COLUMN: It is time to bowl!

     So this past Saturday night, I was enjoying a beverage with friends and discovered on the television set that college football bowl season had already started. I mentally noted at that time that Pete and myself did not make our annual picks in time in our battle over a $1 bet.

     So this week we decided we will just skip those games because let’s face it, there are way too many college football bowl games being awarded these days.

     We even contemplated waiting until the Dec 26^th issue to make our predictions but I talked Pete into making this happen this week, mostly because I didn’t have a column written yet on Monday morning.

     So here goes nothing: The Frisco Bowl goes to San Diego State. Marshall prevails in the Gasparilla Bowl. I’ll take Florida International in the Bahamas Bowl and BYU in the Potato Bowl.

     Next up is the Birmingham Bowl, I’ll take Wake Forest. I’ll also take Army in the Armed Forces Bowl. Troy wins their bowl game. Hawaii wins the Hawaii Bowl. Boise State beats Boston College and Georgia Tech hammers Minnesota. The Cheeze-It Bowl champion is TCU.

     For the record, at this point, I wish I would have taken Pete’s advice and started with the December 26 games.

     Finally, a bowl I recognize, the Independence Bowl. I will take Duke over Temple. Wisconsin gets the Big Ten in the win column over Miami, and that pick is based solely on the weather being crappy that day in New York. Baylor will eke out a win over Vandy in the Texas Bowl. Isn’t Baylor on some type of probation?

     I’ll take Auburn over Purdue in the Music City Bowl and West Virginia in the Camping World Bowl. Washington State will slip by Iowa State. Michigan will beat Florida in the Peach Bowl.

     It’s Virginia in the Belk Bowl, Nevada in the Arizona Bowl and Clemson in the Cotton Bowl. Look for Alabama to beat Oklahoma in the Orange Bowl. I think Cincinnati can beat Virginia Tech as well as Stanford over Pitt.

     Oregon wins the Redbox Bowl over Michigan State. Oklahoma State handles Missouri in the Liberty Bowl. I like Northwestern in the Holiday Bowl. Texas A&M will win the Gator Bowl.

     The marquee matchup this bowl season will see Mississippi State stuff the Hawks. Okay, it’s not the marquee matchup but look for a low scoring game. I think LSU will settle the argument about how great is UCF in the Fiesta Bowl.

     Penn State should get the Big Ten back on track in the Citrus Bowl followed by Ohio State over Washington in the Rose Bowl. Look for Georgia to win the Sugar Bowl over Texas.

     And your National Champion will be Alabama over Clemson! Whew, I am sure glad that is over with. You gotta love college football bowl season!