Kansas Vs. Minnesota: Mitch Picks the Insight Bowl 12/31/08

The Insight Bowl Sun Devil Stadium Tempe, AZ

Kansas (7-5) vs. Minnesota (7-5)

December 31, 2008   6 EST   The Line: Minnesota + 8 1/2

Overview:

The two teams that find themselves playing in this game might be wondering just what could have been. While 7-5 records and a New Year's Eve in warm and sunny Arizona aren't too bad of consolation prizes, both of these teams had multiple chances to step up and make a statement and both came up short on most of those occasions.

Mark Mangino's Jayhawks entered the season coming off of a BCS berth, and while the expectations were moderate for this year, the Jayhawks put themselves in situations to have meaningful games. If there was a defining game for KU this year, it was at Nebraska, this loss cost them a spot in the Big 12 Title Game as they beat division champion Missouri but finished a game behind them in the standings.

After winning just one game in 2007, Minnesota started this season by going 7-1 with the only loss coming at Ohio State. Unfortunately, it was all downhill after that as the Gophers ended the season with four-straight losses, the last of which be a 55-0 drubbing at the hands of Iowa. While the turnaround was quite a story, an even bigger story would be for them to pull off the victory as a prohibitive underdog in this one.

This one is another battle of QB's, Minnesota's Adam Weber and Kansas' Todd Reesing. While each has plenty of skilled weapons to dish the ball off to, the offense weighs heavily on these two's shoulders.

See Mitch's Insight Bowl pick against the spread