Oklahoma State Cowboys (10-2, 6-2 Big Twelve) vs. Arizona Wildcats (7-5, 4-5 Pac Ten)
Valero Alamo Bowl
December 29 - 9:15 pm - ESPN
San Antonio, TX
$2,225,000 payout per team
On paper, this looks like it could be a huge matchup. And that's just exactly what it might be when game time rolls around.
Oklahoma State brings one of the nation's top offenses to the Alamo Bowl, averaging nearly 45 points per game. The Cowboys' only losses all season have come to top 20 ranked teams Nebraska and Oklahoma and they still managed to put up 41 points in each. You can pick your poison with the Oklahoma State offense. Focus on shutting down Brandon Weeden, who threw for 4,000 yards and Justin Blackmon (No. 2 in the nation with 1,600+ receiving yards) and you still have to deal with running back Kendall Hunter, who ran for more than 1,500 yards.
Arizona won't be able to stop Oklahoma State from scoring and it's unlikely that they can outscore them. The Wildcats have a formidable defense that allows only about 22 points per game, but in facing the No. 1 offense in Oregon a few weeks ago, they gave up 48 in a 19-point loss. This game could be a huge mismatch.
- SBN Pittsburgh analysis by Anson Whaley
SBN PITTSBURGH BOLD PREDICTION: Oklahoma State 41, Arizona 20
Analyst Projections
Aaron - Oklahoma State
Anson - Oklahoma State
Jeff - Oklahoma State
Oklahoma State has one of the best offenses in the nation, but that shouldn't be too much of a shock for Arizona, as the Wildcats have already faced the No. 1 (Oregon) and No. 8 (Stanford) scoring offenses this season. Still, the Cowboys' troika of receiver Justin Blackmon, running back Kendall Hunter and quarterback Brandon Weeden is about as good as it gets. -- Ted Miller
GET ... YOUR ... POPCORN ... READY. It'll be a dogfight between the Hawaii Bowl (Tulsa vs. Hawaii) and this for the honor of being the most wild shootout of the bowl season. Arizona might have hit the skids over the final month of the season, losing four straight, but the offense has been explosive throughout. The defense has been good, but it has to go against the nation's top offense. Expect 750 passing yards.