Mid Major Game of the Week:

Air Force vs. BYU  

Air Force will look to put a stop to the Cougars five game win streak this weekend. The key matchup for this game will be Air Force defense vs. BYU QB Max Hall. There is no doubt that Hall is a player and can win games, as he looks to set a school record this week for victories by a QB. However Air Force has allowed 20 points or more only once this season, in an overtime loss to then number 19 Utah. Look for plenty of pass rush and sticky coverage in the secondary. Air Force also boasts an option offense that is fourth in the nation in rushing, averaging 279.2 yards per game. Couple that with Air Force's ability to keep the turnovers to a minimum, (tied for 2nd in the nation for lowest turnovers with 7), and this should be an interesting game for the Cougars who look to extend their win streak to six.

What to expect as Bowl Games approach:

Usually, second and third place teams in the Sun Belt Conference and fifth and sixth place teams in the MAC do not get much attention. But keep an eye out for Middle Tennessee, Louisiana-Monroe, Louisiana-Lafayette, Northern Illinois, Kent State, and Ohio University because three or four of these teams will be bowl-bound this season. Other conferences such as the ACC, Pac-10, Mountain West, and Big Ten could have trouble filling their bowl slots, so officials will be turning to non-affiliated teams with winning records, and those teams are coming from the Sun Belt and Mid American Conferences. There are still about 4 spots open in bowl games left for the ACC (2), the Big Ten and the Mountain West. Watch out for Kent State and Northern Illinois especially, as these squads still have legitimate conference title hopes, and may fall into some of these remaining bowl slots.

Player on the spot:

UAB QB Joe Webb will be under the spotlight this week as the Blazers need one more win for bowl eligibility. They play at East Carolina this week, followed by a home game against UCF. Unfortunately for UAB, ECU leads the conference in total defense and UCF is number 2 in the conference. Webb will be the key factor in determining whether the Blazers can get that key win. He has rushed for 10 TD's and thrown for 16 this season. In the Blazer's three losses however, he has thrown for just four and run for three. All six of his interceptions have come in losses as well. UAB's shot to win depends on Webb's performance over these next two weeks.

Mid Major Picks of the Week:

SMU  21                            Marshall  24

UAB  24                             ECU  20

Tulsa  17                          Southern Miss  28

Boise State  38               Utah State 21

Air Force  27                     BYU  31