Ah yes, the most wonderful time of the year and no Bing Crosby, I don’t mean Christmas. It’s Bowl Season! The time when we stay glued to the TV to watch 7-5 and 6-6 teams battle it out for the first 10 days before actually seeing bowl games. Therefore, I’m going to break this preview down into two groups. The “appetizer” group of the mid-majors playing the bottom half of the BCS conference teams that squeaked in due to a ho-hum non-conference schedule, and the “Main Course” of games that start around the 29th which showcase teams that did something during the season to get them here. No offense to you playing in the early games, I just think there are far too many bowl games these days.
With that, let’s start the preview with the games from the 15th to the 28th with mine and Michael Waterloo’s (OVA/The Yinzer Editor) picks.
Gildan New Mexico 12/15 – 1 PM
(7-5) Nevada [MWC] vs. (7-5) Arizona [Pac – 12]
Welcome back to the bowl season, Rich Rod. Your team pulled off an early season upset of Ok. State before coming back to earth. Nevada hasn’t really done anything, other than taking Boise to the wire in the final week.
Travis: Arizona / Michael: Arizona
Famous Idaho Potato 12/15 – 4:30 PM
(9-3) Toledo [MAC] vs. (10-2) #22 Utah State [WAC]
Utah State was 8 points (19-14 @ WISC, 6-3 @ BYU) from an undefeated season and Orange Bowl birth against Florida State. Toledo lost out on a Mac Title shot with late season losses to Ball State and No. Illinois.
Travis: Utah State / Michael: Toledo
San Diego County Credit Union Poinsettia 12/20 – 8 PM
(7-5) BYU [INDEPENDENT] vs. (9-3) San Diego State [MWC]
Four of BYU’s losses were of 3 points or less (3 @ Utah, 1 @ Boise, 3 @ ND, 3 @ San Jose State) while giving Utah State one of their two losses. San Diego State lost three of their first four before knocking off seven straight heading into the bowl.
Travis: BYU / Michael: San Diego State
Beef ‘O’ Brady’s St. Petersburg 12/21 – 7:30 PM
(9-3) Ball State [MAC] vs. (9-4) UCF [C-USA]
Ball State’s only losses were at Clemson and to the two teams that played for the Mac Title and a BCS Birth. Only problem is…..those were the only big games on their schedule. UCF made it to the C-USA title game where they lost to Tulsa in OT. They also lost their only conference game to Tulsa earlier in the year.
Travis: UCF / Michael: Ball State
R+L Carriers New Orleans 12/22 – NOON
(8-4) East Carolina [C-USA] vs. (8-4) Louisiana-Lafayette [Sun Belt]
This one is a toss-up for me, both teams finished second in the conferences, both got blown out early in the year to BCS opponents. Although, ULL did go down to the Swamp in early Nov and almost pull off an upset.
Travis: Louisiana-Lafayette / Michael: Louisiana-Lafayette
MAACO Las Vegas 12/22 – 3:30 PM
(7-5) Washington [Pac-12] vs. (10-2) #19 Boise State [MWC]
Washington upset Stanford and Oregon State and came within 10 of taking down USC. Don’t overlook the Huskies. Boise let one slip away against Mich. St. in the opener and lost a heartbreaker to SDSU by 2 in early November. Erase one of those two missteps and Boise is back in the BCS.
Travis: Boise State / Michael: Boise State
Sheraton Hawaii 12/24 – 8 PM
(9-3) Fresno State [MWC] vs. (6-6) Southern Methodist [C-USA]
Fresno’s losses were to BCS bound Oregon, Tulsa (C-USA) champion, and their only conference loss to Boise (MWC) champion. SMU gave Tulsa their only conference loss to become bowl eligible
Travis: Fresno State / Michael: Fresno State
Little Caesars 12/26 – 7:30 PM
(7-5) Western Kentucky [Sun Belt] vs. (6-6) Central Michigan [MAC]
Western Kentucky stumbled to the finish losing three in a row before beating 4-8 North Texas 25-24 in the final week. Central Michigan needed three straight wins to reach the bowl season. This has the makes of a sure barn burner.
Travis: Western Kentucky / Michael: Western Kentucky
Military Bowl Presented By Northrop Grumman 12/27 – 3 PM
(10-2) #24 San Jose State [WAC] vs. (8-4) Bowling Green [MAC]
San Jose State played Stanford to the wire in the opener before losing by 3. Their only other loss came to WAC champion, Utah State. Bowling Green finished second in the MAC East and had 7 point losses to Florida and Mac East champion Kent State.
Travis: San Jose State / Michael: San Jose State
Belk 12/27 – 6:30 PM
(9-3) Cincinnati [Big East] vs. (6-6) Duke [ACC]
Cincinnati finished in a four-way tie for the Big East Title but lost out on the BCS due to the tiebreaker. That dropped them all the way to the Belk Bowl. Duke slipped into a bowl after losing four straight games by a combined score of 198-96.
Travis: Cincinnati / Michael: Cincinnati
Bridgepoint Education Holiday 12/27 – 9:45 PM
(7-5) Baylor [Big 12] vs. (9-4) #17 UCLA [Pac-12]
It looked like Baylor would not make a bowl until their major upset of then #1 Kansas State vaulted them to three straight victories. UCLA slips down to the Holiday after a missed field goal cost them the Pac-12 title and BCS birth.
Travis: Baylor / Michael: UCLA
AdvoCare V100 Independence 12/28 – 2 PM
(8-4) Ohio [MAC] vs. (8-4) Louisiana-Monroe [Sun Belt]
Ohio was 7-0 and in the driver’s seat for a BCS bid. They would then finish the season 1-4 and in third place in the MAC East. Louisiana-Monroe upset #8 Arkansas in overtime, took Auburn to overtime before losing, and took Baylor to the end all in the first three weeks of the season. Two late-season losses to Sun Belt champ. Arkansas State and runner up Louisiana-Lafayette cost them a Conference title.
Travis: Louisiana-Monroe / Michael: Ohio
Russell Athletic 12/28 – 5:30 PM
(9-3) Rutgers [Big East] vs. (6-6) Virginia Tech [ACC]
Rutgers needed one of two wins in the final two weeks to gain an outright Big East title and BCS birth. They would lose both to Pitt and Louisville to drop them out of the BCS. Virginia Tech had a down year and needed a victory in OT vs. Boston College and a 3 point win vs. Virginia in the final two weeks to become bowl eligible.
Travis: Rutgers / Michael: Virginia Tech
Meineke Car Care of Texas 12/28 – 9 PM
(6-6) Minnesota [B1G] vs. (7-5) Texas Tech
Minnesota started off 4-0 before going 2-6 in B1G play. Texas Tech started out 6-1 with a victory over then #5 West Virginia. They would finish Big 12 play 1-4 and lose Head Coach Tommy Tuberville to Cincinnati.
Travis: Minnesota / Michael: Texas Tech
Bell Helicopter Armed Forces 12/29 – 11:45 AM
(6-6) Rice [C-USA] vs. (6-6) Air Force [MWC]
Rice started the season 1-5 before flipping the script and finishing 5-1 with their only loss being a 4 point setback to the C-USA champion. Air Force went 0-2 against their military counterparts but still got to the six win mark to qualify for the Armed Forces bowl.
Travis: Air Force / Michael: Air Force
