Tis' the Bowl Season

Ahh…the holidays are here and you know what that means. It means quality time with the family, spreading warmth and joy to the hearts of others, great holiday food, and some damn good football games. Earlier this week the bowl pairings were announced and once again the bowl season looks to be an exciting one. Some very intriguing matchups were revealed and a few of the games really jumped out at me. These are the games I’ll definitely be watching and are ones I consider “must-see” T.V.

BCS National Championship, #1 Oklahoma vs. #2 Florida
Where: Miami, Florida
When: January 8, 2009 8 P.M. (FOX)
This one is a no-brainer and has everything one could want out of a national championship game. It has star-power with Heisman Trophy finalists Sam Bradford and Tim Tebow squaring off against each other. It has controversy as some believe Texas should be in the game instead of Oklahoma. Finally, it just has two really good football teams playing each other in what could be one of the most exciting national championships of recent memory.
My predicted winner: Oklahoma

Rose Bowl, #5 USC vs. #8 Penn State
Where: Pasadena, California
When: January 1, 2009 4:30 P.M. (ABC)
Another very intriguing matchup as this game features two great defenses against two great offenses. Each team has both their offense and defense ranked in the top 15 in the country and both were winners of their respective conference. Add in the fact that this could be JoePa’s last game as the head coach for the Nittany Lions and this one has the makings of a classic. The Rose bowl is probably my favorite bowl and I’m sure that this year will not disappoint.
My predicted winner: USC

Fiesta Bowl, #3 Texas vs. #10 “The” Ohio State University
Where: Glendale, Arizona
When: January 5, 2009 8 P.M. (FOX)
This game features two of the most storied programs in all of college football colliding in their first ever meeting in a bowl game. The Buckeyes are looking to silence the critics after two losses in as many years in BCS national championship games while the Longhorns want to prove they deserved to be in the championship this year instead of Oklahoma. This game features the 7th ranked defense in Ohio State against the high-powered 5th ranked offense of Texas. It will definitely be a fun matchup and I’ll be paying close attention to the quarterback play of each team. Texas’ Colt McCoy is having a monster year and is a finalist for the Heisman trophy while the Buckeye signal caller, Terrelle Pryor, will have a chance to show the nation that he can live up to his hype.
My predicted winner: “The” Ohio State University

Poinsettia Bowl, #9 Boise State vs. #11 TCU
Where: San Diego, California
When: December 23, 2008 8 P.M. (ESPN)
Two of college football’s Cinderella’s meet in this non-BCS bowl and it looks to be a great one. I remember the last Boise State bowl game I watched a couple of years ago and if this one is even close to that in excitement I know I’ll be more than satisfied. This is a battle of mid-major teams who are trying to prove that they belong with the big boys.
My predicted winner: Boise State.

Holiday Bowl, #13 Oklahoma State vs. #17 Oregon
Where: San Diego, California
When: December 30, 2008 8 P.M. (ESPN)
Another non-BCS game and if you like scoring than you’ll definitely like this one. Both the Cowboys and the Ducks are averaging over 40 points per game and neither have much of a defense. With runningbacks like Jeremiah Johnson and Kendal Hunter you know these teams won’t disappoint.
My predicted winner: Oklahoma State

Hawaii Bowl, Hawaii vs. Notre Dame
Where: Honolulu, Hawaii
When: December 24, 2008 8 P.M. (ESPN)
Yeah neither of these teams are that good, but I wanted to put it in because of how much I would love to see Notre Dame lose this game. The Irish have the nation’s longest bowl losing streak and haven’t won a bowl game since 1994. If they continue the streak and lose to Hawaii, I’m gonna be talking some serious trash to some ND fans.
My predicted winner: Hawaii