2011 New Years Day Bowls

TicketCity Bowl
     Texas Tech vs. Northwestern- Really? The Ticketcity Bowl is a New Years Day bowl game? (I can only imagine trying to explain how the bowl system works to my kids someday.) Northwestern wins in this game coming off of a disappointing season. They have not been the same team since the injury to their starting QB Dan Persa.

Capital One Bowl
     Alabama vs. Michigan State- As I have said before, this is the best non-BCS bowl game, bar none. One of three Big 10 Champions and last year's national champions take the field to help decide the Big 10 vs. SEC debate. Alabama has to still be hurt after how they lost to Auburn and MSU has to be a little let down after not being invited to a BCS bowl game. MSU Head Coach Mike D'Antonio comes from the Nick Saban coaching tree adding some spice to this match up. I see Alabama coming out strong and pulling out a win for their program and the SEC.

Outback Bowl
     Florida vs. Penn State- Urban Meyer vs. Joe Paterno... The most exciting storyline of the whole game is between the coaches. One coached dinosaurs and the other has had tremendous success early in his career, which appears to be over. I see Penn State pulling out a win because their offense is much more versatile than they are given credit. That is a tough statement for this SEC homer to say.

Gator Bowl
     Mississippi State vs. Michigan- Many people are writing off Michigan because Head Coach Rich Rodriguez's uncertain future in Ann Arbor. I am not quite ready to do that yet. Chances are he will be back next year, and the kids playing for him love their coach. Also Michigan QB Denard Robinson will be at full health for the first time since the beginning of the season. As long as he is not injured by the big boys from the SEC he could have a big day. State needs to stop him and limit turnovers to have success. This game will be closer than the experts think. State does these things and wins though, making their fans the most excited in the nation for a nine win season.

Rose Bowl
     TCU vs. Wisconsin- This year's Rose Bowl does not have the same amount of swagger as last year's national championship.  Who ever thought the day would come we would see TCU in the Rose Bowl? I do not think the Horned Frogs will enjoy their stay too much. Much has been made about the size of Wisconsin's offensive and defensive linemen. The fact is line play determines so much of the success of a team and that will stand true tomorrow, too. The Badgers wear out a smaller TCU.

Fiesta Bowl
     Connecticut vs. Oklahoma-  How about the job UConn Head Coach Randy Edsell has done with his Huskies, taking them from a D-IAA school to a BCS bowl game. On the other hand is a team that has experienced recent struggles in their BCS games, including a shot at a national championship. Oklahoma has a chance to exorcise their recent BCS bowl game demons against an inferior opponent. Here we will see experience win, and win big. Oklahoma rolls much like Florida, a much more BCS experienced team, did in last year's Sugar Bowl, dominating the Big East Conference champion, Cincinnati.

The 10 Bowls to See

It is here. The wait is over. As we get ready for one of the most exciting times of the year we all forget the mess that is the BCS, but can we agree it did what it was meant to do? Did it not put the top two teams in the nation in a bowl game? Granted, there are aspects that need attention, but those in charge of the BCS are working on those and open to change. Good or bad, we are stuck with the bowl system for now and here are the ten that I am looking forward to the most.

1. Tostitos BCS National Championship Game
No. 2 Oregon vs. No. 1 Auburn

 This one should be obvious as to why it is number one. The two best teams, best offenses, and players in the nation are all on one field. I think both offenses start off slow because of the layoff, but then the winner is the defense that can make one more stop than the other.

2. Allstate Sugar Bowl
No. 6 Ohio State vs. No. 8 Arkansas

  Two explosive quarterbacks going at one another. The Sugar Bowl pits a typical NFL style quarterback in Ryan Mallet versus the more mobile Terrelle Pryor. It will be interesting to see how Mallet can handle the number two defense and how the improved Arkansas can handle another mobile quarterback. Can OSU’s get past their losing streak, excuse me, beating streak by SEC teams?

3.Rose Bowl Game presented by VIZIO
No. 5 Wisconsin vs. No. 3 TCU

    It will be fun to see if TCU is as good as they think they are and prove that to the rest of the country. They have yet to win in all of their BCS bowl tries. They will get their chance against a huge, smash-mouth Wisconsin team whose play is described by their coach as “real American football.” 

4. Discover Orange Bowl
No. 4 Stanford vs. No. 13 Virginia Tech

    Though this game looks like a promising one, will anyone be at the Orange Bowl who is known for its bad attendance numbers. Again, here we have a match-up of two different types of quarterbacks. On one hand what looks like will the number one overall pick in April’s NFL draft and the other is a more mobile and winningest quarterback in Hokie history, Tyrod Taylor.

5. Capital One Bowl
No. 16 Alabama vs. No. 9 Michigan State

    Easily the best non-BCS game Alabama and Michigan State will meet on New Years Day. Alabama, who is still bitter about a loss in which they blew a 24 point lead, will try and go back to what has made them so good, a solid running game. On the opposite side of the field is a team which is bitter that they are not playing in a BCS game after sharing part of the Big 10 title. It’s always fun when the SEC and Big 10 get together.

6. AT&T Cotton Bowl
No. 10 LSU vs. No. 17 Texas A&M

      A team that is on the rise and has played extremely well since a tough loss to Arkansas will play a team that is coming off a loss to Arkansas that would have locked up a Sugar Bowl bid. The Jerry Dome will be rocking as both schools are close and travel well, not to mention that Jerry Jones, Arkansas alumni and member of of their 1964 National Championship team, will not be outdone as far as the environment goes.

7. Chick-fil-A Bowl
No. 20 South Carolina vs. No. 23 Florida State

    South Carolina has to go back to the site at which they were embarrassed by the number one team in the country. They will be taking on a team that is just not quite ready to be compared to the FSU teams of old. Jimbo has this team on the right track. Steve Spurrier needs this win or this season, though making it to the SEC Championship will end in disappointment as many of his seasons have.

8. Gator Bowl
No. 21 Mississippi State vs. Michigan

  Here again we have up and coming in MSU against a team with a “Rich” heritage in bowl games. Speaking of... Rodriguez will be fighting for his job and beating an SEC team would help his resume tremendously. The Bulldogs, however, couldn’t be happier with their coach as he is the envy of all programs head coach hunting.

9. AutoZone Liberty Bowl
Georgia vs. No. 25 UCF

 Really the only reason this game is of any real interest is one of UCF’s  starting wide receivers is from Rome, Georgia and gets a chance to play his home state team in front of many family members and friends. But seriously the UCF team is nothing to look past for the Bulldogs. They are a very talented team, maybe the second best in Florida this year. There is still a lot of pressure on Mark Richt, and losing this game would not help his cause.

10. Hyundai Sun Bowl
Notre Dame vs. Miami

   Criminals vs. Catholics... No it doesn’t have the same ring to it as it used to, but this game shows the state of college football right now. Miami and Notre Dame of today are not your dad’s Miami and Notre Dame. Winning this game will be a huge stepping point to get things back on track for the winner.