Bowl Picks, Part 3 (and Bowl Ratings)

This is my last installment of picks and ratings for non-New Year’s Day bowls. Later, there will be picks & ratings for the New Year’s Day bowls, and for the BCS bowls.

Meineke Car Care Bowl at Charlotte: Boston College vs. Navy. Boston College had their chances to win their division of the ACC, but didn’t come through. After the season, coach Tom O’Brien took the N.C. State job. Navy now has the best program of the service academies. BC has the nation’s longest bowl winning streak at six, but that will come to an end here. Pick: Navy
This game is played in a state-of-the-art stadium, and from what I know, Charlotte is a nice city. I’ve only been to the airport there. You can’t go see Elvis there, but the NASCAR garages aren’t too far away. Weather can be an issue, as this bowl has also been played in sub-freezing temperatures. It’s a newer bowl, and Meineke is a half-step up from Continental Tires, the original sponsor. It’s not as bad to go to the Car Care Bowl as it was to go to the Weed Eater Bowl, but almost. Rating: 1.6
Alamo Bowl at San Antonio: Texas vs. Iowa. Texas went from a possible trip to the Fiesta Bowl to Fiesta Texas, a San Antonio theme park. The Horns are making their first appearance in this bowl. QB Colt McCoy has been cleared to play in this game. His injury helped lead to the Horns’ end-of-year slide. Iowa went 2-6 in the Big Ten, but 6-6 overall. The Hawkeyes travel well, so the Alamo Bowl jumped all over them. Pick: Texas
San Antonio is a great place to go, with plenty to see and do, and most of it in the downtown area. The Alamodome is not fancy, but is functional, especially for a college bowl game. If you can’t get sent to a BCS bowl, or one near an ocean, this is a very good place to end up. They like their matchup of a middle-rung Big XII team (local conference) and a middle-rung Big Ten team (travels well). Rating: 3
Chick-fil-A Bowl at Atlanta: Georgia vs. Virginia Tech. The Bulldogs endured quarterback problems for most of the season, but scored big wins over rivals Auburn and Georgia Tech to close the season. The Hokies closed the season as well as anyone in the ACC, especially as they thumped conference champion Wake Forest in Winston-Salem. The Hokies win as they always have-playing defense and special teams. This is a virtual home game for Georgia, but the Dawgs lost the Sugar Bowl there last year. Pick: VT
This bowl, formerly known as the Peach Bowl, has been a very good bowl since it moved into the Georgia Dome in the 90’s. They always get a good SEC-ACC matchup, and Atlanta is a very good location for fans in both conferences. This game is usually pretty good on the field, as well. Rating: 3.2
MPC Computers Bowl at Boise: Miami vs. Nevada. The Canes finished 6-6, fired coach Larry Coker, and struck out on a nationwide search for a replacement before hiring defensive coordinator Randy Shannon as the new coach. So, it’ll be pretty unstable in that locker room, as coach Coker coaches his last game and his replacement is right there in the room. Miami is closer to a good chunk of South America than it is to Boise. This will be the biggest game in the history of Nevada football. The 8-4 Wolf Pack ambush the Canes. Pick: Nevada
This bowl is traditionally the laughing stock of the bowls. Boise can be a cold, snowy place in December, and the game is played on the blue turf at Boise State’s stadium. But, the game continues to survive, as the people in Boise treat their out-of-town visitors well. This is also a chance for some players from warmer climates to see snow for the first time. Rating: 1.6
International Bowl at Toronto: Western Michigan vs. Cincinnati. Western Michigan went 1-10 two years ago, but now the Broncos are 8-4. Cincinnati welcomes new coach Brian Kelly, who won the MAC this year at Central Michigan, before taking the Cincinnati job. The Bearcats have spent the last month learning a new offensive and defensive system. The Bearcats have an upset victory over Rutgers this year. Pick: Cincy
This is a brand new bowl game, played indoors at Rogers Centre in Toronto. The game’s location in Canada adds some novelty. Problem is, it’s in January. It’s cold in Toronto in January, so it becomes another Detroit. Toronto is a little nicer than Detroit, but it’s still cold. The MAC and Big East need bowls, so this one will probably last in some form or fashion. Rating: 1.4
GMAC Bowl at Mobile: Ohio vs. Southern Miss. Ohio makes their first bowl appearance in 38 years, as Frank Solich has rebuilt the Bobcats’ program in two years. Southern Miss appears in yet another bowl, this one close to their home in Hattiesburg. Pick: Southern Miss
This bowl has developed a niche, and has obtained some stability. There are worse places than Mobile, and the stadium has received a bit of a facelift. I’d rather go to a bowl sponsored by GMAC than by Ford Credit. This bowl doesn’t pretend to be the Rose Bowl, but has been good for the teams that have gone there. It remains to be seen how the January date will affect the bowl. Rating: 1.8