Cnotes 2017 College Football Picks-Trends-News Etc. !

CNOTES · Sep 16, 2017

NCAAF opening line report: Defending champs take on Heisman favorite in Week 3

"After opening Clemson -3, the number quickly moved to -4 before settling back to Louisville plus a field goal."

College football heads into Week 3 trying to deal with the effects of Hurricane Irma. The Miami-Florida State showdown has already been postponed until Oct. 7, and the Tennessee-Florida clash could be affected as well.

We check in on the opening lines with Dave Mason, brand manager for offshore sportsbook BetOnline.ag.

No. 2 Clemson Tigers at No. 14 Louisville Cardinals (+3)

Defending national champion Clemson (2-0 SU and ATS) held off Auburn on Saturday with a 14-6 victory as a 6-point home chalk. That came after a 56-3 Week 1 bashing of Kent State as a 38-point favorite at home.

Reigning Heisman Trophy winner Lamar Jackson has helped the Cardinals’ offense put up a lot of points the first two weeks. Louisville edged Purdue 35-28 laying a hefty 25.5 points in Week 1 at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis, then topped North Carolina 47-35 Saturday to narrowly cover as an 11.5-point fave.

“We are expecting this to be the biggest bet game of the weekend,” Mason said. “After opening Clemson -3, the number quickly moved to -4 before settling back to Louisville plus a field goal. Jackson’s high-powered offense will be put to the test against a Clemson defense that has yet to give up a touchdown.”

No. 23 Tennessee Volunteers at No. 25 Florida Gators (-7)

This SEC contest, set for 3:30 p.m. ET Saturday, is still in play, but could end up moving from Gainesville, depending on how the hurricane plays out over the next couple of days. Or it could join Miami-Florida State in getting postponed.

Tennessee is out of the gate at 2-0 SU, but has failed to cash in either game. The Vols opened with a 42-41 double-overtime victory against Georgia Tech as a 4-point favorite at a quasi-neutral site, the new Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta. On Saturday, Tennessee dumped Indiana State 42-7, but fell short of covering the 37.5-point spread at home.

Florida’s Week 2 game at home against Northern Colorado was canceled due to Irma. The Gators (0-1 SU and ATS) opened the season at AT&T Stadium in Dallas, losing to Michigan 33-17 as a 4.5-point underdog.

“Early bettors hit Tennessee right from the get-go, quickly moving Florida from 7-point favorites to -5,” Mason said. “Even though they are coming off a bye (due to the cancellation), the Gators’ disappointing Week 1 loss to Michigan is still fresh on the bettors’ minds.”

Texas Longhorns at Southern California Trojans (-16.5)

Southern Cal had much less trouble with Stanford in Week 2 than it had with Western Michigan in Week 1, yet won both games by 18 points. The Trojans (2-0 SU, 1-1 ATS) rolled past Stanford 42-24 Saturday giving 3.5 points at home.

Texas suffered a stunning 51-41 home loss to Maryland as an 18-point chalk in Week 1. The Longhorns (1-1 SU and ATS) found the perfect remedy in Mountain West foe San Jose State, rumbling to a 56-0 win as a 25.5-point home favorite behind backup QB Sam Ehlinger. Starter Shane Buechele is still recovering from a bruised throwing shoulder suffered in the loss to the Terrapins.

“USC was one of the biggest Week 2 winners for the house,” Mason said, while noting the elephant in the room for this 8:30 p.m. ET Week 3 matchup. “Though there are still questions on who will be under center for the Longhorns, just 30 percent of the early bettors are on the Trojans.”

No. 9 Wisconsin Badgers at Brigham Young Cougars (+13.5)

Wisconsin (2-0 SU, 1-1 ATS) wasn’t exactly impressive in Week 2 against Florida Atlantic, but it was enough to get the job done. The Badgers won 31-14, falling miles short as a 34.5-point chalk, and now they’ll face a team from Utah for the second time in three weeks, albeit this time on the road. Wisconsin drubbed Utah State in Week 1.

Brigham Young (1-2 SU) hasn’t cashed this season, even in its opener against Portland State – an unimpressive 20-6 victory laying 35 points at home. The Cougars followed with a 27-0 loss to LSU as a 15-point pup in New Orleans and a 19-13 home setback to Utah getting 4.5 points Saturday.

“Top-10 Wisconsin opened as 13.5-point road favorites against a BYU team scoring just 11 points per game,” Mason said. “I’m very surprised that 77 percent of the early bettors took BYU and the points, especially considering the Cougars’ 0-3 ATS record. I expect that to change and am confident we will be BYU fans come kickoff.”

CNOTES · Sep 16, 2017

Saturday, September 16

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KENTUCKY (2 - 0) at S CAROLINA (2 - 0) - 9/16/2017, 7:30 PM
There are no Top Trends with records of significance that apply to this game.

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

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KENT ST (1 - 1) at MARSHALL (1 - 1) - 9/16/2017, 6:30 PM
There are no Top Trends with records of significance that apply to this game.

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

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NOTRE DAME (1 - 1) at BOSTON COLLEGE (1 - 1) - 9/16/2017, 12:00 PM
Top Trends for this game.
NOTRE DAME is 14-28 ATS (-16.8 Units) in road games in September games since 1992.
BOSTON COLLEGE is 3-11 ATS (-9.1 Units) in home games over the last 3 seasons.
BOSTON COLLEGE is 3-11 ATS (-9.1 Units) in home lined games over the last 3 seasons.
BOSTON COLLEGE is 3-11 ATS (-9.1 Units) in home games in games played on turf over the last 3 seasons.

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

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CONNECTICUT (1 - 0) at VIRGINIA (1 - 1) - 9/16/2017, 12:00 PM
Top Trends for this game.
CONNECTICUT is 2-11 ATS (-10.1 Units) in all games over the last 2 seasons.
CONNECTICUT is 2-11 ATS (-10.1 Units) in all lined games over the last 2 seasons.
CONNECTICUT is 5-14 ATS (-10.4 Units) when playing on a Saturday over the last 3 seasons.

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

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AIR FORCE (1 - 0) at MICHIGAN (2 - 0) - 9/16/2017, 12:00 PM
There are no Top Trends with records of significance that apply to this game.

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

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COASTAL CAROLINA (1 - 0) at UAB (1 - 1) - 9/16/2017, 1:00 PM
There are no Top Trends with records of significance that apply to this game.

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

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CINCINNATI (1 - 1) at MIAMI OHIO (1 - 1) - 9/16/2017, 8:00 PM
There are no Top Trends with records of significance that apply to this game.

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

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GEORGIA ST (0 - 1) at PENN ST (2 - 0) - 9/16/2017, 7:30 PM
Top Trends for this game.
PENN ST is 8-0 ATS (+8.0 Units) after 2 or more consecutive straight up wins over the last 2 seasons.
GEORGIA ST is 10-2 ATS (+7.8 Units) in road games over the last 3 seasons.
GEORGIA ST is 10-2 ATS (+7.8 Units) in road lined games over the last 3 seasons.
GEORGIA ST is 19-7 ATS (+11.3 Units) in road games when playing on a Saturday since 1992.

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

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IOWA ST (1 - 1) at AKRON (1 - 1) - 9/16/2017, 12:00 PM
Top Trends for this game.
IOWA ST is 29-50 ATS (-26.0 Units) in road games in games played on turf since 1992.

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

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N CAROLINA (0 - 2) at OLD DOMINION (2 - 0) - 9/16/2017, 3:30 PM
There are no Top Trends with records of significance that apply to this game.

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

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OKLAHOMA ST (2 - 0) at PITTSBURGH (1 - 1) - 9/16/2017, 12:00 PM
Top Trends for this game.
OKLAHOMA ST is 84-55 ATS (+23.5 Units) as a favorite since 1992.
OKLAHOMA ST is 53-34 ATS (+15.6 Units) after 2 or more consecutive straight up wins since 1992.
PITTSBURGH is 0-6 ATS (-6.6 Units) in non-conference games over the last 2 seasons.

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

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MIDDLE TENN ST (1 - 1) at MINNESOTA (2 - 0) - 9/16/2017, 3:30 PM
There are no Top Trends with records of significance that apply to this game.

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

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FLA INTERNATIONAL (1 - 1) at INDIANA (1 - 1) - 9/16/2017, 3:30 PM
Top Trends for this game.
FLA INTERNATIONAL is 0-6 ATS (-6.6 Units) in non-conference games over the last 2 seasons.

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

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UCLA (2 - 0) at MEMPHIS (1 - 0) - 9/16/2017, 12:00 PM
Top Trends for this game.
UCLA is 13-27 ATS (-16.7 Units) in road games after 2 or more consecutive straight up wins since 1992.

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

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N ILLINOIS (1 - 1) at NEBRASKA (1 - 1) - 9/16/2017, 12:00 PM
Top Trends for this game.
N ILLINOIS is 69-41 ATS (+23.9 Units) in road games since 1992.
N ILLINOIS is 69-41 ATS (+23.9 Units) in road lined games since 1992.
N ILLINOIS is 94-68 ATS (+19.2 Units) when playing on a Saturday since 1992.

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

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BAYLOR (0 - 2) at DUKE (2 - 0) - 9/16/2017, 12:30 PM
Top Trends for this game.
BAYLOR is 0-7 ATS (-7.7 Units) when playing with 6 or less days rest over the last 2 seasons.

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

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KANSAS (1 - 1) at OHIO U (1 - 1) - 9/16/2017, 2:00 PM
Top Trends for this game.
KANSAS is 121-156 ATS (-50.6 Units) in all games since 1992.
KANSAS is 121-156 ATS (-50.6 Units) in all lined games since 1992.
KANSAS is 72-108 ATS (-46.8 Units) as an underdog since 1992.
KANSAS is 45-77 ATS (-39.7 Units) in road games since 1992.
KANSAS is 45-77 ATS (-39.7 Units) in road lined games since 1992.
KANSAS is 113-147 ATS (-48.7 Units) when playing on a Saturday since 1992.
KANSAS is 92-125 ATS (-45.5 Units) when playing with 6 or less days rest since 1992.
KANSAS is 26-43 ATS (-21.3 Units) in road games in games played on turf since 1992.

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

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UTAH ST (1 - 1) at WAKE FOREST (2 - 0) - 9/16/2017, 3:00 PM
Top Trends for this game.
UTAH ST is 1-8 ATS (-7.8 Units) when playing on a Saturday over the last 2 seasons.
WAKE FOREST is 3-13 ATS (-11.3 Units) as a favorite of 10.5 to 21 points since 1992.

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

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CLEMSON (2 - 0) at LOUISVILLE (2 - 0) - 9/16/2017, 8:00 PM
There are no Top Trends with records of significance that apply to this game.

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

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C MICHIGAN (2 - 0) at SYRACUSE (1 - 1) - 9/16/2017, 3:30 PM
Top Trends for this game.
SYRACUSE is 14-3 ATS (+10.7 Units) against MAC opponents since 1992.
C MICHIGAN is 8-1 ATS (+6.9 Units) in September games over the last 3 seasons.

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

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VIRGINIA TECH (2 - 0) at E CAROLINA (0 - 2) - 9/16/2017, 3:30 PM
Top Trends for this game.
E CAROLINA is 3-11 ATS (-9.1 Units) in all games over the last 2 seasons.
E CAROLINA is 3-11 ATS (-9.1 Units) in all lined games over the last 2 seasons.
E CAROLINA is 1-8 ATS (-7.8 Units) as an underdog over the last 2 seasons.
E CAROLINA is 3-11 ATS (-9.1 Units) when playing on a Saturday over the last 2 seasons.
E CAROLINA is 2-9 ATS (-7.9 Units) when playing with 6 or less days rest over the last 2 seasons.

Head-to-Head Series History
E CAROLINA is 1-1 against the spread versus VIRGINIA TECH over the last 3 seasons
E CAROLINA is 1-1 straight up against VIRGINIA TECH over the last 3 seasons
2 of 2 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons

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WISCONSIN (2 - 0) at BYU (1 - 2) - 9/16/2017, 3:30 PM
There are no Top Trends with records of significance that apply to this game.

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

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PURDUE (1 - 1) at MISSOURI (1 - 1) - 9/16/2017, 4:00 PM
Top Trends for this game.
PURDUE is 9-1 ATS (+7.9 Units) in road games when playing on a Saturday over the last 3 seasons.
MISSOURI is 8-18 ATS (-11.8 Units) in all games over the last 3 seasons.
MISSOURI is 8-18 ATS (-11.8 Units) in all lined games over the last 3 seasons.

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

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NORTH TEXAS (1 - 1) at IOWA (2 - 0) - 9/16/2017, 3:30 PM
There are no Top Trends with records of significance that apply to this game.

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

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LA LAFAYETTE (1 - 1) at TEXAS A&M (1 - 1) - 9/16/2017, 12:00 PM
Top Trends for this game.
TEXAS A&M is 6-16 ATS (-11.6 Units) in games played on a grass field over the last 3 seasons.

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

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BOWLING GREEN (0 - 2) at NORTHWESTERN (1 - 1) - 9/16/2017, 7:30 PM
Top Trends for this game.
BOWLING GREEN is 0-6 ATS (-6.6 Units) in September games over the last 2 seasons.
BOWLING GREEN is 0-6 ATS (-6.6 Units) in non-conference games over the last 2 seasons.
NORTHWESTERN is 2-13 ATS (-12.3 Units) in home games against MAC opponents since 1992.

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

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TULANE (1 - 1) at OKLAHOMA (2 - 0) - 9/16/2017, 6:00 PM
Top Trends for this game.
TULANE is 91-123 ATS (-44.3 Units) as an underdog since 1992.

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

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TENNESSEE (2 - 0) at FLORIDA (0 - 1) - 9/16/2017, 3:30 PM
Top Trends for this game.
FLORIDA is 41-23 ATS (+15.7 Units) when playing with 2 weeks or more of rest since 1992.
FLORIDA is 36-20 ATS (+14.0 Units) after a bye week since 1992.

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

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SMU (2 - 0) at TCU (2 - 0) - 9/16/2017, 3:30 PM
Top Trends for this game.
TCU is 35-19 ATS (+14.1 Units) in home games after 2 or more consecutive straight up wins since 1992.
TCU is 2-9 ATS (-7.9 Units) as a favorite over the last 2 seasons.
TCU is 0-8 ATS (-8.8 Units) in home games over the last 2 seasons.
TCU is 0-7 ATS (-7.7 Units) in home lined games over the last 2 seasons.
TCU is 2-10 ATS (-9.0 Units) when playing on a Saturday over the last 2 seasons.
TCU is 0-8 ATS (-8.8 Units) in games played on a grass field over the last 2 seasons.

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

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LOUISIANA TECH (1 - 1) at W KENTUCKY (1 - 1) - 9/16/2017, 7:00 PM
Top Trends for this game.
W KENTUCKY is 13-4 ATS (+8.6 Units) against conference opponents over the last 3 seasons.

Head-to-Head Series History
W KENTUCKY is 2-1 against the spread versus LOUISIANA TECH over the last 3 seasons
W KENTUCKY is 2-1 straight up against LOUISIANA TECH over the last 3 seasons
3 of 3 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons

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ARMY (2 - 0) at OHIO ST (1 - 1) - 9/16/2017, 4:30 PM
Top Trends for this game.
OHIO ST is 178-134 ATS (+30.6 Units) in all games since 1992.
OHIO ST is 178-134 ATS (+30.6 Units) in all lined games since 1992.
OHIO ST is 148-115 ATS (+21.5 Units) as a favorite since 1992.
OHIO ST is 161-120 ATS (+29.0 Units) when playing on a Saturday since 1992.
OHIO ST is 53-34 ATS (+15.6 Units) in September games since 1992.

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

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OREGON ST (1 - 2) at WASHINGTON ST (2 - 0) - 9/16/2017, 5:30 PM
Top Trends for this game.
OREGON ST is 12-27 ATS (-17.7 Units) in road games in September games since 1992.

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

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APPALACHIAN ST (1 - 1) at TEXAS ST (1 - 1) - 9/16/2017, 7:00 PM
Top Trends for this game.
APPALACHIAN ST is 8-1 ATS (+6.9 Units) as a road favorite over the last 3 seasons.

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

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COLORADO ST (2 - 1) at ALABAMA (2 - 0) - 9/16/2017, 7:00 PM
Top Trends for this game.
COLORADO ST is 11-2 ATS (+8.8 Units) when playing on a Saturday over the last 2 seasons.
ALABAMA is 55-78 ATS (-30.8 Units) in home games when playing with 6 or less days rest since 1992.

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

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TULSA (1 - 1) at TOLEDO (2 - 0) - 9/16/2017, 7:00 PM
Top Trends for this game.
TOLEDO is 29-15 ATS (+12.5 Units) as a favorite of 3.5 to 10 points since 1992.
TOLEDO is 77-53 ATS (+18.7 Units) as a favorite since 1992.
TOLEDO is 48-26 ATS (+19.4 Units) in home games when playing on a Saturday since 1992.
TOLEDO is 43-26 ATS (+14.4 Units) in home games when playing with 6 or less days rest since 1992.
TOLEDO is 7-0 ATS (+7.0 Units) in September games over the last 3 seasons.
TULSA is 9-2 ATS (+6.8 Units) when playing on a Saturday over the last 2 seasons.

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

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IDAHO (1 - 1) at W MICHIGAN (0 - 2) - 9/16/2017, 7:00 PM
Top Trends for this game.
W MICHIGAN is 10-2 ATS (+7.8 Units) in non-conference games over the last 3 seasons.

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

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SOUTHERN MISS (1 - 1) at LA MONROE (0 - 1) - 9/16/2017, 7:00 PM
Top Trends for this game.
LA MONROE is 5-16 ATS (-12.6 Units) when playing with 2 weeks or more of rest since 1992.
LA MONROE is 6-16 ATS (-11.6 Units) after a bye week since 1992.

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

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OREGON (2 - 0) at WYOMING (1 - 1) - 9/16/2017, 7:00 PM
Top Trends for this game.
OREGON is 1-8 ATS (-7.8 Units) when playing with 6 or less days rest over the last 2 seasons.
OREGON is 6-15 ATS (-10.5 Units) in games played on turf over the last 3 seasons.
OREGON is 72-50 ATS (+17.0 Units) in road games since 1992.
OREGON is 72-50 ATS (+17.0 Units) in road lined games since 1992.
OREGON is 85-60 ATS (+19.0 Units) after 2 or more consecutive straight up wins since 1992.

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

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LSU (2 - 0) at MISSISSIPPI ST (2 - 0) - 9/16/2017, 7:00 PM
There are no Top Trends with records of significance that apply to this game.

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

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GEORGIA TECH (1 - 1) at UCF (1 - 0) - 9/16/2017, 7:30 PM
Top Trends for this game.
GEORGIA TECH is 6-0 ATS (+6.0 Units) in non-conference games over the last 2 seasons.

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

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KANSAS ST (2 - 0) at VANDERBILT (2 - 0) - 9/16/2017, 7:30 PM
Top Trends for this game.
KANSAS ST is 147-109 ATS (+27.1 Units) when playing on a Saturday since 1992.
KANSAS ST is 120-90 ATS (+21.0 Units) when playing with 6 or less days rest since 1992.

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

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RICE (1 - 1) at HOUSTON (1 - 0) - 9/16/2017, 8:00 PM
Top Trends for this game.
RICE is 117-87 ATS (+21.3 Units) in games played on turf since 1992.
RICE is 55-34 ATS (+17.6 Units) off a win against a conference rival since 1992.

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

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TROY (1 - 1) at NEW MEXICO ST (1 - 1) - 9/16/2017, 8:00 PM
Top Trends for this game.
NEW MEXICO ST is 87-118 ATS (-42.8 Units) when playing on a Saturday since 1992.

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

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ARIZONA ST (1 - 1) at TEXAS TECH (1 - 0) - 9/16/2017, 8:00 PM
Top Trends for this game.
TEXAS TECH is 12-3 ATS (+8.7 Units) as a home favorite of 3.5 to 7 points since 1992.
TEXAS TECH is 81-52 ATS (+23.8 Units) in home games since 1992.
TEXAS TECH is 81-52 ATS (+23.8 Units) in home lined games since 1992.
TEXAS TECH is 78-50 ATS (+23.0 Units) in home games when playing on a Saturday since 1992.
TEXAS TECH is 15-5 ATS (+9.5 Units) in games played on turf over the last 3 seasons.
TEXAS TECH is 6-0 ATS (+6.0 Units) in home games in September games over the last 3 seasons.

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

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TEXAS (1 - 1) at USC (2 - 0) - 9/16/2017, 8:30 PM
Top Trends for this game.
USC is 6-0 ATS (+6.0 Units) as a favorite of 10.5 to 21 points over the last 2 seasons.

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

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SAN JOSE ST (1 - 2) at UTAH (2 - 0) - 9/16/2017, 10:00 PM
Top Trends for this game.
UTAH is 60-35 ATS (+21.5 Units) in non-conference games since 1992.

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

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FRESNO ST (1 - 1) at WASHINGTON (2 - 0) - 9/16/2017, 9:30 PM
There are no Top Trends with records of significance that apply to this game.

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

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OLE MISS (2 - 0) at CALIFORNIA (2 - 0) - 9/16/2017, 10:30 PM
There are no Top Trends with records of significance that apply to this game.

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

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STANFORD (1 - 1) at SAN DIEGO ST (2 - 0) - 9/16/2017, 10:30 PM
Top Trends for this game.
SAN DIEGO ST is 11-3 ATS (+7.7 Units) after 2 or more consecutive straight up wins over the last 3 seasons.
STANFORD is 66-43 ATS (+18.7 Units) in road games when playing with 6 or less days rest since 1992.

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

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CNOTES · Sep 16, 2017

NCAAF

Week 3

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

Saturday, September 16

12:00 PM
LOUISIANA-LAFAYETTE vs. TEXAS A&M
Louisiana-Lafayette is 4-9 SU in its last 13 games on the road
Texas A&M is 1-10 ATS in its last 11 games
Texas A&M is 0-5 ATS in its last 5 games at home

12:00 PM
KANSAS vs. OHIO
The total has gone UNDER in 17 of Kansas's last 23 games on the road
Kansas is 5-14 ATS in its last 19 games on the road
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Ohio's last 6 games at home
Ohio is 5-2 SU in its last 7 games at home

12:00 PM
IOWA STATE vs. AKRON
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Iowa State's last 6 games on the road
Iowa State is 4-14 SU in its last 18 games
Akron is 1-5-1 ATS in its last 7 games at home
Akron is 2-4 SU in its last 6 games at home

12:00 PM
UCLA vs. MEMPHIS
UCLA is 1-7 SU in its last 8 games on the road
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of UCLA's last 5 games on the road
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Memphis's last 5 games
Memphis is 3-8 ATS in its last 11 games

12:00 PM
CONNECTICUT vs. VIRGINIA
Connecticut is 2-7 ATS in its last 9 games on the road
Connecticut is 0-5 SU in its last 5 games on the road
Virginia is 1-5 SU in its last 6 games at home
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Virginia's last 5 games

12:00 PM
OKLAHOMA STATE vs. PITTSBURGH
Oklahoma State is 10-1 SU in its last 11 games
Oklahoma State is 5-1 SU in its last 6 games on the road
The total has gone OVER in 11 of Pittsburgh's last 14 games
Pittsburgh is 4-2 SU in its last 6 games

12:00 PM
AIR FORCE vs. MICHIGAN
Air Force is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Air Force's last 5 games
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Michigan's last 5 games at home
The total has gone OVER in 9 of Michigan's last 13 games at home

12:00 PM
NORTHERN ILLINOIS vs. NEBRASKA
Northern Illinois is 5-2 SU in its last 7 games
The total has gone OVER in 5 of Northern Illinois's last 7 games on the road
Nebraska is 11-5 SU in its last 16 games
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Nebraska's last 5 games

12:00 PM
DELAWARE ST vs. WEST VIRGINIA
Delaware St is 0-5 SU in its last 5 games
Delaware St is 0-5 SU in its last 5 games on the road
West Virginia is 2-6 ATS in its last 8 games at home
West Virginia is 16-5 SU in its last 21 games

12:20 PM
FURMAN vs. NORTH CAROLINA STATE
Furman is 1-16 SU in its last 17 games
Furman is 1-16 SU in its last 17 games on the road
North Carolina State is 1-4 ATS in its last 5 games at home
North Carolina State is 1-4 SU in its last 5 games at home

12:30 PM
BAYLOR vs. DUKE
Baylor is 1-8 SU in its last 9 games
Baylor is 2-7 ATS in its last 9 games
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Duke's last 5 games
The total has gone UNDER in 6 of Duke's last 8 games at home

1:00 PM
COASTAL CAROLINA vs. UAB
Coastal Carolina is 1-7 SU in its last 8 games
Coastal Carolina is 0-5 SU in its last 5 games on the road
The total has gone OVER in 5 of UAB's last 7 games
UAB is 8-15 SU in its last 23 games

2:00 PM
N. COLORADO vs. COLORADO
N. Colorado is 0-5 SU in its last 5 games on the road
N. Colorado is 0-5 SU in its last 5 games
Colorado is 1-4 ATS in its last 5 games
Colorado is 8-2 SU in its last 10 games

3:00 PM
UTAH STATE vs. WAKE FOREST
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Utah State's last 5 games on the road
Utah State is 0-5 SU in its last 5 games on the road
Wake Forest is 6-3 SU in its last 9 games at home
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Wake Forest's last 5 games at home

3:00 PM
TENNESSEE TECH vs. BALL STATE
Tennessee Tech is 0-5 SU in its last 5 games on the road
Tennessee Tech is 0-5 SU in its last 5 games
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Ball State's last 6 games at home
Ball State is 1-4 SU in its last 5 games at home

3:30 PM
WISCONSIN vs. BYU
Wisconsin is 9-1 SU in its last 10 games
Wisconsin is 1-2-2 ATS in its last 5 games
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of BYU's last 5 games
BYU is 2-5 ATS in its last 7 games at home

3:30 PM
VIRGINIA TECH vs. EAST CAROLINA
The total has gone UNDER in 12 of Virginia Tech's last 17 games on the road
Virginia Tech is 5-1 SU in its last 6 games
East Carolina is 3-9 SU in its last 12 games when playing Virginia Tech
East Carolina is 2-4 SU in its last 6 games when playing at home against Virginia Tech

3:30 PM
CENTRAL MICHIGAN vs. SYRACUSE
Central Michigan is 2-6 ATS in its last 8 games
Central Michigan is 1-4 ATS in its last 5 games on the road
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Syracuse's last 5 games at home
The total has gone UNDER in 8 of Syracuse's last 9 games

3:30 PM
NORTH CAROLINA vs. OLD DOMINION
North Carolina is 1-5 SU in its last 6 games
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of North Carolina's last 5 games on the road
Old Dominion is 7-2-1 ATS in its last 10 games at home
Old Dominion is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games

3:30 PM
FLORIDA INTERNATIONAL vs. INDIANA
Florida International is 5-11-2 ATS in its last 18 games
Florida International is 2-5 SU in its last 7 games
Indiana is 1-4 ATS in its last 5 games at home
Indiana is 4-8 SU in its last 12 games at home

3:30 PM
MORGAN ST vs. RUTGERS
Morgan St is 0-5 SU in its last 5 games
Morgan St is 1-4 ATS in its last 5 games
Rutgers is 2-4 ATS in its last 6 games at home
Rutgers is 0-5 SU in its last 5 games

3:30 PM
NORTH TEXAS vs. IOWA
The total has gone OVER in 4 of North Texas's last 6 games on the road
North Texas is 2-18 SU in its last 20 games on the road
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Iowa's last 5 games at home
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Iowa's last 6 games

3:30 PM
NOTRE DAME vs. BOSTON COLLEGE
The total has gone UNDER in 6 of Notre Dame's last 9 games
Notre Dame is 1-5 ATS in its last 6 games on the road
Boston College is 0-5 SU in its last 5 games when playing Notre Dame
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Boston College's last 5 games when playing Notre Dame

3:30 PM
MIDDLE TENNESSEE vs. MINNESOTA
The total has gone OVER in 7 of Middle Tennessee's last 10 games
Middle Tennessee is 6-2 SU in its last 8 games on the road
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Minnesota's last 6 games
Minnesota is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games

3:30 PM
SOUTHERN METHODIST vs. TCU
The total has gone OVER in 5 of Southern Methodist's last 7 games when playing TCU
Southern Methodist is 1-9 SU in its last 10 games when playing on the road against TCU
TCU is 1-5 SU in its last 6 games at home
TCU is 18-6 SU in its last 24 games at home

3:30 PM
TENNESSEE vs. FLORIDA
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Tennessee's last 5 games when playing on the road against Florida
Tennessee is 2-3-1 ATS in its last 6 games when playing on the road against Florida
Florida is 4-8 ATS in its last 12 games at home
Florida is 15-4 SU in its last 19 games at home

4:00 PM
PURDUE vs. MISSOURI
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Purdue's last 6 games on the road
Purdue is 1-12 SU in its last 13 games on the road
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Missouri's last 7 games
Missouri is 6-15 SU in its last 21 games

4:00 PM
MERCER vs. AUBURN
No trends available
Auburn is 8-4 SU in its last 12 games
Auburn is 4-1-1 ATS in its last 6 games at home

4:30 PM
ARMY vs. OHIO STATE
The total has gone UNDER in 15 of Army's last 23 games
Army is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games
Ohio State is 1-4 ATS in its last 5 games at home
Ohio State is 1-4 ATS in its last 5 games

5:30 PM
OREGON STATE vs. WASHINGTON STATE
Oregon State is 2-4 ATS in its last 6 games
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Oregon State's last 6 games
The total has gone OVER in 5 of Washington State's last 6 games when playing Oregon State
Washington State is 1-4 SU in its last 5 games when playing at home against Oregon State

6:00 PM
COLGATE vs. BUFFALO
Colgate is 0-5 SU in its last 5 games on the road
Colgate is 0-5 SU in its last 5 games
Buffalo is 2-6 SU in its last 8 games at home
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Buffalo's last 6 games

6:00 PM
NORTH CAROLINA A&T vs. CHARLOTTE
North Carolina A&T is 1-6 SU in its last 7 games
North Carolina A&T is 1-4 SU in its last 5 games on the road
Charlotte is 2-7-2 ATS in its last 11 games at home
Charlotte is 0-5 SU in its last 5 games at home

6:00 PM
TULANE vs. OKLAHOMA
Tulane is 2-7 SU in its last 9 games
Tulane is 4-18 SU in its last 22 games on the road
Oklahoma is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games at home
The total has gone UNDER in 6 of Oklahoma's last 8 games

6:30 PM
KENT STATE vs. MARSHALL
Kent State is 2-4 ATS in its last 6 games on the road
Kent State is 3-15 SU in its last 18 games on the road
Marshall is 3-10 SU in its last 13 games
The total has gone UNDER in 7 of Marshall's last 10 games

6:30 PM
BETHUNE-COOKMAN vs. FLORIDA ATLANTIC
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Bethune-Cookman's last 5 games
Bethune-Cookman is 1-5 ATS in its last 6 games on the road
Florida Atlantic is 2-11 SU in its last 13 games
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Florida Atlantic's last 6 games

7:00 PM
ARK.-PINE BLUFF vs. ARKANSAS STATE
Ark.-Pine Bluff is 0-5 SU in its last 5 games
Ark.-Pine Bluff is 0-5 SU in its last 5 games on the road
Arkansas State is 8-2 SU in its last 10 games
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Arkansas State's last 7 games at home

7:00 PM
LOUISIANA TECH vs. WESTERN KENTUCKY
The total has gone OVER in 7 of Louisiana Tech's last 8 games on the road
Louisiana Tech is 9-3 SU in its last 12 games
Western Kentucky is 9-1 SU in its last 10 games
Western Kentucky is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games at home

7:00 PM
SOUTHERN U vs. UTSA
Southern U is 0-5 SU in its last 5 games
Southern U is 0-5 SU in its last 5 games on the road
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of UTSA's last 5 games
UTSA is 4-2 SU in its last 6 games at home

7:00 PM
ALABAMA A&M vs. SOUTH ALABAMA
Alabama A&M is 0-5 SU in its last 5 games
Alabama A&M is 0-5 SU in its last 5 games on the road
The total has gone OVER in 4 of South Alabama's last 5 games
South Alabama is 1-4 ATS in its last 5 games at home

7:00 PM
SOUTHERN MISS vs. LOUISIANA-MONROE
Southern Miss is 1-4 SU in its last 5 games on the road
Southern Miss is 1-4 ATS in its last 5 games on the road
The total has gone OVER in 9 of Louisiana-Monroe's last 10 games
The total has gone OVER in 7 of Louisiana-Monroe's last 9 games at home

7:00 PM
APPALACHIAN STATE vs. TEXAS STATE
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Appalachian State's last 5 games on the road
Appalachian State is 9-3 SU in its last 12 games on the road
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Texas State's last 5 games at home
Texas State is 1-5 ATS in its last 6 games at home

7:00 PM
TULSA vs. TOLEDO
Tulsa is 11-3-1 ATS in its last 15 games on the road
Tulsa is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games
Toledo is 19-6 SU in its last 25 games
Toledo is 7-1 SU in its last 8 games at home

7:00 PM
IDAHO vs. WESTERN MICHIGAN
The total has gone OVER in 15 of Idaho's last 20 games on the road
Idaho is 6-19 SU in its last 25 games on the road
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Western Michigan's last 6 games
Western Michigan is 12-5-1 ATS in its last 18 games

7:00 PM
COLORADO STATE vs. ALABAMA
Colorado State is 2-5 SU in its last 7 games on the road
Colorado State is 4-2 SU in its last 6 games
Alabama is 23-2 SU in its last 25 games
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Alabama's last 7 games

7:00 PM
IDAHO STATE vs. NEVADA
Idaho State is 0-5 SU in its last 5 games
Idaho State is 1-4 ATS in its last 5 games
Nevada is 1-4 ATS in its last 5 games at home
Nevada is 7-3 SU in its last 10 games at home

7:00 PM
OREGON vs. WYOMING
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Oregon's last 6 games on the road
Oregon is 1-5-1 ATS in its last 7 games on the road
Wyoming is 8-2 SU in its last 10 games at home
Wyoming is 1-4 SU in its last 5 games

7:00 PM
LSU vs. MISSISSIPPI STATE
LSU is 5-1 SU in its last 6 games
LSU is 4-2 SU in its last 6 games on the road
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Mississippi State's last 6 games when playing at home against LSU
Mississippi State is 6-14 ATS in its last 20 games when playing LSU

7:30 PM
BOWLING GREEN vs. NORTHWESTERN
Bowling Green is 3-9 SU in its last 12 games
Bowling Green is 4-11 ATS in its last 15 games
Northwestern is 4-2 SU in its last 6 games
The total has gone UNDER in 13 of Northwestern's last 19 games

7:30 PM
SAMFORD vs. GEORGIA
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Samford's last 6 games on the road
Samford is 0-5 SU in its last 5 games on the road
The total has gone UNDER in 9 of Georgia's last 12 games at home
Georgia is 17-6 SU in its last 23 games at home

7:30 PM
GEORGIA TECH vs. CENTRAL FLORIDA
Georgia Tech is 4-2 SU in its last 6 games on the road
Georgia Tech is 5-1 SU in its last 6 games
The total has gone UNDER in 8 of Central Florida's last 9 games at home
Central Florida is 4-10 SU in its last 14 games at home

7:30 PM
KENTUCKY vs. SOUTH CAROLINA
The total has gone UNDER in 7 of Kentucky's last 10 games on the road
Kentucky is 1-4 ATS in its last 5 games
South Carolina is 7-1 SU in its last 8 games when playing at home against Kentucky
The total has gone OVER in 8 of South Carolina's last 10 games when playing Kentucky

7:30 PM
KANSAS STATE vs. VANDERBILT
The total has gone OVER in 7 of Kansas State's last 8 games
Kansas State is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games
Vanderbilt is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games at home
Vanderbilt is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games

7:30 PM
GEORGIA STATE vs. PENN STATE
Georgia State is 1-5 SU in its last 6 games
Georgia State is 1-4 ATS in its last 5 games
Penn State is 10-0-1 ATS in its last 11 games
Penn State is 11-1 SU in its last 12 games

8:00 PM
ARIZONA STATE vs. TEXAS TECH
Arizona State is 0-5 SU in its last 5 games on the road
Arizona State is 1-5 ATS in its last 6 games on the road
The total has gone OVER in 13 of Texas Tech's last 18 games at home
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Texas Tech's last 6 games at home

8:00 PM
CINCINNATI vs. MIAMI (OHIO)
Cincinnati is 2-4 ATS in its last 6 games when playing on the road against Miami (Ohio)
Cincinnati is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games when playing Miami (Ohio)
Miami (Ohio) is 7-2 SU in its last 9 games
Miami (Ohio) is 8-17 SU in its last 25 games at home

8:00 PM
CLEMSON vs. LOUISVILLE
The total has gone OVER in 5 of Clemson's last 5 games on the road
The total has gone OVER in 6 of Clemson's last 8 games
Louisville is 1-4 ATS in its last 5 games at home
Louisville is 17-5 SU in its last 22 games

8:00 PM
MIAMI vs. FLORIDA STATE
The total has gone UNDER in 6 of Miami's last 8 games when playing on the road against Florida State
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Miami's last 5 games when playing Florida State
The total has gone UNDER in 7 of Florida State's last 10 games
Florida State is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games

8:00 PM
TROY vs. NEW MEXICO STATE
Troy is 10-3 SU in its last 13 games
Troy is 1-5 ATS in its last 6 games
New Mexico State is 4-11 SU in its last 15 games at home
New Mexico State is 2-7 SU in its last 9 games

8:00 PM
RICE vs. HOUSTON
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Rice's last 6 games when playing on the road against Houston
Rice is 0-5 SU in its last 5 games when playing on the road against Houston
Houston is 17-1 SU in its last 18 games at home
Houston is 1-4 ATS in its last 5 games at home

8:30 PM
TEXAS vs. SOUTHERN CAL
The total has gone UNDER in 11 of Texas's last 14 games on the road
Texas is 2-9 ATS in its last 11 games on the road
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Southern Cal's last 5 games
Southern Cal is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games

9:30 PM
FRESNO STATE vs. WASHINGTON
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Fresno State's last 5 games
Fresno State is 0-5 SU in its last 5 games
Washington is 17-2 SU in its last 19 games
Washington is 9-1 SU in its last 10 games at home

10:00 PM
SAN JOSE STATE vs. UTAH
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of San Jose State's last 5 games
San Jose State is 2-5 ATS in its last 7 games on the road
Utah is 13-3 SU in its last 16 games at home
The total has gone UNDER in 12 of Utah's last 17 games at home

10:30 PM
MISSISSIPPI vs. CALIFORNIA
Mississippi is 1-8 ATS in its last 9 games
Mississippi is 4-2 SU in its last 6 games
California is 2-5 ATS in its last 7 games
California is 7-2 SU in its last 9 games at home

10:30 PM
STANFORD vs. SAN DIEGO STATE
Stanford is 6-1 SU in its last 7 games on the road
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Stanford's last 5 games on the road
The total has gone UNDER in 14 of San Diego State's last 20 games at home
San Diego State is 2-4 ATS in its last 6 games

CNOTES · Sep 16, 2017

NCAAF
Armadillo's Write-Up

Week 3

Saturday’s top 13 games

Notre Dame was held to 55 rushing yards in 20-19 home loss to Georgia LW. ND won its last five games with Boston College (1-4 vs spread), with three of five wins by 4 or less points. Irish won 21-6/31-13 in last two visits here. ND is 5-10 vs spread as a road favorite under Kelly. BC lost 34-10 at home to Wake Forest last week, completing just 18-31 passes with a -4 turnover ratio. Eagles are 3-11 vs spread in last 14 home games. This is first road start for ND’s soph QB Wimbush. ACC teams are 6-8 vs spread in non-conference games this season.

UCLA allowed 563 yards in its first two games, wins over Texas A&M (45-44), Hawai’i (56-23); Bruins come east with 15 returning starters (9 on offense) and a junior QB (21 starts) who engineered huge comeback vs A&M (trailed 44-10).Memphis had its game at UCF postponed last week; Tigers ran for 319 yards in a quagmire in 37-29 opening win over ULM. Since 2012, Memphis is 7-4 as a home underdog. Pac-12 non-conference road favorites are 4-1 vs spread this season; AAC teams are 6-5 vs spread out of conference, 1-3 as an underdog.

Clemson beat Louisville last three years, by 6-3-6 points, with underdogs covering all three; Cardinals ran ball for 273 yards in LY’s game- Clemson threw for 306 yards, but Watson is in NFL now- this is first road start for junior QB Bryant. Tigers held Auburn to 117 total yards in 14-6 home win LW; Clemson had only 284 TY. Louisville is 2-1 as a home underdog under Petrino. Last three years, Clemson is 3-9 vs spread as a road favorite. Cardinals scored 82 points in winning first two games over Purdue/UNC, throwing for 771 yards.

Florida’s team had its routines disrupted this week by the hurricane- their game last week was cancelled. Gators lost their opener 33-17 to Michigan; Wolverines outgained them, 433-192. Florida had 10 guys suspended; unclear how many they get back here. Tennessee ended an 11-year skid with the Gators LY with 38-28 win; Vols lost last six visits to Gainesville (2-4 vs spread). Tennessee won its opener 42-41 in OT in Atlanta vs Ga Tech, then waxed a I-AA opponent LW. This is first true road start for Tennessee’s junior QB Dormady.

Purdue seems to be much-improved after hanging in with Louisville, then whacking Ohio U 44-21 last week. Last 5+ years, Boilermakers are 16-6-1 vs spread in true road games. Missouri gained 423 yards in loss to South Carolina LW but scored only 13 points; they were -3 in turnovers. Tigers allowed 43 points in opening 72-43 win over a I-AA opponent. Since 2011, SEC teams are 16-12-1 vs spread when facing a Big 14 opponent. This season, Big 14 underdogs are 6-0 vs spread out of conference.

Washington State won its last three games with Oregon State by 4-21-7 points; underdogs are 5-1 vs spread in last six series games. Beavers won four of last five visits to Pullman. Coogs rallied back from down 31-10 to nip Boise State in OT last week; Falk missed 2nd half with a concussion- backup Hilinski was 25-33 for 240 yards and three TD’s. Since 2013, Wazzu is 10-7 vs spread as a home favorite. Beavers are 5-7 vs spread as a road underdog under Andersen. OSU gave up 544 rushing yards in last two games, one of which was against a I-AA team.

Home team won last four Louisiana Tech-Western Kentucky games, with average total of 89.5 in the four games. Tech lost 58-44/41-38 in last two visits here. WKU was held to 244 yards in 20-7 loss at Illinois last week; Hilltoppers are 9-4 vs spread in last 13 home games. Bulldogs gave up 327 rushing yards in 57-21 home loss to Miss State LW; Tech actually lost 87 yards on one especially bad play involving a fumble and a ball that wouldn’t stop rolling. Bulldogs are 14-8 vs spread in last 22 road games; they’re 9-6 as a road underdog under Holtz.

LSU is 16-1 in its last 17 games with Mississippi State, winning last two meetings 23-20/21-19; Tigers won last eight visits to Starkville (6-2 vs spread). LSU didn’t allow BYU to move the ball over midfield in its only I-A game this season; Tigers are 6-12 vs spread in last 18 true road games, they’re 5-8 in last 13 games as a road favorite. Miss State ran ball for 327 yards LW at La Tech; since 2013, Bulldogs are 12-7 vs spread as an underdog- they’re 10-10 as a home dog under Mullen.

Not often Wyoming gets a Pac-12 opponent to visit Laramie. Oregon was up 42-14 at the half vs Nebraska last week, wound up hanging on for 42-35 win; Ducks gained total of 566 yards, running for 201. Since 2011, Oregon is 14-5 vs spread as a road favorite- they were 0-2 LY. Wyoming was held to 233 yards in opening 24-3 loss at Iowa- they ran for only 65 yards in a 27-0 win over a I-AA team LW. Cowboys are 8-5 as a home underdog under Bohl. Last 2+ years, Pac-12 teams are 15-10-1 vs spread when facing a Mountain West opponent.

Georgia Tech-Central Florida game was postponed.

Kentucky won its last three games with South Carolina; underdogs are 3-1-1 vs spread in last five series games. Wildcats lost seven of last eight visits to Columbia, but covered three of last four. Gamecocks scored 66 points in winning first two games, neither of which were at home; Since ’11, South Carolina is 18-17 vs spread as a home favorite; they’re 2-2 under Muschamp. Kentucky won its opener 24-17 at Southern Miss, then beat a I-AA team 27-16 team LW. Since ’11, Wildcats are 11-19 vs spread as a road underdog- they’re 9-9 under Stoops.

Arizona State (-1) beat Texas Tech 68-55 LY in a ridiculous game where TY was 652-612; Tech threw ball for 540 yards but was -2 in turnovers. ASU gave up 279 rushing yards in 30-20 home loss to San Diego State LW; Sun Devils are 5-10 vs spread as road underdogs under Graham. Tech is 8-4 vs spread at home the last two years, 6-1 vs spread as a home favorite; they’re breaking in a new QB and haven’t played a I-A team yet- they hammered a I-AA team 56-10 two weeks ago. Since 2011, Big X teams are 13-8 vs spread when facing a Pac-12 opponent.

USC had huge 42-24 Pac-12 win over Stanford LW; will it be tough to get back up this week, for a non-league game? Teams haven’t met since 41-38 Texas win in national title game 12 years ago. Texas gave up 263 rushing yards in ugly 51-41 home loss to Maryland in its opener- they crushed San Jose State 56-0 last week. Last three years, Longhorns are 1-5 as a road underdog. Since 2011, Trojans are 24-13 vs spread as a home favorite. Since ’11, Big X teams are 13-8 vs spread when facing a Pac-12 opponent.

CNOTES · Sep 16, 2017

CFB Aug/Sept Best Bets: ( All Best Bets Based On 5 Units Per Play )

DATE W-L-T % UNITS RECORD

09/15/2017 3-3-0 50.00% -1.50

09/14/2017 1-1-0 50.00% -0.50

09/09/2017 19-21-3 47.50% -20.50

09/08/2017 4-0-0 100.00% +20.00

09/07/2017 0-1-0 0.00% -5.50

09/04/2017 1-1-0 50.00% -0.50

09/03/2017 3-1-0 75.00% +9.50

09/02/2017 11-21-0 34.38% -60.50

09/01/2017 6-3-0 66.67% +13.50

08/31/2017 9-4-0 69.23% +23.00

08/26/2017 5-5-0 50.00% -2.50

Totals:..........62 - 61 - 3........50.40%....-25.50

Best Bets:*****
Best Bets :........................ATS............TOTALS.................O/U................TOTALS

09/15/2017....................2 - 0.............+1000.................1 - 2...............- 6.00

SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 16

GAME TIME(ET) PICK UNITS

CONN at UVA 12:00 PM

UVA -10.5

OKST at PITT 12:00 PM

OKST -11.5

UCLA at MEM 12:00 PM

MEM +3.0*****

AFA at MICH 12:00 PM

AFA +23.0

ULL at TAM 12:00 PM

ULL +23.5

NIU at NEB 12:00 PM

NIU +13.0*****

KU at OHIO 12:00 PM

KU +7.5

ISU at AKR 12:00 PM

AKR +10.5

BAY at DUKE 12:30 PM

DUKE -14.5*****

CNOTES · Sep 16, 2017

Saturday's Week 3 NCAAF Top 25 betting cheat sheet and odds

(8) Oklahoma State Cowboys at Pittsburgh Panthers (+11.5, 63.5)

* Cowboys QB Mason Rudolph has gone without an interception in 10 of his last 11 games, throwing 28 touchdowns with just two INTs over that span. Oklahoma State has recorded a defensive score in each of its first two games this season.

* Pittsburgh has averaged 36:25 in time of possession through two games, the sixth-highest rate in the nation. The Panthers haven't beaten a top-10 opponent at home since 2003, but upset then-No. 2 Clemson as a road dog last season.

LINE HISTORY: Most oddsmakers opened the Cowboys as about 13.5-point road favorites against the Panthers. They moved as high as -14.5, but since then it has been mostly Pittsburgh money, with the line coming all the way down to the current number of Oklahoma State -11.5. The total hit the board at 65.5 and has moved down two points to 63.5. Check out the complete line history here.

TRENDS:

* Over is 6-1 in Pittsburgh's last seven road games.
* Under is 4-0 in Oklahoma State's last four road games.
* Pittsburgh is 1-5 ATS in its last six home games vs. a team with a winning road record.
* Oklahoma State is 5-1 ATS in its last six road games.

Air Force Falcons at (7) Michigan Wolverines (-23, 50)

* No team spreads carries around like the Falcons, who had 17 players with at least one rush attempt in their season-opening win over VMI. Air Force held its opponent to 95 total yards, the second-lowest total in school history.

* Michigan's starting offensive line has a 37-pound advantage over the Falcons' starting defensive line by average player weight. Safety Tyree Kinnel won conference player-of-the-week honors with nine tackles and a sack vs. Cincinnati.

LINE HISTORY: Michigan hit the board as hefty 26-point home chalk, but it has been mostly Air Force money since then, with the line moving down three points to the current number of Wolverines -23. The total has been a bit of a roller coaster. Since opening at 53.5 it went down all the way to 47, before bouncing back up to an even 50. Check out the complete line history here.

TRENDS:

* Over is 6-0-1 in Michigan's last seven non-conference games.
* Under is 5-1 in Air Force's last six game vs. Big Ten opponents.
* Michigan is 0-5 ATS in its last five games following a SU win of more than 20 points.
* Air Force is 5-0 ATS in its last five non-conference games.

(23) Tennessee Volunteers at (25) Florida Gators (-4, 48.5)

* Volunteers RB John Kelly is the only player in the SEC to lead his team in rushing yards (208) and receptions (10). Tennessee's defense held Indiana State (0-for-11) without a third-down conversion last week.

* Florida ranks last in the FBC in rushing yards per game (11) following a 33-17 season-opening loss to Michigan. The Gators are still without nine players, including WR Antonio Callaway, who were suspended due to off-the-field issues.

LINE HISTORY: Florida opened as 5-point home faves and were bet to -5.5, but since then it has come back down to the current number of -4. The total opened at 49.5 and has been bet down slightly to 48.5. Check out the complete line history here.

TRENDS:

* Tennessee is 1-4 ATS in its last five road games.
* Florida is 1-4 in its last five games in September.
* Over is 6-2 in the last seven meetings.
* Over is 8-1 in Tennessee's last nine games vs. SEC opponents.

Southern Methodist Mustangs at (20) Texas Christian Horned Frogs (-20, 64.5)

* SMU's 112 points through two games in the most in school history. The Mustangs are one of only nine FBS teams averaging more than 300 passing yards and 170 rushing yards per game.

* TCU has allowed just seven points to date, the fewest it has surrendered through the first two games of the season since 2012. The Horned Frogs rank fourth in the nation in yards allowed per game (166.5).

LINE HISTORY: TCU hit the board at most shops as 18-point home faves and bettors like the Horned Frogs in this matchup, moving the line to the current number of -20. The total has yet to move off the opening line of 64.5. Check out the complete line history here.

TRENDS:

* SMU is 5-1 ATS in its last six road games.
* TCU is 0-9 ATS in its last nine home games.
* Over is 4-0 in SMU's last four road games.
* Under is 5-1 in TCU's last six games overall.

(12) Wisconsin Badgers at Brigham Young Cougars (+16.5, 40.5)

* Badgers RB Jonathan Taylor leads the nation's true freshmen in rushing yards per game (155) and touchdowns (four). Wisconsin is one of eight FBS teams yet to allow a point in the second half of games so far this season.

* BYU's 23 wins over Power 5 opponents are tied for the most of any non-Power 5 school over the past 14 years. The Cougars have had 12 different receivers catch at least one pass in 2017.

LINE HISTORY: The Badgers hit the board as roughly 13-point favorites at most sportsbooks and shot all the way up to -17. The current number is Wisconsin -16.5. The total opened at 41 and is down slightly to 40.5. Check out the complete line history here.

TRENDS:

* Wisconsin is 6-0 ATS in its last six road games.
* BYU is 0-4 ATS in its last four games overall.
* Under is 4-1 in Wisconsin's last five road games.
* Under is 13-3 in BYU's last 16 games overall.

(2) Clemson Tigers at (14) Louisville Cardinals (+3, 58)

* Clemson has won all three meetings with Louisville, with each game decided by six points or fewer. The Tigers are 40-1 under head coach Dabo Swinney when rushing for 200 or more yards.

* Louisville has racked up at least 450 yards of total offense in six straight home games. QB Lamar Jackson has accounted for 1,010 yards and eight touchdowns through two games; he had 1,015 yards and 13 scores at this time in 2016.

LINE HISTORY: The Tigers and their elite defense opened this game favored by a field goal despite being on the road. They were briefly at -3.5 before coming back to the opening number. The total hit the board at 56 and has moved up two points to the current number of 58. Check out the complete line history here.

TRENDS:

* Clemson is 1-5 ATS in its last six games vs. ACC opponents.
* Louisville is 6-1-1 ATS in its last eight games in September.
* Over is 5-0 in its last five road games.
* Over is 5-2 in Louisville's last six games in September.

(16) Virginia Tech Hokies at East Carolina Pirates (+22, 60.5)

* A year after finishing in the top three nationally in third-down conversion defense, the Hokies rank 19th through two games at 26.3 percent. Josh Jackson's 557 total yards are the most for a Virginia tech QB in his first two starts since at least 1987.

* The Pirates reassigned defensive coordinator Kenwick Thompson following last week's 56-20 thumping at the hands of West Virginia. East Carolina surrendered an average of 615.5 yards per game in its two season-opening losses.

LINE HISTORY: Oddsmakers opened the Hokies as 22-point road chalk, but they were quickly bet down as far as -18. Since then though, the line has returned to the opening number. The total opened at 60.5 dropped to 58.5 before coming back to the opening number. Check out the complete line history here.

TRENDS:

* Virginia Tech is 5-1 ATS in its last six games overall.
* ECU is 0-6 ATS in its last six games after allowing more than 40 points in its previous game.
* Over is 8-2-1 in Virginia Tech's last 11 games in September.
* Over is 4-0 in ECU's last four games vs. ACC opponents.

Army Black Knights at (9) Ohio State Buckeyes (-30, 53)

* The Black Knights have converted nine of their 10 red-zone trips into touchdowns through two games. Army has also outscored foes 44-0 in the second half so far in 2017.

* Buckeyes QB J.T. Barrett is just 1-for-18 on passes longer than 20 yards dating back to 2016. Ohio State is 5-1 coming off a loss in the Urban Meyer era, prevailing by an average of nearly 29 points in the five victories.

LINE HISTORY: The Buckeyes opened as a healthy 29.5-point home favorite in this matchup and have been bet up slightly to the current number of -30. The total opened at 52.5 and has moved up slightly to the current number of 53. Check out the complete line history here.

TRENDS:

* Army is 1-4 ATS in its last five games after allowing 20 points or less in its previous game.
* Ohio State is 1-4 ATS in its last five home games.
* Under is 5-2 in Army's last seven road games.
* Under is 5-2 in Ohio State's last seven home games.

Oregon State Beavers at (22) Washington State Cougars (-21, 65.5)

* Freshman LB David Morris erupted for 17 tackles against Minnesota last week, the most by a Beaver since 2010. Oregon State is averaging 356.7 yards through three games, the lowest rate in the Pac-12.

* Washington State leads the Pac-12 conference in passes (89) and attempts (115) while ranking second in passing yards per game (397). LB Peyton Pueller had 14 tackles and an interception return for a TD in last week's win over Boise State.

LINE HISTORY: Oddsmakers pegged the Cougars as about 18-point home favorites, but bettors didn't think that was enough, moving the line as high as Cougars -21.5, before coming down to the current number of -21. The total hit the board at 63 and bettors like the Over, moving the number up to 65.5. Check out the complete line history here.

TRENDS:

* Oregon State is 7-1 ATS in its last eight games vs. Pac-12 opponents.
* Washington State is 0-5 ATS in its last five gaes overall.
* Over is 6-0 in Oregon State's last six games ater scoring less than 20 points in its previous game.
* Over is 4-0 in the last four meetings.

Tulane Green Wave at (3) Oklahoma Sooners (-35, 55)

* The Green Wave is one of 11 FBS teams that have yet to allow a turnover so far in 2017. Tulane has surpassed 100 rushing yards in 17 consecutive games dating back to 2015.

* Sooners QB Baker Mayfield has thrown 30 touchdowns against just three interceptions over his last nine games. Oklahoma has completed 36 passes of 10 or more yards, tied for third-most in Division I.

LINE HISTORY: Most shops opened the Sooners as 34-point home favorites and they have been bet up slightly to the current number of Oklahoma -35. The total opened at 57.5 and bettors like the Under, moving the number to 55. Check out the complete line history here.

TRENDS:

* Tulane is 6-1 ATS in its last seven non-conference games.
* Oklahoma is 6-0 ATS in its last six home games.
* Over is 4-0 in Tulane's last four non-conference games.
* Under is 5-1 in Oklahoma's last six home games.

Colorado State Rams at (1) Alabama Crimson Tide (-28.5, 54.5)

* Rams QB Nick Stevens leads the FBS in passing yards (985) and has broken the 300-yard barrier in four straight games. The Colorado State defense has forced nine turnovers through three games, including seven interceptions.

* Alabama has held opponents below 200 total yards in 44 of 127 games since the start of the 2008 season. The Crimson Tide improved to 93-5 over that span when rushing for 140 or more yards, racking up 305 in last week's win over Fresno State.

LINE HISTORY: Oddsmakers opened the No. 1 ranked Crimson Tide as 27-point home chalk and they have been bet up to the current number of Alabama -28.5. The total opened at 53.5 and has been bet up to 54.5. Check out the complete line history here.

TRENDS:

* Colorado State is 8-1 ATS in its last nine games vs. a team with a winning record.
* Alabama is 7-1 ATS in its last eight games following a ATS loss.
* Under is 6-0 in Colorado State's last six games in September.
* Under is 6-1 in Alabama's last seven non-conference games.

(11) Louisiana State Tigers at Mississippi State Bulldogs (+7.5, 55)

* The Tigers have allowed just one touchdown over their previous three games. LSU hasn't lost a fumble on a rushing attempt since last season against Florida, a stretch of 218 carries and counting.

* The Bulldogs rank fourth in the SEC in scoring defense (10.5), first in passing yards allowed per game (89) and third in tackles for loss (16). SMU is one of only three Power 5 teams yet to allow a sack.

LINE HISTORY: LSU opened as l6.5-point road faves over Mississippi State and bettors have pushed the Tigers to -7.5. The total hit the board at 52.5 and got as high as 56.5, before coming back down to the current number of 55. Check out the complete line history here.

TRENDS:

* LSU is 4-0 ATS in its last four road games.
* LSU is 9-2 ATS in its last 11 meetings in Mississippi State.
* Over is 5-0 in Mississippi State's last five games vs. SEC opponents.
* Under is 5-1-2 in LSU's last eight games following a SU win.

(18) Kansas State Wildcats at Vanderbilt Commodores (+3.5, 49.5)

* Kansas State allowed just 59 passing yards last week vs. Charlotte, its lowest total since 2000. The Wildcats have gone six games without throwing an interception, their longest such streak in five years.

* The Commodores rank first in the nation in red-zone defense and opponent third-down conversion rate, and second in scoring defense. Their +64 scoring margin through the first two games is their best over that stretch since 1970.

LINE HISTORY: The Wildcats opened this matchup favored by a field goal on the road, were bet as high as -4.5, before coming back down to the current number of -3.5. The total hit the board at 48 and got as high 52.5, before coming back down to 49.5. Check out the complete line history here.

TRENDS:

* Kansas State is 4-0 ATS in its last four games overall
* Vanderbilt is 5-1 ATS in its last six games vs. a team with a winning record.
* Over is 7-1 in Kansas State's last eight games overall.
* Over is 4-1 in Vanderbilt's last five home games.

Georgia State at (5) Penn State Nittany Lions (-37, 55.5)

* Saturday's game marks the Bulldogs' first game on natural grass since 2015. QB Conner Manning's 82.4-percent completion rate in the season opener vs. Tennessee State was the highest in school history.

* Nittany Lions QB Trace McSorley has thrown a touchdown passes in a school-record 17 consecutive games. RB Saquon Treadwell has scored in nine straight games, tied for the longest active streak in Division I.

LINE HISTORY: Oddsmakers opened Penn State as big 38.5-point home chalk for this matchup and bettors thought it was a few points too many, moving the line to the current nuber of -37. The total hit the board at 53.5 and has moved up a point and a half to the current number of 55. Check out the complete line history here.

TRENDS:

* Georgia State is 1-4 ATS in its last five games overall.
* Penn State is 10-0-2 ATS in its last 12 games overall.
* Under is 5-0 in Georgia State in its last five road games.
* Over is 14-6 in Penn State's last 20 games overall.

Texas Longhorns at (4) USC Trojans (-15.5, 67.5)

* The Longhorns already have four non-offensive touchdowns after recording zero all of last season. Saturday’s win over San Jose State marked the fifth time since 1943 that Texas has had 600+ yards of offense while allowing less than 200.

* The Trojans have generated at least 400 yards of total offense in 12 consecutive games. USC is 18-10-1 all-time against current members of the Big 12, including a perfect 3-0 mark vs. Texas.

LINE HISTORY: The Trojans opened as 17-point favorites and have bounced back and forth between that and Trojans -15 for most of the week. The number is currently -15.5. The total opened at 67 and is up slightly to 67.5. Check out the complete line history here.

TRENDS:

* Texas is 1-4 ATS in its last five ganes overall.
* USC is 4-1 ATS in its last five home games.
* Under is 8-1 in Texas' last nine games overall.
* Over is 4-0 in USC's last four games overall.

Fresno State Bulldogs at (6) Washington Huskies (-33, 56.5)

* The Bulldogs have committed just four penalties through their first two games, second-fewest in Division I. Fresno State has also turned the ball over just once, after committing 18 turnovers last season.

* Fresh off leading the nation in turnovers a season ago, the Huskies are already at a +5 turnover differential through two games. Washington is 29-11 all-time against current members of the Mountain West Conference.

LINE HISTORY: The Huskies opened as big 33-point home favorites and the line has yet to move off that number. The total opened at 54.5 and has moved up to points to 56.5. Check out the complete line history here.

TRENDS:

* Fresno State is 4-0 ATS in its last four games vs. Pac-12 opponents.
* Washington is 4-1 in its last five games vs. MWC opponents.
* Under is 4-1 in Fresno State's last five games overall.
* Under is 5-1-1 in Washington's last seven games overall.

San Jose State Spartans at (24) Utah Utes (26, 59.5)

* Spartans linebacker Frank Ginda leads Division I in total tackles (42) and ranks second in per-game average (14). San Jose State has committed five turnovers in its two losses, leading to 28 total points against.

* The Utes sit atop the Pac-12 and rank 12th nationally in average rushing yards against (59), while allowing the fewest first downs in the conference (25). Tyler Huntley ranks eighth among Division I QBs at 79.5 rushing yards per game.

LINE HISTORY: The Utes opened as healthy 26-point home faves in this matchup. They were bet up to Utah -27 before coming back down to the opening number. The total hit the board at 56 and bettors love the Over here, moving the number three and a half points to the current number of 59.5. Check out the complete line history here.

TRENDS:

* San Jose State is 7-1 ATS in its last eight games following an ATS loss.
* Utah is 5-1 ATS in its last six games vs. MWC opponents.
* Under is 4-0 in San Jose State's last four games overall.
* Under is 5-0 in Utah's last five games overall.

(19) Stanford Cardinal at San Diego State Aztecs (+8.5, 48.5)

* The Cardinal have won the time of possession battle in 28 of their last 35 games. RB Bryce Love is the first player in school history with more than 100 rushing yards in each of his first four career starts.

* RB Rashaad Penny ranks second in the nation in rushing yards (413) and is the only player in Division I with a rushing, receiving and return TD in the same game. The Aztecs have forced five fumbles over their first two games.

LINE HISTORY: Most books opened the Cardinal as 9-point road faves and they got as high as -9.5, but since then the number has come back down to Stanford -8.5. The total opened a 45.5 and has seen all over money, moving up three points to the current number of 48.5. Check out the complete line history here.

TRENDS:

* Stanford is 11-2 ATS in its last 13 games following a SU loss.
* San Diego State is 6-1 ATS in its last seven games following a SU win.
* Over is 5-1 in Stanford's last six games overall.
* Over is 4-0 in San Diego State's last four games following a ATS win.

CNOTES · Sep 16, 2017

Aternoon Best Bets:

CMU at SYR 03:30 PM

CMU +9.5 *****

SMU at TCU 03:30 PM

SMU +20.0

VT at ECU 03:30 PM

ECU +24.5

WIS at BYU 03:30 PM

WIS -16.5

FIU at IND 03:30 PM

IND -25.0 *****

MTU at MINN 03:30 PM

MTU +9.0 *****

UNT at IOWA 03:30 PM

UNT +22.0

TENN at FLA 03:30 PM

TENN +5.5 *****

ND at BC 03:30 PM

U 51.5 *****

UNC at ODU 03:30 PM

ODU +10.5 *****

PUR at MIZZ 04:00 PM

PUR +6.5

ARMY at OSU 04:30 PM

OSU -31.5

ORST at WSU 05:30 PM

WSU -21.0 *****

TULN at OKLA 06:00 PM

TULN +33.5

KENT at MRSH 06:30 PM

KENT +14.0 *****

CNOTES · Sep 16, 2017

Middle Tennessee QB Brent Stockstill out vs. Minnesota
September 16, 2017

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) Middle Tennessee State quarterback Brent Stockstill has been scratched from Saturday's game against Minnesota with an injured left shoulder.

Stockstill said earlier in the week that he was confident he would be ready to play after injuring his shoulder last weekend in a win over Syracuse. But he never even donned pads or a helmet for pregame warmups when the Blue Raiders took the field at TCF Bank Stadium.

It was a big setback for Middle Tennessee. Stockstill owns the school record for single-season touchdown passes and threw for 269 yards and three touchdowns last week to beat Syracuse.

Sophomore John Urzua was put into the starting lineup in Stockstill's place. Urzua started three games last season while Stockstill was injured.

CNOTES · Sep 16, 2017

Early evening games:

LT at WKU 07:00 PM

O 62.0 *****

IDHO at WMU 07:00 PM

WMU -18.0 *****

TLSA at TOL 07:00 PM

TOL -7.0

SOMIS at ULM 07:00 PM

ULM +7.0

CSU at ALA 07:00 PM

CSU +30.5 *****

ORE at WYO 07:00 PM

O 64.0 *****

LSU at MSST 07:00 PM

LSU -7.5

BGSU at NW 07:30 PM

BGSU +21.0 *****

O 56.0

GSU at PSU 07:30 PM

GSU +37.0

UK at SOCAR 07:30 PM

UK +6.0 *****

KSU at VAN 07:30 PM

U 49.0 *****

CIN at M-OH 08:00 PM

U 49.0

CLEM at LOU 08:00 PM

LOU +3.0 *****

CNOTES · Sep 16, 2017

Late Evening Games:

TROY at NMSU 08:00 PM

NMSU +8.0 *****

RICE at HOU 08:00 PM

HOU -23.0

ASU at TTU 08:00 PM

TTU -7.0 *****

O 75.5 *****

TEX at USC 08:30 PM

USC -17.0 *****

FRES at WASH 09:30 PM

WASH -33.0

SJSU at UTAH 10:00 PM

U 60.5 *****

STAN at SDSU 10:30 PM

SDSU +8.5

O 48.5 *****

MISS at CAL 10:30 PM

U 71.5 *****

CNOTES · Sep 17, 2017

CFB Aug/Sept Best Bets: ( All Best Bets Based On 5 Units Per Play )
BEST BETS & OPINIONS

DATE W-L-T % UNITS RECORD

09/16/2017 20-26-3 43.48% -43.00

09/15/2017 3-3-0 50.00% -1.50

09/14/2017 1-1-0 50.00% -0.50

09/09/2017 19-21-3 47.50% -20.50

09/08/2017 4-0-0 100.00% +20.00

09/07/2017 0-1-0 0.00% -5.50

09/04/2017 1-1-0 50.00% -0.50

09/03/2017 3-1-0 75.00% +9.50

09/02/2017 11-21-0 34.38% -60.50

09/01/2017 6-3-0 66.67% +13.50

08/31/2017 9-4-0 69.23% +23.00

08/26/2017 5-5-0 50.00% -2.50

Totals:..........82 - 87 - 6......48.52%....-68.50

Best Bets:*****
Best Bets :........................ATS............TOTALS.... .............O/U................TOTALS

09/16/2017....................7 - 9 - 1.........- 14.50.................3 - 6...............-12.50
09/15/2017....................2 - 0..............+10.00.................1 - 2...............- 6.00

Totals:...........................9 - 9 - 1..........- 4.50...................4 - 8.............- 18.50

CNOTES · Sep 19, 2017

Tuesday's Six-Pack

— Phillies 4, Dodgers 3— Aaron Altherr hit a grand slam, the first one Clayton Kershaw allowed in the big leagues.

— A’s 8, Tigers 3— Matt Olson homered for the 4th consecutive game; he has 14 HR’s in his last 20 games. Oakland is 9-3 in its last 12 games.

— Marlins 13, Mets 1— Giancarlo Stanton hit his 55th home run; he has 117 RBI, Marcell Ozuna has 113— will they both be Marlins next year?

— Chargers are sticking with kicker Younghoe Koo, who missed clutch FG’s at the end of the Bolts’ first two games the last two weeks.

— Red Sox 10, Orioles 8— Wild game at Camden Yards.

— If the baseball playoffs started today (they do not):

AL: Boston-Cleveland-Houston. Wild Cards: New York/Minnesota
NL: Washington-Chicago-Los Angeles. Wild Cards: Arizona/Colorado

*************************

Tuesday’s List of 13: Nobody asked me, but……..

13) Lions 24, Giants 10— Detroit broke game open with an 88-yard punt return for a TD; they’re 2-0 while Giants are 0-2, having scored only one TD on 18 drives so far this season.

One thing thats going to be an issue in Detroit, if they have a good season this year; Jim Caldwell doesn’t have a contract past this season. Think about Tampa Bay/Lovie Smith, when he got fired because Bucs’ brass liked the job OC Dirk Koetter was doing with franchise QB Jameis Winston- they didn’t want Koetter leaving, so they made him head coach.

Same thing could happen in Detroit if OC Jim Bob Cooter becomes a hot name on the coaching carousel; if the Lions want Cooter/Matthew Stafford to stay connected, they may have to make Cooter the head coach to keep him in the Motor City. Stay tuned.

12) Obscure Lions’ trivia: Cooter was Peyton Manning’s backup QB at Tennessee.

11) Matthew Stafford is now 53-58 as an NFL starting QB, plus 0-3 in playoff games. Detroit was 0-16 the year before they drafted him.

Jon Gruden called him “a great quarterback” last night. I’m not disputing that at all, just repeating his words. Stafford has attempted more passes per game than anyone in NFL history— I wouldn’t have guessed that.

10) Archie Manning (Peyton/Eli’s dad) was a great college football player at Ole Miss; he was just like Steve Young, except he threw righty instead of lefty. Otherwise, the same; great mobility, solid passer, but in the NFL, Archie Manning played 11 years for the then-putrid New Orleans Saints. No bueno.

There was was no free agency back then; Manning got pummeled playing on a horrible team; his record was 35-91-3 as a starter for New Orleans, which is probably why Archie orchestrated Eli’s trade from San Diego to the Giants after the 2003 draft.

9) My point is this: football is a TEAM game; no one player makes a team great. I’m reading lot of media nitwits who follow the “narrative flowchart”:

— Team A won: Team A’s quarterback is on the upswing.
— Team A lost: Team A’s quarterback was a lousy draft pick, or is over-the-hill.

It is just lazy commentary; developing players is a process, it takes years to become a great player. Matthew Stafford is under .500 in his career, but Jon Gruden says he is a great QB, and that’s good enough for me.

8) Arizona Wildcats have a 26-year old freshman QB named Donovan Tate who was drafted 22 spots above Mike Trout in the 2009 baseball draft- he was the third player taken.

San Diego Padres gave Tate a $5M+ signing bonus in ‘09, then watched his struggle with injuries and off-field problems ruin his baseball career. Now Tate is trying football and is a backup QB now— he is the son of former Georgia running back Lars Tate.

7) Atlanta Braves are moving their spring training HQ from Kisssimmee to Sarasota; they’re having groundbreaking on the new facility in October.

6) Everyone was a kid once: ESPN’s Jon Gruden hit a home run in Little League off of John Parry, the referee in the Lions-Giants game last night.

5) At one point in his career, Andy Reid was the offensive line coach at UTEP. He’s come a very long way since then. Offensive line coach at UTEP is not usually a stepping stone to the NFL.

4) Record for most total home runs in a season is 5,693, which figures to fall late this week.

3) Weird stat: the NFL quarterback with the most wins in FirstEnergy Stadium in Cleveland, home of the Browns, is Ben Roethlisberger, with 11. He obviously plays for the Steelers, which is bad for the Browns.

2) No baseball team has ever made the playoffs after losing more than 97 games the previous season. Minnesota lost 103 games last season and right now, they hold one of the AL Wild Card spots, so they could make some history soon

1) Had a great weekend in Philadelphia the past few days; very underrated city. Saw the A’s play three games, had some cheesesteaks, visited with friends. Good stuff, very much appreciated.

CNOTES · Sep 19, 2017

CFB notebook: Michigan WR Black headed for surgery
September 18, 2017

Michigan freshman wide receiver Tarik Black will need surgery after suffering a cracked bone in his foot, coach Jim Harbaugh said Monday.

Harbaugh said he did not know whether Black would be healthy enough to return later in the season.

"He's going to be out. He's going to need surgery. He's got a crack in his foot," Harbaugh said. "On the outside of his foot."

Black was carted off the field in Saturday's 29-13 win over Air Force. The injury came late in the fourth quarter after Black was tackled from behind on his final reception of the game.

The 6-foot-3, 206-pound Black started all three games this season for the eighth-ranked Wolverines (3-0). He is the team's leading receiver with 11 catches for 149 yards. Black would be eligible for a medical redshirt year since he has played only three games thus far.

Michigan starts Big Ten play this week on the road at Purdue on Saturday.

--Auburn backup quarterback Sean White was dismissed from the team following his arrest for public intoxication, coach Gus Malzahn announced.

"Sean White is no longer a part of our football program at Auburn," Malzahn said in a statement. "He has made poor decisions that are not in the best interest of our program, and more importantly, himself. We appreciate his time at Auburn and wish him nothing but the best."

The 21-year old White, who had just served a two-game suspension for undisclosed reasons, was arrested by Auburn police at 2:45 a.m. Sunday, according to Auburn police. Jail records show that White was taken to the Lee County Detention Center at 3:28 a.m. Sunday. He was jailed on $500 bond.

White, a redshirt junior, started 16 games between 2015 and 2016 but lost the preseason competition for the job to transfer Jarrett Stidham. White was limited in the spring while recovering from a broken right forearm suffered in the Sugar Bowl.

--South Carolina will be without its best offensive playmaker, junior receiver Deebo Samuel, for an "extended period of time," coach Will Muschamp said on a conference call Monday morning.

Samuel suffered a lower-leg fracture in Saturday's home loss to Kentucky as his left leg got caught underneath him while being tackled.

Muschamp said after the game that Samuel's injury would be season-ending, but Samuel tweeted that night that he would miss only five to six weeks and the coach is now leaving the door open for a potential return.

Samuel is an all-purpose player for the Gamecocks offense, with 15 catches for 250 yards and three touchdowns, as well as two rushes for 30 yards and a score. He has scored on two kick returns this season, giving him six of South Carolina's 11 touchdowns. South Carolina (2-1) plays host to Louisiana Tech this Saturday.

--Texas standout left tackle Connor Williams will be out indefinitely after suffering sprained knee ligaments and a meniscus tear that will require surgery, the school announced Sunday night.

Williams, a junior, was rated the No. 1 offensive tackle prospect in the nation last week by NFLDraftScout.com.

Williams suffered the injuries in the second quarter of Saturday's double-overtime loss at then-No. 4 USC. He is expected to undergo arthroscopic surgery "in the next week to 10 days," according to the school's release, which added that there was no timetable for his return.

He sustained sprains of the medial and posterior collateral ligaments. Texas (1-2) is off this week before playing at Iowa State on Thursday, Sept. 28.

--Washington State middle linebacker Peyton Pelluer will miss the rest of the season after suffering a broken bone in his left foot on Saturday, according to multiple reports.

The Lewiston Tribune in Idaho was first to report the news, confirming with the redshirt senior's family. The Seattle Times also verified with the family. Washington State typically does not discuss injuries.

He suffered the injury early in the second quarter of last week's 52-23 win over Oregon State. Pelluer was one of the top defenders for the 18th-ranked Cougars. He made 21 tackles and intercepted a pass in the first three games this season.

Pelluer was a honorable mention All-Pac-12 selection last season, when he was fourth in the league with 93 tackles, including 7.5 for loss. Washington State (3-0, 1-0 Pac-12) plays Nevada on Saturday before a Top 25 showdown on Friday, Sept. 29, against No. 5 USC.

CNOTES · Sep 19, 2017

Betting Recap - Week 3
September 17, 2017

Overall Notes

COLLEGE FOOTBALL WEEK 3 RESULTS

WAGER Favorites-Underdogs
Straight Up 53-12
Against the Spread 28-35-2

WAGER Home-Away
Straight Up 46-19
Against the Spread 25-38-2

WAGER Totals (O/U)
Over-Under 31-32-2

The largest underdogs to win straight up
Idaho State (+32.5, ML +9375) at Nevada, 30-28
North Carolina A&T (+11.5, ML +355) at Charlotte, 35-31
Northern Illinois (+10.5, ML +350) at Nebraska, 21-17
San Diego State (+8.5, ML +270) vs. Stanford, 20-17
Mississippi State (+7.5, ML +260) vs. Louisiana State, 37-7
California (+7, ML +230) vs. Mississippi, 27-16

The largest favorites to cover
Rutgers (-41) vs. Morgan State, 65-0
Penn State (-37.5) vs. Georgia State, 56-0
South Alabama (-36) vs. Alabama A&M, 45-0
Oklahoma (-33) vs. Tulane, 56-14
Utah (-28) vs. San Jose, 54-16
Virginia Tech (-27) at East Carolina, 64-17

Top 25 Notes

-- Southern California got all they could handle from unranked Texas, needing double overtime to push aside the Longhorns by a 27-24 score. Heisman hopeful Sam Darnold and company slipped to 1-2 ATS on the season, although they're a perfect 3-0 SU. ...

Clemson and Louisville hooked up in a marquee game in the ACC, but the Tigers pulled away in the second quarter and they never looked back. The defending national champs rolled to a 33-7 lead after three quarters, beating down 2016 Heisman winner Lamar Jackson. ...

The Cardinals are a dismal 1-2 ATS through their first three games. ... Stanford slipped up at San Diego State, dropping their second consecutive road contest and likely dropping them out of the Top 25 rankings in the process. ...

-- Alabama took care of Colorado State by a 41-23 score, but they failed to cover a 31-point number. The Tide was up 38-10 after three quarters, but the Rams outscored them 14-7 for the cover. The Tide is now 0-2 ATS in two home games.

-- Ohio State rebounded with a 38-7 victory over Army in their first-ever meeting against the service academy. The Buckeyes got off to a slow start, perhaps having a little bit of a hangover after last week's loss to Oklahoma. The Buckeyes just failed to cover the 31 1/2-point number, and they're just 1-2 ATS overall while the 'under' has hit in each of their past two outings.

-- Louisiana State was humbled at Mississippi State, and it wasn't even close. The Tigers entered the game closing in on the Top 10, but leave after a 37-7 butt-kicking. There are plenty of teams jockeying for position in the SEC West behind the top-ranked Tide. The Bulldogs are certainly to enter the Top 25 next week, and they're 3-0 ATS through their first three outings and facing a showdown at Georgia next week.

-- Michigan struggled mightily against Air Force, leading by just one score late in the third quarter. However, talent took over in the fourth quarter and the Wolverines were able to scratch out a 29-13 victory. Michigan has slipped to 1-2 ATS on the season.

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

-- Duke continues their hot start, winning an ugly game against Baylor. The Blue Devils won by a 34-20 score, moving to 3-0 SU/ATS on the season. They'll take on rival North Carolina on Saturday at Kenan. ... The Tar Heels finally got off the schneid, rolling past Old Dominion 53-23. The Tar Heels are averaging 39.3 PPG on offense while allowing 35.0 PPG. Needless to say, the 'over' has cashed in all three of their outings to date. ... Wake Forest is off to a hot start, moving to 3-0 SU/ATS with a dominating 46-10 victory over Utah State. The Demon Deacons are averaging 43.7 PPG on offense while yielding just 8.0 PPG. They'll head to Appalachian State next week before a measuring-stick game against Florida State to close out September.

-- Wisconsin dominated by a 40-6 score at Brigham Young. The Badgers moved to 2-1 ATS overall. They have a week off before resuming play against Northwestern. ... Nebraska was tripped up at home, falling to Northern Illinois in front of the home crowd, turning up the heat on Mike Riley's coaching seat. The Huskers are 0-2 ATS in two games in Lincoln so far. ... Minnesota took advantage of Middle Tennessee missing their QB, romping by a 34-3 score. The Gophers have fired out to a 3-0 SU/2-1 ATS start. They'll have a week off before a showdown with equally surprising Maryland.

-- Baylor is 0-3 SU/ATS through three games. The Bears have now dropped nine consecutive regular-season games, and they're 1-8 ATS during the ugly stretch. It won't get any easier, as the Bears face Oklahoma next weekend at home. ... Oklahoma State routed Pittsburgh by a 59-21 count in the Steel City. The Cowboys shot out to a 21-0 lead after the first quarter and never looked back. OSU is a perfect 3-0 SU/ATS, and they're averaging 54.0 PPG. ... Iowa State has scored 41 or more points in each of its three games so far, and they're 3-0 ATS so far.

-- UCLA had their hands full at Memphis against a team playing in their own stadium, while feeling slighted against a Power 5 squad. The Bruins and Tigers traded blows all day, with Memphis outlasting them 48-45 at the Liberty Bowl. The public certainly took a bath on that game, as nearly 80 percent of the bets were on UCLA. ... Oregon continues its resurgence, posting 42 first-half points for the second consecutive week. However, also for the second straight week, their offense disappeared in the second half. Last week they were blanked, this week they managed just seven points in their 49-13 win in Wyoming. ... Oregon State was rolled 52-23 at Washington State, falling to 0-4 ATS. The 'over' has also cashed in each of their four outings.

-- Florida stunned Tennessee with a Hail Mary on the final play of the game, winning 26-20. (see bad beats) ... Kentucky covered for the first time this season, topping South Carolina 23-13 in Columbia. The 'under' is a perfect 3-0 forthe Wildcats so far, as their defense is allowing just 15.3 PPG. ... Mississippi took the trip west to California, and they're now likely regretting it. The Bears stunned them 27-16 as touchdown underdogs at home. Ole Miss is now a dismal 0-3 ATS. ... Vanderbilt topped Kansas State 14-7 in Nashville in a defensive battle. The Commodores have allowed a total of 13 points through three games, with the 'under' going 3-0 to date.

Mid-Major Report

-- East Carolina continue to struggle, as they fell 64-17 to Virginia Tech. The Pirates are 0-3 SU/ATS, and they have lost all three of their games by 20 or more points. ... Cincinnati kept up their dominance in their rivalry against Miami-Ohio, winning 21-17. The Bearcats have taken the Victory Bell back to Cincinnati for 12 consecutive seasons. ... Tulsa fell in a shootout at Toledo, 54-51. The Golden Hurricane cannot stop anyone, allowing an average of 51.7 PPG through three outings with at least 42 points in each game.

-- Charlotte was tripped up by FCS North Carolina A&T, as the 49ers slipped to 0-3 SU/ATS. The 49ers are allowing 38.0 PPG through three outings. ... Florida Atlantic won 45-0 over FCS Bethune-Cookman, covering for the second consecutive weekend. ... Not much was expected out of Marshall this season, but they blanked Kent State 21-0 for their second win of the season (both against MAC foes), while covering for the third time in as many tries.

-- Central Michigan looked great on offense last weekend, but they were unable to bring that same intensity to Syracuse. The Orange housed the Chippewas by a 41-17 count, killing the public who invested heavily in the Chips. CMU is now 1-2 ATS through three games. ... The 'over' is a perfect 3-0 for Ohio through three outings. ...

-- Nevada was dumped by FCS Idaho State, 30-28. The Wolf Pack slipped to 0-3 SU/1-2 ATS, but one thing has been consistent. The 'under' is a perfect 3-0 so far for Nevada. ... San Jose State was hammered again on Saturday, this in Utah. The Spartans have failed to cover in each of their past two against Power 5 schools, losing by a combined 110-16.

Bad Beats

-- It was like losing twice if you were holding a Temple (-14.5) ticket on Friday. They hadn't covered for the entire game until 3:58 left in regulation, but Massachusetts struck with 1:41 to go, cutting the score to 29-21.

-- On Thursday, Boise State was covering a 14 1/2-point number late, leading 28-7. However, New Mexico struck with 1:11 left for the backdoor cover. It was the first non-cover of the season for the Broncos.

-- The ultimate bad beat happened in Gainesville when the Gators struck for a game-winning touchdown with no time remaining, stunning the Volunteers. If you were holding a Tennessee moneyline ticket, my condolensces. They didn't kick the extra point, either, so if you were holding a Florida -6 ticket you were hurt by the premature end to the game.

-- In the Oregon-Wyoming game, the total line fluctuated dramatically during the week. The line was anywhere from 59 to 66 throughout the week. There were a total of 52 points at halftime, but just 10 total points in the second half. So depending on when you made the wager, it was an ugly bad beat with all of the defense in the second half.

-- Miami-Ohio led 14-3 after three quarters against Cincinnati, but the Bearcats stormed back by outscoring the Redhawks 18-3 in the final stanza. For those laying just three, at least you were pushing still with 2:52 to go. However, the 'Cats scored with 1:07 left in regulation to crush Miami again.

CNOTES · Sep 19, 2017

4th Quarter Covers - Week 3
September 18, 2017

Glancing at the scoreboard won’t tell you the whole story in most games. Here are some of the games that went down to the wire relative to the spread in the fourth quarter last week in the third big college football weekend.

Each week there are several teams that cover despite not necessarily deserving it, as well as other teams that played much better than the final score shows.

Boise State (-17) 28, New Mexico 14: Offense was limited Thursday night as Boise State hosted New Mexico with reserve quarterbacks in action. Boise State led 14-7 early in the second quarter but the game then featured nearly 24 scoreless minutes before the Broncos took advantage of a strong punt return for a short-field scoring drive. The Broncos eclipsed the home favorite spread for the first time with about three minutes to go in the game but behind third-string quarterback Coltin Gerhart New Mexico delivered a late score to steal the cover, finding the end zone with just over a minute to go to extend a failed cover streak at home for the Broncos to now 11 straight games.

Temple (-14½) 29, Massachusetts 21: Massachusetts climbed back into the game with a 20-yard touchdown pass late in the third quarter to trail by just five points. Temple settled for a field goal heading into the fourth quarter with a 22-14 edge and then watched the Minutemen come away empty with a missed field goal early in the final frame. Massachusetts reached the Temple 28-yard-line on its next drive but still couldn’t add points and Temple appeared to secure a narrow favorite cover with a touchdown just after the four-minute mark, leading by 15. In just over two minutes Massachusetts rallied for a late scoring drive to trail by just eight with still over a minute remaining and then forced a Temple 3-and-out, reaching mid-field before the only turnover of the game on a lateral attempt.

Notre Dame (-14) 49, Boston College 20: Nearly 40 minutes into this rivalry game Notre Dame led by just a single point but three consecutive scores put the Irish up by 22 early in the fourth quarter. Boston College would answer to climb back within 15 but with two short field scores following turnovers in the final seven minutes Notre Dame posting a convincing 49-20 final score that wasn’t entirely deserved in what was a fairly competitive game and a contest where Notre Dame completed just 11 of 27 passed for 96 yards.

Memphis (+3½) 48, UCLA 45: This early national contest lived up to the bulling with a tight high scoring game. Memphis weathered the early storm and pulled ahead by halftime, leading by 10 late in the third quarter with a defensive touchdown. UCLA scored the next two touchdowns to lead by four, just past the road favorite spread into the fourth quarter. Memphis didn’t trail for long with a four-play drive going 81 yards to take the lead back before the pair of high profile quarterbacks traded interceptions. UCLA was stopped on downs just past midfield in the final minute as the Tigers hung on for a huge home win.

Duke (-10) 34, Baylor 20: Duke led just 24-20 through three quarters after Baylor closed the third quarter with a 79-yard touchdown pass but missed the extra-point. That point proved costly for some with a line that reached as high as +14 at times as Duke returned a fourth quarter interception for a touchdown to lead by 11 and then added a field goal after an 18-yard drive with about five minutes to go for a 14-point final margin, with the Blue Devils ending the game taking a knee at the Baylor 24-yard line.

Texas A&M (-24) 45, UL-Lafayette 21: The Ragin’ Cajuns scored three touchdowns in the second quarter to lead by seven at the half, setting potential for panic in College Station for a team that already had endured a disappointing start to the season. The Aggies would get in front by 10 by the end of the third quarter but covering the spread didn’t appear likely until an early fourth quarter interception return touchdown. The Aggies added another score by breaking a 67-yard run and wound up with a 24-point win for a narrow cover for most on the heavy favorite.

Florida (-6½) 26, Tennessee 20: The Gators were favored by 4½-to-5 points most of the week but wound up closing just short of a touchdown. A wild finish made those prices quite critical in this SEC opener. The Gators led just 6-3 through three quarters but with an interception return touchdown in the first minute of the fourth quarter the Gators led by 10. After trading scores Tennessee found the end zone on just a two-play drive with fewer than five minutes remaining to trail 17-20. Felipe Franks was intercepted in Florida territory two plays later as Tennessee managed to tie the game with a field goal with only 50 seconds remaining. Franks managed to redeem his big mistake on the final offensive play, scrambling and heaving to the end zone for 63-yard touchdown as time expired. There was no need to kick an extra-point that late Florida backers needed for the win.

TCU (-22) 56, SMU 36: TCU looked in jeopardy of an upset early as SMU jumped in front 19-7 in this matchup of nearby schools. Scoring as the half expired TCU led by six and that remained the margin after trading scores in the third quarter. The Frogs added a touchdown to lead by 13 early in the fourth quarter and then scored two more touchdowns in a minute’s span with the second score coming on an interception return to sit past the number with a 56-29 edge. TCU didn’t cover for long however as SMU hit a 61-yard pass touchdown a few plays later and the margin finished at 20 right in the middle of a -18½ opening price and the closing figure of -22.

Marshall (-14) 21, Kent State 0: This game was still 0-0 until the final seconds of the first half as Marshall found the end zone with just six seconds remaining. After a scoreless third quarter Marshall went up by 14 to match the common spread with about seven minutes remaining in the game. Kent reached the Marshall 36-yard line but had to go for it on 4th-and-long and Marshall was able to put the game away while slipping past the favorite spread by breaking a long run with just over a minute to go.

Oklahoma (-34) 56, Tulane 14: The Wave scored two touchdowns in the first quarter to look like a great underdog cover bet with this hefty line but by halftime Oklahoma led 28-14 with the help of a 77-yard interception return touchdown. The Wave were still holding on through three quarters trailing by 21 but Oklahoma added three fourth quarter scores for a convincing final result that was enough to cover on the nearly five-touchdown spread.

Louisiana Tech (+4) 23, Western Kentucky 22: The Hilltoppers had a 22-13 edge through three quarters with this game on a much lower scoring trajectory than a pair of meetings between these Conference USA foes last season. Louisiana Tech completed a 91-yard scoring drive with about six minutes remaining in the game to get in position to cover, down by two. The Bulldogs forced a 3-and-out on defense but wound up throwing an interception and the defense had to step up again. Getting the ball back with fewer than two minutes remaining the Bulldogs marched down the field, aided by a face mask penalty and nailed a 21-yard field goal with two seconds remaining for the outright win.

Alabama (-31) 41, Colorado State 23: Alabama only led 17-10 late in the second quarter but the Tide would take over, leading by 28 through three quarters and by 31 early in the fourth quarter to sit right near the opening and closing numbers. That timing didn’t end up mattering as Nick Stevens led two late Colorado State scoring drives to make the final statistics and score much more respectable.

Cincinnati (+3½) 21, Miami, OH 17: Looking to snap a long losing streak in this rivalry Miami was in command with a 14-3 edge through three quarters. Cincinnati climbed within eight before Miami also settled for a short field goal with fewer than five minutes remaining on the clock. That left Cincinnati with a 0.4% chance of winning the game according to ESPN’s probability model. Cincinnati rallied for a touchdown strike just past the three-minute mark, and converted the two-point try to trail by just three, in what looked like a critical play for the spread result. Cincinnati opted to kick deep and Miami bobbled the return and had to take the ball out of the end zone, burying themselves at their own 5-yard line. It appeared that Miami head coach Chuck Martin called timeout facing 3rd-and-2 but the Redhawks were assessed a delay-of-game penalty. On 3rd-and-7 with just over a minute to go Gus Ragland was intercepted with Cincinnati taking the pick to the end zone to take the lead 21-17. Miami drove 55 yard to Cincinnati 20-yard line looking to get back on top and a flag came out on a 3rd-and-five on a throw to the end zone. Clear pass interference was incredibly waved off and Miami failed on 4th down to end the game.

Troy (-9½) 27, New Mexico State 24: Troy climbed to a 20-3 advantage early in the third quarter but the Aggies showed some late fight, getting back-to-back scores to trail by four. In the final seconds of the third quarter Troy quarterback Brandon Silvers broke a long run to put Troy up by 11, just past a road favorite spread that climbed significantly throughout the week. New Mexico State scored with about 10 minutes to go in the game, successfully getting the two-point conversion to trail by only three. After trading punts Troy delivered an 11 play drive to burn off over six minutes of game clock before taking a knee.

Texas Tech (-6½) 52, Arizona State 45: The Red Raiders led 35-17 at the half and that was with losing a fumble on the one-yard line to cost the team a bigger advantage. The defense started to run out of gas and this game turned into a shootout similar to last season. Through three quarters Texas Tech still led by seven, even with the common spread though -6½ was the opening and closing number on the game. Arizona State tied the game with about 10 minutes to go for a fourth straight touchdown drive for the Sun Devils. Both teams were forced to punt on their next possessions and Texas Tech got back in front with a 12-play 90-yard drive to lead by seven again with just under two minutes to go. Arizona State was stopped in its own territory but they had no timeouts as Texas Tech had no need to add points.

Utah (-28½) 54, San Jose State 16: The Utes kicked field goals early but eventually pulled away in the third quarter to take a 30-13 edge into halftime. Through three quarters Utah led by 24 and early in the fourth quarter the Spartans trimmed the deficit to 21 points. Utah added 17 points in the fourth quarter for a 54-16 final and a home favorite cover, scoring after a pair of San Jose State fumbles.

Washington (-35) 48, Fresno State 16: The highly regarded Huskies were much more dominant than the final numbers as they led 34-0 just 18 minutes into the game. The Huskies led 48-7 just over a minute into the second half before pulling off. Fresno State would score three field goals the rest of the way taking advantage of a pair of Washington fumbles as the Bulldogs moved to 3-0 ATS, slipping just within the closing spread.

CNOTES · Sep 19, 2017

STAT WATCH: Irish's 515 yards rushing their most since 1969
September 18, 2017

Notre Dame in back-to-back weeks went from its worst rushing performance in three seasons to its best in almost five decades.

The Irish's 515 yards on 51 carries in a 49-20 win at Boston College on Saturday were the most since they amassed 597 yards against Navy in 1969. Their 10.1 yards per attempt broke the modern school record of 10.0 against Great Lakes in 1942.

This happened after they netted 55 yards on 37 carries in a loss to Georgia, their fewest since they managed 41 on 38 attempts in a loss to Arizona State in 2014.

Josh Adams and quarterback Brandon Wimbush each went over 200 yards against the Eagles, a first for Notre Dame. Adams finished with 229, the most since Julius Jones had 218 at Stanford in 2003. Wimbush, with 207 yards, broke the quarterback rushing record of 146 set by Bill Etter against Navy in 1969.

Notre Dame's seven rushing touchdowns were the most since it had the same number against Navy in 2011.

The 515 rushing yards tied for second-most allowed by Boston College. Army ran for 516 against the Eagles in 2012 and for 515 in 1985.

Other notable statistical feats over the weekend:

---

THE 200 CLUB

Joining Adams and Wimbush with 200-yard games was Ito Smith of Southern Mississippi. He had a career-high 219 yards on 27 carries against Louisiana.

There have been 11 200-yard rushing performances in the Bowl Subdivision this season.

SLINGING SHIMONEK

Texas Tech's Nic Shimonek set the national season high for passing yards with 543 against Arizona State in his second career start. He took 24 yards in losses on three sacks, rushed once for a yard, giving him 519 total yards - second-most in a game this season.

Shimonek was among four quarterbacks who threw for six touchdown passes. The others were Washington State's Luke Falk, against Oregon State; Memphis' Riley Ferguson, against UCLA; and Toledo's Logan Woodside, against Tulsa.

Shimonek is the No. 1 passer in the FBS with 463.5 yards a game. He's thrown nine touchdowns and has not been intercepted.

CATCHING CAM

Virginia Tech's Cam Phillips had the best receiving day of the weekend, catching a school-record 14 balls for 189 yards against East Carolina. He leads the FBS with 417 receiving yards.

Phillips' 11 receptions in the first half were the most since the Hokies joined the Atlantic Coast Conference in 2004, and his three touchdown catches were Tech's most since Bucky Hodges had three in a triple-overtime game against Duke in 2015.

Phillips also tied the school record with his 30th consecutive game with at least one catch.

GETTING HIS KICKS

Quinn Nordin tied the Michigan record by kicking five field goals in a 29-13 win over Air Force. It was the most since K.C. Lopata kicked five against Minnesota in 2009. J.D. Carlson, against Illinois in 1990, and Mike Gillette, against Minnesota in 1988, also had five in a game for the Wolverines.

Nordin hit from 35, 26, 49, 29 and 36 yards and is tied for the national lead with 11 field goals on 13 attempts. Utah's Matt Gay is 11 for 11.

GETTING SACKED

Winless Massachusetts continues to have problems keeping opposing defenses out of its backfield. The Minutemen allowed nine sacks to Temple a week after giving up eight to Old Dominion. Those are the second- and third-highest totals in FBS games behind the 11 Auburn surrendered to Clemson.

UMass' 23 allowed in four games ranks 130th, and last, in the country with a line that has four starters playing different spots this year. Last year the Minutemen allowed 45 in 12 games to rank 125th.

CNOTES · Sep 19, 2017

Opening Line Report - Week 4
September 18, 2017

Mississippi State turned heads with its 37-7 romp as a 7.5-point home underdog over LSU last Saturday, and they’ll be substantial dogs again this week when they visit Georgia (Saturday, 7:00 p.m. ET, ESPN)

Despite Miss State’s impressive showing this past weekend, bettors laid the points immediately upon Week 4 college football lines being posted Sunday at the Wynn, pushing the point spread from Georgia -5.5 to -7 within minutes. The +7 prompted buyback on Miss State, the line sinking to 5 before progressing back to 6.5 on Monday.

John Avello, sports book director at the Wynn, said he’s surprised by Miss State’s 3-0 start, and while he’s adjusted the power rating on Dan Mullen’s men, he offered a few words of caution for those looking to ride them in Athens this week.

“The LSU game was eye-opening, but the LSU offense is very week – no quarterback there,” Avello said.

“I reevaluated (Miss State) as being a better team than I thought, but this a tough spot because Georgia is team that has a good chance to win the (SEC) East, and this is a game they need to get through, because after this .... the schedule gets real tough (and many of the games are within the East division). So it’s a game they’d certainly like to have in their pocket.”

To Ed Salmons, manager at the Westgate Las Vegas SuperBook, LSU didn’t appear ready for Miss State.

“LSU played like they were walking into a game they thought they’d win easy, and before they knew it, they were down so much they had no chance,” he said.

Nevertheless, he was impressed by Miss State.

“No one really beats LSU like that,” he said.

Salmons, though, agrees with Avello that Saturday’s game is a difficult spot for the underdog.

“This is a tough crossover game for Miss State after the big win,” Salmons said. “This is gonna be a tough spot for them. But from what you see, there’s no reason they can’t compete.”

Here’s a quick look at a few more of Saturday’s games.

N.C. State at Florida State (-11.5) - (ABC, 12:00 p.m. ET)

Avello opened Florida State -12.5 and moved to -13 before scaling back to -11.5 during Sunday wagering.

The Seminoles come into this contest having not played since losing to Alabama in Week 1 (their schedule the last two week was disrupted by Hurricane Irma) and also without Heisman candidate quarterback Deondre Francois, who was lost for the season to a knee injury.

Avello said with James Blackman replacing Francois, he’s tweaked his rating on FSU, but he’ll hold off on making a major adjustment until he sees how the 6-foot-5 freshman performs.

“College football is a lot different than in pro football, where if you lose your starter and you go to your second string you fall way off usually,” Avello said. “That’s not necessarily the case in college football, because the kids they recruit are such good athletes. Maybe the guy coming in is better than the kid that was already there – I doubt that, but he may be over time.

“It’s an adjustment but not a huge, huge adjustment, so we’ll see what happens over the next couple of weeks.”

From a betting perspective, N.C. State has owned Florida State for over a decade and a half, covering the spread in 13 of the last 16 meetings, and Avello is high on the Wolfpack this season, too.

”I think N.C. State’s a lot better than they’ve shown so far (the Wolfpack are 2-1, with a loss to South Carolina and wins over Marshall and Furman). Coming into the season, I expected them to have pretty good season, an eight- or nine-win type of year. They played Florida State tough last year (a 24-20 loss as 7-point dogs). Even without having that quality a team, they gave them some trouble.”

TCU at Oklahoma State (-11.5) - (ABC, 3:30 p.m. ET)

Oklahoma State continues to roll through the early part of the season, winning 59-21 at Pitt this past Saturday behind a 497-yard, five TD performance from QB Mason Rudolph. And it could have been worse – coach Mike Gundy took Rudolph out of the game with about five minutes to go in the third quarter.

The Cowboys opened -11 at the Wynn, and despite the lofty number against a ranked conference foe, bettors laid the points and pushed the line to -12.

While TCU is expected to be without running back Kyle Hicks, Avello said the senior’s absence was baked into his original number. Plus, Darius Anderson has carried the bulk of the load in the Horned Frogs’ backfield this season.

The early line here looked big to Salmons.

“I’m surprised by how high this line is. I thought that line would be more than a touchdown but a notch below 10,” he said. “But it looks like they’re going to take every Ok State game and add 3 or 4 points, and if you want to bet the dog, so be it. They did that last week (at Pitt). I thought the 14.5 they pushed that line up to was crazy, and they had (49) points by halftime. It was just insane. They could have scored 100 points if they wanted to. I liked them coming into the year, but I didn’t think they’d be as good as they’ve looked so far.

“But this will be a tough game. TCU is pretty good,” Salmons added.

Said Avello, “What you’ve got to contend with is Ok State’s 50-plus points a game. They spread it around, they’re just a really tough team to defend, and they’ve made very few mistakes so far. I understand why the game is double digits, but you’ve got to be careful not to give a quality team like TCU too much.”

Alabama (-19.5) at Vanderbilt - (CBS, 3:30 p.m. ET)

While the Alabama opened -19.5 at the Wynn and stuck there through the first 24 hours of betting action, other shops were gentler on chalk players, offering ‘Bama -18.5. Before laying even that shorter number, know Vandy is a tough bet-against proposition at home vs. SEC opponents. The Commodores are 10-3 ATS in their last 13 home conference games.

Vandy is also off to a 3-0 start, although Avello noticed “they got a lot of breaks” in Saturday’s win over Kansas State.

“A lot of (calls) went their way and they ended up winning the game, 14-7. That’s a game they could have lost very easily,” Avello said. “Offensively, against a team like Kansas State, they didn’t show much. They had a couple of big plays and that’s how they got on the board. Now you meet a team like (Alabama) who can shut them down and the problem they’re going to have is trying to score against Alabama.

“If Vandy can find some offense in this game, maybe they can hang around,” he added. “The spread’s not as big as you would normally see for an Alabama game.”

Should Vandy keep the game close early by slowing Alabama’s offense, hold off on spending the winnings from your underdog bet until the final buzzer sounds, cautions the Wynn oddsmaker.

“Maybe they can shut them down a little bit. I suspect in the first half they might, but long term, the whole game, Alabama’s the type of team – we see it week in and week out – they will wear you out over time,” Avello said.

Michigan (-10) at Purdue - (FOX, 4:00 p.m. ET)

Bettors took Purdue +11, the Wynn’s opening line, and the number sunk to 9.5 before being bet back up to 10. But based on how Avello anticipates this line moving, you may want to lay the points now if you’re on Michigan this week.

“I expect this line to go up. I expect to close this game 11 or higher,” he said.

Purdue has put together a solid season so far, its only loss a 35-28 defeat as 25.5-point dogs against Louisville. Since then, they’ve beaten Ohio (44-21) and Missouri (35-3).

The Boilermakers should expect to face a Jim Harbaugh group that’s at its best.

“They haven’t had a winning record at home for over four years, so I don’t know how much weight I give there,” Avello said. “Michigan really hasn’t played that well so far, but they’re capable. As the season goes on, they get better, and Michigan knows this team is playing well, and Michigan’s offense has been so-so…. I think they come in prepared for this one.

“That’s’ the problem for Purdue. They might catch a Michigan team who is ready to roll.”

Penn State (-12) at Iowa (ABC, 7:30 p.m. ET)

Iowa may be 3-0, but the Westgate’s Salmons believes this double-digit line is justified.

“I don’t think much of Iowa,” Salmons said. “I know Iowa beat Michigan last year, but they were so fortunate to beat Iowa State (in Week 2 this season). They had no business winning that game. Wyoming’s been just awful, so I kind of throw that game out, and they were losing at home to North Texas at halftime.”

Early Line Moves

Here are Week 4 games that have seen the point spread move at least 2 points in the favorite’s direction during first 24 hours of wagering at the Wynn.

Boston College vs. Clemson
Open line: Clemson -31.5
After 24 hours: Clemson -33.5

Kent State vs. Louisville
Open line: Louisville -39.5
After 24 hours: Louisville -41.5

Old Dominion vs. Virginia Tech
Open line: Va Tech -24.5
After 24 hours: Va Tech -26.5

Rutgers vs. Nebraska
Open line: Nebraska -11
After 24 hours: Nebraska -14

Ball State vs. Western Kentucky
Open line: WKU -7
After 24 hours: WKU -9

Nevada vs. Washington State
Open line: Wash State -25
After 24 hours: Wash State -27.5

Here are Week 4 games that have seen the point spread move at least 2 points in the underdog’s direction during the first 24 hours of wagering at the Wynn.

Louisiana Tech vs. South Carolina
Open line: La Tech +10.5
After 24 hours: La Tech +8.5

San Diego State vs. Air Force
Open line: Air Force +6
After 24 hours: Air Force +3.5

Oregon vs. Arizona State
Open line: ASU +17
After 24 hours: ASU +15

Odds Subject to Change

CNOTES · Sep 19, 2017

Georgia-Mississippi State ready to battle
September 18, 2017

ATHENS, Ga. (AP) They share a nickname and a league.

Little else.

There's just not a whole lot of history between Georgia and Mississippi State.

''We don't play Georgia very often,'' State coach Dan Mullen said Monday. ''I think it's only the third time since I've been the head coach here'' - he's now in his ninth season - ''that we're going to be playing Georgia. And we don't play them again, I guess, because of the way the schedule works, for another seven years. So there's some uniqueness to it.''

Unique, indeed.

For the first time in what barely qualifies as a rivalry, the No. 11 Bulldogs (the Georgia version) and the 17th-ranked Bulldogs (that would be Mississippi State) are set to play a Southeastern Conference game that could have huge ramifications in the national race.

Never before have the schools squared off with both ranked in the Top 25.

In fact, they haven't faced each other much at all over the years.

Just 23 times - a rather perplexing lack of familiarity, given both were charter members when the SEC was founded in 1932.

They met for the first time in 1914 - State won 9-0 in Athens, nearly two decades before the founding of the SEC - and didn't play again until 1950. Since then, there have been infrequent games, usually in back-to-back years separated by long layoffs, with Georgia holding a 17-6 edge.

Georgia safety J.R. Reed was a high school sophomore the last time these teams met in 2011 .

Even so, he won't have any trouble getting up for the game, given what's on the line.

''In the back of your mind, you know, `Hey, this is the SEC,''' Reed said. ''We've got to win if we want to go anywhere bowl game-wise and playoff-wise.''

Mississippi State (3-0) surged into the rankings with a 37-7 blowout of then-No. 12 LSU last Saturday night in Starkville, a game that suddenly stamped Mullen's team as a potential championship contender. Quarterback Nick Fitzgerald had a breakout performance, throwing for two touchdowns and running for two more.

Now he's going against the home-state school that passed on him after high school. Fitzgerald played at Richmond Hill, just outside of Savannah, but Georgia didn't think he had much of a future as a college quarterback.

Under Mullen's tutelage, he has become one of the most talked-about players in the country.

''It's the new-age quarterbacks,'' said Georgia linebacker Roquan Smith. ''You've got to be able to use your feet and pass the ball. It's a different thing. It puts a lot of stress on the defense. The defense has to adapt to that. But I think we'll be able to do it.''

Georgia (3-0) is off to a strong start in Kirby Smart's second season as coach. Its most impressive performance was a 20-19 victory at Notre Dame , the sort of statement game that Georgia lacked while stumbling to an 8-5 mark in Smart's debut year.

A victory this week would be even bigger.

''Playing a team like this will tell us a lot,'' Smart said. ''I'm not going to sit here and say we've arrived, because I don't think that's the case. I think we've improved. I think we have to continue to improve to beat the teams we have on our schedule.''

Georgia has faced Mississippi State fewer than any of the other original members still in the SEC. For State, Vanderbilt (22 meetings) is the lone school with that distinction.

Georgia has played five other schools more often than the other Bulldogs, including Georgia Tech, former SEC member Tulane and current conference foe South Carolina, though most of those 64 meetings against the Gamecocks came before they even joined the league in 1992. Clemson and North Carolina also have been more frequent opponents.

It's much the same for Mississippi State, which has more history with Arkansas (an SEC member only since 1992) as well as Tulane, Southern Mississippi and Memphis.

Perhaps the oddest note in this pseudo-rivalry: Georgia and Mississippi State met twice (in 1959 and 1961) at Georgia Tech's Bobby Dodd Stadium in Atlanta, then known as Grant Field. Both contests were part of doubleheaders in which the Yellow Jackets hosted Auburn in the other game.

The Dawgs will have the stage all to themselves Saturday night between the hedges.

No familiarity needed to realize this is a big one.

''There's just a little bit more excitement, a little bit more heart pounding,'' Reed said. ''I'm ready to go.''

CNOTES · Sep 19, 2017

Vanderbilt coach starting to reap benefits of experience
September 19, 2017

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) Derek Mason and his Vanderbilt Commodores are showing that experience matters.

Yes, even in the mighty Southeastern Conference where so many 5-star recruits make an instant impact.

A year ago, Mason's job security was shaky after a 2-4 start to his third season. Since then, the Commodores have gone 7-3, Mason picked up a contract extension and Vanderbilt is off to its best start at 3-0 since 2011 with the latest win a 14-7 upset of then-No. 18 Kansas State .

Mason thinks the turnaround is simple to explain: experience matters. Now he has 27 juniors and seniors on the Commodores' two-deep depth chart.

''You just have to grow guys up in your culture, in your program and what you try to do is hold them responsible for playing good football, and I think man these guys have done just that,'' Mason said. ''It's not me holding them responsible. It's those guys holding each other responsible. They're loyal to one another, and that loyalty runs deep.''

James Franklin proved Vanderbilt could win, posting back-to-back 9-4 records in 2012 and 2013 with bowl victories that put the Commodores in the final AP Top 25 rankings. But he bolted for Penn State after three seasons, and Vanderbilt hasn't been ranked since the final poll after the 2013 season.

Mason now is in his fourth season, and he has a lot to work with thanks to 18 returning starters - trailing only Georgia and Kentucky in the SEC with 19 apiece. That's one more than Florida, the two-time SEC East champs.

Of that group, seven have started 10 or more games consecutively, and Vanderbilt's all-time leading rusher Ralph Webb has 40 consecutive starts. Six other Commodores started multiple games last season: wide receivers C.J Duncan and Caleb Scott, tight end Jared Pinkney, defensive end Dare Odeyingbo, safety Arnold Tarpley III and cornerback Bryce Lewis.

That's why Mason keeps talking about having a veteran team.

''When you start to get an older football team in this conference, you can play only 11 guys on the field , you can play anybody,'' Mason said. ''You just got to make sure those guys believe it.''

Beating Georgia , Mississippi and Tennessee last season sure helped. The Commodores lost to Florida,Auburn and South Carolina in 2016 by a combined 17 points.

Senior safety Ryan White made it clear the Commodores trust Mason.

''We know that Coach has been through a lot,'' White said. ''He always says trust the process, and we're trusting that process and we've got each other's backs.''

The Commodores face their biggest test Saturday when top-ranked Alabama (3-0) visits for the SEC opener for both teams. Franklin only had to face Alabama once, and Vanderbilt lost 34-0 in Tuscaloosa in his first season in 2011. This will be the first No. 1 team Vanderbilt has hosted since Tennessee in 1998 on the Vols' way to a national title.

Charles Wright, a redshirt junior, leads the SEC with six sacks, while senior linebacker Emmanuel Smith ranks fourth in the league with 28 tackles. The Commodores are tied for the most sacks (10) and interceptions (five) in the league while leading the nation having allowed only 13 points through three games.

On offense, junior quarterback Kyle Shurmur has Vanderbilt averaging 242.6 yards passing per game, third-best in the league.

Alabama coach Nick Saban said Monday that the Commodores' experience in Mason's system is easy to see with a physical offense and defense on film and in Vanderbilt's results this season.

''There's no question about the buy-in to the program and the job that he's (Mason) done there,'' Saban said.

One area that Mason still is working to improve is his young offensive line. A redshirt freshman is starting at right tackle with redshirt sophomores at right and left guard. Mason had to jump on the linemen about penalties at halftime of the win over Kansas State.

''The win helps them grow up, so we'll be better,'' Mason said.

CNOTES · Sep 19, 2017

Mike Stoops has Oklahoma defense rolling after rough '16
September 18, 2017

NORMAN, Okla. (AP) A year ago, Mike Stoops was a very unpopular man.

Oklahoma's fans were looking for scapegoats after the Sooners lost two of three to start the season and allowed at least 40 points to Ohio State, TCU, Texas and Texas Tech. Stoops, the Sooners' defensive coordinator, took most of the blame.

Even though the defense improved the second half of the season, some weren't sure he'd be around for long after Lincoln Riley took over as head coach this summer. He was retained, and he was vindicated when Oklahoma posted a resounding 31-16 win at Ohio State in between dominant performances against UTEP and Tulane. The third-ranked Sooners (3-0) have one of the nation's top defenses heading into Saturday's conference opener at Baylor.

''They are starting to build pride and confidence and want to play consistent football,'' Stoops said ''We didn't have any consistency a year ago. We were up and down, quarter by quarter, game by game.''

Stoops has been around long enough to realize that he could be in the crosshairs in a week.

''You have to handle prosperity well, too,'' he said. ''People tell you how great you are for a week straight and then, again, you have to block out the noise. It's a week-to-week season, and you have to be smart enough to realize that.''

Riley said Stoops took last year's struggles personally. Now, the Sooners rank 13th out of 129 schools in points allowed per game, seventh in passing yards allowed per game and 20th in total defense. Oklahoma held Ohio State to 350 yards and only allowed the Buckeyes to reach the end zone once.

''Mike and them do a great job, but they've done an even better job this year with our guys' heads, making sure that we're in the right frame to play great team defense and to play the type of defense that this university has been known for for a long time,'' Riley said.

Oklahoma cornerback Parnell Motley has been a key reason the Sooners have improved. He had an interception against Ohio State, and his 77-yard interception return for a touchdown against Tulane turned the momentum in a 56-14 win .

''He's confident,'' Riley said. ''He's physically better. Mentally, he's more comfortable with what we're doing. He's not thinking, he's just kind of letting his natural ability take over, his instincts take over. As a DB, there's probably nothing more important than that.''

Linebacker Ogbonnia Okoronkwo has evolved from a pass-rushing specialist to an all-around player. He has at least two tackles for loss in each of the first three games and is second on the team with 19 tackles.

Defensive back Steven Parker is the veteran leader of the secondary. He's fourth on the team with 14 tackles. Linebacker Emmanuel Beal leads the way with 21 tackles. Freshman linebacker Kenneth Murray is third on the team with 16 stops.

First-year assistant head coach Ruffin McNeill, who is helping with the defensive line, has made an impression helping Stoops.

''He brings a lot mentality-wise, to us, there's no doubt,'' Riley said. ''He's got a presence out there that, not just defensively, I think the whole team feels it.''

The Sooners got off to rough starts against UTEP and Tulane but rallied and posted shutouts in the final three quarters of both games.

''The staff has made the adjustments necessary,'' Riley said. ''I think the players, though, have had a good mentality. Even though you don't start off right, you've got to keep swinging. They've done that. They've settled in. I think they've got a lot of confidence in what we're doing defensively, and that shows in situations like that.''