2009-10 Bowl Game List

[la_samtyr]

Guess who is not going to be watching much tv from now on.

http://www.sportingnews.com/college-football/article/2009-12-14/ranking-bowl-games-sun-shines-brightest


Ranking the bowl games: Sun shines the brightest
By dcurtis.tsn
Created 12/14/2009 - 12:35

Watching all 34 bowl games these next few weeks should win any fan the Beano Cook Award for Unhealthy Devotion to College Football. But singalongs (carols, not fight songs) and dropping balls (Times Square, not tight ends) figure to get in the way now and then.

To help determine which games to check out, here's the postseason pecking order, from must-see to "pass the eggnog."
1. Oklahoma vs. Stanford
Sun Bowl, Dec. 31, El Paso, Texas

First: It's the stout Oklahoma front four against Stanford bulldozer and Heisman runner-up Toby Gerhart.
And 10: Coveted coaches Jim Harbaugh and Bob Stoops will be here. Honest.

2. Virginia Tech vs. Tennessee
Chick-fil-A Bowl, Dec. 31, Atlanta

First: Two fast defenses highlight this should-be rivalry—why don't we see this game every September?
And 10: Both teams will be BCS bowl regulars come next decade.

3. Oregon vs. Ohio State
Rose Bowl, Jan. 1, Pasadena, Calif.

First: Classic old guard vs. new age across the board here—offensive style, championship pedigree, wardrobe (players and coaches).
And 10: A shame Terrelle Pryor can't switch jerseys for one afternoon.

4. SMU vs. Nevada
Hawaii Bowl, Dec. 24, Honolulu

First: June Jones, back in Hawaii with another reinvigorated program, puts his spread offense against the Wolf Pack's pistol.
And 10: First team forcing a punt wins another week in paradise.

5. Texas vs. Alabama
BCS national title game, Jan. 7, Pasadena, Calif.

First: The only game that matters features two of the sport's most storied programs and wealthiest coaches.
And 10: Kickers Hunter Lawrence (Texas) and Leigh Tiffin (Alabama) will decide this outcome.

6. Arizona vs. Nebraska
Holiday Bowl, Dec. 30, San Diego

First: Wildcats came within an overtime stop of the Pac-10 title; the Huskers came within a second of winning the Big 12.
And 10: Not much beats watching Ndamukong Suh maul an offense.

7. Troy vs. Central Michigan
GMAC Bowl, Jan. 6, Mobile, Ala.

First: The champs of Division I-A's least-respected conference duel; winning team gets a fake crystal ball.
And 10: Chippewas quarterback Dan LeFevour has accounted for 148 career touchdowns.

8. TCU vs. Boise State
Fiesta Bowl, Jan. 4, Glendale, Ariz.

First: The "Out of Sight, Out of Mind" Bowl pits these perennial powers head-to-head for a second straight postseason.
And 10: Still wishing for TCU against Florida and Boise State vs. Iowa.

9. Texas A&M vs. Georgia
Independence Bowl, Dec. 28, Shreveport, La.

First: Re-configured Georgia coaching staff will lead the Bulldogs against revitalized Texas A&M.
And 10: Aggies played in memorable Shreveport Snow Bowl in 2000.

10. Florida State vs. West Virginia
Gator Bowl, Jan. 1, Jacksonville, Fla.

First: Bobby Bowden's finale starts early enough to make an early bird dinner along the Jacksonville beaches.
And 10: Great matchup—WVU receiver Jock Sanders vs. FSU corner Greg Reid.

11. Northwestern vs. Auburn
Outback Bowl, Jan. 1, Tampa

First: A clash of programs on the rise looking for a win and needed momentum for 2010.
And 10: Northwestern's last bowl victory came before Auburn was called Auburn.

12. North Carolina vs. Pitt
Meineke Car Care Bowl, Dec. 26, Charlotte

First: Tar Heels' ACC-best rush defense draws Dion Lewis, the Big East's leading rusher.
And 10: Dave Wannstedt. Butch Davis. Loser must go coach the Bills.

13. Florida vs. Cincinnati
Sugar Bowl, Jan. 1, New Orleans

First: The Gators, led by ragtag coaching staff and full of NFL-bound juniors, meet the Brian Kelly-less Bearcats in the "Who Cares Less Bowl?"
And 10: Tebow—we won't know what we had 'til he's gone.

14. Boston College vs. USC
Emerald Bowl, Dec. 26, San Francisco

First: Getting a game effort out of some disappointed Trojans should go down as one of Pete Carroll's better coaching performances.
And 10: Crowd at this one will resemble Pirates-Giants in April.

15. Missouri vs. Navy
Texas Bowl, Dec. 31, Houston

First: Midshipmen's option offense could turn this into the Confused Tigers, Hidden Fullback Bowl.
And 10: Mizzou receiver Danario Alexander is the postseason's most underrated player.

16. BYU vs. Oregon State
Las Vegas Bowl, Dec. 22, Las Vegas

First: Rodgers brothers—running back 'Quizz, receiver James—will give BYU coach Bronco Mendenhall heartburn as he preps for his alma mater.
And 10: Cougars make fifth straight appearance here; casino owners cry foul.

17. Temple vs. UCLA
EagleBank Bowl, Dec. 29, Washington, D.C.

First: Check out Brian Price and the solid Bruins defense trying to slow surprise star running back Bernard Pierce.
And 10: Hell freezes. Sun skips a day. Owls reach a bowl.

18. Houston vs. Air Force
Armed Forces Bowl, Dec. 31, Fort Worth, Texas

First: It's the "These Guys Again?" Bowl—Cougars beat the Falcons 34-28 here last year.
And 10: Houston coach Kevin Sumlin remains a target of bigger schools.

19. LSU vs. Penn State
Capital One Bowl, Jan. 1, Orlando

First: If the BCS didn't prohibit three teams from the same conference, Nits and Tigers might have jockeyed for the final at-large spot.
And 10: Rumor: JoePa will rock New Year's Eve on Pleasure Island.

20. Clemson vs. Kentucky
Music City Bowl, Dec. 27, Nashville

First: Do-it-all Tiger C.J. Spiller gets a mulligan against SEC defenses.
And 10: Cats look for third victory since 2006 (when it beat Clemson) in this game.

21. Miami vs. Wisconsin
Champs Sports Bowl, Dec. 29, Orlando

First: Canes don't see many John Clay-types in the ACC; Badgers don't see any Jacory Harris-types in the Big Ten.
And 10: Both teams should contend for conference titles next season.

22. Oklahoma State vs. Mississippi
Cotton Bowl, Jan. 2, Arlington, Texas

First: These two preseason top 10 teams figured they might meet ... in a BCS bowl.
And 10: Both squads suffered embarrassing rivalry losses in their last games.

23. Georgia Tech vs. Iowa
Orange Bowl, Jan. 5, Miami Gardens, Fla.

First: Iowa allowing a 100-yard rusher and two more at 90-plus against Ohio State should make option-based Yellow Jackets salivate.
And 10: Hawkeyes fans should turn the site into Kinnick Stadium South.

24. Connecticut vs. South Carolina
Papajohns.com Bowl, Jan. 2, Birmingham, Ala.

First: South Carolina's Eric Norwood and company try to slow down Huskies backs Jordan Todman and Andre Dixon.
And 10: Steve Spurrier still unsure Connecticut actually has a football team.

25. Texas Tech vs. Michigan State
Alamo Bowl, Jan. 2, San Antonio

First: Mike Leach's offense finds its rhythm just in time to dominate suspension-racked Spartans.
And 10: Coach Dantonio, do your Spartans have "fat little girlfriends," too?

26. Bowling Green vs. Idaho
Humanitarian Bowl, Dec. 30, Boise, Idaho

First: One of the least popular bowl destinations gets maybe the least popular matchup.
And 10: Falcon Freddie Barnes needs five catches for NCAA single-season record.

27. East Carolina vs. Arkansas
Liberty Bowl, Jan. 2, Memphis

First: Regardless of whether Arkansas QB Ryan Mallett wins a Liberty Bowl, some scouts think he will someday win a Super Bowl.
And 10: Name a job with which ECU's Skip Holtz hasn't been connected.

28. Iowa State vs. Minnesota
Insight Bowl, Dec. 31, Tempe, Ariz.

First: Cyclones searching for third bowl win in school history; Minnesota looking for a new contract for coach Tim Brewster.
And 10: Gophers' starting offense got shut out three times this season.

29. Marshall vs. Ohio
Little Caesars Pizza Bowl, Dec. 26, Detroit

First: Bobcats finished the season plus-14 in turnovers; Marshall was minus-5.
And 10: Sleep in a long while to recover from Christmas Day.

30. Utah vs. California
Poinsettia Bowl, Dec. 23, San Diego

First: Cal offensive coordinator Andy Ludwig spent 2005-2008 with the Utes. Ouch.
And 10: Bears' four losses came by a total of 115 points.

31. Southern Miss vs. Middle Tennessee State
New Orleans Bowl, Sunday, New Orleans

First: Blue Raiders defense, led by Chris McCoy, led the nation in tackles for loss at nearly nine per game.
And 10: Here's a double dare—name five players from these teams.

32. South Florida vs. Northern Illinois
International Bowl, Jan. 2, Toronto

First: Most dramatic part of this game might be following both teams' quests to secure passports for their players
And 10: Reality show pitch: Jim Leavitt spends a week in Canada.

33. Rutgers vs. UCF
St. Petersburg Bowl, Saturday, St. Petersburg, Fla.

First: Rutgers coach Greg Schiano, on his team's bowl destination: "It is, quite frankly, very disappointing."
And 10: UCF should drop football if it doesn't win this one.

34. Wyoming vs. Fresno State
New Mexico Bowl, Saturday, Albuquerque, N.M.

First: Last year's NM Bowl birthed the Legend of Gartrell Johnson. See why it comes in 34th?
And 10: Well, it only gets better after this year's bowl opener.

Dave Curtis is a writer for Sporting News. E-mail him at dcurtis@sportingnews.com [1].

Comments

[fuzzy-carpet.livejournal.com]

Rutgers fan here (it's my brother's alma mater, after all) and Greg ain't the only one who's unhappy. This is our fourth straight Bowl appearance, yes...but so what? All this hard work, yet the program still doesn't get any respect. *sigh*

And it's 34 now? Seems like the powers-that-be went ahead and created a whole slew of "pseudo-Bowls" for...I don't know...TV revenue? Phooey. IMHO it's high-time that the entire ridiculous ranking system gets an overhaul before people stop caring altogether. If college basketball can have a Final Four, why not college football?

/end rant
*back to shoveling*

~T

[samtyr.livejournal.com]

I know what you mean. *Thirty-four* bowls??? [The mind boggles. Unboggle please, poor mind.] Most of them are, as you say, "psuedo-bowls" and (imho) don't really count except that the tv/cable/*Someone* gets money out of it somehow.