College football bowl season is about to begin.
Have we told you how much we love the bowl season? Starting next weekend, we will have 34 bowl games in 20 days. This truly is the most wonderful time of the year (ding dong … ding dong).
This is the 12th year of the Bowl Championship Series. This is the first time in 12 years that all of the BCS bowl slots are filled by the top 10 teams in the final standings. (In the first eight years of the BCS, there were only eight slots.) Nobody has a legitimate beef that they deserve to be in a BCS bowl. And I think, by and large, we have four – maybe five – pretty good match-ups.
I will have my picks on the first portion of the bowls next week. Here are some thoughts on the various BCS bowls.
* Rose Bowl at Pasadena, Calif.: Ohio State (10-2) vs. Oregon (10-2), Jan. 1, 5 p.m. (ABC) – This is OSU’s eighth BCS appearance in 12 years – the most of any school in the country. But the Buckeyes have lost their last three bowl games and are clearly the underdog. If OSU can contain the Oregon running game, the Buckeyes should have a good shot.
* Sugar Bowl at New Orleans: Florida (12-1) vs. Cincinnati (12-0), Jan. 1, 8:30 p.m. (FOX) – Cincinnati will be without head coach Brian Kelly, who jumped at the chance to become the new coach at Notre Dame. West Virginia went through something similar two years ago when Rich Rodriguez bolted for Michigan. The Mountaineers stunned Oklahoma in the Fiesta Bowl that year. How enthused will Florida be since the Gators missed a shot at the national title?
* Fiesta Bowl at Glendale, Ariz.: TCU (12-0) vs. Boise State (13-0), Jan. 4, 8 p.m. (FOX) – This is a rematch from last year’s Poinsettia Bowl, where TCU knocked off unbeaten Boise State 17-16. This is Boise’s second BCS bid, while it will be TCU’s first. Some are upset that these two teams don’t get a shot at one of the big boys, but last year’s game was a classic and this one should be, too.
* Orange Bowl at Miami: Iowa (10-2) vs. Georgia Tech (11-2), Jan. 5, 8 p.m. (FOX) – This could be another neat game. Can Iowa contain Georgia Tech’s impressive option running game? Will injured quarterback Ricky Stanzi be able to get back for this one?
* BCS National Championship Game at Pasadena, Calif.: Alabama (13-0) vs. Texas (13-0), 8 p.m. (ABC) – Texas is going for its first national title since it defeated USC at the 2006 Rose Bowl (41-38). Alabama is after its first national title since defeating Miami (Fla.) at the 1993 Sugar Bowl (34-13). Alabama is the clear favorite after it dismantled Florida in the SEC title game. But don’t sleep on Texas and QB Colt McCoy.
The winning coach in this game – either Texas’ Mack Brown or Alabama’s Nick Saban – will join Florida’s Urban Meyer as the only coaches to win two BCS national title games. Saban won one previously with LSU at the 2004 Sugar Bowl. Saban would also be the first coach to lead two different teams to BCS national titles.
In addition to Ohio State and Iowa, five other Big Ten teams will be in postseason play. After a 1-6 whitewashing a year ago for the conference, even a 3-4 bowl record would be cause for celebration this year. Here is a look at the other Big Ten bowl match-ups:
* Champs Sports Bowl at Orlando, Fla.: Miami (Fla.) (9-3) vs. Wisconsin (9-3), Dec. 29, 8 p.m. (ESPN) –Wisconsin has lost four of its last six bowl appearances, including last year’s loss to Florida State in this bowl. This ought to be a very competitive game, but I would lean to Miami right now.
* Insight Bowl at Tempe, Ariz.: Minnesota (6-6) vs. Iowa State (6-6), Dec. 31, 6 p.m. (NFL Network) – Minnesota goes bowling for the second time in three years under Tim Brewster, which isn’t bad after his 1-11 first season two years ago. I have no idea what to think about this match-up.
* Outback Bowl at Tampa, Fla.: Northwestern (8-4) vs. Auburn (7-5), Jan. 1, 11 a.m. (ESPN) – Northwestern is 1-8 in bowls with the lone win coming in the 1949 Rose Bowl. Meanwhile, the Tigers have won five of their last six bowls. But for some reason, I like Northwestern’s chances here.
* Capital One Bowl at Orlando, Fla.: Penn State (10-2) vs. LSU (9-3), Jan. 1, 1 p.m., (ABC) – Penn State is 23-11-1 in bowls under Joe Paterno. LSU is 10-2 in bowls since 1995 and have won four straight. The schools’ only previous meeting was in the 1974 Orange Bowl (a 16-9 Penn State win). I like Penn State here.
* Alamo Bowl at San Antonio: Michigan State (6-6) vs. Texas Tech (8-4), Jan. 2, 9 p.m. (ESPN) – MSU could be without several key players due to suspensions for an off-the-field incident. That doesn’t bode well for the Spartans, who have lost seven of their last nine bowl appearances. This is Texas Tech’s 10
th consecutive bowl appearance and the Red Raiders have won five of the last seven. I can’t see MSU winning this one.
