Here we go again:  The college football bowl games.  34 of them, not counting various all-star games like the East-West Bowl, Blue-Gray Bowl, and Yin-Yang Bowl. 

The one I am especially looking forward to this year is the Insight Bowl, taking place this Thursday night.  It features the Minnesota Gophers (2009 record:  6 wins, 6 losses) vs. the Iowa State Cyclones (2009 record:  6 wins, 6 losses).  I actually like the Insight Bowl, not because of the teams playing in it, but for the name of the bowl itself.  I can’t wait to gain some “Insight” as to what makes two 6-6 teams qualified for any bowl game that isn’t called the “Mediocre Bowl”. 

I shouldn’t really pick on the Insight Bowl, or on Minnesota and Iowa State.  They are just 25% of the 6-6 teams that are playing in bowl games this season.  The other 6-6 teams are Wyoming, Marshall, Texas A&M, UCLA, Florida State, and Michigan State.  Honestly, don’t any of these storied programs feel embarrassed to be playing in the post-season?  I mean, come on UCLA, Florida State, and Texas A&M!  Aren’t you guys a little red-faced to have even been asked to play in a bowl after such a lackluster season?  Aren’t you just a little ashamed?

I miss some of the old bowl games I watched as a kid.  Remember the Tangerine Bowl?  It still exists, apparently, but now goes by the name of Capital One Bowl.  I’m sorry, I’m just not going to watch anything called the Capital One Bowl.  Nor the GMAC Bowl.  No way.  Not until I'm paid back, with interest, the tax stimulus money I gave their sponsors' overpaid executives.  Really, how can an organization that needed billions of taxpayer donations continue to sponsor multi-million dollar bowl games?  Give me a break!

Another game I miss is the Peach Bowl.  My own alma mater, Baylor, won the Peach Bowl in 1980 when I was a senior there.  That was the great Mike Singletary’s junior year, and he led the Baylor Bears to an exciting win over Clemson.  I guess the Peach Bowl still exists.  Now it’s called the – are you ready? – the Chick-Fil-A Bowl!  No freakin’ way I’m watching anything with as stupid a name as that!

Remember the Bluebonnet Bowl?  It was played in Houston (a part of Texas, by the way, that has almost no bluebonnets, but I digress).  I actually attended the 1966 Bluebonnet Bowl when I was just 8 years old, and remember watching the Texas Longhorns defeat Ole Miss.  I cried a little after that game because my cousin was on the Ole Miss team.  My tears ended, however, when my family met him after the game and he gave me his (smelly and sweaty) jersey.  The last Bluebonnet Bowl was played in 1987.  Today, Houston hosts the Texas Bowl, which this year features two non-Texas teams, the 8-4 Missouri Tigers vs. the 9-4 Navy Midshipmen.  At least these guys are over .500.

There are 34 bowl games this year.  34!  The year I was born there were a total of 8 bowl games, 4 between Christmas and New Years Day, and 4 big games on Jan. 1:  the Cotton Bowl, Orange Bowl, Sugar Bowl, and Rose Bowl.  All that began to change in the 1970’s, as new games began to pop up.  By 1980, the number of bowl games had increased to 15.  Then, in 1981, the Fiesta Bowl moved to January 1, the first crack in the sanctity of that quality football day.  By 1990, there were 19 bowl games, and then came the explosion, with 25 games in 2000, and 34 this year.   No wonder they feature 8 teams that don’t even have a winning record. 

The other thing that drives me crazy is length of the bowl season.  I guess that’s to be expected when you have to find time for 34 games.  Still, it’s a little ridiculous.  The first bowl games, with the poetically evocative names of New Mexico Bowl and St. Petersburg Bowl, took place on December 19.  The BCS Championship Game (ha!) isn’t until January 7.  I’m sorry, by then, I frankly don’t care about college football anymore.  If you’re going to ruin the sanctity of January 1, then at least hold the big game the next day.  Don’t wait an entire week.

I guess the college football powers didn’t have any choice but to hold the big game on January 7.  After all, they had to make room for the afore-mentioned GMAC Bowl on Jan. 6, plus the exciting Papajohns.com Bowl (7-5 UConn vs. 7-5 South Carolina, yippee!) and the prestigious Alamo Bowl (6-6 Michigan State vs. 8-4 Texas Tech) both on Jan. 2.  Okay Texas Tech Red Raiders, an 8-4 record is pretty good.  You had better manhandle the Michigan State Spartans or you lose all honor for this season!

Tonight it’s the Independence Bowl, with 6-6 Texas A&M facing the 7-5 Georgia Bulldogs.  I think I’ll pass. 

In closing, I do have one question for the NCAA powers that be:  How many bowl games would we need in order for my 4-8 Baylor Bears to qualify for one?  After all, it’s been a long time since that 1980 Peach Bowl.