There are some interesting matchups among these early bowls. Despite the conference affiliations of many bowls, most of the games have competitive matches. However, I am surprised by one glaring omission -- where is Louisiana Tech? The Bulldogs finished 9-3, the school is not on probation, they are ranked in many Top 25 polls, and their conference (WAC) did not exceed their bowl commitments, yet the Bulldogs were shut out of a bowl game. Why? There are 6-6 squads like Pittsburgh, Iowa State or Virginia Tech who could have been excluded. Three Big Ten teams were 6-6, although bowl games like Big Ten teams because their nationwide alumni base frequently show up; bowl games featuring Big Ten teams are always well-attended. But can we count on that from Pitt or Tech fans? Ole Miss is SEC, so rabid SEC fans, whether Ole Miss alumni or not, will likely attend. Duke so rarely makes a bowl, so let them in. But I'm sure there was a bowl executive who could have dropped a 6-6 team to let the Bulldogs in.
On my rankings, I will favor Louisiana Tech. No matter how many upsets occur, and how many teams could move into the Top 25, the Bulldogs will remain in my final Top 25. They deserve it for their excellent performance, and nobody had the guts to let them prove that.
Another comment about the bowl, and this is about the names. My longtime readers will know that I do not favor the application of corporate sponsors to the names of the bowls, especially the newer bowls that have no other name than the corporate sponsor. This year we see the result, as some bowl have different sponsors, including the former Insight (nee Insight.com) Bowl, now named for Buffalo Wild Wings, and the Russell Athletic Bowl, formerly the Champs Sports Bowl. The Champs Sports Bowl used to be the Florida Citrus Bowl, and so I return to that title. For others, since most of the newer bowl games that include a name other than their sponsor names the location of the bowl (rather than the name of the original stadium, like the Orange Bowl, Cotton Bowl, Gator Bowl, Rose Bowl, etc. of old), so I will be naming those bowls accordingly, to help maintain consistency across years.
New Mexico Bowl, sponsored by Gildan - Dec 15, Albuquerque, NM
Nevada Wolf Pack (7-5) v Arizona Wildcats (7-5) : The first bowl game has a very interesting match-up. Conference snobs will immediately pick Arizona, figuring that no team from the so-called "lesser" conferences could be competitive. However, plenty of examples from previous years disprove that. Arizona has been inconsistent this season, switching between good games and bad games. Nevada, for the most part, has been a potent opponent. Furthermore, I suspect the Wildcat students will underestimate the Wolf Pack. NEVADA by four
Humanitarian Bowl, sponsored by Famous Idaho Potatoes -- Dec 15, Boise, ID
Toledo Rockets (9-3) v #17 Utah State Aggies (10-2) : This one won't be as close as its predecessor. The Aggies were a strong team, and not just within the WAC. Utah State pounded on, and sometimes clobbered, competition from the larger conferences. Toledo's MAC conference mates frustrated teams from both the Big East and Big Ten, but both conferences were down a bit this year. Utah State will roll. UTAH STATE by 20
Poinsettia Bowl, sponsored by the San Diego County Credit Union -- Dec 20, San Diego, CA
BYU Cougars (7-5) v San Diego State Aztecs (9-3) : The Aztecs battled for the Mountain West title for a while this season. BYU knows how tough that can be, as they played in that conference for a few years. Given San Diego's greater success, I have to favor them. The home crowd won't hurt, either. SAN DIEGO STATE by eleven
St Petersburg Bowl, sponsored by Beef O' Bradys -- Dec 21, St Petersburg, FL
UCF Golden Knights (9-4) v Ball State Cardinals (9-3) : Ball State was a nuisance team to both MAC and non-MAC opponents, so I like their chances. However, this game is played in Florida, and those Floridians seem to inspire their teams to greater heights. I predict a late fourth quarter comeback for the Knights. UCF by three
New Orleans Bowl, sponsored by R&L Carriers -- Dec 22, New Orleans, LA
East Carolina Pirates (8-4) v Louisiana-Lafayette Ragin Cajuns (8-4) : If we have learned one thing from 2012, it's that those Sun Belt teams have matured into a real force. The Pirates have a good defense, but I have to favor the Ragin Cajuns, spurred by rapid locals. LOUISIANA-LAFAYETTE by nine
Las Vegas Bowl, sponsored by MAACO -- Dec 22, Las Vegas, NV
Washington Huskies (7-5) v #10 Boise State Bronocs (10-2) : Once again the Broncos draw the short end of the bowl stick, but at least they are given an opponent that they can drive into the turf. BOISE STATE by 23
Hawaii Bowl, sponsored by Sheraton Hotels -- Dec 24, Honolulu, HI
#20 Fresno State Bulldogs (9-3) v SMU Mustangs (6-6) : Geez, if this game were two weeks later I could attend this game! Ah well, it's probably just as well, as this game is likely to be one-sided, as many recent Hawaii bowls have been. SMU is an okay team, but the Bulldogs will just slaughter them. FRESNO STATE by 21
Detroit Bowl, sponsored by Little Caesars Pizza -- Dec 26, Detroit, MI
Called the "Cherry Bowl" many years ago (a name which I thought was the pits -- pun intended), it was called the Detroit Bowl for a couple of years, and I return that designation to a town sorely in need of attention and respect.
Western Kentucky Hilltoppers (7-5) v Central Michigan Chippewas (6-6) : I apologize in advance to the Michigan fans, and I know they have been waiting for the Chippewas to make it to a bowl game, but they really don't belong. Here is one place Louisiana Tech could have been placed, but the bowl does have an agreement with the MAC. Regardless, the Chippewas are outgunned, and no amount of home state spirit can generate a win, although it might help keep the game from getting out of hand. WESTERN KENTUCKY by 13
Military Bowl, sponsored by Northrop Grumman -- Dec 27, Washington DC
#19 San Jose State Spartans (10-2) v Bowling Green Falcons (8-4) : Whoops, this one seems a bit one-sided. While records can sometimes be deceptive, that isn't the case for the Spartans. San Jose State was a strong team this season. Bowling Green was not one of the strongest MAC teams, although they did have occasional flashes of brilliance. They might threaten the Spartans early, but it won't last. SAN JOSE STATE by 23
Charlotte Bowl, sponsored by Belk -- Dec 27, Charlotte, NC
This bowl has an interesting history. They were created as the Meineke Car Care Bowl, never having another name. When Meineke switched sponsorship to the Texas Bowl in 2011, Belk picked it up. I don't know how long this sponsorship will last, so this bowl definitely needed a different name. Since it has always been played in Charlotte's Bank of America stadium, no matter who sponsored it, they gain the modern trend of locale named bowls.
Cincinnati Bearcats (9-3) v Duke Blue Devils (6-6) : I love the fact that Duke became bowl eligible this year, and some teams who have had long bowl droughts have made the most of that opportunity, gaining upset victories. Duke could do that, as Cincy has played some stinky games this season, but I think the Bearcats will play well enough to win. CINCINNATI by eleven
Holiday Bowl, sponsored by Bridgeport Education -- Dec 27, San Diego, CA
Baylor Bears (7-5) v #18 UCLA Bruins (9-4) : New sponsor, same history of hosting high octane offenses. This year, that includes only Baylor. While the Bruins are capable of scoring some points, the Bears are a high potency offense. Their defense has holes, though, and the Bruins have the better defense. I'd love to pick UCLA, but I have yet to pick an upset by record (I'm sure the Ragin Cajuns will actually be the underdog, despite the better record, and Utah State might even find themselves in that category). Upsets are common in these earlier bowls, so I need one. BAYLOR by eight
Independence Bowl, sponsored by AdvoCare V!00 -- Dec 28, Shreveport, LA
Ohio Bobcat (8-4) v Louisiana-Monroe Indians (8-4) : The Indians will likely be the underdog, but they scared teams from the larger conferences this season. They are powerful, likely more so than Ohio. This one could go either way, but I'll pick the Indians, especially since they'll have the friendly crowd. LOUISIANA-MONROE by six
Florida Citrus Bowl, sponsored by Russell Athletic -- Dec 28, Orlando, FL
Rutgers Scarlet Knights (9-3) v Virginia Tech Hokies (6-6) : The Hokies are frequently a tough bowl team, but they don't have the same power that they've had in previous years. Rutgers sputtered sometimes, and if they do that in the bowl, the Hokies will pester them, but I have to think Rutgers will play well enough to win. RUTGERS by nine
Texas Bowl, sponsored by Meineke Car Care -- Dec 28, Houston, TX
Minnesota Golden Gophers (6-6) v Texas Tech Red Raiders (7-5) : The first Big Ten team appears, but has to face a strong offense in their home state. The Gophers defense isn't that good, and their offense won't be able to keep pace. TEXAS TECH by 13
Armed Forces Bowl, sponsored by Bell Helicopter -- Dec 29, Fort Worth, TX
Rice Owls (6-6) v Air Force Falcons (6-6) : Don't let the 6-6 records turn you away from this bowl. This one might be the closest one yet. Air Force, normally an aerial assault, has a decent running game. Rice has more balance, but they prefer short passes. Both teams like long drives on offense. Neither defense is especially fast, but they cover and tackle well. In terms of the intangibles, Rice will have plenty of fans, since the school is located in Texas, but the Air Force will have a very friendly crowd, too. There is also incentive for the Falcons to win a bowl dedicated to our nation's armed forces. This will be close, but I'll give an edge to Air Force, who has a better bowl record than Rice. AIR FORCE by two
Pinstripe Bowl, sponsored by New Era -- Dec 29, Bronx, NY
West Virginia Mountaineers (7-5) v Syracuse Orange (7-5) : The only bowl in the northeast hosts a team from upstate New York. Unfortunately, I don't think the notoriously testy New York city fans will have patience for the Syracuse game, especially when they fall behind. The Mountaineers have a potent offense. That offense lost some of its edge as the season waned, but they should have it back for the bowl game. WEST VIRGINIA by 26
Fight Hunger Bowl, sponsored by Kraft Foods -- Dec 29, San Francisco, CA
Navy Midshipmen (8-4) v Arizona State Sun Devils (7-5) : Despite the lower record, the Sun Devils won't be the underdog in this game. Indeed they shouldn't. Navy is good, but they are almost exclusively a running team, and they don't even have the best running attack in the nation. The Sun Devils bedeviled some opponents this year. Granted, they weren't as dynamic offensively or as dominate statistically as they have been, but they have a strong enough offense to score more than Navy. ARIZONA STATE by 12
Alamo Bowl, sponsored by Valero -- Dec 29, San Antonio, TX
Texas Longhorns (8-4) v #25 Oregon State Beavers (9-3) : This might be the most exciting match-up so far in the bowls. Both teams have strong offenses, sturdy defenses, and have fought hard against tough opponents. Win or lose, both teams were constantly a threat this season. This will be a classic chess match, with each team trying to out-think the other, and reacting to each move their opponent makes. The lead will likely change several times. In the end, I like Texas pulling this one out, but the Beavers will be a challenge. TEXAS by four
Tempe Bowl, sponsored by Buffalo Wild Wings -- Dec 29, Tempe, AZ
The former Insight bowl gains a new sponsor. While I doubt Buffalo Wild Wings will fold, and they seem committed to sponsoring football, we've seen enough "sponsor roulette" to assign the location of this bowl to this game.
TCU Horned Frogs (7-5) v Michigan State Spartans (6-6) : This is the second of three Big XII v Big Ten contests, and I'm picking the Big XII in all of them. The Big XII was a strong conference this season, while the Big Ten was not. The Spartans can be tricky, and they may keep the score close (assisted by a weaker TCU defense), but the Horned Frogs offense is just too good. TCU by six
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