Bowl projections are going pretty well going into the homestretch, with an overall winning percentage of 60%. As we head into the BCS games and the major bowl games that present the most exciting matchups, I thought I’d look at what have been the most disappointing teams for me this bowl season:

ARIZONA STATE

Dennis Erickson’s team opened the Holiday Bowl playing as flat as a two week old bottle of Mountain Dew rolling around the floor board of your car. Though I was never a believer in the idea that Arizona State ever deserved to be mentioned among the elite of college football, I fully expected the Sun Devils to come out and play motivated football against an inconsistent Texas team but my hats off to Mack Brown, who got his guys up for that game and they got embarrassed Arizona State on national television. This season may have been a step forward for the Sun Devil program but giving up 52 points on national television and getting outplayed in every aspect of the game is never good for business.

CENTRAL FLORIDA

I was a big believer in UCF going into the bowl season after watching Kevin Smith, the nation’s leading rusher, slice and dice the Tulsa defense in the Conference USA championship. But they got caught playing Bulldog football. The 10-3 win Mississippi State got in Saturday’s Liberty Bowl is exactly the kind of win Sylvester Croom’s team has gotten all year.  To George O’ Leary’s credit, he tried to go with what got him there, handing the ball to Smith 35 times but Mississippi State clamped down on the run, forcing the Knights to turn to quarterback Kyle Israel. And that’s when things got a little ugly. Israel threw for just 88 yards and three interceptions. You have to give some credit to Sylvester Croom for getting this Mississippi State team, one of the most offensively ugly teams I’ve ever seen, to eight wins. I fully anticipate a return to mediocrity for the Bulldogs in ‘08 but their ‘07 campaign is as good a story as any in college football.

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