I guess I need to put a bow on BowlQuest. Alabama just beats the enthusiasm out of you despite a great second half in the game.
Alabama vs. Georgia I was in for the full ride here, pulling for the Dogs to keep a trophy away from Alabama for the second straight year. Through the first half, it certainly looked that way. Georgia found its footing in the 2nd quarter and put up 13 points. Alabama's offense was stuck in first gear and I texted Boy No. 2 Bryant that the back up was coming in for the Tide if Jalen Hurts didn't play better to start the second half. Hurts never saw the second half. Evidently Tricky Nicky had seen enough and brought in Tua Tagovailoa and opened up the entire playbook. ESPN also felt it necessary to remind viewers about 187 times that Tua and Georgia QB Jake Fromme were FRESHMEN!!! After maybe their best half of offense all season, the Tide were in position to win but kicker Andy Pappanastos kicked it wide left and it was overtime. If Alabama lost old Andy was going to need to change his phone number and shut down his twitter feed. You know the outcome by now. Alabama somehow baited Georgia on a 2nd and 26 and threw a 41 yard pass for the winning score. What will be forgotten by most fans was the clutch 51-yard field goal made by Georgia's Rodrigo Blankenship in overtime that should have been for the win if Georgia's defense could have benefited from the 1st down sack of Tua. But there he was, Tricky Nicky holding another national championship trophy. I was hoping that during the trophy presentation the real national champions would enter the stadium, maybe rappelling from the roof top.
Alabama 26 Georgia 23 My Pick: I had Oklahoma and Clemson in the title game. What Did I Eat: Macaroni and cheese, a salad. Bowl Game Swag: Technically this isn't a bowl game, but the players do
receive an "Iconic Gift" whatever that is but at least it sounds
awesome. Top Three Bowl Swag Gifts: 3. Fiesta Bowl (PS4 Pro Bundle, Fossil Watch, Ogio backpack) 2. Peach Bowl ($300 Visa Gift card, Wonderboom speaker, Fossil watch and Football) 1. Championship Game (The Iconic Gift)
Congrats to the Big 10 for the nearly perfect bowl game record of 7-1, looking at you Michigan. The Pac 12 needs to regroup, a horrendous 1-7 record, the only win going to Utah.
Georgia vs. Oklahoma What a scene - so much red, the greatest field in the game, the awesome fly-over. The Rose Bowl does it better than anybody else. They even force ESPN to show the marching bands at half time. I watched all of this game and there was a lot, going to double overtime. In the end, the Georgia defense had a little more than the Oklahoma offense. Easily the best game of bowl season. Georgia 54 Oklahoma 48 My Pick: Oklahoma, it was that kind of day. What Did I Eat: Some cheese and meats, and then stuffed clams and crab cakes. Bowl Game Swag: Gift suite, Fossil watch, Ogio backpack, New Era 9Fifty snapback adjustable hat. Fun Fact: Will Farrell and Mollie Shannon played fake hosts covering the Rose Parade. If you have access to Amazon Prime video you can still watch it. It was pretty funny. Of course some people didn't get the joke and hit the show with one star reviews, thinking "Cord and Tish" were real hosts.
Clemson vs. Alabama After 38 bowl games, my belly was full. But you can't crap out with one to go, so it was on to New Orleans. Clemson had no answer for the Tide's defense and it looked like a foregone conclusion at half time, which is when I tapped out and went to bed. Tuesday was a back to work day and it was apparent how much Deshaun Watson meant to the Tigers. Alabama wins with defense and special teams. Alabama 24 Clemson 6 My Pick: You guessed it, Clemson. Idiot, again. I finished 21-18, that's not good. What Did I Eat: Nothing. This game didn't start until after 9pm. Bowl Game Swag: Gift suite, Fossil watch, blah blah blah. Same stuff. Fun Fact: TCU beat LSU in the 1936 Sugar Bowl, the score 3-2. That sounds about as much fun as the 2018 edition.
I guess we continue on after the questionable ruling on the Fiesta Bowl. Thanks to Boy No. 2 Bryant for watching and college friend Pam Harrison Appicelli who created a third rule and said a BowlQuest reader could take one game.
The three appetizers before the playoff games.
Michigan vs. South Carolina I'll leave this right here.
Nice job Wolverines, you had one job, win and give the Big Ten a perfect 8-0 bowl season record. On the upside, since South Carolina won you can get a free Bloomin' Onion at Outback Steakhouse on January 2nd. I have a feeling I know where our friend in maize will be going Tuesday. Slow start to the game, neither team could do much of anything. I watched the first quarter and would be back for much of the second half. Michigan got it rolling a bit and was up 19-3, and then let South Carolina score 23 straight points. How close were you to a "big win" coach?
I would say his seat in Ann Arbor will start to heat up if UofM doesn't beat Notre Dame on September 1st. South Carolina 26 AAJC 19 My Pick: The Wolverines, my record now 21-14. Idiot. What Did I Eat: Queso Dip (On The Border cheese sauce, Herdez salsa and Secret Aardvark hot sauce) and some Frontera chips. Bowl Game Swag: Jostens ring, Fossil watch, $125 Best Buy gift card, Outback Steakhouse gift card, hat. Do college guys wear rings? Fun Fact: Jim Harbaugh's record as a head coach in bowl games is now 2-3, which is better than his record against Ohio State and Michigan State, which is 1-5. Did I mention something about a hot seat?
Central Florida vs. Auburn This was the game I picked up after a fast first quarter at the Outback Bowl. First quarter live and then again back for the finish. Perfection for the UCF Knights. This team went 0-12 two years ago. Good to see head coach Scott Frost stay to coach the team to the win before he leaving for Nebraska. Auburn had a chance to tie the score on their final possession after a missed field goal by UCF but they wound up turning it over on an interception. UCF 34 Auburn 27 My Pick: Auburn, record 21-15. What Did I Eat: Nothing Bowl Game Swag: $300 Vanilla Visa gift card by InComm, Ultimate Ears Wonderboom bluetooth speaker, Fossil watch, football. Fun Fact: This year's edition of the Peach Bowl was the 50th. The most exciting game was probably in 2013 with Texas A&M beating Duke 52-48 with the Aggies led by Johnny Manziel. The least exciting game, the 1974 edition when Texas Tech and Vanderbilt played to a 6-6 tie. Here are the highlights.
Hard to believe this lasts more than three minutes, but hey, B.T.O.!
LSU vs. Notre Dame Picked this game up with a live second quarter and saw some of the finish. The first half was a real dud, 3-0 lead for the Irish at the half. Not much to see in the second half. Noted hothead and Notre Dame head coach Brian Kelly ignited a quarterback controversy swapping out Brandon Wimbush who started every game this season for Ian Book in the second half. Book played better and Wimbush never came back in the game. The Irish won. Notre Dame 21 LSU 17 My Pick: You guessed it, LSU - record now 21-16 What Did I Eat: Half a peanut butter cookie Bowl Game Swag: $400 Best Buy shopping trip, Timely Watch Co. watch, Fun Fact: This game was originally the Tangerine Bowl, established in 1947. Toledo ripped off three straight Tangerine Bowl wins, beating Davidson, William & Mary, and Richmond from 1969 to 1971. Chuck Ealey was the Rockets quarterback for all those wins. Ealey's son Damon would go on to play for Toledo in 1995. The SEC's bowl record is now 2-5, may not bode well for Georgia and Alabama.
This is the former Gator Bowl and will forever be known as the Gator Bowl to me. Mississippi State fans, as always, brought their cowbells to ring relentlessly through the game. <turns volume on TV down>.
The game overlapped with the next so I stick with this one until the start of the second quarter of the Liberty Bowl. Nice back and forth game between the Cardinals and Bulldogs, 21-17 at half. Didn't see any of the second half.
Louisville quarterback and 2016 Heisman trophy winner Lamar Jackson threw four interceptions giving Mississippi State the opportunity to grab the win. Two fourth quarter touchdowns put the SEC in the win column.
Mississippi State 31 Louisville 27
My Pick: Louisville. Record now 19-12.
What Did I Eat: A salad! Okay, it did have some fried chicken on it, but still, leafy greens.
Bowl Game Swag: Gift suite, Fossil watch, backpack, beanie. No free tax preparation?
Fun Fact: Why exactly do Mississippi State fans ring cowbells incessantly throughout every game? No one knows. According to the official Mississippi State alumni page, "The precise origin of thecowbellas a fixture of Mississippi Statesports tradition remains unclear to this day. The best records havecowbellsgradually introduced to the MSU sports scene in the late 1930s and early 1940s, coinciding with the 'golden age' of Mississippi Statefootball success prior to World War II." The best traditions are the most pointless I guess.
Memphis vs. Iowa State
Another team playing a home game although technically not at the Memphis Tigers home stadium. Why exactly does Memphis need two football stadiums? I guess that will go down with the Mississippi State cowbell ringing.
Only good for the second quarter. Good match up, with Iowa State's defense able to dampen the high octane Memphis offense. 14-10 Cyclones at half and I was out. Mrs. Keith and I had "date day,", more on that in a bit.
The Cyclones only let the Tigers in the end zone one more time and held on for the win and a pretty terrific season.
Iowa State 21 Memphis 20
My Pick: Memphis, I thought they would score a lot more than 20. My record slips to 19-13.
What Did I Eat: Nothing
Bowl Game Swag: Bass Pro Shops shopping trip, Bulova Caravelle watch, Nike athletic shoes, sports sandals, backpack, football. Nice to see a bowl committee be creative with the swag. Hello Bulova!
Did you know Bulova ran the first ad on TV?
Fun Fact: The Liberty Bowl win was Iowa State's first since 2009 and during the trophy presentation the stage collapsed. There were also reports that Iowa State fans drank all the Busch Light available at bars around Memphis.
Penn State vs. Washington Okay, here is a bit of BowlQuest controversy. I did not watch this game. My wife and I wanted to get out of the house for a trip to Jack casino and then some drinks and food in Over The Rhine. I had planned on staying at the casino longer than we did which would have given me ample time to watch the first quarter at their bar. Unfortunately my wife isn't much of a gambler and once she starts losing any amount of money she's had enough. She literally lost $10 and was done. I usually like to stay for at least a couple hours, play some different games, maybe some blackjack, have a drink, you know, go to the casino. Also, I fully believe my wife Theresa could be employed by casinos as a cooler. If you don't know what a cooler is, it's someone a casino believes actually cools off the action at a table if a player is on a hot streak. There's an excellent movie called "The Cooler" starring William H. Macy, check it out. Anyhow, every time she came near a game I was playing, the winning ended. If it happened once or twice, coincidence. But it happens every single time. I believe she has some weird electromagnetic field around her. She also has a long standing ability to ruin electronic devices without doing anything but using them. Long story longer, I gave up playing a game when she circled back to find me and the winning stopped, again. She wanted to get to Over the Rhine to eat. The problem was the Fiesta Bowl was just getting started. Okay, fine, I'll watch a quarter at one of the many bars in OTR. Here's the thing, the vibe in OTR is hipster cool, and a lot of places don't have TV's. It's all about drinks, small plates and conversation. Like every place we went. Japps, Salazar, The Anchor - all highly recommended unless you want to watch a game. By the way, we had a fun time, the drinks at Japps are great and the food was outstanding.
My wife Theresa at Japp's, one of the top bars in America. And yes, it was cold.
So, if you haven't stopped reading by now, I was not able to see a live quarter although I did see some plays through the bar window at Lachey's. (Yes, a bar partly owned by Nick Lachey and his brother Drew.)
And here comes BowlQuest rule No. 2. One of my two sons can watch a live quarter. I completely forgot to call either one of them and invoke rule No. 2. But we're not done yet. Boy No. 2 Bryant works at Jungle Jims in Fairfield in their beer and wine department and in that department they have a bar that has TV's on that show sports. It's a big bar inside a grocery store and you an walk around and drink while shopping. The Fiesta Bowl was on TV the entire game and Bryant was there, just as I am while at work when I have games on. It's flimsy but it's all I have so I leave it up to you - BowlQuest fail or not? It did meet the criteria I use while I'm at work and he did have some details on the play of Penn State's quarterback Trace McSorley. You decide. FYI, we did check with Boy No. 1 and he did not watch the game. Penn State 35 Washington 28 My Pick: Penn State, record 20-13. What Did I Eat: Some great food - crispy pig ears with dipping sauce and bone marrow butter on grilled bread at Salazar; fresh oysters and an amazing scallops dish at The Anchor. Good eats. Bowl Game Swag: Playstation PS4 PRO Bundle, Fossil watch, Ogio backpack. This game gets it. Fun Fact: If fans choose to stay in Phoenix to ring in 2018 they can do it at the Flannel Ball where there will be drinks flowing, lots of food and plenty of flannel. The new year comes in with the piñata drop.
Wisconsin vs. Miami
We were home in time for me to watch most of this game, no issue. Too much writing already, Wisconsin overcame an early 14-0 deficit to get the win. Decent game, lousy finish to the season for Miami which lost its last three games after starting 10-0.
Wisconsin 34 Miami 24
My Pick: Wisconsin, record 21-13, the Big Ten 7-0. The conference can go 8-0 by Monday or South Carolina can win, which is fine with me.
What Did I Eat: Nothing
Bowl Game Swag: Gift suite, Tourneau watch, Lyfe Brand hat, Ice Shaker water bottle and shaker cup.
Fun Fact: The Orange Bowl trophy literally is a bowl of oranges and it takes a crew of four to load in the oranges.
Seems like overkill. Also, the trophy is huge, almost the size of the man back right.
No games on December 31st, I'll let you decide if I should continue Monday. It won't hurt my feelings if the consensus is "fail." Also, apologies for the font changes, no idea why and this is too long to clean up.
Too many games to stuff into the post title. Much like my stomach after eating at Chuy's. (See previous post.) Short and sweet on the recaps.
Texas A&M vs. Wake Forest No defense in what turned into a track meet and point fest. 66 points scored in the first half is a new bowl record for a first half if I heard correctly. I was in for all of the first half. It was difficult to keep up with all the scoring. Didn't come back for the second half, had to go Sun Bowling. Evidently there weren't enough players running up and down the field. Three women also jumped into the action, armed with some sort of protest signs. Good luck to new Texas A&M coach Jimbo Fisher on finding some semblance of defense for 2018. Wake Forest 55 Texas A&M 52 Hard to believe the game ended on a defensive stop by Wake. My Pick: Texas A&M, record now 16-10 What Did I Eat: Nothing, the Chuy's lunch had me covered for the afternoon. Bowl Game Swag: $450 shopping trip at a Belk store, Fossil watch. The announcers in the game made some weird reference on how the jewelry section was closed off to the player shopping trip. Might have had something to do with an Arkansas player being arrested for shoplifting during the Belk shopping trip prior to the game last year. Fun Fact: While 107 total points is a lot, it doesn't come close to the bowl game record. That was set in the 2001 GMAC Bowl when Marshall and East Carolina would go for 125 points in two overtimes.
North Carolina State vs. Arizona State Not much to see here. NC State had a nice lead in the first half and didn't need defensive standout Bradley Chubb, who chose to sit out the game. I watched until midway into the second quarter and then had to move on to the next game. There is some talk now at most of the these game about a player or two sitting out to protect their draft status. I really have no issue with the guys sitting out but don't get why they travel with the team. If you don't want to play, fine, but stay home. Chubb was at this game with his Wolfpack teammates. NC State 52 Arizona State 31 The Sun Devils put up 21 points in garbage time, probably affecting "the over" in Las Vegas. My Pick: NC State, record 17-10 What Did I Eat: Again, nothing, Bowl Game Swag: Gift suite, Timely Watch Co. watch, Majestic Pro Base fleece pullover, Ogio Politan backpack, Under Armour cap, coin. Fun Fact: This Sun Bowl was the 50th for CBS, commemorated on the game ticket and a special poster.
The Sun Bowl was first televised on CBS in 1968 when Auburn defeated Arizona 34-10 with Lindsey Nelson and Frank Gifford announcing the game.
New Mexico State vs. Utah State The first time in 11 BowlQuests that NM State has been in a bowl game but it goes back farther than that. The Aggies had not been in a bowl game in 57 years. And who did NM State play in that game in 1960? Utah State. It's Aggie on Aggie action, again! I was good for one quarter for the game carried on CBS Sports Network. The Sun and Arizona Bowls are CBS' stand against ESPN buying up every game. This game ended in overtime with Utah State missing a field goal and NM State scoring the winning touchdown. Good on you Aggies, New Mexico State variety. CBSSN had nothing to go to after the game so they kept the camera on this guy for a while.
New Mexico State 26 Utah State 20 My Pick: Utah State, record now 17-11 What Did I Eat: Still nothing Bowl Game Swag: Gift suite, watch, Ogio backpack, beanie. Fun Fact: This was the first time the Arizona bowl was televised, it had only been on the internet the previous two years. For whatever reason, attendance at this game in Tucson is booming, up to over 40,000 tickets sold. It did look like a good crowd too, not some bogus attendance number like many games post.
Northwestern vs. Kentucky After Aggie on Aggie action, let's go Wildcat on Wildcat. I was in for most of the second half here, a game I was actually looking forward to for some reason. Glad to see a game that had some actual defense played. There was a bizarre ejection of a Kentucky player that definitely impacted the game. UK running back Benny Snell was tossed after what looked like he was being helped up by an official and then pushed away. Snell is one of the top players in the SEC and it definitely hurt the Cats chances of winning. And yet, there they were at the end of the game, scoring after a Northwestern turnover. I love coaches who go for two and the win and that's what UK coach Mark Stoops did. Unfortunately for Kentucky, the play failed and Northwestern gets the W. Northwestern 24 Kentucky 23 My Pick: Northwestern, record 18-11 What Did I Eat: Some beef jerky. Bowl Game Swag: Gift suite, Fossil watch. Not really trying in Nashville. Fun Fact: Northwestern won back to back bowl games for the first time in school history.
Also, NU head coach Pat Fitzgerald was given a Music City Bowl guitar. They probably gave one to Stoops too but his was taken away by the official that ejected Benny Snell.
Ohio State vs. USC While a fifth straight game really didn't seem all that appetizing this game had the best match up of bowl season so far. Traditional powers, both teams feeling snubbed by the playoff committee, big crowd in Jerry World. What. A. Dud. Ohio State's defense manhandled Southern Cal's offense from the start. USC QB Sam Darnold looked like another year in school might be a better move than going into the draft. The guy turned the ball over three times in the first half. He did look like a starter for the Browns though. USC managed to get on the board before the end of the half, capitalizing on an Ohio State muffed punt. Buckeyes up 24-7 at half and that score would stand. Neither team did much of anything in the second half. Ohio State's defense looked pissed off, their offense looked like they would let the defense do the heavy lifting. There will be some fans who will clamor for an eight team playoff, pointing to Ohio State being left out. I think Ohio State would get beat by any of the four teams in the playoff. Also, what other three teams would be put in that would compete - UCF, Wisconsin? Certainly not No. 8 Southern Cal. Just leave the playoff at four teams. Ohio State 24 USC 7 My Pick: Ohio State, record 19-11. The Big 10 is undefeated in bowl season. What Did I Eat: Nothing. And while I'm writing up the recap this came up on a local TV segment about party food for New Year's Eve.
Now my appetite is destroyed for the rest of he day (probably not). What is that? Is the bacon cooked? Are those figs, dates or beetles? Maybe chicken liver? Did anyone think the cranberry garnish would make this look more appetizing? Four games on Saturday. Let's see if the Big 10 with Wisconsin and Penn State can keep things rolling.
Late update today, I had work to do this morning and then the second half of our annual Man Day outing. Last week Man Day part one was at Premiere Shooting and at Mellow Mushroom. This time it was TopGolf and Chuy's. Good times.
I did see all the bowls on Thursday and updating here as I watch the first of five games today.
Oklahoma State vs. Virginia Tech Not really interested in this game. I watch into the second quarter and then caught last week's episode of Top Chef. This season the chef-testants are in Denver and one of the eliminations was to cook a French omelet. One of the chef's omelets had raw eggs. I'm not a professional chef by any means but I can cook an omelet in 20 minutes without serving raw eggs. Came back in the second half to watch the Cowboys hold off the Hokies. I guess you could say this was the Hokie-Pokie bowl. Oklahoma State 30 Virginia Tech 21 My Pick: Oklahoma State, record now 14-9. What Did I Eat: Mrs. Keith made dinner - meatloaf, roasted potatoes, salad. I cleaned up. Bowl Swag: $400 Best Buy player shopping trip, Timely Watch Co. watch. That's how to do it, let the guys picks their own stuff. Fun Fact: Oklahoma State head coach Mike Gundy's mullet wasn't a one season phenomenon. He's in it for the long haul with business up front, party in the back.
For whatever reason, the two late games were on at 9pm. And here come the Spartans.
No. 16 Michigan State vs. No. 18 Washington State The Spartans are back in bowl season after the disaster that was 2016. MSU was looking for its 10th win against a Washington State team that was without their starting quarterback Luke Falk and two starting wide receivers. After a sluggish start, the Spartans took control of the game with a nice balanced run/pass attack, putting up 21 straight points to take the big lead to the half. I had to go with the double screen to fit in a guaranteed quarter of the Alamo Bowl on at the exact same time. I have no idea why Fox didn't go with an earlier start time for the Holiday Bowl and it wasn't on national Fox instead of FS1. The Spartans came out in the second half and scored again thanks to the legs and arm of sophomore quarterback Brian Lewerke. This team should be stacked for 2018. Michigan State 42 Washington State 17 This may have been the most complete game the Spartans played all season. Even if WSU had Falk, I don't think it would have been a different outcome, he doesn't play defense. My Pick: MSU (you didn't think I was taking the Cougs, right?) Record up to 15-9. What Did I Eat: Nothing, I was full from dinner. Bowl Swag: Gift suite, Fossil Watch, Ogio backpack. Who cares, the Spartans got win No. 10, that's what they really wanted. Fun Fact: The MSU win was the 100th for head coach Mark Dantonio.
This guy saved the Michigan State program - right man for the job.
Stanford vs. TCU Watched the second quarter on the second screen. This had all the looks of a beat down, just like MSU's win in the Holiday Bowl. But one thing, never count out TCU in the Alamo Bowl. A couple years ago they came all the way back from a big deficit to beat Oregon and they did it again Thursday night. I turned off the second screen when Stanford went up 21-3. Once Michigan State had the game in hand in the second half, I switched back and forth and this turned into a furious shootout. One big play after another, it had something for everyone, just like Ferris Bueller.
TCU 39 Stanford 37 - move this one to the top of the list for best bowl game of the season. My Pick: TCU, now up to 16-9. Getting a little more respectable. What Did I Eat: Nothing, again. Bowl Swag: Amazon Echo Show, $175 Amazon gift card, Fossil watch, mini-helmet, Rock 'Em socks, team panoramic photo. This is a pretty nice haul. Fun Fact: Before playing in the Alamo Bowl, Stanford had only played in four other indoor games - in the Superdome against Tulane (1977), the Bluebonnet Bowl in the Astrodome (1978), against Tulane back in the Superdome (1979) and the Fiesta Bowl against Oklahoma State at University of Phoenix Stadium (2011).
First day of my last vacation days of 2017. I'm off until Tuesday, so nothing but football for five straights days. I'm might have a sickness.
Navy vs. Virginia When there are 40 bowl games, you never know what you're going to get each time out. What teams will be fired up, what teams will be flat, what team will throw one pass and win by 42 points? Not Virginia. UVA jumped out to the early lead with a return on the opening kick off and that would be their only highlight. The only one. Their last play, a pass that was nullified by a penalty. End of game. In between, Navy piled up more than 440 yards of offense, all running yards, and would cruise to the easy win. It's almost impossible to fathom what Virginia did during the time they were preparing for this game. Their defense was worse than their offense. Anyone playing Navy knows exactly what is going to happen, they only run the ball. UVA may be the one team that wasn't aware. Navy 49 Virginia 0 (I'm taking away that kick off return, it shouldn't count.) By the way, the one pass Navy threw was incomplete. My Pick: Navy, record now 13-9. What I Ate: Some Husman's sour cream and onion potato chips late in the 4th quarter.
Husman's is my least favorite of the local potato chip offerings. Nothing wrong with them, but I prefer Grippos and then Mike Sell's. Husman's sour cream and onion flavor is also kind of flat. Utz's Crab Chips are my all time favorite. They use Old Bay seasoning for the "crab" flavor. A flavor punch.
Bowl Swag: Rock 'Em socks, Under Armour beanie and backpack. Virginia players should get nothing, not even this weak haul. Fun Fact: This was the second game during bowl season where a team played on its home field, Navy in Annapolis. The upside, fans did not have to go far to see the game. The downside, Virginia football. Also, during the initial planning stages for this bowl game, organizers wanted to call it the Congressional Bowl, which would have been perfect for Virginia as they did nothing, just like Congress.
