MAKING THE MOST OF THE BOWL BLITZ

Saturday, Dec. 16, 2006 | 7:04 a.m.

TRIVIA BOWL

Test your bowl knowledge:

1. The original Big Four bowls.

2. This bowl, which has been played since 1935, has been sponsored by John Hancock, Norwest, Wells Fargo, Vitalis and now Brut.

3. This bowl started in 1992 from the rubble of the California Bowl.

4. This bowl started as the Fort Worth Bowl in 2003. (Hint: It's sponsored by Bell Helicopters.)

5. Two bowls are sponsored by hotel chains.

6. The Big Three automakers started the game in 1997. (Bonus: Detroit hosted another bowl in 1984 and 1985.)

7. Perhaps playing off stereotypes some Americans have of San Francisco, this bowl is sponsored by a nut company.

8. This began in 1989 as the Copper Bowl.

9. Started in 2002, it's also been called the Queen City Bowl and the Continental Tire Bowl.

10. This has been the Blockbuster Bowl, Carquest Bowl, MicronPC Bowl, Florida Tangerine Bowl (not to be confused with the original Tangerine Bowl).

11. The Peach Bowl was created as a fundraiser for the Georgia Lions Clubs in 1968, but it now claims a fast-food company as its sponsor.

12. It started as the Humanitarian Bowl in 1997.

13. When the inaugural kicks off, it will be the first bowl to be played outside the U.S. since the Bacardi Bowl was played in Cuba in 1937.

14. The bowl has been around since 1947. It's been known as the Tangerine Bowl and Florida Citrus Bowl.

15. This bowl, which no longer has a title sponsor, has been called the galleryfurniture.com Bowl and the EV1.net Houston Bowl.

16. This bowl has struggled with sponsors - going through Electrolux, Poulan, Weed Eater, Rubbermaid, MainStay hotels but rejecting Deja Vu "gentlemen's clubs" before hooking up with PetroSun this year. (Hint: It began in 1976.)

17. This bowl began as the Hall of Fame Bowl in 1986. (Bonus: Tampa hosted this bowl from 1947 to 1954.)

18. What new bowl was known as the Birmingham Bowl?

19. This chip-and-dip bowl started because the WAC couldn't get a decent bowl invitation. It grew up, displaced the Cotton in the Big Four and now has a $17 million payout.

20. This bowl will determine this season's national title.

Answers:

1. Rose, Sugar, Orange and Cotton bowls

2. Sun Bowl

3. Las Vegas Bowl

4. Armed Forces Bowl

5. Hawaii Bowl (Sheraton) and Music City Bowl (Gaylord Hotels)

6. Motor City Bowl (Cherry Bowl)

7. Emerald Bowl

8. Insight Bowl

9. Meineke Bowl

10. Champ Sports Bowl

11. Chick-fil-A Bowl

12. MPC Computers Bowl

13. International Bowl

14. Capital One Bowl

15. Texas Bowl

16. Independence Bowl

17. Outback Bowl (Cigar Bowl)

18. PapaJohn's Bowl

19. Fiesta Bowl

20. None. For the first time, the BCS National Cham- pionship game - not an established bowl - will determine the title. This year's game will be Jan. 8 at Cardinals Stadium in Glendale, Ariz. From 1999 to 2006, the BCS rotated the title game among the Rose, Sugar, Orange and Fiesta bowls. From 1993-98, the Bowl Alliance and the Bowl Coalition held championship games without the Pac-10 and Big Ten.

Maybe we can't agree on the need for a college football playoff. But we can agree there are too many bowl games.

There are 32 college bowl games this season - a mind-numbing, eye-blurring record.

Remember when there were just 12 bowl games - and no sponsors? No, not back in the days of leather helmets; just 30 years ago. (Hey, Southern Cal and Michigan squared off in that Rose Bowl, too.)

To survive the three-week bowl blitz, we suggest turning back the clock and watching just a dozen games.

Some tough calls had to be made, and upon further review, we apologize to all those alums whose teams came down with both feet out of bounds.

WATCH 'EM

Poinsettia Bowl

TCU (10-2) vs. Northern Illinois (7-5)

TV: 5 p.m. Tuesday , ESPN2

The season's first bowl game pits the country's leading rusher against the top-rated rushing defense. Besides, when was the last time you watched a Mountain West team on real TV?

Line: TCU -12 1/2, 47 total

Las Vegas Bowl

BYU (10-2) vs. Oregon (7-5)

TV: 5 p.m. Thursday, ESPN

The local bowl entry is sold out. So, your only option is to settle down in front of the tube and watch this shootout.

Line: BYU -4, 60 total

PapaJohn's Bowl

South Florida (8-4) vs. East Carolina (7-5)

TV: 10 a.m. Dec. 23, ESPN2

There are three sure things - death, taxes and exciting bowl games involving the East Carolina Pirates.

Line: South Florida -3 1/2, 43 total

Holiday Bowl

California (9-3) vs. Texas A&M (9-3)

TV: 5 p.m. Dec. 28, ESPN

This bowl usually ends up as a shootout, and it should be even better with two Top 25 teams.

Line: California -5, 51 total

Texas Bowl

Rutgers (10-2) vs. Kansas State (7-5)

TV: 5 p.m. Dec. 28, NFL

Rutgers was one of the best stories in college football this season. And the Scarlet Knights' reward was a trip to Houston?

Line: Rutgers -7 1/2, 45 total

MPC Computers Bowl

Nevada (8-4) vs. Miami (6-6)

TV: 4:30 p.m. Dec. 31, ESPN

This is the biggest little bowl the Hurricanes have ever played in. Good thing there aren't many ways to get into trouble in Boise, at least until they step onto the horrible blue artificial turf and meet the pesky Wolf Pack from Northern Nevada.

Line: Miami -3, 43 total

Capital One Bowl

Wisconsin (11-1) vs. Arkansas (10-3)

TV: 10 a.m. Jan. 1, ABC

See Run DMC; Darren McFadden of Arkansas deserved all those Heisman votes. Plus, we'll find out if Wisconsin really is that good.

Line: Arkansas -1, 45 total

Rose Bowl

Southern California (10-2) vs. Michigan (11-1)

TV: 2 p.m. Jan. 1, ABC

The "granddaddy of them all" gets a traditional Pac-10 vs. Big Ten matchup, and both teams have something left to prove. The Wolverines stayed with speedy Ohio State, which should have prepped them for the fast Trojans.

Line: Southern California -1, 47 total

Fiesta Bowl

Boise State (12-0) vs. Oklahoma (11-2)

TV: 5:30 p.m. Jan. 1, Fox

The biggest game in Boise State's history sees the Broncos playing for all the underdogs. Plus, Sooners running back Adrian Peterson - the nation's most exciting runner - should be back from an injury that shelved him for half the season.

Line: Oklahoma -7 1/2, 51 total

Orange Bowl

Wake Forest (11-2) vs. Louisville (11-1)

TV: 5 p.m. Jan. 2, Fox

The Demon Deacons are the spunkiest bunch in the land. You could have gotten rich just by betting the underdog whenever Wake Forest lined up this season. (Hint, hint.)

Line: Louisville -10, 52 total

Sugar Bowl

LSU (10-2) vs. Notre Dame (10-2)

TV: 5 p.m. Jan. 3, Fox

A great defense (LSU is led by LaRon Landry and Glenn Dorsey) vs. a great offense (Notre Dame is led by Brady Quinn).

Line: LSU -9, 55 total

BCS National Championship

Ohio State (12-0) vs. Florida (12-1)

TV: 5 p.m. Jan. 8, Fox

Sorry, Michigan. You had your chance at the Horseshoe. Good luck, Gators, trying to slow down Ohio's best pigskin team - and that includes the Cleveland Browns and, maybe, the Cincinnati Bengals.

Line: Ohio State -8, 48 total

SKIP 'EM

New Orleans Bowl

Troy (7-5) vs. Rice (7-5)

TV: 5 p.m. Friday , ESPN2

Two teams no one has seen.

Line: Rice -6, 52 total

New Mexico Bowl

New Mexico (6-6) vs. San Jose State (8-4)

TV: 1:30 p.m. Dec. 23, ESPN

Not even if you are waiting on a bus.

Line: New Mexico -4 1/2, 49 total

Armed Forces Bowl

Tulsa (8-4) vs. Utah (7-5)

TV: 5 p.m. Dec. 23, ESPN

Urban Meyer took his offense to Florida.

Line: Utah -2, 49 total

Hawaii Bowl

Arizona State (7-5) vs. Hawaii (10-3)

TV: 5 p.m. Dec. 24, ESPN

Switch off the set and spend Christmas Eve with your family.

Line: Hawaii -8, 75 total

Motor City Bowl

Central Michigan (9-4) vs. Middle Tennessee (7-5)

TV: 4:30 p.m. Dec. 26, ESPN

Who will be King of the Median?

Line: Central Michigan -10, 51 total

Emerald Bowl

Florida State (6-6) vs. UCLA (7-5)

TV: 5 p.m. Dec. 26, ESPN

The Seminoles are in for a world of hurt.

Line: UCLA -4 1/2, 40 1/2 total

Independence Bowl

Oklahoma St. (6-6) vs. Alabama (6-6)

TV: 1:30 p.m. Dec. 28, ESPN

One team will finish with a losing record.

Line: Oklahoma State -2 1/2, 51 total

Music City Bowl

Clemson (8-4) vs. Kentucky (7-5)

TV: 10 a.m. Dec. 29, ESPN

Watch these two schools play basketball.

Line: Clemson - 10, 58 total

Sun Bowl

Missouri (8-4) vs. Oregon State (9-4)

TV: 11 a.m. Dec. 29, CBS

Two spoilers "just glad to be here."

Line: Oregon State -3 1/2, 52 total

Liberty Bowl

South Carolina (7-5) vs. Houston (10-3)

TV: 1:30 p.m. Dec. 29, ESPN

Did you bet on Steve Spurrier in the visor toss pool?

Line: South Carolina -6 1/2, 55 1/2 total

Insight Bowl

Minnesota (6-6) vs. Texas Tech (7-5)

TV: 4:30 p.m. Dec. 29, NFL

We'd rather see Tech play Coach Fox's Minnesota State.

Line: Texas Tech -7, 66 total

Champs Sports Bowl

Maryland (8-4) vs. Purdue (8-5)

TV: 5 p.m. Dec. 29, ESPN

Not unless you miss Purdue coach "Cowboy" Joe Tiller.

Line: Maryland pick, 52 total

Meineke Bowl

Navy (9-3) vs. Boston College (9-3)

TV: 10 a.m. Dec. 30, ESPN

We'd be tempted if Navy's top two runners weren't injured.

Line: Boston College -6 1/2, 47 total

Alamo Bowl

Iowa (6-6) vs. Texas (9-3)

TV: 1:30 p.m. Dec. 30, ESPN

Forget the Alamo Bowl. Most Longhorn fans already have.

Line: Texas -11, 53 1/2 total

Chick-fil-A Bowl

Virginia Tech (10-2) vs. Georgia (8-4)

TV: 5 p.m. Dec. 30, ESPN

Ignore two big-name programs playing in a packed Georgia Dome.

Line: Virginia Tech -3, 38 total

Outback Bowl

Penn State (8-4) vs. Tennessee (9-3)

TV: 8 a.m. Jan. 1, ESPN

Couldn't find the Rose Parade on TV?

Line: Tennessee -4 1/2, 41 total

Cotton Bowl

Auburn (10-2) vs. Nebraska (9-4)

TV: 8:30 a.m. Jan. 1, Fox

Like the Cotton Bowl, the Cornhuskers have lost a lot of their luster.

Line: Auburn -3, 45 total

Gator Bowl

Georgia Tech (9-4) vs. West Virginia (10-2)

TV: 10 a.m. Jan. 1, CBS

The Mountaineers might have been overrated - check that, they were overrated.

Line: West Virginia -7, 49 total

International Bowl

Cincinnati (7-5) vs. Western Michigan (8-4)

TV: 9 a.m. Jan. 6, ESPN2

Will the Toronto grounds crew remember the field is only 100 yards long?

Line: Cincinnati -8, 41 1/2 total

GMAC Bowl

Southern Miss (8-5) vs. Ohio (9-4)

TV: 5 p.m. Jan. 7, ESPN

Face it, you're suffering bowl overload.

Line: Southern Miss -6 1/2, 42 total

THEIR TIME TO SHINE

Some lesser known players get a chance on the national stage:

Colt Brennan, QB, Hawaii, Hawaii Bowl - In 25 career starts, has averaged 371.6 yards passing per game, completing 70 percent of his throws.

Kevin Kolb, QB, Houston, Liberty Bowl - Senior has more career passing yards (12,578) than Notre Dame's Brady Quinn.

Calvin Johnson, WR, Georgia Tech, Gator Bowl - Has 12 career 100-yard receiving games and can out-jump defenders with his 45-inch vertical jump.

Garrett Wolfe, RB, Northern Illinois, Poinsettia Bowl - Smallish back hasn't just dominated small schools en route to 1,900 rushing yards this year: He had 171 yards rushing and 114 yards receiving on the road against Ohio State in the season's first game.

Jarrett Dillard, WR, Rice, New Orleans Bowl - Thrived in Rice's newly installed spread offense, catching 82 passes, including 20 TD grabs.