Benster and D Pick Your Games---New Year's Day Edition

It's time to pick some better bowl games than the Belk Bowl or the Quick Lane Bowl. For some reason, New Year's Eve has the better bowl matchups this year.

I was looking forward to the Belk Bowl.

I have to say, for a rapidly aging suburban guy who swigs Geritol like it's Gatorade, looking forward to the Belk Bowl is an admission of failure.

Well, I do need to pay ESPN its respects.

Whatever ESPN wants, ESPN gets.

Of that, there is no doubt. Besides that, why waste your skills on a game like that?

Now you're making feel just a little bit guilty, so I would like to apologize for not picking a crappy bowl game. I'm trying to preserve the HYYYYYYPPPPE! for games that deserve them, and let's face it -- at the end of the day we're all about the preservation of pure intentions and rarefied HYYYYYPPPE! So watch me work!

The Holiday Bowl -- USC Trojans (-3) vs. Beloved Wisconsin Badgers, in San Diego. First of all, now I must criticize the supreme masters of all things sport, ESPN, a second time. Why is this game scheduled to start so late? I get that you want to play in prime time, but the Central Time Zone has more people and let's face it, most of the people in California are too busy paying off snail darter taxes and crossing off items from Gov. Brown's wish list to have time to watch football. Anyway, the Trojans have survived a season of chaos to get to this game, despite the fact that they have the talent to be playing in the Rose Bowl. Wisconsin has looked shaky, but they will let ol' Joel Stave have one more round tonight. U$C is always overrated, and I expect the Trojans to learn what the U found out a few years back -- nasty Big Ten schools can beat up on pretty boys. Badgers 34, Probation Nation 9.

USC is talented -- no doubt about it. They have superior athletes all over the field, but they have been pretty chaotic this year. It didn't help that their former coach Steve Sarkisian was channeling this guy:

Can Bucky win? Sure. Why not? Wisconsin 24, USC 20.

Orange Bowl -- Oklahoma Boomer Sooners (-4) vs. Clemson Tigers, in Miami Gardens. Both these teams are surprising because they were not expected to win their respective conferences. Clemson finally broke through and they are considered to be the best team in the nation. Oklahoma is here despite the fact that they lost to freaking Texas. Bob Stoops can't coach in big games anymore, so I expect him to get canned after this debacle. Clemson 59, Chokelahoma 0.

You have to like a guy named Dabo. And the Clemson Tigers have a lot of talent on both sides of the ball. Oklahoma can score in bunches, but they haven't seen too many good defenses up to this point. They will this time. Clemson 31, Oklahoma 24.

Cotton Bowl -- Michigan State Spartans (+10) vs. Alabama Crimson Tide. The major subplot to this game is that Nick Saban faces his former employer. Alabama is very good, but they have not had experience in close games lately. Sparty has beaten evil Ohio State and Iowa at the time of asking, so Sparty will use senior leadership to show that the Big Ten is the new power in college football. Sparty 23, Tide Rolled 8.

It's tough to pick against Sparty, but I'm going to. The problem is that Connor Cook, the decorated Spartan quarterback, has been playing through some pretty serious injuries. Alabama is a relentless bunch and they will find ways to exploit any weakness. They also have the Heisman Trophy winner on their side. Close game, but.... Alabama 27, Michigan State 24.

Rose Bowl -- Iowa Hawkeyes (+6) vs. Stanford Cardinal, in Pasadena. The Rose Bowl goes back to a traditional Big Ten/PAC 12 format. This year, there is far less HYYYYYYYPPPPEE! because I am not in Southern California to personally witness the event, but this should be a great football game. Both teams are fundamentally sound and are well-coached. Can Iowa bounce back after Michigan State ripped out millions of Black and Gold hearts out in Indy? Stanford 34, Iowa 31.

It comes down to this -- can the Hawkeyes stop Christian McCaffrey, one of the best running backs in the country? If they can, they win. If not, well. . . Stanford 28, Iowa 24.

Fiesta Bowl -- Notre Dame Fighting Irish (+6.5) vs. The Ohio State University Buckeyes. Two of the most hated teams in the country are going to play each other. I don't know who I want to root for, because Notre Dame is a bit haughty at times, and long time readers will know I am not welcome in the Buckeye media tent. Ohio State is better, but Urban Meyer needs to get a hold of some of his players. Ohio State 7, Notre Dame 5. (Just skip this game and watch the Rose Bowl instead.)

7-5? Who is pitching in this one? The Buckeyes have been inconsistent all season, but they are a better team overall. That will show up in the desert. Ohio State 31, Notre Dame 20.

Okay -- that will be it for now. We'll be back for the big NFL showdowns later in the week. Ben out!