Tech tops UGA in bowl gift bag battle

It seems that Georgia Tech has one-upped Georgia again.

The Jackets defeated the Dogs on the field a few weeks ago and appears to have won the all-important bowl gift bag comparison battle between the schools. NCAA rules allow bowls to give players as much as $500 in gifts and The SportsBusiness Journal cataloged the gifts that will be handed out this year.

Tech will play LSU in the Chick-fil-A bowl on Dec. 31 at the Georgia Dome. Players on both teams will receive a Fossil watch, two Russell hats, a Russell travel bag, and a $300 Visa gift card, as well as a Chick-fil-A gift card.

Not too shabby.

Georgia will play Michigan State in the Capital One Bowl on Jan. 1 in Orlando.

Players will get to go to a party at Best Buy where they can purchase as much as $400 worth of stuff. They will also receive a commemorative watch.

Here are some highs and lows from the other bowls:

Worst package: The EagleBank bowl in Washington will give each player a Sony 8-inch portable DVD player, which is pretty cool. But, not to be outdone, they will also give away a wool hat, as well as a 50-by-60-inch EagleBank bowl afghan. Surely, Navy’s dress code will allow the hat. And it gets cold enough in Winston-Salem for Wake Forest’s players to rock that cap for about a month out of the year.

Best package: Boise State may have gone undefeated, but this gift package is the real reward. The San Diego County Credit Union Poinsettia bowl will give away an Apple 8-inch gigabyte Ipod Touch, a Tommy Hilfiger watch, a Sport-Tek hooded sweatshirt and a $50 Best Buy gift certificate.

Runner-up: The Tostitos Fiesta Bowl will give Myvu personal media viewer and an Apple Ipod Nano, as well as a Fossil Watch.

Oddest gift: Making the equipment managers for Northern Illinois and Louisiana Tech very happy, the Independence Bowl will give Trek mountain bikes. So, if you see a moving van with the world’s largest bike rack rolling down the interstate, you’ll know why.

The champs will receive: Oklahoma and Florida’s players will get to spend $300 on Sony stuff at a party, a Tourneau watch, a New Era 59fifty hat, crocs, and an Ogio duffle bag.

Of course, that pales to the big crystal trophy and the rings that the winner will eventually receive.