We have consistently seen the Pac-12 get outmanned this bowl season, and against a Penn State team that is a bit shell shocked after coming up short this season, I think that's going to be a problem for Washington. The Nittany Lions are talented and hungry to end this season on a high note, and Saquon Barkley has an opportunity to deliver in what is expected to be his last game. The talent Myles Gaskin brings to the table does give me some pause, but in the end, I think Penn State is the better team and the Big Ten has proven to be the better conference.

FIESTA BOWL (Glendale, Ariz. ) -- Washington failed to repeat as Pac-12 champion and a playoff participant, while Penn State came up short oft eh playoffs for second straight year despite sky-high expectations. Even so, I will take a Chris Petersen-coached team in Washington with a month to prepare as an underdog in a matchup of evenly skilled teams. Both clubs have among the top QB-RB duos in the country, Jake Browning and Myles Gaskin for Washington, Trace McSorley and Saquon Barley for Penn State. But the value is with the underdog.

FIESTA BOWL (Glendale, Ariz. ) -- Washington’s results this season are dazzling: by 32 over bowl-winning Fresno State, 31 over California, 21 over UCLA, 35 over Oregon, 27 over Washington State. A 6-1 ATS mark over opponents with a winning record confirms that the Huskies come to play against top-notch foes. Much attention focuses on Penn State RB Saquon Barkley, but Washington's Myles Gaskin is just as productive. The Nittany Lions have stumbled in four of their last five bowls, while Huskies coach Chris Petersen feels right at home in the Fiesta setting.

FIESTA BOWL (Glendale, Ariz.) -- These two teams are so similar, it's kinda scary. Both have stellar defenses, great quarterbacks, dynamic running backs, and multiple playmakers outside and on special teams. Give me the Nittany Lions to win and cover, thanks to a special performance from running back Saquan Barkley and a statement made by head coach James Franklin, who undoubtedly remembers that the real team that kept Penn State out of the College Football Playoff last year was Washington, not Ohio State.

FIESTA BOWL (Tempe, Ariz.) -- The Nittany Lions lost two games this year, both on the road, by a combined four points. Their third-closest game this year was a 33-14 win over Pitt. I see PSU as undervalued in this one. While my projections show a Lions win straight-up as the best value, I'll take the minor risk and lay the points.