Cnotes 2015 College Football All You Need To Know- Trends, Picks, News Etc.

[CNOTES]

Stanford QB Kevin Hogan questionable for Friday at Oregon St


September 22, 2015


STANFORD, Calif. (AP) Stanford quarterback Kevin Hogan suffered a left ankle injury early in the second half of Saturday's 41-31 upset of Southern California and will sit out most of this week's practices, Cardinal coach David Shaw said Tuesday.


Shaw said Hogan will test his ankle on Thursday. No. 21 Stanford plays at Oregon State on Friday night.


Backups Ryan Burns and Keller Chryst, the son of San Francisco 49ers offensive coordinator Geep Chryst, have minimal game experience. Burns appeared in two games last year and completed his only pass attempt. Chryst played against Central Florida, completing a pass for 20 yards.


Hogan was injured on the third play of the second half when he was sacked by Trojans linebacker Anthony Sarao, who landed on Hogan's ankle.

 

[CNOTES]

Cal looks for redemption against Washington


September 22, 2015


BERKELEY, Calif. (AP) California is looking to avoid a repeat performance against Washington.


A year after a promising season was derailed by a lopsided loss to the Huskies, the Golden Bears come into the rematch on a roll.


Cal (3-0) survived last week at Texas with help from a missed extra point and has won the first three games of the season for the first time since 2011.


The Bears were on a similar roll a year ago when they took a 4-1 mark into a home game against Washington only to fall flat. Cal drove down the field to open the game only to have quarterback Jared Goff fumble at the goal line and Shaq Thompson return it 100 yards for a score.


That sent the Huskies off to a 31-7 win and Cal to six losses in the final seven games of the season to fall a win short of a bowl game.


''They whipped us physically up front on both sides of the ball last year,'' coach Sonny Dykes said Tuesday. ''I think our guys were embarrassed. Certainly we didn't do a very good job getting them ready as coaches. They came in here and humiliated us. Just physically beat us up, outcoached us and outplayed us.''


The Huskies have been just about the only defense to slow down Goff and the Bear Raid offense the past two years. Cal has averaged more than 43 points a game since the start of last season playing anyone other than Washington and Stanford is the only other opponent to hold Cal under 30 points.


Goff fumbled three times and failed to throw a TD pass against a defense that had four players picked in the first round of the NFL draft.


The Huskies took away the deep pass from Cal last year and that seemed to sap the Bears' energy.


''It seemed like we were going through the motions,'' receiver Stephen Anderson said. ''We weren't coming out as aggressive as we should have. They dropped their safeties back like 20, 25 yards and they made us earn it all the way up the field instead of having the opportunity to take those shots.''


Cal is looking to open the season with four straight wins for the first time since 2007. That was also one of the last years the Bears were nationally relevant. They rose to No. 2 in the rankings after four games and were poised to move into the top spot for the first time ever before an end-of-game meltdown in a 31-28 home loss to Oregon State.


The Bears have a 43-55 record since that game, including just nine wins in the last three seasons.


But that has all started to change this year behind Goff, who is playing the best football of his career as a junior. Goff is completing 73.1 percent of his passes, an increase from 62 percent a year ago, and has also gotten a significant boost in yards per attempt from 7.8 to 9.7 this year.


Goff has also gotten help from an improved running game that generated 280 yards on the ground at Texas for the biggest rushing performance in Dykes' three years at the helm. That came despite the absence of injured starter Daniel Lasco, who could return this week.


Khalfani Muhammad ran for 164 yards and a touchdown and Vic Enwere added 73 and two scores, making it tough for defenses to just key on Goff and his stable of talented receivers.


Even the defense has improved with a league-high nine forced turnovers and eight sacks through three weeks. Now the Bears want to take that nonconference success into the Pac-12 season.


''Our guys understand they are nowhere close to where they want to be but we've made significant strides,'' Dykes said. ''They just want to keep getting better.''

 

[CNOTES]

Big Ten might let schools slide on playing Power 5 opponent


September 22, 2015


Big Ten schools can petition the conference to waive a requirement in the new football scheduling policy that teams must play one nonconference game a year against an opponent from one of the other five most powerful leagues.


Conference officials would decide on a case-by-case basis whether to allow a team to play an opponent from one of the Group of Five conferences and have the game count as if it were against a Power Five, associate commissioner Scott Chipman said Tuesday.


Commissioner Jim Delany in July unveiled the new scheduling model, effective in 2016 when the Big Ten goes to a nine-game conference schedule. In addition to eliminating games against teams in the Football Championship Subdivision, the policy has each school playing at least one game a year against a team from the Atlantic Coast, Southeastern, Big 12 or Pacific-12 conferences. Delany said games against independents Notre Dame and BYU also would count.


The Big Ten will allow schools to play future schedules not including a Power Five opponent if contracts for those games were finalized before the new policy was announced.


Since the new policy was announced, however, Indiana has received permission from the conference to count games against Connecticut in 2019 and 2020 and Cincinnati in 2021 and 2022 as Power Five opponents, the Indianapolis Star reported. UConn and Cincinnati both play in the American Athletic Conference, one of the Group of Five leagues.


''We looked at their RPI for the last five or six years,'' Big Ten senior associate commissioner Mark Rudner told the newspaper. ''If someone comes to us with a request, we'll evaluate it. That's what happened with these two. Those seemed to fit.''


Rudner was not available for an interview with The Associated Press on Tuesday.


Maryland coach Randy Edsall said he doesn't understand how exceptions could be made, given that games are lined up far in advance.


''You can schedule a game now and you might not play that game for five to seven years,'' Edsall said. ''How do you know a team is going to be good in five to seven years? You don't know that, so I think there are some issues there.''


Rudner told the Indianapolis newspaper that the Big Ten has denied one request for an exemption and accepted another. He declined to name the schools.


The impetus for the Big Ten's policy was to build strength of schedule to enhance conference teams' resumes for College Football Playoff consideration.

 

[CNOTES]

No. 19 USC requires a quick rebound from early-season loss


September 22, 2015


LOS ANGELES (AP) Southern California has scored 145 points in its first three games, and Cody Kessler is completing nearly 79 percent of his passes for an offense that hasn't committed a turnover.


Yet if the No. 19 Trojans (2-1, 0-1 Pac-12) lose their second consecutive conference game when they visit Arizona State on Saturday, they realize their season will have fallen apart even before September ends.


Kessler doesn't see tension in this scenario. He only sees opportunities for fun.


''I'm excited. I've always loved road games,'' Kessler said after practice on campus Tuesday.


''Don't get me wrong, the Coliseum is great,'' added the quarterback, who ranks third in the nation in pass efficiency. ''But I'm a big fan of away games when you're the underdog and you go in there, and there's automatically adversity about you when you step on the field. It's going to be fun.''


The Trojans are fully aware of the lofty expectations placed on the shoulders of anybody in a cardinal-and-gold jersey. They realize their 41-31 loss to Stanford last weekend was a crushing disappointment for fans expecting a return to championship form in coach Steve Sarkisian's second season.


''We didn't expect to lose, but we've got to move on,'' said rushing leader Tre Madden, who was limited in practice due to a calf injury. ''All of our goals are still in front of us.''


And though the offensive players gamely parroted the usual lines about complete team losses and victories, it seems clear that the defense has more homework to do.


Stanford shredded the USC defense for 474 methodical yards, converting eight of 12 third downs and holding the ball for nearly 39 1-2 minutes. The Cardinal's dominant ball possession while scoring points on seven of eight drives meant that Kessler's offense could only run 60 plays, dramatically limiting its ability to match Stanford's scoring.


USC's inability to get pressure on Kevin Hogan allowed the Cardinal quarterback to pick apart the defense with his arm or legs. The Trojans' blitzes appeared to be sparing and ineffective, and Hogan repeatedly escaped pressure even when it reached him.


The entire scenario could be disastrous against Arizona State's Mike Bercovici, who presents similar challenges. He also led the Sun Devils to a victory over USC last season on a Hail Mary to Jaelen Strong at the Coliseum.


But the only sign of tension in the Trojans' first practice of the week was linebacker Su'a Cravens' pointed refusal to talk about the Stanford loss. Cravens likely had the best individual game on the USC defense, making a team-leading 13 tackles and getting a sack.


''We already forgot what happened,'' Cravens said. ''We're playing a (Pac-12) South opponent this week, and that's all that matters. ... We've just got to execute. A lot of people say it's the coaches, but sometimes it's the players. We've just got to exercise our assignments.''


Kessler remains optimistic that his senior season will live up to expectations. He certainly seems to be doing his part, going 70 for 89 with 922 yards and 10 touchdowns already.


''He's playing really good for us right now,'' Sarkisian said. ''And to his credit, he has fixed some of the things that we wanted to work on after the first game. Livening his feet up, his feet have been better. He's throwing the deep ball really well right now. ... I don't know what more we could really ask of the guy. He's playing at a high level.''

 

[CNOTES]

Spread energizes Bowling Green, Tulsa


September 22, 2015


Baylor's spread offense is spreading and making opposing defenses sick.


The top three FBS teams in yards per game this week are Baylor and two programs led by proteges of Bears coach Art Briles.


Bowling Green is second in the nation in yards per game (609.3) in year two under former Baylor assistant Dino Babers. Tulsa is third (607 yards per game) in its first season with former Baylor offensive coordinator Philip Montgomery as head coach.


Briles' player-friendly system is easily transferrable and highly effective. The fifth-ranked Bears (2-0) have been first or second in total offense the last four years and are averaging 754 yards this season.


''I don't know why you'd want to make things difficult if you don't have to,'' Briles said.


The offense is deadly simple in its approach.


First, go fast. Second, spread the field about as wide as possible. Third, run inside to take advantage of all that space created by receivers lined up outside the hash marks. Fourth, go deep - a lot.


''It's easy to buy into it because you see results and I think the biggest part about it is it's fun,'' said Tulsa quarterback Dane Evans, who is second in the country with 390.7 yards passing per game after throwing four touchdowns in a 52-38 loss at Oklahoma. ''And when something is fun it's really easy to put in the hard work, the time it takes to start figuring this offense out.''


Tulsa (2-1) ranked 59th in the country in total offense last season - with many of the same players - while winning two games. The Golden Hurricane has been quickly transformed by Montgomery, who worked for Briles for 20 years, going back to Stephenville (Texas) High School.


''From a base standpoint all three of us are doing things that are similar,'' Montgomery said. ''With that being said, everybody's got their own twists, and working with the personnel that you have.''


Tulsa's twists might be tougher to identify.


''They're identical,'' Oklahoma defensive coordinator Mike Stoops said. ''We've got to find a better way to deal with it.''


The Sooners lost 48-14 to Baylor last season and play the Bears in Waco, Texas, on Nov. 14.


The Baylor offense rarely asks quarterbacks to make NFL-style progressions and defensive reads. Running backs and tight ends are hardly ever used in the passing game.


''We still have progressions, but it's more seeing what happens before the ball's snapped to right after the ball's snapped,'' Evans said. ''Since we are going so fast it would be really hard to have to do all that stuff. When we go fast the defense gets simplified.''


The Baylor offense is a receiver's dream because it produces lots of one-on-one opportunities from its three- and four-receiver sets.


''We don't run out-of-this-world routes, or whatever, but just keep it as basic as we can, running the football, throwing up the ball, not throwing so many routes that we can't grasp all of them at one time,'' Baylor receiver Jay Lee said.


But calling the offense simple is an oversimplification.


''When I first came in, I had to learn 180 plays in a small amount of time, and I got thrown out there running the wrong stuff, so it wasn't that easy,'' Lee said.


Babers and Bowling Green are a little different.


''You'll see them do a few more traditional NFL concepts,'' said Chris B. Brown, the author of ''The Essential Smart Football'' and ''The Art of Smart Football.'' ''It's not that Baylor doesn't have that stuff, it's that they don't have to use it.''


Babers spent nearly 25 years in coaching before landing on Briles' staff at Baylor in 2008 as wide receivers coach.


''I'm a little bit older than Coach Montgomery so I've got some other people in me,'' Babers said.


The 54-year-old Babers cites the late Homer Smith, a longtime UCLA and Alabama offensive coordinator, former Hawaii coach June Jones and former NFL coach Mike Martz as influences.


Bowling Green quarterback Matt Johnson leads the nation in passing at 452.7 yards per game for the Falcons (1-2), who have sandwiched competitive losses against Tennessee and Memphis around a victory against Maryland. Bowling Green will try to take down a second Big Ten team Saturday at Purdue.


''It's one of those offenses that once you run it and once you learn it as a player, you're going to always run it,'' Babers said. ''You're going to always learn it because you have such fun playing it.''


---

 

[CNOTES]

No. 7 Georgia's offensive balance 'all comes together'


September 22, 2015


ATHENS, Ga. (AP) Georgia redefined its offensive perception with a balanced haul in last week's win over South Carolina.


Suddenly No. 7 Georgia is more than the Nick Chubb Show.


Coach Mark Richt said Tuesday the Bulldogs' run-pass ratio in the impressive 52-20 win over South Carolina ''is the type of balance we're looking for.''


Chubb was strong again, posting his 11th straight game with at least 100 yards. This time, however, he shared the spotlight.


Quarterback Greyson Lambert completed his last 20 passes, setting a school record. He set a NCAA record by completing 96 percent of his attempts.


Led by Lambert's breakout game, Georgia ran for 246 yards and passed for 330 with three touchdowns.


It was an unexpected display of balance, especially following a win over Vanderbilt in which Georgia relied heavily on Chubb.


''It let teams know that we are able to throw the ball,'' said tailback Sony Michel, who ran for a touchdown and had two scoring catches against South Carolina.


Georgia (3-0) plays Southern University on Saturday in what is expected to be a warmup for visit from Alabama in two weeks.


Richt said Lambert's big day won't lead to a decreased emphasis on Georgia's running game.


''We absolutely don't want to get away from running the football,'' Richt said. ''We're good at it, we've got good backs, but the better you run the football the better your play-action pass can be.''


Georgia ranks 12th in the nation with its average of 257 yards rushing. Richt said Lambert often threw on plays where he had the option to hand off, but South Carolina's defense was loaded against the run.


''Sometimes nine times out of 10 you run it, sometimes nine times out of 10 you throw it,'' Richt said of the option plays.


Opposing defensive coordinators preparing game plans for the Bulldogs now must respect Georgia's passing game.


That's good news for Chubb, Michel and Georgia's other tailbacks.


''Being able to throw the ball always opens up the run game in any football game,'' Michel said.


South Carolina's defense left Georgia receiver Malcolm Mitchell in man coverage. Mitchell had 122 yards receiving, easily a season high, with a touchdown.


Mitchell said defenses can't afford to dedicate more than one player to a receiver when they have to worry about stopping the running game.


''You want to be careful not having enough people in the box against us with the running backs we have, so I think it'll continue,'' Mitchell said.


One year after leading the Southeastern Conference with 41.7 points per game. Georgia looks just as strong, averaging 44.7 points under new offensive coordinator Brian Schottenheimer.


Can this year's offense be better than last year's version?


''I think we'll be more consistent,'' Mitchell said. ''Last year we had a lot of things going on.''


Chubb emerged last year when Georgia lost star tailback to a four-game suspension and then a season-ending knee injury.


This year's big question was Lambert, the transfer from Virginia, who beat out Brice Ramsey and Faton Bauta for the starting job.


Through two weeks it seemed Lambert's job was to just manage the game and get the ball to Chubb. Richt said the performance by Lambert and the offense against South Carolina was a confidence-builder for players and coaches.


Richt said the message was ''We know what we're doing. We're teaching it right, we're doing the right things against the right defenses. It all comes together.''

 

[CNOTES]

Utah State loses QB Chuckie Keeton to injury, again


September 22, 2015


LOGAN, Utah (AP) Utah State quarterback Chuckie Keeton will miss the next four to six weeks with a right knee injury.


Coach Matt Wells announced the injury Tuesday afternoon. Keeton sprained an MCL during Saturday's 31-17 loss to Washington.


Sophomore Kent Myers moves up the depth chart after starting five games in 2014.


Keeton played the entire game against Washington, but his movement was visibly limited the previous week against No. 18 Utah.


The senior has battled injuries throughout his career, but his 8,233 career yards of total offense rank No. 2 in school history. He set a slew of school records while leading the Aggies to an 11-2 record as a sophomore, but injuries cut his season short in 2011, 2013 and 2014.


Utah State (1-2) hosts Colorado State on Saturday.

 

[CNOTES]

Meyer looking for answers to Ohio State offensive woes


September 22, 2015


COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) Ohio State coach Urban Meyer has a good idea who will be his starting quarterback against Western Michigan and may reveal the answer Wednesday.


''We're going to have a really clear starter this week, at the right time,'' he said Tuesday. ''I kind of already know.''


Meyer said he planned to have his team's offensive issues resolved by Saturday, when either Cardale Jones or J.T. Barrett will start for the top-ranked Buckeyes against the Broncos of the Mid-American Conference.


He made that vow in the locker room of Ohio Stadium after the Buckeyes scored one offensive touchdown and settled for field goals of 31 and 24 yards during a 20-13 win against Northern Illinois.


''Anytime the head coach of the football team makes a promise like that you know he's going to come through with it and do his part to help the offense get up to speed,'' cornerback Eli Apple said.


Ohio State (3-0) ranks 75th in total offense at 411 yards per game but after opening the season with 572 yards at Virginia Tech, the Buckeyes dropped against Hawaii and Northern Illinois.


One factor could be the departure this season of offensive coordinator/quarterbacks coach Tom Herman to become head coach at Houston.


Herman had the offense humming at the end of the 2014 season when Ohio State scored 143 points while averaging 544.3 yards in wins over Wisconsin, Alabama and Oregon to claim a national title.


Offensive line coach Ed Warinner was promoted to offensive coordinator this season, a position he previously held at Kansas from 2007 through 2009.


Tim Beck was hired from Nebraska to be the quarterbacks coach and Tony Alford came from Notre Dame to replace running backs coach Stan Drayton, now the running backs coach for the Chicago Bears.


''We're getting there. It's not as smooth (a transition),'' Meyer said. ''Stan Drayton was a very quality coach and so was Tom Herman, obviously. But we've hired two very quality guys.''


While Herman called the plays from the press box, Meyer wanted Warinner on the sideline with his players.


''Offensive line is the most critical (spot),'' Meyer said. ''That has to be the best coached position on your team.''


But with the offense struggling to block, missing assignments and committing five turnovers against Northern Illinois, a change may be coming with Beck, who's been in the press box, getting more involved in the play calling.


''It's not like it's a demotion or something like that,'' Meyer said of Warinner. ''Tim's been here long enough.''


Meyer said the shift could help as the pace increases.


''If we go jet tempo, that's got to be from upstairs, because you can't see anything from down there,'' Meyer said. ''So those are all things we're going to get cleaned up.''


Freeing Warinner of some responsibilities may help him solve some of the problems facing an experienced line that has four returnees and a first-time starter in fifth-year senior Chase Farris.


Last week, Northern Illinois switched to a three-man front from a 4-3 to befuddle Ohio State, just as Hawaii did the previous game. The Huskies won't be the last team to employ that scheme until the Buckeyes figure it out.


Ohio State is double teaming the block and opening holes, but in the 3-4 a linebacker often shoots through the gaps on a blitz to disrupt the play.


Ohio State left tackle Taylor Decker said Northern Illinois on film showed a 4-3 defense about 80 percent of the time but half of the plays against the Buckeyes were in a 3-4.


''You prepare for one defense, they come out in another one,'' he said. ''Obviously everyone is going to play odd against us now. We've showed that we struggled against it. It's very frustrating. We know we're capable of a lot better execution.''


Opening holes for running back Ezekiel Elliott is Ohio State's forte but getting him to second line of the defense has been not been easy. In the past two games he's averaged 4.18 yards on 50 carries after rushing for 122 yards on 11 attempts versus Virginia Tech.


''If you look historically what an Ohio State offense is for us,'' Meyer said, ''it's control the line of scrimmage, best perimeter blocking in America, which we had last year, and a very good, solid play, action passing attack. That's not what's going on. So we're going to get that fixed.''

 

[CNOTES]

Northwestern is 3-0, Fitzgerald is looking to add polish


September 22, 2015


Northwestern coach Pat Fitzgerald is happy to be 3-0, though he sees no cause for celebration yet.


The Wildcats are ranked No. 17 entering Saturday's home game against Ball State. Their 16-6 win over then-No. 21 Stanford to open the season looks even better after the Cardinal beat a sixth-ranked Southern California last week, and the Wildcats are coming off a 19-10 road victory over a Duke team known for its offense.


Fitzgerald can't be blamed for keeping his emotions in check. It was just two years ago the Wildcats started 4-0 and led Ohio State by 10 points in the second half of their Big Ten opener before the season went off the rails. The Wildcats lost seven straight and ended up 5-7.


Fitzgerald said Tuesday he hasn't used the 2013 freefall as a cautionary tale.


''The guys who lived through it in the locker room understand why that happened,'' Fitzgerald said. ''We lost our focus and had things happen to us - the Hail Mary (at Nebraska). The guys who are older understand why that happened. Right now at this point, with the maturity and leadership to this point, I haven't had to go back there.''


First-year starting quarterback Clayton Thorson has been solid, and Justin Jackson looks as if he'll go over 1,000 yards a second straight season. But the story of this team is a defense that has allowed a nation-low total of 16 points.


''I think we're a team that's working hard to improve,'' Fitzgerald said. ''We haven't played three phases of clean football in our first three games. We've been fortunate enough to find a way to win. I think we're far from the team we're capable of.''


STAR SPARTAN


It seems the nation is just starting to notice Michigan State senior receiver Aaron Burbridge, who had his third straight 100-yard game and caught three touchdown passes against Air Force. Coach Mark Dantonio knew it was a matter of time.


''He's always been a very, very good player,'' Dantonio said. ''Sometimes it takes opportunity. People expected him to be that his sophomore year, be that guy. But other guys have good years. Three are in the NFL now. So we've had playmakers at that position, and we've gone with six guys. He's getting more opportunities now.''


Other Big Ten notes:


- Redshirt freshman David Blough is replacing junior Austin Appleby as Purdue's starting quarterback. Appleby threw six interceptions and lost a fumble the first three games. ''The No. 1 goal for our football team is to not turn the ball over,'' coach Darrell Hazell said. ''We've done that too many times in the first three weeks so we felt we needed to make a change right there.''


- Michigan cornerback Jourdan Lewis said this week he and his mates could be the best secondary in the country. Coach Jim Harbaugh didn't tamp down Lewis' enthusiasm. ''It's an ascending group for our team,'' he said.


- Wisconsin's Paul Chryst said running back Corey Clement's status for Saturday night's game against Hawaii remains uncertain. Clement has been battling a groin injury since the week of the opener.


- Rutgers hosts a Kansas team that's lost 30 straight road games, and interim head coach Norries Wilson said his linemen must play better than they did last week at Penn State. ''We've been emphasizing the line of scrimmage,'' he said, ''to make sure they don't tee off on us.''


- Illinois QB Wes Lunt's 61-percent completion rate doesn't reflect how well he's playing, coach Bill Cubit said. ''Without the drops, he's throwing for like 72 percent.''

 

[CNOTES]

Patterson defends TCU following arrests of 2 players


September 22, 2015


FORT WORTH, Texas (AP) TCU coach Gary Patterson called suspended defensive end Mike Tuaua one of the most-liked players on the team and said the facts will come out in a case that has the senior and another player facing robbery charges.


While not elaborating on what those facts might be, Patterson on Tuesday defended Tuaua and his program, saying, ''right or wrong, just like a parent, I've got his back.''


Tuaua and freshman receiver Andre Petties-Wilson were arrested Monday on the same charge - one count each of robbery with bodily injury - for an incident Sept. 4, the day after both played for the third-ranked Horned Frogs in their season-opening victory at Minnesota. Neither has played since and both have been suspended from the team.


''Outside in our community and with kids, (Tuaua) is the most liked kid we have on team besides (quarterback) Trevone Boykin,'' Patterson said. ''The facts will be fact, and those facts will someday come out.''


According to a Fort Worth police report, Tuaua and Petties-Wilson were arrested following an investigation of allegations by another TCU student that the two players stole a case of beer after attacking him and his friends.


In a later interview with police, with his attorney present, Tuaua said he came outside to see Petties-Wilson surrounded by three males and that there was pushing and shoving. Tuaua said he ran to stop the fight, and admitted to punching one man to get him off his teammate. He said he saw the beer, but didn't know what happened to it.


''I'm just telling you as far as just a person, I'm not going to let you say, well, this kid is a bad person,'' Patterson said. ''If he made a mistake, he made a mistake.''


Tuaua and Petties-Wilson each posted $15,000 bail and were released from a Fort Worth jail Monday.


''It's not even close to what happened south of here,'' Patterson said, a clear reference to Big 12 rival Baylor.


Baylor has hired a Philadelphia law firm to independently investigate the university's handling of sexual assault complaints, including one against defensive end Sam Ukwuachu. A transfer from Boise State who never played for the Bears, Ukwuachu was sentenced last month to six months in jail and 10 years of probation after being convicted of sexually assaulting a former Baylor women's soccer player.


Patterson has had several off-field incidents to deal with in recent years.


Before last season, Devonte Fields, the preseason Big 12 defensive of the year, was barred from campus and all school activities after he surrendered to authorities on a misdemeanor assault warrant amid allegations that he threatened his ex-girlfriend and punched her. Fields enrolled at Louisville last month after the case against him was dismissed in June, following the completion of an anger management course.


Also last year, two players were arrested in separate incidents on marijuana charges.


Four games into the 2012 season, former quarterback Casey Pachall was arrested on suspicion of drunken driving. He left the team for the remainder of that season to enter substance abuse rehabilitation and returned in 2013. In February 2012, four TCU football players were among students arrested by Fort Worth police after a six-month drug sting. All four players were kicked off the team and received probation after pleading guilty to marijuana delivery charges.


''I've been through a lot of different situations here, and you've always seen how I handle it,'' Patterson said. ''My job is also to be a father to my players, and if they screw up, they screw up. And in my lifetime here at TCU in 18 years, we've had a few of those, but not as many as others.''

 

[CNOTES]

Coach Steve Spurrier makes QB switch at South Carolina


September 22, 2015


COLUMBIA, S.C. (AP) Another week, another new starting quarterback at South Carolina.


Getting the call: freshman Lorenzo Nunez.


Gamecocks coach Steve Spurrier had promised changes ahead after his team's 52-20 loss at No. 7 Georgia last week. The coach began the moves by replacing former walk-on Perry Orth with true freshman in Nunez.


Orth started against the Bulldogs last week, but Nunez came on for several snaps. Nunez was the leading rusher for South Carolina with 76 yards on 10 carries and hit four of five passes for 18 yards. He also scored on a 7-yard run.


Spurrier says the 6-foot-3 Nunez gives the Gamecocks a spark and a running, zone-read option that Orth does not.


South Carolina (1-2) faces UCF (0-3) on Saturday.

 

[CNOTES]

Auburn switching quarterbacks, will start Sean White


September 22, 2015


AUBURN, Ala. (AP) The Auburn Tigers are changing starting quarterbacks, turning from a struggling Jeremy Johnson to redshirt freshman Sean White.


Coach Gus Malzahn said Tuesday that White will start Saturday night's game against Mississippi State, but didn't rule out playing Johnson, too. Johnson was billed in the preseason as a potential Heisman Trophy candidate but has thrown six interceptions in three games.


White hasn't played a game for Auburn yet.


''Any time you change quarterbacks, it's not an easy decision,'' Malzahn said. ''Really probably (Tuesday) is when me and coach (Rhett) Lashlee made the decision. We feel like that's best for our offense right now.


''Sean White is a guy that has gotten a lot of reps. He's responded very well in practice and very well in scrimmages. I feel like he needs a shot right now, and we've got a lot of confidence in him.''


The Tigers have fallen out of the rankings after starting at No. 6, losing 45-21 at LSU on Saturday after needing overtime to beat FCS Jacksonville State. They rank 113th in total offense.


The defense also has struggled, and help is not on the way; Auburn will be without one of its best players indefinitely.


Malzahn said defensive end Carl Lawson's hip injury is more serious than was initially believed. Lawson missed the past two games with a right hip injury sustained in the first half of the opener with Louisville. Lawson had four tackles, including two for a loss, a sack and two tackles for a loss in less than a half of play.


He missed last season recovering from knee surgery.


''He's going to be out for an extended period of time,'' Malzahn said. ''I'm not ready to say exactly when that is. We're hopeful that we'll get him back before the season's out.


''Obviously he's an impact player. It's been really tough on him, especially going through last season and having another. He's a great competitor and he's going to do everything in his power to get back on the field.''


For Johnson, it's been a rapid decline for quarterback who thrived off the bench in two seasons as Nick Marshall's backup. He started twice, including last season's opening win over Arkansas.


Johnson has struggled with both accuracy and decision-making since taking over that role fulltime against Louisville to start the season.


''It is a little surprising but at the same time from a coaching standpoint, you have to do each week what you feel like is best for your team and for your offense,'' Malzahn said. ''That's where we're at. We have confidence in him. I'm looking forward to seeing Sean.


''He's a guy that can flat-out throw it and he can run it to. He's got that little air of confidence that quarterback have.


The 6-foot, 200-pound White was rated as one of the top 10 quarterback prospects by several recruiting services out of high school in Boca Raton, Florida.


Left tackle Shon Coleman said the move wasn't a total surprise but that he has confidence in both quarterbacks.


''Every time I see (White) throw the ball, he's an accurate passer,'' Coleman said. ''He has that `it' factor, like coach Malzahn says. He's a great leader. I think he'll do a great job.''


Malzahn said receivers Jason Smith and Jonathan Wallace, both former quarterbacks, will get some practice time at their old position.

 

[CNOTES]

No. 9 UCLA still working on consistency with Rosen, offense


September 22, 2015


LOS ANGELES (AP) UCLA receiver Devin Fuller isn't exerting much effort to find out whether Arizona All-American linebacker Scooby Wright will return from a knee injury to play in the Pac-12 Conference opener for both teams on Saturday.


''I haven't really looked into it too much,'' Fuller said.


The ninth-ranked Bruins (3-0) have plenty of respect for Wright, but can't waste time trying to decipher his status while their passing offense struggles.


After his spectacular debut against Virginia, freshman quarterback Josh Rosen has completed just 33 of 65 passes for 329 yards, two touchdowns and four interceptions in wins over UNLV and BYU. Rosen now leads the Pac-12 with those four picks - no other quarterback in the conference has thrown more than two - and ranks eighth in completion percentage and passer rating.


With Rosen throwing three interceptions in the first half against the Cougars, UCLA was forced to rely on a heavy dose of running backs Paul Perkins and Nate Starks and some timely defensive stops to secure the 24-23 comeback win. Perkins and Starks combined for 300 yards rushing, two touchdowns and a healthy dose of confidence that UCLA can overcome adversity.


''We're never out of the fight,'' Fuller said. ''That's basically what I took from the game.''


Perkins rushed for a career-high 219 yards and was especially impressive in keeping the chains moving, as half of his 26 carries gained at least five yards. Fuller offered up the gushing praise that the soft-spoken redshirt junior usually goes out of his way to deflect to teammates, saluting Perkins as an unsung leader of the offense.


''You know what you're going to get from Paul every game,'' Fuller said. ''You're getting consistent runs, hard-fought earned runs. He is going to get the offense in position to score. He does what he needs to do every game to put us in the right position to win.''


Until Rosen gets back on track, Perkins and Starks will be carrying the offense. That will be difficult if Rosen can't improve on his meager 4.6 yards per pass attempt average against BYU.


The Cougars primarily used five-man pressures to get after Rosen, forcing him to recognize where linebackers were in coverage. He wasn't able to do that at the goal line in the first quarter, throwing the ball right to linebacker Harvey Langi.


Yet Rosen responded with a perfect 19-yard touchdown pass to Jordan Payton in the fourth quarter. It was the kind of throw that has already secured the trust of Rosen's teammates.


''He's not scared to go out there and lead us,'' Starks said.


Fuller said Rosen has not lost any confidence despite his recent struggles, and continues to display the even temperament that coach Jim Mora pointed to when he chose a starting quarterback. And with a powerful rushing offense led by Perkins and a veteran defense, Rosen only needs to manage the game for UCLA to keep winning and to challenge for the Pac-12 South crown.


''He's not worried about the mistakes,'' Starks said. ''It's all about moving on to the next game. We're getting ready for Arizona, and that's the main goal.''

 

[CNOTES]

4th Quarter Covers - Week 3


September 22, 2015


Glancing at the scoreboard won’t tell you the whole story in most games. Here are some of the games that went down to the wire relative to the spread in the fourth quarter last week in the third weekend of college football. Each week there are several teams that cover despite not necessarily deserving it, as well as other teams that played much better than the final score shows.


Clemson (-5) over Louisville: After a very low scoring, low-output first half, Louisville took the lead early in the third quarter in the big Thursday night ACC Atlantic matchup. Clemson answered and by the start of the fourth quarter the Tigers led by seven, extending that margin to 10 points after a field goal early in the fourth quarter. The ensuing kickoff was returned 100 yards for a touchdown by Louisville to trim the margin to just three points and within the spread. The Cardinals had a great opportunity to tie the game a few minutes later, but the 38-yard field goal was missed and the final possession for Louisville ended with an interception though the Cardinals still held on for the underdog cover.


Florida State (-9½) 14, Boston College 0: Florida State scored a touchdown five minutes into the Friday night TV game, but there was very little production in the middle quarters, though the Seminoles did miss a field goal try. Starting a fourth quarter drive at the one-yard line, Boston College was able to convert three first downs to get some space still down just seven points, but a fumble was returned 36 yards for a touchdown to put the Seminoles up 14 and past the favorite spread. While the final drive for the Eagles entered Florida State territory, no points were added in a game that featured barely 400 yards of combined total offense.


Wake Forest (-7) 17, Army 14: Wake Forest certainly had the edge moving the ball against Army, but the Demon Deacons failed to score in the first half and were tied 7-7 heading into the fourth quarter. Early in the final frame, Wake Forest pulled ahead 14-7 to get past the common spreads that climbed from -3 all the way to -7 by kickoff. Army missed a field goal on its next possession, but got another chance with the third Wake Forest interception of the game and using a short field the Knights tied the game. Wake Forest wound up kicking a game-winning field goal in the final seconds, but it was not enough to get past the number.


Ball State (-4½) 28, Eastern Michigan 17: Eastern Michigan stormed out to a 17-0 lead in this MAC matchup, but with two touchdown drives in the final five minutes of the first half, Ball State was within three. Neither team scored in the third quarter but Ball State completed a 20-play touchdown drive early in the fourth quarter to take its first lead 21-17, but still sat short of the road favorite spread. After forcing a punt Ball State went down the field again and cashed in to take an 11-point lead and the final three drives for Eastern Michigan ended with a missed field goal and two interceptions.


NC State (-17½) 38, Old Dominion 14: NC State wound up with a dominant yardage edge in this matchup, but it was a two-score game in the fourth quarter and the Wolfpack still sat short of the heavy road favorite spread after kicking a fourth quarter field goal. On a late possession, Old Dominion was pinned back deep and forced to punt, giving NC State good field position in the final minutes. With the outcome certainly decided, the Wolfpack punched in a touchdown with less than two minutes to go in the game to earn the favorite a fortunate cover.


Syracuse (-7½) 30, Central Michigan 27: Despite losing another quarterback to injury, Syracuse led Central Michigan by 14 at the half with the spread hovering in between -5 and -8½ throughout the week. Central Michigan put together a 94-yard drive early in the second half to get within seven and it seemed like that final margin would hold, but the Chippewas connected for a 27-yard touchdown pass with just seven seconds to go in the game to force overtime. Central Michigan had to settle for a field goal and the Orange escaped by punching in the touchdown, but the underdog certainly earned the cover with a massive yardage, first down, and time of possession edge in the game.


Miami, FL (-3) 36, Nebraska 33: Miami was favored by 3 much of the week, but the line did hit -3½ and -4 at a few points. It seemed unlikely to matter as the Hurricanes led by 20 entering the fourth quarter and settling for a short field goal early in the fourth made it a 23-point margin. Nebraska made an incredible comeback with three long scoring drives in the final nine minutes, converting twice on 2-point conversions to force the game into overtime. Seemingly with the momentum, Nebraska had the ball first but wound up with an interception on the first play. Miami only needed the easy three points to get the win and that is all they got to burn Canes backers in what looked like a sure-win most of the way.


Toledo (-7) 30, Iowa State 23: The statistics certainly favored Iowa State, but Toledo took a 10-point lead on a fumble recovery touchdown in the third quarter, getting past the favorite spread that was up to -8 much of the week. Iowa State tied the game in the fourth quarter and the Cyclones looked likely to cover after getting a field goal in the first overtime. Toledo had to match the kick and then put in a touchdown in the second session. Iowa State was stopped on four plays inside the Toledo 10 to end the game as the final margin wound up right at seven.


Memphis (-3½) 44, Bowling Green 41: This non-conference game looked like it would be a fun one to watch between high-scoring teams and it did not disappoint. Bowling Green led early in its home opener but the game was tied 34-34 late in the third quarter and 41-41 early in the fourth quarter as the teams traded touchdowns on pass plays of 94, 60, 62, and 48 yards. Things tightened up in the final 10 minutes with three punts and Memphis managing a field goal. Bowling Green was stopped on its final possession for a three-point loss with the final margin right near the road favorite spread which flipped between -3 and -3½ for Memphis most of the week.


Colorado (-3) 27, Colorado State 24: This rivalry game was one of the better games of the weekend as a hot start for Colorado State came undone and the game was tied 17-17 entering the fourth quarter. Colorado got a game-changing 60-yard interception return touchdown in the fourth quarter, but Colorado State regrouped and answered to tie the game with less than five minutes to go. Colorado missed a field goal as regulation expired and a try for the Rams to start overtime was blocked. Colorado was conservative on its possession and kicked a 32-yard field goal for the overtime win, landing right on the common number most of the week, though early in the week Colorado was -4.


Indiana (-3) 38, Western Kentucky 35: While those on Indiana had plenty of opportunities throughout the week to get a number below -3, this game wound up with a three-point margin. Indiana trailed by 11 at the half, but stormed back in the third quarter with three touchdowns in about a seven-minute span to take a 10-point lead into the fourth quarter. Western Kentucky scored with about six minutes to go to create the final three-point margin. In its final two drives, Indiana failed to add points going for it on 4th-and-4 from the Western Kentucky 13-yard line and then ended the game taking a knee at the Western Kentucky 2-yard line as the Hoosiers certainly had the opportunity for a more convincing result.


California (-5) 45, Texas 44: After falling behind by 10 points early, California scored 31 straight points to take a 45-24 lead into the fourth quarter. Texas made a valiant comeback as they still trailed by 14 until cashing a touchdown on a long run with just three minutes to go. The Longhorns forced a punt and scored again with just a minute to go, but incredibly missed on the extra-point, a boon for those taking the points but a sour ending for Cal backers who had minutes ago been sitting pretty and could have at least still had a shot in overtime.


UTEP (-3) 50, New Mexico State 47: For a program looking for any sort of positive momentum this was an absolutely crushing loss for New Mexico State and a very tough beat for those on the home underdog, though most wound up with a push. The Aggies led 30-16 heading into the fourth quarter and after UTEP scored to trim the margin to seven, an 82-yard touchdown drive with just over four minutes to go put the margin back at 14 points for the Aggies. UTEP answered quickly with a three-play touchdown drive and forced a punt. Starting from the two-yard line the Miners went the distance to force OT in the final minute. The Aggies could only get three going first in overtime and UTEP finished the comeback with a touchdown.


Iowa (-4) 27, Pittsburgh 24: This game was tied 17-17 after Pittsburgh rallied in the third quarter with a touchdown on a blocked punt. Iowa scored with six minutes to go to take a seven-point lead just past the home favorite spread, but Pittsburgh answered to tie the game with less than a minute on the clock. Iowa kicker Marshall Koehn was the hero with an impressive 57-yard boot as time expired to get the Hawkeyes the win, but not the cover.


Michigan State (-24½) 35, Air Force 21: Michigan State did get past the heavy favorite spread in the third quarter with a 35-7 lead, but Air Force scored the final two touchdowns of the game. The game could have been even closer as Air Force lost a second half fumble and had an interception deep in Michigan State territory as well with the underdog Falcons producing a decent yardage edge in the game.

 

[CNOTES]

Thursday's Top Action


September 21, 2015




CINCINNATI BEARCATS (2-1) at MEMPHIS TIGERS (3-0)


Liberty Bowl Memorial Stadium - Memphis, TN
Kickoff: Thursday, 7:30 p.m. ET
Sportsbook.ag Line: Memphis -7


Memphis tries to begin the season 4-0 when it opens conference play Thursday at home versus Cincinnati.


The Bearcats fell to 0-3 ATS last week, but were able to escape at Miami Ohio with a 37-33 victory. The Tigers also struggled with a MAC opponent on the road last week, as they edged Bowling Green in a wild 44-41 affair.


Cincinnati is averaging 38.3 PPG this season despite turning the ball over 11 times already. Memphis has displayed an even more explosive offense with 54.0 PPG thanks to zero turnovers in two of the three contests.


These schools are playing for the third straight season as American Athletic Conference foes and the road team has won each of the first two meetings by double-digits. After the Bearcats cruised to a 34-21 away victory in 2013, the Tigers returned the favor last season with a 41-14 trouncing.


Part of that was due to Cincy QB Gunner Kiel leaving with a rib injury, and Kiel is listed as questionable for Thursday after suffering a head injury last week. The Bearcats have usually played well against good teams, going 35-16 ATS (69%) against schools winning by 10+ PPG since 1992.


But in this same timeframe, Memphis is a whopping 27-10 ATS (73%) versus great offenses averaging 425+ total YPG.


And while the Tigers have no significant injuries, Cincinnati saw two other players get hurt last week in RB Mike Boone (ankle) and DB Adrian Witty (leg), who are questionable for this matchup.


Cincinnati QB Gunner Kiel has had a pretty strong season with 805 yards on 63% completions, 8.05 YPA and 5 TD throws, but he has also tossed four interceptions. Backup QB Hayden Moore has a similar 8.04 YPA, but has completed only 54% of his throws for 225 yards, 1 TD and 2 INT.


Moore had four turnovers in the fourth quarter of last week's game (2 INT, 2 fumbles), but led his team on a game-winning drive capped by his own QB sneak with 1:13 left in regulation. Kiel had decent numbers versus Memphis last year, completing only11-of-27 passes, but totaled 216 yards (8.0 YPA), 1 TD and 1 INT.


Both Bearcats signal callers have done a great job spreading the wealth, as six players have more than 125 receiving yards, but none have more than senior WR Johnny Holton's 167 receiving yards (20.9 avg, 2 TD). Cincy has also done a great job of keeping its running backs fresh with three players having reached 220 rushing yards so far with junior RB Tion Green producing a team-high 252 yards (5.1 YPC, 3 TD).


Sophomore RB Mike Boone has been the standout with 9.6 YPC and 3 TD including a 74-yard run last week against Miami Ohio before he exited with an injured ankle.


The Bearcats defense allowed only 115 passing YPG in the first two contests, but the Redhawks threw for 228 against them last week and also ran for 220. These numbers may not improve, as Memphis had 610 total yards of offense in last year's win at Cincinnati, passing for 311 and rushing for 299.


Memphis QB Paxton Lynch has been on the mark so far this season, completing 77% of his throws for 818 yards (10.6 YPA), 6 TD and 0 INT. His numbers were even more impressive against the Bearcats last year when he connected on 18-of-25 passes for 311 yards (12.4 YPA), 2 TD and 0 INT.


Four Tigers have already topped the 100-yard mark, led by senior WR Mose Frazier, who has 17 grabs for 232 yards and 2 TD. The big-play receiver has been fellow senior WR Tevin Jones, who is averaging 23.8 yards per catch with a pair of touchdowns. Jones caught five passes for 70 yards and a score versus Cincinnati last year. Memphis has done a nice job running the football with 251 rushing YPG on 4.6 YPC, and four ball carriers have 135+ yards and 2+ TD already.


Sophomore RB Jarvis Cooper is the Tigers leader in rushing attempts (36) and rushing yards (174), while sophomore RB Doroland Dorceus has a team-high four touchdown runs.


Like Cincinnati, the Memphis defense also played well in the first two weeks (242 total YPG), but struggled to stop Bowling Green last Saturday in surrendering 579 total yards.


This included a hefty 443 yards through the air. The Tigers have failed to generate any turnovers in the past two contests, but will certainly have their chances on Thursday with the mistake-prone Cincy offense coming to town.

 

[CNOTES]

Cincinnati at Memphis


September 22, 2015




The American Athletic Conference (AAC) lacks "Power 5" status but the conference has produced a couple of big wins this season with upsets over Penn State and Louisville.


The conference is in a division format this season and two of the three teams that tied at 7-1 on top of the conference last season will meet in this crossover game with Cincinnati and Memphis playing Thursday night to start the fourth week of the college season.

Matchup: Cincinnati Bearcats at Memphis Tigers
Venue: Liberty Bowl Memorial Stadium
Time/TV: Thursday, Sep. 24, 7:30 PM ET – ESPN
Line: Memphis -10½, Over/Under 64½
Last Meeting: 2014, Memphis (+3½) 41-14 at Cincinnati

After back-to-back 9-4 seasons under Tommy Tuberville the 2015 Bearcats looked capable of an even bigger breakthrough with most of the offense back in action. It has been a difficult start with Cincinnati’s comeback effort at home against Temple falling short in week 2 and the Bearcats nearly losing to Miami, OH last week across town.


The schedule is very difficult in the next few weeks with this big conference test and then non-conference games with Miami, FL and BYU in the following two games. The odds suggest Cincinnati will match the loss count of the past two seasons by the midpoint of the season before finishing with conference games that should propel the Bearcats at least back to bowl eligibility.


While Memphis will be playing its first conference game this week, Cincinnati cannot afford another defeat while staying in the AAC East division race having already lost to Temple in the division standings. Temple will also have to play Memphis but that game will be at home in November and the Owls look like they will be tough to catch in the division race.


Most of the teams in the West division have some question marks with significant roster turnover, three coaching changes, and a new entrant to the league in Navy. So far Memphis has looked like a team capable of playing for the division title even after losing 20 lettermen from last season’s 10-3 squad.

A quarterback injury will be the big story in the build-up to this game. Gunner Kiel threw for over 3,200 yards last season with 32 touchdowns and the junior that originally committed to Notre Dame was injured last week on a personal foul hit.


Backup Hayden Moore is a redshirt freshman and in his first action last week he had four turnovers in the fourth quarter but did wind up scoring the game winning touchdown for Cincinnati. With the short week and Kiel in possible concussion recovery it seems unlikely that he’ll be able to play this week and the line in this game has climbed.

Last season Cincinnati lost 41-14 at home against Memphis with the defense allowing 610 yards. It was 24-7 at the end of the first quarter and Kiel had an ugly game with just 11 completions. Memphis had a very good defense last season en route to a 10-3 season but the Tigers lost seven of the top eight leading tacklers from that team. Kansas and Bowling Green have both posted solid production numbers against Memphis the last two weeks but the Tigers have survived for a 3-0 start to the season with the offense looking like the strength of the team this season.

Kiel has received a lot more accolades but Memphis junior quarterback Paxton Lynch also threw for over 3,000 yards last season and he has completed nearly 77 percent of his passes this season with six touchdowns and no interceptions through three weeks.


Memphis has four running backs with over 130 yards already this season and the Tigers have 12 rushing touchdowns in three games as head coach Justin Fuente runs a very balanced offense in contrast to the pass-heavy attack for Cincinnati. If Kiel sits the make-up of the play-calling for the Bearcats is likely to be adjusted however and the total on this game seems to be dropping with that in mind.

Historical Trends:


Cincinnati had covered in six straight meetings going back to 2000 before losing badly as a slight home favorite last season. In the last meeting at Memphis Cincinnati won 34-21 in 2013. Cincinnati is 1-4 ATS as a double-digit underdog in this series but most of those instances came decades ago. Since 2007 Cincinnati is 31-15 S/U on the road with a 25-20-1 ATS record but since 2010 Cincinnati is 1-9 S/U and 2-8 ATS as a road underdog. Cincinnati was has been a double-digit road underdog just twice since 2008 with both games last season, losing 50-28 (+17) at Ohio State and 55-34 (+15) at Miami, FL.


Memphis is on a 22-36-2 ATS run as a home favorite since 1993 but going back to 1984 Memphis is on a 21-11 ATS run as a home favorite of 10 or more points, covering in 10 of 12 instances since 2004. Memphis is just 14-23 S/U and 16-21 ATS at home since 2009.

 

[CNOTES]

RECORD GOING INTO THURSDAY NIGHT GAME :


CFB: 15 - 18 -0 SATURDAY ( 09/19/15 )






COLLEGE FOOTBALL RECORD:


single play:.......................................15 - 15 - 1
double play:......................................23 - 21
triple play:........................................15 - 12
blow out:..........................................7 - 7
gow:.............................................. . ..0 - 0
gom:.............................................. . .0 - 0
goy............................................... . ..0 - 0






THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 24


Game Score Status Pick Amount


Cincinnati - 7:30 PM ET Memphis -7.5 500 DOUBLE PLAY


Memphis - Under 69.5 500 *****

 

[CNOTES]

Team Open Line Movements Current Moneyline Halftime Scores


7:30 PM EDT


303 CINCINNATI 67 69.5 / 70 / 70u13 70 +240
304 MEMPHIS -7 -7.5 -15 / -8 -05 / -8 -06 -8 -15 -300

Time-change to 07:30pm EDT | CIU-QB-Gunner Kiel-Probable | TV: ESPN, DTV: 206 | FAIR, NORTHEAST WIND 4-9. GAME TEMP 86, RH 38% HEAT INDEX 86


---------------------------------------


NCAAF Consensus Picks




SIDES (ATS)


Time Away Line Picks Pct Home Line Picks Pct Detail Odds


7:30 PM Cincinnati +7.5 890 55.87% Memphis -7.5 703 44.13% View View




TOTALS (OVER/UNDER)


Time Away Total Over Pct Home Total Under Pct Detail Odds


7:30 PM Cincinnati 69.5 614 54.72% Memphis 69.5 508 45.28% View View

 

[CNOTES]

NCAAF Opening Line Report: The Pac-12 shuffle


Freshman quarterback Josh Rosen and UCLA have opened as 4-point road favorites against Arizona


According to the preseason prognosticators, Oregon and Southern Cal were the two best teams in the Pac-12 Conference. And that may prove to be the case by season’s end.


But both those squads have already been dinged, quickly opening the door for other Pac-12 teams, with a couple of Week 4 matchups that could shuffle the deck or muddle the picture even more.


UCLA and Arizona are both off to 3-0 SU starts and moving up in the rankings, as the Bruins face their first conference game with the trip to Tucson. The Bruins (1-1-1- ATS) rallied to a squeak out a 24-23 victory over Brigham Young on Saturday, falling well short at the books as a 16.5-point home favorite.


The Wildcats (2-1 ATS) will face their sternest test by far, having already played two FCS squads. They struggled in the season opener before putting away Stephen F. Austin 42-32 as a 32.5-point home fave, but drubbed visiting Northern Arizona on Saturday 77-13 laying 34.5 points.


Johnny Avello, executive director of race and sports for Wynn Las Vegas, opened UCLA as a 4-point favorite. The Bruins have won and covered their last three against the Wildcats.


“Yes, UCLA is 3-0, but nothing is going to come easy when conference play starts in the Pac-12. On Saturday, freshman QB Josh Rosen looked more like a freshman, the running game emerged and the Bruins prevailed over a very game BYU team,” Avello said. “Arizona has yet to play a top-50 team, but like last year, scoring is not an issue. Until the Wildcats move up an additional notch, they will continue to be home ‘dogs against the Pac-12’s Big Three – USC, UCLA and Oregon.”


Utah at Oregon


The Ducks (2-1 SU, 1-2 ATS), who reached the national title game last year, can’t be faulted too much for their lone loss this season – 31-28 at Michigan State as a 5-point underdog. Oregon got healthy by taking on overmatched Georgia State on Saturday, rolling to a 61-28 home win, but failing to cash as a massive 42.5-point chalk.


Utah (3-0 SU, 2-1 ATS) will be on the road for the second straight week, after besting Fresno State 45-24 Saturday giving 11.5 points. The Utes opened the season with a quality home win over Michigan, 24-17 laying 5 points.


Utah quarterback Travis Wilson suffered a shoulder injury in a Week 2 win over Boise State, so Avello is waiting to set the number until he knows whether Wilson will play, though he’s looking at a line of around Oregon -14.


“Even the very good defense that Utah has had over the past couple of years hasn't been able to slow down the Ducks,” Avello said, noting Oregon’s 51-27 road win last year and 44-21 home win in 2013. “Oregon is in great shape at the quarterback position and didn't miss a beat with Jeff Lockie starting over Vernon Adams Jr. (broken finger) this past week.


“Utah played very well on the road last year, winning at Michigan, UCLA and Stanford, so there will be no fear playing in Eugene, but the Utes better bring offensive firepower.”


Mississippi State at Auburn (-4)


For a team considered an SEC contender, Auburn (2-1 SU, 0-3 ATS) seems entirely out of sync right now. The Tigers needed overtime in Week 2 to beat Jacksonville State 27-20 as an overwhelming 44-point favorite, and then got blasted Saturday at Louisiana State 45-21 catching 6.5 points.


Mississippi State (2-1 SU and ATS) also fell to LSU, but in much more respectable fashion. The Bulldogs lost 21-19 in Week 2, covering as a 3-point home pup. On Saturday, the Bulldogs stuffed Northwestern State 62-13 laying 38.5 points at home.


“With Mississippi State QB Dak Prescott, you get mixed results from week to week. This past week against Northwestern State, you saw the positive ones,” Avello said. “Last year, this matchup took place in Week 6, and the Bulldogs beat Auburn 38-23. I don't believe this Bulldogs team is anywhere as talented as last year's squad.


“Auburn is really having major heartburn to start the season, but the Tigers will improve as the season progresses. This may be a good place to start.”


Brigham Young at Michigan (-3.5)


New Wolverines coach Jim Harbaugh has picked up two straight blowout wins after the season-opening loss at Utah. On Saturday, Michigan (2-1 SU, 1-2 ATS) won 28-7 laying 34 points at home against UNLV.


BYU (2-1 SU, 3-0 ATS) could easily be unbeaten, despite facing three stout teams. The Cougars let a 20-10 fourth-quarter lead slip away Saturday, losing 24-23 at UCLA but cashing as a hefty 16.5-point ‘dog.


“Wow, who orchestrated this opening schedule for the Cougars?” Avello said, noting BYU won at Nebraska and topped Boise State in Provo. “It would be beneficial to play this type of schedule if it were college basketball, to get battle tested and ready for the NCAA Tournament, but unfortunately, only four teams make it to the college football playoffs.


“With that said, the Cougars almost made it to 3-0. Michigan wasn't impressive against UNLV, which is not a very good team, and the Wolverines will find out what Nebraska, Boise State and UCLA did – BYU is menacing.”

 

[CNOTES]

Top 25: Big Ten holds top two spots

For the first time in nine years, the Big Ten holds the top two spots in the Associated Press' college football Top 25.

Ohio State remains No. 1 despite a tight 20-13 win over Northern Illinois on Saturday. Michigan State jumped up two places to No. 2 following a 35-21 win over Air Force.

The Buckeyes received 42 first-place votes, and the Spartans received seven.

The Big Ten most recently held No. 1 and No. 2 when Ohio State was on top over Michigan heading into the teams' regular-season-ending meeting in November 2006.

Ole Miss made the biggest jump in the rating, moving from No. 15 to a tie for No. 3 after a 43-37 victory over Alabama. The Rebels, who received 11 first-place votes, share the third spot with TCU, a 56-37 winner over SMU.

Baylor, which was idle this weekend, remained No. 5.

Rounding out the top 10 are Notre Dame, Georgia, LSU (which received one first-place vote), UCLA and Florida State.

The second 10 consists of Clemson, Alabama, Oregon, Texas A&M, Oklahoma, Arizona, Northwestern, Utah, Southern California and Georgia Tech.

Stanford is No. 21. Wisconsin and BYU are tied for 22nd, and Oklahoma State and Missouri round out the rankings.

The 12th-ranked Crimson Tide and 13th-ranked Ducks, both 2-1, are the only top 15 teams with a loss. Oregon fell to Michigan State on Sept. 12.

USC made the largest drop of the week, slipping from No. 6 to No. 19 following a 41-31 home loss to Stanford.

Only two all-top-25 matchups are on the schedule for this week: No. 9 UCLA at No. 16 Arizona, and No. 13 Oregon at No. 18 Utah.