How to Win Your College Bowl Bracket

We don’t need a playoff system in college football; we already have college bowl brackets. (Wikimedia Images)"]

Call it December Delirium, to co-opt an idea from former Auburn head coach Terry Bowden.

All you need to do for most bracket contests is pick the winner of each of the 34 bowl games. Progressive points systems are commonly used; picking the BCS Championship Game correctly will earn you, say, three points, with the four traditional major bowls counting for two points and the remaining bowls a point apiece. Most points wins.

The simplest strategy is to pick all the favorites, especially if you’re in an office pool where not everybody is aware of the odds. Heavy favorites win more often – that’s why they’re heavy favorites. The bigger bowl games earn more bracket points and therefore deserve more research, but it’s easier to outfox your less-informed competition and clean up on the minor bowls.