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New Year College Football Thread

By Big Tent Democrat

Happy New Year! New Year's Day means college football. 5 games on tap today. Here are my selections:

The Outback Bowl features Auburn from the SEC versus Northwestern from the Big Ten. I am tempted to take Northwestern with the 8.5 points, given that this is clearly a down year for the SEC. But I think Auburn has the better players and should be able to cover. I like Auburn (-8.5).

Bobby Bowden's last game is the highlight of the Gator Bowl. FSU faces West Virginia, which is a 3 point favorite. Sentiment rules the day. I like the Noles (+3). More . . .

LSU faces Penn State in what once was known as the Citrus Bowl (as in 'you can't spell Citrus without UT). I think it is called the Capital One Bowl now. Anyway, this is a pick em game. I pick LSU (Even).

The Grandadaddy of Them All, the Rose Bowl, pits Ohio State against Oregon. I have lost any belief I had in the Pac 10. I like the Buckeyes (+4.5).

The Florida Gators, the drama queens of college football this year, end the soap opera tonight in the Sugar Bowl. It will be Tim Tebow's last game, maybe Urban Meyer's last game (Meyer's melodrama has been utterly ridiculous and has hurt the team, at least recruiting wise, one top recruit has already switched to FSU) and thankfully, the end of a fairly unenjoyable season for Gator fans. It sounds spoiled to say that for a 12-1/BCS bowl season, but Meyer and Tebow have, imo, not handled the season well. I do not know if anyone could have, given the pressure.

In any event, Florida is a 13 point favorite over an undefeated Cinncinati team that won the Big East. The Sagarin ratings nailed the Va Tech-Tenn game last night. In this game, Sagarin rates Florida as 9 points better. I'll go with Sagarin then and take Cinn (+13).

Go Gators!

Happy New Year!

This is an Open Thread.

Full post as published by TalkLeft on January 01, 2010 (boomark / email).