Meineke Car Care Bowl - South Florida vs. Clemson (-5.5) - (Preview by Brian McCabe) Are you as excited as I am about the “Meineke Car Care Bowl?” Every year, I just dream of what will happen in the Meineke Car Care Bowl. I mean, come on, it is the Meineke Car Care Bowl!

This bowl game is such a tradition. It has been played since all the way back in 2002!

And yes, we will be playing the name game with this bowl game after the pick.

The Fighting Skip Holtz’ take on the Dabo Sweeny-lead Clemson Tigers at Bank of America stadium in Charlotte North Carolina on New Year’s Eve.

The South Florida Bulls are below mediocre in all major statistical categories, but managed to finish the regular season with a 7-5 record.

Meanwhile, Clemson’s offense has desperately missed CJ Spiller, but their defense is ranked 9th nationally in the all-important “points-against” column.

Does South Florida have the offensive weapons to overcome the Tiger’s suffocating defense? Can Clemson find some sort of offensive strength to win this game.

The ACC had a down year, as did Clemson, but the conference is stronger than the Big East. The Tigers played close games against Florida State and took No. 1-ranked Auburn to overtime. When one looks at the numbers, Clemson should win this game.

The 5.5 point-spread is a bit tricky in this game. South Florida played a lot of close games this season. The Bulls will play another close game on New Year’s Eve.

Clemson will win this game, but it will be another close one.

Take South Florida and the points and enjoy the game.

And on to the bowl-name-game …

The Meineke Car Care Bowl has not always been named as such. So what have been the other names this ridiculously prestigious bowl game you might ask?

Here you go:

1. Queen City Bowl
2. Continental Tire Bowl

And starting next year, this bowl game will be renamed once again. You will not be looking forward to the Meineke Car Care Bowl, but instead you will be dreaming about what will happen in the “Belk Bowl!”

Yes, the Belk Bowl.

I LOVE college football!

MRI Pick	Expert Picks	Winner
59.75%	Clemson: A. Miraski, McCabe, Dodd, Darst, Harris, Congrove, Forde, Van Pelt, McShay, B. Miraski	31-26
	South Florida: Popelka

Sun Bowl - Notre Dame vs.Miami (-3) - (Preview by Brian McCabe)Notre Dame and Miami are in that old west Texas town of El Paso preparing to play in the second-oldest bowl game.

I know, who knew the Sun Bowl was the second-oldest bowl game! It holds that ranking along with the Sugar Bowl and the Orange Bowl. And yes, the Granddaddy of them all is the Rose Bowl. I just wanted to mention that in case the nickname didn’t give it away.

On New Year’s Eve, Notre Dame and Miami face off in the Sun Bowl, and both teams are hoping a victory can propel the team into productive and successful spring practices.

Notre Dame finished the season on high note with three straight victories, including a road win against rival USC.

Meanwhile, Miami is struggling. Randy Shannon was fired at the end of the regular season, and interim coach Jeff Stoutland finally announced that Jacory Harris would start. Waiting this long to make the decision could prove costly for Harris’ confidence.

The Hurricanes own a very successful running game, and Notre Dame’s defense has been porous at times this season. But the off-field distractions may be too much to over come for Miami.

The Irish must hope Tommy Rees is over his three-interception performance in Southern California as he will have to play well for ND to triumph. But Brian Kelly does know that the running game is very important for success. Robert Hughes and Cierre Wood should play a key role in the game.

After all is said and done, Michael Floyd will be the difference-maker in this game. The Hurricanes will struggle to defend him and Notre Dame will roll to victory. So take it to the bank. The three points are a nice cushion, but ND will win outright.

The Big East BiACC boy is 2-0 this bowl season so clearly I know what I am doing. The Irish are going to have a big day on the Mexican border.

MRI Pick	Expert Picks	Winner
54.37%	Notre Dame: A. Miraski, McCabe, Popelka, Harris, Forde	33-17
	Miami: Dodd, Darst, Congrove, Van Pelt, McShay, B. Miraski

Liberty Bowl - Georgia vs. Central Florida (+6.5) - (Preview by Ben Miraski) I am thoroughly convinced that Central Florida is the next great acquisition in college football. They have the largest student population in the country, they offer visiting fans a weekend at Disney World and they open up a major Florida market for both recruiting and fans. (Are you listening Big East?) They are also pretty damn good. Ever think if Notre Dame is cursing itself for letting George O’Leary go after finding out that he lied on his resume? I mean, he has turned a team that won zero games before he got there into a ranked team. So what if all the i’s and t’s didn’t exactly dot and cross when it came to O’Leary? The man can coach. That is why you have to like the Knights getting points against a Georgia team that has been inconsistent this year (although hot at the end of the season). Take the points.

MRI Pick	Expert Picks	Winner
65.03%	Central Florida: McCabe, Popelka, Dodd, B. Miraski	10-6
	Georgia: A. Miraski, Darst, Harris, Congrove, Forde, Van Pelt, McShay

Chik-fil-a Bowl - South Carolina vs. Florida State

MRI Pick	Expert Picks	Winner
54.37%	South Carolina: A. Miraski, McCabe, Dodd, Darst, Harris, Forde, Van Pelt	26-17
	Florida State: Popelka, Congrove, McShay, B. Miraski

JANUARY, 1, 2011 GAMES AND RESULTS

TicketCity Bowl - Texas Tech vs. Northwestern

MRI Pick	Expert Picks	Winner
54.37%	Texas Tech: A. Miraski, McCabe, Popelka, Darst, Harris, Congrove, Van Pelt, McShay, B. Miraski	45-38
	Northwestern: Dodd, Forde

Capital One Bowl - Alabama vs. Michigan State

MRI Pick	Expert Picks	Winner
59.75%	Alabama: McCabe, Popelka, Dodd, Harris, Congrove, Van Pelt, McShay, B. Miraski	49-7
	Michigan State: A. Miraski, Darst, Forde

Outback Bowl - Florida vs. Penn State

MRI Pick	Expert Picks	Winner
65.03%	Florida: McCabe, Popelka, Dodd, Darst, Harris, Congrove, Forde, Van Pelt, McShay, B. Miraski	37-24
	Penn State: A. Miraski

Gator Bowl - Mississippi State vs. Michigan

MRI Pick	Expert Picks	Winner
59.75%	Mississippi State: A. Miraski, McCabe, Popelka, Dodd, Darst, Harris, Congrove, Forde, Van Pelt, McShay, B. Miraski	52-14
	Michigan: None

Rose Bowl - TCU vs. Wisconsin

MRI Pick	Expert Picks	Winner
76.63%	TCU: Popelka, Dodd, Darst, Harris, Congrove, B. Miraski	21-19
	Wisconsin: A. Miraski, McCabe, Forde, Van Pelt, McShay

Fiesta Bowl - Oklahoma vs. Connecticut

MRI Pick	Expert Picks	Winner
91.39%	Oklahoma: A. Miraski, McCabe, Popelka, Dodd, Darst, Harris, Congrove, Forde, Van Pelt, McShay, B. Miraski	48-20
	Connecticut: None