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Gameday: Instant analysis...Bowl edition Part 1
Published: 12/31/2011 1:28 AM
Last Modified: 12/31/2011 1:28 AM

Despite being a strong playoff proponent, I really don't hate bowl games.

Maybe it's nostalgia. Or maybe it's the fact any college football is better than no college football.

Not to mention the bowls most people make fun of -- Beef 'O' Brady's, Idaho Potato, etc. -- would likely survive a playoff as a football NIT of sorts.

So I could think of few things better than firing up the HD television at 11 a.m. to start a full day of college football games.

Here's what I learned in my well-spent day of research:

1. This Tulsa loss with sting a while
You know what happens when you dominate a game but never pull away... you suffer the type of painful loss Tulsa was dealt Friday morning. The Golden Hurricane had no real reason to lose the Armed Forces Bowl against BYU. They played well on defense, moved it a little and built a big lead. But one turnover right before halftime changed everything. As a result, Tulsa heads into the offseason with a bitter taste in its mouth.

2. Year 1 was good, but Bill Blankenship still has work to do
Despite the loss, you have to rate Bill Blankenship's first season as head coach at Tulsa a success. The Golden Hurricane played four teams who at the time of the game were ranked in the top 10. There's nothing wrong with eight wins. But before you know if Blankenship was the right hire, he has to do it again next year... and the next and the next. Tulsa must replace quarterback G.J. Kinne, but six other starters return on offense and seven come back on defense. That's enough of a nucleus to expect good things next season. It will also be interesting to see the results of Blankenship's first full year on the recruiting trail.

3. Say what you will about Landry Jones, but the guy's tough
The end of Landry Jones' season -- without top receiver Ryan Broyles -- hasn't been pretty. He didn't exactly impress in the early going of the Insight Bowl either. But the dude is tough. The shot he took in the second quarter -- a helmet-to-helmet number during a slide -- was vicious. But Jones returned to the game -- albeit with a chipped tooth. He didn't show a lot of with his arm, but he showed a lot of guts.

4. Speaking of Jones, he needs to go to the NFL
Is Jones a great quarterback or a product of having one of the NCAA's best receivers by his side? Jones' post-Broyles performances have left one to wonder. He was again hit-or-miss Friday night in the Insight Bowl. But despite his recent performances, Jones is a top 20 pick on many NFL draft boards. If that's truly the case, Jones needs to take the money and run.

5. Maybe the sky in Norman isn't falling after all
The Insight Bowl turned out about like I expected. Iowa is at the same level as Iowa State. And even in a depleted state, Oklahoma was able to hold off the Cyclones on a miserable November day in Norman. Friday's win over Iowa was more of the same. If you don't count Landry Jones, OU returns 17 players from its Insight Bowl starting lineup. The number climbs by two more when you consider injured running back Dom Whaley and receiver Jaz Reynolds. That's a lot of returning starters to think the Sooners will take a dramatic step back next season. No one among the offensive starters is as good as Ryan Broyles. And none of the defensive starters completely measure up to Frank Alexander and Travis Lewis. But develop another playmaker or two on offense, and OU should be extremely formidable next season.

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The Editor's Desk

Tulsa World Sports Editor Michael Peters has nearly 20 years of daily newspaper experience. A 1993 graduate of Texas A&M, he worked at papers in Bryan-College Station, Texas, Beaumont, Texas, and Galveston, Texas, before joining the Houston Chronicle as High School Sports Editor in 2008. While in Houston, he coordinated coverage of the 2008 Texas Class 5A state football championships and the 2011 NCAA Men's Final Four.

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