The Christmas of Football

I will be more excited when I wake up tomorrow morning than I was on Christmas day. There may never be a day full of more NCAA football cheer than tomorrow. All of the games are high-powered match-ups that I cannot wait to see. So here's how I break them down in my head when I argue with myself.


Cotton Bowl

Alabama v. Texas Tech. Yeah, yeah, yeah....so Alabama has a great defense. Meanwhile, Texas Tech has a great offense. Something's gotta give...yada, yada, yada. The question here is "Can Alabama score fourteen points?". If the answer is yes, then Bama will probably win. Texas Tech has had difficulty scoring on teams with any sort of a defense. Baylor gave them fits, as did, of course, Texas. Bama will not shut out the Red Raiders. That is virtually impossible. Especially because Alabama will be missing Castille in the secondary due to academic ineligibility. However, since this is the last game for the graduating seniors who have been through hell and back with this program, I believe they will be playing like the Alabama defense has most of the year. We'll forget about the Auburn game momentarily. Okay, that moment is over. If Bama scores two (offensive) touchdowns or more, the Tide wins. Texas Tech's defense, though, is not too shabby. But the statistics that say that were padded by some very, very weak competition. Hence, I think Bama will pull one out, but just barely. Alabama 14 - Texas Tech 12.

Capital One (Citrus) Bowl

Auburn vs. Wisconsin. My home state versus my new home state. Hands down, Auburn wins. In everything. The only thing that Wisconsin has going for it is that this is Barry Alvarez's last game and his players like him. For this reason, Wisconsin will play hard. They are a solid team and will give Auburn a game. However, Auburn is very solid on offense and defense. Wisconsin doesn't really believe in defense. Consequently, Auburn should be able to score without extreme difficulty. The key to this game is whether Brian Calhoun can find any running room. Auburn has not given up too many yards to running backs this year. Several have gone over 100, but none have gone crazy on the Tigers. Calhoun is a very fast back, which is why I believe he is successful in the Big Ten. Welcome to the South, Wisconsin. Even our D-line is fast. I think the pursuit of Auburn's D-line and linebackers will be able to contain Calhoun for most of the day, forcing the Badgers to the air. If the secondary holds, Auburn should win without too much of a scare. Auburn 31 - Wisconsin 20.

Outback Bowl

Florida v. Iowa. I like Iowa late in the season. Of course, Florida played well late too, absolutely dominating FSU. I really don't know which team has been playing better as of late. Personally, I like Iowa in this one. As an SEC guy, I clearly want Florida to win, but Iowa is the hotter team, and I'm still not convinced on Meyer or Leak. The win over FSU was fun, but not a breakthrough. Iowa will give them fits. They are a physical team that can run and throw. Florida's defense has been soft at times, and I think Iowa will expose that. Florida 17 - Iowa 31.

Fiesta Bowl

Notre Dame vs. Ohio State. Man, there are so many games today this is ridiculous. Notre Dame, meet a defense. You haven't seen one of these in a while. I like the Irish and I think they are a solid offensive team, but let's not joke around and think they know how to play defense anymore. Ohio State's defense will not be pushed around....at all. Notre Dame will score some points because a shutout would be the equivalent of blanking USC. It just doesn't happen. However, Ohio State will be able to expose the weaknesses in Notre Dame's secondary early and often. They ride the defense to victory in this one. Notre Dame 15 - Ohio State 17.

Sugar Bowl

West Virginia vs. Georgia. Hey, Freshman QB Pat White and RB Steve Slaton! You're about to find out what it's like to play in a real conference. This is virtually a home game for an experienced Georgia team. West Virginia is a good team, but I find it hard to believe that two freshmen are going to run all over Georgia. I wanna see that. Did you forget that these guys play against D.J. Shockley all the time? And he can throw the ball, too! I think this game is more of a mismatch than most people recognize. Georgia rolls easy. West Virginia 10 - Georgia 31.