In 1866, Mark Twain said that "no man's life, liberty or property is safe when the legislature is in session." Congress is now out of session so your life, liberty and property are safe until mid-January.
We engage in some pretty hard discourse on very weighty topics in this regular missive. Now, as the holidays approach, it's time to talk about something even more important and taxes, spending, war, and energy policy.
By that I mean, of course, college football.
Now I follow college football, along with NASCAR and Formula One racing. And, like politics, I am not without my opinions. In the interests of full disclosure, my two sons are both undergraduates at USC and the captivating Mrs. Campbell (my wife) did her undergraduate work there as I did my graduate work there. I'm also a USC football season ticket holder and will be going to the Rose Bowl.
OK, disclosures complete. Here are my predictions for the 5 BCS bowls ahead of us over the next few weeks:
Jan. 1, 2008 - Rose Bowl - USC vs. Illinois: USC is going to run over Illinois like Democrats over a proposal to cut a John Murtha earmark. I so wanted to see SC play Georgia or Hawaii. Oh well. SC is finally playing like the team we thought they might be early in the season and they should win by 3 touchdowns to make a statement. Go Trojans!!!
Jan. 1, 2008 - Sugar Bowl - Hawaii vs. Georgia: This is the best game of the BCS bowls and I won't be able to see it because I will be at the Rose Bowl. I would like to see Hawaii win and have an undefeated season. But I think Georgia will win. Either way, it should be even more entertaining than watching Hillary and Obama ask each other questions about illegal immigration that they both duck. Oh and by the way, Hawaii's quarterback Colt Brennan (an Orange County native) should have won the Heisman trophy. Hawaii's games are on just too late for anyone back east to see how good he is. He suffered from college football's version of not being 'inside the beltway."
Jan. 2, 2008 - Fiesta Bowl - West Virginia vs. Oklahoma: I am normally not a fan of Big 12 football, but I like Oklahoma in this game. They looked as impressive against Missouri as Mitt Romney did during his religion in government speech earlier in the month. This is my least favorite game of the BCS bowls. I'm not saying I'd rather watch C-Span, however.
Jan. 3, 2008 - Orange Bowl - Kansas vs. Virginia Tech: First of all, if I were Missouri I would be asking why a team that didn't even make it to their conference championship is playing in a BCS bowl when Missouri beat Kansas? Moving along, I think VaTech is peaking at the right time and should win this game. But I do have a soft spot for Kansas since my mother was born there and we have a family farm there.
Jan. 7, 2008 - BCS National Championship Game - Ohio State vs. LSU: Bet the farm on LSU. The Big 10 is the worst conference in football. Ohio State only has one loss because they played nobody outside of their conference and there is nobody inside their conference. Winning the big 10 this year was about as hard as getting some additional spending in a Nancy Pelosi budget bill if you promise to vote for it. LSU will win the game, but they may not be the best team in football this year. Bring on an 8 team playoff!
OK, I have probably offended more of you than I could ever do with political positions. So, reply with your picks, criticisms and agreement using the tab on this page. Never let it be said, in politics or sports, that you don't know where I stand. Want some opinions on wine and beer? J
Until some time in January, here's wishing you and yours the Happiest of Hanukkahs, The Merriest of Christmasses and the Happiest of New Years!