Wednesday, December 19, 2007

Again With The Bowls

Back once again. Let's jump right into the next set of bowls.

December 28
Emerald Bowl, San Francisco, CA
Oregon State University vs. University of Maryland


Maryland is a total underachiever this season and the only reason they're in a bowl game is because there are 32 games. Oregon State, on the other hand, is a mildly impressive 8-4 in a very tough Pac-10. The fact that the game is in San Francisco will not help Maryland at all and the Terrapins will be at a distinct disadvantage thanks to the crowd. Look for Oregon State to walk away fairly easily with this one.

December 29
Meineke Car Care Bowl, Charlotte, NC
University of Connecticut vs. Wake Forest University


Connecticut has been surprisingly strong this season, but I've had a feeling that they're a bit of a fraud. After all, it took some terrible officiating to give them victory over a very poor Louisville team. Wake Forest is nowhere near the level they were last year when they won the ACC, but they are still strong. Since the game is about 100 miles away from Winston Salem, there will be a lot of Black and Gold in the stadium. Look for the Deacons to take care of business.

December 29
Liberty Bowl, Memphis, TN
Mississippi State University vs. University of Central Florida


Mississippi turned a lot of heads this season by winning some huge games. UCF turned heads by having a heck of a lot of talent coached by a great head coach in George O'Leary. The major question in this game will be how a mid-level SEC team will fare against a great C-USA team. I know SEC teams just love to flaunt the speed of their defenses, but the difference in this game will be UCF's running back Kevin Smith. Look for UCF to bring a little love to C-USA.

December 29
Alamo Bowl, San Antonio, TX
Texas A&M University vs. Pennsylvania State University


I'd like to be nice to Texas A&M, but I just can't do it. Dennis Franchione has left the team in disarray after his booster newsletter scandal and he would've needed a miracle to remain coach there. That miracle did not come and the Aggies are left without a leader. The Nittany Lions, on the other hand, have known who their coach is for the past 40 years and will continue to know until Joe Paterno has finally passed on. On top of that, Penn State has been doing quite well this season in spite of themselves. Sure, there will be a lot of A&M fans in the stadium, but they'll be unhappy at the end of the day.

December 30
Independence Bowl, Shreveport, LA
University of Colorado vs. University of Alabama


This is going to be an ugly game, but it will be a close one. Nick Saban's Alabama team is a complete mess by Alabama standards, having lost to Louisiana-Monroe as well as Southern Miss and Auburn. Colorado had to deal with a sudden rise in performance from Big 12 North rivals Kansas and Missouri, but they pulled off a huge victory against Oklahoma early in Big 12 play. Both teams have stumbled down the stretch, but I think Colorado has a mental edge over the disorganized Crimson Tide. The Buffs will take the big victory and avoid their second-straight losing season.

There you have it. Come this (Thursday) evening, we will be watching the first of our 32 bowls. Navy vs. Utah in the Poinsettia Bowl will kick off the big postseason bash. I'll be back around later with yet another batch of bowls.

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