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Saturday’s 6-pack
Opening week college football spreads:
— Nebraska (-8.5) @ Illinois
— Hawai’i @ UCLA (-17)
— UTEP (-7) @ New Mexico State
— UConn @ Fresno State (-27)
— Temple @ Rutgers (-13.5)
— Boise State @ UCF (-4.5)
Quote of the Day.
“If you have a positive attitude and constantly strive to give your best effort, eventually you will overcome your immediate problems and find you are ready for greater challenges.”
Pat Riley
Saturday’s quiz
How many major league teams has Tony LaRussa managed?
Friday’s quiz
In the movie Hoosiers, Jimmy Chitwood wore number 15.
Thursday’s quiz
Alex Rodriguez started his major league career with Seattle.
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Saturday’s Den: Big 14 football knowledge
Illinois
— New coach Bielema was 37-19 SU in Big 14 games at Wisconsin, from 2006-12.
— Bielema later went 11-29 SU in SEC games at Arkansas.
— Last nine years, Illinois is 14-25 ATS as a road underdog.
— Illini lost last two bowls, haven’t won one since 2011, their last winning year.
Indiana
— Hoosiers went 14-7 SU last 2 years, after going 36-62 previous eight years.
— HC Allen is 17-4 ATS if home team is favored, 8-13 if road team is favored.
— Under Allen, Indiana is 18-6 ATS coming off a win.
— Indiana lost its last six bowls; their last bowl win was 1991.
Iowa
— Last eight years, Iowa is 19-5-1 ATS as road favorites.
— Last three years, Hawkeyes were +9/+9/+9 in turnovers.
— Iowa covered 7 of its last 8 non-conference games.
— Hawkeyes won last three bowls, scoring 34.3 ppg.
Maryland
— HC Locksley was 8-43 SU at New Mexico, is 6-17 SU here.
— Last 6 years, Maryland is 23-41 SU; their last bowl was 2016.
— Last 5 years, Terps are 5-13 ATS as a road underdog.
— Terps lost last three bowls; their last bowl win was 2010.
Michigan
— Harbaugh is 9-17 ATS as a road underdog.
— Last five years, Michigan is 4-10 ATS off a loss.
— Since 2013, Wolverines are 12-22-1 ATS out of conference.
— Michigan lost its last four bowls, giving up 34.8 ppg.
Michigan State
— 2013-15, Spartans were 36-5 SU; since then, they’re 29-29 SU.
— Last three years, MSU is 2-15 ATS at home, 1-10 as a favorite.
— Spartans are 2-7-1 ATS in last ten games as an underdog.
— Over last decade, MSU is 9-2 ATS on neutral fields.
Minnesota
— Gophers were 3-4 LY, with two losses in overtime.
— HC Fleck is 27-15-2 ATS on road, 22-23 at home.
— Last 7 years, Minnesota is 22-10 ATS coming off a loss.
— Gophers won their last four bowls, were underdog in 3 of them.
Nebraska
— Four straight losing seasons, going 16-28 SU.
— Last 8 years, Nebraska is 14-25-1 ATS as home favorites.
— Last 4 years, they’re 2-7 ATS out of conference.
— Junior QB Martinez has 27 starts; they have 3 starters back on OL.
Northwestern
— Under Fitzgerald, Wildcats are 37-17 ATS as road underdogs.
— New QB Hilinski started 11 games at South Carolina.
— Last five years, Wildcats are 15-9-1 ATS coming off a loss.
— Northwestern won its last four bowls, scoring 30.3 ppg.
Ohio State
— This is first time since 1952 Ohio St doesn’t have QB that has thrown a college pass.
— HC Day is 14-5 ATS as a favorite.
— Last 5 years, Buckeyes are 56-7 SU, with +45 turnover ratio.
— Special teams slipped to #104 LY; previous 5 years, they were #32 or better.
Penn State
— Started 0-5 LY, giving up 36 ppg, then won last four games.
— Last 6 years, Penn State is 3-17 ATS coming off a loss.
— Nittany Lions have a junior QB with 20 career starts.
— Franklin went 24-15 SU at Vanderbilt; he’s a good coach.
Purdue
— Last three years, Purdue is 1-7 ATS as home favorites.
— Last three years, Purdue is 7-3 ATS as home underdogs.
— HC Brohm is 19-10-1 ATS as an underdog.
— Purdue is 3-2 SU in last 5 bowls; average total 78.
Rutgers
— Rutgers hasn’t played in a bowl game since 2014.
— Last six years, Scarlet Knights are 16-43 SU.
— HC Schiano is 26-16-1 ATS as a road underdog.
— 2018-19, Rutgers was minus-27 in turnovers; LY, they were +5.
Wisconsin
— Last three years, Badgers are 5-11 ATS as home favorites.
— Last eight years, Badgers are 20-9 ATS as road favorites.
— Last two years, Wisconsin is 0-6 ATS coming off a loss.
— HC Chryst won six of his eight bowl games.
Opening week college football spreads:
— Nebraska (-8.5) @ Illinois
— Hawai’i @ UCLA (-17)
— UTEP (-7) @ New Mexico State
— UConn @ Fresno State (-27)
— Temple @ Rutgers (-13.5)
— Boise State @ UCF (-4.5)
Quote of the Day.
“If you have a positive attitude and constantly strive to give your best effort, eventually you will overcome your immediate problems and find you are ready for greater challenges.”
Pat Riley
Saturday’s quiz
How many major league teams has Tony LaRussa managed?
Friday’s quiz
In the movie Hoosiers, Jimmy Chitwood wore number 15.
Thursday’s quiz
Alex Rodriguez started his major league career with Seattle.
******************************
Saturday’s Den: Big 14 football knowledge
Illinois
— New coach Bielema was 37-19 SU in Big 14 games at Wisconsin, from 2006-12.
— Bielema later went 11-29 SU in SEC games at Arkansas.
— Last nine years, Illinois is 14-25 ATS as a road underdog.
— Illini lost last two bowls, haven’t won one since 2011, their last winning year.
Indiana
— Hoosiers went 14-7 SU last 2 years, after going 36-62 previous eight years.
— HC Allen is 17-4 ATS if home team is favored, 8-13 if road team is favored.
— Under Allen, Indiana is 18-6 ATS coming off a win.
— Indiana lost its last six bowls; their last bowl win was 1991.
Iowa
— Last eight years, Iowa is 19-5-1 ATS as road favorites.
— Last three years, Hawkeyes were +9/+9/+9 in turnovers.
— Iowa covered 7 of its last 8 non-conference games.
— Hawkeyes won last three bowls, scoring 34.3 ppg.
Maryland
— HC Locksley was 8-43 SU at New Mexico, is 6-17 SU here.
— Last 6 years, Maryland is 23-41 SU; their last bowl was 2016.
— Last 5 years, Terps are 5-13 ATS as a road underdog.
— Terps lost last three bowls; their last bowl win was 2010.
Michigan
— Harbaugh is 9-17 ATS as a road underdog.
— Last five years, Michigan is 4-10 ATS off a loss.
— Since 2013, Wolverines are 12-22-1 ATS out of conference.
— Michigan lost its last four bowls, giving up 34.8 ppg.
Michigan State
— 2013-15, Spartans were 36-5 SU; since then, they’re 29-29 SU.
— Last three years, MSU is 2-15 ATS at home, 1-10 as a favorite.
— Spartans are 2-7-1 ATS in last ten games as an underdog.
— Over last decade, MSU is 9-2 ATS on neutral fields.
Minnesota
— Gophers were 3-4 LY, with two losses in overtime.
— HC Fleck is 27-15-2 ATS on road, 22-23 at home.
— Last 7 years, Minnesota is 22-10 ATS coming off a loss.
— Gophers won their last four bowls, were underdog in 3 of them.
Nebraska
— Four straight losing seasons, going 16-28 SU.
— Last 8 years, Nebraska is 14-25-1 ATS as home favorites.
— Last 4 years, they’re 2-7 ATS out of conference.
— Junior QB Martinez has 27 starts; they have 3 starters back on OL.
Northwestern
— Under Fitzgerald, Wildcats are 37-17 ATS as road underdogs.
— New QB Hilinski started 11 games at South Carolina.
— Last five years, Wildcats are 15-9-1 ATS coming off a loss.
— Northwestern won its last four bowls, scoring 30.3 ppg.
Ohio State
— This is first time since 1952 Ohio St doesn’t have QB that has thrown a college pass.
— HC Day is 14-5 ATS as a favorite.
— Last 5 years, Buckeyes are 56-7 SU, with +45 turnover ratio.
— Special teams slipped to #104 LY; previous 5 years, they were #32 or better.
Penn State
— Started 0-5 LY, giving up 36 ppg, then won last four games.
— Last 6 years, Penn State is 3-17 ATS coming off a loss.
— Nittany Lions have a junior QB with 20 career starts.
— Franklin went 24-15 SU at Vanderbilt; he’s a good coach.
Purdue
— Last three years, Purdue is 1-7 ATS as home favorites.
— Last three years, Purdue is 7-3 ATS as home underdogs.
— HC Brohm is 19-10-1 ATS as an underdog.
— Purdue is 3-2 SU in last 5 bowls; average total 78.
Rutgers
— Rutgers hasn’t played in a bowl game since 2014.
— Last six years, Scarlet Knights are 16-43 SU.
— HC Schiano is 26-16-1 ATS as a road underdog.
— 2018-19, Rutgers was minus-27 in turnovers; LY, they were +5.
Wisconsin
— Last three years, Badgers are 5-11 ATS as home favorites.
— Last eight years, Badgers are 20-9 ATS as road favorites.
— Last two years, Wisconsin is 0-6 ATS coming off a loss.
— HC Chryst won six of his eight bowl games.
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