Or the Happy New Year Edition! Yesterday was a banner day, as I got 3 out of 4 picks correct, moving me back over .500 for the first time in a while. Thanks to Houston for covering, Oregon St. squeaking by in a (good grief) 3-0 game, and congratulations to Vanderbilt for winning a bowl game for the first time in pretty much forever. The one game I lost, begrudgingly taking the Bumble Bees over the LSU Tigers, restored my faith in the SEC. Thanks to the Tigers for beating the shit out of Tech!
Today gives us a tasty serving of games to go with black-eye peas, thick chops on the grill, and a bunch of cold ones. Let’s get down to business!
Outback Bowl: South Carolina (7-5, 4-4 SEC) vs. Iowa (8-4, 5-3 Big Ten). Are you kidding? Hawkeyes are favored by 3.5 over one of the more piss poor SEC teams to land a Bowl game? Iowa is not Georgia Tech, so don’t expect me to go on a run against SEC teams. The Fighting Chickens are the pick.
Gator Bowl: Nebraska (8-4, 5-3 Big 12) vs. Clemson (7-5, 4-4 ACC). I am sorry but Big 12/ACC match-ups are just not very compelling. The ACC sucks (see Georgia Tech last night in Bowl formally known as The Peach Bowl), but Nebraska is luck to get out of the cold and visit the Sunshine State. The Tigers are laying 2.5 to the Corn Huskers (WTF kind of nickname is that?). I cannot stand Clemson, but those farm boys from Nebraska are not ready for the tobacco road boys from Carolina. Oh this pains me to do this, but Clemson is the pick.
The Rose Bowl: #8 Penn St (11-1, 7-1 Big Ten) vs. #5 USC (11-1, 8-1 Pac-10). This is where everyone comes back to earth and realizes that the Big Ten really does suck. No one except the media cares for this outdated brand of football. USC will completely embarrass Penn St., and the 8.5 points the Nittany Lions are getting will not be enough. Besides, how can you pick against great looking cheerleaders in tight fitting sweaters? Mmmm … yum.
FedEx Orange Bowl:#12 Cincinnati (11-2, 6-1 Big East) vs. #19 Virginia Tech (9-4, 5-3 ACC). The last Bowl game of the day happens to be the worst offering. Hopefully I will be inebriated by the time this one rolls around. Who came up with the bight idea of letting the Big East into a big boy game? How did a 4 loss ACC team even manage to land a big pay day? Since I have to pick someone, I am going to take the points (2) and the Hokies because everyone wants to hear Vick references all night. Not really, but most of these announcers are just too damn predictible. Seriously, this is Cincinnati vs. Virginia Tech. What else are they going to talk about?
Capital One Bowl: #15 Georgia (9-3, 6-2 SEC) vs. #18 Michigan St (9-3, 6-2 Big Ten). I am not sure why anyone thinks that the Spartans can hang with the Bulldogs. Obviously Vegas does not because the Dawgs are laying 7.5. Funny thing about this one is that the snow birds are happy to be in this Bowl (probably any Bowl), while Georgia is bitterly disappointed because they had National Title inspirations at the beginning of the year. Alas, injuries and poor defensive play made being #1 a mere wet dream. Still, the Dawgs will rebound, much in the same way that LSU kicked the snot out of Georgia Tech (man that was beautiful). Go Dawgs!
Happy New Year!
Record to date: 11-9.
