BOWLNANZA!: The Armed Forces Bowl

Tulsa (8-4) vs. Utah (7-5)

Ooh, a nice intriguing game between two hidden gems of good teams.

Tulsa's come to prominence under Steve Kragthorpe, and while this year was a bit of a step back record-wise, the Golden Hurricane's progress has stayed on track. Tulsa easily could've been 10-2, as the game they lost to SMU was about even, and they would've beaten Rice if not for any one of four turnovers. The Tulsa offense has been prolific, coming in at a shade under 400 yards per game. The defense is also ranked in the top 20 yardage-wise, but it has been lit up; BYU and Houston were each able to break 450, while Rice and SMU broke 350 in Tulsa's other two losses.

Utah's been a good team, if frustrating at times during this season. The scores in the Utes' games pretty accurately reflect the season -- close losses against BYU and New Mexico, but shellackings at the hands of Boise State, UCLA, and most shockingly, Wyoming. All three are somewhat surprising, though, as a team of Utah's caliber this season should at least stay somewhat close in those games. If the Utes team that should show up DOES show up, however, then you're looking at a team that has a chance to beat pretty much anyone.

And that's really the $1 million question: Tulsa's been a pretty consistently good team, but will Utah come ready to play at that level? Having played BYU close in a game that looks even better now post-Las Vegas Bowl, I think the Utes are off the schneid. Plus, as mentioned before, Tulsa's had trouble against pass-happy teams with talent, such as Houston and BYU. And, uh oh, Utes QB Brett Ratliff has quietly had a very good, very efficient year, throwing for over 2500 yards and a 22/8 TD/INT ratio. This could go either way, but I'm leaning towards the Utes.

My Pick: Utah
Confidence (out of 5): 1