Bowl Preview: Tostitos Fiesta Bowl

Tostitos Fiesta Bowl
U. of Phoenix Stadium, Glendale, Az.
Boise State vs. TCU
Date: Jan. 4
Time: 8 p.m.
TV: FOX
Line: TCU -7

About Boise State (12-0): The Broncos earned a BCS berth in the first game of the season when they beat Oregon. After that they trounced a bunch of horrible WAC teams and .. voila! ... it's the Fiesta Bowl! Boise is decent, though. They can do a bit of everything and their defense is good.

Intangibles:
Beating Oklahoma three years ago with remarkable plays: +2
Having to hear it about it every time they take the freaking field: -3
Inevitable non-stop yammering about non-BCS schools during telecast: -3

About TCU (12-0): The Mountain West's performance in bowl games will give TCU a better image than it probably should have. Their one big non-conference victory? At Clemson. A nice win, but well, it was Clemson. The Horned Frogs are fast on defense and have a nice quarterback. And they're balanced.

Intangibles:
Horned Frogs as opposed to regular frogs: +2
Trying to name three players on TCU roster: -3
Having Jesus on their side: +2

Impact Player: Boise State Kellen Moore has big numbers against crap-ass WAC teams. But Moore can be rattled with pressure and doesn't have a huge arm. Moore needs to be above average for Boise to win.

Bowl slogan: "For the world championship of teams people don't care about!"

Little known fact: I, like many people, were upset about this matchup. It's a dumb idea. The very idea behind non-BCS schools making BCS games is that it gives non team-aligned fans an underdog to root for, a system spoiler, etc. Who do you root for in this game? Who gives a crap? One of these teams finishes undefeated and they get a sombrero and some Tostitos.

Watchability (1-5): 3

The pick: TCU 34, Boise State 31

Picks of the Week

Even after going 4-1 and picking the Rutgers upset at South Florida, 'Eer is still looking to get back to .500 on the season. Let's hope he makes some sound picks (and gets a little luck). Here we go again:

Ohio State (-20.5) over Michigan
Don't tell me that in all rivalries you throw out the records because anything can happen. I've seen it happen, but there is no way the Wolverines can go into Columbus and beat the Buckeyes. Jim Tressel owns Michigan to the tune of 6-1. Rich-Rod doesn't respect this game and UM is lacking in talent.
Pick: Ohio State 48, Michigan 8

Akron (-2.5) over Ohio
Staying in the state of Ohio, the Dennis Kennedy-led Zips come into Peden Stadium and take down the underachieving Bobcats. Akron would be bowl eligible with a win at 6-5 and remain in second in the East Division of the Mid-American Conference. OU is trying to avoid its ninth loss.
Pick: Akron 37, Ohio 14

Rice (-9) over Marshall
Turning my attention just up the Ohio River is where we find Marshall. OK, actually they'll be in Texas playing Rice. The Thundering Herd must win its last two games to get bowl eligible and possibly save Mark Snyder's job in Huntington. Not going to happen. At 5-1 in the West Division, Rice is playing for a Conference USA championship.
Pick: Rice 31, Marshall 20

Boise State (-5.5) over Nevada
The Wolf Pack are tough at home, but Boise is 10-0 and will make a BCS bowl if they can win out. Chris Petersen will not let the Broncos lose focus as they travel to Reno. No. 9 Boise State is led by a balanced offense that includes running back Ian Johnson (539 rushing yards and nine TDs) and quarterback Kellen Moore (2,637 yards and 20 TDs).
Pick: Boise State 28, Nevada 20

Upset of the Week
Pittsburgh (+5) over Cincinnati
Maybe this is more my heart than head. What? Yeah, a Mountaineer rooting for Pitt. Well, that's what it takes for WVU to have a shot at the Big East title. But I actually believe the Panthers are better than the Bearcats and LeSean McCoy is going to run crazy. Even Wannstache has figured it out that it's just good job security to keep feeding McCoy.
Pick: Pittsburgh 27, Cincinnati 24

Last Week: 4-1
Season: 21-24