Don't Get Bowled Over

The second season of college football starts today, with the first of 19 semi-major or major bowl games--apologies to the Amos Alonzo Stagg Bowl, the Zia Bowl and others that have already taken place.

Let's face it--there are 19 bowl games between now and January 17, plus professional football's countdown to the Super Bowl--football is forever. There is the Senior Bowl, the Hula Bowl, the East-West Shrine Bowl and the Blue-Gray Classic, all all-star games. There are the four major Bowls--Sugar, Orange, Rose and Cotton--the four next-to-major bowls--Peach, Gator, Sun and Fiesta--and a smattering of junk bowls, foremost among them the Liberty, Tangerine and Bluebonnet.

Then there are the no bowls. The only thing post-season college football lacks is its own Pro Bowl--short for probation or undergraduate professionals, whichever you prefer.

Here is a rundown of the bowl games, not including all-star contests. A word of advice about these predictions--don't get bowled over.

Independence Bowl, today, at Shreveport, La.: A powerful 10-1 McNeese State squares off against Southern Mississippi (8-3). Few parts of the country take their football more seriously than Looziana, as the natives pronounce it. McNeese State is one of the schools that has sprung up in the state to steal the thunder of traditional force LSU. Powered by a partisan crowd and rushing offense that racked up nearly 300 yards a game, McNeese State should roll, 41-30.

Garden State Bowl, tomorrow, at East Rutherford, N.J. The 8-3 Midshipmen of Navy take on the disappointing 6-5 Cougars of Houston. An interesting matchup, Houston's potentially explosive offense against Navy's well-funded defense establishment. The only sure thing is whom President Carter will root for. Navy has only permitted 10.1 points per game, fifth in the nation. Will Houston rebound from an impotent SWC season? Will Navy catch Giants' disease in Rutherford? Unpredictable at best. Navy 15, Houston 14.

Holiday Bowl, December 19, at San Diego: One of the best and entertaining bowl games, with 10-1 BYU--which might have retained a shot at the national title had it not succumbed to New Mexico in the season opener--pitted against 8-3 Southern Methodist University. Brigham Young led the nation in offense, directed by the country's passing leader, quarterback Jim McMahon. McMahon's numbers make stat freaks drool--284 for 445, 4571 yds. SMU has improved gradually over the course of the autumn. BYU in a wild one, 45-35.

Tangerine Bowl, December 20, at Orlando, Fla.: Maryland (8-3) versus Florida (7-4). The Terrapins' Charlie Wysocki should run wild, but the Gators have the better squad. Together with the home field advantage, Florida's superior talent and the experience of playing tough games (it held second-ranked Florida State close last weekend) should push the Gators over the top, 28-16.

Fiesta Bowl, December 26, at Tempe, Ariz: A pair of not-quites line up in tepid Tempe, 9-2 Ohio State and 9-2 Penn State. Earl Bruce's Buckeyes, led by signal-caller Art Schlichter, did not live up to pre-season expectations. Joe Paterno's Nittany Lions (love that nickname) fell to archrival Pittsburgh, spoiling an otherwise superlative schedule against a slew of talented teams. Both sides can salvage up a little bit of pride. Truthfully, they'd rather be in Pasadena and New Orleans. Ohio State 32, Penn State 24.

Sun Bowl, December 27, at El Paso, Texas: Ole Miss, which finished the regular season at 9-2, meets Big Eight runnerup Nebraska. Whatever happened to Cornhusker running back I. M. Hipp, the rusher with the self-sobriquet? He was replaced by Jarvis Redwine, who churned up 1119 yds. on the ground on a mere 156 attempts. The Husker defense is also tenacious, second in fewest points permitted (8.5 per game). Nebraska in a waltz, 35-21.

Liberty Bowl, December 27, at Memphis, 8-3 Purdue, led by dropback passer Mark Herrmann, face Missouri (8-3). Give me liberty or give me death. Well, not exactly. We've already seen Herrmann contained, and Missouri is still an unknown entity. Look for Hermann to graduate with a bang, 38-20.

Hall of Fame Classic, December 27, at Birmingham, Ala.: Spell this game d-u-d. Who cares? Arkansas (6-5) and Tulane (7-4) have both proved unimpressive. The Razorbacks, 28-7.

Gator Bowl, December 29, at Jacksonville: Heisman winner George Rogers of 8-3 South Carolina (297 carries, 1781 yds., 14 touchdowns) meets Heisman runnerup Mean Hugh Green of 10-1 Pitt, a stellar defensive lineman. A classic matchup, Lambert Trophy winner Pitt should not be here, but in a major bowl. This is perhaps the second best bowl, behind the Sugar. The Panthers should claw the Gamecocks, 29-27.

Bluebonnet Bowl, December 31, at Houston. A disillusioned and slumping Texas squad (7-4) tries to defend Lone Star honor against North Carolina (10-1), the class of the ACC. A close one, but look for an N.C. upset, 24-21.

Rose Bowl, January 1, at Pasadena: Will Bo Schembechler's 9 2 Michigan Wolverines finally break the bowl jinx against Pac-5 winner Washington (9-2)? Yes. 21-20.

Cotton Bowl, January 1, at Dallas: Meet the most overrated team in the country, 9-2 Alabama. Meet potential national champion 10-1 Baylor. Watch Bear Bryant cry into his hat, as Baylor pulls off a 28-24 win.

Orange Bowl, January 1, at Miami: 9-2 Oklahoma has piled up more than 360 yds. per game on the ground and notched 80 points against Colorado. But the Sooners also gave up 42 to Chuck Fairbanks' hopeless assemblage. Give an upset to 10-1 Florida State, 21-16.

Sugar Bowl, January 1 at New Orleans. Hunker down, Dawgs. Herschel Walker, Rex Robinson, Buck Belue. Are these names out of a storybook? No, they're members of top-ranked, 11-0, Georgia. Notre Dame blew its shot at the national crown with a loss to USC last week, but retains a good chance to upend Vince Dooley's Bulldogs. The Irish magic will fall short, however, and Georgia will prevail, 19-13, despite Notre Dame's remarkably staunch defense.

Peach Bowl, January 2, at Atlanta: January 2? January 2? You gotta be kidding. 8-3 Virginia Tech and 8-3 Miami, Fla., will suffer from severe lack of exposure. They constitute a classic case of anti-climax. Miami to win, 24-3.