Dollar General Bowl: Tarell Basham (DE – Ohio)
While Woods struggled in his conference championship game, Ohio’s Tarell Basham was the star of his. The senior defensive end had success against Western Michigan’s right tackle Taylor Moton (a potential mid-round pick in the 2017 NFL Draft) and left tackle Chukwuma Okorafor (who could be selected even higher next year). He’ll look to carry that momentum into the bowl game.
Troy does have two seniors on the bookends of the offensive line. Left tackle Antonio Garcia and right tackle Tyler Lassiter have played in a combined 88 games over their college careers and will be tasked with slowing down Basham. If those two can hold their ground, the Trojans should win this game. If Basham is able to generate pressure and force Troy quarterback Brandon Silvers into poor decisions, Ohio will have a chance to pull off the upset.
Basham is already on the radar of the NFL, as his play this season has earned him a trip to the Senior Bowl. While currently a late-round prospect, he can greatly improve his 2017 NFL Draft stock with a stellar postseason.