Bertuccci's Bowling for Bowls Classic: Valero Alamo Bowl

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Valero Alamo Bowl


Location: Alamodome, San Antonio, Texas

Matchup: Penn State (Big Ten No. 5) vs. Texas ATM (Big XII No. 5)

Spread: Penn State -5.5


Smartass Comment about the Bowl Itself: Almost as important as the Spanish-American War.

Thoughts: Some interesting pregame nuggets in the days before this game. First, Penn State Quarterback Anthony Morelli noshowed the pregame press conference, then in a Texas ATM pep rally, a cheerleader wished death upon Penn State coach Joe Paterno. The Aggies have been a disappointment for years now and are under an interim coach, you know how that usually goes.


Pick: Penn State

Confidence: 19 out of 32

Bertuccci's Bowling for Bowls Classic: Autozone Liberty Bowl

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Autozone Liberty Bowl


Location: Liberty Bowl, Memphis, Tennessee

Matchup: UCF (Conference USA No. 1) vs. Mississippi State (SEC No. 5)

Spread: UCF -3


Smartass Comment about the Bowl Itself: If Patrick Henry were alive today, I have no doubt he’d say “Give me Liberty Bowl or give me death!”

Thoughts: A showcase game for the nation’s leading rusher Kevin Smith of UCF vs. Mississippi State’s run defense which gives up 4.25 yards per carry and 159 yards per game. Sylvester Croom pulled a miracle getting his team here, against a dynamic player like Smith. It is hard to expect them to triumph.

Pick: UCF

Confidence: 13 out of 32

Bertuccci's Bowling for Bowls Classic: Meineke Car Care Bowl

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Meineke Car Care Bowl

Location: Bank of America Stadium, Charlotte, North Carolina
Matchup: Wake Forest
Spread: TCU -2.5

Smartass Comment about the Bowl Itself: Its a sad day that we don't even notice when bowls are named after auto shop chains anymore.

Thoughts: A battle of two coaches who probably will not finish their careers at their respective schools after they are shown a plethora of opportunities. Both Jim Grobe and Randy Edsall have taken two schools who usually use football to warm up their fandom for March. I remember Wake taking pictures the entire time they were in Miami for last year's Orange Bowl, when they got beat by Louisville. I have a feeling they want to take care of business here while UConn may be amazed to be even in a bowl. That is why I am taking the Demon Deacs, slightly

Pick: Wake Forest
Confidence: 6 out of 32

Bertuccci's Bowling for Bowls Classic: Texas Bowl

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Texas Bowl

Location: Reliant Stadium, Houston, Texas
Matchup: TCU (Mountain West No. 3) vs. Houston (Conference USA No. 3)
Spread: TCU -6

Smartass Comment about the Bowl Itself: At least the bowl games aren't bigger in Texas.
Thoughts: Houston is playing without Head Coach Art Briles who left for Baylor. TCU gets Defensive End Tommy Blake for this game. Blake was supposed to be a surefire NFL Draft prospect but he's been in and out on cloudy circumstances to say the least. TCU is the better team and should win easily here.

Pick: TCU
Confidence: 18 out of 32

Bertuccci's Bowling for Bowls Classic: Emerald Bowl

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Emerald Bowl

Location: AT&T Park, San Francisco, California
Matchup: Oregon State (No. 6 Pac Ten) vs. Maryland (No. 6 ACC)
Spread: Oregon State -5

Smartass Comment about the Bowl Itself: What is a better December destination Em Bowl or Em City?

Thoughts: Battle of two teams who laid eggs in some highly visible Thursday night games. Oregon State vs. Cincinnati in Week 2 and Maryland vs. West Virginia the week after. I'm going with the devil I know best from the better conference, especially having already won 3 in a row.

Pick: Oregon State
Confidence: 4 out of 32

Bertuccci's Bowling for Bowls Classic: Champs Sports Bowl

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Champs Sports Bowl

Location: Citrus Bowl, Orlando, Florida
Matchup: Boston College (No. 5 ACC) vs. Michigan State (No. 6 Big Ten)
Spread: Boston College -4

Smartass Comment about the Bowl Itself: Do the T-Shirts say "Champs Sports Bowl Champs"?

Thoughts: Almost Top Tier program + Poor Traveling Fanbase= Low Bowl Invites= Matchups vs. Inferior Opponents= SEVEN GAME BOWL WINNING STREAK. Yeah that's how its done. Their last five bowl wins were vs. Toledo, Colorado State, North Carolina, Boise State (before Boise State was cool), and Navy. Michigan State doesn't appear to pose any more of a threat than those five schools did. Especially not with star Defensive End Jonal Saint-Dic Academically Diseligible. Matt Ryan and the Eagles should be able to take their frustrations of almost making a BCS bowl only to slip this far out on the Spartans, continuing their postseason "dominance".

Pick: Boston College
Confidence: 25 out of 32

Bertuccci's Bowling for Bowls Classic: Pacific Life Holiday Bowl

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Pacific Life Holiday Bowl

Location: Qualcomm Stadium, San Diego, California
Matchup: Texas (Big XII No. 3) vs. Arizona State (Pac Ten No. 2)
Spread: Texas -2.5

Smartass Comment about the Bowl Itself: The Bowl itself is one of the best December bowls around. The fact that the second place team in the Pac Ten goes here because the Pac Ten doesn't want their teams playing in any January bowl but the Rose Bowl is the joke.

Thoughts: First a little trivia, the last National Champion to come from a non "BCS bowl", BYU in the 1984 Holiday Bowl. As for this year's version its a battle of two teams who are almost mirror images of each other. Both teams have playmakers (Limas Sweed, Mike Jones) at WR. Both schools feature picturesque females that belong on recruiting brochures. Both teams defend the run well (Texas 10th, Arizona State 13th national rankings), but not the pass (Arizona State 69th, Texas 109th). All makes for a typical Holiday Bowl, fun, high scoring, close with the ball flying in the air a lot. I like ASU here slightly because of the matchup of their Wide Receivers against that awful Texas secondary.

Pick: Arizona State
Confidence: 8 out of 32

Bertuccci's Bowling for Bowls Classic: Motor City Bowl

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Motor City Bowl

Location: Ford Field, Detroit, Michigan
Matchup: Purdue (Big Ten No. 5) vs. Central Michigan (MAC No. 1)
Spread: Purdue -8

Smartass Comment about the Bowl Itself: The second most significant match at Ford Field to the Vince McMahon/Donald Trump "Hair vs. Hair" Match!

Thoughts: Another rematch, this time of a Purdue drubbing of the Chippewas back in September. While a closer game is expected, Central Michigan will have to give up less than the 223 yards rushing it gave up in the last matchup or their average of 163 yards per game to avenge their loss. Purdue would come here with a "vacation attitude" if the game was played anywhere other than Detroit.

Pick: Purdue
Confidence: 27 (out of 32)

Bertuccci's Bowling for Bowls Classic: Sheraton Hawai'i Bowl

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Sheraton Hawai'i Bowl

Location: Aloha Stadium, Honolulu, Hawai'i
Matchup: Boise State (No. 2 WAC) vs. East Carolina (No. 3 Conference USA)
Spread: Boise State -11

Smartass Comment about the Bowl Itself: Hopefully we'll see more of (Boise State Running Back) Ian Johnson's wife than (East Carolina Head Coach) Skip Holtz's dad.

Thoughts: ECU has donated thousands of tickets to military servicemen and women which is an awfully nice gesture and hopefully those who receive the tickets will cheer for the Pirates out of good faith gesture but it still may do them no good. Ian Johnson may not even have to have that good of a game. East Carolina ranks 115th nationally in passing defense.

Pick: Boise State
Confidence: 20 out of 32