Cheez-It Bowl (ESPN)
Air Force Falcons vs. Washington State Cougars
Line: Air Force -3; Over/Under: 67.5
Friday, Dec. 27 at 10:15 p.m. ET; Chase Field; Phoenix, Ariz.
Does the Power Five or the Group of Five prevail? It’s a matchup between two teams feeling completely the opposite about how their seasons turned out, as one underachieved and another dramatically overachieved. So what does that mean for this game?
It was an underachieving year in the state of Washington. Joining the Washington Huskies, the Washington State Cougars also underachieved, stumbling to 6-6 and making Tennessee football fans think that maybe it wasn’t such a bad idea to turn on Mike Leach. Blowing a 32-point lead to the UCLA Bruins sparked a three-game losing streak that wrecked this team’s season.
On the other side, the Air Force Falcons, in their 19th year under Troy Calhoun, whom the Vols also tried to hire, finished 10-2. Their only losses were at the Boise State Broncos, which cost them the Mountain West, and at the Navy Midshipmen. That’s a great resume, and this would be an epic finish to the season for them.
Prediction
Air Force is much more excited about playing in this bowl game than Washington State. And they have the talent to compete. As a result, with this game being played closer to Colorado, they will pull out the win. Washington State’s offense won’t be itself, which is why the Falcons cover, and this game hits the under.