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January 2, 2012

College Football Report - 2011 Bowl Picks - Tostitos Fiesta Bowl:

Tostitos Fiesta Bowl

Oklahoma State (11-1) vs. Stanford (11-1)

V S.

8:30 PM, ESPN, Monday, Jan. 2, Glendale, AZ

Why Watch: Two of the best offenses in the country, the Cowboys and Cardinal are led by two of the top quarterbacks in all the land. Expect a shootout as OK State averages a near 50 points a game, while Stanford checks in with 43 points an outing.

Who to Watch: One of college football’s best quarterbacks in a decade, Stanford’s Andrew Luck plays his final collegiate game before moving onto the NFL Draft. Your eyes shouldn’t be anywhere else besides on Luck. The senior from Houston finished off his final year with 3,170 yards, 35 touchdowns and just nine interceptions. He’s finished the last two seasons with a 70 % completion percentage. If you’re watching Luck for Stanford, don’t forget about Cowboys quarterback Brandon Weeden. The 28-year old senior completed 72 percent of his passes for 4,328 yards and 34 scores, his second season in a row with 34 passing touchdowns.

How it’s Going Down: It’s reasonable to expect a whole lot of yards and scores through the air in this one. Both teams, who happen to be a couple of the top passing teams in the country, are also a couple of the worst pass defense teams. The Cowboys rank No. 103 in the nation at stopping the pass, while the Cardinal sit at No. 79 nationally. With both quarterbacks throwing out of the stadium, this one will come down to the playmakers that surround both quarterbacks. For Luck, it’s been all about the running game of Stepfan Taylor and pass catching tight end Coby Fleener. The Cowboys, however, pose a bigger threat with wideout Justin Blackmon deep and running back Joseph Randle steadying the game. Blackmon, a Belitnikof f Award winner, brought in 113 catches with 15 touchdowns on the season, while Randle contributed 23 scores on the ground. Because of the weapons around him, and a defense known for turnovers, the Cowboys will send Luck out with a loss. Pick: Oklahoma State 44 - Stanford 37

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