Tsn's Bowl Preview

Sporting News, The, Dec 25, 2000 by Tom Dienhart

We break down all 25 games and 50 teams and tell you why to watch, who to watch, who will win and why. And we've thrown in our version of a playoff because we know you really want one.

Must-see TV? We rank the games

The holiday season is a busy time, and no one has time to watch all 25 bowls. Have no fear. Our ranking system makes the decisions for you.

1 Orange: Florida State vs. Oklahoma. The BCS computer dating service matched these teams to play for it all. Don't expect quarterbacks Josh Heupel and Chris Weinke to exchange phone numbers afterward.

2 Sugar: Florida vs. Miami. Maybe if the Hurricanes say they're national champions enough times, they'll convince the world they are. First, they must take care of the Gators in the schools' first meeting since 1987.

3 Fiesta: Oregon State vs. Notre Dame. You thought Oscar and Felix were an odd couple. But unlike those two, these teams have more in common than the Irish would like to admit.

4 Gator: Clemson vs. Virginia Tech. It's Bowden (Tommy this time) against Beamer (Frank) for the second time in a year. But it's the first run of Woodrow Dantzler vs. Michael Vick that makes this an exciting game.

5 Rose: Purdue vs. Washington. If you see a bunch of big guys in shoulder pads wandering around L.A., don't be alarmed. It's just the Boilermakers and Huskies looking for Pasadena. It has been a while. Thirty-four years for Purdue and seven for Washington.

6 Alamo: Northwestern vs. Nebraska. These teams weren't in the same galaxy 10 years ago. Now, the Wildcats are in the same neighborhood as the Cornhuskers, who are familiar with purple teams nicknamed Wildcats.

7 Holiday: Texas vs. Oregon These teams deserved better. On second thought, San Diego is a pretty good place to sulk about your bowl destination.

8 Humanitarian: Boise State vs. UTEP. Don't laugh. The pyrotechnics of these offenses would impress even a fireworks factory worker.

9 Independence: Mississippi State vs. Texas A&M. Don't expect a tearful, made-for-TV embrace at the Shreveport, La., airport between the Aggies and former coach Jackie Sherrill, who helped put them in the NCAA pokey.

10 Citrus: Michigan vs. Auburn. The power running of the Wolverines' Anthony Thomas and the Tigers' Rudi Johnson will send old-school fans digging through their closets for those leather helmets.

11 Cotton: Kansas State vs. Tennessee. This will be a sneak preview of a Vols team that will be among the nation's best in 2001. For K-State? It's the end of another failed screen test.

12 Peach: Georgia Tech vs. LSU. The thought of playing a bowl game at home leaves the Yellow Jackets limp. The Tigers are happy to be there after going to only three bowls in the 1990s.

13 Outback: Ohio State vs. South Carolina. It's official: Lou Holtz has raised the Gamecocks from the dead. Now, somebody check John Cooper for a pulse. His underachieving Buckeyes have won only three Big Ten titles--none outright--in 13 seasons.

14 Music City: West Virginia vs. Mississippi. This is Don Nehlen's last game. Too bad it's a bowl because he has lost eight in a row. His last win? The 1984 Bluebonnet Bowl.

15 Sun: UCLA vs. Wisconsin. We've seen this twice in the last seven seasons. And we know how it's going to end: Badgers win. It has all the suspense of an Ernest movie.

16 Liberty: Colorado State vs. Louisville. Years from now, you can tell your friends you saw the game in which Cardinals quarterback Dave Ragone officially became a star.

17 Insight.com: Iowa State vs. Pittsburgh. This quarterback battle between the Cyclones' Sage Rosenfels and the Panthers' John Turman is the off-Broadway version of the Dantzler-Vick Gator Bowl tussle.

18 Micronpc.com: Minnesota vs. NC State. In the spirit of dot-com bowls, it might be more stimulating to chat on-line about this game than to watch it.

19 Oahu: Georgia vs. Virginia. Some Bulldogs fans may vote not to let lame-duck coach Jim Donnan on the island. Alas, he'll be there. He might think about staying. And so should Cavs coach George Welsh, who also is stepping down.

20 Mobile Alabama: TCU vs. Southern Miss. What's worse than a trip to the Mobile Alabama Bowl? Consecutive trips to the Mobile Alabama Bowl, which is TCU's fate. Still, it'll be fun to see LaDainian Tomlinson battle the Golden Eagles' defense.

21 Aloha: Boston College vs. Arizona State. It's Christmas. The gifts have been unwrapped. The meal has been served. What better way to cap the day than by watching two 6-5 teams battle? It beats watching a Masterpiece Theatre marathon.

22 Las Vegas: UNLV vs. Arkansas. A guy named Houston Nutt shouldn't be allowed in a town like Vegas. Come to think of it, none of the Hogs belongs there.

23 Galleryfurniture.com: Texas Tech vs. East Carolina. Just saying galleryfurniture.com is tiring. If that doesn't make you sleepy, this matchup should.

24 Motor City: Marshall vs. Cincinnati. Making its fourth consecutive trip to Detroit, the Herd is thinking about leaving the MAC and joining the UAW.