My Super Sweet End of Year Bowl Preview Spectacular (Part 1)

Since my last post was pretty much by college football preview, I figured that almost 4 months later, I should at least wrap up the 2010 season. I'm so considerate like that. So sit back and enjoy My Super Sweet End of the Year Bowl Preview Spectacular. I can't promise the spectacular, but I will try. Listed is the date of the game, the name of the bowl, network and kickoff time. I will give you my pick and my expert analysis. Because let's not forget, I am an expert.

Because there are a whopping 35 bowl games (which btw is so ridiculous it's not even funny) this will be a 2 parter. So here we go with Part 1:

Saturday December 18

New Mexico Bowl: ESPN 2:00 Albuquerque, N.M.
BYU vs UTEP (The Pick: BYU - 20 UTEP - 10)
Analysis: Well, the bowl season has to start somewhere. So I guess this is it. BYU showed a lot of guts to rebound from their awful start. They win one on their way out of the Mountain West and into the land of Independents. Joseph Smith would be proud. As would his many wives...

Humanitarian Bowl: ESPN 5:30 Boise, Idaho
Northern Illinois vs Fresno State (Fresno - 21 Northern Illinois - 17)
Oh my sweet God who decided this game needed to be played! If anyone outside of Fresno or Northern family members watch this game, I will be shocked. I'll take Fresno just because the game is on the West Coast. Gag me...

New Orleans Bowl: ESPN 9:00 Duh, New Orleans, LA
Ohio vs Troy (Troy - 38 Ohio - 17)
Another clunker, but at least this one takes place in one of my favorite cities. It is also the site of my upcoming honeymoon. So nothing too bad to say here. Troy runs a nasty spread and will out-athlete Ohio all over the field. And my rule of thumb: When in doubt, choose the team from the South...

Tuesday December 21

Beef 'O' Brady's St. Petersburg Bowl: ESPN 8:00 St. Petersburg, FL
Southern Miss vs Louisville (Southern Miss - 24 Louisville - 10)
Picking Southern Miss in this game because Louisville just doesn't have the horses on offense to get it done. Yet. Charlie Strong has done a great job in starting a turnaround in Louisville and in a couple of years, the Cardinals will be back to being a force. That man can absolutely recruit with the best of them, and if the culture change around there is any indication, Louisville won't be back in a crummy bowl like this one anytime soon...

Wednesday December 22

MAACO Las Vegas Bowl: ESPN 8:00 Las Vegas, NV
Boise State vs Utah (Boise State - 52 Utah - 20)
Talk about a kick in the nuts. Two weeks ago, we were talking about Boise in a BCS game. And now after being stunned in overtime by Nevada, Boise plays in the 5th bowl game of the season and will be an afterthought before Christmas. It's a damn shame because this team deserved better. I don't think they were BCS title game worthy, but this is a hell of a team. And they will prove it when they blitzkrieg Utah, who is playing their final game before heading to the Pac-10 (Pac-12?). Kellen Moore is legit and I just hope America watches...


Thursday December 23

Poinsettia Bowl: ESPN 8:00 San Diego, CA
Navy vs San Diego St. (Navy - 35 San Diego St. - 20)
I am actually somewhat interested in this game. Not really interested enough to watch it, but I will care about the outcome. I saw Navy steamroll ECU earlier this year and if San Diego St. isn't careful, it could happen again. Navy will win it, but I love the job Brady Hoke has done at San Diego St. And playing in their home town will help the Aztecs. But Navy has a huge San Diego following as well (thank you Tom Cruise and Top Gun)...

Friday December 24

Sheraton Hawaii Bowl: ESPN 8:00 Honolulu, HI
Hawaii vs Tulsa (Hawaii - 45 Tulsa - 38)
If you are anything like me, you will be clamoring to avoid family interaction on Christmas Eve. This is your out clause and it is a great one! Not many people will pay attention, but 2 of the most explosive offenses in the country will be going head to head in an island shootout. Last team with the ball wins. As is usually the case in Honolulu...

Sunday December 26

Little Caesars Bowl: ESPN 8:30 Detroit, MI
Florida International vs Toledo (FIU - 38 Toledo - 24)
I wouldn't watch this game for all the free Little Caesars pizza in the world. We can only pray the Packers-Giants game gets flexed to Sunday night, or like Elvis once said, it will be a Blue (Day After) Christmas...

Monday December 27 

AdvoCare V100 Independence: ESPN2 5:00 Shreveport, LA
Air Force vs Georgia Tech (Air Force - 28 Georgia Tech - 24)
In what may be the fastest of all bowl games, the nations #1 and #2 ranked rushing offenses square off in what is sure to be frigid Shreveport. For some reason i have always liked this bowl game. It will be a nice appetizer for...

Tuesday December 28

Champs Sports Bowl: ESPN 6:30 Orlando, FL
N.C. State vs West Virginia (N.C. State - 38 West Virginia - 28)
The state of North Carolina's bowl season begins with the Wolfpack facing the Mountaineers in a game that is much bigger for NCSU than WVU. The Pack comes out firing early and build a comfortable lead and cruise home with the W in Russell Wilson's last game. State fans will be happy to see Wilson go so they can slide back to mediocrity behind they over-hyped arm of Mike Glennon. But just remember, it will always be Wilson's fault...

Insight Bowl: ESPN 10:00 Tempe, AZ
Missouri vs Iowa (Iowa - 24 Missouri - 21)
In a game that the Falk brothers will surely stay up for, a fantastic Big 10 vs Big 12 match up takes place. Missouri is coming off one of it's best seasons while the Hawkeyes look to stop the late season bleeding on what had been a very promising year. I may have to join the Falks in viewing this one. Iowa wins on a late field goal...

Wednesday December 29

Military Bowl: ESPN 2:30 Washington, D.C.
East Carolina vs Maryland (ECU - 45 Maryland - 42)
Ruffin McNeil brings the undermanned Pirates to the Nation's Capital to take on a pissed of Maryland team that had hopes of a bigger bowl after knocking N.C. State out of the ACC Championship Game. Maryland has a talent advantage and the ACC pedigree, but the Pirates will have a month to get healthy and a month for Lincoln Riley to throw some new wrinkles into the playbook. Look for a focused Purple and Gold group to come out attacking early and then hang on in a wild finish as the Pirates end a great 2010 with a bowl win and a building block to McNeil's future...

Texas Bowl: ESPN 6:00 Houston, TX
Baylor vs Illinois (Baylor - 31 Illinois - 20)
Ladies and gentlemen, meet Robert Griffin. The Baylor Bears are back in a bowl game for the first time since 1995 and they look to take full advantage of the opportunity. Griffin is a special talent that you have to see to believe and he will make believers out of the Fighting Zooks from Champagne...

Valero Alamo Bowl: ESPN 9:15 San Antonio, TX
Arizona vs Oklahoma State (Arizona - 38 Oklahoma State - 31)
Justin Blackmon is the best wide receiver in college football. But the one thing he is not? He is not from Rocky Mount. Arizona's Travis Cobb is. Advantage - Cobb. Win - Arizona. This will be a VERY fun game to watch...

Thursday December 30

Armed Forces Bowl: ESPN Noon Dallas, TX
Army vs SMU (SMU - 17 Army - 13)
Not a lot to this one, but it's always nice to see a program with the proud tradition of Army back in a bowl game. It's not Red Blake with his Heisman Trophy winners, but it's a hell of a lot better than those 1-11 Army teams we have seen recently. But SMU is at home and that will be the final factor. But Army still has the best fight song ever...

New Era Pinstripe Bowl: ESPN 3:20 Bronx, NY
Kansas State vs Syracuse (Syracuse - 20 Kansas State - 10)
K-State will be so busy trying to find an escape route from the hell hole known as The Bronx that football will be the farthest thing from their minds. Who in their right mind would put a meaningless college football game in The Bronx and have a start time to where the game will not end before dark? I have been to The Bronx twice. In broad daylight. And I was terrified. No thanks...

Music City Bowl: ESPN 6:40 Nashville, TN
North Carolina vs Tennessee (Tennessee - 23 UNC - 21)
Tennessee stormed back from a 2-6 start to secure a bowl berth in Derek Dooley's first season at the helm. Their reward: a North Carolina team that UT dropped from the schedule to try and avoid. No avoiding them here. Tennessee has really grown up over the last month. North Carolina has shown great resolve in a season that began with so much promise, yet crumbled under NCAA investigations. I'm giving Tennessee the win on home soil. But it's a coin toss...

Holiday Bowl: ESPN 10:00 San Diego, CA
Nebraska vs Washington (Nebraska - 38 Washington - 10)
Remember when these two met in in September? You can bet Jake Locker does. He completed 4 of 20 passes and had 2 picks. Locker will play better, but Washington doesn't have the horses to hang with the Huskers. Nebraska waves so long to the Big 12 with a dominating performance...

That concludes Part 1 of My Super Sweet End of the Year Bowl Preview Spectacular! Check back Friday morning for Part 2 including the BCS bowls and more of my fantastic analysis...