LIBERTY BOWL
Fresno St vs. Tulsa
Saturday, December 31, 2005

Fresno has been all slumpy since nearly upsetting USC in a monstrous toe-to-toe battle. Tulsa used to be in the same conference with Fresno and is on the way up, winning their first league championship in 20 years by taking Conference USA from UTEP.

Tulsa's mascot is the "Golden Hurricane." That's considerable more serious than a simple Golden Shower. Who OKs these mascot names? It just makes us gloomy to ponder.

I love Tulsa's tight end Garrett Mills, he's like 80% of their offense. (And he just broke the NCAA 1-A record for TE receiving yards in a single season.)

Sponsorship: The Liberty Bowl is sponsored by AutoZone. Their company name might also be used for a 1970s paperback sci-fi novel. "To win your freedom, you must pass through the AutoZone!"

HOUSTON BOWL
(14) TCU vs. Iowa St.
Saturday, December 31, 2005

TCU would probably be playing after New Year's Day if they hadn't lost to an unranked SMU. Doh. So here they are in the Houston Bowl, which is Texas. And Texas means fightin'!

This game will be held in the NFL Houston Texans' Reliant Stadium. No one would be shocked if this bowl game outdrew a Texans game.

MC Fried Chicken's take: TCU should win. They have a hot QB and should take out Iowa St.

Sponsorship: EV1.net. A who-da-what? Upon further review, EV1.net is an ISP from Houston. Perhaps you're even using them right now.

Image of Jim Crowley, one of the famous 4 Horsemen, carying the ball for Notre Dame during the 1925 Rose Bowl from the Rose Bowl site.

SFist Christopher Rogers, contributing

MC Fried Chicken's take: