This is the closest SABOWL in history and it is just now starting to get rolling. 4 games today, 5 games tomorrow, and 6 games on Monday. Will we see some diversity? or will everyone continue to stick together? Only time will tell as we proceed through today’s intense competition.
Game 1: BYU Vs. Tulsa (Bell Helicopter Armed Forces Bowl)
Game Time: 12 PM (ESPN, ESPN 3)
BYU really gives mascot pickers a lot to choose from when picking this game. I like to refer to them as the Storming Mormons, their actual mascot is the Cougars 
and their head coach is named Bronco Mendenhall.
Tulsa is known as the Golden Hurricanes. Not really sure how you know if a hurricane i
s golden or purple or whatever other color schools like to name them but I guess it works for them.
Things to watch for:
- BYU is currently 9-3 and is looking for its 5th 10 win season under head coach Bronco.
- Tulsa is 8-4, all 4 of their losses came against teams ranked in the top 10.
- Both teams feature high powered offenses so we could see a replay of last nights game between Baylor and Washington. The Baylor and Washington coaches need to check the SABOWL Glossary for the definition of defense.
- These teams were formally in the same conference so they are familiar with each other.
- BYU has beaten Tulsa 6 times and Tulsa has 1 win in the series.
- Tulsa’s only win came in the most recent meeting where they defeated BYU 55-47.
SABOWL Picks: BYU is favored by 3.5
BYU: Christina, Emily, Ellen, Danny/Stephen, Jimmy, Rebecca
Tulsa: Michael, Jonathan, Josh, April, Jim, RJ1, Joey
Game 2: New Era Pinstripe Bowl @ Yankee Stadium
Rutgers vs. Iowa State
Game Time: 3:20 PM (ESPN, ESPN 3)
Neither of these teams competed in the SABOWL Last year. The Rutgers Scarlet Knights had previously had gone to 5 
consecutive bowl games until the down year this year. Rutgers wanted to play in Yankee Stadium so badly that they decided to give up an opportunity at a BCS Bowl game. Rutgers headed into its final game with a chance to win a share of its first Big East title and stay on track for the conference’s automatic bid to a BCS bowl. Visiting a Connecticut team that entered with a 4-6 record, the Scarlet Knights committed six turnovers, allowed their second-most points of the season and fell behind by 30 in the third quarter en route to a 40-22 loss Nov. 26.
Iowa State had one of the most difficult schedules in college football this year. They competed against 7 teams ranked in the top 25. Their biggest win of the year came against Oklahoma State on November 18th in double overtime. This victory is the only reason that we are even hearing about the Iowa State Cyclones today.
This is the 2nd annual Pinstripe Bowl in Yankee Stadium.
SABOWL Picks: Rutgers is favored by 2.5
Rutgers: Michael, Ellen, Danny/Stephen, Jimmy, April
Iowa State: Christina, Emily, Jonathan, Josh, Rebecca, Jim, Joe, Joey
Game 3: Franklin American Mortgage Music City Bowl
Mississippi State vs. Wake Forest
Game Time: 6:40 PM (ESPN, ESPN 3)
Both of these teams are 6-6 which means that one of them will have a losing 
record after tonight’s bowl game. This also means that they barely became bowl eligible. If your interested in the mascots They are the Mississippi State Bulldogs and the Wake Forest Demon Deacons. These teams rarely make it to the bowl season but when they do they make it count. Wake Forest is looking for their 3rd straight bowl victory and 6th in their last 7 tries. Mississippi State is looking for their 5th straight Bowl victory.
SABOWL Picks: Mississippi State favored by 6.5
Mississippi State: Michael, Christina, Josh, April, Rebecca, Jim, Joe, Joey
Wake Forest: Emily, Jonathan, Ellen, Danny/Stephen, Jimmy
Game 4: Insight Bowl
Oklahoma Vs. Iowa
Game Time: 10 PM (ESPN, ESPN 3)
At Halftime during this game we will be at the official halfway point of the SABOWL. This game features the biggest spread of this SABOWL season. All this tells us is this will not be a very good game. The Oklahoma Sooners began the season as the #1 Ranked team in the nation and now they find themselves playing in the insight bowl. Oklahoma has been devastated by injury and could find themselves outside of the top 25 with a loss tonight. Iowa is currently outside of the top 25. The Iowa Hawkeyes faced a similar challenge 
last year facing #14 Missouri and were able to come out with a victory. They are hoping for some of the same magic this year. Probably not going to happen though. Oklahoma features one of the best passing offenses in the nation and Iowa has the worst passing defense in their own conference.
SABOWL Picks: Oklahoma Favored by 14.5
Oklahoma: Michael, Christina, Emily, Ellen, Danny/Stephen, Josh, Jim, Joe, Joey
Iowa: Jonathan, Jimmy, April, Rebecc
Here is the Standings if Tulsa wins:
RJ1 11-4
Josh 11-4
April 10-5
Jonathan 10-5
Jimmy 9-6
Danny 8-7
Michael 8-7
Jim 8-7
Rebecca 7-8
Ellen 7-8
Emily 7-8
Christina 7-8
Joey 7-8
If BYU Wins
Joe 10-5
Jimmy 10-5
Josh 10-5
April 9-6
Jonathan 9-6
Danny 9-6
Rebecca 8-7
Ellen 8-7
Christina 8-7
Michael 7-8
Jim 7-8
Joey 6-9
Good post Jonathan. Well done. Not too much football but good enough analysis to help us all get a good understanding of what to expect. Good use of pictures and especially like the Yankee Stadium pic.
For those who missed the last BYU touchdown, I am sure you will see it later on the highlight shows. Helmet-less offensive lineman laying out a defensive player=mental toughness. Example of what Sabowl is all about.
Glossary of terms:
laying out: something that can be done to get a tan; also used in football to describe a pancake
pancake: a flat, bread like food eaten at breakfast and is a staple at many pancake supper fundraisers; also used to describe when a football player blocks and another player in a manner that they are laying flat on the ground, like a pancake
Locker room sure is dead today. I should have made everyone respond like Michael did yesterday.
Will BYU go for 2 to cover the spread?
Nope! BYU obviously has no respect for the SABOWL. Do they not realize that they just lost by half a point because they did not go for 2?
BYU has respect for the game.
The LR6 (Locker Room for Sabowl VI) is just pacing itself for 14 hours of football today.
Another factor is that everyone is exhausted by last nights flag football game and by all of the comments from last night. I just now got finished deleting all of the comment updates.
Yankee Stadium sure does look Beautiful. I think the NCAA should consider playing every bowl game there.
Now I get all of the comment updates today.
I just looked though the spreadsheet and at the moment noone is in danger of being eliminated today. I would be surprised if everyone makes it into the new year.
Possible three way tie for the lead after this game. April second shot at the lead this week. Will the 2 time champ and number one ranked Sabowler get it done this time? Thoughts?
If April wins this SABOWL, we’re coming up with a new game that lasts throughout the offseason that involves forcing her to start playing the lottery.
Tom Rinaldi is at the game for ESPN. He is always the person they send when something bad happens to someone. You can hear soft playing music in the background whenever he talks.
What does it take to get Jesse Palmer and Chris Fowler to actually talk about the game instead of where they like to have drinks in NYC. Instead of these NYC park montages they should be showing clips of Yankee greats.
I know my opinion really doesn’t matter and maybe this is sour grapes, but I seriously think the spread is garbage. We have had a number of games won and then lost due to the spread. I think I am done watching the games. Maybe never watch football again.
We call that getting “Sabowled”. It is very tough and personally devastating. What I think we are seeing right now is early signs of Sabowl Syndrome. Is a characterized by a period of anger, fustration, bewilderment, confusion, and sometimes hunger. If any rashes develop on your arms, you may want to consult a doctor. Sabowl Syndrome is normal and actually expected. Chances we all will go through this at some point in the season. You may feel like giving up but you have to remember that there is always another game around the corner.
Glossary:
Sabowled: term that Josh coined last year after I lost a game in the last seconds with the spread issue.
The spread makes the SABOWL! Getting SABOWLed is brutal but on the other side it makes winning all the sweeter. SABOWL Syndrome is a horrible illness that I’ve suffered from each of the last four years. Following SABOWL I, I suffered from SABOWL Sucker Syndrome. That’s when the SABOWL tricks you into thinking success is within reach and then at the very end robs you of your hopes and dreams and stomps them into the sidewalk like a delicious batch of sugar cookies. As beautiful as the SABOWL is…it’s cruel.
Judging by how close the SABOWL pack is right now, I’m predicting a worse than typical case of SABOWL Syndrome for most SABOWLers this year.
Great point and all need to be prepared.
This is just a little house keeping note to help us keep the SABOWL locker room clean.
If you want to post a comment in reply to a comment already made, make sure you click on reply at the end of that comment instead of posting your comment in the reply box at the very bottom of the comment thread.
This keeps comments on particular topics grouped together and makes for a more enjoyable locker room experience for all. The way you guys are currently doing this is pretty much a big, ugly moontap on the SABOWL itself.
Term:
moontap – when you are changing in a locker room and some person using a nearby locker accidentally touches you with their uncovered hinepart.
Is it possible to do a big ugly moontap on the SABOWL? Does the SABOWL have a moon?
or are you talking about a figurative moontap not actually literally doing it?
P.S. GO DEACS!
Glossary:
Deacs: short for the entire nickname Demon Deacons of Wake Forest
hee hee, you used potty talk 🙂
Tee Hee, this make me laugh. Good one Christina.
I really wish that Iowa State did not beat Oklahoma State earlier this season. The way they are playing right now, they should not be allowed on the Yankee Stadium playing surface. I take back my comment earlier about all bowl games being played at Yankee Stadium. Yankee Stadium should have higher standards than what we are seeing right now. This game is a little disrespectful to Yankee Stadium.
Possible 5 way tie for the lead if Wake Forest wins this game. I don’t want to see that happen but the fact that it could halfway through the SABOWL season is pretty impressive.
even more impressive that I am one of the people involved
Could I get a little less cowbell?
Glossary: The Mississippi State Fans keep playing cowbells whenever they are on defense.
agreed!
I hired two package designers to redesign the SABOWL when it gets to Maryland, Josh I like the idea of the children’s SABOWL if you have it in your heart you might want include Joey,Jim, and Danny for that level.
Enjoy tonight’s games
THE Rookie
That was spoken like a seasoned Sabowler.
I gotta agree with you Michael. RJ1, we’ll give that some thought though I’m not sure getting crushed by children will make things any better for those guys.
Good to see you here in the locker room Rookie Joe. I hope you have enjoyed your time on top because you are going down! You can let your package designers know that they can stand down and their services will not be needed.
Jonathan those words are hurtful, you know in your heart the SABOWL belongs next to SABO CUP TROPHY by the way I just got polishing it.
That is even more hurtful Uncle Joe. I have not held the Sabo Cup in years. I had hope coming down the stretch in the Nascar Season that I could Bring the Sabo Cup back to Georgia. Now I’m able to focus my attention on keeping the SABOWL in Georgia.
What is this? The SabowlCup.com?
As the creator of the SABO CUP. I think both it and the SABOWL would enjoy spending some time here in IL.
Okay. Just got back and had a chance to review the Locker Room.
Here is what I observe:
-the entire moontap thing…seriously, come on. we are better than that. Okay, we are not better than that but still…
-we are going to have some more entries for the Sabowl for Kids?
-I have no clue where to post this entry
-You should know that Mississippi is the Capital of Cowbell.
-I think that Josh is claiming that April’s success is somehow been attributed to luck. All I have to say is that the record stands by itself.
-has anyone seen or heard from Danny
I agree, I think we should be better than the moontap but your conduct in the locker room demonstrates that unfortunately we’re not there yet.
That extra point could actually come into play with the spread here. Unbelievable.
The only chance Miss. State has is an interception that is run back for a touchdown
Danny is back. Like I have always said – the point spread is a wonderful thing!!
The point spread sucks, we should do away with it.
The spread makes the SABOWL!
I was thinking about you as I watch this go down. Welcome back.
#winsomelosesome
5 way tie for 1st after 17 games
#unbelieveable
What is even more crazy is that the last place is only three games back. #alsounbelievable
They are actually 4 games back
#MichaelWasWrong #ButStillUnbelieveable
Nice Jonathan. You had already caught that. For that, I will not say anything about Pinterest for the rest of the evening.
My bad guys. I thought that the ball hit the upright. My bad. I mean, I thought it was 3 games, it is actually 4. My bad.
How many points do you think Iowa is going to need? 42?
They are hanging in there now. Oklahoma and Sooner pickers may be in trouble.
Glossary:
Sooner-mascot for Oklahoma
We are officially halfway through this SABOWL. We will have a 20 minute halftime then we will get back to it. Good Luck in the second half.
Unbelievable finish! Sweet to see the sky cam crash to the field but even sweeter for OU to cover the spread with an unlikely TD at the very end.
Man, the spread makes the SABOWL.
Yes I have to reverse my original opinion and agree the spread does make the Sabowl. But I still don’t like the spread. Kind of like the onside kick which makes a game interesting, but it hurts when you lose.
Bob Stoops is a scum bag for running the score up! Of course I would think otherwise if I picked Oklahoma.
Glossary:
Bob Stoops: Head Coach of Oklahoma.
I really think they tried not to run it up, but Iowas defense was horrible on that last play.
HAPPY NEW YEARS EVE SABOWLERS!!!