Now here’s the part you’ve been waiting for. January 1st and on, the real heavyweight games (with a few featherweight games sprinkled in between). There are 11 bowl games on January 1st and past, including the 5 BCS games. Here is a preview of all the New Year’s bowl games:

Outback Bowl: #16 Tennessee (-3 ½) vs. #18 Wisconsin (+3 ½). This game will match two teams who a lot of people aren’t quite sure about. Wisconsin appeared to have all the tools to go for an undefeated season after losing only two players, yet they couldn’t beat any of the Big Ten elite. They are a good running team, and have a good defense, but don’t look great at anything. Tennessee can win close or lose big. Erik Ainge finally developed into a decent starting quarterback. These two teams seem to match up pretty evenly, with Tennessee having a better passing game.

Match up to watch: QB Erik Ainge vs. Wisconsin’s Shane Carter (7 INT)
Prediction: Tennessee wins a close and fairly unremarkable game.

Cotton Bowl: #6 Missouri (-3) vs. Arkansas (+3). This could be a really good game, though you have to think the unpopular “resignation” of Houston Nutt is going to affect the Arkansas team. Missouri was left out of the BCS, and motivation could be an issue here. Do they come in flat, or do they get pissed and prove they should have been in? Darren McFadden is one of the best players in the country. Both teams also have solid defenses.

Match up to watch: Missouri’s rush D vs. RB Darren McFadden & Arkansas’s pass D vs. Missouri QB Chase Daniel
Prediction: Missouri wins, and makes a statement doing it.

Capital One Bowl: #12 Florida (-10) vs. Michigan (+11). This game could get ugly if you’re a Wolverine fan. Michigan can’t defend two things: 1) a spread offense 2) a mobile quarterback. Now they play Florida. Enough said. Urban Meyer’s team will be there to play, and Michigan’s still looking for a replacement for a head coach who was extremely popular with the players.

Match up to watch: Michigan defense vs. Heisman winner QB Tim Tebow
Prediction: Florida wins huge. This game could be over by half, but watching how Tebow dissects a team always makes it worth watching, anyway.

Gator Bowl: #20 Virginia (+6) vs. Texas Tech (-6). Virginia won the ACC by running an extremely conservative offense, and completely destroying their opponents’ running game to win close and ugly. Texas Tech is not the kind of team they want to face. Tech puts up 40 points a game, and they don’t care about you stopping the running game. Mike Leach is an offensive genius, and Al Groh’s Virginia team had a great season, but he’s in serious trouble in this game.

Match up to watch: Virginia’s secondary vs. WR Michael Crabtree
Prediction: Texas Tech blasts Virginia

Rose Bowl: #7 USC (-13) vs. #13 Illinois (+13). Illinois has had a great season, but they are a heavy running team that relies on establishing a strong running game and the speed of athletic QB Juice Williams. Bad for them, USC has a fast, strong, athletic defense that matches up perfectly. And they have an offense that is far better than anything Illinois saw in the Big Ten. It’s a shame that the Rose Bowl went for tradition over a better match up, because Illinois quite frankly doesn’t have a chance. Not against a now healthy USC team playing their best football of the year now.

Match up to watch: QB Juice Williams vs. USC rush D
Prediction: USC trashes Illinois in the second half to win big and prove there is no “dead dynasty.”

Sugar Bowl: #5 Georgia (-9 ½) vs. Hawaii (+9 ½). This is an intriguing game, and should be a fantastic match up. Hawaii can put up points on anyone, and even a veteran defense like Georgia’s has to be worried about this match up. Not only is it a spread offense, but Colt Brennan is an NFL caliber quarterback, and at least two of his receivers have futures there, as well. Georgia has an exceptional defense, as well as a great offense that is firing on all cylinders. They also have motivation, being pissed at watching LSU leap frog them into the title game.

Match up to watch: Georgia’s pass defense vs. Hawaii’s spread attack
Prediction: This should be a great game. If Georgia was only a defensive team, I’d be tempted to pick the warriors, but Georgia has an offense and a defense, and that will give them the edge. Georgia wins.

Fiesta Bowl: #4 Oklahoma (-6 ½) vs. #9 West Virginia (+6 ½). The Sooners are playing as well as any team in the country, and have several quality wins under their belt. If not for QB Sam Bradford’s injury against Texas Tech, it would be Oklahoma playing Ohio State for the national title. The Sooners are dynamite on both sides of the ball, and will offer West Virginia their biggest challenge of the season. West Virginia comes off a disappointing loss to Pittsburgh which brings up the question: how is Pat White’s hand? Without White, it’s hard to believe WVU has any type of a chance against Oklahoma, and even “healthy,” can they still run this offense against a defense of Oklahoma’s caliber? They better, because the Sooners are putting up over 30.

Match up to watch: Pat White and Steve Slaton vs. Oklahoma’s defense.
Prediction: Oklahoma is the stronger team, and too many questions surround WVU, plus the disappointment of losing their title shot. Oklahoma will win.

Orange Bowl: #3 Virginia Tech (-3 ½) vs. Kansas (+3 ½). Kansas averages 44 points a game and has a top 20 defense, but they barely beat Colorado and lost to Missouri, so where is the quality victory on the schedule? No one is really sure how good this Kansas team is. Virginia Tech has an excellent offense and defense, and is looking to end the season on a high note by winning the Orange Bowl. Both teams have great rush defenses, so this could end up a very close game. Is Kansas for real? Can they move the ball against a V-Tech defense that has destroyed everyone not named LSU.

Match up to watch: Both teams’ passing games vs. both teams’ passing defenses.
Prediction: Until Kansas can give me a quality win, I have to go with the established team, so Virginia Tech in a close game.

International Bowl: Ball State (+10) vs. Rutgers (-10). Ball State has an excellent quarterback in Nate Davis, but Rutgers has the best pass defense in the Big East, along with a great running back in Ray Rice. Yeah, it matches up badly for Ball State. While Rutgers is disappointed with how the season went, they must win this game to keep momentum in Greg Schiano’s program.

Match up to watch: QB Nate Davis vs. Rutgers’ pass defense
Prediction: Rutgers wins big.

GMAC Bowl: Tulsa (-4 ½) vs. Bowling Green (+4 ½). This is one of those small time bowl games that should be a lot of fun if you love offense. Both teams run spread offenses and throw all over the field. Tulsa’s Paul Smith has 4,753 passing yards and 42 TD—putting him behind Texas Tech’s Graham Harrell and that’s it. Bowling Green’s quarterback, Tyler Sheehan, has thrown for 3,123 yards and 23 TD while averaging just under 30 pts a game. This one’s going to be a shoot out.

Match up to watch: Just watch the QBs shred anything remotely resembling a defense
Prediction: Tulsa wins

BCS National Championship: #1 Ohio State (+5) vs. #2 LSU (-5). How does #2 get favored over #1? You play in a much tougher conference, only lose close in overtime, and do it with a lot of injured players who will be healthy in time for the bowl game. Ohio State has a great defense, and has only allowed two rushing TDs all season, but they showed a weakness against Illinois in trying to defend mobile quarterbacks. Matt Flynn and Ryan Perrilloux are both mobile quarterbacks who can throw, and LSU’s offensive and defensive lines don’t give an inch against Ohio State’s. These are very similar built teams, and the biggest question is whether LSU’s main players will be healthy or not. That could be the difference.

Match up to watch: DT Glen Dorsey vs. Ohio State’s offensive line
Prediction: In a good game, LSU proves it has just a little too much for Ohio State to handle and wins the national title.