To some this will be boring, to others non-consequential, but the bowl games involving SEC teams following the regular football season have long been decided. With a myriad of contractual obligations and game guarantees and careful studying on the SEC standings each week, the guessing game is rather a simple matter of watching the dominoes fall into place.
So today, rather than trying to explain why the visits by bowl representatives to various press boxes this weekend don't really matter, let's go to the Southeastern Conference office for a lesson in "who-goes-where" when the regular season ends next week. According to this week's news release, this is how it happens:
"The Southeastern Conference has agreements to send nine of its member institutions to postseason bowl games following the 2009 season. The winner of the SEC Championship Game will automatically participate in the Bowl Championship Series comprised of the Sugar, Rose, Orange and Fiesta Bowls. (The 2010 kingpin is the Rose Bowl.)
"The Capital One (2nd), will then make its pick following the BCS selections (usually the loser of the SEC title game). The bowl must select the team with the next best overall record or a team that is within one win of the team with the next best overall record.
"The Outback, Chick-fil-A and AT&T Cotton Bowls will work with the conference office to determine picks 3-5 (just look at the standings, starting with LSU). The Cotton Bowl has the first preference of teams from the Western Division and the Outback Bowl has first preference of teams from the Eastern Division. The Cotton or Outback Bowl can select teams outside of its divisional preference, but must not select them before the opposite bowl selects from its divisional preference.
"The Chick-fil-A Bowl has the selection of preference following the Cotton and Outback Bowls. In selections 6-7, the AutoZone Liberty and Gaylord Hotels Music City Bowls will make their selections, not in any specific order, but in consultation with the SEC office. The Bowls will rank available qualified teams in order of preference.
"If there are no similarities in the order of selection, the bowls will be granted its selection. If the bowls rank the same teams in preference, the team involved in the process would get its preference of which bowl to participate.
"The PetroSun Independence Bowl will receive the eighth selection and the Papajohns.com Bowl will have the ninth pick of available SEC teams."
Do you see how easy that is? Follow the results, watch the standings and you'll be just as smart as the dumbest sports writer.
With that said, here are my 10 picks for this week:
NORTH CAROLINA (7-3) at BOSTON COLLEGE (7-3), 12 Noon, (ESPN2) -- UNC's Kendric Burney had three huge interceptions, including one for 77 yards and a TD, in last week's 33-24 upset over then-No. 12 Miami, but BC is still a three-point favorite in tomorrow's ACC opener. Burney was the national def. player of the week as UNC won its third straight, but BC is perfect at home this year (6-0) and a win here would be the first time the Eagles have "run the table" in Chestnut Hill since 1985. Remember BC is tied with Clemson with two losses each in the battle for the ACC title game spot and that adds pressure to tomorrow's early game. Carolina closes the regular season at N.C. State next Saturday, while BC visits Maryland. MY PICK: Boston College, 24-15.
No. 9 OHIO STATE (9-2) at MICHIGAN (5-6), 12 Noon (CBS) -- The Wolverines have lost six of the last seven games and UM coach Rich Rodriquez is swatting at more rumors than he can count, but he still insists this is "The Game." Sure, UM is in the Big Ten cellar while OSU is going to the Rose Bowl and, yes, OSU is a heady 12-point favorite, but in a rivalry this big the players on both sides of the ball know what a UM win would mean right now. Trust me, the last thing the Wolverines are thinking is "bowl eligible" - not with the Buckeyes flying in - but a Michigan loss could indeed scuttle Rodriquez' hopes of sticking around. Don't forget, either, there's still that pesky business about UM players spending "too many hours" with football in the off-season. If ever there was a game a coach needed to win, this is huge in Ann Arbor. MY PICK: Michigan, 28-16.
CHATTANOOGA (6-5) at No. 2 ALABAMA (10-0), 12:20 p.m. (SEC Network) -- With coach Russ Huesman already assured of a winning record in his first year and more heralded for bringing life into the UTC program, this is the biggest challenge since the Biblical David slew Goliath. Chattanooga will get a $400,000 game guarantee from UA for this one and UTC football will get great exposure on the SEC Network. Alabama is in the delicate position of playing well against a fiery bunch of upstarts while protecting its best players for next Friday's Auburn game and, of course, the championship showdown against unbeaten Florida on Dec. 5 (4 p.m.). C'mon, it is obviously a mismatch, but if both teams can have fun and injuries can be avoided, the UTC players can sleep with "visions of sugar plums" tonight and what's wrong with that? The last time these two played, in 1994, UA was a 42-13 winner. MY PICK: Alabama, 45-14.
MISS. STATE (4-6) at ARKANSAS (6-4), 12:20 p.m. (SEC Network) -- Yes, the UTC-Alabama game will be somewhat diluted as over half of its stations opt for this game, but the cameras will cut from one game to another tomorrow. State is an 11-point underdog as UA QB Ryan Mallett continues to lead the SEC in passing efficiency (164.96) and TDs (23). Mallett's real gift is the way he "drives" UA and, while run-oriented State has made superb RB Anthony Dixon its trigger, UA should put the Bullies down fast. The bigger game for MSU is next week when Ole Miss comes to town (12:20 p.m.) while Arkansas will play at LSU (7 p.m.) in a game that will finalize its bowl plans. MY PICK: Arkansas, 35-17.
FLA. INTERNATIONAL (3-7) at No. 1 FLORIDA (10-0) 12:30 p.m. -- This is the first time FIU has ever played in Gainesville and the Panthers aren't going to like it. All week the word is that UF QB Tim Tebow "hasn't been the same" since his concussion, but the former Heisman winner could probably score all by himself tomorrow. Some feel Tebow doesn't have the numbers to earn all-SEC honors, but suffice it to say if you gathered every league player and gave any SEC coach his first pick, chances are Timmy would be the guy. He's scored 53 career TDs so his first one Saturday will pass LSU's Marshall Faulk as the all-time leader. The Gators play arch-rival Fla. State next week at 3:30 p.m. before heading to Atlanta for the title game. MY PICK: Florida, 49-3.
No. 10 LSU (8-2) at OLE MISS (7-3), 3:30 p.m. (CBS) -- Easily the best game of the day in SEC play, this one will be huge in the SEC West as far as bowl assignments are concerned. Using Alabama for comparison, AU whipped the Rebs, 22-3, and beat LSU, 24-15, earlier this year so no wonder LSU is a 4-point favorite. UM RB Dexter McCluster was sensational against UT last week, as the Vols' "trash talk" only fueled his record-breaking performance. LSU QB Jordan Lee is steady (12 TDs), but the Tiger defense will be the key with DB Kendrick Lewis the leading tackler, in charge of stopping McCluster. LSU will end the season at home against Arkansas (7 p.m. ESPN) while Ole Miss will play MSU for "The Golden Egg" in next Saturday's early game. MY PICK: LSU, 26-21.
VIRGINIA (3-7) at No. 18 CLEMSON, 3:30 p.m. -- You're right, this shouldn't be much of a game with Clemson winning its last five games and now a 21-point pick over Virginia, but the storyline is terrific. CU lost three of its first five games by a total of 10 points then a tailback - C.J. Spiller - upped his yardage per game by an avg. of 20 yds. per and first-year coach Dabo Sweeney should now be the conference Coach of the Year. On the other sideline, Al Groh, in his ninth year, is feeling some heat and next Saturday's home finale against now-No. 16 Va. Tech doesn't promise to be much fun. Clemson, of course, hopes to take a six-game streak to South Carolina for that noon-day slugfest. But I still like UVa and the points. MY PICK: Clemson, 28-14.
VANDERBILT (2-9) at TENNESSEE (5-5), 7:00 p.m. (ESPNU) -- The fact UT leads this series 70-27-5 pretty much tells the story and the rest of it comes when you see where VU has now lost seven straight since beating Rice in September. UT was whipped handily by Ole Miss last week (42-17), but the Vols are still a 17-point favorite tomorrow night. This is Vandy's last game, so there is the aura of "going all out" in the intrastate rivalry, but UT is stronger, quicker and tougher. Remember, too, UT still needs a win to be bowl eligible. UT QB Jonathan Crompton has settled into a good groove while Vandy hardly brings a passing attack to Neyland Stadium. VU has some good younger players, but, as in past years, the 'Dores lack some "older good ones" to play TD-for-TD with the Orange. If it's any help, UT now ranks last among football graduation rates in the SEC (tied for last with Auburn) while Vandy is the leader (91 percent.) Tennessee will travel to Lexington for its 106th meeting with Kentucky next week (6:00 p.m. ESPNU). MY PICK: Tennessee 32-18.
KENTUCKY (6-4) at GEORGIA (6-4), 7:45 p.m. (ESPN2) -- The Dogs got the wrinkles out of the running game against Auburn in last week's 31-24 win so if you remember that UK clobbered the Tigers, 21-14, you can sense this will be yet another nail-bitter in Athens. With both SEC East teams bowl eligible, the big question is bowl position. Neither will be favored next week when UK hosts UT and UGa plays Tech in Atlanta so UGa, picked by 9 over the Cats, has more to lose. For the record, UGa coach Mark Richt has a 88-26 record (.772) while UK's Rich Brooks, now 68 years old with heir-apparent Joker Phillips waiting in the wings, has a 38-45 mark (.458). MY PICK: Georgia, 27-17.
KANSAS (5-5) at No. 3 TEXAS, 8:00 p.m. (CBS) -- The story of the week should have been that UT QB Colt McCoy is poised to become the winningest NCAA QB of all-time (surpassing former UGa QB David Green with 42 wins), but instead it has swirled around UK coach Mark Mangino for allegedly mistreating his players. Mangino got Kansas off to a 5-0 start, but since has lost five straight and, while an internal investigation ensues, there is rumor Mangino, who was the Coach of the Year two years ago, may be through after next week's game at home against Missouri. A win for Texas would put UT in the Big 12 championship game and, with the 'Horns defense now the best in the country, no wonder Texas is favored by a whopping 28. UT faces A&M on Thanksgiving Thursday at 8 p.m. MY PICK: Texas, 35-14.
IDLE IN THE SEC -- AUBURN (7-4) will host Alabama next Friday at 2:30 p.m. (CBS) and SOUTH CAROLINA (Noon, ESPN).
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