Cnotes 2016 College Football Best Bets,Trends,Stat, News !!

[CNOTES]

Saturday’s best 13 games


Penn State is 2-2, giving up 91 points, 667 RY in its two losses, both on road. Lions are 15-12 in last 27 games as home fave, 0-2 this year- they won four of last five games with Minnesota, with 20-0/44-14 wins in last two here- last game here was in ’09. This is teams’ second meeting since ’10. First road game for Gophers, who are 8-3 in their last 11 games as a road underdog.


Last 9+ years, Kansas State is 20-12-1 as road underdog; they lost 26-13 at Stanford in only road game this year- they outgained the Cardinal by 62 yards. Wildcats won last four games with West Virginia; they were underdog in three of the four; Wildcats won 55-14/26-20 in last two visits here. WV is 11-15 as home favorite under Holgorsen; they gave up 983 TY in two I-A wins this year. BYU ran for 280 yards in WV’s 35-32 win in Landover LW.


Miami beat up on three stiffs to start season, now move up into ACC play. Hurricanes won six of last seven games with Georgia Tech, with five of six wins by 15+ points. Hurricanes are 2-3 in last visits here. Tech was held to 95 RY in 26-7 loss to Clemson LW; Jackets are 3-6 in last nine games as a home underdog. Favorites are 6-2 in last eight series games. Hurricanes play Florida State next; better not look past this game.


Wisconsin held LSU/Michigan State to combined 20 points in pair of upset wins- they held Spartans to 75 rushing yards LW. Badgers covered five of last six as an underdog vs Michigan, won three of last four games SU vs Wolverines; teams last met in 2010. Wisconsin had 586 yards rushing in last two series games, 48-28/45-24 wins. Michigan hasn’t had close game yet; 45-28 win over Colorado was closest game, when Buffs’ QB got hurt when game was closer. Michigan is 7-3 as home favorite under Harbaugh, 3-1 this year. Badgers are 6-2 in last eight games as a road underdog.


Clemson held Louisville to 272-264 TY in 20-17 (-6), 23-17 (-9.5) wins over Louisville last two years; Cardinals are scoring 58.5 pts/game in 4-0 start, with 34/31 point wins at Syracuse/Marshall. Louisville is 6-2 as road favorite under Petrino. Tigers are an unimpressive 4-0, scoring 25 mpg in its three I-A games, though two of those were on road. Clemson is 13-13-1 as home favorite last 4+ years, 26-21-1 overall under Swinney. Syracuse passed for 293 yards vs Louisville; Watson is by far, the best QB they’ve faced this season.


Underdogs are 9-3-1 vs spread in last 13 Navy-Air Force games, 6-0 in last six played here; Middies lost two of last three visits here, are +8 in turnovers in last four series games (+4 LY). Falcons are 6-2-1 in last nine games as home favorite, 1-0 this year. Navy had LW off while Flyboys won tough 27-20 game at MW rival Utah State. Middies won only road game 21-14 at Tulane, are 24-9 as road underdogs the last decade. Mountain West teams are 10-18 vs spread out of conference, 3-4 as home favorites.


Georgia is home underdog for first time since 2011, 4th time in last 11 years (0-2-1 vs spread). Tennessee had huge comeback at home vs nemesis Florida LW, now goes between hedges to play Georgia; Vols lost last four visits to Athens, with underdogs covering last four in series (average total, 74). This is first true road game for Tennessee; over last decade, they’re 11-4 as road favorites. Dawgs gave up 971 PY in splitting pair of SEC road games last two weeks; they got whacked 45-14 at Ole Miss LW, after escaping Mizzou with 27-26 win.


Utah rallied late LW, pulled out emotional 31-27 home win over USC; Utes are 4-0 with two close wins, beating rival BYU 20-19- they won only road game 34-17 (-13) at San Jose State. Utah covered its last six games where spread was 3 or less points; since ’10, Golden Bears are 5-10 in games with spread of 3 or less. Cal is 4-9-1 as home favorite under Dykes; Utah covered six of its last seven games as a road dog. Bears scored 40-50-41 points in last three games and lost two of the three. Home side won last five series games; Utes lost 34-10/29-21 in last two trips to Berkeley, last of which was in 2011.


Home side lost last seven Texas-Oklahoma State games (favorites 6-0-1 vs spread); Longhorns won last eight visits to Stillwater. Texas had LW off after 50-43 loss to Cal- they’ve allowed 47-50 points in two of three games and have Oklahoma rivalry game on deck next week. OSU allowed 34.3 pts/game losing losing two of last three games; they got beat 35-24 (+7.5) at Baylor LW. Cowboys are 26-10 as home favorite last 8+ years (1-1 this year), 3-7-2 in last 12 games with spread of 3 or less. Texas is 1-4 as a road dog under Strong, 5-7-1 in last 13 games with spread of 3 or less.


Wake Forest is 4-0 after upsetting Indiana LW; Deacons are 9-4 as double digit underdog last 2+ years, already have road wins at Duke/Indiana this year, but they’ve also lost last four visits to Raleigh, with three of four losses by 29+ points. Favorites covered five of last seven Wake Forest-NC State games; Wolfpack won three of last four meetings, all of which were decided by 15+ points. State has 604 rushing yards in last two games with Wake- they had LW off, play Notre Dame/Clemson next two weeks. Wolfpack is 8-4 as double digit favorite under Doreen. Hard to tell lot about State, since they’ve played soft schedule so far.


USC is 1-3, losing Pac-12 games on road last two weeks; Trojans are 19-11 in last 30 games as a home favorite, 9-13 in last 22 as a double digit favorite- they won only home game this year, 45-7 (-16) over Utah State. Arizona State is 4-0 despite allowing 600+ TY in two of last three games; Texas Tech/Cal passed for 1,018 yards vs ASU- even I-A Northern Arizona had 369, but 4-0 is 4-0. Favorites covered four of last five series games with ASU 3-2 SU in those five; Sun Devils lost seven of last eight visits to Coliseum, winning 38-34 in last visit here in ’14- they won 32-28 at UTSA in only road game.


Oklahoma won four of last five games with TCU, with last three decided by 4 or less points; Sooners won two of last three visits here. OU had last week off after dismal 45-24 home loss to Ohio State, when Buckeyes ran for 291 yards in easy win. This is first true road game for Sooners who have rivalry game with Texas next week; Oklahoma is 10-5 as road favorite last 4+ years. Horned Frogs are young (3 starters back on offense); their only loss was to Arkansas in OT. TCU is 4-1 as an underdog last 3+ years, 2-0 at home. QB Hill (son of former MLB pitcher) has completed 66% of his passes this year.


Oregon allowed 76 points in pair of FG losses to Nebraska/Colorado last two weeks; Ducks allowed 1,021 TY, 488 RY in those games. Washington State (+16) upset Ducks 45-38 in Eugene LY, ending 8-game series skid. Ducks gained 500+ TY in seven of last nine series games, winning last four visits to Paloose, three by 20+ points. Underdogs covered last six series games. Coogs are 4-2 under Leach in games with spread of 3 or less points, 4-6 as home underdog; they had LW off after 1-2 start, with pair of FG losses, to I-AA team and at Boise State.

 

[CNOTES]

Saturday's SEC Tip Sheet
September 30, 2016



**Tennessee at Georgia**


-- Coming off a monster win, Tennessee heads to Athens to take on Georgia in a crucial SEC East showdown. If the Volunteers can get a victory between the hedges, they will be in a great position to get back to Atlanta for the first time since 2007.


-- As of Friday afternoon, most betting shops had Tennessee (4-0 straight up, 2-2 against the spread) installed as a three-point favorite with a total of 52.5 points. The Bulldogs were +140 on the money line (risk $100 to win $140).


-- Tennessee finally snapped an 11-game losing streak against Florida at Neyland Stadium last week, scoring 38 unanswered points after falling behind 21-0 en route to a 38-28 win as a five-point home ‘chalk.’ It was a tale of two halves. The first half saw the Gators lighting up a UT secondary minus its best cover corner in Cam Sutton. Austin Appleby hit three deep balls in the first half, while UF’s defense stayed in Josh Dobbs’s face and shut down the Vols’ ground attack. After intermission, however, UT’s offense got cranked up in a hurry. On the other side, Jim McElwain and offensive coordinator Doug Nussmeier went away from the aerial attack that had been so successful in the first half and the running game stalled. McElwain pointed out that poor field position was one reason why UF chose to run the ball in a third quarter that saw his team get shut out in the first-down department. Dobbs completed 16-of-32 throws for 319 yards and four touchdowns compared to two interceptions. The senior signal caller rushed 17 times for 80 yards and one TD. Jalen Hurd had 95 yards on 26 carries, while Jauan Jennings had three catches for 111 yards and one TD. The UT defense didn’t allow Florida to score in the second half until there was 4:17 remaining and the outcome had basically been decided.


-- For the season, Dobbs has completed 57.0 percent of his passes for 805 yards with a 10/5 touchdown-to-interception ratio. He has rushed for 241 yards and four TDs. Hurd has rushed for 365 yards and two TDs, but the junior is only averaging 4.0 yards per carry. Josh Malone has been Dobbs’s favorite target, hauling in 13 receptions for 287 yards and five TDs.


-- Before beating Florida, UT posted wins vs. Appalachian State (20-13 in overtime), vs. Virginia Tech (45-24) and vs. Ohio (28-19).


-- Tennessee is still without Sutton, who might return in (late) November from a broken bone in his leg. Two other starters, LB Jalen Reeves-Maybin (shoulder) and LB Darrin Kirkland (ankle), are ‘questionable’ at UGA. Kirkland has missed back-to-back games since spraining his ankle against the Hokies. He had 66 tackles and three sacks as a true freshman in 2015. Reeves-Maybin was injured vs. Ohio and tried to play in pain last week, but he was limited to only two snaps in the second half.


-- Georgia is a hard team to figure out at this point. The Bulldogs trailed by nine late in the third quarter of its opener at the Ga. Dome in Atlanta vs. North Carolina. They rallied for a 33-24 win with Nick Chubb looking like his old self by rushing for 222 yards and a pair of scores on 32 carries. But in Week 2 at home vs. Nicholls, an FCS school, UGA trailed for a decent chunk of the game and barely escaped with a 26-24 win as a 53-point ‘chalk.’ Next, Kirby Smart’s team went to Missouri and had to hit a fourth-and-10 TD pass from Jacob Eason to Isaiah McKenzie for 20 yards with 1:29 remaining to emerge with a 28-27 victory. Then in Oxford last week, Ole Miss raced out to a 45-0 advantage on its way to an easy-as-hell 45-14 triumph over UGA as a seven-point home favorite.


-- Chubb hasn’t been able to equal his Week 1 production in the three combined games since then. He was forced out against the Rebels last week with an ankle sprain after rushing for 57 yards on 12 attempts and was kept out of practice all week. On Friday, the Bulldogs downgraded him to 'out vs. the Vols. Fortunately for UGA, it has a back-up RB who already has a 1,000-yard season to his credit. After Chubb was injured at UT last year, Sony Michel took over and finished the year with 1,161 rushing yards and eight TDs while averaging 5.3 YPC. Michel, a true junior, broke his arm in July and missed the opener vs. UNC. He had only three carries for three yards vs. Nicholls. Michel had 11 carries to 66 yards against the Rebels, but he’s yet to get into the end zone this year.


-- Eason, a true freshman, has been up and down as you would expect. He has all the tools in terms of size and arm strength, but he’s still trying to find his way and probably took a substantial confidence hit last week. Eason has connected on just 64-of-123 passes (52.0%) for 780 yards with a 5/3 TD-INT ratio. His favorite target has been McKenzie, who has a team-best 21 receptions for 318 yards and four TDs.


-- Tennessee owns a 3-1 spread record in four games as a road favorite during Butch Jones’s four-year tenure. This is obviously the first home underdog situation for first-year head coach Kirby Smart, but we’ll nonetheless point out a 0-2-1 spread record in UGA’s three games as a home ‘dog over the last 10 years.


-- Georgia saw its five-game winning streak over Tennessee snapped last season when the Vols rallied from a 24-3 deficit to win a 38-31 decision a 2.5-point home underdogs. It was UT’s fourth spread cover in a row against UGA, but we should point out that the previous there were from double-digit ‘dog situations. UT is 8-2 ATS in the last 10 encounters with UGA.


-- In last year’s come-from-behind win, Dobbs scored the game-winning TD on a five-yard run with 5:48 left in the final stanza. Dobbs was the catalyst all day, throwing for 312 yards and three TDs while also rushing for a team-high 118 yards and a pair of scores. Hurd ran 21 times for 80 yards, while Malone had five catches for 60 yards. After Chubb was injured on the game’s first play from scrimmage, Michel ran for 145 yards on 22 totes.


-- The ‘over’ has hit in four consecutive head-to-head meetings between these SEC East rivals. The combined scores have been 69, 67, 65 and 95.


-- The ‘under’ is 3-1 overall for UGA this year, 1-0 in its lone home games. However, we should note that all three ‘unders’ had totals that were in the 60s. As for UT, its totals have been split (2-2) and this is its first true road assignment.


-- Kickoff is scheduled for 3:30 p.m. Eastern on CBS.


**Texas A&M at South Carolina**


-- Texas A&M (4-0 SU, 4-0 ATS) will travel for a third consecutive week to take on South Carolina at Williams-Brice Stadium in Columbia on Saturday afternoon. As of Friday afternoon, most books had the undefeated Aggies listed as 17.5-point favorites with a total of 48. The Gamecocks were +650 on the money line.


-- I spent all summer hyping this A&M squad. My thinking was that veteran grad transfer Trevor Knight would be a good fit at QB in an offense featuring four elite WRs. In addition, there was no reason to think that John Chavis’s defense wouldn’t get even better in his second year at DC helm. Although things could still turn south and such a change in fortune might lead to Kevin Sumlin taking a pink slip, that scenario is looking less likely every week. Most important, my wager for the Aggies to go ‘over’ their season win total of 6.5 is looking like an easy winner. They’ve posted wins vs. UCLA (31-24 in overtime), vs. Prairie View A&M (67-0), at Auburn (29-16) and vs. Arkansas (45-24 at Jerry World).


-- Sumlin’s squad pulled away from the Razorbacks in the fourth quarter last week in Arlington. Texas A&M played great goal-line defense all night. In the first half, its ‘D’ kept Arkansas out of the end zone on seven straight plays (the Hogs were given a new set of downs following a pass-interference penalty) to force a field goal. Then with the game tied at 17-17 late in the third quarter, A&M’s defense got a stop on a fourth-and-goal play that completely shifted the momentum of the game into its favor.


-- Following the fourth-down stop late in the third quarter, Knight hooked up with Josh Reynolds for a 92-yard scoring strike to give the Aggies the lead for good. They would score on three straight possessions en route to the spread cover as seven-point favorites. The 69 combined points jumped ‘over’ the 52-point total. Knight threw for 225 yards and two TDs without an interception and also rushed for a team-high 157 yards and two scores on 10 carries. True freshman RB Trayveon Williams ran for 153 yards and two TDs on 12 carries, while Reynolds finished with four catches for 141 yards and the aforementioned TD.


-- Texas A&M’s defense held Arkansas to a 3.0 YPC average. This unit is led by junior DE Myles Garrett, who has 11 tackles, five tackles for loss, three sacks and six QB hurries. Garrett is nursing an ankle injury but is expected to play.


-- Texas A&M WR Ricky Seals-Jones is listed as ‘questionable’ with an ankle injury. Seals-Jones has 10 receptions for 175 yards.


-- For the season, Knight has connected on 75-of-141 throws (53.2%) for 1,055 yards with a 7/2 TD-INT ratio. He has also rushed for 308 yards and five TDs while averaging 8.1 YPC. Meanwhile, Williams has rushed for a team-high 389 yards and three scores on 40 attempts for an amazing 9.7 YPC average. Reynolds has brought down 17 receptions for 370 yards and three TDs, while Christian Kirk has 21 catches for 211 yards and three TDs.


-- South Carolina (2-2 SU, 2-2 ATS) won its opener by a 13-10 count at South Carolina thanks to a 55-yard field goal from Elliott Fry late in the fourth quarter. Will Muschamp’s first team at his second head-coaching gig came up short in a Week 2 trip to Starkville, dropping a 27-14 decision at Mississippi State as a 7.5-point underdog. The Gamecocks would bounce back to edge East Carolina 20-15 as two-point home ‘chalk,’ but then they lost 17-10 at Kentucky last weekend.


-- In the one-possession loss at UK, South Carolina generated only 268 yards of total offense against a deplorable defense that had given up 42, 45 and 44 points in its first three games. True freshman QB Brandon McIlwain completed only 15-of-30 passes for 177 yards and his scrambling skills were negated. McIlwain had just 11 rushing yards on 13 attempts. The Gamecocks mustered merely 91 rushing yards on 35 attempts for an atrocious 2.6 YPC average. Sophomore tight end Hayden Hurst had a team-best seven receptions for 84 yards.


-- McIlwain has completed 47-of-91 passes (51.6%) for 533 yards and two TD passes without an interception. He has 91 rushing yards and a pair of rushing scores. McIlwain looks like a keeper and his scrambling ability will be needed against an A&M d-line that gets after passers with authority.


-- On his Thursday night radio show, Muschamp said WRs Deebo Samuel and Bryan Edwards will be game-time decisions due to hamstring injuries. Samuel has missed back-to-back games after rushing for a key eight-yard score at Vandy and catching four balls for 66 yards in the first two games. Edwards, a true freshman who has the terrible misfortune of being a Brian with a ‘y,’ is a beast and a future star. He has 17 receptions for 223 yards through four contests.


-- South Carolina’s defense gave up 27.5 points per game in 2015 and returned only four starters once star senior LB Skai Moore was ruled out for the season due to neck surgery this past summer. But the Muschamp Effect has been in full force through four outings. The Gamecocks are giving up plenty of yards (399.2, ranking No. 74 in the nation), but they’ve been excellent at forcing turnovers or field-goal attempts in the red zone. This is evidenced by its No. 17 ranking nationally in scoring defense (17.5 PPG).


-- The ‘under’ is 4-0 for the Gamecocks this season with their combined scores looking like this: 27, 35, 41 and 23.


-- The SEC Network will provide the telecast at 4:00 p.m. Eastern.


**Kentucky at Alabama**


-- As of Friday afternoon, Alabama (4-0 SU, 3-1 ATS) was listed as a 35.5-point favorite with a total of 57.5 points. Are you the one feeling a UK upset? Well, if so, 5Dimes is offering a 100/1 money-line return, so go ahead and get you some.


-- Alabama has wins vs. USC (52-6 at Jerry World), vs. Western Ky. (38-10), at Ole Miss (48-43) and vs. Kent State (48-0). The Crimson Tide had to rally from a 24-3 first-half deficit in Oxford to eventually capture a 48-43 win. The Rebels hooked up their backers as 11-point underdogs in backdoor style. They were down 48-31 late in the fourth quarter before mounting a furious rally.


-- Alabama has three key players listed as ‘questionable:’ WR ArDarius Stewart, RB Damien Harris and WR Robert Foster. Also, All-American LB Tim Williams is a question mark after being arrested on campus Thursday for possession of a firearm without a permit.


-- Jalen Hurts, a true freshman, has emerged as the QB of the present and future for Nick Saban’s program. In fact, that’s become so crystal clear that redshirt freshman Blake Barnett chose to transfer several days ago. Hurts can beat you with his arm and his legs. Through the first four games of his career, he has completed 62.7 percent of his passes for 727 yards with a 5/1 TD-INT ratio. Hurts is second on the team in rushing yards (251) with three rushing scores and a 5.6 YPC average.


-- Hurts’s favorite target is Calvin Ridley, a true sophomore who might be the nation’s top WR even though his numbers don’t point that out. Ridley has 20 catches for 224 yards and one TD, and he also had a key rushing TD at Ole Miss. Stewart was off to a fast start before getting injured against the Rebels. In 2.5 games, he had 13 receptions for 205 yards and three TDs. Harris has rushed for a team-best 345 yards and one TD on 40 carries. That’s good for an 8.6 YPC average.


-- Kentucky (2-2 SU, 1-3 ATS) has won back-to-back games since dropping its first two games in disappointing fashion. In the team’s lif-lifter, Mark Stoops’s team raced out to a 35-10 lead over So. Miss at home. However, the Golden Eagles rallied to capture a 44-35 win as four-point road underdogs. Then in Week 2, the Wildcats went to The Swamp in Gainesville and were dealt a 45-7 clubbing for their 30th consecutive loss to the Gators.


-- After beating New Mexico State 62-42 at home in Week 3, UK improved to 1-1 in SEC play by beating South Carolina, 17-10. The ‘Cats took the cash as 2.5-point home favorites thanks to Benjamin Snell’s one-yard TD plunge with 10:21 left in the fourth quarter. Stanley ‘Boom’ Williams rushed for 123 yards and one TD on 15 carries, while Snell produced 73 yards on 16 totes. Junior QB Stephen Johnson struggled, completing just 11-of-19 passes for 135 yards and one interception.


-- Johnson has taken over as the UK starting QB since Drew Barker was ineffective at Florida and injured his back against NM State. Barker is ‘out’ this week and might not return for a month or so. He had a 4/5 TD-INT ratio in three games. Johnson was the catalyst in the win over the Aggies, connecting on 17-of-22 passes for 310 yards and three TDs without an interception. He also rushed for 51 yards on 10 carries. For the season, Johnson is completing passes at a 65.9 percent clip for 490 yards with a 3/1 TD-INT ratio.


-- Williams is one of the SEC’s premier RBs. The junior has rushed for 464 yards and two TDs while averaging 8.0 YPC. Snell has run for 209 yards and five scores while averaging 6.3 YPC. Jeff Badet has eight receptions for 245 yards and one TD, while Garrett Johnson has 13 catches for 212 yards and two TDs.


-- Since Stoops took over in 2013, Kentucky has limped to a 5-9 spread record in 14 games as a road underdog. Meanwhile, Alabama is 29-31 ATS as a home ‘chalk’ on Saban’s watch.


-- Kickoff on ESPN is scheduled for 7:00 p.m. Eastern.


**B.E.’s Bonus Nuggets**


-- Sportsbook.ag updated its Games of the Year lines this week. Alabama is now favored by 12 at Tennessee, by 10 (-115) at LSU and -21.5 vs. Auburn.

-- Florida will be in bounce-back mode for its noon Eastern kick at Vanderbilt. As of late Friday afternoon, most spots had the Gators listed as 10-point favorites with a total of 40.5 points. Starting QB Luke Del Rio was upgraded from ‘doubtful’ to ‘questionable’ after practicing on a limited basis Thursday. Jim McElwain indicated that Del Rio might be the back-up if Austin Appleby gets injured. If he has his druthers, McElwain would like to keep the redshirts on true freshmen QBs Kyle Trask and Feleipe Franks. Two defensive starters and one starting offensive lineman are listed as ‘questionable’ – DB Quincy Wilson, DE Jordan Sherit and OG Tyler Jordan. UF owns a 3-0 spread record as a road favorite on McElwain’s watch. Vandy has taken the cash in two of the last three head-to-head meetings with the Gators. In fact, the Commodores ended a 22-game losing streak to UF with a 34-17 win at The Swamp in 2013. In last year’s encounter, a field goal in the final minute gave Florida a 9-7 non-covering win to clinch the SEC East title. As a home ‘dog under Derek Mason, Vandy has compiled a 5-3 ATS mark.

-- Missouri owns a 12-6 spread record in its last 18 games as a road underdog. Barry Odom’s team was listed as a 13-point underdog late Friday afternoon. Missouri sophomore QB Drew Lock has soaring confidence thanks to 1,503 passing yards that ranks him third in the nation. LSU is expected to be without star RB Leonard Fournette due to an ankle injury.

 

[CNOTES]

Big Ten Report - Week 5


September 30, 2016




2016 BIG 10 STANDINGS


Team SU Conference ATS Over/Under


Illinois Fighting Illini 1-2 0-0 1-2 1-2


Indiana Hoosiers 2-1 0-0 1-2 1-2


Iowa Hawkeyes 3-1 1-0 1-3 1-3


Maryland Terrapins 3-0 0-0 1-2 0-3


Michigan Wolverines 4-0 1-0 3-1 4-0


Michigan State Spartans 2-1 0-1 1-2 1-2


Minnesota Golden Gophers 3-0 0-0 1-2 1-2


Nebraska Cornhuskers 4-0 1-0 3-0-1 1-3


Northwestern Wildcats 1-3 0-1 1-3 0-4


Ohio State Buckeyes 3-0 0-0 3-0 2-1


Penn State Nittany Lions 2-2 0-1 1-3 4-0


Purdue Boilermakers 2-1 0-0 1-2 2-1


Rutgers Scarlet Knights 2-2 0-1 1-3 3-1


Wisconsin Badgers 4-0 0-0 3-1 1-3



Wisconsin at Michigan (-10.5) – (ABC, 3:30 p.m. ET)



Michigan: Penn State had scored 30+ points in each of their first 3 games before Michigan held them to 10 points last week. Wolverines dominated winning 49-10 outgaining PSU by 324 yards. Their offense is clicking scoring 45 or more points in each of their first four games. It will be strength on strength here as they now face a Wisconsin defense that has allowed only 3 offensive TD’s in 4 games this season. The offense has been as balanced as anyone in the country averaging 238 YPG passing & 230 YPG passing. The defense will look to slow down Wisconsin’s running game and they’ve been very good at doing that for the most part this year. In 3 games they held their opponent to 81 yards rushing or fewer with the one aberration being their game vs UCF where the Knights gashed the Wolverines for 275 yards on the ground. Michigan did pick up a key injury in last week’s win over PSU as starting CB Jeremy Clark injured his knee and is out for the season. Much has been made of the Wolves fairly easy schedule to date but they have a chance to prove they are worth their ranking by beating #8 Wisconsin in the Big House this week (Michigan’s 4th straight home game). Surprisingly Michigan is 0-11 their last 11 games vs top 10 teams with their last win coming 8 years ago in 2008.


Wisconsin: Unlike those that might be questioning Michigan’s early competition, the same cannot be said for Wisconsin. After upsetting Michigan State on the road last week 30-6, the Badgers have now beaten two top 10 teams in their first 4 games (also beat LSU). Freshman QB Alex Hornibrook made his first career start and was very solid. We were told his accuracy was the most impressive thing as he battled Bart Houston in pre-season camp. That has shown to be the case in game action as well as Hornibrook has completed 34 of his 48 passes for a 71% completion rate. RB Corey Clement returned after sitting out the previous game but Wisconsin is still banged up at that position with Taiwan Deal and Bradrick Shaw still questionable. Kicker Rafael Gaglianone is now out for the season with a back injury. His absence didn’t end up affecting last week’s game although is replacement Andrew Endicott did miss an extra point. The Badger defense took a huge hit this week when LB Vince Biegel injured his foot in practice and will be out for 2 to 4 weeks. We’ll see if the UW defense can keep up their dominant season with Biegel on the sideline. The Badger defense kept MSU’s offense out of the endzone last Saturday. It was the 2nd time in 4 games that the UW defense did not allow an offensive TD. They have allowed only 3 offensive TD’s in 4 games this year which has led to just 11.7 PPG for their opponents. They will get a test this weekend facing a Michigan offense that ranks 4th in the nation averaging over 50 PPG. It will be strength on strength this Saturday in Ann Arbor.

Last Year: These two play in opposite divisions of the Big Ten and have not met since 2010.

Inside the Numbers: Since 1999, Wisconsin is 35-23-1 ATS as an underdog (60%). As a double digit underdog (they are +10.5 as of this writing), Wisconsin is 18-6-1 ATS. As mentioned above, the Wolverines have not beaten a top 10 team since 2008. They are on an 0-11 SU run vs teams ranked inside the top 10. Michigan dominated this series between 1965 - 2002 with a 29-3 record. Since 2002, Wisconsin has won 4 of the 6 meetings.

Minnesota at Penn State (-3) – (Big Ten, 3:30 p.m. ET)


Penn State: The Nittany Lions are really banged up on defense right now and it really showed last week when Michigan shelled them for 49 points and over 500 total yards including 326 yards on the ground. It was already the 2nd time this season that PSU’s defense allowed over 325 yards rushing in a game (the other was vs Pitt). Their 3 starting linebackers were out last week and remain sidelined this Saturday vs Minnesota. Once known as Linebacker U, Penn State’s 2-deep at that position this week consists of 2 sophomores, 1 freshman, 2 former walk ons, and a player who was not initially a LB that had to move there due to the depth issues. That could cause a problem again this week as Minnesota relies heavily on the run averaging 45 attempts for 228 YPG. That includes a running QB in Mitch Leidner which will make it even tougher on this injury plagued defense. Offensively this team put up 30+ points in each of their first 3 games but were held to just 10 last week. They had only 191 total yards on just 3.4 YPP. In the first half alone, the Nits accumulated just 50 total yards on 24 plays. Four of their six drives in the 1st half were 3 and outs and another was a 4 and out. At that point they were already down 28-0.

Minnesota: The Gopher defense has been solid through 3 games allowing just 347 YPG on 4.7 YPP. Despite those numbers, they have allowed 23, 24, and 28 points in their 3 games and those point totals should be lower based on their YPP average. Minny continues to be shorthanded in the secondary one starter suspended (Hardin) and two reserves out. Their pass defense has allowed 228 YPG this year (68th nationally) after giving up just 179 YPG a year ago (11th nationally). The problem with those pass defense numbers is this, the Gophers haven’t played any good QB’s to date. Oregon State started a transfer from Utah State, Indiana State is well, Indiana State, and Colorado State had a freshman making his first road start under center. Now they face a PSU QB in McSorley that has thrown for nearly 1,000 yards in his 4 games. Putting pressure on McSorley could be compromised with Minnesota starting defensive end Tai’yon Devers who had 3 sacks last week vs Colorado State will not play in this game due to an ankle injury. Offensively they are run heavy as we noted in the Penn State analysis. They’ve been putting points on the board (almost 40 PPG) and the Gophs are tied for first in the country when it comes to offensive red zone efficiency. Minnesota has produced 10 rushing touchdowns, three passing touchdowns and a field goal on 14 possessions.

Last Year: These two play in opposite divisions of the Big Ten and have not met since 2013.


Inside the Numbers: Penn State has covered the number 16 of the last 24 times they’ve been tabbed a home favorite. Dating back to 1981, Minnesota is just 6-15 ATS as a road underdog between +3 and +7 in conference play.


Northwestern at Iowa (-13) – (ESPNU, 12:00 p.m. ET)


Iowa: The already struggling Iowa offense received a huge blow this week when WR Matt Vandeberg injured his foot in practice. Vandeberg, who was the Hawkeyes leading receiver last year and so far this season, will be out for an extended period of time, possibly the entire season. To give you an idea of his importance to the Iowa offense, he has 19 catches this year and all other wide receivers have combined for 15 catches. The Iowa offense put up only 14 points last week at Rutgers and just 21 the week before at home to FCS opponent North Dakota State. Last week’s offensive output vs Rutgers was a bit alarming as the Knights had allowed 48 & 28 points in their other two games vs FBS opponents (Washington & New Mexico). The Hawkeyes currently rank 101st in total offense and they have been outgained in 3 of their 4 games (they had more yardage than Iowa State and that’s it). This team is averaging just 356 YPG while allowing 365. It’s hard to believe with those stats that Iowa has outscored their opponents 122-54 so far this year.

Northwestern: Speaking of struggling offenses, the Wildcats are right at the top of the heap. After scoring 24 points and putting up over 400 yards for the first time in 11 games a week earlier vs Duke, the Cats fell back into their struggling ways last week at home vs Nebraska. The Huskers held NW to just 13 points dropping their season average to only 16 PPG. Overall offensively they rank 104th nationally in total offense (347 YPG) and 125th nationally in scoring offense. Mistakes were front and center as the culprit vs Nebraska last Saturday. The Wildcats missed a FG, had one drive end on downs at the Nebraska 23 yard line, and threw 2 interceptions deep in Husker territory. Poor offense is nothing new to this team as they averaged just 19 PPG on 327 YPG last season. They finished 10-3 due to a staunch defense that allowed just 18 PPG on 319 YPG. This year the defense has also fallen off as they’ve been ripped for 435 YPG which is 94th nationally. Somehow, despite allowing big yardage, opponents have scored only 17 PPG on this NW defense. The discouraging part about Northwestern’s 1-3 start is all of those games have been at home. They have won 7 of their last 10 road games so maybe getting away from home isn’t a bad thing.


Last Year: Iowa (-1.5) destroyed Northwestern 40-10 last year in Evanston. It wasn’t a fluke as Iowa outgained the Cats by almost 300 yards. Iowa put up 6.3 YPP in that win to just 2.8 for NW. The game was tight at half with Iowa leading 16-10 and the Hawks went on to outscore Northwestern 24-0 in the 2nd half.


Inside the Numbers: The Wildcats have covered 16 of their last 25 road games overall. Over the last 5 years, Northwestern has both won and covered their first road game of the season. Since 1981, Iowa is 23-10 SU and 20-13 ATS in this Big Ten series. The Hawks are 14-4 SU at home in this series (since 1980) with all but 3 of those wins coming by double digits. Iowa is a money burning 12-33-1 ATS as a favorite of 10 or more dating back to 2006.


Rutgers at Ohio State (-38.5) – (Big Ten, 12:00 p.m. ET)


Ohio State: Ohio State is 3-0 both SU & ATS and they’ve beaten the spread by a whopping 75.5 points over those 3 contests! The Buckeyes had last week off after beating up on Oklahoma 45-24 the week before. The offense continues to click despite returning only 3 starters from last year’s team. They rank 3rd nationally in scoring offense at 56 PPG and 10th in the nation in total offense averaging 545 YPG. Amazingly, this Ohio State team has now scored 40 points or more in 26 of their last 39 games. Ohio State has had 35 drives this year in which they did not commit a turnover. On those drives they have scored points on 23 of them. Not bad scoring on over 65% of your drives where you don’t turn it over. Defensively the Bucks have held all 3 opponents under their season PPG average by a combined 50 points. They may also have some extra motivation on that side of the ball as OSU defensive coordinator Greg Schiano was the head coach at Rutgers for 11 years (2001-2011) and this will be the first time he’s faced his former team. In a weird twist, Schiano replaced Chris Ash as DC for OSU after Ash took the head job at Rutgers this year.

Rutgers: Speaking of Rutgers head coach Chris Ash, he should have a decent idea of how to defend to OSU offense after facing them in practice every day last year. Having an idea what to do and implementing with the lessor talent at Rutgers are two different things. However, this team looks much better defensively this year compared to last. They are currently allowing just 362 YPG through their first 4 games which is a full 100 yards per game better than last year. Their pass defense ranks 28th nationally allowing only 181 YPG through the air. That stat is a bit skewed however as the Knights have faced New Mexico, Howard, Washington, and Iowa, only one of which is a prolific passing team (Washington). The other 3 prefer to run the ball and their passing games are not dynamic. The Rutgers defense did take a big hit last week when their best defensive lineman, Quanzell Lambert, was lost for the season. Scoring points was a problem last week as they put up just 7 points vs Iowa. That task gets tougher this week as Rutgers has to face OSU without their #1 offensive weapon, Jenarion Grant is out for the season after injuring his ankle last week. Grant accounted for 35% of Rutgers all purpose yards this year with 210 yards receiving, 138 yards rushing, 195 yards on kick returns, and 112 yards on punt returns. Tough loss for a team that will probably have to score quite a few points this Saturday to keep up.

Last Year: The Bucks destroyed Rutgers on the road last year 48-7 as 21.5 point favorites. Rutgers lone TD in last year’s loss came with just 13 seconds remaining in the game. These two have met each of Rutgers first two years in the Big Ten and OSU has won both games big outscoring the Knights 105-24 and outgaining them 1,119 to 638.


Inside the Numbers: Since the start of the 2012 season, OSU has been favored by 30 points or more 12 times covering just 3 of those games. Urban Meyer is 44-3 SU when he has more than one week to prepare for his opponent. Dating back to 1999, the Scarlet Knights have been tabbed a dog of 21 points or more 25 times. They are 7-18 ATS in those games. In their 2 years since joining the Big Ten, Rutgers has a conference record of 4-12 SU and 6-10 ATS.


Purdue at Maryland (-10.5) – (Big Ten, 3:30 p.m. ET)


Maryland: The Terps are one of 19 remaining unbeaten teams. They are also one of 5 unranked and unbeaten teams so most feel the jury is still out on Maryland. We agree. The Terps 3 wins have come against the likes of Howard, FIU, and UCF and those teams have combined to go 2-10 so far this year. Maryland is off a bye and their game two weeks ago vs UCF went to overtime. Maryland won the game 30-24 but they were outgained by 75 yards. UCF ran 18 more offensive plays in that game as well. In that game, freshman QB Tyrrell Pigrome was inserted for one play in OT and he ran for a 24 yard TD and the win. Pigrome was under center because starting QB Perry Hills injured his shoulder late in that win. Hills looks OK and is expected to start on Saturday. On defense, starting safety Denzel Conyers tore his ACL vs UCF and is out for the season. His replacement will be making the first start of his career and two freshman are now back ups at the position. The Maryland defense is allowing only 4.9 YPP but again the competition may have something to do with that. Howard is a bad FCS team and FIU is averaging only 4.6 YPP on the season. The one decent offense they played, UCF, racked up 455 yards.

Purdue: The Boilers have won 2 of their 3 games this year which is has given their fan base some optimism. While it may not seem like a big deal to most, keep in mind that coming into this year this team had won only 2 of their previous 18 games so 2 of 3 sounds pretty good. Last week they beat Nevada 24-14 but the fact is, the Boilers dominated more than the final score may indicate. They outgained the Wolfpack by over 200 yards but were -4 in the turnover margin which kept the game close. Two of those turnovers came inside the Nevada 5-yard line which took away 14 potential points. Turnovers have been a big problem for Purdue as they are -9 the last two games alone! Starting QB David Blough has already thrown 7 interceptions in just 3 games. Partly due to the turnovers, this offense has scored on just 8 of their 13 red zone attempts (61%) ranking them 124th nationally. The defense is allowing 25 PPG and while it’s early, it is much better than last year’s 36 PPG allowed. However, the one good offense the Boilers faced, Cincinnati, rolled up 38 points.

Last Year: Maryland joined the Big Ten just 2 years ago and these two have not yet met. Their only meeting was back in 2008 and the Terps won that game 24-7.


Inside the Numbers: Purdue has won just 2 of their last 24 Big Ten games dating back to 2013. This will be the Boilers first road game of the season and they are 9-3 ATS (75%) their last 12 away from home. However, Purdue are just 7-35 SU their last 42 road games. In their two years in the Big Ten, Maryland has never been a double digit favorite. The Terps are just 3-9 both SU & ATS their last 12 with more than a week of rest.


Illinois at Nebraska (-20) – (ESPN2, 3:30 p.m. ET)


Nebraska: The Huskers come in with a perfect 4-0 record having won 3 of their 4 games by double digits. Their offense is as balanced as they come as they are averaging 242 YPG on the ground and 243 YPG through the air. Nebraska beat Northwestern 24-13 on the road last week but the Huskers dominated more than the scoreboard showed. They rolled up 556 yards on the Wildcat D including 310 yards rushing. However, the squandered a number of scoring opportunities including not once but twice losing fumbles at the Northwestern 1-yard line. The Husker defense has been decent (not great) this year allowing 366 YPG on 5.4 YPP. Where they have been solid is in the red zone where they have allowed just 5 TD’s and 1 FG in 10 trips inside the 20 which ranks them 18th nationally.

Illinois: After whipping Murray State in their season opener, the Illini have been outscored by 39 points and outgained by 277 yards in their last 2 games and lost both (Western Michigan & North Carolina). They had a bye last week to try and straighten things out. The Illinois defense was a bright spot last year as they allowed just 23 PPG on 351 YPG. They lost many of their key starters on that side of the ball and it shows. If you subtract their game vs Murray State, the Illinois defense has allowed 900 yards on 129 plays – almost 7.0 YPP – in their other 2 games. They’ve also allowed 484 yards rushing in those 2 losses. QB Wes Lunt has been decent hitting 62% of his passes with 6 TD’s and just 1 interception this year. The problem is, the Illini rushing attack has been inconsistent at best. Sure they looked great against a bad Murray State team rushing for 287 yards, but in their most recent game vs a defense with a pulse, the Illini rushed for only 3 yards on 15 attempts. It makes it almost impossible to win with those numbers unless you have a prolific passing attack which Illinois does not.


Last Year: Illinois won just 2 Big Ten games last year and one of them was against this Nebraska team. Illinois (+6.5) topped the Huskers 14-13 in Champaign outgained Nebraska by 90 yards in the game.

Inside the Numbers: Illinois has lost 18 consecutive games vs ranked Big Ten teams. Their last win over a ranked conference opponent came way back in 2007. Illinois is just 4-15 SU the last 19 times they’ve had more than a week to prepare for a game. The Huskers have won and covered 4 of the 5 meeting with Illinois with last year being the only exception. Nebraska is 12-5 ATS the last 17 times they’ve been favored by 20 points or more.


Michigan State (-7.5) at Indiana – (Big Ten, 8:00 p.m. ET)


Indiana: The Hoosiers come into this game off a home loss to Wake Forest last week. Looking at the stats you would have never guess that IU lost the game. They put up 611 total yards to just 352 for Wake. The Hoosiers averaged 7.7 YPP while the Deacs averaged only 4.4 YPP. Indiana was up 7-0 after the first play of the game when QB Lagow threw a 75 yard TD pass. Lagow threw for 496 yards and 3 TD’s. So how did they lose? Lagow also threw 5 interceptions which led directly to 17 of Wake’s 33 points. Before last week Lagow had attempted 54 passes this season without an interception. The Indiana offense has been prolific under head coach Kevin Wilson averaging 400+ YPG in each of the last 4 seasons. They look like they will be again already averaging over 500 YPG on 6.7 YPP. The defense has been atrocious under Wilson and that’s an understatement. In his 5 seasons as head coach IU has allowed at least 33 PPG each year and at least 430 YPG each year. They look better on that side of the ball this year “just” 22 PPG but now we’ll see if that continues as they hit the meat of their schedule.

Michigan State: Sparty is coming off an embarrassing 30-6 loss at home vs Wisconsin. It was their worst home loss since 2009. The yardage was close to even but two key turnovers killed MSU. A 66-yard fumble return for a Wisconsin TD and a muffed punt attempt by MSU inside their 5-yard line led to 14 of Wisconsin’s 30 points. The key here will probably be if MSU can slow down Indy’s passing attack. The Spartans have been OK this year allowing 226 YPG passing and 7.2 yards per attempt. They did face a very good passing attack in Notre Dame and a decent passing game in Wisconsin to prepare for this one. Creating a pass rush vs Indiana will be key. The problem is MSU has only 5 sacks this year after racking up 37 last year. Making things even tougher is they will be short at LB again this week as starter Joe Reschke will be out and Riley Bullough, their team leader on defense, might have to sit again this week after missing the Wisconsin game. Offensively, look for Sparty to lean more on their running game this week. Last week the Badger stymied them for just 75 yards on 27 attempts. The Spartans will test an IU defense that has been solid vs the run this year but last season allowed over 200 YPG.


Last Year: MSU rolled at home 52-26 a year ago. However Sparty led just 31-26 with under 5:00 minutes remaining but scored 21 points in the final 4:57 to make it a blowout.


Inside the Numbers: MSU has absolutely dominated this series winning 16 of the last 18 and 25 of the last 31 overall. Sparty is also 13-4 ATS the last 17 in this Big Ten battle. If you’re looking for the outright win from the home dog, don’t count on it. IU has lost 19 of their last 20 games SU as a home underdog. That’s not all. Indiana is a terrible 1-41 SU the last 42 times they’ve been an underdog of 7 or more.

 

[CNOTES]

Clemson-Louisville highlights trio of top 10 matchups
October 1, 2016


The fifth week of the college football season offers arguably the best lineup of games since the opening weekend. With so many top 10 teams facing each other, this week could provide some clues on which teams have legitimate College Football Playoff aspirations.


BEST GAME


No. 3 Louisville at No. 5 Clemson.


This weekend features two other matchups of top 10 teams as No. 7 Stanford visits No. 10 Washington on Friday night and No. 8 Wisconsin plays at No. 4 Michigan on Saturday.


But the Atlantic Coast Conference showdown offers the most intrigue. The winner takes command of a loaded Atlantic Division that also features No. 12 Florida State, which already got blown out at Louisville two weeks ago.


Louisville is averaging 63.5 points to lead all Football Bowl Subdivision programs.


Clemson allows just 11 points per game and is tied for fifth nationally in scoring defense. The Tigers also have won 18 straight regular-season games and a school-record 18 straight home games.


HEISMAN WATCH


That Louisville-Clemson showdown also could have major Heisman Trophy implications.


Clemson quarterback Deshaun Watson entered the season as one of the Heisman favorites, but his thunder has been stolen a bit by Louisville quarterback Lamar Jackson's sensational September. Watson could reassert himself as a Heisman front-runner by outplaying Jackson in a Clemson victory.


''I know (Watson's) the best player in the country,'' Clemson receiver Ray-Ray McCloud said. ''For him to go out there against someone who supposedly is the best player in the country as well is just going to get him to a whole other level.''


NUMBERS TO KNOW


4 - The number of wins for undefeated Wake Forest heading into Saturday's game at North Carolina State. The Demon Deacons haven't won more than four games in a season since going 5-7 in 2012.


8-4-2: Wisconsin won 30-6 last week over No. 17 Michigan State, which was ranked eighth at the time of their meeting. The Badgers visit No. 4 Michigan this week. After taking next week off, they host No. 2 Ohio State on Oct. 15.


12-1 - No. 11 Tennessee has 12 fumbles this season but has lost only one of them.


35 - Oklahoma has won 35 consecutive regular-season games following a regular-season loss. The Sooners haven't lost consecutive regular-season games since October 1999. The Sooners try to continue that streak Saturday when they visit No. 21 TCU after losing to Ohio State in their last game.


OFF THE RADAR


Memphis had to replace its coach and quarterback as Virginia Tech hired away Justin Fuente and the Denver Broncos drafted Paxton Lynch in the first round. But the new-look Tigers have done just fine so far, as they have outscored opponents 155-27 in the first three games of Mike Norvell's coaching tenure.


The Tigers face a much tougher test this week at No. 16 Mississippi. The Rebels are seeking to avenge the 37-24 loss at Memphis last season.


''We went up there and got embarrassed last year,'' Ole Miss defensive lineman John Youngblood said. ''I don't think we prepared well, and we didn't have our mindset good enough going into the game.''


COACH IN NEED OF A WIN


Notre Dame coach Brian Kelly's decision to bring back Brian VanGorder as defensive coordinator this season backfired when the Fighting Irish staggered to a 1-3 start while allowing 33.5 points per game.


Kelly fired VanGorder on Sunday, the day after a 38-35 home loss to Duke. Greg Hudson is taking over the defense on an interim basis.


Notre Dame opened the season ranked 10th and has a quarterback (DeShone Kizer) being mentioned as a potential No. 1 overall draft pick, but the Irish will struggle to finish above .500 if they don't fix their defense.


Kelly and the team try to turn things around Saturday when Notre Dame faces Syracuse's up-tempo attack at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey.

 

[CNOTES]

Saturday's college action report: Louisville continues to be the public darlings of 2016


“Interestingly enough, this line opened with Clemson a 3-point favorite, (now) all the way to a 2-point favorite with Louisville, the biggest public darling so far this year.”


Week 5 of the college football season has seen several games make significant line movements, including two of the biggest contests on Saturday’s schedule. We talk about the action with Johnny Avello, executive director of race and sports at Wynn Las Vegas, and Matthew Holt, vice president of business development at CG Technology in Las Vegas.


No. 4 Louisville Cardinals at No. 3 Clemson Tigers – Open: -3; Move: +2, +1.5


The Atlantic Coast Conference takes center stage this week in a battle of unbeatens at 8 p.m. Eastern. Louisville, behind Heisman Trophy favorite quarterback Lamar Jackson, is 4-0 SU and nearly the same ATS (3-0-1), whipping Marshall 59-38 last weekend to push as 31-point chalk. Clemson (4-0 SU, 2-2 ATS) rolled at Georgia Tech in Week 4, 26-7 as a 10-point favorite.


The Tigers reached the national title game last year, losing a thriller to Alabama, and have a great QB of their own in DeShaun Watson. And Clemson won 20-17 at Louisville last year laying 5 points. But bettors are plowing their money into Louisville.


“Interestingly enough, this line opened with Clemson a 3-point favorite, (now) all the way to a 2-point favorite with Louisville, the biggest public darling so far this year,” Holt said. “Just an example of how much public support Louisville’s getting: Quarterback Lamar Jackson started the preseason at 100/1 right here (at CG) to win the Heisman Trophy. All of a sudden, he’s -300 to win the Heisman.”


The Cardinals’ 63-20 wipeout of Florida State in Week 3 remains firmly in many bettors’ minds.


“Everybody saw what they did to Florida State. This line, the public is gonna be all over Louisville,” Holt said. “The difference here, I do think we’re gonna get some sharp buyback. Just before the season, this was gonna be a line that was double-digit favorites for Clemson.


“All of a sudden, with no injuries, both teams healthy, and a Clemson team that’s also undefeated and looked really good last Thursday night against Georgia Tech, with extra rest, I think we’ll see two-way action on this. (The) public all over the Louisville Cardinals, sharp guys all over the home team Clemson Tigers.”


Oklahoma Sooners at No. 19 Texas Christian Horned Frogs – Open: +1; Move: +3.5

Oklahoma, considered a national championship contender before the season opened, is coming off a much-needed bye after going 1-2 SU (0-3 ATS) in its first three games. The Sooners fell at Houston 33-23 giving 13 points in Week 1, then got boatraced 45-24 at home by Ohio State as a 2-point pup in Week 3.


TCU (3-1 SU, 1-3 ATS) rolled past Southern Methodist 33-3 laying 21.5 points last week. The Horned Frogs have also cashed the last three in this rivalry, though Oklahoma is 2-1 SU, including a 30-29 win as a hefty 18-point favorite last year.


The Sooners drew the early action at the Wynn for this 5 p.m. Eastern kickoff, with the line jumping from the -1 opener Sunday night to -3.5 by Monday afternoon.


“There still are some believers out there in Oklahoma,” Avello said. “TCU has struggled a little bit this year, especially defensively.”


No. 8 Wisconsin Badgers at No. 5 Michigan Wolverines – Open: -9; Move: -10.5

Wisconsin (4-0 SU, 3-1 ATS) has been nothing short of impressive this season, yet finds itself a double-digit chalk at Michigan. The Badgers were just in the Great Lakes State a week ago, drubbing another top-10 team in Michigan State 30-6 as a 3.5-point underdog. The Wolverines (4-0 SU, 3-1 ATS), meanwhile, have scored 45 points or more in all four of their starts, including a 49-10 Week 4 wipeout of Penn State giving 15.5 points at home.


“While Louisville’s getting all this love for their winning streak, Wisconsin’s not,” Holt said of action for this 3:30 p.m. Eastern start. “Wisconsin really put a stranglehold on Leonard Fournette and LSU, then last week, they hammered Michigan State in East Lansing, which nobody does. Just an absolute blowout on the road, and yet they’re not getting any love.


“This line opened Michigan -9, (now) all the way up to Wolverines a 10.5-point favorite, a lot of love for the Wolverines. They were the most highly bet team before the season started, they continue to be one of the most highly bet teams week in and week out. This one’s gonna be a really good one.”


Missouri Tigers at Louisiana State Tigers – Open: -14.5; Move: -12.5


LSU fired coach Les Miles last Sunday, a day after the Tigers lost 18-13 at Auburn when what appeared to be a game-winning touchdown was overruled on replay because LSU didn’t get the play off on time. That left LSU, a 3.5-point road fave in that contest, 2-2 SU and 0-4 ATS. Missouri (2-2 SU, 3-1 ATS) is coming off a 79-0 ripping of FCS foe Delaware State as a massive 48-point fave.


Although LSU, with Ed Orgeron now the interim head coach, may seem in disarray, Avello said he’s not sold on those who are betting the line downward for this 7:30 p.m. Eastern kickoff.


“The players bet the ‘dog in this game, feeling that maybe emotionally the air was let out of LSU with that coach being fired,” Avello said. “But I don’t believe so, because the defensive line coach is now the new coach, he’s been around. I think they fire them up pretty good, and I really don’t think Missouri’s that good of a team. So I look for this line to go back up again.”


Other games that have seen sizable moves at Wynn Las Vegas, which posts college lines each Sunday, earlier than most Las Vegas books:


• Notre Dame opened as 13-point road chalk against Syracuse, but was bet down to a 10-point fave by Friday afternoon.
• New Mexico is up to a 10.5-point home fave against San Jose State, after opening at -8.5.
• UCLA, which suffered a heartbreaking loss to Stanford last week (along with a terrible beat for its bettors), has been bet from an 11.5-point home favorite up to a 14-point chalk against Arizona.
• Southern California, which opened -7.5 against visiting Arizona State, is now at -10.

 

[CNOTES]

NCAAF


Saturday, October 1


------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Saturday's college football Game of the Day: Louisville at Clemson
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------


The budding rivals never met before Louisville joined the ACC in 2014, and Clemson has won both meetings by a combined nine points, including a 20-17 road victory last season.


No. 4 Louisville Cardinals at No. 3 Clemson Tigers (+1, 67)


The last time Louisville and Clemson squared off, it turned into a defensive struggle. A repeat would be quite a surprise when two of the nation’s most dynamic offenses meet in a showdown of top-five teams Saturday night at Clemson.


The budding rivals never met before Louisville joined the ACC in 2014, and Clemson has won both meetings by a combined nine points, including a 20-17 road victory last season. The Tigers’ defense dominated last year’s contest, holding the Cardinals to 272 total yards — and just 19 yards on the ground. Slowing down this year’s Louisville team will be a tough task, as the No. 4-ranked Cardinals lead the nation in scoring and total offense behind dual-threat quarterback Lamar Jackson. No. 3 Clemson boasts a dangerous quarterback of its own in Deshaun Watson, who is 22-2 as a starter and ranks third on the Tigers’ all-time passing list.


TV: 8:22 p.m. ET, ABC.


LINE HISTORY: This is the big matchup that everyone has been waiting for all season. Clemson opened the betting as 3.5-point home favorites but the betting public hammered Louisville and forced some drastic line moves throughout the week. The spread was dropped from -3.5 to -2 almost immediately after release and on Monday the books dropped it all of the way to a Pick 'Em. On Tuesday that Pick 'Em fully jumped the fence and Louisville were installed as 2-point favorites. As of Friday afternoon the spread was beginning to come back again and Louisville currently sits as 1-point faves.


The total began the betting week at 67.5, took a slight bump to 68, and settled back down to 67 on Friday. View complete line history here.


INJURY REPORT:


Louisville - WR J. Savage (Questionable Saturday, shoulder), S L. Iakopo (Out For Season, knee), LB T. Young (Out For Season, hip), CB C. Sturghill (Out For Season, foot).


Clemson - DE A. Bryant (Questionable Saturday, foot), CB A. Baker (Questionable Saturday, knee), WR A. Dunn (Out For Season, knee), CB D. Johnson (Out Saturday, hamstring), LB J. Williams (Out Indefinitely, knee), DB B. Dawkins (Out Indefinitely, knee), OL C. Reeves (Out Indefinitely, knee), WR H. Renfrow (Mid October, hand).


WEATHER REPORT: It's going to be a perfect evening for football at Clemson's Memorial Stadium on Saturday. Clear skies, no wind, temperatures in the low 70's and humidity levels down around 50-55 percent.


WHAT BOOKS SAY: “Interestingly enough, this line opened with Clemson a 3-point favorite, (now) all the way to a 2-point favorite with Louisville, the biggest public darling so far this year. Just an example of how much public support Louisville’s getting: Quarterback Lamar Jackson started the preseason at 100/1 right here (at CG) to win the Heisman Trophy. All of a sudden, he’s -300 to win the Heisman.”


ABOUT LOUISVILLE (4-0 SU, 3-0-1 ATS, 4-0 O/U): Jackson is widely considered the runaway leader in the Heisman Trophy race, having accounted for 25 touchdowns (13 passing, 12 rushing) through four games. Running back Brandon Radcliff has topped 100 yards rushing in three straight games, combining with Jackson to lead the nation’s No. 3 rushing attack at 318.2 yards per game. The Cardinals’ huge offensive numbers have overshadowed a strong defense, which has held three of four opponents under 300 total yards.


ABOUT CLEMSON (4-0 SU, 2-2 ATS, 0-4 O/U): If any team is up to the task of quieting the Cardinals’ offense, it might be the Tigers, who are coming off a dominant defensive effort after holding Georgia Tech to 124 total yards in a 26-7 victory. Clemson ranks third nationally in total defense and has been especially tough against the pass, allowing just 125.8 yards per game through the air. Watson has put up solid passing numbers, but the Tigers could use more of a contribution from running back Wayne Gallman, who has averaged just 44.3 rushing yards over the past three games.

TRENDS:


* Cardinals are 5-0-1 ATS in their last 6 games overall.
* Tigers are 5-1 ATS in their last 6 games following a straight up win.
* Over is 5-0 in Cardinals last 5 conference games.
* Under is 4-0 in Tigers last 4 games overall.


CONSENSUS: The public is all about the Louisville Cardinals in this one at a rate of 58 percent and the Over is picking up 69 percent of the totals wagers.

 

[CNOTES]

NCAAF


Saturday, October 1




Examining weather forecasts for today. Seems like rain issues in:


New England
Mich
Iowa
Carolinas
Penn
DMV
Indiana
Ohio
Oregon
Hawaii
Tenn

 

[CNOTES]

Saturday's NCAAF Top 25 betting cheat sheet and odds: Week 5


Ohio State quarterback J.T. Barrett has 10 touchdowns and only one interception, a big reason why the Buckeyes lead the nation with a plus-9 turnover margin.


We're on to Week 5 of the college football season and the full slate of games can be tough to navigate for bettors. So we bring you our Top 25 betting cheat sheet to handicap the best games of the day.


No. 21 Florida Gators at Vanderbilt Commodores (+9.5, 40.5)


* Even with last week’s meltdown, the Gators still lead the SEC in total defense (221.8 yard per game, fourth nationally) and are allowing a league-best 13 points per game. Appleby, a fifth-year senior transfer from Purdue, completed 23-of-39 passes for 296 yards and three touchdowns at Tennessee as Del Rio recovers from a knee injury. Better offensive line play also is needed this week, after the Gators rushed for just 19 yards on 13 attempts in the second half last week.


* Quarterback Kyle Shurmur played well down the stretch in the Commodores' rally, going 8-for-12 for 155 yards and a touchdown in the fourth quarter and overtime. Webb leads the SEC in rushing (472 yards) and is ninth nationally after rushing for 95 yards and three touchdowns last week. Vanderbilt is allowing 452.5 yards per contest, next-to-last in the SEC.


LINE HISTORY: The point spread for this one hit the board with Florida giving 9.5 points. There were a few wobbles throughout the week (went as high as 10.5) but the line currently sits right on that opening number. The total opened at 41 and fell a half point to 40.5. View complete line history here.


TRENDS:


* Gators are 9-2 ATS in their last 11 road games.
* Commodores are 0-5 ATS in their last 5 home games vs. a team with a winning road record.
* Under is 6-0 in Commodores last 6 games in October.
* Road team is 8-0 ATS in their last 8 meetings.




No. 25 Texas Longhorns at Oklahoma State Cowboys (-2.5, 70.5)


* Freshman Shane Buechele has completed 66.3 percent of his passes for 720 yards and seven TDs as the Longhorns average 44.7 points. The backfield of D'Onta Foreman (288 yards, three TDs in two games) and Chris Warren III (260 yards, three TDs) is averaging 5.6 yards per carry while backup quarterback Tyrone Swoopes has added three scores. Freshman defensive end Malcolm Roach (two sacks) could get more playing time as part of Strong's changes to the defensive personnel.


* Mason Rudolph has thrown for 1,296 yards and six TDs, connecting with James Washington (league-leading 122 receiving yards per game) for three scores. Hill (211 rushing yards, TD) had 122 yards and two fumbles in a loss at Baylor last week while Rennie Childs (158 yards) has six rushing TDs. The Cowboys have forced a league-best nine turnovers - including two interceptions by cornerback Ramon Richards - but have lost eight, including six fumbles.


LINE HISTORY: Oklahoma State opened as three-point favorites and by midweek the spread was bet down to -2.5. The total opened at 71.5 and came down a full point to sit at 70.5. View complete line history here.


TRENDS:


* Longhorns are 1-5 ATS in their last 6 road games.
* Cowboys are 1-5 ATS vs. a team with a winning record.
* Under is 8-0 in Longhorns last 8 games after allowing more than 40 points in their previous game.
* Over is 6-0 in Cowboys last 6 games after allowing more than 280 yards passing in their previous game.
* Road team is 9-0 ATS in their last 9 meetings.




Rutgers Scarlet Knights at No. 2 Ohio State Buckeyes (-38, 60)


* Janarion Grant leads the team with 20 catches for 210 yards (not to mention 138 rushing yards and a touchdown pass) but will miss the remainder of the season with a right ankle injury suffered against Iowa. That will put more pressure on quarterback Chris Laviano (647 passing yards, five TDs) and running back Robert Martin (358 yards, one TD). Rutgers outgained the Hawkeyes last week, 383-355, thanks to 106 rushing yards by Martin, who is seeking his third straight 100-yard performance this weekend.


* The Buckeyes' defense returns only three starters from last year - as does the Ohio State offense - but the results have been extremely impressive to this point. Defensively, Ohio State has nine interceptions - four of them "pick-sixes" - and is the only FBS team not to allow a rushing touchdown all season. On the offensive side, J.T. Barrett has 10 touchdowns and only one interception, a big reason why the Buckeyes lead the nation with a plus-9 turnover margin.


LINE HISTORY: Ohio State opened the betting week as 38-point favorites over their conference rivals from Rutgers. In the middle of the week, the lofty spread actually went up slightly to -38.5 but settled back down to the opening number on Thursday evening. The total began the week at 59 but immediately dropped to 57.5. On Wednesday afternoon the total made another big move up to the current number of 60. View complete line history here.


TRENDS:


* Scarlet Knights are 1-5 ATS in their last 6 conference games.
* Buckeyes are 5-0 ATS in their last 5 games overall.
* Over is 4-1 in Scarlet Knights' last 5 road games.
* Under is 5-1 in Buckeyes' last 6 conference games.




No. 14 Miami Hurricanes at Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets (+7, 54)


* Linemen Demetrius Jackson and Chad Thomas have combined for 10 tackles for loss and 4.5 sacks while the all-freshman starting linebacker trio featuring Michael Pinckney and Shaquille Quarterman has exceeded expectations for a defense that is tied for first in sacks (4.33 per game) and No. 1 in tackles for loss (13.3). After dominating Florida A&M and Florida Atlantic on the ground, coach Mark Richt opened up the offense against the Mountaineers behind Kaaya, who threw scoring passes to veterans Stacy Coley and David Njoku while finding a new big-play option in freshman Ahmmon Richards (four catches, including a 62-yard TD). Sophomore Mark Walton is averaging 133.7 yards rushing and got the Hurricanes started with an 80-yard score on Miami's first offensive play against Appalachian State.


* Versatile quarterback Justin Thomas will look to get his team's usually reliable running attack back on track after an error-filled outing that Johnson termed "a train wreck" while also looking to improve his passing accuracy (23-of-51) in an effort to keep the Hurricanes' defense guessing. Freshman running back Dedrick Mills has emerged as the team's top rushing threat (67 yards per game, five touchdowns) and sophomore Clinton Lynch has big-play ability, averaging 12 yards on 11 carries and also scoring on a 71-yard pass play. Led by lineman Patrick Gamble (2.5 sacks), linebacker P.J. Davis (24 total tackles) and defensive back Corey Griffin (25 tackles, one interception), the defense had been solid - allowing only 31 points in three wins - prior to the first-half mess against Clemson.


LINE HISTORY: Miami opened the betting week as 6.5-point road favorites and by Monday morning that line was up to 7. The total hit the board at 49 and was bet up all week - 51.5, 52, 53 - and finally settled at its current number of 54. View complete line history here.


TRENDS:


* Hurricanes are 5-1 ATS in their last 6 games overall.
* Yellow Jackets are 1-8 ATS vs. a team with a winning record.
* Under is 5-1 in Yellow Jackets' last 6 conference games.
* Hurricanes are 6-1 ATS in their last 7 meetings.




No. 13 Baylor Bears at Iowa State Cyclones (+16.5, 61)


* The Bears have led the NCAA in total and scoring offense the last three years but are off to a slow start -- for them -- averaging 42 points (24th in FBS) and 548.8 yards (eighth). Russell is the reigning Big 12 Offensive Player of the Week after passing for 387 yards and four touchdowns in the win over Oklahoma State and for the season has thrown for 1,148 yards and 13 TDs while completing 80-of-133 attempts. Tailback Shock Linwood became the school's all-time leading rusher in the win over Rice and now has 3,679 yards, third-most among active FBS players, while linebacker Aiavion Edwards leads the defense with 33 tackles.


* The Cyclones lost their first three games to open the season, including a 25-20 home loss to FCS Northern Iowa, but finally broke though in the win column for first-year head coach Matt Campbell with an impressive 44-10 victory over San Jose State last Saturday. Mike Warren rushed for 103 yards and Jacob Park (165 yards, 3 TDs) and Joel Lanning (136 yards, 2 TDs) both had big games splitting time at quarterback. The defense, which intercepted four passes, was led by safety Kamari Cotton-Moya, who had 11 tackles and an interception, and linebacker Brian Mills, who finished with six tackles, a sack and a forced fumble.


LINE HISTORY: Baylor opened the betting week as 16.5-point road favorites and, despite a brief bump up to 17 in the middle of the week, the spread currently sits right on that opening number. The total opened at 60 and came up a point to 61 on Thursday. View complete line history here.


TRENDS:


* Bears are 1-6 ATS in their last 7 games following a straight up win.
* Cyclones are 1-6 ATS in their last 7 games following a straight up win of more than 20 points.
* Under is 5-0 in Bears last 5 games on grass.
* Over is 6-0-1 in Cyclones last 7 games following a straight up win.




No. 11 Tennessee Volunteers at No. 20 Georgia Bulldogs (+3, 52)


* Quarterback Joshua Dobbs ripped Florida’s defense for a career-best 319 yards passing and four touchdowns in winning SEC offensive player of the week, and has rushed for more than 80 yards in each of the Volunteers’ first four games. The Volunteers have five touchdown drives of one minute or less, and average 1:54 on their 16 offensive touchdown drives this season. Defensive end Derek Barnett earned SEC defensive player of the week honors after recording two sacks, three tackles for a loss and a batted pass in the second half.


* Chubb, who suffered a devastating left knee injury early in last season’s 38-31 loss at Tennessee, rushed for 57 yards on 12 carries last week before leaving. If Chubb cannot play, the tandem of Brian Herrien (78 yards last week) and Sony Michel (66 yards) will have to establish the running game and provide balance for Jacob Eason. The freshman quarterback struggled in his second road start last week, completing only 16-of-36 passes and throwing an interception that was returned for a touchdown.


LINE HISTORY: Tennessee opened as three-point road favorites and on Tuesday that line went up to 3.5. On Thursday morning some money came back on Georgia which dropped the line back to the opening number of 3. The total began the betting week at 54 before being dropped, almost immediately, to 53 and came down another full point to 52 on Thursday morning. View complete line history here.


TRENDS:


* Volunteers are 6-0 ATS vs. a team with a winning record.
* Bulldogs are 0-4 ATS in their last 4 games in October.
* Over is 8-2 in Volunteers last 10 games after allowing more than 280 yards passing in their previous game.
* Under is 8-0 in Bulldogs last 8 home games.




No. 23 North Carolina Tar Heels at No. 12 Florida State Seminoles (-10.5, 70)


* The Tar Heels have also struggled keeping teams off the scoreboard, permitting 30 points per game, and coordinator Gene Chizik told reporters, “We need to show up and play with a defense that looks like it can compete in this league.” The other side of the ball is not a problem, although Pitt held the Tar Heels to 18 yards rushing last week and running back Elijah Hood is averaging just 72.8 yards per game. Trubisky boasts four veteran targets with at least 183 receiving yards, led by senior Ryan Switzer’s 33 catches (16 last week) and 429 yards.


* The Seminoles rushed for at least 400 yards for the first time since 1995 (10th overall) last week (478) and sophomore Jacques Patrick showed he can be a factor in support with 124 yards against USF. Freshman quarterback Deondre Francois is completing 62.8 percent of his passes with just two interceptions and junior Travis Rudolph boasts 16 receptions for a team-high 233 yards and three scores. Florida State has not put it together on defense, yielding more than 200 yards per game on the ground, but has 13 sacks – 5.5 by end DeMarcus Walker.


LINE HISTORY: Florida State began the betting week as 11.5-point favorites. That spread was quickly bumped up to -12 before being dropped to -11 later Monday morning and was dropped even further to -10.5 on Thursday. The total opened at 69 and was bumped up to 70 by the end of the week. View complete line history here.


TRENDS:


* Tar Heels are 6-1 ATS in their last 7 games in October.
* Seminoles are 6-0 ATS in their last 6 games on grass.
* Over is 8-0 in Tar Heels last 8 vs. a team with a winning record.
* Over is 5-1 in Seminoles last 6 home games.




No. 8 Wisconsin Badgers at No. 5 Michigan Wolverines (-10.5, 44.5)


* Freshman quarterback Alex Hornibrook showed veteran poise in his first career start, throwing for 195 yards and a touchdown to lead the Badgers past Michigan State. T.J. Watt, who is the brother of Houston Texans star J.J. Watt, was named the Walter Camp National Defensive Player of the Week after registering six tackles, including 3.5 for loss, and 2.5 sacks against the Spartans. Offensive lineman Brett Connors will make his second straight start after an impressive performance last week while left guard Jon Dietzen (right leg) and kicker Rafael Gaglianone (back) are listed as questionable after missing the victory against Michigan State.


* The Wolverines' running back by committee approach paid off as Karan Higdon rushed for 81 yards and two touchdowns while De'Veon Smith (107), Ty Isaac (74) and Chris Evans (56) all added a TD apiece last week. Senior cornerback Jeremy Clark will miss the remainder of the season after tearing his ACL on a kickoff return in the fourth quarter against Penn State. Wolverines head coach Jim Harbaugh revealed he's "hopeful" that nose tackle Bryan Mone, who has been sidelined with a knee injury since the opening week, will return in time to face the Badgers while freshman defensive backs Lavert Hill and David Long are expected to see more meaningful snaps in Clark's absence.


LINE HISTORY: The Michigan Wolverines opened the betting week as 10.5-point favorites for this key Big Ten matchup. The line wobbled between -10 and -11 all week before settling back to -10.5 on Thursday evening. The total hit the board at 44 and was immediately bumped up to 45 before being dropped back slightly to 44.5 where it remained for most of the week. View complete line history here.


TRENDS:


* Badgers are 5-1 ATS in their last 6 games overall.
* Wolverines are 4-1 ATS in their last 5 games overall.
* Under is 6-1 in Badgers last 7 vs. a team with a winning record.
* Over is 12-0 in Wolverines last 12 games overall.



Illinois Fighting Illini at No. 15 Nebraska Cornhuskers (-20, 53)


* Ke'Shawn Vaughn and Kendrick Foster combined for 337 yards rushing on 48 carries over the Illini's first two contests but totaled only 25 yards on 10 attempts as the Broncos stacked the box and forced quarterback Wes Lunt to beat them. Lunt had a season-high 312 yards passing in the loss, but he took four sacks, committed two turnovers (including his first interception of the season) and only three of his 29 completions covered more than 20 yards. The defense has also not held up its end of the bargain after allowing -10 yards rushing and recording three takeaways in the opener, yielding 484 total rushing yards and failing to force a turnover in the two games since.


* Tommy Armstrong Jr. has flourished in his senior season - averaging a career-high 8.78 yards per attempt while also posting a 8:1 touchdown-to-interception ratio - and is coming off a game in which he threw for 246 yards and ran for a career-high 132 yards. After running backs Terrell Newby and Devine Ozigbo each fumbled on potential scoring opportunities in the first half, Chicago native Mikale Wilbon impressed with 55 yards on six carries as the Cornhuskers put the game away on the ground over their final two drives. Guard Tanner Farmer (high-ankle sprain) has been ruled out and big-play wideout Alonzo Moore (shoulder), who leads the team with 310 yards receiving, is doubtful for Saturday.


LINE HISTORY: Nebraska opened the week as 21-point home favorites. The line held for most of the week before taking a couple of 1/2 point drops on Thursday to settle in to its current number of -20. The total began the week at 54, was dropped to 52.5, and came back up slightly to 53 on Thursday. View complete line history here.


TRENDS:


* Fighting Illini are 3-12 ATS in their last 15 road games vs. a team with a winning home record.
* Cornhuskers are 4-0-1 ATS in their last 5 games overall.
* Under is 7-1 in Fighting Illini last 8 games after allowing more than 200 yards rushing in their previous game.
* Under is 4-0 in Cornhuskers last 4 home games vs. a team with a losing road record.



No. 10 Texas A&M Aggies at South Carolina Gamecocks (+17.5, 47.5)


* The Aggies are the only team in the SEC and one of three in the nation who have passed and rushed for at least 1,000 yards, as they lead the SEC with 269.2 rushing yards per game. Texas A&M rolled up 366 rushing yards in last week’s 45-24 win over Arkansas with freshman running back Trayveon Williams and quarterback Trevor Knight leading the charge with more than 150 yards apiece. The defense was a liability a year ago but has been steady early this season with pass-rush specialist Myles Garrett leading a unit that is much-improved, especially against the run.


* The Gamecocks have taken to Muschamp’s defensive philosophy, allowing a respectable 17.3 points per game and forcing six turnovers over the past two games. The offense has not been as effective, as freshman quarterback Brandon McIlwain has not thrown an interception but has completed only 51.6 percent of his passes with two touchdowns. The ground game has been even worse, as the Gamecocks have averaged a paltry 2.95 yards per carry.


LINE HISTORY: Texas A&M opened the betting week as 17-point road faves and their line was bumped up to 17.5 early in the week - the spread has not moved since Monday. The total opened at 47.5 and hasn't moved at all as of Friday afternoon. View complete line history here.


TRENDS:


* Aggies are 3-13 ATS in their last 16 games in October.
* Gamecocks are 6-0 ATS in their last 6 games after allowing more than 200 yards rushing in their previous game.
* Under is 6-0 in Aggies last 6 road games.
* Under is 9-1 in Gamecocks last 10 games after accumulating less than 100 yards rushing in their previous game.




Oklahoma Sooners at No. 19 Texas Christian Horned Frogs (+3.5, 69.5)


* The Sooners are averaging 35.3 points per game behind Mayfield, who has passed for 793 yards and seven touchdowns against two interceptions after accumulating 3,700 yards and 36 touchdown passes last season. Sophomore Joe Mixon (235 yards, 8.4 average) has been much more productive than junior Samaje Perine (149 yards, 4.5 average) while sophomore wideout Mark Andrews has 211 receiving yards and four touchdowns on just nine receptions. Oklahoma is one of seven teams nationally without an interception and also has just five sacks while allowing an average of 31.7 points - including 33 to Houston and 45 to Ohio State.


* The Horned Frogs are averaging 42.8 points per game and junior quarterback Kenny Hill has been a multi-dimensional threat by passing for 1,487 yards and six touchdowns while rushing for 166 yards and six scores. Junior receiver John Diarse, a transfer from LSU, has blossomed with 13 receptions over the past two weeks, while junior running back Kyle Hicks has been solid with a team-best 314 rushing yards. Sophomore outside linebacker Ty Summers has posted 29 of his team-best 39 tackles in the past two games as a defensive unit that allowed 82 points over its first two games has given up just 23 over the last two contests.


LINE HISTORY: The unranked Oklahoma Sooners opened as 2-point road favorites against the No. 19 ranked TCU Horned Frogs. As the betting week progressed this line took several 1/2-point jumps to settle at its current number of 3.5. The total hit the betting board at 69.5 and hasn't moved all week. View complete line history here.


TRENDS:


* Sooners are 6-1 ATS in their last 7 conference games.
* Horned Frogs are 7-1 ATS in their last 8 games in October.
* Over is 9-1 in Sooners last 10 games following a straight up loss.
* Over is 4-0 in Horned Frogs last 4 home games.




No. 18 Utah Utes at California Golden Bears (-2.5, 65)


* Cornerback and team captain Dominique Hatfield, who had two interceptions in last year’s win over Cal, missed this season’s first three games with a knee injury but recorded five tackles last week and faces a key matchup against Cal’s top receiver on Saturday. While the Utes’ defense was expected to be among the team’s strengths, the offense has been a pleasant surprise thanks to players such as Tim Patrick, who is coming off back-to-back 100-yard receiving games. True freshman Zack Moss is averaging 92.5 rushing yards since becoming the starter two games ago, and the Utes’ offensive line didn't allow a sack last week against the Trojans.


* The Golden Bears have scored at least 40 points in each of their games but rank among the worst in the country in several defensive categories despite the play of end Cameron Saffle, who notched eight tackles and two sacks against Arizona State. While the defense remains a concern, the offense continues to put up points behind Webb and wide receiver Chad Hansen, who has six touchdowns and leads the nation with an average of 12.5 catches per game. As good as the offense has been, the Golden Bears still need more production from their running game along with wide receivers Demetris Robertson and Melquise Stovall.


LINE HISTORY: Cal opened the week as one-point home favorites and that line was bumped up to -2 on Wednesday before being bumped another 1/2 point to -2.5 on Thursday. The total opened at 67, went up slightly to 68, took a sharp drop to 65.5 on Thursday afternoon, and settled down to its current number of 65. View complete line history here.


TRENDS:


* Utes are 1-8 ATS in their last 9 games after allowing more than 200 yards rushing in their previous game.
* Golden Bears are 1-6 ATS in their last 7 conference games.
* Over is 6-0 in Utes last 6 road games.
* Over is 6-0 in Golden Bears last 6 games overall.




Kentucky Wildcats at No. 1 Alabama Crimson Tide (-35.5, 57.5)


* The Wildcats are effective on the ground with an average of 196.8 yards per game as both junior Stanley "Boom" Williams (464 yards, 8.0 average) and freshman Benny Snell (209 yards, 6.3 average) have played well. Junior quarterback Stephen Johnson made his first career start last Saturday and went 11-of-19 passing for 138 yards in a victory over South Carolina and he may hold the job the rest of the season after Drew Barker's back injury leaves his status unclear. Sophomore weak-side linebacker Jordan Jones has a team-leading 43 tackles while sophomore strong-side linebacker Josh Allen and sophomore defensive end Denzil Ware share the team lead with three sacks.


* Freshman quarterback Jalen Hurts has been superb while passing for 727 yards and five touchdowns and adding 251 yards and three scores on the ground. If Harris doesn't play, freshman Joshua Jacobs is in line for increased duty after producing 97 yards and two touchdowns on just 11 carries versus Kent State. The Crimson Tide have allowed 59 points - 43 were in one game by Ole Miss - and thrives behind star players such as senior safety Eddie Jackson (nine career interceptions), senior defensive end Jonathan Allen (three sacks), senior weak-side linebacker Reuben Foster (team-best 29 tackles) and senior strong-side linebacker Ryan Anderson (three sacks).


LINE HISTORY: Alabama opened as big 34.5-point home favorites over Kentucky and that line was bumped up even further throughout the week to settle in at -35.5. The total opened at 57.5 and, as of Friday afternoon, has yet to move off the opening number. View complete line history here.


TRENDS:


* Wildcats are 2-10 ATS in their last 12 games overall.
* Crimson Tide are 4-0 ATS in their last 4 home games.
* Over is 5-1 in Wildcats last 6 games overall.
* Under is 7-0 in Crimson Tide last 7 games after allowing less than 170 yards passing in their previous game.




Memphis Tigers at No. 17 Mississippi Rebels (-14.5, 69)


* Ferguson was named American Athletic Conference Offensive Player of the Week despite playing only the first half of last weekend's thumping of the Falcons; his 359 yards passing was the 11th-highest single-game mark in school history, while his six passing touchdowns fell one short of Lynch's school record. Anthony Miller tallied 10 catches during last year's upset and leads the team with 17 receptions this season, while leading rusher Doroland Dorceus needed only nine carries to accumulate 117 yards versus Bowling Green, joining Miller as one of 11 Tigers this season to score a touchdown. After recording one takeaway against Southeast Missouri State in the opener, Memphis has forced 10 turnovers the last two games and is tied for fourth in FBS with 11.


* Chad Kelly continued his assault on the Rebels' record book during Saturday's victory over Georgia, completing a TD pass for the 17th straight game to break Eli Manning's school record while also moving past Archie Manning into sixth place on the total yardage list with 5,901. Evan Engram leads all FBS tight ends with a SEC-best 26 catches and 397 yards receiving, the latter of which is good for 13th among all players in the country. Senior defensive back Derrick Jones ran back Ole Miss' first interception of the season 52 yards for a touchdown last weekend - only one of four turnovers forced by the team this season - while junior linebacker DeMarquis Gates is one of nine SEC players with at least 30 tackles.


LINE HISTORY: Ole Miss opened the betting week for this matchup as 14.5-point home favorites. There was some movement down to -13.5 early in the week, but the point spread returned to its opening number of -14.5 by Wednesday and still sits at that number on Friday afternoon. The total hit the betting board at 65.5 and rose sharply to 69 by the end of the week. View complete line history here.


TRENDS:


* Tigers are 1-7-1 ATS in their last 9 vs. SEC.
* Rebels are 5-1 ATS vs. a team with a winning record.
* Under is 6-1 in Tigers last 7 games overall.
* Under is 8-0 in Rebels last 8 home games vs. a team with a winning road record.




No. 24 San Diego State Aztecs at South Alabama Jaguars (+18.5, 51.5)


* Pumphrey justifiably has received most of the credit for the Aztecs’ hot start, but sophomore quarterback Christian Chapman also has played well with six touchdown passes - including three to wide receiver Mikah Holder. The offense is averaging 39.3 points and 442.7 yards per contest, while the defense ranks sixth nationally in rushing yards allowed per game (107.6) since the beginning of the 2015 season. Linebacker Calvin Munson has recorded 34 tackles to lead a unit that includes defensive end Alex Barrett (four sacks) as well as shutdown cornerbacks Damontae Kazee and Derek Babiash.


* Dallas Davis threw for 302 yards but was intercepted four times in last week’s win over Nicholls while playing through a case of turf toe suffered on Sept. 17 in a loss to Louisiana-Lafayette. Xavier Johnson, the team’s leading rusher, ran for 142 yards and two touchdowns in last year’s win over San Diego State but could miss Saturday’s contest due to a sprained ankle suffered in last week's victory. The defense is allowing an average of 28 points and will need another strong effort Saturday from safety Kalen Jackson and linebacker Roman Buchanan, who are tied for the team lead with 33 tackles apiece.


LINE HISTORY: San Diego State opened as 20-point road favorites and that line steadily fell all week to settle in at 18.5 by Thursday afternoon. The total hit the board at 52 and got as high as 53 before settling down to 51.5 on Friday afternoon. View complete line history here.


TRENDS:


* Aztecs are 6-0 ATS in their last 6 road games.
* Jaguars are 1-8 ATS vs. a team with a winning record.
* Under is 8-2 in Aztecs last 10 games in October.
* Over is 7-1-1 in Jaguars last 9 home games.




No. 4 Louisville Cardinals at No. 3 Clemson Tigers (+1, 67)


* Jackson is widely considered the runaway leader in the Heisman Trophy race, having accounted for 25 touchdowns (13 passing, 12 rushing) through four games. Running back Brandon Radcliff has topped 100 yards rushing in three straight games, combining with Jackson to lead the nation’s No. 3 rushing attack at 318.2 yards per game. The Cardinals’ huge offensive numbers have overshadowed a strong defense, which has held three of four opponents under 300 total yards.


* If any team is up to the task of quieting the Cardinals’ offense, it might be the Tigers, who are coming off a dominant defensive effort after holding Georgia Tech to 124 total yards in a 26-7 victory. Clemson ranks third nationally in total defense and has been especially tough against the pass, allowing just 125.8 yards per game through the air. Watson has put up solid passing numbers, but the Tigers could use more of a contribution from running back Wayne Gallman, who has averaged just 44.3 rushing yards over the past three games.


LINE HISTORY: This is the big matchup that everyone has been waiting for all season. Clemson opened the betting as 3.5-point home favorites but the betting public hammered Louisville and forced some drastic line moves throughout the week. The spread was dropped from -3.5 to -2 almost immediately after release and on Monday the books dropped it all of the way to a Pick 'Em. On Tuesday that Pick 'Em fully jumped the fence and Louisville were installed as 2-point favorites. As of Friday afternoon the spread was beginning to come back again and Louisville currently sits as 1-point faves.


The total began the betting week at 67.5, took a slight bump to 68, and settled back down to 67 on Friday. View complete line history here.


TRENDS:


* Cardinals are 5-0-1 ATS in their last 6 games overall.
* Tigers are 5-1 ATS in their last 6 games following a straight up win.
* Over is 5-0 in Cardinals last 5 conference games.
* Under is 4-0 in Tigers last 4 games overall.




No. 16 Michigan State Spartans at Indiana Hoosiers (+6.5, 52)


* While the offense had its struggles against Wisconsin, Dantonio has to be concerned about his defense, especially with two of the unit’s most productive players – Riley Bullough and Jon Reschke – dealing with injuries. Bullough, a senior captain at linebacker, missed the game against the Badgers and is day-to-day with an undisclosed injury, while fellow LB Reschke will be out for a “significant time period” with an ankle injury, according to Dantonio. Shane Jones started for Bullough against the Badgers and will likely see time whether Bullough plays or not, while Andrew Dowell, who started for Reschke when he missed the opener against Furman, will also see his playing time go up.


* The Hoosiers are coming off a huge game passing the ball, with Lagow throwing for 496 yards and WR Ricky Jones setting career highs with eight catches for 208 yards. But to keep Michigan State’s ferocious defensive line from simply pinning their ears back and rushing Lagow every play, the running game must improve from last week’s 115-yard outing. The Spartans don’t give up many yards on the ground, but look for the Hoosiers to feed Devine Redding and other backs the ball early to at least establish the threat of a running attack.


LINE HISTORY: Michigan State opened the week as 7.5-point road favorites. The point spread went up as high as 8.5 early in the week but settled all of the way down to 6.5 by Wednesday. The total opened at 53.5 and dropped down to 52 by Thursday afternoon. View complete line history here.


TRENDS:


* Spartans are 5-0 ATS in their last 5 games following a straight up loss.
* Hoosiers are 1-6 ATS vs. a team with a winning record.
* Under is 4-1 in Spartans last 5 games overall.
* Over is 8-0 in the last 8 meetings.

 

[indiana]

C/note..........get em today buddy............indy

 

[CNOTES]

CFB BEST BETS: ( *** DENOTES TRIPLE PLAY )


WLT PCT UNITS


ATS Picks 108-102-6 51.43% -2100


O/U Picks 41-40-2 50.62% -1500




SATURDAY, OCTOBER 1


GAME TIME(ET) PICK UNITS


RUTG at OSU 12:00 PM

OSU -38.0


O 60.0




SYR at ND 12:00 PM


SYR +9.5


U 73.0




SMU at TEM 12:00 PM

TEM -12.5


U 52.0




UCF at ECU 12:00 PM


UCF +3.0


O 61.0




NW at IOWA 12:00 PM


IOWA -13.5


O 43.5




FLA at VAN 12:00 PM


VAN +10.5


U 40.5




TEX at OKST 12:00 PM

TEX +2.5


U 70.5




BAY at ISU 12:00 PM


BAY -17.0


O 61.0




MIA at GT 12:00 PM

MIA -7.0


U 54.0




GSU at APP 12:00 PM


APP -19.0 ***


O 52.0




UVA at DUKE 12:30 PM


UVA +4.0


U 62.0

 

[CNOTES]

BUFF at BC 01:00 PM


BC -18.0


ORST at COLO 02:30 PM


COLO -17.5


OHIO at M-OH 02:30 PM


OHIO -3.0 ***


EMU at BGSU 03:00 PM


EMU +2.5 ***


KSU at WVU 03:30 PM

KSU +3.0 ***


TULN at MASS 03:30 PM

TULN -2.5


NAVY at AFA 03:30 PM

NAVY +7.0


MINN at PSU 03:30 PM


MINN +3.0 ***


WIS at MICH 03:30 PM


MICH -10.0 ***


ILL at NEB 03:30 PM


NEB -20.0


PUR at MD 03:30 PM


MD -11.0


TENN at UGA 03:30 PM


TENN -4.0


ULM at AUB 03:30 PM


ULM +32.5


NIU at BALL 03:30 PM

BALL -3.5 ***


AKR at KENT 03:30 PM

AKR -8.0


WAKE at NCST 03:30 PM

NCST -14.0


UNC at FSU 03:30 PM


FSU -10.5

 

[CNOTES]

SJSU at UNM 04:00 PM


UNM -10.5


TAM at SOCAR 04:00 PM


SOCAR +18.5


TROY at IDHO 05:00 PM


IDHO +14.5 ***


OKLA at TCU 05:00 PM


OKLA -3.5


UTAH at CAL 06:00 PM


UTAH -1.0 ***


ODU at CHAR 06:00 PM


ODU -8.5

 

[CNOTES]

EVENING ACTION:




USF at CIN 07:00 PM


USF -7.5


UTEP at LT 07:00 PM


UTEP +22.5


RICE at SOMIS 07:00 PM


SOMIS -26.0 ***


O 58.5 ***


MEM at MISS 07:00 PM


MISS -15.5


UK at ALA 07:00 PM


ALA -36.5


FAU at FIU 07:00 PM


FIU +3.0


O 52.5


MTU at UNT 07:00 PM


UNT +17.0


O 65.0


WMU at CMU 07:00 PM


WMU -3.0


MRSH at PITT 07:30 PM


PITT -16.5


U 59.0


MIZZ at LSU 07:30 PM


LSU -12.0

 

[CNOTES]

LATE EVENING ACTION:


LOU at CLEM 08:00 PM


CLEM +1.0 ***


ULL at NMSU 08:00 PM


ULL -5.0


SDSU at USA 08:00 PM

SDSU -19.0


MSU at IND 08:00 PM

IND +5.5


ASU at USC 08:30 PM

ASU +9.5


O 65.0


ORE at WSU 09:30 PM

WSU +2.5 ***


O 75.0 ***


USU at BSU 10:15 PM


USU +23.0


WYO at CSU 10:15 PM


WYO +5.5


FRES at UNLV 10:30 PM


UNLV -9.5 ***


ARIZ at UCLA 10:30 PM


UCLA -11.5 ***


NEV at HAW 11:59 PM


NEV -3.0

 

[CNOTES]

Top 25 Capsules
October 2, 2016


CLEMSON, S.C. (AP) Deshaun Watson threw two of his five touchdown passes in the final seven minutes and No. 5 Clemson rallied for a 42-36 victory over No. 3 Louisville after the Tigers lost an 18-point lead to Lamar Jackson and the Cardinals on Saturday night.


The Tigers (5-0, 2-0 Atlantic Coast Conference) looked as if they had this one wrapped up before halftime, scoring four TDs in the second quarter to lead 28-10. Then "Action" Jackson got moving and the Cardinals (4-1, 2-1) scored on five consecutive possessions to take a 36-28 lead with 7:50 left.


Artavis Scott began Clemson's comeback with a 77-yard kickoff return, and Watson found Mike Williams for a 20-yard scoring pass two plays later. Clemson forced Louisville to punt for the only time in the second half and Watson guided the game-winning drive, ending on a 31-yard TD catch by Jordan Leggett.


Jackson had one last surge, leading Louisville to Clemson's 9. But James Quick was knocked out of bounds by safety Van Smith on fourth down with 33 seconds left to seal the victory.


NO. 11 TENNESSEE 34, NO. 25 GEORGIA 31


ATHENS, Ga. (AP) - Jauan Jennings hauled in a 43-yard Hail Mary from Joshua Dobbs on the final play, giving Tennessee a stunning victory over Georgia after the Bulldogs appeared to win it on a long TD pass of their own with 10 seconds remaining.


The Vols (5-0, 2-0 Southeastern Conference) rallied from a double-digit deficit for the fourth time in five games, but this was their most improbable comeback yet. The SEC East rivals packed a whole game's worth of action into the closing minutes as Tennessee went ahead for the first time all afternoon by recovering a fumble by Georgia (3-2, 1-2) in the end zone with 2:56 to go.


Then, after the Bulldogs threw an interception but got the ball back one more time, Jacob Eason tossed a 47-yard touchdown pass to fellow freshman Riley Ridley. With the Sanford Stadium crowd in a frenzy, Tennessee took the kickoff into position to take one shot at the end zone.


Dobbs hurled a towering pass that the 6-foot-3 Jennings didn't really have that much trouble bringing down. He leaped above the scrum to make the catch, and then landed on his back for the score that sent the Tennessee bench charging on the field to celebrate.

NO. 4 MICHIGAN 14, NO. 8 WISCONSIN 7


ANN ARBOR, Mich. (AP) - Wilton Speight threw a tiebreaking, 46-yard touchdown pass to Amara Darboh midway through the fourth quarter, Jourdan Lewis had a spectacular, one-handed interception for Michigan.


Jim Harbaugh helped the Wolverines (5-0, 2-0 Big Ten) beat a Top 10 team for the first time since their Rich Rodriguez-led team rallied to beat the ninth-ranked Badgers in 2008.


Wisconsin (4-1, 1-1) had the ball at its 8 with 2:59 and no timeouts left with a chance to beat a third team ranked in the top 10. The Badgers went for it on fourth-and-10 from its 8, with no timeouts left, and Alex Hornibrook's deep pass was picked off by Lewis.


Lewis leaped to snatch the ball out of the air with his right hand and pinned it against his hip for an interception near midfield with 2:15 left to play.


NO. 1 ALABAMA 34, KENTUCKY 6


TUSCALOOSA, Ala. (AP) - Jalen Hurts threw two third-quarter touchdown passes to Calvin Ridley and Ronnie Harrison scored on a 55-yard fumble return for No. 1 Alabama.


The Crimson Tide (5-0, 2-0 Southeastern Conference) overcame a week full of potential distractions and a slow start to run away from the Wildcats (2-3, 1-2).


The Hurt and Ridley Show took over the second half, hooking up on scoring passes of 10 and 19 yards and plenty in between. Hurts passed for 262 yards, including 173 in the third quarter.


Ridley gained 174 yards on 11 catches. Freshman tailback Joshua Jacobs rushed for 100 yards and a touchdown in his first start with Kentucky native Damien Harris playing a limited role after spraining his right ankle last week against Kent State.


The performance came two days after star linebacker Tim Williams' arrest on a misdemeanor charge of carrying a pistol without a permit. Backup quarterback Blake Barnett left the team and withdrew from school this week, too.


NO. 2 OHIO STATE 58, RUTGERS 0

COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) - J.T. Barrett broke the Ohio State record for career touchdown passes with the third of his four Saturday, and the No. 2 Buckeyes forced Rutgers to punt on all 10 drives a 58-0 victory.


Giving Rutgers coach Chris Ash a rude welcome in his return to The Horseshoe, Barrett was 21 for 29 for 238 yards before giving way to backup Joe Burrow near the end of the third quarter. Barrett has 59 TD passes in 27 career games for Ohio State (4-0, 1-0 Big Ten).


Freshman tailback Mike Weber ran for 144 yards on 14 attempts before also taking a seat in the third quarter. He had a 46-yard scoring run 2 1/2 minutes into the second half.


The Scarlet Knights (2-3, 0-2) never got deeper than the Ohio State 38. They sacked quarterback Chris Laviano three times and allowed 33 passing yards. Ash spent the past two seasons as Ohio State's co-defensive coordinator.


Ohio State piled up 669 yards of total offense, including 410 on the ground.

NO. 9 TEXAS A&M 24, SOUTH CAROLINA 13


COLUMBIA, S.C. (AP) - Trevor Knight threw for 206 yards and ran for 84 more for Texas A&M.


Knight also had a fumble and an interception, but the Aggies (5-0, 3-0 Southeastern Conference) used a tight defense to win, tackling the Gamecocks (2-3, 1-3) for losses on 10 plays and keeping them out of the end zone after A.J. Turner's 75-yard touchdown run on South Carolina's first play from scrimmage.


Knight came in second in the SEC in total offense, and either threw the ball or ran it on 52 of Texas A&M's 79 plays. Trayveon Williams and James White each ran for a touchdown for the Aggies. The SEC's best rushing team had 216 yards on the ground.


NORTH CAROLINA 37, NO. 12 FLORIDA STATE 35


TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (AP) - Nick Weiler made a 54-yard field goal as time expired to lift North Carolina past Florida State, snapping the Seminoles' 22-game home winning streak.


It was the first field goal make by either team after the kickers combined to miss their first four attempts. Weiler also atoned for a blocked extra point that allowed the Seminoles to take a late lead.


After Florida State took a 35-34 lead with 22 seconds remaining on Deondre Francois 2-yard touchdown run, the Tar Heels were able to drive 38 yards in three plays. They also took advantage of a pass interference call on Tavarus McFadden to get them in range.


It is the second straight week that the Tar Heels (4-1, 2-0 Atlantic Coast Conference) have won in the final seconds. Last Saturday, they beat Pittsburgh 37-36 with 2 seconds remaining on Mitch Trubinsky's touchdown pass.


NO. 13 BAYLOR 45, IOWA STATE 42


AMES, Iowa (AP) - Chris Callahan made a 19-yard field goal as time expired to lift Baylor past Iowa State.


Down 42-28, the Bears (5-0, 2-0 Big 12) rallied to it with scoring drives of 86 and 84 yards. Seth Russell drove Baylor 83 yards to set up Callahan's chip shot.


Russell was 12 of 22 for 178 yards. Baylor star receiver KD Cannon missed the game because of a groin injury.


Joel Lanning threw for 261 yards and two touchdowns for Iowa State (1-4, 0-2). Mike Warren added a season-high 130 yards rushing for the Cyclones. They scored touchdowns on their first six full possessions, but were shut out after that.

NO. 14 MIAMI 35, GEORGIA TECH 21


ATLANTA (AP) - Shaquille Quarterman and Joe Jackson returned fumbles by Georgia Tech quarterback Justin Thomas for touchdowns in less than a minute in the second quarter for Miami.


Miami (4-0, 1-0 Atlantic Coast Conference) led 28-7 after the fumble returns of 17 yards by Quarterman and 18 yards by Jackson - both freshmen.


Georgia Tech (3-2, 1-2) drew to 28-21 before Miami's Brad Kaaya answered with a 31-yard touchdown pass to Stacy Coley late in the third quarter.


Miami won in the Atlantic Coast Conference debut of coach Mark Richt, the former Georgia coach. He improved to 14-0 against Georgia Tech in Atlanta, including an 8-0 record at Georgia and 5-0 as an assistant at Florida State. The win came in Richt's 200th game as a coach.


NO. 15 NEBRASKA 31, ILLINOIS 16


LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) - Terrell Newby ran for 113 of his 140 yards and scored two touchdowns in the fourth quarter, and No. 15 Nebraska got a scare from Illinois.


Newby touched the ball on 18 of Nebraska's last 21 plays from scrimmage and the Cornhuskers (5-0, 2-0 Big Ten) won going away after being down 16-10. They also avenged a 14-13 loss last year in Champaign.


Illinois (1-3, 0-1) got off only 10 offensive plays after taking its six-point lead with 7:40 left in the third quarter. The Illini have lost 14 straight and 23 of 24 against Top 25 opponents.

NO. 16 MISSISSIPPI 48, MEMPHIS 28


OXFORD, Miss. (AP) - Chad Kelly threw for 361 yards, Eugene Brazley ran for a career-high 124 yards and two touchdowns and Mississippi pulled away late to beat Memphis.


Ole Miss (3-2) jumped out to a 14-0 lead in the first quarter against the Tigers for a second straight season, but this time held on for the victory. Memphis beat Ole Miss 37-24 last season after falling behind by two touchdowns early.


There would be no such comeback Saturday. Memphis (3-1) made this one interesting for a while, but couldn't keep up with the Rebels' high-scoring offense.


INDIANA 24, NO. 17 MICHIGAN STATE 21, OT


BLOOMINGTON, Ind. (AP) - Indiana quarterback Richard Lagow caught a touchdown pass, threw for two more and took advantage of a second chance in overtime to set up Griffin Oakes for a 20-yard field goal and an improbable victory over Michigan State.


The Hoosiers (3-1, 1-0 Big Ten) trailed 14-0 late in the third quarter before Lagow's 5-yard TD catch on third-and-goal finally helped the Hoosiers turn the corner.


Indiana ended a seven-game losing streak in the series, reclaimed the Old Brass Spittoon for the first time since 2006, beat a ranked team at home for the first time in a decade and earned their first overtime win since 2010.


Michigan State kicker Michael Geiger missed 49-yard field goal to start overtime, and Oakes missed a 33-yard field goal on the ensuing possession when Michigan State's Drake Martinez was called for leaping to give Indiana a first down.


Michigan State (2-2, 0-2) has lost back-to-back games for the first time since November 2012.

CALIFORNIA 28, NO. 18 UTAH 23


BERKELEY, Calif. (AP) - Davis Webb threw four touchdown passes and California stopped Zach Moss from the 1-yard line on the final play to win its second straight matchup against a ranked opponent.


Webb threw for 306 yards and connected on a pair of scoring strikes to Chad Hansen and Demetris Robertson to lead the Golden Bears (3-2, 1-1 Pac-12).


But it was the defense that sealed the win, stopping the Utes (4-1, 1-1) on three plays inside the 2 in the closing seconds. James Looney wrapped up Moss just short of the goal line on the final play to set off a celebration. Cal had lost 11 straight games against ranked opponents before beating then-No. 11 Texas 50-43 at home two weeks ago.


SOUTH ALABAMA 42, NO. 19 SAN DIEGO STATE 24

MOBILE, Ala. (AP) - Cole Garvin threw for 241 yards and three touchdowns for South Alabama.


Garvin, the sophomore Marshall transfer starting in place of injured Dallas Davis, threw touchdown passes of 37 yards to Kevin Kutchera, 79 yards to tight end Gerald Everett, and 6 yards to Josh McGee.


San Diego State's Donnel Pumphrey ran for 156 yards and a touchdown on 25 carries. He broke 100 yards rushing for the 25th time and went over 5,000 yards to become the Mountain West's career leader.


South Alabama improved to 3-2, and San Diego State dropped to 3-1.


NO. 20 ARKANSAS 52, ALCORN STATE 10


LITTLE ROCK, Ark. (AP) - Austin Allen completed 13 of 18 passes for 206 yards and three touchdowns to help Arkansas win for the 10th time in 12 games.


Following a loss to No. 9 Texas A&M last week, the Razorbacks (4-1) led 24-0 after the first quarter and had few struggles afterward against the Football Championship Subdivision Braves (1-3).


Devwah Whaley ran for a career-high 135 yards on nine carries, and Rawleigh Williams added 126 yards on 13 carries. Jared Cornelius had two touchdown catches and finished with four receptions for 106 yards.


OKLAHOMA 52, NO. 21 TCU 46


FORT WORTH, Texas (AP) - Baker Mayfield made up for two lost fumbles with four touchdowns, running for two and throwing two to Dede Westbrook, and Oklahoma held on to win its Big 12 opener.


After giving up 21 points in the first quarter for the first time in 20 years, the Sooners (2-2) went ahead to stay with 28 consecutive points in the second quarter. Westbrook was wide open on a flea flicker for a 67-yard touchdown that put Oklahoma up 28-21, and Mayfield then hit in him stride again for a 40-yard score.


Mayfield was facing TCU for the first time since saying before the Orange Bowl last year that TCU was the team that disappointed him the most in recruiting, and claiming the Horned Frogs "kind of drug it out" without offering a scholarship while he turned down other offers.


TCU coach Gary Patterson and Mayfield both insisted this week all that was in the past, with Mayfield even saying things were blown out of proportion. But when they were the same field, the Sooners junior quarterback was 23-of-30 passing for 274 yards, and ran 12 times for 55 yards.


Kenny Hill threw for 449 yards and five touchdowns for the Frogs (3-2, 1-1 Big 12), including scoring strikes of 64 and 74 yards to Taj Williams in the fourth quarter, the later ending a stretch of 22 consecutive points for the Frogs that got them to 49-46. Williams had five catches for 210 yards.


OKLAHOMA STATE 49, NO. 22 TEXAS 31


STILLWATER, Okla. (AP) - Mason Rudolph threw for 392 yards and three touchdowns, and Justice Hill ran for a 135 yards and a score for Oklahoma State.


Jalen McCleskey added 109 yards and two touchdowns receiving for the Cowboys (3-2, 1-1 Big 12). They had lost eight straight home games against the Longhorns (2-2, 0-1).


Oklahoma State blocked three extra points in the first half, matching a school record for blocked kicks in a game. On the first one, defensive tackle Vincent Taylor came up the middle for the block, picked up the ball and ran with it before delivering a perfect option-style pitch to Tre Flowers in stride. Flowers took it into the end zone for two points and a 16-13 lead.


Oklahoma State receiver James Washington was knocked out of the game in the third quarter on a hit to the head from linebacker Malcolm Roach. Washington had three catches for 91 yards and a touchdown.


Texas' Chris Warren III missed the second half with a knee injury after running for 106 yards on 10 carries. D'Onta Foreman left in the third quarter with an abdominal injury after rumbling for 148 yards and two touchdowns.

NO. 23 FLORIDA 13, VANDERBILT 6


NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) - Jordan Scarlett had a 4-yard touchdown run and Eddy Pineiro made two field in Florida's victory.


Florida (4-1, 2-1 Southeastern Conference) came up with two interceptions and two sacks on a day where the defense otherwise struggled against one of the nation's worst offenses with three starting linemen missing most of the game.


Ralph Webb ran for 110 yards as Vanderbilt outgained Florida 265-236 in total offense. The Commodores (2-3, 0-2) had a final chance to force overtime, but Nick Washington intercepted Wade Freebeck's pass with 54 seconds left.

 

[CNOTES]

Saturday's best
October 2, 2016


STARS


-Deshaun Watson, Clemson, threw for five TDs and 306 yards, including two in the final seven minutes, as the fifth-ranked Tigers rallied for a 42-36 victory over No. 3 Louisville.


-Lamar Jackson, Louisville, accounted for 457 yards and a pair of TDs in the third-ranked Cardinals' 42-36 loss to No. 5 Clemson.


-DeShone Kizer, Notre Dame, threw for a career-best 471 yards and three TDs to help the Irish beat Syracuse 50-33.


-Shock Linwood, Baylor, rushed for 237 yards and a TD in the 13th-ranked Bears' 45-42 win over Iowa State.


-Calvin Ridley, Alabama, had 174 yards and a pair of TDs on 11 catches in the top-ranked Crimson Tide's 34-6 victory over Kentucky.


-Baker Mayfield, Oklahoma, accounted for 329 yards and four TDs in the Sooners' 52-46 victory at 21st-ranked TCU.


-Kenny Hill, TCU, threw for 449 yards and five TDs in the No. 21 Frogs' 52-46 loss to Oklahoma.


-Ty Johnson, Maryland, ran for 204 yards and three TDs on seven carries to help the Terps breeze past Purdue 50-7.


-Mason Rudolph, Oklahoma State, passed for 392 yards and three TDs to help the Cowboys defeat No. 22 Texas 49-31.


-Derrius Guice, LSU. rushed for a career-high 163 yards and three TDs, leading LSU to a 42-7 victory over Missouri.


-Terrell Newby, Nebraska, ran for 113 of his 140 yards and scored two TDs in the fourth quarter to help the No. 15 Cornhuskers beat Illinois 31-16.


-Davis Webb, California, threw for 306 yards and four TDs in a 28-23 win over No. 18 Utah.


-Brad Mayes, Lehigh, threw six touchdown passes and a school-record 524 yards in a 63-35 win over Yale.


-Dillon Buechel, Duquesne, threw a career-best six TDs and for 393 yards in a 54-35 win over Jacksonville.


-Kegan Moore, Stetson, had eight catches for 151 yards and three TDs in a 31-27 comeback win over Davidson.


-Kerryon Johnson, Auburn, rushed for 146 yards and a pair of scores to lead the Tigers to a 58-7 win over Louisiana-Monroe.


-Devlin Hodges, Samford, threw for 316 yards and four TDs in a 28-26 win over Wofford.


-Malik Earl, Missouri State, had 11 catches for 161 yards and two TDs in a 45-24 win over Indiana State.


-Paris Penn, Portland State, ran for 184 yards and a school-record four TDs as the Vikings defeated Idaho State 45-20.


---


HAIL ROCKY TOP


Tennessee's work on last-second plays couldn't have worked out any better: a Hail Mary that gave the Volunteers their most improbable comeback yet.


Jauan Jennings hauled in a 43-yard pass from Joshua Dobbs on the final play, leaving No. 11 Tennessee with a stunning 34-31 victory over No. 25 Georgia after the Bulldogs appeared to win the game on a long TD pass of their own with 10 seconds remaining.


In all, the teams combined for three touchdowns in the final 3 minutes.


It started with Tennessee recovering a Georgia fumble in the end zone, then Georgia's Jacob Eason tossed a 47-yard touchdown pass to fellow freshman Riley Ridley.


With the Sanford Stadium crowd celebrating like their team had won, Tennessee took the kickoff into position to take one shot at the end zone.


Dobbs hurled a towering pass and Jennings leaped above the scrum to make the catch, sending Tennessee's bench charging onto the field to celebrate.


---


BUCKEYES SPOIL ASH'S RETURN


The talk all week was whether former Ohio State assistant and current Rutgers coach Chris Ash could take advantage of his familiarity with the Buckeyes' defense.


The answer: Forget about it.


The stifling Ohio State defense overwhelmed the Scarlet Knights on the way to methodical 58-0 dismantling at Ohio Stadium.


J.T. Barrett broke the school record for career touchdown passes with the third of his four TD tosses, and the surging Buckeyes gave Ash a rude welcome in his return to The Horseshoe after spending the past two seasons as a co-defensive coordinator there.


No. 2 Ohio State's superb defense never allowed the Scarlet Knights to penetrate deeper than the Ohio State 38 yard line. Barrett has 59 career TD passes.


---


NUMBERS


0-Points allowed by No. 13 Baylor in the fourth quarter this season.


3-Blocked extra points by Oklahoma State in 49-31 win over No. 22 Texas, matching a school record.


5-Interceptions by Virginia in its 34-20 victory over Duke, matching the school record .


31-Straight games with a TD by Coastal Carolina's De'Angelo Henderson, extending his Division I record . He also eclipsed 4,000 career yards to become the Buccaneer's all-time leading rusher.


200-Career victories by Miami coach Mark Richt after the No. 14 Hurricanes beat Georgia Tech 35-21.

 

[CNOTES]

Betting Recap - Week 5
October 2, 2016



Overall Notes


COLLEGE FOOTBALL WEEK 5 RESULTS


WAGER Favorites-Underdogs
Straight Up 46-16
Against the Spread 27-33-2


WAGER Home-Away
Straight Up 40-22
Against the Spread 30-30-2


WAGER Totals (O/U)
Over-Under 34-28


The largest underdogs to win straight up


South Alabama (+19.5, +750 ML) vs. San Diego State, 42-24
Northwestern (+11, ML +350 ML) at Iowa, 38-31
North Carolina (+10.5, +330 ML) at Florida State, 37-35


The largest favorites to cover


Ohio State (-39) vs. Rutgers, 58-0
Auburn (-32.5) vs. Louisiana-Monroe, 58-7
Houston (-27.5) vs. Connecticut, 42-14
Texas Tech (-27.5) vs. Kansas, 55-19


Top 25 Notes


-- Clemson fired out to a big lead, let it slip away, and then rebounded for a win over Louisville in the marquee battle of the weekend at Death Valley, keeping their ACC and playoff hopes on track. QBs DeShaun Watson and Lamar Jackson lived up to the immense hype, going toe-to-toe in a slugfest. After an 0-2 ATS start to the season the Tigers have covered three in a row. The 'over' result was the first of the year for the Tigers, while the 'over' is now 5-0 for the Cardinals. ... Michigan pushed aside Wisconsin in the Big House by a 14-7 score in a defensive slog. It was the first 'under' for Michigan after four 'over' results, and the first time all season they failed to score at least 45 points. The Wolverines are allowing just 12.4 points per game (PPG). The 'under' is now 4-1 in five games for the Badgers. ... Georgia rebounded nicely with a solid effort at home against Tennessee after getting waxed in Oxford last weekend. The Bulldogs went up 31-28 on a 47-yard touchdown pass with :10 to seal the victory. Or so they thought. After an excessive celebration penalty, the Volunteers returned the ball just shy of midfield. With :00 remaining on the clock, Joshua Dobbs hit Jauan Jennings on a 43-yard Hail Mary to silence the crowd and win between the hedges. It will be hard for UGA to make it back from this one.


-- Washington-Stanford was supposed to be the marquee battle Friday to get everyone ready for the weekend. Unfortunately only one team showed up. The Huskies might not be all the way back to the pinnacle of college football, but they're certainly carrying the banner for the Pac-12 Conference and have a legitimate chance at a spot in the four-team playoff if they keep playing this well for head coach Chris Petersen.


-- Florida State is struggling like we haven't seen in many years. They were blown out at Louisville in mid-September, and they kicked off October with a stunning loss against North Carolina with no time left on the clock. Senior K Nick Weiler booted the game-winning field goal from 54 yards out to give head coach Larry Fedora his first signature win since coming to Chapel Hill. The loss snapped a 22-game winning streak at home for the Seminoles..


-- Miami-Florida picked up a 35-21 road victory at Georgia Tech, as the Hurricanes quietly improved to 4-0 SU/ATS, including 2-0 ATS on the road. As it stands, the 'Noles will be coming to town next weekend and they'll be awfully angry. The 'over' is 3-1 for Miami this season. The Yellow Jackets slipped to 1-3-1 ATS, including 1-3 ATS in four games at home. They'll head to Pitt next weekend.


Big Five Conference Report (ACC, Big 10, Big 12, Pac-12, SEC)


-- Virginia splashed cold water on Duke, winning their ACC opener on the road at Wallace Wade Stadium by a 34-20 score. The Cavaliers improved to 3-0-1 ATS in the past four games, while the 'under' is now 3-1 over the past four outings. Duke slipped to 1-3 SU/ATS against FBS teams, including 0-2 SU/ATS at home, both league games. ... Boston College has been a difficult team to figure. They improved to 2-0 in Chestnut Hill following a 35-3 thrashing of Buffalo. The Eagles have allowed 10 or fewer points in three of their past four outings, but their defense will be put to the test Friday when they welcome Clemson to town. ... North Carolina State dealt Wake Forest its first setback of the season, winning and covering 33-16. The Wolfapack improved to 3-0 SU/ATS at Carter-Finley Stadium in Raleigh. They'll host Notre Dame next Saturday. ... The Irish got back on track with a 50-33 win over Syracuse in a neutral-site game. The 'over' is now 4-1 in five games for the Irish as they head to Raleigh next Saturday.


-- Ohio State kept it rolling, spanking Rutgers by a 58-0 count. Ohio State has allowed just 4.3 PPG in three home games, and they improved to a perfect 4-0 ATS. They'll host Indiana next weekend, which suddenly looks a little more formidable. ... The Hoosiers topped Michigan State 24-21 in overtime at 'The Rock' in Bloomington, picking up their first victory against Sparty in 10 years. The Hoosiers are now halfway to bowl eligibility, and they have scored 24 or more points in each of their four outings this season. ... In another game decided in overtime, it was Minnesota falling in Happy Valley against Penn State by a 29-26 score. Penn State has alternated wins and losses in their five games, but a couple of things are constants. They're 3-0 SU/0-2-1 ATS at home this season, and the 'over' is a perfect 5-0 in their games.


-- The game of the day in the Big 12 was between Oklahoma and Texas Christian in Fort Worth. The Sooners looked like they had it in the bag, up 49-24 heading to the fourth quarter. But the Horned Frogs opened the final stanza with 22 unanswered points to close the Sooners' lead to three. A late field goal gave the Sooners some breathing room, and it was like losing twice for TCU side bettors. ... West Virginia staved off Kansas State in Morgantown, as Matthew McCrane misfired on a 42-yard field goal attempt in the closing moments. The Mountaineers improved to 4-0 SU, but slipped to 1-3 ATS while failing to cover in their past three.


-- Colorado kept their foot on the gas, throttling a helpless Oregon State side by a 47-6 count. The Buffaloes improved to 3-0 SU/ATS at home, and they're a perfect 5-0 ATS on the season. They'll travel to Southern California next weekend. ... USC hammered on visiting Arizona State by 41-20 score. It was just the second straight-up win for the Trojans, who have struggled away from home, but been very good at the L.A. Coliseum. USC is 0-3 SU/ATS in road or neutral-site games, and 2-0 SU/ATS at home. They host Colorado next weekend.


-- Louisiana State kicked off interim head coach Ed Orgeron's tenure with an impressive 42-7 win over Missouri. The homestanding Tigers were on point against the visiting Tigers, as Mizzou failed to cover for the first time in four games. ... Vanderbilt was strong on defense against visiting Florida, but they fell 13-6. It was the third time in five games they scored 10 or fewer points. Vandy is 1-1 SU and 2-0 ATS in two games in Nashville this season. They head to Kentucky next weekend. The Commodores topped the Wildcats 21-17 last November. ... After opening the season 0-3 ATS, the Wildcats have covered each of their past two.


Mid-Major Report


-- South Florida continues their impressive offensive performance this season, scoring at least 35 points for the fifth time in five games. They ran roughshod over Cincinnati in a 45-20 win at Nippert Stadium, improving to 4-1 SU/ATS. The 'over' is also 4-1 in the five games for the Bulls. ... Tulane has been surprisingly effective, winning for the third time in four games while moving to 3-1-1 ATS. They'll travel to UCF next Friday in what is suddenly an attractive game in the American Athletic Conference.


-- In Conference USA it was Old Dominion pounding lowly Charlotte by a 52-17 count. The 49ers have been awful, slipping to 0-4 SU/ATS in four games against FBS foes. The 'over' is 4-1 in their five games, mostly due to the fact they're allowing an average of 51.8 PPG in four outings against FBS teams. ... Rice has started to piece together the offense lately, averaging 31.5 PPG over the past two outings, but they came up just short at Southern Mississippi. The Owls are 0-5 SU, but they have looked a lot better recently.


-- Ohio won at winless Miami-Ohio, but it was anything but easy. The scratched out a 17-7 win, and needed a strip sack and touchdown with about a minute to go to secure the victory. The RedHawks are winless in five tries, but they a respectable 3-2. The 'under' is a perfect 4-0 in the past four games for both Ohio and Miami. ... Very quietly Eastern Michigan has improved to 4-1 SU/ATS in five outings, including straight-up wins in the past two weekends as an underdog.


-- Wyoming surprised Colorado State in Fort Collins by a 38-17 count. The Cowboys have alternated wins and losses in five games this season. Their cover pumped the brakes on an 0-3 ATS skid heading into play. ... New Mexico held off San Jose State in a 48-41 shootout. The Lobos failed to cover for the third straight game, but the 'over' improved to 4-0 in four games this season. ... It's five games and five 'over' results for UNLV, as they roughed up Fresno State 45-20. Fresno used to be a tough out, but they slipped to 1-4 SU, and 0-4 vs. FBS teams while going 1-3 ATS. The 'over' has hit in three in a row for the Bulldogs.


-- Troy won 34-13 in the Kibbie Dome at Idaho, covering for the fourth consecutive game. On the flip side, the Vandals slipped to 1-4 ATS heading into their road trip to Monroe next weekend. Idaho topped ULM 27-13 last October. ... New Mexico State isn't as big of a pushover as past seasons. They dumped Louisiana-Lafayette by a 37-31 score in overtime. The Aggies have covered three of the past four, while the 'over' is 3-1-1 in five games this season. They travel to Idaho in two weeks.


Bad Beats


-- The Marshall-Pitt total opened as high as 68 1/2, but closed at 58. In the end, it didn't matter when you placed your wage, the 'over' won across the board. The Thundering Herd scored a touchdown with 4:01 to go to cut the Panthers lead to three. With 1:04 to go, Pitt scored a 54-yard touchdown to take a 37-27 lead, and that appeared to be all she wrote. Some early bettors still hit the 'under', while some hit the 'over'. However, with :00 left on the clock, Pitt had a pick-six to roll to a 43-27 and deal 'under' bettors the harshest of blows.


-- If you were a Georgia moneyline bettor, with :10 remaining you were ecstatic thinking you were about to cash a nice little sum. But on the final play a Hail Mary gave the Vols a miraculous win, and sent UGA moneyline bettors scrambling for the Pepto Bismol.


-- 'Under' (67.5) bettors were feeling good until 2:58 left in regulation when ULL booted a field to tie New Mexico State 24-24, eventually heading to overtime. Under bettors were still looking good, but 20 points later it was New Mexico State scoring the game-winning touchdown in 2OT to inch the total over by just a half-point.


-- Minnesota bettors were feeling good for most of the game. They relinquished the lead late, but recovered with a 37-yard field goal with :54 left in regulation, appearing to have the game won. The Nittany Lions moved it down and kicked a game-tying 40-yard field goal to force OT, making 'under' (54.5) very nervous. After the Gophers posted a field goal the Lions answered back with a Saquon Barkley TD run to win it for Penn State and push the total just 'over'.


-- In Friday's game, Washington led 37-6 late in the fourth quarter. Rather than calling off the dogs, the Huskies snapped off a 25-yard touchdown run with 1:38 to go to inch the total 'over' (46.5).


-- TCU fought back with 22 straight points to open the fourth quarter, closing a 25-point gap to three, covering a 3 1/2-point number with 5:36 to go. It wouldn't last, however, as the Sooners moved it down the field and kicked the three with 1:55 to go, pushing the win back in the favor of Oklahoma side bettors.

 

[CNOTES]

AP Top 25: ACC matches SEC with 6 ranked teams
October 2, 2016


The Atlantic Coast Conference matched the Southeastern Conference for the most teams ranked in The Associated Press college football poll with six after a weekend where 10 Top-25 teams lost.


It's the first time since 2006 that the ACC has six ranked teams.


Alabama remained No. 1 and had 53 first-place votes and Ohio State held on to No. 2. Clemson, from the ACC, moved up two spots to No. 3 after a dramatic victory against Louisville, which slipped four spots to No. 7.


Michigan remained No. 4, and No. 5 Washington moved up five spots after a dominant victory against Stanford on Friday night. The last time the Huskies were ranked this high was 2000, when they won the Rose Bowl and finished No. 3 in the nation.


No. 10 Miami gives the ACC three in the top 10 to also match the SEC.


---


POLL POINTS


Ten ranked teams losing was the most in a regular-season week since Oct. 4, 2014, when 11 ranked teams went down, five to unranked teams. All the upheaval resulted in only four teams holding the same rankings they had last week: Baylor at No. 13 was the fourth, along with Alabama, Ohio State and Michigan.


IN


- No. 21 Colorado is ranked for the first time since Nov. 6, 2005. Fourth-year coach Mike MacIntyre, who came into the season with 10 victories at CU, has the Buffaloes off to their best start since that 2005 season when they also went 4-1 before finishing 7-6.


- No. 22 West Virginia is ranked for the first time this season and one of only two remaining unbeaten teams in the Big 12 with Baylor.


- No. 25 Virginia Tech slipped into the rankings for the first time since Sept. 7, 2014, during an off week.


- No. 17 North Carolina jumped back into the rankings after beating Florida State with a last-play field goal. The Tar Heels have won four straight since an opening loss to Georgia.


- No. 20 Oklahoma is back in the rankings after one week out.


OUT


- Michigan State has lost consecutive games for the first time since 2012 and is unranked for the first time since October 2013.


- San Diego State is out after having its 13-game winning streak broken 42-14 at South Alabama.


- TCU dropped out after losing at home to Oklahoma.


- Texas is gone after its second consecutive loss. The Longhorns made a huge jump into the rankings after week one, but head into the Red River Rivalry against the Sooners unranked for the fourth straight season.


- Georgia's crushing loss to Tennessee was its second straight and left the Bulldogs unranked.


UP


- No. 18 Florida and No. 19 Boise State each moved up five places.


- No. 10 Miami jumped four spots.


DOWN


- No. 23 Florida State fell 11 spots after losing the North Carolina.


- No. 15 Stanford dropped eight spots after its first loss.


- No. 11 Wisconsin slipped three after losing at Michigan.


CONFERENCE CALL


ACC - 6. The last time the ACC had three teams in the top 10 was late last season.


SEC - 6


Big Ten - 4


Pac-12 - 4


Big 12 - 3


American - 1


Mountain West - 1


RANKED vs. RANKED


No. 1 Alabama at No. 16 Arkansas. The Crimson Tide has won nine straight meetings.


No. 9 Tennessee at No. 8 Texas A&M. First meeting since Aggies joined the SEC.


No. 23 Florida State at No. 10 Miami. Last time the Hurricanes were the higher ranked team when they played the Seminoles was 2010. Florida State was No. 23, Miami was 13th and the `Noles won 45-17.


No. 25 Virginia Tech at No. 17 North Carolina. Little surprising to see the Hokies back in the mix so soon in Justin Fuente's first season.

 

[CNOTES]

ACC Coastal has three ranked schools
October 2, 2016


Teams in the Atlantic Coast Conference's Coastal Division are showing the gaps between the two divisions in the conference aren't as wide as many thought.


While most of the attention the past week was focused on Atlantic Division rivals Clemson and Louisville, who are both ranked in the top 10, the Coastal could get some notoriety this week with three teams in the Top 25 for the first time since November 2011.


No. 10 Miami is in the top 10 for the first time in three years while No. 16 North Carolina returned to the rankings after its 37-35 win on a last-second field goal at No 23 Florida State. No. 25 Virginia Tech had the week off but is ranked for the first time since September of 2014.


''You look at the teams that are ranked along with Duke going on the road and beating Notre Dame last week and with what Pittsburgh has done the past couple seasons that's a massive amount of competition coming down the road,'' Miami coach Mark Richt said.


North Carolina (4-1, 2-0) had the biggest win of the weekend as it snapped Florida State's 22-game home winning streak. The win also snapped the Tar Heels' three-game losing streak to ranked teams and may be the defining moment of Larry Fedora's tenure.


''To go on the road and beat the No. 12 team in the county with a 22 game home win streak? That's pretty dang good,'' Fedora said. ''The 2016 team has done some good things.''


Quarterback Mitch Trubisky leads the nation in completion percentage (76.0) and has three straight 400-yard games. His favorite target is Ryan Switzer, who has 30 receptions the past two games.


''I'm feeling comfortable. It is all about getting in that rhythm, playing within the offense and really doing what is expected of me. I just have to take another step next week,'' Trubisky said after Saturday's game.


The Tar Heels' road to repeating as division champion should be more defined the next two weeks. They host Virginia Tech (3-1, 1-0) on Saturday and then travel to Miami on Oct. 14.


After a 35-21 win over Georgia Tech in its conference opener, Miami is 4-0 for the sixth time since 2000 and is second in the nation in scoring defense after allowing only 44 points.


It is also the first time in six years that Miami, which was not ranked in the preseason poll, is the highest ranked team in the state of Florida.


Richt, who is in his first year at Miami, said during a teleconference on Sunday that he is not getting caught up in the rankings.


''My reaction is that if you win you stay there and if you lose you don't,'' he said. ''It doesn't really mean what we're ranked. We're trying to play the type of football that everyone will be proud of.''


Richt's bigger concern this week is trying to end the Hurricanes' six-game losing streak to Florida State and making contingency plans in case the effects of Hurricane Matthew would cause adjustments to practice.

 

[CNOTES]

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