Thursday’s question: Which pre-Christmas bowl game are you most looking forward to?
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Reporters from around the Tribune family tackle the question of the day, then you get a chance to chime in and tell them why they are wrong.
Chris Dufresne, Los Angeles Times
This year’s Las Vegas Bowl on Dec. 22 featuring Brigham Young (10-2) and Oregon State (8-4) has the potential of being the bowl game of the year, and it’s THREE days before Christmas. The big question is Oregon State’s motivation going into the game after losing a heart-breaker to Oregon for the Rose Bowl bid. Oregon State lost last year to Oregon with the Rose Bowl on the line and then ‘rebounded’ to beat Pittsburgh, 3-0, in the Sun Bowl. Here’s one fact: Oregon State Coach Mike Riley is 5-0 in bowl game appearances. This game will feature two prolific quarterbacks in BYU’s Max Hall, whose 31 wins broke the school record held by Ty Detmer. Hall passed for 30 touchdowns and 3,368 yards this year while Oregon State’s Sean Canfield was named first-team quarterback in a conference that included Washington’s Jake Locker, who was projected by one ESPN analyst to be the No.1 pick in the NFL draft if he came out next year (Locker has opted to stay).. Canfield passed for more than 3,000 yards and 21 touchdowns while being surrounded by the gifted Rodgers Brothers, James (receiver) and Jacquizz (tailback). Fans at Sam Boyd Stadium should ask for their money back and then go see Cirque du Soleil if there are not at least 80 total points scored. I’m picking Oregon State, 44-41, only because of Riley’s record in bowls, but this game could be a higher-scoring version of Oregon-Oregon State a few weeks ago.
Andrea Adelson, Orlando Sentinel
I want my pre-holiday bowl games to be fun to watch – and what is more fun than watching two teams with great offenses? The Las Vegas Bowl pits BYU against Oregon State on Dec. 22 – the first time this game has ever featured two ranked teams. That is pretty good, but so are the offenses in this one.
BYU features prolific quarterback Max Hall, who has passed for 3,368 yards and 30 touchdowns this season, and is averaging 13.16 yards per completion. The Cougars also have one of the best tight ends in the country in Dennis Pitta, a Walter Camp All-American who led all tight ends this year in total receiving yards with 784.
On the other side is fantastic Oregon State RB Jacquizz Rodgers, who ran for 20 touchdowns and 1,377 yards this season. The Beavers came four points away from playing in the Rose Bowl in their Civil War rivalry game against Oregon. Here’s hoping the Las Vegas Bowl is as exciting as that one.