The 12th-ranked Washington Huskies and 9th-ranked Penn State Nittany Lions will duke it out in the PlayStation 2017 Fiesta Bowl. The contest is going to get started on Saturday, December 30th at 4 p.m. EST. It also can be viewed on ESPN for some early evening football enjoyment. Coming into this battle, the Nittany Lions are a slight -1.5 point favorite. The game’s over/under currently rests at 55.
The Washington Huskies had hopes and aspirations of winning the Pac-12 Conference and reaching the College Football Playoffs for the second-straight season. Unfortunately, that wasn’t the case as the Huskies fell to the Sun Devils and also lost a key game to Stanford down the stretch. As a result, the Huskies were eliminated from both opportunities and finished the season with a 10-2 record.
The Penn State Nittany Lions also had dreams of winning the Big Ten title and reaching the College Football Playoffs. Like the Huskies, they also lost a few key games in the final half of the season. Now, they will have to take their 10-2 overall record into the 2017 Fiesta Bowl. They didn’t receive many conversations to get one of the College Football Playoff spots, but they’re easily still one of the best teams this season.
(12) Washington Huskies (10-2)
Washington’s two losses in the Pac-12, especially the Stanford defeat, cost the team a chance for a second consecutive CFP bid. Still, they had 10 wins and the most recent one was a 41-14 beatdown against their rivals, Washington State. In that game, the Huskies had 352 more rushing yards. Washington excelled at throughout the year against their opposition.
Offensively, the Huskies are led by quarterback Jake Browning. In 2017, the junior signal-caller has completed 67.8 percent of his passes on the season for 2,544 yards with 18 touchdowns and five interceptions. Last time out, the heady thrower connected on only 8 passes that went for just over 90 yards with no scores and no picks.
The Huskies actually prefer to run the ball first and put their offense in manageable third downs. In doing so, they turn to their explosive tailback Miles Gaskin. Gaskin has performed admirably, rushing for 1,282 yards on only 208 carries with 19 trips to the promised land. Teammate Levon Coleman spells the savvy rusher from time to time. In his 10 games, he has toted the rock 89 times for 396 yards and four more scores.
Not only does Dante Pettis return punts and kickoffs but he is also quarterback Jake Browning’s favorite wideout. This season, the multi-talented athlete has reeled in a team-high 62 passes for 721 yards and seven touchdowns. Tight end Hunter Bryant has found his share of opportunities to make plays. The 6’2, 240-pound receiver has nabbed another 22 balls for 331 yards and a touchdown.
As mentioned above, Washington’s defense is the backbone of this team. In fact, they sit well inside the top-10 in three of the four major defensive categories. The stout front seven only allows opposing schools to rush for 93 yards a game (2nd). The secondary is solid, surrendering only 185 yards a match (21st). Altogether, the unit only gives up about 14 points to the offenses they have faced.
(9) Penn State Nittany Lions (10-2)
Quarterback Trace McSorley was lights-out again in 2017. The senior signal-caller has completed 65 percent of his throws for 3,228 yards with 26 touchdowns and eight picks. The underrated runner also has scampered for 431 more yards and 11 more scores. He will need to have his best game of the season if the Nittany Lions are to beat the Huskies in the 2017 Fiesta Bowl.
Heisman front-runner Saquon Barkley set the tone for this offense. When all was said and done, Barkley rushed for over 1,134 yards on 199 carries with 21 trips to the end zone. His numbers for the year are incredible. He also has caught 47 passes for just under 600 yards. Altogether, the freak athlete has reached pay-dirt 33 different times. The Washington front-seven might be the best unit he will face for the entire season.
Besides Saquon Barkley, two wide receivers help matriculate the pigskin down the field on Saturdays. Together, the duo has produced 96 catches for almost 1,400 yards and eight scores. The Penn State offense also sports one of the country’s best tight ends. Mike Gesicki has reeled in 51 balls for 501 yards and nine more touchdowns. The 6’6, 260-pound mountain of a man is also the Nittany Lions best blocker.
Defensively, the Nittany Lions are about equal with the Washington Huskies. They are ranked seventh in the nation and in points allowed a game (15). The secondary is 47th in the FBS, holding quarterbacks to only 210 yards a contest. Running the ball against their front seven isn’t much easier as they sit 16th in the rankings at 119 yards a match. Their special teams unit has to be very careful when kicking the ball to Dante Pettis. Pettis is the best punt and kicks returner in the nation.
Prediction
This could very well be one of the closest matched bowl games of the season. The 1.5 point line is a testament to that. I’m assuming that Las Vegas placed Penn State as the favorite because of Saquon Barkley and Trace McSorley. The two may just be the difference makers. Still, the Huskies have a pretty good one-two punch of their own in Myles Gaskin and Jake Browning. This game is a coin flip and I prefer not to bet or give advice on something that could easily go either way. For these reasons, I’m suggesting you stay away from this spread.
Instead, I believe the total is where you should lay your hard-earned greenbacks down. Oddsmakers have this game at 50 and I think that the over is playable. Both of these clubs do one thing really well and that is run the ball well on the ground. Yes, the defenses have been successful in 2017 but this is the 2017 Fiesta Bowl. I do believe that Gaskin and company will get their points. I also think the Barkley and the Nittany Lion offense will also have some success. With that being said, the 50 points are just not enough. Take the over 50 and root for the running backs in this one. @EriktheHun
To play this over, go to BetDSI Sportsbook and get it done.
Trends
The Huskies are 1-4 ATS in their last 5 non-conference games.
The Over is 4-1 in the Huskies last 5 games overall.
The Nittany Lions are 16-4-2 ATS in their last 22 games overall.
The Over is 5-1 in Nittany Lions last 6 neutral site games.
