The Bizniz, Volume 4, Issue 15

Final Regular Season Standings

Hill: 217-54 (8-16 upsets) overall, 7-3 (0-1 upsets) last week of regular season

Chesh: 206-70 (9-26 upsets) overall, 9-1 (1-0 upsets) last week of regular season

Bowl Picks

New Mexico Bowl

BYU 35

UTEP 20

Chesh: BYU 37 UTEP 17

Humanitarian Bowl

Northern Illinois 32

Fresno State 27

Chesh: Fresno 36 NIU 33

New Orleans Bowl

Ohio 28

Troy 21

Chesh: Troy 27 Ohio 16

St. Petersburg Bowl

Southern Miss 34

Louisville 28

Chesh: S. Miss 34 Louisville 24

Las Vegas Bowl

Utah 27

Boise State 41

Chesh: Boise 47 Utah 24

Poinsettia Bowl

Navy 27

San Diego State 30

Chesh: SDSU 28 Navy 26

Hawaii Bowl

Hawaii 42

Tulsa 38

Chesh: Hawaii 51 Tulsa 45

Little Caesar's Bowl

Florida International 28

Toledo 37

Chesh: Toledo 23 FIU 13

Independence Bowl

Air Force 34

Georgia Tech 30

Chesh: AF 24 Ga Tech 20

Champs Sports Bowl

West Virginia 27

N.C. State 20

Chesh: W. Va 28 N.C. St 24

Insight Bowl

Missouri 36

Iowa 32

Chesh: Mizzou 31 Iowa 23

Military Bowl

East Carolina 23

Maryland 33

Chesh: Maryland 48 ECU 34

Texas Bowl

Illinois 31

Baylor 34

Chesh: Baylor 34 Illinois 17

Alamo Bowl

Oklahoma State 35

Arizona 28

Chesh: Ok St 37 AZ 17

Armed Forces Bowl

Army 24

SMU 30

Chesh: SMU 27 Army 23

Pinstripe Bowl

Kansas State 30

Syracuse 20

Chesh: K-St 16 Cuse 14

Music City Bowl

North Carolina 28

Tennessee 23

Chesh: UNC 34 Tenn 16

Holiday Bowl

Nebraska 34

Washington 17

Chesh: Nebraska 38 Wash 20

Meineke CC Bowl

South Florida 20

Clemson 28

Chesh: Clemson 26 USF 14

Sun Bowl

Notre Dame 21

Miami 28

Chesh: ND 17 Miami 16

Liberty Bowl

Georgia 34

Central Florida 27

Chesh: UCF 27 UGA 19

Chick-fil-A Bowl

South Carolina 37

Florida State 32

Chesh: S. Car 31 FSU 24

TicketCity Bowl

Northwestern 30

Texas Tech 42

Chesh: TTech 34 NW 20

Outback Bowl

Florida 33

Penn State 21

Chesh: Florida 17 Penn St 16

Capital One Bowl

Alabama 31

Michigan State 32

Chesh: Bama 27 Mich St 26

Gator Bowl

Mississippi State 34

Michigan 30

Chesh: Michigan 34 Miss St 24

GoDaddy.com Bowl

Middle Tennessee 24

Miami (OH) 28

Chesh: Miami 37 MTSU 20

Cotton Bowl

LSU 30

Texas A&M 27

Chesh: TAMU 17 LSU 16

Compass Bowl

Pittsburgh 30

Kentucky 21

Chesh: Pitt 16 UK 13

Kraft FH Bowl

Nevada 38

Boston College 28

Chesh: Nevada 30 BC 6

BCS Bowls

Rose Bowl

Wisconsin 24

TCU 30

Chesh: TCU 30 Wisc 13

Fiesta Bowl

UConn 17

Oklahoma 44

Chesh: OU 45 UConn 13

Orange Bowl

Stanford 28

Virginia Tech 27

Chesh: Va Tech 40 Stanford 37

Sugar Bowl

Ohio State 34

Arkansas 28

Chesh: Arkansas 24 Ohio St 20

National Championship Game

Oregon 44

Auburn 40

Chesh: Oregon 33 Auburn 31

I've mentioned this in The Bizniz before but I still cannot stand the fact that there are bowl games after New Year's as wack as the Compass, Kraft Fight Hunger, and GoDaddy.com Bowls. Only premiere bowls should be played after New Year's. Period. I know it's about filling in the empty week between the last BCS game and the title game but for all that the BCS blusters about not ruining the tradition of bowl games as a reason to not consider a playoff, they sure ruin the tradition of post-New Year Day bowl games that existed for decades. It used to be that a team had a goal to reach a New Year's Day (or later) bowl, as it indicated that that team had reached an elite bowl game. Now a group of stupid bowls exist after the once-sacrosanct January 1st date. Good call, BCS and co. You guys get it right every time.

The Bizniz, Volume 4, Issue 14

A quick thought on Boise State's loss to Nevada that took them out of BCS contention. It is a fascinating juxtaposition to compare the game winning field goal (46 yards) that Texas kicker Hunter Lawrence made last year in the Big XII title game and the chip shot (26 yards) that Boise State kicker Kyle Brotzman missed at the end of regulation (which makes the kick he missed in OT irrelevant), both as time expired. One kicker literally made $18 million for his school via a BCS bowl bid, the other literally cost his school $18 million. It's harsh, but with kickers it's a pretty black and white thing. My heart goes out to the Boise kid but it's a pretty tough pill to swallow to have a Division 1A kicker, at a top 5 school, miss a short field goal with a dead center spot, especially after an EPIC throw and catch from Kellen Moore to Titus Young to get it in field goal range in the closing seconds. Ouch. On the negative side, all the BCS honks/non-AQ haters can pile on Boise and say, "See, we told you you didn't belong." I'm a Boise hater because they don't play enough tough non-conference games (you can't control your conference slate), but I think Boise State is a really good team that can play with anyone. But for once a WAC team showed some heart/pride/balls and stepped up to the plate and knocked off the Broncos (something like only their third conference loss in the last 5 years). Also, it's been noted, interestingly, that Nevada actually loses about a million dollars because they won't get Boise's would-have-been BCS bowl cut that the conference splits. Go figure.

Standings:

Hill: 211-52 (8-15 upsets) overall,15-6 (1-1 upsets) last week

Chesh: 197-66 (8-25 upsets) overall, 12-9 (1-4 upsets) last week

Helmet stickers: mine goes to the embattled Cam Newton, Auburn QB (13/20, 216, 3 td's, no picks passing; 22 rushes, 39, 1 td on the ground). The numbers weren't off the charts but the way he led Auburn back from a 24-0 deficit in Tuscaloosa was Heisman worthy. And with all the stuff swirling around with his dad and Mississippi State and pay for play, he showed amazing resiliency and heart to get the win, get the Tigers to the SEC title game, and keep them in position for the BCS title game. Chesh went with dual stickers, for Maryland's QB Dannny O' Brien (33-47, 417, 4 td's, no picks) and WR Torrey Smith (14, 224, 4 td's), who led the way in a big win versus then-23rd ranked N.C. State.

Picks for this week:

Arizona State 20

#23 Arizona 28

Chesh: ASU 27 AZ 25

#25 Northern Illinois 40

Miami (OH) 21

Chesh: NI 34 Miami 14

SEC Championship Game

#1 Auburn 36

#19 South Carolina 31

Chesh: Auburn 26 S. Car 24

#2 Oregon 45

Oregon State 23

Chesh: Oregon 58 Ore St 24

Game of the Week

Big XII Championship Game

#9 Oklahoma 24

#14 Nebraska 21

Chesh: OU 34 Nebraska 30

Utah State 17

#11 Boise State 47

Chesh: Boise 57 Utah St 10

ACC Championship Game

#21 Florida State 34*

#16 Virginia Tech 33

Chesh: Va Tech 23 FSU 13

#17 Nevada 47

Louisiana Tech 24

Chesh: Nevada 48 La Tech 17

Rutgers 20

#24 West VIrginia 32

Chesh: WVU 31 Rutgers 13

Non Top 25 Game

UConn 23

South Florida 27

Chesh: UConn 23 USF 16