Not many surprises as we kick off the New Year and the January 1 Bowl Games

Were there really any major surprises on January 1 with the two BCS bowls and other January 1 bowl games?

• Florida State's coach Bobby Bowden and DC Mickey Andrews go out winners


• Joe Paterno wins his 24Th bowl game as head coach at Penn State


• Northwestern still hasn't won a bowl game, since the 1940s, after losing in OT on the final play


• Ohio State picks up from last trip to Pasadena and wins the 2010 Rose Bowl


• Florida rolls on Cincinnati in what could be Urban Meyer's final game as the Gators head coach; while the Bearcats were without their coach who faulted to Notre Dame

January 1 Bowl Results:

• Outback Bowl: Auburn 38, Northwestern 35 (OT)


• Capital One Bowl: Penn State 19, LSU 17


• Konica Minolta Gator: Florida State 33, West Virginia 21


• Rose Bowl Game presented by Citi: Ohio State 26, Oregon 17


• Allstate Sugar Bowl: Florida 51, Cincinnati 24
  

It's January 2Nd and the tradition of non-BCS bowls still on the bowl landscape is front and center. Ouch? Five bowls on January 2Nd are on tap, with the best non-BCS, after January 1 bowl game slated for January 6Th between two conference champions: the Sun Belt vs. the MAC.

• January 2, 2010 at 11 a.m. Central Time on ESPN 2
  International Bowl: South Florida vs. Northern Illinois
  from Toronto, Canada and the Rogers Centre


• January 2, 2010 at 1 p.m. Central Time on ESPN
  Papajohns.com Bowl: South Carolina vs. UConn
  from Birmingham, Alabama and Legion Field


• January 2, 2010 at 1 p.m. Central Time on FOX
  AT&T Cotton Bowl: Oklahoma State vs. Ole Miss
  from Arlington, Texas and Cowboys Stadium


• January 2, 2010 at 4:30 p.m. Central Time on ESPN
  AutoZone Liberty Bowl: Arkansas vs. East Carolina
  from Memphis, Tenn. and the Liberty Bowl


• January 2, 2009 at 8 p.m. on ESPN
  Valero Alamo Bowl: Michigan State vs. Texas Tech
  from San Antonio and the Alamodome
  

Also today is a full slate of college basketball, while the Iowa Hawkeyes (0-1 in conference) host the Minnesota Golden Gophers from Carver-Hawkeye Arena at 3:05 pm (also on Big Ten Network). On Sunday, the bowl games will take a break for the final week of the NFL (Week 17).

Two solid BCS bowl games for Monday and Tuesday:

• Tostitos Fiesta Bowl: Boise State vs. TCU
  from Glendale, Ariz.U. of Phoenix Stadium
  January 4Th, 7 p.m. Central Time kickoff on FOX/ESPN Radio


• FedEx OrangeBowl: Iowa vs. Georgia Tech
  from Miami and Land Shark Stadium
  Jan. 5Th, 7 p.m. Central Time kickoff on FOX/ESPN Radio
  
  
  The final non-BCS bowl game between the Sun Belt champion vs. the MAC champion on Wednesday:

• GMAC Bowl: Central Michigan vs. Troy
  from Mobile, Alabama and Ladd-Peebles Stadium
  Jan. 6Th, 6 p.m. kickoff on ESPN

The final college football game of the 2009-10 season will be on Thursday with the BCS Title Game. Sorry, but drop the National Championship Game in the title ABC/ESPN. We have a BCS System, not a playoff system. While we would suggest the National Championship Game would be fitting in a +2 system, with the traditional bowl line up being reinstated. The #1 vs. #2 in the BCS is scheduled for Thursday.

Citi presents the BCS Title Game: Texas vs. Alabama
from Pasadena, Calif. and the Rose Bowl
Kickoff: Jan. 7Th at 7 p.m.
ABC/ESPN Radio

The 2009 College Football season is winding down. It's been an interesting year in college football, certainly there has been a wide share of drama and intrigue. It's nice to welcome in the New Year and the next decade of College Football and there should be plenty to talk about in the off season heading into the kick off of the 2010 college football season!

peace