Insight Bowl: Oklahoma State vs. Indiana

Teams: Oklahoma State vs. Indiana
Date: Dec. 31, 2007 at 6 p.m. ET
Location: Sun Devil Stadium, Tempe, Ariz.

Analysis
It’s been an emotional season for Indiana, but a season-ending victory over Purdue finished late head coach Terry Hoeppner’s dream of “Play 13.” The trip to Tempe will mark the Hoosiers’ first bowl appearance since the 1993 Independence Bowl and is a step in the direction of building this program into a yearly contender for a bowl in the Big Ten.

The stadium operators at Sun Devil Stadium should be busy all night, as both offenses possess the ability to put 40 points on the board. The Hoosiers are led by sophomore quarterback Kellen Lewis, who tossed 26 touchdowns on the season – 16 of those to receiver James Hardy. With Oklahoma State ranking near the bottom of the NCAA in pass defense, Lewis and Hardy should have no problem moving the ball down the field. The Hoosiers don’t run the ball particularly well, but running back Marcus Thigpen has excellent speed and averaged just under five yards per carry this season.

The Cowboy offense has only been held under 30 points just five times this year and the one-two punch of quarterback Zac Robinson and Dantrell Savage might be the best combination the Hoosier defense has faced all season. Savage is riding a streak of nine consecutive 100-yard performances, while Robinson is one of the emerging dual-threat quarterbacks in college football. Although the Hoosier defense is not statistically terrible, the Cowboy offense should be able to move the football rather easily.

With two solid offenses, whichever defense can make a play or force a turnover at the right time will be able to win this game. The Hoosiers forced 29 turnovers and consistently got pressure on opposing quarterbacks this season – but the Cowboys possess speed and more weapons than any team they’ve seen this season.

Breakdown: Oklahoma State
Campus Location: Stillwater, Oklahoma
Distance to Tempe: 1,086 miles
All-Time Bowl Game Record: 11–6
2007 Season: 6–6, 4–4 Big 12

NCAA Rankings (yards/points per game totals):
Rush Offense: 7 (246)
Pass Offense: 48 (238)
Scoring Offense: 28 (33)
Rush Defense: 60 (154)
Pass Defense: 116 (293)
Scoring Defense: 76 (29)
Turnover Margin: 64 (-0.08)

Additional Notes:
Oklahoma State owns the best bowl winning percentage in the Big 12 (64.7 percent) … Quarterback Zac Robinson suffered a bruised shoulder against Oklahoma, but should be able to play in this game … Receiver Adarius Bowman missed the final two games with a knee injury and barring any setbacks, will be able to play in this game … Nine Cowboys were named to the Big 12 all-conference teams, including Dantrell Savage, Bowman and tight end Brandon Pettigrew.

Breakdown: Indiana
Campus Location: Bloomington, Indiana
Distance to Tempe: 1,747 miles
All-Time Bowl Game Record: 3–5
2007 Season: 7–5, 3–5 Big Ten

NCAA Rankings (yards/points per game totals):
Rush Offense: 54 (156)
Pass Offense: 49 (238)
Scoring Offense: 38 (32)
Rush Defense: 61 (155)
Pass Defense: 76 (239)
Scoring Defense: 58 (27)
Turnover Margin: 58 (0.00)

Additional Notes:
By accepting the Insight Bowl bid, Indiana ended the longest bowl drought in the Big Ten … Defensive end Greg Middleton leads the NCAA in sacks with 16 … Quarterback Kellen Lewis leads the team in rushing with 653 yards … Head coach Bill Lynch is the first coach in Indiana history to lead a team to a bowl game in a debut season … Receiver James Hardy owns the Indiana record for most touchdowns, yards and receptions in a career.

Prediction: Oklahoma State by 6

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