The Penn State Nittany Lions are going back to a New Year’s Six bowl. Last season, we saw them square off against USC in an epic Rose Bowl. The offenses went back and forth slugging it out, before the Trojans rallied from a two-touchdown deficit to win 52-49. This time around, defense will be on the agenda when they face the Washington Huskies. Washington is not known for its offense and will look to put the clamps on Penn State’s high-powered offense.
Watch the Fiesta Bowl live on Saturday, December 30, 2017, at 4 p.m. ET at University of Pheonix Stadium in Glendale, Arizona. This game will be broadcast on ESPN.
College Football Opening Odds at BookMaker.eu
Penn State -2.5
Washington +2.5
Over/Under
Odds Analysis
Penn State was done in by a tough three-game stretch midway through the season where it had to face Michigan, Ohio State, and Michigan State in consecutive weeks. The Nittany Lions hammered Michigan in the first game of that stretch, but got outplayed in a one-point loss to Ohio State and suffered a letdown defeat against Michigan State the following week. That pretty much ended their chances of getting to the Big Ten Championship Game. Still, it was a successful year and bettors were pleased as Penn State was 7-4-1 ATS.
Critics derided Washington all season long and were proved right after the Huskies lost their final two road games to finish 10-2 and outside of the PAC 12 Championship Game. Washington was phenomenal at home, beating all but one team by at least 21 points, but had some trouble on the road. The Huskies failed to cover in their road opener against Rutgers, only beating the Scarlet Knights by 16, and then lost outright as a favorite to both Arizona State and Stanford.
Coaching Angle
Over the last two seasons, Penn State’s offense has thrived under offensive coordinator Joe Moorhead. James Franklin plucked Moorhead from the FCS ranks after seeing what he was able to do in four years at Fordham, and he was able to have a lot of success with his system in Happy Valley. He helped turn Trace McSorley and Saquon Barkley into top prospects and greatly improved an offense that had struggled in Franklin’s first two seasons.
There will be a new playcaller in charge for this game. Moorhead accepted the Mississippi State head coaching position after Dan Mullen left for Florida and brought some of his assistants with him. This past weekend, Franklin promoted Ricky Rahne to the position of offensive coordinator and he will be the one calling the shots for the Nittany Lions in the Fiesta Bowl.
Player to Watch
For Washington, it will be up to Jake Browning to beat the Nittany Lions defense. Penn State has been solid against the run all season, but it has been susceptible to the pass. The Nittany Lions have not faced a top-flight passing threat this year, but still finished 43rd in terms of pass defense.
Browning was phenomenal last season, but his numbers have come down drastically this season. He still isn’t making mistakes with the football, yet he failed to throw a touchdown pass in four of Washington’s last six games. If the Huskies are going to win, Browning will need to find the end zone.
Free ATS Pick
Under is probably going to be a great play here. Saquon Barkley may sit out as he is projected to be a top pick in the NFL Draft and learning the ropes as a young playcaller is never easy. This is Rahne’s first time calling plays and there are likely to be some hiccups.
For a side, I like the Huskies as a small favorite. Barkley might be the most overrated player in college football based off of his production numbers and Penn State is one of the few New Year’s Six teams with less impressive wins than Washington.
College Football Odds: Washington 24, Penn State 17
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