TOO MANY BOWLS? Sure enough, Northern Illinois and four other MAC teams get bowl bids, and the sports pundits find the post-season an object of scorn. University Diaries found one columnist who got off this gem.

Remember last year when you said the Silicon Valley Classic couldn't lower itself any further than 6-6 UCLA and Fresno State? Are you ready for Northern Illinois vs. Troy? What is that, USC's JV team?

Whatever. We're playing after Christmas. Is there any other university in Illinois that can say that?

The column also gives the Akron Zips a thought. Akron failed to qualify after Hawaii became bowl-eligible by beating Michigan State, whose win over Wisconsin looked like the first day of Operation Wacht am Rhein, but the Spartans ran out of gas against Penn State (?!) and Hawaii.