ALAMO BOWL (San Antonio) -- An alternate name for this matchup could be “The RBs Mystery.” A lasting image of Stanford’s season will be Bryce Love limping back to the huddle following one brilliant run after another, able to shake tacklers easier than a chronic ankle injury. With this extra rest, will the Cardinal get a healthier Love? He is likely to turn pro, so caution could be exercised. The fate of TCU’s top rusher, Darius Anderson (foot), is less clear; he is the proverbial game-time decision. There are some certainties here. TCU’s defense allows 3.2 yards per carry, eighth best in the country. The Cardinal’s starting left OT, Walker Little, is ailing, so a backup could be blocking Big 12 sacks leader Mat Boesen, one of five all-league honorees on the Horned Frogs’ defense. Stanford has been Under in seven of the last nine games overall, TCU in 16 of 21. The Frogs have reached the Over in just two of the past 11 bowls. Under is the only option, especially with the total ticking up two points.

ALAMO BOWL (San Antonio, Tex.) -- I'll go with the Cardinal to not only cover, but win straight up. While the Horned Frogs have been solid defensively, the Bryce Love show is too much for even a good Big 12 defense to handle. The Cardinal will win in the trenches on both sides of the ball, force a couple of late mistakes from quarterback Kenny Hill and lead David Shaw and Co. to an old-school, low-scoring win in the Alamo Bowl.

ALAMO BOWL (San Antonio, Tex.) -- The Cardinal have won three straight bowl games, and four of their last five, entering Thursday's Alamo Bowl against TCU. Bryce Love will be the best player on the fleld, period. The Horned Frogs faded after a 7-0 start. In my simulations, Stanford is winning outright 54 percent of the time and covering 59 percent of the time. Play on the Cardinal.