NCAA Football • Penn State • Texas A&M Aggies

Remember The Alamo (But Forget The Meineke And Liberty)

Evry year at the beginning of December when the regular college football season winds down we say we can’t wait for the Bowl Season to get started, but we always forget how dreadful most of it really is. Well, tonight we finally get something approaching a real bowl game but we have to endure two more decidedly minor ones.

First up this afternoon is the Meineke Car Care Bowl pitting UConn against Wake Forest. Originally known as the Queen City Bowl and briefly called the Continental Tire Bowl, the muffler shop franchisor now ponies up about $1.5 million a year to tack its name on this contest. It might as well be named after something practical like auto repair — or maybe plumbing supplies — given the utilitarian nature of the competition.

The Huskies beat a ranked South Florida team and otherwise took care of business to finish with a 5-2 conference mark, though they lost the Big East title when they got whupped up on by West Virgina 66-21. The Deacons opened the season with two straight non-conference losses but had a successful run as a middle-of-the-pack ACC team.

I would recommend making a big pot of coffee and having a good book nearby if you’re planning to watch.

Next up on the schedule is the grand, old Liberty Bowl. Having been around since the Eisenhower administration, the game certainly does qualify as old, but the grandness loses some of its shine when you consider the full name of the contest, the AutoZone Liberty Bowl. Then again, auto repair is one of those liberties we often take for granted in this country, so maybe it’s good we celebrate it each year with a football game between unranked, middle tier college teams.

Central Florida is representing Conference USA this year after staking a 7-1 record and beating Tulsa in the C-USA title game. They do have the NCAA rushing leader, Kevin Smith, on their side, so there’s that to watch for. On the other sideline Mississippi State makes its first bowl appearance since 2000 after going 4-4 in the SEC.

Yeah, I’m bored just writing this.

But all of that is just a precursor to tonight’s big action in the Alamo Bowl. Ah yes, the pageantry of Big 10 vs. Big 12, playing for the pride of America’s heartland. A game set on the majestic stage of San Antonio’s Alamodome against the backdrop of the beautiful River Walk where the margaritas flow like the mighty San Antonio River. And what a game of contrasts this will be.

The Penn State Nittany Lions had to travel more than 1,600 miles to get from Pennsylvania to the Lone Star state; Texas A&M has a 170-mile road trip. Joe Paterno is coaching his 500th game tonight; former assistant Gary Darnell is coaching his first and last game in place of Dennis Franchione. Both teams posted .500 conference records but the Aggies ended their season with a win over the hated Longhorns; Penn State lost their season finale to Michigan State.

The Alamo Bowl usually ends up being a decent game between closely-matched teams, and this one will probably follow that trend. A&M is coming off a big win over their in-state rival and Penn State is all fired up over Casketgate, so I would expect both teams to come out playing hard. The Aggies, though, are notorious for failure in bowl game situations while JoPa is 8-2 in post-season play since 1993, so I would have to give the edge here to the Nittany Lions.

Suggested viewing menu: Blended ritas for the ladies, nachos & cheese, and plenty of ice cold beer. This one could be going to overtime.

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