OK, first an update on the records. In week 13 I went 8-8 and Al went 9-7. In week 14 I had a great week and went 10-5 and Al went 8-7. However, I gave it all back in week 15 where I just stunk up the joint and went a woeful 4-12, while Al went 8-8. 4-12 is vile. The upshot of all this is that I’m 109-93-7 and Al is now 108-93-8. Yikes! Talk about it coming down to the wire…
And now the bowls. I watched less college football than usual this year so I feel like I’m working without a net here. I think after the beating I took in week 15 now I’m petrified. This can’t be good…
12/20, Poinsettia: Navy vs. Utah(-7.5)
I have no idea how good or bad Utah is, but I know one thing: Navy blows. Anyone who had that much trouble with Notre Dame is bad, really bad. Utah covers.
12/21, New Orleans: Memphis vs. Florida Atlantic(-2.5)
I don’t especially like either team here, but my coin insists that Memphis has this one.
12/22, Papajohns.com: Southern Miss vs. Cincinnati(-11)
I’d like to pick against the Bearcats here, I really would, but I don’t see it happening. Oh, and Southern Miss is C-USA, right? Gotta pick against ‘em then.
12/22, New Mexico: Nevada vs. New Mexico(-3)
Home game for the Lobos, where they are 5-1 this year. I think I’ll give the points.
12/22, Las Vegas: UCLA vs. BYU(-5)
Interesting game, as it’s a rematch of a regular-season game which UCLA won. But UCLA went in the tank and BYU got hot. UCLA’s coach got canned and BYU ended the season ranked, I think. I have to believe BYU is better and covers this.
12/23, Hawaii: East Carolina vs. Boise State(-10.5)
A big spread, which Boise will probably double up on. They’re actually decent, and ECU… isn’t.
12/26, Motor City: Central Michigan vs. Purdue(-8.5)
I’m not convinced Purdue will win this game at all, much less cover that kind of spread. I’m taking the points.
12/27, Holiday: Arizona State vs. Texas(-2.5)
The wrong team is favored here; Texas isn’t very good this year.
12/28, Champs Sports: Michigan State vs. Boston College(-3.5)
Only three and a half? I really disliked BC this year and was planning to pick against them, but Michigan State isn’t any good, either, and I was thinking the spread here would be like 7 and I could pick against BC. But not with only 3.5. BC.
12/28, Texas, Houston vs. TCU(-3.5)
Again, I’m surprised this spread isn’t bigger. TCU is just better, end of story.
12/28, Emerald: Maryland vs. Oregon State(-5)
The Beavers got jobbed ending up in this crappy bowl. And actually I’m kind of surprised that Maryland made it into a bowl game at all. I don’t see the Terps with much of a chance in this one.
12/29, Meineke Car Care, UConn vs. Wake Forest(-2.5)
UConn has actually played pretty well this year, I think, and I heard nothing about Wake, so I’m going to take the points and hope really hard that the ACC really is as bad as I think this year.
12/29, Liberty: Mississippi State vs. University of Central Florida(-3)
Hey, look, George O’Leary is back in a bowl! And, actually, i think they’ll win and cover, that RB they have is supposed to be the real deal.
12/29, Alamo: Texas A&M vs. Penn State(-5.5)
This is essentially going to be a home game for the Aggies, though Penn State does travel well. Both of these teams were money at home this year but blew chunks on the road. I dunno, this just feels like too many points…
12/30, Independence: Colorado vs. Alabama(-3.5)
Man, this is the bowl of suck. I mean, yeah, SEC vs. Big XII and everything, but these were both 6-6 teams. And you simply cannot believe how even these teams are, check out the bar graphs here. That’s a coin flip to me, I’m taking the points.
I’m not doing the New Year’s Eve bowls yet, in part because we have no idea yet whether Florida State will even have enough guys eligible to field a team…
I know so little about college football — this could get ugly…or perhaps it will help!
12/20, Poinsettia: Navy vs. Utah(-7.5)
Isn’t the Navy head coach moving to GT next year? That kind of turnover is unsettling to players, right? I’ll take Utah.
12/21, New Orleans: Memphis vs. Florida Atlantic(-2.5)
I guess Florida Atlantic because they’re favored?
12/22, Papajohns.com: Southern Miss vs. Cincinnati(-11)
I think Cincinnati is pretty good. I watched one of their games. I’ll give the points.
12/22, New Mexico: Nevada vs. New Mexico(-3)
Your analysis seems good. I’ll go with the Lobos too.
12/22, Las Vegas: UCLA vs. BYU(-5)
I think I like UCLA in this one. They have decent talent but their coaching was awful. This year, beating USC was not good enough. I’ll take the points.
12/23, Hawaii: East Carolina vs. Boise State(-10.5)
Boise State is pretty good, I think. I’ll give the points.
12/26, Motor City: Central Michigan vs. Purdue(-8.5)
I’ll take the bigger-name school, I guess.
12/27, Holiday: Arizona State vs. Texas(-2.5)
I’ve seen Arizona State win some big games. I’ll take the points.
12/28, Champs Sports: Michigan State vs. Boston College(-3.5)
I’ll take BC and Matt Ryan. They’re surely better than State.
12/28, Texas, Houston vs. TCU(-3.5)
I’ll take the favored team.
12/28, Emerald: Maryland vs. Oregon State(-5)
The Pac Ten seemed pretty good to me overall. I wasn’t impressed with Maryland this year, although they did beat Tech, I think. I’ll give the points.
12/29, Meineke Car Care, UConn vs. Wake Forest(-2.5)
Nice bowl game. The UConn coach is in pretty high demand, and they actually had a chance to be in the championship game for the Big East! I’ll take the Huskies and the points.
12/29, Liberty: Mississippi State vs. University of Central Florida(-3)
Mississippi State is still really bad. I think I like UCF here.
12/29, Alamo: Texas A&M vs. Penn State(-5.5)
I recently found out that JoPa make a lot less than you’d think. That’s irrelevant though, I guess. I’ll give the points.
12/30, Independence: Colorado vs. Alabama(-3.5)
I’ll give the points and take the SEC here.