Let's go bowling!
Here's hoping that you all have had a wonderful holiday season so far. Now that bowl season is kicking in full tilt, it is bound to get even more fun. Me? I take this time of the year off so the rest and relaxation is very nice.


Insight Bowl, 12/28 @ 10pm EST: Iowa vs. Missouri
Iowa is under manned but on a mission. Not sure Mizzou feels this was as good as it could get. Iowa 23 - Mizzou 20

Texas Bowl, 12/29 @ 6pm EST: Illinois vs. Baylor
Illinois laid an egg in the Fresno game but is better than their record. Baylor fizzled after a hot start. Ill-i-n-i 30 - Baylor 20

Holiday Bowl, 12/30 @ 10pm EST: Nebraska vs. Washington
Are you kidding? What happened to this game? Historically a great one. UW's only hope is that NU gets lost on the way. Corn 37 - Cool Dogs 17

TicketCity Bowl, 1/1 @ 12pm EST: Northwestern vs. Texas Tech
Northwestern with Persa wins this game. Despite time for the backup to get better acclimated... TT 41 - NU 24

Gator Bowl, 1/1 @ 1pm EST: Michigan vs. Mississippi State
Is this Rich Rods swan song? This MSU has little offense to speak of but the M defense - or lack thereof will provide chances to score. The Bulldogs get it done. Miss State 26 - M 24

Outback Bowl, 1/1 @ 1pm EST: Penn State vs. Florida
The retirement bowl? Not according to Mrs. JoePa. Penn State is better than Florida and gets the Big Ten a nice win. PSU 27 - FLA 21

Capital One Bowl, 1/1 @ 1pm EST: Michigan State vs. Alabama
Not a bad consolation prize for an MSU team that should be in a BCS game. Bama is good, really good, but are they into this game? MSU starts slow but stuns old Nicky Saban on a late trick score. MSU 24 - Bama 17

Rose Bowl, 1/1 @ 5pm EST: Wisconsin vs. TCU
Wisconsin is good. So is TCU. This is an intriguing game of great O vs. great D. I hope the Big Ten gets the W but feel like TCU has something to prove. TCU 20 - UW 17

Sugar Bowl, 1/4 @ 8:30pm EST: Ohio State vs. Arkansas

I still can't believe that money wins of the suspensions. But then again, it is why Cam Newton is still playing. OSU wins a wild one 31 to 28.

The Most Wonderful Time of the Year
Happy Holidays TFS followers!

It has been a wild, busy stretch for me but I finally have a few minutes to post some football thoughts, think a little hoops and get the Get Gamm finale up and running.

I realize that I've missed blogging about the Big Ten - ACC Challenge (Victory for the Big Ten!) and that I didn't even get the most basic of hoops predictions up. Work and life go that way sometimes. Hoops and swimming for my kids, a ton of travel lately with a busy winter ahead, and some cool stuff at work, such as signing Kurt Warner to be spokesperson for my product line, have all taken me away from the blog. But never fear, I'm back! At least for a few visits over the next couple of weeks...

Final regular season football thoughts... It was a great year for the Big Ten. While a wide chasm exists between the top (Michigan State, Ohio State and Wisconsin) and the rest of the pack who sits at 7-5 or worse, the league is set up to have some success in the bowl season. Can the conference continue last year's momentum? Shut up the SEC? Win the big ones? I hope so.

I am still a little sore at the BCS snub for the Spartans. Not because UW and tOSU aren't deserving. But rather because UConn gets to go at 8-4? Please. We need a tweak to the rules for who qualifies for BCS games. That said, the fam is going to Orlando for our third trip in four years during bowl season and the match-up with 'Bama is one of the best of all 35 games.

The league mopped up in award season, and deservedly so. I still don't get how Ray Guy leaves out an Aaron Bates but as I live at the office sometimes, politics can reign over facts and data!

I am ambivalent to the recent division names announcement from the conference. I'd have preferred something more like Lakes and Plains or Black and Blue but it is what it is. I also have to mimic a question from some of the national pundits... that logo? Seriously? The Big Ten paid to have that made? My 3rd grade daughter came up with something nicer... and for FREE! In the end, that is all window dressing but still, we couldn't get better? The awards? Now those they nailed...

Hooping it up... Bummed that I never got around to picking the Big Ten. There are going to be a lot of good teams and the race is as open as ever. Right now I'd have to say I like Ohio State to repeat, but don't count out MSU just because of some early losses.

It was also nice to see the league rough up the ACC a bit. Hoping that trend continues.

As for Get Gamm for hoops... probably a no go this year. Just too much to do and too many games to try and track. Instead, let's do this. Everyone pick the order of finish (ties are fine) and the closest to wins Get Gamm for bball. Deal? Tiebreaker is teams in the Big Dance.

Speaking of Get Gamm... The only playa to have a better than .500 record in the last week was Dan. That moved him into a tie at the top with nine bowl games to pick. Picks are due by December 28 at 10pm EST.

Insight Bowl, 12/28 @ 10pm EST: Iowa vs. Missouri
Texas Bowl, 12/29 @ 6pm EST: Illinois vs. Baylor
Holiday Bowl, 12/30 @ 10pm EST: Nebraska vs. Washington
TicketCity Bowl, 1/1 @ 12pm EST: Northwestern vs. Texas Tech
Gator Bowl, 1/1 @ 1pm EST: Michigan vs. Mississippi State
Outback Bowl, 1/1 @ 1pm EST: Penn State vs. Florida
Capital One Bowl, 1/1 @ 1pm EST: Michigan State vs. Alabama
Rose Bowl, 1/1 @ 5pm EST: Wisconsin vs. TCU
Sugar Bowl, 1/4 @ 8:30pm EST: Ohio State vs. Arkansas