Tony's Tip Sheet

I hate picking bowl games. The games themselves make no sense, and yet I am supposed to make sense out of who is going to win a game that maybe neither team wants to actually play in. It's stupid.

That's why I'm really not trying to make too much sense with my picks. After all, the more sense you make, then further away from bowl reality you actually get.

This is just the first of three bowl Tip Sheets this year, and depending how I do on this one, the next batch may make even less sense.

You have been warned.

Saturday December 17

New Mexico Bowl (Albuquerque, NM)
Teams: Temple (8-4) vs. Wyoming (8-4)
Time: 2:00 pm (ESPN)
Interest: 2
Cheer For: Temple

We're cheering for Temple because they're a member of the MAC, and the MAC is like the Big Ten's little step-brother. You see, the MAC's dad married the Big Ten's mom, and now he just sits at home all day while Mom works 60 hours a week to keep the bills paid. He's a complete dead beat, and lives on a stipend, but he plays baseball and basketball with the Big Ten, so they have a soft spot in their heart for him. Though, to be fair, Temple is a MAC school in name only because they certainly aren't “Mid-American”. So if you don't want to root for them, you don't have to. Focusing on the game for a moment, Wyoming's only conference losses this season came to TCU and Boise State, and they have wins over San Diego State and Air Force, so they're not terrible. Temple can't throw the ball, but can run it on most everybody they play. The Owls are favored by seven points, and with the way Wyoming doesn't defend the run (230.1 yards rushing per game), they should be able to hit that number. Temple 24 – Wyoming 17

Famous Idaho Potato Bowl (Boise, ID)
Teams: Utah State (7-5) vs. Ohio (9-4)
Time: 5:30 pm (ESPN)
Interest: 1
Cheer For: Ohio

Am I really going to schedule my Friday supper plans around this game? Yes. Perhaps in honor of this game I will have some form of potato. Probably the cheese and bacon-covered variety, and possibly french fried, though I am completely torn on how to honor the states of Utah and Ohio. Ohio tells me I should drink, while Utah tells me I shouldn't. Maybe honoring this game with cheese and bacon fries is all the honoring that it deserves. Let's not pretend like cheese and bacon fries are some small thing. They aren't. They are an amazing thing, a blessed thing. They will suffice and then some. Ohio 31 – Utah State 30

New Orleans Bowl (New Orleans, LA)
Teams: San Diego State (8-4) vs. Louisiana-Lafayette (8-4)
Time: 9:00 pm (ESPN)
Interest: 1.5
Cheer For: Louisiana-Lafayette

We still can't cheer for San Diego State on account of Hoke stink. We just can't get it out of the carpets. Without doing any research, there's really very little that I can tell you about this game. With research, I could have told you so much more. What I can tell you is that Louisiana-Lafayette will have the clear homefield advantage because they will travel at least 400 fans to this game. Still, I don't think it will be enough. San Diego State 34 – Louisiana-Lafayette 23

Tuesday December 20

St. Petersburg Bowl (St. Petersburg, FL)
Teams: Marshall (6-6) vs. FIU (8-4)
Time: 8:00 pm (ESPN)
Interest: 1
Cheer For: Marshall

We're gonna cheer for Marshall, but since FIU has the only entertaining player on either roster in T.Y. Hilton, it's going to be hard to keep from clapping for him out of sheer necessity. It's a match up of two terrible offenses against two bad defenses. Provided the defenses are bad enough, this one might prove slightly interesting. Florida International 21 – Marshall 14

Wednesday December 21

Poinsettia Bowl (San Diego, CA)
Teams: Louisiana Tech (8-4) vs. TCU (10-2)
Time: 8:00 pm (ESPN)
Interest: 3
Cheer For: TCU

Louisiana Tech doesn't do anything spectacularly, but they do do a few things sort of okay. What they've done best of late, however, is simply win. They've won their last seven games after starting out 1-4. If TCU comes into this game thinking it's going to be a walk, they may get a bit of a surprise. However, if they come into this game humble and not disappointed to be there, then they should be fine. Most people think about TCU's defense, but it will be the Horned Frogs' offense that will be too much for the Gentleman Techsters. TCU 38 – Louisiana Tech 20

Thursday December 22

Las Vegas Bowl (Las Vegas, NV)
Teams: Arizona State (6-6) vs. Boise State (11-1)
Time: 8:00 pm (ESPN)
Interest: 2.5
Cheer For: Arizona State

The Sun Devils are going through a coaching change and Boise State is not. The Broncos are going to beat Arizona State to a bloody, sinewy mess. They will then grab the now-detached head of Arizona State, hold it up for all to see, and yell, “We told you we can play with anybody!” And the crowd will then yell back, “Hey idiots, even the Zooker beat these clowns.” Some may think there's a danger of a let down for Boise because they will be disappointed to be playing in such a low-class bowl, but I think they'll be fine. Remember, they're from Boise, low-class is a way of life out there. Boise State 41 – Arizona State 21

Saturday December 24

Hawai'i Bowl (Honolulu, HI)
Teams: Nevada (7-5) vs. Southern Miss (11-2)
Time: 8:00 pm (ESPN)
Interest: 2.5
Cheer For: Nevada

We're fans of Nevada, and that's why we root for them. It goes back to the 90s, plus Nevada coach Chris Ault invented the Pistol formation, which is where most of Ohio State's big plays came from this year. Southern Miss ruined Houston's BCS bid by blasting them 49-28 in the C-USA Championship Game a couple of weeks ago. If not for a six-point loss at Marshall and a three-point loss at UAB, we could very well be talking about Southern Miss playing in a BCS bowl this year. Alas, we are not, and because of this, we also don't have to hear about how Brett Favre went to Southern Miss. Everybody thank UAB and Marshall. The only thing that can trip Southern Miss up is if the players are too bummed about losing head coach Larry Fedora to North Carolina. Southern Miss 35 – Nevada 17

Monday December 26

Independence Bowl (Shreveport, LA)
Teams: Missouri (7-5) vs. North Carolina (7-5)
Time: 5:00 pm (ESPN)
Interest: 3.5
Cheer For: North Carolina

If North Carolina interim head coach Everett Withers is indeed headed for Ohio State, which is what Withers and Urban Meyer have both indicated, then I would assume that you would all want to root for the Tar Heels. However, it probably won't be enough. Missouri is moving to the SEC and they're playing this game in SEC country. You do the math. This should actually be a pretty entertaining game because both teams have enough offensive balance to give the defenses trouble. I should really pick Missouri in this one, but I can never get over how soft they are. Taking North Carolina makes no sense, but then that's why you came here, isn't it? North Carolina 29 – Missouri 21

Tuesday December 27

Little Caesar's Pizza Bowl (Detroit, MI)
Teams: Purdue (6-6) vs. Western Michigan (7-5)
Time: 4:30 pm (ESPN)
Interest: 1.5
Cheer For: Purdue

There is nothing appealing about this game. I don't even want to get into any analysis because you'll immediately just tune it out, and I don't like to lose my iron-firm grip on my readers. It's not fair to you, and it's not fair to me, because I have slaved over the keyboard to birth these very words you are reading now. Each verb stickily-coated with the afterbirth of a predicate. Each noun still attached to the umbilical of the subject. It's really pretty beautiful if you think about it. Do I have to pick a winner in this game? I guess I'll take Purdue, but I'd rather just drop this game off at a firehouse. Purdue 27 – Western Michigan 24

Belk Bowl (Charlotte, NC)
Teams: North Carolina State (7-5) vs. Louisville (7-5)
Time: 8:00 pm (ESPN)
Interest: 1.5
Cheer For: Louisville

It's really pretty scary how close Louisville came to playing in the BCS. Fortunately, we made it another year without that sanctified coalition losing any of its luster. This game is worth watching just to continue observing the development of Cardinals' freshman quarterback Teddy Bridgewater. He is going to be a future star, and isn't far away from being a present one. Louisville will have trouble stopping North Carolina State's passing game, and if the Wolfpack can score 28 points, that should be enough to get the job done because Louisville just doesn't have the complete offensive game to win any sort of a shootout. North Carolina State 31 – Louisville 21

Wednesday December 28

Military Bowl (Washington, DC)
Teams: Air Force (7-5) vs. Toledo (8-4)
Time: 4:30 pm (ESPN)
Interest: 3.5
Cheer For: Toledo

I hope you like your shootouts patriotic. Even though Toledo has lost head coach Tim Beckman, there shouldn't be too much of an issue. Offensive coordinator Matt Campbell is the new head coach, so offensively nothing will change. Since Toledo didn't field a defense anyway, nothing will be hurt there either. Interestingly, Toledo is actually 28th in the nation in run defense, allowing just 123.2 yards rushing per game. However, much of that is because they are 109th in the nation in pass defense. In other words, teams don't need to run the ball against them. Air Force, on the other hand, will absolutely need to run the ball. Don't expect Toledo's averages to stick on the rush defense side of things, and Air Force will certainly score some points. Also expect a big play through the air, or two, against a Toledo defense focusing their energy on stopping Air Force's running game. In the end, you can't honestly expect Air Force to lose the “Military Bowl”, can you? Air Force 38 – Toledo 34

Holiday Bowl (San Diego, CA)
Teams: California (7-5) vs. Texas (7-5)
Time: 9:00 pm (ESPN)
Interest: 1
Cheer For: California

I couldn't imagine a game between two entire states that I would care less about. If you like watching offense, you might want to see what the Fox Soccer Channel is showing instead. I'm gonna take California simply because I saw them be competent once. California 21 – Texas 17