Bowls galore! Part 2, featuring "Decent Bowls"

Okay, it's time for the second installment of Bowls Galore!
Today, we're going to take a look at the early "Decent" games, or games that you should watch if they're on and you're not doing anything better. However, if there's an "Exciting" bowl game on during the same time, swtich the damn channel! "Decent" bowl games can also be used as an excuse to ignore your drunken uncle, who was done after just a cup and a half of eggnog. Onto the first half of the decent bowls!

St. Petersburg Bowl, Saturday, December 19, 8:00 P.M. on ESPN
UCF vs Rutgers
There's some familial interested here, as my cousin and cousin-in-law went to UCF and my dad to Rutgers. Still, I think this will be a good game. UCF is a good C-USA team (i.e. where the Big East gets teams from when they rebuild) and upset a good Houston squad. They've also got the third most wins in Florida, and those Florida athletes. Rutgers came on strong at the end of the year, but lost in their final game of the season. Greg Schiano did a good job rebounding after a disappointing start. These are two fairly evenly matched teams, though Rutgers is probably a bit better. It should feel like a home game for UCF though, as Orlando is a bit closer than New Jersey.

R+L Carriers Bowl New Orleans, Sunday, December 20, 8:30 P.M. on ESPN
Southern Miss vs Middle Tennessee State
Southern Miss was one of the original BCS busters. A team that can hang with the big boys from BCS conferences. That's where they've remained however. Still, they are a strong mid-major team. MTSU is the largest school in the state of Tennessee. They've got nine wins on the year, and narrowly missed out on winning the Sun Belt. They're good, but make no mistake- the Sun Belt isn't as strong as even C-USA. Still, the disparity between the lower conferences is much smaller than those between the little guys and the big six. Expect a good close matchup in this one.

Meineke Car Care Bowl, Saturday, December 26, 4:30 P.M. on ESPN
Pittsburgh vs UNC
This would be a more intriguing matchup if these two teams didn't come into the match on losing streaks. Pitt lost consecutive games to West Virginia and Cincinnati, and blew a chance at a BCS game. You have to think that weighs heavily on them. UNC lost to rival NC State and it may have cost them a trip to sunny Florida for a bowl. Still, these are two high octane teams that can get it done on the field. I think Pitt holds an advantage, but they may be suffering from major letdown. If so, North Carolina may be able to take advantage of that. If both teams show up to play, expect a competitive game, with Pitt having a bit of an advantage.

Emerald Bowl, Saturday, December 26, 8:00 P.M. on ESPN
Southern Cal vs Boston College
My how the mighty have fallen. USC played terribly in the second half, and lost three games along the way to drop them from a BCS bowl to the Emerald. Boston College, accustomed to winning ACC divisional titles, had a rebuilding year, and are probably much happier to be here than the Trojans. Will that be the difference? Perhaps. While the Trojans are deflated, they're still better than the Eagles. But BosCo has an opportunity to make a statement here. This year, at least, these two teams are on relatively even playing fields. I think that fact and a combination of disappointment and contentment will lead to a very decent (and high scoring) game.

Gaylord Hotels Music City Bowl, Monday, December 27, 8:30 P.M. on ESPN
Kentucky vs Clemson
This could be a colossal mismatch, or it could be a very memorable and exciting game. The uncertainly leads me to place it in this category. Rich Brooks did a fantastic job with the Wildcats this year. They were the walking wounded this year, sometimes holding 40 players out of practices. Clemson didn't have the high expectations of last year, and almost made it to a BCS bowl behind C.J. Spiller without them. Which teams show up will determine the quality of this game. Can Randall Cobb and co. from the SEC stop Spiller? Can their offense score on one of the ACC's better defenses? This is one of the mid-level ACC-SEC matchups that could be a disaster, or could be great to watch.

Independence Bowl, Tuesday, December 28, 5:00 P.M. on ESPN
Georgia vs Texas A&M
Gotta love the SEC-ACC and SEC-Big 12 matchups. This one matches a struggling SEC team against a perennially middle-of-the-pack Big 12 team. This could go a long way determining who has the deeper conference. Georgia has a much maligned defense, and TAMU has shown that they are capable of scoring. However, Georgia has also shown some firepower, especially in their run game. Texas A&M is vulnerable against the run. To complicate matters more, Georgia has recently fired a bunch of defensive assistants. I think this will be a watchable, if not sloppy, game. Really, the most intriguing thing about it is which conference goes deeper. But that's not a bad thing.

Armed Forces Bowl, Thursday, December 31, 12:00 P.M. on ESPN
Houston vs Air Force
If these two teams were better, I would have considered putting the game into the "Exciting" bowls category. But as with so many of these "Decent" bowls, that's not the case. Houston, as everyone knows, has Case Keenum. Case Keenum loves to throw. Last year, Air Force became the first team in years to run the ball on every. Single. Play. Strange, seeing as they are AIR FORCE. So basically this is a matchup of a great running team versus a great passing team. Houston is feeling down, having lost the C-USA championship game. Air Force is the best of the rest in the Mountain West (that rhymes!) after the Utah schools and TCU. So they're two mid-tier schools who will go at each other and put on an entertaining game. Still, that nothing's really at stake here lessens the intrigue just a bit.

That's it for today. The rest of the "Decent" bowls will be previewed in due time. Check back.