Really, Bobby Bowden and Jim Tressel would never allow me to cut corners like that!

Unfortunately for those two noted coaches, and several others dotting the bowl landscape, this postseason already is remarkable for two things:

So many bowl games. And so many player suspensions.

But I'm clean. Which is as good a way as any to introduce my annual viewer's guide/cheat-sheet for the college bowl season, though I apologize for mentioning the "cheat" word during such a testy time.

Following the spirit of many, many Seminoles players, I've skipped the six pre-Christmas games and declared the two post-Jan. 1 non-BCS games ineligible for action.

That still leaves 24 games to consider. I won't take shortcuts or get my tutor to do the work for me. Let's get to them all, one by one . . .

WEDNESDAY

Motor City: Central Michigan vs. Purdue.

—Reason to avoid: I can't focus on a contest between Chippewas and Boilermakers. Just can't.

THURSDAY

Holiday: Arizona State vs. Texas.

Reason to watch: You can count on at least one speedy Pac-10 team pummeling a vastly over-rated national power.

FRIDAY

Champs Sports: Boston College vs. Michigan State.

Reason to watch: Uh oh! The suspension bug just hit the Spartans. Do the damaged teams rise up or just mope?

Texas: Houston vs. Texas Christian.

Reason to avoid: I keep pretending this bowl doesn't exist and maybe one day it will just go away.

Emerald: Oregon State vs. Maryland.

Reason to watch: Mike Riley vs. Ralph Friedgen — winner gets to be the next coach to turn down UCLA.

SATURDAY

Meineke Car Care: Wake Forest vs. Connecticut.

Reason to watch: Tim Duncan vs. Emeka Okafor?

Liberty: Central Florida vs. Mississip/p/i/ State.

Reason to avoid: How in the world did George O'Leary's team avoid suspensions? Well, so far.

Alamo: Penn State vs. Texas A&M.

Reason to watch: I always try to watch Joe Paterno in a bowl game and have done so for the last 223 years.

SUNDAY

Independence: Alabama vs. Colorado.

Reason to watch: Two shockingly good 6-6 teams.

MONDAY

Armed Forces: Air Force vs. Cal.

Reason to watch: There have been no signs of life out of the Bears for more than two months. Let's see if they can summon a spark.

Humanitarian: Georgia Tech vs. Fresno State.

Reason to avoid: It's a rematch of the 2002 Silicon Valley Football Classic. I need not say more.

Music City: Florida State vs. Kentucky.

Reason to watch: At last count, 36 Florida State players were not with the team because of academic ineligibility, other violations of team rules or injury. I hear the Seminoles are so deep that even their walk-ons get suspended.

Sun: South Florida vs. Oregon.

Reason to watch: Both were No.2 for a split-second this season. Along with 341 other teams.

Insight: Oklahoma State vs. Indiana.

Reason to watch: The memory of late coach Terry Hoeppner inspired the Hoosiers to their first bowl appearance in 14 years. That alone deserves a nod.

Chick-fil-A: Clemson vs. Auburn.

Reason to watch: These might be the two best teams that had zero whiff of national-title contention this season.

JAN. 1

Outback: Wisconsin vs. Tennessee.

Reason to watch: One's slow, Midwestern and loses every big game; the other's fast, Southern and loses every big game.

Cotton: Arkansas vs. Missouri.

Reason to watch: Just to see Razorbacks running back Darren McFadden, racing into the secondary a few more times as a collegian.

Capital One: Michigan vs. Florida.

Reason to watch: Florida 98, Michigan 14.

Gator: Virginia vs. Texas Tech.

Reason to watch: Will Cavaliers defensive lineman Chris Long blow apart Texas Tech's throw-every-down offense?

Rose: USC vs. Illinois.

Reason to watch: Always watch the Trojans when the Trojans want to make a point. Or 70 of them.

Sugar: Georgia vs. Hawaii.

Reason to watch: The Warriors' Colt Brennan is good. But not good enough.

JAN. 2

Fiesta: Oklahoma vs. West Virginia.

Reason to watch: Tons of talent. Both threw away a clean shot at the title game. Worth a look.

JAN. 3

Orange: Virginia Tech vs. Kansas.

Reason to avoid: Both were rightfully drubbed out of title contention. Not worthy of the lead-in game to the Big One.

JAN. 7

BCS championship: Louisiana State vs. Ohio State.