Comprehensive Bowl Predictions (2011-12)

It's just like getting to open a Christmas present early, isn't it?  I know that I said earlier that this post would be made 2 days from now, but I am now going to be working the next 6 days straight, so it made more sense to do this little project tonight.  I am approaching this in the manner that I would purchase a parlay ticket, meaning that if there are injuries or suspended players after I enter these picks, I am not going to come back and change my predictions.  Whenever you're reading this, please remember that these picks were made on December 13th (central standard time).  There are a total of 35 bowl games, and since I am making 3 predictions for each game, I will be making a total of 105 picks.  I will be picking the winner straight up, against the spread, and will also be predicting whether the total points for the game will be over or under the 'Vegas line'.  Using the first bowl game as an example, I am predicting that Wyoming will beat Temple 31-28.  First, I am obviously picking Wyoming to win the game straight up.  Second, Wyoming gets 6 1/2 points when betting against the spread, so if Temple does win the game by 6 or fewer points, I would win that pick.  Finally, the over/under projection for the game is 48 points, and my predicted total is 59 (31 + 28), so I am taking the over.  If the total goes over 48, I would win that pick.  Remember that these predictions are just for our collective amusement, and that I haven't seen some of the teams competing in these games play at all this year, especially if they are involved in one of the earlier bowl games.  Here goes nothing - these are my 2011-12 bowl game predictions:

DATE               MATCHUP                MY PICK & THE LINE     OVER/UNDER      MY SCORE 

12/17           Temple/Wyoming                Wyoming   (+  6 1/2)              48            Wyoming  31-28

12/17           Utah State/Ohio                    Utah St.    (-  2 1/2)             57 1/2         Utah St.    35-31

12/17           Lafayette/San Diego St.       Lafayette   (+    5   )             58 1/2         SD St.      38-35

12/20           Fla Int'l/Marshall                 Marshall     (+  4 1/2)              49             Marshall   31-21

12/21           La. Tech/TCU                           TCU         (-   10   )             55 1/2          TCU        35-24

12/22           Arizona St./Boise St.              ASU          (+  14   )                66             Boise St.  41-35

12/24           Nevada/So. Miss                    So. Miss    (-     6   )                61             So. Miss   31-23

12/26           UNC/Missouri                      Missouri     (-    4    )            52 1/2          Missouri   35-21

12/27           W. Mich/Purdue                  Purdue       (-  2 1/2)               60              Purdue     28-24

12/27           Louisville/NC St.                  NC St.       (-  2 1/2)               45              NC St.     27-21

12/28           Toledo/Air Force                 Air Force    (+   3    )               70             AFA        41-38

12/28           California/Texas                  Texas          (-   3    )              47 1/2          Texas       35-27

12/29           Notre Dame/Fla. St.             Fla. St.       (-   3     )               47               Fla. St.    27-23

12/29           Washington/Baylor              Baylor        (-    9    )             78 1/2          Baylor     45-35

12/30           Tulsa/BYU                               BYU          (-  2 1/2)             55 1/2          BYU       31-27

12/30           Rutgers/Iowa St.                  Iowa St       (+  2    )             44 1/2         Iowa St.   28-21

12/30           Wake Forest/Miss St.          Wake         (+ 6 1/2)               48             Wake      24-20

12/30           Iowa/Oklahoma                       Iowa           (+  14  )               58               OU         31-21

12/31           Tx. A&M/Northwestern       TAMU       (- 9 1/2)              65               TAMU   41-27

12/31           Utah/Georgia Tech               Utah           (+ 3 1/2)           50 1/2             Utah      27-21

12/31           UCLA/Illinois                          UCLA        (+   3   )                 47                UCLA    31-27

12/31           Cincinnati/Vanderbilt          Vandy         (- 2 1/2)           48 1/2            Vandy    27-17

12/31           Virginia/Auburn                   Auburn        (- 1 1/2)           48 1/2           Auburn   24-14

01/02           Penn St./Houston                Penn St.       (+  6    )               57              Penn St.   28-21

01/02           Michigan St./Georgia          Georgia        (- 3 1/2)          50 1/2           Georgia    27-17

01/02           Nebraska/S. Carolina         Nebraska     (+  2    )            47 1/2        Nebraska  27-14

01/02           Florida/Ohio St.                    Ohio St.        (+  2    )               44             Ohio St.   24-17

01/02           Wisconsin/Oregon                Oregon         (-  6    )                72             Oregon    40-24

01/02           Stanford/Oklahoma St.        OSU            (- 3 1/2)               74              OSU       47-35

01/03           Michigan/Virginia Tech       Michigan       (-  2    )               51            Michigan   42-23

01/04           West Virginia/Clemson       Clemson      (- 3 1/2)          60 1/2          Clemson    31-23

01/06           Kansas St./Arkansas          Arkansas      (- 7 1/2)               63            Arkansas   42-31

01/07           SMU/Pittsburgh                Pittsburgh    (-  5 1/2)           48 1/2        Pittsburgh   31-14

01/08           Arkansas St./N. Illinois       Ark. St.        (-  1   )              62 1/2         Ark. St.     42-33

01/09           Alabama/LSU                          LSU             (-  1   )                 40               LSU       24-10

Let the bowl games begin!!!  See ya on Thursday...