HOLIDAY BOWL (San Diego) -- The public has the right idea. The total has ballooned three points to 47.5, still a low number in a game that involves the nation’s No. 2 passing team. Washington State will be crippled by the departure of two top WRs, Tavares Martin Jr. and Isaiah Johns-Mack, from the program, but coach Mike Leach has a battalion of receivers who can fill the breach. Both teams are stout defensively. However, Michigan State DE Robert Bowers is absent (personal reasons) and Wash-State All-America DT Hercules Mata’afa sits out the first half to serve a suspension. The warm weather in San Diego is conducive to enough offense that should take the scoring into the 50s. The Spartans have gone Over in all but one of their last half-dozen bowls.

HOLIDAY BOWL (San Diego) -- There has been too much disruption at Washington State to ignore leading up to its matchup with Michigan State in the Holiday Bowl. The top two receivers, Tavares Martin and Isaiah Johnson-Mack, left amid bizarre circumstances. And the exotic Cougar offense will be going up against a fast, physical and disciplined Spartan defense that will consistently win the battle on both lines of scrimmage.

The line here moved from Washington State as a 4.5-point favorite all the way to a 1.5-point underdog. My projections still favor the Cougars straight up, so I'll take the underdog and the small spread, just in case.