Starting on New Years Day is the Rose Bowl between Pac-10 champ Oregon and Big Ten powerhouse Ohio State. After a loss at Boise State to open the season (remember LeGarrette Blount’s suckerpunch???), Chip Kelly has done a fantastic coaching job, as the Ducks went on a tear the rest of the way, beating 4 ranked teams. Their only slip up was at Stanford on November 7th, a 51-42 shootout loss. I’ll go out on a short limb and say Oregon is the most underrated team in the nation. The Buckeyes, meanwhile, have lost 3 straight BCS bowls, and looking at how QB Terrelle Pryor has been shaky at best this season, I can’t see him helping Jim Tressel’s crew snap that streak. Give me Oregon in a close one, 31-28.
Also on New Years is the Sugar Bowl between SEC runner-up Florida and undefeated Cincinnati, champions in the Big East. Put it this way: if you expect Superman…er, Tim Tebow… to end his college career with 2 consecutive losses, you need to start drinking that eggnog straight. Tebow has too much talent around him on both sides of the ball, plus the heart of a true champion. The Bearcats have no defense, no coach, and no chance in this one. Gators 45, Cincy 30.
January 4th is the Fiesta Bowl between TCU and Boise State. This game is a COMPLETE cop out by the BCS Selection Committee. Both teams finished undefeated, but don’t come from BCS conferences. So to be sure neither embarrassed one of their precious BCS schools (again), they simply took the easy way out and put the teams head-to-head. Anyways, getting away from the politics of it all and back to football, I think TCU is hands down the 2nd best team in the country talent-wise. They proved that to me with their 38-7 massacre of BYU on the road. No repeat of the 2007 Fiesta Bowl for the Broncos, as the Horned Frogs will win 35-17.
January 5th is the by far the worst of the BCS games, as ACC champ Georgia Tech takes on Big Ten at-large bid Iowa. I don’t think the Hawkeyes deserved a BCS bid, because, frankly, they’re not that good. Call me crazy, but BCS -worthy teams shouldn’t need all four quarters to dispose of Arkansas State and Indiana at home, and shouldn’t have to come back from games against Michigan and Michigan State. One of the four, maybe two, is allowable. But 4 close games in what should be fairly easy wins? Not worthy of an at-large bid. Still, playing the Yellow Jackets, they have a chance at winning. Too bad they won’t, as Tech’s running game, 2nd in the nation, will be too much. Jackets will win 42-28.
And finally the BCS National Championship Game between Texas and Alabama on January 7th. The Longhorns defense is improved and they have Colt McCoy under center. However, Texas is not by any means Florida, whom the Tide embarrassed in the SEC Championship Game.
They made the Gators, winners of 22 straight and 25 of 26 going in, look ordinary. Quarterback Greg McElroy has improved every game this season, and has gone from a liability to a weapon for the Bama offense. No reason to expect anything different in this one. Alabama will run their Popularity-Contest-Trophy (aka the Heisman) winner Mark Ingram to their 13th national title with a 38-17 win.Well those are my predictions. We’ll know by January 8th how they turned out. Happy festivus everyone!
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