Picking the Bowls: Beware of Free Advice

We have to turn in our bowl game predictions this week at The Star, and I just sent in mine.

As I do every year, with no strong belief that I know what I'm doing.

Although I am currently tied - along with the KU and K-State beat writers - atop the selection standings, consider that ours is a five-person competition.

And it is entirely possible - even probable - that every one of us is largely clueless when it comes time to picking so many games.

As I remember a year ago more of my bowl predictions were wrong than were right.

However, this year I have done my homework. Meaning, I checked out the Vegas lines and did a google search to find out what other people predict.

The staff's predictions will be in the newspaper this week. But as a teaser - people that do this for a living do this all the time, trying to draw you in, I suspect - I'm giving you my bowl predictions involving Big 12 Conference teams.

Absolutely free!

And I'm downright bullish on Big 12 chances, predicting the league will go 7-1.

Along with scores that I have picked entirely out of a hat I do not wear. So beware:

Fiesta Bowl - Oklahoma 35-10 over UConn. UConn is a fine basketball school. The entire Big East stinks in football.

Ticket City Bowl (Also known as the Dallas Football Classic) - Texas Tech 31-21 over Northwestern. Northwestern has had a better-than-expected season but is better known for journalism than football.

Holiday Bowl - Nebraska 35-7 over Washington. This prediction, no doubt, brings me hundreds of e-mails from Nebraska fans who believe I have at last crossed over into the light from the dark side.

Texas Bowl - Baylor 35-24 over Illinois. I'm not convinced Baylor is much more than an average team, but Illinois is coached by Ron Zook.

Alamo Bowl - Oklahoma State 35-17 over Arizona. Whether or not all the post-season honor teams agreed with me, OSU had the best quarterback and the best running back in the Big 12. Arizona had cactus.

Cotton Bowl - LSU 24-17 over Texas A&M. This prediction has nothing to do with A&M being picked over Missouri or Oklahoma State - both teams more worthy with one less loss and head to head victories over A&M - than the Aggies. I simply belive LSU is a better team than Texas A&M. A&M in the Cotton is what is wrong with the Big 12's bowl selection system. Another Texas team in another Texas bowl, placing ticket sales over on-field performance. And no, you should not ignore three losses early because of a fast finish. We're just lucky that Texas didn't qualify for a bowl, or the Longhorns might be playing in this one.

Pinstripe Bowl - Kansas State 28-27 over Syracuse. As you can tell, I'm pretty much on the fence over this one. Syracuse should have a home-field advantage. But then if Syracuse were really able to deliver New York then the Orange would be headed to membership in the Big Ten.

Insight Bowl - Missouri 30-17 over Iowa. I was going to pick the Tigers to win and go to 11-2 anyway. But when Iowa gave the boot to its career receptions leader and its top rusher, well this one may not be as close as my prediction.