Bowl Week Part Deux

We soldier on through the next 16 bowls on the calendar, all of these happening December 31 and thereafter. The big boys and some guppies mixed in for good measure. Since only 5 games have happened since I last posted, I have nothing witty or profound or insightful to say here, so onward we go to the picks:

1. Bell Helicopter Armed Forces Bowl: Houston vs. Air Force

I commented on the title of this bowl last week, but I was thinking a bit more about the fact that a helicopter manufacturer is sponsoring a bowl game. Aren't sponsorships meant for advertising, and advertising to induce more consumers to purchase your product? Capitalism 101, right? Then why did the good people of Bell Helicopter decide that a bowl sponsorship would be a good way to spend their advertising budget? Are there that many richy rich people looking for a good deal on a helicopter watching a lower-tier C-USA vs. Mtn. West bowl game? It makes no sense. If I were in their shoes, I'd go for Money or Forbes magazine spreads, or a well-placed billboard somewhere in Bel Air. Or at least an ad in the SkyMall. And this little rant has saved me from saying anything knowledgeable about a game that pits 2 teams of which I know little to nothing about. I'm going with Air Force on the strength of their conference and the fact that they run an offense that almost no one else does. Tough to defend things you're not used to seeing!

Air Force 33, Houston 31

2. Brut Sun Bowl: Oregon State vs. Pittsburgh

This is one of the more interesting mid-level bowl games. Pitt has had itself a pretty good season behind one of the best backs in the country - Shady McCoy. And Oregon State has a nifty little back itself - the delightfully-named Jaquizz Rodgers. The Beavers fell hard from their post atop the Pac Ten by getting steamrolled by their archrival in the Civil War, and while some may espouse that McCoy and the Pitt offense will pick up where the Ducks left off, I contend that won't be the case. The Beavers will be out to show that their performance against Oregon was an aberration - their run defense, and overall defense for that matter, isn't nearly that bad. This is a team that won 6 straight before that loss to Oregon, beating some quality opponents (including USC) in that stretch. Their highest points allowed in those wins? Twenty-five to Arizona State. Not bad. For Pitt, despite having an elite RB, their offense has sputtered at times. They don't seem to me to be a team that's going to run all over someone for 4 quarters. In a good game, the Beavers close out a very good season with a W.

Oregon State 28, Pittsburgh 24

3. Gaylord Hotes Music City Bowl: Boston College vs. Vanderbilt

Congrats to Vandy for making their first bowl in a quarter century. Quite an accomplishment for a nerd school in a league full of jock outposts. Their reward is staying at home to play a team who lost their conference's championship game. Tough reward. Boston College coach Jeff Jagodzinski has become one of the nations most underrated coaches with his performance this season, taking the Eagles to another ACC title game in what was reported to be a rebuilding year. Last year wasn't all Matt Ryan after all - this man can coach. And he'll coach the Eagles right past Vanderbilt, who looked pretty good early in the season but fell back down to earth when the cold reality of SEC play hit.

Boston College 30, Vanderbilt 10

4. Insight Bowl: Kansas vs. Minnesota

I considered making this my "most confident" pick in ESPN's College Bowl Mania game - Minnesota stopped playing competitive football about 2 months ago.

Kansas 31, Minnesota 14

5. Chick-fil-A Bowl: LSU vs. Georgia Tech

My my, how the mighty have fallen. LSU took several steps back after last year's national title, and while some will place the blame on the lack of consistency and talent at the QB position, more of it ought to fall on the once intimidating LSU defense. SEC offenses ran roughshod over them this year, especially during the latter half of the season, and even lowly Troy of the vastly inferior Sun Belt gashed the Tigers to the tune of 380 yards and 31 points. But the most telling stat of all is this: 10/18. The last time LSU beat anyone of note was October 18, when they beat South Carolina 24-17. That was their sixth game of the season. Their remaining 2 wins, mixed in amidst 4 conference defeats, were against Troy and Tulane. I expect Georgia Tech to continue the downward spiral as Paul Johnson brings his unorthodox, old-school offense across town to the Georgia Dome (GT's campus is about 4 miles away). The Yellow Jackets might have been the surprise of a surprising and unpredictable ACC, and they should get a bowl win to cap off a great first year of the Johnson administration.

Georgia Tech 42, LSU 24

6. Outback Bowl: Iowa vs. South Carolina

Iowa remains an under-the-radar team despite their solid play throughout the season. Their win against Penn State isn't as big an upset as it's been made out to be. The Hawkeyes were just a few points away from a really good season - their 4 losses came at a total of 12 points. Shonn Greene is the real deal, and Kirk Ferentz seems to have returned to form as a classic Big Ten coach - emphasize intangibles, run the ball well and stop the run, play hard and minimize mistakes. That's what the Hawkeyes do. They meet a Gamecock squad who still doesn't have a QB that's stepped up and owned the position, but they play good defense and get wins in spite of a lack of glitz and firepower on offense. Expect a hard-fought battle with the edge going to Iowa - their a much better team than their 8-4 record shows.

Iowa 20, South Carolina 13

7. Capital One Bowl: Georgia vs. Michigan State

This was the hardest game for me to pick. Which Georgia team will show up? The one who garnered a preseason #1 ranking behind one of the best QB and RB tandems in the country, or the one who all but gave up on their season after getting demolished by Florida? They'd better be ready for an overachieving Michigan State team with a stud running back in their stable as well. The thing that scares me about taking Michigan State is that both of their run-ins with top shelf competition (Ohio State and Penn State) ended very badly, losing by a combined total of 69 points. Georgia has the talent level of both those teams, at least on offense, and I think they'll show that Michigan State is a good team that doesn't have the horses to stay with the really good teams. That is, if Georgia decides to show up.

Georgia 35, Michigan State 28

8. Konica Minolta Gator Bowl: Clemson vs. Nebraska

If Nebraska can muster up some good defense, I think they win fairly easily. Clemson's righted the ship a bit since the Tommy Bowden firing, but I think they're still a team that's been bitterly disappointed after atmospheric expectations and is looking to next year already.

Nebraska 34, Clemson 31

9. Rose Bowl: Penn State vs. USC

In case you were wondering and have somehow yet to figure it out - yes, I've been going in chronological order with these things, and that's why my beloved Nittany Lions don't christen the #1 spot in the rundown. As a Penn State fan, I like the fact that USC has become an overwhelming favorite. The Nittany Lions really have nothing to lose and can come out of the tunnel as the looser team. Everyone expects another Big Ten team to fall flat in a BCS game. But history has proven that you don't bet against Joe Paterno in bowl games. His career bowl record is 23-10-1. When he and his veteran coaching staff have weeks to prepare, they usually find some things to exploit and their players are usually very ready to play. The question is - are there places to exploit against the USC defense? Not by the looks of things, but no defense is impenetrable. Penn State won't score in bunches, but I think they'll find some holes. The matchup of USC's offense against Penn State's defense may actually be more intriguing, and where the game will ultimately be won and lost. The Nittany Lions have a good defense too, and they'll be motivated to show that they indeed do belong on the same field as the vaunted Trojans. USC's offense doesn't impress me - Mark Sanchez has been inconsistent, and their receivers, while talented, are still very green. Don't be surprised if Sanchez gets a bit rattled by the pressure Penn State will present him with. Penn State's weak spot on defense is their secondary and they'll try to get to Sanchez quickly and often to keep the pressure off the secondary. If USC can block the front four and blitzing linebackers, they'll likely win. If not, expect a few turnovers and a long afternoon for Mark Sanchez. Don't forget that this is the best defense he's faced all year too. The pick is, of course, a homer one, but it's not a pipe dream - there are plenty of reasons why the Nittany Lions can win.

Penn State 17, USC 14

10. FedEx Orange Bowl: Cincinnati vs. Virginia Tech

The Orange Bowl must be kicking themselves for guaranteeing the ACC champion a spot in their game. It routinely is the runt of the litter of BCS bowls, and this year is no exception. That's not a knock on Cincy or Virginia Tech, who are both deserving and good football teams, but no one's salivating over this one. This game is the best hope in awhile for an ACC BCS victory, but I'm guessing it won't happen. The history of ACC losses in the BCS is long and rich, and there aren't enough reasons to think it won't continue. Cincinnati can play some good defense, and Virginia Tech's offense isn't going to set the world on fire. Same goes for the other side of the ball - Virginia Tech isn't bad, but they're not your typical Beamerball unit. In a close game, Cincinnati completes the best season in their football history.

Cincinnati 23, Virginia Tech 20

11. AT&T Cotton Bowl: Texas Tech vs. Mississippi

This is quickly becoming the in vogue upset pick, which usually means it won't happen. Texas Tech is still smarting from the Oklahoma loss and their subsequent plummet down the BCS standings. They deservedly fell far and hard after that loss, but not to the point where nobody mentioned them on the national scene anymore. The Red Raiders are still a one loss Big 12 South team, quite an accomplishment in the greatest division in college football history. Mississippi has had a nice season, but they can't keep up with the Red Raiders.

Texas Tech 41, Mississippi 27

12. Autozone Liberty Bowl: Kentucky vs. East Carolina

The Liberty Bowl is like the little engine that could, chugging along as one of the oldest bowls in existence while residing in a relatively obscure Southern city, gobbling up a mediocre SEC team each year to pair with the best of Conference-USA. Other, younger bowls have passed it by, but still it persists. How fitting that it's sponsored by Autozone, a store that sells parts for an aging and broken industry that soldiers on in a dim economy. Oh, and I pick East Carolina.

East Carolina 21, Kentucky 13

13. Allstate Sugar Bowl: Utah vs. Alabama

Alabama will win, but this game will be closer than many think. Utah isn't a glamorous or flashy team, but they didn't get to 12-0 on smoke and mirrors. They won every game they played in a difficult and underrated conference, and they'll come to play against the Crimson Tide. The Crimson Tide are actually a very similar team to the Utes, only they're just a bit better in every facet.

Alabama 28, Utah 19

14. International Bowl: Buffalo vs. Connecticut

How fitting that the two teams selected to play in a bowl game in Canada are from two snow belt universities. I suppose they're the only teams who'd possibly want to go to Toronto in the dead of winter to play football. Connecticut gets the pick because they'll have the best player on the field in Donald Brown, although sentiment goes with Buffalo and Turner Gill - it would be deserving for him to get a bowl win after his work at building that program. He'll eventually get the Bulls that bowl win, just not yet.

Connecticut 38, Buffalo 27

15. Tostitos Fiesta Bowl: Ohio State vs. Texas

All signs point to a Longhorn romp: they're steaming mad at being left out of the title game, they're simply a better team than Ohio State, and they have a vastly more experienced QB. But don't write off the Buckeyes because of what's happened the last 2 years. I think Texas will get the win, but Ohio State will be hungry to avenge the big stage blowouts of the past 2 years with a good showing here. They'll keep it close with some new wrinkles and gadget plays for Terrelle Pryor, and their defense is good enough to slow down Texas just a bit.

Texas 34, Ohio State 24

16. GMAC Bowl: Tulsa vs. Ball State

This should be a fun matchup of explosive offenses in what is annually one of the more exciting bowl games. Tulsa has been too inconsistent and porous on defense for me to take them here. Ball State's loss to Buffalo was disheartening for a team dreaming of an undefeated season, but I think they'll bounce back. Nate Davis has a showcase night and torches the Tulsa defense.

Ball State 51, Tulsa 35

Up next: a week off! I'll not be posting next week, but I'll be fresh off the bye week for a healthy BCS Championship Game analysis and selection on January 5!