Today is the 12th and hopefully final day of Christmas around my household. Every year, the holiday season begins with Halloween, passes through Thanksgiving, and ends up with Christmas. By that time, I'm sick of it. Every year, I recuperate by watching bowl games that interest me on TV.
I picked up USA Today's annual guide to the bowl games to check their predictions for the games I'll probably watch, including the following:
Saturday 27 December:
Syracuse vs Minnesota (Texas Bowl): My favorite cousin is a Syracuse grad, so I'll watch this one to pull for his school. USA Today: Minnesota 23-13
Kansas State vs Michigan (Buffalo Wild Wings Bowl): I hate K State as a former Big 12 rival, and Texas A&M beat Michigan the last time they played -- so I'm rooting for the Wolverines in this one. USA Today: Kansas State 31-21
Monday 30 December:
Georgia Tech vs Mississippi (Music City Bowl): The first game featuring an SEC team. I have no particular rooting interest here -- just killing time. USA Today: Ole Miss 34-21
Texas vs Oregon (Alamo Bowl): I hate the fucking longhorns, and a good buddy of mine was an Oregon fan. I want to see the Ducks stomp a mudhole in the longhorns, and send Mack Brown off with a blowout defeat. USA Today: Oregon 38-21
Texas Tech vs Arizona State (Holiday Bowl): The red raiders are one notch below the longhorns on the list of BDF teams I despise. Go, Sun Devils. USA Today: Arizona State 35-17
Tuesday 31 December:
Rice vs Mississippi State (Liberty Bowl): Texas A&M beat both of them this season. I never have liked Rice. USA Today: MSU 23-13
Duke vs Texas A&M (Georgia Dome, Atlanta): May be the last A&M game for Manziel, whose season was marked by too many mediocre performances to suit me. LB Darian Claiborne has been suspended following a drug bust. Clarence McKinney will no longer be the OC, with play-calling responsibility shifting to Jake Spavital. What does it all mean? USA Today: Texas A&M 38-21
Wednesday 1 January:
Nebraska vs Georgia (Gator Bowl): An SEC team against an old Big 12 nemesis. I'll pull for the Bulldogs. USA Today: Georgia 35-31
Iowa vs LSU (Outback Bowl): I'd normally be for the SEC, but LSU's winning streak against the Aggies includes the worst A&M loss yet in the Sumlin era (34-10). If Iowa gets the upset win, it won't ruin my day. USA Today: LSU 41-20
Wisconsin vs South Carolina (Capital One Bowl): I have to go with Spurrier here. USA Today: South Carolina 37-24
Michigan State vs Stanford (Rose Bowl): Should be a good game, and I don't particularly care who wins. USA Today: Stanford 20-17
Baylor vs Central Florida (Fiesta Bowl): UCF's only loss was to South Carolina 28-25. I hate the goddamned Baylor Bears as much as I hate Texas Tech, and almost as much as I hate the longhorns. I probably won't be able to watch most of this game, which should be a mismatch. USA Today: Baylor 38-14
Thursday 2 January:
Alabama vs Oklahoma (Sugar Bowl): Current SEC West rival vs former BDF South rival. I hate the Sooners and still love the Tide (for the time being). USA Today: Alabama 34-13
Friday 3 January:
Missouri vs Oklahoma State (Cotton Bowl): This has the potential to be a shootout. I hate both teams, and will be happy when either of them loses. Too bad it's being shown on Fox, the fucking trash heap of television broadcasting. USA Today: Mizzou 31-24
Ohio State vs Clemson (Orange Bowl): The last time Texas A&M played Clemson (2005), the Aggies lost 25-24. Ohio State is 4-0 against Texas A&M, with wins in the 1987 Cotton Bowl (28-12) and 1999 Sugar Bowl (24-14) spoiling what had been exciting conference championship seasons for the Aggies. My formula requires me to pull for Clemson. USA Today: Ohio State 38-34
Monday 6 January:
Florida State vs Auburn (BCS Championship): Florida State is 4-0 against A&M, including a win in 1967 that I watched while standing in a rainstorm at Kyle Field, and a 10-2 win in the Cotton Bowl that was as frustrating as any Aggie defeat I've ever seen. On the other hand, Texas A&M is 3-1 against Auburn, with one of the wins in the Cotton Bowl against an Auburn team with Heisman winner Bo Jackson. This is an easy formula call, but it won't break my heart if FSU wins -- Texas A&M doesn't need another defending national champ on its 2014 schedule. USA Today: Florida State 41-28
NOTE: Nine SEC teams are playing in the bowl games listed above. USA Today predicts a record of 8-1, with Auburn as the only loser in the bunch.
I picked up USA Today's annual guide to the bowl games to check their predictions for the games I'll probably watch, including the following:
Saturday 27 December:
Syracuse vs Minnesota (Texas Bowl): My favorite cousin is a Syracuse grad, so I'll watch this one to pull for his school. USA Today: Minnesota 23-13
Kansas State vs Michigan (Buffalo Wild Wings Bowl): I hate K State as a former Big 12 rival, and Texas A&M beat Michigan the last time they played -- so I'm rooting for the Wolverines in this one. USA Today: Kansas State 31-21
Monday 30 December:
Georgia Tech vs Mississippi (Music City Bowl): The first game featuring an SEC team. I have no particular rooting interest here -- just killing time. USA Today: Ole Miss 34-21
Texas vs Oregon (Alamo Bowl): I hate the fucking longhorns, and a good buddy of mine was an Oregon fan. I want to see the Ducks stomp a mudhole in the longhorns, and send Mack Brown off with a blowout defeat. USA Today: Oregon 38-21
Texas Tech vs Arizona State (Holiday Bowl): The red raiders are one notch below the longhorns on the list of BDF teams I despise. Go, Sun Devils. USA Today: Arizona State 35-17
Tuesday 31 December:
Rice vs Mississippi State (Liberty Bowl): Texas A&M beat both of them this season. I never have liked Rice. USA Today: MSU 23-13
Duke vs Texas A&M (Georgia Dome, Atlanta): May be the last A&M game for Manziel, whose season was marked by too many mediocre performances to suit me. LB Darian Claiborne has been suspended following a drug bust. Clarence McKinney will no longer be the OC, with play-calling responsibility shifting to Jake Spavital. What does it all mean? USA Today: Texas A&M 38-21
Wednesday 1 January:
Nebraska vs Georgia (Gator Bowl): An SEC team against an old Big 12 nemesis. I'll pull for the Bulldogs. USA Today: Georgia 35-31
Iowa vs LSU (Outback Bowl): I'd normally be for the SEC, but LSU's winning streak against the Aggies includes the worst A&M loss yet in the Sumlin era (34-10). If Iowa gets the upset win, it won't ruin my day. USA Today: LSU 41-20
Wisconsin vs South Carolina (Capital One Bowl): I have to go with Spurrier here. USA Today: South Carolina 37-24
Michigan State vs Stanford (Rose Bowl): Should be a good game, and I don't particularly care who wins. USA Today: Stanford 20-17
Baylor vs Central Florida (Fiesta Bowl): UCF's only loss was to South Carolina 28-25. I hate the goddamned Baylor Bears as much as I hate Texas Tech, and almost as much as I hate the longhorns. I probably won't be able to watch most of this game, which should be a mismatch. USA Today: Baylor 38-14
Thursday 2 January:
Alabama vs Oklahoma (Sugar Bowl): Current SEC West rival vs former BDF South rival. I hate the Sooners and still love the Tide (for the time being). USA Today: Alabama 34-13
Friday 3 January:
Missouri vs Oklahoma State (Cotton Bowl): This has the potential to be a shootout. I hate both teams, and will be happy when either of them loses. Too bad it's being shown on Fox, the fucking trash heap of television broadcasting. USA Today: Mizzou 31-24
Ohio State vs Clemson (Orange Bowl): The last time Texas A&M played Clemson (2005), the Aggies lost 25-24. Ohio State is 4-0 against Texas A&M, with wins in the 1987 Cotton Bowl (28-12) and 1999 Sugar Bowl (24-14) spoiling what had been exciting conference championship seasons for the Aggies. My formula requires me to pull for Clemson. USA Today: Ohio State 38-34
Monday 6 January:
Florida State vs Auburn (BCS Championship): Florida State is 4-0 against A&M, including a win in 1967 that I watched while standing in a rainstorm at Kyle Field, and a 10-2 win in the Cotton Bowl that was as frustrating as any Aggie defeat I've ever seen. On the other hand, Texas A&M is 3-1 against Auburn, with one of the wins in the Cotton Bowl against an Auburn team with Heisman winner Bo Jackson. This is an easy formula call, but it won't break my heart if FSU wins -- Texas A&M doesn't need another defending national champ on its 2014 schedule. USA Today: Florida State 41-28
NOTE: Nine SEC teams are playing in the bowl games listed above. USA Today predicts a record of 8-1, with Auburn as the only loser in the bunch.
No comments:
Post a Comment