Skip to main content

My Bowl Picks (with regular updates)

Yeah, this is a bit late, as the bowl games are almost over. But, since I was out of town for a week, spent time with my brother and sister-in-law in town for a few more days, and celebrated New Year's Eve with my girlfriend, I haven't had a great deal of time to blog. Here are a list of my picks with a confidence number next to each one. If Florida State beats Northern Illinois in the Orange Bowl tonight, I'll be 18-11 with 358 points (max of 630).

1 - Virginia Tech (over Rutgers): With Tech's inconsistency on both sides of the ball and Rutgers' weak overall resume, this is the game I'm most uncertain about. With Tech finishing the regular season at a disappointing 6-6 and having to really fight their way down the stretch just for bowl eligibility, I'll give them the slight edge for the simple fact I feel they'll have more to prove and with that, be more motivated.

Result: Virginia Tech 13 Rutgers 10 (Record: 1-0, Pts.: 1 (of a max 1))

2 - Michigan (over South Carolina): While I feel Carolina may have the better overall team, I like what Michigan has done with their offense in recent weeks - placing Gardner at quarterback and Denard Robinson at tailback. Carolina will not have faced such an offense on the year and the Wolverines should be able to make enough plays to vault them to victory.

Result: South Carolina 33 Michigan 28 (Record: 1-1, Pts. 1 (of a max 3))

3 - Clemson (over LSU): I know most people will disagree with me on this, however, I like how Clemson's explosive offense matches up with LSU's stout defense more than LSU's unsteady offense against Clemson's quick, but inconsistent defense.

Result: Clemson 25 LSU 24 (Record: 2-1, Pts.: 4 (of a max 6))

4 - Oregon (over Kansas State): I love Oregon's speed on offense and think they'll have enough to win the game. However, if K-State is able to play their game offensively - play ball-control and limit the Ducks' opportunities on offense, I could see them pulling off the upset. Whenever I pick against Bill Snyder, he seems to make me look like an idiot. We'll see if that happens yet again.

Result: Oregon 35 Kansas State 17 (Record: 3-1, Pts.: 8 (of a max 10))

5 - Central Michigan (over Western Kentucky): With the game being played at Ford Field in Detroit, Michigan, I give the Chippewas the home-field advantage in a win for they and the MAC.

Result: Central Michigan 24 Western Kentucky 21 (Record: 4-1, Pts.: 13 (of a max 15))

6 - Washington (over Boise State): Here's likely my big upset pick of the bowl season. The 11-1 Boise State Broncos are once again a top 25 club and were one game away from heading to another BCS bowl game. However, as strange as it is to say, I think the 7-5 Washington Huskies, coming off a very disappointing loss to weak in-state rival Washington State, has more to play for and will find a way to win at game's end.

Result: Boise State 28 Washington 26 (Record: 4-2, Pts.: 13 (of a max 21))

7 - TCU (over Michigan State): Gary Patterson and his TCU defense will drive Michigan State's rather inept offense crazy all game long. Michigan State has a solid defense as well, but I feel TCU should be able to make enough plays on offense to win a tightly-contested, low-scoring game.

Result: Michigan State 17 TCU 16 (Record: 4-3, Pts. 13 (of a max 28))

8 - Air Force (over Rice): With the great discipline at Air Force and their hard-to-defense triple option offense, I like them to pull off the victory.

Result: Rice 33 Air Force 14 (Record: 4-4, Pts. 13 (of a max 36))

9 - San Diego State (over BYU): The two teams seem quite evenly matched, but I think playing in San Diego will help the Aztecs win what will basically be a home game.

Result: BYU 23 San Diego State 6 (Record: 4-5, Pts. 13 (of a max 45))

10 - UCLA (over Baylor): While Baylor played well at season's end, I think UCLA has too much speed on both sides of the ball for the Bears to contend with. It'll also basically be like a home game for the Bruins in San Diego.

Result: Baylor 49 UCLA 26 (Record: 4-6, Pts. 13 (of a max 55))

11 - Arizona State (over Navy): The academies always make me nervous when picking against them. They are typically the least penalized and least turnover-prone teams in all the country year in and year out. If Arizona State turns the ball over, they could run into trouble. However, I feel that they have just too much speed on offense, especially in the passing game, to fall short in this game.

Result: Arizona State 62 Navy 28 (Record: 5-6, Pts. 24 (of a max 66))

12 - San Jose State (over Bowling Green): While I don't feel that San Jose State is as good as their record or ranking indicates, I think they have enough firepower on offense to defeat the Falcons.

Result: San Jose State 29 Bowling Green 20 (Record: 6-6, Pts. 36 (of a max 78))

13 - Northwestern (over Mississippi State): Mississippi State may be 8-4 and a member of the SEC, but they do not have a good resume. They have as many wins against quality competition as I've had pregnancies. Northwestern is always a pain in the backside, will present the Bulldogs with a multiple array of sets on offense which will provoke headaches among other things.

Result: Northwestern 34 Mississippi State 20 (Record: 7-6, Pts. 49 (of a max 91))

14 - Texas (over Oregon State): I think the two teams are very evenly matched, but give an edge to the Longhorns with playing in San Antonio. Texas wins a low-scoring contest.

Result: Texas 31 Oregon State 27 (Record: 8-6, Pts. 63 (of a max 105))

15 - Arkansas State (over Kent State): Kent State hasn't impressed me much when I've seen them play, while Arkansas State has played some quality competition very tough. Due to these observations, I give Arkansas State the edge.

Result: Arkansas State 17 Kent State 13 (Record: 9-6, Pts. 78 (of a max 120))

16 - Iowa State (over Tulsa): While Tulsa has improved as the season has progressed this year, I still like Iowa State of the Big XII to find success running their kind of offense and being able to adequately defense the explosive Golden Hurricane's offense.

Result: Tulsa 31 Iowa State 17 (Record: 9-7, 78 Pts. (of a max 136))

17 - Louisiana-Lafayette (over East Carolina): If you like points, this will be a game for you to watch. With the game being at home (pretty much), I give the edge to Lafayette in a shootout.

Result: Louisiana-Lafayette 43 East Carolina 34 (Record: 10-7, 95 Pts. (of a max 153))

18 - Mississippi (over Pittsburgh): Pittsburgh has been about as bipolar and unpredictable as a team can get in college football. With that, the fact they're in the struggling Big East, and Mississippi has some explosive weapons on offense, I give the Rebels the edge.

Result: Mississippi 38 Pittsburgh 17 (Record: 11-7, 113 Pts. (of a max 171))

19 - Utah State (over Toledo): Utah State is a big favorite and while I feel they will win, I don't think it'll be by as much as the experts think. Toledo is a pesky team  that could present the Aggies with some problems.

Result: Utah State 41 Toledo 15 (Record: 12-7, 132 Pts. (of a max 190))

20 - USC (over Georgia Tech): I'd take USC by more than this typically. Georgia Tech's defense has been awful for most of the year (with a couple of exceptions). The USC passing attack will likely dominate the Yellow Jackets' secondary. However, with Tech finishing the year a very disappointing 6-7 and the Trojans, who at one time were seen as contenders for a national championship, finishing the year an even more disappointing 7-5, Tech may have more motivation. Even with that, I think the Trojans have too much firepower on offense for Tech to pull off the upset.

Result: Georgia Tech 21 USC 7 (Record: 12-8, 132 Pts. (of a max 210))

21 - Louisiana-Monroe (over Ohio): With the game being playing in Louisiana, the fact Monroe played some quality opponents this year and very competitively, and Ohio has struggled immensely in the final month or so of the season, I give the definite edge to Monroe.

Result: Ohio 45 Louisiana-Monroe 14 (Record: 12-9, 132 Pts. (of a max 231))

22 - Texas A&M (over Oklahoma): What's worse - the Heisman curse or the Bob Stoops curse? Stoops' Sooners have struggled in bowl games in recent years and Heisman winners traditionally haven't played well in bowl games. I think Johnny Manziel will be undeterred by the supposed curse, however, and will lead his Aggies to victory.

Result: Texas A&M 41 Oklahoma 13 (Record: 13-9, 154 Pts. (of a max 253))

23 - Central Florida (over Ball State): George O'Leary's Central Florida squad will be too powerful on both sides of the ball for the Cardinals to contend for too long.

Result: Central Florida 38 Ball State 17 (Record: 14-9, 177 Pts. (of a max 276))

24 - West Virginia (over Syracuse): My gut is telling me not to take West Virginia by this many points. It's very rare for me to have so much faith in a team with such a lousy defense. However, it appeared as if the Mountaineers started putting things together again in the final month of the regular season and should be able to continue that trend against the Orange of the Big East. Expect Tayvon Austin to have yet another big game.

Result: Syracuse 38 West Virginia 14 (Record: 14-10, 177 Pts. (of a max 300))

25 - Stanford (over Wisconsin):  Even with their 8-5 record, Wisconsin isn't a team to be taken too lightly. The two clubs are like mirror images of one another. While Wisconsin may have more to play for in this game than Stanford, I still think the Cardinal has far too stingy a defense and powerful of an offense for the Badgers to overcome.

Result: Stanford 20 Wisconsin 14 (Record: 15-10, 202 Pts. (of a max 325))

26 - Vanderbilt (over North Carolina State): Vandy is better than people think. Their only four losses came against ranked teams and while they're more well known for their stingy defense, they have better playmakers on the offensive side of the ball than they've had in recent years. With NC State head coach Tom O'Brien being fired, the team may lose its focus, and I am finding it incredibly difficult to see the Wolfpack winning this one.

Result: Vanderbilt 38 North Carolina State 24 (Record: 16-10, 228 Pts. (of a max 351))

27 - Cincinnati (over Duke): Expect a lot of points to be scored, but for the Bearcats to score more in the end. This may have been different if the game were played mid-season, but the Blue Devils struggled down the stretch, and will likely fall below the .500 mark with a loss here.

Result: Cincinnati 48 Duke 34 (Record: 17-10, 255 Pts. (of a max 378))

28 - Fresno State (over SMU): SMU head coach June Jones goes back to Hawaii to take on the 9-3 Fresno State Bulldogs. That's the only thing that makes me somewhat nervous about this pick, however. Fresno's dynamic offense paired against SMU's sub-par defense should be the perfect combination for a great number of points for the Bulldogs, more than enough to lead them to a 10-win season.

Result: SMU 43 Fresno State 10 (Record: 17-11, 255 Pts. (of a max 406))

29 - Arizona (over Nevada): Nevada is never a team to be taken lightly, but I think Arizona has way too much speed on both sides of the ball for the Wolfpack. Expect Nevada to play things tightly through the first half, but for the Wildcats to pull away in the second half.

Result: Arizona 49 Nevada 48 (Record: 18-11, 284 Pts. (of a max 435))

30 - Alabama (over Notre Dame): While I'd like to see Brian Kelly's Irish win this one, I find it very difficult to see them doing so. Notre Dame has a tough defense, but not tough enough from stopping Nick Saban's Crimson Tide from winning their third national championship in the past four years. Tide wins by 10.

Result: Alabama 42 Notre Dame 14 (Record: 19-11, 314 Pts. (of a max 465))

31 - Georgia (over Nebraska): Nebraska will have more to play for in this game, coming off their embarrassing 70-31 loss in the Big Ten title game against 8-5 and unranked Wisconsin. Georgia was just one play away from meeting up with Notre Dame for a chance at the national championship. In the end, though, Georgia's speed and athleticism on both sides of the ball will be too much for the Huskers.

Result: Georgia 45 Nebraska 31 (Record: 20-11, 345 Pts. (of a max 496))

32 - Florida (over Louisville): Louisville is definitely a team on the rise, yet I still don't feel they're as good as they were hyped all season. Florida's speed on defense will give the Cardinals' offense fits en route to a fairly easy win for the Gators.

Result: Louisville 33 Florida 23 (Record: 20-12, 345 Pts. (of a max 528))

33 - Texas Tech over Minnesota: Head coach Tommy Tuberville leaving Texas Tech made me second-guess this pick - the level of confidence I had in it anyway. With or without Tuberville, though, the Red Raiders should have a field day on the mediocre (to be nice) Gopher defense.

Result: Texas Tech 34 Minnesota 31 (Record: 21-12, 378 Pts. (of a max 561))

34 - Florida State (over Northern Illinois): Northern Illinois will definitely have the motivation edge, but not enough of one to overcome the extraordinary advantage Florida State has with regard to speed and athleticism on both sides of the ball. Northern Illinois may be able to hang with FSU for a quarter or two, but the Seminoles should start to dominate and pull away in the 3rd and 4th quarters.

Result: Florida State 31 Northern Illinois 10 (Record: 22-12, 412 Pts. (of a max 595))

35 - Oklahoma State (over Purdue): How Purdue even made it into a bowl game is beyond me. Okie State is far better than their 7-5 record indicates and their speed, especially on offense, will make the Boilermakers look silly. Cowboys win big.

Result: Oklahoma State 58 Purdue 14 (Record: 23-12, 447 Pts. (of a max 630)

Comments

Popular posts from this blog

Boycotting jukeboxes because of TouchTunes

I love music and enjoy hitting the bar(s) over the weekend, so naturally, when the mood strikes me, I've never been coy about playing some songs on the jukebox. This past Thursday, a friend of mine turned 50, so several friends of her's, including myself, all met up to celebrate the occasion. At around 9:30, a friend of mine and I both chipped in $5 to play some songs on the jukebox. Four hours and 231 skips later, we gave up on hearing the songs we had selected, and went home knowing we had just wasted $5. This wasn't the first time such a thing had happened to me (and many others), and due to that, I'll be boycotting jukeboxes. Why? The scam known as TouchTunes. You see, here's how the plot typically breaks down. A person (or group of people) downloads the TouchTunes app on his/her phone, consumes one too many adult beverages, and due to this, has less care for spending extra money to hear the songs of their choosing right NOW. That's the thing with TouchTun...

The difference between "looking" and "checking out"

I may be way off with these numbers, but it's my approximation that at least 75% of individuals whom are involved in a serious relationship feel it's perfectly acceptable to "check out" members of the opposite sex they're not involved with. Meanwhile, approximately 25% either don't feel this is acceptable or aren't sure about the matter. I hadn't thought about this matter for a while, but since I've been dating a woman for about 8 months, the topic has been pondered about some. When reading or hearing others discuss this very issue, I often times hear comments similar to the following: "It's human nature to look." "There's nothing wrong with checking others out. I'm sure he/she does it too!" "It's fine to do it. Just don't tell your boyfriend/girlfriend about it or do it in front of them!" "It's natural to find people attractive." When observing the array of comments, I i...