cheezzzz

Las Vegas - Got the Cheez-It Bowl and the Alamo Bowl on tap today and we look at the Cheez first. It'll be Oklahoma State -1 or -1.5, depending on where you shop, against Miami-Florida. How do you handicap this game?

The Hurricanes were BLOWN AWAY in their final game by North Carolina, 62-26. They gave up 554 yards on the ground. Yea, FIVE HUNDRED FIFTY FOUR! Add in another 224 yards for a STUNNING total of 778 yards allowed. Not sure I can remember a team giving up that much real estate. So you're thinking the defense was HUMILIATED, correct, and they're gonna roar back with a vengeance. Well, there's a problem, actually two problems. Jaelan Phillips and Quincy Roche. Both of Miami's star defensive ends are skipping the bowl game to prepare for the draft. Phillips and Roche combined this season for 30 tackles for losses, 12.5 sacks, four passes defensed, three fumble recoveries and one interception.

For the Cowboys, their star RB Chuba Hubbard is also opting out to prepare for the NFL draft. But Okie State has a few other kids that can carry the mail. Dezmon Jackson rushed for 235 yards and 3 TDs against Texas Tech and Dominic Richardson gobbled up 169 yards and 3 TDs against Baylor. Gonna tickle the mullet, Mike Gundy, and his kids from Stillwater, but make it a light tickle.

Remember the Alamo Bowl. Here we go. It's gonna be Texas at around -8.5 points over Colorado. The line opened Longhorns -12 and has dropped under double digits with a few of Tom Herman's players opting out. So, that's an issue. That led me to look at the Buffaloes plus the points, but their QB, Sam Noyer, has a shoulder issue, and did NOT look good against Utah in his last game. If pressed, might take the Buffs at +8.5, buy the hook to +9, and watch how Noyer is throwing in warmups. At best, it would be just a Leaning Tower of Pisa to Colorado.

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