Hooray- the Bowl Season starts today!

Ladies & gentlemen starts your endless array of meaningless bowl games!

Tonight we get the first of the 32 such contests to be played this season when the Huskies of Northern Illinois take on the Horned Frogs of Texas Christian University in beautiful San Diego.

I will do an individiual capsule, along with my pick WITH THE SPREAD for every single one of these games, just to help everyone get familiar with little known schools and the bowls they play in. And to try and help my degenerate gambler friends.

You're Welcome.

Bowl #1:

San Diego County Credit Union Poinsettia Bowl

Northern Illinois (7-5) @ #25 TCU (10-2)

8P EST, ESPN2

TCU: -12 1/2 pts

Need to Know: NIU is the home of the nation's leading rusher, little-known little (5'7") guy Garrett Wolfe. The diminutive dynamo rushed for 1900 yards and 18 touchdowns and was a one-man wrecking crew for the Huskies.

Unfortunately for him & NIU the Horned Frogs boast the NCAA's 4th toughest run defense, allowing a mere 67 yards per game, and the unit has not had an opposing running back go over 100 yards on them all year.

It's the old irresistible force vs. immovable object theory, or chicken & the egg analogy. What comes first, a potent little runner who has had 3 games of more than 200 yards this season, or the team that is designed to stop someone just like him?

Players to Watch: For NIU its obviously Wolfe. TCU is led by sophomore running back Aaron Brown (749 yards, 9TDs), senior QB Jeff Ballard (2299yds, 12 TDs) and that terrific D.

TRIVIA: It's ironic that this game is being played at Quallcomm Stadium, home of the NFL's Chargers. Charger running backs and school alums LaDanian Tomlinson (TCU) and Michael Turner (NIU) will be present at the game and have a friendly wager on the outcome.

MVP-to-be LT could get more face time than any player other than Wolfe.

MY PICK: Inspired by the presence of such ground-gaining greatness in his final college game Wolfe will be the first back to break the century barrier against the Frog's Fortress of Double Digit Running Backs. It may not be enough to defeat the tougher TCU squad, but at least he should help keep the score respectable.

TCU 30, NIU 24