Boise State vs. Northern Illinois

POINSETTIA BOWL: The Boise State Broncos and the Northern Illinois Huskies are a pair of teams that have been powerful mid-majors for several years running, although this was not a banner season for either team, and it well may be fitting that they are paired against each other in the Poinsettia Bowl. Neither team has played particularly well down the stretch as Boise State lost two of their final three games. One of those losses was at home as a better than 30 point favorite vs. New Mexico. The other was also at home as a double-digit favorite to Air Force. The disturbing part of the Air Force game was that Boise State was +4 in turnovers and still lost by a TD as a big favorite, a sign that things just aren't right for this team. Northern Illinois lost their last two, one to Ohio, and as a double-digit dog vs. Bowling Green in the MAC Championship game. The simple truth is that Boise State has under-played their stats while Northern Illinois has over-played theirs. That shows a sign of effort and focus, which has been lacking on Boise State, as they have had some huge turnover games this season. Boise State has dropped four straight ATS vs. a winning team, and look to be really struggling. Take the points on Northern Illinois.