TOP 10 MOST ENTERTAINING BOWL MATCH-UPS

10. R+L Carriers New Orleans Bowl (12/21 8:15pm - ESPN)
Southern Miss (6-6) vs. Troy (8-4)

The Dawgfather has a very warm spot in his heart for R+L Carriers since their national headquarters is in the same town where I played my college football. This is an interesting match-up since both teams have good offenses, but Troy has a much better defense than the Golden Eagles do. The three headed monster of Austin Davis, Damion Fletcher, and DeAndre Brown will put up points for Southern Miss. But don’t overlook the Troy offense! DuJuan Harris has been running well at the end of the season for Troy, and his ability to grind out clock and keep the Golden Eagles’ offense off the field will be a major factor for Troy’s hope to win. The Dawgfather’s Pick – Brett Favre will help inspire his Golden Eagles, but it will be the “Titanic Troy” Defense that will be the deciding factor.

9. Chick-Fill-A Bowl (12/31 7:30pm - ESPN)
LSU (7-5) vs. Georgia Tech (9-3)

The Dawgfather has been a fan of Paul Johnson all the way back to his days at Georgia Southern. Now he has another team in the Peach State running the opposition in the ground. On the flip side LSU was a favorite to play in the SEC championship game. Instead it has been the poor play at QB that has made LSU just an average team. Charles Scott will hammer away at the Yellow Jacket defense, but that will not compare to the “Rocky Balboa-like” pounding the GT option game will inflict on LSU. 400+ yards against Georgia and Miami has The Dawgfather feeling the groove! The Dawgfather’s Pick – Jonathan “DDT” Dwyer will explode through the LSU defensive front and “The Option Guru” Paul Johnson will continue to show why he is one of the best coaches in college football.

8. Pioneer Las Vegas Bowl (12/20 8pm - ESPN)
BYU (10-2) vs. Arizona (7-5)

Weather forecasts for Las Vegas have snow!!!!!! I wonder if the devil is playing hockey in hell right now? Although both offenses are good in the air, it will be the ground game that will make the difference with the inclement weather. Expect Harvey Unga and Keola Antolin to have good games, but the problem is that more of the BYU offense is centered around Max Hall throwing the ball than what is expected from Willie Tuitama. Both monster TEs will be used more than normal when the ball is put through the air. This is a difficult game to gauge, so I’m going with experience in this one. The Dawgfather’s Pick – Arizona has only watched bowl games over the last several years, while BYU is accustomed to playing the Pac-10 in the Las Vegas Bowl. The “Mormon Monsters” will find a way to pull out the big play late to give them the win.

7. Valero Alamo Bowl (12/29 8pm - ESPN)
Missouri (9-4) vs. Northwestern (9-3)

No bad weather will affect these explosive offenses. This will be a great shootout to watch. Forget about the Big XII championship game loss, Mizzu will be ready to play in this one! Chase Daniel will be looking to improve his draft stock, so expect to see him efficient in the passing game. You can bet that Northwestern will be looking to add credibility to their great season and show the country the Big Ten is not as weak as everyone has been saying. The Dawgfather’s Pick – Tyrell Sutton is back and ready to go, but he won’t be able to keep up with the firm of Daniel & Maclin.

6. Poinsettia Bowl (12/23 8pm - ESPN)
Boise State (12-0) vs. TCU (10-2)

Like in boxing, great differences in style make great match-ups. Boise State has an explosive offense that is always hard to prepare for in a bowl game, and TCU has one of the best defenses in the country (remember them holding Oklahoma to under 40 points?). The Horned Frog front four will shut down the Bronco running game, and force Kellen Moore to carry the offense on his back. Boise is at its best when they are balanced, so if they can find a way to ground out yards they will give TCU fits. The Dawgfather’s Pick – The Dawgfather is a defensive guy and that’s the way I have to lean in this one. Jerry “Hercules” Hughes will be in the Boise backfield so much that he will look like Kellen Moore’s backpack. Fear the Frog!

5. Tostitos Fiesta Bowl (1/5 8pm - FOX)
Ohio State (10-2) vs. Texas (11-1)

College football traditions collide in Arizona! Texas is absolutely steaming over being left out of the Big XII championship game, and Colt McCoy is steaming at losing the Heisman simply because Bradford played one more game than him. Look for a fast start by Mac Brown’s Boys in this one. The problem the Bucks have is that their offense is not geared at keeping up with a high octane offense. Beanie Wells will have to keep the Texas offense off the field, and Terrelle Pryor will have to show us a Vince Young like performance for Ohio State to keep in this one late. The Dawgfather’s Pick – “Brown’s Bombers” will carpet bomb the Bucks and leave Buckeye nation crying in their beers after a BCS bowl game…..yet again!

4. Texas Bowl (12/30 8pm – NFL Network)
Western Michigan (9-3) vs. Rice (9-3)

This will be a great match-up of QB/WR combos. If you don’t know about the Rice combo of Clement/Dillard and the Western Michigan combo of Hiller/Simmons, make sure to watch these guys light it up in Texas. The big difference between the two QBs is that Clement lights it up with the big play, while Hiller is as cool and patient at the helm like Iceman was in Top Gun. This game is one where you can check your defense at the door, and it will come down to which QB has the ball in his hands last. The Dawgfather’s Pick – Tim “Steady Pillar” Hiller will drive his team down the field in a late methodical drive to take the lead, but the big play ability of Dillard will turn the game for Rice with only seconds left.

3. GMAC Bowl (1/6 8pm - ESPN)
Ball State (12-1) vs. Tulsa (10-3)

Another great match-up of mid-major offense that is deserving of a January bowl game. There couldn’t have been a better GMAC Bowl match-up, and finally this game won’t be as pitiful as years past. Ball State lost their hopes of an undefeated season and head coach Brady Hoke, but how much will those things affect their play in the game is still unknown. Tulsa on the other hand has their head coach, and The Dawgfather knows Todd Graham personally so I can realistically say he is one of the best under-rated coaches in the country. In the C-USA championship game David Johnson looked like he was sleep walking through the contest, and how he decides to bounce back will be the biggest factor for Tulsa’s success. The Dawgfather’s Pick – Graham’s Goleden Wave defense will throw more blitzes at Nate Davis than he has seen all year, but it will be MiQuale “Mighty Mouse” Lewis that leads Ball State to a hard fought victory.

2. FedEx BCS National Championship Game (1/8 8pm - FOX)
Florida (12-1) vs. Oklahoma (12-1)

I know most people are saying this will be the best game of the bowl season, but I’m not adding the national championship into consideration here. The two hottest offenses will trade punches, but there’s a problem in Norman. The injury bug is popping up at the worst time. DeMarco Murray is out, and the defensive line is banged up. The Dawgfather expects Percy Harvin to play, giving Tim Tebow all weapons at his disposal. With everything being talked about this game, The Dawgfather doesn’t know why anyone isn’t talking about what will determine the winner? The Dawgfather’s Pick – What did I say before: defense, defense, defense! Oklahoma’s defense in big games has been lackluster, and Florida has the right combination of speed and strength to slow down the run and pass game of the Sooners. Look to see people in Norman exploring new names for “Big Game” Stoops, and look for a new Tim “Superman” Tebow statue to be erected on campus in Gainesville.

1. Pacific Life Holiday Bowl (12/30 8pm - ESPN)
Oklahoma State (9-3) vs. Oregon (9-3)

When it comes to top-notch bowl game entertainment, it comes down to shootouts that go down to the wire. The Dawgfather sees many comparisons to the 1980 Holiday Bowl.

Oregon is like SMU, possessing a pulverizing ground game behind the likes of Masoli, Johnson, and Blount. While Oklahoma State reminds me of the BYU squad led The Dawgfather’s favorite QB of all-time: Jim McMahon. Zac Robinson can lead his offense down the field and keep pace with Oregon, or if needed engineer a “McMahon-esk” comeback with the help of Dez “The Beast” Bryant. The Dawgfather can’t wait to see how this one will come out, and for my prognostication reputation I wish I didn’t have to pick a winner. The Dawgfather’s Pick – The Dawgfather would always rather be a Husky, so I will let my hatred of “That Team From Eugene” decide it. Gundy leads his team to victory because he’s a man, and he’s 40!