Drew Gordon
Today's Games...
1. 300,000♦ North Carolina
2. 50,000♦ Michigan State
1. North Carolina- Two programs headed in opposite directions, and I expect we'll see exactly that this afternoon from Kenan Stadium. Hokies have been far from impressive, with an offense that's struggled, and a young defense that's working with 3 new starters in the secondary. The Tarheels on the other hand, are vastly improved, as Butch Davis reknowed ability to recruit is starting to pay big dividens in Chapel Hill. But let's examine the match further...
No question the biggest match up of the day is the Tarheels outstanding wideouts versus the Hokies secondary. True, CB Victor "Macho" Harris is excellent, but its no secret this Hokies secondary has new starters at the other CB and both safety spots. Because Virginia Tech played "run-heavy" teams like Eatern Carolina and Goergia Tech in 2 of their first 3 games, their secondary has yet to be tested, and believe you me, T.J. Yates and his bevy of stud WRs are going to expose them in this one.
On the flip side, the Hokies offense is in complete disarray, with coach Beamer pulling the redshirt off QB Tyrod Taylor in a move that screams of desperation. Not like it mattered much, as Taylor was pathetic against Georgia Tech, going 9 of 14 for a measly 48 yards passing, although he did some damage on the ground, it won't be nearly as easy against a solid North Carolina stop-unit playing at home.
Finally, did you know Virginia Tech has failed to cover in 7 straight September contests?! In other words, they come out of the gate slow, and with their issues at the quarterback position, you can expect more of the same this season. North Carolina on the other hand, is 6-2 ATS over their last 8 at Kenan Stadium and 4-1 ATS over their last 5 against a team with a winning record!
Bottom line, expect Yates and WRs Tate (stud who will play on Sunday's), Nicks (Carolina record 74 catches last season) and Foster (800 career receiving yards) to make the difference in this contest, as Virginia Tech is not built to play from behind. Tarheels offense is dynamic, while their defense was clearly on display in their 44-12 shellacking of Rutgers last week! As a final note, the Tarheels also have quadruple revenge working in their favor, as they haven't beaten the Hokies since 1998! Look for that to change today, as the Tarheels take it to the Hokies, and take the top spot in the ACC Coastal along with it!
Take North Carolina over Virginia Tech as your top-rated play of the day.
2. Michigan State- Good spot to back the Spartans, as Notre Dame comes into this contest with some buzz after beating a Michigan team that tried their best to give them the game. You'll forgive me for harping on the Wolverines, but 4 fumbles and two picks later, its hard for me to be that impressed by Notre Dame's win. In other words, don't be fooled, Michigan State has owned this series of late, and they'll own today's game as well!
Last two years the Irish have been unable stop anything the Spartans offense has thrown at them, allowing 40 and 31 points in their last two meetings respectively. I see little difference this year, as QB Hoyer and RB Ringer return, along with a big and experienced o-line (all upperclassmen). Some people were disappointed by the Spartand mere 17 points scored against FAU, but rest-assured, that was a rain-soaked contest that required power running, not passing, and I think we can all agree they were succesful (Ringer 43 carries for 276 yards rushing and 2 TDs)!
For those of us who watched the Irish beat the Wolverines, were you really that impressed by this Norte Dame offense? Clausen completed under 50% of his passes for 2 TDs and 2 picks, while the running game averaged just 3.3 yards per carry! Guys, I'll tell you again, Notre Dame won that game because Michigan handed it to them, not because of anything special they did. While the Spartans defense isn't as sack-happy as they were last season, they'll still apply more than enough pressure to keep Clausen guessing. Also, with CBs Weaver and Rucker playing extremely well, passing the ball has become a lot harder than it used to be against this Spartans D.
Bottom line, while the visitor has grabbed the cash in this series for 7 straight meetings, look for that trend to broken this afternoon, as an overrated Notre Dame squad gets all they can handle and more from this Michigan State team. The public has always loved the Irish, but truth be told, they're still a ways away from being relevant, while the Spartans are an up-and-coming team looking for a big home win. Spartans roll!
Take Michigan State comfortably over Notre Dame in this college football match up.
Tonight's Game...
1. 100,000♦ Wake Forest
1. Wake Forest- Okay, let's make something crystal clear, the Demon Deacons are the cream of the ACC crop, featuring a top-tier offense led by one of the better QBs in the nation (Riley Skinner), and a stout oppurtunistic defense and special teams that contributed 10 TDs last season! Florida State on the other hand, is still living off their glory days, and coming into this contest extremely overrated thanks to early season blowouts over cupcakes Western Carolina and Chattnooga.
First things first, while the Seminoles have racked up impressive offensive numbers, doing so against those two cupcakes mentioned above is hardly a vote of confidence. Sure, Ponder's 6 TDs to 0 picks "looks" good, as does a defense that's allowed only 1 TD thru two games, but let's get real. Neither contest was lined because neither contest was really a "contest!" Overconfidence is a team killer, and make no mistake, all reports out of Tallahassee is this Seminoles team is beaming with confidence, which is laughable when you consider the comp they've faced.
Second, let's not forget the Deacons have won and covered the last two in this series, as their program is on the way up, and the Seminoles in clearly in decline. Not only that, but anyone who knows Wake Forest football knows they present a tremendous amout of value as an away dog, going 17-9-1 ATS in that spot! Florida State has also been piss-poor as a home favorite of late, going just 4-8 ATS over their last 12!
Finally, while Florida State gets a couple players back this week, including WR Preston Parker and DL Bud Thacker, Wake Forest comes into this game fully healthy and off a bye. Needless to say, that's a huge edge and more than enough time for coach Grobe to gameplan his unorthodox offense to beat the Seminoles. In the end, while the outright upset is definate possibility, we'll take the points and grab the cash with the ACC's best team visiting an overconfident FSU squad that's primed for a letdown against their first "real" competition of the season.
Take Wake Forest plus the points over Florida State in this college football match up.
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