New Year's Day: Bowlapalooza

Five, count them, five games today!!! Let's get the preview out of the way.

We open with the SEC again. The Bulldogs of Georgia are an annually underachieving team. They were supposed to have a hotshot QB lead them to glory this year yet again. But they could not get through the SEC unscathed and even had problems at home against North Texas. However, that is nothing compared to the train wreck that is Bo Pellini and Nebraska. At one point the Cornhusker head coach was caught on tape disparaging the fans of his team. He is cocky and gruff, but his team underachieves. This is really the Underachievement Bowl. Bulldogs are 8.5 point favorites.

The old ball coach Steve Spurrier takes his Gamecocks of South Carolina to Orlando to play the Wisconsin Badgers. This may be the best match-up of the day. Spurrier has SEC talent and the Badgers usually perform well in bowl games. In a rarity the SEC team is an underdog here, but only by two points. I don't know much about the players in this game other than South Carolina's stud defensive end Jadeveon Clowney. Known for his helmet busting tackle in last year's bowl game against Michigan, Clowney has seemed disinterested in the regular season this year. He just got busted for speeding over 100+ miles an hour for the second time to which the old ball coach commented: "He needs to go to driving school." Aaahhh the SEC. Just win games for us son. Just win games.

Another Big 10 v. SEC challenge. This one appears to be a mismatch though. LSU is always stacked with athletic talent. This year they could not match Alabama or Auburn, but they killed Johnny Football. They barely lost to Ole Miss, but took out everyone else for nine wins. I know nothing about Iowa other than they lost to the Big 10 powerhouses like Michigan St. but beat everyone else. Iowa has historically done well in bowl games and are good for an upset every now and then. LSU is a 7.5 point favorite.

The granddaddy turns 100 this year. A classic Big 10 v. Pac 12 match-up as Michigan State arrives in California to play Stanford. Michigan State has a studly defense and workman like offense. Stanford has a coach that I want to head to Austin. They also feature defense and rushing. This game should be a great battle for the true football fan. Stanford is a 6.5 point favorite. Who's got tickets? Rose Bowl is on my bucket list.

Really? Central Florida? Texas had to play Oregon in the Alamo Bowl, but Central Florida gets to go to a BCS game. Ugghh. Baylor if you don't win this, stay in Arizona. Move your right wing school president Ken Starr, the cheating basketball programs, and the whole metropolitan area of Waco (including the new football stadium) to the outskirts of Phoenix and start over. You'll love Gov. Jan Brewer and the rest of the reactionaries out there and feel right at home. Seriously, this should be a snoozer. Baylor coach Art Briles has installed a high powered offense with a decent defense and his squad is full of pure athletic Texas talent. The Bears are 17 point favorites. Central Florida will need a miracle.

Enjoy the games. See you tomorrow!