For those of you unaware, there is a college football version of March Madness. At the end of the regular season, a total of 39 bowl games are played (and one national championship) as an end-cap to every above .500 football team in the country. In a way, it is what all teams are playing for. Attend a bowl game, win the bowl game, celebrate. Well of course, the general public has to find a way to turn this into a game.
The way you play is to pick a winner in each of the games and then assign a number, 1 through 40, to each game (using each number once). The number you assign to each game is the number of points you earn if you pick correctly. So if I put 7 points on Michigan to beat Alabama, I am not very confident in my pick. Put 38 on a game, you are feeling good you know what will happen. Then, you join a pool with all your coworkers and friends and see who ends the bowl season with the most points. It is admittedly not as fun as March Madness but December Derangement Dementia can still make you care about games you have no business watching during the Holiday.
Here is a few picks to get you started:
32 Points- Utah State over Kent State: There is a bowl game this Friday night and if you are going to have any reason to care we are going to need a significant point investment. Utah State is a legitimately fun team to watch and they should handle the Golden Flashes easily. I can’t believe this, but I can’t find a way to make a joke about Kent State’s mascot being the Golden Flash.
4 Points- Tulane over Sothern Miss: I can say with supreme confidence I have not seen either of these teams play football in my entire adult life. I hear the Tulane Coach might be a hot commodity though, so if you are looking for a new Coach (I happen to know just a few readers who are….) this might be one to watch.
18 Points- Louisiana Tech over Miami: I love the upset here, but I don’t love it so much that I am betting the house. Miami will have no desire to play in this game (they will feel it beneath them) and LATech in front of their home fans will relish the opportunity. Can’t pick the favorites in all these games.
36 Points – UCF over Marshall: This a lock for UCF to win. Dillon Gabriel is a future NFL QB who’s name we will be saying for a long time. Watch him while you can still say “I remember when he was a Freshman.” Love this guy.
3 Points – Iowa over USC: Two of the most unpredictable programs in the last few years, capable of beating anyone and losing to anyone. That is where the comparisons stop however, as Ferentz’s Hawkeyes are the poster child for Midwestern football. Run the ball, solid defense, lots of white guys. Versus whatever Alcoholic coach USC currently has staffed is the prime example of West Coach football. Throw it everywhere, maybe fire your coach, maybe win the Pac12. Who has any idea which of these two teams is going to show up? I’ll take the Big10. This is one of those games that really highlights December Dementia Disorder
28 Points- Florida over Virginia: Really good SEC team versus any team from the ACC not named Clemson, give me Florida. Bryce Perkins from Virginia is pretty good but being better in one out of 22 positions is usually not enough. Usually…. Okay downgrade it to 19 points. Or take Virginia if you are feeling wild.
34 Points- Wake Forest over Michigan State: Jamie Newman is really fun and Michigan State is not. I don’t see the chip on the shoulder Spartans we are used to seeing. Wake will be highly motivated and I think they win big.
Hold on Spartan fans, put those pitchforks back.
39 Points- Alabama over Michigan: This game is going to give me December Disorder Dysentery
30 Points- Georgia over Baylor: Every year the SEC loses a bowl game that makes absolutely no sense… but this isn’t the one. Georgia wins the line of scrimmage easily and controls the game.
25 Points – Auburn over Minnesota: Much like my high school basketball senior year: The fun, Cinderella season is coming to a grinding halt. There is no gold at the end of this rainbow Mr. Fleck. Did you know the author of this post was once the 682 rated best player in Michigan? YEESH! Get this guy a scholarship!
1 Point – Ohio over Clemson: Everyone is picking an LSU vs OSU championship but pump the brakes. Counting Clemson out is never a good idea. I want to believe that Ohio is historically great to help my bruised ego, but even so, Clemson is stacked top to bottom. They seem to do pretty well when people count them out…
(SIDE NOTE: Stop claiming Joe Burrow Buckeyes, most of you won’t even let Wolverines say we even liked Tom Brady. It’s like Britain taking success for anything United States does now, “well they were here first.” No dude, we LEFT your team. Unless Justin Fields is actually still a Bulldog? (Why can’t he still be a Bulldog.)
40 Points – LSU over Oklahoma: They let 4 teams in the playoffs but I see Oklahoma as the worst team since MSU to ever make the final four. It’s clear it is a three horse race.
Other picks:
6 Points – Wisconsin over Oregon: Take the Under
17 Points – Memphis over Penn State: Take the Over
15 Points – Tennessee over Indiana: Both of these teams are fun?
33 Points – Utah over Texas: Texas is BACK! To being mediocre
11 Points – Georgia Southern over Liberty: Really look for Georgia Southern to set the pace with their high tempo offense. It might be a struggle for Liberty to get … hahahaha. These are FBS schools?
5 Points – Buffalo over Charlotte: The first bowl game of the season will cure your December Dysentery Dysphoria
Gamenotes 