Aloha.....

Could there be anything more ridiculous than playing in a game dubbed the "Poinsettia Bowl"? When you conjure up images of football do Poinsettia's ever enter into the equation? Nevermind last minute touchdown drives and players hoisting up the Vince Lombardi trophy, real men dream of holding up a trophy in the form of a ridiculous bouquet of flowers. As a show of respect for both teams playing tonight- Utah and California, I am going to pass on making a prediction since there appears to be no motivating factor for either team to give it all they have in order to be the 2009 Poinsettia Bowl Champion.
Tomorrow's matchup between SMU and Nevada in the Aloha Bowl plays right into my major bowl game theme-motivation. While I have not seen an SMU game or as much as a single highlight, I could not feel any better about this release! Not since the days of the Pony express in the early 1980's has this school seen any success. After receiving the death sentence for its football program in 1987 (violations include: cars, cash, hookers,etc.), SMU has been unable to reach a bowl game. Meanwhile, Nevada has had moderate success over the years and appears less likely to be as excited about playing in this game. While SMU is clearly an underdog, the 12.5 points should be more than enough to make this game interesting. Take the Ponies and the points ....SMU +12.5