Blogger Offers Roundup of New Year's Day Bowl Games

The NCAA Divsion 1 college football buffet line was full of candy and nuts on New Year's Day.  Below is a run-down of how the first four games turned out, according to Bob McCarty Writes™:

• The Tennessee Volunteers defeated the Wisconsin Badgers, 21-17, in the Outback Bowl today, almost as predicted in my post yesterday. The only difference was the margin of victory: I predicted a ten-point margin of victory instead of four.

• As predicted in my post yesterday, the Missouri Tigers soundly defeated the Arkansas Razorbacks, 38-7, in the Cotton Bowl today.  Most surprising about the game — other than the greater-than-predicted margin — was the manner in which the Tigers, lead by Heisman finalist Chase Daniel, manhandled the head coachless Hogs. In addition to a strong offensive performance, the Tigers kept Razorbacks running back Darren McFadden from making any kind of Heismanesque statement — he was held to a quiet 105 yards and one rushing touchdown.

• The Michigan Wolverines surprised everyone by taking a 21-14 half-time
  lead over the Florida Gators in today’s Capital One Bowl. Coach Lloyd
  Carr’s team surprised everyone even more by holding on for a 41-35
  victory.  Though I predicted a blowout — Gators by 30 — in my
  bowl game predictions post yesterday, the Wolverines turned that
  prediction upside down. In giving their coach a nice retirement
  present, they also proved to the nation that never-won-a-big-game
  quarterback Tim Tebow probably shouldn’t have won the Heisman Trophy
  either.

• A game-ending 41-yard field goal by Alex Talica sealed the deal for the
  Texas Tech Red Raiders as they defeated the surprisingly strong
  Virginia Cavaliers, 31-28, in the Gator Bowl.  In a post yesterday, I predicted Coach Mike Leach’s system — Graham
  Harrell to Mike Crabtree et al — would run roughshod over the boys from
  Monticelloville. Much to my surprise, Coach Al Groh’s team made a
  mockery of my prediction and forced the boys from Lubbock to bounce
  back from 14-point deficits at halftime and again with less than 12
  minutes to go in the fourth to rescue victory from the jaws of defeat.

Visit Bob McCarty Writes™ for updates on the 2008 Rose Bowl and Sugar Bowl tonight as well as the Fiesta Bowl (Wednesday), Orange Bowl (Thursday) and the BCS Championship Game (Jan. 7).