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

[CNOTES]

Final Four Consensus Picks
August 30, 2016


The college football season is here with plenty of intrigue in the opening weekend. Heading into the third year of the four-team college football playoff, teams have the wiggle room to lose a game, but the goal is to still finish undefeated to avoid getting squeezed from the Final Four.


Our stable of handicappers has provided which teams will make it to the college football playoff and who will be raising the championship trophy in Tampa on January 9. The most popular team picked to win the title was the one that came up short in the desert last season.


Veteran handicapper Scott Rickenbach believes Clemson will get over the hump this season and capture the national championship, “Though the defense is short on experience, the offense is absolutely loaded with talent. Clemson has won 17 of 19 with Deshaun Watson at QB and he is surrounded by talent with a deep and athletic unit leading a dangerously potent offense. Defensive Coordinator Brent Venables does a great job with this defense and it should not be overlooked that he got the job done last year after losing 9 starters from the prior season. Clemson has lost 7 starters from the defense heading into 2016, but don't be surprised if Venables again does enough with this defense to punch a return ticket to the championship game for the Tigers.”


What about Clemson’s arch-nemesis in the ACC? Marc Lawrence feels the title will return to Tallahassee, “The only Power Five team in the country to return all 11 starters on offense, Florida State is one of only two teams in the nation with 4 consecutive BCS/New Year’s Day Six bowl appearances (Alabama the other). FSU played 29 freshmen last year (3rd most in the nation) and face their toughest foes at home this season - with a bye week before Clemson - where they own a nation best 21-game home win streak. Fisher is 10-1 SU the last four years versus undefeated foes, including 7-0 at Doak Campbell Stadium. Prepare for the War Chant.”


An SEC team will likely be in the college football playoff as VegasInsider.com handicapper Joe Nelson predicts big things for Louisiana State, “The SEC West champion has made the college football playoff in both seasons and this looks like a season where two SEC teams making the field might be a possibility as undefeated champions in the Big Ten and Pac-12 look unlikely. Alabama plays at LSU on November 5 and that game will be expected to be a huge game in the SEC and national playoff races. Last season’s team featured one of the worst LSU defenses in the 11 years that Les Miles has led the program and the Tigers still went 9-3. With almost the entire starting defense returning for 2016 plus the addition of excellent defensive coordinator Dave Aranda, LSU should improve defensively and the offense should remain formidable after gaining 6.1 yards per rush last season led by Leonard Fournette.


Nelson continues, “There are some challenging games away from home including an opener vs. Wisconsin as well as games at Auburn and at Florida but this team should be in position to be playing well in the first half of the season. It won’t be a surprise if this year’s title game is repeat matchup between the SEC West and the ACC Atlantic champions with the head-to-head winners between Florida State and Clemson and LSU and Alabama being the top candidates.”


Oklahoma fell short of the national championship game last season but college football expert Brian Edwards is sold on the Sooners returning to the playoff, “I have Oklahoma fourth in my preseason Power Rankings, but I believe Bob Stoops's squad has the easiest path to the CFP. For starters, I think OU can get to the semifinals with an 11-1 record, as I don't have any teams going through the regular season undefeated this year. With that in mind, it will be to the Sooners' advantage to not have to play an extra game like others during the first weekend of September. OU has a great QB-RB combination in Baker Mayfield and Samaje Perine and is solid in all areas. The Sooners get Houston at NRG Stadium where plenty of OU fans will fit in the stands. They have Ohio State at home and get two weeks to prepare for their toughest road test at TCU. There are other hurdles, including at Texas Tech, Baylor at home, at West Virginia and the Bedlam showdown against Oklahoma State in Norman. OU will get bitten once, but that's all.”


One of the under the radar teams to keep an eye on according to handicapper John Fisher is Tennessee, “The Vols will shock the world by taking the title this year. If they can get by their nemesis Florida, who they have lost to 11 straight times and Alabama, don't be surprised to see the Vols beat LSU in SEC Championship to represent the SEC in the Final Four. They get both ‘Bama and Florida at home. They return a potent offense led by QB Joshua Dobbs, RBs Jalen Hurd and Alvin Kamara and an experienced WR core. Last year, they lost to Alabama, Florida, Oklahoma, and Arkansas by a total of 17 points. Coach Butch Jones brought in defensive coordinator Bob Shoop to help the Vols become physically and mentally tougher this year and win those close games. They will be focused and ready to take the crown.”

NCAA FOOTBALL PLAYOFF PREDICTIONS


Playoff team #1 Playoff team #2 Playoff team #3 Playoff team #4 Champion


Andy Iskoe Clemson Alabama Ohio State UCLA Clemson


Antony Dinero Florida State LSU Ohio State Stanford LSU


ASA Ohio State Stanford Clemson LSU Clemson


Bill Marzano Clemson Oklahoma Alabama Stanford Clemson


Brian Edwards Clemson Michigan Alabama Oklahoma Clemson


Bruce Marshall Clemson Alabama Oklahoma Michigan Clemson


Chip Chirimbes Ohio State UCLA Alabama Oklahoma Ohio State


Christian Alexander Florida State Alabama Oklahoma Washington Oklahoma


Dave Cokin Ohio State Clemson Alabama Washington Ohio State


Doc's Sports Ohio State Alabama Stanford Clemson Stanford


Don Anthony Alabama Ohio State Oklahoma Florida State Ohio State


Greg Smith Ohio State Florida State Tennessee Oklahoma Ohio State


Jim Feist Alabama Stanford Oklahoma LSU LSU


Jimmy Mack Alabama Florida State Tennessee Oklahoma Oklahoma


Jimmy Boyd Ohio State Clemson LSU Oklahoma Clemson


Joe Nelson Florida State Oklahoma LSU Notre Dame LSU


Joe Williams Ohio State LSU Alabama Florida State Alabama


John Fisher Tennessee Clemson Michigan Washington Tennessee


KellyInVegas Clemson Michigan Florida Oklahoma State Clemson


Kevin Rogers LSU Iowa Oklahoma Clemson LSU


Kyle Hunter Florida State Clemson LSU Oklahoma Florida State


Marc Lawrence Florida State Alabama LSU Oklahoma Florida State


Mark Franco Clemson TCU Michigan Alabama Michigan


Micah Roberts Ohio State Clemson LSU Oklahoma LSU


Neil the Greek Tennessee Florida State Houston Notre Dame Tennessee


Pat Hawkins LSU Alabama Florida State Washington LSU


Paul Bovi Oklahoma Alabama Florida State Ohio State Oklahoma


Scott Rickenbach LSU Oklahoma Clemson Michigan Clemson


Stephen Nover Ohio State Alabama Tennessee Clemson Tennessee


Vince Akins Oklahoma Clemson Alabama Michigan Oklahoma

 

[CNOTES]

Mississippi-Florida State Capsule
September 1, 2016




Monday


No. 11 Mississippi (10-3 last season) vs. No. 4 Florida State (10-3) in Orlando, Florida, 8 p.m. (ESPN)


Line: Florida State by 4.


Series Record: Ole Miss leads 1-0.


WHAT'S AT STAKE


With 17 returning starters, Florida State would like to show that the early expectations of being a College Football Playoff contender are valid. Ole Miss lost 14 starters off last year's team but has one of the nation's top quarterbacks in Chad Kelly, who threw for 4,042 yards last season which was the third-most in SEC history.

KEY MATCHUP


Ole Miss LT Rod Taylor vs. Florida State DE DeMarcus Walker. Taylor, a 6-foot-3, 329-pound junior is getting his fifth career start but first at left tackle. The previous four were at right guard. Walker, a 6-4, 280-pound senior, had 10.5 sacks last season and could get more rushing opportunities due to the emergence of sophomore LB Josh Sweat.


PLAYERS TO WATCH


Mississippi: WR Quincy Adeboyejo. The senior was second on the team in receptions (38) and yards (604) with seven touchdowns last season. His 15.9 yards per catch were seventh in the SEC.


Florida State: RB Dalvin Cook. Set a single-season school rushing record with 1,691 yards last season. The junior tied for the FBS lead last year with 22 carries of 20 yards or more.


FACTS & FIGURES


QB Deondre Francois is the fourth freshman in Florida State history to start an opener. The last was Jameis Winston, who led the Seminoles to a national title in 2013. ... Florida State is 8-0-2 in games played in Orlando, including 5-0-1 in regular-season games. ... This is the first time Ole Miss has played a game in Orlando. ... The Rebels are 3-3 under coach Hugh Freeze against teams ranked in the top five. ... In neutral-site openers, the Seminoles are 8-1 and have won their last seven. The Rebels have played only one, defeating Boise State 35-13 in Atlanta in 2014.

 

[CNOTES]

Brady to be honorary captain at Michigan during suspension
August 31, 2016


ANN ARBOR, Mich. (AP) Tom Brady has found at least one thing to do during his suspension.


The New England Patriots quarterback will return to his alma mater to be Michigan's honorary captain Sept. 17 when it hosts Colorado.


Brady will sit out the first four games of the NFL season, serving a suspension because of his role in what has become known as ''Deflategate.'' The Patriots drafted Brady out of Michigan in the sixth round in 2000 after he shared time as senior with Drew Henson.


Michael Jordan will serve as honorary captain for the seventh-ranked Wolverines on Saturday when they open the season against Hawaii. Michigan is the first and only college or pro football team to wear Jordan Brand apparel, cleats and shoes.

 

[CNOTES]

ACC Report - Week 1
September 1, 2016


2015 ACC STANDINGS


Team SU Conference ATS Over/Under


Boston College 3-9 0-8 5-6-1 2-10


Clemson 14-1 9-0 8-7 9-6


Duke 8-5 4-4 7-6 6-7


Florida State 10-3 6-2 8-5 5-8


Georgia Tech 3-9 1-7 3-9 6-6


Louisville 8-5 5-3 7-6 6-6-1


Miami (Fla.) 8-5 5-3 7-6 6-7


North Carolina 11-3 8-1 8-6 8-6


North Carolina State 7-6 3-5 6-7 7-6


Pittsburgh 8-5 6-2 6-7 6-6-1


Syracuse 4-8 2-6 8-4 10-2


Virginia 4-8 3-5 8-3-1 6-5-1


Virginia Tech 7-6 4-4 6-7 6-7


Wake Forest 3-9 1-7 6-6 5-6-1


Charlotte at Louisville (Thurs. - ESPN3, 7:00 p.m. ET)


The Cardinals enter the season in the Top 25, and they have no plans to fall out by losing their opener to the new kid on the block, Charlotte. Charlotte wrapped up the 2015 season going 0-4-2 ATS in their final six games, and 1-3-1 ATS in their final five road outings. Louisville has covered in 15 of their past 18 games against Conference USA opponents, while covering in eight of their past 11 games in the month of September. The Cardinals are led by QB Lamar Jackson, who has the potential to be one of the best players not only in the Atlantic Coast Conference, but the entire country. The Cards open as a 39 1/2-point favorite. As a favorite of 25 or more points over the past two seasons, Louisville is 3-0 ATS.

Tulane at Wake Forest (Thurs. - ESPN3, 7:30 p.m. ET)


Tulane heads to Winston-Salem as a 17-point underdog for their opener at Wake Forest. The Green Wave have failed to cover in each of their past six against ACC opponents, and they're 1-4 ATS in their past five tilts in the month of September. Both teams are 2-5 ATS in their past seven appearances on Thursday night. Tulane is looking to wash the sour taste out of their mouth following a disappointing 2015. They have a new coach, new quarterback and new attitude, looking to improve on offense after finishing 123rd out of 128 FBS teams. John Wolford is back under center for his third season at the helm of the Deacs' offense, and he should give way to dual-threat option Kendall Hinton on occasion. The Demon Deacons have the pieces in place to have a much more explosive offense.

Georgia Tech vs. Boston College -- from Dublin, Ireland (ESPN2, 7:30 a.m. ET)


The Ramblin' Wreck and Eagles will do battle in Aviva Stadium in Dublin, with Georgia Tech installed as a field goal favorite. Georgia Tech is 4-1 ATS in their past five neutral-site games, while Boston College is 3-8 ATS in their past 11 neutral-site battles. After all of the travel, and the trends for each of these two sides, the 'under' might be the play. The under went 4-1 in Georgia Tech's past five games last season, while the under is 7-3 in B.C.'s past 10 neutral site games, 34-15-2 in their past 51 conference tilts and 36-16-1 in their past 53 on grass. Boston College's offense was horrific down the stretch last season, and figures to be improved. But seeing is believing.

Georgia vs. North Carolina -- from Atlanta, Ga. (ESPN, 5:30 p.m.)


The Bulldogs and Tar Heels will battle in the Georgia Dome in Atlanta in one of the marquee games of the weekend. This game figures to have a very strong Bulldogs crowd despite being a 'neutral site'. UNC hasn't performed very well over the years in neutral-site games, either, going 0-4 ATS in their past four such games, while turning in a 3-7 ATS mark in their past 10 non-conference tilts and 2-7 ATS record in their past nine games in the month of September. Georgia, on the other hand, is 4-1 ATS in their past five against ACC foes while going 7-3 ATS in their past 10 non-conference battles.

Clemson at Auburn (ESPN, 9:00 p.m.)


Clemson heads to the Plains for a battle with Auburn in a primetime matchup on Saturday, with all eyes seeing if the ACC can step out of the shadow of the mighty Southeastern Conference, at least for one weekend. The last time these two sides met resulted in a 26-19 Tigers win, also at Auburn, back on Sept. 1, 2012. QB DeShaun Watson and company enter as touchdown favorites, looking to improve upon their 6-1 ATS mark in their past seven games in the month of September. The Tigers are also 6-2 ATS in their past eight non-conference tussles, which is a far cry from Auburn's 1-8 ATS record over their past nine outside of the SEC. Auburn has also failed to cover six straight in September, and they're 1-10 ATS in their past 11 games at Jordan-Hare Stadium.


Mississippi vs. Florida State -- from Orlando, Fla. (ESPN, 8:00 p.m.)


Last, but certainly not least, the retooled Ole Miss Rebels head to Orlando to battle the Florida State Seminoles in the final game of the opening weekend of action. Mississippi is looking to reload after losing WR Laquon Treadwell, OT Laremy Tunsil and DE Robert Nkemdiche, three players who helped Hotty Toddy become a household hashtag on Twitter over the past couple of seasons in Oxford. They still have QB Chad Kelly, an NFL prospect. However, he is behind an inexperienced offensive line facing a Florida State front which is all likely to be playing on Sundays at some point. The quarterback situation in Tallahassee is a lot less experience, as Deondre Francois takes the reins of Jimbo Fisher's offense. To make his transition a lot more comfortable, he has the luxury of handing off to RB Dalvin Cook early and often. The Seminoles might get off to a slow start as their offense takes time to jell, but Cook will be the difference in this one. However, Ole Miss is 7-1-1 ATS in their past nine neutral-site games, while FSU is 0-5 ATS in their past five on a neutral field. That might be why FSU opened as a 6 1/2-point favorite and the line has been bet down to the neighbor of -4 to -4 1/2.


Other Games


William & Mary at North Carolina State (Thurs. - ESPN3, 7:30 p.m.)


Colgate at Syracuse (Fri. - ESPN3, 7:00 p.m.)


Liberty at Virginia Tech (ESPN3, 12:30 p.m.)


Villanova at Pittsburgh (ESPN3, 1:30 p.m.)


Richmond at Virginia (ESPN3, 3:30 p.m.)


North Carolina Central at Duke (ESPN3, 6:00 p.m.)


Florida A&M at Miami-Florida (ESPN3, 6:00 p.m.)

 

[CNOTES]

Pac-12 Report - Week 1
August 30, 2016


2015 PAC-12 STANDINGS


Team SU Conference ATS Over/Under


Arizona 7-6 3-6 6-7 10-3


Arizona State 6-7 4-5 6-7 6-7


California 8-5 4-5 6-7 5-8


Colorado 4-9 1-8 5-7-1 4-9


Oregon 9-4 7-2 7-6 9-4


Oregon State 2-10 0-9 3-9 6-6


Southern California 8-6 6-4 6-8 6-7-1


Stanford 12-2 9-1 10-4 8-6


UCLA 8-5 5-4 5-7-1 4-8-1


Utah 10-3 6-3 6-7 7-6


Washington 7-6 4-5 8-5 5-8


Washington State 9-4 6-3 10-3 5-8




Oregon State at Minnesota (Thurs. - Big Ten, 9:00 p.m. ET)


The Beavers head to the Twin Cities to open their campaign Thursday night, and they line has jumped from an open of 10 points to Minnesota being favored by 13 currently. Oregon State has a new sheriff in town, as transfer Darell Garretson takes the reins of the offense. He was recruited to Utah State by head coach Gary Andersen, and he redshirted last season. He'll have a big target in Jordan Villamin, who might not be the next Brandin Cooks, but he has some good size and speed. Paul Lucas gives Garretson another big target, as it looks like the offense should be a little more prolific in 2016. The problem for the Beavs is on defense, where they were gashed on the ground. And Minnesota has a strong rushing attack, led by Shannon Brooks and Rodney Smith.

Colorado State vs. Colorado - from Denver, Colo. (Fri. - ESPN, 8:00 p.m. ET)


The Buffaloes opened as nine-point favorites, but have quickly been bet down to near a touchdown. The public is all over Colorado State, who enter this game 11-2-1 ATS in their past 14 non-conference performances. The underdog is 3-0-1 ATS in the past four meetings in this rivalry, while the under has cashed in seven of the past eighth in the series. The under might be a popular play, as it is 4-0 in the past four neutral-site games for the Rams, and 5-2 in their past seven non-conference battles while going 8-2-1 in their past 11 against the Pac-12 Conference. The under is 4-1 in the past five non-conference tilts for the Buffs, 5-1 in their past six neutral-site games and 4-0 in their past four against Mountain West foes.

Kansas State at Stanford (Fri. - FS1, 9:00 p.m. ET)


The Wildcats named Jesse Ertz as their starting signal caller after a battle in preseason, but the real story of this game, and any time Stanford plays, is Christian McCaffrey. K-State returns plenty of firepower on both sides of the football, and they have an experienced linebacking corps and front seven that should at least hold McCaffrey under his regular video-game like numbers. K-State enters as more than a two-touchdown underdog, but they have the guns to at least keep the Cardinal within sight. The Cardinal replace long-time starting QB Brian Hogan with Ryan Burns, but again, his transition will be easier with McCaffrey taking off the pressure. Sometimes it takes Stanford a little while to get going. Remember last season when they lost 16-6 at Northwestern to start the season? Or 2014 when they fell at home to USC 13-10 in their first game against an FBS opponent? Or their scare in 2012 when they eeked out a 20-17 win against San Jose State in the opener despite being favored by 25? They're 0-4 ATS in the past four seasons in their first game against an FBS opponent, and K-State might be the best one during the entire stretch and they're catching 16 points at some shops.


Rutgers at Washington (Pac-12 Network, 2:00 p.m.)


Washington opened as 24-point favorites, and the public has bet the line up to 26 1/2 points. Everyone loves the Huskies this season, as they're the sexy pick in the Pac-12. For the first game, a lot probably has to do with the fact the Scarlet Knights lost one of their only legitimate offensive threats in WR Leonte Carroo, and the fact they are playing under new head coach Chris Ash. For U-Dub, Chris Petersen enters his third season, and looks to finally bring some of the success he had at Boise State to Seattle after middling results in the first two campaigns. The Huskies defense should be nasty, and it's hard to see the Scarlet Knights doing much offensively. Washington has eight starters back from the top-ranked defense in the Pac-12 from a year ago. Washington allowed a total of 11 touchdown passes all season in 2015, lowest in the league. If Rutgers is to do anything offensively, that is where they have to be successful wth Chris Laviano. For Washington, the pieces are in place on offense, too, as Jake Browning enters his second season under center after a farily successful campaign as a true frosh. Myles Gaskins looks like the next solid Washington back. The Scarlet Knights are 4-1 ATS in their past five against Pac-12 foes, and 8-3 ATS in their past 11 non-conference games, but the Huskies are 4-0 ATS in their past four non-conference tilts.

UCLA at Texas A&M (CBS, 3:30 p.m.)


The Bruins head down deep in the heart of Texas to take on the Aggies and the 12th man in College Station in one of the marquee games of the opening weekend of college pigskin. The Aggies are a field goal favorite to top Josh Rosen and the Bruins. Over the past two seasons A&M has opened the season 5-0, but this is their biggest test yet. They will be without WR Speedy Noil, as he is suspended for this game, as well as WR Quartney Davis (ACL) and LB Josh Walker, also suspended. The Aggies have one of the best pass rushers in the country in DE Myles Garrett, but the UCLA offensive line allowed just 12 sacks of their star quarterback Rosen last season, so they should be able to neutralize Garrett. The Bruins are 6-0 ATS in their past six against SEC opponents, but 2-5-1 ATS in their past eight against non-conference foes. A&M covered just one of their final eight games lat season, including 0-4 ATS in their final four at Kyle Field.


Southern California vs. Alabama - from Arlington, Tex. (ABC, 8:00 p.m.)


USC's brutal schedule starts with the defending national champion Crimson Tide in the Metroplex. The Trojans are just 1-5 ATS in their past six neutral-site games, so this will be a test. The Tide opened as a 10-point favorite and the line quickly climbed to 11 1/2. Both sides will be breaking in a new quarterback, and for the Tide it is uncertain exactly who that will be. Junior Cooper Bateman and redshirt freshman Blake Barnett will be the signal callers for Bama, and they should both see the field Saturday night. The Trojans have settled on Max Browne to run their offense, and he'll have the dynamic Juju Smith-Schuster on the receiving end of his throws. The Trojans certainly have the horses on offense to hang with the Tide, who might be a bit disjointed offensively to start. This is the first meeting between these two historic programs since the Aloha Bowl in 1985.


Brigham Young vs. Arizona - from Glendale, Ariz. (FS1, 10:30 p.m.)


The Cougars and Wildcats butt heads in the home of the Arizona Cardinals late Saturday night, and it will be a good game. Vegas has installed BYU as a slight favorite or pick 'em. Arizona should have the home crowd on its side against BYU, and they have the most dynamic tailback in the game with RB Nick Wilson. They'll need a good run game with the Wildcats uncertain at the quarterback spot. Anu Solomon and Brandon Dawkins are each expected to see time under center. The Cougars have a much better quarterback situation with Taysom Hill (foot) back from a fractured foot. He will start ahead of Tanner Mangum, who did big things once Hill went down. Offensive coordinator and former BYU great Ty Detmer returns to his alma mater as the offensive coordinator, installing a pro-style offense. When they're not slinging the ball, Jamaal Williams will be toting the rock with authority.

Other games
Southern Utah at Utah (Fri. - Pac-12 Network, 8:00 p.m.)
Cal-Davis at Oregon (Pac-12 Network, 5:00 p.m.)
Eastern Washington at Washington State (Pac-12 Network, 8:00 p.m.)
Northern Arizona at Arizona State (Pac-12 Network, 10:45 p.m.

 

[CNOTES]

Big 12 Report - Week 1
August 31, 2016


2015 BIG 12 STANDINGS


Team SU Conference ATS Over/Under


Baylor 10-3 6-3 6-6 8-5


Iowa State 3-9 2-7 6-5-1 4-7-1


Kansas 0-12 0-9 3-9 6-6


Kansas State 6-7 3-6 6-7 8-5


Oklahoma 11-2 8-1 9-4 8-5


Oklahoma State 10-3 7-2 6-7 8-5


Texas 5-7 4-5 5-7 5-7


Texas Christian 11-2 7-2 7-6 6-7


Texas Tech 7-6 4-5 7-5-1 10-3


West Virginia 8-5 4-5 5-8 4-9

Kansas State at Stanford (Fri. - FOX Sports 1, 9:00 p.m. ET)


The Wildcats named Jesse Ertz as their starting signal caller after a battle in preseason, but the real story of this game, and any time Stanford plays, is Christian McCaffrey. K-State returns plenty of firepower on both sides of the football, and they have an experienced linebacking corps and front seven that should at least hold McCaffrey under his regular video-game like numbers. K-State enters as more than a two-touchdown underdog, but they have the guns to at least keep the Cardinal within sight. The Cardinal replace long-time starting QB Brian Hogan with Ryan Burns, but again, his transition will be easier with McCaffrey taking off the pressure. Sometimes it takes Stanford a little while to get going. Remember last season when they lost 16-6 at Northwestern to start the season? Or 2014 when they fell at home to USC 13-10 in their first game against an FBS opponent? Or their scare in 2012 when they eeked out a 20-17 win against San Jose State in the opener despite being favored by 25? They're 0-4 ATS in the past four seasons in their first game against an FBS opponent, and K-State might be the best one during the entire stretch and they're catching 16 points at some shops.


Oklahoma vs. Houston (ABC, 12:00 p.m. ET)


The No. 3 Sooners and No. 15 Cougars do battle at NRG Stadium in Houston in another marquee game from the great state of Texas. This game features a pair of impressive quarterbacks as Baker Mayfield of Oklahoma and Greg Ward Jr. of Houston can really sling it. And Ward is dangerous with his feet, too, as he threw for 2,828 yards, ran for 1,100 yards and accounted for a total of 38 touchdowns. As such, many people are touting Houston as the top contender in the Group of Five. A signature win over Oklahoma in their home city would certainly be a huge feather in their cap. If the Cougars are going to get that win they'll need to try and slow RB Samaje Perine, who posted 16 rushing touchdowns to lead the Big 12 last season. The Sooners opened as a 10-point favorite and the line climbed to 12 1/2 points. The public likes Oklahoma despite the fact the Sooners are 0-4 ATS in their past four neutral-site games while the Cougs are 7-2 ATS in their past nine neutral-site affairs.

Missouri at West Virginia (FOX Sports 1, 12:00 p.m. ET)


Mizzou heads to Milan Puskar Stadium in Morgantown, entering as 10-point underdogs. It's a tale of two teams in the month of September, as the SEC's Tigers are 0-4 ATS in their past four tilts in the month, while the Mountaineers are a solid 5-2 ATS in their past seven in the opening month of the season. Missouri's offense was putrid last season, and they'll have to be much, much better if they're to have a shot against Skyler Howard and company in Morgantown. The Tigers do not have the caliber offense to come from behind, so if West Virginia can generate a few early scores it could be lights out in a hurry for the Tigers and their side bettors. Mizzou has the type of defense to keep them in the game, however West Virginia is far more superior on the offensive side of the ball. 'Under' (50) could be the play, as the under is 5-0 in Missouri's past five road outings, 4-0 in their past four non-conference tilts and 12-2 in their past 14 non-conference games. For West Virginia, the under is 6-1 in their past seven at home, 8-2 in their past 10 in September and 9-4 in their past 13 non-conference battles.


Notre Dame at Texas (Sun. - ABC, 7:30 p.m.)


Your wife or girlfriend will be so excited to see you on the couch, feet propped up with a beer watching more college football Sunday night after a full slate of games Saturday. If she took the time to sit and watch with you, she would see an Irish offensive attack which should be very dangerous. RBs Tarean Folston and Josh Adams are strong tailbacks running behind an experience veteran offensive line. QBs Malik Zaire and DeShone Kizer are also fabulous with their arm as well as their feet, and they'll give the Texas defense fits all night. Still, the Longhorns finally have the pieces in place in their backfield to fire right back at the Notre Dame defense with D'Onta Foreman and Chris Warren II running hard. Freshman QB Shane Buechele, son of former Texas Rangers third baseman Steve Buechele, makes his first start in a tough situation with no tune-up game to get situated. Can he handle the national pressure and spotlight in a marquee game? That's the biggest question. If so, the eyes of Texas will be smiling on him.

Other Games
Northwestern State at Baylor (Fri. - NO TV, 7:30 p.m.)
Southeastern Louisiana at Oklahoma State (NO TV, 3:30 p.m.)
Rhode Island at Kansas (ESPN3, 7:00 p.m.)
Northern Iowa at Iowa State (NO TV, 8:00 p.m.)
South Dakota State at Texas Christian (NO TV, 8:00 p.m.)
Stephen F. Austin at Texas Tech (NO TV, 8:00 p.m.)

 

[CNOTES]

NCAAF
Armadillo's Write-Up


Week 1


Thursday games…….added notes


Indiana (-7.5) beat FIU 36-22 at home LY, outgaining Panthers 439-406; Hoosiers are 3-2 as road favorites under Wilson. Since 2012, FIU is 7-12 as home dog; they’re got veteran QB and all five starters back on OL. Indiana has new QB starting this year. Last five years, teams from C-USA are 11-8 vs spread when facing a Big 14 team.

Charlotte was 3-6-2 vs spread LY, its first as a I-A team- they lost 58-10 at Kentucky. Louisville is 11-19 as home favorites the last five years; they play Syracuse/Florida State next two weeks, will use this as a tuneup. Cardinals have 17 starters back; this will get ugly if they want it to. Last four years, C-USA teams are 4-6 vs spread when facing an ACC squad.


Wake Forest had only 6 seniors LY; now they’ve got an experienced team, with junior QB (22 starts), 4 starters back on OL. This is first time since ’08 they’re double digit fave against a I-A team. Tulane has new QB, new coach, only 5 starters back on offense; Green Wave is 10-11-1 as road dog the last four years. Last year, AAC teams were 8-2 vs spread when facing an ACC squad.


Western Kentucky was +5 in turnovers, passed for 424 yards in 49-10 win at Rice LY; WKU is 7-3 as home favorites under Brohm- Hilltoppers play Alabama next week, could be looking ahead. Rice is 2-5-1 as road underdogs last two years; Owls have 9 starters back on defense, but QB is a new starter- their OL is young. Underdogs covered WKU’s first lined game the last five years.

 

[CNOTES]

NCAAF


Thursday, September 1

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Thursday's college football game of the day: Appalachian State at Tennessee
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Senior quarterback Joshua Dobbs and junior running back Jalen Hurd lead a talented Tennessee offense.


Appalachian State Mountaineers at Tennessee Volunteers (-20, 61.5)


Tennessee takes its highest preseason national ranking since 2005 into Thursday’s season opener when the No. 9 Volunteers host dangerous Appalachian State. Senior quarterback Joshua Dobbs and junior running back Jalen Hurd lead a talented offense and first-year coordinator Bob Shoop takes over a Tennessee defense that is capable of making an impact in the SEC East.


“We have to embrace the expectations,” Dobbs told Gridironnow.com. “It’s our only option. When you downplay something, it means you don’t have the confidence you should have. You can’t shy away from the spotlight.” Appalachian State coach Scott Satterfield told reporters, “I think starting the season, (the Volunteers are) ahead of where Clemson was starting the season last year,” and much of Tennessee’s success may hinge on Dobbs (15 passing touchdowns, 11 rushing in 2015). The Volunteers won their final six games a season ago and Hurd compiled 401 yards rushing in the last three. The Volunteers will be challenged by the Mountaineers, who have won 17 of their last 19 games after edging Ohio in the 2015 Raycom Media Camellia Bowl and return 17 starters -- led by senior running back Marcus Cox (1,423 rushing yards last season).


TV: 7:30 p.m. ET, SEC Network. LINE: Tennessee –20

LINE HISTORY: Tennessee opened as 21.5-point favorites but the public felt that point spread was a little bit too big and bet the line down to -20. The total opened at 57.5 and has been rising steadily all week - currently sitting at 61.5. View complete line history here.


WEATHER: There is a 40 percent chance of rain and thunderstorms Thursday night in Knoxville, Tennessee. Temperatures will be warm (mid 80's) and humid (60 percent) with a slight 5-10 mph breeze blowing throughout the game.


WHAT BOOKS SAY: "The action on this game is all pointing to Tennessee. 85% on the moneyline, 86% on the -21 side and the 61 point total is getting 88% of the action on the OVER."

ABOUT APPALACHIAN STATE (2015: 11-2 SU, 6-7 ATS, 6-7 O/U): Cox ran for nine scores last season and he will get solid support from sophomore Jalin Moore, who added 731 yards rushing – 528 in the final four games of 2015. Junior quarterback Taylor Lamb runs the show after registering 31 touchdowns passes and nine interceptions last year, but will have an inexperienced receiving corps to work with. The Mountaineers lost defensive end Ronald Blair – a fifth-round NFL draft pick – but linebacker John Law leads the way for a defense that returns eight starters.

ABOUT TENNESSEE (2015: 9-4 SU, 8-5 ATS, 7-6 O/U): One of the keys for Dobbs will be improving on a 59.6 completion percentage and coach Butch Jones told reporters his receiving group is a “work in progress.” Junior receivers Josh Malone and Josh Smith, along with junior tight end Ethan Wolf, each finished with at least 300 yards through the air last season and freshman wide-out Tyler Byrd could make an immediate impact. Junior running back Alvin Kamara (698 rushing yards rushing, 34 receptions) gives the Volunteers a dual threat, but Tennessee’s rebuilt offensive line is a concern.


TRENDS:


* Mountaineers are 1-5 ATS in their last 6 games overall.
* Volunteers are 6-2 ATS in their last 8 games overall.
* Under is 5-0 in Mountaineers last 5 games in September.
* Over is 19-7 in Volunteers last 26 games in September.


CONSENSUS: When taking a peek at the consensus data, Tennessee is garnering a steady stream of the spread picks at 73 percent. In early returns, Over is picking up 68 percent of the O/U wagers.

 

[CNOTES]

COLLEGE FOOTBALL BEST BETS FOR SEPT.

WLT PCT UNITS


ATS Picks 1-0-0 100.00% +500


O/U Picks 1-0-0 100.00% +500




THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 1


GAME TIME(ET) PICK UNITS


UTM at CIN 07:00 PM

UTM +37.5




CHAR at LOU 07:00 PM

LOU -38.5




ME at CONN 07:00 PM


CONN -27.0




TULN at WAKE 07:00 PM


TULN +15.0




PRE at CMU 07:00 PM

PRE +37.5




IND at FIU 07:30 PM


FIU +10.5




APP at TENN 07:30 PM

TENN -21.0




CWM at NCST 07:30 PM


NCST -19.0




WEB at USU 08:00 PM


USU -22.5




RICE at WKU 08:00 PM


WKU -16.5


O 64.5




SUU at UTAH 08:00 PM


SUU +28.0




SOCAR at VAN 08:00 PM


VAN -5.0




MTST at IDHO 09:00 PM


MTST +14.5




SDAK at UNM 09:00 PM


UNM -17.5




ORST at MINN 09:00 PM


MINN -12.5




JKST at UNLV 10:00 PM

JKST +39.0

 

[CNOTES]

Top 25 Capsules
September 1, 2016


KNOXVILLE, Tenn. (AP) Jalen Hurd recovered quarterback Joshua Dobbs' overtime fumble in the end zone and No. 9 Tennessee overcame a 10-point halftime deficit to escape with a 20-13 victory over Appalachian State on Thursday night.


Tennessee faced third-and-goal from the 2 when Dobbs ran to his right and lost control of the ball as he tried to stretch his arms across the goal line. Hurd won the scramble for the loose ball in the end zone to give the Volunteers their only lead of the night.


Micah Abernathy ended the game by breaking up a pass into the end zone on fourth-and-5 from the 20.


Tennessee's comeback prevented Appalachian State from producing another shocker nine years to the day after the Mountaineers stunned No. 5 Michigan in one of the greatest upsets in college football history.


The Vols tied it on Dobbs' 67-yard touchdown pass to Josh Malone with 10:30 left in regulation.


Appalachian State's Michael Rubino, who earlier missed an extra point, was wide right on a 42-yard field goal with 5:24 left after Jaquil Capel's 57-yard punt return gave Appalachian State the ball at the 28.


Tennessee entered the season with its highest ranking since 2006 after winning its final six games last year, but the Volunteers looked nothing like a Top 10 team Thursday. The Volunteers committed two turnovers and lost linebacker Jalen Reeves-Maybin to a targeting penalty in the first half as Appalachian State built a 13-3 lead.


NO. 19 LOUISVILLE 70, CHARLOTTE 14


LOUISVILLE, Ky. (AP) - Lamar Jackson accounted for a school-record eight touchdowns and 405 offensive yards by halftime to help Louisville dismantle Charlotte.


Jackson broke Chris Redman's 1998 record for combined rushing and passing TDs and tied Redman's mark for passing TDs. He exited without taking a snap in the second half.


Jackson completed 17 of 23 passes for 286 yards and six touchdowns and rushed 11 times for 119 yards and two scores, the first a 36-yard run on Louisville's opening drive.


Louisville gained 663 yards overall.

 

[CNOTES]

FCS Top 25 roundup
September 1, 2016


(STATS) - Being snubbed from the FCS playoff field last season is no longer such a big concern for the University of North Dakota.


Getting a playoff resume going this year is now the issue following the No. 19 Fighting Hawks' 13-9 loss at Stony Brook in the season opener for both teams Thursday night.


The Big Sky squad next faces an even more difficult assignment - a Sept. 10 visit to Mid-American Conference power Bowling Green.


Winning with defense and special teams is often UND's forte, but Stony Brook (1-0) likes the same formula. The CAA Football team erased a 9-7 deficit when Gavin Heslop blocked a Austin Dussold punt attempt and Kye Morgan picked up the ball at UND's 7-yard line and raced into the end zone with 8:52 to play.


"I thought our guys played hard, but we never got anything going offensively and when you give up a special teams touchdown, that makes it hard to win," UND coach Bubba Schweigert said. "I thought our defense came up with a lot stops tonight, but give Stony Brook credit - that was a physical football game and a tough one to lose."


The two teams combined for only 398 yards (Stony Brook 221, UND 177). Safety Cole Reyes was UND's defensive standout, scoring on a safety in the third quarter and totaling two fumble recoveries, a forced fumble, eight tackles, two tackles for loss and a sack.


The game was tied 7-7 at halftime after both teams scored touchdowns in the second quarter. UND's John Santiago scored on a 16-yard run and Stony Brook's Cal Daniels recovered teammate Jordan Gowins' fumble which bounced into the Fighting Hawks' end zone.


The intersectional matchup was the return trip of Stony Brook's visit to UND in 2014 - a 13-3 UND win which had only one offensive touchdown.


---=


STATS FCS TOP 25=


ALL TIMES ET


THURSDAY, SEPT. 1


No. 3 Jacksonville State (1-0) 31, North Alabama (0-1) 12


Jacksonville State quarterback Eli Jenkins picked up where he left off in earning first-team All-America honors for the FCS runner-up last season. The senior gained 331 total yards, rushing for 101 yards and a touchdown and passing for 230 yards.


Auburn transfer Roc Thomas carried the ball 20 times for 71 yards and three touchdowns. He also had four receptions for 53 yards.


The Gamecocks gained 502 offensive yards, but committed 12 penalties for 106 yards.


---=


No. 6 Chattanooga (1-0) 66, Shorter (0-1) 0


New starting quarterback Alejandro Bennifield was lifted from the game in the second quarter, but not before he threw touchdowns to four different receivers while Chattanooga built a 45-0 halftime lead. The junior finished 8 of 11 for 135 yards with an interception.


Backup quarterback Tyler Roberson totaled three touchdowns - two runs and a 9-yard reception from Bennifield.


---=

North Carolina State (1-0) 48, No. 9 William & Mary (0-1) 14


The visiting Tribe allowed 21 unanswered points in the second quarter while falling behind 28-7 at halftime. N.C. State finished with 521 offensive yards.


Tribe quarterback Steve Cluley passed for only 99 yards with two interceptions, but he accounted for both touchdowns on a 10-yard run and a 16-yard pass to DeVonte Dedmon.


---=


No. 15 The Citadel (1-0, 1-0 Southern) 24, Mercer (0-1, 0-1) 23


The Citadel has beaten Mercer in three straight seasons by a combined five points. The difference in this year's Southern Conference opener was Middle Tennessee State graduate transfer Cody Clark's 35-yard field goal with 2:20 left.


The Bulldogs, playing on the road without suspended quarterback Dominique Allen, scored on their first three possessions, including Tyler Renew (27 carries, 146 yards) going 70 yards on the game's second play, for a 21-3 lead in the first quarter. But a pair of touchdown runs by quarterback John Russ helped Mercer to 20 unanswered points and a 23-21 lead.


Clark's winning field goal capped a 15-play drive for the defending co-SoCon champion, whose new coach, Brent Thompson, won his debut.


---=


No. 20 Western Illinois (1-0) 38, Eastern Illinois (0-1) 21


Charlie Fisher won his Western Illinois coaching debut on the road as sophomore Steve McShane rushed for 207 yards and two touchdowns, including a 70-yarder, on 28 carries.


Quarterback Mitch Kimble's 323 passing yards and three total touchdowns weren't enough for Eastern Illinois as third-year coach Kim Dameron fell to 0-9 in non-conference games.


---=


FRIDAY, SEPT. 2=


No. 21 Colgate (0-0) at Syracuse (0-0), 7 p.m.


---=


SATURDAY, SEPT. 3=


Kentucky State (0-0) at No. 7 Charleston Southern (0-0), 11:45 a.m.


---=


No. 23 Villanova (0-0) at Pittsburgh (0-0), 1:30 p.m.


---=


No. 4 Richmond (0-0) at Virginia (0-0), 3:30 p.m.


---=


Central Washington (0-0) at No. 17 Portland State (0-0), 5:30 p.m.


---=


Morehead State (0-0) at No. 12 James Madison (0-0), 6 p.m.


---=


St. Augustine's (0-0) at No. 25 North Carolina A&T (0-0), 6 p.m.


---=


Valparaiso (0-0) at No. 10 Illinois State (0-0), 7 p.m.


---=


Tarleton State (0-0) at No. 11 McNeese (0-0), 7 p.m.


---=


Oklahoma Panhandle State (0-0) at No. 2 Sam Houston State (0-0), 7 p.m.


---=


No. 24 Towson (0-0) at South Florida (0-0), 7 p.m.


---=


No. 5 Northern Iowa (0-0) at Iowa State (0-0), 8 p.m.


---=


No. 16 Coastal Carolina (0-0) at Lamar (0-0), 8 p.m.


---=


No. 8 South Dakota State (0-0) at TCU (0-0), 8 p.m.


---=


No. 14 Eastern Washington (0-0) at Washington State (0-0), 8 p.m.


---=


No. 22 New Hampshire (0-0) at San Diego State (0-0), 8:30 p.m.


---=


Saint Francis (0-0) at No. 13 Montana (0-0), 9 p.m.


---=


No. 18 Northern Arizona (0-0) at Arizona State (0-0), 10:45 p.m.

 

[CNOTES]

Friday's Tip Sheet
August 30, 2016




**Colorado State vs. Colorado**


-- This in-state rivalry will be renewed at Sports Authority Field in Denver on Friday night at 8:00 p.m. Eastern on ESPN. As of Tuesday, most books had Colorado listed as an eight-point ‘chalk’ with a total of 57 points. The Rams were +260 on the money line (risk $100 to win $260). For first-half wagers, CU was favored by 4.5 points with a total of 28.5.


-- Colorado finished the 2015 campaign with a 4-9 straight-up record and a 7-5-1 against-the-spread ledger. The Buffaloes return 18 total starters, nine on each side of the ball. They lost five one-possession games last year.


-- Mike MacIntyre’s owns a 10-27 record during his three-year tenure at CU. For our purposes, however, Colorado has posted a 20-16-1 spread record in those 37 contests.


-- When a team finishes five games below .500, you would think it would have a far uglier number than the -261 CU had for total yardage last year. In a 35-31 loss at UCLA that saw the Buffaloes easily take the cash as 23-point underdogs, they had a +154 advantage (554-400) in total offense. They were also +69 in yardage in a 28-20 loss at Hawaii. If MacIntyre is going to see a fourth season in Boulder, his squad has to do a better job of finding ways to win the close games.


-- Colorado senior QB Sefo Liufau is a four-year starter with 29 starts to his credit. He completed 62.0 percent of his passes last year for 2,418 yards with a 9/6 touchdown-to-interception ratio. Liufau also had five rushing scores in ’15. As a sophomore in ’14, Liufau connected on 65.3 percent of his throws for 3,200 yards with a 28/15 TD-INT ratio. He also had a pair of receptions for 24 yards and one TD. Liufau enters the year with 7,397 career passing yards, trailing the school’s all-time leader Cody Hawkins by only 334 yards. He has a 49/29 career TD-INT ratio.


-- Liufau won’t have his favorite target around anymore, however. Nelson Spruce, who is CU’s all-time leader with 3,347 career receiving yards, graduated and appears poised to make the Los Angeles Rams’ roster after inexplicably going undrafted. Nevertheless, the top seven pass catchers beyond Spruce from ’15 are back in the mix. This group includes junior Shay Fields, who has 1,084 receiving yards and 20 starts under his belt after a pair of seasons.


-- CU also brings back leading rusher Phillip Lindsay, who ran for 653 yards and six TDs while averaging 4.7 yards per carry as a sophomore last year.


-- CU had a respectable defense in ’15, giving up an average of 27.5 points per game. The Buffs return their top four tacklers and six of their top seven.


-- Since 2007 when these Rocky Mountain adversaries began meeting annually in Denver, Colorado has won six of eight games, including a 27-24 overtime triumph last season as a three-point favorite. The Buffaloes had to rally from a 14-0 first-half deficit. They blocked CSU’s 27-yard field goal to set up their game-winning FG in the extra session.


-- Jim McElwain led Colorado State to back-to-back bowl games and a 10-3 record in ’14. He parlayed that success into scoring an SEC gig at the University of Florida. CSU ventured to SEC country to find his replacement, plucking long-time Georgia offensive coordinator Mike Bobo away from UGA. Bobo led his first team in Ft. Collins to a 7-6 SU record and a 6-6-1 ATS mark.


-- Colorado State limped to a 2-4 start last season, but it won four in a row to close the regular season and clinch a third consecutive postseason bid. The Rams lost three one-possession games, including a 23-20 loss at Minnesota in overtime. They dropped a 28-23 decision to Nevada at the Arizona Bowl.


-- CSU returns six starters on offense and four on defense. However, it will have to cope with the loss of the school’s all-time leader in receiving yards. Rashard Higgins had 75 receptions for 1,062 yards and eight TDs in Bobo’s offense. That allowed Higgins to finish with 3,649 career receiving yards.


-- Junior QB Nick Stevens thrived in Bobo’s attack. He started all 13 games as a sophomore, connecting on 60.8 percent of his passes for 2,679 yards with a 21/12 TD-INT ratio. Stevens also had three rushing scores. He would like to cut down on the picks, but those were solid numbers for a first-year starter in a new offense. Stevens not only lost the services of Higgins, but all four of his top pass catchers departed.


-- Junior RB Dalyn Dawkins, a transfer from Purdue, rushed for a team-high 867 yards and two TDs while averaging 5.1 YPC during his first year at CSU. Dawkins splits carries with Izzy Matthews, who rushed for 590 yards and five TDs while averaging 6.1 YPC as a true freshman in ’15.


**Kansas State at Stanford**


-- As of Tuesday, most betting shops had Stanford installed as a 15.5-point favorite with a total of 48.5 for ‘over/under’ wagers. The Wildcats were listed at +500 on the money line (risk $100 to win $500). For first-half bets, the Cardinal was favored by nine with a total of 24.5 points.


-- Stanford compiled a 12-2 SU record and a 10-4 against-the-spread mark last season. It marked the fourth time in David Shaw’s five seasons as head coach that the Cardinal produced 11 wins or more. Shaw’s sixth team brings back five starters on offense and six on defense.


-- Stanford star RB Christian McCaffrey is back for his junior campaign after setting an NCAA record with 3,864 all-purpose yards last season. He scored 15 TDs (eight rushing, five receiving and one apiece on kick and punt returns). McCaffrey garnered first-team All-American honors by rushing for 2,019 yards while averaging 6.0 YPC. He led the Cardinal in receptions (45) and receiving yards (645) as well.


-- Stanford junior Ryan Burns has been named the starting QB. He has appeared in six career games, throwing just one pass that he completed for 13 yards. Burns has rushed seven times for 21 yards. Shaw has indicated that sophomore signal caller Keller Chryst will also see playing time. As a freshman, Chryst completed 5-of-9 throws for 59 yards and one TD without an interception.


-- According to Monday’s edition of the San Jose Mercury News, McCaffrey’s back-up Bryce Love is “unlikely” to play Friday due to a lower-body injury sustained at some point in camp. Love rushed for 240 yards and two TDs on 29 carries (7.8 YPC) last year. He also had 15 receptions for 250 yards and one TD.


-- Stanford’s defense gave up 22.6 points per game in ’15. This unit is led by sophomore Solomon Thomas and junior LB Peter Kalambayi. Thomas enjoyed a banner freshman campaign, recording 39 tackles, seven tackles for loss, 3.5 sacks and six QB hurries. Kalambayi had 52 tackles, 4.5 sacks, one tackle for loss, three passes broken up and five QB hurries last year.


-- Stanford owns an 18-14 spread record as a home favorite during Shaw’s five-year tenure, going 11-5 ATS in its last 16 such spots.


-- Kansas State started 3-0 last season but saw two of its quarterbacks go down with season-ending injuries in the first two weeks. This left the job to Joe Hubener, who started 11 games. He completed only 47.6 percent of his passes for 1,837 yards with a 9/10 TD-INT ratio. Hubener rushed for 807 yards before subtracting sack yardage, finding paydirt a team-high 13 times.


-- Kansas State finished ’15 with a 6-7 record both SU and ATS after getting thumped 45-23 by Arkansas at the Liberty Bowl as a 13-point underdog. It was the first losing season since Bill Snyder resumed his head-coaching duties in 2009. The Wildcats dropped three one-possession games against ranked opponents, including a pair of losses to second-ranked foes. TCU rallied for a 52-45 win in Manhattan and Baylor won a 31-24 decision at Bill Snyder Family Stadium.


-- Kansas State returns five starters on offense and seven on defense. RB Charles Jones was last season’s leading rusher (696 yards) when he ran for five TDs and averaged 4.9 YPC. Deante Burton is back after leading the team with 38 receptions for 510 yards and four TDs.


-- Snyder named junior QB Jesse Ertz as his starter on Monday. Ertz started the opener vs. South Dakota last year, only to go down with a season-ending injury on his third play. He completed his only pass for a five-yard gain. In 2014, Ertz played in four games, rushing for 46 yards on seven carries.


-- VegasInsider.com handicapper KellyInVegas has a play on this game. When I asked Kelly about the QB situation at K-State, she said, “Many people around the program feel like Ertz is potentially one of the best combinations of a runner and accurate passer that Snyder has ever had, but that’s obviously based on practice performances. The coaching staff is eager to see him react in live-game situations. Ertz is a natural leader that his teammates love. And if you know Snyder, he loves it too.” You can get signed up for KellyInVegas’s season package here. Also, check out Kelly’s page on VI as she’ll be posting college football picks throughout the weekend.


-- Kansas State’s ’15 defense was the worst of Snyder’s second tour of duty, surrendering 31.5 PPG. On the bright side, the top five tacklers are back in the mix. Junior LB Elijah Lee is the leader of this unit. He earned second-team All Big 12 honors last season by recording a team-best 80 tackles to go with five sacks and three interceptions.


-- Since 2010, K-State has been a money-making machine in road underdog spots, producing a stellar 13-5 ATS record. Going back to 2011, the Wildcats have posted a 6-2 spread ledger with a pair of outright victories (at Miami in ’11 & at Oklahoma in ’12) in eight games as double-digit ‘dogs.


-- Kickoff is scheduled for 9:00 p.m. Eastern on Fox Sports 1.


**B.E.’s Bonus Nuggets**


-- In one of the more under-the-radar matchups of Week 1, Arkansas State will host Toledo at Centennial Bank Stadium on Friday night at 9:00 p.m. Eastern on ESPNU. The Rockets and Red Wolves are two of the nation’s best mid-major programs out of the MAC and Sun Belt, respectively. As of Tuesday, most spots had Arkansas State installed as a 3.5-point home favorite with a total of 64.5 points. The Rockets have won at least nine games in four of the last five years, including a 10-2 SU record and a 9-3 spread mark in ’15. They spent five weeks in the national rankings, winning 16-12 at Arkansas as 21.5-point underdogs one week before defeating Iowa State at home in double overtime. Toledo capped the season by beating No. 24 Temple by a 32-17 count as a 2.5-point ‘dog at the Boca Raton Bowl. Jason Candle is replacing former head coach Matt Campbell, who left to take the Iowa State job. The Rockets bring back seven starters on offense and four on defense. They have star players like RBs Kareem Hunt and Terry Swanson along with WRs Corey Jones and Cody Thompson.


-- Arkansas State has been to five consecutive bowl games. Blake Anderson’s team went 9-4 SU and 8-5 ATS last season, losing 37-7 at Toledo. The Red Wolves also lost at USC (55-6) vs. Missouri (27-20) and vs. Louisiana Tech (47-28) at the New Orleans Bowl. They return six starters on offense and seven on defense. Also, Arkansas St. adds several impact transfers, including DT Dee Liner (Alabama), WR Kendall Sanders (Texas), QB Chad Voytik (Pittsburgh), QB Justice Hansen (Oklahoma) and WR/special-teams dynamo Cameron Echols-Luper (TCU).


-- There are two more games on Friday’s card: Ball State at Georgia State (-3.5) and Army at Temple (-16.5).


-- Florida star WR and special-teams ace Antonio Callaway has been cleared to play in Saturday’s home opener vs. UMass.


-- New Georgia head coach Kirby Smart clearly mastered the art of dealing with the media during his near-decade-long stretch at Alabama under Nick Saban. He hasn’t budged an inch on questions about who will be his starting QB against North Carolina on Saturday at the Georgia Dome. However, by all indications, it appears that true freshman Jacob Eason is going to get the nod ahead of senior Greyson Lambert. Star RB Nick Chubb, who suffered a major knee injury at Tennessee in early October last season, is ready to make his return and Smart said “he won’t be on a pitch count.” In other words, Chubb is ready to carry a heavy load for the Bulldogs.

 

[CNOTES]

NCAAF
Long Sheet


Week 1


Friday, September 2


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

BALL ST (3 - 9) at GEORGIA ST (6 - 7) - 9/2/2016, 12:00 PM
There are no Top Trends with records of significance that apply to this game.


Head-to-Head Series History
GEORGIA ST is 1-0 against the spread versus BALL ST over the last 3 seasons
GEORGIA ST is 1-0 straight up against BALL ST over the last 3 seasons
1 of 1 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons


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

ARMY (2 - 10) at TEMPLE (10 - 4) - 9/2/2016, 7:00 PM
Top Trends for this game.
ARMY is 71-100 ATS (-39.0 Units) in non-conference games since 1992.


Head-to-Head Series History
There were no past matchups in this series during this time period.


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

COLORADO ST (7 - 6) vs. COLORADO (4 - 9) - 9/2/2016, 8:00 PM
There are no Top Trends with records of significance that apply to this game.


Head-to-Head Series History
COLORADO ST is 1-0 against the spread versus COLORADO over the last 3 seasons
COLORADO is 1-1 straight up against COLORADO ST over the last 3 seasons
2 of 2 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons


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

KANSAS ST (6 - 7) at STANFORD (12 - 2) - 9/2/2016, 9:00 PM
Top Trends for this game.
STANFORD is 8-0 ATS (+8.0 Units) as a favorite of 10.5 to 21 points over the last 3 seasons.
STANFORD is 15-6 ATS (+8.4 Units) in games played on a grass field over the last 3 seasons.


Head-to-Head Series History
There were no past matchups in this series during this time period.


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


TOLEDO (10 - 2) at ARKANSAS ST (9 - 4) - 9/2/2016, 9:00 PM
Top Trends for this game.
ARKANSAS ST is 16-6 ATS (+9.4 Units) in home games in September games since 1992.
TOLEDO is 9-2 ATS (+6.8 Units) in all games over the last 2 seasons.
TOLEDO is 9-2 ATS (+6.8 Units) in all lined games over the last 2 seasons.


Head-to-Head Series History
TOLEDO is 2-0 against the spread versus ARKANSAS ST over the last 3 seasons
TOLEDO is 2-0 straight up against ARKANSAS ST over the last 3 seasons
1 of 2 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons


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

NCAAF


Week 1




------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Trend Report
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------


Friday, September 2


TBA
BALL STATE vs. GEORGIA STATE
Ball State is 2-4 ATS in its last 6 games on the road
Ball State is 2-6 ATS in its last 8 games
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Georgia State's last 5 games
Georgia State is 6-18 SU in its last 24 games


6:00 PM
MISS VALLEY ST vs. EASTERN MICHIGAN
No trends available
Eastern Michigan is 1-5-1 ATS in its last 7 games
Eastern Michigan is 0-5 SU in its last 5 games


7:00 PM
ARMY vs. TEMPLE
Army is 1-6 ATS in its last 7 games
Army is 6-17 ATS in its last 23 games on the road
Temple is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games when playing Army
The total has gone OVER in 6 of Temple's last 7 games when playing Army


7:00 PM
ALBANY, N.Y vs. BUFFALO
No trends available
Buffalo is 1-4 ATS in its last 5 games
Buffalo is 1-4 SU in its last 5 games at home


7:00 PM
COLGATE vs. SYRACUSE
Colgate is 1-6 SU in its last 7 games on the road
Colgate is 1-6 SU in its last 7 games
The total has gone OVER in 10 of Syracuse's last 12 games
The total has gone OVER in 5 of Syracuse's last 7 games at home


7:00 PM
FURMAN vs. MICHIGAN STATE
Furman is 1-15 SU in its last 16 games on the road
Furman is 1-15 SU in its last 16 games
Michigan State is 16-2 SU in its last 18 games
Michigan State is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games at home


7:30 PM
NORTHWESTERN STATE vs. BAYLOR
Northwestern State is 1-5 ATS in its last 6 games
The total has gone OVER in 5 of Northwestern State's last 6 games
Baylor is 20-5 SU in its last 25 games
Baylor is 2-5 ATS in its last 7 games


8:00 PM
COLORADO STATE vs. COLORADO
Colorado State is 2-4 ATS in its last 6 games when playing Colorado
The total has gone UNDER in 7 of Colorado State's last 8 games when playing Colorado
Colorado is 9-4 SU in its last 13 games when playing Colorado State
Colorado is 0-5 SU in its last 5 games


9:00 PM
KANSAS STATE vs. STANFORD
Kansas State is 3-7 SU in its last 10 games
Kansas State is 1-4 SU in its last 5 games on the road
The total has gone OVER in 5 of Stanford's last 7 games at home
Stanford is 12-1 SU in its last 13 games


9:00 PM
TOLEDO vs. ARKANSAS STATE
Toledo is 13-2 SU in its last 15 games
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Toledo's last 5 games
The total has gone OVER in 5 of Arkansas State's last 5 games
The total has gone OVER in 5 of Arkansas State's last 5 games at home


9:30 PM
CAL POLY vs. NEVADA
Cal Poly is 1-10 SU in its last 11 games on the road
Cal Poly is 1-10 SU in its last 11 games
The total has gone UNDER in 12 of Nevada's last 15 games at home
The total has gone UNDER in 8 of Nevada's last 10 games


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


NCAAF
Dunkel


Week 1




Friday, September 2


Ball State @ Georgia State


Game 145-146
September 2, 2016 @ 7:00 pm


Dunkel Rating:
Ball State
74.107
Georgia State
73.089
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Ball State
by 1
47
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Georgia State
by 3 1/2
53
Dunkel Pick:
Ball State
(+3 1/2); Under


Army @ Temple


Game 147-148
September 2, 2016 @ 7:00 pm


Dunkel Rating:
Army
71.246
Temple
93.667
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Temple
by 22 1/2
54
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Temple
by 16 1/2
45 1/2
Dunkel Pick:
Temple
(-16 1/2); Over


Colorado State @ Colorado


Game 149-150
September 2, 2016 @ 8:00 pm


Dunkel Rating:
Colorado State
80.207
Colorado
84.623
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Colorado
by 4
58
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Colorado
by 8 1/2
54 1/2
Dunkel Pick:
Colorado State
(+8 1/2); Over


Kansas State @ Stanford


Game 151-152
September 2, 2016 @ 9:00 pm


Dunkel Rating:
Kansas State
92.480
Stanford
104.361
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Stanford
by 12
54
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Stanford
by 16
50
Dunkel Pick:
Kansas State
(+16); Over


Toledo @ Arkansas St


Game 179-180
September 2, 2016 @ 9:00 pm


Dunkel Rating:
Toledo
80.996
Arkansas St
87.053
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Arkansas St
by 6
70
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Arkansas St
by 3
64 1/2
Dunkel Pick:
Arkansas St
(-3); Over

 

[CNOTES]

NCAAF
Armadillo's Write-Up


Week 1


Top 14 games of the weekend


Colorado/Colorado State split last four meetings (dogs 3-0-1 vs spread); this game is at neutral Denver site. Buffs have 18 starters back and senior QB who has 29 starts- they’re 6-2 as favorites under MacIntyre. State has only 10 starters back; their junior QB has 13 starts. Rams are 6-5 as underdogs last three years.


Missouri has new coach, soph QB, only one starter back on OL after 5-7 year- they were 1-4 vs spread on road LY. Tigers are 12-5 as road dogs since 2011. West Virginia has senior QB with 15 starts but lost 7 starters on defense; WV is 9-15 as home favorite under Holgorsen. Last five years, Big X teams are 4-2 vs spread when favored against an SEC team; they’ve been underdog in 12 of 20 meetings, with two pick ’ems.


Southern Miss’ new OC Dawson was Kentucky’s OC LY, which can’t hurt. USM has senior QB with 30 starts, 3 senior starters on OL, but their head coach bolted for OC job in NFL. Kentucky has SEC opener with Florida next; they’ve got 4 starters back on OL, but soph QB with only 2 starts. Wildcats are 7-3 as home favorites under Stoops, 7-4-1 in last 12 non-SEC games. C-USA are 14-12 as dogs vs SEC squads the last five years.


Clemson beat Auburn 38-24/26-19 in games played in 2011-12; Clemson coach Swinney is an Alabama grad- his team has junior QB with 20 starts, but only 7 starters back on defense- they’re 2-6 as road favorites last two years. Auburn is unsure of its starting QB; they’re 9-6 in last 15 games as a home dog, but 2-8 in last 10 non-SEC games. Last 5 years, ACC teams are 8-6 vs spread when favored over an SEC squad- they were underdog in 31 of 45 meetings (19-26 vs spread, favorites 28-17).


Pac 12-SEC teams don’t meet often; last five years, SEC teams are 6-1 vs Pac-12 squads, 3-0 vs spread if number was single digits. A&M’s new QB is former Sooner Knight (15 starts); Aggies are 6-12 as home favorites last 3 years- they’ve got 13 starters back, only 2 on OL. UCLA lost 7 starters on offense; they’ve got soph QB (13 starts), are 13-11 vs spread under Mora, 5-4 as road dogs- they do have 9 starters back on defense.


Last 5 years, SEC teams are 18-8 SU vs Big 14 teams, 13-8-1 vs spread when favored. Since ’08, LSU is just 15-22 vs spread outside SEC; they’re 9-6-1 as favorite last 2 years. Tigers have 17 starters back but can QB make defenses respect their passing game, opening up ground attack for Fournette? Last 6 years, Badgers are 6-2 as underdogs; last 3 years, they are 10-5 outside Big 14. This game is at Lambeau Field, not in Madison.


Georgia has new coach (why?); they’re 12-9-1 vs spread outside SEC, 18-22 in last 40 games as favorite. Dawgs have 14 starters back, 8 on offense; will new coach play vet (12 starts) QB or frosh Eason? North Carolina has 7 starters back on both sides of ball; they’re 4-7 as road dogs under Fedora. UNC QB Trubisky was 40-47/555 LY, impressive, but this is his first college start. SEC teams are 20-11 vs spread when favored vs ACC squads.


Last 3 years, Houston is 8-0-1 vs spread as an underdog; they’re 29-11 SU, beating ACC teams in last 2 bowls. Cougars have senior QB (25 starts) but only 11 starters back from LY (no senior starters on OL). Oklahoma has senior QB (20 starts), 13 starters back; Sooners are 13-7 vs spread outside Big X last 5 years, 17-11 as favorites last 3 years. Oklahoma has frosh, 4 sophs starting on OL; three of them started LY.


USC has 10 starters back on offense, but new starter is QB; since 2012, Trojans are 3-8 vs spread as underdogs. USC lost 6 starters on defense, but does have whole OL back. Alabama lost 11 starters, has new QB; they’re 8-13 vs spread in last 21 non-SEC games. Last 8 years, they’re 20-12 as road favorites. Last 5 years, SEC teams are 6-1 SU vs Pac-12 squads, 3-0 vs spread if number was single digits.


BYU/Arizona both have 15 starters back, both have vet QBs (BYU’s has 19 starts, Arizona’s 25). BYU lost bowl games to Pac-12 squads 2 of last 3 years; they’ve got 15 starters back, are 4-8 vs spread on road last 3 years. (this game is in Cardinals’ dome, not Tucson, but will be ‘zona crowd). Arizona is 5-9 under RichRod in games where spread was less than 6 points; they’re 14-15 as faves under this coach. New coach for BYU; Mendenhall was at BYU for 11 years.


Texas is 11-14 under Strong, 3-7-1 vs spread as dogs; they lost 38-3 (+9) LY in South Bend, outgained 527-163- they moved former QB Heard (10 starts) to WR, haven’t decided between Buechele/Swoopes as their QB. Longhorns have 14 starters back, 3 on OL. Notre Dame is just 5-9 as road favorite under Kelly; they lost 13 starters, have just 27 returning starts on OL, but they do have quality depth at QB.


Florida State QB Maguire (foot) is out here; redshirt freshman Francois is likely starter here. Seminoles have 16 starters back, with 10 back on offense- they’re 36-28-1 as favorites under Fisher. Ole Miss is 14-5-1 vs spread in last 20 non-SEC games, 11-4 in last 15 tries as an underdog, 6-1 in neutral field games; Rebels lost 6 starters on both sides of ball- their senior QB has 13 starts.

 

[CNOTES]

College football Week 1 opening line report: It's finally here!


Mississippi has been on the rise the past few years under Hugh Freeze, going 10-3 SU, 8-5 ATS in a 2015 campaign capped by a 48-20 shellacking of Oklahoma State in the Sugar Bowl.


It’s finally here. The first full week of the 2016 college football season. Sure, California and Hawaii kicked off the season last week in Australia, but that was a stale appetizer compared with the five-star full-course meal coming up in the next few days.We talk about the opening lines on four key games with John Lester, senior lines manager for offshore sportsbook Bookmaker.eu.


No. 3 Oklahoma (-10) vs. No. 13 Houston


This is a huge season opener for both teams, as a loss would immediately have them on the outside looking in for the College Football Playoff at the end of the year. It’s technically a neutral-site contest, since it’s not at the Cougars’ TDECU Stadium, but it’s still in Houston at NRG Stadium, home of the NFL’s Texans.


The Sooners are coming off an excellent 11-2 SU season (9-4 ATS) in which they reached the playoffs, losing to Clemson 37-17 as a 3.5-point favorite in the Orange Bowl, which served as one of the semifinals. Oklahoma made it that far on the strength of a 7-0 SU and 6-1 ATS run to cap the regular season.


Houston was in potential playoff consideration, too, getting out of the gate 10-0 SU before stubbing its toe at Connecticut. Still, the Cougars finished 13-1 SU (9-4 ATS), capped by a 38-24 victory over Florida State as a 7.5-point underdog in the Peach Bowl.


“This is possibly the opening week matchup I’m looking forward to the most,” Lester said of Saturday’s noon Eastern contest. “It’s really a boom-or-bust game for both teams. If Houston can somehow pull off the upset, then the College Football Playoff mid-major talk won’t cease until season’s end.”


Bookmaker opened the Sooners at -10 back in early June and moved to -10.5 earlier this month, but it reverted to 10 on Aug. 19 and has since remained there.


“We haven’t moved off the opener except for a half-point twice in almost three months, so we feel confident this number will attract fairly even action.”

No. 17 Southern California vs. No. 1 Alabama (-10.5)


Two storied programs highlight the first full Saturday of the season, playing on a neutral field at AT&T Stadium, home of the Dallas Cowboys. Top-ranked Alabama is coming off its fourth national title in the last seven years, blasting Michigan State 38-0 laying 10 points in the playoff semifinals, then edging Clemson 45-40 as a 6-point fave in an exhilarating championship game.


That capped a 14-1 SU, 8-7 ATS season in which the Crimson Tide won their last 12 games.


Southern Cal is coming off another bumpy season that included a coaching change from Steve Sarkisian to Clay Helton, as the Trojans went 8-6 SU, 6-8 ATS. But USC is ranked in the top 20 to start the season, so clearly there’s some optimism in Helton’s first full year at the helm.


“This is another matchup that will garner a huge handle at our shop,” Lester said of the 8 p.m. Eastern kickoff. “Sharp bettors haven’t seemed too interested in this one, as the half-point movement is mostly due to square support on the defending champs. My guess is we’ll see this line continue to creep up as we get closer to kickoff.”


No. 9 Notre Dame (-3) at Texas


It’s a Sunday evening showdown of traditional college football powers deep in the heart of Texas, where Notre Dame will look to put behind it the arrests of several players in two separate incidents earlier this month. The Fighting Irish were in the hunt for one of the four playoff spots last year before a 38-36 loss at Stanford catching 4 points in the regular-season finale.


Notre Dame then got blitzed by Ohio State in the Fiesta Bowl, losing 44-28 as a 4.5-point pup to complete a 10-3 SU, 8-5 ATS season.


Meanwhile, Texas hasn’t sniffed national championship contention since losing the title game to Alabama after the 2009 regular season. Last year, the Longhorns went 5-7 SU and ATS, though they capped the season with a 23-17 upset of host Baylor as a 21-point underdog.


“Our business couldn’t ask for a better Week 1 Sunday night matchup, as bankrolls are full and we have two teams with massive followings,” Lester said of the 7:30 p.m. Eastern kickoff. “In the first week of June, we opened this game at Irish -4.5, and early, sharp action came in on Texas. Earlier this month, the line moved as high as -5, but during the past week, more Longhorn money from smart players pushed it down to a field goal.”


No. 12 Mississippi vs. No. 4 Florida State (-4)


A Monday night contest caps the first full week of college football, with an 8 p.m. Eastern kickoff.


Florida State has consistently been in the national championship chase lately, winning it all in the 2013 season and making the first-ever playoff in 2014 – where it lost to Oregon in one semifinal – before dropping off just a bit last year. The Seminoles went 10-3 SU, 8-5 ATS in 2015, including a 38-24 loss to Houston as a 7.5-point chalk in the Peach Bowl.


Mississippi has been on the rise the past few years under Hugh Freeze, going 10-3 SU, 8-5 ATS in a 2015 campaign capped by a 48-20 shellacking of Oklahoma State laying 7.5 points in the Sugar Bowl.


“It’s been a roller coaster of line movement for this Monday night matchup,” Lester said. “For the first month and a half, the money was heavy on Florida State, sending the spread to as high as -6.5. Once it hit that peak, we started seeing some sharper money on Ole Miss. The number dropped to -3.5 a couple of weeks ago. We’ve seen both sides of the betting spectrum.”

 

[CNOTES]

NCAAF
Short Sheet


Week 1




Fri - Sept, 2


Ball State at Georgia State, 7:00 ET
Ball St: 15-4 ATS as a road underdog of 7 points or less
Georgia St: 3-8 ATS in dome games


Army at Temple, 7:00 ET
Army: 7-17 ATS in the first two weeks of the season
Temple: 4-2 ATS in the first month of the season


Colorado State at Colorado, 8:00 ET
Colorado St: 5-9 ATS against Pac Twelve conference opponents
Colorado: 11-7 ATS as a neutral field favorite


Kansas State at Stanford, 9:00 ET
Kansas St: 1-3 ATS in the first two weeks of the season
Stanford: 8-0 ATS as a favorite of 10.5 to 21 points

Toledo at Arkansas State, 9:00 ET
Toledo: 4-6 ATS as a road underdog of 3 points or less
Arkansas St: 13-5 ATS as a favorite

 

[CNOTES]

COLLEGE FOOTBALL BEST BETS


WLT PCT UNITS


ATS Picks 10-7-0 58.82% +1150

O/U Picks 1-1-0 50.00% -50

 

[CNOTES]

MAC power Bowling Green will try to 'shock' Buckeyes
September 2, 2016

COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) Bowling Green will be a four-touchdown underdog coming into Ohio Stadium on Saturday, but new Falcons coach Mike Jinks said he welcomes the chance to ''shock the world.''

If Jinks' squad can knock off the mighty Buckeyes at Ohio Stadium, it would be a monumental inaugural win for him as a college coach. A Texas Tech assistant for three seasons after a long career in Texas high school football, the 44-year-old Jinks took the helm at Bowling Green this season after Dino Babers was hired away by Syracuse.

Returning fewer than half the starters from a team that went 10-4 and won the Mid-American Conference crown last year, the Falcons have their work cut out for them. They have new starters at quarterback and tailback, a rebuilt defensive line and must compensate for the loss of two of the three best receivers from last year.

Anything can happen, right?

''I've been an underdog my whole life,'' Jinks said. ''I kind of excel in those situations.''

So does Bowling Green, it seems. The Falcons shocked two Big 10 teams last season on the road, Maryland and Purdue, and stayed competitive against Tennessee in the season opener. In 2014, they beat Indiana 45-42 at home.

''These are the games we ought to want to be in,'' Jinks said. ''These are the opportunities that don't come too often. There are 128 FBS schools in the country, and we're playing at probably one of the top five venues of all time. Not everybody gets those chances throughout a college career, so it's a trend that we hope to continue in years to come.''

Bowling Green will take home a guaranteed payout of $975,000 for the trip to Ohio Stadium.

Some other things to know as the Falcons try to pull off the upset in Columbus:

QUESTIONS, QUESTIONS, QUESTIONS

There may be as many questions about No. 6 ranked Ohio State as Bowling Green this season. The Buckeyes have the least experienced team in the nation, losing 16 starters from last year. They have new starters at tailback and wide receiver, and throughout the defense.

''I know what we're walking into, but you don't know what this '16 Ohio State team going to be, and you don't know what this '16 Bowling Green team is going to be,'' Jinks said. ''That's the exciting part of it.''

DON'T DISCOUNT THE UNDERDOGS

Ohio State players say they've learned not to look past any team. The Buckeyes needed a pick-six from linebacker Darron Lee to bail out its struggling offense and squeak by MAC power Northern Illinois 20-13 in what was intended to be a tune-up game early last season.

''Scrappy. Very, very scrappy,'' offensive guard Billy Price said of BG. ''NIU was a very good opponent. We expect the same thing. We cannot take an opponent lightly no matter what conference, whatever team it is. We're going in there respecting them just as much as we did Alabama or just as much as Oregon.''

Said linebacker Chris Worley: ''A team like Bowling Green, you can never overlook them. They're going to come here ready to play, and we know that. The team that plays the hardest will win.''

SHADES OF 2014?

Ohio State coach Urban Meyer said this year's teams reminds him of the 2014 team in terms of starting so many talented but still untested players. That team ended up winning the national championship.

''(It's) very similar,'' he said. ''And I'm real excited about them. I'm trying to hold down the excitement because I really am. I can't wait to watch them to play. This has been a good camp. Good people to work with.''

The biggest unknown, he said, is how the young players will react to being in the stadium with 100,000 of their closest, noisiest friends.

BARRETT READY TO ROLL

Meyer said quarterback J.T. Barrett, who entered a training camp for the first time as the undisputed starting quarterback, is playing as well as he ever has.

''He's on top of his game, I'm proud to say,'' Meyer said. ''He's a very good player, a very good leader. He's driving the car and he's never had that this time of year. The first time he got a start, he certainly wasn't driving the car. He was in the front seat somewhere, but he wasn't driving it. Now it's his, and he's really doing a nice job.''

 

[CNOTES]

Conner, Panthers expect emotional opener vs. Villanova
September 2, 2016

PITTSBURGH (AP) The jitters will be there. After what Pittsburgh running back James Conner has been through over the last 12 months, how could they not?

So forgive the 2014 ACC Player of the Year if he takes a moment before running out of the tunnel and onto the Heinz Field turf on Saturday when the Panthers host Villanova in the 2016 opener. A knee injury that derailed his junior season and a cancer diagnosis that threatened to derail his promising career has a way of putting things in perspective.

''I'm just going to embrace it all,'' Conner said. ''I know we will have a great audience. It will be a memorable day. My doctor will be in the building, along with some of the nurses. My family and friends will be there, along with my friends from Erie, so it's just going to be a great day.''

Yet Conner also understands the jitters will fade. They always do. Once he takes a handoff from Nate Peterman it will back to business as usual: trying to help the Panthers take another step forward one punishing yard at a time.

''I'm excited to make my return,'' he said. ''I take every game the same. There's a job that needs to be done.''

One Pitt and second-year coach Pat Narduzzi believe is far from finished even after a promising 8-5 season in 2015, one the Panthers gamely soldiered through even with Conner watching from the sideline for all but the first two quarters of the opener against Youngstown State.

Narduzzi has a better feel for the program now, one that is trying to embrace its history while forging ahead at the same time. The Pitt script logo - a symbol of the Panthers' glory years four decades go - is back in full effect, joined by a variety of uniform options that seem to be de rigueur in college football these days.

Of course, the plan is to have plenty of substance to go with all that style, with Conner leading the way. Some things to look for as the Panthers begin a season with lofty expectations, against a team hoping to make a statement of its own:

CLOSE CALLS: Narduzzi's tenure began with a shaky 45-37 win over Youngstown State last September, a game that remained in doubt until the fourth quarter. The memory remains fresh, so don't expect Pitt to peek around the corner at a long-awaited visit from Penn State on Sept. 10. That's probably wise against Villanova, a longtime FCS power who is hardly a pushover. The Wildcats have been a tough out against FBS schools in each of the last three openers, all losses by 10 points or less.

SAYING GOODBYE: The 2016 season will be the 32nd and final year for Villanova coach Andy Talley, whose 249 career wins are the most by an active coach at FBS or FCS level. Talley, who led the Wildcats to the 2009 national title, will hand the program over to assistant Mark Ferrante. An upset over the Panthers would be a pretty sweet way to begin Talley's send-off.

PLENTY OF HELP: While Narduzzi said there are no limitations on Conner - who underwent six months of chemotherapy to combat lymphoma diagnosed last Thanksgiving - Pitt's depth at running back means Conner won't have to carry the load alone. Qadree Ollison was the ACC Offensive Rookie of the Year in 2015 while filling in for Conner and Chris James provides a speedy yin to the powerful yang provided by Conner and Ollison.

NATE THE GREAT? The Panthers entered 2015 with Chad Voytik at quarterback before Nate Peterman quickly took over the job. There is no drama this time around. Peterman is firmly entrenched as the starter, though he'll also be working with an inexperienced group after Tyler Boyd took his school-record 254 receptions to the NFL. Senior Dontez Ford is the only returning wide receiver with more than 12 career catches.

 

[CNOTES]

On Spurrier's day, No. 25 Florida expects better offense
September 2, 2016

GAINESVILLE, Fla. (AP) Amid all the pomp and circumstance of renaming Florida Field after Steve Spurrier, the most fitting way to honor him would be on the scoreboard Saturday.

Maybe the 25th-ranked Gators should try to ''hang half a hundred'' on UMass.

That was one of Spurrier's most memorable quotes during his dozen years in Gainesville. It came after Florida beat Southeastern Conference rival Georgia 52-17 in Athens in 1995. It also was something the Gators did with regularity during Spurrier's tenure.

And after the way Florida ended last season - scoring just two offensive touchdowns in the final three games - players and coaches probably could use a little confidence-booster to start 2016.

''Pretty miserable, wasn't it?'' Florida coach Jim McElwain recalled. ''You had to sit through it, too. I'm sorry. ... I'm still hurting. That's all I can say. That was miserable. I'll leave it at that. And I'm sorry you had to go through it, too.''

The Gators ranked 112th in total offense in 2015, ahead of only Vanderbilt and Missouri in the SEC. They struggled to run the ball consistently and were close to inept in the passing game. The line was a problem - Florida gave up a nation-leading 45 sacks - and quarterback play was an even bigger issue.

McElwain has vowed to be ''dramatically better'' on offense in his second season.

His first chance to prove it comes in the opener against the Minutemen, who are entering their first season as an independent after going 8-40 in four years since moving to the Football Bowl Subdivision.

The Gators will give journeyman Luke Del Rio his first collegiate start after he transferred from Alabama and then Oregon State in search of playing time. Del Rio beat out graduate transfer Austin Appleby and two freshmen.

Del Rio, who sat out last season because of NCAA transfer rules, helplessly watched Florida stumble down the stretch.

''Anytime you finish 0-3, it's the worst taste in your mouth,'' said Del Rio, the son of Oakland Raiders coach Jack Del Rio. ''Some teams might get hot and they lose a bowl game. `OK, we finished 5-1.' But 0-3, that's tough to swallow.''

Spurrier only had one three-game losing streak (1999) during his Florida coaching career.

Leading the Gators to six SEC titles and the 1996 national championship, Spurrier helped put the program on the college football map for good. He already has a Heisman Trophy statue from his playing days at Florida and has his name in the school's exclusive ring of honor.

On Saturday, the Gators will officially unveil Steve Spurrier-Florida Field at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium. It's better known as The Swamp, the nickname Spurrier gave it and a place the current team would like to see scoring ''half a hundred'' become more normal than notable again.

''I hope they put some winning turf in there or something,'' McElwain joked. ''I've got to ask our grounds guy. But no, I think that's something special, and obviously for (Spurrier), I think what a fitting tribute. To have him back and be a part of that is something that's pretty neat.''

---

Here are some other things to know as Florida and UMass begin the season:

STREAKING GATORS: Florida has won 26 consecutive season openers, the longest streak in the country. The Gators are likely to extend it against UMass, but making it 28 in a row should be more challenging considering they open the 2017 season against Michigan in Arlington, Texas.

FLORIDA SUSPENSIONS: McElwain suspended five players for the opener, including one senior he declined to name. The others are cornerback Jalen Tabor, tight end C'yontai Lewis and receivers Tyrie Cleveland and Rick Wells. Tabor and Lewis were suspended one game for fighting in practice. Cleveland and Wells were suspended for firing BB guns in a residence hall in July.

GAME-CHANGER? Florida could potentially go from having one of the worst kicking situations in the country to one of the best. Eddy Pineiro will make his collegiate debut and should get considerable attention. A high school soccer player who has never kicked in a game, Pineiro drew interest from Alabama and Florida while making 70-yard-plus kicks and posting them on YouTube.

RARE TRIP: The Minutemen last visited the Sunshine State on Dec. 12, 1964, when they lost to East Carolina 14-13 in the Tangerine Bowl. UMass is 1-1 all-time against teams from Florida.