2011 Bowl Schedule: Bowl Games That Will Be Boring to Watch

Few would argue with the notion that college football has the most meaningful regular season in sports. As for its postseason—well, not so much.

The cartel that controls the world of semi-amateur pigskin would like us to believe that the BCS is a good system, that all bowl games are meaningful, that the pageantry of December and January is really all that satisfying and, most of all, that the sport doesn't need a playoff.

Luckily, most fans aren't persuaded that easily. And for those few holdouts who still think bowl season is an exciting way to end any college football season, be sure to tune into any (or all) of these games to get a dose of reality.

Kraft Fight Hunger Bowl

Lame duck seems to be a popular dish during the bowl season, with the 2011-12 edition hardly constituting an exception to the rule.

Just take a gander at the Kraft Fight Hunger Bowl between Illinois and UCLA. The Fighting Illini will arrive in San Francisco riding a six-game losing streak that ultimately led to Ron Zook's canning. Meanwhile, the Bruins will carry with them the dubious distinction of being the only team with a losing record to ever play in a bowl game and the even more dubious distinction of having had their program degraded by Rick Neuheisel.

There will be plenty of talk about how these two teams met in the 1984 Rose Bowl and how Neuheisel led the Bruins to a 45-9 demolition job of the Fighting Illini.

Now, this may come as a shock to some of you, but the Kraft Fight Hunger Bowl is just a tad less prestigious and meaningful than the Rose Bowl.

Even if you don't care about the pomp and circumstance of the bowl season, this game will hardly be one worth watching, at least if you value quality football and, well, your time: UCLA ranks 85th in the NCAA in scoring, while Illinois checks in at 91st in that very same category.

So, if you're looking for fireworks to light up your New Year's Eve celebration, you'd be wise to look somewhere other than the Kraft Fight Hunger Bowl. 

TicketCity Bowl

Speaking of Lame Duck Bowls, how about the TicketCity Bowl?

Stupid moniker aside, a bowl game against Penn State would normally be a terrific reward for a 12-win team from a non-BCS conference.

Of course, 2011 has been anything but normal in Happy Valley, with the Jerry Sandusky scandal tearing the program apart and costing Joe Paterno his job in the process. Houston, meanwhile, was a win away from the BCS before Case Keenum and company choked it all away against Southern Miss in the Conference USA Championship Game.

That didn't stop Kevin Sumlin from jumping ship to Texas A&M, which will likewise be bidding farewell to the Big 12 on its way to the SEC next season. As such, it'll be Tony Levine leading the Cougars against a Nittany Lion team with a strong defense and an offense that's bound to sputter after a bout of Rock 'Em Sock 'Em QBs in the locker room earlier this month.

In other words, don't expect much scoring from the teams on the field or much excitement from the folks in the stands, the vast majority of whom will be dressed as empty seats at the Cotton Bowl on January 2nd.

BCS National Championship Game

Then again, at least one of the teams in the TicketCity Bowl has a top-flight offense with a Heisman-worthy quarterback.

The same can't exactly be said for the BCS National Championship Game between LSU and Alabama.

Let me guess—who needs offense when you've got two great defenses?

Yeah, I'd agree with that sentiment...if this was 1893 and the flying wedge were still legal.

I understand and agree with the old dictum that "Defense wins championships", but would it be so wrong for the two teams playing for the national title to do more than kick field goals against each other all night? If Nick Saban and Les Miles are such great recruiters, why can't they ever seem to lure elite quarterbacks to their respective programs?

Okay, okay. Maybe I'll just punch myself in the head a few times before tuning in on January 9th. That way, I'll be better able to empathize with all the running backs and wide receivers getting the sense knocked out of 'em.

And if not, at least the physical pain in my head will make watching two teams slog it out for the crystal football that much more bearable.

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