Happy New Year's Eve and best wishes to the Iowa State Cyclones

The final day of 2009 has finally arrived. What a year that seemed to pass by at record speed.

We have seen plenty this past 2009 and cheers to a better 2010 to each and all ...

Iowa State vs. Minnesota kicks off a 5 p.m. on the NFL Network. It is nice to see the in-state school in a bowl game in coach Paul Rhoads first season.

The MWC, Big East and Big Ten are off to good starts in th 2009-10 bowl season.

Have a safe and enjoyable New Year's Eve and a great new year in 2010.

peace

Out with Mike Leach at Texas Tech ...

As the attorney for Mike Leach was suggesting on Tuesday, Texas Tech has chosen to dismiss head football coach Mike Leach for cause ...

Mike Leach fired: Texas Tech coach's methods seen as cruel‎ - Christian Science Monitor

Mike Leach, the most successful coach in Texas Tech football history, was fired Wednesday after being accused of punishing receiver Adam James for not ...

Texas Tech Coach Mike Leach Fired!!‎ - Gather.com
Texas Tech Red Raiders fire Mike Leach - ESPN
Dec 30, 2009 ... Texas Tech fired coach Mike Leach on Wednesday, two days after he was suspended by the school as it investigated his treatment of a player ...

Mike Leach becomes the second coach in the Big 12 Conference dismissed this season, due to the treatment of players.

Ex-Kansas coach Mangino getting $3 million from KU - Associated ... - Sporting News
Dec 16, 2009 ... Former Kansas football coach Mark Mangino will be paid $3 ... Comparing what he'd have gotten had they terminated him "without cause" with ...

Big Ten opens 2009-10 bowl season at 1-0

Wisconsin 20, Miami 14 in the 2009 Champs Sports Bowl on Tuesday, Dec. 29Th on ESPN.

Today, December 30Th, two more bowl games are played ...

Roady's Humanitarian with Bowling Green vs. Idaho from Boise, Idaho at Bronco Stadium at 3:30 p.m. on ESPN.

Followed by the Prime Time match up on ESPN:

Pacific Life Holiday Bowl

Arizona vs. Nebraska
from San Diego and Qualcomm Stadium
7 p.m. on ESPN/ESPN Radio

My picks have definitely fallen off this bowl season, but we were happy to see Wisconsin win and help boost the Big Ten off at 1-0 start this 2009-10 bowl season.

Tonight, it should be an interesting game with two programs that we have ties too. Both schools won last season in bowl games and are looking to build for the 2010 season.

peace

It's certainly been an odd week so far in College Football with the news at Florida and now Texas Tech

What's going on around College Football, since Christmas? Urban Meyer is going and now on leave of absence. Now, Texas Tech is suspending coach Mike Leach, due to treatment of one of his players.

Who makes the hires while Meyer is away? - ESPN (blog)‎
Assuming Urban Meyer is indeed coming back after his leave, you know it's going to be his call at the end of the day. Most signs point to Chuck Heater ...
Ex-Gators cast doubt on Urban Meyer's sub - USA Today (blog)
To understand Meyer's flip-flop, one must first understand his past - SI.com
Florida's Interim Coach Is Like Meyer, but With a Passion All His Own - New York Times

What impact will Urban Meyer's leave of absence have on the Gators recruiting for 2010 and beyond?

Meyer's leave will have impact on Florida recruiting - USA Today
With signing day a little more than five weeks away, Urban Meyer's decision to take a leave of absence as Florida coach has created uncertainty with some of ...
Urban Meyer's gridiron guessing game - Palm Beach Post (blog)

The news out of the Texas Tech pre-bowl camp is even more odd ...

Leach's attorney says coach did no wrong‎ - AP
The lawyer for Mike Leach says the suspended Texas Tech coach did nothing wrong in how he treated a player with a "mild" concussion. ...

Texas Tech suspends Mike Leach after player complains about treatment‎ - USA Today
Texas Tech has suspended coach Mike Leach from all duties following a complaint from a player and his parents regarding Leach's treatment of the athlete ...

At least college football fans can enjoy some more bowl action today, with two more bowl games on ESPN ...

The Prime Time Game on ESPN tonight:

Champs Sports

Miami-FL vs. Wisconsin
Orlando, Fla. at the Florida Citrus Bowl
Kickoff is Dec. 29Th at 7 p.m. Central Time

The Wisconsin Badgers didn't fare well last year in Orlando vs. Florida State, so will the trip to face the Hurricanes be better in 2009? Maybe a prime time game for the Badgers will allow them to play better, than last year's day game in the 2008 Champs Sports Bowl?

Both teams finished 5-3 in their respective conferences, the ACC and the Big Ten; and 9-3 overall for the season.

Our Pick: Miami-FL 34, Wisconsin 32

The Tune up Game before tonight's Prime Time game on ESPN:

EagleBank

UCLA vs. Temple
Washington, D.C. at RFK Stadium
Kickoff is Dec. 29 at 3:30 p.m. Central Time

A Pac 10 vs. MAC showdown in Washington D.C. When is the last time a MAC team won a bowl game? Heck, the same can be said for UCLA, who have not been stellar in bowl games either. UCLA was only 3-6 in the Pac 10 in '09, 6-6 overall. Temple finished 7-1 in the MAC East, tied with Ohio U for first place. The Owls were 9-3 overall.

Our Pick: Temple 27, UCLA 24

peace

Oops, there is a Bowl Game today on ESPN2, we can't forget the Independence Bowl, the eleventh bowl for '09-'10 season

ESPN2 will spotlight the Independence Bowl from Shreveport, LA today at 4 p.m. Central Time, with an SEC-Big 12 match up.

Georgia vs. Texas A&M

Georgia defeated in-state rival Georgia Tech, but overall, had a very disappointing 2009 season. Texas A&M is rebuilding under second year coach Mike Sherman, who made the move from the NFL to the college game.

Our pick:

Texas A&M 24, Georgia 21

peace

ESPN continues it's Bowl coverage tonight with the Music City Bowl

Did you ever ask yourself why there are so many Bowl Games in College Football?

The tenth bowl game of the 2009-10 College Football Bowl Schedule is played tonight in front of another ESPN audience. The first ten bowl games are all on ESPN. Tomorrow night, ESPN2 gets into the action.

Bowl Line up through Sunday, December 27Th

• December 19Th - New Mexico, Wyoming 35, Fresno State 28 (2 OT) from Albuquerque, N.M. in University Stadium


• December 19Th - St. Petersburg pres. by Beef 'O' Brady's, Rutgers 45, UCF 24, from St. Petersburg, Fla. at Tropicana Field


• December 20Th - R+L Carriers New Orleans, Middle Tennessee 42, Southern Miss 32, from New Orleans in the Louisiana Superdome


• December 22Nd - MAACO Las Vegas, BYU 44, Oregon State 20, from Las Vegas at Sam Boyd Stadium


• December 23Rd - S.D. County Credit Union Poinsettia, Utah 37, Cal 27 from San Diego and Qualcomm Stadium


• December 24Th - Sheraton Hawaii, SMU 45, Nevada 10, from Honolulu at Aloha Stadium


• December 26Th - Little Caesars, Marshall 21, Ohio 17, from Detroit at Ford Field


• December 26Th - Meineke Car Care, Pitt 19, North Carolina 17, from Charlotte, N.C. at Bank of America Stadium


• December 26Th - Emerald, USC 24, Boston College 13, from San Francisco and AT&T Park

Next up: the 2009-10 College Bowl season's tenth bowl game on ESPN

• Gaylord Hotels Music City Bowl - Kentucky vs. Clemson from Nashville, Tenn. at LP Field
  Dec. 27 at 7:30 p.m. Central Time on ESPN

The SEC kicks off their bowl season vs. the ACC, who are 0-2 in bowls thus far, with the Kentucky Wildcats. The Clemson Tigers were within a possession of winning the ACC Championship and a bid in a BCS bowl.

Kentucky finished tied for fourth in the SEC East at 3-5 with South Carolina. The Wildcats were 7-5 in the regular season. Clemson finished runner-up in the ACC title game and 6-2 in the Atlantic Division, 8-5 overall.

Kentucky finished 7-6 in 2008 and won 25-19 over East Carolina in last year's Liberty Bowl. The Wildcats are 8-5 lifetime in bowl games and are looking for their fourth straight bowl games, with the streak starting in '06 with a 28-20 win vs. Clemson in the Music City Bowl. The Wildcats are lead by coach Rich Brooks, who is in his seven season in Lexington.

Clemson was 7-6 in 2008 and fell short 21-26 in last season's Gator Bowl to Nebraska. Coach Dabo Swinney is in his first full season at the head of the Tigers program, after taking over for Tommy Bowden in the middle of the 2008 campaign. The Tigers have lost three straight bowl games and are 15-16 overall.

Who wants this game more is the real question in many bowl games. Will it be the Wildcats who have won 5 of the last 7 games this season? Or, will it be Clemson, who have lost two straight, after a six game winning streak in the middle of the season?

Prediction:

• Kentucky Wildcats 28
• Clemson Tigers 26

peace

Florida's Urban Meyer is stepping aside as head football coach for "faith and family" ...

He suggests that he has not taken care of himself, as a football coach.

It's an interesting development on the college football landscape. How his decision is factored by the pressure for success at the major college football level at SEC schools? It's Alabama Nick Saban, who is heading to the BCS Title Game, while Florida QB Tim Tebew winds down his college career in the Sugar Bowl, in now a game that could be Urban Meyer's last as a head football coach.

Source: Urban Meyer changes plans, taking leave of absence‎ - Miami Herald
Florida coach Urban Meyer told to the Gators he is not resigning but taking an indefinite leave of absence. Offensive coordinator Steve Addazio will be ...
Louisville AD Tom Jurich understands if Strong is interested in ...‎ - The Canadian Press
Meyer's Situation Is Not the First‎ - New York Times (blog)

If the decision is primarily due to coach Urban Meyer's health? That he is leaving college football, then we want to wish him a speedy recovery. However, remember when Florida basketball coach Billy Donavan was ready to step away from the basketball position at Florida to leave for the NBA? There was plenty of drama with that on again, off again saga.

Stay tuned ...

peace

The Christmas fest is complete; now, more College Bowls to digest for the season!

Hopefully, everyone had a very, merry Christmas with family and friends ...

We were pleased with both Utah and SMU in their respective bowl wins in the Poinsettia and Hawaii bowls, respectively ...

Wed., Dec. 23: Poinsettia in San Diego, Mountain West vs. Pac-10, Utah 37, California 27
Thu., Dec. 24: Hawaii in Honolulu, C-USA vs. WAC, SMU 45, Nevada 10

Saturday, December 26, 2009, there three more bowl games up for display, all on ESPN ...

• Sat., Dec. 26 at 12 p.m. Central Time
  Little Caesars Bowl from Detroit
  MAC vs. Big Ten (C-USA fills the Big Ten void): Ohio U vs. Marshall
• Sat., Dec. 26 at 3 p.m. Central Time
  Meineke Car Care Bowl from Charlotte
  ACC vs. Big East: North Carolina vs. Pittsburgh
• Sat., Dec. 26 at 7:30 p.m. Central Time
  Emerald Bowl from San Francisco
  Pac-10 vs. ACC: Southern California vs. Boston College

Our Picks for Saturday, December 26, 2009:

• Ohio U. 30, Marshal 24
• North Carolina 33, Pittsburgh 28
• Boston College 28, USC 25

peace