2007 College Football Bowl Picks

What a bizarre year. On one hand, the plague of upsets made for an unusually exciting mid-season in college football. On the other hand, this year's no-holds-barred brawling has created the real possibility of the first ever two-loss national champion.

It would have been nice to see two clearly dominant teams rise out of the mayhem for an exciting finish to 2007. But, alas, here we are with what amounts to a "prettiest pig" contest between Ohio State and LSU.

Still, nothing says "sports fan heaven" quite like the college bowl season. Here's how I see things shaking out.

Poinsettia Bowl: Utah v Navy
Utah has been sporadic this season, posting an impressive early win against UCLA and a solid mid-season run, but ending with a disappointing instate clash with BYU. Navy has been much more consistent. But how much is that due to departed coach, Paul Johnson? Utah has superior talent and a head coach. Utes by 7.

New Orleans Bowl: FL Atlantic v Memphis
Both teams got their butts kicked by anybody on their schedules who matter. Memphis played a tougher conference schedule. Memphis by 3.

Papa John's Bowl: Southern Miss v Cincinnati
Forget the Sears Trophy, we're all dying to know who will win the coveted golden pizza this year! Cincinnati came oh-so-close to upending West Virginia for the Big East crown (or a share of it, anyway). Southern Miss was a Conference USA also ran. This one won't even be close. Bearcats by 17.

New Mexico Bowl: Nevada v New Mexico
Though 6-6 Nevada is much more competitive than a .500 record would indicate, losing a couple of heartbreaking shootouts. New Mexico beat several decent opponents like Air Force and Arizona. This is a tough call, but I think New Mexico's home turf advantage puts them over the top. Lobos by 3.

Las Vegas Bowl: BYU v UCLA
This is a rematch of an early regular season match. UCLA won that round. But, since then, BYU has been on a roll and the Bruins? Well, they fired their coach. The Cougars exact their revenge handily, by 10.