Cowboys and Crimson Tide roll into Shreveport

NCAA Football Betting Lines

12/24/2006 - Shreveport, LA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Oklahoma State Cowboys and the Alabama Crimson Tide are set to collide in the PetroSun Independence Bowl in Shreveport, Louisiana.

Oklahoma State owns a mediocre 6-6 record, but the team has been much better than that mark suggests. Four of the games were decided on the final play, and the six teams that have defeated the Cowboys are all headed to bowl games with combined records of 53-21. They are 10-6 all-time in bowl games and will attempt to halt a two-game postseason losing skid. Oklahoma State is making its fourth bowl appearance in the last five years, the most successful stretch for the program since the 1980s. The Cowboys have played only five games against SEC opponents since 1981.

Alabama, a member of that SEC conference, also owns a 6-6 overall record, and the team will be led by interim coach Joe Kines, as he is taking the place of the fired Mike Shula. The Crimson Tide won their first three games of the season, but things seemed to fall apart from that point on. When the squad lost its final three outings, including a setback to arch-rival Auburn, Shula paid the price. Alabama is set to take part in its NCAA-leading 54th bowl appearance, and it has more bowl wins (30) than any other team. This Independence Bowl marks the third straight postseason appearance for the Crimson Tide, a feat that has not been accomplished since the program reached 10 straight bowl games from 1985 to 1994.

This game marks the first-ever meeting between the Crimson Tide and the Cowboys on the gridiron.

Oklahoma State has had no trouble moving the ball and scoring points this season, as the squad is racking up 35.3 ppg, good for eighth-place nationally, while gaining 409.0 total ypg to rank 16th. The Cowboys are gaining over 200 ypg both on the ground and through the air, and that balance puts a great deal of pressure on opposing defenses. The offense has generated 51 total touchdowns through 12 games, with 26 coming through the air and 25 on the ground. Rather than rely on one player to carry the rushing load, Oklahoma State gets contributions from several runners. Dantrell Savage has been the most effective of the bunch, as he has run for 708 yards and seven touchdowns on only 107 carries. Keith Toston, Mike Hamilton and quarterback Bobby Reid have all rushed for at least 466 yards and four touchdowns, providing Oklahoma State with a wealth of rushing options. Speaking of Reid, he has completed 55.9 percent of his passes for 2,054 yards with 23 touchdowns and 10 interceptions. While he did suffer a shoulder injury late in the season, Reid is expected to be fine for this bowl game. Adarius Bowman is the most dangerous wideout on the Oklahoma State team, as he has made 57 catches for 1,131 yards and 11 touchdowns. D'Juan Woods is a solid second option on the outside.

The Cowboys do a tremendous job of pressuring opposing quarterbacks, as they are averaging three sacks per game to go along with 7.5 tackles for loss per outing. Still, the defense is a rather mediocre unit. Oklahoma State is surrendering 25.2 ppg and 371.4 total ypg, and shaky defense has played a major role in many of the six losses. Opposing offensive units have racked up 34 total touchdowns against the Cowboys, including 19 through the air. Oklahoma State has forced 23 turnovers to go along with the high sack totals, and those big plays have helped throughout the season, but sure tackling and sound coverage will be needed to knock off Alabama in this bowl showdown. Victor DeGrate has registered 8.5 sacks, and Nathan Peterson is close behind with eight sacks. As for Andre Sexton, he leads the Cowboys with 75 total tackles.

Alabama sophomore quarterback John Parker Wilson has received some criticism for the team's mediocre season, but he put up some impressive numbers that rival some of the best to ever play quarterback for the storied institution. Wilson has thrown 16 touchdown passes this season to tie the school record, and he owns the outright single-season record for total offense, passing yards, pass attempts and 200-yard games. He needs just eight completions to break that single-season record as well. Entering the season, the Tide expected to feature a punishing ground attack led by tailback Kenneth Darby, but he has failed to even approach those expectations. In fact, Darby's average of 68.3 rushing yards per game is good for just 71st nationally. Although Darby does not get goal line carries, it is still concerning that he hasn't reached the end zone as a rusher on 200 attempts. The most dangerous player on offense for Alabama is wideout DJ Hall, as he has racked up 1,014 yards and five touchdowns on 57 catches.

Alabama ranked 29th nationally in scoring defense and 18th in total defense, as it is surrendering 18.0 ppg and 287.6 total ypg. No opponent has scored more than 28 points against the Tide, and the fact that the team held Hawaii to 17 points in the season opener speaks volumes. Against the run, Alabama is yielding only 3.8 ypg and has permitted only nine rushing scores to date. The club has yielded 14 passing touchdowns, but it has also come up with 15 interceptions. A key for the defense has been its ability to get off the field on third down, as opponents are making good on only 33 percent of their conversion attempts. Jeffrey Dukes leads the with 74 total tackles, and Juwan Simpson is close behind with 73 stops. Keep an eye on Simeon Castille, as he has five interceptions and three fumble recoveries to his credit.

Considering the fact that Alabama ended the season on a down note and has had an extremely difficult time finding someone to replace Shula, it is hard to pick the Tide in this contest. Expect Oklahoma State to take care of business behind a balanced offensive attack.

Sportsbook Betting Lines Predicted Outcome: Oklahoma State 27, Alabama 13