With tonight’s Poinsettia Bowl, the Bowl Season kicks off. Which to me means it’s officially the Holidays. For each bowl, I have picked the winner, and assigned each game a confidence rating of 1-32. The higher the number, the more confident I am in my pick. The rankings given reflect those of the last Cross Poll. Happy Bowling!
Poinsettia Bowl: Utah vs. Navy … Th, 12/20, 9:00 pm, ESPN
Pick: Utah … Confidence: 21
New Orleans Bowl: Florida Atlantic vs. Memphis … Fr, 12/21, 8:00 pm , ESPN2
Pick: Memphis … Confidence: 5
PapaJohn’s.com Bowl: Southern Miss vs. #19 Cincinnati … Sa, 12/22, 1:00 pm, ESPN2
Pick: Cincinnati … Confidence: 24
New Mexico Bowl: Nevada vs. New Mexico … Sa, 12/22, 4:30 pm, ESPN
Pick: New Mexico … Confidence: 18
Las Vegas Bowl: #15 Brigham Young vs. UCLA … Sa, 12/22, 8:00 pm, ESPN
Pick: BYU … Confidence: 26
Hawaii Bowl: #16 Boise State vs. East Carolina … Su, 12/23, 8:00 pm, ESPN
Pick: Boise State … Confidence: 28
Motor City Bowl: Purdue vs. Central Michigan … W, 12/26, 7:30 pm, ESPN
Pick: Purdue … Confidence: 32
Holiday Bowl: #13 Arizona State vs. #22 Texas … Th, 12/27, 8:00 pm, ESPN
Pick: Arizona State … Confidence: 6
Champs Sports Bowl: #12 Boston College vs. Michigan State … Fr, 12/28, 5:00 pm, ESPN
It has come down to this. What a wild season we’ve had in college football, and you have to admit that it has been exciting. From one week to the next, you don’t know what to expect, unless you expect upsets. Because this year it hasn’t been about whether upsets will occur but when they will happen. And now, if both teams can make it through this final weekend, we should be in for an improbable BCS Championship game between Missouri and West Virginia. While fans of traditional powers will whine about how weak their schedules were and how _____ team deserves a shot, if you’ve seen these two teams play, you know we’ll be in for an exciting game between two very good teams.
But first, they have to make it through this weekend. Can Missouri beat Oklahoma the second time around? Can West Virginia avoid this year’s curse of the #2 team by beating their most hated rival? It’s coming down to the wire, and all I know for sure is that we’re in for an exciting finish.
Now for the predictions.
I didn’t do as well last week as I have previously, going 11-7, including going 0-3 in Friday’s games, which brings my record for the year to 73-27. This week, I’m calling all the conference championship games along with The Cross Poll Top 30 games and the classic Army/Navy game.
Thursday Throwdown: Rutgers at Louisville, Thu., 11/29, 7:30 pm, ESPN … Everyone (or at least the 150 people in the world who have the NFL Network) will be watching tonight’s Dallas/Green Bay slugfest. But for college football aficionados, there’s this game between disappointing Big East teams. Normally, Louisville is tough to beat at home. But normally Louisville isn’t as bad as they are this year. … Rutgers 31, Louisville 24
MAC Championship: Miami (OH) vs. Central Michigan, Sat., 12/1, 11:00 am, ESPN2 ... The first of the conference championship games gets started in the AM. I don’t have a lot on this one; the last time I watched Miami play, their quarterback was named Ben. … Miami 31, CMU 32
Navy vs. Army, Sat., 12/1, 12:00 pm, CBS … For those of you who feel nostalgic, or just like a passionate rivalry game with very little national implication, you can’t get much better than Army/Navy. Except maybe Harvard/Yale. … Navy 39, Army 33
C-USA Championship: Tulsa at Central Florida, Sat., 12/1, 12:00 pm, ESPN ... The last time these teams met earlier this season, UCF won 44-23. I see little reason to expect a different outcome here. … Tulsa 29, UCF 41
ACC Championship: #8 Virginia Tech vs. #11 Boston College, Sat., 12/1, 1:00 pm, ABC ... When these two teams met in the regular season, Virginia Tech dominated Boston College for 55 minutes before losing on a last-second Matt Ryan touchdown toss. The Hokies will be looking for revenge, and I think they’ll get it. But then again, I picked them last time too. … Virginia Tech 20, Boston College 17
SEC Championship: #15 Tennessee vs. #5 LSU, Sat., 12/1, 4:00 pm, CBS … Wow. A conference championship that isn’t a repeat. What a novelty. LSU has tended to lose close games to worse teams this year, so Tennessee has a chance to make a BCS game if they can keep it close. But I don’t think they can. … Tennessee 21, LSU 34
UCLA at #10 USC, Sat., 12/1, 4:30 pm, ABC … UCLA hung 16 on Oregon last week, and I think they’ll do the same against USC. The only difference is I expect USC to do some scoring too. … UCLA 16, USC 33
#30 Oregon State at #22 Oregon, Sat., 12/1, 4:30 pm, ESPN2 … Remember when Oregon was the best team in the nation? It looks like they lost the best player in the nation, because they’ve been unable to do anything since Dennis Dixon went down. They’re at home here, but I think the Beavers will be able to handle the Ducks’ fourth-string quarterback, whatever his name is. … Oregon State 25, Oregon 21
#16 Brigham Young at San Diego State, Sat., 12/1, 6:30 pm, The MTN … This game was supposed to happen earlier in the year but got pushed back due to the San Diego wildfires. BYU should have a pretty easy time here. … BYU 33, SDSU 20
Pittsburgh at #2 West Virginia, Sat., 12/1, 7:45 pm, ESPN … The 100th installment of the Backyard Brawl. The line on this one is West Virginia by 28.5. If you want a safe bet, I would take Pitt here. Not that I don’t think West Virginia will win this one, because I believe they will, but I think Pitt will be fired up. And while they’ll lose big, they won’t lose that big. For West Virginia, it’s win and they’re in the national championship. Remember though that this is a nasty rivalry and it’s by no means a sure thing. … Pitt 18, West Virginia 38
Arizona at #13 Arizona State, Sat., 12/1, 8:00 pm, ESPN 2 … Apparently, the state of Arizona got the memo about in-state rivalry games a week late. Come on guys, get it together. … Arizona 27, Arizona State 30
Big 12 Championship: #9 Oklahoma vs. #1 Missouri, Sat., 12/1, 8:00 pm, ABC … Like West Virginia, for Missouri, it’s simple: win and they’re in. That’s easier said than done, however, because this is a strong Oklahoma team. And remember that earlier this year Oklahoma beat Missouri 41-31. Missouri has a lot riding on this game, and they come in with momentum. I just can’t believe it’s going to turn out any different than it did the first time. … Oklahoma 38, Missouri 32
Washington at #6 Hawaii, Sat., 12/1, 11:30 pm, ESPN2 … If I were the coach of a team not likely to make a bowl game, I would schedule a game at Hawaii in December too. Have a nice vacation, Huskies, but try to remember you’re playing a football game too. … Washington 25, Hawaii 42
Happy Thanksgiving. I went 17-5 last week, bringing my record for the year to 62-20. This week, I’m keeping it short and simple again. Also, this week, rather than the BCS rankings, I’m using the rankings I’ve developed in the Cross Poll. (Shameless plug.)
Thursday Throwdown: #12 USC at #6 Arizona State, Thu., 11/22, 8:00 pm, ESPN … The wacky Pac-10 race could get a little more wacky if USC knocks of the Sun Devils, creating a three-way tie with Oregon. … USC 25, ASU 22
Arkansas at #2 LSU, Fri., 11/23, 2:30 pm, CBS … Arkansas is underachieving this year. LSU is not. … Arkansas 25, LSU 38
#15 Texas at Texas A&M, Fri., 11/23, 3:30 pm, ABC … The first of several in-state rivalries this week. Usually a good game, but I don’t see the Aggies matching up well. … Texas 32, Texas A&M 24
#14 Boise State at #7 Hawaii, Fri., 11/23, 9:00 pm, ESPN2 … There’s a lot at stake in this one, including a possible BCS at-large berth. The Broncos have to travel to the island, but I think they’ll handle the trip well. … Boise State 30, Hawaii 28
#8 Virginia Tech at #16 Virginia, Sat., 11/24, 12:00 pm, ESPN 2 … Who is the best team in Virginia? Well, let’s see: losses to LSU and Boston College vs. losses to Wyoming and NC State. … Virginia Tech 22, Virginia 17
Miami (Fl) at #13 Boston College, Sat., 11/24, 12:00 pm, ESPN … Flutie Bowl! This one probably won’t require any last-second heroics. … Miami 17, BC 32
#24 South Florida at Pittsburgh, Sat., 11/24, 12:00 pm, GamePlan … Boy, Dave Wannstedt is really doing a great job with the Panthers, isn’t he? Maybe he should take the Michigan job. … USF 27, Pitt 18
#20 Tennessee at #29 Kentucky, Sat., 11/24, 1:30 pm, CBS … If a four-loss Kentucky team at home beats a three-loss Tennessee team, is it technically an upset? … Tennessee 29, Kentucky 32
Utah at #23 Brigham Young, Sat., 11/24, 2:00 pm CSTV/Versus/The MTN… Who is the best team in Utah? I honestly couldn't tell you. … Utah 22, BYU 21
#17 Connecticut at #4 West Virginia, Sat., 11/24, 3:30 pm, ABC/GamePlan … The de facto Big East championship game, and to the winner a likely BCS bid. For the Mountaineers, even more is riding on it because if they win out and either Kansas or LSU lose, they have a shot at the national championship. … UConn 17, WVU 30
#9 Georgia at Georgia Tech, Sat., 11/24, 3:30 pm, ABC/GamePlan … Who is the best team in Georgia? I came very close to taking the Rambling Wreck, but then I remembered how wrong I was the last time I bet against Georgia. … Georgia 26, Georgia Tech 23
#10 Oregon at UCLA, Sat., 11/24, 3:30 pm, ABC/GamePlan … Can the Ducks win without Dennis Dixon? It sure didn’t look like it last week. … Oregon 29, UCLA 22
Oklahoma State at #11 Oklahoma, Sat., 11/24, 3:30 pm, FSN … Who is the best team in Oklahoma? I’m not man enough to choose the Cowboys. …
Oklahoma St 28, Oklahoma 38
#30 Florida State at #18 Florida, Sat., 11/24, 5:00 pm, CBS … Who is the best team in Florida? Well, who would you rather have, Tim Tebow or whoever the Seminole quarterback is this week? …
Florida St 26, Florida 35
#25 Clemson at South Carolina, Sat., 11/24, 7:00 pm, ESPN2 … Who is the best team in South Carolina? Hopefully this one won’t make Lou Holtz cry. … Clemson 33, South Carolina 26
#22 Cincinnati at Syracuse, Sat., 11/24, 7:15 pm, ESPNU … The historic teams of the Big East (read: Syracuse and Pitt) are pathetic while the new guard (read: Cincinnati and South Florida) are dominating. Who saw this coming when Miami led the mutiny years ago? … Cincinnati 36, Syracuse 16
Alabama at #26 Auburn, Sat., 11/24, 8:00 pm, ESPN … Who is the best team in Alabama? Better question: Will anyone outside the state watch this one when there’s a much better game on ABC? … Alabama 19, Auburn 26
Game of the Week: #3 Missouri at #1 Kansas, Sat., 11/24, 8:00 pm, ABC … What are you doing Saturday night? If you like college football, you’re watching this game, probably polishing off some leftovers. I go back and forth on this one. One thing I know: there will be a lot of points scored. … Missouri 35, Kansas 38
I went 16-6 last week, bringing my record for the year to a nice, even 45-15. This week, I’m pressed for time, so I won’t make very long posts for each one. Keeping it short and simple. Also, this week, rather than the BCS rankings, I’m using the rankings I’ve developed in the Cross Poll. (Shameless plug.)
Thursday Throwdown: #3 Oregon at Arizona, Thu., 11/15, 9:00 pm, ESPN … The quack attack keeps rolling and makes it 2-0 against teams beginning with “Arizona.” … Oregon 34, Arizona 26
#9 Hawaii at Nevada, Fri., 11/16, 11:00 pm, ESPN2 … Watching Hawaii is like watching your alarm clock after you’ve hit snooze: you’re know it’s going to go off any minute now. … Hawaii 41, Nevada 28
Syracuse at #19 Connecticut, Sat., 11/17, 12:00 pm, ESPN2 … Syracuse is averaging 15.9 points per game. UConn is giving up 15.0 points per game. Gee, I wonder how much Syracuse will score? … Syracuse 15, UConn 39
Florida Atlantic at #20 Florida, Sat., 11/17, 12:00 pm, GamePlan … Dear Florida Atlantic, welcome to the party. Here’s your door prize. Sincerely, the Florida school in the top 25. … FAU 22, Florida 41
Northwestern at #21 Illinois, Sat., 11/17, 12;00 pm, ESPN … Is there a rule that if you’re a BCS program from Illinois you have to wear purple? … Northwestern 25, Illinois 35
#8 Ohio State at #24 Michigan, Sat., 11/17, 12:00 pm, ABC … Who makes the long trip to Pasadena this year? Everyone will be watching this one, but after last week, it’s just not as sexy. … Ohio State 23, Michigan 21
#26 Kentucky at #11 Georgia, Sat., 11/17, 12:30 pm, LFS/Gameplan … In the eternal struggle between cats and dogs, always go dogs. Unless it’s a labradoodle, and then you need to man up and not let your girlfriend choose your pets. … Kentucky 29, Georgia 39
#5 Missouri at Kansas State, Sat., 11/17, 12:30 pm, FSN … Battles of cat vs. cat are a little trickier though. But who would you choose, the tiger or the wildcat? That’s what I thought. Keep in mind, however, how Kansas State humiliated Texas a few weeks ago. … Missouri 40, Kansas State 30
#30 Mississippi State at Arkansas, Sat., 11/17, 2:00 pm … Darren McFadden will probably run for 300 yards again, and Arkansas will probably still lose. But, then again, probably not. … Mississippi State 18, Arkansas 28
Idaho at #14 Boise State, Sat., 11.17, 2:00 pm, GamePlan … Oh no! SmurfTurf! Save your eyes, change the channel, quickly. … Idaho 20, Boise State 40
Vanderbilt at #22 Tennessee, Sat., 11/17, 2:00 pm, GamePlan … Vandy usually plays the Vols tough. But they’ll always be the little brother. … Vanderbilt 21, Tennessee 30
#27 Brigham Young at Wyoming, Sat., 11/17, 2:00 pm, The Mtn … I have to admit that I haven’t seen either of these teams play this year. There, I said it. You can question my fanhood. … BYU 26, Wyoming 20
Iowa State at #1 Kansas, Sat., 11/17, 3:30 pm, ABC/GamePlan … And I felt weird about ranking Kansas #2 last week. Raise your hand if you saw this in August. … Iowa St 20, Kansas 39
#25 Penn State at Michigan State, Sat., 11/17, 3:30 pm, ABC/ESPN … If both teams play up to standard, this one will essentially be a contest of who can avoid losing. … Penn St 26, Michigan St 25
#23 Wisconsin at Minnesota, Sat., 11/17, 3:30 pm, BigTen … Does anyone remember a few years ago when this game came down to the wire until Rhys Lloyd kicked that winning field goal, ran over to the sideline and grabbed Paul Bunyan’s axe? This one won’t be that dramatic. … Wisconsin 38, Minnesota 22
#2 LSU at Mississippi, Sat., 11/17, 3:30 pm, CBS … Speaking of dramatic, this one should be a barn-burner. … LSU 33, Ole Miss 19
Miami (FL) at #10 Virginia Tech, Sat., 11/17, 3:30 pm, ABC/GamePlan … This game will go a long way toward deciding who represents the Big East in the BCS. Oh, right. … Miami 15, VaTech 27
#29 California at Washington, Sat., 11/17, 3:30 pm, ABC/GamePlan … Boy, I sure hope this one is playing on my local ABC station. Aw shucks! … Cal 34, Washington 22
#7 West Virginia at #18 Cincinnati, Sat., 11/17, 7:45 pm, ESPN … Ohio State/Michigan is going to get all the hype, but this game is almost as important in deciding BCS berths. The Big East will likely come down to West Virginia or Connecticut, but Cincinnati could easily play spoiler here like the did for UConn last week, and South Florida before. … WVU 28, Cincinnati 24
#17 Boston College at #13 Clemson, Sat., 11/17, 7:45 pm, ESPN2 … Can the Eagles right the ship after two straight losses? And can they do it against a surging Clemson team? … BC 21, Clemson 29
Louisville at #28 South Florida, Sat., 11/17, 8:00 pm, ESPNU … Likewise for South Florida. Minus the “surging” part, which I would not use to describe Louisville this year, even though they played West Virginia tough last week. … Louisville 23, USF 31
#4 Oklahoma at Texas Tech, Sat., 11/17, 8:00 pm, ABC … I picked Texas Tech last week, and they let me down. In the immortal words of our illustrious president, “Fool me once, shame on you. Fool me twice, won’t get fooled again.” … Oklahoma 35, Texas Tech 34
Thursday Throwdown: Louisville at #7 West Virginia, Thu., 11/08, 7:30 pm, ESPN. … What happened here? This should have been a prime time game between the two best programs in the Big East in front of a national audience. Instead, that national audience will get to watch the Mountaineers roll over Louisville’s pathetic defense. Expect Slaton, White, Reynaud, and Schmitt to go nuclear. … Louisville 23, West Virginia 38
Wake Forest at #21 Clemson, Sat., 11/10, 12:00 pm, ESPN2. … This should be a close game between two mid-level ACC schools. Don’t expect a lot of fireworks, though. … Wake Forest 21, Clemson 28
#12 Michigan at Wisconsin, Sat., 11/10, 12:00 pm, ESPN. … Wisconsin’s coming off a bad beat last week, so they should be fired up here. Plus, they’re at home. And Michigan is Michigan. But I see the Wolverines running the table until the showdown with Ohio State. … Michigan 24, Wisconsin 21
#23 Penn State at Temple, Sat., 11/10, 12:00 pm, ESPNU. … How the hell is Penn State still ranked in the BCS? … Penn State 30, Temple 17
Texas A&M at #6 Missouri, Sat., 11/10, 12:30 pm, FSN. … I’m sure OSL will disagree with how many points I offer the Aggies here. Not that I expect it to be very close. … Texas A&M 24, Missouri 35
#22 Alabama at Mississippi State, Sat., 11/10, 12:30 pm, LFS/GamePlan. … The Bulldogs are a win away from bowl eligibility. But they won’t get it here. … Alabama 27, Mississippi State 20
Arkansas at #24 Tennessee, Sat., 11/10, 12:30 pm, LFS/GamePlan. … This is the second most interesting SEC game this week, and I see an upset in the works. However, I’m a little tired of the Heisman hype around McFadden. He may be the most explosive player in the game, but that hasn’t helped his team a whole lot this year. Get ranked, then we’ll talk. … Arkansas 33, Tennessee 27
#25 Kentucky at Vanderbilt, Sat., 11/10, 2:00 pm. … Let’s hope Kentucky’s football team learned something from their basketball team last night, and that they decide to actually show up. … Kentucky 31, Vanderbilt 26
#20 Boise State at Utah State, Sat., 11/10, 3:00 pm, GamePlan. … Boise State still isn’t getting much love, but that will change in a few weeks when they beat Hawaii. … Boise State 37, Utah State 21
#9 Arizona State at UCLA, Sat., 11/10, 3:30 pm, ABC/GamePlan. … Arizona State had their hearts broken last week, but they should rebound against a UCLA team that can’t decide who they are from one game to the next. … Arizona State 30, UCLA 20
Game of the Week: #18 Auburn at #10 Georgia, Sat., 11/10, 3:30 pm, CBS. … This one should be close down to the wire. I have a feeling it will be decided by less than a touchdown. The Dawgs are tough at home, but Auburn has the hunger here. … Auburn 23, Georgia 20
Upset Special: #13 Connecticut at Cincinnati, Sat., 11/10, 3:30 pm, ESPNU. … It’s a shame this game is stuck on ESPNU because it should be a fun one to watch. Connecticut, and not West Virginia, currently sit atop the Big East standings. But Cincinnati is the dark horse that no one seems to pay attention to. They should catch the Huskies unawares just like they caught South Florida napping last week. Their upcoming game against the Mountaineers should go a long way to deciding who comes out of this tight race. … Connecticut 18, Cincinnati 22
Florida State at #11 Virginia Tech, Sat., 11/10, 3:30 pm, ABC/GamePlan. … Florida State, the only team to beat Boston College, travels to Blacksburg to take on Virginia Tech, the last team to lose to Boston College. Don’t expect the Hokies to lose another home game. … Florida State 17, Virginia Tech 24
Illinois at #1 Ohio State, Sat., 11/10, 3:30 pm, ABC/ESPN. … The Buckeyes keep cruising along to their date against Michigan. Zook’s doing some good things at Illinois, but they don’t match up well in this one. … Illinois 16, Ohio State 28
Texas Tech at #14 Texas, Sat., 11/10, 3:30 pm, ABC/GamePlan. … Texas Tech is just waiting to catch one of the Big XII big boys napping, and Texas is poised for another upset. Should be an interesting day in Austin. … Texas Tech 28, Texas 26
Baylor at #5 Oklahoma, Sat., 11/10, 6:30 pm, FSN. … Oklahoma is a solid team, but I don’t think they are as powerful as some of the other one-loss teams, like LSU, Oregon, and maybe even West Virginia. That doesn’t mean Baylor stands a chance in this one. I’m just looking forward to an eventual championship against Kansas. … Baylor 17, Oklahoma 40
#19 Virginia at Miami (FL)., Sat., 11/10, 7:15 pm, ESPN2. … This is Miami’s last game against in the Orange Bowl. Too bad it’ll be a loss. … Virginia 22, Miami 21
#15 Florida at South Carolina, Sat., 11/10, 7:45 pm, ESPN. … Spurrier vs. Meyers. Both teams have been rather disappointing this season. But Florida must have the home addresses of all the poll voters to still be ranked so high. … Florida 35, South Carolina 31
#8 Boston College at Maryland, Sat., 11/10, 8:00 pm, ABC/GamePlan. … Boston College should rebound after losing to Florida State, and Maryland is a good team to do it against. … Boston College 27, Maryland 20
#17 USC at California, Sat., 11/10, 8:00 pm, ABC/GamePlan. … This is one of those moments I hate living on the East Coast. I would much rather watch this game than BC vs. Maryland. I’m taking USC here, but I will not be the least bit surprised if Cal pulls it off, especially in Berkley. … USC 28, California 21
#4 Kansas at Oklahoma State, Sat., 11/10, 8:00 pm, ABC/GamePlan. … Kansas keeps rolling, though they might not roll up 76 points again. … Kansas 34, Oklahoma State 20
Fresno State at #16 Hawaii, Sat., 11/10, 11:00 pm, ESPN2. … Hawaii is going to lose. They won’t end up busting the BCS. However, while Fresno is going to play them close, I don’t think this will be the week the Warriors go down. Fresno has to make the long flight to the islands. … Fresno State 25, Hawaii 37
