Ah yes, what holiday season would be complete without a clip from Pam Ward to celebrate your New Year? Pammy thought she was throwing it to the studio for an update during the thrilling Little Caesars Pizza Bowl, but alas....she was still on live. Enjoy (from KSJ via Deadspin)!

The irony of all of this is that Ray Bentley went on a ten minute spiel about how professional was (when discussing females in Sports because of the female ref) earlier in the game. Too funny, and I a perfect video to end the decade with. Where would I be without you Pammy?

XOXO,
AA

Ever since starting this site back in 2006, I've shared with you the goodies that each player gets for being in a bowl game. You'd think that college students wouldn't be able to receive that much, but for certain Bowl Games....you make out pretty good. Here is the list from Sox and Dawgs via SBD....

New Mexico Bowl (Fresno State vs Wyoming):
Sony gift suite, Oakley beanie, Oakley Antix sunglasses, Ogio wheeled garment bag, Oakley Surf Pack backpack

St. Petersburg Bowl (UCF vs Rutgers):
iLuv iPod/DVD player, Oakley Holeshot 3-Hand watch, Oakley Eyepatch sunglasses, Oakley Surf Pack backpack

R&L Carriers New Orleans Bowl (Southern Miss vs Middle Tennessee):
Pure Digital Flip mini-camcorder, Balfour ring, Oakley Antix sunglasses, Oakley Panel Packbackpack

MAACO Las Vegas Bowl (Oregon State vs BYU):
Sony gift suite, Fossil watch, New Era cap, Ogio Fugitive laptop pack

San Diego County Credit Union Poinsettia Bowl (Utah vs California):
Flo TV television, 1-year of service; Best Buy gift card, Tourneau watch, Sports Tek hooded sweatshirt, cap

Sheraton Hawaii (SMU vs Nevada):
Kahala Aloha shirt

Little Caesars Pizza Bowl (Marshall vs Ohio):
Sony gift suite, Timely Watch Co. watch, Football

Meineke Car Care Bowl (Pittsburgh vs North Carolina):
Choice of Bose gift packages or iPod touch, speakers and $20 gift card, Fossil watch, Ogio duffle bag, Commemorative Richard Petty Driving Experience photo

Emerald Bowl (Boston College vs USC):
Fossil watch

Gaylord Hotels Music City Bowl (Kentucky vs Clemson):
RCA HD camcorder, Fossil watch, Majestic fleece pullover, New Era hat, Ogio Metro laptop pack

AdvoCare V100 Independence Bowl (Texas A&M vs Georgia)
Sony gift suite, Timely Watch Co. watch, New Era hat, Football

EagleBank Bowl (Army or UCLA vs Temple):
Slingbox SOLO with Slinglink Turbo 1 Port, Powermat charging station ,Visions Marketing Hat, Football, Kanata tailgate blanket

Champs Sports Bowl (Miami, FL vs Wisconsin):
Party at Best Buy($420 limit), Timely Watch Co. watch

Roadys Humanitarian Bowl (Bowling Green vs Idaho):
Sony gift suite, Garmin GPS, Parka, Nike pullover, gloves, hand warmers, skull cap Ogio Fugitive laptop pack Football

Pacific Life Holiday Bowl (Arizona vs Nebraska):
Flo TV personal television (includes one-year of service), Best Buy gift card, Tourneau watch, Sports Tek hooded sweatshirt, cap

Bell Helicopter Armed Forces Bowl (Houston vs Air Force):
Sony gift suite, Timely Watch Co. watch, Camouflaged knit cap, Ogio Metro laptop pack, luggage tag, Football, calendar

Brut Sun Bowl (Oklahoma vs Stanford):
Sony gift suite, Timely Watch Co. watch, Majestic fleece pullover, VP Sports cap, Ogio Politan laptop pack,Brut hair dryer; coin

Texas Bowl (Navy vs Missouri):
$300 Best Buy gift card, Fossil watch, Under Armour shirt and hat; Bowl T-shirt, Under Armour backpack, Belt buckle

Insight Bowl (Minnesota vs Iowa State):
Sony gift suite, Fossil watch, Hat, Ogio Bounty Hunter or Hermit laptop pack

Chick-fil-A Bowl (Virginia Tech vs Tennessee):
$250 Best Buy gift card, Fossil watch, Russell Athletic knit cap, Russell Athletic travel bag, Football, Chick-fil-A gift card

Outback Bowl (Northwestern vs Auburn):
Best Buy gift card, Pro-Swiss watch, Jostens ring Hat, Outback Steakhouse gift card

Capital One Bowl (Penn State vs LSU):
Party at Best Buy($420 limit), Timely Watch Co. watch

Konica Minolta Gator Bowl (West Virginia vs Florida State):
Fossil watch, Oakley Antix sunglasses

Rose Bowl presented by Citi (Ohio State vs Oregon):
19″ Sharp television combo, Fossil watch, New Era 59Fifty fitted hat, Ogio Fugitive laptop pack, Plaque

Allstate Sugar Bowl (Florida vs Cincinnati):
Sony, Apple, Trek, Garmin and Weber gift suite, Timely Watch Co. watch, New Era cap, Ogio Politan laptop pack, Lane recliner

International Bowl (South Florida vs Northern Illinois):
Electronics package, Timely Watch Co. watch, Football

Papajohns.com Bowl (UConn vs South Carolina):
RCA HD mini-camcorder, Pro Swiss Watch, Oakley Surf Pack backpack, Football

AT&T Cotton Bowl (Oklahoma State vs Ole Miss):
Would Not Disclose

AutoZone Liberty Bowl (Arkansas vs East Carolina):
Westinghouse 19 LCD HDTV/computer monitor, Fossil watch, Nike training shoes, Nike sport sandals, Nike sunglasses, Football

Valero Alamo Bowl (Michigan State vs Texas Tech):
32-gig iPod Touch, Dr. Dre Monster Beats headphones, Fossil watch, Oakley Antix sunglasses, Shutt mini-helmet, panoramic photo

Tostitos Fiesta Bowl (Boise State vs TCU):
Sony gift suite, Fossil watch, Tourneau watch Hat, Ogio Hermit checkpoint friendly laptop pack

FedEx Orange Bowl (Iowa vs Georgia Tech):
Sony gift suite, Tourneau watch, New Era cap, Ogio Politan laptop pack

GMAC Bowl (Central Michigan vs Troy):
RCA HD mini-camcorder, Timely Watch Co. watch, Cap, Garment bag with dop kit, Football

Citi BCS National Championship (Texas vs Alabama):
Sony gift suite with Trek and Garmin, Fossil watch, New Era 59Fifty hat, Ogio Politan laptop pack

Saturday, December 19th

New Mexico Bowl: Fresno State v. Wyoming (ESPN, 4:30pm)- Terry Gannon, David Norrie
St. Petersburg Bowl: Central Florida v. Rutgers (ESPN, 8pm)- Mark Jones, Bob Davie, Rob Stone

Sunday, December 20th

New Orleans Bowl: Southern Mississippi v. Middle Tennessee (ESPN, 8:15pm)- Dave Lamont, J.C. Pearson

Tuesday, December 22nd

MAACO Bowl: Oregon State v. Brigham Young (ESPN, 8pm)- Rece Davis, Lou Holtz, Mark May, Todd Harris

Wednesday, December 23rd

Poinsettia Bowl: California v. Utah (ESPN, 8pm)- Mike Patrick, Craig James, Heather Cox

Thursday, December 24th
Hawaii Bowl: Nevada v. Southern Methodist (ESPN, 8pm)- Terry Gannon, David Norrie

Saturday, December 26th

Little Caesar's Pizza Bowl: Marshall v. Ohio (ESPN, 1pm)- Pam Ward, Ray Bentley
Meineke Car Care Bowl: North Carolina v. Pittsburgh (ESPN, 4:30pm)- Bob Wischusen, Bob Griese, Chris Spielman, Quint Kessenich
Emerald Bowl: USC v. Boston College (ESPN, 8pm)- Joe Tessitore, Rod Gilmore, Todd Harris

Sunday, December 27th

Music City Bowl: Kentucky v. Clemson (ESPN, 8:15pm)- Sean McDonough, Matt Millen & Holly Rowe

Monday, December 28th

Independence Bowl: Texas A&M v. Georgia (ESPN2, 5pm)- Ron Franklin, Ed Cunningham, Jeannine Edwards

Tuesday, December 29th

EagleBank Bowl: Temple v. Army or UCLA (ESPN, 4:30pm)- Bob Wischusen, Brian Griese, Rob Stone
Champs Sports Bowl: Wisconsin v. Miami (ESPN, 8pm)- Brad Nessler, Todd Blackledge, Holly Rowe

Wednesday, December 30th

Humanitarian Bowl: Bowling Green v. Idaho (ESPN, 4:30PM)- Eric Collins, Brock Huard, Heather Cox
Holiday Bowl: Arizona v. Nebraska (ESPN, 8pm)- Chris Fowler, Craig James, Jesse Palmer, Erin Andrews

Thursday, December 31st

Armed Forces Bowl: Houston v. Air Force (ESPN, Noon)- Dave Lamont, J.C. Pearson, Cara Capuano
Sun Bowl: Stanford v. Oklahoma (CBS, 2pm)- Craig Bolerjack, Steve Beurelein, Sam Ryan
Texas Bowl: Missouri v. Navy (ESPN, 3:30pm)- Mark Jones, Bob Davie, Quint Kessenich
Insight Bowl: Iowa State v. Minnesota (NFL Network, 6pm)- Paul Burmeister, Mike Mayock, Stacey Dales
Chick-Fil-A Bowl: Virginia Tech v. Tennessee (ESPN, 7:30pm)- Sean McDonough, Matt Millen, Holly Rowe

Friday, January 1st

Outback Bowl: Northwestern v. Auburn (ESPN, 11am)- Dave Pasch, Bob Griese, Chris Spielman, Rob Stone
Capital One Bowl: Louisiana State v. Penn State (ABC, 1pm)- Brad Nessler, Todd Blackledge, Erin Andrews
Gator Bowl: Florida State v. West Virginia (CBS, 1pm)- TBD
Rose Bowl: Ohio State v. Oregon (ABC, 5pm)- Brent Musburger, Kirk Herbstreit
Sugar Bowl: Florida v. Cincinnati (FOX, 8pm)- Thom Brennaman, Brian Billick

Saturday, January 2nd

International Bowl: Northern Illinois v. South Florida (ESPN2, Noon)- Mike Gleason, John Congemi, David Amber
Cotton Bowl: Oklahoma State v. Mississippi (FOX, 2pm)- Pat Summerall, TBD
Papajohns.com Bowl: South Carolna v. Connecticut (ESPN, 2pm)- Dave Neal, Andre Ware, Cara Capuano
Liberty Bowl: Arkansas v. East Carolina (ESPN, 5:30pm)- Ron Franklin, Ed Cunningham, Jeannine Edwards
Alamo Bowl: Michigan State v. Texas Tech (ESPN, 9pm)- Mike Patrick, Craig James, Heather Cox

Monday, January 4th

Fiesta Bowl: Boise State v. Texas Christian (FOX, 8pm)- Sam Rosen, Tim Ryan

Tuesday, January 5th

Orange Bowl: Georgia Tech v. Iowa (FOX, 8pm)- Dick Stockton, Charles Davis

Wednesday, January 6th

GMAC Bowl: Central Michigan v. Troy (ESPN, 7pm)- Joe Tessitore, Rod Gilmore, Quint Kessenich

Thursday, January 7th

BCS National Championship: Alabama v. Texas (ABC, 8pm)- Brent Musburger, Kirk Herbstreit

This is FOX's last year putting on the all of the BCS Bowl Games, other than the Rose Bowl on ABC (and the Championship Game this year), and they released the names of the individuals calling the games in January. Both FOX has decided to give the booth to their NFL announcing teams, while the Rose Bowl and Championship Game will feature the only true College announcing team of Musburger and Herbstreit, on ABC. Here's your list....

Rose Bowl - Brent Musburger and Kirk Herbstreit (ABC, January 1st)
Sugar Bowl - Thom Brennaman and Brian Billick (FOX, January 1st)
Fiesta Bowl - Sam Rosen and Tim Ryan (FOX, January 4th)
Orange Bowl - Dick Stockton and Charles Davis (FOX, January 5th)
BCS Championship Game - Brent Musburger and Kirk Herbstreit (ABC, January 7th)

How's this for random? Former Notre Dame Football Coach, and current ESPN analyst Lou Holtz, is trying to put together a collection of Irish alums to take on the Japanese National Football team. Not only does he say that he has over 100 former players interested, he even has a recruiting video! From Global Football via With Leather....

Holtz said that over 100 former Notre Dame players volunteered to make the trip, so he and his coaching staff will hold tryouts to narrow the team down for the trip. The final roster will be announced in April. Holtz listed several players who were sure to make the team, including quarterback Tony Rice, running back Travis Thomas and center Tim Ruddy.

I know who Tony Rice is, but ummm.....he's 41 years old! We know Japan isn't exactly a powerhouse in Football, but I would hope they could beat a team of middle aged men! This should be fun. I'll see you on Saturday, July 25th for first ever live-blog of the Japan Bowl!

Notre Dame Legends To Face Japan (With Leather)
Lou Holtz to Coach ‘Fighting Irish Legends’ at Notre Dame Japan Bowl 2009 in Tokyo (Global Football)

Obviously, I'm a full-fledged playoff advocate for Division I-A football (I prefer the 16-team method; 11 conference champs and 5 at-larges), so with that said, SI's Andy Staples presented a rather interesting case for one, particularly regarding public universities. What's remarkable about it is this:

ACC commissioner John Swofford, the current BCS coordinator, readily admitted Thursday that there is more money in a playoff than in the current system. Then he spent almost 10 minutes enumerating the various excuses for why there isn't one.

"The community isn't there. In a nutshell, I think the reason is there are parameters that particularly the presidents want to see maintained," Swofford said. "You're looking at things like the number of games played. You're looking at things like the sport basically remaining a one-semester sport. You're talking about concerns over having playoff games during most schools' exam periods. All of those things come into play, as well as -- and I know you're getting tired of hearing this -- the quality and uniqueness of the regular season."

Amazing admission, but maybe not, if you consider that the idea isn't the total money that could be earned -- it's how much can be kept amongst the conferences and their teams. The reason the BCS still exists is because the conference commissioners do not want to give up control of a playoff to the NCAA, which would re-distribute the profits among it, the conferences, and to other programs in what would be a smaller piece for the conferences and teams than they currently get.

So, with that in mind, consider the country's economic crisis, which is affecting public universities in a very real manner (speaking as a California resident and media guy, I've run a bunch of stories about the UC and CSU systems in the past year dealing with some major budget cuts). Generally, I don't think anyone really enjoys the grandstanding that goes on when the federal government holds publicized hearings on such matters on TV, but considering the money that would go to universities, both public and private, if Staples' math and Swofford's assertions of more money in a playoff are to be believed, why isn't every state and federal legislator pushing the heads of their public university presidents to pressure the NCAA?

Game: The GMAC Bowl
Teams: Ball State Cardinals (12-1) vs. Tulsa Golden Hurricane (10-3)
Location: Mobile, Alabama, Ladd-Peebles Stadium
Start Time: 8PM EST (ESPN)
Network and Announcers: Dave Pasch, Andre Ware
Favorite: Tulsa (-3)
AA's Pick: Ball State 45 - Tulsa 38

The NFL's Wildcard Weekend saw some great games, and in turn, some pretty solid ratings. FOX's coverage of the Eagles-Vikings game on Sunday garnered the largest set of numbers with a 19.9 overnight Neilsen number (up 7% from last year's Titans-Chargers on CBS), and the Chargers victory over the Colts brought in an 18.3 for NBC (up 9.6% over the Jags-Steelers game on the same network).

The other two contests, Falcons-Cards and Ravens-Dolphins, didn't fair so well, but they still pulled in a 14.3 and 17.0 for NBC and CBS respectively. Only the Atlanta-Arizona game saw a significant drop (-7.1%) over last year's contest in the same time slot (Skins-Seahawks on NBC). While those tallies are certainly welcomed by the NFL, the amateur circuit of Bowl Games isn't fairing nearly as well. In fact, Bowl Game ratings are downright dreadful in some cases.

As far as BCS games go, only ABC's airing of the Rose Bowl (12.6) has gained over last year, but the 2008 "Grandaddy of Them All" clocked in as third worst game since the Rose Bowl joined in the BCS. The Sugar Bowl only received an 8.5, and the Orange Bowl had it's worst ratings ever with a pathetic 6.1, passing 2007's matchup between Wake Forest and Louisville that came in just under 7.0.

With all of these ratings coming in lower and each year, you have to think about how many people would have watched the Orange Bowl if it was in fact a Playoff Game, and not just a crappy BCS matchup. The answer is obviously more, but for some reason, College Football and the BCS still have the wool pulled over their eyes when it comes to this topic.

(Numbers via SBD)

If you're Alabama or one of the legion of Tide fans, you don't have any room to look for excuses in getting handled by Utah last night. Using Andre Smith's improper conduct with an agent doesn't fly, nor does the offensive line weakness that resulted with players shifting positions due to injury throughout the game. There's nothing to say about this game save the fact that Utah is just a better team, pounding through a schedule in which it played and beat five ranked opponents during the season.

Alabama not only got outplayed, the team looked like it wasn't happy to be in New Orleans instead of Miami, never mind the fact that the Tide was in a BCS bowl way ahead of schedule under Nick Saban. Ute QB Brian Johnson had his way in the passing game to the tune of 336 yards and 3 TDs, spreading the passes around to several different receivers. Utah's front seven harassed John Parker Wilson all day -- the only lapse they had was when Javier Arenas returned a punt for a touchdown, and the refs let a block in the back go on that return. I'd never seen Saban that pissed; he not only got outcoached, but his team didn't do the little things at all when it came to tackling, blocking, and such.

And now we have one undefeated team left in all of Division I-A football, yet they stand absolutely no chance at any part of the national championship, just like Boise State two years ago. A "plus-1" or Top 4 format wouldn't even help this at all: teams like Utah would be left out because they play in the MWC. Now, we have to consider last year's Sugar Bowl between Hawaii and Georgia an aberration: out of the four BCS bowls featuring non-BCS conference schools, the outsiders are 3-1 (Utah winning twice.) The more this happens, the more obvious the need for an 8-team playoff, at a minimum, becomes, so much so that any fair-minded and smart commentator can't avoid pushing for it, no matter whether their network airs the games or not. Considering how some ESPN analysts and on-air people keep talking about a playoff, I can't imagine them stopping once the Four-Letter gets the BCS contract in a couple of years.

Thank you, Utah, for pouring even more gasoline on the fire.

A quick programming note for the weekend: I am insane enough to live-blog all four playoff games this weekend, today's with company over (and they understand completely). So, make sure to join me here later this afternoon. Now, to everyone's first real exposure to Turner Gill and his miracle Buffalo Bulls squad, going up against the NCAA's leading rusher in Donald Brown and UConn.

Game: International Bowl
Teams: Buffalo Bulls (8-5) vs. Connecticut Huskies (7-5)
Location: Rogers Centre, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
Time: Noon EST
Announcers and Network: John Saunders, Jesse Palmer, and Doug Flutie, ESPN2
Favorite: UConn (-6)
S2N's Pick: Going with the Huskies; they'll go with a big dose of Donald Brown and try not to turn the ball over.

Game: The Allstate Sugar Bowl
Teams: Utah Utes (6-6) vs. Alabama Crimson Tide (9-4)
Location: New Orleans, Louisiana, Superdome
Start Time: 8PM EST (FOX)
Network and Announcers: Kenny Albert, Daryl Johnston, Charissa Thompson, Chris Myers
Favorite: Alabama (-10)
AA's Pick: Alabama 20 - Utah 12

Game: The AutoZone Liberty Bowl
Teams: Kentucky Wildcats (6-6) vs. East Carolina Pirates (9-4)
Location: Memphis, Tennessee, Liberty Bowl Memorial Stadium
Start Time: 5PM EST (ESPN)
Network and Announcers: Mark Jones, Bob Davie, Todd Harris
Favorite: ECU (-3)
AA's Pick: ECU 24 - Kentucky 17

Game: The Cotton Bowl
Teams: Ole Miss Rebels (8-4) vs. Texas Tech Red Raiders (11-1)
Location: Dallas, Texas, Cotton Bowl
Start Time: 2PM EST (FOX)
Network and Announcers: Pat Summerall, Brian Baldinger, Jeanne Zelasko, Krista Voda
Favorite: Texas Tech (-5.5)
AA's Pick: Texas Tech 31 - Ole Miss 13

Game: Texas Bowl
Teams: Rice Owls (9-3) vs. Western Michigan Broncos (9-3)
Location: Houston, TX, Reliant Stadium
Start Time: 8PM EST (NFL Network)
Network and Announcers: Fran Charles, Tom Waddle, Kara Henderson
Favorite: Rice (-3)
AA's Pick: Rice 34 - Western Michigan 17



Game: The Holiday Bowl
Teams: Oklahoma State Cowboys (9-3) vs. Oregon Ducks (9-3)
Location: San Diego, CA, Qualcomm Stadium
Start Time: 8PM EST (ESPN)
Network and Announcers: Chris Fowler, Jesse Palmer, Craig James, Erin Andrews
Favorite: OK State (-2)
AA's Pick: Oregon 28 - Oklahoma State 27

Game: The Roady's Humanitarian Bowl
Teams: Maryland Terrapins (7-5) vs. Nevada Wolf Pack (7-5)
Location: Boise, Idaho, Bronco Stadium
Start Time: 4:30 PM EST
Network and Announcers: Bob Wischusen, Brock Huard
Favorite: Nevada (-3)
AA's Pick: Nevada 24 - Maryland 20

Game: Valero Alamo Bowl
Teams: Missouri Tigers (9-4) vs. Northwestern Wildcats (9-3)
Location: San Antonio, TX, Alamodome
Start Time: 8 PM EST
Network and Announcers: Ron Franklin, Ed Cunningham, Jack Arute
Favorite: Mizzou (-14)
AA's Pick: Fourteen points is a heck of a big number....

Missouri 37 - Northwestern 27

Here, we have The Bowl That No One Wants To Watch, with teams only in the game because the Big XII and SEC didn't have enough bowl eligible teams to send a 6-6 joke each to Shreveport. Oof.

Game: PetroSun Independence Bowl
Teams: Louisiana Tech Bulldogs (7-5) vs. Northern Illinois Huskies (6-6)
Location: Independence Stadium, Shreveport, LA
Start Time: 8:15 PM EST
Network and Announcers: Pam Ward and Ray Bentley, ESPN. (Well, maybe we'll get some hidden gems of errata.)
Favorite: NIU (-1)
S2N's Pick: La Tech, for the hell of it.

Game: Emerald Bowl
Teams: California Golden Bears (8-4) vs. Miami Hurricanes (7-5)
Location: AT&T Park, San Francisco, CA
Start Time: 8 PM EST
Network and Announcers: Joe Tessitore and Rod Gilmore, ESPN
Favorite: Cal (-8.5)
S2N's Pick: The U to cover, Cal to win. This is mostly about the U's defensive studs against Cal's offense. Anything that comes out of Jacory Harris and the Miami offense should be considered a bonus.

Game: Champs Sports Bowl
Teams: Florida State Seminoles (8-4) vs. Wisconsin Badgers (7-5)
Location: Citrus Bowl, Orlando, FL
Start Time: 4:30 PM EST
Network and Announcers: Brad Nessler, Bob Griese, and Paul Maguire -- ESPN (Pammy contenders, ahoy!)
Favorite: FSU (-5.5)
S2N's Pick: Free Shoes U. Wisky is absolutely DREADFUL this year. I mean, they would have lost to I-AA Cal Poly had the Mustangs' kicker not blown goats.

It's the last game for that magical quarterback known as Pat White.

Game: Meineke Car Care Bowl
Teams: West Virginia Mountaineers (8-4) vs. North Carolina Tar Heels (8-4)
Location: Bank of America Stadium, Charlotte, NC
Start Time: 1 PM EST
Network and Announcers: Sean McDonough and Chris Spielman, ESPN
Favorite: WVU (-1.5)
S2N's Pick: UNC, because Bill Stewart will find a way to have a brain fart at the worst possible time for the 'Eers.