Tomorrow kicks off the second season of college football (okay, the bowls only since the FCS tournament has been exciting already). We know these games are fairly minor so in addition to rating the games, I will look at if fans should spend their hard earned money on going.
All Games are Saturday, 12/20
R+L Carriers New Orleans Bowl, 11 / 10 am, ESPN
Nevada (7-5, 4-4, Mountain West) vs UL-Lafayette (8-4, 7-1, Sun Belt)
Would I go if Iowa was playing ranking: 4/10
I love New Orleans so…maybe? Here’s the problem, a 10 am local start. When you are rolling into your hotel at that time, it makes for a long day.
Would I go if I was a Nevada fan ranking: 6/10
Cody Fajardo may be graduating but Jerico Richardson and Hasaan Henderson are fun kids who will be back as well as running back Don Jackson. This is a team that beat Washington State and lost by a score to Arizona, Boise, Colorado St and Air Force. With some important pieces back next year, this could be a springboard game to an exciting 2014-5. Might as well get on the bandwagon now.
Would I go if I was a ULL fan ranking: 9/10
It is a short trip (I always assume I’m a local fan for this) and this is yet another strong Sun Belt club and a dynamic runner in Elijah McGuire. Why not make a day trip down to the Crescent City?
…So should we watch on TV ranking: 8/10
I am genuine in thinking the Wolfpack will be a Mountain West player next year. I want to see that receiving tandem of Richardson and Henderson for them as well as the sophomore McGuire for the Cajuns. Considering both defenses are in the 70s, we should see plenty of big plays.
Gildan New Mexico Bowl, 2:20 / 1:20, ESPN
Utah State (9-4, 6-2, Mountain West) vs UTEP (7-5, 5-3, C-USA)
Would I go if Iowa was playing ranking: 2/10
Albuquerque is a fun town…in the right time of year. With their altitude and the mountains I would be worried about terrible weather. December is their worst month, when the city is pretty pristine the other 11, why waste visiting the city at the wrong time?
Would I go if I was a Utah State fan ranking: 8/10
If you thought Nevada had a lot of people back, USU has even more thanks to their quarterbacks (this will be an interesting camp with all the players back in the fold) being back next season. As for this year’s team, when injuries left them dead in the water they found a way to keep going. Their only league losses were the two heavyweights, CSU and Boise State. Reno to Albuquerque is also a pretty reasonable trip in flight time and even driving is 11 hours, not the worst for some of those big states. If you are a nature buff, there are tons of national forests between the two cities. It is a pretty scenic drive.
Would I go if I was a UTEP fan ranking: 10/10
The Miner football program has been down in the dumps so going to a bowl is cathartic. The three and a half hour drive to the game is also a breeze.
…So should we watch on TV ranking: NO
With all respect for UTEP finding a way to play a 13th game this year, UTEP is an example of what is wrong with such an inflated bowl count. They aren’t very good offensively (70th in scoring) or defensively (82nd in points per game) and have exactly ZERO wins over teams with winning records this year.
Royal Purple Las Vegas Bowl, 3:30 / 2:30, ABC
Utah (8-4, 5-4, Pac 12) vs Colorado St (10-2, 6-2, Mountain West)
Would I go if Iowa was playing ranking: 10/10
I love Vegas.
Would I go if I was a Utah fan ranking: 10/10
I love Vegas.
Would I go if I was a Colorado State fan ranking: 10/10
I love Vegas.
…So should we watch on TV ranking: 10/10
This game is almost always the best of the early bowls on paper. First you have a Pac 12 team facing a high end Mountain West club, so there is some intrigue there. Second the teams are often on the rise. USC played in this with Pete Carroll before becoming a power, Cal played there with DeSean Jackson and Marshawn Lynch and Utah in the early 2000s all got a bump from this game. The problem is I stressed: on paper. A lot of times someone is either disinterested (Utah possibly this year) or the smaller school is losing an important staff member (CSU obviously). As a result the promise of this game usually dissolves into a rout. Since 2000 only 5 games have been decided by a single score. I think this year might be different. Utah is only in their second bowl as a Pac 12 team and first since 2011 so some of the disinterest should be gone. CSU has known their coach is gone for quite some time now relative to most schools when the staff gets gutted so they should be prepped. I think this one bucks the Las Vegas Bowl trend with a great game.
Famous Idaho Potato Bowl, 5:45 / 4:45, ESPN
Western Michigan (8-4, 6-2, MAC) vs Air Force (9-3, 5-3, Mountain West)
Would I go if Iowa was playing ranking: NO
Hmm, Boise Idaho in the middle of winter…no thanks. Fyi, I am not a skier. I’m sure people who love to catch some powder probably enjoy Boise as a travel destination.
Would I go if I was a WMU fan ranking: 3/10
Western has been a pretty bad program for a while so for them to make a bowl game is pretty fun. The problem is it is a bit of a haul from Kalamazoo to Boise. It’s a two hour drive just to the Detroit airport. That is a lot of commitment just for celebrating an improved club. Plus their quarterback, leading rusher and leading receivers are all underclassmen. Might as well save the money this year for a possible MAC title game next year.
Would I go if I was a AFU fan ranking: 4/10
Travel is hard here too. Despite Colorado and Idaho being in the same ballpark on the map, it is nearly a 13 hour drive. On the plus side it is a little over an hour to the Denver airport so flying would be an option and the flight would be pretty short. Seeing standout senior quarterback Kale Pearson could motivate me to make the trip.
…So should we watch on TV ranking: 9/10
I really like this matchup. You have Air Force’s 8th ranked rushing attack going against a top 40 defense. Factor in the youth of WMU’s playmakers versus the more experienced Falcons and you have a shot to see Air Force’s talented senior class depart and a possible MAC contender be born. The fact that the Falcons also performed very well in the tough Mountain West means they are a salty crew. How salty? Well they did knock of Boise State, so there is that.
Raycom Media Camellia Bowl, 9:15 / 8:15, ESPN
South Alabama (6-6, 5-3, Sun Belt) vs Bowling Green (7-6, 5-3, MAC)
Would I go if Iowa was playing ranking: 5/10
Montgomery is a great historical city, especially for the Civil Rights Movement. Their December weather is pretty reasonable and the city is a stone’s throw from other interesting places like Mobile, Biloxi and even New Orleans. If you were so inclined, you could create a nice little southern tour for the holidays and catch a ball game.
Would I go if I was a USA fan ranking: 10/10
First bowl game in program history and it is 2 and a half hours away? Uh, count me in.
Would I go if I was a BGSU fan ranking: 1/10
The only way I would make this trip from Ohio is the scenario I laid out in the Iowa hypothetical. The problem is the Falcons fell apart in their 0-3 finish. They lost to Toledo and Ball State but thanks to being in the weaker MAC division they went to the title game and got waxed by Northern Illinois. All but one of their losses was by double digits and three were complete pastings.
…So should we watch on TV ranking: 2/10
I like the perseverance of Bowling Green after their fantastic quarterback, Matt Jones, was lost for the season but these are two pretty stinky teams squaring off. Bowling Green succeeded by playing in a watered down MAC East and South Alabama, losers in four of their final five, was aided by playing league games against Georgia State and Idaho – a combined 2-21 – as well as a non con game against 2-9 Kent State. The shot at a tad bit of history for USA will have me flip over if they are up in the second half, but I cannot imagine watching this thing for sixty minutes.
Big Ten and Counting 