Month: December 2008

Yesterday was another .500 day. Hopefully today I can finally push back forward. Most of today’s games, with the exception of the Sun Bowl (who wants to watch Pac-10/Big East crap) are fairly entertaining. Should be a fun day of football, boozing, and hopefully a chance to get laid to bring in the New Year!

Bell Helicopter Armed Forces Bowl: Houston (7-5, 6-2 C-USA) vs. Air Force (8-4, 5-3 MWC). The Cougars are favored by 3.5, but I love watching the Falcons run the option. I think I want Air Force to win, but I am going to go with Houston.

Sun Bowl: Oregon St (8-4, 7-2 Pac-10) vs. #20 Pittsburgh (9-3, 5-2 Big East). Yuck! The Beavers are favored by 2, but the Panthers are actually the ranked team. Go figure. Big East football sucks eggs, so Oregon St. is the pick.

Gaylord Hotels Music City Bowl: #24 Boston College (9-4, 5-3 ACC) vs. Vanderbilt (6-6, 4-4 SEC). I think I was 12 the last time the Commodores made a Bowl trip, and I am pretty sure my dad was 12 the last time they actually won a Bowl game. How can you not pull for Vanderbilt? They get 3.5 in this one, so go Commodores!

Chick-Fil-A Bowl: LSU (7-5, 3-5 SEC) vs. #14 Georgia Tech (9-3, 5-3 ACC). This one is tough. As a UGA fan I cannot stand the Bumble Bees; they are giving up 4 to the Tigers. How can I go with an ACC team over the SEC? The Tigers do not want to make the trip to ATL, and the Ramblin Wreck is just happy to finally make some progress. I hate doing this, but the Yellow Jackets are the pick.

In continued protest of Charter and the NFL Network not playing nice, I am going to take the Insight Bowl off the board, but I am pulling for Kansas (7-5, 4-4 Big 12) to beat the snot out of Minnesota (7-5, 3-5 Big Ten). Not because I think Kansas is all that, but because I have an absolute dislike for Big Ten football.

Record to date: 8-8.

Yesterday I went .500. North Carolina St. kept Rutgers out of the endzone in the closing minutes, and while Missouri got the win, they did not cover. So today we get another helping of three games, but two of the three are some what interesting match-ups. Too bad I do not have the NFL Network; no Texas Bowl for me.

Roady’s Humanitarian Bowl: Maryland (7-5, 4-4 ACC) vs. Nevada (7-5, 5-3 WAC). They should have just called this one the “We want some teams to play on the blue field bowl.” OK, not very clever, but neither is the match-up. As much as the ACC sucks, I cannot believe that a WAC team is giving up 1.5 points. I am taking the turtles and the points.

Pacific Life Holiday Bowl: #13 Oklahoma St (9-3, 5-3 Big 12) vs. #17 Oregon (9-3, 7-2 Pac-10). This one is interesting to me because next year Georgia opens up on the road against the Cowboys. The pokes are giving up 2.5, but I expect them to win by 9. Should be an entertaining game.

In protest of Charter and the NFL Network not playing nice, I am going to take the Texas Bowl off the board, but I am pulling for Rice (9-3, 7-1 C-USA) to beat Western Michigan (9-3, 6-2 MAC)

Record to date: 7-7.

Another day, two more games. At least the night game is somewhat interesting.

Papajohns.com Bowl: North Carolina St (6-6, 4-4 ACC) vs. Rutgers (7-5, 5-2 Big East). I doubt I will match much of this one. I mean, what is the point? A Big East vs. ACC pairing is just not very inspiring, especially when it is so beautiful outside. I am going to take the Wolfpack and the points (6.5).

Valero Alamo Bowl:
#21 Missouri (9-4, 5-3 Big 12) vs. #23 Northwestern (9-3, 5-3 Big Ten). I think the Tigers will win, but 12.5 points is a lot to give up to the Wildcats. I say the Big Ten sucks, so I am going to stick with the Tigers in a ran away victory.

Record to date: 6-6.

Ouch. Scored a skunk yesterday, going 0-3, which is further proof (as if I needed any) that I do not need to wager anything on college football games.

Today we get the Independence Bowl: Northern Illinois (6-6, 5-3 MAC) vs. Louisiana Tech (7-5, 5-3 WAC). Is anyone actually going to watch this against the Denver/San Diego game in the same time slot? That is what I thought, but I said I would pick ’em, so I am taking one for the team. The Huskies are giving up 1 to the Bulldogs, so I am going to take the point and go with the underdog. Why not?

Record to date: 5-6.

Owls, Chippewas … who really gives a rat’s ass? So the Chppewas did not cover and lost the game to boot, which takes me to 5-3. There is always today’s not so delicious serving of bowl games. The agony! These games suck!

Meineke Car Care Bowl: West Virginia (8-4, 5-2 Big East) vs. North Carolina (8-4, 4-4 ACC). Who do you pick if you think the Big East sucks on the same level as the ACC? I am going with the Tar Heels and the 1.5 they are getting from the Mountaineers.

Champs Sports Bowl: Wisconsin (7-5, 3-5 Big Ten) vs. Florida St (8-4, 5-3 ACC). Would you believe the payout for this one is $2.125 million? Of the three games today, this one may be the most interesting match-up, but I do not care much for the Big Ten, and well, the ACC sucks. I do not like the line at all; Seminoles are giving up 5.5 to the Badgers. I think the Seminoles win by 3, but fail to cover, so begrudgingly Wisconsin is the pick.

Emerald Bowl: Miami (FL) (7-5, 4-4 ACC) vs. California (8-4, 6-3 Pac-10). Another post Christmas suckfest. I am going to go with California, even if they are laying 8 to Miami.

Notre Dame helped me right the ship and recover from a two game skid. My record against the spread is now 5-2, but today we have a stinker of a game to pick.

Motor City Bowl: Florida Atlantic (6-6, 4-3 S. Belt) vs. Central Michigan (8-4, 6-2 MAC). The Chippewas are favored by 7 and I am really struggling with this one. I think they will win, but giving up 7 is a lot. Their 4 losses were to good teams: at Georgia (#2 at the time), at Purdue, Ball State (#17 at the time), and Eastern Michigan. The Owls dropped 3 of their 6 games in the Sun Belt. Not so good. Holding my nose … Central Michigan is the pick.

Hope everyone had a safe and happy Christmas. Santa was pretty good from me, bringing me a smorgasbord of goodies. Everything from some airgun accessories (targets, pellets, and a Straight Shooters Gift Certificate), the Hardball Times 2009 Annual, a Texas Longhorns Sweatshirt, and 2009 Falcons season tickets. Heck, Santa even left a case of Yuengling. Does it get any better?

Merry Christmas!

Not sure if I can say it any better than Linus Van Pelt …

Charlie Brown: Isn’t there anyone who knows what Christmas is all about?

Linus Van Pelt: Sure, Charlie Brown, I can tell you what Christmas is all about.

Linus Van Pelt: “And there were in the same country shepherds abiding in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night. And lo, the angel of the Lord came upon them, and the glory of the Lord shone round about them: and they were sore afraid. And the angel said unto them, ‘Fear not: for behold, I bring unto you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people. For unto you is born this day in the City of David a Savior, which is Christ the Lord. And this shall be a sign unto you; Ye shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger.’ And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host, praising God, and saying, ‘Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men.'”

Linus Van Pelt: That’s what Christmas is all about, Charlie Brown.

And there you have it. Merry Christmas!

So TCU took care of business last night against Boise St. 17-16 in the Poinsettia Bowl. I picked the Horned Frogs and they were giving up 3 to the Broncos, so this is my first pick this year where I got the team right, but they did not cover. Picking against the spread sucks.

I am now 4-2 the Bowl season with another crap game to pick tonight. Sheraton Hawaii Bowl: Hawaii (7-6, 5-3 WAC) vs. Notre Dame (6-6, 4-2 home). The Irish are favored by 1.5 … and they really, really need a win to give them a smidgen of dignity. So against better judgment, I am going to pick Notre Dame. Maybe they can win one for Rudolph.

Last week I more or less bragging about the great Southern winter weather. Mid 70’s in December? Are you kidding me? Then the weather quickly turned for the colder; much colder. As in the upper 20’s for the low. Good grief!

This Christmas Eve we are going to be back up to the low 70’s with rain. Crazy talk for sure.

Then one foggy Christmas Eve
Santa came to say:
“Rudolph with your nose so bright,
won’t you guide my sleigh tonight?”

Wishing you and yours a very Merry Christmas Eve!

Thanks to Troy, I am 4-1 this Bowl season. Which brings us to tonight’s solid match up (seriously). A little something called the San Diego County Credit Union Poinsettia Bowl features (9) Boise St (12-0, 8-0 WAC) vs. (11) TCU (10-2, 7-1 MWC). Give me some of those Horn Frogs. This will be a high scoring game, and I am probably foolish to not go with the 3 that the Broncos are getting.