Washington vs. No. 15 Baylor
Dec. 29, 9 p.m. ET, ESPN
At San Antonio
This prediction comes courtesy of Marc Doche (@MDoche) from the ever dependable P101 satellite office in Burbank, Calif.
With USC ineligible for the postseason, the Pac-12 also-rans get bumped up the pecking order to better bowls ... against stiffer competition. For the Huskies, who finished with losses in three of their last four games, it means going up against one of the hottest teams in the nation in their own backyard.
After facing the nation’s eighth-toughest schedule, there’s no reason not to expect a Baylor squad ranked second in total offense (571 yards per game) and sixth in scoring (43.5 points per game) to move the football at will against a limp Husky defense that gave up at least 31 points on seven occasions.
Robert Griffin III isn’t the kind of guy to let up after winning the Heisman hardware, so there’s no shot for Washington (7-5) to replicate last year’s bowl victory in which they held Nebraska to a measly touchdown. Baylor (9-3) should win big.
Opening point spread: Baylor by 8 1/2
The pick: Baylor 49-30
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