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NO. 20 BOISE STATE BRONCOS (11-2) VS. NO. 10 ARIZONA WILDCATS (10-3)
DEC. 31, 4 P.M. ET, GLENDALE, ARIZ., UNIVERSITY OF PHOENIX STADIUM (ESPN) BOISE STATE BREAKDOWN Season highlights: Nobody at Boise State was happy after an 8-5 season a year ago that ended with coach Chris Petersen moving on to Washington. But former Boise State quarterback Bryan Harsin has led a resurgence in his first year, taking Boise State back to its customary 10 wins and a New Year’s Six bowl game in the first year of the College Football Playoff. After starting 3-2, the Broncos ended the season on an eight-game winning streak, including a huge 50-19 win against Utah State that clinched a spot in the Mountain West championship game against Fresno State.  Season lowlights: There was one major lowlight: an embarrassing 28-14 loss to Air Force in September that had many wondering what direction the Broncos were heading. The loss featured seven turnovers -- five interceptions plus two fumbles from leading rusher Jay Ajayi. It was their worst conference loss since joining the Mountain West in 2011. But rather than allowing that defeat to taint the season, Boise State refocused.
Player to watch: Ajayi. Nicknamed "J-Train," Ajayi has been a dominant force for the Broncos with 2,225 all-purpose yards, ranking third in the nation. He has rushed for multiple touchdowns in seven of his past eight games, with 20 total during that span. He has 25 rushing touchdowns in 2014, which is the second most in a single season in Mountain West history. Motivation factor: You know Boise State is going to be fired up to be back in an elite bowl game on a national stage. The Broncos were 2-0 in BCS games and seem to thrive when doubters are shouting them down. Plus, they will be eager to reclaim some of their past success against Power 5 schools after most recently losing to Washington and Ole Miss. Their last Power 5 win was against Washington in the 2012 Las Vegas Bowl. Boise State is 4-1 in its past five bowl games, with three wins against Power 5 schools.
--Andrea Adelson  vs. ARIZONA BREAKDOWN Season highlights: There were three defining moments for Arizona’s season. First was the 47-yard Hail Mary completion from Anu Solomon to Austin Hill that capped a 36-point fourth quarter in a 49-45 win against California. Without that win, the Wildcats don’t win the Pac-12 South Division. Then there’s the 31-24 win at Oregon that gave the Wildcats national legitimacy. Finally, there is the 42-35 win against archrival Arizona State that secured the South crown on the final weekend of the regular season.  Season lowlights: When kicker Casey Skowron pushed a last-second 36-yard field goal wide right against USC, the then-No. 10 Wildcats fell from the unbeaten ranks. They played their worst game -- offensively at least -- in a 17-7 loss at UCLA. It was the only game of the regular season in which they failed to score at least 26 points.
Player to watch: Solomon, a redshirt freshman, has been a revelation for the Wildcats offense, but the unquestioned star of the team is sophomore linebacker Scooby Wright, a certain All-American who is up for a number of national awards. Wright is the name brand on a formerly no-name defense that has proved opportunistic and surprisingly salty in crunch time. Motivation factor: The Wildcats will be plenty motivated to close out their best season since 1998 with a win in a quality bowl game. This team also sets up nicely for what should be a highly contested race in the Pac-12 South in 2015.
-- Ted Miller
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