Norman's No-Nos

Each Friday during the college football bowl season,  Norman Arey delivers the 'locks of the week' on who's going to lose -- and why.

College football's final bowls includes big rematch:

Alabama's revenge or LSU repeat? Norman says ...

(1/6) Now is the time to prepare to put away all things football for the next half year or so and concentrate on your career or what’s left of it after this season. There are only four bowl games left, meaning that 31 have already been played. I’m not all that proficient in picking bowl losers. In fact, my record thus far is 22-9. See you next September.

Jan. 6

COTTON BOWL: ARKANSAS vs. KANSAS STATE. Kansas State has had phenomenal results since 99-year-old Bill Snyder returned as the head coach. The Wildcats, at 10-2, lost only to the two big Oklahoma schools. But KSU’s defense doesn’t play as well as it offense and its allowed some eye-busting scores during the year. Arkansas also finished with a 10-2 mark, losing to LSU and Alabama. Maybe Snyder’s cunning and deering-do will bring the Kansas folks a win. NO-NO. The Razorbacks are SEC-tough and dispatch the Wildcats by 10.

Jan. 7

BBVA COMPASS BOWL: PITT vs. SMU. I know this must be an exaggeration but I don’t remember the Panthers being able to sustain any great play since Johnny Majors  was the coach and Tony Dorsett was becoming a household name. But wait! How about Jackie Sherrill’s stay? They were good but in trouble. SMU hasn’t been competitive since the NCAA shut down the Dallas school’s football program in the mid-1980s for cheating. June Jones has brought the Mustangs back to semi-respectability. The Ponies started the year 5-1 but lost four of their final six. I’m going with the Mustangs. NO-NO. Panthers run over the Dallasites by seven.

Jan. 8

GODADDY.COM BOWL: ARKANSAS STATE vs. N. ILLINOIS. Arkansas State is the Sun Belt champion and owns a nine-game winning streak coming into this game, currently the second longest streak in the country. Northern Illinois has also won 10 games with an eight-game win streak on the line. Both teams are ranked in the top 35 in the country and this should be a much better game than many think. Northern Illinois has been a consistent performer over the past few years and the Huskies whip the Red Wolves. NO-NO. ASU is without a head coach but Gus Malzahn is waiting in the wings. Wolves bite hard, take a three-point victory.

Jan. 9

BCS MYTHICAL CHAMPIONSHIP GAME: LSU vs. ALABAMA. Enough already with the never-ending analysis. The Tigers have a great defense. The Crimson Tide has a great defense. Les Miles is an excellent coach prone to do both the expected and the unexpected. Nick Saban is an excellent coach and probably is more prone to go by the book and not take unnecessary chances. I like Tide running back Trent Richardson. I like Bengal defender supreme Tyrann (Honey Badger) Matthieu.  Do I think this is going to be a close game? Sure. But maybe not as close at the 9-6 squeaker LSU pulled out in Tuscaloosa.  I think that LSU quarterback(s) Jordan Jefferson and Jarrett Lee will outplay Alabama’s AJ McCarron and the Tide will go down by seven.