#14 Oklahoma (9-3) vs. Iowa (7-5)
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10 PM, ESPN, Friday, Dec. 30, Tempe, AZ
Why Watch: Tradition goes a long way in this one. Both teams are known for their hard-nosed style of play, and each comes with a history to uphold. Watch and see how the Sooners react after their season closing 44-10 loss at Oklahoma State. With Matt Barkley staying at USC, this could be Sooners quarterback Landry Jones’ last game.
Who to Watch: The Hawkeyes have playmakers to go around on the offensive side of the ball, but they’ve got the same on defense. Defensive lineman Broderick Binns capped off his senior campaign with 59 tackles, including 12 behind the line and five sacks. Binns also contributed eight pass breakups this season. Since the loss of standout receiver Ryan Broyles in the ninth game of the year, the Sooners have struggled to find a consistent deep threat. Sophomore wideout Kenny Stills has big play potential, though. With 818 yards and eight scores on the year, Stills needs to become the big play wideout OU has missed over the last three games.
How it’s Going Down: The Sooners went from preseason No. 1 with National Championship aspirations to the Insight Bowl. They can’t let that be on their minds; however, this Iowa team is too good to give an inch. OU still has its big play offense, as they sit ranked No. 4 in the country in total offense. With quarterback James Vandenberg and running back Marcus Coker leading the offense, Iowa has taken a scoring approach to the season. They’ve gone for over 30 six times this season. They’ll need every bit to hang with the Sooners, too. A sour taste has to linger in the mouths of Oklahoma’s players after their closing week loss to rival OK State. Because of that, I’d expect nothing but a standout game from Jones and OU. Pick: Oklahoma 38 – Iowa 31
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