This one was over when they announced the bowl match-ups. The clear and obvious top confidence choice in your college bowl confidence pool. (One guy in the pool I'm in had this game for only eight points. Okay.)
Purdue is only in the this game because Ohio State and Penn State were not eligible for postseason play. If they had been, Michigan State would likely have been in this game. The Cowboys were 17 point favorites, which seemed low but Vegas tries to keep money on both sides of the line.
Purdue didn't beat a team with a winning record all season and came limping into Dallas losers of three of their last four. Their head coach had been fired. They probably had the team bus break down on the way to the stadium and had to fix it themselves. (It is an engineering school.)
Five Boilermaker turnovers is the only stat you need to know about. I watched the first quarter and that was plenty with so many other games underway or coming up.
Oklahoma State 58 Purdue 14
Game notes:
-Here's how bad it was. Early on, Purdue decided to go for a fake punt deep on their own side of the field. That led to an easy Cowboys score. Then down 14-0 still in the first, Purdue decided to try a field goal at the Oklahoma State's 17-yard line. What?
-Plenty of leg room at the old Cotton Bowl for this game.
-This game was a big bowl game step back for an Oklahoma State team that was better than its 7-5 record. Last year this team was a breath away from the BCS title game.
-If this game went away, no one would care. Toss in the Little Caesars Bowl, Kraft Fight Hunger Bowl and the BBVA Compass Bowl and get the total down to 31. Still too many games, but that would be a good start.
-Bowl swag: Lousy game, lousy gifts for the players - Backpacks, long-sleeve dry-fit shirts, stocking caps.
Obviously I picked this one correctly, with my highest confidence pick, 35.
Northwestern vs. Mississippi State
COWBELLS...COWBELLS...COWBELLS...COWBELLS...COWBELLS...COWBELLS
Yeah, another bowl game with the well traveling Bulldogs fans from Starkeville who shake their cowbells from the opening kick to the final whistle. This is by far the most annoying fan base in all 35 games of BowlQuest. I find myself having to turn the sound way down because the bell ringing never ends.
The big story here is Northwestern having not won a bowl game in their last nine tries and not having won a game since the 1949 Rose Bowl.
Turnovers again the number one factor in a game, with Mississippi State quarterback Tyler Russell throwing four of them.
I arrived in the second quarter of this game with Northwestern already up 10-0. Mississippi State would answer with a touchdown (COWBELLS) and it looked like a game at half, 13-7. I turned the game off at this point to start watching the Outback Bowl.
Back in the fourth quarter to see if the Wildcats can get it done. And they did. Russell threw his fourth interception inside the red zone with less than 10 minutes to play. Northwestern added one more score and was able to overcome three of their own turnovers to win the game and get the bowl monkey off their back.
Northwestern 34 Mississippi State 20
-The Big 10 scores a win over the monolithic SEC! Two more B10 vs. SEC games going on at the same time.
-Pat Fitzgerald is a really good coach and I'm surprised more bigger schools haven't made a run at him. He has tons of energy and his players really seem to buy in to his program and style of coaching.
-Taxslayer is back for a second year as bowl game sponsor. They do your taxes for $9.99 and have Dale Earnhardt Jr. as a spokesperson. Earnhardt drove the Taxslayer car onto the field before the game.
"Get the damn car off my lawn!"
-Bowl swag: Okay, not great. Fossil watch, Dome hat, Mercury garment bag and carry-on bag, Jostens ring, football. Nice touch, the game sent the players their luggage before the game with their names stamped on each piece.
I had Northwestern in this one because I believed they would get it done. And I wanted to see 20,000 bell ringing nitwits go home unhappy.
Four games left in the day.
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