Bowl Season Week 1

New Mexico Bowl
Wyoming vs. Fresno State (-10)

Fresno Coach Pat Hill received a contract extension after the regular season and should have the pressure off him and his team for the Bowl game. The Bulldogs lost this bowl game last year as favorites to Colorado State and with that in mind should come more prepared to win this year. With RB Ryan Matthews leading the way there is no doubt in my mind that Fresno State can score and run over the Cowboys, whether they can cover is another question. Wyoming is being outscored by almost 11 points this year and managed to get to 6-6 with close wins over the bad teams on their schedule. But they were 8-3 ATS, so bet against them at your own peril. Despite being overmatched they have managed to cover most of the year. Ten points is a lot to lay on a Fresno team having trouble stopping anyone, but I will give the points and hope for a rejuvenated Bulldogs team that played a tough schedule all year and now has had time to heal up and rest. Fresno State 37 - Wyoming 24

St. Petersburg Bowl
UCF (+3) vs. Rutgers

Rutgers comes into this game disappointed with not going to a more prestigious bowl game, while UCF is happy to be playing close to home, in front of family and friends and against a Big East opponent. Coach George O'Leary should have his team motivated to show they can play with the big boys as there are rumors the Big East is interested in expanding and UCF is on the radar. UCF is 9-3 ATS this season and comes into the game winning 3 in a row after losing to Texas. Rutgers had a great season going until late losses to Syracuse and West Virginia. With Rutgers' star WR questionable for the game I believe the intangibles favor UCF far too much to overlook. Look for RB Brynn Harvey to have a big game on the ground and UCF, playing with extra motivation, to pull the upset in St. Pete. UCF 30 - Rutgers 28

New Orleans Bowl
Middle Tennessee State vs Southern Mississippi (-3.5)

The Blue Raiders of Middle Tennessee have been a surprise team out of the Sun Belt this year, ammassing a 9-win season and winning 6 in a row to finish. They are also 9-3 ATS while Southern Miss is 7-5 and had a disappointing finish to the season with losses to Houston and East Carolina in November. Southern Miss though has won this bowl game 3 out of the last 5 years including last year over Troy, so they won't be in awe of playing in the Superdome. I think MTSU gives them a game for 3 quarters but ultimately the Golden Eagles have more talent and should find a way to come out on top. Southern Miss 27 - MTSU 23

These three Bowl games give the holiday weekend some cheer and prepare us for a great week before Christmas with a few of the more intriguing matchups coming on Tuesday and Wednesday with MWC vs Pac 10 Bowls. Utah - Cal and Oregon State - BYU will be entertaining games and showcases for those east of the Mississippi River that don't always get to see the quality of football in these conferences. More to come on those next week but for now enjoy the weekend with the NFL gearing up for its playoffs push and the Bowl Season just getting started. After Sunday there will be 3 down and 31 to go. Playoffs? Who's talking about the playoff? I'm just trying to win a game.