“It would be nice to have Joni Mitchell on the team.”
I turned to see the Grand Geek at my modest office, and felt I was soon to have the unusual greeting explained.
“I hope you and the boys had a Merry Christmas,” I said, noticing the Nerds up the hall, lounging around in the Almost Perfect Picks Department between the War Room and the break room.
GG blinked a couple of times, nodded yes, and then was back to his greeting.
“She can see from both sides.”
Joni Mitchell,” he continued. “She could see from both sides now. How old are you?
“This is a particularly thorny time of the year,” he continued. “True, early in the season we have a lot of non-conference games, but most of those are cupcakes. Bowl season, something different entirely.”
I said, “I get it, but you’ve also got a lot more data, right?”
“Think garbage in, garbage out,” GG said. “Now we’ve got to balance the strength of the Pac-12 against the Big-12, the SEC runner-up vs. the ACC champion, and, particularly, how strong are the teams below the top in the SEC and Big 10 where we have six matchups.
“Able to see a situation from multiple perspectives,” he concluded, handed over the critical thinking of his team, and turned to go back to the Executive Suite.
I thought, but didn’t say, “So you didn’t mean having Joni Mitchell on a football team.”
As I took the bowl picks, I realized “Both Sides Now” was stuck in my head. You’re welcome.
For the year the record is 96-17 selecting winning teams, 53-45 vs. the points spread, and 46-61 on the over-unders (total points by both teams).
Here are all the bowl games featuring Southeastern Conference teams, plus the Texas-Washington College Football Playoff semifinal in the Sugar Bowl, with the betting lines and over-unders as listed by Caesars Sportsbook in Las Vegas.
Dec.27 – Texas Bowl, Houston: No. 20 Oklahoma State (9-4 overall, 7-2 Big 12) vs. Texas A&M (7-5 overall, 4-4 SEC), 8 p.m. CST, ESPN, Texas A&M favored by 2 points (-2), over-under 53 total points. No team has lost more than Texas A&M, including its head coach and offensive coordinator, but, more important, good players ravaged by the Transfer Portal opportunity. But the Aggies have plenty of good players remaining and, for what it’s worth, this game is in Houston, hot A&M territory. A&M has to find a way to make its passing game go without top receivers Ainias Smith and Evan Stewart and to slow down top Cowboy running back Ollie Gordon. Aggies deserve something good to happen to them. Texas A&M 20, Oklahoma State 17.
Dec. 29 – Gator Bowl, Jacksonville: No. 22 Clemson (8-4, 4-4 ACC) vs. Kentucky (7-5, 3-5 SEC), Noon EST (11 a.m. central), ESPN, Clemson -5, o-u 46. So much to consider. Clemson (not FSU) had best defense in the ACC, but does that mean elite? Best bet for Kentucky is that running back Ray Davis didn’t opt out, but that doesn’t seem to be quite enough. Clemson 28, Kentucky 20.
Dec. 29 – Cotton Bowl, Arlington: No. 7 Ohio State (11-1, 9-1 Big Ten) vs. Missouri (10-2, 6-2), 7 p.m. CST, ESPN, Ohio State -1, o-u 49. Those who go by name recognition will expect Ohio State to win this game. But go by best coach (Eliah Drinkwitz), best running game (Cody Schrader), best passing game (QB Brady Cook and WR Luther Burden), and being SEC-tested leads to a logical conclusion. Missouri 28, Ohio State 17.
Dec. 30 – Peach Bowl, Atlanta: Penn State (10-2, 7-2 Big Ten) vs. Ole Miss (10-2, 6-2), noon EST (11 a.m. central), ESPN, Penn State -3 1/2, o-u 48 ½. This Ole Miss team of Coach Lane Kiffin is somewhat reminiscent of the old Florida teams of Steve Spurrier – looked at as throwing it all around and overlooking a solid overall offense. Also, take into account that losing to Alabama and Georgia, both on the road, as the only losses for the Rebels, and the feeling is that Lane Kiffin’s team has been more tested. Penn State nation’s best defense? Statistically, maybe. Rebels have seen better. Ole Miss 35, Penn State 24.
Dec. 30 – Music City Bowl, Nashville: Maryland (7-5, 4-5 Big Ten) vs. Auburn (6-6, 3-5), 1 p.m. CST, ABC, Auburn -7, o-u 46 ½. To say that everything changed when Maryland quarterback Taulia Tagovailoa opted out of the game is incorrect. Auburn was already a favorite, just not as much so (-3). An SEC West team at 6-6 is likely to be quite a bit better than a Big Ten team at 7-5. By now, Auburn is over the disappointment of its final game…just kidding. They’ll never get over fourth and 31, but it won’t affect this game. Auburn 31, Maryland 17.
Dec. 30 – Orange Bowl, Miami Gardens: Florida State (13-0, 8-0 ACC) vs. Georgia (12-1, 8-0), 4 p.m. EST (3 p.m. central), ESPN, Georgia -16, o-u 44 ½. Kirby Smart, the national perspective notwithstanding, can also be cited for failures in big games. How will he do after the disappointment of losing to Alabama again and dropping from No. 1 to out of the College Football Playoff? Moreover, playing a team without its star quarterback and mad about not being selected as one of the nation’s four best teams, even though clearly not. And Georgia clearly is one of the nation’s best. Is FSU’s defense as good as advertised? Georgia 31, Florida State 10.
Jan. 1 – ReliaQuest Bowl, Tampa: Wisconsin (7-5, 5-4 Big Ten) vs. LSU (9-3, 6-2), Noon EST (11 a.m. central), ESPN2, LSU -9 ½, o-u 55. Is there something to LSU Coach Brian Kelly’s rumored snub of post-Heisman Trophy presentation event with Jayden Daniels? And that’s the reason Daniels opted out? Regardless, the Tigers will be playing with relatively inexperienced Garrett Nussmeier at quarterback, which is quite different. Still, Tigers. Just as an aside, Alabama plays at Wisconsin in third game, Sept. 14, next season. LSU 27, Wisconsin 21.
Jan. 1 – Citrus Bowl, Orlando: Iowa (10-3, 7-2 Big Ten) vs. Tennessee (8-4, 4-4), 1 p.m. EST (Noon central), ABC, Tennessee -8, o-u 36. While the line and spread may be in question, the winner should not be. Iowa has a competitive defense, but its offense gives new meaning to the term “I” formation – Inept. The Vols may not have noticed their one year of glory, i.e. beating Alabama, is way in the rear view mirror after going 0-3 against ranked teams in 2023. They will get to nine wins, though. Iowa is over-ranked (17) and No. 21 UT prevails. Tennessee 31, Iowa 10.
COLLEGE FOOTBALL PLAYOFF SEMIFINALS:
Jan. 1 — Sugar Bowl, New Orleans: No. 2 Washington (13-0, 10-0 Pac-12) vs. No. 3 Texas (12-1, 8-1 Big 12), 7:30 p.m. CST, ESPN, Texas -4, o-u 63 1/2. Texas got the best draw in the College Football Playoff, which is not to say that Washington is not a good team. The Huskies went undefeated, including beating Oregon and Bo Nix twice. A shootout could break out between Texas QB Quinn Ewers and Michael Penix of Washington. Alabama vs. Washington in the finals isn’t as interesting as Alabama vs. Texas in a rematch. Texas 35, Washington 24.
Jan 1 — Rose Bowl, Pasadena: No. 1 Michigan (13-0, 9-0 Big Ten) vs. No. 4 Alabama (12-1, 8-0), 2 p.m. PST (4 p.m. central time), ESPN, Michigan -1 ½, o-u 45. Remember the reaction in the Michigan celebration room when the CFP announced the Wolverines would be playing Alabama and not Florida State? The least celebratory of any of the teams covered. Some would say stunned or glum. And many would say Alabama as an underdog is both wrong and so much better for Nick Saban than rat poison. Of course, Michigan is very good, but an Alabama win is not an upset. One more time, Alabama 27, Michigan 24.
COLLEGE FOOTBALL PLAYOFF CHAMPIONSHIP:
Jan. 8 — National Championship, Houston: Semifinal winners, 6:30 p.m. CST, ESPN. To be determined.
As we celebrate Christmas, we also look ahead to Alabama’s Rose Bowl game…and beyond
From time-to-time we read where some holiday or other has supplanted Christmas as the most celebrated. Halloween gets mentioned, and the Fourth of July is huge. Thanksgiving is as well known as the green light to shopping frenzy as it is for turkey and dressing.
From a Christian standpoint, most likely would say Easter is more meaningful than Christmas. The celebrations, of course, are quite different. The Easter Bunny hiding eggs doesn’t hold a candle to the gifts slipped down the chimney by Old St. Nick. Some may not like aspects of those holidays, but it’s part of the introduction for children.
In most years when I was in Alabama’s sports information office, Christmas was the day we left for the bowl game. Spouses were included in the travel party, but not children. That meant up early in the morning, ‘Look what Santa Claus brought!’, and then for us a quick trip to Birmingham to drop off our children with their grandparents.
Now Lynne and I are the grandparents, our children grown and their children nearly so. As we look back we realize those years when our parents had young Julia and Stuart, it was the best gift they could have. We won’t have ours for a week, but today we’ll have them all gathered with us at Yellow Creek – Roeder, Jordan, and Henry, now all young adults.
The weather doesn’t seem conducive to something of a Christmas afternoon tradition, the final cocktail cruise of the year. No matter.
Our Christmas wish is that everyone could have all family together. One day, and then everyone back to their busy lives.
Siblings are spread from Atlanta to Dallas to Philadelphia, so they’ll get phone calls…a special one to my youngest sister who was a Christmas baby many years ago.
We’ll look forward to the New Year and football bowl games, notably Alabama led by the other St. Nick vs. Michigan in the Rose Bowl on January 1; and beyond, we hope, to another national championship. A Merry Christmas to all the players and coaches who entertain us.
For this day, at least, we can also wish the best for all of those who support the college sports we love, even the rivals, for without other schools and their teams and fans we would have no games.
Certainly, too, to those of you who mostly make all our days merry and bright with your participation here, and to my co-workers who do the heavy lifting.
In a recent gathering with friends, I had a spur-of-the moment “warning” for them, which may be appropriate for others:
Do not be deluded into thinking that Santa does not differentiate between Good Boys and Good Ol’ Boys.
That aside, our sincere best to all for a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.
