Three Bowls on the 23rd! Early Christmas/Hanukah/Kwanzaa

Quick notes on these as I am traveling like Kevin Garnett down on the block for Christmas. I am either safely on the ground in Tulsa or stuck in KC - feel for me...

I will try to spruce up these games by taking creative license of some classic Christmas Carols.

Papajohns.com Bowl, Birmingham, Alabama
USF (8-4) vs East Carolina (7-5)- 1pm on the deuce

The weather is the key - the Bulls are a lock if the temp stays above 50F...remember, everyone picked against them on the weather card at West Virginia and they welcomed the sun and it was all right (I know, Pat White was dinged). If you hadn't heard, QB Matt Grothe of USF finished 12th in the nation in total offense (258 ypg).

East Carolina snuck up on everyone...10-2 ATS this year, but only getting 5 at presstime.

"God rest ye merry gentlemen, lest none of you dismay/
Put a dime or two on the Bulls and show me the mon-ay"

New Mexico Bowl, Albuquerque
San Jose State (8-4) at New Mexico (6-6) - 430pm on ESPN

Watch the excellent Dick Tomey Spartan defense and mighty-mite Yonus Davis take on New Mexico on their home field, a big edge for comfort, altitude and desert cold weather.

"Have an Albuquerque Christmas/
The Lobos dorms? Just around here/
Oh by golly the Spartans will freeze and the Lobos cover this year"

Armed Forces Bowl, Fort Worth, TX
Tulsa (8-4) vs. Utah (7-5), 8pm on ESPN

Oklahoma transfer RB Courtney Tennial and QB Paul Smith lead the Hurricanes, but Utah by far possesses the better program having just played in the Fiesta Bowl a couple years ago. Utah has the momentum finishing 3-1 while went 1-3. Utes' slash (DB/PR/WR/RB/QB) Eric Weddle will be fun to watch as you never know where he will pop up. Tulsa is overrated as Utah is only a one-point favorite.

"Courtney running like he is on fire/
Paul Smith nippin at your nose/
but gotta go with Ratliff and the Utes in this bowl/
as Weddle carries, and catches and throws..."

EXPECT MUCH MORE FOR THE ARIZONA STATE AT HAWAII GAME on Christmas Eve.