Wednesday Bowls

[Smitty]

happy new year!! :toast:

Gator Bowl

Sorry, you'll just have to scroll down a little for the new years day game we've all been waiting for... the Heart of Dallas Bowl!

I also want to preface these picks by reminding everyone that I normally struggle in bowl games beginning on new years day. this year I started the losing a few days early.

Georgia (-8.5) 2 units. sure enough, I was on Nebraska in this matchup last year, when they blew the 31-23 lead as an 8-point dog. seems to me, the bulldogs have been schizophrenic for years. some games they look like a dominant sec team, other games they simply can't stop anyone on defense. even if we don't see georgia's best today, I don't know if the huskers are good enough to take advantage. this is the worst-tackling nebraska team I've seen in a while. here's a list of the teams they beat this year:

Wyoming
southern miss
south dakota st
Illinois
purdue
northwestern
Michigan
penn st

wow, quite an impressive list, huh? one bowl team.

Georgia has wins over 2 teams ranked #6 at the time, and they SHOULD have beaten auburn, except for one really stupid play by a defensive back.

even with mason under center, georgia simply outclasses the huskers. hopefully they'll be able to figure out they need to stop abdullah.

 

[Smitty]

Heart of Dallas Bowl

Heart of Dallas Bowl

wow, it's finally here. the primo new years day matchup. unlv vs north texas. wow. on new years day. wow.

unlv (+6.5) 1 unit. why do I make myself bet every bowl game?

north texas has thrived on turnovers all year, forcing a total of 32. but unlv has only turned it over 13 times all season. only 5 teams in the country turned it over less.

biggest concern for the rebels - they are 114th in the country in 3rd down defense, allowing teams to convert 47% of the time.

what a crap fest.

should "crapfest" be one word?

 

[IX_Bender]

Do not bet on shithole underdog if they cannot win.









UNLV +205



pretty sure shithole isn't one word

 

[poolplayer8888]

Do not bet on shithole underdog if they cannot win.









UNLV +205



pretty sure shithole isn't one word

Shithole is not one word.....i was hope the N. Texas game would be on same time as rose bowl so i would have a huge decision on what game to watch.... :0074

 

[loophole]

crap fest is legitimately two words, unless one is referring to a particular crap fest, and in that event, one would also denominate the term a proper noun, i.e. "today's Crapfest."

shithole, similarly, could be construed as one or two words, depending on whether one is using the term as a synonym for asshole, or whether one is referring to the hole in the ground underneath the outhouse.

hope this helps.


oh, and good luck guys for the rest of the bowl season and happy new year!

 

[Smitty]

Capitol One Bowl

Capitol One Bowl

what's in your wallet? hopefully some extra cash after this game.

Wisconsin (-2) 2 units. wait a minute, let me get this straight... #19 is favored over #9 at a neutral site? a big 10 team favored over an sec team? something doesn't make sense here. only thing I can figure - south carolina is probably thinking about what could have been, if not for an inexplicable loss to tennessee. if they won that game, they would have played in the sec championship game.

only concern - the record of coaches in bowl games their first year with a team. it was very poor going into this year, but I haven't tracked it very closely so far.

over (51.5) 2 units. just a gut call.

 

[Smitty]

:mj07:

thank you for the grammatical lesson, gentlemen. I certainly appreciate it.

bender, I fully agree and damn near posted the ML. and may end up playing it instead. but it seems like these crap fests often turn out to be very close games, while the marquee games end up as blowouts.

I hope I'm wrong, because I don't want any incentive whatsoever to watch one play of that game. it'd be perfect if every time the score rolls across on the bottom line of the other games that unlv has scored another touchdown and they end up winning 63-0.

 

[Smitty]

Outback Bowl

Outback Bowl

iowa (+7.5) 2 units. as usual, I hate betting against backup qbs making their first start. but I've got kirk ferentz getting points from les miles. and an iowa team that should be a lot more motivated for this game than their opponent.

the hawkeyes need to establish the ground game. lsu allowed 4.1 yards/carry this year. I have to believe that's one of their worst numbers in a while. on the other side of the ball, Iowa's run defense was very good this year, allowing 3.5 yards/carry.

if this game stays close, I love ferentz over miles.

over (49) 2 units. hmmm... iowa can't score... mettenberger is out for lsu.... two good defenses... couldn't this total be around 44 - 45 and get plenty of action on the under?

 

[Smitty]

Rose Bowl

Rose Bowl

any truth to the rumor that keith jackson is coming out of retirement to call this game? wait, did I just start that rumor?

Stanford (-6.5) 3 units. starting to see 7s popping up. wish I played it a week ago. hopefully it won't matter. when the matchup was first decided, I thought for sure I'd be playing Michigan st. Stanford's huge advantage is that they are more physical than most of their opponents. they lost to the other two teams in the conference that also play a physical brand of football. so here they are playing Michigan st. doesn't get any more physical than that defense.
as soon as I saw the line, I knew I'd be playing the cardinal. and sure enough, some smart money somewhere is doing the same, because joe q. public isn't driving this line up. two factors that I think will lead to a convincing Stanford win:

1) Stanford's defense put up very similar numbers to Michigan st, but they did it against pac 12 offenses. I'd say that's a lot more impressive than doing it against big 10 offenses. I think Stanford's defense will be out to prove that they are every bit as good, if not better than, Michigan state's defense.

2) Stanford's offense is a lot better. Hogan vs. cook isn't even close in my book. if the cardinal can carve out a solid lead and force cook to throw a lot, sparty is in big trouble.

leaning strongly to the under, but can't pull the trigger yet.

 

[Morris]

On the same page with Iowa, Wisc and Stan. GL today and get the snow shovel ready!

 

[Smitty]

Party Bowl

Party Bowl

ucf (+17) 2 units. I'm probably a fool, but I think the knights can hang in this game. their defense is one of the best Baylor has seen this year, and their offense is very solid. their only loss was by 3 to south carolina. they were 6-0 away from home. Baylor is 1-3 ATS in their road games, with the only cover at Kansas.

this will be only Baylor's second game on real grass this year. the first was at tcu, where they needed an INT in the endzone to hold on to beat the horned frogs.

 

[Smitty]

On the same page with Iowa, Wisc and Stan. GL today and get the snow shovel ready!

I think I've already had enough snow for this winter.

I need to hit one more pick 6 to put in the heated driveway.

 

[fla]

wow, it's finally here. the primo new years day matchup. unlv vs north texas. wow. on new years day. wow.

unlv (+6.5) 1 unit. why do I make myself bet every bowl game?

north texas has thrived on turnovers all year, forcing a total of 32. but unlv has only turned it over 13 times all season. only 5 teams in the country turned it over less.

biggest concern for the rebels - they are 114th in the country in 3rd down defense, allowing teams to convert 47% of the time.

what a crap fest.

should "crapfest" be one word?

Agree on the pick. Since I will be watching none of this game I will know as much about these teams at 3:30 as I do now. How can this game be on Jan 1?

Good luck!

 

[Smitty]

Agree on the pick. Since I will be watching none of this game I will know as much about these teams at 3:30 as I do now. How can this game be on Jan 1?

Good luck!

I actually watched 2 plays of that game because I couldn't watch georgia suck any more. it's amazing how a team simply can't move the ball on offense until the other team is kind enough to fumble a punt deep in their own territory.

maybe nebraska will return the favor in the 2nd half? is that asking too much?

I must have one of the all-time worst records on new years day.

 

[Smitty]

speaking of fumbled punts... great job, iowa. un fucking real.

I'm convinced that these teams decided to fumble punts based strictly on who my money is on.

i hope someone is smart enough to fade my last 2 plays today. Michigan st and Baylor have to be locks at this point.

 

[fla]

I actually watched 2 plays of that game because I couldn't watch georgia suck any more. it's amazing how a team simply can't move the ball on offense until the other team is kind enough to fumble a punt deep in their own territory.

maybe nebraska will return the favor in the 2nd half? is that asking too much?

I must have one of the all-time worst records on new years day.

Busy early in the day and I couldn't get a score on satellite radio. Vegas must be horrible. I'm happy they earned New Years bowl slot.

:00hour

 

[Smitty]

I'm happy they earned New Years bowl slot.

:00hour

oh, they could be as good as Alabama, and there's still no way they could have overcome the smitty new years day jinx.

 

[Smitty]

Michigan st and Baylor have to be locks at this point.

one down, one to go