Bowl Preview: FedEx Orange Bowl

FedEx Orange Bowl
Land Shark Stadium, Somewhere in the hell that is South Florida
Iowa vs. Georgia Tech
Date: Jan. 5
Time: 8 p.m.
TV: FOX

About Iowa (10-2): The Hawkeyes are their traditional selves - a snoozefest on grass. They run the stretch play and run it again and run it again and then they run a QB boot and Ricky Stanzi throws an interception but then the Iowa defense intercepts the next pass and returns it for a touchdown. Victory Iowa!

Intangibles:
Stupid stand-up tight end in the 80s: -2
Chuck Long: +2
Ronnie Harmon throwing the Rose Bowl: -3

About Georgia Tech (11-2): The Yellow Jackets run the wishbone or triple option or one of those things like it's 1978. LOVE IT. Screw the pass. Unfortunately their defense kind of sucks. But keep running the ball, Paul Johnson. Don't ever change, man. (sniff).

Intangibles:
Ramblin' Wreck: +2
Yellow Jackets: -2
Bobby Cremins hair: -3
Matt Geiger's hair: -4

Impact player: Georgia Tech running back Jonathan Dwyer was considered a pre-season Heisman contender, but we all know offensive players who play a specific role in an unusual offensive system never win the Heisman, such as Andre Ware, Eric Crouch, Tommy Frazier, Danny Wuerffel, Ty Detmer and Tim Tebow. what was I saying? Oh yeah, Dwyer. Impact.

Bowl slogan: "The least important Orange Bowl since last year."

Little known fact: This game will be viewed by fewer people than that Florida - Cincinnati debaucle. (You can't spell debaucle with UC.)

Watchability (1-5): 2.4

The pick: Iowa 24, Georgia Tech 20

Bowl Preview: Chick-fil-a Bowl

Chick-fil-A Bowl
Georgia Dome, Atlanta
Georgia Tech vs. LSU
Date: Dec. 31
Time: 8 p.m.
TV: ESPN
Line: Georgia Tech -4

About Georgia Tech: The Yellow Jackets are going for their second straight embarrassment of an SEC "power" after thumping Georgia to end the season. GaTech ran for 1,200 yards in that game. Maybe it just seemed that way. But the Jackets can defintely run the ball.

Intangibles:
'Ramblin Wreck: +4
Three Amigos: +2
In Atlanta: +4
In Atlanta traffic: -4

About LSU: You may recall them as last year's national champs. But this year they was Implosion Island on the Bayou as the Tigers forgot how to play defense and had a quarterback from a local high school's JV team take over. Not the best combination.

Intangibles:
"Tiguh Bayt!": -5
Death Valley: +3
Hate Saban: +3
Hate Everyone else too: -1

Impact player: LSU QB Jarrett Lee. This kid was pretty bad, but if he plays well the Tigers can be a decent squad. Now, what exactly are the chances of that happening?

Little known fact: Chick-fil-A is not that good. It's okay, but I don't really get the love.

The Pick: LSU 31, Georgia Tech 26

Miami-Georgia Tech

With a minute left in the second half, the Yellow Jackets are mauling the Canes, 24-3. Miami looks like they're ready to get back to South Beach.

Here's the thing about Ga. Tech, and I'm guessing since I never played football: This team seems like it is absolutely no fun to play against. they get a two TD lead and they are just going to thump you, play after play. It's not quite the same as playing against an I-formation team where you can load up at the point of attack. You have to continue playing your assignment no matter how bad it gets. If you have a physical advantage, this offense can figure out a way to negate it.

Count me as one who thinks Paul Johnson was a great hire at Georgia Tech. He's only got 70 guys on scholarship and this is about to be an eight-win team barring a second half collapse.

On the other side, I don't understand why Miami is rotating QBs. I don't understand why Miami's receivers have been poor for a number of years. I don't understand why Miami can only manage good RBs and not great ones.