10 beefs about the bowl pairings

And none of the beefs are about the Beef O'Brady's Bowl.

1. Michigan State's Legends Division title is meaningless.

And here we suckers thought the Big Ten's division races had, oh, I don't know ... significance? The Spartans won their division, advanced to the Big Ten title game against Wisconsin, gave a magnificent account of themselves in a 42-39 loss in a game unanimously heralded as a classic, and are in the Outback Bowl while Legends also-rans Michigan and Nebraska go to the Sugar and Capital One bowls, respectively.

How does Michigan rate? The Wolverines and Spartans were both 10-2 in the regular-season. But MSU won the division, and handled Michigan, 28-14. Ridiculous.

2. Virginia Tech in the Sugar Bowl?

Who wants to see Virginia Tech-Michigan? Kansas State finished higher (eighth) in the final BCS standings than the champions of the Big Ten or ACC. But K-State goes to the Cotton Bowl while the Hokies go to the BCS bowl? Based on what? The Hokies (11th in the BCS) beat one ranked team all year, and none in the Top 20. They were outscored by 48 points over two losses to Clemson. They aren't especially interesting. They don't feature a national star. Is Tech in the Sugar because it brings a lot of fans to games?

What am I saying? Of course it is.

3. Boise State and TCU are going to cut-rate bowls.

Boise State (11-1), No. 7 in the BCS standings, plays 6-6 Arizona State in the Las Vegas Bowl. TCU (10-2) plays Louisiana Tech in the Poinsettia Bowl. I realize those are the best Mountain West tie-ins, but this just illustrates why the current bowl system stinks so bad. Next year, TCU can go 7-5 as a Big 12 member and play in San Diego's bigger bowl (Holiday) instead of junior (Poinsettia).

4. Purdue is going to Detroit while Illinois goes to San Francisco.

Purdue and Illinois are both 6-6, so neither has any beef about anything. But Purdue got a Big Ten bowl slot and will go to Detroit to play Western Michigan in the Little Caesars Pizza Bowl. Illinois, the loser of its last six games, got no Big Ten slot. So it got to accept an at-large invitation to Kraft Fight Hunger Bowl in San Francisco.

Detroit or San Francisco? Hmmm, that's a toughie.

Hunger or Little Caesars Pizza? You tell me.

5. The Kraft Fight Hunger Bowl has teams with a combined record of 12-13 and two fired head coaches.

Illinois (6-6) canned Ron Zook. UCLA (6-7) booted Rick Neuheisel. We will have a bowl team that ends its season with a 7-game losing streak or a team that finishes the season with a 6-8 record.

Fighting hunger? How about fighting lousy bowl games?

6. They're the two largest states in the lower 48, but were 4-5 in conference play.

Texas vs. California in the Holiday Bowl. That used to be a good bowl. Of course, the Longhorns and Golden Bears used to be good teams. Both had losing seasons in their conferences.

Texas scored 5 points at Missouri. I'm not sure a good team has ever posted a 5 in a football game. A zero or a 3, yes. But a 5? Doubtful.

At least Cal had a strong final month of the season, winning three of four games and losing to Stanford by just 31-28. But the Bears still went 4-5 in the Pac-12. The once-great Holiday Bowl has two teams that lost more league games than they won. Sad.

7. Mediocrity vs. Mediocrity

Northwestern (6-6) vs. Texas A&M (6-6) in the Meineke Car Care.  Ohio State (6-6) vs. Florida (6-6) in the Gator. Mississippi State (6-6) vs. Wake Forest (6-6) in the Music City.

And it bears repeating: Illinois (6-6) vs. UCLA (6-7) in the Kraft Fight Hunger.

8. Who will come to these games?

Georgia Tech vs. Utah in El Paso

Nevada vs. Southern Mississippi in Honolulu

SMU vs. Pittsburgh in Birmingham ... on Jan. 7.

Arkansas State vs. Northern Illinois in Mobile ... on Jan. 8.

9. This is an actual bowl:

The Belk Bowl. Louisville vs. North Carolina State in Charlotte. As Brent Musburger would say (see photo)

10. Oh yeah, Alabama is in the BCS title game instead of Oklahoma State.

All you keep hearing is Alabama had a better loss (at home vs. LSU in OT) than Oklahoma State (at Iowa State, in 2 OTs). Don't wins count for anything?

Oklahoma State beat more good teams than Alabama. Two of the Cowpokes' nonconference foes -- Lousiana-Lafayette and Tulsa -- won eight games each. OSU played nine conference games, Alabama eight. Bama played Kent State, North Texas and FCS Georgia Southern. Oklahoma State didn't play an FCS team.

In what was the real showdown for the SEC title, Alabama lost at home to LSU. In what was the real showdown for the Big 12 title, Oklahoma State destroyed Oklahoma.

Alabama did not play two of the three other best teams in its own conference, Georgia and South Carolina. It did play the two last-place teams in the SEC divisions, Mississippi and Tennessee. Oklahoma State played everyone in its league, and Kansas was the only team in the Big 12 that was bad.

The Crimson Tide played LSU. At home. And lost.

I'll watch Oklahoma State play Stanford in the Fiesta Bowl. I'll watch Wisconsin play Oregon in the Rose Bowl. Those are good ones. I'll watch the Little Caesars Pizza Bowl, because it's America's Game. But Alabama-LSU II? Whatever.