Cotton Land!

 Yee Haw! It's the Cotton Bowl!

I remember growing up in Texas driving to Lubbock too many times in my life seeing the giant combines full of cotton shaped into giant rectangular blocks on the side of the road. I remember hoping Texas would find its way into this game named after the crop that seemed to dominate the landscape of my home state (that is in places where they weren't drilling for the real cash crop of the state: oil). Of course my heart was broken more often than not: 1977-78, 83-84, and ugghh 90-91, where I personally witnessed the Miami thrashing of Texas. But that was balanced with 81-82 upset of Alabama, and the 98-99 win over Mississippi State (where I personally caught an extra point kick after a Ricky Williams touchdown). Hard to believe the last time Texas was in the Cotton Bowl Classic was 2003, a victory over LSU which I watched in the living room of one of Patricia's cousins in Jal, New Mexico, with a delicious bowl of menudo. 

This game features upstart Tulane, champions of the AAC, against Southern California. USC are 2 point favorites but many Vegas wiseguys really like Tulane, because of USC's suspect defense. Leader Matt has USC as do Tim and me. Alex and Joe have picked Tulane and hope for a Green Wave triumph.