Bowl Game Prediction Review: Halfway Mark

Now that we're halfway through the college bowl season, I thought I'd give you sports fans an update on The Diner's predictions. I'll list the bowl, my pick and an explanation:

Poinsettia Bowl: TCU vs. Northern Illinois (+11.5). My prediction: Give me TCU, 31-17. Result: TCU 37, UNI 7. Explanation: Almost too easy. 1-0

Las Vegas Bowl: BYU vs. Oregon (+3). My pick: Oregon, 41-35. Result: Brigham Young 38, Ducks 8. Explanation: NEVER, EVER buy into the idea that the PAC-10 is a serious football conference. I did, and look where it got me. 1-1.

New Orleans Bowl: Troy (+4.5) vs. Rice. My pick: I like Rice, 17-7. Result: Troy 41, Rice 17. Explanation: They play SERIOUS football in the state of Alabama and Rice is, and will apparently always be, well, Rice. 1-2.

Birmingham Bowl: South Florida vs. East Carolina (+4.5). My pick: South Florida 28, East Carolina 17. Result: USF 24, ECU 7. Explanation: South Florida's coach, Jim Leavitt, has that program on a firm foundation. 2-2.

New Mexico Bowl: New Mexico vs. San Jose State (-3.5). My pick: San Jose State, 20-14. Result: SJSU 20, New Mexico 12. Explanation: I guessed, simply because Dick Tomey took over SJSU and he's a better coach than anybody New Mexico will throw out there. 3-2.

Armed Forces Fort Worth Bowl: Tulsa (+1) vs. Utah. My pick: Tulsa 35, Utah 31. Result: Utah 25, Tulsa 13. Explanation: I knew Utah was more talented, but i really thought that Tulsa's coach would have them better prepared than this. 3-3.

Hawaii Bowl: Arizona State (+7.5) vs. Hawaii. My Pick: Give me the 'Bows, 42-28. Result: Hawaii 41-24. Explanation: Pac-10 is OH SO OVERRATED!!!!!!! 4-3.

Motor City Bowl: Central Michigan vs. Middle Tennessee State (+10). My pick: CMU 24-13. Result: Central Michigan 31, Middle Tennessee 14. Explanation: In games like this, take the stronger conference. 5-3.

Emerald Bowl: Florida State (+4.5) vs. UCLA. My pick: UCLA 22, FSU 10. Result: FSU 44, UCLA 27. Explanation: The PAC-10 is freaking killing me! Without them, I'm 5-1. With them, I'm 5-4. Never again. Never again.

Independence Bowl: Alabama (+2) vs. Oklahoma State. My pick: Bama, in a blowout, 38-10. Result: OSU 34, Bama 31. Explanation: I figured Bama would light it up and thought their defense was better than it was. Bama proved they were the 9th best team in the SEC this year. 5-5.

Holiday Bowl: California vs. Texas A&M (+5). My pick: Cal Bears 21, Aggies 17. Result: Cal 45, Aggies 17. Explanation: My Pac-10 bad Karma continues...sure, I picked them to win, but the Aggies to cover. WHY DOES THE PAC-10 HATE ME?! 5-6.

Texas Bowl: Rutgers vs. Kansas State (+7.5). My pick: Scarlett Knights 23, K-State 14. Result: Rutgers 37, KSU 10. Explanation: It isn't bad to win your first bowl in 137 years of football, is it? 6-6.

Music City Bowl: Clemson vs. Kentucky (+10). My pick: I like Kentucky in an upset, 30-24. Result: UK 28, Clemson 20. Explanation: HEY!!! I got one right! 7-6

Sun Bowl: Missouri (+3.5) vs. Oregon State. My pick: Tigers 38, Beavers 24. Result: OSU 39, Mizzou 38. Explanation: Gutsy move to go for two to win, but when he did that, Mizzou covered! 8-6.

Liberty Bowl: South Carolina vs. Houston (+6.5). My pick: Gamecocks 27, Houston 10. Result: Spurrier 44, Houston 36. Explanation: Spurrier is awesome. 9-6, and I thought this was the day I elevated my game, only to have...

Insight Bowl: Minnesota (+6.5) vs. Texas Tech. My pick: Guns up, Red Raiders! 27-20. Result: Tech 44, Gophers 41, in OT. Explanation: I was texting my Tech friends, most of whom turned it off at 38-7 with 7 minutes to go in the third quarter. WHAT a comeback and what a game! Even if Tech didn't cover...9-7.

Champs Sports Bowl: Maryland vs. Purdue (even). Turtles vs. a liquor/beer mixture? Purdue 20, Maryland 17. Result: Maryland 24, Boilermakers 7. Explanation: Yeah. I had to look this one up in the paper. What a vanilla game. 9-8.

So, at the halfway mark, I'm, well, about halfway. I feel like I'll make a pretty good run as the teams are more nationally known now and I'm feeling pretty good about the picks!

Best Bowl So Far: Insight Bowl. Guns Up, Red Raiders! Runner-up: (tie) Independence Bowl where OSU beat the Tide on a late field goal or the Sun Bowl where the Beaver's coach goes for two instead of playing for the tie.

Worst Bowl: Champs Sports or the Motor City...take your pick. Runner up: Papajohn's.Com bowl. Boring.