Are There Too Many College Bowl Games?

As we slog into the new year, trying to keep track of who's playing on in college football, or in the case of some of our wives-who are upset their soaps were pre-empted for the AstroTurf Mayonnaise-Tube Sock Bowl, it's College Bowl Season!

We have turned the corner on college football.  Really, with Stanford, Oregon, Wisconsin and Oklahoma State having already played (and the Rose and Fiesta were GOOD games!)  the only one left worth watching will be the LSU-Alabama title game next Monday.  But are there too many college bowl games?  Consider these facts before you answer:   35 bowl games for 2011-12...that means 70 of the 119 teams that compete at the Division 1 Level went to a bowl game.    According to "bowl standards" a team that is at .500 is bowl eligible.   Of the 70 teams this season, 10 went in with 6-6 records.  One team, UCLA, went in with a losing record, 6-7.   They finished 6-6 then lost the Pac-12 Championship game to Oregon.  Another large group of teams went into their bowl game with only a slightly better 7-5 record.  Seems like the NCAA and television are rewarding mediocrity. What do you think?