Beerman’s Picks
by Ben Shapiro, 12/28/01
Each week this season, I will be posting a column previewing
the upcoming weekend's Big East and Top-25 match-ups. All rankings are from
the
Bowl Championship Series Poll. I don't pick winners (that's too easy),
I pick against
the spread.
All picks are for entertainment purposes only. If you actually bet
based on what I think...well...don't say you weren't warned!. For
the most current TV information, click on over to
TV Guide
This Week: Part deux. Nothing terribly surprising in the first batch of bowl games this
year...though GT is up 17-3 as I write this. I have to say I really enjoyed the Marshall-ECU game, and was bored stiff by CSU-UNT and Utah-USC. Score one more on the 'playoffs' side of the ledger.
|
| Monday 12/31 |
Humanitarian
Bowl
Boise, ID
Louisiana Tech (7-4) vs. Clemson (6-5) |
| Line: Clemson (-6.5) |
12:30 PM
(ESPN)
|
| Nope, I'm simply not convinced that Clemson is really any better than Louisiana Tech. Sure, it's the classic mediocre big time school vs. the prototypical small conference upstart. Unfortunately for LaTech, I think that's big here. They haven't been to a bowl game since joining I-A twelve years ago, and even Boise can be a big stage sometimes. |
| Pick: La Tech |
|
|
Wells Fargo
Sun Bowl
El Paso, TX
Washington State (9-2) vs. Purdue (6-5) |
| Line: Wazzou (-8) |
2:00 PM
(CBS)
|
| Wazzou in a walk. Purdue barely qualified for bowl eligibility. They've got a solid defense, yet still scored less than they gave up on the season. The Cougars were
this close to a BCS bid, but couldn't hold it together when it counted most. Nonetheless, barring total breakdown this game belongs to Washington State. |
| Pick: WSU |
|
|
Silicon Valley
Classic
San Jose, CA
Fresno State (11-2) vs. Michigan State (6-5) |
| Line: FSU-W (-5.5) |
3:00 PM
(FoxSportsNet)
|
| See, now this could be a
pretty fun game to watch. One of those "all offense" affairs
reminiscent of the early 90's BYU-SDSU Arena Ball precursors.
I think I have to pick Fresno here, because they've at least shown
the ability to occasionally play good defense. |
| Pick: FSU |
|
|
AXA Liberty
Bowl
Memphis, TN
Brigham Young (13-1) vs. Louiseville (10-2) |
| Line: U of L (-3) |
4:00 PM
(ESPN)
|
| #20 in the BCS, but #18.5
in our hearts, ladies and gentlemen your BYU Cougars!
Now they've had three weeks to prepare,
do you suppose in that time they've found someone ... ANYONE ... who
can play defense? |
| Pick: U of L |
|
|
Chick-Fil-A
Peach Bowl
Atlanta, GA
UNC (7-5) vs. Auburn (7-4) |
| Line: UNC (-2) |
7:30 PM
(ESPN)
|
| This is kind of like
those random AFC games that CBS broadcasts opposite the Redskins on
Sunday. I know who the teams are. I recognize some of
the players from SportsCenter. I may even have seen a couple
of earlier games as well. But try as I might, I simply can not
bring myself to care about this game. |
| Pick: Auburn |
|
|
| Tuesday 1/1 |
Outback Bowl
Tampa, FL
Ohio State (7-4) vs. South Carolina (8-3) |
| Line: USC-SE (-2.5) |
11:00 AM
(ESPN)
|
| Didn't we just do this
last year? |
| Pick: New tie-ins |
|
|
SBC Cotton Bowl
Dallas, TX
Oklahoma (10-2) vs. Arkansas (7-4) |
| Line: Oklahoma (-13.5) |
11:00 AM
(FOX)
|
| Well it's not another
national title, and it isn't even a BCS game ... but it should at
least be an easy win. |
| Pick: Sooners |
|
|
Toyota Gator
Bowl
Jacksonville, FL
Virginia Tech (8-3) vs. Florida State (6-5) |
| Line: VT (-2.5) |
12:30 PM
(NBC)
|
| It's simple really. As goes Chris Rix, so goes the Seminoles. Crash
the boards, lay some wicked hits, and put big Derrius Monroe right in his mug from play one. I want to see some picks, and I want to see at least one returned for six. For crying out loud, N.C. State beat these guys in Tallahassee, we sure as heck can do it in Jacksonville! I think we do, and I think we do in a big way. |
| Pick:
HOKIES! |
|
|
Capitol One
Florida Citrus Bowl
Orlando, FL
Michigan (8-3) vs. Tennessee (8-3) |
| Line: UT (-4) |
1:00 PM
(ABC)
|
| The big winners in the SEC Championship game? Orlando T-shirt vendors. It's a piecework industry, and having something as reliable as yearly visits by the throngs of Tennessee fans is a godsend.
|
| Pick: Vols |
|
|
Tostitos Fiesta
Bowl
Tempe, AZ
Oregon (10-1) vs. Colorado (10-2) |
| Line: Colorado (-3) |
4:30 PM
(ABC)
|
| When I rule the world,
I'm going to hang the team photo of the winner of this game on my
wall next to the USFL's $3.76 anti-trust award. |
| Pick: Oregon |
|
|
Nokia Sugar
Bowl
New Orleans, LA
Illinois (10-1) vs. LSU (9-3) |
| Line: LSU (-3) |
8:00 PM
(ABC)
|
| It's a good thing the Sugar
Bowl isn't hosting the MNC game this year. I don't know if the
town could handle both that and the teeming masses of North Texas
fans sure to still be in town following their game. |
| Pick: Illinois |
|
|
| Wednesday 1/2 |
FedEx Orange
Bowl
Miami, FL
Maryland (10-1) vs. Florida (9-2) |
| Line: Florida (-16) |
8:00 PM
(ABC)
|
| No sir, it ain't gonna be
pretty. Welcome to the big time Maryland, you're about to get
Spurriered. |
| Pick: UMud |
|
|
| Thursday 1/3 |
Rose Bowl Presented
By AT&T
Pasadena, CA
#1 Miami (11-0) vs. #2 Nebraska (11-1) |
| Line: Miami (-9.5) |
8:00 PM
(ABC)
|
| Nebraska playing in this
game is, without question, the greatest injustice in the history of
the free world. That being said, I think they should give Miami a good game. Sure Colorado killed them, but the Huskers are far from a bunch of pushovers. Solid defenses on both sides, but Miami has a far more complete offense. Still, Miami's Oline will have to play up to form. As we've seen firsthand, a rattled Dorsey is not a very effective quarterback. But they will, and Miami will roll on to another national title. And Beano agrees with me, how could I be wrong? |
| Pick: Nebraska |
|
|
| Miscellanea... |
|
Season To Date: 131-140-2
Upset Special: (7-7) It's a bowl week
twofer!
- Marshall over East Carolina
- Iowa State over Alabama
|
