Bowls and presents that is the true meaning of the Holidays!

Good morning ya'll.  I apologize for the week of absence.  I have no excuse this time.  I was just tired and lazy.  I felt that my writing was starting to suffer because of it.  So I took a week off to study and find out where and why it had starting going wrong.  I am excited about this weekend and the kickoff of bowl season.  I also appreciate all the calls and emails with questions about coaching hires and things like that.  I have to give out a congratulations to the Richmond Spiders.  Last night they capped their incredible run with a victory over Montana to win the Division I Championship Series National Championship.  That is the DIV I AA national championship to all of us who abhor change.  Richmond beat four conference champions on the way to the big show, including defending national champions Appalachian State.  It proves that not only a playoff system, but also cooler helmets, will help to define a Div I national champion!  I need to also apologize to john.  I was unable to get his expert analysis (or whatever) before the first wave of bowl games.  I promise we will get some input from him over the next couple of weeks. OK now on to today's action.

Wake Forest and Navy are geared up for a rematch of a great game from early in this year.  In that game Riley Skinner threw four interceptions and fumbled the ball once.  Navy looks good and I think they will play will. Shun White is a great running back and I am sure he will make a fine officer.  I don't remember who I picked in my original analysis but today I am picking NAVY!  Now Elysa is forcing me to mention her picks.  And since I am whipped and want her to continue to feed my unborn child, I will.  For this game she has picked Wake Forest.  There is no analysis needed because she picked them because they are the Demon Deacons.

Now for the Division III national championship game.  Mt. Union is playing Wisconsin Whitewater for the fourth or fifth year in a row.  UW-WW, no shit that is the abbreviation for their school Division III football rocks, won last year but Mt Union dominates the series.  Mt. Union has a very potent offense and their quarterback Greg Micheli won the Gagliardi Award which is similar to the Heisman.  Except in Div. III there is no curse.  I think Mt. Union will win their 10th national title in 15 years.  Lys picked UW-WW because she hates me.

BYU and Arizona face off in the Las Vegas Bowl this afternoon.  This is going to be a strange one.  Las Vegas had snow this week for the first time in thirty years.  It is also going to get up to the mid forties there today.  This should be great for BYU and bad for Arizona.  Both of these offenses have the ability to put up a lot of points.  Arizona has a pretty decent defense but I think that BYU's defense is slightly underrated.  Both of these teams will be fun to watch but I think BYU will get it done.  Lys also picked BYU although I am not sure she knows why.  

Fresno State and Colorado state will square up in the New Mexico Bowl.  The New Mexico Bowl is special to me because the state is very dear to my heart.  This game is going to be mediocre at best.  Fresno State is battle tested playing some of the better teams in the nation.  Pat Hill and his play anyone philosophy proved too much this year for a team that underachieved.  But he knows what he is doing and has built a team that, despite their record, is very confident.  CSU is a talented team with a ton of athletes.  I think they are capable of winning but they might have run into a buzz saw with this Fresno team that seems to have something to prove.  Fresno wins.  Elysa picked Fresno State as well.

The St. Petersburg Bowl is one of those home town bowls.   The University of South Florida will be playing a very overlooked Memphis team.  Memphis is full of athletes and playmakers and will make this fun.  USF has my boy Matt Grothe.  Grothe is still one of my favorite quarterbacks in football but he just always seem to underachieve.  I hope he shows up and plays well today but you just never know with this South Florida Bulls team.  Like I have said before Memphis could sneak up on them.  I am picking South Florida.  Lys also picked South Florida because she is a Floridian by birth.

Well that is a quick overview of today's games with more to come tomorrow.  There is also a pretty intriguing pro football game tonight.  The Dallas Cowboys will be playing the Baltimore Ravens.  This should be a great defensive battle.  Baltimore needs to win to stay atop the wild card race in the AFC and Dallas needs it to stay in the playoff conversation in the NFC.  Go Dallas! Ya'll continue to live like no one is watching and; eat, drink and be drunk, but don't drive.  Happy Holidays!