*(Prior to PSUgirl Returning from Vacation)
POINSETTIA BOWL
San Diego
Dec. 20, 9 p.m. (ESPN)
Utah (8-4) vs. Navy (8-4)
Utes v Midshipmen
A Ute is a native american - the University's animal interpretation is, with permission of the Ute Tribal Council, a red-tailed hawk named "Swoop" who sports crimson and white.
The midshipmen, in their Navy (really? cause you never know - look at Bowling Green) and gold, are sailors/military folk - but Annapolis' mascot is the Goat, Bill.
Since I'm not going to get into a "Native American vs US Military" analysis - I'll stick to the animals.
It's difficult to assess the prowess of a bird - hawks can be pretty darn big and powerful - a goat is, generally, a vegetarian but can deliver a pretty nasty blow when provoked. If a hawk were to attack goat I'd say that it could probably do some damage - but could possibly get injured if it hooked onto the goat's horn(s) - once on the ground, I think the goat would stomp him.
Therefore - I pick: Bill the Goat and his Navy Midshipmen
photo from wikipedia.orgNEW ORLEANS BOWL
New Orleans
Dec. 21, 8 p.m. (ESPN2)
Florida Atlantic (7-5) vs. Memphis (7-5)
Owls v Tigers
Florida Atlantic's mascot is the Burrowing Owl which, per FAU's website, is a small ground-dwelling Owl. They have many natural enemies, including snakes, cats and dogs and are listed as an endangered species.
Memphis Tigers - The Tigers wear blue and gray as a symbol of unity following the civil war - once called the "Normals" (which I suppose is better than irregular) the mascot is now a Bengal Tiger.
I'm going to have to go with the Tigers - because, all though the owls have the backing of the WWF, one of their natural predators is a cat - and a Tiger is a pretty big cat.
Memphis
Photo from Wikipedia.org
PAPAJOHNS.COM BOWL
Birmingham, Ala.
Dec. 22, 1 p.m. (ESPN2)
Cincinnati (9-3) vs. Southern Miss (7-5)
Can I just tell you - the last pizza I had from Papa Johns was terrible - I don't just mean disappointing because it was cold and we'd waited 2 hours - but just terrible tasting - like they'd doused it in chlorine bleach.
Anyway - the bowl game pits the Cincinnati Bearcats versus the Golden Eagles of Southern Miss.
So, the bearcat is really a made-up mascot. The origin of the nickname hails back nearly 100 years to when Cincinnati star, Leonard "Teddy" Baehr was called "Baehr - cat" (cause he was tougher than a wildcat). Today the Bearcat has evolved into a fuzzy moderately fierce looking morphic bear-cat.
And then there is Seymour d'Campus - the Golden Eagle.
I'm not so sure how a mythical hybrid would fare against an eagle - but, if a bearcat really did exist in the wilds of Cincinnati - It would probably be pretty tough - fyi, a bearcat "roars" like a mountain lion - yeah, it's a little frightening. Bearcats win.
If you don't think this guy is ferocious
Photo from www.libraries.us.edu
NEW MEXICO BOWL
Albuquerque, N.M.
Dec. 22, 4:30 p.m. (ESPN)
New Mexico (8-4) vs. Nevada (6-6)
This is a brilliant match up! The Lobos (ie wolves) of New Mexico verses the Nevada Wolf Pack. So - do we think that "Lobos" means more than one wolf - because I'd guess that a pack of wolves would beat just one - but, since the game is being played in New Mexico - I'm going to give the Lobos the edge.
Photo: Wikipedia.org
LAS VEGAS BOWL
Las Vegas
Dec. 22, 8 p.m. (ESPN)
BYU (10-2) vs. UCLA (6-6)
Again, a classic match-up - the mormon mountain cat versus the movie star bear - in Sin City.
I believe that unless the bruin has worked out his identity problem(s) - Is he Boo Boo is he Yogi? Is he in love with Grizzly Adams? Until he figures it out - I'm going to give the edge to the Cougars -
BYU
Photo from Wikipedia.org
HAWAII BOWL
Honolulu, Hawaii
Dec. 23, 8 p.m. (ESPN)
East Carolina (7-5) vs. Boise State (10-2)
Sea faring bandits versus wild horses - on an island. hmmm.
I'm going to have to go with the Broncos on this one. Pirates are so last year.
Photo from Wikipedia.org
MOTOR CITY
Detroit
Dec. 26, 7:30 p.m. (ESPN)
Central Michigan (8-5) vs. Purdue (7-5)
Chippewa, a proud Native American versus a bunch of engineers.
Central Michigan, the back to back MAC champion, does not have an embodied mascot (seems to be a trend in that state) -
As for Purdue, some may think that the sledge hammer toting Purdue Pete is the school's mascot, he is not. The school's official mascot is the Boilermaker Special, a train.
If we want to get all historically philosophical, the locomotive was instrumental in the history of the Native American.
I think that the Chippewa are going to play a tough game especially as the game is in Detroit - but I think that the Boilermakers will get the gravy.
Photo from (you guessed it!) Wikipedia.org
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