Music City Bowl/Sun Bowl

Bowl favorites are not favorites to win.  Seems to be the way this bowl season is playing out.  Between coaching changes, failed season expectations, injured players and utter indifference, being favored to win means nothing in these games.  Add in a heaping helping of too many games and you get the abundance of bad football that's been played out over these games so far. 

North Carolina State vs. Vanderbilt

I started this game with the boys at the Gaslight Cafe in Pleasant Ridge.  This was an abbreviated version our annual Christmas tradition we call Man Day.  Just the guys out for lunch, shopping and maybe a few beers for Dad along the way.  We couldn't get it in this earlier because they didn't get off from school until the Friday before Christmas and Mrs. Keith and I were out of town that weekend.  So today was the last chance.

The Gaslight Cafe was the destination because the Gaslight burger is ranked as the #4 burger in town by Cincinnati magazine.

Boy #2 and I went for it while Boy #1 must be watching his figure and went for the quarter pound burger.  It's one tasty burger.  And if you go, stick with the chips.  The large crinkle cut fries were a disappointment. The house made chili wasn't bad but too much alongside this monster.

Turns out the Gaslight didn't have the bowl game, favoring the U.C. basketball game.  No problem, these games drag on so I'd catch a quarter of the second half at home.  As noted many times, I've been subbing for my morning show, so the belly buster of a burger combined with mild exhaustion equaled me laying on the couch for the third quarter.

Blah.  Vanderbilt put up 21 points in the second quarter and that's all she wrote in this one.  This game was another with a coaching change, with Jim O'Brien getting the boot in Raleigh so we'll chalk up the Wolf Pack's poor play to that.  As is common in these games, turnovers are a huge factor and NC State's Mike Glennon had three of them with interceptions.

North Carolina State outgained Vanderbilt by 214 yards.  That's seriously inefficient.  

Vandy 38  NC State 24

Game Notes:

-This was Vanderbilt's first 9-win season since 1915.  1915.  They didn't wear helmets that far back.  Commodores coach James Franklin certainly deserves some votes for coach of the year.  He's turned a doormat program into a solid second tier player in the S.E.C.

-Another quarterback hurting his draft stock with lackluster to poor play, this time NC State's Mike Glennon.  Three picks isn't going to get you paid come April, Mike.

-The highlight of NC State's season was ruining Florida State's season when they beat them in October.  That win gave us my favorite football fan picture of the year.

I'm guessing that guy would really enjoy the Gaslight Cafe.

Swag bag for players:  Just like this game, blah.  A trip through the gift suite and a Fossil watch.  Fossil, the official watch of bowl game gift suites.  Bowl sponsor Franklin American should at least offer players parents a discount on a re-fi.

Of course, I picked NC State to win.  Bowl record started to swirl.

The Sun Bowl is sponsored by Hyundai but I like this Vitalis logo better.  I'm taking the Sun Bowl as seriously as the Trojans of USC did.

Southern Cal vs. Georgia Tech

What an embarrassment for Southern Cal, a team that was a preseason favorite to play for (and win) a national championship.  Obviously that didn't happen as they found themselves in El Paso on December 31st.

I put this game on after it was clear the Music City Bowl was a done deal.  I had doubts about Southern Cal in this game because of starting quarterback Matt Barkley being out with a case of "I don't want to get hurt in this meaningless game" and the Trojans being relegated by their own doing to this game instead of something on New Year's Day or later.

Another turnover plagued game with a real lack of effort and game planning by Southern Cal.  They had no  answer to Tech's triple option attack and couldn't find a way to get the ball to their two soon-to-be-NFL playing wide receivers.  No one on offense really seemed to be trying. 

USC head coach Lane Kiffin was dressed as the Unibomber, in a hoodie and shades, maybe hoping no one would recognize him and the awful job he and his staff did all season and for this game. Here's Lane looking thrilled to be part of some pregame folderol.

George Tech 21  USC 7

Game notes:

-This is the only bowl game on CBS because ESPN loves showing crappy football.  Vern Lundquist and Gary Danielson, the SEC A-Team, are called in to do this game yearly.  These guys get to be in El Paso every New Year's Eve day.  Lucky them.
 When it was clear that USC had no intention of making a real effort, they told the story of how Kiffin and his team blew off the bowl game dinner that is planned for both teams.  El Paso takes a lot of pride in this game, their only time each year in the annual spotlight.  They were both obviously disgusted with the team's lack of manners and consideration for the people that put on this game and were waiting to tell this story to shame USC. That they did.

-If they don't jump on a private jet to go home, what can Vern and Gary do on New Year's Eve in El Paso?  Well, the "stars" of American Idol are performing at the nearby Inn of the Mountain Gods.  Yes, that's a real place.  There is an outdoor ball drop at the Lotus club including a performance by the band Biscuit Roller.  Or they can go R&B at the Sunland horse race track with the velvety sounds of Sha'Vone.

-Player swag:  Timely watch, Majestic fleece, Top of the World cap, coin, Helen of Troy hair dryer.  The only game that gives away a hair dryer.  Maybe a late Christmas present for mom, yeah?

Got this one wrong too, picking Southern Cal.  I probably shouldn't gamble.

Finishing the Liberty Bowl now and on to the nightcap, hopefully a good game between Clemson and LSU.  Aw, who am I kidding, it's the ACC vs. the SEC, it will likely be a beat down. Maybe I can pick one game correctly. 

Buffalo Wild Wings Bowl

After a day of games that started at 11:45am, we hit the Saturday night finale.  Serious doubts about reaching the final whistle.

Before my scattered memories of this game, props to the Buffalo Wild Wing folks who gave a clinic on in-stadium branding.  They left no doubt what company was sponsoring this game.  Beef 'O' Brady's could learn a thing or two from BWW.

TCU vs. Michigan State

From the outset, all bowl predictions were for a close game dominated by defense.  That's been the forecast for every single MSU game this season so why change now?

But oh my.  The Spartans offense looked like it somehow regressed since their last game in November, and there wasn't much room to move backwards.  And despite how good MSU's defense has been, they must also lead the NCAA in giving up a big play followed by a crushing penalty to add 15 yards.

They did all that in the first half and more.  Quarterback Andrew Maxwell looked completely lost, they couldn't get Le'Veon Bell and the running game going and when the receivers did get near the ball, they dropped it as often as they caught it.

Despite a shank, punter Mike Sadler was the first half MVP, pinning the Horned Frogs deep a number of times.  There was also possibly the worst trick play ever in MSU history - an attempted half back pass that wound up going back to Maxwell who almost threw an interception.  Oh for the days of George Perles.

Instead of seeing that play one more time, how about Little Giants?  

13-0 TCU after two quarters and it could have been much worse.

(At this point I'll be honest, it was well past 12am and I had been up since 6am to drive my daughter to work.  My eyes, having seen enough horrible football during the day, could not stay open much longer.)

The MSU offense continued to misfire to start the third quarter.  Fortunately MSU's defense knows how to play games like this and kept TCU out of the end zone.  Finally, the Spartans shook up the offense and put freshman Connor Cook in at QB, leading to the Spartans longest touchdown drive in their bowl history.  13-7 and there was life.  The drive did include a drive saving pass not from Cook, but Bell.  One can only imagine what this season would have been without him. 

Was there a fourth quarter comeback in store for Sparty?  Evidently so but I didn't see it.  Fell asleep.  Just could not keep my eyes open, and no, I wasn't boozing it up.  I even had some iced tea for a bit of caffeine to try and help the cause.  I have no idea what ESPN was thinking other than wanting a prime time game for the west coast.  This game could have been on ABC at 8pm, you know, like every week during the regular season.  I think our local ABC affiliate was showing an infomercial for the Schtickie.  

Punting hero Mike Sadler, who will play on Sundays, sent a 55 yarder back to TCU after another stalled MSU drive and finally, a break!  Muffed punt, Spartans recover.  Bell takes it in and it's 14-13.  But  it's the Spartans so count on more drama.  TCU manages a drive and a field goal from kicker Jaden Oberkrom.  No, he did not Oberkrombie and Flinch!  (That's some Berman-like top dollar humor right there.)

Since I wasn't awake, the finish from the AP:  Starting at their own 25-yard line, the Spartans moved 45 yards in eight plays, setting up Conroy for his second game-winner in a bowl after beating Georgia with a 28-yarder in the third overtime of the 2012 Outback Bowl.

A nice way to wake up Sunday morning.  MSU 17  TCU 16.   NO WAY did I see the Spartans coming back to win after the putrid first half performance.  Credit to Mark Dantonio for not letting the team give up but there are a lot of things that need to be addressed for next season. 

Game notes:

-MSU is the only team in the calendar year to punt 11 times and still win.  Key point, better to punt than turnover the ball not that Spartans didn't try.

-Nice game for Le'Veon Bell in what's likely his final game in green and white.  32 carries, 145 yards, a touchdown and that pass.  We'll just forget about that trick play in the first half.

-Also, a good end after a shaky season for kicker Dan Conroy.  For a guy who was great his junior year, Conroy's misses this year probably cost MSU a 9-3 record.

-A tiger at the Phoenix Zoo picked the Spartans to win, so did I.

-Not much in the way of swag for players:  Gift suite, Fossil watch, Ogio Mercur backpack. Hopefully a Buffalo Wild Wings gift card was in there.

-Did you know Buffalo Wild Wings is the number one account for Dos Equis and Guinness beer in the U.S.?

-Pretty excited about MSU's victory that gave them a winning record?  Maybe you should pop for this smart looking Buffalo Wild Wings Bowl sweater vest. 

 Too Tressel like for you?  Maybe this neon green BWW Bowl lanyard is more your speed.

Me either.  A positive note to the end the season and a break in the bowl games until Monday. 

Alamo Bowl

First match-up of ranked teams.  After three games in the day and the MSU game coming up around 2am, I had zero interest in this one.

#23 Texas vs. #13 Oregon State

Hey, no coaching changes.  But player changes galore for Texas, suspending two players a week or so back and then sending quarterback Case McCoy and another player home for violating team rules.

The roster shake up seemed to have the Longhorns on their heels in the first half, leaving them down 20-10 at the half.  It could have been worse as the Beavers settled for a couple field goals.

Second half, the Alex Okafor show.  Second half beast mode for defensive players has been a growing theme through these games.  The Texas defensive lineman finished with 4.5 sacks (a new Alamo Bowl record!), leading the team that sacked the Oregon State QB 11 times.  Okafor, like Kyle Van Noy from BYU and the Estonian kid of SMU, made a lot of money thanks to this performance.

Back to the Texas QB situation.  David Ash, who replaced McCoy (Colt's little brother), rallied the Longhorns in the fourth quarter.  This is when I turned the game back on after watching an episode of Boardwalk Empire.  I'm just starting to get into the HBO show.  Moves kind of slow but captures the period.

Anyhow, Ash hit for a touchdown pass with a couple minutes to play to give Texas their first lead of the game and it stuck.

Oregon State did have one more shot but their QB continued to get pummeled into the turf in San Antonio.

Texas 31  Oregon St. 27

Game notes:

-A whole lot of orange in San Antonio. 

-Great security there in the Alamodome. At least the guy kept his clothes on.

-Players make out with the bowl swag, one of the best hauls of any game:  Apple iPad mini, Fossil watch, $100 Best Buy gift card, panoramic team photo, Schutt mini helmet.  I'd like to find one of these bowl game mini helmets on ebay.

I had Oregon State in this one, drifting to .500.  Need the Spartans to win in Tempe.  I'm sure their offense will look razor sharp...

Pinstripe Bow/Kraft Fight Hunger Bowl

Second and third games of the day.  Why in the world the San Francisco based Kraft Fight Hunger Bowl isn't played after 10pm is beyond me.

Great logo for the game at Yankee Stadium.  This is everything the Holiday Bowl logo is not.  Not so great weather.  And yet the NFL agreed to play the Super Bowl here, in February.  Enjoy that. 

West Virginia vs. Syracuse

Renewal of an old Big East rivalry, but no more thanks to WVU moving to the Big 12 where they found the playing wasn't as easy as they thought.  After a few games this season where they threw up a ton of points the Mountaineers game back to Earth and wound up losing five in a row.  Some "experts" were pushing West Virginia as a national title contender.

And then today's game happened.  A complete mess as Syracuse ran roughshod over the porous West Virginia defense like so many others did this season.  I foolishly chose West Virginia to win this game instead of looking at stats to see Syracuse was scoring a ton of points during the second half of the season.

Former Heisman hopeful Geno Smith may have hurt his draft stock the way he played for WVU today.  He made Gary Nova of Rutgers look competent.  Okay, it wasn't that bad, but it was bad.  Somehow Syracuse lost to Nova and Rutgers earlier this season.

Syracuse 34  WVU 14

Game notes:

-It's really hard to pick winners in these games but I should have seen this one coming.

-They get a good crowd for this lower tier game, over 38,000 for this one.  Being in New York City doesn't hurt.  I doubt that many would turn up for a game in Buffalo.

-I like the cold weather bowl game idea but it was snowing most of the game and this happens.

Not exactly fan friendly in person or on TV.

-Bowl swag:  The players clean up at this game.  Bowl committee would not disclose details about participants’ gifts, but last year’s gifts included a Sony video camera, Armitron watch, Balfour ring, New Era duffle bag, New Era caps, a winter hat, hoodie, sweatpants, thermal, polo and crew shirt.

If you hadn't figured it out by now, I had West Virgnia to win.

Navy vs. Arizona State

I only watched the second quarter of this beat down.  The Sun Devils scored touchdowns on their first nine possessions.  I don't think it took Arizona State more than three or four plays to score in the quarter I watched.

The game is still going on as I write this.  I didn't feel like creating a separate page for this game.

Done.

I had Arizona State with a fairly high confidence pick.  Should have made it higher.

Bowl record now (or will soon be) 9-7. 

Armed Forces Bowl

Time wise, the longest stretch of any day during the BowlQuest, starting at 11:45am with this game.  The games will go on until after 1am tonight.  Great for the west coasters, but too bad the late game doesn't feature west coast teams. 

Rice vs. Air Force

The day starts in Fort Worth with this less than exciting match up.  It was supposed to be battle between Air Force's option run game and Rice's defense.  I'm not even sure what conference Rice plays in (Conference USA?) and I'm positive I did not see Rice play once this season.

I was on the air at work while the first half of this game played out.  The Owls opened with the first touchdown followed by a couple scores for the Falcons.  This game was pretty much going as planned until both starting quarterbacks were knocked out the game with injuries.  Uh oh.

No starting QB to run their option attack, no more scoring for Air Force.  Meanwhile for Rice, freshman Driphus Jackson came in and lead the Owls to 26 straight points.

Rice wins 33-14.  They take a pretty cool trophy back to Houston, made from fragments taken from battle fields.

Game notes:

-Air Force only had 48 yards passing.  Air Force?

-Driphus Jackson has become the front runner for best name of BowlQuest. 

-Does Rice University have any famous alumni?  How about Howard Hughes?

 When told he had to leave the Desert Inn in Las Vegas, Hughes did what only a crazy billionaire would do, he bought the hotel.  While living at the Desert Inn, he bought several other hotels including the Silver Slipper just so he could reposition its lighted sign, which bothered him at night.  We need more guys like Howard Hughes.

-Bowl swag:  Sony gift suite, Fossil watch, Dakine backpack, Big Game football.  Not just a football, but a Big Game Football.

-Bell Helicopter is the sponsor of this game, which means they like you to think about them when you're shopping for your next helicopter.  Maybe the 525 Relentless?  It's a nice ride.  If Howard Hughes were around, he'd buy one, or twelve.

I picked Air Force to win, so another loss the bowl record, down to 8-7.

Independence/Russell Athletic/Meineke Car Care

Way too much bad football in one day.  Took in complete games on the first two (plus a nap) and half of the nightcap.

Ohio University vs. One of the Louisianas (Monroe)

Blow out.  Louisiana Monroe was favored but acted like they were unfamiliar with covering looping passes.  Bobcat receivers had no problem running past War Hawk defenders for huge chunks of yardage.

The final score was 45-14 but it was over at the half.  Ohio has some serious alliteration going on with quarterback Tyler Tettleton, running back Beau Blankenship (who scored four touchdowns, a new Indy bowl record) and wide receiver Chase Cochran (not really alliteration but I threw it in anyhow.)

Advocare is a multi-level marketing brand (pyramid scheme) for energy drinks and work out products featuring spokesperson Drew Brees of the Saints.  He claims other top athletes use the products.

The game is in Shreveport and the tourism board tries its best to drum up some visits by saying it's the other side of Louisiana.  Geographically, it certainly is.  Shreveport Mayor Cedric Glover appears in the ads and seems like an affable fellow, who bears a resemblance to a certain comic book villain. 

                                                                     Cedric Glover

                                                                           Kingpin

 This game has a serious trophy.  Here's a couple happy Bobcats holding it.  It appears to be a two man job.

I was way off on this pick, taking the War Hawks.  By the way, if you say that team name quickly it sounds like Warthogs, which I think we be a better name.

On to the second game of the day, the Russell Athletic Bowl, formerly the Champs Sports Bowl.

Rutgers vs. Virginia Tech

A match-up of former Big East foes.  Both teams play good defense.  To say they were offensively challenged would be an understatement.  This was easily the worst bowl game I've seen since the 2008 Sun Bowl when Oregon State beat Pittsburgh 3-0. 

I could run down the statistics of offensive futility in this game but you can look for yourself right here.  All you really need to know is that there were 21 total punts in this game.  Virginia Tech made their field goal in overtime while Rutgers missed, final score 13-10. 

In the second half, Mrs. Keith asked why I was watching this wretched game.  I really have no good answer.

ESPN stuck us with Matt Millen as analyst with play by play man Joe Tessitore.  Millen must have called him "Tess" more than 500 times during the game. I've never heard one announcer refer to the other by nickname like Millen did.  He is the absolute worst.  You get a lot of this with Millen, "Uh, Uh, Uh, Uh."  He's also calling the Orange Bowl next week, you've been forewarned. I guess it was appropriate he was calling this game.

The trophy presentation should have been someone throwing said trophy into a dumpster.  Neither team deserved an award for anything that happened.

Another missed pick for me, taking Rutgers. 

And the final game of the night.

The Meineke Car Care Bowl of Texas.  Couldn't they have come up with a longer name?

Minnesota vs. Texas Tech.

Coaching change alert.  Tommy Tuberville left the Red Raiders in the lurch to take the Cincinnati job.  There are stories suggesting Tuberville took the U.C. job in the middle of recruit visit at a Lubbock restaurant and actually left in the middle of the dinner without saying a word to the kids who came for the visit.  Classy guy, but you knew that already by the pleather sports coat he was wearing at the Belk Bowl.

At least this game had some scoring after the mess that was the previous game.  Minnesota put up more offense in their opening drive than Rutgers and Virginia Tech combined in the second half of their game.

To be honest, I really had no interest in this game, having been up since 3:15am.  I stuck around to the half and went to bed.  Both teams were really chippy with each other because who doesn't remember the great Gopher/Red Raiders game of yore? 

Texas Tech kicked a field goal with time expiring to win the game 34-31.  At least Minnesota head coach Jerry Kill didn't collapse on the sideline like he did twice during the regular season.  The man should seriously consider another line of work.

Game notes:

-Here's a picture of some of the game t-shirts that have been sold the last couple years.  Notice anything strange about them?

That's not the Texas state flag.  That's the flag of the country of Chile. Here's the Texas flag.

Nice.

-Despite the game logo being a belt buckle you cannot buy an actual belt buckle as a souvenir from this game.  This bowl game needs to find a new marketing firm. 

I picked this one correct - yeah me!  My record stands at 8-6. 

Big load of games today, five total starting at 11:45am.  Hopefully they'll be better than the hot mess that was Friday.

Belk Bowl/Holiday Bowl

The most Belking bowl game ever.  This was supposed to be a game that favored U.C. but another coach departure, the No. 1 story of bowl season, would come into play. 

U.C. vs. Duke

Butch Jones left his head coaching job at Cincinnati after the regular season and took some of his assistants with him.  It's the third time in less than 10 years this has happened at U.C.  The fans are complaining again about coaching loyalty yet students and alums regularly don't show up for games.  How's that for loyalty?  Maybe if U.C. could fill its stadium on a regular basis they might convince a coach to stay longer than three years.  Done soap boxing.

Well, the coaching bereft Bearcats weren't ready for the punch Duke threw at them in the first quarter, rolling up a bunch of yards on the ground and grabbing a 16-0 lead.  Blame all the departed coaches you want but the players didn't forget how to tackle. 

U.C. woke up in the second quarter, remembered how to play football and wound up leading 17-16 at the half.  This also happened in the second quarter. 

Will Monday with maybe the best play of the bowl season.  79 yards, turned left and ended at the one.  But being Duke, they let the Bearcats pinned back at their one to storm down the field in a few plays to score.

Having to work early on the air again, I only made it through the third quarter with the score 27-24 favoring U.C.  Too bad I couldn't stay awake.  A wild finish with the Bearcats scoring two touchdowns in the final 44 seconds including an 83 yard touchdown and a then an pick six.

Four turnovers for Duke, none for U.C., there's your game. 

48-34 U.C.

Game notes:

-Credit to U.C. for overcoming that awful first quarter.  They could have packed it in but the make shift coaching staff didn't let it happen.  Maybe they reminded the players the knew how to play football and Duke stinks.

-Tommy Tuberville did show up in the ESPN booth, wearing something he evidently picked up before Chess King went out of business.

That jacket appears to be made of pleather and part of the Burt Reynold's Sharky Machine collection. I half expected Tuberville to leave that interview for another about halfway through.

-Bowl swag:  Teams get a shopping trip to a Belk department store. And the Fossil watch. Who wears these things? A lot of Fossil watches are given away this time of year.  Maybe someone can find a pleather blazer like Tuberville's on sale at Belk.

-This was Duke's first trip to a bowl game since 1995.  They haven't won a bowl game since 1961, so that streak continues.

This game was the Belkiest of Belk Bowls.  I had U.C. to win with high confidence points, so thanks for the comeback Bearcats.

Boy #1 took in at least a quarter of this one to keep the BowlQuest alive.  I was out cold readying myself to talk to Bootsy Collins on the radio.  (He never says much but is a nice guy. Wears a lot of cologne.  A lot.)

UCLA vs. Baylor

An all Bear match-up of mascots and the Bears beat the Bruins 49-26 in a stinker following a riveting Belk Bowl.  They really Belked it up.  This game also has kept its logo intact, mistake.  Worst logo of all Bowl Games.

I had UCLA in this one but with very low confidence points, thankfully.  Record drops to 7-4.

Three games today and then five tomorrow including Michigan State late, really late.  This stretch will test the BowlQuest mettle.