Let's Go Bowling

Tonight is the first match-up for the 2 schools.

It's safe to say next Tuesday's bowl game for the Badgers will be unlike any in their history.

Wisconsin played in the Copper Bowl in 1996, which has evolved through multiple name changes to what is now the Guaranteed Rate Bowl.

It's Wisconsin's 34th bowl appearance all-time and 21st in a row.  

The unusual thing isn't the recent coaching change.  It's that several Badger starting players have already left the team.

The starting quarterback, Graham Mertz; best linebacker, Nick Herbig; nose tackle Keeanu Benton; starting center; and two defensive backs have either left the team to prepare for the NFL draft or are looking for another place to play.

The new head coach, Luke Fickell from Cincinnati, will be there but the defensive and offensive coordinators will run their sides of the ball while knowing they won't return.  Oklahoma State is missing starters as well.  

I'm curious to see what happens but have no clue which team will win.  Since Mertz played almost every down, it's unclear who will replace him.  The back-up is a little-used senior while a promising freshman could be the choice to see what he can do.

Get your Mt Dew ready - it's a late game in Arizona with a 9:15 CST kick - On Wisconsin!

Most of the country will watch the "National Semi-Finals" where Michigan faces Texas Christian while Georgia plays Ohio State for the privilege of playing a week later for the trophy.

That's four of the 43 bowl games this season.  It started last Friday and ends with the Championship game January 9th.

I enjoyed watching the Celebration Bowl Saturday which matched teams from two Historically Black Colleges and Universities, Jackson State and North Carolina Central State.  It went to overtime deciding the HBCU champion, with North Carolina Central earning the crown.

It's a lot of football.  When I was young I probably watched most, if not all, the bowl games but there were fewer back then.  The primary reason for the explosion is that TV networks, ESPN in particular, need content and live football draws more eyeballs than just about anything on TV. Until that changes, you can count on finding college football on TV for nearly three weeks at the end of December.

I suggest you treat it like the college basketball tournament in March, pick some teams, learn about them, and see how they do.  Go Team!