Taking stock of the bowl season

Observations, tabulations and ruminations on the bowl season just completed (in Utah, where they vainly hoped for a favorable AP vote outside the BCS title-game box, they were quick to embrace the slogan of the nearby Wasatch Brewery's Polygamy Porter — "Why Have Just One?"):

OK, the Utah dilemma:

I realize the Mountain West trashed the Pac-10 this season. I understand Utah beat six bowl teams in going 13-0. I saw Utah clock Alabama in the Sugar Bowl.

And then I look at Utah's road schedule in the MWC. It beat Air Force (8-5), Wyoming (4-8), New Mexico (4-8) and San Diego State (2-10). At home, against its two most formidable opponents, it came from behind in the final two minutes to beat Oregon State and TCU.

Yes, style points have to matter in this debate. Get back to us when you've got some more chops, Utes.

The second season:

That's the bowls. You have a five-week break after regular-season games, you have great disparities in how seriously opponents are taking it. And for the BCS games, you throw in Fox announcers, who have been doing something other than college football all season. No wonder a lot of it just feels out of place.

The 5 best individual performances:

1. Mark Sanchez, USC. He was merely marvelous against Penn State, completing 28 of 35 for 413 yards. He threw in the pocket. He threw on the run. When Penn State stepped up the rush, he threw quicker. If Steve Sarkisian had anything to do with this, Washington fans are going to be delighted.

2. Brian Johnson, Utah. He riddled 'Bama for 27 of 41 and 336 yards.

3. Jimmy Clausen, Notre Dame. The Irish broke a nine-game bowl losing streak behind his 22-of-26, 401-yard, five-touchdown night against Hawaii.

4. Victor Strong-Butler, Oregon State. The Sun Bowl MVP tied a school record with four sacks.

5. Ndamukong Suh, Nebraska. All the nose tackle from Portland did in the Huskers' upset win over Clemson was make eight tackles, including two sacks and two others for loss, and block a field goal.

The 5 best team performances:

1. Utah over Alabama. No dissing the Utes for this one. Maybe most shocking, Utah looked quicker and played faster.

2. USC over Penn State. It was the climax of the Pac-10's first unbeaten (5-0) bowl season since 1989 (4-0).

3. Vanderbilt over Boston College. Not only was it Vandy's first bowl win in 53 years, it snapped the nation's longest postseason win streak at eight.

4. Ole Miss over Texas Tech. And it wasn't even close (47-34). The Rebels went 9-4 in a very consistent season.

5. Oregon State over Pitt. Yeah, it was 3-0. But without the Rodgers brothers, that was a notable effort.

The best bowl you didn't see:

The Meineke, won by West Virginia over North Carolina, 31-30. Pat White became the first quarterback to start his team's four straight bowl wins, and Carolina wideout Hakeem Nicks caught eight passes for 217 yards and three scores. He also had an around-the-waist, you-had-to-see-it reception over the middle.

Welcome home, dude:

In the Outback Bowl, quarterback-troubled South Carolina gave the start to freshman Stephen Garcia, who was returning to his hometown in Tampa. On the Gamecocks' first four possessions against Iowa, he threw three interceptions. On the other one, he fumbled the ball away.

Who says Boise's no fun?

Maryland running back Da'Rel Scott was one of seven Terps disciplined for missing curfew the night before the Humanitarian Bowl against Nevada. After getting his first carry in the third quarter, he rushed 14 times for 174 yards.

The league that's stealing money from the bowls:

Far be it from me to bag on the little guy, but the Mid-American must have compromising pictures of bowl committeemen. Last year, the MAC went 0-3 and allowed 166 points, including the most one-sided result in postseason history (Tulsa 63, Bowling Green 7).

This year, never more than a modest underdog and favored in three games, it went 0-5, capped by Ball State's 45-13 egg-laying against Tulsa in the GMAC.

From your son, blogging in the basement:

During the Boise State-TCU game in a high-level Poinsettia Bowl, ESPN continually ran "crawls" of viewer text-messages on the game across the screen. When did we sign up for this?

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