2011/2012 Bowl Predictions – Week 3

This bowl season has been pretty bad for the ‘Blogler. That’s expected when you have a bunch of games that you’d normally ignore on a Tuesday night. Things are getting better, though, and so are my predictions. Now we get into the meat of the schedule so expect my average to skyrocket. Right… If you are looking for my predictions for today’s games, they are on last week’s post.

Bowl Season: 16-15
Regular Season: 85-26 (76.6%)
Overall: 101-41 (71.1%)

12/31

Meineke Car Care of Texas Bowl (11 a.m. ESPN)
Texas A&M vs. Northwestern – Is anybody else still sorta weird about Northwestern? I don’t know about you, but every time they come to mind, I have visions of Kafka and the failed attempts by the football gods to give them the 2010 Outback Bowl. They will forever be emblazoned in my mind as the ultimate annoying gnat. Therefore, I want them to lose badly to the Aggies.

If not for the whole coaching switch in College Station, I think it would be an easy win, but you never know with interim coaches. I’m guessing the whole jump to the SEC will have the Aggies excited, so they’ll have enough to pull it off.

Texas A&M 31, Northwestern 21

Texas A&M 33, Northwestern 22 – SUCCESS!

Hyundai Sun Bowl (1 p.m. CBS)
Georgia Tech vs. Utah – Does Utah still run an option-like offense from back in the Urban days? That shows you how much I know, and the fact that I’m not going to look it up shows you how much I care.

The Utes saw what it was like to play in a real conference this year, even though the Pac-12 wasn’t even that strong. Georgia Tech looked really strong at some points of the year, but then they pulled a Clemson. They are still probably the better team.

Georgia Tech 37, Utah 34

Utah 30, Georgia Tech 27 – FAILURE

AutoZone Liberty Bowl (2:30 p.m. ABC)
Cincinnati vs. Vanderbilt – The Commodores are just happy to be in a bowl, and it’s against an opponent they may actually beat. James Franklin has Vanderbilt on the right track, but they are years away from being a real, serious contender. Good thing you don’t have to be a real, serious contender in the SEC to beat Cincinnati.

Vanderbilt 24, Cincinnati 20

Cincinnati 31, Vanderbilt 24 – FAILURE

Kraft Fight Hunger Bowl (2:30 p.m. ESPN)
Illinois vs. UCLA – Both of these teams fired their coaches this season. UCLA had good reason. Illinois did not, and needs to realize that they are Illinois. The Zooker wasn’t absolutely awful up there and had the Fighting Illini actually kind of decent this year. UCLA was really bad and will suffer the most with an interim coach at the helm.

Illinois 38, UCLA 10

Illinois 20, UCLA 14 – SUCCESS!

1/2

TicketCity Bowl (11 a.m. ESPNU)
Houston vs. Penn State – Another game with two teams with fired coaches. Houston did promote from within, but still, a change at the top isn’t ideal when preparing for a game a few weeks after the season.

You have to think that Houston is a little deflated after missing out on a BCS bowl and being relegated to the TicketCity Bowl, but if there’s a team that would be more deflated than the Cougars, it would be Penn State. Houston is still really good and Case Keenum will have a great final game.

Houston 45, Penn State 28

Houston 30, Penn State 14 – SUCCESS!

Outback Bowl (12 p.m. ABC)
Michigan State vs. Georgia – Raise your hand if you remember Georgia losing to Central Florida in the Independence Bowl last year. Yeah, it was soooo Mark Richt of them.

Michigan State, as Big Ten as they are, is probably better than or at least as good as every team that the Dawgs beat this year. They will beat Georgia, and give the SEC their first bowl loss of the season. Thanks Georgia.

Michigan State 30, Georgia 21

Michigan State 33, Georgia 30 – SUCCESS!

Capital One Bowl (12 p.m. ESPN)
Nebraska vs. South Carolina – Boy, what a snoozer. Does anybody have any desire to watch this game? Without Garcia, the Gamecocks just aren’t that fun to watch anymore. And Bo Pelini’s personality is about as exciting as half of Gene Chizik’s.

I really have no idea on this one. I’ve seen both of these teams be really good and look really stupid at times. I guess I’ll go with the SEC.

South Carolina 23, Nebraska 14

South Carolina 30, Nebraska 13 – SUCCESS!

TaxSlayer.com Gator Bowl (12 p.m. ESPN2)
Ohio State vs. Florida – Who will Urban be pulling for? Will Florida be better on offense without Charlie Weis sitting on the sideline? Will Ohio State go out with a bang in their last bowl game for two years? That’s a lot of questions. All to which I have no answer. All I know is that I didn’t like Ohio State before and I dislike them even more now that the butthurt whistle-blower is up there. Go Boom.

Florida 17, Ohio State 13

Florida 24, Ohio State 17 – SUCCESS!

Rose Bowl Game presented by Vizio (4 p.m. ESPN)
Wisconsin vs. Oregon – Oh get over yourself. It’s called the Rose Bowl. Nobody walks around saying “The Rose Bowl Game.” You are part of the reason we don’t have a playoff (somewhat), and you are the reason people have disdain for the Pac-12 and Big Ten. Who do you think you are? You’re just a meaningless bowl game between teams from conferences that haven’t won a title in almost a decade.

I guess I need to talk about the game. Wisconsin will win because they have the better running back and the better quarterback.

Wisconsin 42, Oregon 38

Oregon 45, Wisconsin 38 – FAILURE

Tostitos Fiesta Bowl (7:30 p.m. ESPN)
Stanford vs. Oklahoma State – This is how the world works: Oklahoma State will lose badly to give those that kept them out of the title game reason to think they were right. It’s just how the world works. Stanford isn’t an exciting name to play and the Cowboys think they should be in the BCS National Championship Game. Ultimate deflation.

Stanford 38, Oklahoma State 27

Oklahoma State 41, Stanford 38 – FAILURE

1/3

Allstate Sugar Bowl (7:30 p.m. ESPN)
Michigan vs. Virginia Tech – What a weird Sugar Bowl… Virginia Tech doesn’t deserve to be there and Michigan hasn’t been there in a long, long time. The Wolverines are a better team, but anything can happen in a bowl game that’s a month after the season.

A lot of times the team that keeps hearing they shouldn’t be there ends up winning the game. Beamer-ball will be in full effect.

Virginia Tech 24, Michigan 20

Michigan 23, Virginia Tech 20 – FAILURE

1/4

Discover Orange Bowl (7:30 p.m. ESPN)
West Virginia vs. Clemson – I wonder if these two teams will ever “Discover” what has kept them from the elite of the college football world. They’ve both been close, and very hyped over the past decade, but have never been able to make the leap. Both teams have looked very good and inexplicably bad all in one season, but Clemson as looked better more. They will win, and give Dabo another reason to act like he’s never won a football game before.

Clemson 38, West Virginia 20

Clemson 70, West Virginia 33 – FAILURE

1/6

AT&T Cotton Bowl (7 p.m. FOX)
Kansas State vs. Arkansas – I foresee lots of points. Arkansas has been on the cusp since Bobby Petrino got there and Kansas State is the surprise story of the year. Both teams feel like they could have been in a BCS bowl (Kansas State was snubbed, Arkansas couldn’t because of the rules), so the question is who is the least unenthused team. Arkansas is used to it, so I’ll go with them. A big win over the Wildcats will catapult the Razorbacks into legendary overhype for next season.

Arkansas 48, Kansas State 31

Arkansas 29, Kansas State 16 – SUCCESS!

Twit-Fam Prediction

Chick-fil-A Bowl (12/31 – 6:30 p.m. ESPN)
Virginia vs. Auburn – I don’t have time to wait around all day for predictions, but after a few early entries I could easily see where this was going. Sorry, no funny ones this week. People just aren’t their same funny selves during the holidays.

Auburn 28, Virginia 17

Auburn 43, Virginia 24 – SUCCESS!