Tis the Bowl Season To Be Jolly (Part 2) with BCS Picks and Tattoogate

Another week of Bowl Games will commence on Sunday night after a Christmas Day of rest with the Little Caesars Bowl at Ford Field as the Toledo Rockets only had a short drive up I-75 to make as they will play Florida International.

Little Caesar's Bowl (Ford Field; Detroit)- Florida International Golden Panthers (6-6) vs. Toledo Rockets (8-4)- Sunday at 8:30PM EST on ESPN
Toledo has home field pretty much, because Toledo is only an hour south on I-75 from Ford Field.
Pick: Toledo 20-16

AdvoCare V100 Independence Bowl (Independence Stadium; Shreveport, La.)- Air Force Falcons (8-4) vs. Georgia Tech Yellowjackets (6-6)- Monday at 5PM EST on ESPN2
Pick: Air Force 24-17

Champs Sports Bowl (Florida Citrus Bowl; Orlando)- West Virginia Mountaineers (9-3) vs. NC State Wolfpack (8-4)- Tuesday at 6:30PM EST on ESPN
Pick: West Virginia 31-17

Insight Bowl (Sun Devil Stadium; Tempe, Ariz.)- Missouri Tigers (10-2) vs. Iowa Hawkeyes (7-5)- Tuesday at 10PM EST on ESPN
Pick: Missouri 38-27

Military Bowl presented by Northrop Grunman (RFK Stadium; Washington D.C.)- East Carolina Pirates (6-6) vs. Maryland Terrapins (8-4)- Wednesday at 2:30PM EST on ESPN
The sad news for the Terps is that Head Coach Ralph Friedgen was fired on Monday. The Terps will play emotionally to send Friedgen off on a high note.
Pick: Maryland 28-10

Texas Bowl (Reliant Stadium; Houston)- Illinois Fighting Illini (6-6) vs. Baylor Bears (7-5)- Wednesday at 6PM EST on ESPN
Baylor hasn't played since Nov. 20, and hasn't won since October. This one is a toss-up.
Pick: Illinois 23-21

Valero Alamo Bowl (Alamodome; San Antonio)- Oklahoma State Cowboys (10-2) vs. Arizona Wildcats (7-5)- Wednesday at 9:15PM EST on ESPN
This is Oklahoma State's consolation prize for losing to the Sooners.
Pick: Oklahoma State 41-20

Bell Helicopter Armed Forces (Gerald J. Ford Stadium; Dallas)- Army Black Knights (6-6) vs. Southern Methodist Mustangs (7-6)- Thursday at High Noon EST on ESPN
SMU is one of three schools (San Diego State and Hawaii the other two) hosting their own Bowl Game. This is only SMU's second bowl game since the famous Death Penalty that wiped out their entire football program in 1987 following a decade-long scandal, and the Mustangs are the hosts to Army this year in the Armed Forces Bowl. While the Mustangs are at home in this Bowl Game, this is called the Armed Forces Bowl, right?
Pick: Army 21-13

New Era Pinstripe Bowl (Yankee Stadium; The Bronx)- Kansas State Wildcats (7-5) vs. Syracuse Orangemen (7-5)- Thursday at 3:20PM EST on ESPN
It's a new year, a new bowl game, and a new era, as the first ever Pinstripe Bowl takes place. This isn't the first football game at the new Yankee Stadium, as Notre Dame ambushed Army in the first football game at any Yankee Stadium since the early 1970s. Syracuse is almost at home, but has to play in the elements.
Pick: Syracuse 28-19

Franklin American Mortgage Music City Bowl (LP Field; Nashville)- North Carolina Tar Heels (7-5) vs. Tennessee Volunteers (6-6)- Thursday at 6:40PM EST on ESPN
Can the Volunteers complete their Music City miracle of even becoming Bowl eligible with a win?
Pick: North Carolina 27-17

Bridgeport Education Holiday Bowl (Qualcomm Stadium; San Diego)- Nebraska Cornhuskers (10-3) vs. Washington Huskies (6-6)- Thursday at 10PM EST on ESPN
Jake Locker's final collegiate game will be a dud.
Pick: Nebraska 38-7

Meineke Car Care Bowl (Bank of America Stadium; Charlotte, NC)- South Florida Bulls (7-5) vs. Clemson Tigers (6-6)- Dec. 31 at High Noon EST on ESPN
Pick: South Florida 24-21

Hyundai Sun Bowl (Sun Bowl; El Paso)- Notre Dame Fighting Irish/The Catholics (7-5) vs. Miami Hurricanes/The Convicts (7-5)- Dec. 31 at 2PM EST on CBS
The Canes were expected to contend for the ACC Title, but fell way short of the mark, losing games to teams like Ohio State, Maryland, and South Florida. It was losses like those, especially the latter- an overtime loss to South Florida on Nov. 27 that cost Head Coach Randy Shannon his job just hours after the game. Notre Dame is on a roll. It's easy to forget they were 4-5, but reeled off three straight wins (against Utah, Army, and USC). The Catholics will overpower the Convicts in this perennial Catholics vs. Convicts battle.
Pick: Notre Dame 34-21

AutoZone Liberty Bowl (Liberty Bowl; Memphis)- Central Florida Knights (10-3) vs. Georgia Bulldogs (6-6)- Dec. 31 at 3:30PM EST on ESPN
Is Mark Richt on his way out in Athens?
Pick: Central Florida 30-19

Chick-fil-A Bowl (Georgia Dome; Atlanta)- South Carolina Gamecocks (9-4) vs. Florida State Seminoles (9-3)- Dec. 31 at 7:30PM EST on ESPN

and
New Year's Day Bowls:
TicketCity Bowl (Cotton Bowl; Dallas)- Northwestern Wildcats (7-5) vs. Texas Tech Red Raiders (7-5)- Jan. 1 at High Noon EST on ESPNU
Pick: Texas Tech 40-22

Outback Bowl (Raymond James Stadium; Tampa)- Penn State Nittany Lions (8-4) vs. Florida Gators (7-5)- Jan. 1 at 1PM EST on ABC
On Monday, Joseph Vincent Paterno celebrated his 84th birthday, with no plans to step down as Penn State's Head Coach. On the other sideline, Florida Head Coach Urban Meyer is stepping down after six seasons and two BCS National Championships. Texas offensive coordinator Will Muschamp will replace Meyer as the new Head Coach. Will Meyer go out with a bang, or will Penn State spoil the party?
Pick: Penn State 31-17

Capital One Bowl (Citrus Bowl; Orlando)- Alabama Crimson Tide (9-3) vs. Michigan State Spartans (11-1)- Jan. 1 at 1PM EST on ESPN
Michigan State's consolation prize for being the odd Big Ten team left out is a date in Orlando with the Crimson Tide as Nick Saban faces Michigan State for the first time since leaving East Lansing, coaching against his old colleague Mark Dantonio and co-Big Ten champ Michigan State.
Pick: Michigan State 27-24

Progressive Gator Bowl (EverBank Field; Jacksonville)- Michigan Wolverines (7-5) vs. Mississippi State Bulldogs (7-5)- RichRod's Last Stand?
It is 90 percent clear that this is Rich Rodriguez's final game as the Head Coach of the Michigan Wolverines. Diehard Wolverine fans and once-proud U of M alum are fed up with the spread offense, fed up with the losing to Michigan State, fed up with the losing streak to Ohio State, and have had enough of that West Virginia coach polluting a once-proud college football dynasty. Michigan made progress, but when 95 percent of your offense revolves around just one player who doesn't tie his shoes (I'm talkin' 'bout you, Denard Robinson), that is a problem. Michigan has one thing (actually three) that the Buckeyes don't have, and that's wins against SEC schools in Bowl Games, but that won't happen until they get a better coach.
Pick: Mississippi State 38-33

and Beyond New Year's Day Bowls...
GoDaddy.com Bowl (Ladd-Peebles Stadium; Mobile, Ala.)- Middle Tennessee State Blue Raiders (6-6) vs. Miami Redhawks (8-4)- Jan. 6 at 8PM EST on ESPN
Pick: Miami 2.0 34-14

AT&T Cotton Bowl (Cotton Bowl; Dallas)- LSU Tigers (10-2) vs. Texas A&M Aggies (9-3)- Jan. 7 at 8PM EST on Fox
LSU running back Stevan Ridley was declared ineligible for the bowl this week by the NCAA. His absence will have an impact on LSU's offensive attack.
Pick: Texas A&M 28-16

BBVA Compass Bowl (Legion Field; Birmingham, Ala.)- Pittsburgh Panthers (7-5) vs. Kentucky Wildcats (6-6)- Jan. 8 at 8PM EST on ESPN
At Pitt, Dave Wannstedt was relieved of his coaching duties earlier this month under pressure from Athletic Director Steve Pederson. Mike Haywood was named Pitt's new head coach last week, but that may be the least of Pitt's troubles.
Pick: Kentucky 27-20

Kraft Fight Hunger Bowl (AT&T Field; San Francisco)- Nevada Wolf Pack (12-1) vs. Boston College Eagles (7-5)- Jan. 9 at 8PM EST on ESPN
Pick: Nevada 33-16

and
The BCS Bowls
Rose Bowl- Presented by Vizio (Rose Bowl; Pasadena, Calif.)- Texas Christian Horned Frogs (12-0) vs. Wisconsin Badgers (11-1)- Jan. 1 at 5:10PM EST on ESPN
TCU will be in the Big East in two years, and won't be a BCS-buster much longer. However, Wisconsin's too much of a good team.
Pick: Wisconsin 41-31

Tostitos Fiesta Bowl (University of Phoenix Stadium; Glendale, Ariz.)- Connecticut Huskies (8-4) vs. Oklahoma Sooners (11-2)- Jan. 1 at 8:30PM EST on ESPN
Pick: Oklahoma 42-19

Discover Orange Bowl (Orange Bowl; Miami, FL)- Virginia Tech Hokies (11-2) vs. Stanford Cardinal (11-1)- Jan. 3 at 8:30PM EST on ESPN
This is a toughie, as both teams deserve a win, because Virginia Tech rebounded from that 0-2 start to win 11 straight, and Stanford has been nearly perfect all year long. It will come down to who makes the fewest mistakes and who has the ball last.
Pick: Stanford 48-42

Allstate Sugar Bowl (Louisiana Superdome; New Orleans)- Ohio State Buckeyes (11-1) vs. Arkansas Razorbacks (10-2)- Jan. 4 at 8:30PM EST on ESPN
Three years ago, Arkansas quarterback Ryan Mallett was the backup at the University of Michigan, and was deemed to be Chad Henne's successor...until Rich Rodriguez showed up. Now Mallett has a second chance at playing the Buckeyes, whom this week are marred with distractions yet again at Bowl time.
That's not the only problem for the Overrated State Buckeyes, as they are 0-9 against teams from the Southeastern Conference. Terrelle Pryor has shown that he is one of the best quarterbacks. This might be Pryor's last collegiate game (See below for why), and he may want to prove that the Buckeyes can keep up with the speed of the SEC.
With that said, Ohio State will somehow find a way to lose this one. With the 10th Anniversary of the firing of John Cooper just days away, the ghosts of the Cooper era will come back to haunt the Buckeyes, as the Buckeyes somehow found ways to lose the big games during the Cooper years (many of which were SEC Bowl games and Michigan). This will be no different. You will see the Razorbacks rise to some kind of prominence, and the Buckeyes roasted by Arkansas with Jack Frost nipping at the door, it appears that Brutus will strap on the skis, because 2011 will be a slippery slope downhill for the Scarlet and Gray.
Pick: Arkansas 37-27

and last, but not least...
BCS National Championship Game (University of Phoenix Stadium; Glendale, Ariz)- Oregon Ducks (12-0) vs. Auburn Tigers (13-0)- Jan. 10 at 8:30PM EST on ESPN
If Auburn wins the National Championship, it won't be the first travesty with the BCS. If you take a look at 2002, when Ohio State won on a pass interference play that DID NOT EXIST. The following year, Southern Cal had the best record, but was NOT INVITED to play in the National Championship. If Auburn wins, it will because Cam Newton cheated his way to the top. Oregon is one of the fastest teams I have ever seen. Oregon is well deserved of the National Title. Oregon worked hard to get to where they were this year, and they will expose Auburn like Alabama did (or almost did).
Pick: Oregon 41-30

and finally...
On Thursday, the NCAA suspended six Ohio State football players for their actions in selling personal memorabilia, in exchange for improper benefits, such as tattoos. "Tattoogate" as insiders call this is yet another scandal arising the campus of the Ohio State University.

Five of those players- quarterback Terrelle Pryor, wide receiver Devier Posey, running back Daniel "Boom" Herron, offensive lineman Mike Adams, and backup defensive end Solomon Thomas will sit out the first five games of 2011 (Akron, Toledo, Miami, Colorado, and Michigan State- respectively), while freshman linebacker Jordan Whiting was suspended for one game and must repay $ 150. The aforementioned five players must also pay back money.

It is things like this that make me appalled and disgusted by the football program of the Ohio State University. In 1987, wide receiver Cris Carter was ruled ineligible for signing a secret contract with a sports agent. In 1998, wide receiver Reggie Germany scored a 0.0 GPA. In 2003, running back Maurice Clarett began his antics. Need I continue? If the Buckeyes lose Pryor and crew, it could mean the beginning of the end for the Vest- mark my words.

When players like Cam Newton cheat their way to the Heisman, it is great to see that players like Terrelle Pryor are getting their comeuppance for doing stupid things off the field. It is things like this that grow character in the NCAA. The NCAA is about building character for 19-22 year-olds across the country. And when a student athlete sells personal memorabilia just to get a good kick or to have a good time, what does that tell about that student athlete? That he or she has no character, whatsoever.

Props to the NCAA for lowering the boom on the Ohio State Buckeyes.