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The Bottom Ten/Bowl Game Edition
By Gaylon Kent
The Writer's Shack
With teams now playing 12 games every season, is there a reason teams aren't required to win seven games to go to a bowl? Well, yes there is, because if seven wins had been required this year there would have only been enough teams for 29 and a half bowl games, instead of the 34 games being foisted on us this year.
Eight bowl teams this year have 6-6 records, one more than 2007, meaning eight teams have the opportunity to finish a season which featured a postseason game with a losing record.
This year's biggest messes:
1. Independence Bowl
Details: Dec. 28, Independence Stadium, Shreveport, Louisiana
Teams: Louisiana Tech (7-5) vs. Northern Illinois (6-6)
Reason(s) To Watch: You went to one of the schools involved…You're in a prison cell and there are not other options, to include anal violation.
Reason(s) Not To Watch: You have some new belly button lint to investigate…You have to take a crap…You feel like a nap…There are always lots of reasons not to watch the Independence Bowl, all you need is a little imagination.
Bottom Line: 2007's top lousy bowl game pick returns to top spot in 2008 with lousy match-up featuring N. Illinois team that's lost three out of four and Louisiana Tech team that not only won four of last five against teams that were a combined 19-29, but also lost to Army.
2. Hawaii Bowl
Details: Dec. 24, Aloha Stadium, Honolulu, Hawaii
Teams: Hawaii (7-6) vs. Notre Dame (6-6)
Reason(s) To Watch: First ever bowl match-up between two teams to get blown out of last two Sugar Bowls…Thanks to Hawaii playing 13 games, only bowl match-up featuring two six-loss teams.
Reason(s) Not To Watch: Game is played Christmas Eve night for goodness sake…We're sure you have better things to do.
Bottom Line: Notre Dame enters game on roll, having lost four of last five…Hawaii needed late, three-game win streak against 3-win New Mexico State and 2-win Idaho and Washington State to reach 7-win mark.
3. St. Petersburg Bowl
Details: Dec. 20, Tropicana Field St. Petersburg, Florida
Teams: South Florida (7-5) vs. Memphis (6-6)
Reason(s) To Watch: Third bowl to be played in baseball-only stadium in the same year the World Series was played there.
Reason(s) Not To Watch: Game owned by evil ESPN, which thinks so much of their game it is being farmed out to ESPN2…South Florida has lost four of last five games.
Bottom Line: Game sponsored by magicJack, which appears to be a company that provides Internet phone service.
4. New Mexico Bowl
Details: Dec. 20, University Stadium, Albuquerque, New Mexico
Teams: Colorado State (6-6) vs. Fresno State (7-5)
Reason(s) To Watch: To see if Colorado State can beat team with winning record for second time this season.
Reason(s) Not To Watch: To see if Colorado State can beat team with winning record for second time this season.
Bottom Line: High temperature Saturday in Albuquerque will be in the low 40's.
5. Motor City Bowl
Details: Dec. 26, Ford Field, Detroit, Michigan
Teams: Central Michigan (8-4) vs. Florida Atlantic (6-6)
Reason(s) To Watch: Opportunity to see meaningful game played at Ford Field, home of the Detroit Lions.
Reason(s) Not To Watch: Florida Atlantic did not beat team that finished season with winning record this year…Central Michigan is on two-game losing streak, including handing Eastern Michigan their third win of year in inspiring 56-52 loss.
Bottom Line: Game so depressing MAC champion Buffalo declined automatic invite to play in Toronto.
6. Rose Bowl
Details: Jan. 1, the Rose Bowl, Pasadena, California
Teams: USC (11-1) vs. Penn State (11-1)
Reason(s) To Watch: We've always gotten a kick out of the fact the game begins in the afternoon and ends at night. We're not entirely sure why.
Reason(s) Not To Watch: The Rose Bowl doesn't mean squat anymore...Both teams would prefer to be playing in the BCS title game.
Bottom Line: Second Rose Bowl meeting between two teams…The first was a 14-3 USC win in 1923 Rose Bowl, the first game played in current stadium.
7. Humanitarian Bowl
Details: Dec. 30, Bronco Stadium, Boise, Idaho
Teams: Nevada (7-5) vs. Maryland (7-5)
Reason(s) To Watch: Maryland's lost three of four, while Nevada had two (2) two-game winning streaks this season!
Reason(s) Not To Watch: College football has gone 139 years without seeing these two teams play and the Sun is still coming up in the east. Must they start now?
Bottom Line: First bowl game to be played outdoors in a goddamn icebox, Humanitarian Bowl could host BCS title game every year and they would still be ranked simply because there is no reason to play a football game in Idaho in December.
8. Texas Bowl
Details: Dec. 30, Reliant Stadium, Houston, Texas
Teams: Western Michigan (9-3) vs. Rice (9-3)
Reason(s) To Watch: Rice playing in bowl game for second time in three years, after having not played in one since 1961 Bluebonnet Bowl.
Reason(s) Not To Watch: Lots of them, apparently, as the Texas Bowl was the lowest rated bowl game last year, drawing just over half a million viewers.
Bottom Line: Originally named Houston Bowl, now considering name change to We'll Do Anything To Get Third-Tier Texas School Into A Bowl Game Bowl.
9. New Orleans Bowl
Details: Dec. 21, the Superdome, New Orleans, Louisiana
Teams: Troy (8-4) vs. Southern Mississippi (6-6)
Reason(s) To Watch: We suppose the Sun Belt Conference champion is entitled to play somewhere.
Reason(s) Not To Watch: Southern Mississippi actually lost five straight at one point this season, most amongst bowl-eligible teams.
Bottom Line: Screw it…Why bother?
10. Amos Alonzo Stagg Bowl
Details: The NCAA Division III National Championship Game, Dec. 20, Salem Football Stadium, Salem, Virginia
Teams: Mount Union (14-0) vs. Wisconsin-Whitewater (13-1)
Reason(s) To Watch: Fourth consecutive Stagg Bowl meeting between these two teams…Mount Union won in 2005 and 2006, Wisconsin-Whitewater won last year…Mount Union looking for 10th national championship
Reason(s) Not To Watch: Let us know when you've found one.
Bottom Line: Game features newly-minted NCAA all-division leading rusher Nate Kmic of Mount Union, who's rushed for 7,986 yards in his career.
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