Media Prediction Thread: Holiday Bowl Edition: Minnesota vs Washington State

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Chip chimes in:

Holiday Bowl

San Diego, Dec. 27

Gophers (8-4) vs. Washington State (8-4), 6 p.m., ESPN

The game that almost needed a replacement for Minnesota because of a boycott threat will go on as scheduled. Suspensions in the Gophers’ defensive secondary will be hard to overcome.

The pick: Washington State 35, Gophers 27

http://www.startribune.com/coming-s...est-bowl-games-starts-with-gophers/407988676/

Go Gophers!!
 

Chicago Tribune chimes in:

As always, these picks are against the spread and the selection is in bold:

Tuesday: Minnesota (plus 10.5) vs. Washington State, Holiday (San Diego) — There's nothing remotely amusing about what has transpired at Minnesota, as players threatened a bowl boycott following the school's suspensions of 10 teammates for alleged sexual misconduct. This can't be good for the long-term or immediate future of the Gophers, so take the Cougars.

http://www.chicagotribune.com/sport...tein-bowl-picks-spt-1226-20161223-column.html

Go Gophers!!
 

Bleacher Report chimes in:

If the Golden Gophers were fielding their usual starting defense, especially in the back end, this might have a different outlook. But the defense has arguably yet to play a passing attack as potent as what it faces in the bowl, and it does so at the worst possible time.

Falk's task is simple—play his efficient game and don't turn the ball over. Such composure will lead to plenty of scoring even if Minnesota's rushing attack finds success and hogs the time of possession.

Look for Washington State to eventually force Minnesota to the air, widening the gap via mistakes.

Prediction: Washington State 38, Minnesota 24

http://bleacherreport.com/articles/...vs-washington-state-tv-schedule-time-and-odds

Go Gophers!!
 


Seattle Times chimes in:

Big defensive tackle Steve Richardson (6-foot, 300 pounds) and linebacker Blake Cashman have proved to be Minnesota’s best pass rushers this season, combining for 19.5 tackles for loss, including 13.5 sacks. But the Cougars’ offensive line boasts Outland Trophy finalist Cody O’Connell, and, as a unit, was named a semifinalist for the Joe Moore Award that goes to the best offensive line in college football.

Prediction: WSU 38, Minnesota 28

http://www.seattletimes.com/sports/...-to-do-to-beat-minnesota-in-the-holiday-bowl/

Go Gophers!!
 

Athlon chimes in:

Final Analysis

"Distraction" is one of those clichés tossed around during bowl season, the significance of which is debatable. Teams play with interim head coaches, without star players, and with little more on the line than pride. Minnesota enters the Holiday Bowl in uncharted territory on this front, however, only lifting its boycott a few days prior to the Gophers' schedule leave date of Dec. 23.

Las Vegas sees the possibility for shake-up, evident in a full touchdown jump in the Vegas Insider point-spread consensus.

Still, this is an intriguing styles clash, one in which the Golden Gophers could force the Cougars into their style of play. Washington State must get its defense off the field quickly in the early going to establish a heightened tempo.

Prediction: Washington State 38, Minnesota 24

http://athlonsports.com/college-foo...-golden-gophers-washington-state-cougars-2016

Go Gophers!!
 

The Spun chimes in:

Minnesota vs. Washington State Prediction:

This is a game of two opposite styles. Washington State likes to get up and down the field through the air while Minnesota pounds away on the ground.

The Cougars sit second in all of college football averaging 370.8 yards through the air per game. Minnesota’s defense ranks 67th in the land in allowing just over 228 yards through the air.

Washington State will have a nice day through the air and grab the win.

Washington State 37, Minnesota 27

http://thespun.com/big-ten/minnesot...ngton-state-prediction-preview-spread-channel

Go Gophers!!
 

Real Sports 101 chimes in:

Prediction
I predicted that Washington State would win this game before Minnesota was embroiled in their unfortunate scandal. Their team is simply better on both sides of the ball, with the possible exception of the Golden Gophers’ defensive line. Nonetheless, unless Luke Falk experiences a meltdown for WSU, this score could run high in favour of the Cougars.

Washington State 38-24 Minnesota

https://realsport101.com/news/sports/nfl/ncaaf/cfb-bowl-preview-minnesota-vs-washington-state

Go Gophers!!
 




CBS chimes in, again:

Gopher’s Chances:
Minnesota enters this game as 10 point underdogs. Washington State is playing at a high level and the Gophers are playing extremely shorthanded. The Minnesota pass rush will need to get after Falk and make him uncomfortable, otherwise he has the potential to absolutely shred the Gopher defense. Additionally, the Gopher offense has relied heavy their rushing offense and the Cougars will likely stack the box, which means Mitch Leidner will need to open things up passing to keep up with the dangerous Cougar offense.

David Derus: 42-31 Washington State
Dan Owen: 49-20 Washington State
Kyle Goblirsch: 42-24 Washington State

http://www.cbssports.com/college-fo...oliday-bowl-preview-washington-state-cougars/

Go Gophers!!
 

A bunch of dinks.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 






Pretty sure you can go through this entire thread and not find someone who picked the Gophers.

Not even someone who, you know, picks the big underdog so if he's right he can brag about it, and if he's wrong nobody remembers.

That tells you that this was one hell of an upset!
 

Yup. They prove the detracters wrong.
 

Wonder what all these dinks are up to today?
 

Iceland12 said:
Pretty sure you can go through this entire thread and not find someone who picked the Gophers.

Not even someone who, you know, picks the big underdog so if he's right he can brag about it, and if he's wrong nobody remembers.

That tells you that this was one hell of an upset!
Click to expand...

In fairness anyone picking the Gophers..... probabbly not getting a lot else right.

There really was no reason to see this coming outside Washington St. fatalism.
 

e.bigelow said:
Wonder what all these dinks are up to today?
Click to expand...

Reporting on how horrible a low scoring game it was...seen at least two articles. Funny how many of the local scribes (and some TC hating posters here) gave congrats...to the DC..without mentioning TC.
 

PMWinSTP said:
Reporting on how horrible a low scoring game it was...seen at least two articles. Funny how many of the local scribes (and some TC hating posters here) gave congrats...to the DC..without mentioning TC.
Click to expand...

So there are local writers posting her with aliases after all!

Now that explains some things!
 

Iceland12 said:
So there are local writers posting her with aliases after all!

Now that explains some things!
Click to expand...

Nice play on words...could be but I meant actual long-time posters. Go look...it's pretty humorous to see. Can't...let...go...
 

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