Bowl Games I'm more interested in than the National Title Game

[FirstTimer]

Now stuck with a rematch in the National Title Game, which will serve it solve nothing in National Title picture, other bowl games this year have quickly vaulted over the BCS national Title game for viewing pleasure.

In order of when the game is scheduled to be played are the games for this bowl season here are games I am more interested in watching than LSU vs Alabama: Game of the Century 1.5

MAACO Las Vegas Bowl, December 22nd: Arizona St. vs Boise St.

Boise State is always good for an entertaining bowl game. They have made it a habit as of recently . Kellen Moore's career ending in this bowl is a bit fo a travesty but Boise should come out fired up to send him out on a high note.

Arizona St at one point this year was a borderline Top 15 team before the wheels fell off late in the season. Their resume includes a win over a very good USC team. Brock Osweiler is a physical freak at the quarterback position and Vontze Burfect is an unstable if not entertaining and absurdly talented line backer. The Sun Devils could come out and lay an egg following the firing of Head Coach Dennis Erickson...

 

[NAHSTE]

Wait, this is the bowl Boise ended up with? The fuck? Broncos will win this by 30.

 

[FirstTimer]

Champs Sports Bowl; December 29th. Notre Dame vs Florida St.

This one pretty much doesn't need a write up but I will placate the masses. Florida St at one point this season was a Top 5 team and had BCS, if not National Title aspirations behind EJ Manuel at quarterback and a dominating defense. Early season losses to Oklahoma and Clemson can be somewhat excused but losses to teams like Wake Forest and Virginia are highly questionable. Manuel is one of the most exciting QB's in the country and Florida St's defense is big, atheletic, and fast. They match up with most any defense in the land.

After starting out a flukey 0-2 Notre Dame reeled off four straight wins twice this year with losses to USC and Stanford breaking those runs. While it's clear Notre Dame isn't "back" yet they appear to be well on their way with a very good and very young defense, especially up front, and some emerging skill position players. There's a quarterback controversey brewing with Tommy Rees and Andrew Hendrix with Everett Golson waiting this season red shirting. It's Michael Floyd's last game in a Notre Dame uniform as the greatest wide reciever in Irish history will be looking for a proper send off. Also interesting side notes of Aaron Lynch facing the team he decommitted from, after decommitting from Notre Dame, only to come back to Notre Dame. Jordan Prestwood was also an FSU decommit that ended up with the Irish.


Two programs on the upswing competing in prime timeon ESPN should be a good match up. Plus it allows me to whine about Notre Dame getting hosed in 1993 some more.

 

[Atlas]

Orange Bowl b/t two middling teams who are inconsistent as fuck...

 

[KnightNoles]

Won't be surprised if EJ is cut and out for the game...

 

[FirstTimer]

Valero Alamo Bowl; December 29th. Washington vs Baylor

I won't even pretend to lie about being interested in Washington in any way shape or form. This game is all about the Baylor Bears for me. The (should be) Heisman winner in Robert Griffin III and the rest of the Baylor offense is something to behold. Baylor has BCS game level talent, at least offensively. Griffin is good. Like Mike Vick in Madden 2004 good. Want to see the next QB that will be giving NFL defensive coaches nightmares for the next decade? Tune in. PS: His wideouts(Kendall Wright, and Terrance Williams) are pretty good too.

Special points to this game since a girl I went to HS has her husband on the Baylor sidelines as a coach.

 

[FirstTimer]

Won't be surprised if EJ is cut and out for the game...

Why?

 

[KnightNoles]

Speculation around the site that I visit. The shoulder might be more damaged then we know of... I'll keep the Irish in the know once I see things come in

 

[FirstTimer]

New Era Pinestripe Bowl; December 30th: Rutgers vs Iowa St.

Count me as one of the goobers that loves seeing football played in classic(esque) venues. Iowa State has an exciting young quarterback in Jared Barnett and with upsets of #2 Oklahome State and playing teams like Oklahoma and Kansas St tough late in the season the Cyclones 6-6 record is a bit decieving as they played by most accounts one of the toughest schedules in the nation. Iowa State could be a trendy "surprise team" pick for for 2012. All you hipsters hop on the bandwagon now.

 

[ralaw]

It's Michael Floyd's last game in a Notre Dame uniform as the greatest wide reciever in Irish history will be looking for a proper send off.

Wow, for some reason that statement surprised me.

 

[FirstTimer]

Insight Bowl; December 30th: Iowa vs Oklahoma

If styles make games then this one should be a classic old school versus new school match up. Iowa runs one of the most bland offeneses in college football but has a battering ram at running back in Marcus Coker and one of the best wideouts in the country you have never heard about in Marvin McNutt. Iowa again this year had a strong defense and the match up with Okalhoma's high powered offense should be interesting to see. Oklahoma still has enough firepower without Ryan Broyles to put up points. Landry Jones is a future top 10 NFL draft pick, and Kenny Stills has a skill set and physical build that should have some NFL scouts drooling.

 

[FirstTimer]

Meineke Car Care of Texas Bowl: December 31st: Texas A&M vs Northwestern

Texas A & M plays in it's last bowl game before heading to the SEC. In five of the Aggies 6 losses they were up double digits in the second half and could not close the game out. "You are what you are" but A&M is much more talented than their 6-6 record shows. Northwestern could never really get going this season due to the lingering issues to Dan Persa however the scholl scraped together a 6-6 season. Kain Colter is a fun young QB to watch as he spells Persa at times and Northwestern will be looking for it's first bowl win since 1949. The Wildcats play an exciting brand of football and if Northwestern wins Pat Fitzgerald post game speech will rival that of Clemson Coach Dabo Sweeney.

 

[FirstTimer]

Kraft Fight Hunger Bowl: December 31st: Illinois vs UCLA
Two coachless teams take the field. Chaos reigns.


Illinois is one of the other teams I follow. Nathan Scheelhaase is an interesting player to watch. Illinois has some NFL level defensive players and UCLA has a former Notre Dame wideout in Shaq Evans. Illinois has lost six games in a row since winning their first six and UCLA carried coach Rick Neuheisal off the field after their last practice. SUB PLOTS! A bowl that no one else will care about but you know what? :rage:


There may be a small quarterback controversey brewing for the Illini with freshman Reilly O'Toole taking more time as of late. Why? I don't know. Tune in and help me figure it out.

 

[Champ]

NC State vs Louisville

 

[FirstTimer]

Outback Bowl: January 2nd: Michigan St vs Georgia

This bowl has had a history ofproducing close matchups and this year should return to that form. Neither Michigan St or Georgia are elite teams but both are solidly good to very good football teams. BJ Cunningham is one of the best wideouts in the country and Kirk Cousins has the smell of a mid round draft pick that is destined for an average NFL career as a backup and spot starter. Leveon Bell is also the size/speed combination that translates very well to the NFL. The Spartans defense is anchored by William Gholston who projects to being a Top 10 NFL draft pick in the next two seasons. Georgia defense faces a tough task but they are a very good unit who should be up to the challenge. Isaiah Crowell should be healed up and ready to for the Dawgs and Andy Murray quietly put together a very good season in the SEC at quarterback.

 

[FirstTimer]

Capital One Bowl: January 2nd: Nebraska vs South Carolina

This Big 10 vs SEC matchup also has the makings of a close matchup. Watch Taylor Martinez(aka Uncle Rico) throw and scramble all over the field while the great white hope at runningback(Rex Burkehead) tries to slash through and over an SEC defense. South Carolina will trot out some great skill position talent but marginal skill at the quarterback position. This game will hinge on the Gamecocks ability to slow down Nebraska's attack and Carolina's ability to get their stud wideout, Alshon Jefferies, involved in the game. This game could devolve into a bit of a defensive slugfest with one or two big plays deciding the outcome.

 

[FirstTimer]

Gator Bowl: January 2nd: Ohio St vs Florida

Just rename it the Urban Meyer Bowl. Ohio State is more talented than their 6-6 record shows and will be playing inspired football for Luke Fickell who was simply overwhelmed as a head coach. Florida is still bitter about the Meyer retirement and suspect reasons for doing so, especially in terms of some feeling Meyer got out of town when he knew Florida was going to have some down seasons. Florida still has enough playmakers at the offensive skill positions to give Ohio St trouble but each 6-6 team has a lot of motivation to play this game. It wouldn't surprise me if it gets chippy. It will be like watching NASCAR simply for the crashes.

Odds of a fight? 25-1.

 

[FirstTimer]

Rose Bowl: January 2nd: Wisconsin vs Oregon

It's the damn Rose Bowl man.

Aside from that Wisconsin is two hail mary's away from being undefeated this season and Oregon always plays an entertaining brand of football. Wisconsin finally has a difference maker at quarterback and you can watch to see if Montee Ball breaks Barry Sander's touchdown record despite needing 15 more games to do so. Nick Toon is a wideout that come draft time will be very underrated and when it comes down to it there are very few things better than the Rose Bowl game in college football..It's seemingly the only bowl with any real tradition. .even if it's not on New Years Day this year(WTF?!).

 

[FirstTimer]

Fiesta Bowl: January 2nd: Stanford vs Oklahoma State

This is Iowa versus Oklahoma on steroids.

This game should ooze NFL level talent. Oklahoma has this decades Chris Weinke throwing to maybe the best wideout prospect since Calvin Johnson in one of the nations most up tempo attacks. On the Stanford side of things get ready for a lot of two tight end I formation off tackle football with Andrew Luck attempting to pick apart the Cowboys defense. There might be more pro scouts at this game than fans in the stands. Neither team's defense inspires a ton of confidence so expect points aplenty. Has the ability to be maybe the best bowl game of them all.

 

[FirstTimer]

Cotton Bowl: January 6th: Kansas St vs Arkansas

Two top 10 teams playing eachother. Not in a BCS game.

After that washes over you prepare yourself for points. And a lot of them. Kansas St features one of the nations best rushing attacks and an offense that put up over 30 points per game....and very little defense.

Arkansas as recently as two weeks ago had a shot at the National Title game and is no doubt ready to prove that they are better than their national TV shellacking at LSU proved. Arkansas will throw the ball all over the yard and their defense isn't all that impressive giving up a good amount of points to any decent offensive team they faced this season.

If Arkansas and Kansas St's basketball teams met they wouldn't score as much as these two teams will.

If the O/U for this one is 80...take the over.