College Football Bowls Viewer's Guide
A guide to the games you can and can't miss in the upcoming weeks 

BY PAUL KATCHER

AMY E. CONN/AP Smelling Like a Rose: Miami QB Ken Dorsey hopes to lead Miami to a national championship in Pasadena

Friday, Dec. 28, 2001

Even with the Kathie Lee specials, this is still the most wonderful time of the year, at least for college football fans. All these bowls should bring enough holiday cheer to help us forget those embarrassing moments at the office holiday party.

But even the most rabid college gridiron loonies can't watch every game. Sunlight, people, sunlight.

So we've put together a handy guide to help you determine which bowls are must-see TV and which ones are I-really-should-clean-the-bathroom TV.

All games are rated on a scale of 1 to 5 (see chart).

Rating System
	Thank you, football god
	Don't miss it, not even if "The Godfather" is on
	Look, at least it's football
	Infomercials, anyone?
	I wish Carrot Top was on instead

Bowl Teams Rating GalleryFurniture.com Texas A&M (7-4) TCU (6-5) Lowdown: Nothing says college football like GalleryFurniture.com and Friday afternoon, and nothing says boring like a "rivalry" in which one team beats the hell out of the other every time. TCU is out to avenge the 23 straight losses it suffered to Texas A&M when they were part of the now-defunct Southwest Conference. Date Time (ET) Location TV Payout Spread Dec. 28 1:30 p.m. Houston ESPN $750,000 Texas A&M by 6 1/2

Bowl Teams Rating Music City Boston College (7-4) Georgia (8-3) Lowdown: At Boston College, it's pretty easy being Green, as in William Green, the Big East's leading rusher with 1,559 yards on the season. But Georgia is flashing some Greene of its own, as in QB David Greene, the SEC's Freshman of the Year. They help make up this solid matchup for a lower-tiered bowl, to which the eight-win Bulldogs slipped because the SEC is too loaded to have each of its deserving teams play on New Year's Day. I guess you could say they're seeing red. But we wouldn't. Date Time (ET) Location TV Payout Spread Dec. 28 5 p.m. Nashville, Tenn. ESPN $750,000 Georgia by 4

Bowl Teams Rating Holiday Washington (8-3) Texas (10-2) Lowdown: Both teams come into this game licking their wounds, but it still figures to be one of the best games of the bowl season. Only a loss to Colorado in the Big 12 Championship kept Texas from a Rose Bowl berth and a shot at the national championship against Miami. But the grass isn't always greener, as Washington can attest. The Huskies finished their regular season against the Hurricanes — better yet, Miami finished Washington, 65-7, to end their regular seasons. So neither team is just happy to be here. They'll come out swinging, and Texas will do it with Major Applewhite calling signals in his final game, while junior Chris Simms watches from the sideline. And don't forget the storied Holiday Bowl history, littered with last-minute finishes and more shootouts than the Old West. Date Time (ET) Location TV Payout Spread Dec. 28 8:30 p.m. San Diego ESPN $2 million Texas by 12 1/2

Bowl Teams Rating Motor City Toledo (9-2) Cincinnati (7-4) Lowdown: Some fans have all the luck. While Illinois alumni have to haul off to New Orleans and Maryland faithful have to fight for Miami Beach space with topless models, followers of these Ohio schools make the short trip to Pontiac, Mich., which we hear is beautiful this time of year (not that we'd really want to find out). This is the first time in the five-year history of the Motor City Bowl that Marshall is not one of the participants. So the only guarantees are: 1) Marshall won't win; and 2) Nobody will watch. Date Time (ET) Location TV Payout Spread Dec. 29 Noon Pontiac, Mich. ESPN $750,000 Toledo by 3 1/2

Bowl Teams Rating Alamo Iowa (6-5) Texas Tech (7-4) Lowdown: Tune in if only to hear the game announcers proclaim that the star player of the game will always (here it comes) remember (oh, no) the Alamo (arghhh!). Expect some scoreboard activity to offset the clichés, as Iowa brings the Big Ten's highest-scoring offense (33.8 ppg) to San Antonio. Texas Tech counters with the Big 12's third-ranked offense (35.1 ppg), led by QB Kliff Kingsbury, who broke his own Red Raiders season record for passing yards (3,502). Date Time (ET) Location TV Payout Spread Dec. 29 3:30 p.m. San Antonio ESPN $1.2 million Texas Tech by 1

Bowl Teams Rating Insight.com Kansas State (6-5) Syracuse (9-3) Lowdown: Neither team is nearly as strong as when they hooked up in the 1997 Fiesta Bowl, but Syracuse is still in position to post its first 10-win season since 1992. The Wildcats need a win to extend their streak of eight straight winning seasons. They won four of five to end the season, while the Orangemen won nine of 10 after opening the season with losses to Georgia Tech and Tennessee. The player to watch is Syracuse DE Dwight Freeney, a speed rusher who recorded 17.5 sacks on the year. Date Time (ET) Location TV Payout Spread Dec. 29 5:30 p.m. Phoenix ESPN2 $750,000 Kansas State by 5 1/2

Bowl Teams Rating Sun Purdue (6-5) Washington State (9-2) Lowdown: The last time you saw Washington State in a Bowl was after the 1997 season, when they were led by can't-miss-kid Ryan Leaf. Boy, a lot has changed since then. Purdue is making its fifth bowl appearance in as many seasons under coach Joe Tiller. But this is a different Boilermakers team than the one that went to the Rose Bowl with QB Drew Brees last season. Purdue has struggled to move the ball, something the Cougars have done well behind the Pac-10's leading passer, Jason Gesser. This is the only Pac-10 vs. Big Ten matchup of the bowl season, since the Rose Bowl is host to this year's national championship game, but it's a good one. Date Time (ET) Location TV Payout Spread Dec. 31 2 p.m. El Paso, Texas CBS $1 million Washington State by 8 1/2

Bowl Teams Rating Humanitarian Clemson (6-5) Louisiana Tech (7-4) Lowdown: What does Louisiana Tech know about being humanitarian? The Bulldogs entered the WAC just this season and won the league title straight up. Another question to be asked by viewers is, What's that orange laser moving across my screen? Easy. It's Woody Dantzler, the Clemson QB who will playing his final game ON A BLUE FIELD IN IDAHO, FOR CRYING OUT LOUD. Dantzler, who this year became the first player in Division I-A history to reach 2,000 passing yards and 1,000 rushing yards in one season, deserves better. Date Time (ET) Location TV Payout Spread Dec. 31 12:30 p.m. Boise, Idaho ESPN $750,000 Clemson by 6 1/2

Bowl Teams Rating Silicon Valley Fresno State (11-2) Michigan State (6-5) Lowdown: Fresno State started its season with victories over Colorado, Oregon State and Wisconsin, and QB David Carr landed on the cover of Sports Illustrated. The SI jinx escaped Carr (4,306 yards, 42 TDs), but not the team, which fell to Boise State and Hawaii and failed to win the WAC. Michigan State is back bowling after a one-year hiatus, and the Spartans bring their own offensive firepower, led by QB Jeff Smoker, ranked seventh in the nation in passing efficiency. He's backed by RB T.J. Duckett (1,236 yards) and WR Charles Rogers (1,200 yards). Date Time (ET) Location TV Payout Spread Dec. 31 3 p.m. San Jose, Calif. FOX $750,000 Fresno State by 5 1/2

Bowl Teams Rating Liberty BYU (12-1) Louisville (10-2) Lowdown: Two conference champions and 22 combined victories. What, is this the Rose Bowl? Oh yeah, that game has only one conference champion. Hey, remember when BYU had designs of a BCS bid, when a lawsuit was threatened if the Cougars went undefeated and uninvited? After their 72-45 loss at Hawaii to end the regular season, they should be sued for impersonating a major college football program. But this figures to be a decent bowl game to watch before heading to those New Year's parties. Expect offense galore and more passing than at a NASCAR event. BYU is without the services of Luke Staley, who was this year's recipient of the Doak Walker Award, given to the nation's top running back. Date Time (ET) Location TV Payout Spread Dec. 31 4 p.m. Memphis ESPN $1.3 million Louisville by 3

Bowl Teams Rating Peach North Carolina (7-5) Auburn (7-4) Lowdown: This is the last college football game of 2001, expected to end around 11 p.m. ET, which means fans on the East Coast have no chance to see the second half. Not unless you're partying with all dudes, in which case we suggest finding another gig. This game should be a good one, however. Carolina came on strong late in the season to earn the bid and Auburn was strong enough to beat Florida before tailing off near the end of the season. Date Time (ET) Location TV Payout Spread Dec. 31 7:30 p.m. Atlanta ESPN $1.8 million North Carolina by 2 1/2

Bowl Teams Rating Cotton Arkansas (7-4) Oklahoma (10-2) Lowdown: We could never understand why this rise-and-shine game isn't sponsored by Advil. It's usually the first thing we remember seeing each new year. Oklahoma is another team with "what if" on its mind. The Sooners would be playing for the national championship if not for a season-ending loss at Oklahoma State, which means Arkansas could want the victory more. But the Razorbacks' offense (97th nationally) isn't up to par with the Sooners' defense, thus the second-largest spread of the bowl season. Date Time (ET) Location TV Payout Spread Jan. 1 11 a.m. Dallas FOX $2 million Oklahoma by 13 1/2

Bowl Teams Rating Outback Ohio State (7-4) South Caroina (8-3) Lowdown: The last time these teams met in the Outback Bowl, South Carolina won and Ohio State's coach was fired. And that was only a year ago. Buckeyes coach Jim Tressel might want to call in sick. It's the last game for OSU senior QB Steve Bellisari, who'll watch from the sideline again after a DUI charge cost him his starting spot. It's amazing what Lou Holtz has done since taking over as coach at South Carolina. After going 0-11 in 1999, his first season at USC, the ol' skipper has them in back-to-back Jan. 1 bowl games. The same cannot be said for Notre Dame. Date Time (ET) Location TV Payout Spread Jan. 1 11 a.m. Tampa, Fla. ESPN $2.2 million South Carolina by 1 1/2

Bowl Teams Rating Gator Florida State (7-4) Virginia Tech (8-3) Lowdown: This is a rematch of the national championship game from two seasons ago, when Florida State capped its first undefeated season under Bobby Bowden. The principals from that game, FSU's Peter Warrick and Chris Weinke and Virginia Tech's Michael Vick, are all gone and making their money on Sundays, but many see this as a possible preview to next year's title game. The Gator is thrilled to get this matchup for two reasons: 1) Tech's fans gobble up tickets and pack hotels; and 2) It ain't very often FSU is bypassed by the BCS — grab 'em while you can. No matter the outcome, this will be the first season since 1986 that Florida State will finish outside of the top 5 in the final polls. Date Time (ET) Location TV Payout Spread Jan. 1 12:30 p.m. Jacksonville, Fla. NBC $1.4 million Va. Tech by 2

Bowl Teams Rating Citrus Michigan (8-3) Tennessee (10-2) Lowdown: Now this is what New Year's Day is all about. A first-ever meeting between Big Ten and SEC heavyweights, and it's not even the best game of the day. Plus, it doesn't start obnoxiously early — 1 p.m. on the East Coast. Both teams are coming off devastating losses, but Tennessee's was more costly. By falling to LSU in the SEC Championship, the Vols became the final team to lose their grasp on the No. 2 ranking and a Rose Bowl berth. Michigan is looking to regroup after losing to Ohio State in its regular-season finale. They don't want sophomore QB John Navarre (4 INTs against the Buckeyes) to end the season on a bad note. Date Time (ET) Location TV Payout Spread Jan. 1 1 p.m. Orlando, Fla. ABC $4.25 million Tennessee by 4

Bowl Teams Rating Fiesta Oregon (10-1) Colorado (10-2) Lowdown: Both teams are ranked ahead of Nebraska in the AP poll, so the winner really does have a shot to share the national championship if the Huskers upset Miami in the Rose Bowl. Each has reason to believe it should be in that game — Oregon is a one-loss team who won the Pac-10; Colorado beat Nebraska and Texas to win the Big 12 — but for neutral college football fans, this matchup is just fine. The funny part is that the victor has to root for Nebraska, the team that it thinks got too much attention from the computer rankings. Players to watch are Colorado RB Chris Brown (9 rushing TDs in his last two games) and Oregon QB Joey Harrington, a Heisman Trophy finalist and New York City billboard icon. Date Time (ET) Location TV Payout Spread Jan. 1 4:30 p.m. Tempe, Ariz. ABC $4.25 million Colorado by 3

Bowl Teams Rating Sugar Illinois (10-1) LSU (9-3) Lowdown: This is only the second time that champs from the Big Ten and SEC have hooked up in a bowl game, but this still doesn't have a national flavor. The Michigan-Tennessee battle earlier in the day may appeal to more viewers, though it's earlier time slot also guarantees lower ratings. But it's not like Illinois and LSU don't deserve to be here. LSU beat the aforementioned Volunteers in the SEC Championship, becoming adopted favorite sons of Nebraska fans everywhere. And Illinois got through the always-tough Big Ten with only one loss (Michigan). Date Time (ET) Location TV Payout Spread Jan. 1 8:30 p.m. New Orleans ABC $11-13 million LSU by 3

Bowl Teams Rating Orange Florida (9-2) Maryland (10-1) Lowdown: And on the second day (of 2002), god created a dud. Who would've guessed at the start of the season that the biggest bowl underdog would be a one-loss team from the ACC? Our advice to you back then would have been, "Take Florida State and the points." Ah, but there is no Florida State in the BCS. And thus, it's time to dust off those Terrapins football jerseys, reminisce about Boomer Esiason, Frank Reich and whoever else ever played there, and pray that we never get an Orange Bowl this boring again. Date Time (ET) Location TV Payout Spread Jan. 2 8 p.m. Miami ABC $11-13 million Florida by 16

Bowl Teams Rating Rose Miami (11-0) Nebraska (11-1) Lowdown: Ah, the Holy Grail. Say what you will about the BCS. Overuse that "can't spell BCS without BS" line to death all you want. Nebraska deserves to be here. Not that Colorado and Oregon don't — actually, two-loss Colorado doesn't — but this is amateur sports in 2001. In September, we re-examined what sports means to us. If that talk was anything but hot air, we must accept that this is merely a game to help determine the best Division I-A football team made up of young men who are (supposedly) unpaid and (supposedly) just happen to play football in between going to classes. For college football fans, this game is eminently worth watching. But the BCS just ain't worth getting worked up over. As we close out 2001, energies to affect change are better directed elsewhere. Date Time (ET) Location TV Payout Spread Jan. 3 8 p.m. Pasadena, Calif. ABC $11-13 million MIami by 9