Heavyweights eye title
Notre Dame and Alabama tied in championships
The BCS has been criticized plenty for not getting it right over the years, from all those teams that believed they should have been playing for a national title to last year’s all-SEC championship game.
But for all its faults, the system seemed to work this season, producing a matchup for the ages: Notre Dame vs. Alabama.
The Fighting Irish and Crimson Tide, programs tied for the most Associated Press national titles, in Miami, playing for a national championship — yeah, this could be pretty good.
Alabama and Notre Dame also happen to be two of the most polarizing teams in the country, so if you love one, chances are you hate the other.
Of course, if you hate both, it might be a tough night of yelling at the TV, hoping that somehow neither team wins.
Either way, the good news is there’s plenty of other great games and players to watch over the next three weeks.
Here’s a bit of what to look for in this year’s 35 bowl games:
TOP GAMES Fiesta Bowl, Oregon vs. Kansas State (Jan. 3, Glendale, Ariz.) — For the second straight year, the Fiesta Bowl has a matchup that could be 1A to the national title game. The Ducks and Wildcats were national title contenders just a few weeks ago and have two of the nation’s most dynamic players in Oregon running back Kenjon Barner and KState QB Collin Klein.
Rose Bowl, Stanford vs. Wisconsin (Jan. 1, Pasadena, Calif.) — There might be a collision or two between these two power programs.
Cotton Bowl, Texas A&M vs. Oklahoma (Jan. 4, Arlington, Texas) — Johnny Heisman and Landry Jones could combine for 1,000 yards and 10 TDs on their own.
Orange Bowl, Northern Illinois vs. Florida State (Jan. 1, Miami) — Just to see if the BCS-busting Huskies do actually belong.
New Mexico Bowl, Nevada vs. Arizona (Dec. 15, Albuquerque) — Two of the nation’s best scoring offences against two of the nation’s worst scoring defences. The bowl season will kick off with fireworks.
PLAYERS TO WATCH Johnny Manziel, Texas A&M: Johnny Football broke the freshman barrier in the Heisman Trophy vote. ’Nuff said. Faces Oklahoma in the Cotton Bowl.
Manti Te’o, Notre Dame: The Fighting Irish linebacker came up just short in becoming the first true defensive player to win the Heisman. About the only thing he’s missed all season.
Collin Klein, Kansas State: Another Heisman finalist, he has a just-get-itdone quality in the vein of Tim Tebow.
Ka’Deem Carey, Arizona: Led the FBS in rushing, might get a few more yards against Nevada in the New Mexico Bowl.
Tavon Austin, West Virginia: all-American lines up all over the field and is a threat to score from anywhere. Gets Syracuse in the Pinstripe Bowl.
Montee Ball, Wisconsin: He’s only scored more touchdowns than anyone in FBS history.
BOWL SPONSORS
Food is again king when it comes to sponsoring bowls. The dot-coms? About done.
Food-related companies were tops in sponsors bowls last season with seven and there’s one more this season, with the Insight Bowl becoming the Buffalo Wild Wings Bowl. It joins Tostitos, Chick-fil-A, Outback, Kraft, Beef ‘O’ Brady’s, Little Caesars and the Idaho Potato Commission in bowl sponsorship.
Tying for second most are auto-related companies and financial companies with five each.
This year’s lineup also includes an aerospace and defence contractor, a helicopter company, a department store, a hotel chain and a consumer electronics company.
What’s missing are the dotcoms.
Once the dominant force of bowl sponsorships, online companies are down to two: the GoDaddy.com Bowl and TaxSlayer.com sponsoring the Gator Bowl.
ODDS
A year ago, oddsmakers were predicting a tight BCS championship game, opening with a spread of one point between LSU and Alabama. They’re looking for a little more lopsided game this year, with the Crimson Tide opening as a 7 1/2-point favourite over Notre Dame on the Glantz-Culver Line.