Wishing you a merry bowl month

It's the system, I tell you.

The darned system.

Not the overly maligned bowl system.

It's the two-party system. Just two?

It's the Miss America system. C'mon, now, as many contestants from Vermont and South Dakota as from Texas and California (and South Carolina)? Talk about flawed. Where is the outrage? Where is congressional intervention?

The bowl system essentially is a very successful reality TV series running from Saturday (New Mexico Bowl, St. Petersburg Bowl) through Jan. 7 (All The Marbles Bowl in Pasadena).

Bowl entertainment potential, worst to best:

One-star bowls

--St. Petersburg Bowl, Rutgers vs. Central Florida, Saturday night.

Why go to the trouble of having a bowl game in Florida and then put it indoors?

Pick: Central Florida.

--Hawaii Bowl, SMU vs. Nevada, Thursday night.

Are you ready for some Christmas Eve football?

Pick: Nevada.

--Little Caesars Bowl, Marshall vs. Ohio, Dec. 26.

The first of the pizza bowls.

Pick: Ohio.

--Insight Bowl, Minnesota vs. Iowa State, Dec. 31.

Lost in the shuffle on the NFL Network.

Pick: Minnesota.

--Outback Bowl, Auburn vs. Northwestern, Jan. 1.

It's OK to sleep in on New Year's Day.

Pick: Auburn.

--International Bowl, South Florida vs. Northern Illinois, Jan. 2.

A Canadian import, though not important.

Pick: South Florida.

--Alamo Bowl, Texas Tech vs. Michigan State, Jan. 2.

A year too late for a cool clash.

Pick: Texas Tech.

--GMAC Bowl, Troy vs. Central Michigan, Jan. 6.

The month of January is insulted by this concept.

Pick: Central Michigan.

Two-star bowls

--New Mexico Bowl, Wyoming vs. Fresno State, Saturday.

Those scenic Albuquerque backdrops make this one interesting.

Pick: Fresno State.

--New Orleans Bowl, Middle Tennessee State vs. Southern Miss, Sunday night.

Former Clemson and South

Carolina assistant coach Rick Stockstill has his Blue Raiders looking for a seventh straight win.

Pick: Middle Tennessee.

--Emerald Bowl, Southern Cal vs. Boston College, Dec. 26.

So it has come to this for the once mighty Men of Troy.

Pick: Southern California.

--Independence Bowl, Georgia vs. Texas A&M, Dec. 28.

Trap game for the Dawgs.

Pick: Texas A&M.

--Champs Sports Bowl, Miami vs. Wisconsin, Dec. 29.

The Hurricanes want to prove they deserved the ACC's Gator Bowl spot.

Pick: Miami.

--Chick-fil-A Bowl, Virginia Tech vs. Tennessee, Dec. 31.

The Hokies must win or the SEC drops another big braggin' rights upset on the ACC.

Pick: Virginia Tech.

--Liberty Bowl, East Carolina vs. Arkansas, Jan. 2.

Or the Holtz Bowl. Skip coaches at East Carolina. Dr. Lou coached at Arkansas.

Pick: Arkansas.

--Cotton Bowl, Oklahoma State vs. Mississippi, Jan. 2.

Remember when the Cotton Bowl was a big deal with the late Lindsay Nelson calling the action?

Pick: Mississippi.

Three-star bowls

--Poinsettia Bowl, California vs. Utah, Wednesday night.

Quite a drop for Utah, which beat Alabama in the Sugar Bowl last season.

Pick: California.

--Meineke Car Care Bowl, Pittsburgh vs. North Carolina, Dec. 26.

Music City Bowl ticket sales (or lack thereof) reveal Clemson would rather be in Charlotte than Nashville despite the drop in ACC bowl pecking order.

Pick: Pittsburgh.

--Music City Bowl, Clemson vs. Kentucky, Dec. 27.

Kentucky wants its fourth straight bowl win.

Pick: Clemson.

--EagleBank Bowl, UCLA vs. Temple, Dec. 29.

Yes, that Temple. Al Golden should get all the Coach of the Year awards.

Pick: Temple.

--Texas Bowl, Missouri vs. Navy, Dec. 31.

Always great to watch a service academy celebrate bowl fun.

Pick: Navy.

--Gator Bowl, Florida State vs. West Virginia, Jan. 1.

The Seminoles have been asked to show up and win one for Bobby Bowden.

Pick: West Virginia.

--Sugar Bowl, Florida vs. Cincinnati, Jan. 1.

Tim Tebow's farewell to college football.

Pick: Florida.

--Papajohns.com Bowl, South Carolina vs. Connecticut, Jan. 2.

Gamecocks looking for more 2010 momentum.

Pick: South Carolina.

Four-star bowls

--Las Vegas Bowl, Oregon State vs. BYU, Tuesday night.

Both teams deserve better and might take out their frustrations on the scoreboard.

Pick: Oregon State.

--Humanitarian Bowl, Bowling Green vs. Idaho, Dec. 30.

Bowling Green's explosive offense vs. the Vandals' almost-home field Boise advantage.

Pick: Bowling Green.

--Holiday Bowl, Nebraska vs. Arizona, Dec. 30.

Watch Huskers mega-pass rusher Ndamukong Suh on his way to NFL stardom.

Pick: Nebraska.

--Sun Bowl, Oklahoma vs. Stanford, Dec. 31.

The ranked team (No. 19 Stanford) with the Heisman runner-up (Toby Gerhart) is an 8-point underdog.

Pick: Oklahoma.

--Capital One Bowl, LSU vs. Penn State, Jan. 1.

LSU was mediocre down the stretch, with close wins over Louisiana Tech and Arkansas and losses to Alabama and Ole Miss.

Pick: Penn State.

Five-star bowls

--Armed Forces Bowl, Houston vs. Air Force, Dec. 31.

Cougars QB Case Keenum -- try saying that real fast five times in a row -- was a Heisman candidate. Air Force almost beat TCU (20-17 loss).

Pick: Houston.

--Rose Bowl, Oregon vs. Ohio State, Jan. 1.

"The granddaddy of them all" in Pasadena. Well, except for a game on the same field six days later.

Pick: Oregon.

--Fiesta Bowl, TCU vs. Boise State, Jan. 4.

A legitimate squabble for No. 2.

Pick: TCU.

--Orange Bowl, Iowa vs. Georgia Tech, Jan. 5.

Ramblin' Wreck pits triple-option attack against the Hawkeyes' rough and tough defense.

Pick: Georgia Tech.

--BCS National Championship Game, Alabama vs. Texas, Jan. 7.

Nick Saban won't sleep after Christmas Day and, somehow, Mount Cody will score a touchdown.

Pick: Alabama.

Reach Gene Sapakoff at gsapakoff@postandcourier.com or (843) 937-5593.