Official College Football Bowl Discussion Thread

[Bored 0]

Bowl season kicks off tommorrow night, all be it the only game this week. This thread will just be for general bowl discussion to talk about upcoming games and make in game comments. If there is a bowl game you feel will deserve it's own thread feel free to make one although I'd advise waiting at least until a couple of days before the game.

 

Now there are two bowl threads already created for the Orange Bowl and Rose Bowl. The Orange Bowl thread is currently closed and will remain so until the day of the game. You can read why in the thread but please don't discuss it here.

 

Here is the full television schedule for the bowls.

 

Tuesday, December 14

New Orleans: North Texas vs. Southern Miss, 7:30/4:30 PM, ESPN

 

Tuesday, December 21

Tangerine: Syracuse vs. Georgia Tech, 7:45/4:45 PM, ESPN

 

Wednesday, December 22

GMAC: Memphis vs. Bowling Green, 8:00/5:00 PM, ESPN

 

Thursday, December 23

Fort Worth: Cincinnati vs. Marshall, 6:30/3:30 PM, ESPN

Las Vegas: UCLA vs. Wyoming, 9:45/6:45 PM, ESPN

 

Friday, December 24

Hawaii: UAB vs. Hawaii, 7:00/4:00 PM, ESPN

 

Monday, December 27

MPC Computers: Fresno State vs. #18 Virginia, 2:00 PM/11:00 AM, ESPN

Motor City: Toledo vs. Connecticut, 5:30/2:30 PM, ESPN

 

Tuesday, December 28

Independence: Iowa State vs. Miami University, 6:30/3:30 PM, ESPN

Insight: Oregon State vs. Notre Dame, 9:45/6:45 PM, ESPN

 

Wednesday, December 29

Houston: Colorado vs. UTEP, 4:30/1:30 PM, ESPN

Alamo: #25 Ohio State vs. #24 Oklahoma State, 8:00/5:00 PM, ESPN

 

Thursday, December 30

Continental Tire: Boston College vs. North Carolina, 1:00 PM/10:00 AM, ESPN2

Emerald: Navy vs. New Mexico, 4:30/1:30 PM, ESPN2

Holiday: #22 Texas Tech vs. #5 California, 8:00/5:00 PM, ESPN

Silicon Valley: Northern Illinois vs. Troy, 11:00/8:00 PM, ESPN2

 

Friday, December 31

Music City: Alabama vs. Minnesota, Noon/9:00 AM, ESPN

Sun: Purdue vs. #19 Arizona State, 2:00 PM/11:00 AM, CBS

Liberty: #10 Louisville vs. #9 Boise State, 3:30/12:30 PM, ESPN

Peach: #23 Florida vs. #14 Miami, 7:30/4:30 PM, ESPN

 

Saturday, January 1

Outback: #17 Wisconsin vs. #7 Georgia, 11:00/8:00 AM, ESPN

Cotton: #20 Texas A&M vs. #15 Tennessee, 11:00/8:00 AM, Fox

Gator: West Virginia vs. #16 Florida State, 12:30 PM/9:30 AM, NBC

Capital One: #12 Iowa vs. #11 LSU, 1:00 PM/10:00 AM, ABC

Rose: #13 Michigan vs. #4 Texas, 4:30/1:30 PM, ABC

Fiesta: #21 Pittsburgh vs. #6 Utah, 8:30/5:30 PM, ABC

 

Monday, January 3

Sugar: #8 Virginia Tech vs. #3 Auburn, 8:00/5:00 PM, ABC

 

Tuesday, January 4

Orange: #2 Oklahoma vs. #1 USC, 8:00/5:00 PM, ABC

[EVIL~! alkeiper 0]

Let's make this a minor bowl thread, to cover everything before Christmas.

[Slayer 0]

I'd call anything not a BCS bowl as a minor bowl

 

Hell, you could really call anything that isn't the title game a minor bowl

[EVIL~! alkeiper 0]

Christmas is just a good distinctive point. If we want to extend it to the games of the 27th and 28th and such, I won't split hairs.

[Bored 0]

Since there is no more than two games a day thru the 29th I think the thread will be fine until then. Maybe could create daily threads for the 30th thru the 1st.

[EVIL~! alkeiper 0]

That's what I'm thinking. I'm just worried that a single thread for all bowl games will get quite unwieldly come New Years.

[Guest Salacious Crumb]

Tomorrow night's probably going to be a boring game. North Texas is rarely a fun team to watch and I don't think they're any kind of match for Southern Miss.

[Secret Agent 0]

The Orange Bowl is on a tuesday? WTF?

[Bored 0]

 

 

Southern Miss Golden Eagles (6-5, tied for 2nd in Conference USA)

 

Last Bowl Apperance: 2003 Liberty Bowl (Lost to Utah 17-0)

Last Bowl Win: 2000 Mobile Alabama Bowl (28-21 over TCU)

 

All-Conference USA Players

 

First Team

LB Michael Boley (2nd Team All-American, Conference USA Defensive POY)

-117 Tackles, 6.5 Sacks, 13 Tackles for Loss, 5 Forced Fumbles

CB/KR John Eubanks (Conference USA Special Teams POY)

-3 Interceptions, 12 Passes Defended; 29.4 Yards per KR, 1 TD

 

Second Team

T Jeremy Parquet

DT Chad Ruffin

S Trevis Coley

-97 Tackles, 3 Interceptions

K Darren McCaleb

-15/15 FG

 

North Texas Mean Green (7-4, Sun Belt Champions)

 

Last Bowl Apperance: 2003 New Orleans Bowl (Lost to Memphis 27-17)

Last Bowl Win: 2002 New Orleans Bowl (24-19 over Cincinnati)

 

All-Sun Belt Conference Players

 

First Team

RB Jamario Thomas (3rd Team All-American, Sun Belt Conference POY)

-1709 Yards Rushing, 17 TD

C Andy Brewster

DE Adrian Awasom

-45 Tackles, 8 Sacks, 14.5 Tackles for Loss, 3 Fumbles Forced

S Jonas Buckles

-55 Tackles

K Nick Bazaldua

-10/13 FG, 51 Long

A-P Johnny Quinn

-848 All-Purpose Yards

 

Second Team

QB Scott Hall

-1684 Yards Passing, 13 TD, 2 INT

WR Johnny Quinn

-41 Receptions, 693 Yards Receiving, 8 TD

T Lonnie Chambers

G Dylan Lineberry

DT Evan Cardwell

-40 Tackles, 5 Sacks

DT Michael Pruitt

-46 Tackles, 5 Sacks, 11.5 Tackles for Loss

CB Markeith Knowlton

-4 Interceptions

[teke184 0]

I'm going to watch tomorrow if only to see my alma mater get its first bowl win since 2000.

 

(They got bitchslapped by Utah in the 2003 Liberty Bowl, lost to Oklahoma State in the 2002 Houston Bowl, didn't go to a bowl in 2001, and beat TCU in the 2000 Mobile Bowl.)

[Vern Gagne 0]

[\RB Jamario Thomas (3rd Team All-American, Sun Belt Conference POY)

-1709 Yards Rushing, 17 TD

He's only a Freshmen. Might be able to challenge the career rushing yards.

[iggymcfly 0]

Well, this looks to me like the most one-sided bowl matchup on the docket with a spread of less than seven points. When you're 7-0 in conference and 0-4 out of conference two years in a row, that's a really good indication that there's something wrong with your conference.

 

Remember, Southern Miss beat Nebraska and was only down one to Cal late in the fourth quarter. Meanwhile, look at this non-conference resume:

 

at Texas L 65-0

Fla Atlantic L 20-13

at Colorado L 52-21

at Baylor L 37-14

 

Yes, Jamario Thomas got hurt in the Texas game after only two carries, but he was back for the Baylor game, so there's no excuse for that one.

 

Seeing what an easy game this is to handicap, I made sure to get registered with an online sportsbook before the game and plunked down $30 on Southern Miss to win and cover. Oh, and while I was looking, I couldn't resist the Stanford/Denver basketball game as a pick 'em, so I won $15 there too. Hopefully, this will be a profitable bowl season for me.

[iggymcfly 0]

Actually, scratch what I said about Jamario Thomas being hurt. He just wasn't the starter yet. Apparently, they just lost to Texas by 65 because they sucked. Shit, I should really put some more on this game. It's a gimme,

[Art Sandusky 0]

This was on ESPN's SportsNation page. I'll bold who I picked.

 

 

 

1) Tennessee vs. Texas A&M: Who wins the SBC Cotton Bowl?

 

 

52.2% Tennessee

 

47.8% Texas A&M

 

 

2) Georgia vs. Wisconsin: Who wins the Outback Bowl? (Jan.1, 11:00 a.m., ESPN)

 

 

77.1% Georgia

 

22.9% Wisconsin

 

 

3) Florida State vs. West Virginia: Who wins the Toyota Gator Bowl?

 

 

69.4% Florida State

 

30.6% West Virginia

 

 

4) Iowa vs. LSU: Who wins the Capital One Bowl? (Jan. 1, 1:00, ABC)

 

 

58.0% LSU

 

42.0% Iowa

 

 

5) Michigan vs. Texas: Who wins the Rose Bowl presented by Citi? (Jan.1, 5:00, ABC)

 

 

60.5% Texas

 

39.5% Michigan

 

 

6) Pittsburgh vs. Utah: Who wins the Tostitos Fiesta Bowl? (Jan. 1, 8:30, ABC)

 

 

80.3% Utah

 

19.7% Pittsburgh

 

 

7) Auburn vs. Virginia Tech: Who wins the Nokia Sugar Bowl? (Jan. 3, 8:00, ABC)

 

 

81.6% Auburn

 

18.4% Virginia Tech

 

 

8) Oklahoma vs. USC: Who wins the FedEx Orange Bowl? (Jan. 4, 8:00, ABC)

 

 

53.0% Oklahoma

 

47.0% USC

 

 

It appears people are still drinking the Texas Kool-Aid.

[teke184 0]

In all fairness, Texas is playing the worst BCS team outside of the Big East.

[iggymcfly 0]

So who else is pumped for the New Orleans Bowl? Well, probably just me, unless someone else recognized a financial opprtunity in it. Anyway, both teams just went three and out, but I have confidence in USM.

 

I just hope that it's not still close when I have to go to my Biology final in two and a half hours. I know Southern Miss is going to win, but there's always that lingering possibililty that the Mean Green will get a late touchdown to keep them from covering. I don't want my $40 to be endangered by bullshit.

[teke184 0]

And Southern Miss strikes first with a Dustin Almond TD pass to the tight end...

 

If North Texas doesn't get much better than they were in the first series, this could be a long night for the Mean Green.

[teke184 0]

So who else is pumped for the New Orleans Bowl? Well, probably just me, unless someone else recognized a financial opprtunity in it. Anyway, both teams just went three and out, but I have confidence in USM.

 

I just hope that it's not still close when I have to go to my Biology final in two and a half hours. I know Southern Miss is going to win, but there's always that lingering possibililty that the Mean Green will get a late touchdown to keep them from covering. I don't want my $40 to be endangered by bullshit.

I'm excited, Iggy, but that's because I'm a Southern Miss alum and want to see them kick the shit out of the Sun Belt's "best".

[iggymcfly 0]

All right then. Go Golden Eagles!

 

Speaking of which, how about that beautiful TD toss from Dustin Almond?

 

7-0 Southern Miss!

[iggymcfly 0]

It's kind of funny. They're making excuses for North Texas's OOC record by saying they played Texas, while completely ignoring the fact that they also played Florida Atlantic and Baylor. Their non-conference schedule wasn't exactly like something Notre Dame or Florida would play.

[teke184 0]

I think they're confusing North Texas's OOC schedule with Southern Miss when they talk about how hard it is.

 

 

North Texas- Texas, Florida A&M, Baylor, Colorado

 

Southern Miss- Nebraska, Alabama, California, UL Lafayette

 

 

And Almond hits a 47 yard strike...

 

Considering that Southern Miss's offense typically makes Eli Manning's New York Giants look like Peyton Manning's Indianapolis Colts, this is going to be a long night for the Mean Green.

[Der Kommissar 0]

I am somewhat excited about it as well. Southern Miss is usually the team I end up choosing in video games, and I always feel bad for the Sun Belt. They're like the forgotten conference. Of course, I am cheering for Southern Miss as well here. They can't lose to a team that lost to Baylor.

 

Of course, if by some miracle, they did that would mean that Nebraska lost to a team who lost to a team who lost to Baylor, which I would find somewhat humorous.

[iggymcfly 0]

Of course, if by some miracle, they did that would mean that Nebraska lost to a team who lost to a team who lost to Baylor, which I would find somewhat humorous.

Actually, that's already the case. Nebraska lost to Texas Tech by 60. Texas Tech lost to Texas A&M. Texas A&M lost to Baylor. The Huskers are so far down right now that most of the "what if" scenarios have already been fulfilled.

[Vern Gagne 0]

Williams is a good RB.

 

Southern Miss had tougher non-conference scheduele. But, besides Cal. They didn't play anyone worth a damn either.

[Bored 0]

I guess McCaleb can't take these high pressure kicks in the prestigious New Orleans Bowl. 15 for 15 during the regular season, 1 for 3 tonight.

 

And he misses again!

[iggymcfly 0]

Yeah, that kicker's really pissing me off. He's 1-4 now. If he could just make a damn field goal, I could be completely secure when I go off to my Biology final, but no, North Texas is still hanging around.

 

Although if you're looking for an explanation, I'd say it's more likely that he's worried about his finals than that he's stressed out about playing in the New Orleans Bowl. They did say on ESPN that they took finals in the hotel yesterday, and they're taking more tomorrow.

[teke184 0]

Depends on what class he's taking a final for...

 

 

Southern Miss's tougher classes tend to be in the hard sciences, business classes, and the Polymer Science curriculum.

 

Most of the Art and Liberal Arts classes tend to have inflated grades, as there are a LOT of people who graduate with honors (3.5 or above) in those disciplines.

[iggymcfly 0]

Oh well, 31-10 final score's pretty damn good. If you asked me for an exact score before the game, I think that's about right where I would have placed it, and it was good enough to win me my 40 bucks.

 

No more bowl games for a week now, but when they do resume, there's another fairly easy game coming up with Georgia Tech vs. Syracuse in the Champs Sports Bowl. I might be a little biased, since I am a big Tech fan, but I really think that this is similar to the New Orleans Bowl in that you've got one team playing at a level they shouldn't be due to an extremely weak conference.

 

Syracuse got killed by Purdue, and went 0-2 against the ACC, albeit against two of the ACC's better teams in Florida St. and Virginia. I don't think this one will be a blowout, but Georgia Tech should be able to cover a 5 point spread.

 

I guess I'll do like I did in the two major bowl game threads and just flat out post a prediction. Reggie Ball hasn't exactly been executing very well, but the Tech D should be able to shut down Syracuse, and they'll be able to put just enough points on the board to win.

 

Georgia Tech 20

Syracuse 10

[Bored 0]

Bowl season finally starts back up again (they really should move the New Orleans Bowl up a few days) so time to bump this thread for the first of four straight nights with a bowl game starting tommorrow.

 

 

Syracuse Orange (6-5, Big East Co-Champions)

 

Last Bowl Appearance: 2001 Insight.com Bowl (Def. Kansas State 26-3)

Last Bowl Loss: 1998/99 Orange Bowl (31-10 to Florida)

 

All-Big East Players

 

First Team

RB Walter Reyes

-822 Yards Rushing (8 games), 7 TD

T Adam Terry

C Matt Tarullo

S Diamond Ferri

-4 Interceptions, 5 Forced Fumbles, 1 TD

 

Second Team

RB Damien Rhodes

-932 Yard Rushing, 205 Yards Receiving, 11 TD

DE James Wyche

-15 Tackles for Loss

S Anthony Smith

-3 Interceptions, 1 TD

P Brendan Carney

-43.1 AVG, Long 65

 

Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets (6-5, Tied for 6th in ACC)

 

Last Bowl Appearance: 2003/04 Humanitarian Bowl (Def. Tulsa 55-10)

Last Bowl Loss: 2002 Silicon Valley Bowl (30-21 to Fresno State)

 

All-ACC Players

 

First Team

WR Calvin Johnson

-46 Receptions, 776 Yards, 6 TD

S James Butler

-85 Tackles, 2 Interceptions

 

Second Team

DE Eric Henderson

-39 Tackles, 10 Tackles for Loss, 3 Sacks (8 games)

LB Gerris Wilkinson

-113 Tackles, 14.5 Tackles for Loss, 3.5 Sacks

K Travis Bell

-15/16 FG, Long 47

[Guest Salacious Crumb]

Ohio State suspended Troy Smith for the Alamo Bowl today. That's really bad news for Buckeye fans as the offense was completely inept until he came in.