Big 12: Ranking the bowl matchups
The Big 12 sent nine teams to bowls this year. With that many bowl-eligible teams, as expected, the matchups at the top are pretty good and the matchups at the bottom are pretty boring.
Here is how we rank them:
1. Fiesta Bowl -- No. 5 Oregon vs. No. 7 Kansas State (Jan. 3, Tempe, Ariz.)
The week leading up to games on Nov. 17, this looked like it was going to be the national championship game. Would anyone outside of the south have been upset if it had ended up that way? Both teams have plenty of star power, respected head coaches and contrasting styles. If there's a Big 12 school that mirrors Stanford, Oregon's one loss, it's Kansas State. And if there's a Pac-12 school that mirrors Baylor, K-State's one loss, it's Oregon.
2. Cotton Bowl -- No. 12 Oklahoma vs. No. 10 Texas A&M (Jan. 4, Arlington, Texas)
Oklahoma fans probably feel a little miffed that the Sooners didn't end up in the Orange Bowl, but this is a more intriguing matchup. The Sooners get to go up against the likely Heisman winner in Johnny Manziel and a win would put a little feather in the Big 12's cap against the departed Aggies. A win would also be the fourth straight bowl victory for OU, an impressive streak.
3. Holiday Bowl -- Baylor vs. No. 17 UCLA (Dec. 27, San Diego)
Baylor is the Big 12's hottest team, and until losing back-to-back games against Stanford the last two weeks, UCLA was one of the nation's hottest teams. If you like high-scoring games, tune in.
4. Alamo Bowl -- Texas vs. No. 15 Oregon State (Dec. 29, San Antonio)
Texas is one of the Big 12 schools that could benefit the most from a bowl win heading into next season. Come to think of it, "just wait until next season" has become a rallying cry for the Longhorns. But hey, Texas could be better than most believe right now. The Horns played great outside of conference and struggled at the beginning and end of the Big 12 season. A good UT performance would be another feather in the cap of the Big 12.
5. Pinstripe Bowl -- West Virginia vs. Syracuse (Dec. 29, Bronx, New York)
If you're looking for a storyline, this is sort of a revenge game for West Virginia. The Orangemen beat the Mountaineers 49-23 last season. It was an embarrassing loss for West Virginia considering it was Syracuse's only Big East win. This is also the last chance to watch Tavon Austin as a Mountaineer, which is sad for college football.
6. Buffalo Wild Wings Bowl -- TCU vs. Michigan State (Dec. 29, Tempe, Ariz.)
It's a middle-of-the-pack Big 12 team against a middle-of-the-pack Big 10 team. Both have strong defenses and struggle at times to put up points. Big boy football? Yeah, we'll call it that.
7. Heart of Dallas Bowl -- Oklahoma State vs. Purdue (Jan. 1, Dallas)
It's the school that got rid of its head coach against the school that has the head coach everyone seems to want. That's probably a good sign that this isn't much of a matchup.
8. Meineke Car Care Bowl of Texas -- Texas Tech vs. Minnesota (Dec. 28, Houston)
Texas Tech is right there with Texas as far as teams that could really use a win. The Red Raiders dropped four of their last five and they needed overtime against Kansas to get that one win. But don't worry Tech, the Meineke Car Care Bowl of Texas has your back. Its gift to you: A team that won two games in the Big 10.
9. Liberty Bowl -- Iowa State vs. Tulsa (Dec. 31, Memphis, Tenn.)
That 38-23 Iowa State win over Tulsa to open the season was just so good we had to see it again. Oh wait, it wasn't that entertaining? Why are they matched up again?
For more up-to-the-minute news and analysis from Big 12 bloggers C.J. Moore and Patrick Southern, follow @CBSSportsBig12 on Twitter. You can also follow C.J. (@cjmoore4) and Patrick (@patricksouthern).
