Greetings all, and Merry (belated) Christmas.

I am happy to have survived Shitty Bowl Week in positive units (+3.6). Had a couple of calls gone our way we could be up even bigger, but that’s just how it goes. Now it’s time to buckle down and start rolling the dice on games that offer a bit more excitement. Tonight’s game features the second Purdue/Central Michigan matchup of the year.

Earlier in the season Purdue took care of Central Michigan 45-22. Purdue, however, comes into the Motor City Bowl on a 3 game skid and has to be disappointed with the end result of their season. I look for Purdue to come out slow and for both offenses to take a few possessions to get things churning. The first half will be close, but Purdue’s spread attack will eventually be too much for Central Michigan to handle.

Since both teams have already faced each other this year, I look for the time in the film room to pay off on both sides of the ball, especially defense. Both Ds should come up with more 3rd down stops, causing the final score to come in significantly lower than Vegas has set the total.

Tonight’s plays:

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Greetings NextRound faithful, and thanks to Team Cool & Tough for the opportunity to make everyone money during Bowl Season.

This season has been quite the roller coaster for gamblers and football fans in general. It’s seen more action than Paris Hilton’s dong pocket, more highs and lows than Amy Winehouse, and bigger disappointments than Jessica Alba’s recent fertilization.

The good thing is that Bowl Season presents the perfect opportunity to kick your bookie back in the nuts and end the year in the black. (Those of you who actually have the self control not to bet on the NBA, MLB, and American Idol during the dreaded offseason, that is.)

As for the picks, I will be submitting them the day of the each game in the comments section of this weekly column. If a game falls at night on a non-holiday weekday the pick will be posted by 2 PM EST at the latest. If a game falls on a weekend or Holiday, the pick will be posted by 11 AM EST at the latest. This is the way handicappers run their show, and for good reason, especially during bowl season. Way too much can happen the week leading up to a team’s bowl game (curfew violations, injuries, weather conditions, etc.)

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Congratulations to THEFINCH for only going slightly into the red this weekend and therefore winning the CFB Handicapper contest.

It’s nice to know he’s capable of meeting the level of excellence people come to expect with this site. We wouldn’t accept any less.

Anticipate THEFINCH’s Bowl Handicapping picks column to start appearing in roughly two weeks.

Thanks again to everyone who participated.

Winner!

THEFINCH, 2 unit: 2-2-1, Net: -0.2 units

Eliminated in Final Round

Jesse, 3 unit: 0-2, 2 unit: 3-2, Net: -5.0 units

Teddy Dupay, 3 unit: 2-1, 2 unit: 0-3, 1 unit: 0-3, Net: -7.2 units

Thanks for Playing

Brown, Booth, Corndog, Ace, Paulie Walnuts, Runyan, El Matador, charez, boruboru

It’s that time of the week. Time to see who goes home and who lives to wager the final weekend!

Ginormous Dong of the Week goes to: THEFINCH

If THEFINCH didn’t mess around with limp-wristed one unit picks he would have absolutely demolished the field in Round 2 as he was dead on with his two and three unit picks. Still a money week as he finishes +9.8 units. Probably the closest we’ll ever come to seeing a double digit weekend. Job well done.

Flaccid Dong of the Week goes to: Booth

Seriously, who didn’t see this coming after last week’s admirable showing? Classic Booth. Start strong, provide glimmers of promise, and then underdeliver at an incomprehensible level.

In case you’re wondering, Booth does not reserve this M.O. strictly for sports gambling, he also lives by it at work and in the sack.

Top 3 advance to the Final Round, where we start back from scratch and winner gets to be NR’s Bowl Game consultant for the next month and a half.

Good luck to the final three contestants.

Advancing to Final Round

1) THEFINCH, 3 unit: 2-0, 2 unit: 3-0, 1 unit: 0-2, Net: +9.8 units

2) Jesse, 3 unit: 2-0, 2 unit: 5-4, 1 unit: 0-1, Net: +6.1 units

3) Teddy Dupay, 3 unit: 2-0, 2 unit: 1-1, 1 unit: 1-3, Net: +3.5 units

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It’s time to see who goes home and who lives to wager another weekend!

Ginormous Dong of the Week goes to Jesse. Not only did he smoke the competition, but he was also the only contestant to do better than Booth. That’s right, Booth. The same guy that thinks  McNuggets are the fifth major food group.

Flaccid Dong of the Week goes to boruboru. Not his week as his 3 unit picks go 0-fer. We appreciate you competing.

As we mentioned last week, the top 6 will advance on where they start back from scratch and try to survive into the final three. Good luck to the six remaining contestants.

Advancing to Round 2

1) Jesse, 2 unit: 2-1, 1 unit: 3-0, Net: +4.8 units

2) Booth, 1 unit: 5-2, Net: +2.8 units

3) THEFINCH, 3 unit: 1-0, 2 unit: 0-1, 1 unit: 1-1, Net: +0.7 units

4) Brown, 2 unit: 0-1, 1 unit: 4-2, Net: -0.4 units

5) Teddy Dupay, 3 unit: 1-0, 2 unit: 0-1, 1 unit: 1-2, Net: -0.4 units

6) Corndog, 3 unit: 1-0, 2 unit: 0-2, Net: -1.4 units

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Seeing that we’re out a college football handicapper (and Booth really wants to take over the job), we figured we might as well see if there is anyone out there that can do a competent job of it.

So we’re going to run a shortened three round contest where the winner gets to make picks on the site during bowl season (and attempt to out hardcore our NFL handicapper).

We’re going to run this thing playoffs style. Post your picks in the comments and the top 50% of the field will survive into the next week. We’ll declare a winner after the conference championships (roughly Dec. 3rd, or whenever the hell we get to it).

If it turns out to be just one dude playing against Booth, then so be it. That guy will be picking bowl games for us.

NextRound isn’t going to be making any official picks, but–luckily for all involved–Booth is going to make his own picks and is convinced he’ll bring home the prize. It’s a little surreal. He’s got that same determined look on his face that he gets right before he enters a McDonald’s drive thru.

There’s a lot of money riding on him not making it past this first round, so don’t let us down. Good Luck.

Guidelines: Follow the 1 to 3 unit system. Submit your picks before noon on Saturday under one handle with an email address we can reach you. Top 50% advance into Round 2, and so forth. Don’t bet against Duke. They’re bringing it this weekend.