Friday's Tip Sheet
By Kevin Rogers
Armed Forces Bowl – Ft. Worth, Texas
Pittsburgh (-3, 54) vs. Houston – 12:00 PM EST
Both these teams went through up-and-down seasons as Pittsburgh put together a 6-6 season, while Houston finished at 7-5. After losing its AAC opener to UCF, the Cougars won five of their final seven games in conference play, capped off by a 38-31 loss to conference co-champion Cincinnati. Sophomore quarterback Greg Ward, Jr. is settling in under center for Houston, coming off his seventh straight start in the defeat to Cincinnati, throwing for a career-best 360 yards. Houston’s best win this season came as a road underdog at Memphis in October, the only victory against a team that made a bowl.
The Panthers began the season at 3-0, then proceeded to lose six of their next seven games, but finished with back-to-back victories over Syracuse and Miami. Half of Pittsburgh’s wins came against bowl teams (Miami, Virginia Tech, and Boston College), but allowed at least 40 points in losses to North Carolina, Duke, and Georgia Tech. Running back James Conner racked up 1,675 yards this season on the ground, but never broke the 85-yard mark in the final three wins over UM, VT, and BC, while rushing for at least 220 yards in the losses to UNC and Duke.
Pitt has dropped two of its past three bowl games, but knocked off Bowling Green, 30-27 in last season’s Little Caesar’s Bowl. Houston fell short in last season’s BBVA Compass Bowl to Vanderbilt, 40-24, while playing in the Armed Forces Bowl for the third time since 2008 (1-1).
Taxslayer Bowl – Jacksonville, Florida
Iowa vs. Tennessee (-3 ½, 51 ½) – 3:20 PM EST
The Hawkeyes dropped three of their final four games to close the season, as Iowa looks to snap a two-game bowl skid. Iowa’s (7-5) last two losses came by a combined five points at home to Nebraska and Wisconsin, while blowing a 24-7 lead in an overtime setback to the Huskers. Kirk Ferentz’s club didn’t have many solid wins on its schedule, beating Purdue, Indiana, Northwestern, and Illinois in Big Ten play, while all four conference losses came to bowl squads.
Tennessee (6-6) is playing in its first bowl game since 2010, even though half of its wins have come against SEC opponents. The Volunteers knocked off a pair of bowl teams at home to kick off the season against Utah State and Arkansas State, while rallying past South Carolina in overtime for its only signature SEC win. Dual threat quarterback Joshua Dobbs started the final five games for the Vols, throwing eight touchdown passes and rushing for six more scores (3-2 SU/ATS).
The Vols began the season at 4-1 to the ‘under’ in the first five games with a total of 50 or higher. However, UT went 2-0-1 to the ‘over’ in the final three chances with games above a 50 total, while scoring at least 45 points in two of those contests. Iowa cashed the ‘under’ in four of the opening five games, but went 5-1-1 to the ‘over’ to close the season.
Alamo Bowl – San Antonio, Texas
UCLA (-1 ½, 59 ½) vs. Kansas State – 6:45 PM EST
The most intriguing matchup on Friday’s card takes place in the Lone Star State with an exciting Pac-12/Big 12 battle. UCLA (9-3) began the season as a team to compete for the inaugural four-team playoff, but back-to-back home losses to Utah and Oregon derailed any chance at a national title. The Bruins bounced back with five consecutive wins, while limping to the finish with a 31-10 home loss to Stanford. Jim Mora’s team failed to cover seven of their first eight games, but the Bruins put together a 3-1 SU/ATS record in the last four games of the season.
Kansas State (9-3) held its own in the Big 12 race alongside TCU and Baylor this season, but lost to both clubs in conference play. The Wildcats didn’t have many signature wins, as K-State edged Oklahoma in Norman, 31-30 as seven-point underdogs in October. Out of the five bowl teams that K-State beat this season, three of those teams were blasted in bowl action (Oklahoma, UTEP, and Texas).
The Wildcats snapped a five-game bowl skid in last December’s Buffalo Wild Wings Bowl against Michigan in a 31-14 victory. UCLA is playing in its first-ever Alamo Bowl, while coming off a 42-12 blowout of Virginia Tech in last season’s Sun Bowl.
Cactus Bowl – Tempe, Arizona
Oklahoma State vs. Washington (-6 ½, 56 ½) – 10:00 PM EST
The Cowboys (6-6) became bowl-eligible by rallying past Oklahoma, 38-35 in Norman as 21-point underdogs. Oklahoma State won five of its first six games, while dropping each of its next five contests prior to the win over the Sooners. In four losses during the five-game skid, the Cowboys scored 14 points or less, while freshman Mason Rudolph has been the man under center in each of the past two games. Rudolph averaged 277 yards passing in the two games against Baylor and Oklahoma, covering each time as heavy underdogs.
Washington (8-5) goes for its second straight nine-win season and the first in Chris Petersen’s tenure as head coach. The Huskies rolled to a 4-0 start in non-conference play, but slipped up in five of the first seven Pac-12 games before finishing strong with routs over Oregon State and Washington State. UW didn’t beat one bowl team this season, as its best victory is over an FCS school, Eastern Washington, who went 11-2 in the regular season.
Oklahoma State has won three of the past four bowls, but lost to Missouri in the Cotton Bowl last January, 41-31. Washington is playing in its fifth straight bowl, splitting the past four, while Petersen owns a 4-1 record in his past five bowl games as head coach of Boise State.
