By Staff
There is nothing like college football bowl season to get the blood pumping.
The season officially kicked off Tuesday night with the New Orleans Bowl.
Now by the time the 28th and final bowl game rolls around, I am sure we will all be sick and tired of college football.
The great thing about that is that we have six months or so to regroup and get ready for some more football next August.
Southern Mississippi earned the distinction of being the first 2004-05 bowl game winner by virtue of its 31-10 pasting of North Texas.
There won't be another bowl game until Dec. 21, however, beginning that week, there will be plenty of action through the end of the year and into the first couple of days of 2005.
I will have an eye on several bowl games this season due to the teams involved.
Of course, I will be paying particular interest to the Rose Bowl game between Michigan and Texas.
The Wolverines have had a solid season and can really build on the 2005 year with a victory over the Longhorns.
But before that contest, I will be watching the Insight Bowl between Notre Dame and Oregon State.
The Fighting Irish have "settled" on another head coach and it will be interesting to see how the team actually plays now that it has its immediate future set.
I found a few things interesting about the hiring of Charlie Weis.
The man has never been a head coach and only has a few years under his belt as a college assistant.
After spending much of Monday night talking with Fighting Irish fans, I was interested in learning that none of them felt that Notre Dame had improved its coaching situation.
Another interesting footnote to this situation is that Weis was given a six-year contract.
Didn't Tyrone Willingham have a five-year deal with Notre Dame?
Why is Weis more valuable to the Fighting Irish and Willingham was?
Plus, you and I both know that if Weis doesn't win and win in a hurry, the Notre Dame fans, the same ones who had Willingham fired, will want Weis' head on a stick.
Let's face it, the Insight Bowl is going to be a audition not only for the players, but for the coaches as well.
Weis will get his first real good look at Notre Dame in live action.
He will not be coaching them, but he will be keeping notes.
So let the games continue.