There is no question that there is a glut of bowl games, so unless you are single & living life alone as a hermit with cable TV, you can’t watch them all. So I have some criteria to trim down the list:
1. Never watch a game where the head coach & his staff have been fired. If they were good enough to bring a bowl payout to the school they should have been retained.
2. Never watch a bowl where the head coach bolted his team for extra ca$h. After preaching loyalty all year, a few bucks & forget loyalty.
3. Never watch a bowl with teams with losing records. They are not bowl worthy.
Ok, so let’s look at the bowls I’m watching:
1. San Diego St. vs Army on ESPN 3:30 Sat. 12/23 – Can Army beat a team of superior athletes without a pass game? This is the question. Jeff Monken will have to keep it an 8 possession, low scoring game for The Cadets to win. IF SD St. gets up early, it’s going to be a rough night for Army. You’ll know at the end of the 1st quarter which way this going.
2. Univ. of Virginia vs Navy on ESPN 1:30 Thurs 12/28 – Navy is faced with exactly the same situation Army is faced with. They can throw the ball a little but will lose if the game turns into a shoot- out. Malcom Perry gives The Middies a big play guy who may be enough for a little edge. No turnovers & no penalties are a must for Navy
3. Stanford vs TCU on ESPN 9PM on Thurs. 12/28 – Excellent matchup between 2 outstanding coaches & 2 underrated teams. I give the edge to David Shaw & the Stanford Cardinal. They have the 2nd best running back in CFB & Shaw knows how to get him the ball. A healthy Bryce Love can control the game. A very well played & entertaining game expected.
4. USC vs Ohio St. on ESPN 8:30 on Fri. 12/29 – Another excellent matchup between 2 teams that should be in the playoff over Alabama. The Buckeyes are The Big 10 Champ & the better team but USC has a QB who can negate the Bucks advantage. This should go down to the wire but if Nick Bosa plays up to par & pressure the Trojan QB, The Bucks will prevail
5. Washington vs Penn St. on ESPN 4PM on Sat. 12/30 – A great matchup between two high scoring teams. PSU has the best running back on the planet, actually, Saquon Barkley may just be the best football player on the planet. If Barkley gets 20+ carries the Lions will control the clock & make the Huskie Defense load the box opening the air ways for Trace McSorley. A tough task for a tough Huskie team.
6. Wisconsin vs Miami on ESPN 8PM on Sat. 12/30 – The Badgers are underrated & the U is overrated BUT that doesn’t give the game to the Badgers. If the U can duplicate Ohio State’s game plan & load the box & make The Badgers throw The Canes will prevail. If the Badgers move the ball vs the loaded box & frustrate The U’s QB there will be dancing in the Cheese State.
7. Georgia vs Oklahoma on ESPN 5PM on Mon. 1/1 – Kirby Smart has the means of keeping the ball away from OU’s Baker Mayfield with his potent run game but like him or not Baker can cook up some offense in a hurry. The key to the game is the Sooners’ Defense. Can they get the Dawgs off the field? If they can’t it will be a Dawg Fight to the finish.
8. Alabama vs Clemson on ESPN 8:45 on Mon. 1/1 – I think Nick Saban is one of the great coaches of all time & ‘Bama is one of the great programs of all time BUT they don’t deserve to be in the Playoffs – it’s as simple as that. The Tide is banged up with injuries & their offense has little if any rhythm but Clemson doesn’t get a free pass. The Tigers’ D. Line is fierce & capable of dominating the game. Last year The Tide played at Clemson’s pace & lost, the only way they can upset The Tigers is to run the ball, slow the game & capitalize on EVERY scoring opportunity (no missed FGs) but Clemson’s D. Line is fierce.
I’m sure I’ve left some of your favorites out, if so let me know which games I should have included & why I should watch that game. Merry Christmas & enjoy the bowls.