Ohio clinches MAC East title, beats Akron 9-3
November 22, 2016
ATHENS, Ohio (AP) Louie Zervos made all three of his field-goal attempts and Ohio clinched the Mid-American Conference East Division title with a 9-3 win over Akron on Tuesday night.
The Bobcats (8-4, 6-2) will play in the MAC championship game for the first time since 2011. They will face either No. 14 Western Michigan or Toledo at Ford Field in Detroit on Dec. 2.
Zervos scored on kicks of 37 and 49 yards in the second quarter and added a 23-yarder with 2:59 left in the fourth. The 49-yard field goal was the second longest of Zervos' career.
Tom O'Leary scored Akron's only points on a 35-yard attempt that made it 6-3 in the third quarter. O'Leary missed a 43-yard attempt near the end of the first quarter.
Tyrell Goodman led Akron (5-7, 3-5) to the Ohio 25 on the Zips' final possession with enough time to go ahead. He had a pass on third-and-11 that was within the reach of JoJo Natson in the end zone, but Natson was unable to haul it in.
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Miami (OH) edges Ball State 21-20, becomes bowl eligible
November 22, 2016
OXFORD, Ohio (AP) Gus Ragland threw for 380 yards and three touchdowns, including a 27-yarder to Sam Shisso in the fourth quarter, to lift Miami of Ohio past Ball State for a 21-20 win that makes the RedHawks bowl eligible for the first time since 2010.
Miami became the first team in college football to finish a regular season 6-6 after losing its first six games.
Trailing by six with 5:04 to play, Shisso hauled in Ragland's pass at the 15, turned and squeezed through three defenders to reach the end zone. Nick Dowd's extra point put the RedHawks on top for good.
Ragland completed 26 of his 35 passes, twice finding Rokeem Williams for touchdown. Williams finished with 145 yards on six catches.
Ball State (4-8, 1-7 Mid-American Conference) got a rushing touchdown from quarterback Riley Neal, who earlier threw a 25-yard TD pass to KeVonn Mabon. Morgan Hagee kicked two field goals.
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Eastern Michigan beats Cent Michigan, 26-21 for 7th win
November 22, 2016
YPSILANTI, Mich. (AP) Brogan Roback found Sergio Bailey II with a 24-yard touchdown with 21 seconds left and Eastern Michigan won its seventh game of the season for the first time in 27 years, knocking off Central Michigan 26-21 in the regular season finale Tuesday night.
Eastern Michigan (7-5, 4-4 Mid-American Conference) is bowl-eligible for the first time since 1987 when the Eagles played in the California Bowl against San Jose State, the only bowl game the school has played in in its 41-year history. It's the Eagles first winning season since 1995.
The Eagles led 20-7 after three quarters, but the Chippewas (6-6, 3-5) rallied behind a pair of Devon Spalding touchdown runs, including a 41-yard dash that put them up 21-20 with 2:34 left.
Robach, who finished 26 of 38 for 355 yards, engineered a 72-yard drive in eight plays for the winning score, his second TD pass of the game.
November 22, 2016
ATHENS, Ohio (AP) Louie Zervos made all three of his field-goal attempts and Ohio clinched the Mid-American Conference East Division title with a 9-3 win over Akron on Tuesday night.
The Bobcats (8-4, 6-2) will play in the MAC championship game for the first time since 2011. They will face either No. 14 Western Michigan or Toledo at Ford Field in Detroit on Dec. 2.
Zervos scored on kicks of 37 and 49 yards in the second quarter and added a 23-yarder with 2:59 left in the fourth. The 49-yard field goal was the second longest of Zervos' career.
Tom O'Leary scored Akron's only points on a 35-yard attempt that made it 6-3 in the third quarter. O'Leary missed a 43-yard attempt near the end of the first quarter.
Tyrell Goodman led Akron (5-7, 3-5) to the Ohio 25 on the Zips' final possession with enough time to go ahead. He had a pass on third-and-11 that was within the reach of JoJo Natson in the end zone, but Natson was unable to haul it in.
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Miami (OH) edges Ball State 21-20, becomes bowl eligible
November 22, 2016
OXFORD, Ohio (AP) Gus Ragland threw for 380 yards and three touchdowns, including a 27-yarder to Sam Shisso in the fourth quarter, to lift Miami of Ohio past Ball State for a 21-20 win that makes the RedHawks bowl eligible for the first time since 2010.
Miami became the first team in college football to finish a regular season 6-6 after losing its first six games.
Trailing by six with 5:04 to play, Shisso hauled in Ragland's pass at the 15, turned and squeezed through three defenders to reach the end zone. Nick Dowd's extra point put the RedHawks on top for good.
Ragland completed 26 of his 35 passes, twice finding Rokeem Williams for touchdown. Williams finished with 145 yards on six catches.
Ball State (4-8, 1-7 Mid-American Conference) got a rushing touchdown from quarterback Riley Neal, who earlier threw a 25-yard TD pass to KeVonn Mabon. Morgan Hagee kicked two field goals.
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Eastern Michigan beats Cent Michigan, 26-21 for 7th win
November 22, 2016
YPSILANTI, Mich. (AP) Brogan Roback found Sergio Bailey II with a 24-yard touchdown with 21 seconds left and Eastern Michigan won its seventh game of the season for the first time in 27 years, knocking off Central Michigan 26-21 in the regular season finale Tuesday night.
Eastern Michigan (7-5, 4-4 Mid-American Conference) is bowl-eligible for the first time since 1987 when the Eagles played in the California Bowl against San Jose State, the only bowl game the school has played in in its 41-year history. It's the Eagles first winning season since 1995.
The Eagles led 20-7 after three quarters, but the Chippewas (6-6, 3-5) rallied behind a pair of Devon Spalding touchdown runs, including a 41-yard dash that put them up 21-20 with 2:34 left.
Robach, who finished 26 of 38 for 355 yards, engineered a 72-yard drive in eight plays for the winning score, his second TD pass of the game.
ACC Report - Week 13
November 22, 2016
2016 ACC STANDINGS
Team SU Conference ATS Over/Under
Boston College 5-6 1-6 4-6-1 4-7
Clemson 10-1 7-1 5-6 5-6
Duke 4-7 1-6 7-4 3-8
Florida State 8-3 5-3 6-4 5-5
Georgia Tech 7-4 4-4 5-4-1 5-4-1
Louisville 9-2 7-1 5-5-1 7-4
Miami (Fla.) 7-4 4-3 7-4 5-6
North Carolina 8-3 5-2 7-4 4-7
North Carolina State 5-6 2-5 7-4 4-6-1
Pittsburgh 7-4 4-3 5-6 10-1
Syracuse 4-7 2-5 4-7 2-9
Virginia 2-9 1-6 4-6-1 3-7-1
Virginia Tech 8-3 5-2 5-6 6-5
Wake Forest 6-5 3-4 7-4 5-6
North Carolina State at North Carolina (Fri. - ESPN, 12:00 p.m. ET)
The Wolfpack and Tar Heels do battle at Kenan Stadium in Chapel Hill Friday afternoon. It's an important game, too, as Carolina is looking to secure a spot in the ACC Championship Game, but they need a little help. N.C. State would not only like to derail those hopes, but they're also in need of a win if they want to become bowl eligible. The Wolfpack are just 3-7 ATS in their past 10 against teams with a winning record, and 1-4 ATS in their past five road games against a team with a winning home record. UNC has covered four of the past five overall and they're 5-2 ATS in their past seven in the month of November. The underdog has cashed in 13 of the past 18 meetings in this series. If you're interested in totals, the under is 4-0 in the past four overall and 4-0 in the past four ACC games. The under is 6-1 in the past seven for UNC, 4-0 in their past four against teams with a losing record and 5-1 in their past six league games.
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Georgia Tech at Georgia (SEC Network, 12:00 p.m. ET)
The Yellow Jackets and Bulldogs are each 7-4 heading into their rivalry game in Athens. The Jackets have struggled against the number lately, going 6-2 ATS in their past eight non-conference games, but just 6-13-1 ATS in the past 20 games overall. They're also 2-6-1 ATS in their past nine road games, and 4-10 ATS in their past 14 against a team with a winning record. UGA is 4-9 ATS in their past 13 home games, but they're 4-1 ATS in their past five against a team with a winning record and 5-1 ATS in their past six league outings. The road team is 14-2-1 ATS in the past 17 meetings in this rivalry, and the Jackets are 4-1-1 ATS in their past six trips to Athens. The under is 4-1 in the past five in this series.
Kentucky at Louisville (ESPN, 12:00 p.m. ET)
The Wildcats roll into this rivalry game with covers in six of their past eight outings, although they're just 10-22 ATS in their past 32 games away from Commonwealth Stadium in Lexington. The Wildcats haven't had a ton of luck outside of the conference, going 0-4 ATS in their past four outside of the SEC while going 3-12 ATS in their past 15 in the month of November. Louisville needs to regroup after their disappointing non-conference loss against Houston. They're still 4-1-1 ATS in their past six non-conference games and 7-2 ATS in their past nine against the SEC. However, the Cards are 1-6 ATS in their past seven home games against a team with a winning road record. In this series the road team is 7-1 ATS in the past eight meetings, with the Wildcats 1-4 ATS in the past five. The over is 3-1-1 in the past five.
Virginia at Virginia Tech (ESPN2, 12:00 p.m.)
The Cavaliers of UVA have long since lost out on bowl eligibility, but Saturday's game at Virginia Tech is their bowl game. They can spoil the chances of their biggest rivalry in Blacksburg. Va. Tech is looking to secure a spot in the ACC Championship Game with a victory. The Cavaliers are 18 1/2-point underdogs as of Wednesday morning. The Cavs are 6-2-2 ATS in their past 10 road games, but just 1-5 ATS in the past six non-conference battles, 1-5 ATS in their past six against teams with a winning record and 1-5 ATS in their past six overall. Virginia Tech isn't much better, going 7-15-1 ATS in their past 23 against a team with a losing record, 4-1 ATS in their past five conference tilts and 4-11-1 ATS in their past 16 home outings against a team with a losing road mark. The underdog has cashed in four straigth in this series, but the Cavaliers are 2-5 ATS in their past seven trips to Blacksburg. The under is 6-1 in the past seven at Lane Stadium, and 5-1 in the past six meetings overall.
Syracuse at Pittsburgh (ACC Network, 12:30 p.m.)
The Orange head to the Steel City in the latest installment of their rivalry. When these teams weren't in the ACC, they used to meet in the Big East. Syracuse has covered just twice in the past seven conference games, 2-5 ATS in their past seven overall and 2-5 ATS in their past seven against teams with a winning record. Pitt has covered four of the past five conference battles and four of their past five overall, but they're just 3-10 ATS in their past 13 home games. The Panthers are also 1-5 ATS in their past six home games against a team with a losing road record. The Orange are just 1-5-1 ATS in their past seven meetings, and 1-5 ATS in their past six trips to Pittsburgh while the home team is 3-1-1 ATS in the past five. The under has cashed in each of the past four in this series.
Boston College at Wake Forest (ACC Network, 3:00 p.m.)
The Eagles head to the Triad looking to qualify for a bowl with a sixth victory. Wake Forest has already secured bowl eligibility, but they can pick up a seventh win and improve their bowl standing. As it stands right now the Demon Deacons could be headed to El Paso for the Sun Bowl against a Pac-12 representative. The Eagles are just 1-8-1 ATS in their past 10 conference teams, and 1-4 ATS in their past five against a team with a winning record. However, B.C. is 5-1 ATS in their past six away from home against a team with a winning home record. Wake has covered in five straight league games, while going 5-1 ATS in their past six games overall. They're also 11-5 ATS in their past 16 against teams with a losing overall mark. The biggest winner at the betting window has been those taking the 'under' when these sides get together. The under is 6-0 in the past six in the series, and 5-1 in the past six in Winston-Salem.
Duke at Miami-Florida (ESPN2, 3:30 p.m.)
Duke's outstanding run of bowl games will come to an end this season, as they're just 4-7 and a two-touchdown underdog in Miami Saturday afternoon. The Hurricanes have had a tale of three seasons, going 4-0 SU/ATS to start the season, 0-4 SU/ATS from Week 6 through, then 3-0 SU/ATS in their past three outings. Duke might not have ticked off many wins this season, but they have hung around. They're 5-1 ATS in their past six overall, 4-1 ATS in their past five league games and 10-4 ATS in their past 14 on the road. Miami has covered four of their past five games against Duke, however, while the 'over' is also 4-1 in the past five meetings in this series.
South Carolina at Clemson (ESPN, 7:30 p.m.)
The Gamecocks have been a thorn in the side of their rivals from the upstate, and they have covered six of the past seven meetings in this series. However, the home team is 4-1 ATS in the past five, including last season when the Gamecocks gave the Tigers a huge scare in Columbia, losing 37-32 as three-touchdown 'dogs. In the last meeting at Clemson, the Tigers won 35-17 Nov. 29, 2014 as 3 1/2-point favorites. South Carolina is 4-1-1 ATS in the past six against teams with a winning record, and they're 7-1 ATS in their past eight against ACC foes. Clemson has posted a 4-0 ATS in their past four home games against a team with a winning road record, but they're just 1-4 ATS in their past five overall and 0-4 ATS against teams with a winning record.
Florida at Florida State (ABC, 8:00 p.m.)
The Gators head to Tallahassee and they're underdogs by a touchdown as of Wednesday morning. The road team has covered in each of the past five meetings in this series, although the favorite is 14-4 ATS in the past 18 meetings in this Sunshine State rivalry. Florida is 3-1-1 ATS in their past five games, and they're 11-4 ATS in their past 15 road games. However, they're 0-6 ATS in their past six outside of the conference. Florida State is 4-1 ATS in their past five non-conference tilts, and 11-5 ATS in the past 16 games overall while going 7-3 ATS in their past 10 at Doak Campbell Stadium in Tallahassee. The total for this game sits at 45, and the 'under' might be a popular play. The 'under' has cashed in four straight for the Gators, and each of their past four road games, too. The under is also 17-4 in their past 21 against ACC teams and 4-1 in their past five non-conference tilts. For the Seminoles, the under is 19-7 in their past 26 against the SEC and 5-2 in their past seven overall. In this series, the under is 8-2 in the past 10 meetings in Tally, and 16-5 in the past 21 meetings in this series.
November 22, 2016
2016 ACC STANDINGS
Team SU Conference ATS Over/Under
Boston College 5-6 1-6 4-6-1 4-7
Clemson 10-1 7-1 5-6 5-6
Duke 4-7 1-6 7-4 3-8
Florida State 8-3 5-3 6-4 5-5
Georgia Tech 7-4 4-4 5-4-1 5-4-1
Louisville 9-2 7-1 5-5-1 7-4
Miami (Fla.) 7-4 4-3 7-4 5-6
North Carolina 8-3 5-2 7-4 4-7
North Carolina State 5-6 2-5 7-4 4-6-1
Pittsburgh 7-4 4-3 5-6 10-1
Syracuse 4-7 2-5 4-7 2-9
Virginia 2-9 1-6 4-6-1 3-7-1
Virginia Tech 8-3 5-2 5-6 6-5
Wake Forest 6-5 3-4 7-4 5-6
North Carolina State at North Carolina (Fri. - ESPN, 12:00 p.m. ET)
The Wolfpack and Tar Heels do battle at Kenan Stadium in Chapel Hill Friday afternoon. It's an important game, too, as Carolina is looking to secure a spot in the ACC Championship Game, but they need a little help. N.C. State would not only like to derail those hopes, but they're also in need of a win if they want to become bowl eligible. The Wolfpack are just 3-7 ATS in their past 10 against teams with a winning record, and 1-4 ATS in their past five road games against a team with a winning home record. UNC has covered four of the past five overall and they're 5-2 ATS in their past seven in the month of November. The underdog has cashed in 13 of the past 18 meetings in this series. If you're interested in totals, the under is 4-0 in the past four overall and 4-0 in the past four ACC games. The under is 6-1 in the past seven for UNC, 4-0 in their past four against teams with a losing record and 5-1 in their past six league games.
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Georgia Tech at Georgia (SEC Network, 12:00 p.m. ET)
The Yellow Jackets and Bulldogs are each 7-4 heading into their rivalry game in Athens. The Jackets have struggled against the number lately, going 6-2 ATS in their past eight non-conference games, but just 6-13-1 ATS in the past 20 games overall. They're also 2-6-1 ATS in their past nine road games, and 4-10 ATS in their past 14 against a team with a winning record. UGA is 4-9 ATS in their past 13 home games, but they're 4-1 ATS in their past five against a team with a winning record and 5-1 ATS in their past six league outings. The road team is 14-2-1 ATS in the past 17 meetings in this rivalry, and the Jackets are 4-1-1 ATS in their past six trips to Athens. The under is 4-1 in the past five in this series.
Kentucky at Louisville (ESPN, 12:00 p.m. ET)
The Wildcats roll into this rivalry game with covers in six of their past eight outings, although they're just 10-22 ATS in their past 32 games away from Commonwealth Stadium in Lexington. The Wildcats haven't had a ton of luck outside of the conference, going 0-4 ATS in their past four outside of the SEC while going 3-12 ATS in their past 15 in the month of November. Louisville needs to regroup after their disappointing non-conference loss against Houston. They're still 4-1-1 ATS in their past six non-conference games and 7-2 ATS in their past nine against the SEC. However, the Cards are 1-6 ATS in their past seven home games against a team with a winning road record. In this series the road team is 7-1 ATS in the past eight meetings, with the Wildcats 1-4 ATS in the past five. The over is 3-1-1 in the past five.
Virginia at Virginia Tech (ESPN2, 12:00 p.m.)
The Cavaliers of UVA have long since lost out on bowl eligibility, but Saturday's game at Virginia Tech is their bowl game. They can spoil the chances of their biggest rivalry in Blacksburg. Va. Tech is looking to secure a spot in the ACC Championship Game with a victory. The Cavaliers are 18 1/2-point underdogs as of Wednesday morning. The Cavs are 6-2-2 ATS in their past 10 road games, but just 1-5 ATS in the past six non-conference battles, 1-5 ATS in their past six against teams with a winning record and 1-5 ATS in their past six overall. Virginia Tech isn't much better, going 7-15-1 ATS in their past 23 against a team with a losing record, 4-1 ATS in their past five conference tilts and 4-11-1 ATS in their past 16 home outings against a team with a losing road mark. The underdog has cashed in four straigth in this series, but the Cavaliers are 2-5 ATS in their past seven trips to Blacksburg. The under is 6-1 in the past seven at Lane Stadium, and 5-1 in the past six meetings overall.
Syracuse at Pittsburgh (ACC Network, 12:30 p.m.)
The Orange head to the Steel City in the latest installment of their rivalry. When these teams weren't in the ACC, they used to meet in the Big East. Syracuse has covered just twice in the past seven conference games, 2-5 ATS in their past seven overall and 2-5 ATS in their past seven against teams with a winning record. Pitt has covered four of the past five conference battles and four of their past five overall, but they're just 3-10 ATS in their past 13 home games. The Panthers are also 1-5 ATS in their past six home games against a team with a losing road record. The Orange are just 1-5-1 ATS in their past seven meetings, and 1-5 ATS in their past six trips to Pittsburgh while the home team is 3-1-1 ATS in the past five. The under has cashed in each of the past four in this series.
Boston College at Wake Forest (ACC Network, 3:00 p.m.)
The Eagles head to the Triad looking to qualify for a bowl with a sixth victory. Wake Forest has already secured bowl eligibility, but they can pick up a seventh win and improve their bowl standing. As it stands right now the Demon Deacons could be headed to El Paso for the Sun Bowl against a Pac-12 representative. The Eagles are just 1-8-1 ATS in their past 10 conference teams, and 1-4 ATS in their past five against a team with a winning record. However, B.C. is 5-1 ATS in their past six away from home against a team with a winning home record. Wake has covered in five straight league games, while going 5-1 ATS in their past six games overall. They're also 11-5 ATS in their past 16 against teams with a losing overall mark. The biggest winner at the betting window has been those taking the 'under' when these sides get together. The under is 6-0 in the past six in the series, and 5-1 in the past six in Winston-Salem.
Duke at Miami-Florida (ESPN2, 3:30 p.m.)
Duke's outstanding run of bowl games will come to an end this season, as they're just 4-7 and a two-touchdown underdog in Miami Saturday afternoon. The Hurricanes have had a tale of three seasons, going 4-0 SU/ATS to start the season, 0-4 SU/ATS from Week 6 through, then 3-0 SU/ATS in their past three outings. Duke might not have ticked off many wins this season, but they have hung around. They're 5-1 ATS in their past six overall, 4-1 ATS in their past five league games and 10-4 ATS in their past 14 on the road. Miami has covered four of their past five games against Duke, however, while the 'over' is also 4-1 in the past five meetings in this series.
South Carolina at Clemson (ESPN, 7:30 p.m.)
The Gamecocks have been a thorn in the side of their rivals from the upstate, and they have covered six of the past seven meetings in this series. However, the home team is 4-1 ATS in the past five, including last season when the Gamecocks gave the Tigers a huge scare in Columbia, losing 37-32 as three-touchdown 'dogs. In the last meeting at Clemson, the Tigers won 35-17 Nov. 29, 2014 as 3 1/2-point favorites. South Carolina is 4-1-1 ATS in the past six against teams with a winning record, and they're 7-1 ATS in their past eight against ACC foes. Clemson has posted a 4-0 ATS in their past four home games against a team with a winning road record, but they're just 1-4 ATS in their past five overall and 0-4 ATS against teams with a winning record.
Florida at Florida State (ABC, 8:00 p.m.)
The Gators head to Tallahassee and they're underdogs by a touchdown as of Wednesday morning. The road team has covered in each of the past five meetings in this series, although the favorite is 14-4 ATS in the past 18 meetings in this Sunshine State rivalry. Florida is 3-1-1 ATS in their past five games, and they're 11-4 ATS in their past 15 road games. However, they're 0-6 ATS in their past six outside of the conference. Florida State is 4-1 ATS in their past five non-conference tilts, and 11-5 ATS in the past 16 games overall while going 7-3 ATS in their past 10 at Doak Campbell Stadium in Tallahassee. The total for this game sits at 45, and the 'under' might be a popular play. The 'under' has cashed in four straight for the Gators, and each of their past four road games, too. The under is also 17-4 in their past 21 against ACC teams and 4-1 in their past five non-conference tilts. For the Seminoles, the under is 19-7 in their past 26 against the SEC and 5-2 in their past seven overall. In this series, the under is 8-2 in the past 10 meetings in Tally, and 16-5 in the past 21 meetings in this series.
B]Big 12 Report - Week 13
November 23, 2016[/B]
2016 BIG 12 STANDINGS
Team SU Conference ATS Over/Under
Baylor 6-4 3-4 2-8 3-7
Iowa State 3-8 2-6 7-4 7-4
Kansas 2-9 1-7 5-6 4-7
Kansas State 6-4 4-3 4-6 5-5
Oklahoma 9-2 8-0 5-6 6-5
Oklahoma State 9-2 7-1 7-4 7-4
Texas 5-6 3-5 6-5 4-7
Texas Christian 5-5 3-4 2-8 5-5
Texas Tech 4-7 2-6 7-4 6-5
West Virginia 8-2 5-2 4-6 4-6
Texas Christian at Texas (Fri. - FOX Sports 1, 3:30 p.m. ET)
Someone is going to become bowl eligible with a win, and someone is going to be super disappointed with a loss. TCU has struggled against the number lately, covering just once in their past six games while going 1-6 ATS in their past seven conference battles. TCU is also 0-5 ATS in their past five against teams with a losing record. For Texas, they're coming off an embarrassing loss at Kansas last week which might have been the final straw for the administration at Texas as far as the Charlie Strong era is concerned. A loss at home and no bowl game would likely cinch the end. Texas has been a disaster on the road, but they're 4-1 SU/ATS in five games in Austin this season. Total bettors might like the 'under' in this one. The 'under' is 4-1 in TCU's past five overall, 4-1 in their past five road games and 5-2 in their past seven against teams with a losing overall record. The 'under' has hit in six straight for Texas, 24 of their past 33 confernce tilts and the 'under' is 35-17-3 in their past 53 at home.
Baylor at Texas Tech (Fri. - ESPN, 6:00 p.m.)
Baylor lost their starting QB Seth Russell to a gruesome injury Nov. 5 against TCU, the second game in a four-game losing streak. After starting out 6-0 SU, the Bears have droped four in a row and they haven't covered in any of the outings, either. Overall Baylor is just 2-8 ATS. Texas Tech is in the midst of a three-game skid, and they have dropped six of the past seven to fall out of contention for a bowl game. However, the Red Raiders are 3-2 ATS and 6-3 ATS in the past nine. The Red Raiders are 3-3 SU/4-2 ATS in six games at home. The Bears are 1-6 ATS in their past seven against teams with a losing record, while Texas Tech is 8-3 ATS in their past 11 conference games. The favorite has hit in five of the past six in this series, while the 'over' has connected in all six of these outings.
Kansas at Kansas State (FOX Sports 1, 12:00 p.m. ET)
The Battle of the Sunflower State takes place at Bill Snyder Family Stadium in Manhattan, and the Wildcats are favored by 27 points (as of Wednesday morning) to maintain their dominance in the series. The Jayhawks topped Texas last week in overtime, giving them a feel-good story after a dismal season. However, they're still just 10-30-1 ATS in their past 41 road games, 7-23 ATS in their past 30 road outings against a team with a winning home record. The Wildcats have posted a 44-21-1 ATS mark in their past 66 conference tilts, including 17-4 ATS in the past 21 meetings. The favorite has cashed in 18 of the past 21 in this series, and K-State is 9-1 ATS in the past 10 home games against their rivals. The over has hit in five of the past six in this rivalry.
West Virginia at Iowa State (FOX Sports 1, 3:30 p.m. ET)
The Mountaineers are licking their wounds after taking a beating from the Sooners at home last week in the snow. They look to rebound in Ames against an Iowa State team which has won just three times, but a Cylclones team which is 3-1 ATS in the past four and 7-2 ATS over their past nine outings. I-State has covered five in a row at Jack Trice Stadium in Ames, and they're 6-2 ATS in their past eight conference games. The 'under' is 6-2 in West Virginia's past eight road games, and 23-9 in their past 32 games overall. For the Cyclones, the 'over' is 4-1 in their past five home games and 7-2 in their past nine games overall and 9-3 in the past 12 conference tilts.
Teams on a Bye
Oklahoma, Oklahoma State
November 23, 2016[/B]
2016 BIG 12 STANDINGS
Team SU Conference ATS Over/Under
Baylor 6-4 3-4 2-8 3-7
Iowa State 3-8 2-6 7-4 7-4
Kansas 2-9 1-7 5-6 4-7
Kansas State 6-4 4-3 4-6 5-5
Oklahoma 9-2 8-0 5-6 6-5
Oklahoma State 9-2 7-1 7-4 7-4
Texas 5-6 3-5 6-5 4-7
Texas Christian 5-5 3-4 2-8 5-5
Texas Tech 4-7 2-6 7-4 6-5
West Virginia 8-2 5-2 4-6 4-6
Texas Christian at Texas (Fri. - FOX Sports 1, 3:30 p.m. ET)
Someone is going to become bowl eligible with a win, and someone is going to be super disappointed with a loss. TCU has struggled against the number lately, covering just once in their past six games while going 1-6 ATS in their past seven conference battles. TCU is also 0-5 ATS in their past five against teams with a losing record. For Texas, they're coming off an embarrassing loss at Kansas last week which might have been the final straw for the administration at Texas as far as the Charlie Strong era is concerned. A loss at home and no bowl game would likely cinch the end. Texas has been a disaster on the road, but they're 4-1 SU/ATS in five games in Austin this season. Total bettors might like the 'under' in this one. The 'under' is 4-1 in TCU's past five overall, 4-1 in their past five road games and 5-2 in their past seven against teams with a losing overall record. The 'under' has hit in six straight for Texas, 24 of their past 33 confernce tilts and the 'under' is 35-17-3 in their past 53 at home.
Baylor at Texas Tech (Fri. - ESPN, 6:00 p.m.)
Baylor lost their starting QB Seth Russell to a gruesome injury Nov. 5 against TCU, the second game in a four-game losing streak. After starting out 6-0 SU, the Bears have droped four in a row and they haven't covered in any of the outings, either. Overall Baylor is just 2-8 ATS. Texas Tech is in the midst of a three-game skid, and they have dropped six of the past seven to fall out of contention for a bowl game. However, the Red Raiders are 3-2 ATS and 6-3 ATS in the past nine. The Red Raiders are 3-3 SU/4-2 ATS in six games at home. The Bears are 1-6 ATS in their past seven against teams with a losing record, while Texas Tech is 8-3 ATS in their past 11 conference games. The favorite has hit in five of the past six in this series, while the 'over' has connected in all six of these outings.
Kansas at Kansas State (FOX Sports 1, 12:00 p.m. ET)
The Battle of the Sunflower State takes place at Bill Snyder Family Stadium in Manhattan, and the Wildcats are favored by 27 points (as of Wednesday morning) to maintain their dominance in the series. The Jayhawks topped Texas last week in overtime, giving them a feel-good story after a dismal season. However, they're still just 10-30-1 ATS in their past 41 road games, 7-23 ATS in their past 30 road outings against a team with a winning home record. The Wildcats have posted a 44-21-1 ATS mark in their past 66 conference tilts, including 17-4 ATS in the past 21 meetings. The favorite has cashed in 18 of the past 21 in this series, and K-State is 9-1 ATS in the past 10 home games against their rivals. The over has hit in five of the past six in this rivalry.
West Virginia at Iowa State (FOX Sports 1, 3:30 p.m. ET)
The Mountaineers are licking their wounds after taking a beating from the Sooners at home last week in the snow. They look to rebound in Ames against an Iowa State team which has won just three times, but a Cylclones team which is 3-1 ATS in the past four and 7-2 ATS over their past nine outings. I-State has covered five in a row at Jack Trice Stadium in Ames, and they're 6-2 ATS in their past eight conference games. The 'under' is 6-2 in West Virginia's past eight road games, and 23-9 in their past 32 games overall. For the Cyclones, the 'over' is 4-1 in their past five home games and 7-2 in their past nine games overall and 9-3 in the past 12 conference tilts.
Teams on a Bye
Oklahoma, Oklahoma State
Michigan at Ohio State
November 22, 2016
2016 BIG 10 STANDINGS
Team SU Conference ATS Over/Under
Illinois 3-8 2-6 5-6 5-6
Indiana 5-6 3-5 5-6 4-7
Iowa 7-4 5-3 5-6 4-7
Maryland 5-6 2-6 3-8 4-7
Michigan 10-1 7-1 5-6 7-4
Michigan State 3-8 1-7 4-7 4-7
Minnesota 8-3 5-3 4-5-2 5-6
Nebraska 9-2 6-2 6-3-2 2-9
Northwestern 5-6 4-4 6-5 3-8
Ohio State 10-1 7-1 6-5 5-6
Penn State 9-2 7-1 7-3-1 8-3
Purdue 3-8 1-7 4-7 9-2
Rutgers 2-9 0-8 4-7 6-5
Wisconsin 9-2 6-2 9-2 4-7
Michigan at Ohio State – (ABC, 12:00 p.m. ET)
Opening Line – Ohio State -7, Total of 48
Current Line (as of Wednesday) – Ohio State -6.5, Total of 45.5
SERIES HISTORY
Ohio State has won 10 of the last 11 in this heated rivalry. Michigan last beat OSU back in 2011 and their last win at the Horseshoe was way back in 2000. The Buckeyes have won 8 of the last 9 here at home in this series dating back to 1998. Six of those eight wins have come by double digits. The Wolverines own the series edge with a 58-47-6 mark.
LAST WEEK
Ohio State – The Buckeyes traveled to Michigan State and escaped with a 17-16 win. The conditions were less than ideal with strong winds and cold temps. Because of the windy conditions, both teams relied heavily on the run with 80 combined rushing attempts for the game. The two combined to complete only 18 total passes the entire contest. Michigan State scored just 20 seconds into the game to take a quick 7-0 lead on two play drive that accounted for 75 of their 334 total yards. The two teams went on to score just 24 points the final 59:40 of the game.
Ohio State took their first lead of the game 17-10 on a TD with 5:33 remaining in the third quarter. The Spartans scored a TD with 4:40 remaining in the game to seemingly tie the game at 17 apiece. However rather than kick the extra point, MSU decided to go for two to try and take the lead but failed. Sparty did have one final chance as they took over at their own 20 yard line with 2:00 minutes remaining but a Tyler O’Connor interception ended their final drive of the game. The tight final score was indicative of how the game played out as both teams ended the came close to even in first downs, total yardage, and time of possession.
Michigan - The Wolverines played their final home tilt of the season vs an improved Indiana team last Saturday in a snowstorm. The Wolverines squeaked out a 20-10 win to improve to 10-1 on the season. Starting QB Wilton Speight was sidelined for Michigan and his replacement John O’Korn struggled. He completed only 7 passes for just 59 yards which was Michigan’s lowest passing total in a game since 2001. The weather conditions were poor with snow and wind so Harbaugh decided to rely almost exclusively on the running game rolling up 225 yards on 50 rushing attempts.
Indiana actually led 7-3 at half but Michigan “exploded” for 17 points in the third quarter to take a 20-10 lead heading into the final stanza. Indiana was unable to mount any type of a threat in the 4th quarter as the teams went scoreless. The Michigan defense continued to dominate as they have all season allowing IU to cross midfield only TWICE the entire game, both of which led to the Hoosiers only points of the game (a TD and a FG).
THE GAME
This is the most anticipated match up in this series since these two meet in 2006 when these two were ranked #1 and #2 in the country. These two teams are currently ranked #2 (OSU) and #3 (Michigan) in the College Football Playoff poll. If Michigan wins, they will play in the Big Ten Championship game the following Saturday. If Ohio State wins, they need Penn State to lose at home vs Michigan State to make it to the Big Ten title game. The winner is pretty much assured a spot in College Football’s Final Four.
Most people obviously feel these are the two top teams in the Big Ten and the stats bear that out. The Wolverines and Buckeyes rank either first or second in the conference in total offense, total defense, scoring offense, scoring defense, rush offense, pass defense, and yardage differential. On a national scale the teams stack up very evenly as well. OSU is #5 in scoring offense, Michigan is #11. The Wolverines are #1 in scoring defense and the Buckeyes are #3. As you can expect, these coaches and teams will be pulling out all the stops on Saturday.
Michigan All American DB Jabril Peppers said this week that, “Everything is coming out of the bag this weekend,” which isn’t a huge surprise. Both teams will see formations on each side of the ball they haven’t seen this season. Trick plays should be abundant.
Michigan has NOT ruled out Speight for this game. It was reported last week that he would be out for the season with a collarbone injury but that was never confirmed. Speight actually suited up and threw passes in warm ups but never took a snap last week vs Indiana. We wouldn’t rule out that this is simply window dressing by Harbaugh and company to keep Urban Meyer guessing. You get the point. We should be in for a barnburner on Saturday.
INSIDE THE NUMBERS
Ohio State has covered 7 of the last 9 in this series. At home, the Buckeyes are 12-5 ATS dating back to 1982. Last time OSU was favored by less than a TD at home vs anyone was back in 2012 and that just happened to be vs this Michigan team when OSU was a 4 point favorite and win 26-21. Going all the way back to the 1992 season, Ohio State is 21-10 ATS overall as a home favorite of a TD or less.
This is the first time Michigan has been an underdog this season. The last 11 times they’ve been a dog in this series, they’ve lost all 11 games outright (3-8 ATS). The last 22 times Michigan has been a road underdog overall (not just vs OSU) they are 3-19 SU (8-14 ATS).
The winner of this match up has scored at least 30 points in 8 of the last 12 meetings. From 1980 to 1999, this was a “slobber-knocker”, defensive series with only 3 games out of 20 topping 50 total points. Their average total points scored from 1980-1999 was just 37. From 2000-2015 these two have topped 50 points eight times. The average total points scored during that span was 53.
November 22, 2016
2016 BIG 10 STANDINGS
Team SU Conference ATS Over/Under
Illinois 3-8 2-6 5-6 5-6
Indiana 5-6 3-5 5-6 4-7
Iowa 7-4 5-3 5-6 4-7
Maryland 5-6 2-6 3-8 4-7
Michigan 10-1 7-1 5-6 7-4
Michigan State 3-8 1-7 4-7 4-7
Minnesota 8-3 5-3 4-5-2 5-6
Nebraska 9-2 6-2 6-3-2 2-9
Northwestern 5-6 4-4 6-5 3-8
Ohio State 10-1 7-1 6-5 5-6
Penn State 9-2 7-1 7-3-1 8-3
Purdue 3-8 1-7 4-7 9-2
Rutgers 2-9 0-8 4-7 6-5
Wisconsin 9-2 6-2 9-2 4-7
Michigan at Ohio State – (ABC, 12:00 p.m. ET)
Opening Line – Ohio State -7, Total of 48
Current Line (as of Wednesday) – Ohio State -6.5, Total of 45.5
SERIES HISTORY
Ohio State has won 10 of the last 11 in this heated rivalry. Michigan last beat OSU back in 2011 and their last win at the Horseshoe was way back in 2000. The Buckeyes have won 8 of the last 9 here at home in this series dating back to 1998. Six of those eight wins have come by double digits. The Wolverines own the series edge with a 58-47-6 mark.
LAST WEEK
Ohio State – The Buckeyes traveled to Michigan State and escaped with a 17-16 win. The conditions were less than ideal with strong winds and cold temps. Because of the windy conditions, both teams relied heavily on the run with 80 combined rushing attempts for the game. The two combined to complete only 18 total passes the entire contest. Michigan State scored just 20 seconds into the game to take a quick 7-0 lead on two play drive that accounted for 75 of their 334 total yards. The two teams went on to score just 24 points the final 59:40 of the game.
Ohio State took their first lead of the game 17-10 on a TD with 5:33 remaining in the third quarter. The Spartans scored a TD with 4:40 remaining in the game to seemingly tie the game at 17 apiece. However rather than kick the extra point, MSU decided to go for two to try and take the lead but failed. Sparty did have one final chance as they took over at their own 20 yard line with 2:00 minutes remaining but a Tyler O’Connor interception ended their final drive of the game. The tight final score was indicative of how the game played out as both teams ended the came close to even in first downs, total yardage, and time of possession.
Michigan - The Wolverines played their final home tilt of the season vs an improved Indiana team last Saturday in a snowstorm. The Wolverines squeaked out a 20-10 win to improve to 10-1 on the season. Starting QB Wilton Speight was sidelined for Michigan and his replacement John O’Korn struggled. He completed only 7 passes for just 59 yards which was Michigan’s lowest passing total in a game since 2001. The weather conditions were poor with snow and wind so Harbaugh decided to rely almost exclusively on the running game rolling up 225 yards on 50 rushing attempts.
Indiana actually led 7-3 at half but Michigan “exploded” for 17 points in the third quarter to take a 20-10 lead heading into the final stanza. Indiana was unable to mount any type of a threat in the 4th quarter as the teams went scoreless. The Michigan defense continued to dominate as they have all season allowing IU to cross midfield only TWICE the entire game, both of which led to the Hoosiers only points of the game (a TD and a FG).
THE GAME
This is the most anticipated match up in this series since these two meet in 2006 when these two were ranked #1 and #2 in the country. These two teams are currently ranked #2 (OSU) and #3 (Michigan) in the College Football Playoff poll. If Michigan wins, they will play in the Big Ten Championship game the following Saturday. If Ohio State wins, they need Penn State to lose at home vs Michigan State to make it to the Big Ten title game. The winner is pretty much assured a spot in College Football’s Final Four.
Most people obviously feel these are the two top teams in the Big Ten and the stats bear that out. The Wolverines and Buckeyes rank either first or second in the conference in total offense, total defense, scoring offense, scoring defense, rush offense, pass defense, and yardage differential. On a national scale the teams stack up very evenly as well. OSU is #5 in scoring offense, Michigan is #11. The Wolverines are #1 in scoring defense and the Buckeyes are #3. As you can expect, these coaches and teams will be pulling out all the stops on Saturday.
Michigan All American DB Jabril Peppers said this week that, “Everything is coming out of the bag this weekend,” which isn’t a huge surprise. Both teams will see formations on each side of the ball they haven’t seen this season. Trick plays should be abundant.
Michigan has NOT ruled out Speight for this game. It was reported last week that he would be out for the season with a collarbone injury but that was never confirmed. Speight actually suited up and threw passes in warm ups but never took a snap last week vs Indiana. We wouldn’t rule out that this is simply window dressing by Harbaugh and company to keep Urban Meyer guessing. You get the point. We should be in for a barnburner on Saturday.
INSIDE THE NUMBERS
Ohio State has covered 7 of the last 9 in this series. At home, the Buckeyes are 12-5 ATS dating back to 1982. Last time OSU was favored by less than a TD at home vs anyone was back in 2012 and that just happened to be vs this Michigan team when OSU was a 4 point favorite and win 26-21. Going all the way back to the 1992 season, Ohio State is 21-10 ATS overall as a home favorite of a TD or less.
This is the first time Michigan has been an underdog this season. The last 11 times they’ve been a dog in this series, they’ve lost all 11 games outright (3-8 ATS). The last 22 times Michigan has been a road underdog overall (not just vs OSU) they are 3-19 SU (8-14 ATS).
The winner of this match up has scored at least 30 points in 8 of the last 12 meetings. From 1980 to 1999, this was a “slobber-knocker”, defensive series with only 3 games out of 20 topping 50 total points. Their average total points scored from 1980-1999 was just 37. From 2000-2015 these two have topped 50 points eight times. The average total points scored during that span was 53.
COLLEGE FOOTBALL BEST BETS:
11/01/2016 2-2-0 50.00% -100
11/02/2016 1-1-0 50.00% -50
11/03/2016 3-3-0 50.00% -150
11/04/2016 2-2-0 50.00% -100
11/05/2016 26-34-0 43.33% -5700
11/08/2016 2-2-0 50.00% -100
11/09/2016 2-2-0 50.00% -100
11/10/2016 1-5-0 16.67% -2250
11/11/2016 0-2-0 0.00% -1100
11/12/2016 23-28-1 45.10% -3900
11/15/2016 1-1-0 50.00% -50
11/16/2016 3-1-0 75.00% +950
11/17/2016 2-2-0 50.00% -100
11/18/2016 2-2-0 50.00% -100
11/19/2016 33-25-0 56.90% +2750
11/22/2016 3-3-0 50.00% -150
TRIPLE PLAYS RECORD: 106 - 87- 8 *****
BIG TEN GOY................0 - 1 ( IOWA BIG LOSER TO WISCONSIN )
MT. WEST GOY..............1 - 0 ( WYOMING ROLLS BIG OVER UTAH ST. )
MAC UNDERDOG GOY.....1 - 0 ( KENT ST. + 21 W.MICHIGAN 37 )
ACC BLOW OUT.............0 - 1 ( CLEMSON -21.5 42 - 43 PITT )
MAC FAVORITE .............1 - 0 ( MIA-OHIO - 10 OVER BUFFALO 35 -24)
SEC BLOW OUT..............1 - 0 ( BAMA -28.5 OVER MISS ST. 51 - 3 )
PAC 12 GOY...................0 - 1 ( USC UPSETS WASHINGTON 26-13 )
BIG 10 DOG..................0 - 1 ( MINNESOTA + 6 LOSES TO NEBRASKA 17 -24 )
PAC 12 BLOW OUT .........1 - 0 ( COLORADO - 17.5 CRUSHES ARIZONA 49 - 24 )
THURS. NIGHT GOY.........0 - 1 ( HOUSTON UPSETS LOUISVILLE 36 -10 )
FRIDAY NIGHT DOG........1 - 0 ( NEVADA 25 + 29 BOISE ST 42 )
FRIDAY NIGHT TOTAL......1 - 0 ( NEVADA /BOISE OVER 64 )
WLT PCT UNITS
ATS Picks 320-312-12 50.63% -11600
O/U Picks 110-114-4 49.11%
11/01/2016 2-2-0 50.00% -100
11/02/2016 1-1-0 50.00% -50
11/03/2016 3-3-0 50.00% -150
11/04/2016 2-2-0 50.00% -100
11/05/2016 26-34-0 43.33% -5700
11/08/2016 2-2-0 50.00% -100
11/09/2016 2-2-0 50.00% -100
11/10/2016 1-5-0 16.67% -2250
11/11/2016 0-2-0 0.00% -1100
11/12/2016 23-28-1 45.10% -3900
11/15/2016 1-1-0 50.00% -50
11/16/2016 3-1-0 75.00% +950
11/17/2016 2-2-0 50.00% -100
11/18/2016 2-2-0 50.00% -100
11/19/2016 33-25-0 56.90% +2750
11/22/2016 3-3-0 50.00% -150
TRIPLE PLAYS RECORD: 106 - 87- 8 *****
BIG TEN GOY................0 - 1 ( IOWA BIG LOSER TO WISCONSIN )
MT. WEST GOY..............1 - 0 ( WYOMING ROLLS BIG OVER UTAH ST. )
MAC UNDERDOG GOY.....1 - 0 ( KENT ST. + 21 W.MICHIGAN 37 )
ACC BLOW OUT.............0 - 1 ( CLEMSON -21.5 42 - 43 PITT )
MAC FAVORITE .............1 - 0 ( MIA-OHIO - 10 OVER BUFFALO 35 -24)
SEC BLOW OUT..............1 - 0 ( BAMA -28.5 OVER MISS ST. 51 - 3 )
PAC 12 GOY...................0 - 1 ( USC UPSETS WASHINGTON 26-13 )
BIG 10 DOG..................0 - 1 ( MINNESOTA + 6 LOSES TO NEBRASKA 17 -24 )
PAC 12 BLOW OUT .........1 - 0 ( COLORADO - 17.5 CRUSHES ARIZONA 49 - 24 )
THURS. NIGHT GOY.........0 - 1 ( HOUSTON UPSETS LOUISVILLE 36 -10 )
FRIDAY NIGHT DOG........1 - 0 ( NEVADA 25 + 29 BOISE ST 42 )
FRIDAY NIGHT TOTAL......1 - 0 ( NEVADA /BOISE OVER 64 )
WLT PCT UNITS
ATS Picks 320-312-12 50.63% -11600
O/U Picks 110-114-4 49.11%
LSU at Texas A&M
November 23, 2016
Matchup: LSU Tigers at Texas A&M Aggies
Venue: Kyle Field in College Station, Texas
Time/TV: Thursday, Nov. 24, 7:30 PM ET - ESPN
Line: LSU -6, Over/Under 48½
Last Meeting: 2015, at LSU (-5½) 19, Texas A&M 7
At home with rumors surrounding the future of Les Miles and LSU riding a three-game losing streak, the Tigers delivered a 19-7 win over Texas A&M to close the regular season last November. Miles was carried off the field and athletic director Joe Alleva announced that Miles would stay at LSU shortly after the game. LSU went on to dominate the Texas Bowl and opened the 2016 season considered a serious SEC and national contender.
The Tigers struggled early in the season on offense, dropping a marquee opening matchup with Wisconsin and then managing just 13 points in a loss at Auburn that prompted a coaching change mid-season.
Former Ole Miss and USC head coach Ed Orgeron stepped in and led the Tigers to three straight wins but with losses in two of the last three games and few signs of progress for the offense against top competition, this looks like a program headed for more changes in the coming months.
LSU will be in a bowl game regardless of the Thanksgiving night result but at 6-4 and with a middle-of-the-pack SEC finish the direction of the program is unclear. With potential openings at a couple of other big schools the Tigers may not be able to pull in their top candidate for head coach if Orgeron is not retained and it will be interesting to see what the staff looks like for a minor bowl slot as the veteran head coach may not want to ride out the season if he is passed over as he went through a similar situation with USC in 2013.
Despite having early season Heisman candidate Leonard Fournette as well as impressive sophomore Derrius Guice in the backfield LSU has managed just 28 points per game though both look likely to clear 1,000 rushing yards this season.
Quarterback play has been an issue as junior Brandon Harris was benched early in the season and Purdue-transfer Danny Etling has marginal numbers with just seven touchdowns and a 58 percent completion rate.
The defense has elite numbers allowing just over 14 points per game this season and the four losses for LSU came while allowing 16, 18, 10, and 16 points as the defense led by Dave Aranda in his first season in Baton Rouge has done the job.
Aranda’s future is an interesting case as well as he was a prized hire after great success at Wisconsin and he is just 40-years-old. This week he’ll be working without linebacker Kendell Beckwith who is a Butkus Award finalist.
An injury can be blamed for yet another November slide for Texas A&M after the Aggies started the season 6-0 and still were ranked in the College Football Playoff top four at 7-1 with the lone loss to Alabama. Ultimately early season wins over UCLA, Auburn, Arkansas, and Tennessee proved to be less meaningful than they looked at the time but losing quarterback Trevor Knight early in the Mississippi State game changed the potential of the offense dramatically.
Back-up Joe Hubenak has some experience and he has actually posted better numbers than Knight had in the passing game but Knight rushed for nearly 600 yards on 6.6 yards per carry and his mobility was the key to the offense for the Aggies.
Texas A&M scored 28 points vs. Mississippi State and Mississippi but against those defenses bigger production was needed and last week against Texas San Antonio the limitations of the offense were on display with just 23 points and just over 400 yards in a matchup the Aggies should have dominated. Less success on offense has impacted the defense as well as the Aggies will wrap up another good but not great season that once again teased with a hot start to the season.
At 8-3, a win over LSU for the first time since the Aggies joined the SEC would be a nice stamp on a still solid season after topping out at eight wins the past two seasons. Texas A&M will still get a reasonably attractive bowl bid in either scenario and this might be a good opportunity given the uncertainty for LSU while getting the short week holiday game at home.
Those disappointed in another November collapse for the Aggies know that should know that Kevin Sumlin’s contract is fully guaranteed for the next three seasons. Sumlin does have a buyout on his end but while he was a rising star in the coaching ranks a few years ago the relative mediocrity in recent seasons coupled with the high profile transfers out of the program leave him as much less of a candidate to be poached from another program.
Sumlin has gone 3-3 or worse in the second halves of now each of the past four seasons but he has won at least eight games in all five seasons in College Station after taking over a program that hit that mark once in the five years prior to his arrival.
In last season’s game Texas A&M led 7-6 at the half but Guice as a freshman had the big play of the game with a 50-yard touchdown run halfway through the third quarter while also turning in a 75-yard kickoff return. LSU had a solid production edge but missed three field goals while the Aggies also missed a field goal kick and had three turnovers. Harris completed only a third of his passes while Texas A&M completed less than 50 percent of its passes as neither offense had a strong showing.
Historical Trends:
-- Before becoming division rivals these teams met in the Cotton Bowl after the 2010 season and counting that game LSU is on a 5-0 S/U and ATS run in this matchup.
-- Both wins in College Station were tight with a 24-19 win in 2012 and a 23-17 win in 2014, slipping just past the road favorite spread in both instances.
-- Since 2005 when Miles took over LSU is 19-14-1 ATS as a road favorite including going 12-5-1 with a road favorite spread of less than 10.
-- Texas A&M is notorious for its home field edge but the recent numbers don’t support Kyle Field as being that tough of a venue for visitors.
-- Under Sumlin,Texas A&M has 10 S/U home losses while going 13-19 ATS since he took over in 2012.
-- The past three seasons Texas A&M is 5-13 ATS at home and under Sumlin the Aggies are just 1-4 ATS as a home underdog with no outright upsets.
November 23, 2016
Matchup: LSU Tigers at Texas A&M Aggies
Venue: Kyle Field in College Station, Texas
Time/TV: Thursday, Nov. 24, 7:30 PM ET - ESPN
Line: LSU -6, Over/Under 48½
Last Meeting: 2015, at LSU (-5½) 19, Texas A&M 7
At home with rumors surrounding the future of Les Miles and LSU riding a three-game losing streak, the Tigers delivered a 19-7 win over Texas A&M to close the regular season last November. Miles was carried off the field and athletic director Joe Alleva announced that Miles would stay at LSU shortly after the game. LSU went on to dominate the Texas Bowl and opened the 2016 season considered a serious SEC and national contender.
The Tigers struggled early in the season on offense, dropping a marquee opening matchup with Wisconsin and then managing just 13 points in a loss at Auburn that prompted a coaching change mid-season.
Former Ole Miss and USC head coach Ed Orgeron stepped in and led the Tigers to three straight wins but with losses in two of the last three games and few signs of progress for the offense against top competition, this looks like a program headed for more changes in the coming months.
LSU will be in a bowl game regardless of the Thanksgiving night result but at 6-4 and with a middle-of-the-pack SEC finish the direction of the program is unclear. With potential openings at a couple of other big schools the Tigers may not be able to pull in their top candidate for head coach if Orgeron is not retained and it will be interesting to see what the staff looks like for a minor bowl slot as the veteran head coach may not want to ride out the season if he is passed over as he went through a similar situation with USC in 2013.
Despite having early season Heisman candidate Leonard Fournette as well as impressive sophomore Derrius Guice in the backfield LSU has managed just 28 points per game though both look likely to clear 1,000 rushing yards this season.
Quarterback play has been an issue as junior Brandon Harris was benched early in the season and Purdue-transfer Danny Etling has marginal numbers with just seven touchdowns and a 58 percent completion rate.
The defense has elite numbers allowing just over 14 points per game this season and the four losses for LSU came while allowing 16, 18, 10, and 16 points as the defense led by Dave Aranda in his first season in Baton Rouge has done the job.
Aranda’s future is an interesting case as well as he was a prized hire after great success at Wisconsin and he is just 40-years-old. This week he’ll be working without linebacker Kendell Beckwith who is a Butkus Award finalist.
An injury can be blamed for yet another November slide for Texas A&M after the Aggies started the season 6-0 and still were ranked in the College Football Playoff top four at 7-1 with the lone loss to Alabama. Ultimately early season wins over UCLA, Auburn, Arkansas, and Tennessee proved to be less meaningful than they looked at the time but losing quarterback Trevor Knight early in the Mississippi State game changed the potential of the offense dramatically.
Back-up Joe Hubenak has some experience and he has actually posted better numbers than Knight had in the passing game but Knight rushed for nearly 600 yards on 6.6 yards per carry and his mobility was the key to the offense for the Aggies.
Texas A&M scored 28 points vs. Mississippi State and Mississippi but against those defenses bigger production was needed and last week against Texas San Antonio the limitations of the offense were on display with just 23 points and just over 400 yards in a matchup the Aggies should have dominated. Less success on offense has impacted the defense as well as the Aggies will wrap up another good but not great season that once again teased with a hot start to the season.
At 8-3, a win over LSU for the first time since the Aggies joined the SEC would be a nice stamp on a still solid season after topping out at eight wins the past two seasons. Texas A&M will still get a reasonably attractive bowl bid in either scenario and this might be a good opportunity given the uncertainty for LSU while getting the short week holiday game at home.
Those disappointed in another November collapse for the Aggies know that should know that Kevin Sumlin’s contract is fully guaranteed for the next three seasons. Sumlin does have a buyout on his end but while he was a rising star in the coaching ranks a few years ago the relative mediocrity in recent seasons coupled with the high profile transfers out of the program leave him as much less of a candidate to be poached from another program.
Sumlin has gone 3-3 or worse in the second halves of now each of the past four seasons but he has won at least eight games in all five seasons in College Station after taking over a program that hit that mark once in the five years prior to his arrival.
In last season’s game Texas A&M led 7-6 at the half but Guice as a freshman had the big play of the game with a 50-yard touchdown run halfway through the third quarter while also turning in a 75-yard kickoff return. LSU had a solid production edge but missed three field goals while the Aggies also missed a field goal kick and had three turnovers. Harris completed only a third of his passes while Texas A&M completed less than 50 percent of its passes as neither offense had a strong showing.
Historical Trends:
-- Before becoming division rivals these teams met in the Cotton Bowl after the 2010 season and counting that game LSU is on a 5-0 S/U and ATS run in this matchup.
-- Both wins in College Station were tight with a 24-19 win in 2012 and a 23-17 win in 2014, slipping just past the road favorite spread in both instances.
-- Since 2005 when Miles took over LSU is 19-14-1 ATS as a road favorite including going 12-5-1 with a road favorite spread of less than 10.
-- Texas A&M is notorious for its home field edge but the recent numbers don’t support Kyle Field as being that tough of a venue for visitors.
-- Under Sumlin,Texas A&M has 10 S/U home losses while going 13-19 ATS since he took over in 2012.
-- The past three seasons Texas A&M is 5-13 ATS at home and under Sumlin the Aggies are just 1-4 ATS as a home underdog with no outright upsets.
NCAAF
Dunkel
Week 13
Thursday, November 24
LSU @ Texas A&M
Game 113-114
November 24, 2016 @ 7:30 pm
Dunkel Rating:
LSU
100.684
Texas A&M
104.610
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Texas A&M
by 4
52
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
LSU
by 5
45
Dunkel Pick:
Texas A&M
(+5); Over
----------------------------
NCAAF
Short Sheet
Week 13
Thurs – Nov. 24
LSU at Texas AM, 7:30 PM ET
LSU: 23-8 ATS after a playing a game where 29 total points or less were scored
Texas AM: 0-6 ATS after 1 or more consecutive losses against the spread
---------------------------------
NCAAF
Thursday, November 24
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Thanksgiving Day NCAAF betting preview: LSU at Texas A&M
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Ed Orgeron was expected to spark the Tigers offense but watched his team score one touchdown in five goal-to-go chances on Saturday at home against Florida.
No. 16 Louisiana State Tigers at No. 25 Texas A&M Aggies (+7.5, 47)
Texas A&M and LSU went from SEC contenders to third place in the West Division over the last few weeks and just hope to close out their respective seasons strong. The 22nd-ranked Aggies, who still have a shot at second place in the West, will try to put together back-to-back wins when they host LSU on Thursday in a Thanksgiving battle.
Texas A&M was in fourth place in the first College Football Playoff rankings but dropped its next two games to Mississippi State and Ole Miss to drop to 25th before recovering with a 23-10 victory over non-conference foe UTSA on Saturday. The Aggies are still a possibility for a Sugar Bowl berth, which would go to the second-highest ranked team from the SEC, and would finish in second place in the SEC West with a win on Thursday and an Auburn loss against Alabama. The Tigers, who lost to Auburn earlier in the year, have no shot at second place and could be playing for interim coach Ed Orgeron's job on Thursday. LSU won three straight after Orgeron took over for Les Miles but since dropped two of three while looking unimpressive on the offensive end.
TV: 7:30 p.m. ET, ESPN.
LINE HISTORY: LSU opened as 5.5-point road favorites, that spread was bet down early in the week to 5, the line reversed track Tuesday and jumped up to 6.5 and continued to rise to the current number of 7.5. The total hit the board at 45 and rose steadily all week to reach the current number at 47. Check out the complete line history here.
INJURY REPORT:
LSU - FB B. Mouton (Questionable, undisclosed), RB L. Fournette (Doubtful, ankle), WR T. Dural (Questionable, undisclosed), LB K. Beckwith (Out, knee), WR J. Ferguson (Out, suspension), S R. Jefferson (Out For Season, leg), S C. Thompson (Out For Season, knee), DE I. Washington (Out For Season, knee), DT C. LaCouture (Out For Season, knee).
Texas A&M - QB J. Hubenak (Probable, shoulder), DB P. Willis (Probable, undisclosed), DB A. Watts (Questionable, leg), DB D. Wilson (Questionable, undisclosed), OL J. Eluemunor (Questionable, undisclosed), DB N. Harvey (Questionable, undisclosed), RB T. Williams (Questionable, undisclosed), OL C. Lanfear (Out For Season, knee), DB N. Ellis (Out For Season, leg), QB T. Knight (Out For Season, shoulder), LB J. Dunning (Out Indefinitely, suspension), DB J. Dunning (Out For Season, knee), WR Q. Davis (Out For Season, knee).
WEATHER REPORT: The weather conditions for this Thanksgiving evening game at College Station, Texas are expected to be clear with temperatures in the low-60's or upper-50's. There will be no wind that will impact the game.
ABOUT LSU (6-4 SU, 4-6 ATS, 1-7-1 O/U): Orgeron was expected to spark the Tigers offense but watched his team score one touchdown in five goal-to-go chances on Saturday at home against Florida, including a goal-line stand that clinched the setback. "We shot ourselves in the foot and had a lot of opportunities in the red zone," Orgeron told reporters. "We didn't convert any points. Two turnovers were really costly in the football game. Guys fought the whole way, gave us a chance to win the football game." Star running back Leonard Fournette, who was hobbled by an ankle injury that has plagued him on and off all season, was limited to 40 yards on 12 carries Saturday and will likely miss Thursday's game.
ABOUT TEXAS A&M (8-3 SU, 4-7 ATS, 3-7-1 O/U): The Aggies' biggest star - defensive end Myles Garrett - has been hobbled most of the season as well but finally looked fully healthy on Saturday and recorded 4 1/2 sacks in the win. Garrett, who is expected to go high in the first round of the next NFL draft, became the eighth player in SEC history to record 30 or more sacks in his career (32 1/2). Texas A&M, which lost starter Trevor Knight to a shoulder injury in the loss to Mississippi, is still getting used to Jake Hubenak at quarterback, and the junior threw for 248 yards and a touchdown against UTSA.
TRENDS:
* Tigers are 4-1 ATS in their last 5 games after scoring less than 20 points in their previous game.
* Aggies are 0-7 ATS in their last 7 games overall.
* Under is 9-1 in Tigers last 10 games in November.
* Under is 11-2-1 in Aggies last 14 games on grass.
* Tigers are 5-0-1 ATS in their last 6 meetings.
CONSENSUS: 58 percent of users are taking the home underdog while 52 percent favor the Over in this battle of top 25 teams.
Dunkel
Week 13
Thursday, November 24
LSU @ Texas A&M
Game 113-114
November 24, 2016 @ 7:30 pm
Dunkel Rating:
LSU
100.684
Texas A&M
104.610
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Texas A&M
by 4
52
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
LSU
by 5
45
Dunkel Pick:
Texas A&M
(+5); Over
----------------------------
NCAAF
Short Sheet
Week 13
Thurs – Nov. 24
LSU at Texas AM, 7:30 PM ET
LSU: 23-8 ATS after a playing a game where 29 total points or less were scored
Texas AM: 0-6 ATS after 1 or more consecutive losses against the spread
---------------------------------
NCAAF
Thursday, November 24
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Thanksgiving Day NCAAF betting preview: LSU at Texas A&M
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Ed Orgeron was expected to spark the Tigers offense but watched his team score one touchdown in five goal-to-go chances on Saturday at home against Florida.
No. 16 Louisiana State Tigers at No. 25 Texas A&M Aggies (+7.5, 47)
Texas A&M and LSU went from SEC contenders to third place in the West Division over the last few weeks and just hope to close out their respective seasons strong. The 22nd-ranked Aggies, who still have a shot at second place in the West, will try to put together back-to-back wins when they host LSU on Thursday in a Thanksgiving battle.
Texas A&M was in fourth place in the first College Football Playoff rankings but dropped its next two games to Mississippi State and Ole Miss to drop to 25th before recovering with a 23-10 victory over non-conference foe UTSA on Saturday. The Aggies are still a possibility for a Sugar Bowl berth, which would go to the second-highest ranked team from the SEC, and would finish in second place in the SEC West with a win on Thursday and an Auburn loss against Alabama. The Tigers, who lost to Auburn earlier in the year, have no shot at second place and could be playing for interim coach Ed Orgeron's job on Thursday. LSU won three straight after Orgeron took over for Les Miles but since dropped two of three while looking unimpressive on the offensive end.
TV: 7:30 p.m. ET, ESPN.
LINE HISTORY: LSU opened as 5.5-point road favorites, that spread was bet down early in the week to 5, the line reversed track Tuesday and jumped up to 6.5 and continued to rise to the current number of 7.5. The total hit the board at 45 and rose steadily all week to reach the current number at 47. Check out the complete line history here.
INJURY REPORT:
LSU - FB B. Mouton (Questionable, undisclosed), RB L. Fournette (Doubtful, ankle), WR T. Dural (Questionable, undisclosed), LB K. Beckwith (Out, knee), WR J. Ferguson (Out, suspension), S R. Jefferson (Out For Season, leg), S C. Thompson (Out For Season, knee), DE I. Washington (Out For Season, knee), DT C. LaCouture (Out For Season, knee).
Texas A&M - QB J. Hubenak (Probable, shoulder), DB P. Willis (Probable, undisclosed), DB A. Watts (Questionable, leg), DB D. Wilson (Questionable, undisclosed), OL J. Eluemunor (Questionable, undisclosed), DB N. Harvey (Questionable, undisclosed), RB T. Williams (Questionable, undisclosed), OL C. Lanfear (Out For Season, knee), DB N. Ellis (Out For Season, leg), QB T. Knight (Out For Season, shoulder), LB J. Dunning (Out Indefinitely, suspension), DB J. Dunning (Out For Season, knee), WR Q. Davis (Out For Season, knee).
WEATHER REPORT: The weather conditions for this Thanksgiving evening game at College Station, Texas are expected to be clear with temperatures in the low-60's or upper-50's. There will be no wind that will impact the game.
ABOUT LSU (6-4 SU, 4-6 ATS, 1-7-1 O/U): Orgeron was expected to spark the Tigers offense but watched his team score one touchdown in five goal-to-go chances on Saturday at home against Florida, including a goal-line stand that clinched the setback. "We shot ourselves in the foot and had a lot of opportunities in the red zone," Orgeron told reporters. "We didn't convert any points. Two turnovers were really costly in the football game. Guys fought the whole way, gave us a chance to win the football game." Star running back Leonard Fournette, who was hobbled by an ankle injury that has plagued him on and off all season, was limited to 40 yards on 12 carries Saturday and will likely miss Thursday's game.
ABOUT TEXAS A&M (8-3 SU, 4-7 ATS, 3-7-1 O/U): The Aggies' biggest star - defensive end Myles Garrett - has been hobbled most of the season as well but finally looked fully healthy on Saturday and recorded 4 1/2 sacks in the win. Garrett, who is expected to go high in the first round of the next NFL draft, became the eighth player in SEC history to record 30 or more sacks in his career (32 1/2). Texas A&M, which lost starter Trevor Knight to a shoulder injury in the loss to Mississippi, is still getting used to Jake Hubenak at quarterback, and the junior threw for 248 yards and a touchdown against UTSA.
TRENDS:
* Tigers are 4-1 ATS in their last 5 games after scoring less than 20 points in their previous game.
* Aggies are 0-7 ATS in their last 7 games overall.
* Under is 9-1 in Tigers last 10 games in November.
* Under is 11-2-1 in Aggies last 14 games on grass.
* Tigers are 5-0-1 ATS in their last 6 meetings.
CONSENSUS: 58 percent of users are taking the home underdog while 52 percent favor the Over in this battle of top 25 teams.
LSU rolls past Texas A&M, 54-39
November 24, 2016
COLLEGE STATION, Texas (AP) Steady chants of: ''Keep coach O'' streamed out of LSU's locker room after the 25th-ranked Tigers got a 54-39 win over No. 22 Texas A&M on Thursday night.
It's clear the LSU's players want interim coach Ed Orgeron to remain in charge. The question is what the school's adminstration plans to do.
Derrius Guice ran for a school-record 285 yards and had four touchdowns and Danny Etling threw for 324 yards and two scores to give short-handed LSU the victory.
''I want coach O to stay,'' Guice said. ''We need somebody like coach O to lead us out there and he's done a great job since he's been here.''
The Tigers were playing without star running back Leonard Fournette and leading tackler Kendell Beckwith because of injuries. But Guice and Etling did plenty to allow LSU (7-4, 5-3 SEC) to handle Texas A&M, and gave the Tigers a 300-yard passer and a 200-yard rusher in the same game for the first time in school history.
It certainly wasn't the first time Guice has had a big game this year, with Fournette struggling with an ankle injury for a big chunk of the season. His performance pushed his career-high rushing total to 1,249 and his four TDs were a career high. The game gave him one more yard than Fournette gained to set the school's single-game rushing record last month.
Guice was asked if he'd thought about breaking Fournette's record.
''I haven't. My head's been on I miss him,'' Guice said. ''He was supposed to be out here with us tonight.''
The Tigers spoke this week about wanting a win to help boost Orgeron's chances of keeping the job. But on Thursday reports surfaced that LSU was zeroing in on Houston's Tom Herman. The reports prompted LSU's vice chancellor and athletic director Joe Alleva and university administration to issue a statement denying they had chosen a new coach and praising Orgeron's work since taking over in September when Les Miles was fired.
Orgeron said after the game that he hadn't heard anything about his future, but that he would love to retain the job.
''We had to turn this team around and we did,'' he said. ''It was a ship that was sinking and we turned it around.''
While LSU wasn't at full strength, the Aggies (8-4, 4-4) were the healthiest they've been in weeks, with defensive end Myles Garrett over an ankle injury and quarterback Trevor Knight back from a shoulder injury.
Knight made an unexpected return after missing the last two games with the injury. Coach Kevin Sumlin said days after he was injured that he would miss the remainder of the regular season but would return for A&M's bowl game. Instead he returned to throw for 211 yards and three touchdowns before leaving the game late in the fourth quarter with what looked to be a knee injury.
''We were 6-0 and No. 4 in polls at one point. Here we are three weeks later, and we are unranked (in College Football Playoff rankings),'' Knight said. ''That is disappointing. I don't think it is a lack of effort or lack of character or anything. We played some good teams that came up with good wins. I wish I could point the finger at what went wrong and why we lost the games, but the point is, we didn't play as well as we needed to on the back stretch.''
The Aggies cut the lead to 10 with a field goal on the opening drive of the second half, but soon Guice was at work again. His second 45-yard touchdown run came on LSU's next drive to extend the lead to 27-10. Texas A&M failed to convert on fourth-and-4 to give the Tigers the ball back and Guice got to the end zone again, this time on a 6-yard run, to make it 34-10.
Texas A&M cut to deficit with touchdowns three times after that, but each time LSU responded with TDs of its own to keep the game out of reach.
THE TAKEAWAY
LSU: The Tigers responded to the adversity of missing their top players with a nice win to cap what has been a disappointing regular season.
''We've been through some stuff man and we're resilient,'' Orgeron said. ''Just proud of this football team.''
TEXAS A&M: The Aggies missed a chance to improve their bowl status and possibly move into a prestigious New Year's day bowl game despite the return of Knight.
POLL IMPLICATIONS
LSU: The Tigers should move up a few spots and with the win, but just how much they rise will depend on what happens the rest of the weekend.
TEXAS A&M: The Aggies will drop out of the poll after their third loss in their last four games.
1,000-YARD RUNNERS
Both teams had players eclipse the 1,000-yard mark with their performances on Thursday. Texas A&M's Trayveon Williams had 68 yards rushing to give him 1,024 yards this season, making him the first true freshman in school history to run for 1,000 yards. Guice is the 12th player in LSU history to reach 1,000 yards rushing and he has 1,685 yards rushing in his two-year career.
UP NEXT
Both teams will wait for their bowl pairings.
November 24, 2016
COLLEGE STATION, Texas (AP) Steady chants of: ''Keep coach O'' streamed out of LSU's locker room after the 25th-ranked Tigers got a 54-39 win over No. 22 Texas A&M on Thursday night.
It's clear the LSU's players want interim coach Ed Orgeron to remain in charge. The question is what the school's adminstration plans to do.
Derrius Guice ran for a school-record 285 yards and had four touchdowns and Danny Etling threw for 324 yards and two scores to give short-handed LSU the victory.
''I want coach O to stay,'' Guice said. ''We need somebody like coach O to lead us out there and he's done a great job since he's been here.''
The Tigers were playing without star running back Leonard Fournette and leading tackler Kendell Beckwith because of injuries. But Guice and Etling did plenty to allow LSU (7-4, 5-3 SEC) to handle Texas A&M, and gave the Tigers a 300-yard passer and a 200-yard rusher in the same game for the first time in school history.
It certainly wasn't the first time Guice has had a big game this year, with Fournette struggling with an ankle injury for a big chunk of the season. His performance pushed his career-high rushing total to 1,249 and his four TDs were a career high. The game gave him one more yard than Fournette gained to set the school's single-game rushing record last month.
Guice was asked if he'd thought about breaking Fournette's record.
''I haven't. My head's been on I miss him,'' Guice said. ''He was supposed to be out here with us tonight.''
The Tigers spoke this week about wanting a win to help boost Orgeron's chances of keeping the job. But on Thursday reports surfaced that LSU was zeroing in on Houston's Tom Herman. The reports prompted LSU's vice chancellor and athletic director Joe Alleva and university administration to issue a statement denying they had chosen a new coach and praising Orgeron's work since taking over in September when Les Miles was fired.
Orgeron said after the game that he hadn't heard anything about his future, but that he would love to retain the job.
''We had to turn this team around and we did,'' he said. ''It was a ship that was sinking and we turned it around.''
While LSU wasn't at full strength, the Aggies (8-4, 4-4) were the healthiest they've been in weeks, with defensive end Myles Garrett over an ankle injury and quarterback Trevor Knight back from a shoulder injury.
Knight made an unexpected return after missing the last two games with the injury. Coach Kevin Sumlin said days after he was injured that he would miss the remainder of the regular season but would return for A&M's bowl game. Instead he returned to throw for 211 yards and three touchdowns before leaving the game late in the fourth quarter with what looked to be a knee injury.
''We were 6-0 and No. 4 in polls at one point. Here we are three weeks later, and we are unranked (in College Football Playoff rankings),'' Knight said. ''That is disappointing. I don't think it is a lack of effort or lack of character or anything. We played some good teams that came up with good wins. I wish I could point the finger at what went wrong and why we lost the games, but the point is, we didn't play as well as we needed to on the back stretch.''
The Aggies cut the lead to 10 with a field goal on the opening drive of the second half, but soon Guice was at work again. His second 45-yard touchdown run came on LSU's next drive to extend the lead to 27-10. Texas A&M failed to convert on fourth-and-4 to give the Tigers the ball back and Guice got to the end zone again, this time on a 6-yard run, to make it 34-10.
Texas A&M cut to deficit with touchdowns three times after that, but each time LSU responded with TDs of its own to keep the game out of reach.
THE TAKEAWAY
LSU: The Tigers responded to the adversity of missing their top players with a nice win to cap what has been a disappointing regular season.
''We've been through some stuff man and we're resilient,'' Orgeron said. ''Just proud of this football team.''
TEXAS A&M: The Aggies missed a chance to improve their bowl status and possibly move into a prestigious New Year's day bowl game despite the return of Knight.
POLL IMPLICATIONS
LSU: The Tigers should move up a few spots and with the win, but just how much they rise will depend on what happens the rest of the weekend.
TEXAS A&M: The Aggies will drop out of the poll after their third loss in their last four games.
1,000-YARD RUNNERS
Both teams had players eclipse the 1,000-yard mark with their performances on Thursday. Texas A&M's Trayveon Williams had 68 yards rushing to give him 1,024 yards this season, making him the first true freshman in school history to run for 1,000 yards. Guice is the 12th player in LSU history to reach 1,000 yards rushing and he has 1,685 yards rushing in his two-year career.
UP NEXT
Both teams will wait for their bowl pairings.
Fri – Nov. 25
Buffalo at Bowling Green, 2:30 PM ET
Buffalo: 27-47 ATS after playing 3 straight conference games
Bowling Green: 19-8 ATS after a win by 28 or more points
Toledo at Western Michigan, 5:00 PM ET
Toledo: 8-1 ATS in road lined games
W Michigan: 7-0 UNDER in home games after gaining 7.25 or more yards/play in their previous game
Northern Illinois at Kent State, 12:00 PM ET
N Illinois: 11-3 ATS in road games off 1 or more consecutive unders
Kent St: 11-24 ATS in home games after 1 or more consecutive losses against the spread
Nebraska at Iowa, 3:30 PM ET
Nebraska: 9-2 ATS after playing a game at home
Iowa: 0-6 ATS in home games off a road win
Arkansas at Missouri, 2:30 PM ET
Arkansas: 8-1 ATS after playing their last game on the road
Missouri: 0-7 ATS after having lost 3 out of their last 4
Cincinnati at Tulsa, 8:30 PM ET
Cincinnati: 0-7 ATS off 2 or more consecutive unders
Tulsa: 6-0 ATS after scoring 31 points or more in 3 straight games
TCU at Texas, 3:30 PM ET
TCU: 0-6 ATS when the total is between 56.5 and 63
Texas: 46-27 ATS after failing to cover the spread in 2 out of their last 3
Boise State at Air Force, 3:30 PM ET
Boise St: 10-1 ATS in road games after playing a conference game
Air Force: 12-26 ATS after failing to cover the spread in 5 or 6 out of their last 7
Louisiana Tech at Southern Miss, 4:00 PM ET
Louisiana Tech: 6-1 ATS after scoring 42 points or more last game
S Miss: 1-5 ATS after a game where they committed 3 or more turnovers
North Carolina State at North Carolina, 12:00 PM ET
N Carolina St: 9-1 ATS in road games after a game where they forced 1 or less turnovers
N Carolina: 2-5 ATS off a home blowout win by 28 points or more
Houston at Memphis, 12:00 PM ET
Houston: 7-0 ATS after a game with a turnover margin of +3 or better
Memphis: 2-8 ATS off a road win
Washington at Washington State, 3:30 PM ET
Washington: 6-18 ATS after allowing 125 or less rushing yards in 3 straight games
Washington St: 9-2 ATS as an underdog
Texas Tech at Baylor, 6:00 PM ET
Texas Tech: 9-1 ATS off 2 straight losses against conference rivals
Baylor: 2-10 ATS after 4 or more consecutive losses against the spread
Arizona State at Arizona, 9:30 PM ET
Arizona St: 11-1 ATS off a road cover where the team lost as an underdog
Arizona: 0-6 ATS after playing 2 straight conference games
Buffalo at Bowling Green, 2:30 PM ET
Buffalo: 27-47 ATS after playing 3 straight conference games
Bowling Green: 19-8 ATS after a win by 28 or more points
Toledo at Western Michigan, 5:00 PM ET
Toledo: 8-1 ATS in road lined games
W Michigan: 7-0 UNDER in home games after gaining 7.25 or more yards/play in their previous game
Northern Illinois at Kent State, 12:00 PM ET
N Illinois: 11-3 ATS in road games off 1 or more consecutive unders
Kent St: 11-24 ATS in home games after 1 or more consecutive losses against the spread
Nebraska at Iowa, 3:30 PM ET
Nebraska: 9-2 ATS after playing a game at home
Iowa: 0-6 ATS in home games off a road win
Arkansas at Missouri, 2:30 PM ET
Arkansas: 8-1 ATS after playing their last game on the road
Missouri: 0-7 ATS after having lost 3 out of their last 4
Cincinnati at Tulsa, 8:30 PM ET
Cincinnati: 0-7 ATS off 2 or more consecutive unders
Tulsa: 6-0 ATS after scoring 31 points or more in 3 straight games
TCU at Texas, 3:30 PM ET
TCU: 0-6 ATS when the total is between 56.5 and 63
Texas: 46-27 ATS after failing to cover the spread in 2 out of their last 3
Boise State at Air Force, 3:30 PM ET
Boise St: 10-1 ATS in road games after playing a conference game
Air Force: 12-26 ATS after failing to cover the spread in 5 or 6 out of their last 7
Louisiana Tech at Southern Miss, 4:00 PM ET
Louisiana Tech: 6-1 ATS after scoring 42 points or more last game
S Miss: 1-5 ATS after a game where they committed 3 or more turnovers
North Carolina State at North Carolina, 12:00 PM ET
N Carolina St: 9-1 ATS in road games after a game where they forced 1 or less turnovers
N Carolina: 2-5 ATS off a home blowout win by 28 points or more
Houston at Memphis, 12:00 PM ET
Houston: 7-0 ATS after a game with a turnover margin of +3 or better
Memphis: 2-8 ATS off a road win
Washington at Washington State, 3:30 PM ET
Washington: 6-18 ATS after allowing 125 or less rushing yards in 3 straight games
Washington St: 9-2 ATS as an underdog
Texas Tech at Baylor, 6:00 PM ET
Texas Tech: 9-1 ATS off 2 straight losses against conference rivals
Baylor: 2-10 ATS after 4 or more consecutive losses against the spread
Arizona State at Arizona, 9:30 PM ET
Arizona St: 11-1 ATS off a road cover where the team lost as an underdog
Arizona: 0-6 ATS after playing 2 straight conference games
NCAAF
Dunkel
Week 13
Friday, November 25
Arizona State @ Arizona
Game 141-142
November 25, 2016 @ 9:30 pm
Dunkel Rating:
Arizona State
80.588
Arizona
80.993
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Arizona
Even
74
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Arizona State
by 3
68 1/2
Dunkel Pick:
Arizona
(+3); Over
Texas Tech @ Baylor
Game 139-140
November 25, 2016 @ 6:00 pm
Dunkel Rating:
Texas Tech
88.636
Baylor
91.034
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Baylor
by 2 1/2
92
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Baylor
by 5 1/2
85
Dunkel Pick:
Texas Tech
(+5 1/2); Over
Washington @ Washington St
Game 137-138
November 25, 2016 @ 3:30 pm
Dunkel Rating:
Washington
109.588
Washington St
106.171
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Washington
by 3 1/2
72
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Washington
by 6
64
Dunkel Pick:
Washington St
(+6); Over
Houston @ Memphis
Game 135-136
November 25, 2016 @ 12:00 pm
Dunkel Rating:
Houston
100.713
Memphis
93.756
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Houston
by 7
66
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Houston
by 4
61 1/2
Dunkel Pick:
Houston
(-4); Over
NC State @ North Carolina
Game 133-134
November 25, 2016 @ 12:00 pm
Dunkel Rating:
NC State
87.805
North Carolina
104.428
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
North Carolina
by 16 1/2
53
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
North Carolina
by 10 1/2
59 1/2
Dunkel Pick:
North Carolina
(-10 1/2); Under
Louisiana Tech @ Southern Miss
Game 131-132
November 25, 2016 @ 4:00 pm
Dunkel Rating:
Louisiana Tech
92.988
Southern Miss
69.424
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Louisiana Tech
by 23 1/2
72
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Louisiana Tech
by 14
77
Dunkel Pick:
Louisiana Tech
(-14); Under
Boise State @ Air Force
Game 129-130
November 25, 2016 @ 3:30 pm
Dunkel Rating:
Boise State
96.925
Air Force
79.495
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Boise State
by 17 1/2
58
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Boise State
by 8 1/2
64 1/2
Dunkel Pick:
Boise State
(-8 1/2); Under
TCU @ Texas
Game 127-128
November 25, 2016 @ 3:30 pm
Dunkel Rating:
TCU
89.418
Texas
100.482
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Texas
by 11
54
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Texas
by 3
59 1/2
Dunkel Pick:
Texas
(-3); Under
Cincinnati @ Tulsa
Game 125-126
November 25, 2016 @ 8:30 pm
Dunkel Rating:
Cincinnati
79.142
Tulsa
94.522
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Tulsa
by 15 1/2
68
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Tulsa
by 23 1/2
62 1/2
Dunkel Pick:
Cincinnati
(+23 1/2); Over
Dunkel
Week 13
Friday, November 25
Arizona State @ Arizona
Game 141-142
November 25, 2016 @ 9:30 pm
Dunkel Rating:
Arizona State
80.588
Arizona
80.993
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Arizona
Even
74
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Arizona State
by 3
68 1/2
Dunkel Pick:
Arizona
(+3); Over
Texas Tech @ Baylor
Game 139-140
November 25, 2016 @ 6:00 pm
Dunkel Rating:
Texas Tech
88.636
Baylor
91.034
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Baylor
by 2 1/2
92
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Baylor
by 5 1/2
85
Dunkel Pick:
Texas Tech
(+5 1/2); Over
Washington @ Washington St
Game 137-138
November 25, 2016 @ 3:30 pm
Dunkel Rating:
Washington
109.588
Washington St
106.171
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Washington
by 3 1/2
72
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Washington
by 6
64
Dunkel Pick:
Washington St
(+6); Over
Houston @ Memphis
Game 135-136
November 25, 2016 @ 12:00 pm
Dunkel Rating:
Houston
100.713
Memphis
93.756
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Houston
by 7
66
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Houston
by 4
61 1/2
Dunkel Pick:
Houston
(-4); Over
NC State @ North Carolina
Game 133-134
November 25, 2016 @ 12:00 pm
Dunkel Rating:
NC State
87.805
North Carolina
104.428
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
North Carolina
by 16 1/2
53
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
North Carolina
by 10 1/2
59 1/2
Dunkel Pick:
North Carolina
(-10 1/2); Under
Louisiana Tech @ Southern Miss
Game 131-132
November 25, 2016 @ 4:00 pm
Dunkel Rating:
Louisiana Tech
92.988
Southern Miss
69.424
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Louisiana Tech
by 23 1/2
72
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Louisiana Tech
by 14
77
Dunkel Pick:
Louisiana Tech
(-14); Under
Boise State @ Air Force
Game 129-130
November 25, 2016 @ 3:30 pm
Dunkel Rating:
Boise State
96.925
Air Force
79.495
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Boise State
by 17 1/2
58
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Boise State
by 8 1/2
64 1/2
Dunkel Pick:
Boise State
(-8 1/2); Under
TCU @ Texas
Game 127-128
November 25, 2016 @ 3:30 pm
Dunkel Rating:
TCU
89.418
Texas
100.482
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Texas
by 11
54
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Texas
by 3
59 1/2
Dunkel Pick:
Texas
(-3); Under
Cincinnati @ Tulsa
Game 125-126
November 25, 2016 @ 8:30 pm
Dunkel Rating:
Cincinnati
79.142
Tulsa
94.522
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Tulsa
by 15 1/2
68
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Tulsa
by 23 1/2
62 1/2
Dunkel Pick:
Cincinnati
(+23 1/2); Over
NCAAF
Armadillo's Write-Up
Week 13
Weekend’s best 13 games
Nebraska has injury ?’s at QB, check status on Armstrong. Home teams lost last four Nebraska-Iowa games; Cornhuskers won 37-34/13-7 in last two visits here. Underdogs covered four of last six series games. Huskers are 2-2 on road, losing at Wisconsin/Ohio St in last two; they’re 1-1 as home underdogs. Iowa lost three of last four home games, with win over Michigan, loss to I-AA North Dakota State; Hawkeyes are 1-2 as home favorites. Big 14 home favorites are 12-15 vs spread. Eight of last nine Nebraska games, three of last four Iowa games stayed under total.
Home side won last two Arkansas-Missouri games; Razorbacks lost 21-14 in last visit here in ’14. Favorites won three of last four series games. Arkansas allowed 139 points in three road games, losing 56-3 at Auburn, winning 41-38 in OT at TCU; they’re 0-4 vs spread in game following their last four wins. Missouri won/covered once in last seven games; they lost 63-37 at Tennessee last week. Tigers are 2-3 in I-A home games, 1-5 vs spread as an underdog this year- they allowed 287+ passing yards in five of last seven games. SEC home underdogs are 13-7 vs spread.
TCU crushed Texas 50-7/48-10 last two years; this is Longhorns’ last game and Strong’s last game as Texas HC- am guessing Longhorn players will try hard to send him out a winner. TCU is 5-5, still needs a win to be bowl eligible; they’re 3-1 on road, with loss 34-10 at West Virginia but also a shaky 24-23 win at lowly Kansas, which beat Texas LW. Horned Frogs won 43-10/20-13 in last two visits here. Texas is 2-5 this season games decided by 7 or less points. Big X home favorites are 10-11 vs spread. Under is 4-1 in last five TCU games, 5-0-1 in last six Texas tilts.
Air Force upset Boise State 28-14/37-30 last two years; underdogs covered last four series games. Broncos lost 28-14 in last visit here, two years ago. Falcons won last four games, are 8-3, winning last two 49-46/41-38; they’re 3-1 at home with an OT loss to Hawai’i. AF covered its only game as an underdog this year. Boise is 1-5 vs spread in its last six games but 3-1-1 as a road underdog this year, with only SU road loss 30-28 at Wyoming. Mountain West home underdogs are 12-6 vs spread. Over is 6-1 in last seven Air Force games, 3-0 in last three Boise games.
Washington is 4-0 on road, 2-2 as road favorites, scoring 50.5 pts/game in wins by 7-49-7-39 points; they’re 1-4 vs spread in last five games, with home loss to USC in there. Huskies won six of last seven games with Washington State, winning last three (45-10/31-13 last two years); favorites covered five of last seven series games. Washington is 6-3 in last nine visits to Pullman, 6-2 vs spread in last eight. Wazzu had 8-game win streak snapped at Colorado LW; they’re 3-1 vs spread as an underdog this year. Pac-12 home underdogs are 9-10 vs spread. Over is 6-2 in last eight games for both teams.
Wisconsin won its last 12 games with Minnesota (4-5 vs spread in last nine), winning last six by 10+ points. Badgers have 233+ RY in six of last seven meetings. Gophers lost last nine trips to Madison, but covered three of last four. Gophers are 2-2 on road this year, losing by 3 at Penn State, 7 at Nebraska; they’re 1-1-1 as an underdog this year. Wisconsin won last five games, is 7-1 vs spread in last eight, winning 48-3/49-20 last two weeks- they’re 2-2 as home favorites this season. Big 14 home favorites are 12-15 vs spread. Under is 6-3 in last nine games for both sides.
Georgia is 13-2 in its last 15 games with Georgia Tech, winning six of last seven, covering four of last five. Tech split its last four visits between hedges; they’re 4-1-1 vs spread in last six visits here. Dawgs won last three games, are 2-2 at home, 0-2 as home favorites, with wins by 7-14 points- they lost at home to Tennessee/Vandy. Tech is 6-1 if it scores 30+ points, 1-3 if it doesn’t; they’re 2-3 as an underdog. SEC non-conference home favorites are 10-15 vs spread; Georgia held 9 of 11 opponents under 30. ACC road underdogs are 5-3. Under is 4-1 in last five Georgia games, 2-5 in Tech’s last seven.
Alabama covered five of last six games, winning last three by combined score of 92-6; Crimson Tide is 3-1-1 as home favorites, winning I-A home games by average score of 38-7. Bama won six of last eight Iron Bowls, covering four of last five; Tide won 55-44/29-13 in last two meetings. Tigers lost three of last four visits here, with losses by 11-49-36 points. Auburn’s losses this year are by 6-13-6 points; they’re 2-0 as an underdog- they’re 2-1 on road, with wins at Mississippi schools, the loss 13-7 at Georgia. SEC home favorites are 16-9 vs spread. Under is 3-1 in last four Alabama games, 3-0 in Auburn’s last three.
California lost its last four games, allowing 52.3 pts/game; Golden Bears are 2-5 vs spread as an underdog this year, 1-2 at home. UCLA lost four of last five games; they’re 2-4 as a favorite this year. Bruins are 1-4 on road this year, with only win by FG at BYU- they won their last three games with Cal, by 16-2-27 points. Bruins lost seven of last eight visits to Berkeley, are 1-9 vs spread in last 10 visits there. Last three years, UCLA gained 488-567-573 yards against the Golden Bears. Pac-12 home underdogs are 9-10 vs spread. Over is 8-3 in Cal games this year; four of last six UCLA games stayed under.
Oregon won its last three games with Oregon State, covering four of last six; they won last four visits to Corvallis, all by 17+ points. Ducks gained 565+ TY in last five series games, but Oregon isn’t as good this year, losing seven of nine games while allowing 35+ points eight times. Ducks are 1-4 on road, allowing 42.2 pts/game; they’re 1-3 vs spread as a favorite this year. Beavers lost five of last six games but covered six of last seven; they’re 2-3 at home, 2-0 vs spread in games with a single digit pointspread. Pac-12 home underdogs are 9-10 vs spread. Over is 6-2 in last eight Oregon games, 3-2 in Beavers’ home games.
Colorado needs win here to clinch Pac-12 South and spot in title game next week; they’ve lost last four games with Utah, in series where underdogs covered last five meetings. Utah won last two visits here, 38-34/42-35. Buffs won last five games, four by 10+ points; they’re 4-1 vs spread as a favorite. Utah lost two of last three games but won their last three road games; Utes are 2-1 as an underdog this year; their losses are by 5-7-2 points. Pac-12 home favorites are 17-12 vs spread this year. Over is 6-3 in last nine Utah games, 2-5 in last seven Colorado games.
Tennessee is 1-2 on road with all three games decided by 7 or less points; Vols are 3-5 vs spread as a favorite this year. Tennessee is 16-3 in last 19 games with Vanderbilt, winning 53-28/24-17 last two years; underdogs are 6-3 vs spread in last nine series games. Vols won last seven visits here (3-3 vs spread in last six). Commodores need win to become bowl eligible; they’re 2-2 in I-A home games, losing to South Carolina by 3, Florida by 7. SEC home underdogs are 13-7 vs spread. Over is 6-2 in last eight Tennessee games, 2-5 in last seven Vandy games.
Ohio State won its last four games but struggled mightily in snow at Michigan State LW, winning 17-16. OSU is 11-1 in last 12 games with Michigan, winning last four; they’re 3-4 vs spread in last seven series games. Wolverines lost last seven visits here (2-5 vs spread). Buckeyes are 4-2 as a home favorite this year, with three of four Big 14 home wins by 21+ points. Michigan has been a double digit favorite in every game this season; they’re 0-1 as an underdog under Harbaugh. Wolverines are 2-1 on road this year, losing 14-13 at Iowa in last road game couple weeks ago. Four of last five Ohio State games stayed under total
Armadillo's Write-Up
Week 13
Weekend’s best 13 games
Nebraska has injury ?’s at QB, check status on Armstrong. Home teams lost last four Nebraska-Iowa games; Cornhuskers won 37-34/13-7 in last two visits here. Underdogs covered four of last six series games. Huskers are 2-2 on road, losing at Wisconsin/Ohio St in last two; they’re 1-1 as home underdogs. Iowa lost three of last four home games, with win over Michigan, loss to I-AA North Dakota State; Hawkeyes are 1-2 as home favorites. Big 14 home favorites are 12-15 vs spread. Eight of last nine Nebraska games, three of last four Iowa games stayed under total.
Home side won last two Arkansas-Missouri games; Razorbacks lost 21-14 in last visit here in ’14. Favorites won three of last four series games. Arkansas allowed 139 points in three road games, losing 56-3 at Auburn, winning 41-38 in OT at TCU; they’re 0-4 vs spread in game following their last four wins. Missouri won/covered once in last seven games; they lost 63-37 at Tennessee last week. Tigers are 2-3 in I-A home games, 1-5 vs spread as an underdog this year- they allowed 287+ passing yards in five of last seven games. SEC home underdogs are 13-7 vs spread.
TCU crushed Texas 50-7/48-10 last two years; this is Longhorns’ last game and Strong’s last game as Texas HC- am guessing Longhorn players will try hard to send him out a winner. TCU is 5-5, still needs a win to be bowl eligible; they’re 3-1 on road, with loss 34-10 at West Virginia but also a shaky 24-23 win at lowly Kansas, which beat Texas LW. Horned Frogs won 43-10/20-13 in last two visits here. Texas is 2-5 this season games decided by 7 or less points. Big X home favorites are 10-11 vs spread. Under is 4-1 in last five TCU games, 5-0-1 in last six Texas tilts.
Air Force upset Boise State 28-14/37-30 last two years; underdogs covered last four series games. Broncos lost 28-14 in last visit here, two years ago. Falcons won last four games, are 8-3, winning last two 49-46/41-38; they’re 3-1 at home with an OT loss to Hawai’i. AF covered its only game as an underdog this year. Boise is 1-5 vs spread in its last six games but 3-1-1 as a road underdog this year, with only SU road loss 30-28 at Wyoming. Mountain West home underdogs are 12-6 vs spread. Over is 6-1 in last seven Air Force games, 3-0 in last three Boise games.
Washington is 4-0 on road, 2-2 as road favorites, scoring 50.5 pts/game in wins by 7-49-7-39 points; they’re 1-4 vs spread in last five games, with home loss to USC in there. Huskies won six of last seven games with Washington State, winning last three (45-10/31-13 last two years); favorites covered five of last seven series games. Washington is 6-3 in last nine visits to Pullman, 6-2 vs spread in last eight. Wazzu had 8-game win streak snapped at Colorado LW; they’re 3-1 vs spread as an underdog this year. Pac-12 home underdogs are 9-10 vs spread. Over is 6-2 in last eight games for both teams.
Wisconsin won its last 12 games with Minnesota (4-5 vs spread in last nine), winning last six by 10+ points. Badgers have 233+ RY in six of last seven meetings. Gophers lost last nine trips to Madison, but covered three of last four. Gophers are 2-2 on road this year, losing by 3 at Penn State, 7 at Nebraska; they’re 1-1-1 as an underdog this year. Wisconsin won last five games, is 7-1 vs spread in last eight, winning 48-3/49-20 last two weeks- they’re 2-2 as home favorites this season. Big 14 home favorites are 12-15 vs spread. Under is 6-3 in last nine games for both sides.
Georgia is 13-2 in its last 15 games with Georgia Tech, winning six of last seven, covering four of last five. Tech split its last four visits between hedges; they’re 4-1-1 vs spread in last six visits here. Dawgs won last three games, are 2-2 at home, 0-2 as home favorites, with wins by 7-14 points- they lost at home to Tennessee/Vandy. Tech is 6-1 if it scores 30+ points, 1-3 if it doesn’t; they’re 2-3 as an underdog. SEC non-conference home favorites are 10-15 vs spread; Georgia held 9 of 11 opponents under 30. ACC road underdogs are 5-3. Under is 4-1 in last five Georgia games, 2-5 in Tech’s last seven.
Alabama covered five of last six games, winning last three by combined score of 92-6; Crimson Tide is 3-1-1 as home favorites, winning I-A home games by average score of 38-7. Bama won six of last eight Iron Bowls, covering four of last five; Tide won 55-44/29-13 in last two meetings. Tigers lost three of last four visits here, with losses by 11-49-36 points. Auburn’s losses this year are by 6-13-6 points; they’re 2-0 as an underdog- they’re 2-1 on road, with wins at Mississippi schools, the loss 13-7 at Georgia. SEC home favorites are 16-9 vs spread. Under is 3-1 in last four Alabama games, 3-0 in Auburn’s last three.
California lost its last four games, allowing 52.3 pts/game; Golden Bears are 2-5 vs spread as an underdog this year, 1-2 at home. UCLA lost four of last five games; they’re 2-4 as a favorite this year. Bruins are 1-4 on road this year, with only win by FG at BYU- they won their last three games with Cal, by 16-2-27 points. Bruins lost seven of last eight visits to Berkeley, are 1-9 vs spread in last 10 visits there. Last three years, UCLA gained 488-567-573 yards against the Golden Bears. Pac-12 home underdogs are 9-10 vs spread. Over is 8-3 in Cal games this year; four of last six UCLA games stayed under.
Oregon won its last three games with Oregon State, covering four of last six; they won last four visits to Corvallis, all by 17+ points. Ducks gained 565+ TY in last five series games, but Oregon isn’t as good this year, losing seven of nine games while allowing 35+ points eight times. Ducks are 1-4 on road, allowing 42.2 pts/game; they’re 1-3 vs spread as a favorite this year. Beavers lost five of last six games but covered six of last seven; they’re 2-3 at home, 2-0 vs spread in games with a single digit pointspread. Pac-12 home underdogs are 9-10 vs spread. Over is 6-2 in last eight Oregon games, 3-2 in Beavers’ home games.
Colorado needs win here to clinch Pac-12 South and spot in title game next week; they’ve lost last four games with Utah, in series where underdogs covered last five meetings. Utah won last two visits here, 38-34/42-35. Buffs won last five games, four by 10+ points; they’re 4-1 vs spread as a favorite. Utah lost two of last three games but won their last three road games; Utes are 2-1 as an underdog this year; their losses are by 5-7-2 points. Pac-12 home favorites are 17-12 vs spread this year. Over is 6-3 in last nine Utah games, 2-5 in last seven Colorado games.
Tennessee is 1-2 on road with all three games decided by 7 or less points; Vols are 3-5 vs spread as a favorite this year. Tennessee is 16-3 in last 19 games with Vanderbilt, winning 53-28/24-17 last two years; underdogs are 6-3 vs spread in last nine series games. Vols won last seven visits here (3-3 vs spread in last six). Commodores need win to become bowl eligible; they’re 2-2 in I-A home games, losing to South Carolina by 3, Florida by 7. SEC home underdogs are 13-7 vs spread. Over is 6-2 in last eight Tennessee games, 2-5 in last seven Vandy games.
Ohio State won its last four games but struggled mightily in snow at Michigan State LW, winning 17-16. OSU is 11-1 in last 12 games with Michigan, winning last four; they’re 3-4 vs spread in last seven series games. Wolverines lost last seven visits here (2-5 vs spread). Buckeyes are 4-2 as a home favorite this year, with three of four Big 14 home wins by 21+ points. Michigan has been a double digit favorite in every game this season; they’re 0-1 as an underdog under Harbaugh. Wolverines are 2-1 on road this year, losing 14-13 at Iowa in last road game couple weeks ago. Four of last five Ohio State games stayed under total
NCAAF
Friday, November 25
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Friday's NCAAF Game of the Day: Washington at Washington State
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The last time these two rivals were both ranked when they met was in 2001 - a 26-14 win for the Huskies.
(No. 5) Washington at (No. 23) Washington State (6, 64)
It has been a long time since the Apple Cup packed such importance and No. 5 Washington and No. 23 Washington State square off in a duel for the Pac-12 North Division crown when they meet on Friday in Pullman. The last time the two rivals were both ranked when they met was in 2001 - a 26-14 win for the Huskies - and visiting Washington's national championship hopes hang in the balance as well as attempting to secure a spot in the Pac-12 title game.
The Huskies are thriving in Chris Petersen's third season at the helm and the coach expects his team to handle the ferocious atmosphere on game day. "I just think they've really been invested this whole year, every game, and I think that's what you've kind of seen, but it'll be exciting," Petersen said during a press conference. "They get the rivalry. They get that we're playing a heck of a team in a really hostile situation." The Cougars had an eight-game winning streak halted with a 38-24 road loss to Colorado on Saturday and are itching for the opportunity to rebound with a huge victory. "This is a feeling we haven't had in a while, and we don't want it again," senior defensive back Parker Henry said. "We've got no choice but to flush it."
TV: 3:30 p.m. ET, FOX.
LINE HISTORY: The Huskies opened as 5.5-point road favorites, that spread was bet up early in the week to 6.5, the line faded down to 6 and has held firm. The total hit the board at 66 and has yet to move. Check out the complete line history here.
INJURY REPORT:
WASHINGTON - WR Brayden Lenius (questionable, undisclosed)
WASHINGTON STATE - LB Isaac Dotson (questionable, undisclosed)
WEATHER REPORT: The playing conditions at Martin Stadium are expected to be rainy. Temperatures are expected to be in the mid-40’s with winds coming out of the Southeast at 9 mph.
WHAT SHARPS SAY: "Despite a strong season by both teams, going a combined 18-4 SU, these squads are just 11-11 ATS overall. These two teams are a combined 15-7 to the Over this season as both offenses have been strong. The Huskies are averaging 50.5 points and 571 total yards per game (8.3 yppl) on the road, while the Cougars are averaging 50.2 points and 550 total yards per game (6.6 yppl) at home this season."
ABOUT WASHINGTON (10-1 SU, 5-6 ATS, 8-3 O/U): Sophomore quarterback Jake Browning fueled the Huskies' rise with his superb play that includes a school-record 37 touchdown passes to go with 2,870 yards and only seven interceptions. Two junior big-play wideouts have certainly aided his production as both John Ross (64 receptions for 991 yards and 15 touchdowns) and Dante Pettis (46 for 701, 12 scores) are enjoying solid campaigns, as is sophomore running back Myles Gaskin (1,130 yards, nine touchdowns). The defense has lost key players in linebackers Azeem Victor (67 tackles) and Joe Mathis (five sacks) with season-ending injuries while junior inside linebacker Keishawn Bierria leads the nation with five fumble recoveries.
ABOUT WASHINGTON STATE (8-3 SU, 6-5 ATS, 7-4 O/U): Junior quarterback Luke Falk is enjoying his own splendid season with 35 touchdowns passes (three off the school record he set last season) and he ranks third nationally with 3,935 passing yards. Senior receiver Gabe Marks (74 catches, 12 touchdowns) became the 13th player in FBS history to top 300 career receptions - he stands at 301 - and his 36 career touchdown catches are five shy of the Pac-12 record held by USC's Dwayne Jarrett (2004-06). Senior free safety Shalom Luani has a team-best four interceptions and junior middle linebacker Peyton Pelluer has a team-leading 80 tackles for a defense allowing 25.5 points per game.
TRENDS:
* Huskies are 4-1 ATS in their last 5 Friday games.
* Cougars are 6-0 ATS in their last 6 games following a straight up loss.
* Cougars are 9-2 ATS vs. a team with a winning record.
* Over is 8-2 in Huskies last 10 conference games.
* Over is 4-1 in Cougars last 5 games overall.
CONSENSUS: 59 percent of users are taking the road favorite while 70 percent favor the over in this battle of top 25 teams.
Friday, November 25
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Friday's NCAAF Game of the Day: Washington at Washington State
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The last time these two rivals were both ranked when they met was in 2001 - a 26-14 win for the Huskies.
(No. 5) Washington at (No. 23) Washington State (6, 64)
It has been a long time since the Apple Cup packed such importance and No. 5 Washington and No. 23 Washington State square off in a duel for the Pac-12 North Division crown when they meet on Friday in Pullman. The last time the two rivals were both ranked when they met was in 2001 - a 26-14 win for the Huskies - and visiting Washington's national championship hopes hang in the balance as well as attempting to secure a spot in the Pac-12 title game.
The Huskies are thriving in Chris Petersen's third season at the helm and the coach expects his team to handle the ferocious atmosphere on game day. "I just think they've really been invested this whole year, every game, and I think that's what you've kind of seen, but it'll be exciting," Petersen said during a press conference. "They get the rivalry. They get that we're playing a heck of a team in a really hostile situation." The Cougars had an eight-game winning streak halted with a 38-24 road loss to Colorado on Saturday and are itching for the opportunity to rebound with a huge victory. "This is a feeling we haven't had in a while, and we don't want it again," senior defensive back Parker Henry said. "We've got no choice but to flush it."
TV: 3:30 p.m. ET, FOX.
LINE HISTORY: The Huskies opened as 5.5-point road favorites, that spread was bet up early in the week to 6.5, the line faded down to 6 and has held firm. The total hit the board at 66 and has yet to move. Check out the complete line history here.
INJURY REPORT:
WASHINGTON - WR Brayden Lenius (questionable, undisclosed)
WASHINGTON STATE - LB Isaac Dotson (questionable, undisclosed)
WEATHER REPORT: The playing conditions at Martin Stadium are expected to be rainy. Temperatures are expected to be in the mid-40’s with winds coming out of the Southeast at 9 mph.
WHAT SHARPS SAY: "Despite a strong season by both teams, going a combined 18-4 SU, these squads are just 11-11 ATS overall. These two teams are a combined 15-7 to the Over this season as both offenses have been strong. The Huskies are averaging 50.5 points and 571 total yards per game (8.3 yppl) on the road, while the Cougars are averaging 50.2 points and 550 total yards per game (6.6 yppl) at home this season."
ABOUT WASHINGTON (10-1 SU, 5-6 ATS, 8-3 O/U): Sophomore quarterback Jake Browning fueled the Huskies' rise with his superb play that includes a school-record 37 touchdown passes to go with 2,870 yards and only seven interceptions. Two junior big-play wideouts have certainly aided his production as both John Ross (64 receptions for 991 yards and 15 touchdowns) and Dante Pettis (46 for 701, 12 scores) are enjoying solid campaigns, as is sophomore running back Myles Gaskin (1,130 yards, nine touchdowns). The defense has lost key players in linebackers Azeem Victor (67 tackles) and Joe Mathis (five sacks) with season-ending injuries while junior inside linebacker Keishawn Bierria leads the nation with five fumble recoveries.
ABOUT WASHINGTON STATE (8-3 SU, 6-5 ATS, 7-4 O/U): Junior quarterback Luke Falk is enjoying his own splendid season with 35 touchdowns passes (three off the school record he set last season) and he ranks third nationally with 3,935 passing yards. Senior receiver Gabe Marks (74 catches, 12 touchdowns) became the 13th player in FBS history to top 300 career receptions - he stands at 301 - and his 36 career touchdown catches are five shy of the Pac-12 record held by USC's Dwayne Jarrett (2004-06). Senior free safety Shalom Luani has a team-best four interceptions and junior middle linebacker Peyton Pelluer has a team-leading 80 tackles for a defense allowing 25.5 points per game.
TRENDS:
* Huskies are 4-1 ATS in their last 5 Friday games.
* Cougars are 6-0 ATS in their last 6 games following a straight up loss.
* Cougars are 9-2 ATS vs. a team with a winning record.
* Over is 8-2 in Huskies last 10 conference games.
* Over is 4-1 in Cougars last 5 games overall.
CONSENSUS: 59 percent of users are taking the road favorite while 70 percent favor the over in this battle of top 25 teams.
College football four-point stance: Week 13 pointspread picks and predictions
There’s a damn good reason why the Michigan-Ohio State total dropped from its opening price of 51.5 to 45.5 in such a short amount of time.
Sure, the cold temperatures (high of 45 degrees) and nine mile-per-hour winds may have something to do with the line movement, but this year’s installment of “The Game” features two of the country’s elite defenses, as Michigan enters the season finale ranked first in the country in both scoring defense (10.9 pts/gm) and total defense (246.0 yds/gm) while Ohio State ranks third in scoring defense (13.0 pts/gm) and fourth in total defense (280.0 yds/gm).
Additionally, you have to consider both game flow and situational analysis when analyzing the Michigan-Ohio State total. For starters, both programs are vying for a spot in college football’s four-team playoff, so don’t be surprised if the Wolverines and Buckeyes institute a cautious approach early in the game as they feel one another out. Think of this as a highly anticipated title fight between two skilled tacticians who use the early rounds as an opportunity to scout the opposition.
Granted, all relevant trends for this game point to an over, as Michigan has seen the over hit in six of its last seven road games and 12 of its last 15 outings following a win, while the over has cashed in four of Ohio State’s last five home dates.
But I believe those trends will prove meaningless come Saturday afternoon in Columbus.
Pick: UNDER 45.5
East Carolina Pirates at Temple Owls
When: Saturday, November 26 at 7:30 p.m. ET
Spread: Temple -20.5
Don’t look now, but the Owls are riding a five-game winning streak that has featured an average margin of victory of 18.0 points per game thanks to a stellar defensive unit that is surrendering an average of just 278.0 total yards (third in NCAA) and 18.5 total points per game (14th in NCAA) this season.
As it that wasn’t enough of a selling point, Matt Rhule’s upstart Temple program has covered the number in each of its last ten outings and is now 20-6 ATS over its last 26 games overall.
2016 hasn’t been kind to the Pirates of East Carolina, who have been shellacked by 21 or more points in each of their last three outings (at Tulsa, vs. SMU, vs. Navy) while failing to cover the number in eight of their last nine starts. Further, with just three total wins on the season, East Carolina is set to miss out on bowl season for the second straight year, so don’t be surprised if the Pirates have already checked out the remainder of their season.
Be advised that East Carolina is just 9-23 ATS over its last 32 games overall and 4-19 ATS over its last 23 conference showdowns, while Temple is a solid 5-0 ATS over its last five home dates and 23-8 ATS over its last 31 conference matchups.
Pick: Temple -20.5
Tennessee Volunteers at Vanderbilt Commodores
When: Saturday, November 26 at 7:30 p.m. ET
Spread: Tennessee -7.5
This game comes down to one critical factor: Motivation.
As it pertains to Tennessee, how much motivation will Butch Jones and company have to show up 100 percent prepared and ready to execute now that the Florida Gators have locked up the SEC East title?
In regards to Vanderbilt, Saturday evening marks the Commodores’ final opportunity to earn a bowl berth via a sixth victory, so expect a performance reminiscent of last week’s 38-17 upset win over Mississippi as 9.5-point underdogs when Vandy was in a similar must-win situation.
Be advised that Tennessee is just 7-21-1 ATS over its last 29 games following an ATS win while Vanderbilt is 14-6 ATS over its last 20 games played in the month of November. Additionally, take note that the home team is 4-1 ATS over the last five games played between these two programs.
Pick: Vanderbilt +7.5
Utah State Aggies at BYU Cougars
When: Saturday, November 26 at 10:15 p.m. ET
Spread: BYU -18
This in-state rivalry has “Blowout” written all over it thanks to a variety of reasons. For starters, BYU has emerged victorious in six of its last seven outings and has been on cruise control during the month of November with wins over Cincinnati (20-3), Southern Utah (37-7) and Massachusetts (51-9), which moved the Cougars to 8-3 ATS on the season.
On the flip side, Utah State has dropped four straight contests and seven of its last eight matchups overall while failing to cover the number in each of its last six outings. To make matters worse for Aggies fans, Utah State’s five-year bowl streak has come to an end this season, so you can’t help but wonder how much gas this program has remaining in the tank with one final game left to play.
From a trends perspective, note that Utah State is just 1-7 ATS over its last eight road dates and 3-13 ATS over its last 16 games overall, while BYU is 8-3 ATS over its last 11 games overall and 10-4 ATS over its last 14 home games.
Pick: BYU -18
Last week: 1-3 ATS
Season: 26-22 ATS (.541)
There’s a damn good reason why the Michigan-Ohio State total dropped from its opening price of 51.5 to 45.5 in such a short amount of time.
Sure, the cold temperatures (high of 45 degrees) and nine mile-per-hour winds may have something to do with the line movement, but this year’s installment of “The Game” features two of the country’s elite defenses, as Michigan enters the season finale ranked first in the country in both scoring defense (10.9 pts/gm) and total defense (246.0 yds/gm) while Ohio State ranks third in scoring defense (13.0 pts/gm) and fourth in total defense (280.0 yds/gm).
Additionally, you have to consider both game flow and situational analysis when analyzing the Michigan-Ohio State total. For starters, both programs are vying for a spot in college football’s four-team playoff, so don’t be surprised if the Wolverines and Buckeyes institute a cautious approach early in the game as they feel one another out. Think of this as a highly anticipated title fight between two skilled tacticians who use the early rounds as an opportunity to scout the opposition.
Granted, all relevant trends for this game point to an over, as Michigan has seen the over hit in six of its last seven road games and 12 of its last 15 outings following a win, while the over has cashed in four of Ohio State’s last five home dates.
But I believe those trends will prove meaningless come Saturday afternoon in Columbus.
Pick: UNDER 45.5
East Carolina Pirates at Temple Owls
When: Saturday, November 26 at 7:30 p.m. ET
Spread: Temple -20.5
Don’t look now, but the Owls are riding a five-game winning streak that has featured an average margin of victory of 18.0 points per game thanks to a stellar defensive unit that is surrendering an average of just 278.0 total yards (third in NCAA) and 18.5 total points per game (14th in NCAA) this season.
As it that wasn’t enough of a selling point, Matt Rhule’s upstart Temple program has covered the number in each of its last ten outings and is now 20-6 ATS over its last 26 games overall.
2016 hasn’t been kind to the Pirates of East Carolina, who have been shellacked by 21 or more points in each of their last three outings (at Tulsa, vs. SMU, vs. Navy) while failing to cover the number in eight of their last nine starts. Further, with just three total wins on the season, East Carolina is set to miss out on bowl season for the second straight year, so don’t be surprised if the Pirates have already checked out the remainder of their season.
Be advised that East Carolina is just 9-23 ATS over its last 32 games overall and 4-19 ATS over its last 23 conference showdowns, while Temple is a solid 5-0 ATS over its last five home dates and 23-8 ATS over its last 31 conference matchups.
Pick: Temple -20.5
Tennessee Volunteers at Vanderbilt Commodores
When: Saturday, November 26 at 7:30 p.m. ET
Spread: Tennessee -7.5
This game comes down to one critical factor: Motivation.
As it pertains to Tennessee, how much motivation will Butch Jones and company have to show up 100 percent prepared and ready to execute now that the Florida Gators have locked up the SEC East title?
In regards to Vanderbilt, Saturday evening marks the Commodores’ final opportunity to earn a bowl berth via a sixth victory, so expect a performance reminiscent of last week’s 38-17 upset win over Mississippi as 9.5-point underdogs when Vandy was in a similar must-win situation.
Be advised that Tennessee is just 7-21-1 ATS over its last 29 games following an ATS win while Vanderbilt is 14-6 ATS over its last 20 games played in the month of November. Additionally, take note that the home team is 4-1 ATS over the last five games played between these two programs.
Pick: Vanderbilt +7.5
Utah State Aggies at BYU Cougars
When: Saturday, November 26 at 10:15 p.m. ET
Spread: BYU -18
This in-state rivalry has “Blowout” written all over it thanks to a variety of reasons. For starters, BYU has emerged victorious in six of its last seven outings and has been on cruise control during the month of November with wins over Cincinnati (20-3), Southern Utah (37-7) and Massachusetts (51-9), which moved the Cougars to 8-3 ATS on the season.
On the flip side, Utah State has dropped four straight contests and seven of its last eight matchups overall while failing to cover the number in each of its last six outings. To make matters worse for Aggies fans, Utah State’s five-year bowl streak has come to an end this season, so you can’t help but wonder how much gas this program has remaining in the tank with one final game left to play.
From a trends perspective, note that Utah State is just 1-7 ATS over its last eight road dates and 3-13 ATS over its last 16 games overall, while BYU is 8-3 ATS over its last 11 games overall and 10-4 ATS over its last 14 home games.
Pick: BYU -18
Last week: 1-3 ATS
Season: 26-22 ATS (.541)
CFP still up in the air
November 23, 2016
Rivalry Week Might Not Sort Much Out For Playoff
While Week 11 saw Nos. 2-4 in the College Football Playoff all lose, Week 12 in college football was fairly chalk at the top other than Louisville getting blown out last Thursday night at Houston to end the Cardinals' national championship hopes and slightly dent Lamar Jackson's Heisman chances.
The new College Football Playoff Top 25 rankings Tuesday had the same Top 4: Alabama, Ohio State, Michigan and Clemson. Washington moved up to No. 5 and Wisconsin No. 6. The Tide remain heavy -150 favorites at BetOnline to repeat.
This is the final full weekend of action around the country and it's rivalry weekend. But other than the game in Columbus, we still are not likely to have much clarity for the playoff by Saturday night.
Here's a look at some of the key games and their current BetOnline odds.
No. 5 Washington at No. 23 Washington State (+6): The Apple Cup is Friday in Pullman, and Pac-12 officials are praying that the Huskies win this game or the conference might be the first to miss the playoff two years in a row. The winner takes the Pac-12 North and plays either No. 9 Colorado or No. 12 USC in the Pac-12 title game. The Buffs get there with a win Saturday at home vs. No. 22 Utah. A loss gives the South title to the red-hot Trojans, a team that Washington no doubt would like another shot at after losing convincingly to USC in Seattle.
No. 13 Auburn at No. 1 Alabama (-17): Does anyone actually give the Tigers a shot here? A loss probably still keeps the Tide in the Top 4 since every other team in the country -- other than MAC school Western Michigan -- has at least one defeat. The only way Alabama is likely out of the playoff is if it loses to Auburn and then to No. 15 Florida next week in the SEC Championship Game rematch.
No. 3 Michigan at No. 2 Ohio State (-6.5): This is arguably the most important game in the history of the College Football Playoff and it's the latest in the regular season of the CFP era that two teams this highly ranked have squared off. What's the best result for the Big Ten? A Buckeyes win doesn't even get them to the Big Ten title game if No. 7 Penn State (12.5) beats visiting Michigan State later Saturday. A Wolverines win gets them to the conference championship game against either No. 6 Wisconsin or No. 16 Nebraska. It most likely will be the Badgers, who are -14.5 at home vs. Minnesota. Wisconsin is in with a win or Huskers loss Friday at Iowa. The Buckeyes are -300 second-favorites to win the national title. The Big Ten could be in position to have two playoff teams.
No. 15 Florida at No. 14 Florida State (-7): Could the Gators somehow climb all the way to the Top 4 with a win in Tallahassee and then upset of Alabama next week? Hard to see, but UF certainly would have as good a resume as anyone. However, Florida again will be missing several injured starters on Saturday, including QB Luke Del Rio, and the Gators are just 1-6 against FSU since Jimbo Fisher took over the Noles. Might this be his final home game with the LSU rumors swirling?
South Carolina at No. 4 Clemson (-24): The Tigers have the easiest path to the playoff. Just beat the mediocre Gamecocks and then take care of business most likely against unranked Virginia Tech (if it beats Virginia on Saturday) in the ACC title game -- which was moved to Orlando this year. Clemson is in good shape to move out of the No. 4 spot and avoid a possible rematch with Alabama in the semifinals as well since either Ohio State or Michigan will lose this Saturday.
November 23, 2016
Rivalry Week Might Not Sort Much Out For Playoff
While Week 11 saw Nos. 2-4 in the College Football Playoff all lose, Week 12 in college football was fairly chalk at the top other than Louisville getting blown out last Thursday night at Houston to end the Cardinals' national championship hopes and slightly dent Lamar Jackson's Heisman chances.
The new College Football Playoff Top 25 rankings Tuesday had the same Top 4: Alabama, Ohio State, Michigan and Clemson. Washington moved up to No. 5 and Wisconsin No. 6. The Tide remain heavy -150 favorites at BetOnline to repeat.
This is the final full weekend of action around the country and it's rivalry weekend. But other than the game in Columbus, we still are not likely to have much clarity for the playoff by Saturday night.
Here's a look at some of the key games and their current BetOnline odds.
No. 5 Washington at No. 23 Washington State (+6): The Apple Cup is Friday in Pullman, and Pac-12 officials are praying that the Huskies win this game or the conference might be the first to miss the playoff two years in a row. The winner takes the Pac-12 North and plays either No. 9 Colorado or No. 12 USC in the Pac-12 title game. The Buffs get there with a win Saturday at home vs. No. 22 Utah. A loss gives the South title to the red-hot Trojans, a team that Washington no doubt would like another shot at after losing convincingly to USC in Seattle.
No. 13 Auburn at No. 1 Alabama (-17): Does anyone actually give the Tigers a shot here? A loss probably still keeps the Tide in the Top 4 since every other team in the country -- other than MAC school Western Michigan -- has at least one defeat. The only way Alabama is likely out of the playoff is if it loses to Auburn and then to No. 15 Florida next week in the SEC Championship Game rematch.
No. 3 Michigan at No. 2 Ohio State (-6.5): This is arguably the most important game in the history of the College Football Playoff and it's the latest in the regular season of the CFP era that two teams this highly ranked have squared off. What's the best result for the Big Ten? A Buckeyes win doesn't even get them to the Big Ten title game if No. 7 Penn State (12.5) beats visiting Michigan State later Saturday. A Wolverines win gets them to the conference championship game against either No. 6 Wisconsin or No. 16 Nebraska. It most likely will be the Badgers, who are -14.5 at home vs. Minnesota. Wisconsin is in with a win or Huskers loss Friday at Iowa. The Buckeyes are -300 second-favorites to win the national title. The Big Ten could be in position to have two playoff teams.
No. 15 Florida at No. 14 Florida State (-7): Could the Gators somehow climb all the way to the Top 4 with a win in Tallahassee and then upset of Alabama next week? Hard to see, but UF certainly would have as good a resume as anyone. However, Florida again will be missing several injured starters on Saturday, including QB Luke Del Rio, and the Gators are just 1-6 against FSU since Jimbo Fisher took over the Noles. Might this be his final home game with the LSU rumors swirling?
South Carolina at No. 4 Clemson (-24): The Tigers have the easiest path to the playoff. Just beat the mediocre Gamecocks and then take care of business most likely against unranked Virginia Tech (if it beats Virginia on Saturday) in the ACC title game -- which was moved to Orlando this year. Clemson is in good shape to move out of the No. 4 spot and avoid a possible rematch with Alabama in the semifinals as well since either Ohio State or Michigan will lose this Saturday.
Michigan at Ohio State
November 22, 2016
2016 BIG 10 STANDINGS
Team SU Conference ATS Over/Under
Illinois 3-8 2-6 5-6 5-6
Indiana 5-6 3-5 5-6 4-7
Iowa 7-4 5-3 5-6 4-7
Maryland 5-6 2-6 3-8 4-7
Michigan 10-1 7-1 5-6 7-4
Michigan State 3-8 1-7 4-7 4-7
Minnesota 8-3 5-3 4-5-2 5-6
Nebraska 9-2 6-2 6-3-2 2-9
Northwestern 5-6 4-4 6-5 3-8
Ohio State 10-1 7-1 6-5 5-6
Penn State 9-2 7-1 7-3-1 8-3
Purdue 3-8 1-7 4-7 9-2
Rutgers 2-9 0-8 4-7 6-5
Wisconsin 9-2 6-2 9-2 4-7
Michigan at Ohio State – (ABC, 12:00 p.m. ET)
Opening Line – Ohio State -7, Total of 48
Current Line (as of Wednesday) – Ohio State -6.5, Total of 45.5
SERIES HISTORY
Ohio State has won 10 of the last 11 in this heated rivalry. Michigan last beat OSU back in 2011 and their last win at the Horseshoe was way back in 2000. The Buckeyes have won 8 of the last 9 here at home in this series dating back to 1998. Six of those eight wins have come by double digits. The Wolverines own the series edge with a 58-47-6 mark.
LAST WEEK
Ohio State – The Buckeyes traveled to Michigan State and escaped with a 17-16 win. The conditions were less than ideal with strong winds and cold temps. Because of the windy conditions, both teams relied heavily on the run with 80 combined rushing attempts for the game. The two combined to complete only 18 total passes the entire contest. Michigan State scored just 20 seconds into the game to take a quick 7-0 lead on two play drive that accounted for 75 of their 334 total yards. The two teams went on to score just 24 points the final 59:40 of the game.
Ohio State took their first lead of the game 17-10 on a TD with 5:33 remaining in the third quarter. The Spartans scored a TD with 4:40 remaining in the game to seemingly tie the game at 17 apiece. However rather than kick the extra point, MSU decided to go for two to try and take the lead but failed. Sparty did have one final chance as they took over at their own 20 yard line with 2:00 minutes remaining but a Tyler O’Connor interception ended their final drive of the game. The tight final score was indicative of how the game played out as both teams ended the came close to even in first downs, total yardage, and time of possession.
Michigan - The Wolverines played their final home tilt of the season vs an improved Indiana team last Saturday in a snowstorm. The Wolverines squeaked out a 20-10 win to improve to 10-1 on the season. Starting QB Wilton Speight was sidelined for Michigan and his replacement John O’Korn struggled. He completed only 7 passes for just 59 yards which was Michigan’s lowest passing total in a game since 2001. The weather conditions were poor with snow and wind so Harbaugh decided to rely almost exclusively on the running game rolling up 225 yards on 50 rushing attempts.
Indiana actually led 7-3 at half but Michigan “exploded” for 17 points in the third quarter to take a 20-10 lead heading into the final stanza. Indiana was unable to mount any type of a threat in the 4th quarter as the teams went scoreless. The Michigan defense continued to dominate as they have all season allowing IU to cross midfield only TWICE the entire game, both of which led to the Hoosiers only points of the game (a TD and a FG).
THE GAME
This is the most anticipated match up in this series since these two meet in 2006 when these two were ranked #1 and #2 in the country. These two teams are currently ranked #2 (OSU) and #3 (Michigan) in the College Football Playoff poll. If Michigan wins, they will play in the Big Ten Championship game the following Saturday. If Ohio State wins, they need Penn State to lose at home vs Michigan State to make it to the Big Ten title game. The winner is pretty much assured a spot in College Football’s Final Four.
Most people obviously feel these are the two top teams in the Big Ten and the stats bear that out. The Wolverines and Buckeyes rank either first or second in the conference in total offense, total defense, scoring offense, scoring defense, rush offense, pass defense, and yardage differential. On a national scale the teams stack up very evenly as well. OSU is #5 in scoring offense, Michigan is #11. The Wolverines are #1 in scoring defense and the Buckeyes are #3. As you can expect, these coaches and teams will be pulling out all the stops on Saturday.
Michigan All American DB Jabril Peppers said this week that, “Everything is coming out of the bag this weekend,” which isn’t a huge surprise. Both teams will see formations on each side of the ball they haven’t seen this season. Trick plays should be abundant.
Michigan has NOT ruled out Speight for this game. It was reported last week that he would be out for the season with a collarbone injury but that was never confirmed. Speight actually suited up and threw passes in warm ups but never took a snap last week vs Indiana. We wouldn’t rule out that this is simply window dressing by Harbaugh and company to keep Urban Meyer guessing. You get the point. We should be in for a barnburner on Saturday.
INSIDE THE NUMBERS
Ohio State has covered 7 of the last 9 in this series. At home, the Buckeyes are 12-5 ATS dating back to 1982. Last time OSU was favored by less than a TD at home vs anyone was back in 2012 and that just happened to be vs this Michigan team when OSU was a 4 point favorite and win 26-21. Going all the way back to the 1992 season, Ohio State is 21-10 ATS overall as a home favorite of a TD or less.
This is the first time Michigan has been an underdog this season. The last 11 times they’ve been a dog in this series, they’ve lost all 11 games outright (3-8 ATS). The last 22 times Michigan has been a road underdog overall (not just vs OSU) they are 3-19 SU (8-14 ATS).
The winner of this match up has scored at least 30 points in 8 of the last 12 meetings. From 1980 to 1999, this was a “slobber-knocker”, defensive series with only 3 games out of 20 topping 50 total points. Their average total points scored from 1980-1999 was just 37. From 2000-2015 these two have topped 50 points eight times. The average total points scored during that span was 53.
November 22, 2016
2016 BIG 10 STANDINGS
Team SU Conference ATS Over/Under
Illinois 3-8 2-6 5-6 5-6
Indiana 5-6 3-5 5-6 4-7
Iowa 7-4 5-3 5-6 4-7
Maryland 5-6 2-6 3-8 4-7
Michigan 10-1 7-1 5-6 7-4
Michigan State 3-8 1-7 4-7 4-7
Minnesota 8-3 5-3 4-5-2 5-6
Nebraska 9-2 6-2 6-3-2 2-9
Northwestern 5-6 4-4 6-5 3-8
Ohio State 10-1 7-1 6-5 5-6
Penn State 9-2 7-1 7-3-1 8-3
Purdue 3-8 1-7 4-7 9-2
Rutgers 2-9 0-8 4-7 6-5
Wisconsin 9-2 6-2 9-2 4-7
Michigan at Ohio State – (ABC, 12:00 p.m. ET)
Opening Line – Ohio State -7, Total of 48
Current Line (as of Wednesday) – Ohio State -6.5, Total of 45.5
SERIES HISTORY
Ohio State has won 10 of the last 11 in this heated rivalry. Michigan last beat OSU back in 2011 and their last win at the Horseshoe was way back in 2000. The Buckeyes have won 8 of the last 9 here at home in this series dating back to 1998. Six of those eight wins have come by double digits. The Wolverines own the series edge with a 58-47-6 mark.
LAST WEEK
Ohio State – The Buckeyes traveled to Michigan State and escaped with a 17-16 win. The conditions were less than ideal with strong winds and cold temps. Because of the windy conditions, both teams relied heavily on the run with 80 combined rushing attempts for the game. The two combined to complete only 18 total passes the entire contest. Michigan State scored just 20 seconds into the game to take a quick 7-0 lead on two play drive that accounted for 75 of their 334 total yards. The two teams went on to score just 24 points the final 59:40 of the game.
Ohio State took their first lead of the game 17-10 on a TD with 5:33 remaining in the third quarter. The Spartans scored a TD with 4:40 remaining in the game to seemingly tie the game at 17 apiece. However rather than kick the extra point, MSU decided to go for two to try and take the lead but failed. Sparty did have one final chance as they took over at their own 20 yard line with 2:00 minutes remaining but a Tyler O’Connor interception ended their final drive of the game. The tight final score was indicative of how the game played out as both teams ended the came close to even in first downs, total yardage, and time of possession.
Michigan - The Wolverines played their final home tilt of the season vs an improved Indiana team last Saturday in a snowstorm. The Wolverines squeaked out a 20-10 win to improve to 10-1 on the season. Starting QB Wilton Speight was sidelined for Michigan and his replacement John O’Korn struggled. He completed only 7 passes for just 59 yards which was Michigan’s lowest passing total in a game since 2001. The weather conditions were poor with snow and wind so Harbaugh decided to rely almost exclusively on the running game rolling up 225 yards on 50 rushing attempts.
Indiana actually led 7-3 at half but Michigan “exploded” for 17 points in the third quarter to take a 20-10 lead heading into the final stanza. Indiana was unable to mount any type of a threat in the 4th quarter as the teams went scoreless. The Michigan defense continued to dominate as they have all season allowing IU to cross midfield only TWICE the entire game, both of which led to the Hoosiers only points of the game (a TD and a FG).
THE GAME
This is the most anticipated match up in this series since these two meet in 2006 when these two were ranked #1 and #2 in the country. These two teams are currently ranked #2 (OSU) and #3 (Michigan) in the College Football Playoff poll. If Michigan wins, they will play in the Big Ten Championship game the following Saturday. If Ohio State wins, they need Penn State to lose at home vs Michigan State to make it to the Big Ten title game. The winner is pretty much assured a spot in College Football’s Final Four.
Most people obviously feel these are the two top teams in the Big Ten and the stats bear that out. The Wolverines and Buckeyes rank either first or second in the conference in total offense, total defense, scoring offense, scoring defense, rush offense, pass defense, and yardage differential. On a national scale the teams stack up very evenly as well. OSU is #5 in scoring offense, Michigan is #11. The Wolverines are #1 in scoring defense and the Buckeyes are #3. As you can expect, these coaches and teams will be pulling out all the stops on Saturday.
Michigan All American DB Jabril Peppers said this week that, “Everything is coming out of the bag this weekend,” which isn’t a huge surprise. Both teams will see formations on each side of the ball they haven’t seen this season. Trick plays should be abundant.
Michigan has NOT ruled out Speight for this game. It was reported last week that he would be out for the season with a collarbone injury but that was never confirmed. Speight actually suited up and threw passes in warm ups but never took a snap last week vs Indiana. We wouldn’t rule out that this is simply window dressing by Harbaugh and company to keep Urban Meyer guessing. You get the point. We should be in for a barnburner on Saturday.
INSIDE THE NUMBERS
Ohio State has covered 7 of the last 9 in this series. At home, the Buckeyes are 12-5 ATS dating back to 1982. Last time OSU was favored by less than a TD at home vs anyone was back in 2012 and that just happened to be vs this Michigan team when OSU was a 4 point favorite and win 26-21. Going all the way back to the 1992 season, Ohio State is 21-10 ATS overall as a home favorite of a TD or less.
This is the first time Michigan has been an underdog this season. The last 11 times they’ve been a dog in this series, they’ve lost all 11 games outright (3-8 ATS). The last 22 times Michigan has been a road underdog overall (not just vs OSU) they are 3-19 SU (8-14 ATS).
The winner of this match up has scored at least 30 points in 8 of the last 12 meetings. From 1980 to 1999, this was a “slobber-knocker”, defensive series with only 3 games out of 20 topping 50 total points. Their average total points scored from 1980-1999 was just 37. From 2000-2015 these two have topped 50 points eight times. The average total points scored during that span was 53.
Apple Cup Preview
November 24, 2016
The Apple Cup will determine the Pac-12 North on Friday afternoon when Washington State takes on Washington at Martin Stadium in Pullman. The winner will meet either Colorado or Southern Cal in the Pac-12 Championship Game.
As of Thursday night, most books had Washington (10-1 straight up, 5-6 against the spread) installed as a six-point road favorite with a total of 63.5.
In his third season at UW, Chris Petersen’s team has enjoyed a breakout campaign and finds itself in excellent position to garner a berth in the College Football Playoffs with two more wins. Washington responded from its lone loss of the season by bouncing back to beat Arizona St. last week. The 44-18 win wasn’t quite enough for UW backers, as the Sun Devils cashed tickets as 27-point road underdogs.
Jake Browning completed 27-of-44 passes for 338 yards and two touchdowns, but he was intercepted twice. Myles Gaskin rushed for 127 yards and one TD on 16 attempts, while Dante Pettis hauled in seven receptions for 105 yards and one TD. John Ross added 12 catches for 95 yards.
Washington saw its unbeaten record disappear on Nov. 12 when Southern Cal came into Husky Stadium and won a 26-13 decision as a 10-point road underdog. The Trojans led 17-6 at intermission and put the game away with two fourth-quarter plays – an eight-yard TD pass from Sam Darnold to Daniel Imatorbhebhe with 13:33 remaining and a safety with 58 ticks left when a strong rush forced Browning to step out of the back of the end zone.
Washington was limited to 27 rushing yards on 17 carries for an abysmal 0.6 yards-per-carry average. Browning threw a pair of interceptions, while Gaskin was held to a season-low 51 rushing yards on 15 carries.
Washington has played a weak schedule, especially compared to its counterparts in terms of CFP picture. The Huskies’ lone wins of note came vs. Stanford (44-6), at Oregon (70-21) and at Utah (31-24).
Browning, a true sophomore, has completed 64.3 percent of his passes for 2,870 yards with a 37/7 touchdown-to-interception ratio. Gaskin has rushed for 1,130 yards and nine TDs with a 6.2 YPC average.
Ross is Browning’s favorite target, hauling in 64 receptions for 991 yards and 15 TDs. Pettis has 46 catches for 701 yards and 12 TDs.
UW ranks fourth in the nation in scoring, averaging 44.7 PPG. The Huskies’ defense is 12th in scoring, allowing 17.9 PPG.
UW’s stop unit has lost three starters in recent weeks. Junior MLB Azeem Victor (leg) and senior DE Joe Mathis (foot) went down with season-ending injuries, while junior DB Darren Gardenhire opted to leave the team. Victor, who had a team-high 95 tackles in 2015, had a team-best 67 tackles this year to go with three tackles for loss, one fumble recovery, one forced fumble and one pass broken up.
Mathis had recorded 25 tackles, five sacks, 7.5 TFL’s and one PBU. Gardenhire had produced 13 tackles, one sack, 1.5 TFL’s, one interception, one forced fumble, one QB hurry and a pair of passes broken up.
Washington State (8-3 SU, 6-5 ATS) saw its eight-game winning streak snapped last Saturday in Boulder, where Colorado rallied past the Cougars for a 38-24 win as a six-point home favorite. Mike Leach’s team had three different leads, going up 24-21 on a seven-yard TD pass from Luke Falk to John Thompson with 3:18 left in the third quarter.
However, CU went back in front on an 11-yard TD run by Sefo Liufau with 30 seconds remaining in the third quarter. The Buffs scored the last 17 points to secure the win both SU and ATS, while the 62 points elevated ‘over’ the 60-point tally on Phillip Lindsay’s 11-yard TD run with 4:18 left.
Falk threw for 325 yards and three TDs, but he was intercepted once. Falk had a 17/1 TD-INT ratio in the four previous games. For the season, he has a stellar 36/7 TD-INT ratio and for his career, Falk has 74 TD passes compared to merely 15 picks.
Jamal Morrow rushed for 86 yards on seven carries against CU. He also had two catches for 48 yards and one TD. Gabe Marks had six receptions for 46 yards.
Marks, a senior WR who is a two-time All-Pac 12 selection, has 74 receptions for 755 yards and 12 TDs. River Cracaft, who went down with a season-ending injury two weeks ago, had 53 catches for 701 yards and five TDs. Tavares Martin Jr. has 57 grabs for 671 yards and seven TDs.
Morrow has run for a team-high 543 yards and four TDs while averaging 6.6 YPC. Gerard Wicks has rushed for 441 yards and 11 TDs with a 5.7 YPC average. Morrow has 43 receptions for 464 yards and five TDs.
Washington St. is ranked 10th in the country in total offense and scoring (42.5 PPG). The Cougars are second in passing, averaging 380.0 yards per game.
During Petersen’s three-year tenure, Washington owns a 5-3 spread record in eight games as a road favorite. Meanwhile, Washington St. has a 5-6 ATS mark in 11 games as a home ‘dog on Leach’s watch.
The ‘over’ is 7-4 overall for Washington State, 3-3 in its home games. The ‘over’ has hit at a 6-2 clip in the Cougars’ last eight games. They have seen their 11 games average combined scores of 68.0 points per game.
The ‘over’ is 8-3 overall for UW, 4-0 in its road assignments. The ‘over’ began the season going 8-1 for the Huskies, but they’ve seen the ‘under’ cash in back-to-back contests. They have seen their games average combined scores of 62.6 PPG.
Kickoff is scheduled for 3:30 p.m. Eastern on Fox Sports 1.
**B.E.’s Bonus Nuggets**
--The ‘under’ has cashed in six straight games for Syracuse and is 9-2 overall for the season. On the flip side, Pittsburgh has seen the ‘over’ hit in 10 consecutive games with each contest combining for a minimum of 71 points. The total for ‘Cuse at Pitt on Saturday is 68 points.
--Chip Brown of HornsDigest.com reported Thursday night that Houston head coach Tom Herman was nearing an agreement with LSU to become its next head coach. However, I found the report to be extremely premature regardless as to whether or not what was reported was true or not. That’s because Herman won’t be signing any deal with LSU until finding out if Texas is going to fire Charlie Strong after the Longhorns face TCU on Friday. If Strong is a goner as expected, then a bidding war between LSU and Texas will ensue. I may be wrong, but I doubt Herman to LSU is going down on Friday or Saturday – if it happens at all.
--Another story to look for Friday is the potential dismissal of Kevin Sumlin at Texas A&M. For the third straight season, the Aggies have completely fallen apart down the stretch. This year’s 6-0 start turned into a four-game losing streak in SEC play to close the regular season, including Thursday night’s 54-39 loss to LSU.
--LSU’s Derrius Guice now owns two of the school’s top three rushing performances in school history. All three of those performances went down this season. Guice broke the record Leonard Fournette set in a home win over Ole Miss by rushing for 285 yards and four TDs on 37 carries. However, we should note that Fournette needed only 16 attempts to rush for 284 yards and three scores against the Rebels.
--According to multiple reports, LSU gauged FSU coach Jimbo Fisher’s interest in its job before moving on to Herman. Fisher was apparently asking for a king’s ransom (10 years at $6.5 million per year, according to ESPN) and will be staying at FSU, although I don’t dismiss the potential that LSU will come back at Fisher if it strikes out on Herman. I don’t believe there’s a Plan C for the Tigers other than Ed Orgeron, who is 5-2 since taking over for Les Miles.
--If Sumlin is pink-slipped, will A&M become a player in the Herman Sweepstakes? Possibly. I have no idea what the ‘right fit’ is for a cat like Lane Kiffin, but he’s another name to watch in this Coaching Carousel. And if Orgeron isn’t retained at LSU, you can bet he’ll join Kiffin’s staff at whatever destination that might be as his recruiting coordinator and defensive line coach.
--The ‘under’ is on a 6-1 run for North Carolina, which is a 10.5-point home favorite vs. N.C. State at noon Eastern on Friday. The Tar Heels are 4-1 ATS in five games as double-digit favorites this season. The ‘under’ has cashed in four straight and six of the last seven for the Wolfpack. The total was 62 early Friday morning.
November 24, 2016
The Apple Cup will determine the Pac-12 North on Friday afternoon when Washington State takes on Washington at Martin Stadium in Pullman. The winner will meet either Colorado or Southern Cal in the Pac-12 Championship Game.
As of Thursday night, most books had Washington (10-1 straight up, 5-6 against the spread) installed as a six-point road favorite with a total of 63.5.
In his third season at UW, Chris Petersen’s team has enjoyed a breakout campaign and finds itself in excellent position to garner a berth in the College Football Playoffs with two more wins. Washington responded from its lone loss of the season by bouncing back to beat Arizona St. last week. The 44-18 win wasn’t quite enough for UW backers, as the Sun Devils cashed tickets as 27-point road underdogs.
Jake Browning completed 27-of-44 passes for 338 yards and two touchdowns, but he was intercepted twice. Myles Gaskin rushed for 127 yards and one TD on 16 attempts, while Dante Pettis hauled in seven receptions for 105 yards and one TD. John Ross added 12 catches for 95 yards.
Washington saw its unbeaten record disappear on Nov. 12 when Southern Cal came into Husky Stadium and won a 26-13 decision as a 10-point road underdog. The Trojans led 17-6 at intermission and put the game away with two fourth-quarter plays – an eight-yard TD pass from Sam Darnold to Daniel Imatorbhebhe with 13:33 remaining and a safety with 58 ticks left when a strong rush forced Browning to step out of the back of the end zone.
Washington was limited to 27 rushing yards on 17 carries for an abysmal 0.6 yards-per-carry average. Browning threw a pair of interceptions, while Gaskin was held to a season-low 51 rushing yards on 15 carries.
Washington has played a weak schedule, especially compared to its counterparts in terms of CFP picture. The Huskies’ lone wins of note came vs. Stanford (44-6), at Oregon (70-21) and at Utah (31-24).
Browning, a true sophomore, has completed 64.3 percent of his passes for 2,870 yards with a 37/7 touchdown-to-interception ratio. Gaskin has rushed for 1,130 yards and nine TDs with a 6.2 YPC average.
Ross is Browning’s favorite target, hauling in 64 receptions for 991 yards and 15 TDs. Pettis has 46 catches for 701 yards and 12 TDs.
UW ranks fourth in the nation in scoring, averaging 44.7 PPG. The Huskies’ defense is 12th in scoring, allowing 17.9 PPG.
UW’s stop unit has lost three starters in recent weeks. Junior MLB Azeem Victor (leg) and senior DE Joe Mathis (foot) went down with season-ending injuries, while junior DB Darren Gardenhire opted to leave the team. Victor, who had a team-high 95 tackles in 2015, had a team-best 67 tackles this year to go with three tackles for loss, one fumble recovery, one forced fumble and one pass broken up.
Mathis had recorded 25 tackles, five sacks, 7.5 TFL’s and one PBU. Gardenhire had produced 13 tackles, one sack, 1.5 TFL’s, one interception, one forced fumble, one QB hurry and a pair of passes broken up.
Washington State (8-3 SU, 6-5 ATS) saw its eight-game winning streak snapped last Saturday in Boulder, where Colorado rallied past the Cougars for a 38-24 win as a six-point home favorite. Mike Leach’s team had three different leads, going up 24-21 on a seven-yard TD pass from Luke Falk to John Thompson with 3:18 left in the third quarter.
However, CU went back in front on an 11-yard TD run by Sefo Liufau with 30 seconds remaining in the third quarter. The Buffs scored the last 17 points to secure the win both SU and ATS, while the 62 points elevated ‘over’ the 60-point tally on Phillip Lindsay’s 11-yard TD run with 4:18 left.
Falk threw for 325 yards and three TDs, but he was intercepted once. Falk had a 17/1 TD-INT ratio in the four previous games. For the season, he has a stellar 36/7 TD-INT ratio and for his career, Falk has 74 TD passes compared to merely 15 picks.
Jamal Morrow rushed for 86 yards on seven carries against CU. He also had two catches for 48 yards and one TD. Gabe Marks had six receptions for 46 yards.
Marks, a senior WR who is a two-time All-Pac 12 selection, has 74 receptions for 755 yards and 12 TDs. River Cracaft, who went down with a season-ending injury two weeks ago, had 53 catches for 701 yards and five TDs. Tavares Martin Jr. has 57 grabs for 671 yards and seven TDs.
Morrow has run for a team-high 543 yards and four TDs while averaging 6.6 YPC. Gerard Wicks has rushed for 441 yards and 11 TDs with a 5.7 YPC average. Morrow has 43 receptions for 464 yards and five TDs.
Washington St. is ranked 10th in the country in total offense and scoring (42.5 PPG). The Cougars are second in passing, averaging 380.0 yards per game.
During Petersen’s three-year tenure, Washington owns a 5-3 spread record in eight games as a road favorite. Meanwhile, Washington St. has a 5-6 ATS mark in 11 games as a home ‘dog on Leach’s watch.
The ‘over’ is 7-4 overall for Washington State, 3-3 in its home games. The ‘over’ has hit at a 6-2 clip in the Cougars’ last eight games. They have seen their 11 games average combined scores of 68.0 points per game.
The ‘over’ is 8-3 overall for UW, 4-0 in its road assignments. The ‘over’ began the season going 8-1 for the Huskies, but they’ve seen the ‘under’ cash in back-to-back contests. They have seen their games average combined scores of 62.6 PPG.
Kickoff is scheduled for 3:30 p.m. Eastern on Fox Sports 1.
**B.E.’s Bonus Nuggets**
--The ‘under’ has cashed in six straight games for Syracuse and is 9-2 overall for the season. On the flip side, Pittsburgh has seen the ‘over’ hit in 10 consecutive games with each contest combining for a minimum of 71 points. The total for ‘Cuse at Pitt on Saturday is 68 points.
--Chip Brown of HornsDigest.com reported Thursday night that Houston head coach Tom Herman was nearing an agreement with LSU to become its next head coach. However, I found the report to be extremely premature regardless as to whether or not what was reported was true or not. That’s because Herman won’t be signing any deal with LSU until finding out if Texas is going to fire Charlie Strong after the Longhorns face TCU on Friday. If Strong is a goner as expected, then a bidding war between LSU and Texas will ensue. I may be wrong, but I doubt Herman to LSU is going down on Friday or Saturday – if it happens at all.
--Another story to look for Friday is the potential dismissal of Kevin Sumlin at Texas A&M. For the third straight season, the Aggies have completely fallen apart down the stretch. This year’s 6-0 start turned into a four-game losing streak in SEC play to close the regular season, including Thursday night’s 54-39 loss to LSU.
--LSU’s Derrius Guice now owns two of the school’s top three rushing performances in school history. All three of those performances went down this season. Guice broke the record Leonard Fournette set in a home win over Ole Miss by rushing for 285 yards and four TDs on 37 carries. However, we should note that Fournette needed only 16 attempts to rush for 284 yards and three scores against the Rebels.
--According to multiple reports, LSU gauged FSU coach Jimbo Fisher’s interest in its job before moving on to Herman. Fisher was apparently asking for a king’s ransom (10 years at $6.5 million per year, according to ESPN) and will be staying at FSU, although I don’t dismiss the potential that LSU will come back at Fisher if it strikes out on Herman. I don’t believe there’s a Plan C for the Tigers other than Ed Orgeron, who is 5-2 since taking over for Les Miles.
--If Sumlin is pink-slipped, will A&M become a player in the Herman Sweepstakes? Possibly. I have no idea what the ‘right fit’ is for a cat like Lane Kiffin, but he’s another name to watch in this Coaching Carousel. And if Orgeron isn’t retained at LSU, you can bet he’ll join Kiffin’s staff at whatever destination that might be as his recruiting coordinator and defensive line coach.
--The ‘under’ is on a 6-1 run for North Carolina, which is a 10.5-point home favorite vs. N.C. State at noon Eastern on Friday. The Tar Heels are 4-1 ATS in five games as double-digit favorites this season. The ‘under’ has cashed in four straight and six of the last seven for the Wolfpack. The total was 62 early Friday morning.
COLLEGE FOOTBALL BEST BETS:
11/01/2016 2-2-0 50.00% -100
11/02/2016 1-1-0 50.00% -50
11/03/2016 3-3-0 50.00% -150
11/04/2016 2-2-0 50.00% -100
11/05/2016 26-34-0 43.33% -5700
11/08/2016 2-2-0 50.00% -100
11/09/2016 2-2-0 50.00% -100
11/10/2016 1-5-0 16.67% -2250
11/11/2016 0-2-0 0.00% -1100
11/12/2016 23-28-1 45.10% -3900
11/15/2016 1-1-0 50.00% -50
11/16/2016 3-1-0 75.00% +950
11/17/2016 2-2-0 50.00% -100
11/18/2016 2-2-0 50.00% -100
11/19/2016 33-25-0 56.90% +2750
11/22/2016 3-3-0 50.00% -150
11/24/2016 1-1-0 50.00% -50
TRIPLE PLAYS RECORD: 107 - 88- 8 *****
BIG TEN GOY................0 - 1 ( IOWA BIG LOSER TO WISCONSIN )
MT. WEST GOY..............1 - 0 ( WYOMING ROLLS BIG OVER UTAH ST. )
MAC UNDERDOG GOY.....1 - 0 ( KENT ST. + 21 W.MICHIGAN 37 )
ACC BLOW OUT.............0 - 1 ( CLEMSON -21.5 42 - 43 PITT )
MAC FAVORITE .............1 - 0 ( MIA-OHIO - 10 OVER BUFFALO 35 -24)
SEC BLOW OUT..............1 - 0 ( BAMA -28.5 OVER MISS ST. 51 - 3 )
PAC 12 GOY...................0 - 1 ( USC UPSETS WASHINGTON 26-13 )
BIG 10 DOG..................0 - 1 ( MINNESOTA + 6 LOSES TO NEBRASKA 17 -24 )
PAC 12 BLOW OUT .........1 - 0 ( COLORADO - 17.5 CRUSHES ARIZONA 49 - 24 )
THURS. NIGHT GOY.........0 - 1 ( HOUSTON UPSETS LOUISVILLE 36 -10 )
FRIDAY NIGHT DOG........1 - 0 ( NEVADA 25 + 29 BOISE ST 42 )
FRIDAY NIGHT TOTAL......1 - 0 ( NEVADA /BOISE OVER 64 )
WLT PCT UNITS
ATS Picks 321-312-12 50.71% -11100
O/U Picks 110-115-4 48.89% -8250
FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 25
GAME TIME(ET) PICK UNITS
HOU at MEM 12:00 PM
HOU -6.0
O 60.5
NIU at KENT 12:00 PM
NIU -6.5
U 46.0
NCST at UNC 12:00 PM
UNC -9.5 ***** ( ACC BLOWOUT )
ARK at MIZZ 02:30 PM
ARK -7.5
BUFF at BGSU 02:30 PM
BGSU -13.5
BSU at AFA 03:30 PM
AFA +8.5 ***** ( MT. WEST DOG OF THE DAY )
TCU at TEX 03:30 PM
TCU +3.0
O 60.5
NEB at IOWA 03:30 PM
NEB +2.5 *****
U 44.0 *****
WASH at WSU 03:30 PM
WSU +6.5 ***** ( PAC 12 DOG OF THE YEAR )
LT at SOMIS 04:00 PM
LT -15.0 *****
O 74.0 *****
TOL at WMU 05:00 PM
WMU -7.0 ***** ( MAC BLOW OUT )
U 70.5
BAY at TTU 06:00 PM
TTU +5.5
O 83.0 ***** ( BIG 14 TOTAL OF THE DAY )
CIN at TLSA 08:30 PM
TLSA -22.5 *****
U 63.0 *****
ASU at ARIZ 09:30 PM
ASU -2.0
U 67.5 *****
11/01/2016 2-2-0 50.00% -100
11/02/2016 1-1-0 50.00% -50
11/03/2016 3-3-0 50.00% -150
11/04/2016 2-2-0 50.00% -100
11/05/2016 26-34-0 43.33% -5700
11/08/2016 2-2-0 50.00% -100
11/09/2016 2-2-0 50.00% -100
11/10/2016 1-5-0 16.67% -2250
11/11/2016 0-2-0 0.00% -1100
11/12/2016 23-28-1 45.10% -3900
11/15/2016 1-1-0 50.00% -50
11/16/2016 3-1-0 75.00% +950
11/17/2016 2-2-0 50.00% -100
11/18/2016 2-2-0 50.00% -100
11/19/2016 33-25-0 56.90% +2750
11/22/2016 3-3-0 50.00% -150
11/24/2016 1-1-0 50.00% -50
TRIPLE PLAYS RECORD: 107 - 88- 8 *****
BIG TEN GOY................0 - 1 ( IOWA BIG LOSER TO WISCONSIN )
MT. WEST GOY..............1 - 0 ( WYOMING ROLLS BIG OVER UTAH ST. )
MAC UNDERDOG GOY.....1 - 0 ( KENT ST. + 21 W.MICHIGAN 37 )
ACC BLOW OUT.............0 - 1 ( CLEMSON -21.5 42 - 43 PITT )
MAC FAVORITE .............1 - 0 ( MIA-OHIO - 10 OVER BUFFALO 35 -24)
SEC BLOW OUT..............1 - 0 ( BAMA -28.5 OVER MISS ST. 51 - 3 )
PAC 12 GOY...................0 - 1 ( USC UPSETS WASHINGTON 26-13 )
BIG 10 DOG..................0 - 1 ( MINNESOTA + 6 LOSES TO NEBRASKA 17 -24 )
PAC 12 BLOW OUT .........1 - 0 ( COLORADO - 17.5 CRUSHES ARIZONA 49 - 24 )
THURS. NIGHT GOY.........0 - 1 ( HOUSTON UPSETS LOUISVILLE 36 -10 )
FRIDAY NIGHT DOG........1 - 0 ( NEVADA 25 + 29 BOISE ST 42 )
FRIDAY NIGHT TOTAL......1 - 0 ( NEVADA /BOISE OVER 64 )
WLT PCT UNITS
ATS Picks 321-312-12 50.71% -11100
O/U Picks 110-115-4 48.89% -8250
FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 25
GAME TIME(ET) PICK UNITS
HOU at MEM 12:00 PM
HOU -6.0
O 60.5
NIU at KENT 12:00 PM
NIU -6.5
U 46.0
NCST at UNC 12:00 PM
UNC -9.5 ***** ( ACC BLOWOUT )
ARK at MIZZ 02:30 PM
ARK -7.5
BUFF at BGSU 02:30 PM
BGSU -13.5
BSU at AFA 03:30 PM
AFA +8.5 ***** ( MT. WEST DOG OF THE DAY )
TCU at TEX 03:30 PM
TCU +3.0
O 60.5
NEB at IOWA 03:30 PM
NEB +2.5 *****
U 44.0 *****
WASH at WSU 03:30 PM
WSU +6.5 ***** ( PAC 12 DOG OF THE YEAR )
LT at SOMIS 04:00 PM
LT -15.0 *****
O 74.0 *****
TOL at WMU 05:00 PM
WMU -7.0 ***** ( MAC BLOW OUT )
U 70.5
BAY at TTU 06:00 PM
TTU +5.5
O 83.0 ***** ( BIG 14 TOTAL OF THE DAY )
CIN at TLSA 08:30 PM
TLSA -22.5 *****
U 63.0 *****
ASU at ARIZ 09:30 PM
ASU -2.0
U 67.5 *****
Top 25 Capsules
November 25, 2016
PULLMAN, Wash. (AP) Jake Browning and No. 6 Washington passed its final test of the regular season thanks to one nearly perfect quarter.
Browning threw for 292 yards and three touchdowns and the Huskies used a 28-point first quarter to beat No. 23 Washington State on Friday, winning the Apple Cup for the fourth straight year and the Pac-12 North title. Washington will take its College Football Playoff hopes into the Pac-12 championship game next Friday against either Colorado or Southern California.
Browning threw all three touchdown passes in the first 15 minutes, hitting Dante Pettis on plays of 18 and 61 yards and John Ross on a 6-yarder. Browning had 243 yards passing by halftime, the Huskies had 386 total yards at the break and even Washington State's third-quarter rally didn't make Washington sweat.
Washington (11-1, 8-1 Pac-12, No. 5 CFP) tied a school record with the 28-point first quarter, capitalizing on an early turnover to put Washington State (8-4, 7-2, No. 23 CFP) in a 14-point hole.
Browning completed 21 of 29 passes, becoming the third quarterback in Pac-12 history with at least 40 TD passes in a season. Ross had eight catches for 80 yards and his 16th TD catch of the season.
Washington State quarterback Luke Falk was 33 of 50 for 269 yards and a 9-yard TD pass to Gabe Marks in the third quarter. But the Cougars were unable to find the end zone on three drives inside the Washington 10.
MEMPHIS 48, NO. 18 HOUSTON 44
MEMPHIS, Tenn. (AP) - In what might be sought-after coach Tom Herman's final game with Houston, Riley Ferguson threw a 10-yard touchdown pass to Anthony Miller with 19 seconds left to lift Memphis.
Herman helped guide the Cougars (9-3, 5-3 American Athletic, No. 20 CFP) back from a 17-point halftime deficit. Greg Ward gave Houston a 44-41 lead with 1:29 remaining with his fourth touchdown pass, a 3-yarder to Chance Allen. But Memphis (8-4, 5-3) drove 72 yards in five plays for the winner.
Ward completed 47 of 67 passes for 487 yards. He also ran for a team-high 65 yards.
Asked by ESPN before the game to address reports that he might be close to a deal with another school, Herman said, ''Honestly, don't believe anything that you read.''
NO. 14 W. MICHIGAN 55, TOLEDO 35
KALAMAZOO, Mich. (AP) - Corey Davis and Western Michigan wrapped up an undefeated regular season in style, routing Toledo to secure a berth next week in the Mid-American Conference championship game.
Davis became the career FBS leader in yards receiving, and the Broncos (12-0, 8-0, No. 21 CFP) never trailed, scoring a defensive touchdown on the first play from scrimmage and eventually breaking it open in the third quarter. WMU will face Ohio in the MAC title game in Detroit next Friday night, and it's looking more and more like the Broncos will be playing for a spot in a major bowl.
Kareem Hunt ran for 200 yards and a touchdown for Toledo, but there was only so much he could do after the Rockets (9-3, 6-2) fell way behind in the second half.
WMU went 1-11 in 2013 in coach P.J. Fleck's first season, but he has turned the Broncos into a force. Zach Terrell went 19 of 25 for 196 yards and three touchdowns, and Davis caught eight passes for 81 yards and a TD. Davis broke the career mark of 5,005 yards receiving set by Trevor Insley of Nevada from 1996-99. Jamauri Bogan also had a big day for WMU, rushing for 198 yards and a TD.
IOWA 40, NO. 17 NEBRASKA 10
IOWA CITY, Iowa (AP) - C.J. Beathard threw three touchdown passes and Iowa pummeled Nebraska, knocking the Cornhuskers out of Big Ten title contention and sending Wisconsin to the championship game.
LeShun Daniels Jr. ran for 158 yards and two scores and George Kittle caught two TD passes for the Hawkeyes (8-4, 6-3 Big Ten).
Iowa broke open what was expected to be a tight game with a 75-yard TD run by Akrum Wadley and a 77-yard touchdown throw from Beathard to Riley McCarron in the first quarter. Kittle then put the Hawkeyes ahead 33-10 on a 6x-yard TD catch with 11:13 left.
Tommy Armstrong started for Nebraska (9-3, 6-3) despite a balky hamstring and was just 13 of 35 passing for 125 yards.
AIR FORCE 27, NO. 20 BOISE STATE 20
AIR FORCE ACADEMY, Colo. (AP) - Air Force had a late goal-line stand, Tyler Weaver returned a blocked punt 11 yards for a touchdown and the Falcons beat Boise State, ending the Broncos' bid for the Mountain West title.
Haji Dunn Jr. recovered quarterback Brett Rypien's fumble on fourth down with around 2 minutes remaining to help the Falcons (9-3, 5-3 Mountain West) knock off Boise State for a third straight season. They join Idaho (1982-93) and Nevada (1996-98) as the only teams to beat the Broncos in at least three straight years.
The Broncos (10-2, 6-2, No. 19 CFP) needed a win at Air Force and for New Mexico to upset Mountain Division-leading Wyoming on Saturday to earn a spot in the conference's title game.
November 25, 2016
PULLMAN, Wash. (AP) Jake Browning and No. 6 Washington passed its final test of the regular season thanks to one nearly perfect quarter.
Browning threw for 292 yards and three touchdowns and the Huskies used a 28-point first quarter to beat No. 23 Washington State on Friday, winning the Apple Cup for the fourth straight year and the Pac-12 North title. Washington will take its College Football Playoff hopes into the Pac-12 championship game next Friday against either Colorado or Southern California.
Browning threw all three touchdown passes in the first 15 minutes, hitting Dante Pettis on plays of 18 and 61 yards and John Ross on a 6-yarder. Browning had 243 yards passing by halftime, the Huskies had 386 total yards at the break and even Washington State's third-quarter rally didn't make Washington sweat.
Washington (11-1, 8-1 Pac-12, No. 5 CFP) tied a school record with the 28-point first quarter, capitalizing on an early turnover to put Washington State (8-4, 7-2, No. 23 CFP) in a 14-point hole.
Browning completed 21 of 29 passes, becoming the third quarterback in Pac-12 history with at least 40 TD passes in a season. Ross had eight catches for 80 yards and his 16th TD catch of the season.
Washington State quarterback Luke Falk was 33 of 50 for 269 yards and a 9-yard TD pass to Gabe Marks in the third quarter. But the Cougars were unable to find the end zone on three drives inside the Washington 10.
MEMPHIS 48, NO. 18 HOUSTON 44
MEMPHIS, Tenn. (AP) - In what might be sought-after coach Tom Herman's final game with Houston, Riley Ferguson threw a 10-yard touchdown pass to Anthony Miller with 19 seconds left to lift Memphis.
Herman helped guide the Cougars (9-3, 5-3 American Athletic, No. 20 CFP) back from a 17-point halftime deficit. Greg Ward gave Houston a 44-41 lead with 1:29 remaining with his fourth touchdown pass, a 3-yarder to Chance Allen. But Memphis (8-4, 5-3) drove 72 yards in five plays for the winner.
Ward completed 47 of 67 passes for 487 yards. He also ran for a team-high 65 yards.
Asked by ESPN before the game to address reports that he might be close to a deal with another school, Herman said, ''Honestly, don't believe anything that you read.''
NO. 14 W. MICHIGAN 55, TOLEDO 35
KALAMAZOO, Mich. (AP) - Corey Davis and Western Michigan wrapped up an undefeated regular season in style, routing Toledo to secure a berth next week in the Mid-American Conference championship game.
Davis became the career FBS leader in yards receiving, and the Broncos (12-0, 8-0, No. 21 CFP) never trailed, scoring a defensive touchdown on the first play from scrimmage and eventually breaking it open in the third quarter. WMU will face Ohio in the MAC title game in Detroit next Friday night, and it's looking more and more like the Broncos will be playing for a spot in a major bowl.
Kareem Hunt ran for 200 yards and a touchdown for Toledo, but there was only so much he could do after the Rockets (9-3, 6-2) fell way behind in the second half.
WMU went 1-11 in 2013 in coach P.J. Fleck's first season, but he has turned the Broncos into a force. Zach Terrell went 19 of 25 for 196 yards and three touchdowns, and Davis caught eight passes for 81 yards and a TD. Davis broke the career mark of 5,005 yards receiving set by Trevor Insley of Nevada from 1996-99. Jamauri Bogan also had a big day for WMU, rushing for 198 yards and a TD.
IOWA 40, NO. 17 NEBRASKA 10
IOWA CITY, Iowa (AP) - C.J. Beathard threw three touchdown passes and Iowa pummeled Nebraska, knocking the Cornhuskers out of Big Ten title contention and sending Wisconsin to the championship game.
LeShun Daniels Jr. ran for 158 yards and two scores and George Kittle caught two TD passes for the Hawkeyes (8-4, 6-3 Big Ten).
Iowa broke open what was expected to be a tight game with a 75-yard TD run by Akrum Wadley and a 77-yard touchdown throw from Beathard to Riley McCarron in the first quarter. Kittle then put the Hawkeyes ahead 33-10 on a 6x-yard TD catch with 11:13 left.
Tommy Armstrong started for Nebraska (9-3, 6-3) despite a balky hamstring and was just 13 of 35 passing for 125 yards.
AIR FORCE 27, NO. 20 BOISE STATE 20
AIR FORCE ACADEMY, Colo. (AP) - Air Force had a late goal-line stand, Tyler Weaver returned a blocked punt 11 yards for a touchdown and the Falcons beat Boise State, ending the Broncos' bid for the Mountain West title.
Haji Dunn Jr. recovered quarterback Brett Rypien's fumble on fourth down with around 2 minutes remaining to help the Falcons (9-3, 5-3 Mountain West) knock off Boise State for a third straight season. They join Idaho (1982-93) and Nevada (1996-98) as the only teams to beat the Broncos in at least three straight years.
The Broncos (10-2, 6-2, No. 19 CFP) needed a win at Air Force and for New Mexico to upset Mountain Division-leading Wyoming on Saturday to earn a spot in the conference's title game.
