Bowl season continues to grow. There are 35 bowl games on the 2012-2013 slate. That means that 70 teams are going "bowling" this season. We all know that there aren't 70 good teams to fill out those slots. With this, some of the bowl games certainly get watered down. Even with some bad games, it is still football. I happen to be one that loves every bowl game. It truly is the most wonderful time of the year. Here is a list of the games on this year's bowl schedule, ranked from 1-35.
1. BCS National Championship Game (Miami, FL) - 1 Notre Dame vs. 2 Alabama
It goes without saying that this is the most important game of the bowl season. Alabama is trying to become the 1st team to win back to back BCS National Championship Games, their 3rd in 4 years, and the 7th consecutive for the SEC. The appeal of Notre Dame adds to the hype. The Fighting Irish try to finish off their magical season with their 1st national championship since 1988.
2. Fiesta Bowl (Glendale, AZ) - 3 Oregon vs. 6 Kansas St.
This is the only other game that features 2 of the nation's top 10 teams. For much of the season, we debated whether these teams deserved a spot in the BCS National Championship Game. A couple late season slip ups caused them to fall to the Fiesta Bowl. Heisman finalist, Collin Klein leads K-State while the dynamic backfield of Marcus Mariota, Kenjon Barner, and DeAnthony Thomas leads Oregon into the desert.
3. Cotton Bowl (Arlington, TX) - 9 Texas A&M vs. 12 Oklahoma
The Cotton Bowl should be the best of the non-BCS bowl games. Heisman winner, Johnny "Football" Manziel looks to finish off his magnificent Freshman year with a win over former Big 12 foe, Oklahoma. The Sooners were my preseason pick to win it all. While they came up short from playing in Miami, and got stiffed by the BCS thanks to Northern Illinois, they can still finish the season ranked in the top 10.
4. Capital One Bowl (Orlando, FL) - 5 Georgia vs. 19 Nebraska
It will be interesting to see how Georgia and Nebraska bounce back from their conference championship losses. Georgia was just yards away from playing Notre Dame in Miami. Now they are relegated to the Capital One Bowl. How motivated will they be for this game? And how bad is Nebraska? They gave up 70 to Wisconsin last time we saw them. Two storied programs try to close out their season on a positive note.
5. Chick-Fil-A Bowl (Atlanta, GA) - 7 LSU vs. 13 Clemson
We get a New Year's Eve treat when LSU and Clemson square off. It's the battle of the Tigers. Or the battle of Death Valley. Call it what you want, but it should be a good game. LSU's dominating defense against Clemson's explosive offense should be fun to watch.
6. Outback Bowl (Tampa, FL) - 10 South Carolina vs. 21 Michigan
The Gamecocks and Wolverines are 2 teams that just couldn't get over the hump this year. South Carolina's 2 losses came to LSU and Florida (combined record of 21-3) and Michigan's 4 losses came to Notre Dame, Alabama, Ohio State, and Nebraska (combined record of 45-4). Both teams will get a chance to
finish the year off with a signature win.
7. Rose Bowl (Pasadena, CA) - 8 Stanford vs. Wisconsin
This game annually features the Pac-12 champion and the Big 10 champion. This year is no different. Well, kind of. Wisconsin was crowned Big 10 champion for the 3rd consecutive season, despite not winning their own division. Thanks Ohio State and Penn State. Stanford won the Pac-12 fair and square. These teams will both want to pound the ground and control the clock. It should be a good old school game to watch.
8. Alamo Bowl (San Antonio, TX) - 14 Oregon St. vs. 25 Texas
The Alamo Bowl welcomes in 2 squads that started the season out promising, but didn't finish that way. Both teams had BCS aspirations at a point this year. Texas lost their last 2, dashing their BCS dreams and Oregon State sputtered to a 3-3 finish. Texas' defense never lived up to expectations and Oregon State's exceeded theirs. The defensive units will probably decide this game.
9. Orange Bowl (Miami, FL) - 11 Florida St. vs. 15 Northern Illinois
Let me start off by saying that I don't think the final score will reflect this being the 9th best game on the board. I rank the Orange Bowl this high simply because of the intrigue. Other than the BCS National Championship Game, no bowl game will get as much attention. The reason being that Northern Illinois doesn't belong. But hey, you never know and that's why they play the game.
10. Sugar Bowl (New Orleans, LA) - 4 Florida vs. 22 Louisville
Florida is a significant favorite in this game. The Gators finished 11-1 on the year and 7-1 in the rugged SEC. Let's not forget games against UL-Lafayette and Jacksonville State in which Florida struggled. Louisville coach Charlie Strong knows the Florida personnel and will have his team ready to play. Don;t be surprised if Louisville hangs around in this one.
11. Gator Bowl (Jacksonville, FL) - 20 Northwestern vs. Mississippi St.
The Gator Bowl has certainly seen bigger names playing in Jacksonville. This is a good game though. Northwestern and Mississippi State both exceeded expectations this season and are solid teams representing their respective conferences. Living in Big 10 country, I always get excited for a Big Ten-SEC matchup - even when it is Northwestern and Mississippi State.
12. Holiday Bowl (San Diego, CA) - 17 UCLA vs. Baylor
If you like points, you should like this one. Remember back in the day when it seemed like the Holiday Bowl was always a shootout? It should return to that form this year. UCLA has an outstanding backfield that could shred a skeptical Baylor D. Baylor is a prolific offense capable of shredding any defense.
13. Maaco Bowl Las Vegas (Las Vegas, NV) - 16 Boise St. vs. Washington
Teams from the Northwest head to the Sin City to finish their seasons. Boise State wasn't in their normal situation of being a potential BCS buster this year. Chris Peterson's team still won 10 games though. The Washington Huskies were expected to at least be ranked, which they failed to do. Only one team can finish the season on a high note.
14. Russell Athletic Bowl (Orlando, FL) - Rutgers vs. Virginia Tech
Rutgers looked primed to be headed to their 1st ever BCS bowl. Then they dropped their final 2 games, including a 2nd half meltdown against Louisville in the de facto Big East championship game. Virginia Tech underachieved all season. There was a lot of turnover in Blacksburg, but this Hokies team needs to rebuild following a 6-6 season.
15. Music City Bowl (Nashville, TN) - Vanderbilt vs. NC State
These programs are headed in different directions. NC State recently fired Tom O'Brien after a disappointing season. Vandy is headed to their 2nd straight bowl game under James Franklin. This is a virtual home game for the Commodores who are trying to finish the season ranked in the Top 25.
16. Godaddy.com Bowl (Mobile, AL) - 24 Kent St. vs. Arkansas St.
Kent State was very close to being that non-AQ team everybody was talking about. The Golden Flashes are making their 1st bowl appearance in 40 years. So their kids will be ready to play despite losing coach Darrell Hazell to Purdue. Arkansas State also lost their head coach after a successful season. Gus Malzahn took the coaching job at Auburn. I think this is best of the bowls featuring 2 non-AQ teams.
17. Belk Bowl (Charlotte, NC) - Cincinnati vs. Duke
There has been a major shakeup in Cincinnati. Butch Jones is out and Tommy Tuberville is in at head coach. The Bearcats tied for the Big East championship for the 2nd straight year and head to Tobacco Road to take on Duke. The Blue Devils will be playing in their 1st bowl game since 1994.
18. Liberty Bowl (Memphis, TN) - Tulsa vs. Iowa St.
Tulsa won the Conference USA title and has momentum heading into this game. Iowa State has no momentum. the Cyclones lost 5 of their last 7 games to finish the year 6-6. It is always interesting to see an upper echelon non-AQ team take on an average team from an AQ conference. That's exactly what we have in the Liberty Bowl.
19. Famous Idaho Potato Bowl (Boise, ID) - 18 Utah St. vs. Toledo
Utah State is headed back to Boise for their bowl game for the 2nd straight year. Following a 10-2 season and a top 20 ranking, the Aggies are on an upswing. Utah State has a stout defense that will need to slow down an explosive Toledo team who was also ranked at 1 point this season.
20. Sun Bowl (El Paso, TX) - USC vs. Georgia Tech
Does USC really want to play in this game? The Trojans began the year ranked #1 in the AP Poll and finished unranked. All of the hype was too much for this USC team to handle. They head to El Paso to take on Georgia Tech. The Rambling Wreck should be able to run at will on the Trojan D. But USC should be able to throw at will on Tech's D.
21. Buffalo Wild Wings Bowl (Tempe, AZ) - Michigan St. vs. TCU
Points could be at a premium in Tempe. Michigan State and TCU both have stingy defenses. These defensive units would be enough to cause a low scoring affair. Then you throw in the fact that neither team puts up many points and it's easy to forecast a defensive struggle here.
22. Pinstripe Bowl (Bronx, NY) - West Virginia vs. Syracuse
An old Big East matchup in the middle of Big East country. Ah, the good old days. Big East fans were excited for a minute when they saw this game announced. Then they remembered that West Virginia calls the Big 12 home now, and Syracuse will call the ACC home beginning next year. West Virginia can score on anyone, and anyone can score on West Virginia. That always makes for an interesting game.
23. Poinsettia Bowl (San Diego, CA) - San Diego St. vs. BYU
Brady Hoke helped resurrect the San Diego State program. Rocky Long has continued its resurrection since taking over in Southern California. The Aztecs will play old Mountain West rival, BYU, on its home turf. SDSU is 1 of the nation's top running teams. BYU is 1 of the nation's top defenses. The teams that imposes their will should win the game.
24. Heart of Dallas Bowl (Dallas, TX) - Oklahoma St. vs. Purdue
How did this bowl end up on New Year's Day? Remember when playing on New Year's meant something? I guess those days are over. The Pokes saw injuries contribute to a disappointing finish to the regular season. They should regain some of their health by the bowl game. Purdue will have an interim head coach trying to slow down Oklahoma State's potent spread offense.
25. BBVA Compass Bowl (Birmingham, AL) - Pittsburgh vs. Ole Miss
The Pitt Panther fans have a standing reservation for the 1st week of the new year in Birmingham, Alabama. Pitt heads to the BBVA Compass Bowl for the 3rd straight year. This will be the 2nd time that they face an SEC school. Ole Miss was picked to finish last in the SEC West this season, but surprised many by becoming bowl eligible in High Freeze's 1st season on the sideline in Oxford.
26. Military Bowl (Washington, DC) - 23 San Jose St. vs. Bowling Green
Bowling Green has consistently been in the top half of the MAC in recent years. Thanks to the expansion of the bowl season, that has been good enough to make 2 bowls in the last 4 years. This is where San Jose State wants to be. The Spartans are ranked the Top 25 just 2 years after finishing 1-12 and being 1 of the worst teams in the FBS.
27. Meineke Car Care Bowl of Texas (Houston, TX) - Texas Tech vs. Minnesota
Texas Tech has become accustomed to playing in a bowl game. More specifically, they have become accustomed to playing in a bowl game in Texas. This will be the 4th straight year that the Red Raiders will be bowling in the Lonestar state. Minnesota reappears in the bowl season for the 1st time since 2009. Jerry Kill has the Golden Gophers headed in the right direction.
28. New Mexico Bowl (Albuquerque, NM) - Arizona vs. Nevada
Arizona and Nevada bring some life to the New Mexico Bowl thanks to their prolific offenses. Rich Rod has Arizona as potent as ever on offense. Ka'Deem Harris is the nation's top RB. Nevada's pistol offense has always been known to create rushing yards in bulk. This year was no different. This game will be won on the ground.
29. Kraft Fight Hunger Bowl (San Francisco, CA) - Arizona St. vs. Navy
It is always intriguing to see a team that has not faced the triple option play Navy. Of course Arizona State will have had almost 4 weeks to prepare for it by the time these teams square off in the Bay Area. They will counter Navy's ground attack with 1 of the best defenses in the Pac-12.
30. Beef O'Brady's Bowl (St. Petersburg, FL) - UCF vs. Ball St.
UCF makes the trip west to the Gulf Coast for the Beef O'Brady's Bowl. The Black Knights will take on the Cardinals of Ball State. UCF was actually deemed ineligible earlier this year, but won an appeal to get them into the postseason. Their reward is a game 2 hours from campus against an up and coming MAC school. Ball State won their final 6 games of the season and is looking for a 10-win season.
31. Hawaii Bowl (Honolulu, HI) - Fresno St. vs. SMU
Mele Kalikimaka is Hawaii's way to say Merry Christmas, and so is the Hawaii Bowl. This annual Christmas Eve site will host 2 high-powered offenses when Fresno State and SMU meet. Derek Carr has added to the family legacy in the Silicon Valley with a fantastic season. June Jones returns to Hawaii with an SMU program that he has gotten turned around.
32. Independence Bowl (Shreveport, LA) - UL-Monroe vs. Ohio
The Independence Bowl got snubbed in more ways than 1 this season. This bowl game located in Shreveport, Louisiana has agreements with the ACC and SEC. Neither of these conferences had enough bowl eligible teams to land slots in the Independence. They got the luxury of 2 Louisiana teams being eligible with no tie-ins. Louisiana-Monroe accepted the invite. Louisiana Tech held out for greener pastures. Tech ended up in no bowl game and the Independence Bowl captured Ohio to face UL-Monroe.
33. New Orleans Bowl (New Orleans, LA) - UL-Lafayette vs. East Carolina
UL-Lafayette gets a return trip to New Orleans. The Ragin' Cajuns were the New Orleans Bowl champs a year ago. They will have the benefit of the home crowd again as they square off with East Carolina. The Pirates are back in the postseason after finishing with a losing record last season. Both teams can put up points so expect a shootout.
34. Armed Forces Bowl (Fort Worth, TX) - Air Force vs. Rice
Air Force is a bowl season regular, as they are playing in their 6th consecutive bowl game. Rice is not as familiar with bowl games. The Owls went on an impressive 4 game winning streak to finish 6-6. One of these team will get the momentum of a bowl victory and a winning record heading into 2013.
35. Little Caesars Pizza Bowl (Detroit, MI) - Western Kentucky vs. Central Michigan
Someone's got to bring up the bottom of the barrel. My choice for the worst bowl game this year is the Little Caesars Pizza Bowl. The bowl committee for this game got the luxury of landing a home state team in Central Michigan. the Chippewas won their last 3 games to finish 6-6. Their opponent will be Western Kentucky who is making their 1st ever bowl game appearance.
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