35 Bowl Games. Virtually everyone one of them on ESPN. 35 Bowl games is a lot of games. Some will be exciting and fun to watch, some will be about as exciting as watching paint dry *cough any game with a Big Ten team cough* – I am sorry was that my out loud voice? Anyway on to the games and the predictions.

Will set this up by name of the bowl, participants, my prediction for the winner (QM) and Hans prediction for the winner (HP), followed by comments either of us have.

Gildan New Mexico Bowl – Nevada vs Arizona. QM – Arizona; HP –  Arizona; Should be a decent game to start the bowl season (QM) Rich Rod wins his first bowl game with Arizona. {HP}

Famous Idaho Potato Bowl – Toledo vs Utah State. QM – Utah State; HP -Utah State

Poinsettia Bowl – BYU vs SDSU. QM – SDSU; HP -BYU

Beef ‘O’ Brady’s Bowl – UCF vs Ball State. QM – UCF; HP -UCF

New Orleans Bowl – East Carolina vs Louisiana Lafayette. QM – ECU; HP -ULL

Las Vegas Bowl – Washington vs Boise State. QM – Boise State; HP -Boise State

Hawaii Bowl – Fresno State vs SMU. QM – SMU; HP Fresno State

Little Ceasars Bowl – Western Kentucky vs Central Michigan. QM – Western Kentucky; HP -Western Kentucky

Military Bowl – San Jose State vs Bowling Green. QM – SJSU; HP -SJSU

Belk – Cincinnati vs Duke. QM – Duke; HP -Cincinnati

Holiday Bowl – Baylor vs UCLA. QM – UCLA; HP -Baylor

Independence Bowl – Ohio vs Louisiana-Monroe. QM – Ohio; HP -ULM

Russell Athletic – Rutgers vs Virginia Tech. QM – Rutgers; HP -Virginia Tech

Meineke Car Care – Minnesota vs Texas Tech. QM – Texas Tech; HP -Texas Tech

Bell Helicopter – Rice vs Air Force; QM – Air Force; HP -Air Force. Rice in a bowl game! What is this world coming to? {HP}

New Era Pinstripe – West Virginia vs Syracuse. QM – West Virginia; HP -West  Virginia

Kraft Fight Hunger – Navy vs Arizona State. QM – Navy; HP -Navy.Will always root against a Fraud Graham coached team. {HP}

Alamo – Texas vs Oregon State. QM – Texas; HP -Texas

Buffalo Wild Wings – TCU vs Michigan State. QM – TCU; HP -TCU

Music City – North Carolina State vs Vanderbilt. QM – Vandy; HP -Vanderbilt

Sun – USC vs Georgia Tech. QM – Georgia Tech; HP -USC

Liberty Bowl – Iowa State vs Tulsa. QM – Tulsa; HP -Tulsa

Chick-Fil-A – LSU vs Clemson. QM – LSU; HP -LSU

Gator Bowl – Mississippi State vs Northwestern. QM – Mississippi State; HP -Mississippi State

Dallas – Purdue vs Oklahoma State. QM – OSU; HP -Oklahoma State

Outback – South Carolina vs Michigan. QM – South Carolina; HP -South Carolina

Capital One – Georgia vs Nebraska. QM – Georgia; HP -Georgia  The Big Ten will go 0 for 7 in Bowls. What an overrated conference. {HP}

Rose Bowl – Wisconsin vs Stanford. QM – Stanford; HP – Stanford

Orange Bowl – Northern Illinois vs Florida State. QM – Northern Illinois; HP -Florida State; Some are not happy to see NIU here. I hope they win. (QM) A NIU win would be a great story [HP}

Sugar Bowl – Louisville vs Florida. QM – Florida; HP -Florida.

Fiesta – Oregon vs Kansas State. QM – Oregon; HP -Oregon

Cotton – Texas A&M vs Oklahoma. QM – Texas A&M; HP -Texas A&M

BBVA – Pitt vs Ole Miss. QM – Ole Miss; HP -Ole Miss.

GoDaddy – Kent State vs Arkansas State. QM – Arkansas State; HP  Kent State-Two teams who had fine seasons and then lost their coaches to bigger schools.[HP}

Title Game – Notre Dame vs Alabama. QM – Alabama; HP -Alabama

QM – overall if I could choose 3 of these games right now as must see these are the ones I would most like to see in order – Title Game, Fiesta, Cotton.

QM – I think Alabama beats ND 31-13, and I do not see it really being that close. Sorry to everyone that does not like SEC football. I am sure that the S-E-C S-E-C chant will once again be heard throughout college football.

HP- Notre Dame’s fine season comes to an end here. I don’t think it will be very close. The SEC Champion wins the National Championship again. 27-10.

Once upon a time in a far away land it used to be a reward to go to a bowl game. A bowl game was a reward for a fine season. They had 11 or 12 bowl games. To go to one you usually had to be around 8-3 or better. Now if you don’t go to a bowl game there is something wrong with you. 70 teams go to bowl games. Going to a bowl game has lost its luster. I know I will watch the National Championship Game. I don’t know how many other games I will watch. It will be hit and miss.  [HP}

Also it is hard to predict these games. A lot of teams this year had fine seasons and then their head coach has left in recent weeks for greener pastures. It is hard to judge how those teams will respond. Also some of these games will be played a month or so after the last game teams have played. Who knows what kind of play you will get. {HP}

QM – could not agree more with this last sentiment. I understand coaches wanting to move up and things, but it will impact these young men.