Games for everyone

With a bowl season approaching 40 games, just about anybody can get into a bowl game making my Wolverines' record streak of 31 bowl appearances looking pretty safe for a long time.

So who are these great teams qualifying for extra curricular assignments in the school of College Football? I'll give you a breakdown of each game and how they got there from a complete idiot's point of view...











In another universe, a Texas Christian University team finishing 10-2 would be in BCS discussions, but that was when they were in the Southwest Conference. This program is a long way from the teams that won national championships back in the 1930's. Their opponent is Northern Illinois who only finished 3rd in their division in that powerhouse conference, the MAC. The only thing right about this game is that the bowl season starts with a representative of the Mid American Conference against someone who used to be in the WAC.

Prediction: Northern Illinois has a back that could have had a better season. He'll want to show the NFL scouts something and will lead his team to a victory.

Las Vegas Bowl



In our second straight match-up of 10-2 -vs- 7-5 records Brigham Young should enjoy home field advantage in Las Vegas. If you're not from the West Coast or not a Mormon, there is absolutely nothing interesting about this match-up. BYU does enter on a hot streak having won their last 9 games while OU is sneaking in the back door losing their last 3 including the Civil War due to a horrible kicking game.

Prediction: BYU owns Vegas. I mean literally. They'll own this game too.



I'm having a lot of trouble accepting a Rice -Troy matchup in post season when they are both only 7-5, but here we are and here they are. In defence of both clubs, their losses were mostly to ranked teams, but that only demonstrates they really are not power programs and are normally cannon fodder for the big boys.

Prediction: I really don't have a clue. Anyone who lives more than 5 miles from one of these schools won't either. I guess Rice.

Papajohns.com Bowl


Papa John's probably started arranging this game thinking they could land the local heroes almost every year. I'm wondering if they anticipated the Cardinals going national so quickly. As it is, South Florida was 8-4 in a conference featuring Louisville, Rutgers and West Virginia losing a close one to Rutgers and beating West Virginia, so their presence seems justified. East Carolina is the unknown here coming from Conference USA and not really playing anyone of note other than West Virginia (losing 27-10) all year.

Prediction: Other than the Big Ten's Michigan - Ohio State drama, no conference got more great press this season than the Big East. Ironically, this will be one of the only wins for the Big East in the Bowls.

New Mexico Bowl

New Mexico -vs- San Jose State

In a perfect example of what has gone wrong with all of these bowl games, a 6-6 New Mexico who has only 1 ranked team on their schedule and only beat one team with a winning record all year gets to host San Jose State at 8-4. The fact that San Jose couldn't get anything better deserves a Congressional Inquiry considering their much tougher schedule and the fact they were the only team all year to give Boise State a scare.

Prediction: Either San Jose is going to be so mad at not being in a better bowl they will kick the tar out of New Mexico or they are going to be caught flat footed and get the tar kicked out of them. No close game and I say New Mexico ends the season with a losing record.



Tulsa and Utah have had average seasons in average leagues and this will be an average match-up. Nothing more, nothing less.

Prediction: Utah is always trying to prove they are not BYU. They're not. BYU will win their bowl game and Utah won't.

Hawaii Bowl

Arizona State -vs- Hawaii

In the first bowl game of the season with an interesting story line, Hawaii features a quarterback (Colt Brennan) who figured in this year's Heisman voting and is mentioned as a dark horse for next year's award. Arizona State is the sneaker here coming in out of the PAC Ten, but not accomplishing anything significant during the season having lost to all the ranked teams and not beating a single PAC Ten opponent with a winning record.

Prediction: Big game for Brennon setting him up as a dark horse for next year's award. Arizona State will just be happy they got to a luau.


Well that covers us until Christmas. Enjoy the post and we'll catch you again before the next set gets started.