Insight Bowl, December 31

Indiana
vs
Oklahoma State
Dec. 31 / 5:30pm NFL Network

It will be hard for anyone outside of Stillwater to cheer against Indiana in this one. After 14 years without a postseason game, Indiana has fulfilled the wishes of late coach Terry Hoeppner to "Play 13." Well, coach, after a last second field goal to beat Purdue the Hoosiers are going to play that thirteenth game today. Hopefully these two teams can give us an Insight Bowl as exciting as last year's 44-41 all-timer of a comeback by Texas Tech against Minnesota.

Oklahoma State has one of the most explosive offenses in America. The Cowboys finished 9th in the nation with 484 yards/game, including 246 rushing yards/game. Their signature win was in a shootout with Texas Tech, while they were blown out against Georgia and Oklahoma, and their collapse against Troy. It will be hard for OSU to get too fired up to play Indiana in a game no one will see, but getting a 5th bowl win in 6 years might be enough to show OSU might be ready to start contending for a Big12 South title.

If this game gets into a shootout, Indiana will be ready. The Hoosiers scored 27+ in 10/12 games this year. When they had to come through at the end of the season to reach bowl eligibility, they did it against rival Purdue. This is a young team that could be poised to really make some noise in a down Big 10 with coach Bill Lynch, and a win over a mediocre Big 12 team could show they are such going into 2008.

Oklahoma State will use sophomore QB Zac Robinson, who's just as likely to beat you with his legs as with his arm. He threw for 20 TDs and only 8 INTs this season. OSU won all three games in which Robinson rushed for over 100 yards, and put up major points in all of those. IU will look to hookup early and often in the duo of QB Kellen Lewis and stud WR James Hardy. Hardy is a big receiver who's 6'7" frame can make him impossible to cover which shows with his 74 catches, 1075 yards, and 16 touchdowns. If Lewis can keep from turning the ball over, which has been a problem for him this season, IU could take advantage of the OSU secondary.

OSU will be using senior RB Dantrell Savage who rushed for 1,172 yards and 8 TDs. He was able to eclipse the 100 yard mark in all 9 of his team's final games. He will get his yards again against IU, but how many more he gets will dictate the outcome. IU will be able to throw throughout this game and if they get their ground game going they will have a shot. The game will go back and forth with teams going on huge swings with it coming down to the end just like last year. With a tight game like that I have to go with the team playing with more emotion and that wants it more, and that's the Hoosiers.

Line: Oklahoma State -5.0, Total 69.0