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Posted on 12/14/2006 5:43:54 PM PST by MikefromOhio
The college football bowl season is upon us. Some of these games are worth watching, others are pure and simple money grabs. That said, I do like the fact that there are bowl games for all of the conference winners. However, I do NOT understand why the 6th place Big Ten team or the 8th place SEC team has a bowl game to go too. It’s all about the money. Almost all of these games will be on ESPN or ESPN2, but I will highlight the channel that these games are on. This thread will cover all non-National Title games. I’ll put all of the minor bowl games first and separate the BCS games after that. I’ll be doing a separate thread for the BCS National Title game.
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Garrett Wolfe and Northern Illinois can regain some of the national respect it had early on this season when it ran the ball on Ohio State and it appeared that Wolfe was going to challenge some of the records that Barry Sanders set. Meanwhile TCU has climbed all the way back up and into the top 25 after a bit of a slump to start out the year. Remember TCU was one of the favorite picks as a small conference school to make it to the BCS. This one appears to be a bit of a clunker.
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BYU could really make a case for it being in the top 20 for NEXT year with a convincing win here. Oregon is again looking for some momentum to carry into the 2007 season. This game may be the best game of the early bowl games. Of course that might not be saying much.
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This game is so obscure that I had trouble finding the right helmet for Troy State. This is a game where the Sun Belt champion, Troy, is getting a reward for winning their conference. That’s fine with me. Rice, however, was a decent Conference USA team, but really this match-up isn’t exactly going to put butts in the seats or eyes on the TV sets across the nation. Troy does provide a bit of a local flavor as they are from Alabama, so expect a bit of a home crowd for them.
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South Florida has put in an impressive season, with victories over West Virginia and Pittsburgh. East Carolina’s best claim to fame is either the victory over a bad NC State team or maybe the 5 point loss to Navy. For whatever reason, I don’t think that this game will be very watch-able. I will say, however, that if South Florida puts on a good show, there is a very good chance that they will be in the top 25 to start next year.
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I’m sure sean327 will be thrilled to see his Lobos in a bowl game. However, I am having issues figuring out WHY this game is being played. But since it is, I’m also having issues figuring out WHY New Mexico is a 4 point favorite here. San Jose State took Boise State to the limit. Now during the regular season I was 2-5-1 when picking New Mexico games so maybe sean327 will like this pick.
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This may be one of the better early bowl game match-ups. These two teams seem to be about even, yet both play hard. Tulsa was supposed to contend for the CUSA championship this year but didn’t get it done. Utah was in a rebuilding mode and I’m sure the extra 3 weeks of practice have been welcomed by the coaches.
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CFN predicted that this game may be one of the best games to watch this year. I agree. ASU can’t stop anyone on defense and Hawaii is a WAC team – meaning they are prone to giving up points in bunches as well. This should be a fun one to watch on Christmas Eve, especially if both offenses show up. Also watch for Hawaii QB Colt Brennan to launch his 2007 Heisman campaign with a good showing here.
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One of the stupidest things about the bowl lineup is that a team that did not win their conference outright, as MTSU did NOT do in the Sun Belt, ends up getting into a bigger money bowl game than the actual champion (Troy) did. This opportunity was given to them because the Big Ten did not have enough eligible teams to fill out their bowl lineup with Ohio State and Michigan making the BCS. This game comes down to whether MTSU can slow down the Central Michigan offense. I don’t think that will happen and this game has bad match-up written all over it.
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FSU has struggled with active and athletic defensive fronts all year long. Guess what they drew in this match-up? The very same defensive front which beat on USC all day of course. Not a good sign for Florida State. Expect a boring game.
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I can’t imagine Alabama being ready to play this game. It means nothing, chances are they won’t have a coach at this point and they will still have issues throwing the ball. Oklahoma State, on the other hand, can throw on anyone. Sometimes they have issues stopping the other guy from doing the same thing.
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For Cal, this is about building for next year. For Texas A&M, it’s about building off of the surprising Texas win and proving that they can play with the big boys in a consistent basis. I think A&M will keep it close, but I wonder if they will score enough to hang with the playmakers that Cal can bring to the table.
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I kind of enjoyed watching Rutgers this year. They came really out of nowhere and really had every opportunity to go undefeated. K-State knocked Texas completely out of National Title contention with a surprisingly explosive win. Rutgers has the defense to stop K-State, but can they throw well enough to get the job done? We will find out. This game is on the NFL Network.
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This should be a well attended game if nothing else. This game comes down to Clemson’s ability to run the ball. I don’t think Kentucky will be able to stop them. That will mean that Kentucky will have to play mistake free on offense to score enough to keep it close. Kentucky is light-years ahead of where it was last year, but it’s not on that level yet.
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Remember Missouri? You know, one of the last remaining unbeaten teams as late as the last week of October? Since their first loss on October 14th, Mizzou finished out the year losing 3 of their last 5 games. Oregon State, on the other hand, was about two week short of beating USC in one of the bigger shockers of the year. Little did we all know that Oregon State would finish 3rd in the Pac-10 this year at the time.
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Houston won the Conference USA and probably should be ranked at this point in time. South Carolina was in position to possibly get a win against Auburn, Arkansas AND Florida. That, along with the Steve Spurrier influence, is why I am picking South Carolina to win easily here.
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I have no love lost for Boise State and I hate the vast majority of their fans, but that was a great game.
Just think if TCU hadn't choked against SMU last year. We could have had 3 straight non BCS schools crack the BCS.
BTW Boise State fans: if the old rules had been in place (pre-2006, i.e.: 2004 when my Utes did it), you wouldn't have been ranked high enough in the BCS Standings to play in this game.
You're welcome.
Yes, they do. I think the problem is they leave the cold, miserable Rust Belt for warm, sunny Hollywood and they can't maintain focus. Instead of wind chill factors they adjust (gladly) to shorts and tees again. They get the whirlwind bowl treatment and - presto - they don't focus on business. The Cali schools have a huge home field advantage which is why they usually win the Rose Bowl.
Well, I fell asleep and missed the end of what looks to have been a great game.
Reading the last 250 posts or so on this thread this morning has been entertaining though!!!!!!
That game did have it all. And going for 2 when you weren't forced to, was unbelievable.
I thought Oklahoma would tear Boise State to pieces....was I wrong. I NOW must give credit to the Broncos. Think about the recruitment process...most top rated high school football stars are going to a big time program, not Boise State. I believe the victory will help them in their recruiting..for years to come. I remember when BC went on a national stage w/Fluite...their recruitment area expanded well beyond New England.
I wonder which sucks worse for Sooner fans, getting blown out in the BCS championship game by USC two years ago, or losing to Boise State by one point after making a fantastic comeback.
I'll have to ask my boss. He's a Sooner who went to both games.
"Instead of the wind chill factors they adjust (gladly) to shorts and tees again. They get the whirlwind bowl treatment and -presto- they don't focus on business."
Did Michigan look 'unfocused' yesterday (playing USC to a 3-3 tie in the first half) or did they just get blown off the field by a better team? That whole weather/bowl distractions/travel thing is such bs. Most Bowl games are played in good weather locations or under domes, and every other conference in the country seems to do OK. All week long the reporters were commenting on how Michigan looked focused at practice and USC did not. USC has beaten Michigan/Ohio State 10 of the last 12 times they have played. It ain't weather, they are just generally a better program.
The commentators were practically handing Michigan the trophy from the pregame show through halftime and all the way until the Dwayne Jarrett show.
I wish they had shown the How to Make Omelettes From What is on My Face show.
OU was overrated IMHO, let's face it, the Big 12 was way down this year, just look at what happened to the two teams that beat Texas in their bowl games (KSU and A&M). OU did a nice job of overcoming a lot of adversity, and they are certainly on the way back, but they were not expected to win the Big 12 this year, it was only because the rest of the conference was so bad that they did win it. Plus if OU was that good, they had no business even being close to Oregon, much less losing the game, when you saw what BYU did to them.
"The commentators were practically handing Michigan the trophy from the pregame show through halftime and all the way until the Dwayne Jarrett show."
EVERY YEAR from some of these guys! Holtz, Craig James, these clowns have been picking against USC (and looking real stupid once the games are played) for years. How many games do they have to see? ESPN had one of their fan polls, and over 300,000 registered an opinion on the Rose Bowl, with 71% picking Michigan. Just amazing.
But of course, Michigan returns a bunch of people for next year, they'll play their same lousy schedule, Ohio State loses Troy Smith and others so they'll probably beat them, and we'll be listening to this stuff again next year. Mike Hart Heisman candidate, the great Lamarr Woodley on defense (was his name called the entire game?) the balanced offense, the 'game breaker' receivers, the 'best front seven in the country', on and on and on, every year.
USC's four non-conference games this year:
Arkansas: 50-14
Nebraska: 28-10
Notre Dame: 44-24
Michigan: 32-18
None of the games even close.
"What you guys don't know is the reason Jarrett was taunting was the Michigan D-backs were talking trash all afternoon."
Jarrett's actions were mild, even by college football standards. Big deal, he strutted into the end zone after a 50-yard bomb and then handed the ball to a db after another reception. You run up 200+ receiving yards against an "All American defensive back" (gimme a break with that, and Woodley too), it's to be expected that he gives it back a little.
I'm a huge 'SC fan, and I really agree with you that what Jarrett did was no big deal. Nevertheless, I wish he hadn't done it cause it cause it allowed the commentators to take the focus off of what a great game he had and focus it on a few celebratory actions.
But in the end, nothing can kill my buzz after such a fantastic game! Woooohoooo, Fight On Trojans! Pre-season #1!
A great win for the program, no doubt about it. And regarding Jarrett's 'actions' drawing attention away from the win, I think that those who found such tremendous fault in such trivial taunting would have found something else to criticize USC for. Look, once again, a lot of people were shocked and embarrassed at this rout and a lot of conference chest-thumping was halted in mid-thump.....after that thumping.
Jarrett shouldn't have done it, but nothing he did was sufficient to draw a flag. It was jawing back and forth, and unless the officials want to flag Michigan for badmouthing during the game (which I hope they never do), getting some back is just part of the game.
Focusing on this one particular part of the game is pretty silly. Two athletes were trashing each other verbally, and one proved the other was a paper tiger, at least in that game. It's not that big of a deal.
I quit watching the game after OUs pick for a TD with a minute left. I turned on CBS sportsline at home to follow on the internet. They reported that OU intercepted the lateral and went ahead by two scores to end the game. I woke up to read that BSU won and was ready to submit a urnine sample. Wow....I missed a hell of a play.
Lol, I like that image!
Skip Bayless said OU wasn't "up" for the game.....maybe so.
LOL
Yeah they really brought it back there...
I had turned it off when Boise went up 28-10, but I turned it back on right as Oklahoma scored the TD and got the 2 point conversion to tie.
Then on the hook and lateral and again on the statue of liberty play I woke the wife up :)
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