Finally, thew new big six bowl games have arrived - these should be tremendous games, very close, right down to the wire.
Or not. And what's the deal with the silver peach in this new logo? I want peach colored peaches.
#9 Ole Miss vs. #6 TCU
If you're a fan who follows all the post-season news, you know that somehow the playoff selection committee decided that in one week TCU should go from the third ranked team to the sixth and be out of the four team playoff. The only blemish on their record was a loss to No. 5 Baylor by a couple points (unlike losing to Virginia Tech at home).
Their reward, the Peach Bowl.
Now imagine if you were Ole Miss coach Hugh Freeze and were told TCU would turn over the ball three times in the first half. You'd likely be pretty excited for that news and being that this time traveler might have scores of other games, you might place a bet or two.
Of course, the time traveler forgot to tell Hugh those turnovers wouldn't mean a damn thing and his team was about to take the worst SEC bowl game beating since Nebraska beat Georgia in the 1969 Sun Bowl. (I do my homework.)
TCU was out to make their case that they belonged in the four team playoff and not Ohio State. I would say Alabama, FSU and Oregon are probably grateful TCU was left out.
This was a "take 'em out to the woodshed" beating you don't often see between top 10 teams. I watched the first quarter while eating lunch at work. We have a nice TV set up and people kept walking by looking at me like I was nuts to be watching a bowl game. Hey, you do what you like at lunch, I'll do BowlQuest wherever it needs to be done.
Really, not much to see after the first quarter - totally one sided for TCU. Interceptions, fumbles - those TCU miscues had no effect for Ole Miss.
And Coach Freeze, I get that you kicked the meaningless field goal in the fourth quarter to avoid the shutout, but actually the lone score really just amplifies how badly you were thrashed.
If this were a boxing match, it would have been called at the end of the third quarter.
The other two games from Tuesday night including one really late one.
The Belk Bowl get a lot Belkin' better with its best match-up of teams in its history.
No. 13 Georgia vs. No. 21 Louisville
Two programs with some coaching ties and bad blood between them. Georgia's offense against Louisville's highly regarded defense. The bad blood - former Georgia coordinator Todd Grantham who abruptly left Georgia for Louisville and the unpopular in Georgia Bobby Petrino.
I got home from work and this was already underway - and Mrs. Keith was watching a "House" rerun. I offered to go watch in the basement but she gave up the remote and we were off.
Not really much of a game despite Georgia losing quarterback Hutson Mason to an injury in the second quarter. Georgia's plan B was run it down the Cardinals collective throats and it worked to near perfection.
20-7 at half and it wasn't really that close. We checked out to watch a few things collected on the DVR and game back in the 4th quarter with the Bulldogs in cruise control.
Georgia 37 Louisville 14
Notes
-I thought this would be a closer game. I also thought there would be a better crowd with the proximity of the game in Charlotte to the Georgia fan base. It was a good crowd, but nowhere near capacity.
-Game ball to Georgia running back Nick Chubb with 33 carried, 266 yards and two TD's. And this guy was the back-up to Todd Gurley. The SEC is loaded at the running back position.
-I had to explain to boy #2 why Georgia's mascot was named UGA.
-Bowl swag: Dad clothes, y'all! The Cards and Dogs all earned a shopping trip to Belk! Everyone get some nice khakis, not like the cheap ones Jim Harbaugh wears.
My pick: Georgia
Late nightcap in San Francisco.
The former Kraft Fight Hunger Bowl and Emerald Bowl in San Francisco, now in the 49ers new stadium. And it was a balmy 32 degrees.
Stanford vs. Maryland
The classic Stanford look and the usual Maryland hodgepodge of the Maryland state flag. Actually the Terps unis were pretty subdued from some they wear.
With a 10pm kick off, I knew I was only in for a first quarter and then done. And that was it.
Stanford jumped out to an early lead and finally looked like the team that was in the Rose Bowl back in January. Maryland had a lot of nothing, at least that's the way I'm reading it in the Yahoo recap. I was out after the Cardinal were up 7-0 in the first quarter.
Stanford 45 Maryland 21
Notes
-Not much, one good game (Music City) and two beat downs.
-Bowl swag: A Fossil watch. That's it? Not even a freezer full of delicious Foster Farms frozen chicken bites? Foster Farms did donate a lot of meals to needy families, so a little charity isn't a bad thing.
My pick: Stanford. All their losses were against ranked teams. Yeah, I actually do read some stats occasionally when making my picks.
Bowl record now 18-6.
Finally, the Big 6 games getting rolling today - Peach, Fiesta and Orange. Happy New Year's Eve and enjoy the game.
Another game on while I was at work. I get one more chance to root against the Irish.
I was really looking forward to this game. The new realignment of bowl games and the playoff has truly improved the match-ups. This game has been around a while and rarely has two high profile teams playing like they did today even if both teams had lousy seasons.
LSU vs. Notre Dame
Anyone who knows me realizes how much I can't stand Notre Dame and relished seeing their season fall apart this year. Quarterback Everett Golson was a turnover machine which directly lead to their 7-5 record. If not for a few plays, that record could have been 5-7 easily. Turnovers are a killer.
In a game of explosive plays all over the field, one play swung this game. LSU, at the end of the first, pulled the fake field goal and went for the TD. Officials called the runner down despite the ball crossing the goal line. Since every single play is reviewed, this one was and the call held despite most of the video showing the LSU player scored.
While there's no real way to do it, I 'd like to see a somewhat more definite way of scoring a touchdown. It's not just plays where the nose of the ball crosses the goal line, but the more frequent ball crossing over the pylon. Something where a player's body and the ball have to be in the end zone. Whatever, it will never happen, people like TD's.
This was a game of explosive plays including a 100-yard kick off return and an 89-yard touchdown run by LSU's Leonard Fournette who will be a Heisman candidate next year.
In the end, LSU had the same faults on defense that doomed their season all year and they gave up a long, late drive and a last second Irish field goal. Damn.
Notre Dame 31 LSU 28
Notes
-The bowl season has been really good except for a couple stinkers, like the night games last night. This game drew a huge crowd. They were rewarded with a really good game.
More than 60,000. That's solid business for the city of Nashville, especially considering the 17,000 that may have showed up for their NFL team's finale.
-Good grief, did they win the national championship?
I guess they have to make themselves feel good about something.
Bowl swag: This game should follow the Pinstripe Bowl and not announce its gifts to the players. The only gift listed is a Fossil watch.
My pick - I missed big time on this one. I called for an LSU blow out of Notre Dame.
I expected the Irish to come limping in when obviously it meant something to them. While I appreciate a coach realizing these games essentially mean nothing, Les Miles was stupid to not kick the field goal at the end of the half knowing they had the ball to start the third.
A lot of people must have today off. Traffic was light this morning and driving home from work this afternoon. "How you can do BowlQuest at work Keith?" One co-worker seemed a little miffed that I have the games on the in-studio TV and claim that I'm watching.
Well, it counts and yes, most Americans (mostly male, but not exclusively) must be sitting at home, bored out of their minds and relishing having football on most of the day.
This is a legit bowl game, played every year of my life and then some. Not the Guy Fieri Slama Jamma Nun Chuks Donkey Sauce Bowl for two years.
West Virginia vs. Texas A&M
Despite their crappy records, I felt this was one of the best match-ups of all bowl season. Here's what I wrote in my bowl preview: "Lots of points in this one. Love this match-up of two teams that have
never played before. This game may be one of the best games of
BowlQuest. Furniture stores in Morgantown could have plenty of end of
year sales if the Mountaineers win. I'll take A&M although both teams played pretty lousy down the stretch."
So, yeah, I was right.
All the points, and plenty of poor sportsmanship.
I starting watching this game in the second quarter when I went into the air studio. 34 points were already scored in the first quarter. I guess my preview was right. Not that they're all right, for instance, as I write this, the Russell Athletic Bowl is a complete disaster for Oklahoma,
Did I watch a quarter live? Sure, I watched three of them, sort of. This game fell into the really entertaining but not really good football category - where one usually finds West Virginia.
West Virginia is the drunken cousin of college football programs. Will he lend you a thousand dollars and drive you to the airport? Sure. Will he wreck your car after you lend it to him because his is in the shop and he has to get to the power company to pay his bill before they turn off his service? Yes again. You never know what will happen with them. They'll beat Alabama and then lose to Vandy.
Texas A&M overcame the early deficit and the Johnny Manziel-like antics of West Virginia quarterback Skyler Howard.
But don't think A&M didn't have some punk moments of their own.
This Texas A&M assistant threw a punch, not once but twice from the sidelines. Goon tactics but I credit it to this. The 36th anniversary of "the punch."
Ohio State's Woody Hayes and the famous punch of Charlie Bauman. I think I post this every time I do this bowl quest thing. Its really worth watching just to hear the great Keith Jackson. This is when the Gator Bowl meant something, not just a three hour infomercial for Taxslayer.
By the way, how was Woody Hayes not ejected from that game? He left the sideline and fought a player then went back to fight an official. Woody had officially lost him mind at this point.
Oh yeah, Liberty Bowl.
Texas A&M 45 West Virginia 37
Notes
-I kind of called that one. Ragged, terrible, great, stupid. It's everything you want from a game for the first game between these two schools.
-There will probably be a few couches burned tonight in Morgantown just because they like lighting furniture on fire, maybe this guy will set his own couch on fire.
-Player swag:
Sol Republic Deck Ultra wireless bluetooth speaker; Bulova watch; Nike athletic
shoes/sport sandals/backpack; game ball. I've searched for these "game balls" on ebay but have had no luck.
My pick: Texas A&M, 15-4 now.
What a joke. This game was delayed to get on ESPN because the thug/goon fest of this year's Liberty Bowl went nearly four hours. I didn't bother watching at work, plenty of game to go when I got home.
27-0 Clemson as I walked in the door. Did Oklahoma not show up?
Nope, there they were, right there on the field. This was a team that was supposed to contend for the national championship. And they're playing Clemson, a team that knows how to find ways to lose like no other team (other than Georgia).
It's 40-0 Clemson with an entire quarter to play. No reason to fill in the blanks. Hard to believe this was the same Oklahoma team that ran Alabama out of the Sugar Bowl.
Notes
-This is the first time I've ever finished a BowlQuest blog post without knowing a final score. What a joke. This game is well known as the landing spot for teams that had horribly disappointing seasons. Give Clemson credit, they're setting up their fan base for so much disappointment next year when they lose to Pitt in October.
-Of course Clemson was blowing out the Sooners, Santa hates Oklahoma.
Player swag: Another bowl game that makes it easy -
$447 Best Buy gift card and shopping trip; watch; athletic performance shirt.
My pick - Oklahoma, obviously. One more game to go tonight, Arkansas vs. Texas.
After a day of mostly exciting games, they saved the best for last.
It's been four years since Pacific Life has left this game as a sponsor - leaving us without its myriad of TV spots with whale tale slaps. Let's relive the glory.
This is the second year for National University as sponsor, possibly the most generic named online institute of higher education. No confusion with two of the biggest names in college football for this game.
Nebraska vs. Southern Cal
Two big boy programs that have only played each other four times. And it was a year when both teams had their fair share of news making moments. At one point this season USC's coach had to call down AD Pat Haden to argue with the officials. And Nebraska had a nasty falling out with head coach Bo Pellini. Career advisers say never burn a bridge with an employer - Pellini took a can of gas to his bridge with Nebraska.
The fifth go around started with a bang, a 98 yard kick off return by Southern Cal for the opening score. It was back and forth after that, like two former great heavyweights, trading blows.
24-17 at half and I was bleary-eyed from watching my fifth game of the day. It was pretty much non-stop football starting at 1pm, so around 10 hours straight at this point. I really wish I could have been more engaged because this game finished strong.
Six, count 'em SIX back n' forth scores in the third quarter. I can't remember any game with six scores in a quarter. 45-34 into the fourth and I'll admit, I ran out of gas and missed the end.
Nebraska rallied to close the gap to 45-42 late but failed to convert on a fourth down and that earned the Trojans the win.
Long trip back to the camper for these two.
Southern Cal 45 Nebraska 42
-The Trojans could be very good next season with most of their team coming back including quarterback Cody Kessler.
-Both teams ran 45 plays each in the first half. For the part time college football follower, that's a lot.
-Buick is spending a lot of money on advertising during the bowl games, with two commercials that are really getting under my skin.
One has a couple giving a parking valet their ticket and saying, "It's the Buick." That's not how attended parking works Buick. Are we to assume no one else at this restaurant is driving a Buick? We are also asked to believe this restaurant has no concept on how valet parking works, making their attendants search for your make and model instead of your keys matched to a parking space number.
The other has a couple peering out their window at the neighbors. These two.
She notices the Garcias have a new Buick, meanwhile her husband immediately pulls out the binoculars to check out the car. How much peeping on the Garcia's are these two doing? If I were the Garcias I'd be a bit concerned.
Bowl swag: This is the jackpot for players, each getting a $445 Best Buy gift card and shopping trip; Fossil watch; cap. That's about the max any game can give a player.
What did I eat: Nothing, it was late and I'm already fat, don't need those late night calories.
My pick - Southern Cal. My bowl record is now 14-4, whiffing on UC and Miami. Not a lot of damage to my confidence points, most of these games in the bottom half.
No games today, but I will have to navigate games while I'm back at work starting Monday. May need to invoke boy #1 or #2 to watch.
Game No. 4 on the agenda today, from Yankee Stadium. Welcome Back Nittany Lions.
The first time in this bowl game's short history that Syracuse or Rutgers hasn't played but probably the biggest crowd in the game's history. Penn State brought a big crowd in their first bowl game since January of 2012.
Penn State vs. Boston College
Good match-up that goes back to Penn State's days as an independent. I had been checking on this game while watching the others but finally caught my full quarter in the 4th. Back up from the basement because boy #2 said he missed walking in the room to see the score. Okay then.
This game set up as a defensive battle and that's how it played out in the first half, Each team tallied a touchdown and it was 7-7 at half time.
Different story in the second half, each team finding the end zone a couple times and a late field goal from Penn State sending it to overtime. Boston College took the ball first, scored but missed the point after. Their eighth missed PAT this season. Penn State put themselves in a hole quick but no matter, scored a touchdown and made their PAT.
This one is going to sting BC for a while - find a kicker Eagles.
Penn State 31 Boston College 30
Notes
-Nice game for Penn State QB Christian Hackenberg who had a rough regular season. 371 yards passing and four touchdowns.
-Huge crowd at Yankee Stadium, mostly Penn State fans. Bowl organizers said the game sold out in three days.
-I guess they'll be sending these to some kids in Central America.
-What did I eat? Some leftover shrimp from Christmas and a couple cookies.
-Bowl swag: This game is hush hush about what players get, but presumably New Era products.
My pick, Penn State. I did think it would be a close game but more like 19-17.
