Time for this year's version (according to Mike Lange, the 53rd annaul) of the College Football Bowl Pool. This will only be my third. Oddly, I did pretty well both times, which makes no sense at all because I know nothing about college football. I tend to make picks based on all sorts of brilliants strategies such as: picking the team that is further south geographically, always picking against the Big 10, or choosing Troy University because I love the Iliad. I will be including my picks in bold as well as the picks of my bitter rival Cyndi Brandenburg (if she ever sends me her picks, that is). You would think the fact that I will not be in the country for the chicken wing eating competition would inspire her to take this opportunity to renew our age old rivalry.
New Mexico Bowl - 17 December
Temple vs Wyoming
Brandybuck's pick: Temple
I'll be flying out of Abu Dhabi on the 17th, which will sadly preclude me from watching the New Mexico Bowl or the Idaho Potato Bowl.
Idaho Potato Bowl - 17 December
Ohio vs Utah State
Brandybuck's pick: Ohio
I wonder if Mike Lange will be eating extra potato-based products to support his beloved Buckeyes? I wonder if they would consider moving this bowl to Ireland and renaming it the Potato Famine Bowl?
New Orleans Bowl - 17 December
San Diego State vs Louisiana-Lafayette
Brandybuck's pick: San Diego State
I have certain solemn beliefs, and one of them is that I would never marry a woman or pick a college team in a bowl pool wherein a hyphen is featured.
St. Petersburg Bowl - 20 December
Florida International vs Marshall
Brandybuck's pick: Florida International
This is a tough one because they are both southern schools and St. Petersburg is bitterly cold this time of year. That said, my research seems to indicate that Florida International University is a hotbed of Leninist fervor so I will back them to squeak by Marshall in the Petrograd
Bowl.
Poinsettia Bowl - 21 December
TCU vs Lousiana Tech
Brandybuck's pick: TCU
This bowl bothers me because it is a constant reminder that my absurd Hoosier education kept me from learning how to spell poinsettia (along with a lot of other words).
Las Vegas Bowl - 22 December
Arizona State vs Boise State
Brandybuck's pick: Boise State
Yes, as my son would say, I could pick Arizona State, but then I would have Sandy Zale hectoring me for months on end.
Hawaii Bowl - 24 December
Nevada vs Southern Mississippi
Brandybuck's pick: Southern Mississippi
Independence Bowl - 26 December
Missouri vs North Carolina
Brandybuck's pick: North Carolina
Little Caesars Bowl - 27 December
Western Michigan vs Purdue
Brandybuck's pick: Purdue
Yeah, this goes against my anti-Big 10ish philosophy, but my cousin Steve went to Purdue.
Belk Bowl - 27 December
Louisville vs North Carolina State
Brandybuck's pick: Louisville
Military Bowl - 28 December
Toledo vs Air Force
Brandybuck's pick: Toledo
Holiday Bowl - 28 December
Califormia vs Texas
Brandybuck's pick: Texas
Champs Sports Bowl - 29 December
Florida State vs Notre Dame
Brandybuck's pick: Notre Dame
Alamo Bowl - 29 December
Washington vs Baylor
Brandybuck's pick: Baylor
Armed Forces Bowl - 30 December
BYU vs Tulsa
Brandybuck's pick: BYU
I can't in all good conscience back Tulsa in this bowl because when Sandy Zale and I were in Tulsa last summer we visited three museums and they were all closed. Plus, there was no one in the downtown area - completely shiny and nice, but no one there. Creepy. It was like Sun Belt of the Living Dead.
Pinstripe Bowl - 30 December
Rutgers vs Iowa State
Brandybuck's pick: Rutgers
Music City Bowl - 30 December
Mississippi State vs Wake Forest
Brandybuck's pick: Wake Forest
Insight Bowl - 30 December
Iowa vs Oklahoma
Brandybuck's pick: Oklahoma
Meineke Car Care Bowl - 31 December
Texas A&M vs Northwestern
Brandybuck's pick: Texas A&M
One of my more brilliant strategies when selecting a team for this bowl is to pick against the team with the better academic tradition (which makes it easy for me to support my alma mater, the University of Cincinnati). It would be hard to find a better example of that logic than this game.
Sun Bowl - 31 December
Georgia Tech vs Utah
Brandybuck's pick: Georgia Tech
OK, so this completely flys in the face of the theory I just put for in the previous pick, but this is a complete homer pick from my days living in Atlanta.
Liberty Bowl - 31 December
Cincinnati vs Vanderbilt
Brandybuck's pick: Vanderbilt
Go Bearcats!! Now, coming back to my earlier theory, this is a great fit because I would grudgingly accept that Vanderbilt might be a slightly better school than Cincinnati . . .
Fight Hunger Bowl - 31 December
Illinois vs UCLA
Brandybuck's pick: UCLA
This pick makes me nervous because I almost universally pick against the Big 10ish (and not simply to tweak Mike Lange).
Chick-fil-A Bowl - 31 December
Virginia vs Auburn
Brandybuck's pick: Auburn
I almost universally pick an SEC team (and not simply to tweak Mike Lange).
TicketCity Bowl - 2 January
Houston vs Penn State
Brandybuck's pick: Houston
OK, I will leave aside the obvious and totally inappropriate Penn State jokes to ask this question: why are their no bowl games on New Year's Day? I know the bowl season has gone insane over the last few years, but there were always games on New Year's Day. Did the NFL buy them off?
Outback Bowl - 2 January
Michigan State vs Georgia
Brandybuck's pick: Michigan State
Total homer pick. Go Dawgs!! Oh, and Michigan State is in the Big 10.
Capital One Bowl - 2 January
Nebraska vs South Carolina
Brandybuck's pick: Nebraska
As is well-documented, Nebraska is my favorite college football team (locked in for some illogical reasons with all my other favorite teams in 1970).
Gator Bowl - 2 January
Ohio State vs Florida
Brandybuck's pick: Ohio State
Wow, Ohio University is playing in the Idaho Potato Bowl and the Gator Bowl? Is that a first? It will make for a great free tattoo!
Rose Bowl - 2 January
Wisconsin vs Oregon
Brandybuck's pick: Wisconsin
Fiesta Bowl - 2 January
Stanford vs Oklahoma State
Brandybuck's pick: Stanford
See earlier theory on betting against the better academic school.
Sugar Bowl - 3 January
Michigan vs Virginia Tech
Brandybuck's pick: Michigan
Clearly an anti-Big 10 pick.
Orange Bowl - 4 January
West Virginia vs Clemson
Brandybuck's pick: Clemson
Cotton Bowl - 6 January
Kansas State vs Arkansas
Brandybuck's pick: Kansas State
I'll be landing back in Abu Dhabi on the 6th, just in time to catch the game.
Compass Bowl - 7 January
SMU vs Pittsburgh
Brandybuck's pick: Pittsburth
GoDaddy.com Bowl - 8 January
Arkansas State vs Northern Illinois
Brandybuck's pick: Northern Illinois
National Championship - 9 January
LSU vs Alabama
Brandybuck's pick: LSU
Tie breaker: 31 points (didn't Brandybuck choose 122 points last year?) Brandybuck chose 45 for her tie-breaker.
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