Big 12 Football: Predicting Every 2016 Bowl Game
Russell Athletic Bowl – Dec. 28
Miami vs. West Virginia
The first ranked Big 12 team to be in action will be No. 14 West Virginia. They will take on Miami in the Russell Athletic Bowl on December 28.
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The Mountaineers finished with a 10-2 record in 2016, with their only two blemishes coming against Oklahoma and Oklahoma State. These were both double-digit losses and by far the two toughest opponents of WVU’s season, though. Despite this, they still won the games they had to with strong defensive play and running back Justin Crawford, who ran for over 1,000 yards on 7.4 yards per carry.
Miami had a nice start to the year, but fell off once their ACC schedule began. They actually won their first four games, lost the next four, then finished off with four consecutive victories, so it seemed like a tale of three seasons for the Hurricanes. Three of their four losses were also by less than a touchdown, so they didn’t necessarily play poor in games 5-8.
Both teams have stout running games, which should be put to the test at the Russell Athletic Bowl. It could come down to the quarterbacks, with Bray Kaaya having been sharp to close the year and Skyler Howard having up and down performances. This should be a close game, but it will be Miami walking out with the close win.