A Two-Fer on a Monday

Papajohns.com Bowl
3 pm, ESPN
Rutgers (-7) North Carolina State

What we've got here is one of the hottest offenses in the nation (RU) against a defense so bad that it finished in a tie for third place in its ACC division despite having the all-ACC first team quarterback (NC State's Russell Wilson). Look for Mike Teel to have a big day throwing the ball against the Wolfpack in Birmingham, in a bowl named not for a pizza chain -- but for a pizza chain's web site.

This is the first of the three-point games and is also required for two bonuses -- the Bear Bryant Tower Bonus (because it's being played in Alabama) and the Homer Simpson Bonus (because its corporate sponsor is a food product -- or at least a food product's web site). All 12 participants remain eligible at this moment for both of these bonuses, because it's the first Bryant Bonus game and everybody won the first Simpson Bonus game (due to the push in the Emerald Bowl on Saturday night).

In addition, both Sal Sabatino and Steve Politi have designated Rutgers in this game as their SUPER-LOCK, which means each will receive 10 bonus points if Rutgers wins by 7 or more points.

PICKS

Dan: Rutgers -7
Jim: Rutgers -7
Jon: Rutgers -7
Mark : Rutgers -7
Ed: NC State +7
Greg: Rutgers -7
Nino: Rutgers -7
Chris: NC State +7
Yohan: NC State +7
Rob: Rutgers -7
Sal: Rutgers -7 SUPER-LOCK
Steve: Rutgers -7 SUPER-LOCK

Valero Alamo Bowl
8 pm, ESPN
Missouri (-13) Northwestern

Rob Biro will take a special rooting interest in the final game of Chase Daniel's college career, hoping his beloved Mildcats can come within a couple of touchdowns of high-powered Missouri. I know from talking with prominent alumnus Joe Girardi that Northwestern is down about this game, believing (with some validity) that it should have been playing in the Outback Bowl on New Year's Day instead of Iowa. But the Outback Bowl's answer to that, basically, was "Get some fans."

As a side note, this game pits two of the nation's top journalism schools against each other, which means that, after watching this game, hundreds of alumni from each school will return their attention to looking for work.

This is also a three-point game and is required for the Tom Landry's Hat Bonus (because it's being played in Texas). Everybody is eligible for the Landry Bonus, because this is the first Landry Bonus game.

This game also would have been required for the Climate Control Bonus (because it's being played indoors, at the Alamodome), but we've all been eliminated from contention for that bonus already.

PICKS

Dan: Northwestern +13
Jim: Missouri -13
Jon: Missouri -13
Mark: Missouri -13
Ed: Northwestern +13
Greg: Missouri -13
Nino: Missouri -13
Chris: Missouri -13
Yohan: Northwestern +13
Rob: Northwestern +13
Sal: Missouri -13
Steve: Northwestern +13

Have a fun day, gentlemen. And remember, nobody loses points for flipping to the Georgetown-Connecticut basketball game during the Alamo Bowl commercials...