College Football Bowl Preview (Part I)

Sheraton Hawaii Bowl (December 24 8:oo p.m. ET)

Boise State Vs. Oregon State

Christopher Hanewinckel-USA TODAY Sports

This is an interesting matchup between two teams that had high hopes entering the 2013 season. Both teams began the season in the preseason top-25, but didn’t end up there. This game has shootout written all over it, as both offenses have the ability to put up a lot of points, but neither defense has been effective at stopping anyone all season.

Boise State started ranked 19th but lost its first game of the season against the Washington Huskies.The Broncos finished with a disappointing record of 8-4 just recently watched head coach Chris Petersen leave the school to head to Washington. Starting quarterback Joe Southwick was off to a good start before breaking his ankle midway through the season. Backup Grant Hedrick filled in by throwing for 1443 yards with 15 touchdowns and five interceptions.

Like the Broncos, the Beavers were expecting a lot more this season. Oregon State finished with a mediocre record of 6-6 and ended the regular season on a five-game losing streak. Ranked No. 25 entering the season-opener, the Beavers saw their season get derailed when FCS school Eastern Washington upset them 49-46 at home. The Beavers rebounded from the defeat by rattling off six-straight wins before getting into the meat of the Pac-12 schedule.

Oregon State boasts the third-best passing offense in the country behind quarterback Sean Mannion. However, the Beavers give up 32 points a game on defense, often negating what the offense is able to do. This is sure to be a high-scoring, entertaining game that could be won by whoever has the ball last. Prediction: Boise St. 34   Oregon St. 31