Washington Huskies Will Play Oklahoma State In Cactus Bowl

Although the University of Washington Huskies football team endured a somewhat turbulent season, it’s hard to say it was anything but a success. Sure, they struggled against ranked competition, but that makes total sense. They beat up on everyone else, and finished the year by whooping the Cougars in Pullman. Not bad, I say.

But this is college football, where a congratulatory pat on the back is never good enough. The Huskies won a lot of games, and that deserves some kind of reward. Like, say, a bowl appearance. And that’s exactly what UW is getting.

It’s been a long time since Washington and Oklahoma State played each other in a game of football – 29 years, in fact. That drought will end on January 2nd, 2015, when the two teams meet in the Cactus Bowl in Tempe, Arizona.

Formerly – and hilariously – known as the Buffalo Wild Wings Bowl, the recently-renamed game will pit a talented Huskies squad against an Oklahoma State team that went 6-6 this year, finishing seventh in the Big 12. That’s… underwhelming, to say the least, and it should come as no surprise that the Huskies are big favorites. Because, you know, they’re way better.

UW will play as 6.5 point favorites, and bost an advantage over their opponent nearly all the way across the board. The Seattle Times has a nice side-by-side piece up right now comparing the two teams. Oklahoma State has an advantage with their passing offense and passing defense, as well as in the red zone. But overall it’s a pretty clear picture: UW is the better team, and it’s not that close.

A victory means the season’s early ails are all but forgotten, while a loss could lead to long-lasting frustration. Most importantly, the Huskies get the chance to play in a bowl game, and they have a great shot at victory. Plus, Seattleites have a great excuse to avoid some winter chills with a trip to Arizona. Sounds good to me!