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[Can'tPickaWinner2]

NCAAF Opening Line Report: After a slow Week 2 the marquee matchups are back in Week 3
By PATRICK EVERSON

Week 3 of the college football season looks a whole lot better than Week 2, which featured a boatload of gigantic favorites. We talk about the opening lines on a few key games with John Lester, senior lines manager.

No. 1 Alabama Crimson Tide at No. 17 Mississippi Rebels (+9.5)

Defending national champion Alabama is already out of the gate with a 2-0 SU and ATS record. The Crimson Tide opened the year with a 52-6 shellacking of Southern California as a 13.5-point neutral-site favorite, then dumped Western Kentucky 38-10 laying 27 points on Saturday.

Mississippi (1-1 SU, 0-2 ATS) blew a big lead against Florida State in its opener, losing 45-34 as a 4-point neutral-site underdog. The Rebels then rolled past FCS foe Wofford 38-13 Saturday, but fell miles short as 43-point home faves.

The Rebels dealt ‘Bama its only loss last year, 43-37 catching 9 points on the road.

“Both teams had somewhat of a warmup game last week, but Alabama has looked much better collectively during the first two weeks,” Lester said. “It’s going to be tough for Ole Miss to shake off that early loss, and we felt confident opening up ‘Bama as a decent favorite.”

No. 4 Ohio State Buckeyes at No. 14 Oklahoma Sooners (+2)

The Buckeyes have shown no mercy through the first two weeks of the season, piling on Bowling Green 77-10 as a 27.5-point home chalk in Week 1, then drubbing Tulsa 48-3 laying 28 points at home Saturday.

Meanwhile, the Sooners were dealt an upset opening loss by rapidly rising Houston, falling 33-23 as 13-point favorites at NRG Stadium, home of the Houston Texans. Oklahoma took out its frustration on Louisiana-Monroe on Saturday with a 59-17 home victory, though the Sooners fell a few points short against the spread as 46-point favorites.

“If Oklahoma beats Houston in the opener, we probably make the Sooners a small favorite here,” Lester said. “But that might have been a mistake, as these squads look far apart, particularly on the defensive side of the ball. Look for the spread to move up before down.”

No. 8 Michigan State at No. 18 Notre Dame (-7.5)

Michigan State comes in at 1-0, but that stems from an uninspired 28-13 Week 1 victory as a 37.5-point home favorite against Wofford, as the Spartans had a bye in Week 2. Notre Dame is more battle-tested, losing an overtime thriller at Texas 50-47 in its opener, then besting Nevada 39-10 Saturday as 27.5-point home chalk.

“With the Spartans coming off an idle week, it really feels like they should be less of a ‘dog here,” Lester said. “But we know the square support will be there on Notre Dame, so had to be wary of that.”

No. 2 Florida State Seminoles at No. 10 Louisville Cardinals (+2.5)

Florida State (2-0 SU, 1-0 ATS) has the lofty ranking, but is laying less than a field goal in its ACC opener. The Seminoles opened the year with a stirring comeback victory, topping Mississippi 45-34 as 4-point neutral-site favorites, then beat up on FCS foe Charleston Southern 52-8 Saturday in an unlined home game.

Louisville (2-0 SU and ATS) opened conference play in convincing fashion Saturday, whipping host Syracuse 62-28 laying 17 points, after a 70-14 beatdown of Charlotte as a 38.5-point home fave in Week 1.

“This is going to be a great gauge as to where these teams are early,” Lester said. “Florida State has seen a quality opponent, but this is going to be a gritty road test for freshman quarterback Deondre Francois. He was very jittery the first half or so against Ole Miss and then settled down. He’ll have to come out poised from the start to get a win here.”

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

NCAAF Opening Line Report: After a slow Week 2 the marquee matchups are back in Week 3
By PATRICK EVERSON

Week 3 of the college football season looks a whole lot better than Week 2, which featured a boatload of gigantic favorites. We talk about the opening lines on a few key games with John Lester, senior lines manager.

No. 1 Alabama Crimson Tide at No. 17 Mississippi Rebels (+9.5)

Defending national champion Alabama is already out of the gate with a 2-0 SU and ATS record. The Crimson Tide opened the year with a 52-6 shellacking of Southern California as a 13.5-point neutral-site favorite, then dumped Western Kentucky 38-10 laying 27 points on Saturday.

Mississippi (1-1 SU, 0-2 ATS) blew a big lead against Florida State in its opener, losing 45-34 as a 4-point neutral-site underdog. The Rebels then rolled past FCS foe Wofford 38-13 Saturday, but fell miles short as 43-point home faves.

The Rebels dealt ‘Bama its only loss last year, 43-37 catching 9 points on the road.

“Both teams had somewhat of a warmup game last week, but Alabama has looked much better collectively during the first two weeks,” Lester said. “It’s going to be tough for Ole Miss to shake off that early loss, and we felt confident opening up ‘Bama as a decent favorite.”

No. 4 Ohio State Buckeyes at No. 14 Oklahoma Sooners (+2)

The Buckeyes have shown no mercy through the first two weeks of the season, piling on Bowling Green 77-10 as a 27.5-point home chalk in Week 1, then drubbing Tulsa 48-3 laying 28 points at home Saturday.

Meanwhile, the Sooners were dealt an upset opening loss by rapidly rising Houston, falling 33-23 as 13-point favorites at NRG Stadium, home of the Houston Texans. Oklahoma took out its frustration on Louisiana-Monroe on Saturday with a 59-17 home victory, though the Sooners fell a few points short against the spread as 46-point favorites.

“If Oklahoma beats Houston in the opener, we probably make the Sooners a small favorite here,” Lester said. “But that might have been a mistake, as these squads look far apart, particularly on the defensive side of the ball. Look for the spread to move up before down.”

No. 8 Michigan State at No. 18 Notre Dame (-7.5)

Michigan State comes in at 1-0, but that stems from an uninspired 28-13 Week 1 victory as a 37.5-point home favorite against Wofford, as the Spartans had a bye in Week 2. Notre Dame is more battle-tested, losing an overtime thriller at Texas 50-47 in its opener, then besting Nevada 39-10 Saturday as 27.5-point home chalk.

“With the Spartans coming off an idle week, it really feels like they should be less of a ‘dog here,” Lester said. “But we know the square support will be there on Notre Dame, so had to be wary of that.”

No. 2 Florida State Seminoles at No. 10 Louisville Cardinals (+2.5)

Florida State (2-0 SU, 1-0 ATS) has the lofty ranking, but is laying less than a field goal in its ACC opener. The Seminoles opened the year with a stirring comeback victory, topping Mississippi 45-34 as 4-point neutral-site favorites, then beat up on FCS foe Charleston Southern 52-8 Saturday in an unlined home game.

Louisville (2-0 SU and ATS) opened conference play in convincing fashion Saturday, whipping host Syracuse 62-28 laying 17 points, after a 70-14 beatdown of Charlotte as a 38.5-point home fave in Week 1.

“This is going to be a great gauge as to where these teams are early,” Lester said. “Florida State has seen a quality opponent, but this is going to be a gritty road test for freshman quarterback Deondre Francois. He was very jittery the first half or so against Ole Miss and then settled down. He’ll have to come out poised from the start to get a win here.”

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

StatFox Super Situations

CFL*|*EDMONTON*at*SASKATCHEWAN
Play Under - Road teams where the total is between 49.5 and 56 after 1 or more consecutive losses against the spread, with a winning percentage of between 45-55% in the second half of the season
37-11*since 1997.**(*77.1%*|*24.9 units*)
1-1*this year.**(*50.0%*|*-0.1 units*)

CFL*|*EDMONTON*at*SASKATCHEWAN
Play On - Home teams vs. the money line (SASKATCHEWAN) after 5 or more consecutive straight up losses, in weeks 10 through 15
26-11*since 1997.**(*70.3%*|*0.0 units*)
0-1*this year.**(*0.0%*|*0.0 units*)

CFL*|*TORONTO*at*WINNIPEG
Play Against - Any team vs the the 1rst half line (WINNIPEG) after 5 or more consecutive straight up wins, with a winning record on the season playing a losing team
40-10*since 1997.**(*80.0%*|*29.0 units*)
0-1*this year.**(*0.0%*|*-1.1 units*)

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Opening Line Report - Week 3
By Marcus DiNitto

In college football, one loss can hamper a team’s national championship hopes. It can also have a significant impact on the betting line, and that’s exactly what we’re seeing with three top-shelf games on the Week 3 college football card.

Here’s a snapshot of some of the best games of what promises to be another thrilling weekend on the college gridiron. Line are from the Wynn as of 6 p.m. ET on Monday, 24 hours after the sports book posted Las Vegas’ first point spreads on the card.

Ohio State at Oklahoma -2

When the South Point posted its college football games of the year back in May, Oklahoma was installed as a 9-point favorite. A week before the season started, the number was down to Oklahoma -5 at the South Point and -3.5 at the Westgate. The Wynn opened Ohio State -3.5 on Sunday night.

“Total mea culpa on that one, I really had the wrong angle,” South Point oddsmaker Chris Andrews said of his May number. “I thought Ohio State would really struggle early in the season.”

According to Andrews’ math, Ohio State – after rolling through rolling its first two opponents, Bowling Green (77-10) and Tulsa (48-3) – grades out as the best team in the country. “They are way better than I thought they would be, much quicker than I thought they would be,” he said.

Meanwhile, Oklahoma “looks nowhere near as good as advertised,” Andrews said. “I thought they were the second or third best team in the country, right behind Alabama and about even with Clemson, and it doesn’t look like they’re nearly that good.”

To be fair, Andrews wasn’t alone. The Golden Nugget opened Oklahoma -6.5 on its games of the year board.

Westgate oddsmaker Ed Salmons, whose shop was dealing Oklahoma -3.5 before the season started, noted a lot of handicappers are down on the Sooners because of their poor performance in a season-opening 33-23 loss to Houston.

“I think it’s the way they lost,” said Salmons. “It’s hard to understand how Oklahoma could score a touchdown on the first drive of the game, and the rest of the game they did nothing. ... They should outclass Houston 100 days out of 100, It should never be an issue of Oklahoma not scoring points against Houston.”

Still, though, early bettors are taking Oklahoma plus the points for next week’s clash. Twenty four hours after the Wynn opened OSU -3.5, the number was down to -2 at that shop and as low as -1.5 elsewhere. “The right line on that game is Ohio State favored, but definitely not 3,” according to Salmons.

Added Andrews, “Oklahoma still has a ton of talent, and they’re probably a lot better at home than people give them credit for, and if they go out and beat Ohio State by 10 or 14, I would not be all that shocked.”

Alabama -10 at Ole Miss

This SEC showdown in Oxford features another big point-spread swing from games of the year lines. The South Point was dealing Alabama -4 and the Westgate -3.5 a week ahead of the season, but Ole Miss lost to Florida State in Week 1, and ‘Bama opened -10.

“Ole Miss is a really good team, but Alabama looks like they have all the elements again this year. The quarterback (freshman Jalen Hurts) is getting a little bit better,” the Wynn’s John Avello said. “10 seems like a high number when you’re playing in the SEC on the road, but I’ve got to put up a number where I think I can balance it out.”

The Crimson Tide, in fact, laid a shorter number (-9) at home vs. Ole Miss last season, and lost to the Rebels outright for the second straight season.

Salmons pointed to three factors pushing the line in Alabama’s direction: injuries on the Ole Miss side, double revenge for Alabama, and the way Nick Saban’s men have performed through two weeks.

“I’m sure all that is baked into the line,” Salmons said.

From a schematic perspective, Andrews added Mississippi’s running game will be “almost non-existent against Alabama. (Chad) Kelly, who is a pretty good quarterback, is going to be forced into passing situations almost the entire game, and that just plays into Alabama’s hands. I don’t think (the line move is) a huge overreaction.”

USC at Stanford -8.5

This Pac-12 contest follows a pattern similar to the two games discussed above: One team loses in its first game of the season, and we see a major shift from the lines bettors were finding over the summer. In this case, Stanford goes from -3 on the SuperBook’s game of the year lines and -5 at the South Point to opening as a touchdown favorite at the Wynn and getting pushed to -8.5.

The line did dance around Sunday night at the Wynn, as it was bet up to 7.5, then down to 6.5, before favorite money started dominating the action.

“It’s always hard to give USC too many points. It just doesn’t feel right,” Avello said. “But in this particular spot, Stanford might be the better team, at least at this point of the season.”

While the Trojans followed a pathetic showing against Alabama with a 45-7 win over Utah State, Stanford had last week off.

Andrews said of USC, “I think they’re tremendously talented but I think they’re very poorly coached. Teams like that can be wildly inconsistent, but inconsistent means good sometimes, too. I think we saw USC at nearly their best last week.”

He added, “Stanford is the kind of team that will win a lot of games but maybe not cover some big numbers.”

Louisville at Florida State -3 even

Louisville is getting plenty of respect from the betting market, as gamblers grabbed the +3.5 posted at the Wynn Sunday night, pushing the line to -3 (even) at that shop, while other betting locales were dealing 2.5 on Monday. Salmons expects this ACC battle to feature the classic sharps vs. public betting scenario.

“The public’s going to bet Florida State, and the sharps are going to bet Louisville,” Salmons said.

While Louisville hung 70 points on Charlotte in Week 1 and 62 at Syracuse last week, this week’s game will help reveal how good they really are.

Asked how good he thinks Louisville is, Avello responded, “Offensively, really good. But we haven’t seen them against a top-notch team. This is a big game for them because this shows us if they belong. I think Florida State’s a complete team, so if Louisville can beat them, they can show me they belong.”

Said Salmons, “I don’t think their defense is up to the standard of a Clemson or a Florida State, but their offense sure looks like it right now. A lot of people think Louisville belongs in the discussion with Florida State and Clemson (in the ACC), but the public is going to want to see it on the field, that they can beat a Florida State or a Clemson, but obviously the oddsmakers think they’re more than capable.”

Michigan State at Notre Dame

Avello opened Notre Dame -6.5 on Sunday and watched money on the favorite push his line to 7.5 on Monday.

“Michigan State for some reason in these types of games just does not get any respect,” Avello said. “I thought 6.5 was a number that would make you think about both sides, but obviously the bettors think that Notre Dame is better than that, so they laid it, and the first bets came on Notre Dame.”

Salmons seems to be with the chalk players in this case.

“This game sets up real well for Notre Dame because Michigan State plays Neanderthal football, where they just want to run the ball and use clock. The style that can beat Notre Dame is the way Texas plays, quick no-huddles, just keep snapping the ball and running play after play and outscoring them. Michigan State will never outscore Notre Dame."

Quick hits on two more good ones

Oregon at Nebraska: The Wynn opened Nebraska -2.5 and moved to -3 about four hours later. “This is not the Oregon team we remember that used to put up 40 in the first half, but it’s still a good team,” Avello said. “Nebraska is also a good team. I consider these teams to be kind of equal. They’re not at the top of the heap, but they’re just below it. The top of the heap is ‘A’ teams, these are like A-, B+.”

Texas A&M at Auburn: Avello opened Auburn -3.5 and stuck there through the first day of wagering, while other shops were dealing -4. Said Avello, “A&M has got a lot of firepower offensively. Auburn had a nice showing last week (51-14 over Arkansas State). But ever since the national championship game (in 2013), they really haven’t been the same. I don’t know what to think of them. I think the coach (Gus Malzahn) does a good job. I think they’re certainly better than they were last year, but A&M was better than they were last year, too, so I gave them a little home-field advantage, that’s it.”

Early moves

Here are Week 3 lines that saw at least a 2-point swing in the first 24 hours of wagering at The Wynn.

Temple at Penn State
Open line: Penn State -7
After 24 hours: Penn State -9.5

Middle Tennessee State at Bowling Green
Open line: MTSU -3
After 24 hours: MTSU -5.5

Georgia State at Wisconsin
Open line: Wisconsin -31.5
After 24 hours: Wisconsin -33.5

Florida Atlantic at Kansas State
Open line: Kansas State -20
After 24 hours: Kansas State -22

UL Monroe at Georgia Southern
Open line: Georgia Southern -27
After 24 hours: Georgia Southern -25

Duke at Northwestern
Open line: Northwestern -4.5
After 24 hours: Northwestern -6.5

Navy at Tulane
Open line: Navy -11
After 24 hours: Navy -6.5

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Timing is everything and sharps are watching these college football lines very closely
By STEVE MERRIL

Each week during the college football season, Steve Merril looks at the NCAAF odds and tells you which spread to bet now, which one to bet later, and which total to watch as the week plays out.


Spread to bet now

South Florida (-14) at Syracuse

South Florida opened as a 12.5-point favorite and the line quickly climbed to -14 with some locations already moving to -14.5. The Bulls have been explosive in their first two games, scoring 56 and 48 points while averaging 551 total yards per game and 7.1 yards per play. Their defense has also been strong, allowing just 18.5 points per game and just 3.7 yards per play.

Syracuse is playing their third straight home game, however this could be a bit of a letdown spot after a high profile national TV home game last Friday night versus Louisville. The Orange were unable to slow down a potent Louisville offense as the Cardinals scored 62 points and gained an incredible 845 total yards (414 rushing / 431 passing).

Spread to wait on

Colorado (+20.5) at Michigan

Colorado opened as low as +19 in some spots and +20 in others, and was quickly bet up to +20.5. This line will likely hit the key number of +21 or more, especially since Michigan has been so dominant in their first two games this season. The Wolverines have won their other two games at home by scores of 63-3 (vs. Hawaii) and 51-14 (vs. UCF). Michigan has out-gained their two opponents by an average of 479-281 total yards (6.8-4.4 yppl).

While there is no question Michigan is loaded, this is a possible flat spot after two easy home wins and with their conference opener on deck next week versus Penn State. In fact, Michigan will play five straight home games to start this season, so there is a chance they become a bit complacent this week. Colorado has been very impressive in their first two games, winning 44-7 and 56-7, out-gaining their opponents by an average of 587-160 in total yards (6.6-2.7 yppl).

Total to watch

Ohio State at Oklahoma (64.5)

This Over/Under line opened at 64.5 and has held steady so far. This game obviously has huge national championship playoff implications, especially for Oklahoma who has already lost this season, 23-33 versus Houston. The Sooners struggled to stop the pass in that game, allowing the Cougars to throw for 321 yards. Oklahoma also allowed UL Monroe to throw for 272 yards last week. The Sooners are allowing 7.7 yards per pass this season (versus opponents that average just 6.8 ypp).

Ohio State has been potent on offense so far this season, averaging 62.5 points per game and 596 total yards (7.3 yppl). They are averaging 313 rushing yards (6.1 ypr) and 283 passing yards (9.3 ypp). However, the Buckeyes defense has yet to be tested. Oklahoma is a capable scoring machine as they showed last week when they put up 59 points on 640 total yards.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Big 12 Report - Week 3
By Joe Williams

2016 BIG 12 STANDINGS

Team SU Conference ATS Over/Under

Baylor 2-0 0-0 0-2 0-2
Iowa State 0-2 0-0 0-2 0-2
Kansas 1-1 0-0 1-1 1-1
Kansas State 0-1 0-0 0-1 0-1
Oklahoma 1-1 0-0 0-2 1-1
Oklahoma State 1-1 0-0 1-1 1-1
Texas 2-0 0-0 2-0 1-1
Texas Christian 1-1 0-0 0-2 2-0
Texas Tech 1-1 0-0 1-1 1-1
West Virginia 2-0 0-0 1-1 1-1


Baylor at Rice (Fri. ESPN, 8:00 p.m. ET)
Baylor hits the road for Rice Stadium Friday night looking to move to 3-0. So far the Bears are unbeaten, but they have appeared slightly off while failing to cover either of their games. The 'under' is also 2-0 in Baylor's first two games, something we haven't been accustomed to seeing too frequently in recent seasons. Still, Baylor is averaging 47.5 points per game (PPG), and it's more the result of a strong defensive effort that the under has been coming through. Rice has been anemic on offense, mustering just 28 total points through two games at Western Kentucky and at Army, and they're also 0-2 ATS with a pair of under results. Last season it was Baylor humbling Rice 70-17 in Waco, posting 793 total yards of offense to just 246 for Rice. You can expect a similar result, with the Owls struggling to take flight. Baylor is a 30 1/2-point favorite as of Wednesday AM.

Kansas at Memphis (ESPNU, 12:00 p.m.)
The Jayhawks were feeling good about themselves, topping FCS Rhode Island in the opener after a winless 2015 season. Things were looking up heading into Game 2 against Ohio University, but after a loss it's the same old ugly feeling heading down to Memphis Saturday afternoon. KU is 9-26-1 ATS in their past 36 road outings, 4-12 ATS in the past 16 overall, 2-7 ATS in their past nine against teams with a winning record and 3-11-1 ATS in their past 15 non-conference tilts. Memphis is coming off a bye, and they're 5-1 ATS in their past six following a week off. They're also 15-5-1 ATS in their past 21 non-conference battles. Memphis failed to cover in their first game against FCS Southeast Missouri State, and they enter as a near three-touchdown favorite in this one.

Iowa State at Texas Christian (FOX Sports 1, 12:00 p.m. ET)
Iowa State has not fared well with teams from the Hawkeye state, so perhaps traveling outside of its borders will result in a better outcome. The Cyclones were surprised at home by FCS Northern Iowa, and they were absolutely blown out of Kinnick Stadium at Iowa last weekend, falling 42-3. TCU displayed plenty of chinks in the armor in a 59-41 win over FCS South Dakota State. Arkansas exploited those chinks and turned it into a 41-38 overtime victory last weekend over their former Southwest Conference rivals. TCU has allowed 41 points in each of their two games, and no surprise the 'over' is 2-0 in their first two games. Iowa State has scored a total of just 23 points in two games, so it's doubtful they'll be able to reach that level. The 'under' is 2-0 in I-State's first two outings. TCU opened at 22 1/2 and the line quickly escalated to 24. The total is set at 61.

Florida Atlantic at Kansas State (NO TV, 2:30 p.m. ET)
Florida Atlantic opened with a win over FCS Southern Illinois, and then went down to Miami and hung around with a strong defensive effort before the Hurricanes pulled away in the second half. K-State hasn't played in two weeks since their opening game loss at Stanford, when Heisman hopeful Christian McCaffrey ran wild. The Wildcats do not have to worry about any Owls running wild on them, but they will be tested by FAU's up-tempo, no-huddle offense which has them averaging 24.0 PPG. On the flip side, FAU is allowing 34.0 PPG while going 0-2 ATS so far this season.

Pittsburgh at Oklahoma State (ESPN, 3:30 p.m.)
The Panthers outlasted Penn State in an emotional rivalry game, and now turn around for another difficult matchup on the road. Oklahoma State was jobbed by the refs last weekend before falling on a miraculous hook and ladder play against Central Michigan that should have never been allowed to occur. OK State enters as a six-point favorite, and they should be mighty angry after their loss last weekend. Pittsburgh is 6-2 ATS in their past eight road games, but just 2-6 ATS in their past eight in September and 0-4 ATS in their past four non-conference tilts. OK State is 0-4 ATS in their past four against teams with a winning record, and 2-8 ATS in their past 10 after a straight-up loss.

Louisiana Tech at Texas Tech (NO TV, 7:00 p.m.)
It's the 'Tech Bowl', as the Bulldogs hit the road for Lubbock to battle the Red Raiders. Texas Tech was involved in an absurd game at Arizona State last weekend, falling 68-55 in the desert as the total of 80 was taken care of in the third quarter. Texas Tech has averaged 62.0 PPG on offense through two games. La. Tech will be hard-pressed to slow TTU down, although they did a good job holding Arkansas at bay in a near upset Sept. 3, losing 21-20 as 21-point underdogs. The Bulldogs rebounded last week and flexed a little muscle in a 53-24 win over South Carolina State, but their defense leaked a bit of oil. That cannot be good heading into a game with the Red Raiders, who are capable of 70 in this one. The Red Raiders are favored by just 10 1/2 with a total of 79 1/2.

Ohio State at Oklahoma (FOX, 7:30 p.m.)
One of the most anticipated matchups of the weekend comes from Norman, as Ohio State heads down to Oklahoma looking to deliver a knockout blow to the Sooners' playoff chances in mid-September. The Buckeyes have piled up 125 points through two games, routing Bowling Green 77-10 and shutting down a high-octane Tulsa offense 48-3 last week. Oklahoma rebounded after their stunning 33-23 loss to Houston, pounding on Louisiana-Monroe by a 59-17 count. Still, the Sooners are 0-2 ATS while the Buckeyes are 2-0 ATS. This is the first meeting between the schools. Ohio State was installed as a six-point underdog a few weeks ago, now they enter Norman favored by two.

Texas at California (ESPN, 10:30 p.m.)
The Longhorns are climbing in the rankings after spanking Texas-El Paso last week, covering for the second time in as many games. California will be back home after dropping one at San Diego State last week against Heisman dark horse Donnel Pumphrey. The Bears were locked in a shootout last week, losing 45-40, and they figure to see more of the same against a Texas team averaged 45.5 PPG. Remember, the last time these two teams faced each other Sept.. 19, 2015, it was Cal coming away with a 45-44 win in Austin courtesy of a missed extra point. In this one, Texas is a much better team, while California isn't nearly as dangerous. Texas opened as a touchdown favorite and the line climbed to eight. The total is just shy of 80.

Team on a bye
West Virginia

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Pac-12 Report - Week 3
By Joe Williams

2016 PAC-12 STANDINGS

Team SU Conference ATS Over/Under

Arizona 0-1 0-0 0-1 0-1
Arizona State 1-0 0-0 1-0 0-1
California 1-0 0-0 0-1 1-0
Colorado 1-0 0-0 1-0 0-1
Oregon 1-0 0-0 0-1 1-0
Oregon State 0-1 0-0 1-0 0-1
Southern California 0-1 0-0 0-1 1-0
Stanford 1-0 0-0 1-0 0-1
UCLA 0-1 0-0 0-1 0-0-1
Utah 1-0 0-0 0-1 0-1
Washington 1-0 0-0 1-0 1-0
Washington State 0-1 0-0 0-1 1-0

Arizona State at Texas-San Antonio (Fri. - ESPN2, 9:30 p.m. ET)
The Sun Devils hit the road for Texas-San Antonio after a 68-55 shootout win against Texas Tech, while UTSA looks to rebound after a 23-14 setback at Colorado State a week ago. The Roadrunners are 0-2 ATS and the 'under' has cashed in each of their two games. The 'under' hasn't been a problem for Arizona State, as they're averaging 56.0 PPG while allowing 34.0 PPG while covering each of their first two games. The Sun Devils are 2-6 ATS in their past eight road games, while going 2-6 ATS in their past eight in the month of September. The Roadrunners are 1-4 ATS in their past five non-conference games while going 1-6-1 ATS in their past eight overall.

Idaho at Washington State (Pac-12 Network, 2:00 p.m.)
Idaho was waffled at Washington by a 59-14 score last weekend in Seattle, now they take on the Evergreen State's other Pac-12 representative. The last time these teams matched up it was WaZu winning 42-0 Sept. 21, 2013. The Vandals are averaging just 17.0 PPG while allowing 38.0 PPG. The Cougars are searching for their first win of the season after losing to FCS Eastern Washington in the opener, and at Boise State last weekend. However, the Cougs were much better in Boise. They nearly pulled off the upset, losing 31-28 as a near two-touchdown underdog. The Vandals are 1-4 ATS in their past five against the Pac-12, and 1-8 ATS in their past nine in September. The Cougs are still 5-1 ATS in their past six at home despite their loss to EWU, and they're 10-2 ATS in their past 12 overall.

Colorado at Michigan (Big Ten, 3:30 p.m. ET)
The Buffaloes hit the road for the Big House to face the high-flying Wolverines. Seeing Colorado-Michigan on the schedule brings back memories of Kordell Stewart to Michael Westbrook on a Hail Mary to sadden Ann Arbor back in 1994. Colorado is off to a hot start, spanking Colorado State 44-7 and then punishing FCS Idaho State by a 56-7 count. So far the Buffs are 2-0 ATS, but they will face, by far, their stiffest test Saturday. Michigan is averaging 57.0 PPG while allowing just 8.5 PPG, and they have covered two spreads of 36 or more points with the 'over' cashing in each outing. Colorado is 3-1-1 ATS in their past five non-conference tilts, but they're 11-23-1 ATS in their past 35 road outings. Michigan has covered four straight non-conference games while going 7-3 ATS in their past 10 against teams with a winning overall record. However, they are 1-9 ATS in their past 10 tries against Pac-12 foes.

Oregon at Nebraska (ABC, 3:30 p.m.)
Perhaps this game doesn't have the interest of Florida State-Louisville, Ohio State-Oklahoma, etc. However, the Ducks meeting former Oregon State head coach Mike Riley, who is now the head man in Nebraska. How's that for a storyline? Riley coached Oregon State to a 4-10 record against Oregon. The Ducks are 27-10 ATS in their past 37 against teams with a winning record, and an amazing 22-5 ATS in their past 27 road games. However, they are 0-4 ATS in their past four non-conference games, including 0-2 ATS in their first two outings. The Huskers are 5-1 ATS in their past six non-conference battles while going 5-2 ATS in their past seven against a team with a winning record. Nebraska enters as a 3 1/2-point favorite. The 'over' is also 4-1 in Oregon's past five against a team with a winning record, and the over is 8-2 in Nebraska's past 10 non-conference games and 5-1 in their past six against teams with a winning overall mark.

Southern California at Stanford (ABC, 8:00 p.m.)
USC rebounded last week against Utah State, spanking the Aggies to make themselves feel better after being emasculated by Alabama in their opener. Stanford topped Kansas State and then had a week off, so they're fresh and ready for a visit from the Trojans. This line opened at 6 1/2 and quickly moved to 9 1/2 while the total holds steady at 53. USC is 2-6 ATS in their past eight overall, while going 7-19 ATS in their past 26 road outings. They're also 4-12 ATS in their past 16 road outings against a team with a winning home record. Stanford is 36-16-1 ATS in their past 53 conference games, and 39-18 ATS in their past 57 home games. The Trojans are 3-7 ATS in their past 10 against the Cardinal, while the road team is 9-3 ATS in the past 12 meetings. The underdog is also 8-2 ATS in the past 10 battles.

UCLA at Brigham Young (ESPN2, 10:15 p.m.)
UCLA heads to Provo looking to top BYU again. They held off the Cougars last season by a 24-23 score, averting a near disaster as 16 1/2-point favorites at the Rose Bowl. UCLA lost to Texas A&M in their opener, and rebounded with a win over UNLV. They have failed to cover in either of their outings, and they're 0-4 ATS in their past four non-conference games. BYU has covered both of their games, topping Arizona in the opener and then slipping up at Utah in the Holy War last week, electing to go for two in the final moments rather than kick an extra point and battle in overtime. The 'under' is 2-0 for BYU so far.

Texas at California (ESPN, 10:30 p.m.)
The Longhorns are climbing in the rankings after spanking Texas-El Paso last week, covering for the second time in as many games. California will be back home after dropping one at San Diego State last week against Heisman dark horse Donnel Pumphrey. The Bears were locked in a shootout last week, losing 45-40, and they figure to see more of the same against a Texas team averaged 45.5 PPG. Remember, the last time these two teams faced each other Sept.. 19, 2015, it was Cal coming away with a 45-44 win in Austin courtesy of a missed extra point. In this one, Texas is a much better team, while California isn't nearly as dangerous. Texas opened as a touchdown favorite and the line climbed to eight. The total is just shy of 80.

Hawai'i at Arizona (Pac-12 Network, 10:45 p.m.)
Hawai'i plays its fourth game of the season already, having lost to California in Sydney and Michigan in Ann Arbor. They are coming off a win against FCS Tennessee-Martin to make them feel better, but now it's back to reality in Tucson this weekend. Arizona was dumped by BYU in their opener before narrowly avoiding disaster against FCS Gramling State last weekend. The Wildcats have failed to cover in two games, and the 'under' has cashed in each outing. Hawai'i is 1-5 ATS in their past six road games, while going 1-7 ATS in their past eight overall. Arizona is just 2-9 ATS in their past 11 games in the month of September, while going 2-7 ATS in their nine non-conference battles.

Other Games
Idaho State at Oregon State (Pac-12 Network, 5:00 p.m.)
Portland State at Washington (Pac-12 Network, 8:00 p.m.)
Utah at San Jose State (CBS Sports Network, 10:30 p.m.)

Other Games -- NOTES
Oregon State is looking to rebound after a loss at Minnesota in their opener Sept. 1. They've had 16 days to rebound and get prepare for Idaho State in what should be their first win of the season. Idaho State was hammered last weekend by Colorado by a 56-7 score last weekend. ... Portland State heads to Seattle to battle U-Dub for the first time since Sept. 15, 2012 when the Huskies came away with a 52-13 win. That Washington team paled in comparison to this season's squad, which has lofty expectations. Washington has covered both of their games while averaging 53.5 PPG and allowed 13.5 PPG and the 'over' has cashed in each. ... Utah heads to the Bay Area to meet San Jose State, and they enter as near two-touchdown favorites. The Utes are 4-1 ATS in their past five battles against Mountain West foes, and they're 11-3 ATS in their past 14 non-conference games. The Spartans are 1-1 ATS in two non-conference games this season, and 19-9 ATS in their past 28 outside the MWC. They're just 2-9 ATS in their past 11 against teams with a winning overall mark.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

ACC Report - Week 3
By Joe Williams

2016 ACC STANDINGS

Team SU Conference ATS Over/Under

Boston College 1-1 0-1 1-0-1 0-2
Clemson 2-0 0-0 0-2 0-2
Duke 1-1 0-1 1-1 0-2
Florida State 2-0 0-0 1-0 1-0
Georgia Tech 2-0 1-0 0-0-1 0-1
Louisville 2-0 1-0 2-0 2-0
Miami (Fla.) 2-0 0-0 2-0 1-1
North Carolina 1-1 0-0 1-1 1-1
North Carolina State 1-1 0-0 1-1 1-0-1
Pittsburgh 2-0 0-0 0-2 1-1
Syracuse 1-1 0-1 1-1 1-1
Virginia 0-2 0-0 1-1 0-1-1
Virginia Tech 1-1 0-0 0-2 1-1
Wake Forest 2-0 1-0 1-1 0-2


Florida State at Louisville (ABC, 12:00 p.m. ET)
We're going to find out a lot about Louisville Saturday afternoon, as ESPN's College Gameday visits for the first time in the program's history. More importantly, we're going to find out if Lamar Jackson is ready for prime time or still needs some seasoning. He has been putting up video game-like numbers in the first two outings, but a visit from Florida State's battle-tested defense is a different story. The Seminoles opened as 3 1/2-point favorites and it has been bet down to 2 at most shops, with more movement to come. The 'Noles are 4-1 ATS in their past five ACC games, and 5-2 ATS in their past seven road outings against teams with a winning home record. The Cardinals are 5-2 ATS in their past seven home games dating back to last season. The 'over' is 7-2 in FSU's past nine on fieldturf, while the 'under' is 9-3 in their past 12 ACC battles. The 'over' is 4-0 in the past four on fieldturf and 4-0 in the past in the ACC for the Cards.

Miami-Florida at Appalachian State (ESPN, 12:00 p.m. ET)
Miami invades Kidd Brewer Stadium in Boone, N.C. for perhaps the biggest game in Appalachian State's history. Well, the biggest game outside of their upset win at Michigan as an FCS squad. App State is an FBS team now in the Sun Belt Conference, and they're looking to make headlines again. The Mountaineers nearly pulled off an upset at Tennessee, taking the Vols to overtime before succumbing 20-13. Miami has rolled through Florida A&M and Florida Atlantic at home, going 2-0 ATS in the process. The line for this game opened at 4 1/2 and slipped to 3 1/2 as of Tuesday night. Can the Mountaineers shut down the speedy Hurricanes? Miami is 5-1 ATS in their past six games in September, while App State is 0-5 ATS in their past five following a straight up win and 1-4 ATS in their past five at home.

Vanderbilt at Georgia Tech (ACC Network, 12:30 p.m. ET)
Vandy goes from the capital of Tennessee to the capital of Georgia to battle the Ramblin' Wreck. Anyone going to this game have a slaw dog for me at The Varsity and tell me all about it. The Commodores are 14-6 ATS in their past 20 road games, and 12-4 ATS in their past 16 on the road against teams with a winning home record. The Yellow Jackets are 13-6-1 ATS in their past 20 in September, but just 1-4 ATS in their past five at home, 2-5 ATS in their past seven against the SEC and 1-9-1 ATS in their past 11 games overall. The trends point to an 'under' result, as the under is 7-1 in Vandy's past eight on the road and 7-2 in their past nine against teams with an overall winning record. The under is 5-1 in Ga. Tech's past six and 5-2 in their past seven against SEC foes. The line for this game is set at Georgia Tech -6 1/2 points and a total of 43.

Virgnia at Connecitcut (ESPN3, 1:30 p.m.)
Virginia heads to UConn searching for their first taste of victory after an extremely disappointing opening game loss to FCS Richmond, and a drubbing at the hands of Oregon at Autzen last weekend. UConn nearly met the same fate in their opener, edging FCS Maine 24-21 despite entering as a 27-point favorite. The Huskies played Navy tough in Annapolis, but were dumped 28-24. The 'over' has connected in each of UConn's first two games while going 0-2 ATS. The Cavaliers are also 0-2 ATS in their first two games, so something's gotta give. Connecticuts enters as 4 1/2-point favorite with a total of 48 1/2.

Boston College at Virginia Tech (ESPNU, 3:30 p.m.)
The Eagles head to Blacksburg for their second conference game of the season already, while the Hokies look to rebound after Tennessee raced past them at Bristol Motor Speedway last weekend. The Eagles have already been to Ireland and Gillette Stadium in Foxboro, and now head to Virginia, failing to play a game on campus yet. They're 5-1 ATS in their past six games on the road, including last weekend's cover against UMass. The Hokies have covered just once in the past five at Lane Stadium, and they're a dismal 5-16-1 ATS in their past 22 in the month of September. Boston College has owned this series, at least against the number, going 4-1 ATS in the past five, and 8-3 ATS in their past 11 trips to Blacksburg. The underdog is also 4-1 ATS in the past five.

Pittsburgh at Oklahoma State (ESPN, 3:30 p.m.)
The Panthers outlasted Penn State in an emotional rivalry game, and now turn around for another difficult matchup on the road. Oklahoma State was jobbed by the refs last weekend before falling on a miraculous hook and ladder play against Central Michigan that should have never been allowed to occur. OK State enters as a six-point favorite, and they should be mighty angry after their loss last weekend. Pittsburgh is 6-2 ATS in their past eight road games, but just 2-6 ATS in their past eight in September and 0-4 ATS in their past four non-conference tilts. OK State is 0-4 ATS in their past four against teams with a winning record, and 2-8 ATS in their past 10 after a straight-up loss.

South Florida at Syracuse (ACC Network, 3:30 p.m.)
South Florida tuned up Northern Illinois at the Ray Jay last weekend, now they hit the road for the Carrier Dome against a Syracuse team which served as punching bag for Lamar Jackson and Louisville last Friday. USF has been hot against the number, covering six of their past seven in the month of September, 6-2 ATS in their past eight non-conference games and 5-2 ATS in their past seven on the road. The Orange is still 5-2 ATS in their past seven against winning teams despite being manhandled last weekend, and they're 5-1 ATS in their past six under the dome. however, they are just 3-7 ATS in their past 10 games following a double-digit loss at home.

Old Dominion at North Carolina State (ACC Network, 6:00 p.m.)
Old Dominion pummeled FCS Hampton in their opener to cover a 24-point line, and then were smashed at App State 31-7. N.C. State returns home from the coastal plain after being dumped by East Carolina last weekend. These sides met last season in Virginia, with the Wolfpack pushing aside the Monarchs 38-14 to cover a 17-point number. The last time these teams met in Raleigh, ODU covered a 15 1/2-point number in a 46-34 loss, but that was also with their former dynamic QB Taylor Heinicke, who now carries a clipboard on Sundays for the Minnesota Vikings. N.C. State enters as a 21 1/2-point favorite with a total of 58. ODU is 1-7 ATS in their past eight non-conference tilts, and 1-5 ATS in their past six on the road. The Wolfpack are 8-2 ATS in their past 10 non-conference battles despite last weekend's debacle, but they're just 1-4 ATS in their past five at Carter-Finley.

Duke at Northwestern (Big Ten, 8:00 p.m.)
Duke looks to rebound after taking it on the chin 24-14 to Wake Forest in Durham. Northwestern has really struggled to open the season, falling by a point in their opener to Western Michigan before being stunned by FCS Illinois State in a defensive slog last weekend. The Wildcats are averaging 14.0 PPG with two 'under' results and they're 0-2 ATS. The Blue Devils have split their first two games with a pair of 'under' results. The last time these clubs met, it was Northwestern winning 19-10 at Wallace Wade Stadium Sept. 17, 2016, in a game I actually attended. You can expect another low-scoring battle in Evanston between two disjointed offensive units.

Other Games
South Carolina State at Clemson (ACC Network, 12:00 p.m.)
James Madison at North Carolina (ACC Network. 3:30 p.m.)
Delaware at Wake Forest (ACC Network, 6:30 p.m.)

Other Games -- NOTES
Clemson was nearly tripped up by Troy last weekend. Look for the Tigers, 0-2 ATS, to get on track against an in-state FCS foe. The last time these squads met it was a 73-7 lesson that the Bulldogs are likely still feeling. SCSU enters 0-2, having lost to UCF 38-0 in their opener Sept. 3, and 53-24 to Louisiana Tech last weekend. ... UNC handled their business, topping a Power 5 team on the road, albeit a bottom-feeder in Illinois. Now, the Tar Heels take another breather against the Dukes of James Madison. The Dukes are averaging 68.0 points per game, including an 80-spot against Morehead State in their opener. ... Wake Forest is suddenly thinking bowl after winning at Duke to move to 2-0. A win against the Blue Hens and they're halfway home to bowl eligibility in mid-September.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Georgia State Panthers (0-2) at Wisconsin Badgers (2-0)

Date: September 17, 2016 12:00 PM EDT

No. 9 Wisconsin has stirred plenty of excitement in Madison with a sudden rise into the top 10 and the Badgers host big underdog Georgia State on Saturday (noon ET) before the nail-biting portion of the schedule begins.

Wisconsin (2-0) recorded its 36th consecutive non-conference victory at Camp Randall with a 54-10 trouncing of Akron last week and more importantly didn't take a step back after stunning then-No. 5 LSU 16-14 in the season opener at Lambeau Field in Green Bay.

"We want to do that every week no matter (where) we're ranked," senior running back Corey Clement said. "We have to approach every game as if we're not in the rankings at all."

The Badgers weren't picked by pundits in the preseason to make much noise in the Big Ten -- and they haven't yet -- but are one of five conference teams ranked in the top 13 on the strength of the LSU victory.

Wisconsin gets a chance to validate that performance when it visits No. 12 Michigan State next week, followed by a trip to No. 4 Michigan, a home game against No. 3 Ohio State and a road contest with No. 13 Iowa. Throw in Nebraska at home Oct. 29, and the Badgers arguably own the toughest five-game stretch in the nation.

But first, Wisconsin must get past the 34-point underdog Panthers (0-2), who are last among the 128 FBS teams in rushing defense (394.5 yards per game). That could give coach Paul Chryst the opportunity to use Clement sparingly after he left the Akron game in the second quarter with an ankle injury and 111 yards with two touchdowns.

"I would have played if it was closer," said Clement, who is 86 yards shy of becoming the 16th player in school history to rush for 2,000. "But seeing that we were up a lot, why risk it to turn into a bigger injury? I've dealt with injuries in the past and I know it's nothing to play with. I really had to be mature about the situation. I had to really sit back and let other guys take the load and then I'll be back for next week."

The Badgers should be stronger on defense now that inside linebacker T.J. Edwards is back in the fold. The redshirt sophomore, who led Wisconsin with 84 tackles last season, played against Akron after missing the LSU game with a fractured left foot.

"I was itching (to play)," Edwards said. "It was hard for me to sit and wait."

The Badgers allowed 24 points in their first two games and appear to have a defense capable of shutting down some of the Big Ten heavyweights.

"We've started the first two games the way you'd like," Chryst said. "If you want to form your identity, then you have to do it again and again."

Wisconsin's depth in the secondary will be tested as junior cornerback/kick returner Natrell Jamerson could miss 4-to-6 weeks with a leg injury sustained against Akron. Freshman Caesar Williams is a leading candidate to support the top two corners in junior Derrick Tindal and senior Sojourn Shelton.

Clement is expected to replace Jamerson, who is also a full-time special teams performer, as the No. 1 kickoff returner.

"My first thought is I feel bad for Natrell," Chryst said. "He's a neat kid, fun to be around. Yesterday, in talking with him, he's got the right approach."

Badgers senior quarterback Bart Houston is off to a good start by completing 64.2 percent of his 53 passes and spearheads an offense which recorded 294 yards rushing and 292 passing last week.

Wisconsin sophomore kicker P.J. Rosowski boasts eight touchbacks on 13 kickoffs this season and could help neutralize the threat Georgia State's Glenn Smith presents. The junior running back averages 31.9 yards per return with a long of 88. Wisconsin recorded touchbacks on 13 of 71 kickoffs in 2015.

The Panthers are coming off a 48-14 loss to Air Force last week in which they yielded 464 rushing yards to the run-happy Falcons. Georgia State lost its opener 31-21 to Ball State.

Panthers junior quarterback Conner Manning, a transfer from Utah, completed 51.8 of his 56 passes and has a favorite target in senior wide receiver Robert Davis (11 catches, 140 yards).

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Big Ten Report - Week 3
By ASA

2016 BIG 10 STANDINGS

Team SU Conference ATS Over/Under

Illinois Fighting Illini 1-1 0-0 1-1 1-1
Indiana Hoosiers 2-0 0-0 1-1 0-2
Iowa Hawkeyes 2-0 0-0 1-1 1-1
Maryland Terrapins 2-0 0-0 1-1 0-2
Michigan Wolverines 2-0 0-0 2-0 2-0
Michigan State Spartans 1-0 0-0 0-1 0-1
Minnesota Golden Gophers 2-0 0-0 1-1 1-1
Nebraska Cornhuskers 2-0 0-0 2-0 1-1
Northwestern Wildcats 0-2 0-0 0-2 0-2
Ohio State Buckeyes 2-0 0-0 2-0 1-1
Penn State Nittany Lions 1-1 0-0 1-1 2-0
Purdue Boilermakers 1-1 0-0 0-2 1-1
Rutgers Scarlet Knights 1-1 0-0 0-2 2-0
Wisconsin Badgers 2-0 0-0 2-0 1-1


Ohio State: Urban Meyer takes his Buckeyes into Oklahoma as a favorite. It’s the first time since 2000 that the Sooners have been a home underdog. Since Stoops took over in 1999, the Sooner have been a home dog just 2 times winning both those games outright in easy fashion 51-6 & 31-14. Oklahoma has a home record of 96-8 since Stoops took over…Urban Meyer, however, is a remarkable 18-0 in road games since taking over at Ohio State back in 2012. The Buckeyes have averaged 41 PPG in those 18 road games and were held under 28 points only twice…After 2 games OSU is 2nd nationally in scoring offense averaging 62.5 PPG and 5th in total offense putting up 596 YPG…

Michigan: The Wolverines are now 2-0 beating Hawaii & UCF by a combined score of 114-17…Those games provided a “perfect storm” for Michigan blowouts as Hawaii had nothing left in the tank after playing in Australia vs Cal a week earlier and UCF is implementing a new fast-paced offense which plays right into the hands of the much more talented Wolverines…Michigan’s defense has allowed their first two opponents to complete only 18 total passes however, their rush defense also allowed UCF to run for 6.0 yards per carry last Saturday…Talk about a favorable schedule? Michigan doesn’t leave Ann Arbor until venturing to New Jersey to play Rutgers on October 8th…Colorado is 2-0 and entered the season with more returning starters (18) and more returning lettermen (63) than any other Power 5 Conference team…The Buffs have outscored their first 2 opponents (Colorado State & Idaho State) 100 to 14…

Michigan State: Sparty had a bye last week after an uninspiring 28-13 win over Furman in week 1. The Paladins actually had the ball in the 4th quarter with a chance to tie the game with the score at 21-13. That’s a Furman team that was just 4-7 the previous season…Notre Dame has won 4 of the last 5 in this series with MSU’s only win during that stretch coming in 2010 by a final score of 34-31…After playing each other for 16 consecutive seasons from 1997 – 2013, these two did not face each other the last 2 seasons…The Spartans have been an absolute money maker as an underdog with a spread record of 13-3-1 their last 17 in that role – including 11 outright wins during that stretch…Dating back to 1980, when Michigan State is a dog of a TD or more they are 55-35-2 ATS (61%)…MSU has won 39 of their last 44 games dating back to November of 2012…Notre Dame is now 1-1 with a 3-point loss at Texas and an easy win last week at home vs Nevada…Irish are just 11-23-1 ATS as a home favorite of -7 or more dating back to the 2006 season…Irish WR Torii Hunter Jr said he expects to play on Saturday after missing last week’s game after sustaining a concussion at Texas…

Nebraska: The Huskers are 2-0 on the season but led Fresno just 21-10 entering the 4th quarter and were up just 24-17 last week vs Wyoming entering the 4th quarter. NU ended up burying each of those opponents outscoring by them by a combined 50-0 in the 4th quarter…The Huskers have outgained ther first two opponents by a combined total of 818 yards to 463 and they are also already +7 in turnover margin…These two haven’t faced each other since 1986, however Nebraska head man Mike Riley will have a good idea of what he needs to do against Oregon having coached at Oregon State for 14 years prior to taking the job at Nebraska. Riley’s Beavers went 4-10 SU & 5-7-2 ATS vs the Ducks during his tenure…The Ducks have been a fabulous underdog going 31-13 ATS the last 44 times they’ve been getting points…Even more impressive, of those 44 times they’ve been tabbed a dog by the oddsmakers, Oregon has won 25 of those games outright…Oregon is averaging 48.5 PPG on a whopping 8.1 yards per play…Only Marshall & Louisville have a better YPP average…

Wisconsin: Starting RB Corey Clement was held out of last week’s 2nd half vs Akron after sustaining an ankle injury. He said following the game he could have played if needed. He has been held to limited duty so far in practice this week and may not play on Saturday…Wisconsin is a 34 point favorite this week vs Georgia State and it looks warranted. After 2 games, Georgia State is dead last in the NCAA in rush defense allowing 395 YPG and dead last in time of possession. Not a great recipe when playing Wisconsin…The Panthers have been outgained 986 to 441 in their 2 losses to Ball State & Air Force. Tough travel spot for Georgia State (based in Atlanta) after traveling west to play Air Force last week and now north to play Wisconsin this week…

Penn State: Penn State made a valiant comeback last week at Pitt but fell just short. The Nittany Lions fell behind 28-7 and came back to cut the lead to 42-39 late in the game. PSU had the ball on Pitt’s 30-yard line late before throwing an interception to end the comeback…The Penn State offense has topped 30 points in each of their first 2 games after topping 30 just 3 times all last season…Heading into last year’s meeting with Temple, the Lions were 25-0 all-time vs the Owls. Temple won last year’s meeting 27-10 to get their first win every in this Pennsylvania series. Temple’s defense held PSU to just 183 total yards in that win…Temple is 1-1 this year with a home loss to Army and home win vs Stony Brook. The interesting point in their home loss to Army is the fact that the Cadets were 1-25 their previous 26 road games before that win…

Illinois: The Illini are actually a 3-point home dog in this one…Illinois has won 5 straight games vs MAC teams. The last time they lost to a MAC team was in 2008 vs this Western Michigan team…Last week’s home loss to North Carolina (46-23 final) was actually a one score game in the 4th quarter with the Illini trailing 31-23…Western Michigan already played at a Big Ten venue and beat Northwestern on the road as a 5-point underdog…The Broncos are 2-0 beating Northwestern as we mentioned and then clobbering North Carolina Central 70-21…WMU returns most of their key offensive players from a team that went 8-5 last year and averaged 36 PPG on nearly 500 YPG…Dating back to 1950, Big Ten teams are 273-49-2 vs MAC teams…

Maryland: After winning only 3 games all of last season, the Terps are already 2-0 under new head coach DJ Durkin…Much of last year’s struggles were due to mistakes as Maryland threw a whopping 29 interceptions in 2015. This year they have yet to turn the ball over in their first 2 games…The Terps are traveling to Florida for the 2nd straight week after beating FIU in Miami last week 41-14. This week they are 9-point favorites at UCF…Entering this season Maryland had been tabbed a road favorite only 5 times over the last 7 seasons. They are now favored on the road in back to back weeks…The Maryland offense has put up 519 yards & 477 yards in their first 2 games vs Howard & FIU. To put that in perspective, coming into this season the Turtles had topped 500 yards just once in their previous 35 games…UCF has implemented a new “fast-paced” offense under new head coach Scott Frost. The Knights are averaging 80 offensive plays per game so far this year…UCF lost 51-14 at Michigan last week but averaged 6 yards per carry on 46 carries vs Michigan’s defense…

Rugers: The Knights bounced back with a win over Howard last week after getting whipped at Washington in week 1. Their blowout loss to the Huskies (48-13 final) was actually not as bad as it seemed. Rutgers was only -76 total yards in that game and they ran 29 more offensive plays. How did they lose so badly you ask? Big plays. The Knights gave up 2 special teams TD’s and 3 TD passes of 38, 43, and 50 yards…The Knights will face a completely different offense this week as they prepare for New Mexico’s 3 back triple-option attack. The Lobos do it with a twist however as their QB Apodaca operates out of the pistol formation. Rutgers defensive coaches this week have stated that this offense is really hard to emulate in practice…New Mexico is coming off a rivalry loss to New Mexico State last weekend 32-31 as the Lobos blew a 9-point 4th quarter lead…Dating back to the 2007 season, Rutgers is 12-21 ATS as a home favorite of -3 or higher…

Northwestern: The Wildcats have started the season in disappointing fashion losing each of their first two games to Western Michigan & Illinois State. The Cats were favored in both games. They lost those 2 games by a combined 3 points…Neither loss was a fluke as NW was had fewer first downs and were outgained in both games. For the season, mind you after playing WMU & Illinois St, two teams they expected to beat, the Cats are -21 first downs and -192 yards…Duke was upset at home last week by Wake Forest losing 24-14 as a 7-point chalk. The Devils offense moved the ball well (370 yards of offense) but shot themselves in the foot with 2 missed FG’s and 2 turnovers in Wake territory…NW beat Duke on the road last year 19-10 as a +4.5 point dog. The Cats had just 1 offensive TD, a 55-yard run, and scored on a 98 yard kick return. Duke outgained NW by 56 yards…These two top notch academic institutions have met 11 times on the gridiron since 1996 with Northwestern winning 9 of those games…

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Florida State Seminoles (2-0) at Louisville Cardinals (2-0)

Date: September 17, 2016 12:00 PM EDT

Florida State starting defensive end Josh Sweat is in danger of missing Saturday's showdown with Louisville due to a left knee injury suffered in practice on Thursday.

Sweat, a sophomore, didn't fly with the team to Louisville on Thursday night, according to published reports. It remains possible he could travel at some point on Friday if he is ruled fit to play.

Sweat's father, William Washington, told 247Sports that he was unsure if coach Jimbo Fisher and team trainers would clear his son to play.

"It's wait and see," Washington told 247Sports. "Coach Fisher always errs on the side of caution. ... If there's any doubt, he won't play. But if he can, he will."

Not having Sweat would rank as a second big blow for the second-ranked Seminoles, as they try to slow down the powerful offense of the No. 10 Cardinals.

Florida State lost standout sophomore safety Derwin James for at least five weeks and possibly as many as 10 after he underwent surgery on Tuesday to repair a torn meniscus in his left knee.

Louisville quarterback Lamar Jackson's strong early-season play has catapulted him into a legitimate Heisman Trophy candidate. Jackson totaled 610 yards (411 passing, 199 rushing) in last week's trouncing of Syracuse.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: North Dakota State Bison (2-0) at Iowa Hawkeyes (2-0)

Date: September 17, 2016 12:00 PM EDT

After having more trouble than expected in the season opener against Miami University, Iowa's defense redeemed itself with a dominating performance against in-state rival Iowa State last week.

The 13th-ranked Hawkeyes moved to 2-0 behind a defense that limited the Cyclones to 126 yards on the ground, 291 total yards and three points. The offense also contributed its share in the 42-3 victory that snapped a two-game home losing streak in the annual series.

The win over Iowa State certainly was convincing, but strange as it sounds, the Cyclones probably aren't at the level of the Hawkeyes' FCS opponent this week. Five-time defending national champion North Dakota State visits Iowa City on Saturday (noon, ESPN2) for what promises to be Iowa's sternest test on the non-conference schedule.

"They're the best team we've faced thus far," Iowa running back LeShun Daniels said Tuesday.

North Dakota State (2-0) has won its last five games against FBS opponents and has an 8-3 record against schools at the top level of college football. The Bison, coached by Iowa native Chris Klieman, have defeated two FCS opponents in overtime to start this season, putting up 50 points against Eastern Washington last week.

"When we talk about North Dakota State, they take a backseat to no one," Iowa coach Kirk Ferentz said. "They're accustomed to winning. They know what it takes and they've got good players who are well coached.

"I'll go out on a limb and predict this will be a really strong team, a really tough opponent for us."

Iowa enters its final non-conference matchup with a 14-game regular-season winning streak and a nine-game home win streak. The Hawkeyes' last home loss was at the end of the 2014 season.

Quarterback C.J. Beathard has won all nine of his starts in Kinnick Stadium, but Beathard and the Hawkeyes know better than to underestimate the invading Bison. North Dakota State has an astounding 20-0 record in the playoffs the past five years and is expected to bring at least 10,000 fans to 70,585-seat Kinnick.

"Their fans are going to be pumped," Iowa cornerback Desmond King said. "They're playing against the Iowa Hawkeyes. Our fans vs. their fans. That's what it's going to be."

Klieman grew up a Hawkeyes fan in Waterloo, Iowa, and was Northern Iowa's defensive coordinator in 2009 when the Panthers nearly pulled off an upset in Iowa City. He's now in his third season as North Dakota State's head coach after three years as an assistant.

The Bison, who sent quarterback Carson Wentz to the Philadelphia Eagles this year as the No. 2 overall pick in the NFL draft, are prepared for more of a physical challenge than they face in FCS.

"In the time I've been here, this is the most complete team the Bison will have faced," Klieman said. "They come at you like, 'We are going to line up and we are going to run right at you and we are going to knock you off the football. Can you hold up?' The first two opponents they've played haven't held up."

Iowa played well against Iowa State after giving up 424 yards to Miami University in a 45-21 opening win.

Beathard passed for 235 yards and three touchdowns against the Cyclones last week and has yet to throw an interception this year. Iowa's top two running backs, Daniels and Akrum Wadley, are splitting carries and have combined for 365 of the team's 410 yards and six rushing touchdowns in the first two games.

The defensive difference-maker from Week 1 to Week 2 could well have been Josey Jewell. The middle linebacker was ejected early in the first quarter of the opener because of a targeting penalty but came back to lead the team with nine tackles and was all over the field.

"When he's in there, we play a lot better," Ferentz said. "He adds a lot to our tempo, helps us be a little more active out there."

The defensive line was missing injured end Parker Hesse, who's expected back this week, but defensive tackle Jaleel Johnson played a key role in the trenches. He had one of his better games with seven tackles and a sack, but he wasn't satisfied because the defensive gave up three points.

"I prefer it to be none," he said. "But you won't ever play a perfect game."

Jewell compared North Dakota State to a Big Ten opponent. The Bison's offense, with sophomore Easton Stick taking over at quarterback for Wentz, has displayed balanced in the first two games, rushing for a 255-yard average and passing for 225.5.

"We're going to have to be ready for smash-mouth football," Jewell said.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Colorado Buffaloes (2-0) at Michigan Wolverines (2-0)

Date: September 17, 2016 3:30 PM EDT

Michigan hasn't been tested and has jumped to No. 4 in the rankings.

And it doesn't appear the Wolverines will face much of a test in their third game either.

Michigan (2-0) hosts Colorado on Saturday in a nonconference affair televised by the Big Ten Network. While the Buffaloes are 2-0 and have outscored their opponents 100-14, the victories are against Colorado State and Idaho State.

Colorado also has dropped 22 consecutive matchups against ranked opponents.

Then again, the Wolverines played Hawaii and Central Florida while winning their first two games by a cumulative 114-17. And coach Jim Harbaugh agreed that his team has a lot to work on after there were some uneven moments during last Saturday's 37-point victory over Central Florida.

"I'm very excited as a coach that when you win a game 51-14, you still have things to go in and coach and you feel like you can improve your play on," Harbaugh said at a press conference. "There's probably no better feeling as a coach than to start the week that way.

"It makes me very optimistic that there are ways we can improve. There's things we can fix. I'm very confident with the coaches and players we have that we'll do that. It makes you feel like you can get better. I'm always happy about that, to be in that position."

The contest marks only the fifth time the two schools have met. Michigan holds a 3-1 series edge but Colorado's victory came in one of the most famous endings in college football history.

The 1994 meeting culminated with Kordell Stewart throwing a 64-yard "Hail Mary" touchdown pass to Michael Westbrook with no time remaining for a stunning 27-26 victory.

The current Buffaloes know the history but are more concerned about leaving their own mark.

"It's just another team and we're going to go play our game, but I'm definitely excited to play Michigan," junior receiver Devin Ross said. "I can't lie about that.

"We never expect the game to always go our way -- they're going to have their ups and downs so we're ready for that. They're going to go in there hungry because they're one of the top teams in the nation, so we're going to go in there and stick with our game plan and keep executing."

Colorado leads the nation in total defense (160.5 yards per game) and also possesses a hot quarterback in senior Sefo Liufau, who is completely healed from a foot injury suffered last November. Liufau has completed 74.5 percent of his passes for 522 yards, three touchdowns and no interceptions.

Michigan quarterback Wilton Speight has been even better and his seven passing touchdowns tie John Navarre (2000) for most by a Michigan quarterback in the first two games of the season. Speight has completed 70 percent of his passes to help the Wolverines top 50 points in consecutive games for the first time since 1992.

"He takes control of the huddle and also does a good job of reading the defenses," senior receiver Amara Darboh said. "He knows where to go and doesn't hesitate."

Darboh had five catches for 111 yards and two touchdowns in the win over Central Florida. Darboh and senior tight end Jake Butt share the team lead with three scoring receptions.

The Wolverines' defense played without senior All-American cornerback Jourdan Lewis in each of the first two games due to two different mysterious injuries.

The current one is reportedly related to his back and Harbaugh said he prefers taking the cautious approach.

"Something different came up, a muscle strain in a different location," Harbaugh said. "We'll see (if he plays), but I'm not going to take any chances with it."

Michigan senior defensive end Taco Charlton (ankle) could return after a one-game absence. Sophomore defensive tackle Brian Mone (knee) will sit out his second consecutive game.

Colorado hopes to have junior running back Michael Adkins II available for the first time this season. He suffered a season-ending hamstring injury early last season and his recovery has contained some setbacks.

"Michael was a little bit better at the beginning of (last week), and hopefully he'll be ready to go," Buffaloes coach Mike MacIntyre said.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Ohio Bobcats (1-1) at Tennessee Volunteers (2-0)

Date: September 17, 2016 12:00 PM EDT

Tennessee has been plagued by slow starts this season while displaying an opportunistic nature.

Now the No. 15 Volunteers want to slam the door shut on Ohio's breakthrough opportunity.

Tennessee takes aim at a 3-0 start when it hosts the Bobcats on Saturday in a contest set to air on the SEC Network.

The Volunteers have experienced back-to-back poor opening quarters while recording their two wins. They had to rally to beat Appalachian State in overtime in their season opener before recovering five fumbles to knock off Virginia Tech in the "Battle at Bristol."

Meanwhile, Ohio (1-1) is shooting to beat a ranked team for the first time.

That's no misprint -- the Bobcats are looking to spring an attention-grabbing upset for the initial time in the program's 122-year history.

"I don't have a goal to go out and beat a ranked football team," Bobcats coach Frank Solich said at a press conference. "My goal is to win every game, and if you do the best you can with that, hopefully along the way you have won your share of games and you have pulled off some upsets.

"Although, we never walk on the field feeling we are an underdog, we expect to win every football game and I think most college teams and most coaches approach it that way."

Ohio certainly will be the underdogs when they arrive at Neyland Stadium but caught Tennessee's attention by posting a solid 37-21 victory over Kansas last Saturday. The Bobcats rolled up 329 rushing yards and maintained possession for 43 minutes, 38 seconds.

"They also held Kansas to 26 rushing yards," Volunteers coach Butch Jones said. "I have a tremendous amount of respect for them. It is a week-to-week season and we have to make that considerable progress that we made from week one to week two into week three as we move forward."

Jones will be expecting his team to start faster against the Bobcats. He said he addressed the sluggishness with the players and hopes they will respond.

Senior defensive end Corey Vereen is mystified by the glacier-like openings.

"I couldn't really put my finger on it. We talk about starting fast day in and day out in practice and everything," Vereen said. "So basically what we try to do is we try to stay more relaxed this time around and just know what we came to do in the game."

Tennessee will be shorthanded on the defensive side as sophomore middle linebacker Darrin Kirkland Jr. and senior defensive end LaTroy Lewis will both miss the game with ankle injuries.

Kirkland leads the Volunteers with 16 tackles while Lewis has 10 stops.

Sophomore free safety Micah Abernathy set a school record by recovering three fumble recoveries in the 45-24 victory over Virginia Tech.

Offensively, senior quarterback Joshua Dobbs is completing just 54.2 percent of his passes. He has thrown for 283 yards and four touchdowns against two interceptions.

Junior running back Jalen Hurd has rushed for 209 yards and one score.

Ohio senior quarterback Greg Windham has passed for 560 yards and five touchdowns while being intercepted once. He has also rushed for 183 yards, second on the squad behind junior tailback Dorian Brown (186).

The Bobcats' defense is led by senior defensive end Tarell Basham (two sacks), who became the school's record-holder when he posted career sack No. 20 against Kansas.

"It feels great to have the all-time sack record, to know that all my hard work is showing," Basham said. "I'm not comfortable at all, though. I'm still going to go out there and fight to get those sacks. Hopefully next week we can set another record."

Basham was referring to the school's dubious history against Top 25 teams. The Volunteers have been briefed about that fact and insist they won't be taking the Bobcats lightly.

"Ohio is a veteran team and it's a noon (ET) kickoff, so we need to start fast and be ready to go from the get-go," Dobbs said. "But this is the most important game on our schedule because it's the next game. There's no looking ahead. We're just locked in on the task at hand and getting ready for this Saturday."

Ohio is 2-11 all-time against current SEC programs. The Bobcats lost 34-23 at Tennessee in 2009 in the lone previous meeting between the schools.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Miami Hurricanes (2-0) at Appalachian State Mountaineers (1-1)

Date: September 17, 2016 12:00 PM EDT

Miami will take its No. 25 ranking and young defense on the road for the first time this season when the Hurricanes face Appalachian State on Saturday in Kidd Brewer Stadium in Boone, N.C. Kickoff is at noon ET for the ESPN telecast.

Despite starting three freshman linebackers in the opener and rotating a sophomore defensive back in at one spot in the second game, the Hurricanes have dominated their first two opponents by a combined 108-13 score.

Florida A&M and Florida Atlantic managed only 69 yards rushing with just another 342 passing.

Freshman linebacker Michael Pinckney leads the team in tackles with 12 stops after recording nine against Florida Atlantic with a sack-and-a-half. He and freshman Shaq Quarterman, who has been in on 10 tackles, have both started the first two games.

Freshman Zach McCloud started the opener but gave way to nickelback Jaquan Johnson, a sophomore, against FAU as the Hurricanes slightly altered their scheme. McCloud has four tackles with one for a loss. Johnson has seven tackles.

But it's not just the freshmen who are going to have to adjust to the situation.

"To be honest with you, it's my first road trip with this team and with this staff," coach Mark Richt said. "It's not like it's old hat for us and everybody knows what they're doing. Everybody is brand new.

"First time travel. First time noon game. A noon game is different. Last two games, a 6 o'clock start at home. Everything was the same back-to-back. That was very comfortable. By Game 2, we knew what was happening.

"Now we're traveling. It's a little different."

Appalachian State will be a much bigger challenge for the Hurricanes than what they had in their first two games in friendly Hard Rock Stadium, and it goes beyond simply being in unfriendly environs for the first time.

The Mountaineers certainly are not overwhelmed by the prospect of taking on big-name opponents. While still an FCS team, they beat Michigan in Ann Arbor in 2007, and last year in their first season of bowl eligibility at the FBS level went 11-2 and beat Ohio in their bowl game. That made them the first team to win a bowl game in their first season on the FBS level.

This year they opened the season by nearly upsetting SEC East Division favorite Tennessee in Knoxville, leading 13-3 early on before falling 20-13 in overtime. The Vols got their touchdown in overtime by recovering a fumble in the end zone or else the Mountaineers would have had an opportunity to win it with a field goal.

Appalachian State has a veteran quarterback in junior Taylor Lamb, who was 15-of-23 passing for 108 yards against Tennessee, and an outstanding running back in senior Marcus Cox.

Cox rushed for 115 yards on 24 carries against the Vols and came back last week to run for 133 yards and three touchdowns in a 31-7 win over Old Dominion. He ranks fourth in school history with 4,336 career rushing yards.

"We're very excited this week to host Miami, for obvious reasons," Mountaineers coach Scott Satterfield said. "It's the biggest opponent that we've ever had come to our campus to play a football game. In particular, what they're bringing in here is the tradition of a school that's won national championships, that's won Heisman Trophies, all the accolades that they've won over the years.

"And not only that, you're bringing in a Mark Richt-coached team in here, a team that last year won eight games and has started off really well. They're ranked in the top 25 in both polls for the first time I think since 2013."

They're pretty hot, too, Satterfield said.

"We're excited about playing them," Satterfield said. "No. 1 playing them and No. 2 playing them here in front of our crowd, which will be the largest crowd we've had in the history of our school."

The fans must be looking forward to it Miami's visit to the 23,150-seat stadium. At least, they seem confident enough. A twitter account tagged "App State Traditions" had this tweet early in the week:

"It's Miami week!!! Miami actually thinks they have a chance to win this game."

It was punctuated with three smiley faces.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Alabama Crimson Tide (2-0) at Mississippi Rebels (1-1)

Date: September 17, 2016 3:30 PM EDT

Alabama fans are hoping the third time is the charm as the Crimson Tide travel to Ole Miss on Saturday (3:30 p.m. ET) at Vaught-Hemingway Stadium. CBS will telecast the SEC opener for both teams.

The 19th-ranked Rebels have beaten the top-ranked Tide in back-to-back seasons, including a 43-37 victory last year in Tuscaloosa, Ala. The Rebels won 23-17 in 2014, the last time the two teams played in Oxford, Miss.

Last year, Alabama went from the loss at home to go on to win the national title. In 2014, the Tide didn't lose again until the semifinal setback to Ohio State in the playoffs.

"I think it is a combination of the confidence that has been set through playing them the four years we have been here," Ole Miss coach Hugh Freeze said, "And playing them early is advantageous."

Tide coach Nick Saban is hoping that his players have learned from the mistakes that have cost his team the early season setback in each of the last two years. Alabama turned the ball over five times in last year's matchup with the Rebels.

Heading into this one, Alabama is looking to clean up some of its issues with penalties. The Tide committed 12 penalties in last weekend's win over Western Kentucky with the majority of those coming on the offense.

"I think the focus for us needs to be on better execution as a team," said Saban, who has never lost three years in a row to the same team in his 10-year stint at Alabama. "I talked about this after the game and after viewing the film.

"When we have issues, when we give up plays on defense, when we have negative plays on offense, it really comes from the fact that our fundamental execution is not really what it needs to be. I think that we have to spend the time in practice to get the fundamental execution that we need.

"I think this helps everyone play better, it benefits everybody, and I think it benefits the unit that you play on. Playing in the SEC, playing against better teams, playing on the road -- all these things are definitely things we need to emphasize and improve on."

Freshman Jalen Hurts is expected to get the start at quarterback for the Tide and is backed up by redshirt freshman Blake Barnett. Barnett started the opener against USC while Hurts started against Western Kentucky.

"I know you all are going to ask me about the quarterbacks," Saban said at his weekly media session previewing the game, "but we are going to continue to work with both of the quarterbacks. We have to try to get them better."

While Alabama comes into the game with two wins in two outings, the Rebels have split their first two games, bouncing back from an opening loss to Florida State to coast past FCS-foe Wofford last week.

The Rebels are looking to get more out of their running game against the Tide than they did against the Seminoles, when they managed to rush for only 67 yards. Freeze notes that won't be easy.

He said Alabama's consistently stout defensive front seven may be faster than any Saban's had, which will challenge an Ole Miss offense that struggled in the second half against Florida State and averaged less than three yards a carry against the Seminoles. The Crimson Tide's defense has also scored more touchdowns (two) than it has allowed (one).

"I think we have to find a way to get some dirty yards, and I think we can," Freeze said. "I believe in our guys that we can. But if you think we're going to line up and rush for 300 yards against this team, that doesn't happen."

Flipping to the other side, Ole Miss' defense will see an offense that still leans on a running game in averaging 183 rushing yards per game. The emergence of Hurts at quarterback, however, has given teams more to worry about with his legs and a strong arm to stretch defenses.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: South Carolina State (0-2) at Clemson Tigers (2-0)

Date: September 17, 2016 12:00 PM EDT

After opening the season with two sub-par performances in uncomfortably close six-point victories against unranked opponents Auburn and Troy, Clemson quarterback Deshaun Watson said this week that he has detected a "negative energy" that he vows to correct.

It was an honest and humble confession from a normally confident quarterback who entered the season as a leading candidate for the Heisman Trophy.

"This past weekend, you could just see it," Watson said. "You could just feel the energy, starting with me being the leader of the team, not enjoying it. You can tell my body language has been bad and it kind of spreads throughout the team and it spreads throughout the fans in the stadium that people weren't really excited about the game."

Watson, who last year became the first player in FBS history to pass for 4,000 yards and rush for 1,000 in the same season, hasn't exactly been at his best through the Tigers' 2-0 start.

Watson, who passed for 300 yards five times in 2015, has yet to do that this season. After completing 67.8 percent of his passes last season, he's completing passes at a 52.9 percent clip in 2016. He's thrown for four touchdowns, but also has been intercepted three times.

Watson also rushed for 100 yards five times in his last seven games in 2015. His best rushing total this season is 55 yards going into the No. 3 Tigers' home game Saturday against South Carolina State. Kickoff is at noon ET at Clemson's Memorial Stadium, and the game will be telecast over Fox regional networks.

"I'm not Superman," Watson said. "I'm not a superhero. I'm human. I make mistakes."

Watson met with Clemson Coach Dabo Swinney and has emerged with a refreshed attitude.

"I apologize to the media and the fans," Watson said. "Just enjoy it. This opportunity is very rare. It's a blessing and a privilege to be in this position, to have people want to talk to me, to want to hear my story and what is going on. It can easily be on the flip side and no one wants to talk to me, no one wants to respect me.

"It's a blessing, and it just kind of got away from me a little bit with all the attention that I've gotten. I've just got to find myself and be back, be the Deshaun Watson I always will be."

Though the early subpar performances cost the Tigers to drop a spot in the rankings from their No. 2 preseason slot, the game against the Bulldogs should give them the opportunity to start getting things back together.

South Carolina State, an FCS program in the Mid-Eastern Atlantic Conference, is 0-2 after big losses to FBS opponents UCF (38-0) and Louisiana Tech (53-24). The Bulldogs have rushed for only 241yards in the two games and passed for 275 while giving up nearly 595 yards in total offense.

The Tigers can take the opportunity to make adjustments to compensate for the loss of sophomore wide receiver Hunter Renfrow, who suffered a broken hand in last week's 30-24 victory over Troy. The injury came as he made a 35-yard touchdown reception.

Swinney said Renfrow will have surgery and is expected to be out "a few weeks," possibly not returning until the Tigers' game against North Carolina State on Oct. 15 but most likely by Oct. 29 when the Tigers go to Florida State following an open date.

Renfrow was one of a key figure in Clemson's run to the National Championship game last year. He had 33 receptions for 492 yards and five touchdowns in 2015. The former walk-on had seven receptions for 88 yards and two scores against Alabama.

He has caught at least one touchdown pass in each of the last four games and has four receptions for 62 yards and two scores in two games this year.

Wide receiver Ray-Ray McCloud, another sophmore, is expected to move into the starting lineup with Renfrow's injury. McCloud is coming off a game in which he had seven receptions for a career high 86 yards.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Mississippi State Bulldogs (1-1) at LSU Tigers (1-1)

Date: September 17, 2016 7:00 PM EDT

No. 20 LSU goes into its Southeastern Conference opener against Mississippi State still looking for answers when it comes to pressing questions regarding its passing game.

The Tigers and Bulldogs will kick it off Saturday night (7 p.m. ET) at Tiger Stadium in Baton Rouge.

LSU coach Les Miles looked to have come up with an answer last week when Danny Etling replaced struggling Brandon Harris at quarterback at the start of the second quarter against Jackson State and provided a dramatic, but short-lived, spark to the offense in the Tigers' 34-13 victory.

Etling, a junior transfer from Purdue, gave the offense an immediate lift when his first possession ended with a 46-yard touchdown pass to tight end De Sean Smith. In the second quarter he completed 6 of 8 passes for 100 yards and LSU scored touchdowns on four consecutive possessions after his entrance to take a 27-10 halftime lead.

But the storybook script changed during the second half when Etling had zero completions and one interception in six attempts.

The Tigers still prevailed and Etling's uneven performance was sufficient for Miles to name him the starter on Friday for LSU's SEC opener against Mississippi State.

"I just want you to know, Danny will take the first snap," Miles said in a video posted on the school's website Friday. "I think Danny can handle the place and the stage and playing in a televised game in Tiger Stadium."

Miles declared an in-season competition between the two quarterbacks, something he reiterated at his weekly news conference earlier in the week.

"We'll need both guys to play in every game," Miles said. "We're not turning our back in any way on competition in that position."

Miles and his staff spoke with Harris this week, and both quarterbacks could see time against Mississippi State.

Regardless of exactly how Miles divides the work between the quarterbacks, he said he's hopeful that the break last week will help Harris regroup. The junior has been erratic for three-plus seasons and was 12-of-21 passing with two interceptions in the opening loss at Wisconsin.

Harris completed only one of his four attempts against Jacksonville State for an eight-yard gain, all in the first quarter.

"We would like to think that a respite from the starting quarterback and the pressures thereof might allow him to take a deep breath and step forward and compete," Miles said. "We saw it as a positive."

Mississippi State, meanwhile, seems to have settled its quarterback situation.

Though he played only seven snaps in the opening 21-20 loss to South Alabama and didn't complete any of his three pass attempts, sophomore Nick Fitzgerald was given the nod to start "moving forward," and he responded in a big way.

Fitzgerald played all four quarters in the Bulldogs' 27-14 bounce-back win over South Carolina last week and established a new school quarterback rushing record with 195 yards.

"After that first game, I didn't want him to think or that he needed to worry about that," State coach Dan Mullen said. "Even through camp or Game 1, I don't think there was pressure one way or the other but going forward I didn't want him to have to feel that. I'm sure that helped him a little bit."

A redshirt sophomore, Fitzgerald ranks second nationally among quarterbacks in rushing, averaging 103 yards per game, and sits sixth overall in the SEC in rushing. He is averaging an astounding 10.3 yards per carry on his 19 rushing attempts.

His immediate predecessor, Dak Prescott, provided production as a dual-threat quarterback during his time at MSU, but Fitzgerald features a contrasting running style at 6-foot-5, 230-pounds.

"Nick's a different style runner than Dak was," Mullen said. "I think he's faster and a little more explosive with the ball in his hands than Dak. We will have to see his physicality. I don't think he's as physical as Dak was, but it's a little different style of running."

Fitzgerald needs to make improvements in the passing game. He has completed 19 of his 32 passes for 178 yards, two touchdowns and one interception on the year.

"Hopefully, he looks at the things he did well and continues to do those things well and looks at the mistakes and doesn't make those again," Mullen said. "I'm sure he'll make some different mistakes Saturday night at LSU, but, hopefully, the mistakes he's already made he'll correct and fix and plays with confidence."

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Oregon Ducks (2-0) at Nebraska Cornhuskers (2-0)

Date: September 17, 2016 3:30 PM EDT

Oregon's first road game of the season will include a "Sea of Red" as a sellout crowd of over 87,000 will be on hand to welcome the No. 22 Ducks, who take on the Nebraska Cornhuskers on Saturday afternoon at Memorial Stadium. There also will be a very familiar face pacing on the opposing sidelines.

Mike Riley is in his second season at Nebraska (2-0) after serving 14 seasons as head coach at Oregon State. Riley went 4-10 in Civil War battles with Oregon (2-0) but lost his final seven games against the Ducks including a 47-19 loss on Nov. 29, 2014, five days before he left for Nebraska.

Nebraska leads Oregon 5-1 in the all-time series, with the two teams last meeting in 1986, a 48-14 Cornhuskers' victory.

Now Riley gets another shot at trying to cause the Ducks some misery.

"That is bizarre," Oregon coach Mark Helfrich said of having to face his old rival again. "We were talking about that when Coach Riley took the Nebraska job, that would have been the office pool of all office pools on that one."

Helfrich is 2-0 against Riley, beating Oregon State during his first two seasons as coach: 36-35 on a Josh Huff touchdown catch with 29 seconds remaining in 2013, and then the 47-19 blowout in 2014.

Riley is off to a 2-0 start at Nebraska this season, the Huskers outscoring a pair of middle of the road Mountain West Conference teams in Fresno State (43-10) and Wyoming (52-17) by a combined 95-27. But this is the contest that many of the folks in Lincoln have been waiting for to see just how good the Cornhuskers can be in 2016.

"With coach Riley being here, there is a bunch of hype about playing them and I want to play well for myself and my team and staff, but we all agree this is like any other game," Nebraska quarterback Tommy Armstrong said. "We need to make sure to prepare the right way and don't let the hype get to our heads and lose focus on the bigger goal, which is to go out and win the game."

"They've done a fantastic job, they're rolling, two huge victories," Helfrich said. "Huge differential on the turnovers, two games that kind of hinged on a five-minute span."

Oregon's defense is allowing 27 points per game in wins over UC Davis, a FCS school, and Virginia, which opened the season with a loss to FCS Richmond.

"This is a little different football team," Oregon's new defensive coordinator Brady Hoke said of the Cornhuskers.

Oregon allowed 193 rushing yards to Virginia, but that included minus-51 yards on sacks. The Cavaliers' three running backs ran 31 times for 220 yards, an average of more than seven per carry.

"There were still too many runs that got out there," Hoke said. "Part of it is tackling and part of it is fitting the defense the right way. There were too many runs that were eight-plus that we have to take way."

Oregon's offense looks as good as usual with an average of 48.5 points through two weeks.

New quarterback Dakota Prukop, a senior transfer from Montana State, is completing 68.9 percent of his passes for an average of 301 yards per game with six touchdowns. Running back Royce Freeman is averaging 147 yards per game on the ground. And explosive wide receiver Devon Allen, who got a late start to the season after finishing fifth in the 110-meter hurdles at the Olympics, had four catches for 141 yards, including a 77-yard touchdown, against Virginia.

The big question is how will the Ducks handle a raucous road environment for the first time this season?

"They're a really good football team, veteran quarterback, veteran line, a bunch of skill guys that have been around for a long time," Helfrich said. "Then defensively, special teams, a lot of schemes that we've seen for many years. They've done a great job for a long time. The biggest thing in dealing with any environment is us, just our mindset going on the road. It's a great environment, an awesome college football venue. Our job is to take care of us."

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: North Texas Mean Green (1-1) at Florida Gators (2-0)

Date: September 17, 2016 7:30 PM EDT

Florida is coming off its most convincing victory over a Southeastern Conference opponent in second-year coach Jim McElwain's tenure.

McElwain is curious to see how the 23rd-ranked Gators handle prosperity against North Texas following the 45-7 rout of Kentucky. The Gators and Mean Green clash at 7:30 p.m. ET Saturday at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium at Steve Spurrier-Florida Field in Gainesville.

"The challenge moving forward is to see how this team is going to respond," McElwain said. "Kinda the m.o. of this program is you play really high or really low and not consistently."

North Texas represents a trap game, considering a big showdown with rival Tennessee looms in two weeks. The Mean Green (1-1) is coming off a 41-20 win over Bethune-Cookman.

That shouldn't matter, McElwain said.

"Great teams, they learn how to go about their business and prepare and be proud of the way they play regardless of the opponent," the coach said. "They realize they have so many opportunities to do this."

After struggling on offense in its 24-7 win in its season opener against Massachusetts, Florida's offense broke out against Kentucky. The Gators gained 564 yards of running and passing, their most yardage in an SEC game since gaining 571 yards against Vanderbilt on Nov. 3, 2001.

The Gators snapped a string of 10 straight games scoring under 30 points and made big plays in the passing game. Sophomore quarterback Luke Del Rio passed for 320 yards and four TDs.

Del Rio said it will be important for the Gators to guard against complacency against a non-conference opponent.

"The biggest goal every week, and it doesn't change, is to go 1-0," Del Rio said. "What you learn in a game like Saturday (against Kentucky) is that it doesn't matter who you play, it matters how you execute the game plan and the intensity and the enthusiasm to which you are playing.

"If you worry about the other team and not doing your job, then you are not going to play well."

North Texas last week bounced back from its opening 34-21 loss to SMU to pound Bethune-Cookman for 329 yards on the ground. That helped give first-coach coach Seth Littrell his first victory as a head coach.

Junior running back Willy Ivery rushed for 103 of that total on 13 carries and junior Jeffrey Wilson added another 83 on 14 runs to pace the attack.

Quarterback Mason Fine passed for only 108 yards but didn't have an interception while completing 11 of 22 pass attempts in his collegiate debut. The true freshman also had a 25-yard scramble to avoid a sack and wound up on the positive side of rushing with 46 yards on eight runs.

"He did some really good things tonight," Littrell said. "His numbers may not be eye-popping, but he led us on some touchdown drives, and he really managed the game well."

Littrell sees many good things in Fine.

"He's just got it," Littrell said. "He's one of those guys who doesn't get rattled. He's extremely smart. He's a 4.0 student. He just understands the system and has that presence about him.

"Guys look to him. They follow him. He's just got it in the huddle. I'm not sitting here saying he's the coming Lord and savior or anything like that because he has a lot to work on. He has a lot of room for improvement and growth. And he will.

"The greatest thing is he knows it and he's going to work extremely hard to improve on his weaknesses."

Alex Morris, who spent that last three years as a backup at Alabama and transferred to North Texas as a graduate student, had 11 pass attempts, completing four with one interception coming off the bench after starting the opener.

Littrell, who came to North Texas after serving on staffs at North Carolina, Indiana and Arizona in recent years, isn't changing his approach for the Gators.

"Like you do every week, you go through the process," he said. "You correct your mistakes from the previous week, scout your opponent, game-plan them, and have a great week of preparation."