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How to Watch Alamo Bowl 2018 Without Cable

Alamo Bowl 2018

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School history is on the line for both Washington State and Iowa State in the 2018 Alamo Bowl on Friday, as the Cougars have a chance at their first 11-win season in program history, while a victory for the Cyclones would give them back-to-back bowl wins for the first time.

The game is scheduled to start at 9 p.m. ET and will be broadcast nationally on ESPN. If you don’t have cable, you can still watch a live stream of the game on your computer, phone, video game console, smart TV or streaming device by signing up for one of the following cable-free, live-TV streaming services:

Hulu With Live TV

In addition to a Netflix-like on-demand streaming library, Hulu also offers a bundle of 50-plus live TV channels, including ESPN, ESPN2 and ESPNU. You can sign up for “Hulu with Live TV” right here, and you can then watch a live stream of the game on your computer via the Hulu website, or on your phone, tablet, or streaming device via the Hulu app.

If you can’t watch live, “Hulu with Live TV” also comes with 50 hours of Cloud DVR storage (with the ability to upgrade to “Enhanced Cloud DVR,” which gives you 200 hours of DVR space and the ability to fast forward through commercials).

Sling TV

ESPN and ESPN2 are both included in the “Sling Orange” channel bundle. You can sign up for a free seven-day trial right here, and you can then watch a live stream of the game on your computer via the Sling TV website, or on your phone, tablet, or streaming device via the Sling TV app.

If you can’t watch live, you can get 50 hours of cloud DVR storage as an additional add-on.

ESPN Platforms

Additionally, you can watch a live stream of the game on your computer via ESPN.com, or on your phone, tablet, or streaming device via the ESPN app. You’ll need to log in to a cable provider to watch this way, but if you don’t have that, you can still sign up for one of the above options and then use your Hulu or Sling TV credentials to sign in and watch on the ESPN digital platforms.


Washington State vs Iowa State Preview

The Cougars were a win away from a spot in what would have been their first Rose Bowl since 2002, but a sixth consecutive loss to bitter rivals Washington prevented that. As such, the Alamo Bowl may feel like a disappointment, but in the grand scheme of things, it’s an impressive accomplishment after being picked ninth in the Pac-12 preseason media poll.

Nevertheless, after being so close to a high-profile bowl before missing out, Wazzu will be eager to show their season wasn’t a fluke. Moreover, in what will be the last game of his collegiate career, Gardner Minshew will be looking to put on a show in his finale.

Minshew enjoyed a standout season as the general of Mike Leach’s air raid offense, completing 70.6 percent of his passes for 4,477 yards, 36 touchdowns and just nine interceptions en route to a fifth-place finish in the Heisman voting. He’s just 120 yards shy of Connor Halliday’s single-season school record for passing yards, and 238 short of Jared Goff’s Pac-12 record.

“Golly, I’ve been here what like six, seven months? It’s ridiculous,” he said. “I’m not ready for it to be over… If it’s anything with a last game, you just want to leave it all out there for the other guys that are going into their last one with you. Just make the most of those memories.”

Minshew was shut down by both the snow and Washington’s elite defense in his last game, throwing for just 152 yards, zero scores and two picks. Now, he’s get another tough test against a very good Cyclones defense.

Despite playing in the offensive-happy Big 12, Iowa State ranks 24th in the country in points per game allowed (22.4), 36th in yards per game allowed (357.5) and 28th in yards per play allowed (4.9).

They also have their share of experience against air raid-esque offenses led by Heisman candidates.

Against Dana Holgorsen (played under Leach at Iowa Wesleyan and coached under him at Texas Tech) and Will Grier (fourth in Heisman voting), Iowa State held West Virginia to 14 points and 100 passing yards, by far the Mountaineers’ worst offensive game of the season.

Against Lincoln Riley (played for Leach at Texas Tech and coached under him at Texas Tech) and Kyler Murray (Heisman winner), Iowa State held Oklahoma to 37 points–their second-lowest output of the season–and limited Murray to just 78 passing yards in the second half.

“The biggest thing is, they just keep playing extremely hard,” Leach said of Iowa State. “Whether you’re on offense or defense, you face a certain amount of adversity, and one of the biggest strengths I think they have is they just keep playing no matter what and just relentlessly till the clock says (zero), and I think that’s one of the highest compliments you can give any team or any side of the ball.”

Washington State is a three-point favorite with an over/under of 57 points, so there are some who believe Wazzu’s offense will break through, but it’s a compelling matchup–and easily one of the best non-New Year’s Six bowls.