The eyes are bleary and bloodshot. The muscles ache (but certainly not from exertion of any kind). The stomach is queasy, and requests that it doesn't encounter a chip, dip or cracker for at least a month.

Yes, another grueling New Year's football-watching orgy is in the books and it's hard to tell a Volunteer from a Wolverine from a corporate sponsor.

As a service to everyone who couldn't spend 12 or more hours tethered to the sofa, OnMilwaukee.com is pleased to provide a recap of Tuesday's bowl action, beginning with a look at the game with the most local interest:

OUTBACK BOWL
Tennessee 21, Wisconsin 17 -- The Badgers capped their season with a frustrating performance that effectively encapsulated their season. For much of the first half, the defense was marred by shoddy tackling and missed assignments. Tennessee didn't score in the second half, but the Badgers couldn't make the big plays when they needed them.

Bowl games are often sloppy and the Badgers, who had a roster dominated by young players, needed four timeouts because of alignment problems.

Tennessee quarterback Erik Ainge (365 yards, two touchdowns) walked away with the MVP trophy, but Badgers senior Tyler Donovan cemented his reputation as one of the tougher competitors in Wisconsin sports history. Donovan was smoked on several occasions, prompting Bret Bielema to rail on the officiating crew -- a seemingly overmatched group from the Mountain West conference that seemed to be holding back for fear of error.

While Bielema ragged the refs, many Badgers fans booed his decision to pass up a seemingly sure 27-yard field goal on 4th and 2 at the Tennessee 10. The play didn't work, in part because Donovan missed Travis Beckum early in the route. Perhaps the Badgers could have given the ball to P.J. Hill, who carried 16 times for 132 yards.

CAPITAL ONE BOWL
Michigan 41, Florida 35 -- The lingering image of this game? Wolverines players trying to carry 62-year-old Lloyd Carr off the field and into retirement. Carr, a class act throughout his tenure in Ann Arbor, ordered the boys to put him down. Michigan outlasted the Gators, overcoming four turnovers and putting pressure on Heisman Trophy winner Tim Tebow.

COTTON BOWL
Missouri 38, Arkansas 6 -- The Tigers were ranked No. 1 after beating Kansas in the regular-season finale, but they got smoked by Oklahoma in the Big 12 championship game and then watched their hated rival, Kansas, get an at-large invitation to the Orange Bowl. Missouri's players took out their frustrations on the Razorbacks, who couldn't get their offense untracked and had no way to stop Tigers standout quarterback Chase Daniel.

GATOR BOWL
Texas Tech 31, Virginia 28 -- This was a pretty entertaining game, but it's hard to think of the Gator Bowl without an image of Ohio State coach Woody Hayes punching that guy from Clemson. Virginia blew a 17-point lead in the fourth quarter. Tech kicker Alex Trlica drilled a 41-yarder in the closing seconds to seal the deal.

ROSE BOWL
USC 49, Illinois 17 -- Maybe USC is the best team in the country. It is hard to argue the point after a performance like this. You've heard the saying "He did everything but play with the band." Trojans quarterback John David Booty, whose name sounds like a cross between a serial killer and a porn star, conducted an offense that gained 633 yards and then grabbed a sword from the team mascot and guided the band through a version of the USC victory march. It wasn't a great day for the Illini.

SUGAR BOWL
Georgia 41, Hawaii 10 -- This was truly an endurance test - for the announcers, Thom Brennaman and Charles Davis, and an ever-dwindling viewing audience. This game was decided early and was dragging by the second quarter. The second half was only for diehards and insomniacs. Hawaii, led by quarterback Colt Brennan, was a great story during the season, but the Warriors only beat two teams with winning records and didn't really deserve a shot at a BCS bowl.

TONIGHT 

FIESTA BOWL
Oklahoma vs. West Virginia -- In case you haven't seen enough football for a while, Fox offers this matchup with Milwaukee favorite Matt Vasgersian behind the microphone. Consider it a warm-up for the BCS Championship Game, which won't be contested until Monday night in New Orleans.