The college football bowl season is -- sadly -- rapidly coming to a close, and on Friday, we get one game on the slate that you will surely want to tune in for as you get set for a weekend that'll be filled with the NFL Playoffs. The Famous Idaho Potato Bowl takes place on Friday afternoon, with Nevada and Ohio set to clash in a battle featuring the Mountain West and MAC.
This will be the first matchup between the two schools that sit roughly 2,000 miles apart.
So settle in and watch one of college football's criminally underrated quarterbacks, Nathan Rourke of Ohio, while Nevada looks to win eight games for the second straight year under coach Jay Norvell and its second consecutive bowl.
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Who wins this battle of state schools? Let's take a closer look at the matchup and storylines to follow before making some expert picks both straight up and against the spread.
Storylines
Nevada: The Wolf Pack's offense hasn't been awesome, but the offense does have two running backs it can rely on: Toa Taua and Devonte Lee. Together, they've combined for just over 1,000 yards and 12 touchdowns (splitting six each) at about 4.3 yards per carry. Again, not the most eye-popping numbers, but solid. And if there's one side of the ball that has been suspect for Ohio, it's on the defensive side. So if the Wolf Pack are going to pull the upset, they need to be able to move the ball -- and probably play a bit of keep-away -- and get touchdowns.
Ohio: Rourke will play his final game in a Bobcats uniform and it's hard to envision many quarterbacks who have come through the program who are more accomplished. Rourke will leave the program as the leader in passing efficiency (currently 146.9), touchdowns (108) and total points. He's been pretty efficient throughout the course of his career, but he's saved the best for last with a 20-to-5 touchdown-to-interception ratio and a career-best 2,676 yards passing. He's also added 780 yards on the ground with 12 touchdowns. If you've never seen Rourke before, take a few hours and see him once before he leaves forever.
Viewing information
Event: Famous Idaho Potato Bowl
Date: Friday, Jan. 3 | Time: 3:30 p.m. ET
Location: Albertsons Stadium -- Boise, Idaho
TV: ESPN | Live stream: WatchESPN.com
Famous Idaho Potato Bowl prediction, picks
The half-point can be tricky, but the matchup on paper seems to benefit Ohio. Rourke is a bona fide star in this offense and if it gets going, Nevada is going to have a lot of catch-up to play. The Wolf Pack have had some real lopsided losses this season, as well, including a 31-3 loss to Wyoming, and the Cowboys aren't exactly an offensive juggernaut. Think Rourke's send-off is a big game. Pick: Ohio (-7.5)
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