Happy New Year’s Day gang! Yesterday Jerry went 2-2 while I continue to struggle with a 1-3 overall day. Today is the annual tradition of B1G versus SEC bowl games. So I could be sealing my fate on the first day of 2013.
Again, instead of giving you each bowl game all at once we’ll give you are picks in a daily dose of them.
Tuesday – January 1, 2012
TaxSlayer.com Gator Bowl (Jacksonville, Florida): Mississippi State Bulldogs (8-4, 4-4 SEC) v. 20 Northwestern Wildcats (9-3, 5-3 B1G), 11 am/ESPN2
M – Sure Mississippi State plays in the big bad SEC but they took care of business winning games they should’ve in getting to its win total. Northwestern on the other hand gagged wins at Penn State, versus Nebraska and at Michigan in overtime by less than 20 points. The Wildcats haven’t won a bowl in a long long long time and have been close but not yet sealed the deal. Give me Cain Colter and the Willy Wildcat! The Pick: Northwestern 35 Mississippi State 27
J – Once again, I know it’s not wise to pick against the SEC in bowl season but every time the Bulldogs have had any kind of test this year, they’ve fallen flat on their face. Conversely, Northwestern deserved better than their 3rd place finish in the B1G Legends and Pat Fitzgerald is one of the better coaches in the country. The Wildcats’ 62-year bowl win drought ends here. The Pick: Northwestern 31 Mississippi State 21
Heart of Dallas Bowl (Dallas, Texas): Purdue Boilermakers (6-6, 3-5 B1G) v. Oklahoma State Cowboys (7-5, 5-4 Big XII), 11 am/ESPNU
M – While I picked the Big Ten in the previous game I cannot do so in this one given how potent Oklahoma State is. Purdue has seen balanced attacks like the ‘Pokes have but the speed is what will kill. Mike Gundy and the Cowboys win at the Cotton … errr Heart of Dallas Bowl at the Cotton Bowl Stadium. The Pick: Oklahoma State 49 Purdue 17
J – While the Cowboys have sputtered to the finish line because of injuries, Purdue is bowl eligible solely because they finished their schedule with Iowa, Illinois and Indiana. Even in a diminished state, Mike Gundy’s offense should carry OK State to victory. The Pick: Oklahoma State 38 Purdue 14
CapitalOne Bowl (Orlando, Florida): 7 Georgia Bulldogs (11-2, 7-1 SEC) v. 16 Nebraska Cornhuskers (10-3, 7-1 B1G), Noon/ABC
M – I think we’ll know early if Jarvis Jones, Aaron Murray and crew want to be at this game while Taylor Martinez and the artist formally known as the Blackshirts want to show something. These teams come into the game on polar opposite ends. The Bulldogs nearly defeated Alabama for a spot in the BCS title game, while the Huskers allowed a 7-5 Wisconsin team to run wild for 70 points in its conference title game. I’m picking the upset because I believe at the end of the day pride matters for this large senior class for the Big Red (Nebraska), sure I’ve seen every game for NU but they do play better after a loss/being counted out plus they do have a potent offense. Bo-Lieve Husker Nation (even if its hard given the challenge). The Pick: Nebraska 24 Georgia 17
J – I know Boss won’t be happy but hard to think Nebraska will be able to stop Todd Gurley after the debacle in the B1G championship game against Wisconsin. The Bulldogs definitely have more post-championship game hangover potential but they’re also more talented. The Pick: Georgia 35 Nebraska 17
Outback Bowl (Tampa Bay, Florida): 10 South Carolina Gamecocks (10-2, 6-2 SEC) v. 18 Michigan Wolverines (8-4, 6-2 B1G), Noon/ESPN
M – Last year on this day the Gamecocks destroyed another mobile Big Ten quarterback just down the road on I-4. A year later they’ll get another chance to do so with the Maize and Blue the victim. Brady Hoke’s team hasn’t lost in Ann Arbor since he took the job and location/superior are the reasons I’m being “Cocky” with my pick. Go ahead look it up, because it might be the same score as South Carolina’s bowl win last year. The Pick: South Carolina 31 Michigan 13
J – This game will not see either team at full strength as the Gamecocks are without running back Marcus Lattimore following his horrific injury (best wishes from everyone here at 4 Quarters on his pro career) while the Wolverines will not have suspended cornerback J.T. Floyd. Expect a now healthy Conor Shaw to exploit that absence and for Jadeveon Clowney to begin his 2013 Heisman campaign by having Denard Robinson wear him for 3 hours. The Pick: South Carolina 26 Michigan 13
Rose Bowl Game presented by Vizio (Pasadena, California): Wisconsin Badgers (8-5, 4-4 B1G) v. 6 Stanford Cardinal (11-2, 8-1 PAC-12), 4 pm/ESPN
M – The Grandaddy of them all has the fourth or fifth best Big Ten team against arguable the hottest team in college football as the season ended. Barry Alvarez (3-0 in the Rose Bowl Game) returns to the sideline as the Badgers former coach went to call the hogs in Fayetteville. David Shaw, Stepfan Taylor plus Kevin Hogan give the Cardinal payback for a loss given on New Year’s Day 2000 by Alvarez and Wisconsin in this game. The Pick: Stanford 38 Wisconsin 24
J – Wisconsin’s got the perfect coach for an interim spot in Barry Alvarez, who is 3 for 3 in Rose Bowl appearances with the Badgers, the last of which was a 17-9 win over Stanford in 2000. I do believe the Badgers will rally around the situation and make this a competitive game but keep in mind, this is a Stanford that if not for some shaky calls in South Bend and a fluky Thursday night loss at Century Link Field could be playing for the national championship. The Pick: Stanford 35 Wisconsin 31
Discover Orange Bowl (Miami, Florida): 15 Northern Illinois Huskies (12-1, 8-0 MAC) v. 12 Florida State Seminoles (11-2, 7-1 ACC), 7:30 pm/ESPN
M – Look I’m sure my colleague is sweating bullets over this game as everyone at Mt. ESPN has been providing locker-room material for Northern Illinois. Jordan Lynch is confident heading into this game and has said as much leading up to the game. Florida State is the more talented team and is playing in their home state in front of what probably will feel like a home game. To quote the judge in Caddyshack “Well we’re waiting” for FSU to show us something that they are in fact back as “power”. The Pick: Northern Illinois 26 Florida State 21
J – As a Seminole fan, this game absolutely petrifies me. For Northern Illinois, this is the biggest game in the history of their program. For Florida State, it might be their 4th most important game this season. If the Seminoles win, great, they’re supposed to win. If Northern Illinois wins, it’s remembered forever. Combine this with the Seminoles lackluster effort on offense the last 2 games and the fact that they are now without Brandon Jenkins AND Tank Carradine along the pass rush and I have serious concerns about this one. FSU should win based on talent, but it won’t come easy. The Pick: Florida State 33 Northern Illinois 28
Rankings are from BcS Standings
Current Bowl Record: Mike (7-16), Jerry (10-13)
Regular Season Total: Jerry (92-49), Mike (92-49)
Previous Bowl Pick’em Results
Current Bowl Results –
Gilden New Mexico Bowl: Nevada 48 Arizona 49
Famous Idaho Potato Bowl: Toledo 15 Utah State 41
San Diego County Credit Union Poinsettia Bowl: BYU 23 San Diego State 6
Beef “O” Brady Bowl St. Petersburg: Ball State 17 UCF 38
R+L Carriers New Orleans Bowl: East Carolina 34 Louisiana-Lafayette 43
MAACO Bowl Las Vegas: Washington 26 Boise State 28
Sheraton Hawai’i Bowl: Fresno State 10 SMU 43
Little Caesars Bowl: Western Kentucky 21 Central Michigan 24
Military Bowl presented by Northrop Grumman: San Jose State 29 Bowling Green 20
Belk Bowl: Cincinnati 48 Duke 34
Bridgeport Education Holiday Bowl: Baylor 49 UCLA 26
AdvoCare V100 Independence Bowl: Ohio 45 Louisiana-Monroe 14
Russell Athletic Bowl: Rutgers 10 Virginia Tech 13 F/OT
Meineke Car Care Bowl of Texas: Minnesota 31 Texas Tech 34
Bell Helicopter Armed Forces Bowl: Rice 33 Air Force 14
New Era Pinstripe Bowl: West Virginia 14 Syracuse 38
Kraft Fight Hunger Bowl: Navy 28 Arizona State 62
Valero Alamo Bowl: Texas 31 Oregon State 27
Buffalo Wild Wings Bowl: TCU 16 Michigan State 17
Franklin American Mortgage Music City Bowl: North Carolina State 24 Vanderbilt 38
Hyundai Sun Bowl: Southern California 7 Georgia Tech 21
AutoZone Liberty Bowl: Iowa State 17 Tulsa 31
Chick-fil-A Bowl: LSU 24 Clemson 25
Follow us on twitter @MikeVmos and @Jerrydpxp86
2013 posts: 1
