), but I give the slight edge to the Scarlet Knights over the ACC's 10th best team this season.

Valero Alamo Bowl — No. 25 Missouri vs. No. 22 Northwestern (in San Antonio, Texas):
I've already heard the jokes about this being "The Journalism Bowl" and those need to stop. Seriously. Both these teams had good seasons, each winning nine games. Missouri has looked a little disappointing the last couple of weeks, but maybe a change of scenery from Arrowhead Stadium does Chase Daniel, Jeremy Maclin & Company good. Meanwhile, it only took Pat Fitzgerald three years to get his alma mater to a bowl, and I expect the Wildcats to play a solid game against the Tigers. However, I think Maclin will end up being the X-factor, thus I take Mizzou to win this game and send Daniel out on a high note.

Dec. 30:

Roady's Humanitarian Bowl — Maryland vs. Nevada (in Boise, Idaho):
Look, I know the people of Boise love this bowl and the mantra of the blue turf, but this game is a joke. I feel sorry for the ACC because it is affiliated with this game. The Terrapins creeped close to playing in the ACC Championship Game this season, but showed some awkward inconsistency in playing really good against ranked teams, but average or poor against unranked squads (which includes a loss AT Middle Tennessee; if I was the Maryland A.D., I would never agree to that unless it was at the Titans' stadium in Nashville). Considering that Nevada is unranked and has a decent quarterback who can lead an offense down the field, I'll take the Wolfpack to win this contest.

Texas Bowl — Western Michigan vs. Rice (in Houston, Texas):
Now I know why the saying goes "God Bless Texas" — it's because there's no sponsor's name in front of the words "Texas Bowl." It's a de facto home game for the Rice Owls (seeing how they're located in Houston), but even with Jarrett Dillard (who if you aren't familiar with this wide receiver, he's about as underrated as they get), I like Western Michigan in this game. The Broncos won six games in MAC play this season and beat Illinois at Ford Field in Detroit. Tim Hiller is also a good quarterback. I expect the Broncos to come out on top, and besides, it's great publicity when you're playing on the NFL Network, which most of the country doesn't have.

Pacific Life Holiday Bowl — No. 13 Oklahoma State vs. No. 15 Oregon (in San Diego, Calif.):
The Poinsettia may be taking all the flare away from its sister bowl this season, but the Holiday Bowl has always been a fun game to watch, especially when you've accurately picked the winner of this game like I have seven of the last eight years (the slip-up was Washington State in 2003, by the way). We all watched Oregon score 65 against Oregon State and pick up 694 yards on offense in the process, and we all saw Okie State allow 61 at home to Oklahoma that same night. That said, I like the Cowboys to beat the Ducks because Mike Gundy has proven he's one hell of a coach, Oklahoma State has a good quarterback in Zac Robinson and an awesome wide receiver in Dez Bryant, and don't forget, this defense did stymie both Missouri and Texas on the road this season (although the Cowboys didn't beat Texas). This game should have plenty of fireworks, but I eventually see Oklahoma State's defense shutting down the Ducks' offense when it needs to.

Dec. 31:

Bell Helicopter Armed Forces Bowl — Houston vs. Air Force (in Ft. Worth, Texas):
To be honest, I know very little about both of these teams, so I'll keep it short. I do know Air Force was in this game against Cal last year and blew a 21-point lead once DeSean Jackson was allowed to step on the field again. I also know Houston managed to drop 70 points on conference rival Tulsa this year. Factor the game being in Texas, and I like the Cougars to beat the Falcons (No, I don't see "Air Force" and "Armed Forces Bowl" being as much of an intangible advantage as you'd think. I learned my lesson from picking Air Force to beat Cal last year.

Brut Sun Bowl — No. 24 Oregon State vs. No. 18 Pittsburgh (in El Paso, Texas):
Now here's a game I'm kind of excited about. The Beavers were one win away from playing in Pasadena, but a loss to Oregon opened the door for USC to win the Pac-10, thus sending Oregon State to its second Sun Bowl in three years. Meanwhile, Pitt comes in with a 9-3 record as well and the Panthers also had an opportunity to win the Big East, but lost at Cincinnati when destiny was in their hands (I should probably say "paws" instead, huh). Both the Beavers and Panthers have awesome running backs. Oregon State freshman Jacquizz Rodgers led the Pac-10 in rushing despite missing that huge game against Oregon, while Pitt's LeSean "Shady" McCoy led the nation with 21 touchdowns on the ground this season. Here's where I settle on a winner: I like Oregon State because Mike Riley has a history of winning bowl games (such as the 39-38 victory it got over Mizzou in the 2006 Sun Bowl), while Dave Wannstedt has a history of hiccups (Sorry. I'm a Bears fan. I couldn't resist.) Beavers win.

Gaylord Hotels Music City Bowl — Boston College vs. Vanderbilt (in Nashville, Tenn.):
First, I'm kind of glad the Big Ten ended its tie-in with this game before Iowa ever ended up in it. Now, this has to stink for Boston College. The Eagles were in the ACC Championship Game, but after losing to Virginia Tech, BC watched as three other teams in the conference were selected higher in the bowl pecking order and fell here. Meanwhile, this is the first bowl for Vandy in 26 years, and what do you know? It happens to take place in the heart of Nashville, where Vanderbilt is located. I realize the Commodores slid to a 6-6 record after starting 5-0 and being ranked (looking back on it, I can't believe College GameDay was actually at the Auburn-Vandy game this season). However, I'm picking the upset here because it has been an eternity for them, plus the Eagles looked terrible against the Hokies last weekend.

Insight Bowl — Kansas vs. Minnesota (in Tempe, Ariz.):
Remember how Minnesota was once 7-1 and ranked? Yeah, that didn't last long, did it. The Golden Gophers lost their last four games of the season (including a 55-0 beatdown from Iowa I witnessed first-hand) and are counting their blessings that they're in Arizona and not Detroit. But then again, do the Golden Gophers really want to be back in the bowl and the stadium where just two years ago, they pulled off one of the biggest choke jobs I've ever seen (In case you forgot, Glen Mason's last game as Minnesota coach ended with the Gophers blowing a 38-7 lead against Graham Harrell and Texas Tech, and losing to the Red Raiders in OT 44-41)? Now they get to play Kansas, who had a disappointing season after winning the Orange Bowl last year, but ended strong with a neutral site win over hated Missouri. Here's my thought: If you thought Ricky Stanzi looked like Drew Tate against Minnesota, wait 'till you see Kansas QB Todd Reesing move around the pocket and give Tim Brewster's defense fits. I'll take "The Real Mangenius," Mark Mangino, and his Jayhawks in this game. (By the way, is it just me, or does Mangino look a lot like Oliver Hardy?)

Chick-Fil-A Bowl — LSU vs. No. 14 Georgia Tech (in Atlanta, Ga.):
Georgia Tech is the highest-ranked ACC team. The Yellow Jackets just won a game at Georgia (between the hedges). The triple option Paul Johnson brought from Navy to the Ramblin' Wreck has been a success. The game's in Atlanta. LSU lost three home games during a five-game homestand, and one of the wins happened only because they overcame a 31-3 deficit against Troy. The Tigers just lost to Arkansas, again, and this time, the Razorbacks didn't have Darren McFadden or Felix Jones in their backfield. Folks, this is nothing close to the LSU team that won the national title. Take Georgia Tech. Big.

Jan. 1:

Outback Bowl — South Carolina vs. Iowa (in Tampa, Fla.):
First of all, I'd just like to mention that back in October after Iowa dismantled Wisconsin, I said if the Hawkeyes were 8-4, the Outback would be calling. I also said in my most recent post to expect the Gamecocks to be the opponent. Kirk Ferentz vs. The Ol' Ball Coach. This is actually intriguing. I could go on about the parallels I've been able to find between the two, but I'll keep it simple because you've made it to the January bowls without saying "Enough!" If Shonn Greene can run the ball effectively (which he has all year), Iowa should win. If the Gamecocks keep him in check and are able to make it so the Hawkeyes' only hope is through the air, there could be trouble since South Carolina's pass defense is third nationally. The Gamecocks have Tampa product Stephen Garcia starting at quarterback in this game after Chris Smelley threw four picks against Clemson. When it's said and done, I like the Hawkeyes to win, but I got to say, I'm nervous about giving Steve Spurrier this much time to dissect Norm Parker's "Bend-but-don't-break" defense.

Capital One Bowl — No. 16 Georgia vs. No. 19 Michigan State (in Orlando, Fla.):
At the beginning of the season, I said Georgia was the best team in the country and would win the national championship over Oklahoma (hey, the Sooners are playing an SEC East team, so I was close). Here's how much my opinion has been altered — I'm taking Michigan State to make it five straight in this bowl for the Big Ten. Mark Dantonio's Spartans are far more disciplined than Mark Richt's Bulldogs, simply put. This is also the second straight trip to Orlando for Sparty (Michigan State hung in there with BC in last year's Champs Sports Bowl), and this time around, I expect the Spartans to be juiced for this, unlike a Georgia squad that came into 2008 thinking national title. In addition, if you watched Georgia Tech run the ball at will on the Bulldogs, what do you think Javon Ringer's going to do? To many, this is a surprise, but it really shouldn't be.

Konica Minolta Gator Bowl — Clemson vs. Nebraska (in Jacksonville, Fla.):
If anyone knows what Konica Minolta is, get back to me. That has to be the strangest name for a bowl sponsor I've ever seen. Now as for the actual game, Clemson has to be the biggest disappointment this season. I, like many, had the Tigers dominating the ACC with guys like Cullen Harper, C.J. Spiller, and James Davis on that offense. Instead, Tommy Bowden gets fired and replaced by an assistant named Dabo Swinney, who just got the interim tag removed from his title. Clemson is 7-5, but they're a 7-5 wolf in 6-6 sheep's clothing since two of those wins are against FCS squads, meaning the Tigers were .500 against the known schools. Bo Pelini has done a solid job at Nebraska (why he wasn't named the Huskers' head coach after winning the 2003 Alamo Bowl in Frank Solich's place, I will never know), and the Cornhuskers ended the 2008 season in an impressive enough fashion that this bowl decided to gamble on them instead of a Big East team and the fans Nebraska will bring. I like the Huskers to win this game, mainly because Pelini knows what he's doing.

Rose Bowl Game Presented by Citi — No. 6 Penn State vs. No. 5 USC (in Pasadena, Calif.):
The first of five BCS games this bowl season, this ought to actually be a good game as opposed to the recent encounters USC has had against Big Ten programs. The Nittany Lions have what it takes to pull this upset. They're offense is methodical and has demonstrated time and time again it could go the length of the field and punch in touchdowns (which has to happen if Penn State wants to win this game). The reason they lost to Iowa in the first place is because their long drives basically ended with field goals, and Penn State allowed the Hawkeyes to hang around long enough. I have no reservations in saying USC has one of the best defenses I've ever seen. Unless Penn State's defense creates enough turnovers and the offense is able to punch in touchdowns as opposed to field goals, I like USC in this game. All the Trojans have to do is make sure Derrick Williams doesn't take a punt or kickoff back for a score, and they should be fine.

FedEx Orange Bowl — No. 12 Cincinnati vs. No. 21 Virginia Tech (in Miami, Fla.):
Honestly, I have to believe champagne bottles were busted open by the Orange Bowl committee after Virginia Tech won the ACC title game, ensuring that fans actually show up to this game (or so they say about BC fans). For Frank Beamer's squad, this is the second straight Orange Bowl appearance, but while Bud Foster's defense has looked lights out as of late (and the special teams has always been able to play "Beamer Ball"), watching the Hokies' offense is like watching water boil (look for that in the DI next week). I don't care how good Tyrod Taylor is. If he gets hurt, I'm not sold on Sean Glennon. As for Cincy, the Bearcats won the Big East outright. That is actually impressive to me, especially since this is only Brian Kelly's second year (third if you want to count his Bearcat debut being the 2007 International Bowl against Western Michigan). Cincinnati has won bowl games two years running now and have a solid defense to match-up with Virginia Tech, who if you think about it, has never won a BCS game and hasn't really won any big bowl games over the years with Frank Beamer, as great a coach as he is. I like Cincinnati to win, and don't say I didn't warn you.

Jan. 2:

AT&T Cotton Bowl — No. 20 Ole Miss vs. No. 8 Texas Tech (in Dallas, Texas):
I have to say I'm sad this is the last time this game is actually going to be played in The Cotton Bowl (the Cowboys' new stadium in Arlington starts hosting this game in 2010). What was once a very prominent bowl game is going to leave the heart of Dallas with a bang. Ole Miss ended the season rolling, and was nearly considered to leapfrog Georgia for the Capital One). Not only that, but the Rebels actually beat Florida, and did so in The Swamp, no less. Meanwhile, Texas Tech went 11-1 this year and basically cost Texas a shot at the national title. I missed badly on this game last year picking Arkansas over Missouri, but I like Ole Miss to pull the upset. Even if Graham Harrell and Michael Crabtree both end up being good to go in this game, I'm pretty sure the Red Raiders had their sights set on a BCS bid they were ultimately denied, plus unlike last year at Arkansas, Houston Nutt will actually get to coach in this game. I'll take the Rebels in this one.

AutoZone Liberty Bowl — Kentucky vs. East Carolina (in Memphis, Tenn.):
Not going to lie, I'm surprised Kentucky wasn't selected for its third straight Music City Bowl since the Wildcat faithful regularly travel in droves to Nashville. Then again, Kentucky had a bad ending to its season, and most recently got walloped by Tennessee in Phil Fulmer's swan song on Rocky Top. East Carolina won Conference-USA and while the Pirates didn't turn out to be the media darlings many envisioned after beating Virginia Tech and West Virginia the first two weeks of the season, Skip Holtz still had a solid team this season down in Greenville, N.C. I like East Carolina to win this game, simply because the Pirates are the better team in this match-up.

Allstate Sugar Bowl — No. 7 Utah vs. No. 4 Alabama (in New Orleans, La.):
Another dull match-up in the Sugar Bowl leads to another dominant win by an SEC team that didn't actually win the SEC this season. Both the Utes and Crimson Tide went undefeated in regular season play, both maintaining 12-0 records. However, Alabama lost its chance to play for a national title last weekend in Atlanta to Florida, and now has to settle for a trip to the Bayou (where I hear Nick Saban isn't really well-liked). My reason for picking the Tide though is this — Utah has a similar offense to Florida, but it isn't as complex, and Brian Johnson is nowhere close to Tim Tebow. If anything, this is the perfect match-up for 'Bama because what it's going to see from the Utes, they probably already saw against the Gators, and don't forget, Alabama was winning 20-17 in the fourth quarter of that game. Saban will have them ready and the Crimson Tide will roll to another win.

Jan. 3:

International Bowl — Buffalo vs. Connecticut (in Toronto, Ont.):
Two things, then I'll talk briefly about this game — First off, a bowl game in Canada is further evidence that there's too many bowls, and secondly, a meaningless bowl such as this being played after New Year's Day is an absolute farce. Now, I give Buffalo a lot of credit, and particularly, its head coach, Turner Gill. The Bulls went from being a complete laughingstock to the team that upset Ball State rather handily last week in the MAC Championship. Gill showed he could flat-out coach. The same was being said about UConn's coach Randy Edsall not too long ago. I know Buffalo won the MAC title and will bring plenty of fans to its neighboring city to the North, but I like the Huskies in this game despite what I saw last week against Pitt from senior Tyler Lorenzen. Between him and running back Donald Brown, who ended up being the nation's leading rusher this season, I just think UConn has too much in this game.

Jan. 5:

Tostitos Fiesta Bowl — No. 10 Ohio State vs. No. 3 Texas (in Glendale, Ariz.):
I'm like the majority of college football fans who feel Texas got screwed over, but I won't elaborate on that too much further, other than saying if I did have a Heisman vote right now, it would officially go to Colt McCoy. Usually, I don't like to pick teams in bowl games that feel they got screwed over, but seeing how Texas is still in a BCS game and is still going to bring plenty of fans to the desert, this really isn't a bad consolation for Mack Brown's squad, especially since Jim Tressel and the Buckeyes haven't won a significant game in over two years. Two things Ohio State does have going for it is that the Buckeyes are familiar with Arizona (this is the fifth time there in seven years) and they probably possess the best defense Texas will see all season with guys like James Laurinaitis and Malcolm Jenkins. But until proven otherwise, I can't pick against the Longhorns in this game, so I'll take Texas to win the rubber match (these two met in '05 (classic) and '06 (not so much)).

Jan. 6:

GMAC Bowl — No. 23 Ball State vs. Tulsa (in Mobile, Ala.):
How does GM have the money to sponsor a bowl? Anyway, this isn't a bad game. It features two teams who lost conference championship games last weekend (Tulsa lost to East Carolina at home, while Ball State suffered its first loss of 2008 to Buffalo). The quarterback battle is intriguing with Nate Davis leading the Cardinals and Paul Smith guiding the Golden Hurricane. Tulsa made me look foolish for picking against them when it played Bowling Green in this game last year, so I won't make that mistake again. I like the Golden Hurricane to win its second straight GMAC Bowl over Ball State.

Jan. 8:

FedEx BCS National Championship Game — No. 1 Florida vs. No. 2 Oklahoma (in Miami, Fla.):
Finally, the game we're all looking forward to watching between the Gators and Sooners. I actually heard somewhere this is the first time these two have ever met. Bob Stoops was an assistant to Steve Spurrier at Florida before becoming Oklahoma's coach after the 1998 season, and this is the fourth national championship game Stoops has taken the Sooners to (although it was complete BS they were there in '03, BUT NOT '04!), which says a lot. However, Oklahoma has lost its last four BCS contests, and as fun as it is to watch an offense that put up 702 points this season, I just don't see how the Sooners avoid No. 5, especially with Tim Tebow back there at quarterback for the Gators. If Percy Harvin is back, which I would expect, I can see Florida absolutely picking apart that Oklahoma defense, and conversely, I see the Sooners struggling just a bit against that Gator defense, even though Oklahoma has an awesome offensive line. Add to it this game is in Miami, and I see Urban Meyer hoisting his second crystal ball in three years.

Well, those are my picks, and if you honestly read this whole post, then I hope you enjoyed it. I'm very tired now from typing this much.

— Brendan Stiles