Bowl Preview: Cotton Bowl

AT&T Cotton Bowl Classic
Cotton Bowl, Dallas
Texas Tech vs. Ole Miss
Date: Jan. 2
Time: 2 p.m.
TV: FOX
Line: Texas Tech -4

About Texas Tech: Coach Mike Leach is a genius. We know this because game announcers tell us all about how he has a law degree. (OMG! a LAW degree? He's SO SMART! Nobody has one of those!) Unfortunately, he tends to coach like an idiot. Tech throws the ball all over hell's half-acre and looks pretty doing it, but Leach tends to make dumb decisions at key junctures. Anyway, as usual, Tech can score and move the ball. They were in the national title running until everyone realized they're Texas Tech.

Intangibles:
Leach pirate fetish: -1
Lubbock: -4
Red Raider guy on horse: +4

About Ole Miss: Good-ole boy wunderkind Houston Nutt looks like some kind of genius after taking to the Rebels to the Cotton Bowl thanks to Ed Orgeron's recruits. Nutt, is most certainly NOT a genius though, especially when it comes to text messaging. Anyway, the Rebels are a decent team and Nutt does get some credit. Jevan Snead is a decent QB and that Michael Oher dude on the OL is a total freak.

Intangibles:
Firing David Cutcliffe: -3
Firing Ed Orgeron: +3
more John Grisham novels: -2
Biloxi: -1
Gambling in Biloxi: +2

Impact player: While I was tempted to pick the defensive guy from Tech who gets all gussied up with crazy hair and makeup, I'll go with Snead who needs to play well for Ole Miss to hang around.

Bowl Slogan: "We used to be somebody!"

Little known fact: This is the final year the Cotton Bowl will be played in the traditional Fair Park location. Next year it will be played in the new Cowboys monolith. That sucks.

Watchability (1-5): 3

The Pick: Texas Tech 27, Ole Miss 24