Saturday 9/17/16 service plays chatter/comps/requests & other stuff...

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Texas State (1-0) at Arkansas Razorbacks (2-0)

Date: September 17, 2016 7:30 PM EDT

No team took greater strides in the second weekend of the college football season than Arkansas, which jumped into the rankings at No. 24 following its double-overtime victory over Texas Christian.

As a result, a game against Texas State that ordinarily would draw little attention is now nearing a sellout, and coach Bret Bielema's Razorbacks are drawing national press. The two teams meet at 7:30 p.m. ET Saturday at Donald W. Reynolds Razorback Stadium in Fayetteville. It will be telecast on the SEC Alternate Network.

Not bad for a team that squeaked past Louisiana Tech by one point in the season opener.

"We just have a bunch of senior leaders on our team," quarterback Austin Allen said. "They've been through a lot of situations and they know how to win football games."

Though not a senior, Allen should consider himself one of those leaders. Finally getting his chance to play after backing up his brother Brandon for two years, the junior is showing the ability to stay calm in tough times and make the right decisions under pressure.

"I'm telling you he's a great football player," Bielema said. "He just had another good player in front of him the last couple of years.

"He's a guy that could've been a three-year starter, and he will be a two-year starter if everything continues to go well for him. I think he gets better every game. He is a very driven football player."

Now, the question will be how well the team can focus.

A year ago, an Arkansas team that had great expectations faltered in a similar situation, dropping a home game to Toledo 16-12.

But the Razorbacks rebounded late and have won eight of their last nine games.

With their SEC opener at Texas A&M looming next week, the Hogs face a potential trap game against Texas State. The Bobcats are 1-0 and have had an extra week to prepare since knocking off Ohio in their season opener.

Though it went just 3-9 a year ago, Texas State returns dynamic double-threat quarterback Tyler Jones, who threw for 418 yards and four touchdowns in the triple-overtime opener. His 40 completions (55 attempts) against Ohio set a school record.

His third touchdown pass came with 51 seconds left in regulation and gave Texas State a brief 35-31 lead. When Ohio responded with a 75-yard pass play for a 38-35 lead, Jones drove his team 61 yards with four completions in four attempts to get into position for a game-tying field goal as time ran out.

In the third overtime, Jones had a 22-yard touchdown pass and then a short shovel pass for the two-point conversion that decided the outcome.

"I proud of our kids the way they competed and fought," first year Texas State coach Everett Withers said. "I thought they did a great job of staying the course.

"We went on the road and won against a team that was 8-5 and went to a bowl last year. They are a really well-coached team, and we had to fight and scratch against a really talented front seven."

Sophomore running back Stedman Mayberry led Texas State's rushing attack with 79 yards and a touchdown on 17 carries. Backup Jericho Worrell had six runs for 16 yards, and Jones himself accounted for the team's other 11 yards on 19 attempts. He had 46 yards in losses with 36 coming on six sacks.

"You have to be patient, and I thought our offense did a really good job of finding something that we could do and sticking with it," Withers said.

Arkansas, which squeaked by Louisiana Tech 21-20 in its opener, also needed to go extra time for its win over TCU last week. The Hogs extended the game when Dan Skipper managed to get a hand on a short field goal attempt by the Horn Frogs to leave the game tied at 28 as regulation time ran out.

Allen had a 13-yard pass in the first overtime for the first score, which was matched by TCU. In the second OT, the Horned Frogs settled for a field goal and Allen scored the game-winner touchdown on a five-yard run.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Texas A&M Aggies (2-0) at Auburn Tigers (1-1)

Date: September 17, 2016 7:00 PM EDT

Both teams are looking for some sort of redemption when Texas A&M and Auburn meet at 7 p.m. ET on Saturday at Jordan-Hare Stadium in an SEC opener to be telecast on ESPN.

For the Aggies, it's an opportunity to establish themselves as contenders in the West Division.

For the Tigers, it's a chance to validate their performance in the six-point loss to No. 2 Clemson in the opener and show that they are ready to rebound from a couple of disappointing seasons.

But it's not a game that should be seen as an end-all to end-alls.

"Whatever happens this week," Texas A&M coach Kevin Sumlin said at his media session previewing the game, "there's still a lot of heckuva lot of football to play this season."

The Aggies go into the game with a 2-0 record after swamping Prairie View A&M 67-0 last week following their overtime 31-24 win over UCLA in their opener. It marks the fourth straight year they have opened a season at 2-0.

That's just another sign of the progress the Aggies have made since joining the SEC before the 2012 season, Sumlin said. Sumlin measures the progress the Aggies have made since then in "light years."

"When I got here we were supposed to not win -- at all," he said. "And we've created a standard right now where we're supposed to play for championships. That's a pretty good raise of the bar in five years."

Getting a win at Auburn certainly would be another raise of that bar. Although the Aggies have dominated the series, the Tigers won last year's meeting in College Station 26-10.

Sumlin said the Aggies have put that game aside as they prepare for this meeting.

"This is a different year," he said. "I haven't even thought about that game at all. We watched a little bit from a personnel standpoint, but as far as mindset and where we are as a football team, this is a different football team."

But not just a different team, he emphasized.

"Without a doubt, we're a better team," he said. "How much better we'll find out Saturday."

Auburn was a much better team as well in the season's second week.

Junking the musical chairs game they played in the opening loss to Clemson, the Tigers evened their record at 1-1 with an impressive offensive show after turning the game over to sophomore quarterback Sean White.

White took all but a handful of snaps against Arkansas State last week, and the change in strategy paid off. White passed for 244 yards, going 17-of-23 passing with three touchdown tosses in Auburn's 51-14 victory.

Even more impressive: He rushed for a net 60 yards on 10 carries. He lost two yards on a sack. Auburn coach Gus Malzahn saw that as a big advantage.

"A quarterback needs to be a runner for us to be as good as we can be," Malzahn said. "And he was a runner enough tonight."

White was coming off a so-so performance against Clemson when he was only 10-of-21 passing with an interception and had to share time with senior Jeremy Johnson and junior college transfer John Franklin III.

"When your coaches believe in you, it gives you a little bit of confidence," White said.

The other big development as the Tigers bounced back from the loss to Clemson was the emergence of running back Kamryn Pettway to complement starter Kerryon Johnson.

Pettway is more of a power runner than Johnson, which gives Malzahn flexibility at the position. Pettway, an H-back whose primary role was blocking last year, didn't have a carry in the opener but had 15 for 152 yards against Arkansas State.

"It's just like I jumped right back in the groove again," the former tailback said.

Johnson rushed 18 times for 124 yards, the first triple-digit rushing game of the sophomore's career. He has rushed for 218 yards in his first two games as a starter.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Georgia Bulldogs (2-0) at Missouri Tigers (1-1)

Date: September 17, 2016 7:30 PM EDT

Georgia escaped Nicholls State's upset bid and emerged from the scare relatively unscathed. But positives were few and far between in the 26-24 win over Colonels from the FCS.

The Bulldogs turned it over three times and appeared unfocused at times during the disappointing performance.

"We did not get great practices every day," Georgia coach Kirby Smart said of the week's preparation. "But at the end of the day that comes from within. That comes from great leadership, and we have to get better leadership."

At his direction, Smart said the No. 16 Bulldogs are moving on to this week's opponent, Missouri. The two East Division colleagues kick off at 7:30 p.m. Saturday at Faurot Field in Columbia, Mo. The game will be telecast on the SEC Network.

Missouri is 1-1 after bouncing back from an opening loss to West Virginia with a 61-21 blowout of Eastern Michigan.

Coach Barry Odom's Tigers erupted for 647 yards of total offense in that game with quarterback Drew Lock throwing for 450 of it with 24 completions in 37 attempts. His backup, Marvin Zanders, connected on all three of his attempts for another 27 yards.

"They have a very up-tempo offense and very disruptive defense," Smart said. "They do a great job -- they always have. Coach Odom does a great job defensively. He has always been a great defensive mind in this conference, and they have a great offensive coordinator in Josh Heupel, who has done a tremendous job at really fast-pace offense."

Smart did not name his starting quarterback during his week press conference.

Talented freshman Jacob Eason started and played the majority of the game against Nicholls. Senior Greyson Lambert played just a handful of plays, but Smart would not commit to either against Missouri.

"I feel a sense of urgency to get the best guy on the field to give us an opportunity to win each game," Smart said. "If that means getting one guy ready then that's what it would be.

"Right now, we're not in a position to do that. Right now we're in a situation where we've got two quarterbacks that are both developing, both a part of the game plan, and we want to continue to do that.

"It's a situation where if one guy dominates during the week, that guy will play. But within every game we've got a situation where another quarterback has to be ready. You've got to have two quarterbacks ready for the most part anyway. We just want to get the best guy out there that gives us the best opportunity to win based on that game plan."

In the two games, Eason has passed for 335 yards in completing 19 of 32 attempts with one interception. Lambert, last year's starter, is 7 of 11 for 56 yards.

The big weapon offensively for the Bulldogs, of course, is junior tailback Nick Chubb. Chubb has rushed 52 times for 302 yards in the two games and has scored three of Georgia's four rushing touchdowns.

A sophomore, Lock got off to a slow start against West Virginia, completing only 23 passes in 51 attempts for 280 yards, but rebounded with the big game against Eastern Michigan a week later.

"He is doing a great job of running our offense, and things are slowing down tremendously for him," Odom said. "I think he will continue to grow by learning from his mistakes, while learning from the good things he does as well.

"He's got a chance to be special. If the 10 guys around him continue to play well, his game is going to continue to get better. He did some really good things tonight."

Wide receiver Johnathon Johnson had a big day in the win with five receptions for 115 yards and a touchdown.

"He has got playmaking ability and continues to work and develop his skill set, Odom said of the redshirt freshman. "The things he did on the field tonight he does in practice on Tuesdays and Wednesdays.

"It's important to him that he is a total package player, having the ability to not only play out wide, but to return punts and block. He is only going to get better."

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Michigan State Spartans (1-0) at Notre Dame Fighting Irish (1-1)

Date: September 17, 2016 7:30 PM EDT

Fifty years ago, Michigan State and Notre Dame played in what was then called the Game of the Century. It pitted No. 1 Notre Dame against No. 2 Michigan State at Spartan Stadium in East Lansing, Mich.

Of course, it ended in a 10-10 tie, a bit of a letdown considering the magnitude of the game. However, 50 years later, the game still stands as an iconic moment with both programs.

And when the Spartans and Fighting Irish meet at 7:30 p.m. on Saturday at Notre Dame Stadium, that historic game will be on the minds of many, almost as much as the fact the 2016 version of each team is trying to find its footing and jump into the national championship hunt.

"Very excited about going down to South Bend to play in this game," Michigan State coach Mark Dantonio said. "It's a rivalry game for us. Been involved in this football game probably since '97 as an assistant coach, and there's been some great games with Notre Dame.

"I think it all goes back to the '66 game certainly and even maybe before that. So it's been a traditional-type rivalry and we've embraced that as we have so many of our other rivalries."

Michigan State and Notre Dame have played 77 times, but this will be the first meeting since 2013 as the rivalry took a hiatus.

Even with the break, the teams understand they're getting ready for a big game.

"It's a winning team, so they know how to win," Notre Dame coach Brian Kelly said of the Spartans. "We watched film after film of their games in the Big Ten and there's a lot of opponents that have 'em on the ropes and they find a way to win whether it's Ohio State or Indiana who has a great chance to win the game, but they come back and beat them.

"So it says that you obviously have that winning attitude that you can close out games. But I think more than anything else is Michigan State is going to play the game with that mental and physical toughness and you have to match it."

Notre Dame showed its own share of mental toughness in last week's victory over Nevada, bouncing back from a double-overtime loss to Texas in the season-opener.

The Fighting Irish allowed 50 points and more than 500 total yards in that game but were much more solid in the win over Nevada. What hasn't changed in two weeks has been the play of quarterback DeShone Kizer, who has taken control of the job he split with Malik Zaire in the opener. His passer rating is top-five in the nation and he's been nearly perfect in the red zone, completing seven of 10 passes with five touchdowns.

Overall, the Irish have gained 444 total yards in each of the first two games, running for 239 against Nevada. It's that sort of production that has the attention of the Spartans.

"I would say overall their offense is extremely athletic and they've got a lot of players," fifth-year senior linebacker Riley Bullough said. "Kizer, he's an athletic guy, he can throw the ball but he can also take it and run. So to combat that, you've got to be fundamentally sound on defense. Everyone's got to do their job. They've got to do it every single play for the entire game."

Michigan State had a bye in week two, giving them time to straighten out several issues from an uninspiring victory over Furman in the season-opener that featured 10 penalties and a pair of turnovers.

So instead of taking it easy during the bye, the Spartans went to work, fixing their own issues while getting a jump on the Irish.

"I've been reminded by one of our coaches we've had one game in six weeks since coming here on Aug. 5," Dantonio said. "So hopefully practice makes perfect. ... Again, we've waited. I don't think there is anybody in our program that wanted to sit last weekend. So I anticipate our guys being ready to go, enthusiastic, and it will be fun to go down there. There will be 10, 15,000 Spartan fans there as well. That makes it exciting as well."

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: USC Trojans (1-1) at Stanford Cardinal (1-0)

Date: September 17, 2016 8:00 PM EDT

The seventh-ranked Stanford Cardinal have excelled in the role as the hunter the last four years, winning three Pac-12 championship games. But now the Cardinal begin conference play as the hunted when they host the University of Southern California at Stanford Stadium in Palo Alto, Calif., on Saturday night.

Stanford (1-0) was the preseason favorite to repeat as Pac-12 champs, the first time the Cardinal have been favored under David Shaw. A big reason for that is the return of running back Christian McCaffrey, a Heisman Trophy finalist who set an NCAA FBS record with 3,864 all-purpose yards as a sophomore.

The Cardinal opened their season in their signature old-school way: a run-heavy, relatively low-scoring contest. McCaffrey had 22 carries for 126 yards and two touchdowns in a 26-13 win over Kansas State on Sept. 2 at Stanford Stadium. Stanford also got a big game from first-year starting quarterback Ryan Burns who completed over 75 percent of his passes.

"He started off very fast, was in great rhythm," Shaw said of Burns. "He made great decisions. We got great protection."

Stanford jumped to a 17-point lead before struggling to hold on. The Cardinal amassed just 30 second half yards before McCaffrey broke off a 41-yard TD jaunt.

"Not clean, not pretty in the second half, but we played hard," Shaw said. "We showed heart at the end."

USC (1-1), meanwhile, recovered from an ugly 52-6 opening loss to No. 1 Alabama by thumping Utah State 45-7 on Saturday at the Coliseum. Like the Cardinal, the Trojans feature a new starting quarterback in junior Max Browne, and freshman Sam Darnold has seen time as well, adding two touchdown passes.

"We needed that," Trojans wide receiver Darreus Rogers. "It's big to build our confidence back up."

Stanford is beginning a brutal three-week stretch that includes playing at UCLA on Sept. 24 and then trekking to No. 8 Washington on Sept. 29.

The Cardinal won't get any sympathy from the Trojans when it comes to tough schedules, though.

After opening the season with the embarrassing 46-point loss to the Crimson Tide in Arlington, Texas, the Trojans righted he ship with a 45-7 win over Utah State last Saturday, giving coach Clay Helton his first victory in four tries since the "interim" label was dropped from his title late last season. Following the Pac-12 title game rematch with Stanford, USC hits the road again for a game at Utah on Sept. 23. Those are probably the two biggest physical tests you can get in the Pac-12.

USC played Stanford twice last season, losing 41-31 at home early in the regular season and 41-22 in the Pac-12 Championship Game. The Cardinal outrushed the Trojans by a combined 457-325.

"We're going to have to take it up to a whole other level, myself included," said running back Justin Davis.

Said Helton: "They are the Pac-12 champs. We have a huge challenge."

Helton has often talked about USC being less "Hollywood." Less flash and more substance, especially when it comes to establishing a running game and being physical. Basically, he wants USC to be more like Stanford.

The matchup doesn't lack for flash, though. USC has wide receiver JuJu Smith-Schuster, running backs Ronald Jones II and Justin Davis, and cornerback/returner Adoree' Jackson. Those are special, flashy talents.

The Cardinal, of course, have McCaffrey. The junior had a staggering 461 all-purpose yards in the Pac-12 Championship game -- 207 rushing, 105 receiving, 120 on kick returns and 29 on punt returns. He had "only" 249 all-purpose yards in the regular-season meeting against USC.

So far this season, the Trojans have had two extremes -- the loss to Alabama and a dominating performance against Utah State. Did either result tell the truth about the real state of USC?

"There's a lot of cleaning up to do before we play Stanford," Helton said. "I understand that as a coach."

USC leads the all-time series 60-31-3, but Stanford has won six of the last eight meetings including 41-22 in the 2015 Pac-12 Championship Game. The Trojans vacated a 2015 victory due to an NCAA penalty.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Ohio State Buckeyes (2-0) at Oklahoma Sooners (1-1)

Date: September 17, 2016 7:30 PM EDT

COLUMBUS, Ohio -- Ohio State burst out of the gate this season at a pace that defies its youth.

With only six returning starters from last season, the Buckeyes have shown no signs of a drop-off from coach Urban Meyer's previous teams with a 2-0 start against overmatched opponents.

Ohio State climbed to No. 3 in this week's Associated Press poll after a 48-3 victory over Tulsa on Saturday at a rain-soaked Ohio Stadium after destroying Bowling Green 77-10 in its opener.

Now comes the first big test this week when the Buckeyes travel to Norman, Okla., to face No. 14 Oklahoma (1-1) in a matchup of storied college football programs on Saturday night (7:30 p.m. Fox Sports).

The young and talented Buckeyes are eager to test their mettle before going into Big Ten play against a top-shelf program at Oklahoma. This is the type of game between giants that players and college fans circle on the calendar.

This summer, the Associated Press ranked the top 100 college football teams since 1936 and Ohio State was ranked No. 1 and Oklahoma No. 2. The two programs have combined to win 12 AP poll championships.

The last time the team met, Ohio State posted a 24-14 victory over Oklahoma during the 1983 season in Norman, avenging a 29-28 loss in 1977 in Columbus on a last-second field goal.

Though the Sooners stumbled in their opener two weeks ago with a loss to Houston, which is coached by former Ohio State offensive coordinator Tom Herman, Buckeyes coach Urban Meyer has consulted with Herman and knows what lies ahead.

"This one's real, real, real," Meyer said after the Buckeyes outscored its first two overmatched opponents 125-13.

Ohio State's defense was the story in the win over Tulsa. The Buckeyes forced six turnovers and completely throttled a team that finished 13th in the country in total offense a year ago.

The defense returned only three starters from last season, but playmakers are emerging all over the field for the Buckeyes, who have given up 13 points in two games and seven of those came on an interception return for a touchdown.

Safety Malik Hooker is leading FBS in interceptions with three through two games and cornerback Marshon Lattimore had two picks against Tulsa. They're looking forward to more of a challenge and for improvement this week.

"We still have to go a little bit," Lattimore said, "but we're ready. I told the guys we've got the talent. If we perfect the schemes, we can come out with the win at Oklahoma."

When it was pointed out that the defense has not given up a touchdown this season, Ohio State linebacker and leading tackler Raekwon McMillan said, "We don't like field goals, either.

"It feels good not letting anybody in the zone. Hopefully, we can do the same thing next week (against Oklahoma). They're a great team that has great athletes. We're going to try and keep it going."

Quarterback Baker Mayfield and the Oklahoma offense has more weapons than Ohio State's defense has faced so far. The Sooners rebounded from the opening loss with a 59-17 rout of Louisiana-Monroe on Saturday.

The Buckeyes' offense, meanwhile, got off to a slow start against Tulsa. Ohio State was leading just 6-3 late in the second quarter before Hooker and Lattimore returned interceptions for touchdowns that make it 20-3 at halftime.

After a storm delay extended halftime, the offense came out and pounded on Tulsa in the second half to pull away.

Ohio State quarterback J.T. Barrett ran for two touchdowns after halftime to lead the rejuvenated offense. In the first two games, the junior has passed four six touchdowns and run for three.

Barrett, a Texas native, now has accounted for 76 touchdowns during his three-year career, including 25 on the ground. The Buckeyes will rely on his steady veteran leadership this week playing in front of a hostile crowd.

"It'll be a great environment for college football," Barrett said. "It's going to be loud. We'll be pumping noise at our practices to work on communication this week, so that should help. I'll do my best to be really loud so next time you talk to me I probably won't have my voice."

The Buckeyes certainly won't underestimate Oklahoma this week. H-back Dontre Wilson knows the offense has to start better against the Sooners than it did against Tulsa.

"That's the plan not to start that way and I don't think we'll start that way," Wilson said. "We've got to establish the running game. Once the running game pops, we can start doing better."

The same goes for the Sooners. There might actually be more pressure on Oklahoma after its opening loss to Houston. Another stumble likely would take them out of the running for the College Football Playoff before conference play begins.

"It'll be a big challenge," said Oklahoma coach Bob Stoops, an Ohio native. "Of course, everyone here is excited about it. The fans are. It'll be a great week to get ready for and enjoy the competition."

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Saturday's NCAAF Top 25 betting cheat sheet and odds

We're on to Week 3 of the college football season and the full slate of games can be tough to navigate for bettors. So we bring you our Top 25 betting cheat sheet to handicap the best games of the day.

Georgia State Panthers at No. 12 Wisconsin Badgers (-35.5, 50)

* The Panthers’ defense struggled during a 48-14 loss to Air Force last week, surrendering 531 total yards while spending 45:14 on the field. Senior wide receiver Robert Davis has 166 career receptions, nine behind the program’s all-time leader and current Kansas City Chief Albert Wilson. Offensively, Georgia State will need much more than the 27 rushing yards it mustered against Air Force to stay close with the Badgers.

* Defense has done it for the Badgers as it has allowed only one touchdown, created five turnovers and stopped 17 of 20 third-down conversions through two weeks. The return of linebacker T.J. Edwards has been a big boost, but the loss of junior cornerback and top kick returner Natrell Jamerson (leg) for at least the next month is tough news for a team that plays four Big Ten foes ranked in the top 11 before the end of October. Running back Corey Clement ran 21 times for 111 yards last week before leaving with what was deemed as a non-serious injury to his left leg late in the second quarter.

LINE HISTORY: Wisconsin opened the betting week as 34-point favorites and by Friday that line has been bet up to -35.5. The total opened at 49 and gradually bumped up to 50 by the end of the week. View complete line history here.

TRENDS:

* Panthers are 9-1 ATS in their last 10 road games vs. a team with a winning home record.
* Badgers are 4-0 ATS in their last 4 non-conference games.
* Under is 7-1 in Panthers last 8 games overall.
* Under is 4-1 in Badgers last 5 non-conference games.

No. 25 Miami Hurricanes at Appalachian State Mountaineers (+3.5, 51.5)

* With 17 returning starters from a team that finished 11-2 in its first season as an FBS member, the Mountaineers were expected to be good and proved that in taking then-No. 10 Tennessee to overtime before losing 20-13 in the opener on a fumble recovery in the end zone by the Vols. The defense, led by linemen Antonious Sims (seven solo tackles, three sacks) and Caleb Fuller (two sacks) along with linebackers Eric Boggs (nine tackles) and Kennan Gilchrist (eight), held Tennessee to 3 yards per carry and only 319 total yards but did allow a disappointing 5.1 yards per carry against FCS foe Old Dominion in last week's 31-7 win. Cox is the offensive focal point but the Mountaineers also have a veteran quarterback in junior Taylor Lamb who has started 25 games and thrown 49 TD passes.

* Defensive coordinator Manny Diaz promised Miami would play an attacking style, and that has been the case with the Hurricanes leading the nation with 28 tackles for loss and tied for second in sacks with 10 with freshmen linebackers Shaquille Quarterman and Michael Pinckney, who had nine tackles against Florida Atlantic, and sophomore defensive linemen R.J. McIntosh and Demetrius Jackson leading the way. Miami ranks No. 2 nationally at 8.69 yards per carry with sophomore tailback Mark Walton (271 yards, five TDs, 8.5 yards per carry) and junior Joe Yearby (224 yards, three TDs, 8.4) off to blazing starts. Kaaya is coming off one of his poorest games -- two interceptions and no scoring passes -- but his history and a talented receiving corps suggests he'll rebound from a slow start.

LINE HISTORY: Miami opened as 4.5-point road favorites but the public really seems to like App State in this spot and has bet the point spread down to 3.5. The total opned at 53.5 and has come down two full point to 51.5. View complete line history here.

TRENDS:

* Hurricanes are 5-1 ATS in their last 6 games in September.
* Mountaineers are 0-5 ATS in their last 5 games following a straight up win.
* Under is 4-0 in Hurricanes last 4 games following a ATS win.
* Under is 7-0 in Mountaineers last 7 games in September.

Ohio Bobcats at No. 15 Tennessee Volunteers (-27, 58)

* While senior quarterback Greg Windham has already thrown for 560 yards and five touchdowns this season, the Bobcats proved they can also run the ball by boasting two runners with more than 100 yards last week for the first time since 2005. Windham (146 yards, touchdown) and junior running back Dorian Brown (122) slashed through the Kansas' defense with career-high performances to lead a 329-yard rushing attack. Windham's top targets are senior wide receiver Jordan Reid (nine catches, 152 yards, two touchdowns) and sophomore running back Papi White (9-154-1).

* The Volunteers nearly had a pair of 100-yard rushers against the Hokies as junior running back Jalen Hurd rushed for 99 and averages 104.5. Junior wide receiver Josh Malone made his four catches count this season as they've gone for 127 yards and two touchdowns. The defense is led by sophomore linebacker Darrin Kirkland Jr. (16 tackles, 11 solo) and senior linebacker Jalen Reeves-Maybin (15, 10), who combined for 20 (15 solo) last week.

LINE HISTORY: Tennessee opened the betting week as 27.5-point home favorites and the line can come down slightly to -27. The total began the week at 56.5 and has steadily jumped in 1/2 point increments all week to settle in at 58 by Friday afternoon. View complete line history here.

TRENDS:

* Bobcats are 8-1 ATS in their last 9 non-conference games.
* Volunteers are 4-0 ATS in their last 4 games following a straight up win.
* Over is 6-0 in Bobcats last 6 games after accumulating more than 450 total yards in their previous game.
* Over is 20-7 in Volunteers last 27 games in September.

No. 2 Florida State Seminoles at No. 10 Louisville Cardinals (pick, 67.5)

* James played near the line of scrimmage and received much of the credit for holding Jackson to only 32 yards rushing in last season's 41-21 win - a "spy" role that could fall into the lap of linebacker Matthew Thomas this time around. Junior Travis Rudolph burned Charleston Southern for seven catches, 105 yards and two touchdowns in the first half alone, allowing him to earn the second ACC Receiver of the Week award of his career and become the fifth Seminole to win a conference player of the week award this season. Cook tallied 192 yards from scrimmage in the opener against Ole Miss before settling for 92 in a little over two quarters last week, but he amassed 223 total yards in last year's meeting.

* Jackson set an ACC record with 610 total yards of offense last week versus the Orange and became the first player in FBS history to record over 400 yards passing (411) and 175 yards (199) in the same game, helping the Cardinals set another school record with 845 total yards. Jackson and Brandon Radcliff (156) each topped 100 yards rushing, while receivers Jamari Staples (136) and James Quick (108) each went over 100 yards receiving, giving Louisville its first pair of 100-yard rushers and 100-yard receivers in the same game. The Cardinals are averaging a FBS-best 754 yards of total offense - 138 more than Baylor's top-ranked offense from a season ago and 338 more than Louisville averaged in 2015.

LINE HISTORY: The higher ranked Florida State Seminoles opened as 3.5-point road faves but the betting public said, "Nuh uh!" and hammered the host Louisville Cardinals. By Friday morning the point spread was all the way down to a Pick. The total began the week at 65 and was taken all of the way up to 68 before settling down a half point to 67.5 by Friday. View complete line history here.

TRENDS:

* Seminoles are 6-1 ATS in their last 7 games overall.
* Cardinals are 1-6 ATS in their last 7 home games vs. a team with a winning road record.
* Under is 5-0 in Seminoles last 5 road games.
* Over is 6-1 in Cardinals last 7 games overall.

No. 1 Alabama Crimson Tide at No. 17 Mississippi Rebels (+11, 54.5)

* Freshman quarterback Jalen Hurts still hasn't been declared the starting quarterback over redshirt freshman Blake Barnett but it is heading in that direction after Hurts passed for 287 yards and two touchdowns in last Saturday's victory over Western Kentucky. "I know you all are going to ask me about the quarterbacks, but we are going to continue to work with both of the quarterbacks," Saban said. "We have to try to get them better. Jalen, obviously, played the most in the game and there are things he could do better and there are things he did very well." Senior defensive end Jonathan Allen (three sacks) has been superb while senior safety Eddie Jackson (one interception) and sophomore cornerback Marlon Humphrey (one interception, one forced fumble) will be key figures against the Rebels' passing attack.

* Senior quarterback Chad Kelly passed for 341 yards and three touchdowns while fueling last season's win at Alabama and he has thrown for 532 yards and seven touchdowns in this season's first two games. Senior tight end Evan Engram, who has caught 11 passes for 164 yards, claimed he isn't the least bit concerned about playing the Crimson Tide, saying "we love opportunities and we know what's at stake with this game. I just have a confidence about it." Senior standout safety Tony Conner is shaking off the rust -- the NFL prospect suffered a season-ending knee injury against Alabama last season and is still rounding into top form.

LINE HISTORY: Alabama opened as 9.5-point favorites in this SEC showdown and by late in the week they had been bet all of the way up to 11-point faves. The total opened at 54.5 and has been steady for the entire week. View complete line history here.

TRENDS:

* Crimson Tide are 6-1 ATS in their last 7 road games.
* Rebels are 2-8 ATS in their last 10 games after allowing less than 20 points in their previous game.
* Under is 7-0 in Rebels last 7 home games vs. a team with a winning road record.
* Under is 6-2 in the last 8 meetings.

Colorado Buffaloes at No. 5 Michigan Wolverines (-19, 56)

* Senior quarterback Sefo Liufau went 15-of-18 for 204 yards and two touchdowns in two quarters of action against Idaho State before he was rested for the second half with the Buffaloes up 42-0. Center Alex Kelley and linebacker Derek McCartney both missed the win against Idaho State but are expected to return in time to make the trip to Michigan. The Buffaloes poked fun at Michigan's refusal to provide a depth chart by creating their own, listing pop culture characters such as Elmer Fudd at quarterback, Eric Cartman at left tackle and Happy Gilmore as the punter.

* Wilton Speight was named the Big Ten Offensive Player of the Week after completing 25-of-37 passes for 312 and four touchdowns in his second career start. All-American cornerback Jourdan Lewis missed his second straight game due to a muscle strain but is expected to return against the Buffaloes while defensive ends Taco Charlton (ankle) and Bryan Mone (knee) will be sidelined at least for another game. "We've got a few guys working through some things," Harbaugh told reporters. "Other than that we've got a team that came out of the past ballgame with no injuries ... so I believe the callous of the football team is being built and hardened."

LINE HISTORY: The Wolverines opened as big 19-point home favorites. During the week the point spread inflated as high as 20.5 before settling back down to the original opening figure of -19. The total hit the betting board at 57 and came down a point to 56. View complete line history here.

TRENDS:

* Buffaloes are 4-1 ATS in their last 5 games overall.
* Wolverines are 1-9 ATS in their last 10 vs. Pac-12.
* Under is 5-1 in Buffaloes last 6 games overall.
* Over is 10-1 in Wolverines last 11 games overall.

No. 21 Oregon Ducks at Nebraska Cornhuskers (-3.5, 73)

* The Ducks appear well on their way to fielding at least one 1,000-yard runner for a FBS-best 10th straight season as Royce Freeman ranks eighth in the country with 294 yards rushing - 9.2 yards per carry - while scoring twice in each game. With 39 rushing touchdowns and 3,495 rushing yards in his career, the junior needs only two more rushing scores and 129 yards to move into second place in school history in both categories. Montana State graduate transfer Dakota Prukop has thrown for three touchdowns in both of his starts, extending the Ducks' FBS record with at least one touchdown pass to a FBS-record 82 straight games.

* One game after attempting only 10 throws, Tommy Armstrong Jr. unleashed 34 attempts for 377 yards - four shy of his personal best - and three touchdowns to give him a school-record 57 TD passes for his career. Jordan Westerkamp (105) and Alonzo Moore (109) each topped 100 yards receiving versus the Cowboys, marking only the third time in school history a pair of Nebraska wideouts accomplished the feat in the same game - Westerkamp has been a part of all three, which have occurred over the past three seasons. Safety Nate Gerry was named Big Ten Defensive Player of the Week after returning from his one-game suspension to intercept two passes and record a team-high seven versus Wyoming.

LINE HISTORY: The upstart Nebraska Cornhuskers opened the betting week as 2.5-point favorites over the visiting Oregon Ducks. By the end of the week the Huskers had been bet all the way up to 3.5-point faves. The total opened at 73 and hasn't moved off that number. View complete line history here.

TRENDS:

* Ducks are 22-5 ATS in their last 27 road games.
* Cornhuskers are 5-1 ATS in their last 6 non-conference games.
* Over is 5-1 in Ducks last 6 games overall.
* Over is 8-2 in Cornhuskers last 10 non-conference games.

No. 20 Texas Aggies A&M at Auburn Tigers (-3, 54.5)

* Oklahoma transfer Trevor Knight (583 passing yards, four touchdowns) is second in the SEC in passing and is tied for the league lead with three rushing TDs. Oklahoma transfer Keith Ford (team-high 63.5 yards) also has three rushing TDs for Texas A&M, which is averaging 49 points. Christian Kirk (team-high 13 catches for 164 yards, two TDs) needs seven receptions to join teammates Josh Reynolds (six catches, 131 yards, TD) and Ricky Seals-Jones (six catches, 90 yards) with 100 career catches.

* White went 17-of-23 for 244 yards and three scores last week after rotating with two other quarterbacks in a Week 1 loss to Clemson. Sophomore tailbacks Kerryon Johnson (218 yards, three TDs) and Kamryn Pettway (152 yards) each recorded their first 100-yard games last week, helping the Tigers to a SEC-leading 274.5-yard rushing average. Marcus Davis (seven receptions, 60 yards) is one of three Tiger receivers with at least five catches while Tony Stevens (five catches, 91 yards) has two scoring receptions.

LINE HISTORY: Auburn opened as four-point home favorites against visiting Texas A&M, but the 2016 Auburn Tigers are leaving a bad taste in the public's mouth and they have been bet down to -3. The total hit the board as 54 and after a few wobbles throughout the week settled in at 54.5 on Friday afternoon. View complete line history here.

TRENDS:

* Aggies are 1-5 ATS in their last 6 conference games.
* Tigers are 1-7 ATS in their last 8 games following a straight up win.
* Under is 6-0-1 in Aggies last 7 games overall.
* Under is 6-0-1 in Tigers last 7 vs. a team with a winning record.

Mississippi State Bulldogs at No. 22 Louisiana State Tigers (-13.5, 45)

* Bulldogs wideout Fred Ross caught a touchdown and threw for another score last week, and the senior enters this weekend leading all active SEC receivers in career catches (138). Fitzgerald, meanwhile, is looking to deliver an encore to his 195-yard rushing effort against South Carolina and enters this weekend second in the nation in rushing yards among quarterbacks. On the defensive side of the ball, A.J. Jefferson is tied for the SEC lead with three sacks and has a league-high six tackles for loss.

* The Tigers leaned on sophomore Derrius Guice in Fournette's absence last week and were rewarded with 155 rushing yards and a score. Etling, a transfer from Purdue who was making his LSU debut, completed only six passes but those passes went for 100 yards and a score, plus he added a rushing TD. Linebacker Kendell Beckwith paces LSU with 17 tackles, while cornerback Tre'Davious White had a pick-six in Week 1 and a punt return for a touchdown in Week 2.

LINE HISTORY: This one opened with LSU pegged as 12.5-point faves at home and by the end of the week the line was up to -13.5. The total opened at 44 and jumped one full point to 45 by Friday. View complete line history here.

TRENDS:

* Bulldogs are 4-1 ATS in their last 5 games in September.
* Tigers are 4-1 ATS in their last 5 games following a straight up win.
* Under is 11-2 in Bulldogs last 13 conference games.
* Under is 6-1 in Tigers last 7 games overall.

No. 4 Ohio State Buckeyes at No. 14 Oklahoma Sooners (+1, 63)

* The Buckeyes proved that their offense can be centered on the passing game in Week 1, when J.T. Barrett threw for six touchdowns as part of a 349-yard performance against Bowling Green. Then last week they showed off their rushing attack as Mike Weber rushed for 92 yards and a score, Curtis Samuel added 78 yards on eight carries and Barrett rushed for a pair of scores. As for the defense, which allowed 188 total yards and forced six turnovers, coach Urban Meyer said: "Our defense is playing so well right now. Obviously, the challenge will come (Saturday) against a very good team, and we're going to jump on that one early and get ready to go."

* The Sooners only needed Mayfield for a half against ULM their last time out, as the junior passed for three touchdowns before sitting out the rest of a contest that saw his team finish with 640 total yards. Joe Mixon paced the Oklahoma rushing attack with 117 yards on 13 attempts while Semaje Perine added a pair of rushing scores. Jordan Evans and Neville Gallimore combined for 18 tackles versus ULM and will have their work cut out for them against Ohio State's dynamic attack.

LINE HISTORY: Ohio State opened the betting week as 2.5-point road faves against the powerful Oklahoma Sooners. The line has been wobbly for most of the week; dropping to 1.5 before jumping back up to 2, dropping all of the way down to a Pick before recovering up to 1.5, and finally settling down at Buckeyes -1 by Friday. The total hasn't been anywhere near as exciting, opening at 64.5 before dropping down to the current number of 63. View complete line history here.

TRENDS:

* Buckeyes are 4-0 ATS in their last 4 games overall.
* Sooners are 5-1 ATS in their last 6 games following a straight up win of more than 20 points.
* Over is 6-0 in Buckeyes last 6 games on grass.
* Over is 5-1 in Sooners last 6 home games.

No. 8 Michigan State Spartans at No. 18 Notre Dame Fighting Irish (-7, 49.5)

* The Spartans had more trouble than expected in Week 1 as the offense was inconsistent with senior Tyler O'Connor taking over at quarterback after spending three years backing up Connor Cook. "We've been working, and we had a tough bye week," O'Connor told reporters. "We had our toughest bye week that we've had since we've been here over the past two years and rightfully so. We need it early in the season and also a big-time opponent." O'Connor, who threw three touchdown passes in the win over Furman, started against a ranked team at Ohio State last season in place of an injured Cook and managed 89 passing yards in a 17-14 win.

* Kizer was named the full-time starter over Malik Zaire after throwing five touchdown passes in the narrow loss to Texas and cemented his position with another solid performance against Nevada. "Look, if you've got a really good quarterback you've got a chance, and he's a really good quarterback," Kelly told reporters of Kizer. "He knows the offense, you know. ... He knows what he's doing. He knows how to do it and he's working to get better at it every single day. He gives you a shot at winning every game you play." Kizer completed 15-of-18 passes for 156 yards and two touchdowns in the Week 2 win and added a rushing score.

LINE HISTORY: The Irish opened as 7.5-point favorites at home over the higher ranked Spartans. The point spread was pretty steady all week before taking a slight nudge up to -8 on Thursday evening. The total hit the board at 52.5 View complete line history here.

TRENDS:

* Spartans are 0-6 ATS in their last 6 non-conference games.
* Fighting Irish are 8-2 ATS vs. a team with a winning record.
* Under is 5-1 in Spartans last 6 games overall.
* Road team is 12-3-1 ATS in their last 16 meetings.

Texas State Bobcats at No. 24 Arkansas Razorbacks (-30.5, 61.5)

* The Bobcats will go into Arkansas with plenty of confidence after beating Ohio on the road in Week 1 and having Week 2 off to prepare for the battle with an SEC titan. The Sun Belt Conference team put up 546 yards of total offense in the opener - led by a school-record 440 passing yards - and Tyler Jones added a rushing score to his total of four passing touchdowns. The Bobcats are about to endure one of the tougher back-to-backs in the nation with a home date against No. 7 Houston scheduled for next week.

* Allen, a junior, is in his first season as the Razorbacks starting quarterback and proved himself cool under pressure with his two-minute drill to send the game into overtime last week. "I thought I was gonna have to loosen him up," Bielema told reporters of his conversation with Allen before the start of the final drive. "...He just smiled and said, 'I got you coach.' Just that moment, I walked away. He was smiling, I was smiling. I'm like, 'That bro don't have no problems right now.'" Allen, who also led a game-winning drive in the opener against Louisiana Tech, was named SEC Player of the Week.

LINE HISTORY: The No. 24 ranked Razorbacks opened as 32.5-point faves at home against Texas State. The public actually showed a bit of faith in the Bobcats and bet the line down to -30.5 by Friday afternoon. The total opened at 57.5 and finished the week at 61.5. View complete line history here.

TRENDS:

* Bobcats are 1-6 ATS in their last 7 road games.
* Razorbacks are 12-2 ATS in their last 14 games after allowing more than 280 yards passing in their previous game.
* Over is 6-0-1 in Bobcats last 7 games in September.
* Under is 6-1 in Razorbacks last 7 games after allowing more than 280 yards passing in their previous game.

North Texas Mean Green at No. 23 Florida Gators (-36, 51)

* Fine was 11-of-22 passing for 108 yards and gained 46 yards on eight rushes while commanding an offense that rushed for 329 yards and gained 420 yards overall against Bethune-Cookman. "His numbers may not be eye-popping, but he led us on some touchdown drives and he really managed the game well," said first-year coach Sean Littrell, the offensive coordinator at North Carolina the past two seasons. Junior tailbacks Jeffrey Wilson (14 carries, 83 yards ,two touchdowns) and Willy Ivery (13 carries, 103 yards, one TD) led a running attack that averaged 6.5 yards per carry. The Mean Green defense, led by senior linebacker Courtney Finney (eight tackles, one sack and a touchdown-saving batted down pass), allowed only 78 yards in the opening half and 231 overall.

* A key to Del Rio's big game was the improved play of the offensive line -- the quarterback said he was only touched once after the opening possession -- which struggled at times in the win over UMass. Better blocking also helped open up the rushing attack, which produced 244 yards after gaining only 107 against UMass, a total that was almost equaled by freshman Lamical Perine (105 yards on 17 carries). All-America cornerback candidate Teez Tabor, Quincy Wilson and Marcus Maye all had interceptions as the defense held Kentucky quarterback Drew Barker, who threw for more than 300 yards against Southern Mississippi, to 2-of-10 passing for 10 yards before he was benched in the third quarter.

LINE HISTORY: Florida opened as big favorites at -36 and, although there a brief jump up to -36.5, closed the week at that number. The total hit the board at 49.5 and rose steadily all week to settle at 51 on Friday afternoon. View complete line history here.

TRENDS:

* Mean Green are 2-11 ATS in their last 13 road games.
* Gators are 0-5 ATS in their last 5 non-conference games.
* Over is 5-0 in Mean Green last 5 games following a straight up win.
* Under is 6-1 in Gators last 7 games on grass.

No. 13 Georgia Bulldogs at Missouri Tigers (+6.5, 55)

* Smart did not say whether freshman Jacob Eason (11-for-20, 204 yards last week in his first career start) or senior Greyson Lambert would start at quarterback. Junior tailback Nick Chubb rushed for 80 yards on 20 carries after a 222-yard performance against North Carolina in the season opener, but three turnovers led to 17 points last week, and the Bulldogs gave up three touchdowns and a field goal in the red zone. Sophomore defensive tackle Trenton Thompson recorded 11 tackles last week and has 3 1/2 tackles for loss through two games.

* Improved play by the Tigers’ offensive line has sparked Lock’s hot start, as the sophomore has been sacked just once while passing for 730 yards – fifth among FBS quarterbacks. Four receivers – Chris Black, J’Mon Moore, Johnathon Johnson and Ray Wingo – have all reached the 100-yard receiving plateau in a game this season, helping Missouri rank 15th nationally in total offense per game (554.5 yards). Defense has been an issue at times as the Tigers have surrendered 461 yards per contest, but Missouri broke up 14 passes last week and senior cornerback Aarion Penton has interceptions in each of the first two games.

LINE HISTORY: The point spread for this one opened with the Georgia Bulldogs as 7-point faves on the road. The line wobbled a bit before settling in at 6.5 on Tuesday afternoon as has been steady ever since. The total opened at 50, took a sharp turn upward, and currently sits at 55. View complete line history here.

TRENDS:

* Bulldogs are 7-2 ATS in their last 9 road games.
* Tigers are 0-6 ATS in their last 6 games following a straight up win.
* Under is 11-0 in Bulldogs last 11 games after allowing less than 170 yards passing in their previous game.
* Under is 7-1 in Tigers last 8 conference games.
* Road team is 4-0 ATS in their last 4 meetings.

Southern California Trojans at No. 6 Stanford Cardinal (-8.5, 52.5)

* Max Browne threw for 182 yards last week and connected with JuJu Smith-Schuster for two touchdowns after the star wideout was held to one catch against Alabama in the opener. USC will look to control the clock behind a solid offensive line and running back Justin Davis, who ran for 99 yards against Stanford in last season’s Pac-12 title game and gained 70 on 16 carries last week against Utah State. The Trojans need improvement from their defensive line but have a shutdown cornerback in Adoree’ Jackson, who returned a punt 79 yards for a touchdown last week and could be the most dynamic player on the field besides McCaffrey.

* Senior Ryan Burns made his first career start against Kansas State and threw for a serviceable 156 yards with one touchdown, but he’ll receive a tougher test against USC's secondary. Starting defensive tackle Harrison Phillips (knee) likely will miss Saturday’s contest, while running back Bryce Love (leg) is expected to return after missing the opener but figures to see limited playing time behind McCaffrey, who will receive another heavy workload against the Trojans. “Great players need to touch the ball,” coach David Shaw told reporters. “Last year, he had over 400 (touches). But he doesn’t get hit hard a lot. His 400 may not be like 400 for somebody else.”

LINE HISTORY: Stanford kicked off the betting week as 6.5-point favorites over their rivals from USC. The public was all over the Cardinal, forcing the books to move the line higher. The spread peaked at -9.5 on Tuesday and settled in at -8.5 by the end of the week. The total opened at 53 and came down a half point to 52.5 by Friday. View complete line history here.

TRENDS:

* Trojans are 1-7 ATS in their last 8 games after allowing less than 20 points in their previous game.
* Cardinal are 5-0 ATS in their last 5 games after accumulating less than 275 total yards in their previous game.
* Over is 4-1 in Trojans last 5 games after allowing less than 20 points in their previous game.
* Underdog is 8-2 ATS in their last 10 meetings.

No. 16 Texas Longhorns at California Golden Bears (+7, 81)

* A true freshman, Buechele continued to impress against UTEP with 244 passing yards and four touchdowns - including a pair to sophomore wide receiver Jerrod Heard, who started at quarterback last season. Sophomore defensive end/linebacker Breckyn Hager recorded a team-high eight tackles against UTEP in his first career start, but questions remain about the team’s secondary after Notre Dame’s DeShone Kizer threw five touchdown passes in the opener. The young Longhorns expect starting running back D’Onta Foreman, left tackle Connor Williams and tight end Caleb Bluiett to return Saturday after all three sat against UTEP with minor injuries.

* Webb has picked up where Jared Goff left off as the Golden Bears are second in the nation in passing offense (481.5 yards per game) and tied for third in total offense at 617 yards per game. Chad Hansen has become Webb’s favorite target with 28 catches for 350 yards and three touchdowns, but the team ranks 94th nationally with an average of 135.5 rushing yards through two games and could use a more-balanced attack after tailbacks Khalfani Muhammad and Vic Enwere combined for 13 carries against San Diego State. Cal needs to see improved play from its linebackers after being exposed by Aztecs star Donnel Pumphrey, who rushed 29 times for 281 yards and three touchdowns.

LINE HISTORY: The point spread in this one opened with Cal as 7-point home favorites. Despite the line peaking as high as -8, on Thursday it settled back down to the original figure of -7. The total hit the board at 76.5 and immediately began it's week-long upward climb. At publication time on Friday evening the total for this game was up to 81. View complete line history here.

TRENDS:

* Longhorns are 5-1 ATS in their last 6 vs. Pac-12.
* Golden Bears are 1-5 ATS in their last 6 home games vs. a team with a winning road record.
* Under is 7-1 in Longhorns last 8 road games.
* Over is 6-1 in Golden Bears last 7 vs. Big 12.

NOTE: No. 11 Iowa hosts North Dakota State, No. 3 Clemson hosts South Carolina State and No. 9 Washington hosts Portland State, none of which currently have lines posted.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Portland State (1-1) at Washington Huskies (2-0)

Date: September 17, 2016 8:00 PM EDT

Portland State is an FCS school that just got whacked 66-35 by San Jose State. but Washington coach Chris Petersen knows one way to get his team focused for Saturday night's contest with the Vikings at Husky Stadium: Video.

Petersen said he would "absolutely" show his team the tape of Portland State's stunning 24-17 victory over Apple Cup rival Washington State last year in Pullman.

"I think if we have a mature team -- which I think we do -- you put on the tape ... and you watch a team when they play at their best, no matter who it is, because you always count on somebody bringing their best, and how do you defend that?" Petersen said. "Certainly when they go and look at the Washington State game, I mean, Portland State did a great job. They did. They played those guys awesome."

The Vikings (1-1) are one of the top teams in FCS, finishing 9-3 overall last season and tied for second in the 13-team Big Sky Conference at 6-2. They own four victories over FBS teams, including last year's stunner over Mike Leach's Cougars.

Washington is ranked No. 8 with a 2-0 record but those wins have comes against the likes of Rutgers (48-13) and Idaho (59-14). So barring a huge upset by the Vikings, Washington will head to Arizona unbeaten to begin Pac-12 play Sept. 24.

Petersen is doing all that he can to make sure his players are focused without getting caught up in the hype after playing suspect opponents. That's why following Washington's victory over visiting Idaho, Petersen tried to not overly praise quarterback Jake Browning for his five-touchdown passing game.

He was more critical than anything about Browning's attention to detail, including when to scramble and when to stay in the pocket.

"When you go back (and watch film), what I really want to look at is, did he need to escape (out of the pocket)?" Petersen said. "Did he have things (where) he could have got the ball out? I know he had one early on, I think he threw a touchdown. He didn't need to make it so spectacular."

On his first touchdown pass to receiver Dante Pettis, Browning said he had another receiver (Chico McClatcher) wide open for a touchdown. Because of Idaho's pass rush and impatience, he could not see him.

Said Browning: "I scrambled and Dante did a good job coming back to the ball, and I thought he played really, really well."

Browning, a sophomore, has started 14 of his 15 games with Washington. He has eight straight games with 200 or more yards passing. He tied a Washington record with the five touchdown passes against Idaho (23-for-28, 294 yards without an interception). His 82.1 completion percentage was the fifth-best at Washington.

Petersen said he will continue to keep a close eye on the details.

"I think each week we're building," Petersen said. "It's interesting to see how they show up, their mindset and energy that they play with. That's the thing I always look at."

One big area of concern for the Huskies is the ground game. Running back Myles Gaskin, who gained 1,302 yards with 14 touchdowns on 227 carries in 2015, has 124 yards on 27 carries this season and Washington ranks ninth in the conference averaging only 108.5 rushing yards per game.

However, one would expect Gaskin and the Washington ground game to get well against the Vikings, who allowed 642 total yards in the 66-35 loss at San Jose State, including 409 yards rushing. Portland State also didn't help itself with six turnovers.

Senior Alex Kuresa starts at quarterback for Portland State but is completing only 54.2 percent of his throws. He was 10 of 22 for 135 yards and a touchdown against San Jose State and was intercepted three times.

Defensively, the Vikings are led by junior defensive end Davond Dade, who had 7.5 sacks last season, and junior cornerback Xavier Coleman, who has led the Big Sky in pass breakups and passes defensed each of the last two years.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Saturday's NCAAF Top 25 betting cheat sheet and odds

We're on to Week 3 of the college football season and the full slate of games can be tough to navigate for bettors. So we bring you our Top 25 betting cheat sheet to handicap the best games of the day.

Georgia State Panthers at No. 12 Wisconsin Badgers (-35.5, 50)

* The Panthers’ defense struggled during a 48-14 loss to Air Force last week, surrendering 531 total yards while spending 45:14 on the field. Senior wide receiver Robert Davis has 166 career receptions, nine behind the program’s all-time leader and current Kansas City Chief Albert Wilson. Offensively, Georgia State will need much more than the 27 rushing yards it mustered against Air Force to stay close with the Badgers.

* Defense has done it for the Badgers as it has allowed only one touchdown, created five turnovers and stopped 17 of 20 third-down conversions through two weeks. The return of linebacker T.J. Edwards has been a big boost, but the loss of junior cornerback and top kick returner Natrell Jamerson (leg) for at least the next month is tough news for a team that plays four Big Ten foes ranked in the top 11 before the end of October. Running back Corey Clement ran 21 times for 111 yards last week before leaving with what was deemed as a non-serious injury to his left leg late in the second quarter.

LINE HISTORY: Wisconsin opened the betting week as 34-point favorites and by Friday that line has been bet up to -35.5. The total opened at 49 and gradually bumped up to 50 by the end of the week. View complete line history here.

TRENDS:

* Panthers are 9-1 ATS in their last 10 road games vs. a team with a winning home record.
* Badgers are 4-0 ATS in their last 4 non-conference games.
* Under is 7-1 in Panthers last 8 games overall.
* Under is 4-1 in Badgers last 5 non-conference games.

No. 25 Miami Hurricanes at Appalachian State Mountaineers (+3.5, 51.5)

* With 17 returning starters from a team that finished 11-2 in its first season as an FBS member, the Mountaineers were expected to be good and proved that in taking then-No. 10 Tennessee to overtime before losing 20-13 in the opener on a fumble recovery in the end zone by the Vols. The defense, led by linemen Antonious Sims (seven solo tackles, three sacks) and Caleb Fuller (two sacks) along with linebackers Eric Boggs (nine tackles) and Kennan Gilchrist (eight), held Tennessee to 3 yards per carry and only 319 total yards but did allow a disappointing 5.1 yards per carry against FCS foe Old Dominion in last week's 31-7 win. Cox is the offensive focal point but the Mountaineers also have a veteran quarterback in junior Taylor Lamb who has started 25 games and thrown 49 TD passes.

* Defensive coordinator Manny Diaz promised Miami would play an attacking style, and that has been the case with the Hurricanes leading the nation with 28 tackles for loss and tied for second in sacks with 10 with freshmen linebackers Shaquille Quarterman and Michael Pinckney, who had nine tackles against Florida Atlantic, and sophomore defensive linemen R.J. McIntosh and Demetrius Jackson leading the way. Miami ranks No. 2 nationally at 8.69 yards per carry with sophomore tailback Mark Walton (271 yards, five TDs, 8.5 yards per carry) and junior Joe Yearby (224 yards, three TDs, 8.4) off to blazing starts. Kaaya is coming off one of his poorest games -- two interceptions and no scoring passes -- but his history and a talented receiving corps suggests he'll rebound from a slow start.

LINE HISTORY: Miami opened as 4.5-point road favorites but the public really seems to like App State in this spot and has bet the point spread down to 3.5. The total opned at 53.5 and has come down two full point to 51.5. View complete line history here.

TRENDS:

* Hurricanes are 5-1 ATS in their last 6 games in September.
* Mountaineers are 0-5 ATS in their last 5 games following a straight up win.
* Under is 4-0 in Hurricanes last 4 games following a ATS win.
* Under is 7-0 in Mountaineers last 7 games in September.

Ohio Bobcats at No. 15 Tennessee Volunteers (-27, 58)

* While senior quarterback Greg Windham has already thrown for 560 yards and five touchdowns this season, the Bobcats proved they can also run the ball by boasting two runners with more than 100 yards last week for the first time since 2005. Windham (146 yards, touchdown) and junior running back Dorian Brown (122) slashed through the Kansas' defense with career-high performances to lead a 329-yard rushing attack. Windham's top targets are senior wide receiver Jordan Reid (nine catches, 152 yards, two touchdowns) and sophomore running back Papi White (9-154-1).

* The Volunteers nearly had a pair of 100-yard rushers against the Hokies as junior running back Jalen Hurd rushed for 99 and averages 104.5. Junior wide receiver Josh Malone made his four catches count this season as they've gone for 127 yards and two touchdowns. The defense is led by sophomore linebacker Darrin Kirkland Jr. (16 tackles, 11 solo) and senior linebacker Jalen Reeves-Maybin (15, 10), who combined for 20 (15 solo) last week.

LINE HISTORY: Tennessee opened the betting week as 27.5-point home favorites and the line can come down slightly to -27. The total began the week at 56.5 and has steadily jumped in 1/2 point increments all week to settle in at 58 by Friday afternoon. View complete line history here.

TRENDS:

* Bobcats are 8-1 ATS in their last 9 non-conference games.
* Volunteers are 4-0 ATS in their last 4 games following a straight up win.
* Over is 6-0 in Bobcats last 6 games after accumulating more than 450 total yards in their previous game.
* Over is 20-7 in Volunteers last 27 games in September.

No. 2 Florida State Seminoles at No. 10 Louisville Cardinals (pick, 67.5)

* James played near the line of scrimmage and received much of the credit for holding Jackson to only 32 yards rushing in last season's 41-21 win - a "spy" role that could fall into the lap of linebacker Matthew Thomas this time around. Junior Travis Rudolph burned Charleston Southern for seven catches, 105 yards and two touchdowns in the first half alone, allowing him to earn the second ACC Receiver of the Week award of his career and become the fifth Seminole to win a conference player of the week award this season. Cook tallied 192 yards from scrimmage in the opener against Ole Miss before settling for 92 in a little over two quarters last week, but he amassed 223 total yards in last year's meeting.

* Jackson set an ACC record with 610 total yards of offense last week versus the Orange and became the first player in FBS history to record over 400 yards passing (411) and 175 yards (199) in the same game, helping the Cardinals set another school record with 845 total yards. Jackson and Brandon Radcliff (156) each topped 100 yards rushing, while receivers Jamari Staples (136) and James Quick (108) each went over 100 yards receiving, giving Louisville its first pair of 100-yard rushers and 100-yard receivers in the same game. The Cardinals are averaging a FBS-best 754 yards of total offense - 138 more than Baylor's top-ranked offense from a season ago and 338 more than Louisville averaged in 2015.

LINE HISTORY: The higher ranked Florida State Seminoles opened as 3.5-point road faves but the betting public said, "Nuh uh!" and hammered the host Louisville Cardinals. By Friday morning the point spread was all the way down to a Pick. The total began the week at 65 and was taken all of the way up to 68 before settling down a half point to 67.5 by Friday. View complete line history here.

TRENDS:

* Seminoles are 6-1 ATS in their last 7 games overall.
* Cardinals are 1-6 ATS in their last 7 home games vs. a team with a winning road record.
* Under is 5-0 in Seminoles last 5 road games.
* Over is 6-1 in Cardinals last 7 games overall.

No. 1 Alabama Crimson Tide at No. 17 Mississippi Rebels (+11, 54.5)

* Freshman quarterback Jalen Hurts still hasn't been declared the starting quarterback over redshirt freshman Blake Barnett but it is heading in that direction after Hurts passed for 287 yards and two touchdowns in last Saturday's victory over Western Kentucky. "I know you all are going to ask me about the quarterbacks, but we are going to continue to work with both of the quarterbacks," Saban said. "We have to try to get them better. Jalen, obviously, played the most in the game and there are things he could do better and there are things he did very well." Senior defensive end Jonathan Allen (three sacks) has been superb while senior safety Eddie Jackson (one interception) and sophomore cornerback Marlon Humphrey (one interception, one forced fumble) will be key figures against the Rebels' passing attack.

* Senior quarterback Chad Kelly passed for 341 yards and three touchdowns while fueling last season's win at Alabama and he has thrown for 532 yards and seven touchdowns in this season's first two games. Senior tight end Evan Engram, who has caught 11 passes for 164 yards, claimed he isn't the least bit concerned about playing the Crimson Tide, saying "we love opportunities and we know what's at stake with this game. I just have a confidence about it." Senior standout safety Tony Conner is shaking off the rust -- the NFL prospect suffered a season-ending knee injury against Alabama last season and is still rounding into top form.

LINE HISTORY: Alabama opened as 9.5-point favorites in this SEC showdown and by late in the week they had been bet all of the way up to 11-point faves. The total opened at 54.5 and has been steady for the entire week. View complete line history here.

TRENDS:

* Crimson Tide are 6-1 ATS in their last 7 road games.
* Rebels are 2-8 ATS in their last 10 games after allowing less than 20 points in their previous game.
* Under is 7-0 in Rebels last 7 home games vs. a team with a winning road record.
* Under is 6-2 in the last 8 meetings.

Colorado Buffaloes at No. 5 Michigan Wolverines (-19, 56)

* Senior quarterback Sefo Liufau went 15-of-18 for 204 yards and two touchdowns in two quarters of action against Idaho State before he was rested for the second half with the Buffaloes up 42-0. Center Alex Kelley and linebacker Derek McCartney both missed the win against Idaho State but are expected to return in time to make the trip to Michigan. The Buffaloes poked fun at Michigan's refusal to provide a depth chart by creating their own, listing pop culture characters such as Elmer Fudd at quarterback, Eric Cartman at left tackle and Happy Gilmore as the punter.

* Wilton Speight was named the Big Ten Offensive Player of the Week after completing 25-of-37 passes for 312 and four touchdowns in his second career start. All-American cornerback Jourdan Lewis missed his second straight game due to a muscle strain but is expected to return against the Buffaloes while defensive ends Taco Charlton (ankle) and Bryan Mone (knee) will be sidelined at least for another game. "We've got a few guys working through some things," Harbaugh told reporters. "Other than that we've got a team that came out of the past ballgame with no injuries ... so I believe the callous of the football team is being built and hardened."

LINE HISTORY: The Wolverines opened as big 19-point home favorites. During the week the point spread inflated as high as 20.5 before settling back down to the original opening figure of -19. The total hit the betting board at 57 and came down a point to 56. View complete line history here.

TRENDS:

* Buffaloes are 4-1 ATS in their last 5 games overall.
* Wolverines are 1-9 ATS in their last 10 vs. Pac-12.
* Under is 5-1 in Buffaloes last 6 games overall.
* Over is 10-1 in Wolverines last 11 games overall.

No. 21 Oregon Ducks at Nebraska Cornhuskers (-3.5, 73)

* The Ducks appear well on their way to fielding at least one 1,000-yard runner for a FBS-best 10th straight season as Royce Freeman ranks eighth in the country with 294 yards rushing - 9.2 yards per carry - while scoring twice in each game. With 39 rushing touchdowns and 3,495 rushing yards in his career, the junior needs only two more rushing scores and 129 yards to move into second place in school history in both categories. Montana State graduate transfer Dakota Prukop has thrown for three touchdowns in both of his starts, extending the Ducks' FBS record with at least one touchdown pass to a FBS-record 82 straight games.

* One game after attempting only 10 throws, Tommy Armstrong Jr. unleashed 34 attempts for 377 yards - four shy of his personal best - and three touchdowns to give him a school-record 57 TD passes for his career. Jordan Westerkamp (105) and Alonzo Moore (109) each topped 100 yards receiving versus the Cowboys, marking only the third time in school history a pair of Nebraska wideouts accomplished the feat in the same game - Westerkamp has been a part of all three, which have occurred over the past three seasons. Safety Nate Gerry was named Big Ten Defensive Player of the Week after returning from his one-game suspension to intercept two passes and record a team-high seven versus Wyoming.

LINE HISTORY: The upstart Nebraska Cornhuskers opened the betting week as 2.5-point favorites over the visiting Oregon Ducks. By the end of the week the Huskers had been bet all the way up to 3.5-point faves. The total opened at 73 and hasn't moved off that number. View complete line history here.

TRENDS:

* Ducks are 22-5 ATS in their last 27 road games.
* Cornhuskers are 5-1 ATS in their last 6 non-conference games.
* Over is 5-1 in Ducks last 6 games overall.
* Over is 8-2 in Cornhuskers last 10 non-conference games.

No. 20 Texas Aggies A&M at Auburn Tigers (-3, 54.5)

* Oklahoma transfer Trevor Knight (583 passing yards, four touchdowns) is second in the SEC in passing and is tied for the league lead with three rushing TDs. Oklahoma transfer Keith Ford (team-high 63.5 yards) also has three rushing TDs for Texas A&M, which is averaging 49 points. Christian Kirk (team-high 13 catches for 164 yards, two TDs) needs seven receptions to join teammates Josh Reynolds (six catches, 131 yards, TD) and Ricky Seals-Jones (six catches, 90 yards) with 100 career catches.

* White went 17-of-23 for 244 yards and three scores last week after rotating with two other quarterbacks in a Week 1 loss to Clemson. Sophomore tailbacks Kerryon Johnson (218 yards, three TDs) and Kamryn Pettway (152 yards) each recorded their first 100-yard games last week, helping the Tigers to a SEC-leading 274.5-yard rushing average. Marcus Davis (seven receptions, 60 yards) is one of three Tiger receivers with at least five catches while Tony Stevens (five catches, 91 yards) has two scoring receptions.

LINE HISTORY: Auburn opened as four-point home favorites against visiting Texas A&M, but the 2016 Auburn Tigers are leaving a bad taste in the public's mouth and they have been bet down to -3. The total hit the board as 54 and after a few wobbles throughout the week settled in at 54.5 on Friday afternoon. View complete line history here.

TRENDS:

* Aggies are 1-5 ATS in their last 6 conference games.
* Tigers are 1-7 ATS in their last 8 games following a straight up win.
* Under is 6-0-1 in Aggies last 7 games overall.
* Under is 6-0-1 in Tigers last 7 vs. a team with a winning record.

Mississippi State Bulldogs at No. 22 Louisiana State Tigers (-13.5, 45)

* Bulldogs wideout Fred Ross caught a touchdown and threw for another score last week, and the senior enters this weekend leading all active SEC receivers in career catches (138). Fitzgerald, meanwhile, is looking to deliver an encore to his 195-yard rushing effort against South Carolina and enters this weekend second in the nation in rushing yards among quarterbacks. On the defensive side of the ball, A.J. Jefferson is tied for the SEC lead with three sacks and has a league-high six tackles for loss.

* The Tigers leaned on sophomore Derrius Guice in Fournette's absence last week and were rewarded with 155 rushing yards and a score. Etling, a transfer from Purdue who was making his LSU debut, completed only six passes but those passes went for 100 yards and a score, plus he added a rushing TD. Linebacker Kendell Beckwith paces LSU with 17 tackles, while cornerback Tre'Davious White had a pick-six in Week 1 and a punt return for a touchdown in Week 2.

LINE HISTORY: This one opened with LSU pegged as 12.5-point faves at home and by the end of the week the line was up to -13.5. The total opened at 44 and jumped one full point to 45 by Friday. View complete line history here.

TRENDS:

* Bulldogs are 4-1 ATS in their last 5 games in September.
* Tigers are 4-1 ATS in their last 5 games following a straight up win.
* Under is 11-2 in Bulldogs last 13 conference games.
* Under is 6-1 in Tigers last 7 games overall.

No. 4 Ohio State Buckeyes at No. 14 Oklahoma Sooners (+1, 63)

* The Buckeyes proved that their offense can be centered on the passing game in Week 1, when J.T. Barrett threw for six touchdowns as part of a 349-yard performance against Bowling Green. Then last week they showed off their rushing attack as Mike Weber rushed for 92 yards and a score, Curtis Samuel added 78 yards on eight carries and Barrett rushed for a pair of scores. As for the defense, which allowed 188 total yards and forced six turnovers, coach Urban Meyer said: "Our defense is playing so well right now. Obviously, the challenge will come (Saturday) against a very good team, and we're going to jump on that one early and get ready to go."

* The Sooners only needed Mayfield for a half against ULM their last time out, as the junior passed for three touchdowns before sitting out the rest of a contest that saw his team finish with 640 total yards. Joe Mixon paced the Oklahoma rushing attack with 117 yards on 13 attempts while Semaje Perine added a pair of rushing scores. Jordan Evans and Neville Gallimore combined for 18 tackles versus ULM and will have their work cut out for them against Ohio State's dynamic attack.

LINE HISTORY: Ohio State opened the betting week as 2.5-point road faves against the powerful Oklahoma Sooners. The line has been wobbly for most of the week; dropping to 1.5 before jumping back up to 2, dropping all of the way down to a Pick before recovering up to 1.5, and finally settling down at Buckeyes -1 by Friday. The total hasn't been anywhere near as exciting, opening at 64.5 before dropping down to the current number of 63. View complete line history here.

TRENDS:

* Buckeyes are 4-0 ATS in their last 4 games overall.
* Sooners are 5-1 ATS in their last 6 games following a straight up win of more than 20 points.
* Over is 6-0 in Buckeyes last 6 games on grass.
* Over is 5-1 in Sooners last 6 home games.

No. 8 Michigan State Spartans at No. 18 Notre Dame Fighting Irish (-7, 49.5)

* The Spartans had more trouble than expected in Week 1 as the offense was inconsistent with senior Tyler O'Connor taking over at quarterback after spending three years backing up Connor Cook. "We've been working, and we had a tough bye week," O'Connor told reporters. "We had our toughest bye week that we've had since we've been here over the past two years and rightfully so. We need it early in the season and also a big-time opponent." O'Connor, who threw three touchdown passes in the win over Furman, started against a ranked team at Ohio State last season in place of an injured Cook and managed 89 passing yards in a 17-14 win.

* Kizer was named the full-time starter over Malik Zaire after throwing five touchdown passes in the narrow loss to Texas and cemented his position with another solid performance against Nevada. "Look, if you've got a really good quarterback you've got a chance, and he's a really good quarterback," Kelly told reporters of Kizer. "He knows the offense, you know. ... He knows what he's doing. He knows how to do it and he's working to get better at it every single day. He gives you a shot at winning every game you play." Kizer completed 15-of-18 passes for 156 yards and two touchdowns in the Week 2 win and added a rushing score.

LINE HISTORY: The Irish opened as 7.5-point favorites at home over the higher ranked Spartans. The point spread was pretty steady all week before taking a slight nudge up to -8 on Thursday evening. The total hit the board at 52.5 View complete line history here.

TRENDS:

* Spartans are 0-6 ATS in their last 6 non-conference games.
* Fighting Irish are 8-2 ATS vs. a team with a winning record.
* Under is 5-1 in Spartans last 6 games overall.
* Road team is 12-3-1 ATS in their last 16 meetings.

Texas State Bobcats at No. 24 Arkansas Razorbacks (-30.5, 61.5)

* The Bobcats will go into Arkansas with plenty of confidence after beating Ohio on the road in Week 1 and having Week 2 off to prepare for the battle with an SEC titan. The Sun Belt Conference team put up 546 yards of total offense in the opener - led by a school-record 440 passing yards - and Tyler Jones added a rushing score to his total of four passing touchdowns. The Bobcats are about to endure one of the tougher back-to-backs in the nation with a home date against No. 7 Houston scheduled for next week.

* Allen, a junior, is in his first season as the Razorbacks starting quarterback and proved himself cool under pressure with his two-minute drill to send the game into overtime last week. "I thought I was gonna have to loosen him up," Bielema told reporters of his conversation with Allen before the start of the final drive. "...He just smiled and said, 'I got you coach.' Just that moment, I walked away. He was smiling, I was smiling. I'm like, 'That bro don't have no problems right now.'" Allen, who also led a game-winning drive in the opener against Louisiana Tech, was named SEC Player of the Week.

LINE HISTORY: The No. 24 ranked Razorbacks opened as 32.5-point faves at home against Texas State. The public actually showed a bit of faith in the Bobcats and bet the line down to -30.5 by Friday afternoon. The total opened at 57.5 and finished the week at 61.5. View complete line history here.

TRENDS:

* Bobcats are 1-6 ATS in their last 7 road games.
* Razorbacks are 12-2 ATS in their last 14 games after allowing more than 280 yards passing in their previous game.
* Over is 6-0-1 in Bobcats last 7 games in September.
* Under is 6-1 in Razorbacks last 7 games after allowing more than 280 yards passing in their previous game.

North Texas Mean Green at No. 23 Florida Gators (-36, 51)

* Fine was 11-of-22 passing for 108 yards and gained 46 yards on eight rushes while commanding an offense that rushed for 329 yards and gained 420 yards overall against Bethune-Cookman. "His numbers may not be eye-popping, but he led us on some touchdown drives and he really managed the game well," said first-year coach Sean Littrell, the offensive coordinator at North Carolina the past two seasons. Junior tailbacks Jeffrey Wilson (14 carries, 83 yards ,two touchdowns) and Willy Ivery (13 carries, 103 yards, one TD) led a running attack that averaged 6.5 yards per carry. The Mean Green defense, led by senior linebacker Courtney Finney (eight tackles, one sack and a touchdown-saving batted down pass), allowed only 78 yards in the opening half and 231 overall.

* A key to Del Rio's big game was the improved play of the offensive line -- the quarterback said he was only touched once after the opening possession -- which struggled at times in the win over UMass. Better blocking also helped open up the rushing attack, which produced 244 yards after gaining only 107 against UMass, a total that was almost equaled by freshman Lamical Perine (105 yards on 17 carries). All-America cornerback candidate Teez Tabor, Quincy Wilson and Marcus Maye all had interceptions as the defense held Kentucky quarterback Drew Barker, who threw for more than 300 yards against Southern Mississippi, to 2-of-10 passing for 10 yards before he was benched in the third quarter.

LINE HISTORY: Florida opened as big favorites at -36 and, although there a brief jump up to -36.5, closed the week at that number. The total hit the board at 49.5 and rose steadily all week to settle at 51 on Friday afternoon. View complete line history here.

TRENDS:

* Mean Green are 2-11 ATS in their last 13 road games.
* Gators are 0-5 ATS in their last 5 non-conference games.
* Over is 5-0 in Mean Green last 5 games following a straight up win.
* Under is 6-1 in Gators last 7 games on grass.

No. 13 Georgia Bulldogs at Missouri Tigers (+6.5, 55)

* Smart did not say whether freshman Jacob Eason (11-for-20, 204 yards last week in his first career start) or senior Greyson Lambert would start at quarterback. Junior tailback Nick Chubb rushed for 80 yards on 20 carries after a 222-yard performance against North Carolina in the season opener, but three turnovers led to 17 points last week, and the Bulldogs gave up three touchdowns and a field goal in the red zone. Sophomore defensive tackle Trenton Thompson recorded 11 tackles last week and has 3 1/2 tackles for loss through two games.

* Improved play by the Tigers’ offensive line has sparked Lock’s hot start, as the sophomore has been sacked just once while passing for 730 yards – fifth among FBS quarterbacks. Four receivers – Chris Black, J’Mon Moore, Johnathon Johnson and Ray Wingo – have all reached the 100-yard receiving plateau in a game this season, helping Missouri rank 15th nationally in total offense per game (554.5 yards). Defense has been an issue at times as the Tigers have surrendered 461 yards per contest, but Missouri broke up 14 passes last week and senior cornerback Aarion Penton has interceptions in each of the first two games.

LINE HISTORY: The point spread for this one opened with the Georgia Bulldogs as 7-point faves on the road. The line wobbled a bit before settling in at 6.5 on Tuesday afternoon as has been steady ever since. The total opened at 50, took a sharp turn upward, and currently sits at 55. View complete line history here.

TRENDS:

* Bulldogs are 7-2 ATS in their last 9 road games.
* Tigers are 0-6 ATS in their last 6 games following a straight up win.
* Under is 11-0 in Bulldogs last 11 games after allowing less than 170 yards passing in their previous game.
* Under is 7-1 in Tigers last 8 conference games.
* Road team is 4-0 ATS in their last 4 meetings.

Southern California Trojans at No. 6 Stanford Cardinal (-8.5, 52.5)

* Max Browne threw for 182 yards last week and connected with JuJu Smith-Schuster for two touchdowns after the star wideout was held to one catch against Alabama in the opener. USC will look to control the clock behind a solid offensive line and running back Justin Davis, who ran for 99 yards against Stanford in last season’s Pac-12 title game and gained 70 on 16 carries last week against Utah State. The Trojans need improvement from their defensive line but have a shutdown cornerback in Adoree’ Jackson, who returned a punt 79 yards for a touchdown last week and could be the most dynamic player on the field besides McCaffrey.

* Senior Ryan Burns made his first career start against Kansas State and threw for a serviceable 156 yards with one touchdown, but he’ll receive a tougher test against USC's secondary. Starting defensive tackle Harrison Phillips (knee) likely will miss Saturday’s contest, while running back Bryce Love (leg) is expected to return after missing the opener but figures to see limited playing time behind McCaffrey, who will receive another heavy workload against the Trojans. “Great players need to touch the ball,” coach David Shaw told reporters. “Last year, he had over 400 (touches). But he doesn’t get hit hard a lot. His 400 may not be like 400 for somebody else.”

LINE HISTORY: Stanford kicked off the betting week as 6.5-point favorites over their rivals from USC. The public was all over the Cardinal, forcing the books to move the line higher. The spread peaked at -9.5 on Tuesday and settled in at -8.5 by the end of the week. The total opened at 53 and came down a half point to 52.5 by Friday. View complete line history here.

TRENDS:

* Trojans are 1-7 ATS in their last 8 games after allowing less than 20 points in their previous game.
* Cardinal are 5-0 ATS in their last 5 games after accumulating less than 275 total yards in their previous game.
* Over is 4-1 in Trojans last 5 games after allowing less than 20 points in their previous game.
* Underdog is 8-2 ATS in their last 10 meetings.

No. 16 Texas Longhorns at California Golden Bears (+7, 81)

* A true freshman, Buechele continued to impress against UTEP with 244 passing yards and four touchdowns - including a pair to sophomore wide receiver Jerrod Heard, who started at quarterback last season. Sophomore defensive end/linebacker Breckyn Hager recorded a team-high eight tackles against UTEP in his first career start, but questions remain about the team’s secondary after Notre Dame’s DeShone Kizer threw five touchdown passes in the opener. The young Longhorns expect starting running back D’Onta Foreman, left tackle Connor Williams and tight end Caleb Bluiett to return Saturday after all three sat against UTEP with minor injuries.

* Webb has picked up where Jared Goff left off as the Golden Bears are second in the nation in passing offense (481.5 yards per game) and tied for third in total offense at 617 yards per game. Chad Hansen has become Webb’s favorite target with 28 catches for 350 yards and three touchdowns, but the team ranks 94th nationally with an average of 135.5 rushing yards through two games and could use a more-balanced attack after tailbacks Khalfani Muhammad and Vic Enwere combined for 13 carries against San Diego State. Cal needs to see improved play from its linebackers after being exposed by Aztecs star Donnel Pumphrey, who rushed 29 times for 281 yards and three touchdowns.

LINE HISTORY: The point spread in this one opened with Cal as 7-point home favorites. Despite the line peaking as high as -8, on Thursday it settled back down to the original figure of -7. The total hit the board at 76.5 and immediately began it's week-long upward climb. At publication time on Friday evening the total for this game was up to 81. View complete line history here.

TRENDS:

* Longhorns are 5-1 ATS in their last 6 vs. Pac-12.
* Golden Bears are 1-5 ATS in their last 6 home games vs. a team with a winning road record.
* Under is 7-1 in Longhorns last 8 road games.
* Over is 6-1 in Golden Bears last 7 vs. Big 12.

NOTE: No. 11 Iowa hosts North Dakota State, No. 3 Clemson hosts South Carolina State and No. 9 Washington hosts Portland State, none of which currently have lines posted.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Texas Longhorns (2-0) at California Golden Bears (1-1)

Date: September 17, 2016 10:30 PM EDT

Thanks to a dramatic season-opening 50-47 win over Notre Dame and a 41-7 thumping of UTEP, the heat is off Texas head coach Charlie Strong.

But for the 11th-ranked Longhorns to become serious Big 12 contenders, they'll need to find a way to improve greatly on a 1-4 road record in 2015. The first chance to do that comes on Saturday night when Texas (2-0) travels to the Bay Area to face Cal (1-1).

California, behind future No. 1 NFL Draft pick Jared Goff, handed Texas a 45-44 home loss last season, a contest that ended with kicker Nick Rose missing an extra point that would have possibly sent the game to overtime. A victory in the rematch Saturday would give Texas its first 3-0 start since 2012, even Strong's record in Austin to 14-14 and possibly move the Longhorns into the top-10 next week.

"You're taking a young team into a hostile environment," Strong said. "There are certain things as a team that you have to pack. You've got to pack your defense. We can take the crowd out of the game if we can play great defense."

When it comes to traveling with confidence, Strong said he will lead by example.

"It's all about the attitude of the players and even the coaches," Strong said. "They will look at how we lead and that's how they'll go."

Texas will face a couple of Texans across the field in Cal coach Sonny Dykes, son of former Texas Tech coach Spike Dykes, and quarterback Davis Webb, who transferred to the Golden Bears from Texas Tech. No matter the results for either team coming into the game, Dykes and Webb have familiarity with Texas and no doubt burn to beat the Longhorns.

They also have the offense to properly duel with Texas.

Strong knows his team will have to accept giving up yards, but also need to make a few big plays on defense.

"It's going to be a big challenge for our secondary," Strong said. "We need to get pressure on the quarterback to take pressure off the secondary because some balls are going to be completed. We just can't allow balls to be thrown over our head."

Cal graduated a ton of its leaders, across the table defensively, including Goff: the Los Angeles' Rams first pick in the NFL draft. His replacement, senior transfer Davis Webb, has been splendid -- including in the Golden Bears' 45-40 loss to San Diego State Saturday on the road.

Webb threw for 522 yards and five touchdowns, so the Golden Bears' offense wasn't the problem. As it's been in recent years, it was the defense yielding 281 rushing yards and three touchdowns to Aztecs tailback Donnel Pumphrey, the reigning Mountain West Conference Offensive Player of the Year.

Now, Cal sits in danger of falling to 1-2 with the opening of Pacific-12 Conference play waiting on Sept. 24 at Arizona State. Golden Bears coach Sonny Dykes, in his fourth year in Berkeley, was proud of the effort, though, according to the San Francisco Chronicle.

"Our effort was outstanding. He said that was the hardest any team has ever played under him," Cal wide receiver Chad Hansen said, reflecting on Dykes' postgame message. "It's no consolation, but we know we left everything out on the line."

Hansen is becoming the breakout star the Golden Bears believed he could be. After Cal's six most productive wide receivers saw their collegiate eligibility end after 2015, Hansen has posted team-highs with 28 catches for 350 yards. Those numbers also lead the FBS. He also has caught three TDs. The 6-foot-2, 205-pound junior had 14 grabs for 190 yards and a TD against San Diego State.

The Longhorns have benefitted from two capable quarterbacks in true freshman Shane Buechele (starter) and senior Tyrone Swoopes (dynamic running threat). Swoopes made a name for himself in the Notre Dame win with three rushing TDs.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

"Big game" coaching could be the decisive factor in marquee college football games
By JOE FORTENBAUGH

Make no mistake about it. The financial action that has pushed the Ohio State-Oklahoma point spread from Oklahoma -2 to a pick ‘em has as much to do with the coaching discrepancy between Bob Stoops and Urban Meyer as it does anything else.

That’s not to say that the strategic advantage Meyer enjoys over “Big Game Bob” is the only reason why the early action has favored Ohio State, but it’s an integral component for why the line has been adjusted. Meyer, along with Alabama’s Nick Saban, Michigan’s Jim Harbaugh and Houston’s Tom Herman, is one of the top-four coaches in college football.

Stoops, on the other hand, routinely comes up short on the big stage when the lights shine their brightest.

Oklahoma fans hate hearing this sad truth. But that’s the thing. It’s the truth. For proof, let’s take a look at the last five non-conference matchups Stoops has coached against high-level competition:

September 2016: 33-23 LOSS vs. Houston (13-point favorite)
December 2015: 37-17 LOSS vs. Clemson (3.5-point favorite)
December 2014: 40-6 LOSS vs. Clemson (6-point favorite)
January 2014: 45-31 WIN vs. Alabama (17-point underdog)
January 2013: 41-13 LOSS vs. Texas A&M (3-point underdog)

But wait! Stoops beat Nick Saban in that 2014 bowl game! Yes, as a matter of fact, Stoops and his Sooners did win that matchup. But that was a game Alabama could not have cared less about after watching a perfect 11-0 season go up in smoke against Auburn in the team’s regular season finale. That loss cost the Tide a spot in the SEC title game, which ultimately cost Alabama a shot at the National Championship. The Tide had no motivation whatsoever to show up for the Oklahoma bowl game.

On the flip side, here’s a look at Urban Meyer’s last five non-conference matchups against high-level competition:

January 2016: 44-28 WIN vs. Notre Dame (4.5-point favorite)
September 2015: 42-24 WIN vs. Virginia Tech (13.5-point favorite)
January 2015: 42-20 WIN vs. Oregon (6-point underdog)
January 2015: 42-35 WIN vs. Alabama (7.5-point underdog)
January 2014: 40-35 LOSS vs. Clemson (2.5-point favorite)

Oklahoma may have home field advantage Saturday night in Norman (7:30 p.m. ET), but the coaching edge lies unquestionably with Meyer and the Buckeyes.

SHARP MONEY VS. PUBLIC MONEY: BEHIND THE COUNTER

Each and every week during the 2016 college football season, this column will speak with a Las Vegas bookmaker in an effort to bring you the most important betting information possible regarding the upcoming weekend’s schedule.

This week we speak with Aaron Kessler, who currently has the pleasure of serving as the Sportsbook Supervisor at the Golden Nugget in Las Vegas. You can follow Aaron on twitter @aaronkessler.

Biggest adjustments made to power rankings after Week 2: “We had to give Florida a little more respect, and put Kentucky through the floor. I’m now very cautious on Clemson after two questionable offensive performances. Tennessee is back, confirming my original high ranking. Even though they covered, I’m very low on California and was unimpressed with Boise as well. Michigan remains exceptional.”

Any significant action on your championship futures: “We took a large bet on Florida at 80/1.”

Week 2 sharp action: “The most significant early action we experienced was on Pittsburgh and Missouri.”

Week 2 public action: “There should be some great two-way action on Louisville-Florida State. UCLA figures to be very popular amongst the betting public, as well as both Notre Dame and Alabama.”

Which teams do you currently feel are overvalued in the betting market: “Louisville, Stanford, Auburn and TCU.”

Which teams do you currently feel are undervalued in the betting market: “Michigan, Texas A&M and USC.”

TREND OF THE WEEK

After 17 consecutive years of thrilling matchups that spanned from 1997-2013, the Michigan State-Notre Dame rivalry went on hiatus for two seasons. Lucky for us, that hiatus comes to an end Saturday night in South Bend, Indiana at 7:30 p.m. eastern, as the Fighting Irish look to improve upon their 48-28-1 record against the Spartans in this legendary series.

Unfortunately for Irish fans, this edition of “Trend of the Week” fails to offer even the slightest semblance of optimism. Under current head coach Brian Kelly, Notre Dame is an abysmal 2-12 ATS as a favorite of six points or more against Big Ten opposition.

As of Thursday evening, Notre Dame was listed as an 8-point favorite over Michigan State for Saturday night’s showdown.

BIGGEST LINE MOVES OF THE WEEK

Kansas State Wildcats (-19.5 to -25.5) vs. Florida Atlantic Owls: No rest for the weary as Florida Atlantic travels to Manhattan, Kansas one week after a road date at Miami. The Owls are 0-7 ATS over their last seven matchups with Big 12 opposition while the Wildcats are a stellar 16-5-1 over their last 22 games when coming off a bye week. Additionally, Kansas State is 9-4 ATS over its last 13 home contests.

LSU Tigers (-10.5 to -14) vs. Mississippi State Bulldogs: The Brandon Harris era in Baton Rouge appears to have reached its merciful conclusion, as Purdue transfer Danny Etling stepped in last week against Jacksonville State and promptly tossed a 46-yard touchdown pass. Be advised that Mississippi State is an abysmal 5-13 ATS over its last 18 games against LSU.

Duke Blue Devils (+6 to +2.5) at Northwestern Wildcats: The 2016 campaign has commenced in brutal fashion for the Wildcats thanks to a 22-21 loss against Western Michigan in Week 1 that was immediately followed by a shocking 9-7 defeat at the hands of Illinois State. Northwestern is 1-4 ATS over its last five home games while Duke is 18-7-1 ATS over its last 26 non-conference showdowns.

Middle Tennessee Blue Raiders (-3 to -6.5) at Bowling Green Falcons: I hope the payday was worth it because that 77-10 beat down Bowling Green suffered at the hands of juggernaut Ohio State in Week 1 certainly carried over into last weekend’s 27-26 nail-biter against North Dakota, a game in which the Falcons were favored by a whopping 16 points. Middle Tennessee is 6-1 ATS over its last seven September dates while Bowling Green is 1-5 ATS over its last six contests after racking up fewer than 100 rushing yards in the previous game.

Marshall Thundering Herd (-14.5 to -17.5) vs. Akron Zips: Marshall kicked-off their 2016 season last weekend with a 62-0 blanking of Morgan State, which was more than enough to cover the 42.5-point spread. Take note that the Thundering Herd are now 8-2 ATS over their last 10 non-conference games and 16-5 ATS over their last 21 home dates overall. Meanwhile, Akron is 3-9 ATS over its last 12 games following an ATS loss and 2-5 ATS over its last seven non-conference showdowns.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Best Bets - Week 3

There are some huge games on the college football schedule this week as potential playoff aspirations for the likes of Oklahoma and Notre Dame would be dashed with another loss.

Alabama is in Mississippi with double revenge after losing to Ole Miss the past two seasons, and we can't forget about the huge matchup between Florida State and Louisville.

Ranked vs. Ranked games typically generate the most headlines, but savvy college football bettors know that there is often much more value elsewhere on the board, and that's where I'm looking with this week's best bets.

Best Bet #1: Oklahoma State -4.5

By all accounts the Oklahoma State Cowboys got screwed out of a victory last week thanks to an improper application of a rule giving Central Michigan one untimed down. Central Michigan made the most of it with a Hail Mary-lateral play for the game winning TD, sparking a tremendous amount of controversy.

Even with the misapplication of the rules, Oklahoma State should have never put themselves in that position as they could have simply ran around the field on their 4th down play for 4 seconds to run out the clock, rather than simply chuck it up and get the intentional grounding flag.

It was poor game management by the entire OK State staff and players, and bettors are already looking to go against them this week (line has moved from -6.5 to current number) after that type of defeat.

However, going the other way and backing OK State is the better bet here as this team knows they were wronged and are anxious to take out their frustrations on somebody. Enter Pittsburgh, fresh off a 3-point victory over old rival Penn State.

Pittsburgh's offense surprised many by putting up 42 points on the Nittany Lions a week ago (the total in that game was 44), but they'll have a tough time matching points with a high-powered Cowboys team that is pissed off.

Pittsburgh is on an 0-4 ATS run in non-conference games and have a 1-4 ATS run going when coming off a win.

Stylistically this is a very tough matchup for Pitt and when you add in the mindset of this OK State team right now, expect the Cowboys to rattle off a double digit victory here.


Best Bet #2: California +7.5

Cal finally gets to play a home game this year after opening up the campaign in Australia a few weeks ago and losing (but covering) in San Diego State last week.

The Golden Bears welcome in a Texas team that has been a great story in CFB so far this year, but this is an absolutely brutal spot for the Longhorns to be laying more than a TD.

Texas has put up 91 points in their two victories so far and this game should be another high-scoring game. The Longhorns do have the revenge angle in their favor after losing 45-44 in a wild game vs. Cal last season, but with this being the start of a three-game road trip for Texas with Oklahoma State and Oklahoma on deck, there is a solid chance Texas has one eye on opening up their conference schedule next week.

If this game was in the -3.5 to -4.5 range the tune might be a little different, but Texas laying -7.5 points here is simply too much.

Texas is just 1-4 ATS in their last five on the road, and last week's cover vs. UTEP was just the third time in the past 12 games that Texas has won ATS after scoring 40+ points.

The Longhorns put up 40 points in last week's victory so that same negative scenario applies here.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

'CFB: Streaks, Tips, Notes'

Ohio State at Oklahoma September 17, 7:20 EST

Sooners historically dominant in Norman winning seven consecutive games, eighteen of its last twenty-one in front of the home audience have opened 3.0 point home underdogs. Oklahoma's solid home field advantage no need overthinking this one. Take the points knowing Sooners are a profitable 7-1-1 against the betting line as regular season pups if 3.5 or less.


Alabama Crimson Tide at Mississippi Rebels September 17, 3:30 EST

Defending National Champion Alabama spanking Southern California 52-6 as a 13.5-point neutral-site favorites in the season opener followed it up with a not so impressive 38-10 victory over Western Kentucky as 27.0 point home chalk. Next up for Tide, a trip to Oxford as 9.5 point road favorites to take on Mississippi Rebels. Tide have won 10 of the past 12 meetings (4-8 ATS) but 'Ole Miss' dealt ‘Bama' its only loss last year, 43-37 catching 9 points on the road and also handed Crimson Tide its only regular season loss the prevoius year a 23-17 win in front of the home audience as 5.5 point underdogs. Rebels 5-1 ATS as home underdogs, Crimson Tide 2-8-1 ATS laying 7 to 10 on the road, 4-5-1 ATS last ten as road chalk vs the Conference you bet Nick Saban's troops at some risk.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

College football four-point stance: Week 3 pointspread picks and predictions
By JOE FORTENBAUGH

If you pay close enough attention to the plethora of in-depth analysis expected to surround Saturday night’s showdown between No. 18 Notre Dame and No. 12 Michigan State (7:30 p.m. ET), there’s a very good chance that you’ll stumble across the infamous “revenge” debate that has raged for years within gambling circles.

For the uninitiated, the two sides of the revenge angle play out as follows: Those who believe in revenge will cite additional motivation as an advantage for the team that lost the last time the series in question was played. Those against the revenge angle will cite cold, hard data and trends that state such motivation, while evident, has no significant impact on the actual result of the contest in question.

And round and round we go.

Personally, I’m of the belief that because we are humans and not robots, emotion should be considered, at least to some degree, when evaluating a potential sports wagering opportunity. While revenge may not be the factor that puts a potential bet over the top, it’s still a factor worthy of at least some small consideration.

Michigan State supporters will no doubt cite “triple revenge” as a potential reason for why Sparty will cover Saturday night’s number (+8) at Notre Dame, as the Fighting Irish defeated Mark Dantonio’s Spartans 31-13 in 2011, 20-3 in 2012 and 17-13 in 2013.

But if revenge truly is an important factor to consider, then shouldn’t Michigan State have won in 2012 after losing to Notre Dame in 2011, or even in 2013 after losing to the Irish in both 2011 and 2012? After all, the Spartans had both “revenge” and “double revenge” on their side in those last two encounters with Notre Dame.

I would submit that Michigan State fans look to the following information instead.

Let’s begin with the fact that Dantonio is 5-1 both straight-up and against the spread over his last six games as an underdog when playing with rest, as Michigan State was on the bye last weekend after squeaking by Furman 28-13 in their season opener.

Let’s continue this conversation by acknowledging that Notre Dame head coach Brian Kelly is a horrific 0-5 ATS at home against a rested opponent and 2-12 ATS as a favorite of seven or more points against a Big Ten opponent.

Now that’s the type of information I believe most of us can get behind. Saturday night’s slobber-knocker in South Bend likely won’t be decided because of revenge. Instead, what we truly should be monitoring is the fact that Michigan State has had two weeks to prepare for this showdown while Notre Dame is coming off a respectable 39-10 home win over Nevada that was preceded by a 50-47 double overtime loss at Texas.

All things considered, I’ll take Sparty and the points.

Pick: Michigan State +8

No. 25 Miami Hurricanes at Appalachian State Mountaineers

When: Saturday, September 17 at 12:00 p.m. ET
Spread: Miami -3.5

New head coach Mark Richt has won and covered in each of his first two games as boss of “The U,” but peer closer into last Saturday’s home showdown with Florida Atlantic and you’ll see that it took a perfect 14-0 fourth quarter for the Hurricanes to cover the 25-point closing number. Quarterback Brad Kaaya has been sloppy through his first two starts—both against overmatched competition—and is completing just 59.2 percent of his passes with only four touchdowns and two interceptions in 2016.

I’m sure you remember Appalachian State from their Week 1 thriller at Tennessee in which the Mountaineers fell 20-13 in overtime despite closing as 21.5-point underdogs. This is an extremely dangerous road game for a Miami program that reluctantly agreed to a home-and-home series with Appalachian State because of a last-minute deadline crunch to fill a schedule opening. The Mountaineers—who return 17 starters from last year’s 11-2 squad—are 4-1 ATS over their last five games played in the month of September and will not shy away from the big stage afforded them this weekend.

Pick: Appalachian State +3.5

South Florida Bulls at Syracuse Orange

When: Saturday, September 17 at 3:30 p.m. ET
Spread: South Florida -14.5

As of Wednesday evening, 67 percent of the wagers placed on this matchup were backing Syracuse, yet the point spread moved from South Florida -12.5 to South Florida -14.5. This information tells us that despite the current ticket count, the big money is coming in on the Bulls and for good reason. We recommend that you get yourself cozy with South Florida and head coach Willie Taggart now, because this program is a force to be reckoned with. After a 2-10 debut in 2013, Taggart went 4-8 in 2014 and 8-5 last season—with seven wins over his final nine outings—before busting out to a 2-0 start this year thanks to a 56-20 victory over Towson two weeks ago and a 48-17 beat down of Northern Illinois last Saturday.

Stud running back Marlon Mack—who rushed for 1,381 yards (6.6 YPC) and 8 TDs last year—is probable for Saturday after being sidelined for last week’s game with a concussion that he sustained in Week 1. The bottom line here is that Syracuse just does not have the personnel on defense to match up with the Bulls. But perhaps more importantly, take note that South Florida is 4-0 ATS in its last four trips to Syracuse and 6-1 ATS over its last seven games overall.

Pick: South Florida -14.5

No. 15 Texas Longhorns at California Golden Bears

When: Saturday, September 17 at 10:30 p.m. ET
Over/Under: 80.5

California head coach Sonny Dykes’ defense surrendered 44 points in a 45-44 win at Texas last season, as well as permitted 40 points at UCLA, 44 points at Oregon and 46 points vs. Arizona State. Those are significant details, because it appears as if the 2016 campaign has brought few improvements to a Golden Bears defense that has already given up 31 points to Hawaii and 45 points to San Diego State. What we’re getting at here is simple: Texas and true freshman signal-caller Shane Buechele (38/53, 524 yards, 6 TDs, 1 INT through two games) should have no issues whatsoever slicing and dicing through this porous unit, especially after torching Notre Dame for 50 points two weeks ago (50-47 2OT win) and UTEP for 41 last weekend (41-7 win).

The upside for Cal? Quarterback Davis Webb (79/126, 963 yards, 9 TDs, 3 INTs through two games) can sling it with the best of them, as the Bears have already hung 51 on Hawaii and 40 on a very talented San Diego State squad. Two up-tempo offenses, two gun-slinging quarterbacks and two questionable defenses. Don’t be surprised if these two programs post 100+ combined points Saturday night in Berkeley, especially when you consider the fact that the Over is 6-1 in Cal’s last seven matchups against Big 12 opposition.

Pick: Over 80.5

Last week: 2-2 ATS
Season: 3-5 ATS

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

'Ducks visit Cornhuskers'

Oregon at Nebraska September 17, 3:30 EST

Oregon still a force on the offensive end racked up an average 48.5 points/game on 522 total yards in winning its first two games against Cal-Davis and Virginia. But, Ducks failed to cover in each contest in large part to a defense undergoing changes that gave up 27.0 points/game on a whopping 780 total yards.

Nebraska has also opened the campaign with a pair of victories, defeating Fresno State, Wyoming. Cornhuskers' balanced offense in full display used the ground game (406 RY) in the opener to defeat Bulldogs 43-10 covering the 28.5 point spread and its air attack (412 PY) in downing Cowboys 52-17 covering as 25.5 point favorites.

Huskers have opened 3.0 point home favorites with the total hovering between 73.0 - 74.0 depending on locale.

A few betting nuggets to ponder: Memorial Stadium is usually a tough venue for visitors at this time of the year, the Huskers have won 13 of 15 in front of the home audience in September cashing 10 of 15 tickets. On the negative side, Huskers have failed to cash in four straight as home chalk of 4.5 or less.

As for Oregon, the Ducks no slouches in a hostile environment during the first month of play have won 12, lost 2 with a 10-4 record against the betting line. Ducks have won five of its last six as road underdogs including 4-1 as 3.5 pups or less.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Alabama at Ole Miss
By Brian Edwards

The moment Alabama fans have been waiting for has nearly arrived. Amid the greatness of its eight straight seasons with 10 wins or more, which has included four national titles and seven years of 12 wins or better, there has emerged a new nemesis.

This fresh challenger of sorts has bitten the beast in the backside in two consecutive seasons. It goes by the name of Ole Miss and is led by the school’s best coach since the one whose name adorns the stadium, Johnny Vaught, who led the Rebels to a 190-61-12 record from 1947-1970 (and the last eight games of 1973 after his successor was fired).

His name is Hugh Freeze, who took over for Houston Nutt in 2012 after 4-8 and 2-10 campaigns in 2010 and 2011. Freeze was born and raised in Oxford and has led Ole Miss on a steady rise from the moment he set foot on campus.

In Year 1, he led the Rebels to a postseason invite and a subsequent 38-17 win over Pittsburgh at the Compass Bowl. In ’13, they improved to 8-5 and downed Ga. Tech 25-17 at the Music City Bowl. Then in ’14, Freeze’s program really arrived, starting 7-0 and climbing to No. 3 in the national rankings, the highest status for the program at that late stage of the season in nearly 50 years.

Along the way, Ole Miss stunned Alabama 23-17 in comeback fashion at Vaught-Hemingway Stadium. Freeze’s bunch was a legit contender to participate in the first College Football Playoff, but a late interception while in field-goal range thwarted its last drive in a 10-7 loss at LSU. Two weeks later, the season was lost at home against Auburn when star WR Laquon Treadwell’s late go-ahead TD was reversed by replace officials.

Treadwell had fumbled at the goal line when a hit by an Auburn defender knocked the ball loose and broke Treadwell’s leg. In an instant, hopes of a first SEC West title in the program’s history were dashed and one of the team’s best players had to be carted off the field with a gruesome injury.

The hangover effect resulted in a loss at Arkansas two weeks later. Then after a nice bounce-back win over fourth-ranked Mississippi State. to ruin the arch rival’s shot at a CFP berth, Ole Miss took a beatdown from TCU at The Peach Bowl to finish 9-4.

Once again last year, Ole Miss was in the mix to get to the SEC Championship Game for the first time. Despite losses at Florida and at Memphis, the Rebels were in control of their own destiny thanks to a September win at Alabama by a 43-37 count as 6.5-point underdogs. But when Arkansas came to Oxford, it captured a 53-52 overtime win thanks to a wild first-down conversion on a fourth-and-long play that involved a crazy lateral, in addition to catching a break with a face-mask call to extend the winning drive in OT.

Nevertheless, Ole Miss still finished 10-3, won the Egg Bowl for a second straight season and went to its first Sugar Bowl in decades where it smashed Oklahoma State, 48-20. Freeze was the toast of the town, continuing to recruit at a level never seen before from Ole Miss in the modern era.

And then the NFL Draft happened. On a night that should’ve been a celebration of the program’s accomplishments on Freeze’s watch with three of its players being selected in the first round, instead turned into a debacle of epic proportions live on national television. Without getting into all of the sordid details, let’s simply note that Laremy Tunsil’s social media accounts were hacked, with one of them displaying copy-and-pasted text messages from Tunsil to a member of Freeze’s staff requesting cash to pay for his mother’s bills.

When asked about this during a televised interview after being drafted by the Dolphins, Tunsil answered, “I would have to say yes” to the question of whether or not he was paid while playing for the Rebels. Shortly after that answer, an assistant for the agent (Jimmie Sexton) who represents both Freeze and Tunsil ushered him off the stage and suddenly cut off all questions from the assembled media.

These developments put a major stain on Freeze’s reputation immediately. The program was already under investigation and Freeze’s success on the recruiting trail had already been called into question by many rival schools. Freeze was suddenly under a microscope for all the wrong reasons.

After the dust settled somewhat, he appeared on The Paul Finebaum Show less than two weeks later. Freeze’s mantra was and continues to be that he can’t discuss the specifics of the Tunsil situation because that part of the investigation hasn’t been completed, but he’s insisted that he’s done nothing wrong and that his program will survive this negativity.

That remains to be seen. Whatever the case, Ole Miss (1-1 straight up, 0-2 against the spread) had to be thrilled to put the tumultuous offseason behind it and get on the field. That certainly seemed to be the case when it jumped all over Florida State for a commanding 28-6 lead late in the second quarter of the season opener in Orlando.

However, the Seminoles trimmed the deficit to 28-13 with 28 ticks left before halftime on a 16-yard TD pass from Deondre Francois to Travis Rudolph. Then on FSU’s opening drive to start the second half, it pulled to within 12 with a 40-yard field goal. Ole Miss promptly committed a turnover and several plays later FSU cashed in with a one-yard TD run from Freddie Stevenson.

Just two plays later, another Ole Miss turnover gave FSU the ball in great field position with a chance to take the lead. Jimbo Fisher’s team did just that on a short TD run by Kermit Whitfield for a 29-28 advantage less than six minutes into the third quarter. The ‘Noles would extend the lead to 39-28 before the Rebels finally answered with 12:09 remaining.

Chad Kelly’s 20-yard TD pass to Van Jefferson cut the deficit to 39-34, but the two-point conversion attempt failed. Ole Miss was still within one possession after an FSU field goal, but its offense couldn’t counter. A late field goal provided the final points for the ‘Noles in their 45-34 win as five-point favorites. The 79 combined points soared ‘over’ the 57.5-point total.

Kelly completed 21-of-39 passes for 313 yards and four TDs, but he was intercepted three times and also lost a fumble. He didn’t get any help from the running game and spent the entire second half under extreme pressure. Evan Engram hauled in nine receptions for 121 yards and one TD.

In Week 2, the Rebels bounced back with a 38-13 win over Wofford, though they failed to take the cash as 43-point home ‘chalk.’ The 51 combined points stayed ‘under’ the 56.5-point total.

Kelly connected on 20-of-27 throws for 219 yards and three TDs without an interception. Akeem Judd ran for a team-high 64 yards on 11 carries, as the running game showed a pulse with a 5.1 YPC average.

As of late Thursday, most books had Alabama (2-0 SU, 2-0 ATS) installed as an 11-point favorite with a total of 55 points. The Rebels were available on the money line for a +330 return (risk $100 to win $330). As for first-half wagers, the Crimson Tide were favored by 6.5 points with a 28-point tally.

Alabama remained undefeated at Jerry World in the season opener by smashing Southern Cal 52-6 as a 13.5-point favorite. The 58 combined points surged ‘over’ the 51.5-point total.

USC drew first blood with a 47-yard field goal on its opening drive, but Nick Saban’s team would rip off 38 unanswered points. True freshman quarterback Jalen Hurts found ArDarius Stewart for a 39-yard scoring strike with 7:46 remaining in the second quarter to put ‘Bama ahead 7-3. The Tide would tack on an Adam Griffith 29-yard field goal with 3:26 left until halftime. Then several plays later, Marlon Humphrey extended Alabama’s advantage to 17-3 at intermission with an 18-yard interception return for a TD.

Things got ugly fast in the third quarter. Hurts found Stewart again for a 71-yard TD pass less than 90 seconds into the third quarter and the blowout was on from there. Hurts would add rushing scores from six and seven yards out. He accounted for four TDs in his collegiate debut, throwing for 118 yards on 6-of-11 passing. Hurts rushed nine times for 32 yards. Damien Harris ran nine times for a team-best 138 yards.

Alabama’s defense was as nasty as usual, limiting the Trojans to 194 yards of total offense. Jeremy Pruitt’s unit held USC to 64 rushing yards on 30 attempts for a pedestrian 2.1 yards-per-carry average.

In Week 2, Alabama had its home opener against Western Ky. It was a vintage sandwich situation with USC in the rearview mirror and Ole Miss on deck. Bettors either won or lost depending on when they place their wager – at least for the side. The Tide opened as a 28.5-point ‘chalk’ versus the Hilltoppers and the number spent most of the week in the 28-29 range. Only within the 80 minutes prior to kick did most books adjust the line to south of 28 and it closed at 27.

Therefore, late ‘Bama backers cashed a winner in the 38-10 win. The 48 combined points stayed ‘under’ the 60-point total. Hurts completed 23-of-36 passes for 287 yards and two TDs without an interception. Calvin Ridley had nine receptions for 129 yards and one TD, while Stewart hauled in five catches for 90 yards and one TD. Eddie Jackson’s 55-yard pick-six gave the Tide a 17-3 lead at halftime.

Despite the victory, Saban wasn’t impressed. He had to be concerned with the play of his offensive line, which was only able to carve holes for 124 rushing yards on 39 carries (3.2 YPC). His team was also penalized 12 times for 84 yards. Those results prompted an “ass-chewing” for offensive coordinator Lane Kiffin.

Since Saban took over in 2007, Alabama owns a 21-14 spread record as a road favorite, going 4-0 in its last four such situations.

Ole Miss has been a home underdog seven times during Freeze’s tenure, producing a 5-2 spread record with three outright wins. The Rebels have been double-digit home ‘dogs three times, going 2-1 ATS with one victory over LSU in ’13 as 10-point puppies.

When these schools met at Bryant-Denny Stadium last year, Kelly completed 18-of-33 passes for 341 yards and three TDs without an interception. He also had a four-yard TD run. Kelly’s third scoring strike to Treadwell gave the Rebels a 43-24 lead with 10:02 remaining. The Tide would mount a desperate rally, only to come up short.

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

**B.E.’s Bonus Nuggets**

-- Despite the emergence of the ‘over’ in last year’s meeting, the ‘under’ has still hit at a 6-2 clip in the last eight Alabama-Ole Miss encounters.

-- LSU owns an 8-4-1 spread record in its last 13 games as a home favorite. Mississippi State is 9-11 ATS in 20 games as a road underdog during Dan Mullen’s eight-year tenure. The Tigers will host the Bulldogs on Saturday at Tiger Stadium on ESPN2 at 7:00 p.m. Eastern. LSU has won 15 of the last 16 head-to-head meetings between these SEC West rivals, but Mississippi State won 34-29 as a nine-point underdog its last trip to Baton Rouge. Mullen’s team covered the spread but came out on the wrong end of a 21-19 decision as a four-point home underdog against LSU in Starkville last season.

-- According to Jim McElwain’s comments after Wednesday’s practice, Florida star sophomore WR Antonio Callaway is ‘highly questionable to doubtful’ for Saturday’s home game vs. North Texas. McElwain should and I assume will rest Callaway in order for him to be as close to 100 percent as possible for next week’s trip to Swamp North in Knoxville for a crucial SEC East showdown against Tennessee. The Gators have beaten the Volunteers 11 consecutive times.

-- Texas A&M owns a 3-6 spread record in nine games as a road ‘dog on Kevin Sumlin’s watch. Meanwhile, Auburn has posted an 8-11 spread record as a home ‘chalk’ since Gus Malzahn took over. The Tigers had failed to cover in eight consecutive games as home favorites until taking the cash in last week’s 51-14 win over Arkansas State when they were favored by 20.5 points. As of late Thursday, most spots had Auburn favored by 3.5 points over the Aggies, who have won outright on both trips to Auburn since joining the SEC. ESPN will have the broadcast at 7:00 p.m. Eastern.

-- Kentucky’s Mark Stoops is feeling the heat after his program lost for the 30th straight time to Florida this past Saturday. The Wildcats fell 45-7 and only dodged the cream-cheese treatment by scoring against back-ups late in the fourth quarter. We should note, however, that Stoops does have a $12 million buyout if UK chooses to part ways with him. His team is a 21.5-point home favorite this week vs. New Mexico State. The Aggies will probably be without star RB Larry Rose, who is still recovering from sports hernia surgery and has yet to play this year. Rose was the Sun Belt Conference’s Offensive Player of the Year last season when he rushed for 1,651 yards and 14 TDs while averaging 6.9 YPC.

-- Vanderbilt is a 6.5-point underdog Saturday at Georgia Tech. The Commodores bounced back from its 13-10 season-opening home loss to South Carolina by beating Middle Tennessee 47-24 as three-point home ‘chalk.’ Junior RB Ralph Webb was the catalyst with 211 rushing yards and two TDs on 29 carries. Since Derek Mason took over at Vandy, the ‘Dores have compiled a 6-4 spread record as a road underdog.

-- As of late Thursday, most spots had Georgia listed as a 6.5-point favorite at Missouri. In its last trip to Columbia, UGA dominated the Tigers in a 34-0 blowout as a three-point road favorite. When they collided between the hedges in Athens last year, the Bulldogs won a 9-6 defensive struggle with the Tigers easily covering the number as 15.5-point road underdogs. After dropping its season opener 26-11 at West Virginia, Missouri rolled past Eastern Michigan 61-21 as a 23-point home favorite last week. QB Drew Lock threw for 450 yards and five TDs without an interception. Lock is currently fifth in the nation in passing yards (730).

-- The ‘under’ has cashed at a 12-2 clip in Missouri’s last 14 games.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

NCAA Football Predictions: Week 3 Opening Line Report and Picks
by Alan Matthews

We could learn as early as next month if the Big 12 is planning on expanding. I wonder if what happens this weekend could affect the conference's decision. I say this because the Big 12 is already in some jeopardy of missing out on the College Football Playoff for the second time in three seasons.

Of course, Oklahoma lost in Week 1, and in Week 2 the Big 12 saw ranked Oklahoma State and TCU both lose at home to fall out of the Top 25. The Cowboys were jobbed by the referees in their shocking 30-27 loss to Central Michigan on a spectacular Hail Mary and lateral play by the Chippewas -- we probably won't see a better ending all season. Except that CMU shouldn't have been allowed that final untimed down. Officials wrongly gave CMU the chance when OSU was called for intentional grounding on fourth down the play before. Rules state that the game cannot end on an accepted live-ball penalty. I don't understand why the NCAA can't just give the game to Oklahoma State, but the rulebook states that: "when the referee declares that the game is ended, the score is final."

I blame Pokes coach Mike Gundy for all this as he simply could have had QB Mason Rudolph run around for a few seconds on fourth down to run out the clock instead of throwing that pass. You can rule Oklahoma State out of the playoff because it's not running the table the rest of the way, although part of me hopes it does to see how the College Football Playoff committee might take that refereeing mistake into account. OSU is -6.5 at home vs. Pittsburgh this week.

Go ahead and eliminate TCU from the playoff as well because the Frogs lost 41-38 in double overtime at home to Arkansas, and TCU isn't good enough to run the table, either. TCU had won 14 straight home games, the third-longest active streak in the nation. Frogs QB Kenny Hill drew a totally stupid unsportsmanlike penalty with a throat-slash gesture that provided the Hogs with enough field position to score late and send the game into OT. Texas Christian should have no trouble bouncing back this week as a 23.5-point favorite against visiting Iowa State, which has looked terrible thus far under first-year coach Matt Campbell.

Here are a few Week 3 opening lines that caught my eye. Rankings from AP poll and games Saturday unless noted.

No. 6 Houston at Cincinnati (+7.5): This is the Thursday night ESPN game and probably one of only two chances for Houston to lose a regular-season game playing in the weak American Athletic Conference. The other would Nov. 17 out of conference vs. Louisville. These two schools could both be in the Big 12 next season, although I tend to think it will be Houston and BYU if the conference does expand. The Cougars rested injured quarterback Greg Ward and No. 1 tailback Duke Catalon in Saturday's 42-0 scrimmage against Lamar. Coach Tom Herman said both could have played if it was a conference game, so you can expect them here. Smart move to sit them with the quick turnaround. The Cougars had three players top 100 yards rushing for the first time since 1974 and finished with 381 yards on the ground in the victory. Cincinnati won at Purdue on Saturday, the school's first victory at a Big Ten school in nearly 60 years. But I barely consider Purdue a Big Ten school in football. UC lost at No. 25 Houston 33-30 last year despite 523 yards passing and four TDs from Gunner Kiel (gone now). Ward threw for 161 yards and two scores but was picked off twice. He also rushed for 119 yards. This will be the first time a Top 10 team has played in Nippert Stadium since Nov. 17, 2007, when the Bearcats lost 28-23 to No. 5 West Virginia. The pick: Cincinnati (to cover but not win).

No. 2 Florida State at No. 10 Louisville (+2.5): This might be the biggest home game in Louisville football history and ESPN GameDay will be there. It's the first Top-10 matchup at Papa John's Stadium since 2006. If the Seminoles win this, I think they have a clear path to the playoff because they host Clemson on Oct. 29 and the Tigers haven't looked all that great yet. I haven't seen new Heisman odds posted yet at sportsbooks, but if Louisville sophomore QB Lamar Jackson isn't the favorite then something's wrong. Jackson followed up his ACC-record eight-TD game in Week 1 against Charlotte with a conference-record 610 yards of offense while totaling five more scores in a Week 2 blowout of Syracuse. The Cardinals set a school record and came within 13 yards of the ACC record with 845 yards offensively. They lead the nation in yards and points per game but obviously haven't seen any defensive athletes like FSU has. The Noles breezed by Charleston Southern on Saturday. They beat visiting Louisville 41-21 last year. Jackson had 339 yards of offense and three scores but U of L allowed 510 yards. The pick: Florida State.

No. 3 Ohio State at No. 14 Oklahoma (+1.5): The Sooners can save some face for the Big 12 with a win here and keep their playoff hopes alive. A loss knocks them out for good. Per ESPN's Football Power Index, there's now an 80 percent chance that the Big 12 champ will finish with two or more defeats this year; that percentage going into the season was 36 percent. No two-loss Big 12 team is getting into the playoff. This line already has dropped a point as people are probably not used to seeing OU as a home dog and are betting them heavy. Last time OU had a plus in front of its spread in Norman was in 2000 when No. 3 OU took down No. 1 Nebraska 31-14. I'm shocked that Oklahoma allowed this, but Ohio State has rented out the Lloyd Noble Center, the Sooners' basketball arena, for a pregame pep rally that will feature Brutus and the Buckeye band. Why would you do that if you are OU? I have no idea if Ohio State is any good after destroying Bowling Green and Tulsa. But remember that the Buckeyes are incredibly young and brought back the fewest starters in the nation. That will finally matter going to enemy territory for the first time. The pick: Oklahoma.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

'CFB: Streaks, Tips, Notes'

Ohio State at Oklahoma September 17, 7:20 EST

Sooners historically dominant in Norman winning seven consecutive games, eighteen of its last twenty-one in front of the home audience have opened 3.0 point home underdogs. Oklahoma's solid home field advantage no need overthinking this one. Take the points knowing Sooners are a profitable 7-1-1 against the betting line as regular season pups if 3.5 or less.


Alabama Crimson Tide at Mississippi Rebels September 17, 3:30 EST

Defending National Champion Alabama spanking Southern California 52-6 as a 13.5-point neutral-site favorites in the season opener followed it up with a not so impressive 38-10 victory over Western Kentucky as 27.0 point home chalk. Next up for Tide, a trip to Oxford as 9.5 point road favorites to take on Mississippi Rebels. Tide have won 10 of the past 12 meetings (4-8 ATS) but 'Ole Miss' dealt ‘Bama' its only loss last year, 43-37 catching 9 points on the road and also handed Crimson Tide its only regular season loss the prevoius year a 23-17 win in front of the home audience as 5.5 point underdogs. Rebels 5-1 ATS as home underdogs, Crimson Tide 2-8-1 ATS laying 7 to 10 on the road, 4-5-1 ATS last ten as road chalk vs the Conference you bet Nick Saban's troops at some risk.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

NCAAF

Saturday’s best 13 games

South Carolina split pair of SEC road games to open season; they didn’t score in first half of either game, gave up 290 rushing yards LW in Starkville. Gamecocks are 3-7 in last 10 games as home favorite. East Carolina covered four of last five as a road dog. Last 3+ years, AAC teams are 8-6-2 vs spread when playing an SEC opponent. SEC home favorites are 5-5 as home favorites this year; AAC road dogs are 2-2.


Florida State beat Louisville 42-31/41-21 last two years, throwing ball for 778 yards. Louisville hung 62 on defense-less Syracuse LW (gained 414 rushing yards, 431 passing), now they get a Florida State team that is missing James, one of its best defenders. First road start for FSU’s frosh QB Francois. Cardinals are 1-1 as a home dog under Petrino (4-8 since ’09); FSU is 8-5 in its last 13 games as a road favorite.

Temple sacked Hackenberg 10 times LY in 27-10 (+6.5) upset win over Penn State (outgained PSU 317-183). Owls lost 28-13 to Army then beat a I-AA team LW; they’re 8-4 as road dogs under Rhule. Lions gave up 341 rushing yards in 42-39 loss at Pitt LW; they’re 15-9 in last 24 games as a home favorite. Last 2+ years, AAC teams are 4-7 vs spread when facing Big 14 teams. AAC teams are 4-2 as underdogs this year; Big 14 home favorites are 7-5.

Nebraska coach Riley was 3-8 vs Oregon when he coached rival Oregon State; Huskers scored 95 points in whacking couple of Mountain West also rans to start season. Oregon has another I-AA transfer QB who is making his road start for Ducks- they gained 632 yards vs Virginia LW. Last 4+ years, Pac-12 teams are 13-11-2 vs spread when facing Big 14 opponents, 8-3 if an underdog. Big 14 home favorites are 7-5 vs spread this season.

UCLA ran ball for 296 yards in narrow 24-23 win (-16.5) over BYU LY; Bruins lost their only road game, in OT at Texas A&M- they pulled away late from UNLV LW. BYU split pair of games vs Pac-12 schools, with games decided by total of 3 points. UCLA is 8-5 as road favorite under Mora. Cougars are 12-4 as underdogs the last five years, 2-0 at home. Pac-12 favorites are 4-5 vs spread this season.

Oklahoma State lost as a 20-point home favorite LW, giving up a TD on a Hail Mary/lateral as time expired. Pitt is coming off of its 42-39 win over Penn State, in renewal of regional rivalry. Last 10+ years, OSU is 30-16-1 as home favorite. Pitt is 4-1 as road dog under Narduzzi, 17-9-1 over last decade. Last five years, Big X teams are 8-6 vs spread when facing an ACC opponent. Big X home favorites are 2-5 vs spread so far this year.

Michigan State lost its last three games with Notre Dame by 4-17-18 points; dogs covered four of last five series games overall, and seven of last nine played here. Teams didn’t play last 2 years. Last decade, Spartans are 14-8 as a road underdog. ND covered five of its last six home games- they ran ball for 445 yards in splitting first two games. Big 14 teams are 11-8 vs spread, 2-3 as underdogs so far this season. Spartans had LW off after opening with I-AA foe.

Home side lost last four Texas A&M-Auburn games; Aggies won 41-38/63-21 in last two visits here. A&M is 2-6 vs spread in last 8 games as a road underdog; they’re 14-25-1 vs spread in their last 40 games overall. Auburn is 0-7 in its last seven games as a home favorite, 5-11 in its last 16 SEC games. Tigers bounced back from 19-13 loss to Clemson with 51-14 rout of Arkansas State LW- they ran ball for 462 yards. Aggies won opener in OT at home over UCLA before crushing a I-AA stiff LW.

Oklahoma is a home dog for first time since ’00 vs Nebraska, game the Sooners won. OU already lost at Houston; their next two tilts are at TCU/vs Texas in Dallas- tough schedule- they gave up 593 PY in two games. Ohio State is 7-6 as road favorite under Meyer; they ran ball for 627 yards in routing BG/Tulsa to open season. Last five years, Big X teams are 10-8 vs spread when facing a Big 14 squad. Big 14 teams are 9-5 vs spread as favorites, 2-0 on road.

Ole Miss beat Alabama 43-37/23-17 last two years; they’re 8-3 vs spread in last 11 series games, but Rebels blew 28-6 lead to FSU in opener, then allowed 233 rushing yards LW to I-AA Wofford, so red flags there. Bama covered its last four games as road favorite, but this is first road start for frosh QB Hurts. Crimson Tide won its first two games easily, outscored USC/Western Ky by 90-16 total. Rebels are 5-2 as a home underdog under Freeze.

LSU used Purdue transfer Etling at QB in LW’s win over a I-AA foe; Tigers are 15-1 in last 16 games with Mississippi State, but Bulldogs did win last visit here (with Prescott at QB). MSU is 3-2 vs spread in last five visits to Death Valley. Bulldogs ran ball for 529 yards in first two games- they didn’t allow first half point in either game, but blew 17-0 lead in loss to USA. MSU is 6-2 as road underdogs the last three years. LSU is 8-3-1 in its last 12 games as a home favorite.

Stanford won six of last eight games with USC, winning last two 41-31/41-22; underdogs are 10-3 vs spread in last 13 series games. USC beat Utah St. LW after getting crushed by Alabama; they’ve lost couple players to off-field issues since. Trojans are 2-6 in last eight games as a road dog; Cardinal was outgained 335-272 in its opening win, over K-State- they didn’t play last week. Stanford is 9-5 vs spread in its last 14 games as a home favorite.

Cal (-6) won 45-44 at Texas LY, despite being outgained 650-548. Golden Bears gave up 582 rushing yards in splitting first two games; they lost wild 45-40 game at San Diego State LW. Cal is 3-10 as a home dog under Dykes. Longhorns scored 91 points in winning first two games; this is 1st road start for frosh QB Buechele. Texas is 3-1 as a road favorite under Strong. Last 5+ years, Big X teams are 12-7 vs spread when facing a Pac-12 opponent. Big X teams are 2-6 as favorites so far this year.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

NCAAF

Saturday’s best 13 games

South Carolina split pair of SEC road games to open season; they didn’t score in first half of either game, gave up 290 rushing yards LW in Starkville. Gamecocks are 3-7 in last 10 games as home favorite. East Carolina covered four of last five as a road dog. Last 3+ years, AAC teams are 8-6-2 vs spread when playing an SEC opponent. SEC home favorites are 5-5 as home favorites this year; AAC road dogs are 2-2.


Florida State beat Louisville 42-31/41-21 last two years, throwing ball for 778 yards. Louisville hung 62 on defense-less Syracuse LW (gained 414 rushing yards, 431 passing), now they get a Florida State team that is missing James, one of its best defenders. First road start for FSU’s frosh QB Francois. Cardinals are 1-1 as a home dog under Petrino (4-8 since ’09); FSU is 8-5 in its last 13 games as a road favorite.

Temple sacked Hackenberg 10 times LY in 27-10 (+6.5) upset win over Penn State (outgained PSU 317-183). Owls lost 28-13 to Army then beat a I-AA team LW; they’re 8-4 as road dogs under Rhule. Lions gave up 341 rushing yards in 42-39 loss at Pitt LW; they’re 15-9 in last 24 games as a home favorite. Last 2+ years, AAC teams are 4-7 vs spread when facing Big 14 teams. AAC teams are 4-2 as underdogs this year; Big 14 home favorites are 7-5.

Nebraska coach Riley was 3-8 vs Oregon when he coached rival Oregon State; Huskers scored 95 points in whacking couple of Mountain West also rans to start season. Oregon has another I-AA transfer QB who is making his road start for Ducks- they gained 632 yards vs Virginia LW. Last 4+ years, Pac-12 teams are 13-11-2 vs spread when facing Big 14 opponents, 8-3 if an underdog. Big 14 home favorites are 7-5 vs spread this season.

UCLA ran ball for 296 yards in narrow 24-23 win (-16.5) over BYU LY; Bruins lost their only road game, in OT at Texas A&M- they pulled away late from UNLV LW. BYU split pair of games vs Pac-12 schools, with games decided by total of 3 points. UCLA is 8-5 as road favorite under Mora. Cougars are 12-4 as underdogs the last five years, 2-0 at home. Pac-12 favorites are 4-5 vs spread this season.

Oklahoma State lost as a 20-point home favorite LW, giving up a TD on a Hail Mary/lateral as time expired. Pitt is coming off of its 42-39 win over Penn State, in renewal of regional rivalry. Last 10+ years, OSU is 30-16-1 as home favorite. Pitt is 4-1 as road dog under Narduzzi, 17-9-1 over last decade. Last five years, Big X teams are 8-6 vs spread when facing an ACC opponent. Big X home favorites are 2-5 vs spread so far this year.

Michigan State lost its last three games with Notre Dame by 4-17-18 points; dogs covered four of last five series games overall, and seven of last nine played here. Teams didn’t play last 2 years. Last decade, Spartans are 14-8 as a road underdog. ND covered five of its last six home games- they ran ball for 445 yards in splitting first two games. Big 14 teams are 11-8 vs spread, 2-3 as underdogs so far this season. Spartans had LW off after opening with I-AA foe.

Home side lost last four Texas A&M-Auburn games; Aggies won 41-38/63-21 in last two visits here. A&M is 2-6 vs spread in last 8 games as a road underdog; they’re 14-25-1 vs spread in their last 40 games overall. Auburn is 0-7 in its last seven games as a home favorite, 5-11 in its last 16 SEC games. Tigers bounced back from 19-13 loss to Clemson with 51-14 rout of Arkansas State LW- they ran ball for 462 yards. Aggies won opener in OT at home over UCLA before crushing a I-AA stiff LW.

Oklahoma is a home dog for first time since ’00 vs Nebraska, game the Sooners won. OU already lost at Houston; their next two tilts are at TCU/vs Texas in Dallas- tough schedule- they gave up 593 PY in two games. Ohio State is 7-6 as road favorite under Meyer; they ran ball for 627 yards in routing BG/Tulsa to open season. Last five years, Big X teams are 10-8 vs spread when facing a Big 14 squad. Big 14 teams are 9-5 vs spread as favorites, 2-0 on road.

Ole Miss beat Alabama 43-37/23-17 last two years; they’re 8-3 vs spread in last 11 series games, but Rebels blew 28-6 lead to FSU in opener, then allowed 233 rushing yards LW to I-AA Wofford, so red flags there. Bama covered its last four games as road favorite, but this is first road start for frosh QB Hurts. Crimson Tide won its first two games easily, outscored USC/Western Ky by 90-16 total. Rebels are 5-2 as a home underdog under Freeze.

LSU used Purdue transfer Etling at QB in LW’s win over a I-AA foe; Tigers are 15-1 in last 16 games with Mississippi State, but Bulldogs did win last visit here (with Prescott at QB). MSU is 3-2 vs spread in last five visits to Death Valley. Bulldogs ran ball for 529 yards in first two games- they didn’t allow first half point in either game, but blew 17-0 lead in loss to USA. MSU is 6-2 as road underdogs the last three years. LSU is 8-3-1 in its last 12 games as a home favorite.

Stanford won six of last eight games with USC, winning last two 41-31/41-22; underdogs are 10-3 vs spread in last 13 series games. USC beat Utah St. LW after getting crushed by Alabama; they’ve lost couple players to off-field issues since. Trojans are 2-6 in last eight games as a road dog; Cardinal was outgained 335-272 in its opening win, over K-State- they didn’t play last week. Stanford is 9-5 vs spread in its last 14 games as a home favorite.

Cal (-6) won 45-44 at Texas LY, despite being outgained 650-548. Golden Bears gave up 582 rushing yards in splitting first two games; they lost wild 45-40 game at San Diego State LW. Cal is 3-10 as a home dog under Dykes. Longhorns scored 91 points in winning first two games; this is 1st road start for frosh QB Buechele. Texas is 3-1 as a road favorite under Strong. Last 5+ years, Big X teams are 12-7 vs spread when facing a Pac-12 opponent. Big X teams are 2-6 as favorites so far this year.