Big XII Bowl Game Breakdowns
Tostitos Fiesta Bowl
3 Oklahoma State vs. 4 Stanford
The Fiesta Bowl might be the most exciting bowl game to watch over the holidays. Two great offenses will collide in Glendale, Arizona. Oklahoma State is lead by quarterback Brandon Weeden and wide receiver Justin Blackmon. Weeden threw for over 4,300 yards and 34 TD’s to only 12 INT’s. He is completing over 72 percent of his passes and can throw the ball all over the field. His favorite target, Justin Blackmon, just won the Fred Biletnikoff Award for the second year in a row. He caught 113 passes this year for over 1,300 yards and 15 TD’s. He may only be a junior, but he is expected to be one of the first wide receivers taken in the upcoming NFL draft. You can’t mention the NFL draft without mentioning Stanford’s Andrew Luck. Luck is projected by many to be a Hall of Fame caliber quarterback. He really doesn’t have a weakness, he fits the mold of a good quarterback at 6”4’, 235 lbs, he can throw every kind of pass to any area of the field and he was even the valedictorian at Stratford High School in Houston. This season, Luck threw for over 3,100 yards and 35 TD’s to just nine INT’s. Oklahoma State will have a tough time forcing Luck to make mistakes. But when the Cowboys’ defense can’t get it done, their offense can outscore opponents as both offenses score well over 40 points per game. Oklahoma State is pretty comparable to USC, they are both primarily passing offenses with respectable running games and similar defenses. USC took Stanford to three overtimes before losing 56-48. But Oklahoma State is better than USC. And ultimately, Oklahoma State will show that they are better than Stanford.
Predicted Winner: Oklahoma State
AT&T Cotton Bowl
6 Arkansas vs. 8 Kansas State
Kansas State must feel a bit slighted at 10-2. They really thought that they deserved a BCS game after finishing 2nd in the Big XII. But the Cotton Bowl is nothing to be ashamed of. Especially when your opponent is Arkansas. The Wildcats will be a tough team to prepare for, quarterback Collin Klein is a decent enough passer, throwing for over 1,700 yards and 12 TD’s to just five INT’s. But Klein is a very dangerous runner, leading the Wildcats in rushing with almost 1,100 yards and 26 TD’s. At 6”5’, 225 lbs, he is tough to bring down. He might not break free for a 70 yard score, but he can wrestle his way to the first down marker. Arkansas, on the other hand, can make those long scoring plays. Razorback quarterback Tyler Wilson threw for 3,400 yards and 22 TD’s. Jarius Wright is his favorite target, he totaled over 1000 yards receiving this season and tallied 11 TD’s. Across the board, Arkansas has better numbers while playing a more difficult schedule. The main thing that they have to worry about is Kansas State head coach Bill Snyder. Snyder is a great play caller and can usually find a way to win. Mistakes are rare for the Wildcats, so Arkansas needs to be alert. But in the end, Arkansas will be too much for Kansas State to handle.
Predicted Winner: Arkansas
Valero Alamo Bowl
12 Baylor vs. Washington
Robert Griffin III. He’s a weapon. He’s a leader. He’s the Heisman winner. Washington won’t be able to stop the Baylor offense, they’re already giving up over 33 points per game. Meanwhile Baylor is scoring over 43 per game. RGIII, Kendall Wright, and the rest of the Bears’ offense just need to keep doing what they do best. If they keep the mistakes to a minimum, Baylor will win this game handily. Washington’s hope lies in their running game. Washington has a pretty balanced attack, but Baylor’s run defense is a bit lacking. The Huskies’ running back, Chris Polk, averaged 5.1 yards per carry this season. He totaled over 1,300 yards and 11 TD’s. Those numbers are pretty good considering the Huskies also like to throw the ball. He also has the ability to catch the ball out of the backfield. None of Washington’s receivers are particularly great, but as a receiving core, they get the job done. Seven of their receivers average over 10 yards per catch and nine different receivers have scored. If Baylor loads the box on defense and plays good man coverage on the receivers, Washington will have a hard time moving the ball.
Predicted Winner: Baylor
Insight Bowl
14 Oklahoma vs. Iowa
Does Oklahoma really have anything to play for here? They were the preseason #1 team and had their eyes set on a BCS Championship. Months later, the Sooners are a three loss team and 3rd in the Big XII. Landry Jones still had a good season, he threw for 4,300 yards and 28 TD’s, but his 14 INT’s are a bit high. Regardless, he will most likely be a first round pick. Unfortunately for the Sooners, Jaz Reynolds and Ryan Broyles will both be sidelined due to injury. They will have Kenny Stills, however, who averaged 14.1 yards per catch. The Sooners also have a two-headed monster at tailback with Dominique Whaley and Roy Finch. Together, they combined for over 1,200 yards and 12 TD’s. Iowa finished 6th in the Big Ten and 4th in the Legends Division. At 7-5, they hardly seem like a fitting opponent for the Sooners. But last year people said the same thing when the Hawkeyes upset Blaine Gabbert and the Missouri Tigers. Iowa may have five losses, but the Big Ten is stronger and deeper than most people think. The Hawkeye’s junior quarterback James Vandenberg threw for over 2,800 yards and 23 TD’s to only six INT’s. Running back Marcus Coker rushed for nearly 1,400 yards and 15 TD’s. Iowa has a pretty balanced attack, but they aren’t great at any particular facet of the game. Fortunately for Iowa, Oklahoma is deflated and injured. Iowa has been here before and they will pull off an upset in Arizona for the second year in a row.
Predicted Winner: Iowa
Meineke Car Care Bowl of Texas
Texas A&M vs. Northwestern
At one point this season, Northwestern was 2-5. Five of their six losses came in a row. Plus, the Wildcats have not won a bowl game in 62 years. They have a decent passing game behind senior quarterback Dan Persa, who threw 17 TD’s this year. Their Running quarterback, Kain Colter, threw for 660 yards and five TD’s while running for almost 600 yards and eight TD’s. Their true running back, Jacob Schmidt, ran for just 465 yards and six scores. Meanwhile, the Texas A&M Aggies have Ryan Tannehill, who completed 300 passes this year for 3,415 yards and 28 TD’s. Running backs Cyrus Gray and Christine Michael share time in the backfield and combined for nearly 2,000 yards and 20 TD’s. But the Aggies just fired Coach Sherman and hired Kevin Sumlin from the University of Houston. The Aggies will have home field advantage, however, because the game is in Houston.
Predicted Winner: Texas A&M
Bridgeport Education Holiday Bowl
24 Texas vs. Cal
I wish I could explain to you why Texas is still in the Top 25, but honestly, the only reason I can think of is political. The Longhorns’ best win came against a 6-6 A&M team and they needed a last second field goal to do it. They lost to every Top 25 team that they played and lost to unranked Missouri. Texas hangs its hat on their defense, but they still gave up 48 points to Baylor, 55 to Oklahoma, and 38 to Oklahoma State. They are still playing two quarterbacks and neither is good enough to lead a winning team next year. Statistically, Cal is a better team. They can run and pass well, and they score almost 30 points per game. With a solid running back in Isi Sofele and a good receiving core, Cal has an identity. With the game in San Diego, I give Cal the edge.
Predicted Winner: Cal
New Era Pinstripe Bowl
Iowa State vs. Rutgers
Rutgers had a pretty weak schedule, so don’t let the 8-4 record fool you. They only played two teams in the Top 25, and they split those games 1-1. They have had two quarterbacks play this season in Chas Dodd and Gary Nova, but neither has been impressive. Defensively, though, the Scarlet Knights are stout. Iowa State also struggled to find its quarterback this year. Steele Jantz played the first seven games for the Cyclones, but was benched after losing four games straight. Freshman Jared Barnett started taking snaps during their loss to Missouri, but he finally got the team on track with a win against Texas Tech. His signature moment was the 2OT win against Oklahoma State. But the Cyclones’ offense is shaky, so Rutgers will pull this one off.
Predicted Winner: Rutgers
AdvoCare V100 Independence Bowl
Missouri vs. North Carolina
James Franklin is developing into a very good quarterback. He has greatly improved as the season has gone on and won his last three games. North Carolina is primarily a passing team, but has a respectable run game. Their leading receiver, Dwight Jones, caught 79 passes for over 1,100 yards and 11 TD’s. He is averaging over 14 yards per catch and at 6”4’, he is a tough matchup for any cornerback. Missouri will likely bring safety help over the top. Missouri won’t have their running back Henry Josey because of a bad knee injury, but Franklin is more than capable of running the ball for the Tigers. When Franklin isn’t running, look for him to target his big tight end Michael Egnew. At 6”6’, Egnew will be a mismatch no matter who covers him. Down the field, T.J. Moe is one of Franklin’s favorite targets. Moe is quick and gets a lot of yards after the catch. North Carolina’s defense won’t be able to take away enough of Missouri’s weapons.
Predicted Winner: Missouri
