The first thing that might have struck many of you when the bowl selections were made on Sunday night is this: is Connecticut really getting a shot to play in the Fiesta Bowl?...Seriously?While it's through no fault of their own, the Huskies have become the poster team for just another thing that's wrong with the BCS.
The Huskies, by default, are the Big East Champions. They beat West Virginia—a team that has a slightly more Fiesta-friendly record (9-3)—and won the tie-breaker. It happens and, as Randy Edsall (Connecticut's head coach) stated, "We played by the rules. Those are the rules, that the Big East champion gets an automatic bid to a BCS bowl game and we’re the conference champions and we’re going to accept that invitation".
He's absolutely right. The BCS made those rules, not him, and thanks to that his team will appear in the Fiesta Bowl to take on the Oklahoma Sooners.
While it's safe to assume the Huskies will be the underdogs in this contest, it is also safe to assume that the Sooners will surprise no one if they lose. After all, Bob Stoops has seen his team get beat on multiple occasions—in a BCS contest—during the last decade. So, as disinterested as many a football fan (outside of Stoors, CT) will be in seeing this game played, Sooner fans better hope that the Oklahoma of old doesn't put in an appearance this season.
But enough people are picking on the Huskies and, to be honest, there are quite a few uncompelling match-ups to be had. Below are the Top 5 candidates for the most boring bowl game the 2010 season will have to offer:
1. BYU vs. UTEP, New Mexico Bowl: December 18th at 2pm
BYU started the season losing 5 of 7, but closed out the year 4-1—including a near defeat of Utah—to become bowl eligible. That said, not many are likely to care about their match-up with the Miners. The former WAC foes don't have much to offer in name or excitement this season and the 2pm start (on a Friday no less) isn't likely to have many people rushing home.
2. Kansas St. vs. Syracuse, New Era Pinstripe Bowl: December 30th at 3:20pm
Perhaps the fact that this game will be in Yankee Stadium will give it some appeal—to Yankee and Syracuse fans—but to those of us who could give a flip about new Yankee Stadium, and are still wondering how on earth Syracuse got bowl eligible in the first place, there is little appeal.
3. Nevada vs. Boston College, Kraft Fight Hunger Bowl: January 9th at 9pm
By the time these two play, the Auburn/Oregon talk will be in full-swing and few people are likely to notice this final bowl game—played a mere 24 hours before the biggest game of the college football season. Oh, and the fact that Boston College, on offense, has been about as exciting as watching paint dry doesn't help much either.
Seriously, this is the best opponent they could find for the Wolfpack?
4. Notre Dame vs Miami, Hyundai Sun Bowl: December 31st at 2pm
Explain this: how do two teams from Indiana and Florida, respectively, end up playing in Texas...on CBS? Not only does the match-up not make any sense, the chances of anyone outside of Indiana or Florida stumbling across it on CBS (after the other 68 games have been played on ESPN or an ESPN affiliate) seems unlikely.
Even more, both Notre Dame and Miami were supposed to be great this year—both fell far short of expectations—this game seems more like consolation than reward.
5. Florida Interational vs. Toledo, Little Caesars Bowl: December 26th at 2:30pm
Many forget just how many teams the state of Florida fields...this one is no different. This game might look good to some, but most will probably take a giant pass and return this college football gift to sender—just saying.
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