If there is another thread on the Bowls please direct me. ---Outright winners--- *GEORGIA TECH Syracuse *BOWLING GREEN Memphis *CINCINNATI Marshall *UCLA Wyoming *HAWAII uab *VIRGINIA Fresno State *TOLEDO Connecticut *Miami Ohio IOWA STATE *Oregon State NOTRE DAME Colorado *UTEP OKLAHOMA STATE *Ohio State NORTH CAROLINA *Boston College *NEW MEXICO Navy *CALIFORNIA Texas Tech NO. ILLINOIS *Troy State *ALABAMA Minnesota PURDUE *Arizona State *LOUISVILLE Boise State *MIAMI FLORIDA *GEORGIA Wisconsin TEXAS A&M *Tenn *FLORIDA STATE WVU *LSU Iowa *TEXAS Michigan *UTAH Pittsburgh *AUBURN Virginia Tech *USC Oklahoma Couple notes: In general, think the Big 10 and Big 12 are largely overrated, Pac 10 and SEC underrated, the ACC about right. Good weather in most most Bowl locations generally help the warm weather teams as well. Take ASU-Purdue. ASU destroyed Iowa (like 40-7 with Iowa's score coming late off a blocked punt or something similar) yet all season Iowa was ranked ahead them even with even number of losses (with ASU's loses being due to USC and Cal until the last week). To have ASU a 7 point dog to Purdue is nuts to me (though Purdue has been one of the few Big 10 teams to consistently show up in Bowl games over the last 8 years or so). On the Big 12. I really think there is one great team (OU), one good team (Texas) and 3 OK teams (Tech, A&M and OSU). I think the Big 12 South came out so well because the North was so pitiful. I know the computers have this conference favorable, but I think the computers are deceiving. Texas beat Ark which makes them and the Big 12 look good in BCS computer polls, but Ark went up and down the field on them and honestly LSU and Auburn looked like far more complete teams against the Razorbacks. CU looks good in computers for their record (all losses in conference), but they got very lucky to win their non-conference games and in truth are just a pretty sucky squad. I just kinda have a hunch the Big 12 will take a beating this year as they did last year (their top 3 all getting bombed), especially at the top. Texas honestly was fortunate to draw Mich instead of a Georgia, LSU, Auburn or Cal (I personally would have loved to see Auburn-Utah-Texas-Cal paired in some way--I am really pissed at the whole BCS for putting on ****ty games). Likewise A&M was a little lucky to draw by far the weakest of the 4 SEC powers (Tenn) instead of LSU or Georgia (Florida is probably better than Tenn too). These pairings put the Big 12 in a little better position, but I just don't have much faith in any of the teams save OU, and OU happened to draw the one team that is more complete and more talented. Also, on Utah. I think they are good, a legit team among the best 10-12 college football teams in the country. But they should not be 16 point favorites against any BCS conference winner, even Pitt. I saw them in person this year, they are not in USC or OU or Auburn or Cal's league talent wise. Don't let their waxing of the Aggies fool you (which also says something about the 3-4-5 slots from the Big 12 that I have been telling you about), they do not have top 5 talent. --Here are some gamblers specials by the way Oregon State -3½ Ohio State +1.5 BC +3 Troy State +1 *ASU +7 (love this pick) Boise +14 GEORGIA -7 Tenn +3 *Pitt +16.5 (love this pick too) *AUBURN -6½ (ditto) USC -3 BG Memphis under 72 Cincy-Marsh over 56 CO-UTEP under 60 Mia-UF under 52 Geo-Wisc over 40 Utah-Pitt under 68 USC-OU under 54
All Big East bowl teams are underdogs: *GEORGIA TECH Syracuse -5 *TOLEDO Connecticut -3 NORTH CAROLINA *Boston College -3 *FLORIDA STATE WVU -8 *UTAH Pittsburgh -16 Which sums up what everyone thinks of this conference.
