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

No surprise: Shonn Greene bolting for NFL

Not much of a surprise here, but Iowa's Shonn Greene makes it official. The Big Ten's MVP made the announcement after shredding South Carolina's defense for 121 yards and three scores in Iowa's 31-10 victory in the Outback Bowl.

Village People and Guinness

So halftime is where all of the fun in the sun was taking place at the 75th Brut Sun Bowl. Guess the Village People and the crowd set some sort of World Record for most people singing YMCA at the same time.



Thanks to the El Paso Times and Leonard Martinez for the video.

Sun Bowl highlights

You decide. Which one of these highlights of the Brut Sun Bowl highlights are more accurate?



Or this one?

Let the cheating begin

According to a report on ESPN.com, former Auburn football coach Terry Bowden will return to the sidelines in 2009 at Division II North Alabama.

You thought Terry cheated at Auburn. Think what he'll do at a D-2 school. He'll take all those sneaky, back-handed lessons he learned from his papa and elevate his cheating to a whole new scale.

He won't be at North Alabama long enough to face the NCAA probe and future punishment. This is just an audition for Terry, who hopes to land a bigger, more profile D-1 job. He hopes to get the West Virginia gig if Bill Stewart steps down or is forced out. But don't count on that one (unless Gov. Manchin steps in again).

Bowden, 52, has an impressive resume. He arrives in Florence, Ala., with a 111-53-2 record. He should do well at North Alabama. The Lions went 12-2 last season and advanced to the semifinals of the D-2 playoffs.

With a few "minor" violations, Bowden can certainly get them to the title game.

Bowl Preview: Orange Bowl

Orange Bowl
Joe Robbie Stadium, Miami, Fla.
Virginia Tech vs. Cincinnati
Date: Jan. 1
Time: 8 p.m.
TV: FOX
Line: Cincinnati -2.5

About Virginia Tech: I have no idea how this team made it to a BCS game. They’ve got a crappy offense and their defense is average. Hell, the special teams aren’t even that good this year. And somehow they get a favorable matchup in a BCS bowl. Man.

Intangibles:
Redshirting Tyrod Taylor: -4
Playing Tyrod Taylor: +2
Beamer neck thing: -2
Nicknamed “Hokies”: +3

About Cincinnati: Brian Kelly is one of the best coaches in college football. Just ask him. Kelly is a wee-bit sure of himself. I guess that’s a perfect fit for the Bearcats who are about the 10th most important football team in Cincinnati – right after Cincinnati Woodward, High School. The ‘Cats have a varied offense and a decent defense.

Intangibles:
Clifton: -4
Skyline Chili: +5
Montgomery Inn BBQ: +6
Bengals and Reds: -5

Impact Player: Cincinnati WR Dominick Goodman . Nice WR, but really might have been the best high school option QB I’ve ever seen. Would have loved to see him play for Paul Johnson at Georgia Tech.

Bowl slogan: “Come to Miami! Please, come. Somebody come. We’ll give you the tickets, Please.”

Little known fact: The Orange Bowl used to be an awesome game. Always had great matchups. Not so much, anymore.

Watchability (1-5): 2

The Pick: Virginia Tech 24, Cincinnati 23

Bowl Preview: Rose Bowl

Rose Bowl
Rose Bowl, Pasadena, Calif.
Penn State vs. USC
Date: Jan. 1
Time: 4:30 p.m.
TV: ABC
Line: USC -9

About Penn State: Joe Paterno is old. He’s still coaching. Blah, blah, blah. Whatever. Defensive coordinator Tom Bradley should have been named Big 10 coach of the year. He’s the actual coach of this team. Anyway, the Nits are decent. Not really weak in any one area. But I find them boring.

Intangibles:
Obsession with aging Italian man: -5
Mount Nittany: +3
College Station State College Park Town: -3
Driving to College Station State College Park Town: -6

About USC: The Trojans are annually the greatest team in the history of organized football that never play for the national championship cause they fuck it up against some crap-ass Pac-10 team. Then Pete Carroll goes into his annual sob routine about how it’s not fair. Tough crap, Petey. Anyway, they’re good – again. Defense especially. Probably not the offense they’ve had but they’ll do.

Intangibles:
Song Girls: +5
Compton campus: -3
That bleeping fight song: -4
Sideline celebrity parade: -2

Impact Player: Penn State QB Darryl Clark must play a decent game and try not to crap down his leg like most Big 10 Qbs have done against the Trojans.

Bowl slogan: “Enjoy the parade. It’s usually more competitive than the game.”

Little known fact: USC is cheating. Dammit, they have to be cheating, don’t they? Cause this is getting annoying.

Watchability (1-5): 4

The Pick: USC 27, Penn State 21