3 things to know for the Valero Alamo Bowl

Need a brief primer before you attempt to watch all 40 bowl games this season? We’ve got you covered. Here are three things you need to know about the Alamo Bowl.

VALERO ALAMO BOWL
Oklahoma State (9-3) vs. Colorado (10-3)
Dec. 29, 9 p.m. ET
ESPN

— Do you like offense? Well, you came to the right bowl game. Oklahoma State and Colorado, former Big 12 foes, can both put up big numbers on offense.

The Cowboys, led by quarterback Mason Rudolph, rank 16th nationally in total offense, 10th in passing offense and 17th in scoring offense. Rudolph topped the 350-yard mark through the air five different times this season and finished the year with 3,777 yards and 25 scores. The junior completed 63 percent of his passes and has just four interceptions. He spreads the ball to an array of targets, but James Washington is the most dangerous. Washington, who announced with Rudolph he will return for his senior season, has 62 catches for 1,209 yards — a 19.5-yard average. Jalen McCleskey led the team with 69 catches, and Justice Hill (1,042 yards) was the program’s first 1,000-yard rusher since 2012.

On the other side, Colorado will see the return of senior quarterback Sefo Liufau, who was injured in the Pac-12 title game loss to Washington. Liufau led a balanced attack that averaged 446.3 yards (41st) and 32.8 points (42nd) per game. Liufau threw for 2,171 yards and rushed for 496 more to go with 18 total touchdowns. Liufau has Shay Fields, Devin Ross and Bryce Bobo to spread the ball to, but the Buffs’ advantage may come on the ground with Phillip Lindsay (1,189 yards, 16 TDs) going against OSU’s 91st-ranked rush defense.

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— Both teams are coming off disappointing losses with conference titles on the line, so the Alamo Bowl has to feel like quite the consolation game when New Year’s Six bowls were on the line. Which team can bounce back better?

Colorado came up small in the Pac-12 title game against Washington, losing in blowout fashion, 41-10. UW led just 14-7 at halftime, but the Huskies quickly scored three times in the third quarter to put the game out of reach. If the Pac-12 title game loss wasn’t disappointing enough, USC earned an invitation to the Rose Bowl instead of the Buffs.

For Oklahoma State, a 38-20 loss to Oklahoma in the season finale marked the second straight year the Sooners took the Big 12 title out of OSU’s grasps. The loss snapped a seven-game winning streak for the Cowboys, who gave up 629 yards in a game that was more lopsided than the final score indicates. The Cowboys were beat up by Ole Miss in the Sugar Bowl in 2015 after a similar defeat. Will they be ready to play this time around?

— Oklahoma State has a significant advantage when it comes to experience playing on a big stage. Sure, Colorado got a taste of it against Washington, but the Buffs haven’t played in a bowl game since 2007 and haven’t won a bowl since 2004. Conversely, this is the 11th straight season Oklahoma State has played in a bowl under Mike Gundy.

The Cowboys are 6-4 in those games, but where will their motivation level be? Perhaps after last year’s Sugar Bowl dud, the team will play with some added intensity. And with Colorado’s bowl drought, you know the team will play with some extra juice.

Mascot fight prediction: Ralphie actually made the trip to San Antonio for the game. She would run over a cowboy in a second.

Ralphie arrived at her 365 acre home in TX! We will share the full details of her stay in TX when she is back home in CO #GoBuffs pic.twitter.com/nwTtjLxt0G

— Ralphie (@CUBuffsRalphie) December 28, 2016

Real predictions:
Graham Watson: Colorado 45, Oklahoma State 42
Nick Bromberg: Oklahoma State 37, Colorado 30
Sam Cooper: Colorado 42, Oklahoma State 38
Chris Herbert: Oklahoma State 41, Colorado 27

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Sam Cooper is a writer for the Yahoo Sports blogs. Have a tip? Email him or follow him on Twitter!

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