WAYNE ROOT
MILLIONAIRE
utah state
No Limit--Northwestern +
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Perfect Play--Auburn +
It is a battle of coaches on the hot seat as LSU head coach Les Miles and Auburn head coach Gus Malzahn are needing a huge statement win and NOW. QB has always been the problem for LSU. Today's QB for LSU, Danny Etling has taken the starting position away from the ineffective Brandon Harris, and in his first start, was decent. The Auburn defense has kept it in both losses this season, and will try to force Etling to beat them with his arm. Defensive linemen Carl Lawson and Marlon Davidson will try to plug the holes Deshaun Davis and the linebacker corps look to stop superstar RB Leonard Fournette. Auburn' stunning game should be able to do all that is needed to secure the win. Neither offenses will put on a show. This game is all low scoring defense. Auburn’s greatest strength looks as if it will be their defense this year, especially at cornerback where they feature some great talent. This game comes down to the +3 and THE HOOK. Look for that 24-21 final and one coach possibly getting the boot on Sunday. They don't mess around in the SEC with their football.
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Inner Circle--Tennessee -
Last year, Florida won coming back from a 13-point deficit with 14 points in the final four minutes. Don't think the Volunteers have forgotten. College revenge games are huge. This game is so big that the median ticket price on Vivid Seats was $319. Tennessee's QB Joshua Dobbs is 45 of 75 for 486 yards and six touchdowns and has rushed for 161 yards and three scores. Additionally, the senior is completing 60 percent of his throws. For the visitor, Florida is starting a new quarterback Austin Appleby that struggled during his stint as a starter at Purdue. It’s never a positive when you have to go into a big game with a backup quarterback, and it’s doubly bad when you have to go into a big game with a guy who couldn’t cut it at Purdue. But this game is more than two QB's going nowhere after graduating. Tennessee is more talented, they’ve got the experience, and they’re at home in one of the program’s biggest games in a long, long time. The Florida defense hasn’t faced a real offense yet, but it’s been beyond terrific so far destroying UMass, Kentucky and North Texas. Florida has yet to break a sweat and hasn’t dealt with any adversity. Derek Barnett, Tennessee’s All-American pass rusher lived in Ohio’s backfield last Saturday. He was credited with just a pair of hurries, but he impacted way more plays than that and will disrupt the Florida offense. Look for run first game plan for the Gators. They won't chance many throws with Appleby. Butch Jones will have his team ready for a chance to finally break that 11 game losing streak. This is the Volunteers chance to rocket into the next dimension and remain undefeated and move into the talk of winning the SEC East. The loss of Gators starting QB Luke Del Rio last Saturday is a setback that will be hard to overcome.
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Pinnacle--UCLA + ***PAC 12 Game of Year
Meet the #1 pick in the 2018 NFL Draft; Josh Rosen. UCLA sophomore Josh Rosen, one of the top NFL quarterback prospects in the nation, has thrown for 917 yards, with four touchdowns and looks to crush Stanford's defense in an all everything of importance PAC 12 game. But this game must have the defensive effort like last weeks. UCLA held BYU to 23 yards on 25 rushes, including four sacks. That's a standout performance against running back Jamaal Williams and dual-threat quarterback Taysom Hill.
Stanford has this years All-America Christian McCaffrey who is almost unstoppable at times. He rushes, catches passes out of the backfield and handles kickoffs like no other. At some point, Stanford will have to throw the ball to win, and that’s going to be a problem if the first two games are any indication. Additionally a potential difference-maker in this year's matchup is UCLA defensive tackle Eddie Vanderdoes, a 325-pound run-stuffer who missed last year's game after suffering a torn ACL in the opener. He and 325-pound defensive lineman Eli Ankou have the kind of beef needed to counter Stanford's power attack. If QB Rosen and UCLA can come out roaring and put up a few early points, and then rely on a secondary that’s been solid so far, McCaffrey can get his yards and his moments, but they won’t be enough. UCLA is 13-7 against ranked opponents under Mora, including a 4-1 mark in each of the past two seasons. This is the game Stanford’s lack of a passing game gets exposed, and this is where Josh Rosen carries the team on his back and prepares the nation of what a great QB looks like. From a point spread tip, always bet the original favorite. UCLA opened up -1 by the oddsmakers. The public (85%+) pushed the line to Stanford -3. Bet the Vegas oddsmakers; not the public.