If you live in the Midwest, especially the upper Midwest, you realize that you had two options yesterday: Brave a cold, harsh, wind and blowing snow to venture out where women were fighting over sales items or stay inside and watch some college football.  If you chose the latter, you made the right call except instead of the Rose, Orange and Sugar you wound up watching the Pizza, Muffler and Nut bowls, three bowls which would not exist if I ruled the universe.  C-USA vs. MAC?  Anyone besides the conference champs in the ACC or Big East? USC as the sixth entry from the Pac 10. Puh-leese. 

Some quick thoughts:

Pizza Bowl: This was a game played between a C-USA team (Marshall) and a MAC team (Ohio).  The outcome was exciting, but this was the game you had on in the background while you did things around the house.  Not a bad finish as Marshall won 21-17 for interim coach Rick Minter, who will not get a chance at the big job as Marshall has already hired a new coach.  The MAC hasn't won a bowl game in eight years.  Only 30,000+ attended this game in Detroit.  Still think there aren't too many bowl games.

Muffler Bowl: This was probably the best of the three, played between old buddies Butch Davis and Stuttering Dave. In the end, the freshman sensation Dion Lewis was too much for North Carolina's vaulted defense and won a close one 19-17.  The interesting part of this game was watching how many opportunities the Panthers pissed away in the red zone, a true mark of a Stuttering Dave team.  This should have been a lot bigger win for Pitt than the final score indicated. Only 50,000 attended this game but it looked a whole lot emptier on TV.

Nut Bowl: In what basically became a microcosm for USC's disappointing season, the Trojans allowed a game BC squad to stay on the field with them for most of the game, finally pulling away 24-13.  Give BC credit, they played a great first half against a team that be all logic should have blown them off the field.  USC scored on their first two possessions and looked to set the tone, but the scrappy Eagles fought back and only a missed extra point blemished an otherwise outstanding first half.  In the end though, USC had more athletes and BC got worn down and the Trojans came out with the win.  Still, it was not what you expected from a pre-season number five team against an unranked ACC opponent.