Bowl Picks and Results

Poinsettia- TCU (+11.5) vs. Northern Illinois: This kind of spread is always dangerous, especially in bowl games. I'm particularly wary, because of NIU tailback Garrett Wolfe. But, with how TCU improved at the tail-end of the season and for how steady their defense is, I'm tentatively going with them to cover the spread.
TCU 31 Northern Illinois 17
TCU 37 Northern Illinois 7 (1-0) (1-0)

Las Vegas- BYU (+3.5) vs. Oregon: Both teams have been going in completely opposite directions since the start of the season. BYU has pulled off nine straight victories since their 1-2 start and Oregon has dropped five of eight since their 4-0 start. With the teams' momentum playing a factor, I like the Cougars to pull out the win, their eleventh of the season. Oregon should keep it close, however. This will not be a game for the defensive lovers out there. It should be fast-paced, up and down, exciting, and entertaining throughout.
BYU 38 Oregon 35
BYU 38 Oregon 8 (2-0) (1-1)

New Orleans- Rice (+4.5) vs. Troy: Both teams finished the season strong, especially Rice, winning their last six. But, being the fact that Troy faced some stiff competition this year in the likes of Georgia Tech, Florida State, and Nebraska, I'm going to give them the slight edge in this one.
Troy 28 Rice 24
Troy 41 Rice 17 (3-0) (2-1)

Papajohns.com- South Florida (+4.5) vs. East Carolina: This is a very difficult game to pick. South Florida has not been too consistent this year, getting trounced by Cincinnati, yet upsetting West Virginia. East Carolina has improved enormously this season as opposed to their previous couple. ECU's defense is pretty stiff, but I'm going to give the edge to South Florida and their exciting young quarterback Groethe.
South Florida 24 East Carolina 21
South Florida 24 East Carolina 7 (4-0) (2-2)

New Mexico- New Mexico (+4) vs. San Jose State: Why, oh why, is 6-6 New Mexico in a bowl game and the likes of 6-6 Arizona, Kansas, Washington State, and Pittsburgh are not? Oh, that's because it's the New Mexico Bowl. Ahh, that makes sense. The Lobos are even favored in this game, mainly due to their home-field advantage. Even if that's the case, I see Dick Tomey and his Spartans win this one, because of their rushing attack. I wonder if Tomey will be heading to a bigger school anytime soon, as with this win, he would have improved SJSU to 9-4 on the season.
San Jose State 28 New Mexico 17
San Jose State 20 New Mexico 12 (5-0) (3-2)

Armed Forces- Utah (+1) vs. Tulsa: This was one of the toughest games for me to choose, because neither team has shown any kind of consistency all year. Tulsa started the year great at 7-1, but have since dropped three of four. Utah has been up and down all season. Because Tulsa has shown a slight bit more consistency throughout the course of the season, I'm giving them the slight edge, but you may well flip a coin on this one. It could go either way.
Tulsa 31 Utah 28
Utah 25 Tulsa 13 (5-1) (3-3)

Hawaii- Hawaii (+7) vs. Arizona State: After another bowl appearance, Dirk Koetter is out as ASU head coach and in is Dennis Erickson. Because of the post-season shake-up, that gives a slight edge right away to the Warriors. Home-field advantage gives another slight edge to Hawaii. But, I wouldn't call this one an easy pick by any stretch of the imagination. Hawaii finished the year against Purdue and Oregon State. They had to come back late against Purdue to pull out the W and lost by a couple points to the Beavers. When Hawaii plays decent competition from major conferences, they're usually in a high-scoring dogfight and I think there will be no exception to that here.
Hawaii 42 Arizona State 38
Hawaii 41 Arizona State 24 (6-1) (3-4)

Motor City- Central Michigan (+10) vs. Middle Tennessee State: The only way I see MTSU winning this one is if CMU lays an egg and the Blue Raiders play their best game of the season. How MTSU even made a bowl game as the #2 team from the Sun Belt Conference (the worst conference in football) is beyond me.
Central Michigan 35 Middle Tennessee State 17
Central Michigan 31 Middle Tennessee State 14 (7-1) (4-4)

Emerald- UCLA (+4.5) vs. Florida State: Like defense? Then, this is the game for you! If not, you may want to watch something else. This could have the feeling of a SEC-type dogfight or of that Georgia-Georgia Tech game at the end of the year. At home and with their defense playing much more consistently than their counterpart's, I give the edge to UCLA. It'll be close, though.
UCLA 17 Florida State 14
Florida State 44 UCLA 27 (7-2) (5-4)

Independence- Oklahoma State (+2) vs. Alabama: Mike Shula is gone and no one has been hired yet in Tuscaloosa. With all that going on, it's hard for me to take the Tide in this one. They have the talent, especially on defense and in the backfield, to do it, but with all the added distractions, I have a difficult time seeing them pull this out.
Oklahoma State 24 Alabama 17
Oklahoma State 34 Alabama 31 (8-2) (6-4)

Texas- Rutgers (+7.5) vs. Kansas State: Rutgers finishes the year 10-2 and winds up in the Texas Bowl against 7-5 Kansas State? To say the Big East received little respect this year would be quite the understatement. But, since it's Rutgers, Coach Schiano is staying put, and the team would like to win a bowl game to cap off their great year, I do see incentive for the Scarlet Knights in this one. It may be tough to cover the spread, but they should get the W, which is what's most important.
Rutgers 31 Kansas State 24
Rutgers 37 Kansas State 10 (9-2) (6-5)

Holiday- California (+5) vs. Texas A&M: This is a tough game for me to call, because the Pac 10's second gets quite the drop-off year-to-year. You go from the Rose Bowl to the Holiday Bowl. Cal also didn't play particularly well in their final couple outings, falling to USC and barely sneaking by a one-win Stanford club. A&M played in close games all year, losing heartbreakers to Texas Tech and Nebraska along the way. So, whether A&M wins or not, they seem to know how to play the opposition close. Cal's quarterback will have to complete some balls in order to free up some room for stud tailback Marshawn Lynch and the running game. I see them doing this and squeaking one out over a pesky Aggie club.
California 31 Texas A&M 28
California 45 Texas A&M 10 (10-2) (6-6)

Music City- Clemson (+10) vs. Kentucky: Clemson probably has one of the two most talented all around teams in the ACC, along with Georgia Tech. But, the Tigers did not play up to that potential week in and week out this year. Kentucky was a pleasant surprise coming out of the SEC, with Rich Brooks turning in an impressive 7-5 season. While I wouldn't wager too much for Clemson to cover the spread, I would think (hope) that they have enough motivation to allow their talent to overcome their shortfalls in this one.
Clemson 28 Kentucky 21
Kentucky 28 Clemson 20 (10-3) (7-6)

Sun- Oregon State (+3.5) vs. Missouri: Oregon State burst onto the scene with their upset win over then unbeaten USC. They closed the season strong, as well, getting past then 10-2 Hawaii. Missouri has shown that they have the talent necessary to be competitive on a weekly basis, and in most cases, pull out the W's. But, they've also shown a lack of focus, which has gotten them into trouble, especially when it deals with turnovers, penalties, and burying themselves in too deep a hole to crawl themselves back out of. With all that in mind, I give OSU a slight edge in this one.
Oregon State 31 Missouri 28
Oregon State 39 Missouri 38 (11-3) (8-6)

Liberty- South Carolina (+6.5) vs. Houston: This is a game that makes me nervous. I'm going with Spurrier and Carolina, but Houston is not a team to be taken lightly and I could see them pulling off the upset. The Cougars dominated the always steady Southern Miss Golden Eagles in the Conference USA title game to close the regular season at 10-3. I give Carolina a slight edge because of the speed of their defense and the size and speed at their skill positions.
South Carolina 31 Houston 24
South Carolina 44 Houston 36 (12-3) (9-6)

Champs Sports- Maryland (+1) vs. Purdue: This shouldn't be called the "Champs" Sports Bowl this year. It should be called "The Mediocre Power Conference Schools Who Either Get Outplayed and Find a Way to Win or Play Weak Competition Bowl." Yeah, Maryland finished 8-4, yet was outscored for the season. They like to win the close game. Purdue finished 8-5, but has yet to beat a team with a winning record. If this game isn't close, I'll be shocked. But, I'm going with the Terps, because regardless of how they get outplayed, they seem to find ways to stay in the game and eventually win.
Maryland 24 Purdue 21
Maryland 24 Purdue 7 (13-3) (10-6)

Insight- Texas Tech (+7) vs. Minnesota: The GO-phers had to win a few games there down the stretch just to become bowl eligible at 6-6. None of those wins were against very quality opponents. The most quality was a 6-6 Iowa team. I don't think they'll get pounded. Heck, I don't even think Tech will cover the spread, but I believe Leach and his offense will be a bit too much for the GO-phers to overcome.
Texas Tech 31 Minnesota 28
Texas Tech 44 Minnesota 41 OT (14-3) (11-6)

Meineke Car Care- Boston College (+6) vs. Navy: The big question I have about this game is, how distracted will BC be because of the coaching change? What's playing in their favor? Navy played the weakest schedule in Division I-A this year. They've got a decent team, but got pounded in games such as these. If BC can stay focused, I don't think they'll have many problems. If not...well, then, that's another story.
Boston College 31 Navy 17
Boston College 25 Navy 24 (15-3) (11-7)

Alamo- Texas (+10) vs. Iowa: What will Texas do? They were about guaranteed a spot in the Big XII title game and with a win, would have represented the conference in a BCS game. The only way they wouldn't go is if they lost their final two games and Oklahoma won theirs. Well, that's exactly what happened, when Texas lost a shootout to Kansas State and a slugfest to Texas A&M. Will they continue to mope, disappointed about failing to make the most of an almost guaranteed opportunity and fall flat in this one? Or, will they feel an extra incentive to rebound from those two losses to end the year with a bowl victory and something to carry them into next season? I'm going to go with the latter as opposed to the former.
Texas 28 Iowa 17
Texas 26 Iowa 24 (16-3) (11-8)

Peach- Virginia Tech (+2.5) vs. Georgia: If you thought the UCLA-Florida State game showcased two special defenses, that was nothing compared to this. The first team to score may this one, as that could be the only score of the game. The offense with the least amount of mistakes will probably pull through with the victory in this one. With VT quarterback Sean Glennon's tendency to lose the football when hit more times than not, chances are that it'll happen at least once in this game and when it does, Georgia should be able to take full advantage.
Georgia 14 Virginia Tech 10
Georgia 31 Virginia Tech 24 (17-3) (12-8)

MPC Computers- Miami (Florida) (+3.5) vs. Nevada: I had a hard time picking this one. Miami quarterback Kyle Wright is out with an injury. Larry Coker was fired and in comes a new head coach. The team has played anything but spectacularly this year. Nevada is 8-4 and winners of seven of their last eight. That one loss was a beatdown at the hands of Boise State, however. It was really difficult for me to pull the trigger in this one, but for some reason, I'm going with the speed, tenacity, and athleticism of Miami's defense. It won't be easy, though. It's never easy when the offense doesn't put up many points on the scoreboard.
Miami (Florida) 24 Nevada 17
Miami (Florida) 21 Nevada 20 (18-3) (12-9)

Cotton- Auburn (+2) vs. Nebraska: Three Auburn players have already been suspended for this game, including a starting linebacker. Auburn kind of reminds me of the Oklahoma team that just beat the Huskers 21-7 for the Big XII title. If Tiger QB Brandon Cox has enough time to throw the ball and is able to exploit the rather weak secondary of Nebraska, Auburn should come out with the victory. But, if he's getting pressured and they become a one-dimensional offense, it'll be a dogfight. I like the Tigers, in a close one.
Auburn 24 Nebraska 21
Auburn 17 Nebraska 14 (19-3) (13-9)

Outback- Tennessee (+4.5) vs. Penn State: Just like Wisconsin and Purdue, I'm just not sure how good 8-4 Penn State is. They seem to be fairly stout defensively, but haven't been very consistent on offense this year. I have a hard time believing that they'll be able to keep up with the Vols' quickness and physicality on the offensive and defensive sides of the ball.
Tennessee 24 Penn State 10
Penn State 20 Tennessee 10 (19-4) (13-10)

Capital One- Arkansas (+1) vs. Wisconsin: Both teams feed off the running game. Any yardage in the passing game for either team will just be a bonus. While Arkansas beat three opponents with winning records in Auburn, South Carolina, and Tennessee, who have a combined record of 26-10 (.722) and they dominated the games against 10-2 Auburn and 9-3 Tennessee, Wisconsin beat two teams with winning records, against Penn State and Purdue, with combined records of 16-9 (.640). The Badgers' schedule ranked 114th out of 119 teams. Even though Arkansas is rather one dimensional, I can't remember anybody slowing down Darren McFadden and the Razorbacks' running game all year. I have a hard time believing the Badgers will either.
Arkansas 31 Wisconsin 17
Wisconsin 17 Arkansas 14 (19-5) (13-11)

Gator- West Virginia (+7) vs. Georgia Tech: Word is in that Yellow Jackets' quarterback Reggie Ball will not be playing in this game. If that is a good or bad thing is beyond me. Ball has been dreadfully inconsistent this year and throughout his entire career at Georgia Tech. But, he has been the starter for four years, so I can't imagine the backup is any better. Georgia Tech's defense will keep things from getting too ugly, but the speed on the Mountaineer offense will reign superior in the end.
West Virginia 28 Georgia Tech 17
West Virginia 38 Georgia Tech 35 (20-5) (13-12)

Rose- USC (+1) vs. Michigan: Who wants this game more? Or, at all? Michigan comes in believing they got shafted by the BCS system and should be playing for a national title. USC had an opportunity to go to the title game with a win over UCLA, but the Bruins had other ideas. With the loss, USC knows they're not worthy of the big game, so I believe they'll be able to focus on this game and not the hypothetical what ifs more so than Michigan. USC is also very young and this gives Pete Carroll a chance to preach to his club that this is the first game of next year's season and to let the college football world know that they're back. Lloyd Carr has had more difficulty in motivating his club for big games, losing five of six to Ohio State and even to Nebraska in last year's bowl game.
USC 24 Michigan 21
USC 32 Michigan 18 (21-5) (14-12)

Fiesta- Oklahoma (+7.5) vs. Boise State: That's quite the spread against a 12-0 club like Boise State. Adrian Peterson will be back for the game, which should benefit Oklahoma immensely, but I would not look past Boise. They're 12-0 and have beaten 9-4 Oregon State by twenty-eight points. Bob Stoops has struggled in bowl games in recent years. It will be Peterson's first game back in quite some time. Also, we must ask the question, who wants the game more? An Oklahoma squad who's used to being in such games and may feel like they got little respect by being paired up with a WAC opponent or an undefeated Boise State team who wants to let the world know that they're legit? Boise State, most definitely.
Boise State 31 Oklahoma 28
Boise State 43 Oklahoma 42 OT (22-5) (15-12)

Orange- Louisville (+10) vs. Wake Forest: Wake can be a pain. They run a lot of motion on offense, which can confuse some defenses. I think that will frustrate Louisville for about a half, but the Cardinals should get in a rhythm offensively in the third and into the fourth quarters for the win.
Louisville 31 Wake Forest 21
Louisville 24 Wake Forest 13 (23-5) (16-12)

Sugar- LSU (+9) vs. Notre Dame: Notre Dame lost ugly to Michigan and to USC, the only two teams they faced who were solid on both the offensive and defensive sides of the ball. Well, LSU fits that curriculum as well, and may have even a better defense than either Michigan or USC. With the game in New Orleans and the majority of fans wearing yellow and purple, the Tigers should feast on the Irish.
LSU 31 Notre Dame 14
LSU 41 Notre Dame 14 (24-5) (17-12)

International- Cincinnati (+8) vs. Western Michigan: It was nice to see the Bearcats go bowling following their 7-5 season against very tough competition, including games against Louisville (11-1), West Virginia (10-2), Rutgers (10-2), Virginia Tech (10-2), and Ohio State (12-0). Western Michigan should keep things fairly low scoring, but they don't have enough on offense to win in the end.
Cincinnati 20 Western Michigan 6
Cincinnati 27 Western Michigan 24 (25-5) (17-13)

GMAC- Southern Mississippi (+8.5) vs. Ohio: The Bobcats are coming off an annihilation at the hands of Central Michigan in the MAC title game, but they have to be satisfied with the improvement from year 1 to year 2 in the Frank Solich era. Ohio was 4-7 in his first season and 9-4 (including the MAC title game) this year. Southern Miss shouldn't have any problem with the Bobcats, but kudos to Solich and Ohio for their solid season.
Southern Mississippi 24 Ohio 14
Southern Mississippi 28 Ohio 7 (26-5) (18-13)

BCS Championship- Ohio State (+7.5) vs. Florida: Here it is- THE GAME, #1 vs. #2, to be crowned champion. That's quite a spread for a title game, isn't it? Most analysts aren't giving Florida a chance in this game. With their defense, they always have a chance. Remember, Ohio State's last game came two weeks before Florida's last game. They may be very rusty coming out of the gates in this one. If Florida's offense can run a balanced offense and keep OSU on their heels, they'll have a great chance at pulling off the upset, but I don't see that happening. Florida's defense will keep them in it throughout, but the Heisman Trophy winner will come through (again) for the Buckeyes, to finish the year 13-0.
Ohio State 24 Florida 17
Florida 41 Ohio State 14 (26-6) (19-13)

Week 15 Record For the Win: 26-6 (.813)
Overall Record For the Win: 490-180 (.731)
Week 15 Record Vs. the Spread: 19-13 (.594)
Overall Record Vs. the Spread: 333-337 (.497)