Look Out Kirsten...

She pretends not to like football...

But she used to take stats in college for Eastern New Mexico. And with Georgia Tech's win, she's tied for first place with Kirsty Bird

Paul Johnson

and Georgia Tech just may save college football. I freaking love the triple option.

Just Because I Can...

I love Tim Duncan...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i-_KbUEmgw0

Capital One Orange Bowl

Capital One: I owe you my allegiance. You hold the country in the palm of your hand. All hail Capital One. Make sure you watch their bowl game and charge your pregame meal to one of their credit cards. Thank you for letting us live here Capital One.

Mississippi State almost pulled off a stunning run to the National Playoff. If they had found a way to pull out their game at Alabama, they would have maintained their number one ranking and would be playing for it all. Instead, they lost and then lost again to in state rival Ole Miss. They have a solid SEC Defense led by defensive end Preston Smith. They have a quarterback named Dak. That's right, Dak Prescott. Dak is a throw/run dual threat and has a decent RB named Josh Robinson to share the offensive load.

Georgia Tech saved their coach's job this year. Paul Johnson who previously saved Navy football (look what they've done to Army the last 14 years), has implemented his triple option in Atlanta. I love the triple option, and Tech runs it. But every time I pick them or watch them, they lose. The rumor was that Tech was going to have to win a lot this year in order for Johnson to keep his job. And that's what they have done.

Justin Thomas is Tech's quarterback. He led the Yellowjackets to an incredible upset of Georgia and then almost pulled off the upset in the ACC Championship game against Florida State. Tech won 10 games and wants 11 tonight. But the Bulldogs are three point favorites.

Vizio Fiesta Bowl

Could you use a new flat screen television? Do you want to support the United States of America? Consider a Vizio product.You could get a 50" LED HD TV for less than $600 with free shipping if you take advantage of the after Christmas sale through the internet. Act now.

Arizona won the PAC1000 South Division title. They have an awesome QB/RB duo in Anu Solomon/Nick Wilson. They get to play in Phoenix which will offer them a home field advantage. After years of mediocre football, you know the Wildcats will be excited to be playing in a big bowl game.

Boise State, and their atrocious blue field, are now regulars in the big bowl landscape. Their head coach Bryan Harsin was supposed to save Mack Brown's job as UT offensive coordinator, but that didn't work out. After a year of exile at Arkansas State he returned to Boise State where he had been OC before Mack Brown imported him to Austin. Boise State has a stud running back named Jay Ajayi. Look for a fun game in the desert. Arizona is favored by three points.

Chick-fil-a Peach Bowl

MMMMmmmmmm. Hankerin' for a fine chicken sandwich? Well before the game, why don't you send out your teenager to the local Chick-fil-a for some southern fried chicken deliciousness on a bun. Yuuuummmmmy. These right wingers sure do know how to make some fast food. And the waffle fries? With some honey mustard? HEAVEN! Matthew, get down here! Daddy's hungry.

This game features the Rebels (no political correctness here) of Ole Miss versus the Horned Frogs of Texas Christian University. Mississippi was in the Title race until they lost at LSU, then to Auburn (losing their star wide receiver in the process to a broken leg), and then losing to Arkansas. But they upset Alabama and Mississippi State. They knocked the Bulldogs out of the National Playoff picture in that last game. So, they seem to have recovered from the losing streak. They call their defense the "Land Sharks."

TCU's coach is a badass. His name is Gary Patterson and he looks like the local bakery truck driver, but he can coach up some athletes. He dominates the Big XII by taking two and three star recruits that get ignored by Oklahoma and Texas and teaching them how to be real football players. His quarterback is a prime example. Trevone Boykin looked like a serviceable QB last year. This year he is just a tick below Mariota and Winston. Look also for a kid named Aaron Green. He went to high school with Analicia at Madison in San Antonio. He transferred back to his home state after starting at Nebraska. He can run with the best of them. TCU always features a good to great defense. They score quickly and they have great coaching. The Frogs should be in the National Playoff but they choked away a big lead at Baylor. Unless they have a melt down like that, or the Big XII is as bad as Texas, Oklahoma, and West Virginia made it look on Monday, the Frogs should win. They are 3.5 point favorites. But, Kirsten picked Ole Miss.

Have You Seen this Couple?

Immediately give them as much disposable cash you have and put them on a plane to Las Vegas. Tell Kirsten to bet as much money as she can on college football teams she thinks will win. Get her agree to share all of her winnings with the extended family. Kirsten, people, can pick some college football. Tim, you must be sooooo proud.

Belk Bowl

Belk department stores are having their after Christmas sales. Go online while you watch the game and take advantage of free shipping, 50% of kids clothing, and 30 to 70% off of selected seasonal footwear. You really can't go wrong with some fine apparel or small appliances from Belk.

Tim Smith, are you taking the family to the Belk Bowl? It is in Charlotte you know. How about you, RC and Kathy? It's just a two hour drive down to the Queen City for a chance to watch some excellent football between Georgia and Louisville.

Georgia is a touchdown favorite. But they are known for choking. Did you see the Georgia Tech game they blew? They were supposed to battle for the SEC title by easily winning the east but lost to South Carolina and got their doors blown off versus Florida. They beat the SEC East winning Missouri Tigers 34-0 though. They lost their best running back to NCAA violations but replaced him with a kid named Chubb. He can run, but Louisville can run defend. Louisville is led by Coach Bobby Petrino. Coach Petrino knows his x's and o's but he's known for this:

Petrino was the coach at Arkansas until he wrecked his motorcycle and got caught having an affair with the passenger, someone who got a job with the Arkansas Athletic Department. Petrino had to resign, but of course got hired by Western Kentucky right away and then picked up by Louisville. Look for the devious Petrino to have some special game plan for the Bulldogs. Mark Richt has done less with more over the years at Georgia and somehow still has a job.

Franklin American Music City Bowl

"It all begins with home." That is the Franklin American Mortgage Company slogan and mission. Whether it is a home or some retail property, if you need a mortgage loan, look to the fine people at Franklin American. I don't know about you, but when I think of America, the first name that comes to mind in Franklin. With that sort of name, there is no other company I would choose for a 15 or 30 year relationship. They also sponsor one hell of a bowl game in Nashville, the Music City.

Nashville is where country music dreams come true. Today, in the midst of all that fine composing, Notre Dame and LSU will battle on the gridiron. LSU comes out of the ferocious SEC West. They started strong this year but then faded when they had to duke it out with Alabama and the rest of the conference behemoths. Notre Dame started 6-0, but then lost 5 out of 6 to end the  year. They are too good to stoop to being in a conference. They feature Everett Golson at quarterback, but their defense has been exposed.

San Antonio fun fact here. David Robinson's son plays wide receiver for the Irish.

LSU and its defense are 7.5 favorites. They should win. But, we'll see.

Live shot of Norman, Oklahoma, and Austin, Texas

Once proud college football cities:

The Texas Bowl

Oh now I'm going to find her, for my heart is full of woe,

And we'll sing the songs togeather [sic], that we sung so long ago

We'll play the bango gaily, and we'll sing the songs of yore,

And the Yellow Rose of Texas shall be mine forevermore. [Chorus]

You can cover up "yellow" and you can cover up "rose" buddy buddy, but you better not cover up "Texas"! Or I'll take my snare drum and secede from the band!

"At AdvoCare, We Build Champions^® through physical and financial wellness. Backed by the latest science, AdvoCare provides innovative nutritional, weight-management, sports performance and skin care products. In addition, the AdvoCare business opportunity empowers individuals to explore their ultimate earning potential. AdvoCare was founded in 1993 and is headquartered in Plano, Texas." Couldn't have said it better myself. Thank you AdvoCare for safeguarding my health and sponsoring a kick-ass bowl game.

TEXAS plays Arkansas. I have been watching the marathons of Texas versus Arkansas football games on Longhorn Network all week. Earl Campbell's awesomeness, the 1987 Bret Stafford to Tony Jones game (I was a freshman at a sports bar - heaven!), and of course the 1969 Nixon game. Did you know that Analicia and I were hired to be extras for a movie called My All American this summer that is based on the story of Freddy Steinmark who played in the Nixon game? We got paid about a hundred bucks to play fans at the game. Ana got picked to run on the field in the ending celebration scene. Watch for it on the big screen! (or DVD) 

Texas stinks. We have a quarterback who should not be playing. He is actually from Whitewright, Texas. (My grandparents lived there.) His name is Tyrone Swoopes. He tries hard. Our defense is better, but if our offense cannot score it does not matter. Arkansas plays a ball control offense. They have two awesome running backs. They have a good defense. This should be a victory for the Hogs, but.... Their coach did this yesterday...

Do you see what he is doing (he's the tall guy)? That's a horns down sign while shaking hands with our coach Charlie Strong! That jerk! We hate that! Everybody does that when they play against us. It's classless and makes us mad. GGGRRRRRRRR.... Down with the Hogs.

Previews for Monday

Three bowls for your viewing pleasure on Monday. Heeeeerrreeeee they are:

I'm an O'Reilly's man myself, so I could give a crap about Autozone. The bowl features West Virginia and Texas A&M. West Virginia lost its starting quarterback to concussions, and the Ags have struggled all year now that they are Johnny Football-less. Both teams have won 7 games. Vegas says the game is a Pick 'em. The Aggie coach, Kevin Sumlin, is a recruiting, offensive coaching SOB. West Virginia is known for its fun offense (they destroyed Clemson two years ago in a bowl). In other words, this should be fun. Tune in and watch some scoring.

Speaking of Clemson, the Tigers will play the Land Thieves of Oklahoma in the Russell Athletic Bowl. The South Carolina scoundrels are ranked higher but the Sooners are 4.5 point favorites. The Sooners destroyed Alabama last year with a kid from San Antonio named Trevor Knight as quarterback. He has been hurt a lot this year but should be back for the bowl game. Clemson has 9 wins and rely on its defense to stop the Sooners, and will be without its offensive coordinator who returned home to Texas to coach SMU (Chad Morris). By the way Russell Athletic makes kick butt athletic wear. Pick up a pair of their comfortable athletic sweats at a local Dick's Sporting Goods store. I think Nacho wore Russell Athletic sweats.

The nightcap will have its own post because it features -

National University is a private, non-profit university offering a unique educational experience for its students. Students take one course per month as they progress towards a degree in their field of choice. The second largest such university in California and the 12th largest in the United States, National University is a great choice for anyone who wants to get ahead in this increasingly competitive world.

This match up features two former perennial powers, both experiencing some obstacles in their journey back to national prominence. The Cornhuskers of Nebraska won 9 games but still fired their coach, the loud mouthed Bo Pelini. While the Cornhuskers have already hired a replacement - Mike Riley formerly of Oregon State, they will be coached in this game on an interim basis by Barney Cotton.

Southern Cal won 8 games. They feature a passing attack led by Cody Kessler. Coach Steve Sarkisian is miffed that his quarterback did not receive more attention from the press and award entities in the post season. This game is listed as EVEN by Vegas. So flip a coin and enjoy what is usually one of the best bowl games of the season.

New Era Pinstripe Bowl

New Era makes great caps. Stop in your local sporting goods store and find a baseball cap from your favorite pro or college team. Fine quality meets superb styling at New Era. You'll definitely be the envy of your school or neighborhood or office with a New Era cap.

Played at Yankee Stadium in the Bronx, this game can feature some questionable bowl weather. This year's contest features Boston College and Penn State. The BC Eagles are three point favorites. BC has seven wins and Penn State has 6. This is Penn State's first bowl appearance post Sandusky. Penn State has a stingy defense led of course by its linebackers. The Eagles have a highly regarded dual-threat quarterback named Tyler Murphy. I hope it snows. I love snow football.

Duck Commander Independence Bowl

Ah Duck Commander. That's all you need to say. The boys featured on A&E's Duck Dynasty run a great company that sells the best Duck Calls in the world. Phil Robertson (the man in the middle) was a former quarterback at Louisiana Tech (home of Terry Bradshaw). Instead of pursuing pro football, he started this little duck call company instead. The company is now run by son Willie (one bearded fellow to the left) and the hilarious high-jinks of the family are chronicled on the television show. It's great, wholesome Christian family entertainment - southern style.

The game features the U versus the Ball Coach. Miami and South Carolina are both barely eligible with 6 wins a piece. Watch Miami running back Duke Johnson to see if he can gash a poor South Carolina defense. The Gamecocks were supposed to challenge for the final four playoff, but from the first game on their defense showed they were never really a threat for the big time. If you get bored during the game, flip on over to A&E to see if there is a Duck Dynasty marathon going on. I love the episode where the wives get stuck on the roof of the warehouse - HILARIOUS!

Miami is a 3.5 point favorite in Vegas.

It's time for the Hyundai Sun Bowl! Hyundai may be a Korean company, but did you know many of its vehicles are designed and built here in the USA? That's right. If you want a socially conscious vehicle that is both stylish and environmentally friendly, consider a Hyundai. A perennial to safety pick, Hyundai features the best warranty in the auto industry.

Duke and Arizona State both have 9 wins. Matt Baker has applied to both schools. This game will go a long way to deciding which school he will go to. I watched Duke lose to North Carolina late in the year. I watched a little of Arizona State's loss to Arizona. Watch for Duke's Jamison Crowder. He is a stud receiver and return man. Arizona State has a similar weapon in Jaelen Strong. Should be a fun game in what we will call the Matt Baker Recruiting Bowl.

Vegas has Arizona State as a touchdown favorite. One of the biggest spreads of the bowl season.

Day 2!!!

Well, let's preview Day 2. Margaret, I hope you get your picks in on time. First game starts at 10 a.m. Pacific. Let's start with the Military Bowl! Sir, yes Sir!

Brought to you by the USO. Support the USO. They provide entertainment and more to our troops in all services. The USO might bring in a big celebrity like Joan Jett for a concert (she's a liberal too), or they just might provide a place for a service man or woman to rest in a strange town (we have such a place in downtown San Antonio).

Also brought to you by Northrop Grumman. The mission of this friend of the military is to "be at the forefront of technology and innovation, delivering superior capability in tandem with maximized cost efficiencies." It is their "moral imperative" to protect our country from its enemies. Rah America!

Today's game features the Cincinnati Bearcats versus the Hokies from Virginia Tech. The Bearcats are 3 point favorites. Cincinnati has won 9 games, the Hokies have won 6. The Hokies upset final four participant Ohio State. Cincinnati is on a seven game win streak. Hokies have defense. The Bearcats have a coach named Tommy Tuberville. He's known as a "riverboat gambler." Enjoy!

The Bitcoin St. Petersburg Bowl

Bitcoin is virtual currency. Currently 328 bitcoins equal one dollar according to Google. It is an attempt to create an online payment system. Or it is a way to sponsor a kick butt bowl game in beautiful St. Petersburg, Florida!

Today's game features the Wolfpack of North Carolina State. The red men from Raleigh have increased their rushing acumen and have won three of their last four games. They are 7-5 going into the bowl game. Watch the quarterback because he can run.

The Wolfpack's adversaries are the Knights of Central Florida. Central Florida upset Baylor last year in the Fiesta Bowl. This year they are American Athletic Conference champions and are 9-3. Their coach was famous for lying on his resume that he sent in to Notre Dame, but the man can coach. O'Leary's team is appearing in a bowl game for fifth time in six seasons and has won their last three in a row.

Vegas says the Wolfpack is favored by 2.5 points.

The Quick Lane Bowl

Beautiful downtown Detroit hosts the Quick Lane Bowl. Quick Lane Tire and Auto Center features quality Ford products and has quality trained personnel to help with auto and tire maintenance for all makes and models. Stop in today for a tire rotation, an oil change, or a tune up. If you buy four select tires you may be eligible for a $140 mail-in rebate. See your local Quick Lane Tire and Auto Center for details.

The Quick Lane Bowl features 7-5 Rutgers versus 6-6 North Carolina. Vegas sees North Carolina as a 3.5 point favorite. This is despite a defense that was considered horrible during the season, giving up over 50 points to East Carolina, Notre Dame, and Clemson. The offense is better, averaging over 30 points a game. Rutgers has a senior quarterback and the second leading receiver in the Big 10. Their first string running back is out but the back ups are considered more than adequate. This should be fun with lots of offense. Just hope the crowd will resist the beautiful eastern Michigan climate and go inside for football in a dome.

Let the Bowling Begin!!!

Of course Margaret is the last entry in.

Of course despite their records and performances most of us have picked Texas and North Carolina.

Today we start with two bowls: The Quick Lane Bowl and the Bitcoin St. Petersburg Bowl.

Previews to follow.