Big 12 Light

Christmas is over, and the pile of bows and torn-up wrapping paper is cleaned up. Just in time to kick back with a cold beer for all the Big XII bowl games. Some teams are happy with their bowl game; some are not. But now it's time to put all that behind. Remember, some teams are totally left out (yes, UT, I'm talking to you).

No. 12 Missouri vs. Iowa
Insight Bowl
10 p.m. ET, December 28

After a big win against Oklahoma, Missouri fell twice to Nebraska and to Texas Tech. But the Tigers finished strong with three solid wins. Blaine Gabbert led the charge, completing 62 percent of his passes for over 2,700 yards and 15 touchdowns. Iowa, on the other hand, lost its last three games and two key players. Wide receiver Derrell Johnson-Koulianos tested positive for cocaine and marijuana. Leading rusher Adam Robinson failed to comply with team expectations and policies. Robinson carried the ball 203 times for 941 yards and 10 TDs. Without Robinson and Johnson-Koulianos, Iowa will have a hard time scoring. While the Hawkeye defense won't make it easy, Gabbert will find the end zone enough times to give the win to Missouri.

Illinois vs. Baylor
Texas Bowl
6 p.m. ET, December 29

Baylor finally did it. With their first winning season since 1995, the Bears return to the bowl scene and an easily winnable game. Illinois QB Nathan Scheelhaase completed 57 percent of his passes for 1583 yards. Robert Griffin III doubled Scheelhaase's yardage. Griffin completed 66 percent of his passes for 3195 yards. In addition to throwing 21 TD passes, Griffin ran the ball into the end zone himself eight times throughout the season. Protecting this dual-threat is going to be key for the Bears offensive line. And the Bears defense should watch out for Mikel Leshoure. He gashed Northwestern for more than 330 yards and is poised to be a major thorn in the Bears's paw. Keys for the Baylor defense: Neutralize Leshoure and contain Scheelhaase, who has run for 815 yards and four touchdowns. Keys for the Baylor offense: Let Griffin loose. That's it.

No. 14 Oklahoma State vs. Arizona
Valero Alamo Bowl
9:15 p.m. ET, December 29

The Cowboys were in the hunt for a Big XII title but lost the three-way tie-breaker. Now, they head to San Antonio to face an opponent the Cowboys have a lot in common with. Arizona is coming off a devastating loss to in-state rival Arizona State. Oklahoma State lost an exciting shootout against in-state rival Oklahoma. Both teams regularly rack up over 300 yards by air. Both teams have commanding quarterbacks in Nick Foles and Brandon Weedon. But the Cowboys have the edge because of running back Kendall Hunter and wide receiver Justin Blackmon. Both players racked up more than 1,500 yards and more than 15 touchdowns each throughout the season. With these tools, Weedon will be able to take apart the Arizona defense easily.

Kansas State vs. Syracuse
New Era Pinstripe Bowl
3:20 p.m. ET, December 30

The Wildcats started out strong but started their downhill stumble with a blowout loss against Nebraska. After that, Kansas State only managed to win three matches, against Baylor, Texas and North Texas. The Wildcats would love to end their season on a high note with a win, but Syracuse won't make it that easy. The run game of each time takes center stage. Syracuse running back Delone Carter carried the ball 204 times for 1,035 yards. Wildcat running back Daniel Thomas carried the ball 276 times for 1,495 yards. These two power running backs will face off in Yankee Stadium, hoping for a home run and not a strike out.

Nebraska vs. Washington
Bridgepoint Education Holiday Bowl
10 p.m. ET, December 30

The Huskers are probably the most disappointed team in the Big XII. Their season started out like a wildfire. The Huskers blew out opponents in the first five weeks, and then Texas came to Lincoln and stunned the Huskers. After that loss, Nebraska kept rolling and winning, until another team from Texas halted them. One more loss against Oklahoma in the Big XII Championship game was the final nail in the coffin, leaving Nebraska in bowl game against an opponent the Huskers have already beaten earlier in the season. In fact, the Cornhuskers beat Washington 56-21 in the third week of the season. This may be the most anti-climatic bowl game of the all. Although Washington will be out for revenge, Nebraska definitely holds the advantage in this game.

Northwestern vs. Texas Tech
Ticketcity Bowl
12 p.m. ET, January 1

The Red Raiders face off against my school, Northwestern. The Wildcats haven't won a bowl game since 1949, a trivia fact sports announcer have enjoyed beating to death the past two years as Northwestern pushed Missouri and Auburn into overtime. And this won't be their year. Texas Tech has been inconsistent all year, beating No. 12 Missouri but losing to unranked Iowa State. And it's not a deficiency in the quarterback position or the trademark Red Raider passing game. QB Taylor Potts completed 66 percent of his passes for 3,357 yards, 31 touchdowns, and nine interceptions. Tech averages over 300 passing yards per game. With all that success, the Red Raiders still lost five games. Some chemistry, some magic was missing. Northwestern knows all about that. Without QB Dan Persa, the Wildcats gave up 118 points in two games and were outscored by an average 34 points in those last two games. Although backup QB Evan Watkins has had a month to work in the offense, Texas Tech will have no problems with the Wildcats.

Connecticut vs. No. 7 Oklahoma
Tostitos Fiesta Bowl
8:30 p.m. ET, January 1

Oklahoma only lost two games all season, one against Missouri and one against Texas A&M. UConn is 8-4, with two losses to non-bowling teams. The Huskies are way outmatched. Landry Jones has thrown seven times more touchdown passes than Connecticut quarterback Zach Frazer (35 to 5). UConn has a slight edge in the run game, but OU averages 200 more passing yards than Connecticut. Granted Oklahoma has a five game losing streak in BCS bowl games, but Connecticut is no Boise State. Simply put, UConn better hope for a cold front in hell to give itself a snowball's chance.