What would New Years Eve be without a present from the Honest Brew?  To welcome in the year 2012 and say goodbye to all of the horrible things we did in 2011, the Honest Brew brings you a two-part series of our 2012 Bowl Game Picks.  We decided to keep this as much like a podcast as we could (conversational) without actually recording anything Part I of our Bowl Game Picks gives you our predictions of 6 bowl games on January 2nd, 2o12.  Happy New Year!

TICKET CITY BOWL – Houston vs Penn State

SK: Classic matchup of great offense going against great defense.  After watching Houston get trounced by Southern Mississippi in the Conference USA title game on their own field, it is difficult to pick them in a game against a comparable Penn State team.  In their defense, Penn State got clobbered by a high-powered Wisconsin offense in their last game of the season and could have similar problems going up against one of the toughest offenses in college football with Case Keenum and the Cougars.  In a game that could go either way, I’m going with the karma pick.

Houston 38 Penn State 30 

BH: I think this is definitely one of the more underrated matchups heading into Bowl Mania. Usually when you have a top offense taking on a top defense, the defense seems to win out… but Case Keenum will have Houston ready, even facing the #5 defense in the country.  Both teams had disappointing ends to seasons but the loss to Southern Miss for Houston was devastating because it kept them out of a bowl game. In Dallas w/ Keenum as the “gipper” here and they… well… win won for him.

Houston 35 Penn State 29

CAPITAL ONE BOWL – South Carolina vs. Nebraska

BH: Why Steve Spurrier didn’t punt Stephen Garcia on 4^th down back in Training Camp is beyond me, but Connor Shaw has really done a nice job of being a dual-threat option throughout the remainder of the regular season. But here’s the issue… despite the #10 ranking, the other USC is coming into this game with their other QB, and no Marcus Lattimore… at some points, you need your best tools to build your house… and the house right now is more of a Bluth company model home… looks swell on the outside, but inside… are you gonna have the flakes or the loops? Taylor Time in Orlando.

Nebraska 24 South Carolina 21 

SK: What I love about Arrested Development analogy Ben, is that it has worked the same way for the Chicago Bears as it has for the Gamecocks.  Bears lost their two best players on ‘O’ in Cutler and Forte and have looked like the Pittsburgh Pirates taking batting practice… awful.  Just like when the Little Giants lost Becky ‘The Ice Box’ O’Shea for 3 quarters, USC just won’t be the same without Lattimore.

Nebraska 28 USC 18

OUTBACK BOWL – Georgia vs Michigan State 

SK: Tough one to call.  Georgia finished 10-3 on the season with two of their losses coming against then #5 Boise State and #1 LSU.  Their only other loss came against a top ten team in #9 South Carolina.  We should also never forget that Michigan State was a play away from coasting to the Rose Bowl where they would have most likely received a thorough shellacking from the hands of Oregon.  Georgia could be the more seasoned team after playing a strong regular seasons schedule against SEC opponents, but who knows?

Michigan State 41- Georgia 38

BH: Shayn, don’t ask who knows when clearly you know who knows… and we know this will be Georgia in a landslide.  Georgia seems to win games that they have to win to keep Mark Richt on the sidelines so he can go make out with his wife after a victory (that did happen by the way). Plus with Michigan State’s rough history against SEC teams in Bowl Games (49-7 vs. ‘Bama last year), I see Georgia slaying Sparty.

Georgia 38 Michigan State 9

GATOR BOWL – Florida vs. Ohio State

BH: I do love seeing Ohio State continually get shat on… but this is really unfair. We’re going to go ahead and play the “Gator Bowl” IN Jacksonville against Florida… is Urban Meyer coaching yet?  Reminds me of a joke a Florida student told me after UF beat OSU twice in national championships.  “What do OSU students use to take tests?  #2 pencils! Get it?  Because they’re number 2… if I have to explain this to you, go outside and gauge your eye balls with a #2 pencil… and then watch Ohio State stun the Gators and make all of us look like complete and total morons. 

Ohio State 27 Florida 20

SK: Wohhhhh baby.  Heisler going completely Two-Face on me.  I’m actually going to have to stick with your logic and pick the Gators in Florida.  Just do everyone a favor Ben and please don’t go to law school.

Florida 36 Ohio State 24

ROSE BOWL – Oregon vs Wisconsin

SK: Even with Wisconsin making their second consecutive Rose Bowl appearance, the fans have clearly gone through a season of disappointments.   Everyone thought that Wisconsin had finally found a quarterback that could take them to the National Championship game with Russell Wilson.  Those hopes crashed into the ground like Joe Paterno trying to answer the doorbell when they lost back to back games against Michigan State and Ohio State.   Unlike Wisconsin, Oregon played a tough nonconference schedule against #1 LSU and rolled over #4 Stanford during Pac 12 play.  The Badgers will have to knock Oregon off the top of the hill and make sure that the ghost of Andy Dalton has vanished from the Rose Bowl grounds.

Oregon 42 Wisconsin 34

BH: I hate picking against all these Big Ten teams, but I see many similarities to Wisconsin and Stanford and you saw what Oregon did to Luck and the boys. Wisconsin  was considered to have a vaunted defense allowed 190 yards to a poor MSU running game in Indianapolis during the Big Ten Championship… and now they’re going to try and contain LaMichael James? Let’s be clear about one thing, this will indeed be a shoot-out, but Oregon has far too much speed on offense for Wisconsin to overcome. Note to self… TAKE THE OVER!

Oregon 48 Wisconsin 44

FIESTA BOWL – Oklahoma State vs. Stanford

BH: This is a game I’m legitimately excited for because these are both two teams with a ton to prove.  Luck will be the #1 pick but he and the rest of their team are steamed about their huge loss to Oregon at home.  OK State is still trying to explain that they deserve to be in the BCS game.  I like Stefan Taylor and the pro-style Cardinal offense to get some penetration and probably control the clock… but I just love the fact that Cowboys QB Brandon Weeden is 28… and even though he’s not 40… dammit, HE’S A MAN!

Oklahoma State 37 Stanford 34

I love the vengeance factor going into the game with Oklahoma State.  It’s more more than likely that the Cowboys will come out and whoop Standford’s ass in spite of the BCS.  They’re going to have to find a way to play a full game of disciplined defense against Luck and the Cardinal.  I think OSU’s days of not playing focused ‘D’ ala Iowa State are behind them and Luck will provide them with a few big game interceptions.

Oklahoma State 48 Stanford 28

NORTHBROOK, IL – It’s Tuesday afternoon and my Dad and I decide to take a stroll over to Best Buy.  We reach the mall parking lot and end up passing a Starbucks with a drive-thru, when were are suddenly horrified at the site in front of us. A line of cars filled with some of the ‘finest’ north suburban Chicagoans is wrapped around the Starbucks as if there is a world coffee shortage.  We couldn’t believe it but there were EIGHT car-loads of people waiting in the drive-thru line.  Eight car-loads of people who decided that they would rather wait in there cars for 15 minutes for their mocha frappucinos than get off their lazy asses and walk into the empty store and get their drinks in 2 minutes.  We both agreed that we were disgusted at the site we were seeing.  What ensued was a deeply passionate discussion on: When is it acceptable to use the drive-thru?

Unnecessary usage of the drive-thru has long been a pet peeve of mine.  Drive-thrus just seem to encapsulate everything that is wrong with America.  Drive-thrus allow people to accomplish three things: 1) waste gasoline and pump fumes in the air 2) prolong the time it takes to get their McRib meal with a double chocolate shake 3) Sit on their lazy asses so they don’t have to expel the energy it takes to park and get out of their cars.

But with every rule, there are exceptions.  I for one am guilty of using the drive thru on numerous occasions.  But when during those times when I did call upon the drive-thru gods, I had a GOOD reason to do so.  Even though huge lines at drive-thrus disgust me, I understand that some users (like myself at times) have good reason to purchase their meals in their cars.  I decided that enough is enough and an official protocol for using the drive-thru must be established which will forever be referred to as the Honest Brew’s Drive-thru Commandments.

It is ok to use the drive-thru when:

1)   The store front is closed for the evening, drive-thru is only thing left over.

2)   A person in your car is handicapped and the time and effort it would take to get them out of the car, go into the store, order the drink, and get them back in the car is not worth it. Or if you have multiple infants that would require serious carrying.

   e.g. The only thing that will keep your Aunt Mable quiet is by shoving a McFlurry down her throat

3)   It’s pouring rain or sleeting and there are no other cars in line for the drive-thru.

4)   a)   Your currently listening to an incredibly long song or jam that you cannot leave the car for and you’ve already arrived at your fast food destination. 

     e.g. 12/29/94 Providence ‘Bowie’ or Miles Davis’ ‘Bithces Brew’

       b)   Great radio interview is on

5)   You plan on pulling a drive-thru prank and putting it on YouTube.

Just like the Ten Commandments the rules are set in stone.  However, I would gladly humor the idea of adding another stone tablet the Drive-thru Commandments by adding some new rules.  And if you shall disobey the Drive-thru Commandments, MAY RONALD MCDONALD SMITE YOU TO HELL!

Top highschool quarterback prospect of 2012 Gunner Kiel is heading to Bloomington to play for the Hoosiers. The Honest Brew discusses what this means for the IU football program.

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Earlier this afternoon, Phish front man Trey Anastasio announced that he will be taking his Trey Anastasio Band out on the road for a seven show tour come this fall. The tour begins with TAB headlining the Langerado Music Festival on October 9, and then working its way through the Mid Atlantic until October 15. The final two tour dates come almost four weeks later on November 11 in Atlanta, GA and November 12 at the Bear Creek Music and Arts Festival in Live Oak, FL.

Phish in North Charleston, SC (10/16/10) © The Honest Brew

With an unusually long break in between the first and second segments of the tour, any anxious Phish fan will quickly recognize that the possibility of a Halloween Run this fall is wide open. Even with a sizable portion of summer tour dates to come in August, beginning with a two night run at the Gorge and commencing in Colorado over Labor Day weekend, it’s never too early to start forecasting possible Phish tour dates.

Let’s begin today by focusing on the question of whether or not there will be a Halloween run come this fall:

Why there WILL be a Halloween Run?

The biggest clue we have gotten thus far has to be the news of Trey’s solo act taking a nearly four week break from October 15to November. It would seem that this would give Phish enough time to rehearse the album/s of there choice for there Halloween “musical costume.” In interviews conducted last year regarding Phish’s latest “musical costume” with Little Feat, the guys talked about how the difficulty of learning a Double LP while on tour during Fall 2010. Phish began played 12 shows in two and a half weeks spanning from Colorado all the way to Charleston, SC (and even Augusta, ME) before taking two days off prior to their 3-night Halloween Run in Atlantic City. Somehow the guys managed to pull off a stellar 15-show Fall Tour while mastering Little Feat’s “Waiting for Columbus.” While Phish proved they could handle the load of the tour and the Halloween Run, perhaps they decided that they wanted to lower the stress for 2011’s Halloween Run by not touring and focusing solely on learning their album/s of choice and rehearsing. If Phish is indeed planning on performing come late October, the idea of them learning multiple albums is in the cards considering the ample time they have along with the immaculate chemistry that they have developed during summer tour thus far.

Why there WON’T be a Halloween Run?

The first thing that comes to mind regarding why Phish won’t be playing shows over Halloween weekend is because the 2011 calendar does not contain a true Halloween Weekend. Both 2009 and 2010 were ideal years for Phish to have Halloween shows taking place at Festival 8 in Indio, CA on Halloween Saturday in ’09 and Atlantic City on Halloween Sunday ’10. This year of course Halloween will be on the last Monday in October, which makes a weekend Halloween Run unlikely. Does this mean that IF Phish does indeed plan on playing a Halloween show that it will be a singular show that is not a true run of shows? All we can say is, “maybe so, or maybe not.” Let’s take a look into Halloween shows of years past to see which day of the week they took place.

- Halloween ’94: The Beatles “White Album” – MONDAY

- Halloween ’95: The Who “Quadrophenia” – TUESDAY

- Halloween ’96: Talking Heads “Remain in Light” – THURSDAY

- Halloween ’98: Velvet Underground “Loaded” – SATURDAY

So is Phish afraid to play a Halloween show on a weekday? The answer would seem to be NO. Keep in mind that all six of their Halloween shows have taken place as part of a tour, and never alone as a Halloween Run. But we must remember that Phish could be the hardest band in history to predict in any and every aspect there is. Nobody saw the Island Tour coming, which consisted of four shows in April of 1998 that were created out of the bands boredom and they just decided to throw a short tour together in two or so weeks.

One of the biggest factors in forecasting a Halloween show/run from Phish will hinge on Mike Gordon and whether or not he will be taking his solo act out on the road this fall. I fully expect Mike to be out on the road some time this fall. If he does announce tour dates that leave a window open in mid to late October, I would be more than suspicious about the possibilities of Phish playing their seventh Halloween musical costume, or perhaps they be dawning multiple costumes.

Important Factors

An important factor to consider that will be how determined Phish is to learn a certain album for their Halloween show. The biggest driving force behind Phish wanting to play a Halloween show will be if they want to undertake a new musical challenge. We know how driven Phish is musically, as they are always seeking greater challenges that push them forward as a band. It is interesting to note that in an interview regarding last years Halloween show, Mike Gordon mentioned that Little Feat was the only band that Phish considered covering for their musical costume. Mike said that when they were deciding on whether or not to do the Halloween show, the choices were Little Feat or not doing the show at all.

Forecast as of July ’11

With what we know now, the possibility of Phish playing on Halloween is very possible. Looking past Halloween, not much is known regarding a New Years Run except that Page McConnell’s wife is due to have a baby around that time and Phish plans on recording a new album this winter. The possibilities of a New Years Run or a Spring Tour are wide open right now, but not enough clues have been uncovered to project a forecast for Winter 2011 and beyond just yet. However, it seems that just enough dust has been cleared to reveal some clues that could point us toward Phish playing this October. Let’s hope that in the coming weeks, Mike will announce some fall tour dates and give us our next clue to solving the latest Phish mystery.

Meanwhile, I hope to see many of you this August out on the West Coast, Chicago, and Denver. Let’s enjoy these next few weeks of summer Phish, as the best of 2011 has yet to come!