New Years Day Bowl Mania

First and foremost. . .

HAPPY 37th BIRTHDAY

ANDY CONTRERAS!

Thirty-seven years . . . is that really possible?

New Years Day is, for me, the best day on the football calendar. There are six bowl games featuring mostly elite and/or competitive teams/games. OK, UConn and Michigan aren't really elite teams and Michigan State was anything but competitive on this January 1st. Still we had a blast watching the action unfold!

Regardless, I love to sit all day in my pajamas with Laurie, glued to our brand new Vizio HD TV watching the pageantry of college football at its finest. It also helped that I correctly picked all six winners in my bowl pool!

The days games started bright and early.

First up, at 9:00 a.m., was something called the TicketCity Bowl out of Dallas, Texas. It was a wild, high scoring affair to say the least.

Texas Tech (8-5) 45

Northwestern (7-6) 38

At 10:00 a.m., #7 Michigan State took on #15 Alabama in Orlando, Florida's Capital One Bowl. . . NO CONTEST!

Alabama (10-3) 49

Michigan State (11-2) 7

Fortunately, as these morning games overlapped, we were able to flip channels as yet another game started in Tampa, Florida, the Outback Bowl. This game featured outgoing Florida Head Coach Urban Meyer vs. Penn State's legendary Joe Paterno. It was a good one with lots of action.

Florida (8-5) 37

Penn State (7-6) 24

At 10:30 a.m., the Gator Bowl kicked off between Michigan and #21 Mississippi State. This game was played in Jacksonville, Florida and quickly turned into a yawner with the only suspense being if Michigan Head Coach Rich Rodriguez would be fired sometime during the second half.

Mississippi State (9-4) 52

Michigan (7-6) 14

With the four morning bowls finally over, it was time to switch our focus to the best and most interesting of the day's games, the 2:00 p.m. Rose Bowl in Pasadena, California. This game is nicknamed "The Grand Daddy of Them All" as it was the first ever bowl game with roots all the way back to 1902. The Big 10 Conference, a traditional part of this game, was represented by the #5 Wisconsin Badgers. Because the other traditional Rose Bowl Conference's championship team Oregon has been selected to play in the BCS National Championship Game, the rules this year stated that the Rose Bowl would have to take a non-automatic qualifying conference team if they finished in the final regular season poll's top eight teams. Thus Pasadena welcomed the Mountain West Conference Champion, undefeated, #3 ranked Texas Christian University Horned Frogs out of Fort Worth, Texas.

David vs. Goliath, Poland vs. Nazi Germany, Ralphie vs. Scut Farkus or the USA vs. Grenada? Which one would it be?

#43 Rose Bowl Defensive MVP

TCU LB Tank Carder

6 Tackles and 1 Sack

This game is always on TV on New Years Day unopposed by any other game. It was as dynamic as hoped for with lots of momentum swings, college football at its best!

What better name than Tank for a high energy, hard hitting linebacker? He made the play of the game by knocking down a pass as he blitzed intended for a wide open Wisconsin TE in the end zone on the Badgers two-point PAT attempt to tie the game with only two minutes left in the game.

#14 Rose Bowl Offensive MVP

TCU QB Andy Dalton

Passing: 15 for 23, 219 yards, 0 Int., 1 TD

Rushing: 9 carries for 28 yards, 1 TD

Dalton led the TCU in rushing and did a splendid job leading the Horned Frogs to fantastic victory.

#3 TCU (13-0) 21

#5 Wisconsin (11-2) 19

As a footnote to the Rose Bowl, it should be noted that it has been raining almost non-stop for two weeks in Southern California, but on New Years Day nothing but Pasadena Chamber of Commerce cloudless blue skies for the game. Today, it is pouring rain again!

The final game of the day was the 5:30 p.m. Fiesta Bowl in Glendale, Arizona. This one was thought to be THE mismatch of the day with a so-so #25 Big East Champion Connecticutt team trying to hold on against Big 12 Champion #9 Oklahoma. The experts were dead on, it was not very competitive.

#9 Oklahoma (12-2) 48

#25 UConn (8-5) 20

It was over! My favorite college football day was done, six games, 374 points, lots of snacks and GREAT action.

Only 365 more days to New Years Day 2012!

It can't possibly be 37 years. . .