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2010-2011 College Football Bowl Game Television Schedule

Tue, 07 Dec 2010 20:15:38 -0500

Despite what you may hear from skeptics, there's no better season in all of sports than college football bowl season and the complete television schedule for the bowl games is right here on Fanblogs, brought to you by BangTheBook.com.

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Date/Time/TV	Bowl	Site	Matchup
Saturday Dec. 18 2:00 pm ET ESPN	New Mexico Bowl Bowl Tickets Flights + Hotels Odds & Picks	Albuquerque, NM University Stadium	BYU vs. UTEP
Saturday Dec. 18 5:30 pm ET ESPN	Roady's Humanitarian Bowl Bowl Tickets Flights + Hotels Odds & Picks	Boise, ID Bronco Stadium	Northern Illinois vs. Fresno St
Saturday Dec. 18 9:00 pm ET ESPN	R+L Carriers New Orleans Bowl Bowl Tickets Flights + Hotels Odds & Picks	New Orleans, LA Louisiana Superdome	Ohio vs. Troy
Tuesday Dec. 21 8:00 pm ET ESPN	Beef O'Brady's Bowl Bowl Tickets Flights + Hotels Odds & Picks	St. Petersburg, FL Tropicana Field	Louisville vs. Southern Miss
Wednesday Dec. 22 8:00 pm ET ESPN	MAACO Bowl Las Vegas Bowl Tickets Flights + Hotels Odds & Picks	Las Vegas, NV Sam Boyd Stadium	Utah vs. Boise State
Thursday Dec. 23 8:00 pm ET ESPN	San Diego County Credit Union Poinsettia Bowl Bowl Tickets Flights + Hotels Odds & Picks	San Diego, CA Qualcomm Stadium	San Diego St vs. Navy
Friday Dec. 24 8:00 pm ET ESPN	Sheraton Hawai'i Bowl Bowl Tickets Flights + Hotels Odds & Picks	Honolulu, HI Aloha Stadium	Hawaii vs. Tulsa
Sunday Dec. 26 8:30 pm ET ESPN	Little Caesars Pizza Bowl Bowl Tickets Flights + Hotels Odds & Picks	Detroit, MI Ford Field	Florida Intl vs. Toledo
Monday Dec. 27 5:00 pm ET ESPN	AdvoCare V100 Independence Bowl Bowl Tickets Flights + Hotels Odds & Picks	Shreveport, LA Independence Stadium	Air Force vs. Georgia Tech
Tuesday Dec. 28 6:30 pm ET ESPN	Champs Sports Bowl Bowl Tickets Flights + Hotels Odds & Picks	Orlando, FL Florida Citrus Bowl Stadium	West Virginia vs. NC State
Tuesday Dec. 28 10:00 pm ET ESPN	Insight Bowl Bowl Tickets Flights + Hotels Odds & Picks	Tempe, AZ Sun Devil Stadium	Missouri vs. Iowa
Wednesday Dec. 29 2:30 pm ET ESPN	Military Bowl Bowl Tickets Flights + Hotels Odds & Picks	Washington, DC RFK Stadium	East Carolina vs. Maryland
Wednesday Dec. 29 6:00 pm ET ESPN	Texas Bowl Bowl Tickets Flights + Hotels Odds & Picks	Houston, TX Reliant Stadium	Baylor vs. Illinois
Wednesday Dec. 29 9:15 pm ET ESPN	Valero Alamo Bowl Bowl Tickets Flights + Hotels Odds & Picks	San Antonio, TX Alamodome	Arizona vs. Oklahoma State
Thursday Dec. 30 12:00pm ET ESPN	Bell Helicopter Armed Forces Bowl Bowl Tickets Flights + Hotels Odds & Picks	Fort Worth, TX Amon G. Carter Stadium	Army vs. SMU
Thursday Dec. 30 3:15 pm ET ESPN	New Era Pinstripe Bowl Bowl Tickets Flights + Hotels Odds & Picks	New York, NY Yankee Stadium	Kansas St vs. Syracuse
Thursday Dec. 30 6:30 pm ET ESPN	Gaylord Hotels Music City Bowl Bowl Tickets Flights + Hotels Odds & Picks	Nashville, TN LP Field	North Carolina vs. Tennesee
Wednesday Dec. 30 10:00 pm ET ESPN	Pacific Life Holiday Bowl Bowl Tickets Flights + Hotels Odds & Picks	San Diego, CA Qualcomm Stadium	Nebraska vs. Washington
Friday Dec. 31 12:00 pm ET ESPN	Meineke Car Care Bowl Bowl Tickets Flights + Hotels Odds & Picks	Charlotte, NC Bank of America Stadium	South Florida vs. Clemson
Thursday Dec. 31 2:00 pm ET CBS	Brut Sun Bowl Bowl Tickets Flights + Hotels Odds & Picks	El Paso, TX Sun Bowl Stadium	Miami vs. Notre Dame
Friday Dec. 31 3:30 pm ET ESPN	AutoZone Liberty Bowl Bowl Tickets Flights + Hotels Odds & Picks	Memphis, TN Liberty Bowl Memorial Stadium	UCF vs. Georgia
Thursday Dec. 31 7:30 pm ET ESPN	Chick-fil-A Bowl Bowl Tickets Flights + Hotels Odds & Picks	Atlanta, GA Georgia Dome	South Carolina vs. FSU
Saturday Jan. 1 12:00 pm ET ESPNU	TicketCity Bowl Bowl Tickets Flights + Hotels Odds & Picks	Dallas, TX Cotton BowlStadium	Northwestern vs. Texas Tech
Saturday Jan. 1 1:00 pm ET ESPN/ABC	Outback Bowl Bowl Tickets Flights + Hotels Odds & Picks	Tampa, FL Raymond James Stadium	Florida vs. Penn State
Saturday Jan. 1 1:00 pm ET ESPN/ABC	Capital One Bowl Bowl Tickets Flights + Hotels Odds & Picks	Orlando, FL Florida Citrus Bowl Stadium	Alabama vs. Michigan State
Saturday Jan. 1 1:30 pm ET ESPN2	Konica Minolta Gator Bowl Bowl Tickets Flights + Hotels Odds & Picks	Jacksonville, FL Jacksonville Municipal Stadium	Mississippi St vs. Michigan
Saturday Jan. 1 4:30 pm ET ABC	Rose Bowl presented by Citi Bowl Tickets Flights + Hotels Odds & Picks	Pasadena, CA Rose Bowl	TCU vs. Wisconsin
Saturday Jan. 1 8:30 pm ET ESPN	Tostitos Fiesta Bowl Bowl Tickets Flights + Hotels Odds & Picks	Glendale, AZ University of Phoenix Stadium	Oklahoma vs. Connecticut
Monday Jan. 3 8:00 pm ET ESPN	Orange Bowl Bowl Tickets Flights + Hotels Odds & Picks	Miami, FL Dolphin Stadium	Virginia Tech vs. Stanford
Tuesday Jan. 4 8:00 pm ET ESPN	Allstate Sugar Bowl Bowl Tickets Flights + Hotels Odds & Picks	New Orleans, LA Superdome	Ohio State vs. Arkansas
Thursday Jan. 6 8:00 pm ET ESPN	GoDaddy.com Bowl Bowl Tickets Flights + Hotels Odds & Picks	Mobile, AL Ladd Peebles Stadium	Middle Tenn St vs. Miami (OH)
Friday Jan. 7 8:00 pm ET FOX	AT&T Cotton Bowl Classic Bowl Tickets Flights + Hotels Odds & Picks	Arlington, TX Cowboys Stadium	LSU vs. Texas A&M
Saturday Jan. 8 12:00 pm ET ESPN	BBVA Compass Bowl Bowl Tickets Flights + Hotels Odds & Picks	Birmingham, AL Legion Field	Pitt vs. Kentucky
Saturday Jan. 9 9:00 pm ET ESPN	Kraft Fight Hunger Bowl Bowl Tickets Flights + Hotels Odds & Picks	San Francisco, CA AT&T Park	Nevada vs. Boston College
Monday Jan. 10 8:00 pm ET ESPN	BCS National Championship Game Bowl Tickets Flights + Hotels Odds & Picks	Glendale, AZ Univ. of Phoenix Stadium	Auburn vs. Oregon

The 2010 college football season will be capped by exciting college football bowl games, including the 2010 Rose Bowl in Pasadena, California, the 2010 Fiesta Bowl in Phoenix, Arizona, the 2010 Sugar Bowl in New Orleans, Louisiana, the 2010 Orange Bowl in Miami, Florida and the 2010 BCS National Championship Game in Glendale, AZ.

The best college football teams from the major conferences, including the Big10 conference, Big 12 conference, Pac 10 conference, ACC conference, Big East conference, SEC conference, and Mountain West conference will face off in college football bowl games throughout December and into January. If you're looking for updated matchups, odds, insights, betting lines and online wagering for the college football bowl games, please be sure to try BangTheBook.com.

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TCU accepts offer to join Big East

Mon, 29 Nov 2010 12:16:53 -0500

TCU has scheduled a press conference for this afternoon to announce that it has accepted an offer to join the Big East Conference.

As first reported on AOL Fanhouse, the Horned Frogs will leave the Mountain West to join the Big East in all sports, beginning July 1, 2012. The Frogs first season of Big East football would be the 2012-2013 season.

By some estimates, TCU will be located an average of 1,140 miles from the other Big East football league members.

The move comes amid estimates that the Mountain West will not gain automatic-qualification status in the BCS during the next evaluation window, due in large part to the departures of both BYU and Utah. According to BCS spokesman Bill Hancock, teams that leave a conference take their performance during the evaluation period with them to their new conferences.

In this decade, TCU has been a member of the WAC, Conference USA and MWC.

Additional reports indicate that the Big East has also extended an offer to Villanova to become the conference's tenth football member. The Dallas News reports that Villanova"seems to be dragging its feet about a decision", a move that would bring the school up from the FCS division to FBS. Villanovais currently a member of the Big East in nearly all other conference sports.

If Villanovadoes not join the Big East for football, then the University of Central Florida is expected to receive a formal invitation to join for the 2012-2013 season.

Comment on TCU accepts offer to join Big East...

Big East votes to expand to 10 football members

Tue, 02 Nov 2010 20:23:38 -0500

And the conference shuffle begins anew.

The sixteen Big East conference presidents agreeing unanimously to expand from eight football members to ten football members.

Yahoo's Matt Hinton breaks down the potential candidates, including TCU, Houston, Memphis, and Central Florida.

Invitations to new members could be extended before this year's season concludes.

My two cents? Expansion is a bold, yet necessary move for the viability of the conference. Is dipping into MWC territory (TCU) the best idea? Probably not, but the Frogs are one of the more attractive schools on the conference's radar, given the school's football legacy, recent success, and potential recruiting exposure. There's no question that TCU would be a positive addition, but I still question whether the geography makes the Frogs a viable option long-term.

It will be interesting to watch this round of musical chairs, particularly with the Big 12 currently with ten members for the 2011 season. Will the Big 12 move to block the Big East, taking TCU or Houston before the Big East can? Will the two conferences petition to permit a championship game for leagues with only ten members? Will there be any Big East casualties among the current membership in order to create a more reasonable geographic split? And what is the trickle down? Will the Big 10 or SEC move again to expand to 16 teams? What will further changes in the WAC/MWC/CUSA mean to bowl contracts/other conferences/FCS teams?

Grab a seat... the music is about to stop again.

Comment on Big East votes to expand to 10 football members...

Sunday Quick Hits: Escape and Advance Edition

Sun, 05 Sep 2010 07:06:58 -0500

A few thoughts and observations from this weekend's first few days. What are yours?

Is LSU a serious contender in the SEC this year? Based on last night's performance alone, I say no. LSU rolled in the 1st Quarter, but that was against a UNC defense that sat almost their entire starting lineup due to NCAA investigations. And -- once again -- LSU showed their paper tiger hallmarks by allowing the Tarheels to storm back at the end, despite missing their top two WRs and top RB. UNC's TJ Yates is a serviceable college QB, but it's hard to forget that he led the 108th rated offense last year. If this depleted UNC squad can rack up 400+ yards against LSU's best defense, then I shudder to think what Alabama is going to do to the Tigers. My early prediction? LSU has a new head coach in 2011.

Michigan has served notice to the Big 10 Conference - they have a new QB and the boy can play! Oh, wait... that was last year, before 4-0 UM crashed back to reality. I don't know what to make of QB Denard Robinson's game yesterday other than to the kid can definitely ball. Season openers in The Big House have been a little dicey lately for Big Blue, but the Wolverines looked salty much of the day against a well-regarded UConn squad. I'm not on the Michigan bandwagon (yet), but RichRod's triple-threat offense looks to be well on its way in Ann Arbor.

For much of the off-season, the Gator Haters have been pounding new Florida QB John Brantley with the nickname "Cantley", as in "can't measure up to Tebow". Brantley's first start as the UF quarterback was... well... memorable. Brantley single-handily made Miami (OH), who won just one game last year, look like Miami (The U). The QB led Urban Meyer's team to just 25 yards of offense through the first three quarters. The final scoreboard would show an unexpectedly close win, but the box score would include eight UF fumbles (almost all of which were snaps or QB exchanges with Brantley) and just 212 yards of total offense. Game balls have to go to the Florida defense and Redhawks mistakes. The Redhawks committed four turnovers of their own or may have knocked off the Gators. I don't know what Meyer is taking for his heart problems, but he better double up on it for what is bound to be a very intese week of practice before South Florida rolls into Gainesville next week.

TCU may not be the #6 team in the country, but I wouldn't want to have to play them. The Frogs played fast in their 30-24 win over #24 Oregon State. Despite losing their #1 rusher last season, TCU rolled up 278 rushing yards against the Beavers, showcasing surprising depth in the backfield. The Frogs ran from nearly every set and doubled up OSU's time-of-possession. QB Andy Dalton had two ridiculous throws that were picked by the Beavers on strong TCU drives, otherwise this game might have been a blowout. The Frogs ran the option with precision and threw the ball deep with effectiveness. Dalton isn't Terrell Pryor, but he is the leader in wins among active college QBs. With their toughest test now behind them, perhaps the biggest challenge for Gary Patterson is keeping the Frogs focused on their second straight BCS appearance.

Note to Oklahoma: Perhaps this trend of playing Utah teams in the season opener is a bad idea. The Utah State Aggies nearly BYU'd the Sooners. But for some gutsy calls by Bob Stoops and some Sooner Magic, this one would have been another opening-day loss. Stoops promised that QB Landry Jones was "night and day" better than last year. I guess I didn't realize how bad Jones was *last year* because the improved Jones still keyed in on his primary receiver every play and went to him - whether he was open, covered, or headed to the mens' room. The defense gave up over 341 yards passing (421 total yards) to Utah State and surrendered eight plays of 20+ yards. OU faces a bigger challenge next week with Heisman-hopeful Christian Ponder and Florida State on the docket. This just in: FSU's offense is better than Utah's State's. Ponder played just two quarters in FSU's win, but had 4 touchdown passes and missed only two completions. FSU must be licking their tomahawk chops, right OU-Ron?

Show of hands: Who thought the days of Ole Miss losing to a FCS opponent were over when Houston Nutt rolled into town? Yeah? Me neither. J-State played with guts and deserved that OT thriller.

I know it was a win over Western Kentucky, but I think Nebraska might have a little something going with new freshman QB Taylor Martinez, a.k.a "T-Magic". T-Magic went 9-of-15 passing for 136 yards and no INTS and showed big speed on seven carries for 127 yards and three touchdowns, including a 46-yard run on the opening drive. It's early in the season, but watch out for the Huskers in the Big 12. If Texas and OU aren't going to play big this year, Nebraska is going to leave the league as defending champs.

Finally, what's going on at Notre Dame? I know it's the first game of the Brian Kelly experience, but the team seemed to be playing all-out for one another. Given Kelly's track record, it shouldn't be surprising, but if BK can harness the talent at UND, watch out. This team won't make the BCS in 2010, but look for the Irish to make a return in 2011 under Kelly.

That's it for me, boys. Whatchya got?

Comment on Sunday Quick Hits: Escape and Advance Edition...

You ask, college football coaches answer!

Sun, 29 Aug 2010 10:15:58 -0500

In what may be the last absolute fluff piece of the off-season (hey... I said of the OFF-season!), the Seattle Times completed a survey of 29 FBS coaches to find out what they *really* think.

A few highlights:

Most Admired Coach:
Mack Brown of Texas, followed by Ohio State's Jim Tressel, and Oklahoma's Bob Stoops and Penn State's Joe Paterno. (What?! No Urban Meyer!)

Least Admired Coach:
Although most politely deferred on this question, USC's Lane Kiffin got the most mentions, followed by Brian Kelly of Notre Dame, Nick Saban of Alabama and Mike Locksley of New Mexico. (What?! No Urban Meyer!)

What does the NCAA need to change?
Playoffs got a few mentions, but I was more than a little surprised to see some others, like adding a fifth year of eligibility, adding more spring practice times, allowing early signing day, and permitting pre-season games.

And finally, the most important question: Where's a good place to eat?

Metropolitan Grill, Seattle
City Hall Steakhouse, Scottsdale, Ariz. (two votes)
Del Frisco's in Dallas (two votes)
Dreamland Barbecue in Tuscaloosa, Ala
The Crab Trap in Fernandina Beach, Fla.
Joe's Stone Crab in Miami
Handsome Harry's in Naples, Fla.
Chicken and More in Spokane
The Precinct in Cincinnati
Pascal's Manale in New Orleans.

Wow. Two of my favorites and even a hometown spot make the list!

OK... now it's your turn... most admired coach, least admired coach, NCAA change, and out-of-town restaurant. GO!

Comment on You ask, college football coaches answer!...

BYU leaving Mountain West, single-handily destroys WAC

Thu, 19 Aug 2010 20:12:46 -0500

And the conference shakeups continue....

Reports claim that BYU is leaving the Mountain West Conference and will become a football independent, starting in the 2011 season. The expected announcement, which is said to be pending the approval of the LDS Church, might (might!) make the Cougars "the Notre Dame of the west." MWC Commissioner Craig Thompson is pretty much speechless.

In a pre-emptive move to keep Boise State committed to join the MWC, the Mountain West will expand to include Fresno State and Nevada, both from the WAC.

With the departure of Nevada and Fresno State, the WAC is left with just six members for 2011, two less than the NCAA requires. The only plan - for now - seems to be for the WAC to sue both Nevada and Fresno State.

Ironically enough, the reports claim that the Cougars were to join the WAC in all non-football sports, but - with only six confirmed members for 2011 - the WAC does not have enough members to be recognized as a conference by the NCAA. In other words, BYU may have single-handily destroyed the WAC by leaving the MWC... only to find itself headed back MWC in all other sports.

What does this mean for the MWC and BYU as it relates to the BCS? Fanblogs alum Ben Prather sounds off.

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2010 USA Today Coaches Preseason Poll

Sun, 08 Aug 2010 15:30:18 -0500

2010 2010 USA Today Coaches Preseason Poll

Rank Team (first-place votes) 2009 record Points Final 2009 rank

1. Alabama (55) 14-0 1,469 1
2. Ohio State (4) 11-2 1,392 5
3. Florida 13-1 1,245 3
4. Texas 13-1 1,240 2
5. Boise State 14-0 1,215 4
6. Virginia Tech 10-3 1,052 10
7. TCU 12-1 1,051 6
8. Oklahoma 8-5 1,035 NR
9. Nebraska 10-4 1,001 14
10. Iowa 11-2 952 7
11. Oregon 10-3 940 11
12. Wisconsin 10-3 778 16
13. Miami (Fla.) 9-4 728 19
14. Penn State 11-2 508 8
15. Pittsburgh 10-3 492 15
16. LSU 9-4 476 17
17. Georgia Tech 11-3 455 13
18. North Carolina 8-5 445 NR
19. Arkansas 8-5 438 NR
20. Florida State 7-6 374 NR
21. Georgia 8-5 312 NR
22. Oregon State 8-5 263 NR
23. Auburn 8-5 260 NR
24t. Utah 10-3 169 18
24t. West Virginia 9-4 169 22

Others receiving votes

Cincinnati (12-1) 135; Houston (10-4) 76; Brigham Young (11-2) 66; Arizona (8-5) 65; Mississippi (9-4) 48; Clemson (9-5) 44; Stanford (8-5) 41; Connecticut (8-5) 40; Notre Dame (6-6) 38; South Carolina (7-6) 38; Washington (5-7) 26; Missouri (8-5) 23; Navy (10-4) 12; Oklahoma State (9-4) 11; Boston College (8-5) 10; Michigan State (6-7) 10; Arizona State (4-8) 6; California (8-5) 6; Texas Tech (9-4) 5; South Florida (8-5) 4; Texas A&M (6-7) 3; Northwestern (8-5) 2; Temple (9-4) 2; Central Michigan (12-2) 1; Mississippi State (5-7) 1; Nevada (8-5) 1; Northern Illinois (7-6) 1; Southern Methodist (8-5) 1.

Alabama defends their national championship from last year by starting #1 this year, exactly like Florida did last year. The SEC has six teams in the preseason poll, the ACC has five, the Big 10 has four (not counting Nebraska yet) , the Big 12 has three, the Pac 10 two, and the Big East two.

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Fanblogs Open Thread: Realignment-ageddon Edition

Thu, 10 Jun 2010 12:23:46 -0500

With today's official announcement of Colorado to the Pac10 conference and the expected announcement of Nebraska to the Big10 conference (which officially makes it a Big12, don't you think?)... it would seem that the summer realignment-ageddon has officially begun.

Here's a quick what we know, what we can surmise....

- Colorado is officially joining the Pac10. It's unclear as to whether the Pac10 intends to hold at 11 teams, but we should expect the Pac10 to seek to add at least one additional member. For years the argument against expansion centered around the round-robin schedule format and - with 11 schools - that format is officially out the window for college football. Adding one more school would give the conference the option to conduct a CFB championship game in some of the largest television markets in the country. Does the Pac10 stop at 12 (Texas??) or expand further with Big12/MWC/WAC teams???

- The Big10 will have 12 teams with the addition of Nebraska. Will they stand pat at 12 teams or expand to 16 as had been rumored?

- The SEC has said that they will not sit idly by if the Big10 expands. Sports Illustrated has confirmed that the SEC has held discussions with Texas A&M. Is that prelude to further SEC expansion? Who, in addition to the Aggies, are on the SEC radar?

- The ACC & Big East seem to be awfully quiet. Are they targets or could a merger be on the table for the two conferences?

- The MWC will not offer membership to Boise State at this time, setting themselves up to be the home of any Big12 refugees. Is the MWC destined to become a BCS conference by default?

DISCUSS!!!

Comment on Fanblogs Open Thread: Realignment-ageddon Edition...

New bowl rules to open more doors to 6-6 teams

Tue, 13 Apr 2010 19:53:36 -0500

The NCAA committee that oversees rules changes has approved a measure brought forward by Big 12 Commissioner Dan Beebe allowing bowl committees to give equal consideration to teams with 6-6 records when evaluating at-large bids.

At first glance, it would seem to reward teams that played a tougher schedule rather than padding their record with cupcakes. The change would also give bowls more flexibility to create the most interesting matchup, potentially boosting revenues for struggling bowl committees.

Matt Sanderson, co-founder of Playoff PAC, told the San Diego Union Times that the rule could allow bowls with open slots for at-large teams to select power-conference teams with 6-6 records over smaller-conference teams with winning records.

Sanderson points to this season's GMAC Bowl, which took 9-3 Troy as an at-large team. Under the revised rules, the GMAC Bowl could have offered the at-large slot to 6-6 Notre Dame.

While the new provision still needs an OK by the greater NCAA, most rule revisions that make it out of committee are approved.

Suffice to say... no one wants to see a bad 6-6 team stink it up in a marquee bowl game. The reality is that - with new bowls coming on in Yankee Stadium and the Cotton Bowl - there are going to be 70 teams in bowl games this year. If a bowl needs to dig deep and get an at-large team, I would prefer them to create the most interesting game they can.

No disrespect intended, but I would *much* rather see a hypothetical 6-6 Southern Cal as an at-large against Alabama, for example, over a 7-5 Louisiana Monroe.

Just sayin.

Comment on New bowl rules to open more doors to 6-6 teams...

2009-2010 College Football Bowl Game Television Schedule

Tue, 22 Dec 2009 18:09:51 -0500

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Date/Time/TV	Bowl	Site	Matchup
Saturday Dec. 19 2 :30 pm ET ESPN	New Mexico Bowl Bowl Tickets Flights + Hotels Odds & Picks	Albuquerque, NM University Stadium	Wyoming vs. Fresno State
Saturday Dec. 19 8:00 pm ET ESPN	St. Petersburg Bowl Bowl Tickets Flights + Hotels Odds & Picks	St. Petersburg, FL Tropicana Field	Rutgers vs. Central Florida
Sunday Dec. 20 8:00 pm ET ESPN	R+L Carriers New Orleans Bowl Bowl Tickets Flights + Hotels Odds & Picks	New Orleans, LA Louisiana Superdome	Southern Miss vs. Middle Tenn St
Tuesday Dec. 22 8:00 pm ET ESPN	MAACO Bowl Las Vegas Bowl Tickets Flights + Hotels Odds & Picks	Las Vegas, NV Sam Boyd Stadium	BYU vs. Oregon State
Wednesday Dec. 23 8:00 pm ET ESPN	San Diego County Credit Union Poinsettia Bowl Bowl Tickets Flights + Hotels Odds & Picks	San Diego, CA Qualcomm Stadium	Utah vs. Cal
Thursday Dec. 24 8:00 pm ET ESPN	Sheraton Hawai'i Bowl Bowl Tickets Flights + Hotels Odds & Picks	Honolulu, HI Aloha Stadium	SMU vs. Nevada
Saturday Dec. 26 4:30 pm ET ESPN	Meineke Car Care Bowl Bowl Tickets Flights + Hotels Odds & Picks	Charlotte, NC Bank of America Stadium	North Carolina vs. Pitt
Saturday Dec. 26 5 :00 pm ET ESPN	Little Caesars Pizza Bowl Bowl Tickets Flights + Hotels Odds & Picks	Detroit, MI Ford Field	Ohio U vs. Marshall
Saturday Dec. 26 8:00 pm ET ESPN	Emerald Bowl Bowl Tickets Flights + Hotels Odds & Picks	San Francisco, CA AT&T Park	Boston College vs. USC
Sunday Dec. 27 8:15 pm ET ESPN	Gaylord Hotels Music City Bowl Bowl Tickets Flights + Hotels Odds & Picks	Nashville, TN LP Field	Clemson vs. Kentucky
Monday Dec. 28 5:00 pm ET ESPN	AdvoCare V100 Independence Bowl Bowl Tickets Flights + Hotels Odds & Picks	Shreveport, LA Independence Stadium	Texas A&M vs. Georgia
Tuesday Dec. 29 4:30 pm ET ESPN	EagleBank Bowl Bowl Tickets Flights + Hotels Odds & Picks	Washington, DC RFK Stadium	Temple vs. UCLA
Tuesday Dec. 29 8:00 pm ET ESPN	Champs Sports Bowl Bowl Tickets Flights + Hotels Odds & Picks	Orlando, FL Florida Citrus Bowl Stadium	Miami vs. Wisconsin
Wednesday Dec. 30 4:30 pm ET ESPN	Roady's Humanitarian Bowl Bowl Tickets Flights + Hotels Odds & Picks	Boise, ID Bronco Stadium	Bowling Green vs. Idaho
Wednesday Dec. 30 8:00 pm ET ESPN	Pacific Life Holiday Bowl Bowl Tickets Flights + Hotels Odds & Picks	San Diego, CA Qualcomm Stadium	Nebraska vs. Arizona
Thursday Dec. 31 2:00 pm ET NFL Network	Texas Bowl Bowl Tickets Flights + Hotels Odds & Picks	Houston, TX Reliant Stadium	Missouri vs. Navy
Thursday Dec. 31 Time TBA ESPN	Bell Helicopter Armed Forces Bowl Bowl Tickets Flights + Hotels Odds & Picks	Fort Worth, TX Amon G. Carter Stadium	Air Force vs. Houston
Thursday Dec. 31 12:00 pm ET CBS	Brut Sun Bowl Bowl Tickets Flights + Hotels Odds & Picks	El Paso, TX Sun Bowl Stadium	Stanford vs. Oklahoma
Thursday Dec. 31 5:30 pm ET NFL Network	Insight Bowl Bowl Tickets Flights + Hotels Odds & Picks	Tempe, AZ Sun Devil Stadium	Minnesota vs. Iowa State
Thursday Dec. 31 7:30 pm ET ESPN	Chick-fil-A Bowl Bowl Tickets Flights + Hotels Odds & Picks	Atlanta, GA Georgia Dome	Virginia Tech vs. Tennessee
Friday Jan. 1 11:00 am ET ESPN	Outback Bowl Bowl Tickets Flights + Hotels Odds & Picks	Tampa, FL Raymond James Stadium	Auburn vs. Northwestern
Friday Jan. 1 1:00 pm ET CBS	Konica Minolta Gator Bowl Bowl Tickets Flights + Hotels Odds & Picks	Jacksonville, FL Jacksonville Municipal Stadium	FSU vs. West Virginia
Friday Jan. 1 1:00 pm ET ABC	Capital One Bowl Bowl Tickets Flights + Hotels Odds & Picks	Orlando, FL Florida Citrus Bowl Stadium	Penn State vs. LSU
Friday Jan. 1 5:00 pm ET ABC	Rose Bowl presented by Citi Bowl Tickets Flights + Hotels Odds & Picks	Pasadena, CA Rose Bowl	Ohio State vs. Oregon
Friday Jan. 1 8:30 pm ET FOX	Allstate Sugar Bowl Bowl Tickets Flights + Hotels Odds & Picks	New Orleans, LA Superdome	Florida vs. Cincinnati
Saturday Jan. 2 12:00 pm ET ESPN2	International Bowl Bowl Tickets Flights + Hotels Odds & Picks	Toronto, Canada Rogers Centre	South Florida vs. Northern Illinois
Saturday Jan. 2 2 :00 pm ET ESPN	PapaJohns.com Bowl Bowl Tickets Flights + Hotels Odds & Picks	Birmingham, AL Legion Field	Connecticut vs. South Carolina
Saturday Jan. 2 2:00 pm ET FOX	AT&T Cotton Bowl Classic Bowl Tickets Flights + Hotels Odds & Picks	Arlington, TX Cowboys Stadium	Oklahoma State vs. Ole Miss
Saturday Jan. 2 5:30 pm ET ESPN	AutoZone Liberty Bowl Bowl Tickets Flights + Hotels Odds & Picks	Memphis, TN Liberty Bowl Memorial Stadium	East Carolina vs. Arkansas
Saturday Jan. 2 9 :00 pm ET ESPN	Valero Alamo Bowl Bowl Tickets Flights + Hotels Odds & Picks	San Antonio, TX Alamodome	Michigan State vs. Texas Tech
Monday Jan. 4 8:00 pm ET FOX	Tostitos Fiesta Bowl Bowl Tickets Flights + Hotels Odds & Picks	Glendale, AZ University of Phoenix Stadium	TCU vs. Boise State
Tuesday Jan. 5 8:00 pm ET FOX	FedEx Orange Bowl Bowl Tickets Flights + Hotels Odds & Picks	Miami, FL Dolphin Stadium	Georgia Tech vs. Iowa
Wednesday Jan. 6 7 :00 pm ET ESPN	GMAC Bowl Bowl Tickets Flights + Hotels Odds & Picks	Mobile, AL Ladd Peebles Stadium	Troy vs. Central Michigan
Thursday Jan. 7 8:00 pm ET ABC	BCS National Championship Game Bowl Tickets Flights + Hotels Odds & Picks	Pasadena, CA Rose Bowl	Alabama vs. Texas

The 2009 college football season will be capped by exciting college football bowl games, including the 2009 Rose Bowl in Pasadena, California, the 2009 Fiesta Bowl in Phoenix, Arizona, the 2009 Sugar Bowl in New Orleans, Louisiana, the 2009 Orange Bowl in Miami, Florida and the 2009 BCS National Championship Game in Pasadena, CA.

If you're looking for updated matchups, odds, insights, betting lines and online wagering for the college football bowl games, please be sure to try BangTheBook.com.

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BCS Standings - Week 8 - Oct. 18, 2009

Sun, 18 Oct 2009 16:06:55 -0500

The initial BCS Standings for games played through October 17, 2009.

Rank	Team	Harris Poll		USA TODAY		Computer Rank		BCS average

1	Florida	1	0.9832	1	0.9925	1	0.990	0.988566756

2	Alabama	2	0.9600	2	0.9478	2	0.950	0.952598870

3	Texas	3	0.9337	3	0.9397	6	0.800	0.891115076

4	Boise State	5	0.8032	5	0.7817	5	0.840	0.808284270

5	Cincinnati	6	0.7625	6	0.7485	4	0.850	0.786976906

6	Iowa	7	0.7175	8	0.7031	3	0.940	0.786864902

7	USC	4	0.8400	4	0.8386	11	0.630	0.769548023

8	TCU	8	0.7070	7	0.7247	8	0.710	0.713921102

9	LSU	9	0.7004	10	0.6746	7	0.750	0.708309049

10	Miami, Fla.	10	0.6653	9	0.6766	13	0.540	0.627291109

11	Oregon	12	0.5533	14	0.5214	9	0.680	0.584896422

12	Georgia Tech	13	0.5225	13	0.5281	10	0.660	0.570197245

13	Penn State	11	0.5684	11	0.6061	17	0.320	0.498174249

14	Virginia Tech	15	0.4484	15	0.4556	12	0.580	0.494671424

15	Oklahoma State	14	0.5039	12	0.5390	21	0.170	0.404280900

16	BYU	16	0.4246	16	0.3912	25	0.080	0.298582615

17	Houston	18	0.2926	18	0.2854	18	0.220	0.266018436

18	Utah	19	0.2200	20	0.2034	14	0.330	0.251129944

19	Ohio State	17	0.3288	17	0.3261	32	0.010	0.221624542

20	Pittsburgh	20	0.1912	19	0.2224	20	0.190	0.201200317

21	Wisconsin	38	0.0063	31	0.0176	14	0.330	0.117980969

22	Arizona	37	0.0067	40	0.0047	14	0.330	0.113804143

23	West Virginia	23	0.0965	22	0.1275	24	0.110	0.111316285

24	South Carolina	26	0.0758	23	0.0963	22	0.140	0.104020220

25	Kansas	21	0.1414	21	0.1505	33	0.000	0.097303994

As my good friend Ben would say, there's a significant gap between Alabama at #2 and Texas at #3. The Horns are not helped at all by their computer standing; however, significant opportunities exist for UT to improve their standing by the weight of the remaining schedule (including a game with BCS #15 Okie State). If the Longhorns can hold serve for the balance of the year, an unbeaten Texas team could punch their ticket for the National Championship Game against the winner of the SEC title game.

Further down, it's difficult to see any substantial lift to Boise State (in other words, the Broncos will *not* be playing for the title). On the other hand, Iowa still has a nice slate that could help boost the Hawkeyes, but there's no question that they need some help above them, including losses by all but one of the teams ranked ahead of them (plus some significant wins by Ohio State to bring up the Big 10's status with the computers).

ALL THAT SAID... it's BCS week one and that means a lot can (and will) change.

Comment on BCS Standings - Week 8 - Oct. 18, 2009...

Round 5: MWC - Put up or Shut up: WAC

Wed, 07 Oct 2009 18:04:39 -0500

Week 4 only saw one game against a BCS opponent by a MWC team that no one expected to put up a fight. With several games against the WAC this was a chance for the MWC to separate themselves from the rest of the conferences begging for BCS scraps.

And they failed.

Using the emulated BCS automatic qualification standards the WAC leads the MWC from 2006-2008. 2008 was the only year in the past 3 where the MWC outperformed the WAC. Currently the gap between Boise State and TCU is roughly equal to the value of the MWC having a second team in the top 25. This week will help shape how they rank in the third criteria, average ranking of all teams in teh BCS computeres.

Top:
TCU handled their historic SWC rival SMU, as is the norm this decade. Few questions were answered in this game and TCU remains as big a question mark at this point this year as Utah was at this point last year.

Utah was off so we gained little new information, hough Oregon continued to redeem themselves.

BYU handled their instate rival Utah State by the exact score Utah beat them to open the season. Like the weekends for TCU and Utah we know about as much as we did last year.

Middle:
Air Force looks to have lost the commander in cheif trophy to Navy again this year. The possibility remains that Army could surprise everyone and claim it, adding a loss in the MWC only remaining OOC game of the regular season.

CSU lost a close battle to a surprising Idaho team.

UNLV got destroyed by Nevada, who looked like they spent the first four weeks looking ahead to this one game.

Bottom:
SDSU prevented New Mexico State from upending two MWC teams in as many weeks.

Wyoming also secured a win in a close game at Florida Atlantic.

New Mexico showed up and got payed by Texas Tech.

Summary
The MWC is 5-9 vs. BCS opponents. This gives them a PCT of 0.357, less than the 0.400 required by their own standards for a BCS automatic qualification.

Their 6-4 record over the WAC should give them a slight lead in the BCS computers for the third criteria, but prevent them from being anywhere near warranting a BCS automatic qualification at this time.

So what now?
The MWC's case for this season will ride on whether they can again get 3 teams into the top 25, or one into a BCS bowl. TCU could make for an interesting race with Boise State, but more than likely Boise State would have to lose one to open the door.

If Boise State goes to a BCS bowl, this would give the WAC 3 years of BCS participation to the MWC's 2. If they are selected over an undefeated TCU, who beat them in last years Poinsettia Bowl, this would help atone for Boise State being left out for Utah in 2004 and 2008, a team they have beat the last three meetings.

Utah can not lose to both TCU and BYU and getinto the top 25. A loss in the final week to Utah likely puts BYU out of the top 25 as well, unless they beat TCU first. The only way three MWC teams finish ranked is if they split and all beat every other MWC team.

Not much more will change until the bowls are announced. At that time I will continue with round 6, followed by the final count after the bowls.

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Nation's longest FBS winning streak ends

Sat, 19 Sep 2009 22:22:15 -0500

The longest winning streak in the nation, 16 games from 2007-2009, ended with a 31-24 road loss to Oregon. Their 18 game streak in 2003-2005 is the longest in their history and it was tied with a streak in the 20's for the second longest. Utah's nation leading 9 game road winning streak also ended. Utah still has their nation leading 8 game (6 in consecutive years) bowl winning streak.

Florida now has the longest winning streak at 10 games.

Prior to this week it appeared that a MWC team could make a BCS berth with a loss. After this week that is not so promising. More on that latter this week when I continue my series "MWC: Put up or shut up."

The game was close to the very end, though Oregon had the lead since taking a 14-7 lead in the first. Utah gave up way too many yards on kick returns, including a punt return on their first punt of the game. Utah's offense also look problematic, verifying concerns revealed in the first two games are worse than one could have hoped.

When Utah's last streak ended they had a serious lack of talent and their motivation folded. They stumbled to a win the next week before dropping 3 in a row. I don't expect this to happen again this year, but I also don't think they have the offensive weapons it will take to win the MWC. 9-3 should be in reach and a chance to extend their bowl winning streak, maybe in the Poinsettia Bowl.

Oregon has regained some of the credibility lost in their opening game to Boise State, thought they will have to prove themselves in the PAC 10.

Good game Mayor, now excuse me while I begin trying to forget/justify this weekend. The whole weekend. Every game.

Comment on Nation's longest FBS winning streak ends...

simulated BCS Standings: Week 2

Mon, 14 Sep 2009 19:37:44 -0500

Our friend Samuel Chi at BCS Guru has published this weeks simulated BCS standings. For a more detailed explanation of how the ranking is simulated follow the link provided.

For an explanation for why the computers are hating on Florida see his writeup for the current week.

Bold indicates the highest ranked teams from automatic qualifying(AQ) conferences, a strike represent additional teams from the SEC and Big 12. Teams vying for a final AQ awarded to the highest ranked team from a conference without an AQ if at least one makes the final top 12 are in italics. The remaining teams (including those in italics not selected) are fighting for the last remaining BCS openings. Gaps represent large differences in the BCS standigns.

1) USC 0.8727

2) Texas 0.7882
3) Alabama 0.7870
4) ~~Florida~~ 0.7540

5) ~~LSU~~ 0.6655
6) California 0.6460
7) Boise State 0.6097
8) Penn State 0.5992
9) BYU 0.5987

10) ~~Ole Miss~~ 0.5240

11) Ohio State 0.4332
12) ~~Oklahoma~~ 0.4050
13) Georgia Tech 0.3727
14) TCU 0.3651
===BCS Eligibility Line===
15) Utah 0.3505
16) Virginia Tech 0.3500

17) ~~Oklahoma State~~ 0.2552
18) North Carolina 0.2460
19) ~~Nebraska~~ 0.2176
20) Cincinnati 0.1979
===Watch Line===
21) Houston 0.1880
22) ~~Georgia~~ 0.1697
23) Miami(FL) 0.1467
24) ~~Missouri~~ 0.1375
25) Pittsburgh 0.1284

As usual the Big 12 and SEC dominate the standings with 5 teams each, many near the top.

Currently three teams from outside the BCS AQ conferences have crossed the #14 ranking needed to become BCS eligible. Two have made it into the top 10. A total of five are present in the top 25. This all suggests that a robust push by the MWC, WAC and C-USA to earn their AQ is underway.

If BYU wins this week against FSU they should take the lead from Boise State and hold it until they lose a game.

California (or USC) and Ohio State (or Penn State) are the only obstacles blocking the BCS from being forced to take a second team from outside the six AQ conferences. Virginia Tech and North Carolina are on deck to fill any vacancies, despite the media bombardment directed at the ACC so far this year.

The ACC certainly is not looking to be as even across the board as it was last year. If they are, it will be serious trouble for them.

The Big East also advanced further into the standings with Cincinnati entering the watch list and Pittsburgh joining them in the top 25, reflecting a strong early performance against mostly outmatched opponents. This week should be a good barometer of how good the Big East really is. Have we all really forgotten 2006 and 2007 already?

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2009 - Week 2 College Football Polls

Tue, 08 Sep 2009 15:10:24 -0500

College football polls for week two - games played through 9/7/2009.

AP College Football Poll
1. Florida (56) 1-0 1493 1
2. Texas (2) 1-0 1424 2
3. USC 1-0 1355 4
4. Alabama (2) 1-0 1331 5
5. Oklahoma St. 1-0 1201 9
6. Mississippi 1-0 1095 8
7. Penn St. 1-0 1082 9
8. Ohio St. 1-0 985 6
9. BYU 1-0 984 20
10. California 1-0 971 12
11. LSU 1-0 890 11
12. Boise St. 1-0 882 14
13. Oklahoma 0-1 782 3
14. Virginia Tech 0-1 652 7
15. Georgia Tech 1-0 630 15
16. TCU 0-0 523 17
17. Utah 1-0 404 19
18. Notre Dame 1-0 383 23
19. North Carolina 1-0 338 21
20. Miami (FL) 1-0 315 NR
21. Georgia 0-1 294 13
22. Nebraska 1-0 266 24
23. Cincinnati 1-0 248 NR
24. Kansas 1-0 196 25
25. Missouri 1-0 126 NR

Others Receiving Votes:
Oregon St. 113, Michigan St. 83, Pittsburgh 82, Texas Tech 53, Oregon 47, Clemson 40, Florida St. 39, West Virginia 32, Tennessee 30, Iowa 24, UCLA 18, Michigan 18, Baylor 17, Boston Coll. 14, Arizona 12, East Carolina 6, Auburn 4, Colorado St. 4, Air Force 4, South Carolina 3, Arkansas 3, Tulsa 1, Southern Miss 1, Houston 1, South Florida 1

USA Today Coaches Poll
1. Florida (56) 1-0 1472 1
2. Texas (2) 1-0 1407 2
3. USC (1) 1-0 1352 4
4. Alabama 1-0 1299 5
5. Penn St. 1-0 1145 8
6. Oklahoma St. 1-0 1114 11
7. Ohio St. 1-0 1106 6
8. Mississippi 1-0 1006 10
9. LSU 1-0 977 9
10. California 1-0 935 12
11. Boise St. 1-0 803 16
12. BYU 1-0 755 24
13. Georgia Tech 1-0 685 15
14. Oklahoma 0-1 682 3
15. Virginia Tech 0-1 633 7
16. TCU 0-0 543 17
17. Utah 1-0 503 18
18. Nebraska 1-0 360 22
19. North Carolina 1-0 358 20
20. Notre Dame 1-0 335 23
21. Georgia 0-1 304 13
22. Miami (FL) 1-0 276 NR
23. Cincinnati 1-0 187 NR
24. Oregon St. 1-0 169 25
25. Kansas 1-0 139 NR

Others Receiving Votes:
Michigan St. 133, Missouri 97, Iowa 70, Florida St. 62, Texas Tech 53, Oregon 50, Pittsburgh 26, Clemson 24, South Carolina 23, Tennessee 21, West Virginia 13, Auburn 13, South Florida 12, Kentucky 8, Arizona 5, Northwestern 4, Michigan 4, Boston Coll. 3, Arkansas 2, UCLA 2, Baylor 2, Tulsa 1, Colorado St. 1, Minnesota 1

CBS College Blogpoll

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