Ranking the bowl games from 1-34
Stewart Mandel
There's no disputing the fact that many of the once-sacred traditions of bowl games have irreparably changed over the past decade. In this, my sixth-annual ranking of all 34 bowl games (there were 28 when I started it, including the Silicon Valley Classic), I think you will find that the date a game is played no longer bears any correlation to the quality of its matchup.
In the following list -- which is based on the quality of the teams involved, the degree of intrigue for each matchup and the anticipated viewing interest (or lack thereof) -- you will find a game played on Dec. 23 ranked in the top five, while two New Year's Day games fail to crack the top 14.
You know how ESPN likes to promote the heck out of "Bowl Week?" I'd like to know when exactly said week begins and when it ends. Perhaps it should be rebranded "Bowl Half-Month."
1. BCS National Championship Game (Jan. 8): Oklahoma (12-1) vs. Florida (12-1). Two phenomenal QBs, Sam Bradford and Tim Tebow, could stage a championship duel for the ages. Or the Gators could pull off another 41-14 drubbing. Think we'd ever hear the end of that?
2. Rose (Jan. 1): USC (11-1) vs. Penn State (11-1). Joe Paterno vs. Pete Carroll. The Spread HD against the nation's most dominant D. Will the Nittany Lions defy the Big Ten skeptics, or will the Trojans play the role of rude hosts yet again?
3. Fiesta (Jan. 5): Texas (11-1) vs. Ohio State (10-2). The last time these two met, in 2006, Colt McCoy was a scrawny, overmatched freshman, but now our little boy is all grown up. Not that James Laurinaitis has gotten any less beastly.
4. Sugar (Jan. 2): Alabama (12-1) vs. Utah (12-0). Nothing could cause more pride for little guys everywhere than the Mountain West toppling the SEC. Of course, the SEC spin doctors would quickly point out that 'Bama was only their runner-up.
5. Poinsettia (Dec. 23): Boise State (12-0) vs. TCU (10-2). In just its fourth year of existence, the nation's most famous County Credit Union Bowl has managed to land a showdown of two top-11 teams. Who says businesses aren't growing?
6. Capital One (Jan. 1): Georgia (9-3) vs. Michigan State (9-3). This could be the last collegiate game for Dawgs stars Matthew Stafford and Knowshon Moreno, and it definitely will be for Spartans workhorse Javon Ringer. Expect yards aplenty.
7. Holiday (Dec. 30): Oklahoma State (9-3) vs. Oregon (9-3). The Holiday Bowl is known for entertaining shootouts, and this one should be no exception. Both teams average 40-plus points behind lethal dual-threat QBs Zac Robinson and Jeremiah Masoli.
8. Orange (Jan. 1): Cincinnati (11-2) vs. Virginia Tech (8-4). The Bearcats haven't played on this big a stage since Nick Van Exel led them to the Final Four. And while the Hokies have become regulars, they need to reverse a 1-4 bowl-game skid.
9. Cotton (Jan. 2): Texas Tech (11-1) vs. Ole Miss (8-4). Remember Graham Harrell and Michael Crabtree? You know, the Heisman front-runners prior to Nov. 22? They're back, and they'll be gunning for Tech's first Cotton Bowl victory.
10. Chick-fil-A (Dec. 31): Georgia Tech (9-3) vs. LSU (7-5). A heavily partisan Yellow Jackets crowd is anticipated as the Jackets attempt to pull off their third-straight 400-yard rushing game against the alleged defending-national champions.
11. Sun (Dec. 31): Pittsburgh (9-3) vs. Oregon State (8-4). You like watching really good running backs? Allow me to present Pitt's LeSean McCoy (1,403 yards, 21 TDs) and the Beavers' Jacquizz Rodgers (1,253 yards, 11 TDs.)
12. Alamo (Dec. 29): Northwestern (9-3) vs. Missouri (9-4). Northwestern fans would love to forget the Alamo. Their last appearance here was a 66-17 thrashing by Nebraska. This time, all the Wildcats have to do is ... shut down Chase Daniel.
13. GMAC (Jan. 6): Ball State (12-1) vs. Tulsa (10-3). What better way to prep for Tebow-Bradford two days later than to watch two other top-10 passers, Ball State's Nate Davis and Tulsa's David Johnson, light up the Mobile sky.
14. Hawaii (Dec. 24): Hawaii (7-6) vs. Notre Dame (6-6). C'mon, admit it. You know you'll be watching. If the Fighting Catholics can't end their nine-game bowl losing streak against a WAC team on Christmas Eve ... they may be running out of options.
15. Outback (Jan. 1): Iowa (8-4) vs. South Carolina (7-5). Apparently, losing your last two games by a combined score of 87-20 is no longer a deterrent to a New Year's Day invite. Next up for the Gamecocks: A date with 1,729-yard rusher Shonn Greene.
16. Meineke Car Care (Dec. 27): West Virginia (8-4) vs. North Carolina (8-4). Think the home-state Tar Heels will take over Bank of America Stadium? Don't be so sure. Mountaineers fans travel in droves, especially if it means seeing PatWhite's last game.
17. Emerald (Dec. 27): Cal (8-4) vs. Miami (7-5). Beating a decent Pac-10 team in its backyard would be a big milestone in RandyShannon's rebuilding job at Miami. Giving up 300 yards to Jahvid Best would be a giant step backward.
18. Las Vegas (Dec. 20): BYU (10-2) vs. Arizona (7-5). There is no truth to the rumor this game has been renamed the BYU Invitational. There may be truth to the rumor 'Cats coach Mike Stoops will skip the game to help his brother prepare for Florida.
19. Music City (Dec. 31): Boston College (9-4) vs. Vanderbilt (6-6). Vandy's first bowl trip in 26 years is dampened a bit by the fact that a) The Commodores don't even get to leave their own city and b) They're already 0-2 against the ACC this season.
20. Gator (Jan. 1): Nebraska (8-4) vs. Clemson (7-5). If the Gator Bowl committee feels it needs to invite a team that went 5-5 against Division I-A foes to be able to fill seats, that's their prerogative. Just don't expect the rest of us to give a damn.
21. Champs Sports (Dec. 27): Florida State (8-4) vs. Wisconsin (7-5). A year ago, the 'Noles were without 36 suspended or ineligible players for the Music City Bowl. Now, they're playing with a Rhodes Scholar and in warm weather. Nice upgrade.
22. International (Jan. 3): Buffalo (8-5) vs. Connecticut (7-5). TurnerGill's MAC champion Bulls are one of the feel-good stories of 2008. The Huskies boast the nation's leading-rusher, Donald Brown. It should make for good TV ratings ... in the Northeast.
23. Insight Bowl: Kansas (7-5) vs. Minnesota (7-5). Two years ago, Minnesota suffered the biggest collapse in bowl history -- blowing a 38-7 lead to Texas Tech -- in this same game. Maybe I should move this one up the list just in case.
24. Texas (Dec. 30): Rice (9-3) vs. Western Michigan (9-3). It will be the final collegiate game for one of the most prolific passing tandems in the sport's history, Rice QB Chase Clement and WR Jarrett Dillard, and they get to do it in Houston.
25. Liberty (Jan. 2): East Carolina (9-4) vs. Kentucky (6-6). The Pirates burst out of the gate with upsets of Virginia Tech and West Virginia, then went in the tank, then rebounded to win Conference USA. Kentucky stayed evenly mediocre throughout.
26. PapaJohns.com (Dec. 29): Rutgers (7-5) vs. NC State (6-6). You know your bowl is fairly low on the totem pole when ESPN schedules it for 3 p.m. on a random Monday. Apparently the World Poker Tour is off for the holidays.
27. EagleBank (Dec. 20): Navy (8-4) vs. Wake Forest (7-5). These are two philosophically similar programs that seem like natural fits to play each other. Which is why they already did, earlier this season, a 24-17 Navy win on Sept. 27.
28. Armed Forces (Dec. 31): Air Force (8-4) vs. Houston (7-5). Hmm -- this matchup sounds familiar, too. Yep, sure enough, the Falcons beat the Cougars 31-28 on Sept. 13, in a game that was also played in Dallas. Glad we could get everyone back together.
29. New Orleans (Dec. 21): Troy (8-4) vs. Southern Miss (6-6). Troy, if you haven't noticed, is a pretty good team, one that nearly knocked off LSU in Baton Rouge. Unfortunately, as Sun Belt champions, the Trojans are obligated to this crappy bowl.
30. Humanitarian (Dec 30): Nevada (7-5) vs. Maryland (7-5). Of all the bizarre bowl arrangements out there, I've yet to figure out why the ACC ever decided to send one of its teams to Boise every year. They've gone 3-2 so far against their WAC foes.
31. St. Petersburg (Dec. 20): USF (7-5) vs. Memphis (6-6). Give this inaugural game credit for one thing: It caused me to look up what exactly "magicJack" (the game's title sponsor) is. Ladies and gentlemen: This bowl is sponsored by a phone jack.
32. Motor City (Dec. 26): Central Michigan (8-4) vs. Florida Atlantic (6-6). Bowl director Ken Hoffman said choosing FAU from among four 6-6 teams was "a very difficult decision because all were very close in terms of what they had to offer" -- as in, almost nothing.
33. New Mexico (Dec. 20): Fresno State (7-5) vs. Colorado State (6-6). Fresno coach Pat Hill has long prided his program on its mantra of playing "anyone, anywhere, anytime." Do you think he envisioned that to include playing a 6-6 team in Albuquerque?
34. Independence (Dec. 28): Louisiana Tech (7-5) vs. Northern Illinois (6-6). The Shreveport, La., game has deals to land the No. 7 team from the Big 12 and No. 8 team from the SEC. Some years, that gets you Alabama-Colorado, some years, that gets you ... this.
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