Well it's that time of year we have all of the bowl matchups but I'm more excited about some than others and the bottom half is a bit shabby. So let's take a look at this year's slate.
1. Discover BCS National Championship Game: Notre Dame vs Alabama, Jan. 7th 7:30 pm ESPN, I mean if you're not excited to see what comes out of this game you obviously hate both teams enough to not enjoy good, hard hitting defensive football. It should come down to which offense makes enough plays. Should make this an illuminating game.
2. Tostitos Fiesta Bowl: Oregon vs Kansas State, Jan. 3rd 7:30 pm ESPN, I have this one next on the list because one month ago we thought this would be the national champhionship game matchup. This game also provides us a dichotomy of offensive styles, Oregon's breakneck pace versus the more methodical approach of Bill Snyder's Wildcats. The K-State defensive hold a bit of an edge but Oregon certainly does lack for talent. Should be a wonderful watch.
3. Rose Bowl Game Presented by Vizio: Stanford vs Wisconsin, Jan 1st 4:00 pm ESPN, I know it involves a 5-loss Big Ten team but these two teams are cut from the same cloth which should be interesting. Both OCs have shown a willingness to tweak systems that were rooted in tradition, Stanford's Hogan gives them a new twist to a system that we didn't see open up with Luck (not because he wasn't athletic enough). On the Wisconsin side, OC Matt Canada has used more motion and shotgun sets to get athletes like Melvin Gordon and James White into space and to keep defenses on their heels. On the other side of the ball, Wisconsin has one of the best LB corps in the country and Stanford has as stout a front 4 as you're gonna see outside the SEC. Even with Bielema hitting the road I think this game will be closer than many expect it to be.
4. AT&T Cotton Bowl: Texas A&M vs Oklahoma, Jan 4th 7:00 pm FOX, This is a BCS type matchup as both teams are good enough to have been placed there. This is also a matchup of former Big XII companions and there is bound to be some bad blood left behind. Johnny Manziel versus a Oklahoma defense that has had struggles this season. Landry Jones versus a A&M defense that has been excellent as it has matured under Coach Sumlin's staff. If nothing else we should see some points and get to debate the merits of the countries two best conferences.
5. Bridgepoint Education Holiday Bowl: Baylor vs UCLA, Dec 27th 8:45 pm ESPN, Points galore, I mean enough points to make Rice-Air Force entertaining.
6. Valero Alamo Bowl: Texas vs Oregon State, Dec 29th 5:45 pm ESPN, Oregon State is real, Texas is something else, an enigma and going into this bowl without their offensive coordinator.
7. Discover Orange Bowl: Northern Illinois vs Florida State, Jan 1st 7:30 pm ESPN, Can Northern Illinois stick with the 'Noles. Will Florida State continue to play to to a percieved much weaker opponent?
8. Chick-fil-A Bowl: LSU vs Clemson, Dec 31st 6:30 pm ESPN, LSU has an elite defense and an epicly bad offense. Clemson comes in with underrated QB Boyd and a good bunch of talent.
9. GoDaddy.com Bowl: Kent State vs Arkansas State, Jan 6th 8:00 pm ESPN, I certainly could have ranked this game higher because their will be fireworks in this game and Russell Crowe asking if you're not entertained.
10. Outback Bowl: South Carolina vs Michigan, Jan 1st 12:00 pm ESPN, These two can be lumped together, I don't know what to expect out of the Big Ten teams because they've been up and down all season. I also don't know what form the SEC teams will take; South Carolina has been abysmal on the road this year and Georgia doesn't handle being expected to win well.
11. Capital One Bowl: Nebraska vs Georgia, Jan 1st 12:00 pm ABC,
12. Allstate Sugar Bowl: Louisville vs Florida, Jan 2nd 7:30 pm EPSN, This one strikes me much like the Cincinnati game a few years back, a Florida team that still has a lot to prove. Louisville is a good team but nothing special but Strong should be amped up to play his former team.
13. Maaco Bowl Las Vegas: Washington vs Boise State, Dec 22nd 2:30 pm ESPN, This is a early season matchup next year, but this one pits two incomplete teams. Boise has grown all season but loss like they had isn't a one year rebuild, certainly one of Peterson's best. Washington hasn't taken the leaps that were expected under Sark and this team still looks like it has major flaws and not just at the hot button of QB.
14. Famous Idaho Potato Bowl: Toledo vs Utah State, Dec 15th 3:30 pm ESPN, Was Toledo a mirage all year that then faded? Was Utah State underappreciated all year or were their performances against good teams just them getting up for a couple big games?
15. New Era Pinstripe Bowl: West Virginia vs Syracuse, Dec 28th 2:15 pm ESPN, This is gonna have points to spare and be close in the end because well did you watch any Syracuse this season? Exactly.
16. AdvoCare V100 Independence Bowl: Ohio vs ULM, Dec 28th 1:00 pm ESPN, This one intrigues me because both these teams finished the year looking like the opposites of the promise they showed early on.
17. Taxslayer.com Gator Bowl: Mississippi State vs Northwestern, Jan 1st 11:00 am ESPN2, I don't have a read on either of these teams, Mississippi State didn't show much this year once they hit the meat of their schedule and Northwestern on the other hand is what they've been throughout the Fitzgerald era.
18. Buffalo Wild Wings Bowl: TCU vs Michigan State, Dec 29th 9:15 pm ESPN, Gary Patterson doesn't have his best team but neither does Michigan State and this game will be the perfect wrap to the season for both teams.
19. Hyundai Sun Bowl: USC vs Georgia Tech, Dec 31st 1:00 pm CBS, USC will win but the defensive train wrecks should be absolutely amazing.
20. San Diego County Credit Union Poinsettia Bowl: San Diego State vs BYU, Dec 20th 7:00 pm ESPN, San Diego State seems to fly continuously under the radar and BYU has one hell of a defense.
21. BBVA Compass Bowl: Pittsburgh vs Mississippi, Jan 5th 12:00 pm ESPN, These teams are just interesting and both have gotten much better over the course of the sesaon.
22. Military Bowl - Pres. By Northrop Grumman: San Jose State vs Bowling Green, Dec 27th 2:00 pm ESPN, I will probably regret putting this one so low, I admit to not know much about either team other than San Jose State gave Stanford a run for its money. I think this is a sneaky good game.
23. Franklin American Mortgage Music City Bowl: NC State vs Vanderbilt, Dec 31st 11:00 am ESPN, NC State lost to Tennessee and beat Florida State, Vanderbilt looked very good against South Carolina but had a stretch of far too big of beats versus good teams. This one should be fun.
24. Belk Bowl: Cincinnati vs Duke, Dec 27th 5:30 pm ESPN, Good for you Blue Devils fans, hopefully next year your bowl game will look more competative next season but yay Duke. Cincy was better than you think.
25. Russell Athletic Bowl: Rutgers vs Virginia Tech, Dec 28th 4:30 pm ESPN, This is fascinating because of the shit show that Va Tech has been this year and because Rutgers was much better than many thought in Flood's first year.
26. Beef 'O' Brady's Bowl St. Petersburg Bowl: UCF vs Ball State, Dec 21st 6:30 pm ESPN, Read description below (somehow ended up writing these from 35 up).
27. AutoZone Liberty Bowl: Iowa State vs Tulsa, Dec 31st 2:30 pm ESPN, I think this will be an adequate game between two adequate teams.
28. R+L Carriers New Orleans Bowl: East Carolina vs Louisian-Lafayette, Dec 22nd 11:00 am ESPN, Could be interesting as ULL was a thorn in the side of some very good teams this year. East Carolina isn't flashy and the Pirates are alright with that.
29. Heart of Dallas Bowl: Purdue vs Oklahoma State, Jan 1st 11:00 am ESPNU, Oklahoma State big in this one as Purdue was bad in a down Big Ten and Oklahoma State was surprisingly good ina good Big XII.
30. Meineke Car Care Bowl of Texas: Minnesota vs Texas Tech, Dec 28th 8:00 pm ESPN, I don't have much to say here, but Kliff Kingsburry is coming back to Lubbock. In the words of Clay Travis it isn't gay if it's Kliff Kingsburry.
31. Gilden New Mexico Bowl: Nevada vs Arizona, Dec 15th 12:00 pm ESPN, I may have this game ranked way too low in all fairness but when looking at this game I just can't stop the disinterest.
32. Sheraton Hawaii Bowl: Fresno State vs SMU, Dec 24th 7:00 pm ESPN, June Jones returns to Hawaii, Fresno is solid but SMU is sloppy.
33. Kraft Fight Hunger Bowl: Navy vs Arizona State, Dec 29th 3:00 pm ESPN2, Arizona State is just miles better than Navy and this should be a blowout by halftime.
34. Bell Hellicopter Armed Forces Bowl: Rice vs Air Force, Dec 29th 10:45 am ESPN, Why do this to yourself just catch up on your sleep between Christmas and New Years.
35. Little Caesars Bowl: WKU vs CMU, Dec 26th 6:30 pm ESPN, WKU is interesting with the Taggart loss and CMU is a 6-6 MAC team.
No comments:
Post a Comment