College Confidential

The party has begun for TCU

GLENDALE, Ariz. -- The Fiesta Bowl tailgate party has begun at the Frogmobile, where TCU fans have opened Los Vaqueros West.

The TCU-area restaurant donated 100 pounds of chicken fajitas and all the fixings for a six-hour cookout before the Frogs play Boise State.

The backdrop is the University of Phoenix stadium.

Or is that a giant Roomba?

--Bud Kennedy

TCU is front-page news in Phoenix

SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. -- TCU fans were surprised to pick up the Arizona Republic and find it wrapped in an ad for TCU.

The Fiesta Bowl game day edition of the Republic is covered in an ad touting TCU for "attaining excellence" on and off the field. The back page promotes Fort Worth as a "champion hometown."

--Bud Kennedy

Scenes from the Fiesta Bowl parade

PHOENIX -- A smattering of TCU fans made it to Phoenix in time for the Fiesta Bowl parade Saturday morning, including Scott Wharton, 45, of Fort Worth, wearing a purple-and-white fright wig and reaching from the crowd to high-five Superfrog.

Maybe the largest round of cheers -- and boos -- of the parade went up for controversial Maricopa County Sheriff Joe Arpaio, the target of a federal civil rights lawsuit alleging that a 2007 immigration raid illegally targeted Hispanic residents by race.

Most fans cheered Arpaio loudly, but some chanted, "So long, Joe."

--Bud Kennedy

 

Horned Frogs a big seller at Fiesta Bowl

 
SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. -- The TCU Horned Frogs' fans just hit town for the Fiesta Bowl, but their souvenir stand is already selling out of merchandise.

TCU's stand in the team hotel, the Fairmont Scottsdale resort, has outsold the stand at opponent Boise State's hotel by almost 2-to-1, a Fiesta Bowl employee said Saturday.

--Bud Kennedy

 

About that new Big 12 bowl lineup

Mike DeArmond of the Kansas City Star has a really, really big problem with the upcoming Big 12 bowl lineup, finalized just this week.

He dislikes the emphasis on bowls in Texas and further parts west, as well as the lack of any Florida bowl tie-in. And he sees a whole lot of catering to the South Division schools. Writes DeArmond:

Yes, I know conferences have to negotiate bowl agreements. You just don't pick the ones you want.

So negotiate, Big 12.

If you have to give a little on bowl payouts, give a little. The exposure is worth more to the schools than the money in some cases.

Pull your head out of the state of Texas and you might even reduce the us versus them attitude prevalent in the North Division.

-- Chuck Carlton

Happy Birthday, Cotton Bowl!

Today is the 72nd playing of the Cotton Bowl Classic. Since the first game, 46 schools have represented 14 different conferences in the game.

Greetings from ... the Cotton Bowl!

Happy New Year and hello from the Cotton Bowl.

It's a balmy 31 degrees out here at Fair Park - perfect weather for football.

The 10 a.m. start time? Not so perfect.

On first glance, it appeared as if the stadium would be filled with Razorback fans dressed in red. But the Mizzou fans are slowly starting to fill in their side of the stadium.

And now it's prediction time.

Staff writer Wendell Barnhouse is picking Mizzou to top Arkansas, 31-28.

I'll go out on a limb and pick the Razorbacks to win in a shootout - 38-31.

-- Keeli Garza

Your turn: What's your prediction for the Cotton Bowl?

He would have gone "splat"

His words, not mine. Former Air Force defensive lineman Chad Hennings, the academy's most famous former football players just said he never had a chance to jump with Air Force's Wings of Blue parachuters or any jump team. You can't be over 220 pounds to do it, and Hennings was about 30 pounds over the limit in college.

Still would have been cool to see a football player that size do it, especially with the American flag in tow.

--Troy Phillips

Greetings from ... the Armed Forces Bowl!

It's a cool 51 degrees here at Amon G. Carter Stadium as the teams are going through drills in preparation for today's matchup between Cal and Air Force.

People are slowly starting to trickle into the stadium for the 11:30 a.m. kickoff this morning.

Wendell's Saturday Bowl Predictions

Alamo Bowl: Texas A&M 24, Penn State 21.

Honestly, I have no idea which team will win. This is a complete guess: The Aggies win one for the Flim Fran Man.

Liberty Bowl: Central Florida 31, Mississippi State 17.

The Knights' running game should be too much for a Bulldogs team that struggles to score.

Meineke Car Care Bowl: Wake Forest 17, Connecticut 14.

First team to 20 wins. The Demon Deacons don't get there, but they score enough to hold off the Huskies in a defensive battle.

Prediction record so far: 4-7.

Your Turn: Give us your prediction for the Alamo Bowl, the Liberty Bowl and the Meineke Car Care Bowl by leaving a comment below.

_ Wendell Barnhouse