Not to mention the emotions teams might be playing with, such as disappointment from a snub from a perceived more attractive bowl game, or a desire to impress prospective new teams.
How much will the players care? Which team will be more excited to be playing in the postseason?
All of these factors can make picking bowl games a difficult prospect.
The value of such games aside, I have always enjoyed bowl season. The more 12 pm Tuesday games in December, the better!
Boise State Broncos vs Washington Huskies
Saturday, December 13
5:00 PM PT, ABC
Dave Pasch, Dusty Dvoracek, and Taylor McGregor
Line: Washington -9.5
Points Total: 52.5
But while I think this shorter break will be a good thing for both teams, there is more potential risk for the Huskies.
Boise State is coming off a conference title game last week, and preparing for the bowl will be like any other week. UW is coming off a solid season, but a longer layoff could result in the Big Ten squad losing some of its edge.
Washington will need to control the line of scrimmage, on both sides of the ball, and especially on the offensive line. The Huskies have run the ball effectively down the stretch, averaging 192.7 yards in their last three games.
And that production came with Jonah Coleman playing in just one of those contests, against Oregon. The powerful back is still a bit banged up, but is expected to play in the bowl game.
The Broncos have allowed 195.8 yards on the ground in their four losses vs. 149.9 in their nine wins. If they can’t slow down the Husky ground attack, they will have major issues.
A key on the other side of the ball will be how well the Boise State passing game can attack the Washington secondary.
UW has held four of their last five opponents to under 200 yards through the air. Having a healthy Tacario Davis would be huge, and the DB is expected to be ready to go.
Maddux Madsen and the Bronco offense will have their hands full against the Huskies.
He will need to move the ball through the air against a Washington team ranked 17th in the nation against the run.
To throw the ball as effectively as they need to, the Broncos must get their play-action working and take some deep shots.
In order to do that, the ground game will need to produce.
Look for Washington’s defense to put the clamps down on the Boise State offense and then grind it out on the ground. I see this as a jumping off point for Jed Fisch’s 2026 squad.
Play well on Saturday and it sets the table for spring camp and beginning of a promising next season for the Huskies.
Washington wins by a couple of scores.
Outright winner: Washington
Against the Spread: Washington
Over/Under: Under
