2011-2012 Biased Bowl Season Picks!

You got tired of waiting for ST's bowl picks, and Nick Saban did too.

When it comes to watching college football, I’m not going to lie. I don’t watch every game. Not even close. Do you know how many games there are? Millions* (*There are not actually a million college football games per season) So the best I can do is just give you quick rapid fire judgements of who I think will win each game. Are they biased? You betcha. Should you take these to Vegas with you? Don’t betcha.

So anyways, as promised, here are Sports Tsar’s 2011-2012 Biased Bowl Season Picks!

Gildan New Mexico Bowl
Wyoming vs. Temple

I’m going to go ahead and pick Wyoming. I mean seriously, have you seen their logo? How fun does that look? I’m on board.

Famous Idaho Potato Bowl
Ohio vs. Utah State

At first I was going to pick Utah State, but then I remembered this video of the Ohio players when they found out they got black alternate uniforms. Can you imagine how they’d react if they won the Famous Idaho Potato Bowl? A party to last the ages. Until they realized that when Brady Hoke kept saying “Ohio” he was just referring to Ohio State. But hey, at least you’re not Kent State, right?

R+L Carriers New Orleans Bowl
San Diego State vs. Louisiana-Lafayette

Rule number 1 of bowl picks: If there is a bowl game in Louisiana, you always pick the team that has Louisiana in its name. It is written.

Beef ‘O’ Brady’s St. Petersburg Bowl
Florida International vs. Marshall

This bowl game just sounds gross. I don’t know why. There’s just no way I could look at this bowl game and say “oh, this should be fun.” I’m picking Marshall only because of the movie. This pick’s for Matthew Fox.

San Diego County Credit Union Poinsettia Bowl
TCU vs. Louisiana Tech

TCU beat THE Boise State University this season. Um, can you say JUGGERNAUT?

MAACO Las Vegas Bowl
Arizona State vs. Boise State

Arizona State doesn’t have a coach, and I think the bowl organizers are much happier to have the Sun Devils here than BYU as they’ve had in years past. That being said, the kids from the great state of Boise will win this one, easy. The real pick is how many trick plays. The over/under on that is 2.5.

Sheraton Hawaii Bowl
Nevada vs. Southern Miss

Yes, Southern Miss beat Houston this season, much like Nevada beat Boise State last year. I’m giving the nod to Nevada for 2 reasons: 1) My buddy Leif is from Reno, and told me to pick Nevada. 2) Nevada has the experience of beating overrated mid-majors. Southern Miss is new to the whole scene and will suffer a “post-ruining any chance of ruining the BCS” hangover.

AdvoCare V100 Independence Bowl
Missouri vs. North Carolina

Do I have to pick this one? I do? Oh, jeez… I dunno. I’ll take Missouri, I guess.

Little Caesars Bowl
Western Michigan vs. Purdue Boilermakers

Purdue. I believe in their backfield of 2 runningbacks named Akeem. If you go back 22 years ago, Coming to America was released. I don’t want to accuse their parents of naming their kids after a character in an Eddie Murphy movie, but I’m accusing their parents of naming their kids after a character in an Eddie Murphy movie.

Belk Bowl
Louisville vs. NC State

NC State, because if there’s anything worse than the ACC, it’s the Big East. Or something called “Belk.” I don’t care what the product is, that’s a terrible name for a company.

Military Bowl Presented by Northrop Grumman
Toledo vs. Air Force

My dad went to law school at Toledo and he can throw a pretty mean spiral. Plus, shouldn’t the Air Force be off, I don’t know, being the Air Force?

Bridgepoint Education Holiday Bowl
Cal vs. Texas

Both coaches need this one really badly. I can’t stand Tedford. I’m going with Texas. I want Tedford gone.

Champs Sports Bowl
Florida State vs. Notre Dame

The winner of this game starts next season in the top-5 because I mean, that’s what you do with the Champs Sports Bowl champion, right? This hurts to say, but Notre Dame because they just lost a problem quarterback (Dayne Crist). A la Denver Broncos and Kyle Orton, anyone? It’s Tommy Rees-Time!

Valero Alamo Bowl
Washington vs. Baylor

Robert Griffin III has Superman socks! Superman socks! How cool is that? Almost as cool as winning a Heisman over Andrew Luck! Baylor wins this one.

Bell Helicopter Armed Forces Bowl
BYU vs. Tulsa

Tulsa, and this is not because I have to answer the door for Mormon missionaries every day, I swear.

New Era Pinstripe Bowl
Rutgers vs Iowa St.

I’ll be honest, I didn’t know that Rutgers kept playing football after Ray Rice left. Iowa St.?

Franklin American Mortgage Music CIty Bowl
Mississippi State vs. Wake Forest

Mississippi State wins. Wake Forest goes back to being a soccer school, I think.

Insight Bowl
Iowa vs. Oklahoma

I’m going to go with Iowa. I’m not an Oklahoma fan. Or an Iowa fan. But I am a fan of Iowa grad and proud American Ricky Stanzi.

Side Note: What kind of question is that for a post-game interview? On stage in front of the crowd? You ask him about the team and how hard they work, not what he thinks of America. It’s just an awkward moment, but Ricky doesn’t flinch just like our colors don’t run. Rick Stanzi, American hero.

Meineke Car Care Bowl of Texas
Texas A&M vs. Northwestern

Texas A&M is a school that should be in the SEC in every other sport but football. Northwestern is a team that shouldn’t have any sports. That being said, is Dan Persa still playing? I’ll take Northwestern.

Hyundai Sun Bowl
Georgia Tech vs Utah

Utah lost the ultra-competitive Pac-12 South division in the final week. When I say competitive, I mean as competitive as a race to the bottom can get. I’ll take Georgia Tech.

AutoZone Liberty Bowl
Cincinnati vs Vanderbilt

I wanted to pick Vanderbilt because they’re SEC, then I realized they’re a bunch of NERDS! I’ll take the Bearcats, because that city is going to need something to fill the hole that missing the playoffs will leave in their heart.

Chick-fil-A Bowl
Virginia vs. Auburn

Auburn. No team to win the national championship has gone on to lose it’s bowl game the next year*.

*I just made this up.

Kraft Fight Hunger Bowl
Illinois vs UCLA

I’m going to say Illinois. But what I really want to say is that I wish this was a basketball game from like 8 years ago. Definitely not one from right now.

TicketCity Bowl
Houston vs. Penn State

Houston, because EVERYBODY is rooting for Houston (against Penn St.).

Outback Bowl
Michigan St vs Georgia

Two teams that both lost their conference championship games. Michigan State lost by closer so they’re totally better right?

Capital One Bowl
Nebraska vs. South Carolina

I’m going to pick for the stadium to explode and neither one of these teams to win. But you know who does? Us.

Taxslayer.com Gator Bowl
The Ohio State vs. Florida

I’m taking THE Ohio State University because we have Urban Meyer now and Florida doesn’t. Na na na na na na.

Rose Bowl Game Presented by Vizio
Wisconsin vs. Oregon

I’m taking Wisconsin. I was never convinced that Oregon was that great. Mostly because I never saw them play that well. Mostly because I don’t like watching teams beat down on FCS opponents like “Washington St.” and “Colorado.” Seriously, where do they find these schools?

Tositos Fiesta Bowl
Stanford vs Oklahoma St

Insert pun about Luck running out. Then, insert harsh reality that Stanford’s defense isn’t very good. Oklahoma St. but very, very, very angrily.

Allstate Sugar Bowl
Michigan vs. Virginia Tech

I’m picking Michigan, but that’s only because I’m picking against Virginia Tech.

Discover Orange Bowl
West Virginia vs Clemson

This would be a pretty okay regular season game, but instead it’s a BCS game. I’ll go with Clemson, because they won their conference championship game and apparently that’s supposed to mean something.

AT&T Cotton Bowl
Kansas St vs. Arkansas

Kansas St. was a genuine story of the year. Arkansas was the “oh, right, they’re playing well” team of the year. I’ll take Kansas St.

BBVA Compass Bowl
SMU vs Pittsburgh

There’s championship experience, and then there’s BBVA Compass Bowl experience. SMU has neither and Pittsburgh at least has BBVA Compass Bowl experience. I’ll take Pitt.

GoDaddy.com Bowl
Arkansas St. vs. Northern Illinois

I’m picking the commercials to suck and Arkansas St to win.

Allstate BCS National Championship Game
Alabama vs. LSU

This may sound wild, but I think LSU could beat Alabama 9-6. Wait, that already happened? So why are they playing again? We already know who’s better. Maybe Nick Saban has more friendly angles for the cameras than Mike Gundy. LSU, BIG.