FedEx BCS National Championship Game: Florida 24, Oklahoma 14

Well, it was a beautiful run, boys. Sure, the last game was a letdown, but we had some thrills along the way.

Before we get to tonight's recap, let me tell you officially that Steve Politi is the champion of The Second Annual Graziano Brothers College Bowl Point Spread Bonanza. Steve correctly picked 23 of the 34 bowl games against the spread and also pocketed six of the 18 possible combination bonuses for a total of 30 bonus points. As a result, he won in a rout, in spite of missing both his LOCK and SUPER-LOCK picks. The final standings:

Steve Politi 102
Yohan Sengamalay90
Jon Graziano 81
Ed Price 74
Mark Feinsand 66
Jim Graziano 65
Sal Sabatino 63
Chris Sabatino 63
Greg Lester 60
Nino Canino 57
Dan Graziano 50
Rob Biro 50

This particular game tonight was a cover for Florida, which was a 3-point favorite.

It was a win for Dan, Jon, Mark, Chris, Yohan, Rob, Sal and Steve.

It was a loss for Jim, Ed, Greg and Nino.

It eliminated Greg from the Sabathia bonus.

It AWARDED the 9-point CC Sabathia's Wallet Bonus to Steve, who correctly picked all five bowl games that were played in stadiums that regularly host major-league baseball games.

It eliminated Jim, Ed, Greg and Nino from the Janus Bonus.

It AWARDED the 3-point Janus Bonus to Jon, Chris, Yohan, Rob, Sal and Steve, who correctly picked the first and last bowl games.

In addition, Florida was the designated LOCK pick of Jon, Chris and Rob, each of whom gets an additional 5 bonus points because the Gators covered.

I'll be back tomorrow with a wrap-up of some kind, but then this blog is likely to shut down until next December. If you're sick of reading me, that's good news. If you're not, you can read my new Big East college basketball blog or my new baseball blog.

Shameless plugs? Sure. But that's where I am in my life.

Promised Land

Gentlemen, I quiver as I type this.

Tonight, live from Miami, comes the...

BCS National Championship Game
8 pm, Fox
Florida (-3) Oklahoma

No. 1 vs. No. 2. The past two Heisman Trophy winners playing quarterback. A team that's scored more than 60 points in each of its past five games (and scored 58 the game before that) against a team that won its last nine games by an average of 36.4 points a game.

If this game were a woman, I'd have to at least consider cheating on my wife with it.

It also will decide our pool. If Florida covers, or if the game is a push, Steve will win the pool (with a stunning record of 23-11 against the spread). If Oklahoma covers outright, Ed will win the pool by a single point.

This is a seven-point game and required for the CC Sabathia's Wallet Bonus (for which only Steve and Greg remain eligible) and the Janus Bonus (for which Jim, Jon, Ed, Greg, Chris, Yohan, Rob, Sal and Steve all remain eligible). It also would have been eligible for the Bobby Bowden's Belly Bonus, but we've all been eliminated from that one.

In addition, Jon, Chris and Rob have all designated Florida as their LOCK pick, which means they'll each pick up five bonus points if the Gators cover the spread.

For the last time, here's how it breaks down:

PICKS
Dan: Florida -3
Jim: Oklahoma +3
Jon: Florida -3
Mark: Florida -3
Ed: Oklahoma +3
Greg: Oklahoma +3
Nino: Oklahoma +3
Chris: Florida -3
Yohan: Florida -3
Rob: Florida -3
Sal: Florida -3
Steve: Florida -3

I hope everyone enjoys this game as much as I will. And of course, I'll be checking back in tomorrow with a wrap-up. I can't just quit you guys cold-turkey...

GMAC Bowl: Tulsa 45, Ball State 13

All right, one bowl to go and we're down to two contenders for the title.

As a result of this game tonight, Yohan is out. Either Steve or Ed will win this year's pool.

If Florida covers on Thursday, or if the game is a push, Steve wins the pool.

If Oklahoma covers, Ed wins the pool.

This game here was a mess. I once spent a week in Mobile, Ala., and the way it looked on TV tonight was exactly the way I remember it -- dreary and lame.

Tulsa handled the horrendous weather much better, though, and as a result this game was a cover for Tulsa, which was a 2.5-point underdog.

It is a win for Jim, Jon, Ed, Greg, Nino, Sal and Steve.

It is a loss for Dan, Mark, Chris, Yohan and Rob.

It eliminates Chris and Yohan from the Bear Bryant Tower Bonus.

It AWARDS the Bear Bryant Tower Bonus to Ed, who gets three extra points for correctly picking both of the bowl games that were played in the state of Alabama.

It leaves Ed in third place with 74 points, nine behind Steve, who is in first place with 83. But if Oklahoma pulls an outright cover on Thursday, Ed would get 10 points (7 for the game and 3 for the Janus Bonus for correctly picking the first and last bowl games) and Steve and Yohan would get none. Ed would win the pool by a single point.

If Florida pulls an outright cover, Steve would earn 19 points (7 for the game, 3 for the Janus Bonus and 9 for the Sabathia Bonus for correctly picking all five games played in baseball stadiums), Yohan would earn 10 and Ed would earn none, meaning Steve would win the pool by 12 points over Yohan, 22 over Jon and 29 over Ed.

If the title game is a push (Florida is favored by 3), Steve would still get his 19 points and nobody would come close to him.

No game Wednesday, but that's OK. We should all take a couple of days to get ready for what could be the greatest championship game of all time.

Wait. What's this bowl doing here?

For reasons known only to its organizers, on the day after the Fiesta Bowl, two days before the BCS Championship Game, comes the...

GMAC Bowl
8 pm, ESPN
Ball State (-2.5) Tulsa

Ball State just barely missed an undefeated season when it lost the MAC Championship game to that Buffalo team that just got waxed by Connecticut the other day. Tulsa has never recovered from Tubby Smith's defection to Kentucky.

This is a 2-point game and is required for the Bear Bryant Tower Bonus, because it's being played in the state of Alabama. Ed, Chris and Yohan are still eligible for this bonus, and this is the LAST of the Bryant Bonus games, so either Ed (who picked Tulsa) or Chris and Yohan (who picked Ball State) will pick up three bonus points with this game.

This game also would have been required for the Damp Basement Bonus, since it's being played in a city (lovely Mobile) that sits at or below sea level. But we've all been eliminated from that bonus for some time.

Also, either Ed or Yohan (but not both) will be eliminated from title contention based on this game's result. If Ball State covers, Ed is out and the pool is down to Steve vs. Yohan. If Tulsa covers, Yohan is out, and the title will go to Steve or Ed, depending on the results of the national championship game.

PICKS

Dan: Ball State -2.5
Jim: Tulsa +2.5
Jon: Tulsa +2.5
Mark: Ball State -2.5
Ed: Tulsa +2.5
Greg: Tulsa +2.5
Nino: Tulsa +2.5
Chris: Ball State -2.5
Yohan: Ball State -2.5
Rob: Ball State -2.5
Sal: Tulsa +2.5
Steve: Tulsa +2.5

Tostitos Fiesta Bowl: Texas 24, Ohio State 21

Yeah. Kind of a good game, that.

Ohio State mounts that kind of comeback effort without Beanie Wells on the field? We all saw that coming.

Just try telling me I'm the only one who's going to miss this stuff...

The overall impact of this game on our pool is that Steve, Yohan and Ed all remain alive for the pool championship, which will not be decided until we know the result of the very last game -- Thursday's BCS Championship Game. There are two remaining games, and six remaining possible results. Of those six, Steve wins four and Yohan and Ed each win one. The details are below.

Meantime, this game is a cover for Ohio State, which was a 9.5-point underdog.

It is a win for Jon.

It is a loss for Dan, Jim, Mark, Ed, Greg, Chris, Nino, Yohan, Rob, Sal and Steve.

It eliminates everybody from the John McCain's Hangover Bonus (Jon was eliminated based on the results of the Insight Bowl).

And Texas was the LOCK pick for both Mark and Sal, who lose the chance to earn the five bonus points that would have come with a Longhorns cover.

As for the rest of the pool, it gets pretty simple. Either Yohan or Ed will be eliminated Tuesday night after the GMAC Bowl. After that, if Florida covers in the title game, Steve wins. If it's a push in the title game, Steve wins. If Oklahoma covers in the title game, either Ed or Yohan (whichever is left standing after Tuesday night) wins. Per this chart:

If Ball State and Florida cover: STEVE
If Ball State and Oklahoma cover: YOHAN
If Tulsa and Florida cover: STEVE
If Tulsa and Oklahoma cover: ED

If Fla-Okla PUSH and Ball State covers: STEVE
If Fla-Okla PUSH and Tulsa covers: STEVE

That's all for tonight, fellas. Check back in tomorrow for more fun from Mobile, Ala.

Back in action in the desert

Tostitos Fiesta Bowl
8 pm, Fox
Texas (-9.5) Ohio State

Only three games remain, and three people -- Steve, Yohan and Ed -- remain in contention for the 2009 title.

If Texas covers the spread tonight, Ed will be eliminated. If Ohio State covers, all three will still be alive.

If Texas covers tonight and Tulsa covers tomorrow night in the GMAC Bowl, Steve will clinch the title. But we're getting ahead of ourselves.

Tonight's game is a five-point game and is required for the John McCain's Hangover Bonus because it is being played in the state of Arizona. Dan, Jim, Mark, Greg, Nino, Chris, Yohan and Steve all are still eligible for the McCain Bonus. This is the LAST of the McCain Bonus games, so if Texas covers, all eight of those participants will pick up the 3-point McCain Bonus.

This game also would have been required for the Homer Simpson Bonus, because it carries the name of a food product, but no one is still eligible for that.

And if it is played with the roof closed at University of Phoenix Stadium, it would have been eligible for the Climate Control Bonus, but no one is still eligible for that one either.

Finally, Mark and Sal have both designated Texas as their LOCK pick, which means each will pocket an additional five-point bonus if the Longhorns cover.

PICKS

Dan: Texas -9.5
Jim: Texas -9.5
Jon: Ohio State +9.5
Mark: Texas -9.5
Ed: Texas -9.5
Greg: Texas -9.5
Nino: Texas -9.5
Chris: Texas -9.5
Yohan: Texas -9.5
Rob: Texas -9.5
Sal: Texas -9.5
Steve: Texas -9.5

You'll notice that Jon is the only one who picked Ohio State. This bodes very well for Ohio State. So far in this pool, there have been three games where at least 11 of the 12 pool participants agreed on the result. In all three of those cases (BYU, Boston College, Texas Tech), the team picked by at least 11 of us lost the game.

So we got that going for us. Which is nice.

International Bowl: Connecticut 38, Buffalo 20

Things begin to clarify...

This is a cover for Connecticut, which was a four-point favorite.

It is a win for Dan, Greg, Nino, Chris, Sal and Steve.

It is a loss for Jim, Jon, Mark, Ed, Yohan and Rob.

It eliminates Jim, Jon and Ed from the CC Sabathia's wallet bonus, for which only Greg and Steve now remain eligible.

It eliminates Jim, Jon, Ed and Rob from the ESPN2 Broadcast Overflow Bonus.

It AWARDS the 3-point ESPN2 Broadcast Overflow Bonus to Greg, Nino and Steve.

It eliminates JON from contention for the overall pool title.

It moves STEVE into a one-point lead in the standings, and puts him in the driver's seat for the overall title. Of the 12 remaining possible outcomes, Steve wins nine, Yohan wins two and Ed wins one, as explained here:

If Texas, Ball State and Florida all cover: STEVE
If Texas, Ball State and Oklahoma all cover: YOHAN
If Texas, Tulsa and Florida all cover: STEVE
If Texas, Tulsa and Oklahoma all cover: STEVE
If Ohio State, Ball State and Florida all cover: STEVE
If Ohio State, Ball State and Oklahoma all cover: YOHAN
If Ohio State, Tulsa and Florida all cover: STEVE
If Ohio State, Tulsa and Oklahoma all cover: ED

If Fla-Okla PUSH and Texas and Ball State cover: STEVE
If Fla-Okla PUSH and Texas and Tulsa cover: STEVE
If Fla-Okla PUSH and Ohio State and Ball State cover: STEVE
If Fla-Okla PUSH and Ohio State and Tulsa cover: STEVE

Also, Buffalo was Rob's SUPER-LOCK, so he misses the 10 bonus points he would have got if they'd covered.

No game tomorrow...(sniff)...

If there's a push...

Only reason I didn't run the push possibilities last night was that it was late and the Sugar Bowl didn't go into overtime.

Only two of the remaining four games can push -- today's and the BCS Championshuip game. (The other two games have spreads of 9.5 and 2.5 and cannot push.)

If today's game is a push (UConn is favored by 4), then YOHAN and JON are eliminated from the pool. There would be 12 remaining possibilities, of which STEVE wins eight and ED wins four.

If Thursday's BCS title game is a push (Florida is favored by 3), then JON is eliminated. Of the 12 remaining possibilities, STEVE wins eight, ED wins two and YOHAN wins two.

If today's game AND the BCS title game push, STEVE wins the pool.

Here are the possibilities, and the results:

If UConn-Buffalo PUSH and Texas, Ball State and Florida all cover: STEVE
If UConn-Buffalo PUSH and Texas, Ball State and Oklahoma all cover: ED
If UConn-Buffalo PUSH and Texas, Tulsa and Florida all cover: STEVE
If UConn-Buffalo PUSH and Texas, Tulsa and Oklahoma all cover: ED
If UConn-Buffalo PUSH and Ohio State, Ball State and Florida all cover: STEVE
If UConn-Buffalo PUSH and Ohio State, Ball State and Oklahoma all cover: ED
If UConn-Buffalo PUSH and Ohio State, Tulsa and Florida all cover: STEVE
If UConn-Buffalo PUSH and Ohio State, Tulsa and Oklahoma all cover: ED

If Fla-Okla PUSH and UConn, Texas and Ball State all cover: STEVE
If Fla-Okla PUSH and UConn, Texas and Tulsa all cover: STEVE
If Fla-Okla PUSH and UConn, Ohio State and Ball State all cover: STEVE
If Fla-Okla PUSH and UConn, Ohio State and Tulsa all cover: STEVE
If Fla-Okla PUSH and Buffalo, Texas and Ball State all cover: YOHAN
If Fla-Okla PUSH and Buffalo, Texas and Tulsa all cover: ED
If Fla-Okla PUSH and Buffalo, Ohio State and Ball State all cover: YOHAN
If Fla-Okla PUSH and Buffalo, Ohio State and Tulsa all cover: ED

If UConn-Buffalo AND Fla-Okla PUSH and Texas and Ball State cover: STEVE
If UConn-Buffalo AND Fla-Okla PUSH and Texas and Tulsa cover: STEVE
If UConn-Buffalo AND Fla-Okla PUSH and Ohio State and Ball State cover: STEVE
If UConn-Buffalo AND Fla-Okla PUSH and Ohio State and Tulsa cover: STEVE

Who Can Still Win This Pool

Yohan has the lead and could have clinched the pool title with an Alabama cover last night. But Utah's stunning upset leaves it a four-man race between Yohan, Steve, Ed and -- on the very fringes -- Jon.

Today's bowl game (unless it's a push) will eliminate one person from contention as follows:

-If Connecticut covers the 4-point spread, JON cannot win the pool (and ED's chances are greatly reduced, as you can see below).

-If Buffalo covers, STEVE cannot win the pool.

But so you four know for whom to root, here are the combos I ran last night, followed by the name of the person who wins if those combos come in. I ran 16 different combos. Yohan won five of them, Steve won five, Ed won five and Jon won one.

(DISCLAIMER: If one of these games is a push, I have NO IDEA what happens.)

If UConn, Texas, Ball State and Florida all cover: STEVE
If UConn, Texas, Ball State and Oklahoma all cover: YOHAN
If UConn, Texas, Tulsa and Florida all cover: STEVE
If UConn, Texas, Tulsa and Oklahoma all cover: STEVE
If UConn, Ohio State, Ball State and Florida all cover: STEVE
If UConn, Ohio State, Ball State and Oklahoma all cover: YOHAN
If UConn, Ohio State, Tulsa and Florida all cover: STEVE
If UConn, Ohio State, Tulsa and Oklahoma all cover: ED
If Buffalo, Texas, Ball State and Florida all cover: YOHAN
If Buffalo, Texas, Ball State and Oklahoma all cover: ED
If Buffalo, Texas, Tulsa and Florida all cover: YOHAN
If Buffalo, Texas, Tulsa and Oklahoma all cover: ED
If Buffalo, Ohio State, Ball State and Florida all cover: YOHAN
If Buffalo, Ohio State, Ball State and Oklahoma all cover: ED
If Buffalo, Ohio State, Tulsa and Florida all cover: JON
If Buffalo, Ohio State, Tulsa and Oklahoma all cover: ED

So there you have it. I'll update this again later, after the results of today's game.

One Little Saturday Bowl, North of the Border

International Bowl
Noon, ESPN2
Connecticut (-4) Buffalo

In 1958, the University of Buffalo football team went 8-1 and earned an invitation to the Tangerine Bowl. However, upon learning that the team's black players wouldn't be allowed to play in the game, the Bulls got together and voted unanimously not to attend the game.

Fifty years later, under coach Turner Gill, Buffalo has earned its second-ever bowl invitation.

Great story. Now, can the MAC champions stop UConn running back Donald Brown?

This is a 2-point game and is required for several bonuses:

-The CC Sabathia's Wallet Bonus, because it's being played in a stadium (Rogers Centre) that regularly hosts major-league baseball games. (It's the home of the Toronto Blue Jays) Jim, Jon, Ed, Greg and Steve remain eligible for the Sabathia Bonus.

-The ESPN2 Broadcast Overflow Bonus, since it's being broadcast on ESPN2. Jim, Jon, Ed, Greg, Nino, Rob and Steve all remain eligible for the ESPN2 Bonus. This is the LAST of the ESPN2 Bonus games, so if Buffalo covers, Jim, Jon, Ed and Rob will each pocket a three-point bonus. If Connecticut covers, the three-point bonus goes to Greg, Nino and Steve.

-This game would also have been required for the Purism and Climate Control Bonuses, but we've all been eliminated from those.

In addition, Rob has designated Buffalo as his SUPER-LOCK, which means he'll get a 10-point bonus if the Bulls cover the four points. So it's a potential 15-point game for Rob, which would be a nice parting gift.

Allstate Sugar Bowl: Utah 31, Alabama 17

An absolutely huge game at the top of the pool standings. Had Alabama covered, Yohan would have actually clinched the title -- could have lost all four remaining games and still won the pool.

However, Alabama didn't cover. Utah, which was a whopping 10.5-point underdog, ran out to a 21-0 lead and left the cover in the dust in the first quarter. As a result, Steve moves within four points of Yohan's lead and this thing remains a race after all.

Yohan, Steve, Ed and Jon all remain in contention for the pool title, depending upon the results of the remaining four games. I'll offer up a breakdown of possible combos sometime this weekend, but basically I ran 16 different possibilities of the final four games: Yohan won five of them. Steve won five of them. Ed won five of them. Jon won one of them. (Jon wins the pool if Buffalo, Ohio State, Tulsa and Florida all cover).

Anyway, this game here is a win for Dan, Jim, Mark, Ed, Chris, Sal and Steve.

It is a loss for Jon, Greg, Nino, Yohan and Rob.

It eliminates Jon from contention for the Louis Armstrong's Sax Bonus.

It AWARDS the 5-point Louis Armstrong's Sax Bonus to Steve, for correctly picking the results of all three bowl games that were played in the state of Louisiana.

This helps explain how Steve has stayed in the race in spite of whiffing on both his LOCK and SUPER-LOCK. He has now connected on three of the 18 combo bonuses -- Armstrong, Paulson and Sunday -- for a total of 15 bonus points.

Oh, and Alabama was Nino's SUPER-LOCK, which means he doesn't get those 10 bonus points.

Sad to say, gentlemen, only four games remain, spread over the next six days. But it sure has been a heck of a ride. Sometime in the next couple of days, I really should see how my wife and kids are doing.

AutoZone Liberty Bowl: Kentucky 25, East Carolina 19

Silly Dan. He really thought, for most of this game, that his super-lock would come through. Obviously, he hasn't been paying attention to the way the pool has gone for him.

This is a cover for Kentucky, which was a 2.5-point underdog.

It is a win for Jon, Chris, Yohan and Rob.

It is a loss for Dan, Jim, Mark, Ed, Greg, Nino, Sal and Steve.

Yohan is awarded the three-point Grand Ole Opry Bonus, for correctly picking both of the games that were played in the state of Tennessee.

Yohan is now up 14 on Steve and 16 on Ed, and no, he hasn't clinched the title, but he's getting awfully close with only five bowls to go

And yes, East Carolina was Dan's SUPER-LOCK (and up 16-3 at the half on a team that wasn't supposed to have an offense) and did not cover. So Dan loses a shot at 10 bonus points that might have helped keep him out of last place.

Good stuff...

AT&T Cotton Bowl: Mississippi 47, Texas Tech 34

Yeah. I mean, I'd try to explain this, but I think my record so far makes it pretty clear I have no idea what's supposed to happen in these games.

This is a cover for Mississippi, which was a 5.5-point underdog.

It is a win for Chris.

It is a loss for Dan, Jim, Jon, Mark, Ed, Greg, Nino, Yohan, Rob, Sal and Steve.

It eliminates everybody (who wasn't already) from the When Bowls Were Bowls Bonus.

It eliminates Ed and Yohan from the Tom Landry's Hat Bonus, which means nobody will get that, because they were the last two eligible.

And Texas Tech was Jon and Greg's SUPER-LOCK pick, which means neither of them will get their 10-point SUPER-LOCK bonus.

Carnage.

Impact on the standings is minimal. Chris goes from 11th place, 41 points out of the lead, to a tie for 10th place, 36 points out of the lead.

Friday Tripleheader

After 10 in the past two days, today's schedule almost seems light. But come on. It's three bowls, on the day after New Year's. How awesome can you get?

AT&T Cotton Bowl
2 pm, Fox
Texas Tech (-5.5) Mississippi

This is a five-point game and is required for two bonuses:

-The When Bowls Were Bowls Bonus, for which Jim, Jon, Mark, Ed and Steve remain eligible.

-The Tom Landry's Hat Bonus, for which only Ed and Yohan remain eligible. Ed and Yohan have both picked Texas Tech in this game, and this is the LAST of the Landry Bonus games, so if the Red Raiders cover the 5.5, each of them picks up a nine-point bonus.

In addition, Jon and Greg have designated Texas Tech as their SUPER-LOCK, which means that each will earn 10 bonus points if Texas Tech covers.

PICKS

Dan: Texas Tech -5.5
Jim: Texas Tech -5.5
Jon: Texas Tech -5.5 SUPER-LOCK
Mark: Texas Tech -5.5
Ed: Texas Tech -5.5
Greg: Texas Tech -5.5 SUPER-LOCK
Nino: Texas Tech -5.5
Chris: Mississippi +5.5
Yohan: Texas Tech -5.5
Rob: Texas Tech -5.5
Sal: Texas Tech -5.5
Steve: Texas Tech -5.5

AutoZone Liberty Bowl
5 pm, ESPN
East Carolina (-2) Kentucky

Also a five-point game, and required for the Grand Ole Opry Bonus, because it's being played in the state of Tennessee. This is the LAST of the Opry Bonus games, and only Yohan remains eligible for it, because he was the only one who correctly picked against his alma mater in the Music City Bowl. If Kentucky covers, Yohan picks up three bonus points.

In addition, never one to be afraid of overthinking things, Dan has designated East Carolina as his SUPER-LOCK, which means he picks up 10 bonus points if the Pirates cover the two-point spread.

PICKS

Dan: East Carolina -2 SUPER-LOCK
Jim: East Carolina -2
Jon: Kentucky +2
Mark: East Carolina -2
Ed: East Carolina -2
Greg: East Carolina -2
Nino: East Carolina -2
Chris: Kentucky +2
Yohan: Kentucky +2
Rob: Kentucky +2
Sal: East Carolina -2
Steve: East Carolina -2

Allstate Sugar Bowl
8 pm, Fox
Alabama (-10.5) Utah

Utah attempting to become the only undefeated team in Division 1-A this year against a team that was ranked No. 1 all year until its last game. Big spread.

This is a five-point game and is required for two bonuses that are still attainable:

-The Louis Armstrong's Sax Bonus, since it's being played in Louisiana. Jon and Steve are the only ones still eligible for the Armstrong Bonus. This is the LAST of the Armstrong Bonus games, so either Jon or Steve will pick up a five-point bonus depending on which team covers. (Jon has Alabama, Steve has Utah).

-The When Bowls Were Bowls Bonus. Jim, Jon, Mark, Ed and Stave remain eligible for this, but all could be eliminated earlier in the day if Texas Tech fails to cover in the Cotton Bowl. This is the last of the When Bowls Bonus games, so anybody from this group who gets the Cotton and Sugar Bowls correct today will pocket 7 bonus points. (Assuming Texas Tech covers in the Cotton, then either Jon will get the 7 points (he has Alabama) or Jim, Mark, Ed and Steve all will (they have Utah).)

(This game also was required for the Climate Control and Damp Basement Bonuses, but we've all been eliminated from those.)

In addition, Nino has designated Alabama as his SUPER-LOCK, which means he'll get 10 bonus points if the Tide covers the 10.5.

PICKS

Dan: Utah +10.5
Jim: Utah +10.5
Jon: Alabama -10.5
Mark: Utah +10.5
Ed: Utah +10.5
Greg: Alabama -10.5
Nino: Alabama -10.5 SUPER-LOCK
Chris: Utah +10.5
Yohan: Alabama -10.5
Rob: Alabama -10.5
Sal: Utah +10.5
Steve: Utah +10.5

Enjoy. After today, there are only (sniff) four bowl games left...

FedEx Orange Bowl: Virginia Tech 20, Cincinnati 7

Gentlemen, I am spent. 10 bowls in two days, with three more on tap tomorrow...and no job to worry about!

Whew. Sleeping good these days...

Anyway, this is a cover for Virginia Tech, which was a 1.5-point underdog.

It is a win for Jim, Jon, Mark, Ed, Greg, Yohan and Steve.

It is a loss for Dan, Chris, Nino, Rob and Sal.

It eliminates Nino from the Bowden Bonus, leaving no one eligible for that one.

It eliminates Nino and Rob from the Sabathia Bonus, leaving Jim, Jon, Ed, Greg and Steve eligible for that one.

It eliminates Sal and Dan from the When Bowls Were Bowls Bonus, leaving Jim, Jon, Mark, Ed and Steve eligible for that one.

It keeps Yohan's lead at six points with seven bowls left to play. Steve is in second place and Ed is in third, just eight points off the lead, and there's still enough disagreement on the remaining games that Yohan doesn't have anything locked up yet.

Good night. See you tomorrow for a 2 pm kickoff in Dallas.

Rose Bowl Game Presented by Citi: USC 38, Penn State 24

This is a cover for USC, which was a 10-point favorite.

It is a win for Dan, Jim, Jon, Mark, Ed, Sal and Steve -- a bigger win for some than others, as detailed below.

It is a loss for Greg, Nino, Yohan, Chris and Rob.

It eliminates Nino from the Happy New Year Bonus, which means nobody will get that one.

It eliminates Greg and Yohan from the Hank Paulson's Bailout Bonus *(more on this below).

It eliminates Yohan from the Pete Carroll's Tan Bonus *(more on this below).

It eliminates Greg, Nino, Yohan, Chris and Rob from the When Bowls Were Bowls Bonus, for which the other seven who won this game remain eligible.

Also, two combo bonuses have been awarded as a result of this game:

The 7-point Pete Carroll's Tan Bonus, for correctly picking all four games played in the state of California, goes to Ed and Sal.

The 7-point Hank Paulson Bailout Bonus, for correctly picking all four games whose corporate sponsors are banks, goes to Jon, Sal and Steve.

In addition, Ed had selected USC as his LOCK, which means he gets an additional five bonus points for this game. Ed hit both his LOCK and SUPER-LOCKs, along with Jim and Yohan.

And finally, Mark had selected USC as his SUPER-LOCK, which means he pockets an additional 10 bonus points for this game.

The standings reflect the bonus chaos. Steve has moved back within six points of Yohan, whose lead this morning was 20 points but has shriveled as he has gone 1-for-4 so far today. Ed is eight behind, Jim is 14 behind, and Nino, who could still have some major bonuses coming, is 17 back and in fifth place.

Konica Minolta Gator Bowl: Nebraska 26, Clemson 21

Another to-the-wire thriller, with Nebraska making a pair of huge defensive plays in the final two minutes while Clemson was driving in an attempt at a go-ahead touchdown.

This is a cover for Nebraska, which was a 2.5-point underdog.

It is a win for Dan, Greg and Nino.

It is a loss for Jim, Jon, Mark, Ed, Chris, Yohan, Rob, Sal and Steve.

It eliminates Jon and Steve from the Happy New Year Bonus, for which only Nino now remains eligible. If Nino gets the Rose and Orange Bowls correct, he's pocketing a nine-point bonus tonight.

It eliminates Jon and Steve from the Bobby Bowden's Belly Bonus, for which only Nino now remains eligible. If Nino gets the Orange Bowl and the National Championship game correct, he's pocketing a 12-point bonus.

Nino vaults into second place with this win, now trailing Yohan by 17 with the opportunity to close fast if the bonuses start to come in.

Capital One Bowl: Georgia 24, Michigan State 12

Oh, the Spartans hung in and kept it interesting, but Knowshon Moreno was too much.

This is a cover for Georgia, which was a 7.5-point favorite.

It is a win for Jim, Jon, Mark, Greg, Nino, Yohan, Sal and Steve.

It is a loss for Dan, Ed, Chris and Rob.

It eliminates Rob, Chris and Dan from the Happy New Year Bonus, for which only Jon, Nino and Steve still remain eligible.

It eliminates Rob and Ed from the Hank Paulson Bailout Bonus, for which Jon, Greg, Yohan, Sal and Steve remain eligible.

It was Greg's LOCK game, which means he gets five bonus points.

It was Jim's SUPER-LOCK game, which means he gets 10 bonus points and has hit both his LOCK and SUPER-LOCK.

Yohan maintains his 18-point lead over Steve. Jim umps up to third, 19 out of first.

Outback Bowl: Iowa 31, South Carolina 10

Okay, so we found the SEC team that didn't belong. A mess of turnovers made this look like a stone mismatch from the very beginning.

This is a cover for Iowa, which was a 3.5-point favorite.

It is a win for Dan, Jon, Nino, Chris, Rob and Steve.

It is a loss for Jim, Mark, Ed, Greg, Yohan and Sal, all of whom are eliminated from the Happy New Year Bonus.

Ed and Jim also are eliminated from the Bobby Bowden's Belly Bonus, leaving Jon, Nino and Steve as the only ones still eligible for that.

Yohan (whose winning streak ends at an impressive 10 bowls) is also eliminated from the Homer Simpson Bonus, meaning all of us are.

Steve moves into second place, 18 points behind Yohan.

Happy New Year -- Five Bowls' Worth

Hoping 2009 brings nothing but the very best for all of you. And that maybe I might pick some games right this year...

Outback Bowl
11 am, ESPN
Iowa (-3.5) South Carolina

This is a 5-point game and is required for three bonuses:

-The Happy New Year Bonus, because it is being played on New Year's Day. Everyone remains eligible for this bonus, and anyone who correctly picks all five of today's games will earn nine bonus points.

-The Bobby Bowden's Belly Bonus, because it is being played in the state of Florida. Jim, Jon, Ed, Nino and Steve all remain eligible for the Bowden Bonus. Four of today's five games are Bowden Bonus games.

-The Homer Simpson Bonus, because its sponsor has to do with a food product. Chris and Yohan are the only ones still eligible for this bonus.

PICKS:

Dan: Iowa -3.5
Jim: South Carolina +3.5
Jon: Iowa -3.5
Mark: South Carolina +3.5
Ed: South Carolina +3.5
Greg: South Carolina +3.5
Nino: Iowa -3.5
Chris: Iowa -3.5
Yohan: South Carolina +3.5
Rob: Iowa -3.5
Sal: South Carolina +3.5
Steve: Iowa -3.5

Capital One Bowl
1 pm, ABC
Georgia Tech (-7.5) Michigan State

This is a five-point game and is required for the Bowden Bonus (it's in Florida), the New Year Bonus (it's New Year's Day) and the Hank Paulson Bailout Bonus (because its sponsor is a bank). Jon, Ed, Greg, Yohan, Rob, Sal and Steve all remain eligible for the Paulson Bonus.

In addition, Greg has designated Georgia as his LOCK pick, and Jim has designated Georgia as his SUPER-LOCK pick, which means Greg gets five bonus points and Jim gets 10 if the Bulldogs cover the 7.5.

PICKS

Dan: Michigan State +7.5
Jim: Georgia -7.5 SUPER-LOCK
Jon: Georgia -7.5
Mark: Georgia -7.5
Ed: Michigan State +7.5
Greg: Georgia -7.5 LOCK
Nino: Georgia -7.5
Chris: Michigan State +7.5
Yohan: Georgia -7.5
Rob: Michigan State +7.5
Sal: Georgia -7.5
Steve: Georgia -7.5

Konica Minolta Gator Bowl
1 pm, CBS
Clemson (-2.5) Nebraska

This is a five-point game and required for the Bowden and New Year Bonuses. It would have been eligible for the Damp Basement Bonus because it's in a city (Jacksonville) that sits at or below sea level, but we've all been eliminated from that one.

PICKS

Dan: Nebraska +2.5
Jim: Clemson -2.5
Jon: Clemson -2.5
Mark: Clemson -2.5
Ed: Clemson -2.5
Greg: Nebraska +2.5
Nino: Nebraska +2.5
Chris: Clemson -2.5
Yohan: Clemson -2.5
Rob: Clemson -2.5
Sal: Clemson -2.5
Steve: Clemson -2.5

Rose Bowl Game Presented by Citi
4:30 pm, ABC
USC (-10) Penn State

This is a five-point game and required for four bonuses, as follows:

-The When Bowls Were Bowls Bonus. This is the first of the When Bowls Bonus games, thus everyone remains eligible.

-The Happy New Year Bonus.

-The Hank Paulson Bailout Bonus, for which (as mentioned earlier), Jon, Ed, Greg, Yohan, Rob, Sal and Steve all remain eligible at the moment but need to win the Capital One Bowl to remain eligible at 4:30. It is the LAST of the Paulson Bonus games, which means that anyone from that group who gets the Capital One and Rose Bowls correct today will earn seven bonus points.

-The Pete Carroll's Tan Bonus, because it's being played in the state of California. Ed, Yohan, Rob and Sal are the only ones still eligible for the Carroll Bonus, and this is the LAST of the Carroll Bonus games, which means anyone from that group who correctly picks this game will earn 7 bonus points.

In addition, Ed has designated USC as his LOCK pick and Mark has designated USC as his SUPER-LOCK, which means Ed earns 5 bonus points and Mark earns 10 if USC covers the 10-point spread.

Big game for Ed. If he gets the Capital One Bowl correct, he's in a position to earn a total of 29 points off of this game alone. By picking USC. Which I know makes him ecstatic.

PICKS

Dan: USC -10
Jim: USC -10
Jon: USC -10
Mark: USC -10 SUPER-LOCK
Ed: USC -10 LOCK
Greg: Penn State +10
Nino: Penn State +10
Chris: Penn State +10
Yohan: Penn Sate +10
Rob: Penn State +10
Sal: USC -10
Steve: USC -10

FedEx Orange Bowl
8:30 pm, Fox
Cincinnati (-1.5) Virginia Tech

This is a five-point game and required for four bonuses -- Bowden, When Bowls, New Year and the CC Sabathia's Wallet Bonus (because it's being played at Dolphin Stadium, a venue that regularly hosts baseball games), for which Jim, Jon, Ed, Greg, Nino, Rob and Steve remain eligible.

PICKS

Dan: Cincinnati -1.5
Jim: Virginia Tech +1.5
Jon: Virginia Tech +1.5
Mark: Virginia Tech +1.5
Ed: Virginia Tech +1.5
Greg: Virginia Tech +1.5
Nino: Cincinnati -1.5
Chris: Cincinnati -1.5
Yohan: Virginia Tech +1.5
Rob: Cincinnati -1.5
Sal: Cincinnati -1.5
Steve: Virginia Tech +1.5

And again, a very Happy New Year to you all.