Put it in the Books

As I look back on the bowl season, I keep coming back to one game: The Roady's Humanitarian Bowl. That was hands down the one that gave me the most fits. What's worse, I initially had Maryland and ended up changing it to Nevada. Argh!

I would have been even with the TU Senior after last night and only three yards off Tebow's yards for the tie-breaker. So let that be a lesson to the rest of you. Don't change your pick, go with your gut.

That said, I thought the BCS title game was quite entertaining (though it would have been five times better on ESPN or really anywhere other than FOX). Some people might be disappointed that it wasn't a higher scoring affair, but I was just glad we got a close game for the first time in three years.

In these defensive games, every score, every first down and every play becomes more important. It'd be nice if FOX would give us more than .42 seconds before the snap to cut to a shot of the field, but it was a good game nevertheless.

I loved watching Timmy Tebow carry his team like he always does in big games and get it done yet again. The only disappointment was the Gator Chop unsportsmanlike conduct call. Throughout his career at Florida he's been nothing but an exemplary student-athlete and role model.

He's a fine, Christian man and has used his success to honor God. But at the very end he let the pressure get to him. It certainly wasn't anything like Zinedine Zidane head-butting Marco Materazzi in the World Cup, but it did put a slight damper on everything he's accomplished up to this point.

I hope you all enjoyed another exciting bowl season (except for the fact that the Wolverines had to sit this one out for the first time in my lifetime). See you next year.

Final Standings

TU Senior	26
Kenny Pickett	25
The Rev	23
A True Blue Husker	23
Marzipan	22
Chief Justice	22
Dr. L	18
Tiffani	18
L. P. Stoneworthy	18
A. Contenda	16
The Beast	16
Willy Jacket	13

How are you bowling?

They fly by so quickly don't they? Just like that we're down to our final three bowl games. Likewise, our field of competitors has been whittled down to just two: TU Senior (a.k.a. Grant) and The Rev (a.k.a. Doug Birr).

Going into Friday, A True Blue Husker (a.k.a. Nate) still had a shot at the Bowl Championship Sage title, but was knocked out when ECU and Buffalo came up short.

Even though most of us are technically out of the running, I would like to take a moment and recognize some of the stellar picks of this year's competition.

5.) Kentucky - Apparently dubbed "The Kneecap Bowl," Grant and I were the only ones to stick with the SEC in the Liberty Bowl when the masses were flocking to the Conference USA champion. Technically Marzipan (a.k.a. Tobi) also had the Wildcats, but when you merely flip a coin I can't give you credit for making a great pick.

4.) Colorado St. - He may be in last place, but Willy Jacket (a.k.a. Brett) was the only one to give the Rams a shot in the New Mexico Bowl against a talented, but streaky Fresno St. squad. (Sorry Marzipan, but you got these all on dumb luck).

3.) Vandy - Eight bowl wins in a row, highly ranked defense, ACC runner-up, who wouldn't go with Boston College in the Music City Bowl? A. Contenda (a.k.a. Sue) and Tiffani (a.k.a. my wife), that's who. I give the ladies props for going with the Commodores. (Props are good).

2.) Ole Miss - While everyone else went with Mike Leach and the high-powered Texas Teck offense, Nate sided with the Right Reverend Houston Nutt in the Cotton Bowl. The Rebels came through for Nate during the regular season against LSU and the Husker went right back to the well again and did not come up dry. (Sorry again, Marzipan; I can give you the points for the win, but that's it).

1.) Utah - Some of us might have thought the Tide lost some of the wind in their sails after blowing the perfect season and a chance at the national championship, but we just couldn't bring ourselves to pick non-BCS Utah. While the rest of us made the "smart pick" with Nick Saban and that dominant offensive line of Alabama, The Beast (a.k.a. Alex) went with the long shot, Brian Johnson and the Utes, in the Sugar Bowl.

As of right now, The Beast is technically the only player to get a pick right all by himself. But A. Contenda has a chance in these next two games as she has both Ohio St. and Tulsa, either of which would earn her a spot in this year's great picks.

And it seems only fitting that the championship game will decide the winner of this year's Bowl Championship Sage Competition. A win for Tim Tebow and the Florida Gators will keep TU Senior in the lead (and Kenny in second place). But if Sam Bradford can go against the Heisman trend and get the Sooners a victory, The Rev will come out on top.

I hope you enjoy the rest of this year's bowl season.