Gildan New Mexico Bowl 2014: Cougs Will Be a Great Bet in Vegas against Colorado State

Oct 31, 2013; Pullman, WA, USA; Washington State Cougars quarterback Connor Halliday (12) throws a pass against the Arizona State Sun Devils at Martin Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports

Good Cougar fans rejoice, we are finally joining the ranks of Bowling teams. A decade has passed since a Matt Kegel led Cougar team into San Diego in order to defeat #5 Texas, and the fan base is ready for some post season action.

Cougar fans should carry confidence into ABQ, as the Colorado State Rams are, well, they are not a Pac-12 team. They could generously be called a good mid-major team, but that probably would not be correct.

If you are planning on putting some money down on this game, Coug fans, feel confident that the Cougs will win by more than two touchdowns. Las Vegas has not put the line on their virtual board yet, but Vegas has underestimated WSU all year and it may be time to make them pay for it.

First, look at the Rams’ schedule: Losses to out of conference opponents Colorado (4-8), Tulsa (3-9), and Bama (expected loss, obviously), and UTEP (2-10). They then played respectably, winning where they should and losing where they should, adding 6 conference wins to their win against FCS Cal Poly (middling FCS) to reach a 7-6 record.

Their problem lies in the SOS. Even with Alabama, they hold a 105 in SOS. In case you were wondering WSU finished the season with the #1 SOS as rated by Sagarin. Sagarin considers WSU the #31 team in the nation, with CSU #85.

Those are just poll numbers, but keep them in mind when considering their team stats. CSU can arguably be considered the worst pass defending team in the nation. CSU allowed 3450 passing yards this year, ranking them #109 in FBS. That includes their final games against rush happy Utah State and Air Force. CSU allows 8 passing yards per attempt and 12.6 yards per completion.

So Coug fans, travel to the SW, eat some great food, enjoy yourselves, before the Cougs dismantle a mediocre bowl opponent.
Thems the facts, CSU can not hope to keep up with the Cougar passing attack. Doc Halliday is heading to ply his gun-slinging skills in the land of Billy the Kid, and expect him to emerge victorious!