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College football season can be enjoyable in that it often brings together two teams in a game that have rarely, if ever, met on the football field. That will be the case with the Fiesta Bowl, which features No. 10 in Iowa State and No. 25 in Oregon on Saturday. The Cyclones and Ducks will play for the first time after two unconventional seasons.
Iowa State has just suffered a tough loss in the Big 12 Championship game against Oklahoma, falling short of winning its first conference title since 1912. Still, there’s a lot at stake in the Fiesta Bowl. . Led by running back Breece Hall and linebacker Mike Rose, respectively the top 12 offensive and defensive players of the year, Iowa State is only looking for its third nine-game winning season in program history and the first since 2000.
Meanwhile, Oregon’s season was a bit tougher. After scoring three straight wins to start the year, the Ducks retired from their last two games and finished second to the Pac-12 North. However, they still made it to the Pac-12 championship game because division winner Washington was forced to retire due to COVID-19 concerns. Oregon went on to beat USC and claimed the conference’s top bid. Welcome to 2020.
So what program manages to end its fun season with a win in a bowling match? Let’s take a closer look at what to expect when cyclones and ducks log into Glendale and what scenarios to follow before making expert choices both directly and against the spread.
Storylines
Oregon: You could argue that neither of the two teams deserved an invitation to the Fiesta Bowl, but Oregon is helped by its victory in the conference championship. As a slight underdog, the Ducks could surprise with a few key clashes. The first is in the rush to pass. Defensive end Kayvon Thibodeaux is an incredibly athletic player who has been named All-American AP with three sacks and 7.5 tackles for loss in six games. The other is cornerback Mykael Wright, who will be responsible for handling Iowa State’s long-distance passing catches. Oregon has legitimate defenders and it’s possible that fewer games played could mean fresher legs for this game.
State of Iowa: Hall has an All-American season and naturally the focus will be on him. However, the Fiesta Bowl is a comeback game for quarterback Brock Purdy, a native of nearby Gilbert, Arizona. Purdy has had a year of ups and downs. He’s had a solid last three games of the regular season, but threw three interceptions against the Sooners in the Big 12 title game. Purdy is a player and can make wonderful plays when his back is against the wall. But he has to cut errors against a talented Oregon defense if Iowa State is to stay on schedule. Playing from behind isn’t something the Cyclones do very well.
Information display
Game: Party bowl
Dated: Saturday January 2 | Time: 4 p.m. ET
Location: State Farm Stadium – Glendale, Arizona
TV: ESPN | Direct: fuboTV (Try for free)
Fiesta Bowl prediction, pick
It is true that Oregon is a bit cooler in this game than Iowa State. It will be interesting to see how much of a factor this becomes. But Iowa State is poised to have its best season with its most talented team of all time. With the bitter taste of the Big 12 title game loss still in their mouths, the Cyclones find a way to end the season on a high note. Pick: State of Iowa -4.5 | Iowa State 31, Oregon 24
So who wins Oregon over Iowa State? And which side of the spread hits more than 50% of the time? Visit SportsLine now to see which side in the back, all of the pattern on a 56-36 run on the top college football picks this season.
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