Bowl games are an interesting fixture of college football. No other sport that I know of features several one-off games, most of which have no significance on a team’s season, at the end of the season. And yet bowl games are here to stay, despite a playoff on the horizon. Let’s take a look at some of the games and point out a few interesting notes:
If you want teams familiar with each other, watch: Syracuse and West Virginia, who meet in the Pinstripe Bowl. The Orange and Mountaineers have played 59 previous times, with Syracuse holding a 32-27 edge. WVU is Syracuse’s fourth-most played opponent, and Syracuse is WVU’s third-most played. The two teams used to play for the Ben Schwartzwalder Trophy, named after a former WVU player and Syracuse coach. No word as to whether the trophy will be up for grabs in the game.
If you want offense, watch: Oklahoma vs. Texas A&M in the Cotton Bowl. Both teams average over 500 yards per game; this is the only bowl matchup to feature two such teams. Or, you could watch Kansas State vs. Oregon in the Fiesta Bowl; both teams are in the top ten in scoring (Oregon is 2nd at 50.8 PPG; K-State is 10th at 40.8), and this is the only bowl game to feature two such teams.
If you want defense, watch: well, the national title game. Alabama is first in rushing defense and total defense, second in scoring defense, sixth in passing defense, and eighth in passing efficiency defense. Notre Dame is first in scoring defense, fourth in rushing defense, and sixth in total defense.
If you love rematches, watch: Iowa State vs. Tulsa in the Liberty Bowl. The teams played in the first game of the year for each, with Iowa State winning 38-23 at home. Will be the outcome be different this time, since Tulsa has won a conference title and ISU is 6-6?
If you want to support a hometown team, watch: BYU versus San Diego State in the Poinsettia Bowl, where the Aztecs play in their home stadium (Qualcomm Stadium). Or you could pick N.C. State versus Vanderbilt in the Music City Bowl. While it’s not in their home stadium, the Commodores don’t have to leave Nashville to play in their bowl game.
If you want to support a team that had to travel a long way, watch: Fresno State versus SMU in the Hawai’i Bowl. The Mustangs will have to travel almost 3,800 miles to reach Honolulu. If you want to stay on the mainland, watch Arizona State and Navy in the Fight Hunger Bowl. The Midshipmen will travel over 2,400 miles to reach San Francisco.
If you want a familiar face in a bowl, watch: either the Rose Bowl or the BBVA Compass Bowl. Wisconsin makes its third straight trip to Pasadena, where they will face Stanford, while Pittsburgh comes to Birmingham for the third straight year to play Ole Miss.
Other quick thoughts: Tigers vs. Tigers in the Chick-Fil-A Bowl, as Clemson plays LSU; Bears vs. Bruins in the Holiday Bowl, as Baylor plays UCLA…Western Kentucky gets their first-ever bowl invite, and will play Central Michigan in the Little Caesars Bowl…elite academic schools can win, too: Duke, Northwestern, Rice, Stanford, and Vanderbilt are all playing in bowl games (it’s the first time ever that all five have participated in the same year).
And now, for the absolute nerdiest thing I’ve ever stated in this spot: Ready to get your mind blown? Here we go. Alabama started the year playing the team with the best all-time winning percentage in college football. It will end the year playing the team with the best all-time winning percentage, if Michigan loses to South Carolina in the Outback Bowl. Here’s how:
At the beginning of the year, here’s how Michigan and Notre Dame stood:
| Rank | Team | Wins | Losses | Ties | Winning % |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | Michigan | 895 | 312 | 38 | 73.4136546% |
| #2 | Notre Dame | 853 | 301 | 41 | 73.0962343% |
Since then, Notre Dame has gone 12-0, and Michigan 8-4, leading to this:
| Rank | Team | Wins | Losses | Ties | Winning % |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | Notre Dame | 865 | 301 | 41 | 73.3637117% |
| #2 | Michigan | 903 | 316 | 38 | 73.3492442% |
But if Michigan wins against South Carolina on January 1, they will move back to #1 with a 904-316-38 (73.3704293%) record. If Michigan loses, of course, they can’t jump ahead of Notre Dame, which would mean Alabama would start the season with the team with the #1 winning percentage (Michigan) and finish it with the team with the #1 winning percentage (Notre Dame). Easy, right?
Congratulations to The Tradition, who wins their third week of the year, with 53 points. thelittlebaldguy finished second with 52 points, and jagrag was third with 50 points.
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Brandon German
e-Systems.net, Inc.