2011 Bowl Schedule: Illinois vs. UCLA and Holiday Games to Avoid

With bowl season at hand and Christmas in toe, that makes this one of the most magical times of the year. Or something like that.

This article is my plea for college football fans to avoid games on the holidays. These are hours spent better with loved ones than watching the dreadful game that will undoubtedly ensue.

The following games are to be avoided because of the lack of talent involved and the lack of fun you will be providing for your family and friends. Sit the remote down and talk to your loved ones.

Illinois vs. UCLA

With both Rick Neuheisel and Ron Zook fired as head coach of their respective programs, this could be coined the Interim Bowl.

This beauty of a matchup is on New Year’s Eve. That means people will be huddling around their televisions, drinking the night away.

The problem arises when you see that the snore fest is at 3:30 p.m. ET and realize that there is no way you will be drunk enough to care about this game at that time.

Nevada vs. Southern Miss

While this game may seem appealing because Southern Miss knocked off Houston in the Conference USA Championship Game, don’t be fooled.

This game will be sloppy and not worthy of your time on Christmas Eve. Instead of being a fool, put A Christmas Story on or actually spend time with the people you care about.

While I’m sure Nevada and Southern Miss will put on a mediocre show, I’ll never know because I won’t waste my family’s time by putting it on my television.

Cincinnati vs. Vanderbilt

This game will be in direct competition with Illinois vs. UCLA on New Year’s eve, but you need to be smart and avoid these games. Don’t try the flip back and forth move either; the boredom could kill you.

Neither school was anywhere near a contender this year, and the fact that they got a bowl bid proves that the BCS system is a complete sham.

With both teams leaning heavily on the running game, this could be a low scoring game that puts the family to bed faster than turkey on Thanksgiving.

2011-2012 Bowl Schedule

Date	When	Where	Bowl	Matchup	Network
12/17	2 p.m. EST	University Stadium: Albuquerque, New Mexico	Gildan New Mexico	Temple vs. Wyoming	ESPN
12/17	5:30 p.m. EST	Bronco Stadium: Boise, Idaho	Famous Idaho Potato Bowl	Ohio vs. Utah State	ESPN
12/17	9 p.m. EST	Mercedes-Benz Superdome: New Orleans Louisiana	R+L Carriers New Orleans	San Diego State vs. Louisiana-Lafeyette	ESPN
12/20	8 p.m. EST	Tropicana Field: St. Petersburg Florida	Beef "O" Brady's St. Petersburg	Florida International vs. Marshall	ESPN
12/21	8 p.m. EST	Qualcomm Stadium: San Diego, California	S.D. County Credit Union Poinsettia	TCU vs. Louisiana Tech	ESPN
12/22	8 p.m. EST	Sam Boyd Stadium: Las Vegas, Nevada	MAACO Las Vegas	Arizona State vs. Boise State	ESPN
12/24	8 p.m. EST	Aloha Stadium: Honolulu, Hawaii	Sheraton Hawaii	Nevada vs. Southern Miss	ESPN
12/26	5 p.m. EST	Independence Stadium: Shreveport, Louisiana	AdvoCare V100 Independence	Missouri vs. North Carolina	ESPN2
12/27	4:30 p.m. EST	Ford Field: Detroit Michigan	Little Ceasars	Western Michigan vs. Purdue	ESPN
12/27	8 p.m. EST	Bank of America Stadium: Charlotte, North Carolina	Belk	Louisville vs. NC State	ESPN
12/28	4:30 p.m. EST	RFK Stadium: Washington D.C.	Military Bowl Presented By Northrop Grumman	Toledo vs. Air Force	ESPN
12/28	8 p.m. EST	Qualcomm Stadium: San Diego, California	Bridgepoint Education Holiday	California vs. Texas	ESPN
12/29	5:30 p.m. EST	Florida Citrus Bowl: Orlando, Florida	Champs Sports	Florida State vs. Notre Dame	ESPN
12/29	9 p.m. EST	Alamodome: San Antonio, Texas	Valero Alamo	Washington vs. Baylor	ESPN
12/30	noon EST	Gerald J. Ford Stadium: Dallas, Texas	Bell Helicopter Armed Forces	BYU vs. Tulsa	ESPN
12/30	3:20 p.m. EST	Yankee Stadium: Bronx, New York	New Era Pinstripe	Rutgers vs. Iowa State	ESPN
12/30	6:40 p.m. EST	LP Field: Nashville, Tennessee	Franklin American Mortgage Music City	Mississippi State vs. Wake Forest	ESPN
12/30	10 p.m. EST	Sun Devil Stadium: Tempe, Arizona	Insight	Iowa vs. Okalhoma	ESPN
12/31	noon EST	Reliant Stadium: Houston, Texas	Meineke Car Care of Texas	Texas A&M vs. Northwestern	ESPN
12/31	2 p.m. EST	Sun Bowl: El Paso, Texas	Hyundai Sun	Georgia Tech vs. Utah	CBS
12/31	3:30 p.m. EST	Liberty Bowl: Memphis, Tennessee	AutoZone Liberty	Cincinnati vs. Vanderbilt	ABC
12/31	3:30 p.m. EST	AT&T Park: San Francisco, California	Kraft Fight Hunger	Illinois vs. UCLA	ESPN
12/31	7:30 p.m. EST	Georgia Dome: Atlanta, Georgia	Chick-fil-A	Virginia vs. Auburn	ESPN
2/1	noon EST	Cotton Bowl: Dallas, Texas	TicketCity	Houston vs. Penn State	ESPNU
2/1	1 p.m. EST	Raymond James Stadium: Tampa, Florida	Outback	Michigan State vs. Georgia	ABC
2/1	1 p.m. EST	Florida Citrus Bowl: Orlando Florida	Capital One	Nebraska vs. South Carolina	ESPN
2/1	1 p.m. EST	EverBank Field: Jacksonville, Florida	Taxlayer.com Gator Bowl	Ohio State vs. Florida	ESPN2
2/1	5 p.m. EST	Rose Bowl: Pasadena, California	Rose Bowl presented by Vizio	Wisconsin vs. Oregon	ESPN
2/1	8:30 p.m. EST	University of Phoenix Stadium: Glendale, Arizona	Tostitos Fiesta	Stanford vs. Oklahoma State	ESPN
3/1	8:30 p.m. EST	Louisiana Superdome: New Orleans Louisiana	Allstate Sugar	Michigan vs. Virginia Tech	ESPN
4/1	8:30 p.m. EST	Sun Life Stadium: Miami, Florida	Discover Orange	West Virginia vs. Clemson	ESPN
6/1	8 p.m. EST	Cowboys Stadium: Arlington, Texas	AT&T Cotton	Kansas State vs. Arkansas	FOX
7/1	1 p.m. EST	Legion Field: Birmingham, Alabama	BBVA Compass Bowl	SMU vs. Pittsburgh	ESPN
8/1	9 p.m. EST	Ladd-Peebles Stadium: Mobile, Alabama	GoDaddy.com	Arkansas State vs. Northern Illinois	ESPN
9/1	8:30 p.m. EST	Louisiana Superdome: New Orleans, Louisiana	Allstate BCS National Championship Game	LSU vs. Alabama	ESPN

Check back for more on the NCAA Football as it comes, and check out Bleacher Report’s College Football Page to get your fill of College Football.

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