Bowl Picks - Week 1

I'll definitely make my BCS bowl picks later. But since I'm behind, I'll break the rest into increments. This week's picks will be for the first week of bowl games (Dec 20-27). Winners in italics.

EagleBank Bowl (Dec 20): Wake Forest vs. Navy - This is actually a game I'd like to see. It's a rematch of a game Navy won earlier this year at Wake. Which makes it difficult to pick. Navy does not get blown out of bowls for the simple reason that they run the option which is a bitch for every other team to prepare for. However, I think having played earlier negates that advantage a bit. Not a bunch, but enough to reverse that outcome and give Wake the win.

New Mexico Bowl (Dec 20): Colorado St. vs. Fresno St. - Normally I would take Fresno St. under the category "when in doubt, take Pat Hill and Fresno St", but they lost their last regular season game 61-10. But that was to Boise State so take Pat Hill and Fresno St.

magicJack St. Petersburg Bowl (Dec 20): South Florida vs. Memphis - I can't believe a bowl is being sponsored by magicJack which is some internet phone service that has really bad commercials that I think might be a scam. Sadly, both these teams were so bad that they lost to Louisville. However, I would take South Florida over Memphis anywhere but definitely in a de facto home game.

Pioneer Las Vegas Bowl (Dec 20): BYU vs. Arizona - BYU seems to play in this bowl quite a bit. The past three years in fact. Why does the team with the heavily Mormon fan base keep going to Vegas? As for the game itself, I think Arizona is an underrated team. However, they don't beat good teams. They just stay close. BYU is a good team so Arizona will just stay close.

R+L Carriers New Orleans Bowl (Dec 21): Troy vs. Southern Miss - I liked Troy after they had LSU on the ropes, but they still lost. And Southern Miss is a hot team right now with four straight beatdowns of pretty good teams. Well, except SMU. However, I'm taking Troy.

San Diego Credit Union Poinsetta Bowl (Dec 23): Boise State vs. TCU - This will be a good game. Boise will win because they deserved to be in a BCS game as much as Utah.

Sheraton Hawaii Bowl (Dec 24): Hawaii vs. Notre Dame - Hawaii is tough to beat at home for good teams in recent years. Notre Dame sucks.

Motor City Bowl (Dec 26): Florida Atlantic vs. Central Michigan - I love FAU coach Howard Schnellenberger, but they're playing in Detroit the day after Christmas against a bunch of guys who willingly agree to live in Michigan. I'm leaning towards Central Michigan.

Meineke Car Care Bowl (Dec 27): West Virginia vs. North Carolina - I think WVU's new coach isn't very good. Except in bowl games. Take the Brokeback Mountaineers.

Champs Sports Bowl (Dec 27): Wisconsin vs. Florida State - I don't like either team. I don't like either conference. I dislike Wisconsin more.

Emerald Bowl (Dec 27): Miami of Florida vs. California - Another game where I don't like either team. Cal is coming in with a couple of wins. Miami with a couple of losses. Miami has to travel cross country for this. Take Cal.