Ranking the bowl games, Part 1

Yes, this is completely my opinion. How I ranked the bowls were based completely on how much I will pay attention to each game. This has nothing to do with intriguing national story lines, talent match ups or whether or not Stewart Mandel thinks it's worth watching. (or any of the other "experts'" bowl rankings) Also, you can just assume PSU vs. TA&M is ranked No. 1 in my mind, just because I want to see the Lions play more than any other team. That ranking has nothing to do with ratings appeal and such. So, here's the other 31 bowls:

32. R+L Carriers New Orleans Bowl (Dec. 21, 5 p.m.) Memphis vs. FAU - Absolutely horrid game, not worthy of ESPNplus+ coverage in August. Off the cuff, no-research involved pick: FAU 30, Memphis 17.

31. New Mexico Bowl (Dec. 22, 1:30 p.m.) Nevada vs. New Mexico - Besides the fact that Nevada almost beat "The U" up in the Humanitarium Bowl, there is nothing in this game that will hold even a five year old's interest. Off the cuff, no-research involved pick: New Mexico 42, Nevada 31

30. GMAC Bowl (Jan. 6, 5 p.m.) Bowling Green vs. Tulsa - How dare they call themselves a "January Bowl Game," without even one BCS school on the field. Off the cuff, no-research involved pick: Tulsa 27, BGSU 21.

29. Sheraton Hawai'i Bowl (Dec. 23, 5 p.m.) Boise State vs. East Carolina - I've got a lot of shopping to do, but if I'm home for dinner, I'll throw this one on. Off the cuff, no-research involved pick: BSU 52, ECU 21.

28. Roady's Humanitarian Bowl (Dec. 31, 11 a.m.) Georgia Tech vs. Fresno State - If you can see the players' breath during a bowl game, is it really a privilege to play in it? Off the cuff, no-research involved pick: GT 24, FSU 13.

27. Bell Helicopter Armed Forces Bowl (Dec. 31, 9:30 a.m.) California vs. Air Force - Just seeing if the Bears can complete their colapse will be good enough for me. Off the cuff, no-research involved pick: AF 28, Cal 27.

26. Motor City Bowl (Dec. 26, 4:30 p.m.) Purdue vs. Central Michigan - I hate rematches in bowl games, mainly when the regular season score was so lopsided. Off the cuff, no-research involved pick: PU 41, CMU 28.

25. Pioneer Las Vegas Bowl (Dec. 22, 5 p.m.) UCLA vs. Brigham Young - Did I mention I hate rematches? Well, this one may not be so bad. Off the cuff, no-research involved pick: BYU 28, UCLA 14.

24. International Bowl (Jan. 5, 9 a.m.) Rutgers vs. Ball State - Another bowl posing as a "January Bowl," but at least this one has a BCS team in it. It's only this high because I like the Scarlet Knights. Off the cuff, no-research involved pick: RU 34, BSU 7.
23. San Diego County Credit Union Bowl (Dec. 20, 6 p.m.) Utah vs. Navy - I like watching Navy's offense, and should be interesting against the spread. Off the cuff, no-research involved pick: Navy 24, Utah 21.

22. Texas Bowl (Dec. 28, 5 p.m.) TCU vs. Houston - This game really isn't significant outside of the Lonestar State, but their tradition is better that some other match ups. Off the cuff, no-research involved pick: TCU 17, UH 14.

21. PapaJohns.com Bowl (Dec. 22, 10 a.m.) Southern Miss vs. Cincinnati - Morning kickoffs suck, but otherwise I'd say this was a decent game. Off the cuff, no-research involved pick: Cincy 33, USM 20.

20. PetroSun Independence Bowl (Dec. 30, 5 p.m.) Alabama vs. Colorado - Big names without the big bang are on this game's slate, but I'll still watch for tradition's sake. Off the cuff, no-research involved pick: CU 28, Bama 21.

19. Emerald Bowl (Dec. 28, 5 p.m.) Maryland vs. Oregon State - This one could be interesting, but it's really about how much weight will it carry for each team going into 2008. Off the cuff, no-research involved pick: OSU 35, UMD 24.

18. Meineke Car Care Bowl (Dec. 29, 10 a.m.) Connecticut vs. Wake Forest - - Randy Edsall against Jim Grobe will be more interesting to watch than the player match ups. Off the cuff, no-research involved pick: WF 27, UConn 20.

17. AutoZone Liberty Bowl (Dec. 29, 1:30 p.m.) Central Florida vs. Mississippi State - Between Kevin Smith nearing the record and MSU finally reaching a bowl, this one has enough spark. Off the cuff, no-research involved pick: UCF 20, MSU 14.

Well, there you go for my "I guess I'll flip it on" bowl games. Check back tomorrow afternoon for Part 2, the "I'm going to be really pissed if I miss this" bowl games.

What's your favorite match up this bowl season?

Part 2