ESPN's free College Bowl Mania game will be familiar to those who have played College Pick 'Em. The principle is the same. First, pick the winner of each game, then rank the games in the order of your confidence in those picks. The twist, of course, is that College Bowl Mania requires you to rank 34 games in order of confidence rather than the usual 10.

You'll always be able to access your team from the drop-down menu under the fantasy tab on the ESPN.com front page. Play against others from around the country or create your own private group to compete against your friends. The first bowl games are December 20, so selections must be finalized by that morning.

A second pick 'em game will run throughout the bowl season, with daily lock times. This game will not require confidence rankings; all picks will be worth the same value. Check the College Bowl Mania front page for details.

When making picks, it's important to consider the differences between bowl games and regular-season games. College football is unique among major sports, in that teams compete for something other than the sport's overall championship during the postseason.

With some picks worth more than 30 points and others worth only a point or two, College Bowl Mania has a different flavor than the standard 10-game pick 'em. The top picks carry so much more weight that it's important to examine each game from all possible angles. Scrutinize each team's credentials independently, then break down the matchup itself. Finally, determine what the stakes are for each team, and determine which ones will be highly motivated to prepare and play their best. … MORE