TWTW Bowling: NC State Is Champs Over WBGV

((HT: WRALSportsfan.com))

There are just those bowl games where it's easy to see that one team wanted to be there, and the other really would have liked to be someplace else- any place else other than where they were on that night.

Kinda like WBGV in Orlando playing against NC State...

The Wolfpack wanted to be there, and the Mountaineers surely didn't look like they were the least bit interested.

Russell Wilson threw for 275 yards in a 23-7 win for NC State, and now his future is in question- whether its baseball or returning for one more year of football.

"I've been blessed to have the opportunity to play football and baseball my whole life," Wilson said. "If it happens in the future that I can still do that, or if it doesn't, whatever, but I know that playing for Coach (Tom) O'Brien and playing for N.C. State — whether I do come back or not — has been a great opportunity and a great blessing.

"I'm very passionate about N.C. State and N.C. State football, and I will always be."

Here's Nate Irving, who came back from a really bad car accident to make an impact for Tom O'Brien in 2010, talking about the win...

OSG Sports Bowl Pick 'em....

Time to see if you are smarter than your friends at OSG Sports. We'll list all the bowl games and make our picks...for what they are worth. See if you can do better. We'd offer a prize, but since this is a part-time, love of doing it blog that doesn't make a whole lot of money, we don't have any prizes to offer other than being able to gloat that you are smarter than we are.

So here we go: There are like 500 of these games...geez!

New Mexico Bowl. How does New Mexico get a bowl? Their college football is awful. The game: UTEP 33, BYU 28

Nelson: They get a bowl since they have a Convention and Visitors Bureau that'll pay for it... BYU 34-31

uDrove Humanitarian Bowl. On the smurf turf. Good luck and happy Smurfing. The game: Fresno St. 31, N. Illinois 21


Nelson: Northern Illinois' was killed when their head coach went to Minnesota...
Get it...??? Fresno 35-17

R+L Carriers New Orleans Bowl. Or proof you just need to make up a name to sponsor a game. The Game: Troy 42, Ohio 21


Nelson: I saw an R&L Carrier the other day. It was pimping the Matt Kenseth stock car and not the bowl game... Troy 27-21

Beef O'Brady's Bowl. We'll lay off the jokes, but if you go to Beef O'Brady's...well you are taking your life in your hands. The Game: So.Miss 29, Louisville 23


Nelson: Louisville is just average... USM 31-21

MAACO Bowl Las Vegas. Uh huh. At least it's a free trip to Vegas. The Game. Boise St. 38, Utah 31


Nelson: Vegas, baby... I think this will be one of the more interesting games of the season... Boise won't cover the huge number... 42-31

San Diego County Credit Union Poinsetta. Can't this just be an acronym? Or a San Diego State extra home game? The Game: Navy 35, SDSU 28


Nelson: This one will be a blast... awesome, underrated match-up... I'll agree with Phil, 35-28 is about right...

Sheraton Hawaii Bowl. The game has lost its luster but it can't be that bad a trip, can it? The Game: Hawaii 44, Tulsa 21


Nelson: Tulsa is just interested in the flight over and the perks... Hawai'i 34-26

Little Caesar's Bowl. Does the winner get a $5 Hot 'n Ready? Why go to Detroit in December? Is this a reward? The Game: Toledo 37, FIU 21


Nelson: Toledo by default... 31-21

AdvoCare V100 Independence Bowl. This is Karma for Ga.Tech for laughing at UGA for playing in this game last year. The Game. Ga. Tech 23, Air Force 21


Nelson: This is karma for Ga. Tech laughing at UGA for playing in this game last year... Air Force 28-17

Champs Sports Bowl. Not much funny to say here except it sucks to be Bill Stewart for the next 365 days. The Game: NC State 29, W.Va. 23


Nelson: Isn't it less than 365 days by now...??? WBGV 31-21

Insight Bowl. Maybe they'll see something better than most of us. Aw...that's not even funny dude. Insert Iowa joke here. The Game: Missouri 37, Iowa 24


Nelson: This game is in the weeds... Missouri 31-10

Military Bowl Pres. by Northrop Grumman. Huh? Can someone explain why a military contractor is sponsoring a bowl game? Anybody? Bueller? The Game. Maryland 28, E.Carolina 10


Nelson: Maryland gives Friedge an early retirement present... 27-17...

Texas Bowl. Further proof they play bowl games just to say they play bowl games...and anyone is eligible. The Game: Baylor 41, Illinois 21


Nelson: Average, avergage, average... Illinois 37-31

Valero Alamo Bowl. Yeah...Swell. The Game: Oklahoma St. 49, Arizona 28


Nelson: Will Dana Holgorsen show up...??? Arizona 31-27

Bell Helicopter Armed Forces Bowl. With all due respect to the Armed Forces....Why this game? The Game: SMU 23, Army 21


Nelson: Why...? Because they can and Army had a great year... SMU 35-27

New Era Pinstripe Bowl. Yay. Just what we always wanted. A bowl game in Yankee stadium. Quick, let's all run out and buy tickets. The Game: Syracuse 31, K-State 24


Nelson: I heard that Hank Steinbrenner gets to fire the losing coach after the game... Syracuse 24-17...

Franklin American Mortgage Music City Bowl. Joy. I actually covered this game many, many years ago in an Ice Storm. Yeah, it was as unpleasant as it sounds. The Game: Tennessee 34, UNC 21


Nelson: Still unpleasant... UNC 28-24...

Bridgepoint Education Holiday Bowl. I'm getting tired of this already. Explain again why so many bowl games? The Game: Nebraska 31, Washington 30

Nelson: This should be everyone's "35" in their confidence pool. Remember, these two have already played and Washington got clocked... Nebraska 38-21...

Meineke Car Care Bowl: Wouldn't it be cool if they just fixed your car instead? The Game: Clemson 23, South Florida 13

Nelson: Actually, Belk is the sponsor next year... Coupons to everyone who shows...?
Clemson 24-14...

Hyundai Sun Bowl: For some reason, this game always has something weird and crazy attached to it. Have no idea why. The Game: Miami 27, Notre Dame 23

Nelson: This game means something... to those living in the 1980's...
They tie at 12...

AutoZone Liberty Bowl: At least the BBQ is good in Memphis. The Game: Georgia 38, UCF 28

Nelson: UGA best beware of the coach with the limp handshake...
"How we doin'?" UCF 34-24...

Chick-fil-A Bowl: This is always a good game and it always sells out. It's actually a pretty fun experience. But wouldn't any event that gives away Chick-fil-a sandwich's as the press meal? The Game: S.Carolina 34, FSU 23

Nelson: FSU will find a way to lose... if there was a "Wide straight" they'd find it... Sakerlina 30-28

Ticket City Bowl: Huh? Is this just an excuse for the old Cotton Bowl stadium to have a game or what? Texas Tech 31, Northwestern 21


Nelson: Yes, it is... Texas Tech 34-28

Outback Bowl: The people running this game are insane, but it's kinda tough to top the halftime meal. Steaks and potato's for everybody! The Game: Penn St. 21, Florida 17

Nelson: Agreed... this may be the fastest bowl game of the season... Penn State 21-10

Capital One Bowl: Never been able to figure out how this is considered a prestige game. But it is...and has been. Go figure. The Game: Alabama 31, Michigan St. 20


Nelson: I think Bama is angry enough to take out some frustrations on the Dantonios.
31-24...

Progressive Gator Bowl: Suppose it's better than the Regressive one. The Game: Miss.St. 38, Michigan 31

Nelson: This game will get Rich-Rod fired... MSU 21-17

Ladies and Gentleman....Your Corrupt BCS:

Rose Bowl presented by Vizio: Who are you? Who who who who? Who are you? Who who who who. Sorry, got distracted. This Game: TCU 41, Wisconsin 33

Nelson: Wisconsin pulls it out late... 35-31

Tostitos Fiesta Bowl: Kinda partial to the Lime flavored ones myself. Just sayin'. The Game: Oklahoma 43, UConn 21

Nelson: UConn is taking a bath on this one financially, and they'll do it on the field, too... 45-24...

Discover Orange Bowl: This game was much more fun when it was at the old Orange Bowl. With the killer halftime show.  The Game: Stanford 24, Va. Tech 21

Nelson: Angry Stanford does their best on Tyrod Taylor... 31-21...

Allstate Sugar Bowl: Tough to beat New Orleans for New Years...if only that was when they played the game. The Game: Arkansas 43, Ohio St. 28

Nelson: How many years in a row can TOSU get beat by an SEC squad...???
Arkansas 41-27...

More Non-BCS Crap Games:


GoDaddy.com Bowl: What are the odds Danica Patrick is here. Really that would be the only reason to go. The Game: Miami (OH) 23, MTSU 17

Nelson: No Mike Hayward means no win... Mit-Soo 24-20

ATT Cotton Bowl: I know. This isn't a crap game like say...the one above it here. The Game: LSU 24, Texas A&M 17

Nelson: This wil find a way to be a crap game... LSU 5-4...

BBVA Compass Bowl: And this was created for and sponsored by whom? The Game: Kentucky 31, Pitt. 21

Nelson: They're a bank... Kentucky 27-20 despite Dion Lewis...

Kraft Fight Hunger Bowl: Is that anything like "Fight the Power"? Another of the why games...The Game: Nevada 34, Boston College 21

Nelson: Straight outta Compton, straight into SanFran... Neh-vad-uh 31-20

AND YOUR CORRUPT BCS CHAMPIONSHIP GAME:

This might as well be a basketball game. First one to 100 wins. It may go 5 hours...if not longer. Most of the commercial breaks will be longer than the TD drives. Really, aside from TCU you can't argue that these aren't the two best teams. I think last year's Alabama team crushes either one of them...but that's not this year. The only really lamentable part of this is that we have to wait so Frickin' long before they play it.

Your BCS Championship Game: Auburn 64, Oregon 58

Nelson: I absolve myself of a pick because of a vested interest and partiality from TBH...

((Ed--Or abstain from picking--or recuse---or don't want to mess with it))

TWTW: Your 2010 Bowl Matchups

New Mexico Bowl
BYU vs. UTEP
Albuquerque, N.M.
University Stadium
December 18
2 p.m. ESPN

uDrove Humanitarian
Northern Illinois vs. Fresno State
Boise, Idaho
Bronco Stadium
December 18
5:30 p.m. ESPN

R+L Carriers New Orleans
Ohio vs. Troy
New Orleans
Louisiana Superdome
December 18
9 p.m. ESPN

Beef 'O' Brady's St. Petersburg
Southern Mississippi vs. Louisville
St. Petersburg, Fla.
Tropicana Field
December 21
8 p.m. ESPN

MAACO Las Vegas
Utah vs. Boise State
Las Vegas
Sam Boyd Stadium
December 22
8 p.m. ESPN

S.D. County Credit Union Poinsettia
Navy vs. San Diego State
San Diego
Qualcomm Stadium
December 23
8 p.m. ESPN

Sheraton Hawaii
Hawaii vs. Tulsa
Honolulu
Aloha Stadium
December 24
8 p.m. ESPN

Little Caesars
Florida International vs. Toledo
Detroit
Ford Field
December 26
8:30 p.m. ESPN

AdvoCare V100 Independence
Air Force vs. Georgia Tech
Shreveport, La.
Independence Stadium
December 27
5 p.m. ESPN2

Champs Sports
West Virginia vs. NC State
Orlando, Fla.
Florida Citrus Bowl
December 28
6:30 p.m. ESPN

Insight
Missouri vs. Iowa
Tempe, Arizona
Sun Devil Stadium
December 28
10 p.m. ESPN

Military Bowl Presented By Northrop Grumman
East Carolina vs. Maryland
Washington, D.C.
RFK Stadium
December 29
2:30 p.m. ESPN

Texas
Illinois vs. Baylor
Houston
Reliant Stadium
December 29
6 p.m. ESPN

Valero Alamo
Oklahoma State vs. Arizona
San Antonio
Alamodome
December 29
9:15 p.m. ESPN

Bell Helicopter Armed Forces
Army vs. SMU
Dallas
Gerald J. Ford Stadium
December 30
Noon ESPN

New Era Pinstripe
Kansas St. vs. Syracuse
Bronx, N.Y.
Yankee Stadium
December 30
3:20 p.m. ESPN

Franklin American Mortgage Music City
North Carolina vs. Tennessee
Nashville, Tennessee
LP Field
December 30
6:40 p.m. ESPN

Bridgepoint Education Holiday
Nebraska vs. Washington
San Diego
Qualcomm Stadium
December 30
10 p.m. ESPN

Meineke Car Care
South Florida vs. Clemson
Charlotte, North Carolina
Bank of America Stadium
December 31
Noon ESPN

Hyundai Sun
Notre Dame vs. Miami
El Paso, Texas
Sun Bowl
December 31
2 p.m. CBS

AutoZone Liberty
Georgia vs. UCF
Memphis, Tennessee
Liberty Bowl
December 31
3:30 p.m. ESPN

Chick-fil-A
South Carolina vs. Florida State
Atlanta
Georgia Dome
December 31
7:30 p.m. ESPN

TicketCity
Northwestern vs. Texas Tech
Dallas
Cotton Bowl
January 1
Noon ESPNU

Outback
Florida vs. Penn State
Tampa, Florida
Raymond James Stadium
January 1
1 p.m. ABC

Capital One
Alabama vs. Michigan State
Orlando, Florida
Florida Citrus Bowl
January 1
1 p.m. ESPN

Gator Bowl
Mississippi State vs. Michigan
Jacksonville, Florida
Municipal Stadium
January 1
1:30 p.m. ESPN2

Rose Bowl Game presented by VIZIO
Wisconsin vs. TCU
Pasadena, California
Rose Bowl
January 1
5 p.m. ESPN

Tostitos Fiesta
Connecticut vs. Oklahoma
Glendale, Arizona
U. of Phoenix Stadium
January 1
8:30 p.m. ESPN/ESPN3D

Discover Orange
Stanford vs. Virginia Tech
Miami
Sun Life Stadium
January 3
8:30 p.m. ESPN

Allstate Sugar
Ohio State vs. Arkansas
New Orleans
Louisiana Superdome
January 4
8:30 p.m. ESPN

GoDaddy.com
Middle Tennessee vs. Miami (Ohio)
Mobile, Alabama
Ladd-Peebles Stadium
January 6
8 p.m. ESPN

AT&T Cotton
LSU vs. Texas A&M
Arlington, Texas
Cowboys Stadium
January 7
8 p.m. FOX

BBVA Compass Bowl
Pittsburgh vs. Kentucky
Birmingham, Alabama
Legion Field
January 8
Noon ESPN

Kraft Fight Hunger
Nevada vs. Boston College
San Francisco
AT&T Park
January 9
9 p.m. ESPN

Tostitos BCS National Championship Game
Oregon vs. Auburn
Glendale, Arizona
U. of Phoenix Stadium
January 10
8:30 p.m. ESPN/ESPN3D

TWTW: Would You Have Played On That Field...???

((HT: WGNO-TV New Orleans))

Those of us at OSG HQ have been on the field at the Citrus Bowl complex in Orlando. And as Brother Phil has duly noted: it's an old and crappy building with an old and crappy grass field for a playing surface...

When you play two bowl games on that same old and crappy grass field, something like this is due to happen eventually.

The Miami-Wisconsin game was just as bad- just not seen by as many sets of eyes. And the rain that happened between the time that game was completed and the LSU-Penn State game was set to play was somewhat biblical in nature.

That, combined with the idea of re-seeding the old and crappy playing surface back on the 19th, created one of the worst old and crappy grass surfaces in recent memory.

And LSU and Penn State got to play on it...
The HQ is sure they were thrilled to be there up until the point of actually playing ON the field in question...

Ed Daniels probably messed up some nice shoes standing on the Citrus Bowl turf...


The Citrus Bowl Committee really should look in to the idea of trading grass for turf considering the joint hosted eight high school football championship games and two bowl games in the month of December.

Mike Bianchi's column in the Orlando Sentinel lays the whole issue out once and for all...

Brings new meaning to "getting stuck in the mud" or the whole "mud bogging" thing, doesn't it...???

TWTW: Miami Badgered In Orlando

((HT: WSVN-TV, Miami))

Wisconsin got to carry the flag for the Big 10 COnference in Orlando against Miami. They pressured Canes QB Jacory Harris all night, sacked him five times, and held on to the ball for close to 40 minutes as they won the Champs Sports Bowl 20-14

John Clay had 121 yards rushing and two touchdowns for the Badgers- he also was the game MVP.

"Beating Miami validated our goals," Wisconsin center John Moffitt said. "We did what we set out to do at the start of the season, which was to finish strong."

Wiscsonsin finishes the season 10-3...

"It finishes the season, I know that," Badgers coach Bret Bielema said. "It made us have 10 wins, which doesn't happen all the time in college football. Made us win our bowl game, which didn't happen the last two years. Made us beat a ranked opponent, which hopefully will put us in a good spot in the rankings."

WSVN's Steve Shapiro has a taped highlight package for you...

More Corporate Sponsored Bowl Games For Your Football Entertainment

We have officially entered the dog days of bowl season. The next round of lower tier bowl games does offer one compelling match up but for the rest, just catch the highlights.

Motor City Bowl - December 26 - Ford Field, Detroit, MI
Florida Atlantic vs. Central Michigan (I like the Chippewas)

What's That Gift Underneath The Tree - Check it out, players from both teams receive a leather, rolling logoed athletic travel bag, a computer/backpack style bag, a Motor City Bowl commemorative watch, and an autographed Motor City Bowl souvenir football.

Considering the economic pain the auto industry is going through I'm shocked there is swag for the players to take home. It's a pretty impressive booty haul from the Motor City Bowl since they could have just given the teams a logoed notebook, number 2 pencil and a free oil change.

SWAG Meter: 7

Bowl Event: Motor City Bowl "Players Night Out." That's got to have a double meaning, I'm sure the "Players" are "Playas" for that.

Final Analysis: There might be 15,000 in the stands for this one. I'm not changing my plans to watch this one.

Meineke Car Care Bowl - December 27 - Bank Of America Stadium, Charlotte, NC
West Virginia vs North Carolina (Tar Heels in a close one)

And Here's A Special Prize Chosen Just For You: Your very own Flip. Players from both teams will receive a Flip, which is a digital video recorder. There's more, a personalized commenmorive football, a Fossil watch and sunglasses kit, a loptop backpack and a racing-themed baseball hat.

What a shock. A bowl game in the NASCAR capitol giving out racing themed hats. Other than that, a fine gift package.

SWAG Meter - 8

Bowl Event: Everyone from both teams can drive 3 laps around Lowes Motor Speedway with the Richard Petty Driving Experience.

Final Analysis: It's a game between 2 programs headed in different directions. Pat White plays his final game for West Virginia and after that, the Mountaineers might fade away without their talent leader the last 4 years. North Carolina is on the rise and get to play a bowl game a few hours south of campus. Make an effort to view this compelling match up.

Champs Sports Bowl - December 27 - Florida Citrus Bowl, Orlando, FL
Wisconsin vs Florida State (Seminoles by 2 touchdowns)

What's In The Prize Box?: Players receive a $400 Best Buy shopping spree while they are in Florida, a commemorative watch, and a goody bag.

Weak, very weak. What's in the freakin' goody bag?

SWAG Meter: 2

Bowl Event: Going to the theme parks in the Orlando area.

Final Analysis: 2 underachieveing teams playing in a bowl game no one gives a rat's behind about.

Emerald Bowl - December 27 - AT&T Park, San Francisco, CA
Miami vs California

What Do I Receive For My Participation: Players from both schools will receive Sony noise cancelling headphones, a rolling Armor Gear duffel bag, a Fossil watch, an Emerald Bowl cap.

A small but impressive gift haul.

SWAG Meter: 7

Bowl Event: Annual trip to Alcatraz Island. The teams get to tour "The Rock".

Final Analysis: It's basically a home game for Cal. It's not a bad match up but one I'm not going to make time for.