A lot of people complain that there are too many bowl games, but personally, I don't care.  Most of these bowls are tourist-pandering exhibitions, and as long as enough people continue to pay enough attention to them so that they don't lose massive amounts of money, I'm fine with them.  Sure, I didn't watch the International Bowl in Toronto between Buffalo and Connecticut, and I neither know nor care which team won, but some people *did*, and I'll bet they even had a good time.  Really, who cares?  I'm not the enemy of fun.

The NCAA, however, has often been accused of many things, including being an enemy of fun.  In allowing football teams to participate in these postseason exhibitions, they set minimum standards such as "must not be on probation" and "must not have a losing record" and "only one win can be over a I-AA team" and such.  Reasonable things, I would say.  If a bowl game is a reward for a successful season, I say, in fact, that these standards aren't strict enough!

In particular, teams with 6-6 records (the very pinnacle of mediocrity) can, in most cases, be hardly said to have had successful seasons.  And if they lose a bowl game, they suddenly have a 6-7 record, and now their "moderately successful season" has turned into a "losing season".  Even worse, what if one of those wins was against a I-AA opponent?  Now their record against I-A competition stands at a pathetic 5-7, a mere 42% winning percentage against teams playing with supposedly equal rules and equal access to resources.  Successful?  Hardly.  Were I appointed NCAA President for a day, one of my acts would be to remove to rule allowing a team to count a I-AA win towards its bowl eligibile record.  Wanna play an early-season patsy?  Fine, but you should be able to win at least 6 of your remaining 11 games.

Given the currently lax rules, however, it should come as no surprise that 7 of the 13 teams who finished 6-6 this year managed to do so via a win over a I-AA team, including 5 who were granted bowl bids.  Also not surprising:  of the three 6-6 teams that lost their bowl games to finish 6-7, all three needed a win over a I-AA cupcake to even reach the postseason.  The following is a list of all the teams who finished 6-6, ranked from most to least undeserving of a bowl bid:

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Use this thread as an open thread for the game today against ASU:

Arizona State Sun Devils (12-1, 1-0) at California Golden Bears (12-2, 1-0)
Sunday, Jan. 4, 5:00 p.m., Haas Pavilion, Berkeley, Calif.
Radio: KYOU (1550 AM) TV: Comcast SportsNet California

via grfx.cstv.com

December has come to a close, January has just started up, the bowl games are beginning to wind down, and Cal fans have a long nine months until Cal football starts up again.  But fear not, readers desperate for their Golden Bear fix:  the end of football season only means that we're smack dab in the middle of basketball season!

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aka:  "Meeting Internet People In Real Life, and Then Shotgunning Cheap Beers With Them"

I'll admit, I was a little apprehensive when planning this tailgate.  I had no real idea if 5 people or 50 people would show up.  I couldn't know whether the weather would hold.  I had never tailgated at AT&T park before, and wasn't sure what it would be like.  My wife even got a ticket to the CAA event (where a number of my friends would be), and I had fears of the event being me and 4 other dudes drinking beer under a tent in the rain for 4 hours.  Would people show up?  Would they even be able to find the tailgate?  Would everyone bring chips, and no one bring dip (the Alanis Morissette definition of irony)?  I had no way of knowing.

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Tonight's Emerald Bowl caps a triple-header on ESPN, so if you're out of football-watching shape and need to exercise your drinking liver and your dipping fingers, you should have plenty of practice doing so this morning/afternoon.

First up, at 10AM, is the Meineke Car Care Bowl featuring West Virginia and North Carolina in what is essentially a home game for the Tar Heels.  It's your last chance to see Pat White try and make something out of nothing for the Mountaineers, so you should savor it.  Also savoring it:  Mountaineers' coach Bill Stewart, who, as a career coordinator who has been somehow elevated to head coach, will probably get about two years after Pat White graduates before he gets the axe.

Then, at 1:30PM, it's Wisconsin and Florida State in the Champs Sports Bowl.  The game, held in Orlando, Florida, was originally held in Miami and called the Blockbuster Bowl, and was briefly a New Year's Day bowl.  Alas, t'was not to be.  Today, we get a middle-of-the-pack ACC-Big 10 matchup, and I'll admit that my excitement is muted partially by the fact that I can't name a single player on either team.  But that's OK, because by this time, I'll have already started drinking at the CGB tailgate.  If someone has a TV on nearby, great.  If not, I honestly couldn't care less.

Finally, at 5PM, the moment we've all been waiting for:  The Emerald Bowl.  Cal v. Miami.  Jahvid Best vs. a mediocre Miami run defense.  A battle of backup quarterbacks.  And, based on the national previews of this game, that's it.  No other players will figure in the outcome of this game.  Unless perhaps Miami's backup long-snapper screws up a punt for the Hurricanes.

This level of analysis left me unsatisfied, so I decided to do a little digging of my own.  Hydro watched some game film whilst TwistNHook took you inside the numbers; read on to see what else I found:

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OK, so here's what's going down on Saturday before the Emerald Bowl:

I will arrive at the AT&T Park parking lots around 1PM.  Assuming space, I will purchase two spots in Lot A, parking in one and setting up a tent in the other.  Anyone who wants to park next to me (other side of the tent), shoot me an email so we can hook up beforehand and coordinate.

I drive a mid-90's green Saturn wagon, so look for that next to the tent.  Also, I'll be attaching banners that look like this to the top of the tent:

The current forecast for Saturday is a few showers, 30% chance of precipitation, temperature between 52° and 42°.  Everyone's going to want to bundle up for a night game at AT&T Park in December.

In addition, I'll be bringing plates, utensils, soft coolers filled with ice and a few beers, a stereo (w/ Cal Band CDs), and a football to toss around.  Also, I'll be bringing nametag stickers so everyone can identify each other by their blog handles.

Finally, I'll be bringing a small Coleman grill.  Not sure if I'll bring anything to grill with, but if anyone else brings burgers or sausages or whatever, we'll be able to cook 'em.

Obviously, with a pot-luck, I'll be asking people to bring a contribution.  Drinks, snacks, whatever, it doesn't have to be a lot, but something to share would be cool.  If you're already committed to another tailgate (such as the CAA tailgate) but want to just stop by for 10 or 20 minutes, you'll of course be welcome, and don't feel like you need to bring something to our tailgate as well.

Calfan was awesome enough to come up with a quick list of things people can bring to the tailgate, and I've copied it here.  If you know what you're bringing, please leave it in the comments section below so that everyone else can plan accordingly:
- Beer
- Wine
- Liquor
- Sodas
- Cups
- Plates
- Napkins
- Cheese & Crackers
- Chips
- Salsa
- Guac
- Other dips
- Bread & Dip (e.g., spinach and artichoke)
- Mixed veggies & Ranch dressing
- Pasta salad
- Cookies
- Brownies
- Other pastries and baked goods

To make it easier on everyone, things brough in disposable plastic containers are best, rather than tins or tupperware that you might want back after the game.

...and that's all I can think of for now.  I'm looking forward to meeting you guys on Saturday.  Go Bears!  Beat the Hurricanes!

OK, I've got this CGB tailgate thing nailed down to two options:

Option #1:  We meet up at the CAA tailgate.
Pros:
- Everything's taken care of; food, drink, tables, plates, everything.
- Appearances by the Cal Band, the Dance Team, Oski, and Sandy Barbour.
- Depending on how many attend, we can have several tables set up together and marked off for us, maybe with a giant banner and stuff.  A nice, visible gathering place for everyone.
- Rain or shine, we'll have a good time:  the CAA tailgate is indoors!
Cons:
- Basically, cost.  Even with discounts for students, young alums, families, and those who promise not to eat anything (drinks only), it's still more than a nominal fee to attend.
- Attendance, mostly related to cost.  Those who want to casually stop by but don't want to pay for the CAA tailgate can't just pop in and hang out for a 20 minutes or whatever.

Option #2:  Pot Luck tailgate in the parking lot
Pros:
- Cheap.  Although I'd like everyone to contribute something, most contributions will be far cheaper than a ticket to the CAA tailgate.
- Casual.  Anyone can stop by for 5 minutes or 5 hours.
Cons:
- Parking is $20 per spot, as opposed to much less than that on public transit.
- Those who've already committed to the CAA tailgate may not want to (or be able to) join us.  CBKWit, in particular, is already committed to working the that tailgate.
- As an outdoors tailgate, we may get rained on.  The forecast for Saturday is currently a few showers, 30% chance of precipitation, temperature between 52° and 42° F.  I can work on maybe trying to find a tent, but I wouldn't at all be surprised if we're all a lot more comfortable indoors.

So, if you're planning on attending, or think you might attend, vote in the poll below.  If you don't care, let me know that, too.  If you've got some other thoughts on the matter that might sway us in one direction or the other, feel free to share.  I want to make a decision on this by tomorrow, but I wanted to get as much input from all y'all before I do.  Thanks.

Who else is jonesin' for some college football?  Who else is up at 8AM today just to watch the first bowl game, no matter who's playing?  Am I the only crazy-obsessed person around here?

For some info on all of today's games, check out Yellow Fever's Bowl Game Blowout! I.

First up:  Wake Forest vs. Navy in the inaugural EagleBank Bowl (lol wut?) at 8AM this morning on ESPN.

Then:  Colorado State vs. Fresno State in the New Mexico Bowl at 11:30AM on ESPN.

Followed by:  Memphis vs. South Florida in the inaugural magicJack St. Petersburg Bowl at 1:30PM on ESPN2.  When I first heard of this bowl game, I wondered why they were holding a bowl game in Russia; was anyone else confused?

Take a break at 3PM and switch over to CSN Bay Area +, where Cal Basketball resumes after its break for finals to take on the Nevada Wolfpack.

Finally:  #16 BYU vs. Arizona in the Pioneer Las Vegas Bowl at 5PM on ESPN.

EDIT:  Also, if you haven't heard, Cal completed its 2009 football schedule with a home game vs. Eastern Washington on September 12.  As of now, the schedule features 12 straight weeks of football -- no BYE weeks.  From the article:

Cal will try to make adjustments, but Tedford has said he'd like to keep the Big Game as the traditional season-ender.

As of now, the schedule stands as follows:

Sept. 5 - Maryland
Sept. 12 - Eastern Washington
Sept. 19 - at Minnesota
Sept. 26 - at Oregon
Oct. 3 - USC
Oct. 10 - at Washington
Oct. 17 - at UCLA
Oct. 24 - Washington State
Oct. 31 - at Arizona State
Nov. 7 - Oregon State
Nov. 14 - Arizona
Nov. 21 - at Stanford

It's been a week and a half since it became official, but I thought I'd take an opportunity to gloat over my victory in CGB's second-annual College Football Pick 'Em Challenge.  So here goes:

All y'all suckers can bow before my prognostication prowess!

Well, that was kinda lame.  Honestly, I'm rather out of practice at gloating.  My last fantasty victory was over 4 years ago in a baseball league that had just 5 teams, and my only Yahoo-recognized triumph was an NFL fantasy league where I pretty much kept the default team drafted for me and rode Peyton Manning to victory through the playoffs (upsets meant my 3rd-seeded team only had to face the 6th-, 7th-, and 8th-seeded teams to win the title).

And really, what's to gloat about?  Yes, I won the group by 4 points, and would have still won had I not bothered to submit picks for the final weekend, but what did I really demonstrate with my crushing victory?  Really, nothing more than my ability to enter picks, any picks, each and every single week.

Participation : Everyone's a winner!  -  Image via www.teachnet.com

FYI, here's the top 10:

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Before we get to the final ballot of the regular season, I've got a short argument for a playoff system -- or, at least, against the hodgepodge muddle we currently have.

Each week, voters are asked to rank the top 25 teams in college football.  They may use whatever criteria they deem important, but they should, at least, remain consistent in their ranking.  For instance, they should feel that the team they rank #2 is better, or has accomplished more, or would win on a neutral field, or whatever, when compared to the team that they rank #3.  And so on down the line.

However, for voters in the Coaches' and Harris Polls, there was a dilemma facing them this week.  Namely, their votes mattered in determining real-world matchups, and nobody wants a rematch.  Listen:  it's pretty clear that Florida is better than Alabama, but probably not by much.  And whether you think Oklahoma should be ranked ahead of or behind Texas, you'd have to agree that they should pretty much be ranked right next to each other.  But how do we compare the SEC and Big 12 teams?  I know Florida vs. Oklahoma is the matchup everyone wanted (except perhaps Texas fans), but who's to say those are the best two teams?  If Florida is #1, why can't Alabama be #2?  If, on the other hand, you have Oklahoma #1, couldn't Texas be #2?  Or even vice-versa?  What's wrong with this ranking:

1. Texas
2. Oklahoma
3. Florida
4. Alabama

Between 4 1-loss teams, we have two head-to-head results, and Texas' loss was a last-second loss on the road to another 1-loss team, whereas Florida lost at home to multiple-loss Mississippi.  It's a reasonable ranking, but if all the voters who count went with it, we'd get a championship game rematch, and no one wants that.  To avoid that, you'd have to put Florida at #2, even if you though Oklahoma was better than Florida.

It's entirely possible that the two best teams in the country reside in the same conference.  It'd be a situation akin to that long stretch in the 80s and 90s when the NFC Championship game really decided the Super Bowl winner, and the Super Bowl itself was a contest to see how many points you could score on the Buffalo Bills.  Pitting two teams against each other who are not necessarily the two best does not make for an invalid championship game, so long as the best emerges victorious; that's what playoffs are supposed to do.  But inducing voters to submit possibly disingenuous ballots in order to jury-rig the current system into a sort of "mock" 4-team playoff?  That's highly suspect, to say the least.

For the record, I saw nothing this past weekend to change my opinion of the top 4 teams, so I submitted basically the same ballot:  1. Florida, 2. Alabama, 3. Oklahoma, and 4. Texas.

After the jump, I'll reveal our final ballot of the regular season, and compare it to our preseason ballot back from the middle of August.

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I don't know how many of you are going to be able to watch today's men's basketball game at Missouri, but I thought I'd leave this open thread for those of you who can.  I'll be listening to the game on the radio and adding some comments; feel free to chime in with your own.

If you don't get ESPN U, thanks to Avinash, here is an online stream:  http://www.justin.tv/prd74test