I'm excited.
No, not like in the oh-my-God-I'm-going-to-see-Hannah-Montana-slash-Miley-Cyrus-in-concert-tomorrow kind of excited, I'm talking about something way more fun. More along the lines of Vince-Vaughn-after-he-hit-Ben-Stiller-in-the-face-with-a-dodgeball-in-sudden-death-overtime-and-got-a-treasure-chest-full-of-gold excited. So why am I so giddy?
Because it's that time of the year again.
Forget the Christmas presents, forget lighting the menorah and forget getting shut down when I go for a New Year's kiss. It's college football bowl season, and that's all I need to perk up my spirits during exam time. Just like the best time of the year for Vince Vaughn and Owen Wilson is wedding season, so too for me is this time of year when the teams bring their best, the ridiculous sponsorships come out and the national champion is crowned.
But as much as I would love to watch the AdvoCare V100 Independence Bowl or the Konica Minolta Gator Bowl (seriously, what are those companies? The latter sounds like a Kenyan prince trying to scam you out of money), Jan. 4 will be the perfect way to kick off 2010.
On that day, at University of Phoenix Stadium in Glendale, Ariz., the two best mid-major schools in the country will square off for bragging rights. Texas Christian University (TCU) and Boise State, both undefeated, will get their shot at each other in a contest featuring two of the top four offenses in the nation. And I couldn't be happier about it.
Sure, I'm a little peeved that neither team got its shot at the national title, and it's simply absurd how three teams that have not lost can go without a chance to win the BCS championship. SI's Cory McCartney wrote Sunday that the Horned Frogs and the Broncos deserve better, that the Fiesta Bowl matchup was a cop-out, denying the two unbeatens a chance to validate their seasons against the sport's big boys. And McCartney is completely correct.
But rather than vent about how either TCU or Boise State will be undefeated come Jan. 5 and the BCS will still turn its nose up at them and say "No, sorry, your schedule wasn't good enough," there is too much good that can come out of this game to remain angry for long.
I'm excited to see the rematch of the 2008 Poinsettia Bowl, which marked the first time a regular bowl game featured two teams ranked higher than the squads facing off in a BCS game during the same season. No. 11 TCU pulled off an impressive 17-16 win thanks to a fourth-quarter touchdown by Joseph Turner.
Speaking of Turner, I'm excited to see the senior back and his 11 touchdowns lead the nation's fourth-best offense into Arizona. Junior Andy Dalton and his ridiculous 159.6 quarterback rating will direct the passing attack, which features six receivers with at least 200 yards so far.
On that note, I'm excited to see how the Horned Frogs will stack up against Boise State's top-ranked offense. TCU has allowed 12 points or fewer in six of its last seven games, but the Broncos have scored at least 40 in their past seven contests. If there was ever a showdown for the ages, this is it.
I'm excited to watch sophomore Kellen Moore, Boise State's quarterback, air it out versus TCU's secondary. Moore, the nation's top-rated quarterback at 167.3, has 39 touchdowns and three interceptions this year. He gives it up less than a Mormon prude.
But my glee doesn't stop at mere statistics. I'm excited to see purple jerseys versus blue turf. Horned Frogs against Broncos. Texas versus wherever Boise is located (Montana? Wyoming?). Snub Exhibit A taking on snub Exhibit B.
Most importantly, I'm excited to see which team will emerge as the champion of the little guys, which squad will finish the season with an unblemished record. Yet regardless of what happens, both the Broncos and the Horned Frogs got screwed over once again.
But I don't care, because I'm too busy being excited to tell.
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Alex Prewitt is a sophomore who has not yet declared a major. He can be reached at Alexander.Prewitt@tufts.edu.
