Here's what's most awesome about 35 college bowl games, the picks we get to make. It's fun to look at games like the Beef 'O' Grady Bowl and wisely ponder the strengths and weaknesses of Louisville and Southern Miss and then close your eyes and pick the team with best mascot or the one you have some tangential tie to. My neighbor's third cousin is from Tennessee which is next to Kentucky so therefor I am going with the Cardinals. That's not exactly a true story but there's no reason it couldn't be. With that stirring introduction, here's a quick preview of these two bowl games and your predictions for each.
St. Petersburg Beef 'O' Brady Bowl
Louisville vs. Southern Miss
Tuesday, Dec. 21 @ 8pm ET (ESPN)
There is simply no amount of mocking the "Beef 'O' Brady Bowl" that would be too much. It's a shame these two fine teams who combined to lose 10 games and represent the best something college football has to offer are forced to play under the worst sponsor moniker conceivable.
OK, that's not completely true. The AR Portable Toilets Bowl would probably be worse. Or the AIG Government Bailout Bowl. Worst yet would be the Waste Management Open...err Bowl.
Here's more on the actual game which features the Cardinals at a 2.5-point favorite with the total point line set at 57 (via SB Nation.com).
The Cardinals, in the inaugural season of first-year head coach Charlie Strong, finished 6-6, third from the bottom of the Big East, and are the conference's last bowl-eligible team. A tough out-of-conference schedule for a Big Six school helped do them in -- two of the losses came to in-state rival Kentucky in Week 1 and then-No. 25 Oregon State in Week 3. Of their four conference losses, only the Pitt game was a decisive one (20-3). All the rest (to Cincinnati, South Florida, and West Virginia) came by a margin of eight points or less. Louisville closed out the season on a pleasant and eligibility-securing note, in a laughable 40-13 road win over Rutgers.
The Golden Eagles recorded an 8-4 2010 season, but being a mid-major, this is their lot. Their four losses were neatly spaced over three months, including a nasty spill against future division champ South Carolina in Week 1, and shootout defeats against East Carolina and UAB. The final stumble was a 56-50 loss to Tulsa in their last regular-season game. The Golden Eagles finished second in C-USA East, behind overall conference champs Central Florida.
Prediction via your picks:
Your picks are tracking nicely with what the Vegas odds-makers think with 51% picking the 2.5-point favorite, Louisville. Either you guys are really smart or you basically just followed the betting line. Either way, good job!
MAACO Las Vegas Bowl
Boise St. vs. Utah
Wednesday, Dec. 22 @ 8pm ET (ESPN)
Poor Boise St has to go from being a potential BCS National Title snub to playing Utah in the freaking Las Vegas Bowl all thanks to a missed field goal. Oh the humanity!
On paper this looks like it might actually be a decent game between the 11-1 Broncos and the 10-2 Utes but Vegas doesn't think so. They set the line at a whopping 17-points for Boise St. and are predicting a shootout in the process with a game total of 60.5, which actually feels kind of low.
More on the game (via SB Nation.com).
The Utes came into this season highly touted, but after eight straight wins out of the gate took two highly public stumbles in a row, getting beaten badly by Notre Dame and utterly annihilated by TCU. They won out with victories over San Diego State and BYU, but are frankly lucky to be ranked given how voters feel about non-AQ teams.
The Broncos, of course, were gunning for yet another undefeated season themselves and harbored legitimate national title aspirations, but fell in double overtime to conference foe Nevada over Thanksgiving weekend. It'll be a short trip for both teams to Sam Boyd Stadium on December 22.
Prediction via your picks:
Shockingly only 6 percent of the picks are in favor of the Utes. Obviously, you people haven't read the story of Little Big Horn. Hint, the Native Americans kicked ass.
Predictions update:
We've had three bowl games so far and you guys have a 1-1 record with the crowd being absolutely correct in picking the BYU Cougars to beat the tar out of UTEP and screwing the pooch by picking the Fresno Bulldogs to beat the Northern Illinois Huskies. "Screwing the pooch"...Bulldogs and Huskies...ROTFLMAO.
Yes, there were three games but due to an administrative oversight, the New Orleans Bowl was left off the picks survey. Before you get all high-and-mighty about our f--k up, let me point out that over a hundred people made picks and not one of you noticed either. So piss off...and Happy Holidays!!