Fueled by what Colin Gawel calls the "poor man's speed ball" (coffee/cheap beer alternated) editor Gawel, Big $, and Brian Phillips sat mano y mano y mano to pick bowl games, beginning with the Hawaii Bowl on Christmas Eve. Yes - three grown men, passing around a sports page while drinking beer from coffee cups. Just like they used to do it back in the day.
Let's get right to it. The stakes are high. The two losers are to each purchase a six pack of American beer from a licensed establishment for the victor. The selections are based on official Vegas lines published in the Columbus Dispatch on Thursday December 24th.
Hawaii Bowl
Dec. 24
San Diego State/Cincinnati
Line: SDSU -3
Pick: Gawel. Cincy +3
Result: SDSU 42 Cincy 7 (loss)
Dec 26
St. Petersburg Bowl
Marshall/U Conn
Line: Marshall -4 1/2
Pick: Big $. U Conn +4 1/2
Result: Marshall 16-10 (Loss)
Sun Bowl
Washington State/Miami
Line: WSU - 2 1/2
Pick: Bp. WSU -2 1/2
Result: WSU 20-14 (Win)
Heart Of Dallas Bowl
Washington/Southern Mississippi
Line: UW -9
Pick: Gawel. UW -9
Result: UW 44-31 (Win)
Pinstripe Bowl
Indiana/Duke
Line: IU -2
Pick: Bp: IU -2
Result: Duke 44-41 (Loss)
Independence Bowl
Virginia Tech/Tulsa
Line: Va Tech -13 1/2
Pick: Bp. Va Tech -13 1/2
Result: Va Tech 55-52 (Loss)
Foster Farms Bowl
UCLA/Nebraska
Line: UCLA -6 1/2
Pick: Gawel. UCLA -6 1/2
Result: Nebraska 37-29 (Loss)
Mon Dec 28
Military Bowl
Navy/Pittsburgh
Line: Navy -13
Pick: Big $. Navy -13
Result: Navy 44-28 (Win)
Quick Lane Bowl
Minnesota/Central Michigan
Line: Minnesota -6
Pick: Big $. CMU +6
Result: Minnesota 21-14 (Loss)
Tuesday Dec. 29
Armed Forces Bowl
California/Air Force
Line: Cal -7
Pick: Bp. AF +7
Result: Cal 55-36 (Loss)
Russell Athletic Bowl
North Carolina/Baylor
Line: UNC -2 1/2
Pick: Gawel. Baylor + 2 1/2
Result: Baylor 49-38 (Win)
Arizona Bowl
Colorado State/Nevada
Line: CSU -3
Pick: Big $. Nevada +3
Result: Nevada 28-23 (Win)
Texas Bowl
LSU/Texas Tech
Line: LSU -7
Pick: Gawel. LSU. -7
Result: LSU 56-27 (Win)
Wednesday Dec. 30
Birmingham Bowl
Auburn/Memphis
Line: Auburn - 2 1/2
Pick: Bp. Memphis + 2 1/2
Result: Auburn 31-10 (Loss)
Belk Bowl
Mississippi State/ North Carolina State
Line: MSU -5
Pick: B$. MSU -5
Result: MSU 51-28
Music City Bowl
Louisville/Texas A&M
Line: Lou -4
Pick: Bp. T A&M +4
Result: Louisville 27-21 (Loss)
Holiday Bowl
USC/Wisconsin
Line: USC -3 1/2
Pick: Big $. USC -3 1/2
Result: Wisconsin 23-21 (Loss)
Thursday Dec 31
Peach Bowl
Florida State/Houston
Line: FSU -7
Pick: Big $. Houston +7
Result: Houston 38-24 (Win)
Cotton Bowl (National Semi Final 1)
Alabama/Michigan State
Line: Bama -9 1/2
Pick: Big $. Bama -9 1/2
Result: Bama 38-0 (Win)
Orange Bowl (National Semi Final 2)
Oklahoma/Clemson
Line: OU - 3 1/2
Pick: Gawel. OU -3 1/2
Result: Clemson 37-17 (Loss)
Friday Jan. 1
Outback Bowl
Tennessee/Northwestern
Line: Tenn -8
Pick: Gawel. Northwestern +8
Result: Tennessee 45-6 (Loss)
Citrus Bowl
Michigan/Florida
Line: UM -4
Pick: Bp. UM -4
Result: Michigan 41-7 (Win)
Fiesta Bowl
Ohio State/Notre Dame
Line: OSU - 6 1/2
Pick: B$. OSU -6 1/2
Result: Ohio State 44-28 (Win)
Rose Bowl
Stanford/Iowa
Line: Stan - 6 1/2
Pick: Bp. Stan -6 1/2
Sugar Bowl
Ole Miss/Oklahoma State
Line: Ole Miss -7
Pick: Bp. Ole Miss -7
Saturday Jan. 2
TaxSlayer Bowl
Georgia/Penn State
Line: GA -6 1/2
Pick: Gawel. GA -6 1/2
LIberty Bowl
Arkansas/Kansas State
Line: Ark -12 1/2
Pick: Gawel. KSU +13 1/2
Alamo Bowl
TCU/Oregon
Line: Pick Em
Pick: B$. UO
Cactus Bowl
West Virginia/Arizona State
Line: WVu -1
Pick: Bp. ASU +1
Lots of favorites here. Not a lot of respect for the Big 12. There are too many bowl games, but you knew that.