Christmas Delayed

Meinke Car Care Bowl
Saturday, Dec. 27, 1 p.m. ESPN
North Carolina vs. West Virginia
Even opening line
Ok, I love this matchup, but I hate the Meinke Car Care Bowl. That one and the Gator Bowl. But this one I hate just for name alone. Seriously, Car Care Bowl. It couldn't be the Meinke Charlotte Bowl? Or the Meinke Carolina bowl? At the least the Meinke Car Care Charlotte Carolina Bowl could be reduced to the MCCCC Bowl, which I guess in Rome would be the 1400 Bowl.

Seriously, Pat White's last bowl game against whatever Butch Davis can throw out there. I just wish this were a night game. With the even opening line, I'll go with...

Auburn John's Expert Pick: West Virginia + Pat White + Noel Devine > North Carolina + Butch Davis + Finally getting back their starting QB


Champs Sports (Blockbuster) Bowl
Saturday, Dec. 27, 4:30 p.m. ESPN
Florida State vs. Wisconsin
Florida State favored by 5.5
Alright, well I did some research, and even though this bowl was called the Tangerine Bowl in the early 2000's, it's actually the old Blockbuster Bowl. I remember the Blockbuster Bowl from when Alabama beat Colorado in the early 90's (I honestly don't know if that's right. It's coming straight from the top of my head, so you may want to double-check before you wager that 6 points in trivia).

This game initially looks intriguing, before realizing that Florida State has been a marginal ACC team for most of the decade and Wisconsin has continued its post-Alvarez slide and finished fifth (or so) in the Big Ten. At least there's a game that follows this one...


Emerald (San Francisco) Bowl
Saturday, Dec. 27, 8 p.m. ESPN
California vs. Miami
California favored by 6
... Oh crap, the game that follows the Blockbuster Bowl is this? The Emerald Bowl has a stigma. And that stigma suits it for its birthname. I don't think I've ever seen this game be exciting, and I can't guess it'll start now with these two underachievers. I was able to manage to see the Hurricanes again this season in-person (which makes Miami my most-seen non-SEC team... Yeaaaaa)

Auburn John's Expert Prediction: I'll be drunk before this Saturday night is over.


PetroSun Independence Bowl
Sunday, Dec. 28, 8:15 p.m. ESPN
Louisiana Tech vs. Northern Illinois
Northern Illinois favored by 2
You know the guys in Shreveport are thoroughly excited in seeing this one. In the game that will forever be known as the WeedWacker Bowl, this one will include two non-BCS team for the first time in 20 years. (Yeah, I actually had to look that one up.)

At least the residents of Shreveport will get the cultural influx of those from Ruston. Yeaaaaa elitists from Ruston!

For me, it'll be a good chance to see two of the top candidates that Auburn passed over for Gene Chizik. Wait, wasn't the Independence Bowl home of every Iowa State bowl game in the early 2000's? Why aren't the Cyclones playing in this one? Oh, they only won 5 games... that's ok; Auburn only won five games... oh, Chizik only led them to five wins in 2 years?!?!?! ERRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR!



PapaJohns.com (Birmingham) Bowl
Monday, Dec. 29, 3 p.m. ESPN
Rutgers vs. N.C. State
Rutgers favored by 6.5
I love Papa Johns. Seriously, they have the best delivery pizza around. So what that it took them two years before they realized they should serve Papa John's pizza during the bowl game. I'm sure no one noticed that the bowl's sponsor was serving Tostito's pizzas for $4 a slice.

This actually isn't too horrible of a game. Unfortunately it's being played in the ghetto of Birmingham (I know what your thinking, isn't all of Birmingham a ghetto? Well, yeah... it is.) But this one is at Legion Field, which has been partially condemned. Of course, the Wolfepack and Knights could only fill up half of the stadium anyway, so the fact that an upper deck may fall during the game shouldn't really be much of a problem.

Auburn John's Expert Prediction: Over / Under on Gameday Muggings: 86