Our 2012 bowl predictions continue on Saturday, December 29th with the Armed Forces Bowl, and we are set to make our Armed Forces Bowl predictions, tips, and keys to the game for the duel between the Rice Owls and the Air Force Falcons.

2012 Armed Forces Bowl: Rice Owls vs. Air Force Falcons
2012 Armed Forces Bowl Location: Amon G. Carter Stadium, Fort Worth, TX
2012 Armed Forces Bowl Date/Time: Saturday, December 29th, 11:45 a.m. (ET)
2012 Armed Forces Bowl On TV: ESPN, Watch ESPN

Click Here For The Rest Of The 2012-13 Bowl Game Schedule And Other Bowl Game Previews

Key #1: The Owls have to figure out the triple option
This is sort of the duh statement of the year at this point for the Armed Forces Bowl. Rice allowed over 192 yards per game on the ground this year and ranked 92nd in the country in rushing defense. However, this is a totally different style of defense than what the team has seen all year long in Conference USA. QB Connor Dietz and the gang are going to run it about 80-85% of the time, and the rushes are going to come from all different directions. It’s all about assignment football for Rice in this game, and with three weeks of practice to prepare for this one, there really are no excuses for players that are out of position. Still, saying it and executing it are two totally different things to do, and Rice is going to have a tough time getting the job done. There will be busted plays for sure, but in the end, the Owls are going to have to limit those big time plays. Around 300 yards is the threshold in this one. Anything more than that and Air Force is going to be in great shape. Anything less, and the Owls should be able to win this one if all else turns out to be equal in the end.

Armed Forces Bowl Odds at WagerWeb Sportsbook
Rice Owls +2.5
Air Force Falcons -2.5
Over/Under 61.5
Click Here to Bet Your Armed Forces Bowl Picks!

Key #2: Taylor McHargue has to be a star
QB Taylor McHargue is clearly the heart and soul of the Rice offense. He is the man that takes the snaps, and he’s the one that is going to do about 40% of the rushing of the football as well. The key might be McHargue throwing the football, though. In his last three games of the year, he completed over 65% of his passes, averaged 254.3 passing yards per game, and had two scores with just one pick. In those games, the team averaged 39.3 points per game. McHargue has averaged less than 6.7 yards per pass attempt four times this year, and the team went 0-4 SU and 1-3 ATS in those games. It went 6-2 SU and 6-1-1 ATS in the eight games aside from that. It’s clear to see that McHargue is the key to the Rice offense, and he is going to have to take advantage of a very suspect Air Force defense if he is going to win this one.

Key #3: Cody Getz has to get the football and be the pilot of the offense
There were five players that had at least 400 rushing yards this year for the Falcons, and RB Cody Getz was the leader of the pack with 1,213 yards and nine TDs. He did all of this in just 10 games, and he had some ones to remember in there for sure. In his first two games of the year against the Idaho State Bengals and the Michigan Wolverines, he had three TDs in each game. Getz accounted for 887 yards and eight TDs on the ground in his first five games of the campaign but just 65.2 yards per game and one score in his last five games. In the last three losses of the year for the Falcons, Getz had 82, 55, and 23 yards, and that just doesn’t cut it. Granted, we know that there could be others that ultimately get the job done for Air Force, but it is clear that Getz is likely going to have to have a big time game to pick up a victory.

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The SMU Mustangs and Army Black Knights probably aren’t the two sexiest bowl teams in the world, but they are both feel good stories, and they should make for a fantastic college football betting action. Before making your Armed Forces Bowl picks in this one on Thursday afternoon, be sure to check out the three keys to which team is beating the NCAA football odds.

Key #1: Jared Hassin has to become a 1,000 yard rusher
The triple option really needs to shine for the Black Knights to have any chance of succeeding in the Armed Forces Bowl. QB Trent Steelman is going to be responsible for both running the ball on his own and getting Hassin the football. Though Steelman is the man that will be the catalyst, Hassin is the one that needs to get the tough yards up the gut. Hassin has a chance to become the second 1,000 yard rusher for the Cadets in the last 20 years if he can get just 69 yards in the Armed Forces Bowl. He had a terrible time in the final few games of the regular season, accounting for just 148 yards on 46 carries with just one TD since November 13th. The Mustangs were torched by the UCF Knights in the Conference USA Championship Game just a few weeks ago, and that only made the rushing numbers for the year even worse. Allowing 142.2 yards per game ranked just No. 51 in the nation, but we have to remember that Conference USA is a conference that is more known for its passing than its rushing. The winner of this battle between Hassin and the SMU front seven is probably going to win this duel.

Key #2: Kyle Padron needs to be a superstar
This key really goes back to Hassin as well, as taking care of the football on offense will limit the Mustangs and their lethal passing attack. This is why Army held teams to just 190.5 yards per game through the air this year, but again, we have to remember that this was a schedule that wasn’t very tough, as there wasn’t a bowl eligible team that was beaten this year, and there were only five on the entire schedule. Meanwhile, SMU averaged 273.8 yards per game on the year through the air, which ranked No. 22 in the land. QB Kyle Padron has a real chance to make a name for himself in his second season as a starting quarterback. He put up a real dud against UCF four weeks ago, and he would love to make a big time rebound. He threw for 3,526 yards and 29 TDs this year, though Head Coach June Jones really would have rather seen his signal caller throw fewer than 12 picks. Both WR Aldrick Robinson and WR Cole Beasley should be in store for a great game, as both were 1,000 yard receivers this year. Robinson caught 60 passes for 1,225 yards, an average of 20.4 yards per reception, and he found the end zone 13 times. Beasley was more of a workhorse, catching 84 passes for 1,036 yards and six TDs.

Key #3: Zach Line cannot be forgotten on either side of the ball
Army really can’t just sell out against the pass in this one, or the running game is going to really sneak up on it and bite it in the butt. Padron has some wheels, as he rushed for 254 yards and four TDs this year, but the man of the hour is going to be RB Zach Line. You don’t normally think about a June Jones offense featuring a 1,500 yard rusher, but Line already has 1,391 yards and ten TDs in 2010. This sophomore had back to back 30 carry games against the Marshall Thundering Herd and the East Carolina Pirates, and he finished up the season with 419 yards and three scores in his last three games combined. Needless to say, Line will get his touches in the finale of his sophomore season, if for no other reason, that he’ll be able to build some momentum coming into next year when the Mustangs should really be ready to rock and roll.