It’s back. Bowl Chronicles. Renewed for a third season. The series turned a profit in each of the last two years, hopefully we can keep that trend alive over the next four weeks or so. It’s going to get crazy around here. The point of the BC series is to actually try and make a pick on nearly every postseason game played. At the very least, every bowl game will get some level of feature treatment, but dont be surprised if you follow along that you find yourself on one side somehow in all 35 bowl games. The blog made a bit more during the Chronicle series last season, but thats because in the 2008-09 run we got killed on totals. We held firm on the pledge of no total plays a year ago and saw the fortunes boom. We’ll try to abide by that same rule this season. But, since we’ve fallen in love with Props thanks to our Pick-4 contest this year, we cant make the same guarantee there. The point is to have fun and celebrate football. Last night’s Thursday Night contest in the NFL began a stretch of 29 consecutive days with at least one televised football game that continues tonight with a FCS semifinal game out west between defending champ Villanova and Eastern Washington on the Red Turf of EWU. You’ll want to check that out. That run will take us all the way through bowl season, the end of the NFL regular season, Wild Card playoff weekend and culminating with the BCS National Title Game. We’re going to try to cover as much of it as possible through the Bowl Chronicle series and and assortment of other posts. Buckle in, folks.
For now, let’s go Bowling. It’s the real meaning of the season, after all. The bowl games begin tomorrow. And, we kickoff the Bowl Chronicle series with the very first game on tap for tomorrow afternoon, the New Mexico Bowl between UTEP and BYU. We’ve been waiting weeks to settle the argument over who is better, the fifth place club in the Mountain West or the sixth best team from Conference USA. We’ll finally get some answers. I know you’re on the edge of your seat.
New Mexico Bowl: UTEP, 6-6, vs BYU, 6-6, 2:00, ESPN. Lines: BYU -12, O/U 50
In its short history, the New Mexico Bowl has developed a few reputations. It’s only four years old, but its become the de facto start 
of the bowl season as this year marks the third in a row it’s either the the very first bowl game to kick off or part of the first day of postseason bonanza. The bowl has carved out a tradition of being home to Cinderella. Three years in a row, the game has featured a team thats gone from a losing season to the postseason. San Jose State, Colorado State and Wyoming pulled the trick in the past, each snapping a multi-year bowl draught in the process with a New Mexico Bowl bid. It’s also become an upset special with the underdog pulling three outright upsets, including a year ago when Wyoming beat Fresno in OT as a 10.5-point puppy, en route to a 3-1 ATS record.
The UTEP Miners arrive in Albuquerque having already added to the New Mexico Bowl’s Cinderella bid. The Miners are bowling on the heels of 5-7 record a year ago, their fourth losing season in a row and have not played in a bowl game since 2005. The question remains whether or not the Miners can add the bowl’s legacy of underdog upsets. They enter catching 11 points from fellow 6-6 mate BYU. UTEP didnt close the season strong, losing four of five after a 5-1 start. Their quarterback has been banged up. They cant keep a tailback healthy. They appear as bad as they always are on defense, giving up 400 yards a game with the 89th ranked rushing defense and the Fremeau Efficiency Index putting their stop troops into the triple digits with a 111th ranking. With the brand name BYU Cougars on the opposite side of the field, there probably isnt a lot of public support for another underdog cover in this bowl, let alone a straight-up upset win. Here’s a few reasons why it might happen: Read more »
South Florida at Florida, 12:21 ET Saturday, ESPN3- Might be tough to catch this one, but ESPN3 is highly recommended. Great picture quality, easy to use, and you can watch other games at the same time on your TV! So while you’re watching Georgia and South Carolina on ESPN2, fire up the computer and see if Florida’s offense can turn it around after a scary-bad performance last week against Miami OH. Florida is certainly teasing us by playing the wrong Miami, then the wrong school from southern Florida in back-to-back weeks (just play the Hurricanes!), but the Bulls should provide a good test. Under Skip Holtz, QB BJ Daniels and the offense provide much more of a scare than the Redhawks did last week. If Florida struggles offensively again, we could be in for a big upset. Daniels was able to knock off Florida State last year in his first start, so at least he has some relevant experience. No matter the result, it will be interesting to see how Florida responds after a rough first week.
