While neither of the following two games is necessarily going to draw big ratings, or even be the best games on the day they're played (January 2nd), they both feature fascinating backstories that promise to elevate them above the level of interest that has been generated by the media and fans.
Houston vs. Penn State (TicketCity Bowl)
More than just on the surface, where this is a game pitting two top-25 teams against each other, this matchup has everything, including some stories developing off the gridiron. The story for Penn State is both obvious and tragic, so I won't rehash it here.
For Houston, the story remains largely focused on their shortcomings against Southern Mississippi in the C-USA championship game, which the Cougars lost by a score of 49-28. It wouldn't have been a big deal if a win wouldn't have guaranteed the team its first BCS bowl bid ever, and once again raised some necessary questions about how the BCS determines college football's champion each year.
As it stands today, Houston could very well end the year outside of the top-25 with a loss in this game, and Penn State's football program could be described as a mess at best. Both teams have talent, however, with the Nittany Lions having stayed in the Big 10 title hunt for most of the year, and the Cougars following the leadership of (at least statistically) the most prolific QB in the history of college football, Case Keenum.
The high-powered offense of the Cougars vs. the Big 10 battle-tested defense of Penn State will be the big matchup in this one. I'll take Keenum and company, by final score of 31-30.
Ohio State vs. Florida (Gator bowl)
While neither team is in the top 25 (or over .500, for that matter) this game has a lot of promise.
First, let's start with the obvious, which is that Florida's old head coach Urban Meyer, who led the team to two national championships before an abrupt retirement, will be the head coach of their opponent in this game starting in 2012. If that fact isn't mentioned at least half a dozen times during the broadcast, I'll be shocked.
Beyond that, there's also the fact that the two teams had eerily similar years in 2011. Both teams went 6-6 overall, both teams went 3-5 in their conference, and both teams averaged 25 points-per-game, while giving up 21 points-per-game.
While Ohio State is enjoying the new of the addition of Urban Meyer, Florida is lamenting the loss of offensive coordinator Charlie Weis, who will be in his fourth different coaching job since 2009 after accepting an offer to become the head coach at Kansas.
Given how the teams matchup strength vs. strength and weakness vs. weakness, this game should come down to the wire. I'll take Florida, by a final score of 27-24.
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