Maaco Bowl
Saturday, December 22, 4:30 p.m.  (ESPN)
#18 Boise State vs. Washington
Favorite: Louisiana LaFayette (5.5)

Picks:
Boise State (Danny/Stephen, Jim, Joey Michael , April, Rebecca, Christina, Emily, Jimmy)
Washington (,Jonathan, Josh, Ellen,)

We now have five games complete in Sabowl VII.  Take a few minutes and savor this time for it will be over before you know it.

Important information:
Mascots: Boise State (Broncos), Washington (Huskies)
Former American Idol Finalist Jacob Lusk will sing the National Anthem
The Blue Man Group will be performing at the festivities (side note: Boise State plays on the blue field mentioned in earlier post…coincidence or inside job, I say yes.
“A” list commentators will announcing the game (Brent Musberger and Kirk Herbstreit)
Also part of the team will be Tom Rinaldi
Game will be played at Sam Boyd Stadium.   Sam Boyd was a Las Vegas businessman who worked his way up the top.  He saved money and purchased part of the Sahara Hotel.  Eventually, he became a manager of The Mint.  Boyd also formed the Boyd Gaming Corporation.  This became one of the largest gaming companies in the world today.

What to look for in this game:
Boise State comes in with a chance to have an 11 win season today.  Washington is looking for win number eight.
Washington is looking to bean another ranked opponent this year.
Both teams have some strength on the defensive side of the ball but have not met offensive expectations.  Therefore, the game can easily be one on the defense.  Watch for a key turnover, possibly a “pick 6” that may be a game changer.

R + L Carriers New Orleans Bowl
Saturday, December 22, 12:00 p.m.  (ESPN)
Louisiana LaFayette vs. East Carolina
Favorite: Louisiana LaFayette (6.5)

Picks:
LL (Danny/Stephen, Michael, Jonathan, Josh, Christina)
EC (Joey, Jim, Jimmy, Emily, Ellen, April, Rebecca)

The story of today’s first game is the Sabowl competition itself.  With a win by Louisiana LaFayette, it will put Michael in the lead by himself.  With a East Carolina victory, the competition will continue to get tighter.  Looks like we are in for another tight competition. 

Will anyone take off and get hot? 

Todays game: 
I hope you are ready for a game today.  I know that all of the fans in New Orleans will be ready after the pregame concert last night with the Beach Boys and yes…Bad Company.

• The Pirates vs. The Cajuns (does it get any better than this)

• Both teams are 8-4.

• Game is played at the Superdome.

• Temperature high of 63° F.

• Both teams have won three straight games.

• East Carollina is hoping to break a three game losing streak.

• Louisiana-LaFayette has won six of the last ten vs. East Carolina

East Carolina is led by QB Shane Carden.  He has 21 TDs but also 9 INTs.
East Carolina a 1000 yard rusher and 1000 yard receiver this year.  Justin Hardy (WR) and Vintavious Cooper (RB).

Louisiana-LaFayette will start QB Terrance  Broadway who took over midseason after an injury of previous quarterback on September 29^th.  However, in a short period of time, he has accumulated 16 TDs with 8 INTs and also over 2500 yards.

Who knows what to expect in this game?  This is an example of a game that we would never have interest in if it was not for the Sabowl.

Welcome back from the long break.  Back to Sabowl action today.
Standings have been updated and there is much to talk about.
1. Looks like the returning champion may be in trouble after a shaky start (losing half of their games so far).
2. Magic number for Jimmy, April, and Michael is now at 33 games.
Definition: Magic Number-combination of wins by the team or person in first place and losses by teams or persons who trail the leader.
3. Current leaders are on pace to win 35 Sabowl games.  New Sabowl Record.
4. The current leaders have a combined Sabowl Championships between them.

We will see what happens.

Tonight’s game:
BYU vs. San Diego State
Both teams come in with a chip on their shouder:
1. The BYU Cougars is trying to avenge their loss of their presidential candidate, Mitt Romney.
2. The San Diego State Aztecs are upset that the Mayans are getting all of the attention recently. 

BYU (7-5)
San Diego State (9-3)
Favorite: BYU (2.5 points)

Game notes and things to watch for:

-SDSU sophomore QB Adam Dingwell has kept San Diego State rolling since replacing injured senior Ryan Katz (ankle). He sparked a win at Nevada then led the Aztecs to victories in all four of his starts, including a 21-19 upset at then-No. 19 Boise State on Nov. 3.
-completed 63.3 percent of his passes for 767 yards with eight touchdowns and four interceptions –SDSU sophomore Adam Muema will help carry the load offensively after finishing the regular season with 1,355 rushing yards and 17 total TDs.

-BYU Cougar defense ranks third overall in the nation (266.3 yards allowed per game)
-They also rank second against the run (84.3).
-BYU’s opponents have averaged just 14.7 points.

-BYU QB Riley Nelson is battling a rib injury and is questionable.  However, backup James Lark has played well. Could be interesting how this will play out.

The picks:
BYU: Joey, Michael, Josh, Emily, Ellen, Jim, Jimmy
San Diego State: Danny/Stephen, Jonathan, Christina, Rebecca, April

Famous Idaho Potato Bowl  (4:30 pm)
*not to be confused with just the common Idaho Potato Bowl

Check out the chives. The one and only logo with it.

#22 Utah State (10-2) vs. Toledo (9-3)
Favorite: Utah State (10.5)

What to look for:

One word: Blue Turf
 

Potential for some offensive excitement:
Utah State ranks 26^th in nation with 459 total yards per game
Toledo ranks 28^th in nation with 456 total yards per game

Utah State’s defense is considerably stronger than Toledo with only allowing 15 points per game.  Toledo allows 27 per game. The key to watch here is whether Toledo will be able to pass against Utah State’s defense.  Watch for this.

The questions will be if Toledo can keep the game close enough to pull out a win or to break Sabowler hearts by keeping Utah State from covering the spread.

Utah State’s head coach Gary Anderson has been in Logan, Utah for over two decades now and is planning to stay having turned down some potential jobs that could have led to higher pay and more prestige.

-the bowl chairman is Scott Butterfield.  Nothing substantial here just thought the name was a little ironic or possibly home cooking.  Possibly changed his name when he got the job?

Scott Butterfield.
Sort of looks like a famous idaho potato.

-used to be called the Humantarian Bowl, the Crucial.com Humanitarian Bowl, Blue Turf Bowl, the Geogia Tech Bowl (in honor of all of their appearance in this gem of a game)
-only bowl game that can boast of having a logo that features chives (I have to give credit to Gabriel Baumgaertner for that one).

Here is some other things that I don’t think we can neglect to mention.  Please take a look at the following links as well as read below.

http://www.idahopotato.com/kids_spuddy_contest

Sweepstakes Details

As the Idaho Potato Commission’s (IPC) 75th Anniversary year comes to a close, the IPC has partnered with Idaho’s First Lady, Lori Otter, to launch “Smashed Spuddy Buddy.”

Spuddy Buddy is the IPC’s beloved mascot who loves to travel the world meeting new people and reminding them just how good Idaho potatoes are! Spuddy Buddy is looking for a few good friends to introduce him to brand new places &mdash can you help?

Start by watching a fun video, How a Potato Grows, which is filled with interesting information and introduces you to Spuddy Buddy! Then download the black and white drawing of Spuddy Buddy, color him and take a picture him somewhere in your home, community, church or anywhere in the world! Then with your parents help and permission, upload the picture to this page.

If you submit your drawing before January 31, 2013, you could be one of 75 lucky people to win a $100 savings bond!

How well do you know your spuds?
http://www.idahopotato.com/kids_quiz/?page=kids_quiz

Obviously, today is a special day.
It is a special day for many reasons.  As you well know, it is the first day of Sabowl VII.  I know that it is hard to believe that this modern day legend of an event as reach this point.
Other reasons why it is a special day is that for some of you, it will be the closest that you will ever be to the lead.

Here are some questions to ponder:
Where we all be at the end of the day?
Will there be a clear front runner?
Will early success lead to bouts of smugness by certain contestants?
Will anyone be suffering from loser denial at the end of the day?
Who will be the first one to open up a can of Sabowl talk (also known as trash talk) which is perfectly acceptable and actually encouraged?
How long will Rebecca’s first post be?
Will Jonathan ever pick against Georgia Tech?
Could it come down to the championship game again this year?
Will the Sabowl be departing the state of Maryland in the next few weeks?
Does Jimmy and April’s van get good gas mileage?

And now,  game 1 of Sabowl VII…
This is a unique start of the Sabowl season with two games to kick it off and then not having any more Sabowl magic until Thursday.  The wait may be challenging for some of you and my word for you is…mental toughness.  I can just hear the words of the actual Sabowl itself, “Hang in there.”

Gildan New Mexico Bowl (1:00 pm)
Arizona (7-5) vs. Nevada (7-5)
Favorite: Arizona (9.5 points)

What to look for:
This game will highlight some potentially explosive offenses.
Nevada: 11^th in total yards per game (502.8)
Arizona: 7^th in total yards per game (521.8)

Nevada: 7^th in rushing yards per game (260)
Arizona: 15^th in rushing yards per game (230.4)

Nevada: 20^th in points scored per game (37)
Arizona: 10^th in points scored per game (37.3)

Arizona is coached by Rich Rodriguez.  You may be familiar with him.  He was the coach who had a great thing going at West Virginia.  He was winning a lot of games and becoming a powerhouse.  However, he was enticed by fame and prestige and took the job at Michigan.  That resulted in a college football disaster that eventually left Rodriquez looking for a new job.  That led him to Arizona.  The story is unfortunate but a reminder of what kind of college football society we live in when coaches just don’t stay and have loyalty any longer.  What they obviously should be doing is to stay at schools until they get fired.

However, it cannot be stated enough that Richie is one of the best offensive minds in football with his run-first spread offense.  His teams should be fun to watch if you like offense.

Across the field you will see Nevada head coach Chris Ault.  He is an innovative offensive mind as well.  He is the author and creator of the Pistol, which many teams are bringing into their offensives schemes.  The Pistol is a hybrid of a single back set and the traditional shotgun.  The quarterback is positioned about four yards behind the center, which is closer than the typical shotgun.  The single back is then about three yards behind the quarterback.  In the typical shotgun, the running back is beside the quarterback.  The advantage of this offense is that the quarterback is close enough to the defense for reading and at the same time far enough to provide extra time.  You may remember current San Francisco QB, Colin Kaepernick, putting up huge numbers in this offense and making a name for himself.

Another thing to look for with Nevada coach Chris Ault will be his sideline demeanor.  Don’t look for an over enthusiastic approach but more of a grumpy, miserable old man that would remind you of Clint Eastwood in Gran Torino.

Other key factors that will impact today’s game:
Nevada is terrible on defense on passing downs.  If they are not able to stop Arizona’s offense, they will not be able to get on the field. Watch for this because this could be a possible game changer.

Both teams like to put the ball on the ground.  What this means is that fumbles are common for both teams.  Turnovers can change any game.  At the same time, both teams are in the top 20 nationally of causing fumbles.  If Nevada can take care of the ball and at the same time force and recover a few fumbles, it may make up for their poor passing down defense.  This could be a game changer.

Nevada has stunk in bowls recently by losing five out of the last six.  Will this continue today?  This could be a great game if both come ready to play.

Now for those of you who have stuck with this post to this point, I would like to provide you with some really important and critical information. 

Trophy: The winning team will be bringing home a prize today.  The New Mexico Bowl trophy has been called one of the most unique bowl trophies in the history of bowl games.  As you can see the trophy is a 20-inch clay pot that was produced by Marcellus and Elizabeth Media who are from the Zia Pueblo.  It features the Zia sun symbol and animals you would find in the wild such as a deer, mountain lion, buffalo, eagle, and football players.  The pot is valued at $2,500 in case you were wondering.

Player Swag:  Each player will be bringing home some nice items as well.  The list includes the following:
Deuce Brand watch
Oakley Holbrook sunglasses
Oakley fine knit beanie cap
Oakley Flak Pack  XL backpack
Gildan stadium blanket
quill pen

Have a great Sabowl day and Sabowl season.
Michael

It all comes down to this game.  It has been a Sabowl for the ages.  Many around the country are gearing up for Alabama vs. LSU.  This game that has been called by some earlier in the year as “The Game of the Century.”   But actually it is RJ1 vs. Danny/Stephen.  We have watched this rivalry develop all year long. The heated exchanges, the accusations, the emotions will all be left on the field tonight.  (That is probably not true, that will probably still continue past today.)  There will be no question as to who will own the Sabowl after tonight.  Will it be the brash, new Rookie or will it be the second year veteran?

Other elements of the game:

Sabowl I-team investigation:
Unfortunately, we are not without some controversy going into the game.  Similar to the Auburn/Cam Newton scandal, steroids and HGH, and players getting tattoos-we will have a possible issue as well.  The Sabowl I-Team is currently investigating allegations that one of the final championship players may have entered the Sabowl competition illegally and may be ineligible.  We hate that this may be the case but will hopefully know the truth soon.  Look for updates from the I-team in the Locker Room throughout today.

Personal Records:
Since many of us have been eliminated for awhile, we have nothing to play for except our own career records.  Many of us have our eyes set on the Sabowl Hall of Fame one day.  Steps to get into the Sabowl HOF consist of championships, career wins, great Locker Room comments, and making outstanding contributions to the Sabowl.

Toilet Bowl:
The Sabowl is not the only prize at stake in this competition.This prize goes to the last place finisher in the competition.  Although, it is not clear by the updates on our Sabowl spreadsheet, it appears to me that Rebecca has taken this lovely prize home.  Congratulations on that. The questions is whether the Toilet Bowl will make a guest appearance at the wedding.

The actual game:
On a serious note, we do have a game tonight.  It is a much anticipated game to many sports fans and especially to all of the female contestants of the Sabowl.  Here are some things to look for in the game tonight.
Alabama (11-1) vs. LSU (13-0)
ESPN, ESPN 3
Time: 8:20 p.m.
Favorite: Even   *No spreads tonight.  Winner takes all.

Picks:
Danny: Alabama
Joe: LSU
*everyone else does not matter.  Just joking.
Alabama: Michael, Christina, Emily, Jonathan, Ellen, Jimmy, Jim
LSU: Josh, April, Rebecca, Joey

This matchup has created more of a debate for college playoffs.  However, most people would agree that these are the best two teams in the country.  If they have not played each other earlier, there would be no questions.

Each team is led by high profile coaches.  Head coach for Alabama, Nick Saban, has won two national championships.  He is also the former coach at LSU, where he won one of those championships.  LSU head coach, Les Miles, has risen to the ranks of elite coaches in the nation.  He has done this by reinventing himself from a portrayal of a buffoon.

In the previous meeting, LSU won the game 6-3 and left many disappointed with the lack of offense.  Look for many more points tonight as both teams have more time to prepare.

-LSU has a powerful rushing offense that Alabama will have to stop.  LSU prides itself on defense and are led by two All-American cornerbacks, Tyrann Mathieu and Morris Claiborne.  Offensively, LSU is led by quarterbacks,  Jordan Jefferson and Jordan Lee.  Jefferson is expected to start.  He missed four games at the start of the season for getting into a fight at a bar. Lee is the better passer while Jefferson give the Tigers more of a run threat and more difficulty to defend.

-Alabama also have a strong offense.  They ranked 30^th in total yards, 15^th rushing yards, and 17^th in points scored.  Side note, LSU also finds a way to score points by ranking 13^th in points scored.  Offensive leaders for Alabama are running back Trent Richardson (1583 yards, 20 touchdowns) and A.J. McCarron (66.7 completion percentage, 2400 yards, 16 TDs, and 5 Interceptions).

-Most impressive stat going into the game:  In the last five games have been decided by nine or less points.  Sets us up for another close game.
 

Lets have a good night.  See you in the Locker Room.

Ticket City Bowl
12:00 pm ESPNU
Houston vs. Penn State
Favorite (Houston) 5.5
Houston (everyone except Ellen, April, and Rebecca)

Sabowl For Kids:
Penn State: Izabella, Trey, Jack, Julian, and Caleb
Houston: Lydia, Stephen

This game will bring an end to an awful season for Penn State.  A once proud football  program is in the midst of turmoil that eventually brought the end of the career of head coach Joe Paterno.  However, they still find theirselves playing on Jan. 2.  They face a strong Houston team today who is 12-1 and seeking national attention.  However, they will have a new coach in this bowl due to their head coach bolting for Texas a&M. 

There are a lot of factors in this game that could really change the outcome and approach.  It should be a game worth watching or a game worth turning off and watching another.
-will Penn State rally around their school?
-will Penn State starting QB play after a concussion following a fight with a teammate?
-will back up QB for Penn State not get arrested for stealing a pack of crackers from the concession stand?  (Note: He cited for stealing a $2 Gatorade from the campus dining hall the same weekend that their starter got jacked up.)
-how will Houston respond to have their coach leave them? 

Game notes and what to watch for: Penn State has been known for its strong defense.  They will be facing a very strong Houston offense.  They are ranked #1 in the nation in total yards, passing yards, and points scored. 

Outback Bowl
1:00 pm ABC
Georgia vs. Michigan State

Here is a game of two fairly matched teams.  When it comes to this, the SEC team tends to win.  This is a big game here in the south.  After Georgia started out slow, they were calling for head coach Mark Richt’s job.  Following their defeat of LSU in the SEC Championship, they were again pleased and content with him in control. 
Georgia is trying to avoid losing two games straight. 
Michigan State will be led by coach Mark Dantonio.  They will be seeking their first post season victory under his tenure.

This is a game matchup between two respectable coaches.  The stats and records seem almost identical.  This should be a good game but you will never know. 

Favorite: Georgia (4.5)
GA: Christina, Ellen, Jimmy, April
Michigan State:  If you are not Christina, Ellen, Jimmy, April

Sabowl For Kids:
GA: Lydia, Julian, Stephen, Izabella, Trey
Michigan State: Caleb, Jack

Capital One Bowl
1:00 ESPN
South Carolina vs. Nebraska
Favorite: SC (1.5)

A game of two strong defenses.  South Carolina held teams to less than 20 points, impressive feat in the SEC.  Nebraska is known for have players that will knock the slobber out of you.  You may remember recent Nebraska player, Ndamukong Suh. 

-South Carolina has not won a bowl game since 2006.
-South Carolina has a chance for its best season ever with a victory and win 11.
-Nebraska is entering after losing 2 out of four games. 

South Carolina: Michael, Christina, Jonathan, Ellen, Danny/Stephen, Josh, Rebecca
Nebraska: Emily, Jimmy, April, RJ1, Joey

Seafowl For Kids:
SC: Izabella, Jack, Stephen, Julian, Lydia, Caleb
Nebraska: Trey

TAXSLAYER.com Gator Bowl
1:00  pm ESPN2
Florida vs. Ohio State
Favorite: Florida (2.5)

Here is a matchup of the championship game from Sabowl I.  This has been an eventful year for Ohio State as well.  However, I do not believe that anyone was surprised with the removal of OSU head coach, Vestie.  Josh was extremely upset about him leaving but was excited about the chance of him coming to Illinois until the NCAA told him that he would not be able to coach anywhere. 

The story of this game is with Urban Meyer.  He is the former coach of Florida.  He is now the head coach of Ohio State in a bold move.  We will see how that works out for him. 

FL: Michael, Jonathan, Ellen, Danny/Stephen, April, Jim, Joey
OSU: Christina, Jimmy, Josh, RJ1

Sabowl For Kids:
FL: Izabella, Trey, Jack, Stephen, Lydia
OSU: Caleb, Julian

The Sabowl is glad to be back from a short getaway to the city of Atlanta.  It has not been able to track everyone through www.sabowl.com but has been able to track games.  I have thoroughly missed all of the comments, banter, and encouragement that you will find in the Sabowl Locker Room (new name for the comment section to the game day posts).

Game 1: Florida State vs. Notre Dame (Champs Sports Bowl)
We are at another day of the Sabowl grind.  This game looks to be a good matchup of some former college football powerhouses who are trying to return to their glory days.  Hopefully it will be a good game to watch.  I expect it to be intense.  Notre Dame brings a lot of passion to the game.  They are led by head coach Brian Kelly.  Florida State is trying to bring class back to a struggling program.  They are led by head coach Jumbo Fisher.

Things to note:
-Both teams are 8-4, which means that one will be 9-4 and the other will be 8-5 following this game.  —–Brian Kelly is trying to be the first ND coach to win his first two bowl games.

FSU is favored by 3.5.

Game 2: Baylor vs. Washington  (Valero Alamo Bowl)

This game features Heisman trophy winner Robert Griffin III.  You will hear him as RG3 way too many times in this game.  Griffin is the quarterback for Baylor.  Washington will be led by Keith Price or who I like to refer as KP1.

Things to note:
-This is one of those big spread games.
-Baylor has the 2^nd highest ranked offense in the nation or you could also say the world.
-On the same note, Baylor’s defense is the worst in the universe.
-Baylor is the favorite team the Christian group, David Crowder Band (or DCB) sort of like RG3.
-Watch Washington running back Chris Polk (if he has a big night, Baylor may be in trouble).
-When facing high profile quarterbacks this year, Washington has done well with containing the QBs but apparently forgot that they also have other people on the team and let the running backs have huge games.

Baylor is favored by 9.5.

Speaking of passion and intensity, the Sabowl competition is getting busy.  Rookie Joe so far as demonstrated that he may be in for the long haul.  In the previous two days, he has withstood some serious pushes from those behind, yet RJ1 (Rookie Joe I) does not give in.  Tonight is another opportunity for others to take the lead from RJ1.  Will it happen or will Rookie Joe hold on?  The next two days will tell us much about the future of the Sabowl.  It has been unprecedented that we have all 13 competitors grouped so close together.  As of right now, everyone is still in the hunt for the prestigious Sabowl.  Usually someone has really sucked by now and is totally out of the running.  We have only had some who have sort of sucked.  It is unbelievable.  Have fun tonight and get ready.  I also would like for everyone to comment in the post the following if you have read this entire post: “Brian Kelly is a chump.”

RG3

St. Petersburg Bowl
Marshall (6-6) vs. Florida International  (8-4)
Thurndering Herd vs. Golden Panthers

I hope that everyone has enjoyed their weekend and a couple of days off from the Sabowl.  Day 1 was intense and revealed a great deal about this year’s Sabowl contestants.  Even with that, I still anticipate a great Sabowl. 

Today we have Marshall vs. Florida International.  I know that many of you thought that Florida International was the name of the bowl game but that is not the case.  It is actually a school that actually has a football team. 

By looking at the picks, not any of the Sabowlers have much confidence in FIU. 
Picks:
FIU (Joey, Jim, Rebecca, Ellen, and Josh)
Marshall (anyone who is not listed above)

Line: Florida International  by 4.5

What to look for:
There will be a football and some players running around, some guys wearing black and white blowing whistles, and some people in the stands.  I predict that one team will score more points than the other.  Hope you enjoy the game. 

The big question is whether Rookie Joe will remain undefeated and will Christina, Rebecca, or Jonathan win a game.