Despite economy, a record 34 bowl games this year

AIG gets a federal bailout, auto executives plead poverty in Congress, and a lot of people can't pay the mortgage, if they still have one.

Meanwhile, college football's bowls party on unabated — the postseason begins Saturday — like students on spring break at South Padre Island.

Where's the tipping point? Might the economy finally wreak red ink on the bowl system, which depends on hedonist fans willing to follow 6-6 teams wherever they go?

"It certainly is a concern," says Bruce Binkowski, executive director of the Holiday and Poinsettia bowls. "Frankly, I'm more concerned about next year than this year."

Among the first eight teams locked in by bowls this year were three in their hometowns — Georgia Tech to the Chick-fil-A in Atlanta, Rice to the Texas in Houston and Hawaii in Honolulu. It doesn't do much to fill hotel rooms, but at least it guarantees some ticket sales.

The bowl card features an unprecedented 34 games. If there's a long-range subplot to their future, it could become clearer in the spring. Most contracts are locked in through 2009, but shortly, bowls will have to recertify with the NCAA, declaring themselves financially stable for a couple of years beyond.

"If you're out looking for sponsorships, it's certainly not the best economic environment for that," says Gary Cavalli, executive director of the Emerald Bowl.

Still, he points to good TV ratings, ESPN's willingness to up the ante for future BCS bowls and the fact two new bowls — in Washington, D.C., and St. Petersburg, Fla. — each landed sponsors after the economy went into the dumper in September.

"I think the bowl system is very, very healthy," Cavalli said.

We'll see. Our annual glimpse at the bowl buffet:

Dec. 20

EagleBank at Washington, D.C., Navy (8-4) vs. Wake Forest (7-5): Wake features the Butkus Award winner, Aaron Curry.

Navy throws the ball less than Erik Bedard. Imagine the buzz in the Beltway.

New Mexico at Albuquerque, N.M., Colorado State (6-6) vs. Fresno State (7-5): CSU's offensive and recruiting coordinator is Greg Peterson, who was on Bill Doba's staff at WSU. Pat Hill took a fling at the Washington job, struck out, and at 57, probably is in Fresno for good.

St. Petersburg, South Florida (7-5) vs. Memphis (6-6): USF defensive end George Selvie is a possible first-round NFL pick. Memphis is quarterbacked by WSU transfer Arkelon Hall.

Las Vegas, BYU (10-2) vs. Arizona (7-5): BYU was waxed by both Mountain West heavies, TCU and Utah. 'Zona hasn't been bowling since 1998, not an easy feat.

Dec. 21

New Orleans, Troy (8-4) vs. Southern Mississippi (6-6): No wonder Jeff Bower fans aren't happy. In 17 years at USM before his firing last year, his last losing season was in 1993. If replacement Larry Fedora doesn't win this game, his debut is sub-.500.

Dec. 23

Poinsettia at San Diego, Boise State (12-0) vs. TCU (10-2): Organizers have to be ecstatic; each team was a BCS-bowl threat at one point. Check out Kellen Moore, BSU's quarterback from Prosser. He'll have to avoid end Jerry Hughes (14 sacks, six forced fumbles), a projected first-round NFL prospect.

Dec. 24

Hawaii at Honolulu, Hawaii (7-6) vs. Notre Dame (6-6): The latest stop on the Irish's NCAA-record nine-game Bowl Futility Tour. Notre Dame has been an underdog in all nine, but it just might win this one. These outfits committed a combined 63 turnovers.

Dec. 26

Motor City at Detroit, Florida Atlantic (6-6) vs. Central Michigan (8-4): This could be wacko. FAU qualified by beating Florida International, 57-50. Central trailed at the half of its losing finale against Eastern Michigan, 42-35.

Dec. 27

Meineke at Charlotte, N.C., North Carolina (8-4) vs. West Virginia (8-4): Butch Davis seems to have Carolina on track for big things. Mountaineers have seven straight years of eight wins or more.

Champs Sports at Orlando, Florida State (8-4) vs. Wisconsin (7-5): In a down year, Badgers turned it over 27 times, including 16 fumbles. Which is more reflective of FSU football: The campus brawl that got five players suspended in November, or safety Myron Rolle winning a Rhodes scholarship? Probably the former.

Emerald at San Francisco, California (8-4) vs. Miami (7-5): Pac-10 rushing champion Jahvid Best had a phenomenal 8.0-yard average (of course, it would have been about 3.7 without games against WSU and Washington). Miami was intercepted 19 times; Cal picked off 23, third-best in the nation.

Dec. 28

Independence at Shreveport, La., Louisiana Tech (7-5) vs. Northern Illinois (6-6): A worthy contender for the bowl dog of the year (but not in the class of our all-time favorite — the 2004 Silicon Valley Classic in San Jose on New Year's Eve, Troy vs. Northern Illinois, in a driving rainstorm, with a stadium power outage).

Dec. 29

Papajohns.com at Birmingham, Ala., Rutgers (7-5) vs. North Carolina State (6-6): The Back-from-the-Dead Bowl. Rutgers began 1-5. And when State awoke on Nov. 8, it didn't have an ACC victory. Wolfpack quarterback Russell Wilson is All-ACC, and threw for 13 TDs and no interceptions in his last seven games.

Alamo at San Antonio, Northwestern (9-3) vs. Missouri (9-4): Check out Mizzou's electric Jeremy Maclin, a receiver-returner with 95 catches. Here's the good and bad on the Wildcats: This is their sixth bowl since 1995. But their only postseason win was the 1949 Rose Bowl.

Dec. 30

Humanitarian at Boise, Nevada (7-5) vs. Maryland (7-5): Terps, who had four straight wins over ranked teams, get up for the big ones. They might not feel that way about Nevada, although quarterback Colin Kaepernick is WAC offensive player of the year and his team hasn't scored fewer than 31 since Sept. 13.

Holiday at San Diego, Oklahoma State (9-3) vs. Oregon (9-3): Sexy matchup of two teams that each averaged 42 points. Don't miss halftime, when Oke State's T. Boone Pickens and Oregon's Phil Knight compare checkbooks, stock portfolios and mutual funds.

Texas at Houston, Rice (9-3) vs. Western Michigan (8-4): Average score this year in a Rice game was 42-35. WMU is coached by Bill Cubit, who wasn't considered a bright light as an offensive aide at Stanford in 2003-04.

Dec. 31

Armed Forces at Fort Worth, Houston (7-5) vs. Air Force (8-4): Kevin Sumlin, a candidate when WSU hired Paul Wulff, had a nice opening act as first-year coach in Houston. Air Force hopes to build on 33 sacks.

Sun at El Paso, Oregon State (8-4) vs. Pitt (9-3): OSU has a run of four straight bowl wins. Matchup of fine backs in OSU's Jacquizz Rodgers and Pitt's LeSean McCoy, possible first-round NFL pick if he comes out this year.

Music City at Nashville, Vanderbilt (6-6) vs. Boston College (9-4): A fine how-do-you-do for Vandy: You make your first bowl game in 26 years, and not only do you have to stay home, you get paired against BC, which has the longest-running bowl winning streak (eight).

Insight at Tempe, Ariz., Kansas (7-5) vs. Minnesota (7-5): Kansas allowed 225 points in its last five games, and the Gophers lost their last four. Minny offensive coordinator is Mike Dunbar, '72 UW grad and Central Washington head coach from 1987-91.

Chick-fil-A at Atlanta, Georgia Tech (9-3) vs. LSU (7-5): Imagine how amped LSU is to face a triple-option team that averaged 5.6 yards a rush and made Tech's Paul Johnson ACC coach of the year in his maiden season. Chance to scout the Tigers, Washington's opening opponent next season.

Jan. 1

Outback at Tampa, Iowa (8-4) vs. South Carolina (7-5): Hawkeyes' Shonn Greene (5 feet 11, 235) is a virtual unknown, despite 1,729 rushing yards in '08. Gamecocks coach Steve Spurrier probably isn't pleased about his team's 24 interceptions.

Capital One at Orlando, Georgia (9-3) vs. Michigan State (9-3): State's Javon Ringer tested his manhood by carrying 370 times for 1,590 yards. Preseason No. 1 Georgia disappointed, but QB Matthew Stafford projects as a top-five pro pick.

Gator at Jacksonville, Nebraska (8-4) vs. Clemson (7-5): Huskers have conflicting attributes: They keep the ball 34 minutes per game, but also have a minus-10 turnover ratio. Dabo Swinney, who took over midseason when Tommy Bowden was fired, signed a five-year deal recently to try to upgrade the underachieving Tigers.

Rose at Pasadena, USC (11-1) vs. Penn State (11-1): It's USC's fifth Rose in six years. Trojans have five first-team All-Pac-10 defenders, among them Seattle's Taylor Mays, who probably is playing in his final college game. Meanwhile, most of us at 82 just hope to see a Rose Bowl game; State's Joe Paterno coaches in one.

Orange at Miami, Cincinnati (11-2) vs. Virginia Tech (9-4): Tech looks for revenge for an 18-6 loss to Cincy in the Bearcats' first bowl game, the Sun, in 1947. Kidding. Tech emerged from the nothingness of the ACC, whose record 10 bowl teams all had three or four conference losses.

Jan. 2

Cotton at Dallas, Texas Tech (11-1) vs. Mississippi (8-4): Time out for a rant: Tech deserves a BCS bowl, but no more than two teams from one league can appear. Why not, at a reduced payout to the conference? If you're from the spread-the-wealth school, keep in mind that 12 bowl teams got there without beating a BCS-league opponent.

Liberty at Memphis, Kentucky (6-6) vs. East Carolina (9-4): September's darlings (ECU) get a date in the Liberty's golden-anniversary game. Kentucky coach Rich Brooks knows it well. He played in the 1962 game with Oregon State teammate and Heisman winner Terry Baker.

Sugar at New Orleans, Utah (12-0) vs. Alabama (12-1): Utes have a seven-game bowl win streak. It's 'Bama's 56th bowl game, an NCAA record. Scouts Inc. projects Tide offensive tackle Andre Smith as the No. 1 NFL pick.

Jan. 3

International at Toronto, Connecticut (7-5) vs. Buffalo (8-5): UConn's Donald Brown led all I-A rushers with 1,822 yards. It's Buffalo's first bowl game; it dropped football in 1971 and rejoined Division I-A in 1999.

Jan. 5

Fiesta at Glendale, Ariz., Texas (11-1) vs. Ohio State (10-2): Buckeyes could be ornery after being shamed in two straight BCS title games. In OSU quarterback Terrelle Pryor, Longhorns may be looking at the next Vince Young.

Jan. 6

GMAC at Mobile, Ala., Tulsa (10-3) vs. Ball State (12-1): Words that have never been penned: Nice matchup for the GMAC. Tulsa was No. 2 in total offense, and Ball State only lost its unbeaten season in the MAC title game.

Jan. 8

BCS title game at Miami, Florida (12-1) vs. Oklahoma (12-1): Might be the most enticing BCS-title matchup since USC-Texas in 2005. There's Tim Tebow against Sam Bradford, and two offenses that smoked for seven-game streaks of scoring at least 45 points. The guess here is Florida, 37-27, because of a better defense. And after 34 games in 20 days, there will be only one thing left to say:

Burp.

Bud Withers: 206-464-8281 or bwithers@seattletimes.com