The Questies

Has it been nearly a week without a bowl game?  I'm having withdrawals, hard as that may be to believe.  And without further ado, this year's Questy Awards, for the good, the bad and the stupid of 38 bowl games.

-Best Conference:  The Pac 12, easily.  The league was 6-2 in bowl games, with most of the wins by large margins and the two losses by eight points each.  The SEC won seven games but they sent 12 teams to bowl games.  Kentucky and Vanderbilt, for shame!

-Worst Conference:  The SEC, specifically the SEC West. Every team in the SEC West made a bowl game and five lost.  The worst loss, probably LSU losing to Notre Dame, a team that would have been the worst team in the SEC West.

-Worst Pick (by me):  Colorado State over Utah in the Royal Purple Las Vegas Bowl. The Utes put a 45-10 beating on the Rams.

-Strangest Player Name:  Not even close.

 I see you there Ge'Monee Brown.

-Best Fat Guy Touchdown:  La'Quan McGowan of Baylor against Michigan State in the Cotton Bowl.

 Baylor was clowning at this point in the game, thinking they had the win locked up.  Oops. Still, the guy rumbled.

-Best Hit:  Same game, Michigan State's Tony Lippett de-cleating of the Baylor kicker after the Spartans block of what would have been the game winning score.

 -Greatest comeback.  Nope, not Michigan State in the Cotton Bowl or Houston in the Armed Forces Bowl.  It was Central Michigan, Christmas Eve Day in the Popeye's Bahamas Bowl.  The Chips put up five touchdowns in the fourth quarter including three in the final 3:04.  The last TD came on a hook and lateral.  That play never works...

 Central Michigan went for the win on a two point conversion and failed because of course it did.  They ran a fade play on the two point conversion and lost 49-48.  More on the fade later. 

-Bloodiest injury:  South Alabama's coach getting kicked in the face by his own player.

 Runner up, this BYU player after the ugly fight that ended the Miami Beach Bowl.

-Best performance you didn't see:  Toledo's Kareem Hunt running for 271 and five touchdowns in the Go Daddy Bowl.  This is the game that also had a player tossed for threatening an official.  Go Daddy!

-Worst performance by a team:  Oklahoma, completely falling apart in the Russell Athletic Bowl, losing 40-6 to Clemson.  The Sooners have to be the biggest disappointment of the year, being ranked 4th to start the season and crapping the bed to finish.  How long of a rope does Bob Stoops have in Norman? This was also the worst game. 

-Dumbest Play:  Easy, this guy from Iowa.

 And speaking of coaches and how much rope they have, how much longer will Iowa fans put up with Kirk Ferentz?  That guy is pulling down around $3.5 million a year and has a $13 million buyout.  Iowa had a very favorable schedule in the wide open Big 10 West and finished 7-5.

-Worst play in a big game:  The only thing missing from this Jameis Winston fumble is the Benny Hill music.

 -Worst play teams kept running over and over:  The end zone fade.  What a low percentage play.  Roll out the quarterback and give him options. 

-Best game:  Michigan State's miraculous comeback in the Cotton Bowl, beating Baylor 42-41.  Sure, Houston had a bigger comeback in the Armed Forces Bowl but, come on, it was against Pitt.  Baylor was ranked 5th and was chewing up the Spartans defense until the fourth quarter turnaround.  And did you really think I would pick any other game?

-Best thing I ate:  Mrs. Keith's pork roast, home made macaroni and cheese and sauerkraut on New Year's Day.  What a way to cap off a great win but with a great meal.

 Sorry, we ate it all.

-Most Valuable Son:  Boy #1.  He watched the boring Citrus Bowl between Minnesota and Missouri.  Boy #2 watched more of the games but he watched while I did.  That don't count Boy #2.  And yes, I only invoked the "son can watch a game:" rule once.  I did the other 37 myself.  Not sure if I should be proud of that.  

-Best Bowl Swag;  Buffalo Wild Wings Citrus Bowl, $447 Best Buy Gift Card and a wing eating competition.

  The Gophers out ate the Tigers by 690 wings!

-Worst Bowl Swag:  The Camellia Bowl souvenir pylon.  One of these.

 Weak although I'm watching for one to show up on ebay.  Nothing yet. 

-Best pick:  Oklahoma State over Washington in the Cactus Bowl.  Everyone in my bowl pool took the Huskies.  That sealed up the win for me. $35 baby!!

Well, one game to go, Oregon vs. Ohio State in the National Championship Monday night.  The new playoff worked great, can't wait until next year.