College Football: Are 35 Bowl Games Too Many?

ESPN released its 2010-11 college football bowl schedule today, and we are staring down the barrel of 35 games over the course of 24 days next winter.

Over at Barking Carnival srr50 already pointed out how this is another example of the World Wide Leader (WWL) ruling the universe. All true.

As for the 35 games themselves, the issue is a double-edged sword for me. I fully realize that this is probably WAY too many bowl games.

Seventy of 120 teams going bowling is excessive. Will 70 even be bowl eligible? At the same time I am partially to blame for the gluttony, as I am one of those guys that will most likely watch every damn one of them. While this doesn’t lead to the same type of self-loathing that other addicts have to face, it does present me with a moral dilemma.

So if we were going to whittle it down, which ones can and should be cut? Let’s take a look at the lineup to see.

December 18

New Mexico Bowl — Wherein Fresno State will lose to a Mountain West team on a high school field despite being favored by four touchdowns.

uDrove Humanitarian — What happened to Roady’s? MAC vs. WAC on the Smurf Turf in an ice storm. Okay.

R+L Carriers New Orleans — The cameras will not pan out during this one. If they did you would see a smattering of Coke and peanut vendors sitting in empty seats on the 50 watching the game.  More people show up for Friday Night High School games in Texas. 

Despite the general suckitude of these first three games, I will be fired-up to watch all three of them. Not only do they kickoff bowl season, but I must enjoy taking a commanding lead in my respective bowl pools. That said, all three could easily be scratched due to lack of interest. I wouldn’t miss them if they were gone. “Where’d who gooooooo???”

December 21

What was with the two days off? Scared of the NFL? Buy a dog. 

Beef ‘O’ Brady’s St. Petersburg — This thriller is played at Tropicana Field. Two thumbs down. Classic sponsor, though. I heard Tim Tebow eats all his meals at Beef ‘O’ Brady’s. When I drive across country this summer, I’m going straight down to Florida first just to try it.  

December 22

MAACO Las Vegas — In a cruel twist of fate, BYU ends up here almost every year then play great against a Pac-10 team with a hangover.

December 23

S.D. County Credit Union Poinsettia — That name is a mouthful. Regardless, I will probably go as free tickets are easy to come by. See part of the problem above.

December 24

Sheraton Hawaii — One more chance to catch a Warrior home game. Also something to curb your frustration while in decal/assembly hell on Christmas Eve. For me, this one evokes memories of heroes like Timmy Chang. It is also magical to hear the chorus of “Mele Kalikimaka” over and over, while listening to Andre Ware talk about how exciting it is to see all the people in Hawaiian shirts, and Santa hats at the game. As a side note, the 2008 game was one of the more enjoyable games of the Charlie Weis era. I can’t believe I just typed that. 

December 26

Going toe-to-toe with the NFL in week two after wussing-out in week one. The WWL could have at least picked a better candidate.

Little Caesars — Quite possibly the worst pizza ever, and the bowl game is not far behind. Delete.

December 27

AdvoCare V100 Independence — The only game of the day, and the best since BYU won the Las Vegas Bowl five days ago. Hence, it's a must-watch. I will be praying for a reenactment of that awesome 2000 TAMU vs. Miss State tilt that was played in a blizzard.

December 28

Champs Sports — Almost into the real games now. This will probably be the first one with two teams from BCS Conferences, and better than .500 records. 

Insight — ESPN just saved this bad-boy from oblivion. After wasting away on the NFL Network the last few years, people might actually watch this Big 12 vs. Big Ten tilt.  Besides, they play it in Sun Devil Stadium. “Show me the money!”

December 29

EagleBank — CUSA will send a team to RFK Stadium to whip it on with the last place team in the ACC. Cancel it.

Texas — Big Ten vs. Big 12 in Reliant Stadium. I dig it. The Big 12 team is a lock em’ up pick in this one.

Valero Alamo — From Houston to San Antonio in the same night! That makes the menu easy. The Big 12 rides again this time at the expense of a Pac-10 foe. Overall, this makes for a solid Wednesday night, and a great excuse to whip-up some bang-up Mexican groceries.

December 30

Fourteen games will be played over the next three days. I will hole up and watch every single one of them, and it will be glorious. This is where real training pays off.  It takes stamina to get through the next 72 hours. Wait, I have tickets to a couple of these! 

Bell Helicopter Armed Forces — Don’t pick against Air Force in this showdown in Fort Worth.

New Era Pinstripe — Live from the frozen tundra of Yankee Stadium. I assume these teams will have to stand next to each other like they do at AT&T Park in San Francisco. Weird.

Franklin American Mortgage Music City — Too long of a name. Delete.

Bridgepoint Education Holiday — Bridgepoint Education? They dumped Pacific Life for a wannabee University of Phoenix? The whale sacrificed for online degrees? What the hell? I suppose I will have to get over it. This is one of my favorite bowl games every year, and I am looking forward to being back in attendance this season. 

December 31

I will never attend a New Year’s Eve party that doesn’t have the game on. Never.

Meineke Car Care — Things start to get interesting here. An underdog Big East team will ruin your day.

Brut Sun — Who the hell still uses Brut anything? Is that the crap Tom Brady peddles? Oh wait, that’s Stetson. I thought Stetsons were only cowboy hats. My bad. My old man, “The Coach” (not to be confused with LB Coach) calls “The Great Pass of the West” home these days, and I went to this game with him a few years back. The Sun Bowl is a cool little stadium built into the foothills of the Franklin Mountains with the best concessions I have ever come across. Cinnamon Raisin Tamales and picadillo burritos beat the hell out of any $5 hot dog. 

AutoZone Liberty — Check it out, a CUSA team is about to get run-ruled by an SEC opponent! If you happen to be in Memphis when this one kicks off, you are probably better off eating some ribs and touring Graceland. I will take a much needed nap while this one is on to preflight for the evening.

Chick-fil-A — Hotlanta, the Georgia Dome, ACC, SEC, this SHOULD be a good game, but it hasn’t been the last couple of years. Best Chick-fil-A bowl ever was at the Deer Hunter’s Hokie New Year’s Eve Party in 2006, when Sean Glennon threw like 10 picks. There were a lot of sad folks around there that night him included. 

January 1

Dallas Football Classic — Otherwise known as the Cotton Bowl replacement at the Cotton Bowl. Nice Jan. 1 slot, except that there are three other games on at the same time. WTF? I’ll run three TV’s, but four? Seriously? It is at least another Big Ten vs. Big 12 matchup, which is cool.

Outback — Big Ten vs. SEC, with a big-ass pirate ship behind one of the goal posts.  All over it.

Capital One — The incessant Capital One commercials make this one unwatchable.  Get a new sponsor. Roady’s is available. Also Big Ten vs. SEC.

Gator — Hey, check it out, three Big Ten vs. SEC games on at the same time! Divide your regional audience, that sounds like a great plan!

Rose Bowl Game presented by Citi — Ahhh, Pasadena. I should really go to this one some time. It is on my list. I wish Keith Jackson would come out of retirement for this one. I can’t take Brent Musberger. Oh, well.

Tostitos Fiesta — I will be back in my seats this year after a one-year hiatus. It just dawned on me that I’m going to have to drive over the hill that morning. Damn, that will require an early start to catch the noon kickoff in Dallas from the tailgate. My logistics need review, but the game should be sweet. Nice venue and typically a good matchup. I’m all over it.

January 3

Orange — I will have Sunday to recover before being sucked back in on Monday night. It will hurt, but I will have to fight through it. This is the BCS after all, and we will all need to watch the ACC flounder here so that we can complain more about how our teams got screwed. Of note, FedEx is being replaced as the sponsor. Bummer, that 21-year sponsorship was around so long it was no longer annoying.

January 4

Allstate Sugar — Even my resolve is being tested at this point. Surely the second-place SEC team is going to mop the floor with some at large bid right? 

January 6

GMAC — Remember that gap I was bitching about back on December 19 and 20?  Either stick this game back in there, or cancel it.

January 7

Cotton — Look at the sneaky bastards at Fox, they have the Cotton all dressed up like a BCS game.  On a Friday night no less.  Jerry Jones has a plan.

January 8

Papajohns.com — Even I will need a break by this point. See GMAC above. Same deal for this titillating contest from Legion Field.

January 9

Kraft Fight Hunger — Is this the artist formerly known as the Diamond Walnut Bowl?  Must be. Give this one the GMAC treatment, too. Also, figure out a way to get the two teams off the same sideline. It throws my OCD into upheaval.

Tostitos BCS National Championship Game — I will be barreling over the mountain and across the desert to Glendale for the second time in nine days. Time to rally. I will be in attendance for the national title game for the first time. See you in the Red Lot.

What’s your take?

This article originally appeared on: One Foot Down

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