Hartley’s performance lost in post-game euphoria

This posting is going to get into two topics that are searing on my brain today, which is another way to say I am procrastinating.

First, Ohio University football coach Frank Solich has filled a key staff vacancy — the position of tight ends coach and recruiting coordinator — with an up-and-coming coaching prospect, my brother-in-law, Brian Haines.

Brian Haines

Though I am (completely) biased, I believe Solich has made the right hire on several different levels: 

1.) Haines is young, personable and will relate well to the young men on the team. It is crucial that coaching staffs represent a broad range of ages to ensure players have a diverse group to which to relate.

2.) Haines makes the third Bobcat recruiting coordinator in  three years. Chances are, Haines will be sticking around for awhile. First, Haines needs to prove himself in his first full-time job, which typically means he will dig in and establish some professional roots with the staff.  In addition, Haines has roots in Athens with his wife being a native and having a young family. (Granted, if is his in-laws and sister-in-law get to be too much, he might run for the next available opportunity.) The notion that Haines could add stability to a position that demands some continuity is one Solich could not have overlooked.

3.) I do not think anyone would work harder to build relationships with high school coaches, to familiarize himself with the programs, and to bring quality student-athletes to Athens than a young, fiery, hard-working coach. This kind of man is eager to impress his bosses, to lay the pavement for a sustainable and lasting career, and is the kind of coach who truly enjoys what he does.

So, here is a sincere congratulations to Coach Haines, and wish for all the success his hard work affords him.

HOW ABOUT HARTLEY:  The second thing on my mind this morning — er, let me rephrase that… The second thing that is preventing me from getting on with my schoolwork and distracting me from issues of much greater importance is the  near-anonymity of New Orleans Saints kicker Garrett Hartley.

Garrett Hartley / Getty Images

Let’s rewind two weeks and, in that backtracking, remember the faces of almost-automatic kickers Shayne Graham, Neil Rackers, Jay Feeley and Nate Kaeding this playoff season.

Now, with those images of failure and angst in your minds, recall two weeks ago when Hartley kicked the game-winning field goal in overtime against the Vikings to win the NFC Championship.

Go back even further. Recall that after a little run-in with a bong and a four-week suspension, Hartley watched veteran (and likely Hall of Famer) John Carney take over the kicking job. But the diminutive booter from Oklahoma got to work. He won the job back (Carney was cut in December) and went 10-for-12 the rest of the way.

Now, go back to Super Bowl Sunday, a mere three days ago in Miami. While Drew Brees struggled to get the Saints’ offense clicking and it looked for a quarter or so like Peyton Manning and Joseph Addai were going to run away with the game, Hartley went about keeping New Orleans in the game.

He was dead-on on field-goal attempts of 46 and 44 yards in the first half. That kept Sean Payton’s team close going into the break.

In the third quarter, Hartley’s 47-yarder put the Saints within one point.

With that field goal, Hartley became the first kicker in Super Bowl history with more than two made field goals of 40 yards. (Isn’t that kind of amazing that that had not before happened?) Regardless, he did it — and made it look easy!

We know the rest of the story… Brees ignites, the Saints defense punishes and New Orleans hoists its first Lombardi Trophy.

It was a given Brees would win the MVP, (though I really hope Hartley was the runnerup.) And it was obvious that Brees would grab the headlines and Tracy Porter’s game-sealing interception returned for a touchdown would lead all the notebooks, or be the subjects of the sidebars.

But, outside of Norman, Oklahoma and his hometown of Dallas, Hartley got lost in all of the post-game euphoria.

Well, not here. Way to go, Garrett.

Shakin’ it up at Ohio U.

In print in Athens…

http://thepost.ohiou.edu/main.asp?SectionID=4&SubSectionID=6&ArticleID=30407

Go Bobcats!

Carroll, Kiffin, McGwire and more

School has started again. College football is over. Thus, it is a lot easier for me to spend my weekends studying. staying organized — in other words, what I should be doing.

Ah, but so much has happened since the last time I posted. And I’m not talking about Media Theory, Historical Research or the two classes I’m teaching. I’m talking about Pete Carroll leaving USC. Lane Kiffin leaving Tennessee, and Mark McGwire leaving out the whole truth.

Pete Carroll at his introductory news conference at Seahawks headquarters. / Seattle Tiems photo

I was truly stunned Carroll left USC. The NFL rumors have swirled every offseason, so what was different? Maybe it was the Seattle Seahawks’ offer. Maybe it was the need for a new challenge. Maybe, but I doubt it. Call me a skeptic, or a non-believer, but I think Carroll’s move was mitigated by the looming NCAA investigation. With Reggie Bush’s civil case inching forward and USC’s self-imposed punishments overthe O.J. Mayo debacle still hanging overhead, USC is about to face — pardon the term — a serious shitstorm.

Junior running back Joe McKnight driving around in ”his girlfriend’s” Escalade couldn’t have made the comfort level in L.A. partifularly high, either.

So, Carroll bolted for the Seahawks. It’s a no-lose situation for Carroll. He does well, he sheds the tag of a mediocre NFL coach and makes us all forget the college-to-pro failures of Steve Spurrier, Nick Saban, Dennis Erickson and Butch Davis, makes more money and is a hero in Seattle. He fails, he goes back to high-paying, sweet gig in the college ranks.

I like Carroll. From a reporter’s perspective, he’s a dream to work with. He’s interesting, smart, a great motivator and speaker. But I think, since he is in a no-lose situation, it may be the Seahawks that are in the most precarious position. Carroll’s strengths are in evaluating talent, motivating, recruiting, selling, and directing a defense. They aren’t, necessarily, in being a CEO, which NFL coaches must do. The Seahawks are trying to replace a legend (Mike Holmgren), but seem to be putting a square peg into a circular hole. Carroll has a giant ego; I’d say Holmgren didn’t. They got a defensive guy; Holmgren built his team with his offense. Carroll is a rah-rah guy; the Seahawks have been amazingly business-like — something has just dissolved into “flatness” over the last couple years.

The thing is, though, is that Carroll wasn’t a terrible NFL coach. He had a mediocre overall record, but he only had one losing season. I, for one, am pulling for him.

Lane Kiffin did a number on Tennessee, but USC has always been where his heart is. / Getty Images

Now, what the heck was USC thinking in drumming up Carroll’s replacement?

Lane Kiffin, an arrogant kid with no proven coaching ability and a family name, who has parlayed a co-offensive coordinatorship into millions. Give the guy credit.

I think he’ll end up in an NCAA infraction-mired mess. The man can clearly recruit (with the help of Orgeron, of course), and his dad’s a defensive genius, but after my abyssmal bowl picking record, I’m just going to say that I’m quite anxious to see how this tenure turns out. REAAALY anxious.

Lastly, before I sign off for the night, Mark McGwire’s confession was muffled by his ego. Performance-enhancing drugs enhance performance. McGwire was right to own up to using steroids and HGH, but he is delusional to think they didn’t enhance his ability to hit home runs. Carlton Fisk was absolutely right and simply said it best.

Iowa capped it for the Big Ten

I wrote in an earlier post that Kirk Ferentz’s defense is disciplined and, boy, did it show it Tuesday night. In yet another great performance by a Big Ten team, Iowa dominated Georgia Tech to win the Orange Bowl.

What a year for the conference. After putzing around all season and looking quite pedestrian — against each other and against other conferences — the Big Ten showed up and shut me the hell up.

Their defenses were particularly impressive. Iowa and Wisconsin were just disciplined, smart and had no problem getting to the sides to shut down potential plays. And Ohio State’s defense wasn’t fooled at all by Oregon, which was the biggest surprised to me.  

Best offensive player I saw among the Big Ten players in the bowl games? Easy, Terrelle Pryor of Ohio State. To start with, I didn’t realize how freakin’ big this guy was. He threw the ball down the field, made smart decisions and ran well. He didn’t appear to have blazing speed, but won every foot race. (Thanks in no small part to that amazing stiff arm.) He has so much potential still to tap, too! I’d like to see Jim Tressel cut him loose a little more. I’ll even watch the Ohio State beat up Marshall, Ohio U. and Eastern Michigan next year if Tressel will open the kid’s game up. Seriously, Pryor should be the nation’s most exciting player to watch — and he hasn’t been even close to that halfway (Ohio State fans hope) through his college career.  

Clayborn and Ferentz celebrate the Orange Bowl win and the defensive end's MVP honor. (Getty Images)

Best defensive player among the Big Ten teams players in the bowl games?

Another easy one: Iowa’s Adrian Clayborn, Orange Bowl MVP… and “ladies man,” according to this site. Good lord, this guy was a BEAST! He always seemed to be in the backfield. He showed so much spry and quickness getting to the edge to snuff out plays. He was energetic, excited, and had a hell of a read on Georgia Tech’s offensive game plan. And he’s coming back for his senior season! So, he will be traveling to the desert to take on Arizona… I’ll watch that one, too.

I still have a Big Ten issue… maybe someone can help me with this. Next year, Ohio State doesn’t playNorthwestern. Iowa doesn’t play Purdue, etc. If Big Ten commissioner James Delaney is so concerned about “not being relevant” from Thanksgiving to Bowl season that he wants to add a freakin’ team, why don’t all the teams just play each other?! 

Hey, that’s the complaint you’ll hear out of me, though… because the Big Ten gave me some great football to watch this winter.

Pryor, Buckeyes thoroughly impress

Call it a humbling experience for me, er, I mean, the Oregon Ducks. Despite being slight favorites and boasting a nifty offense with startling speed, Oregon succumbed to an Ohio State team I thought didn’t have a prayer.

I was dead wrong… and that fact made my season-long rant look pretty arrogant and, well, stupid.

Terrelle Pryor will be a Heisman Trophy candidate next season -- if coach Jim Tressel lets him. (Getty Images)

Two things happened to the Ducks this New Year’s Day: 1.) Jim Tressel, 2.) Terrelle Pryor.

Let’s start with Tressel. Tressel is conservative, predictable and relatively boring. Today, he was none of the above. His defense wasn’t simply disciplined, it did some interesting things and the guy who looks like he should be in his fourth or fifth year in the NFL (Worthington, I think?) was freakin’ awesome. Ohio State’s staunch defense harassed not only the Oregon quarterback, but its receivers at the line of scrimmage.

The offense was anything but predictable. Tressel let Pryor loose — finally. Finally, Pryor wasn’t just in it to hand the ball off and serve as a decoy. Tressel’s offense today was centered around Pryor. And Pryor responded. He looked Rothlisberger-esque the way he shook off defenders. He looked like a beast running the ball, a master throwing the ball, and he had great chemistry with his receivers. Tressel took off the restraints, put some trust in his sophomore signal caller and, in doing so, unveiled a 2010 Heisman candidate.

Oregon was the team that looked predictable. The read-option that Jeremiah Masoli operated so well this year was pretty darn stale, especially when Masoli hardly ever took the ball himself. Ed Dickson disappeared in a scarlet and grey mass at the line of scrimmage.

Wildcats quarterback Mike Kafka fell in defeat, but had a monster day. (Getty Images)

The Big Ten looked great today — even in its Outback Bowl loss. (Hats off to Mike Kafka… Too bad Northwestern couldn’t pull that off, but with three chances at the end, it really should have.)

The Pac-10 went 2-4 in bowl games this season. USC looked damn good in its bowl (as usual.) There isn’t much shame in losing to BYU or Utah, and I think Stanford did a hell of a job with a backup quarterback. But Arizona and Oregon really, really disappointed.

So, being so impressed with Ohio State and Penn State — and Northwestern — I hereby promise not to needlessly rip the Big Ten for the entire offseason and for the 2010 season.

However, I will still rant about a couple things: All 11 teams need to play each other. The conference doesn’t need another team, it just needs for each team to play all 10 teams. (Doesn’t that seem obvious?) And a little more competition and few fewer MAC or I-AA targets would be nice on the preseason schedule, too. (I love that Penn State actually travels to Alabama in ‘10, and that OSU hosts Miami — even if all four of its preseason games are at home.) And, ff Tressel ball-and-chains Pryor next season, I’m allowed to bitch about that, too — as should everyone Columbus!

But, aside from those points, I’m silenced. Good, innovative play does that.

Congratulations, Penn State

When I need to eat crow, I will… Penn State looked amazing on the worst field I’ve seen (including when I covered high school football!) Darryl Clark was excellent.

One more thing — Northwestern lost, but Mike Kafka’s 500-plus passing yard game was NOT old-school, boring, what-I-figure-to-be Big Ten football. Awesome job.

Now… I can’t wait to watch this Rose Bowl. Happy New Year!

Is the James family for real?

Players carry Mike Leach off the field after a game. (CNN photo)

Why is this story out of Lubbock, Texas bothering me so much? Why is the image of a spoiled brat whining to his famous daddy the only image springing to my mind?

Let’s start with what we know: Adam James, son of ESPN commentator and former star SMU running back Craig James, is a backup receiver on a Texas Tech football team that underachieved this season.

We also know that the Red Raiders’ coach, Mike Leach, is an enigmatic personality, a weird dude with sometimes bizarre methods. But never before have those methods been documented as dangerous.

James apparently suffered a mild concussion in mid-December, was sent to a building at the end of the practice field to rest. (James describes the building as a “shed,” but I have a very hard time imagining any football-related building on Texas Tech’s campus is “shed”-like.)  Please note, these allegations surface after James had little to no action the last two games…

I have spent more than a fair amount of time watching trainers and team doctors work. I have never seen a trainer cower down to a coach, and I have actually seen team doctors sharply talk to head coaches. That is why I’m having a hard time swallowing this whole thing. If Leach was in any way, shape or form causing harm or unnecessary discomfort to any of his players, at least one of — if not all of the following three things would have happened, or would be happening:

1.) The trainers — even the student trainers — might have followed Leach’s order at first, but they would have immediately run to a superior, to a certified atheltic trainer on the field or in the training room, orto a team doctor. If they felt Leach was giving odd or improper orders regarding a players’ health — especially about a concussion — they wouldn’t have stood for it.

2.) We’d be reading quotations from someone on the medical and/or athletic training staff. We would already have heard from whoever was in charge of the training room that day — he has to be dying to clear his name, right? Or, wouldn’t we have read a quote from a student trainer waiting to publicly right a wrong? I can’t imagine we will see this student trainer, or a certified athletic trainer but this is where we need an unnamed source to be unearthed by the fine journalists in Lubbock.

3.) Other players would be going crazy. If a coach put a player in harm’s way, that players’ teammates — his friends — would be rushing to his defense. And they would have done it that day. Someone would have leaked it to the press, posted the info in a forum on RedRaiders.com, told a friend who told a friend… When coaches do something harmful, or even just terribly uncool, reporters find out and investigate.

So far, all we have heard from is lawyers and the university’s brass.

I want to know more about James. Is he a troublemaker, or a hard-working player? Is he there on his father’s laurels, or by his own merit? Is he frustrated over playing time? Has he had other issues with Leach? Has Leach had other issues with him? Do his teammates have his back? If not, why not? Has Leach sent other players to the “shed,” or just James? I want t. o see photos of the alleged shed. I want to know what the trainers thought.

Here is something else we know: In February, after 10 months of tenuous negotiations, Leach and the school agreed to a contraction extension: through the 2013 season for $12.7 million. If Tech terminates the contract, the school must pay Leach $400,000 for each year remaining on the agreement.

Here are some stories for more reading, but I’m anxious to read what the Texas reporters dig up on this story, and I hope ESPN can do a solid job despite its affiliation with the James family.

From RedRaiders.com: http://www.redraiders.com/2009/12/28/leach-suspended/

From SI.com’s Stewart Mandel: http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2009/writers/stewart_mandel/12/29/texas.tech.leach/index.html

From ESPN.com’s Joe Schad: http://sports.espn.go.com/ncf/bowls09/news/story?id=4776848

**New link that includes a photo (sort of) of the “shed”: http://www.doubletnation.com/2009/12/29/1223515/the-saga-of-mike-leach-former#storyjump**

BCS bowl picks

Rose Bowl (Pasadena) Jan. 1, 4:30 p.m.  Ohio State vs. Oregon  PICK: Oregon

Ducks quarterback Jeremiah Masoli and tailback LaMichael James. (AP photo)

The game I most look forward to watching, to be sure. I was stunned that Oregon was only favored by three points (then three-and-a-half)… Ohio State hasn’t sniffed a Pac-10 team in some time and I don’t think it will again. When the Ducks are motivated (and they will be in Pasadena), their offense is damn near unstoppable. Ohio State could give it a whirl for a while if it stays disciplined — it doesn’t seem to be a team that will miss many tackles — but it simply doesn’t have the speed to compete all four quarters. Oregon wins — and easily covers the spread.

Sugar Bowl (New Orleans) Jan. 1, 8:30 p.m.  Cincinnati vs. Florida  PICK: Florida

I likely would have picked Florida regardless, but put it all together — Tim Tebow’s last college game, Urban Meyer’s last game, Brian Kelly’s departure to Notre Dame — and I’m thinking a big, big win.

Fiesta Bowl (Glendale) Jan. 4, 8 p.m.  TCU vs. Boise State  PICK: TCU

(Quick analysis… heading to lunch and to watch the Steelers-Ravens game!) I really love that the Fiesta Bowl’s internal investigation into its pick of teams found nothing. Stunning news. It stinks these teams have to play each other. But, it beats them playing either of the Orange Bowl teams. I think it’d be cool to have seen TCU or BSU play Texas or Alabama, mix up the undefeateds, ya know? I’m not sure how the heck I’m picking against Chris Petersen in a bowl game, but I love TCU’s style. Horned Frogs in a close one.

Orange Bowl (Miami) Jan. 5, 8 p.m.  Georgia Tech vs. Iowa  PICK: Georgia Tech

Almost picked Iowa here… I like Stanzi’s resolve and charisma. Ga. Tech shows itself to be inconsistent, too (see loss to Georgia.) Kirk Ferentz will coach the defense up, too. Hmmm… maybe I should’ve picked the Big Ten team.

National Championship Game (Pasadena) Jan. 7, 8 p.m.  Alabama vs. Texas  PICK: Alabama

Texas — soft Big 12 schedule this season, little resistance along the way until Nebraska — which was supposed to be trounced the Longhorns — damn near put the Bearcats in this game. Alabama has to be more prepared with its strength of schedule, its Heisman Trophy-winning running back, its defense and that chip on its year-old chip on the shoulder courtesy of Utah.

OTHER BOWLS:

International Bowl (Toronto) Jan. 2, 12 p.m.  South Florida vs. Northern Illinois  PICK: South Florida

Papajohns.com Bowl (Birmingham, Ala.) Jan. 2, 2 p.m.  South Carolina vs. UConn  PICK: South Carolina

Cotton Bowl (Arlington, Texas) Jan. 2, 2 p.m. Oklahoma State vs. Mississippi  PICK: Oklahoma State

Liberty Bowl (Memphis) Jan. 2, 5:30 p.m. Arkansas vs. East Carolina  PICK: Arkansas

Alamo Bowl (San Antonio) Jan. 2, 9 p.m. Michigan State vs. Texas Tech  PICK: Texas Tech

GMAC Bowl (Mobile, Ala.) Jan. 6, 7 p.m.  Central Michigan vs. Troy  PICK: Central Michigan

 

Bowl picks, predictions — though a little late

The Pac-10 teams that have played in bowl games thus far are winless. But there is no shame in losing to incredibly well-coached, skilled non-BCS teams from the West that those east of the Mississippi River probably wouldn’t figure to win. I stick my neck out and say with a fair amount of certainty the top of the Mountain West is as strong — if not stronger — than the top of a couple BCS conferences – the ACC and Big Ten –  the last few seasons.

I had Oregon State beating BYU — oops. (Mike Riley, the nation’s most underrated coach, is now 5-1 in bowl games.) But I did have Utah downing Cal. Cal is wildly inconsistent and has been all through Jeff Tedford’s reign. However, a healthy Jahvid Best might have alleviated some of that inconsistency. (Honestly, the defense has never been as dominant as one might think with those strong secondaries.) Regardless, I’m 50 percent on my Pac-10 picks.

SMU head coach June Jones holds the Hawaii Bowl trophy after SMU defeated Nevada 45-10 at the Hawaii Bowl NCAA college football game, Thursday, Dec. 24, 2009, in Honolulu. (AP Photo/Marco Garcia)

Congratulations to SMU coach June Jones. What a job this guy has done at both Hawaii and now at SMU. His body of work is damn near Hall-of-Fame worthy having taken over down-trodden programs and bringing them success.

Today is Christmas, but the bowl games resume tomorrow with my hometown (and current) university seeking its first-ever bowl win. So, on with the picks:

Little Caesar’s Bowl (Detroit) Dec. 26, 1 p.m. Ohio vs. Marshall  PICK: Ohio

Ohio QB Theo Scott is an underachiever with a little big-game potential (see the Temple game.) If he cares about the bowl, despite having to play in Detroit for the second time in a month, the Bobcats will win handily. The Thundering Herd’s head coach was fired at the conclusion of the regular season. I always wonder about the motivation of a team without its leader… unless the head coach wasn’t truly leading in the first place.

Meineke Car Care Bowl (Charlotte) Dec. 26, 4:30 p.m. Pittsburgh vs. North Carolina  PICK: Pitt

Dion Lewis is a stallion and I love Dave Wannstadt as a (college) coach. But, Pitt is in the midst of a gut check, while the Tar Hells are playing a virtual home game. The Panthers were simply outplayed in their rivalry game at Morgantown, W.V. the day after Thanksgiving. Then, they played in one of the most exciting college football games of the season in a one-point loss to Cincinnati. (One point away from a BCS game!) Butch Davis’ well-coached crew will seriously challenge Pitt and have the fans to cheer them on. Should be a good one.

Emerald Bowl (San Francisco) Dec. 26, 8 p.m. USC vs. Boston College PICK: USC

Why is this game called the “Emerald Bowl?” That sounds like a game that should be a game in Seattle, not one hosted in San Fran and sponsored by “Diamond Foods.” Weird, huh? OK, OK… so Diamond Foods’ nuts are Emerald Nuts… still… One of two things is going to happen here: USC’s players are going to care less about a second-tier bowl and play like crap, gift-wrapping a bowl victory for the Golden Eagles, or, the superiorly-talented (is that grammatically collect?) Trojans are going to make this their title game and play like gangbusters. I think Pete Carroll dealt with a perfect storm this season — defensive turnover, coordinator departures and a freshman quarterback (because of a quarterback leaving early for the NFL.) Before you blast Carroll, remember this: All three of those things is the result of major success.

Music City Bowl (Nashville) Dec. 27, 7:30 p.m. Clemson vs. Kentucky PICK: Clemson

Honestly, I know two things about both these teams this season: 1.) Rich Brooks, and 2.) C.J. Spiller. Brooks coaches, Spiller scores. Edge to Clemson!

Independence Bowl (Shreveport, La.) Dec. 28, 5 p.m. Texas A&M vs. Georgia  PICK: Georgia

I’m thinking high-scoring. I’m thinking Jerrod Johnson. I’m thinking Texas A&M’s rotten defense. I’m thinking the Bulldogs beat a very good Ga. Tech teams. I’m thinking Mark Richt’s team in a fun one.

EagleBank Bowl (Washington D.C.) Dec. 29, 4:30 p.m. UCLA vs. Temple  PICK: UCLA

Rick Neuheisel hugs his son, Joe. (Image of Sport/PR photos)

I could be mistaken, but I don’t think Temple has beat a BCS team since before its horrendous run in the Big East. I don’t think the Owls have played in a bowl game in my lifetime. (I’m 35, for those wondering.) I’m not mistaken when I say Rick Neuheisel has an uncanny knack for firing up his players in games that seem meaningless to everyone else. (Do only Huskies fans remember that Neusheisel invention the “Northwest Championship?”) The Bruins got into a bowl game by default, but the MidAmerican Conference is not what it was last season. I’m saying UCLA big.

Champs Sports Bowl (Orlando) Dec. 29, 8 p.m. Miami vs. Wisconsin  PICK: Miami

Before this week, I loathed Wisconsin fans. They were the meanest bunch of people with whom I dealt while I was an AP top 25 voter. (I have thick skin, but these people were rude, crass and downright personally mean.) But, this week, I met two of the coolest people on Anna Maria Island, Fla., who happened to be Badgers fans – Steve and Mara. They are going up to the game and I hope they have a great time. But I still think the home-state team with the game-breaking quarterback is going to take the game.

Humanitarian Bowl (Boise) Dec. 30, 4:30 p.m. Bowling Green vs. Idaho  PICK: Bowling Green

Hmmmm… One would think Robb Akey’s Vandals would be so excited to be in a bowl game, so thrilled to be playing in their home state that they would find a way to pull this one off. Not so fast… Bowling Green has one of (if not) the nation’s best receivers. Idaho looked like crap the later part of the season and the Falcons have been on a roll. Going with the hot hand. And one for the MAC.

Holiday Bowl (San Diego) Dec. 30, 8 p.m.  Nebraska vs. Arizona  PICK: Arizona

Nebraska's Ndamukong Suh, the AP player of the year (AP photo)

Here’s where I get the Pac-10 homer calls. I think Nebraska is nails and Ndamukong Suh a beast. But I think this will be a close game and the Wildcats are used to the close ones. They should have a good crowd at Qualcomm (sorry, Jack Murphy) Stadium. But, the big question remains — is Mike Stoops ready to take that next step from coach on the hot seat to contract extension to serious bowl winner? I’m putting this game on Stoops’ coaching ability — and picking Arizona.

Armed Forces Bowl (Fort Worth) Dec. 31, noon  Air Force vs. Houston  PICK: Houston

Ahhh, welcome to the second-best bowl game of the season! Last year, I was in the Tampa airport watching these two teams square off in the exact same bowl. All things go as planned, it’ll be a total repeat this New Year’s Eve! I pick the same winner — the Houston Cougars. Houston has the nation’s top passing offense. Air Force has the nation’s best pass defense. That just spells fun. I think Keenum is the real deal. I think the Cougars defensive coordinator (John Skladany, Yanity family friend) is a much better coach than Houston’s defensive numbers show. If this snow storm sticks around, though, Air Force’s triple option will be a bear.

Sun Bowl (El Paso) Dec. 31, 2 p.m.  Oklahoma vs. Stanford  PICK: Stanford

Lakewood High product Tavita Pritchard will lead the Cardinal against Oklahoma in the Sun Bowl (AP photo)

To be very honest, this is a draw — but only because Stanford QB Andrew Luck will most likely be out of action. Not that Tavita Pritchard is weak — remember that upset at USC a couple years ago? Pritchard was at the helm. But Luck brought an element of athleticism and that “it” factor Pritchard doesn’t have. Still, this game will be about Toby (aka, Runnerup) Gerhart and the Sooners’ stingy run defense. I’m excited to see it. An unrelated Sun Bowl note: The BEST time I’ve had covering an event in my 12 years as a sports writer was the 2001 Sun Bowl. Washington State defeated Purdue and the Sun Bowl’s media hospitality staff could not have been more cool. Cheers to Lori Shandrick, Joe Tiller’s wife, Joan Jett and the Purdue fans who thought it would be a good idea to have a karaoke machine in the hospitality suite!

Texas Bowl (Houston) Dec. 31, 3 p.m. Navy vs. Missouri  PICK: Navy

Watch Ricky Dobbs run… and remember, he’s a quarterback, not a racecar driver.

Insight Bowl (Tempe, Ariz.) Dec. 31, 6 p.m.  Minnesota vs. Iowa State  PICK: Minnesota

This one is on NFL Network and is a tribute to my dear friend Jennell — a Minneapolis native and resident, but an ISU alum.

Chick-fil-A Bowl (Atlanta) Dec. 31, 7:30 p.m.  Virginia Tech vs. Tennessee  PICK: Virginia Tech

Congrats to Lane Kiffin on making a bowl game in his first season. The Vols get enough trouble with their SEC schedule and will get one more dose before the year ends.

Outback Bowl (Tampa) Jan. 1, 11 a.m.  Northwestern vs. Auburn  PICK: Auburn

I know this is the best and busiest day of the bowl season, but for those of us (living or visiting) the Pacific time zone, this STINKS! 8 a.m.? Really?! Ugh. I want to see this one, too. Is Northwestern a fluke? Did it beat Iowa because Stanzi was out, or is it for real? I’m going with Auburn, but for Bill Evans’ sake… go ‘Cats.

Gator Bowl (Jacksonville) Jan. 1, 1 p.m.  West Virginia vs. Florida State  PICK: West Virginia

My brother-in-law is an assistant at WVU and I’ll be rooting for the ‘Eers with all my might. But, I’m nervous. Emotions will be high on the Florida State sideline and in the stands (of which there have been 6,000 more installed.) The Mountaineers did themselves no favors with very-good starters, defensive lineman Scooter Berry and safety Nate Sowers being academically ineligible. Those two were vital in WV’s upset win over Pitt and near-win at Cincinnati. My heart picks WVU. Good luck, Brian!

Capital One Bowl (Orlando) Jan. 1, 1 p.m.  Penn State vs. LSU  PICK: LSU

Penn State is ridiculously overrated. Maybe if they’d ever play anyone worth a damn in the regular season, they could make me eat crow. They won’t on New Year’s Day, though.

… The BCS (and other) games in another post…

Merry Christmas

Merry Christmas to all who read my blog! (And everyone else, too!)

Please say an extra Christmas prayer for my grandmother, Mimi.

She had a bad fall and things don’t look promising. She has a big family that loves her dearly. We aren’t ready for her to leave us, but fate may have a different plan for her. If that’s the case, may she leave us peacefully, pain-free and knowing she is loved.