College Football BCS and Bowl Preview: Ranking All 35 Games From Top To Bottom
By Lew Wright
Is it the best time of year or the worst?
College football fans who follow the 70-teams invited for post season play have one last chance to watch their team play. Yes, it’s Bowl Season which offers an opportunity for schools to secure bragging rights, conferences to lay claim as “The Best” while at the same time witnessing the end of an era.
Bowl season is bittersweet for most because it signals the end of another season of college football.
The Bowl Championship Series has run it’s course and will no longer be in place. Debating the credibility of the BCS selection process to determine a National Championship shifts to a new format next season.
When the BCS becomes nothing more than an antiquated system, it’s replacement will offer new possibilities to argue whether or not the best team in college football will be properly crowned.
With 35 bowl games to consider, which will be the best contests to entertain fans?
Count on All Coug’d Up to do the heavy lifting in determining which games will be mandatory viewing while others, well, not so much.
Here’s our ranking from worst to best…keeping in mind there is no such thing as a “worst” college game.
No. 35 GoDaddy.com Bowl – January 5th on ESPN 5pm PT
Jan 06, 2013; Mobile, AL USA; Arkansas State Red Wolves interim head coach John Thompson and defensive lineman Ronnell Wright (90) lift up the trophy after the Arkansas State Red Wolves defeated Kent State Golden Flashes 17-13 in the Go Daddy.com Bolw at Ladd-Peebles Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Crystal LoGiudice-USA TODAY Sports
Arkansas State (7-5) out of the Sun Belt Conference will take on Ball State (10-2) down in Mobile, AL at Ladd-Peebles Stadium. This one should be an easy win for the Cardinals. Ball State’s record breaking quarterback, Kenneth Wenning owns the school career records for touchdown passes, passing yards, pass completions and pass attempts. Wenning is also the first quarterback in Ball State history to pass for 10,000 or more yards in a career and is considered one of the top quarterbacks in this year’s NFL draft. This will be the third consecutive appearance by Arkansas State who will have their hands full trying to slow down the passing attack of Ball State.
No. 34 R+L Carriers New Orleans Bowl – December 21st on ESPN 6pm PT
Nov 30, 2013; Houston, TX, USA; Tulane Green Wave quarterback Nick Montana (11) attempts a pass during the fourth quarter against the Rice Owls at Rice Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Troy Taormina-USA TODAY Sports
Tulane (7-5) faces Louisiana-Lafayette (8-4) in one of the best party towns in the world, New Orleans. The Green Wave will be in their first bowl game since 2002. Tulane finished fourth in Conference USA which earned Coach Curtis Johnson a contract extension through 2020. This will be a third consecutive appearance for the Ragin’ Cajuns out of the Sun Belt Conference, who defeated East Carolina last year in the New Orleans Bowl. Their offense can put up some gaudy numbers with one of the top rushing games in the nation.
No. 33 Beef ‘O’ Brady’s Bowl St. Petersburg – December 23rd on ESPN 11am PT
Nov 23, 2013; Raleigh, NC, USA; East Carolina Pirates quarterback Shane Carden (5) throws a 4th quarter touchdown pass against the North Carolina State Wolfpack at Carter Finley Stadium. The East Carolina Pirates defeated the North Carolina State Wolfpack 42-28. Mandatory Credit: James Guillory-USA TODAY Sports
East Carolina (9-3) which touts an explosive offensive team that averages 40.4 points per game will look to outscore Ohio (7-5). Pirates quarterback Shane Carden has accounted for 42 touchdowns – 32 passing, 10 rushing – and is among the top five nationally in four categories, including a No. 1 ranking in completion percentage.The Bobcats explosive offense, which has scored 34 or more points six times this year will be looking for its third win over a C-USA team this season.