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**StarDust Bum** · 09-06-2011, 12:01 AM

College football odds: Week 2 opening line report

Week 1 of the college football season is nearly in the books, but people are still mourning in Eugene and Athens while others in Boise are still partying.

Time to take a look at next week's betting board. Every week during the college football season, we analyze how the pros set the lines.

Oklahoma State (-13) vs. Arizona

Two teams that went relatively untested vs. cupcakes at home battle on Thursday. But Arizona has never been one to shy away from scheduling up -- on the road -- and this is a perfect example.

Oklahoma State -- surprise, surprise -- has plenty of firepower and showed it vs. Louisiana Lafayette. Brandon Weeden threw for 390 yards and three scores, and Quinn Sharp nailed four field goals in a 61-34 win. And it’s that kind of firepower that has the important guys in Las Vegas leaning toward the Cowboys.

“Oklahoma State can put a lot of points on the board, but they can give up a few, too. That’s their game, and it works for them,” John Avello of the Wynn Hotel Sportsbook told ***********. “You have to go close to two touchdowns. OSU is at home, and with Arizona, I expect an average year.”

Arizona State (-5) vs. Missouri

A 17-6 win over Miami, Ohio at home isn’t exactly the way Missouri wanted to tune up for this lengthy road trip. The Tigers were sloppy and only gained 21 more yards than the RedHawks did.

So, there’s not a lot of confidence from the pros, as Missouri packs its bags for Tempe. Especially after the Sun Devils danced all over UC Davis, 48-14.

“Arizona State looked good in the opener, went 6-6 last year, and has everyone coming back,” Avello said. “I still expect Missouri to have a big season, and they usually play well in this type of a game. But they have to show it first.”

Wisconsin (-16) vs. Oregon State

It was a tough week for the Beaver State. But you can forgive Oregon for losing to LSU, 40-27. For Oregon State, a 29-28 loser to Sacramento State? Different story.

Listen, the Beavers have plenty of time to turn it around. It’s not like they were in the national title hunt, and needed to stay undefeated. And that’s a good thing, because a trip to Wisconsin is not what the doctor ordered. As such, the books have no choice but to inflate the Badgers.

“But you have to be careful,” Avello said. “Riley usually gets a bunch out of his team, and Oregon State has a way of playing their best ball on the road. So I went with 16, and then I’ll see where the players push me on this one.”

Mississippi State (-1) at Auburn

The Tigers pulled off a great escape vs. Utah State, 42-38, but don’t let it fool you. Auburn has serious issues on defense, and it’s only going to get tougher. On the other hand, Mississippi State couldn’t have done much more vs. Memphis, whipping the Tigers, 59-14.

So with two programs seemingly headed in different directions, the line is low, and it’s up to the midweek sharp players to see where it goes.

“If you want to look at history, Auburn plays well in SEC openers, but this will be tough,” Avello said. “Memphis was not a good indication, it wasn’t close. But Mississippi State was 9-4 last year, and they have a bunch coming back on defense.”

Alabama (-11) at Penn State

A few weeks from now, it’ll probably be clear that this is not a vintage Penn State team. Quarterback play is iffy, the offensive line is in flux, Joe Paterno’s coaching from the press box, and the schedule is a bear.

The Nittany Lions whacked Indiana State, 41-7, but the party’s over. The Crimson Tide will probably be the fastest, fiercest defense Paterno’s crew sees all year.

“Alabama has to be a heavy favorite,” Avello said. “They looked good on paper, they looked good on the field. Playing at Penn State is never an easy task. But Alabama looks too good.”

Oregon (-21.5) vs. Nevada

It figured to be a difficult opener for new-look Nevada anyway, without departed quarterback Colin Kaepernick. But now that the Ducks are 0-1 and have lost two in a row? Look out.

Oregon showed it can be had on defense, vs. LSU, so that might help the Wolf Pack. But, in the end, the speed and athleticism that the Ducks still have, plus the bounceback factor, made this a large one.

“The quarterback certainly made a difference, and that will be a very big loss for Nevada,” Avello said. “But the team is well coached and you have to beware. That said, they’re going to catch a team that’s going to be a little mad. And Oregon is just so tough at home anyway.”

South Carolina (-1.5) at Georgia

The talent, depth, and standings all say that South Carolina is the team to beat. The Gamecocks rallied to defeat East Carolina, 56-37, and showed the nation that maybe, just maybe, all the hype surrounding Steve Spurrier’s squad is deserved.

But home teams in the SEC always attract some value, and now it’s abundantly clear that the Bulldogs are playing for coach Mark Richt’s future, as well.

“South Carolina woke up in the second half vs. East Carolina,” Avello said. “But Georgia is a much-improved team, it may just take a while for you to see that. They just ran into a great Boise State team. I still expect them to be tough here.”

Texas (-5) vs. BYU

Hard to believe the Longhorns are under the radar. Unranked to begin, Texas hammered Rice, 34-9, and will welcome BYU to its second straight road game.

The Cougars, who seem comfortable as independents, rallied to dodge Ole Miss, 14-13, but the Longhorns are not the Rebels. There’s a ways to go in Austin, clearly, but Texas isn’t about to be an underdog at home just yet.

“BYU was lucky to get that win vs. Ole Miss, but they did play well on defense,” Avello said. “Texas is coming off a good outing, but they were supposed to. We’ll see how they play against a tougher opponent here.”

Southern Cal (-6.5) vs. Utah

As the Big Ten season rolls on -- and Minnesota struggles, as expected -- USC’s 19-17 escape vs. the Gophers will probably look less impressive. But as for now, it’s all the books have to go on. So, advantage USC.

And the Utes might find the sledding tough in the Pac-12 anyway, especially after a ho-hum win over Montana State, 27-10.

“Minnesota played USC so tough. I think Utah is OK, but it’s hard to say, so this one was tough,” Avello said. “Utah usually plays well on the road, so I can’t lay too much. USC is going to be a good team soon, just not this year.”

Notre Dame (-1.5) at Michigan

It looked like this patented, early-season matchup might have a little juice to it when the schedule first came out, didn’t it? Two still-new coaches -- one in his first year, the other in his second -- two programs on the way back, two fan bases that feel they’ve paid enough dues. It had all the makings.

Well, it still has intrigue. But that’s due to the public now waiting to see if the Irish fall to 0-2 in a season that had so much promise. But be careful. Notre Dame moved the ball well vs. South Florida. If they limit turnovers, this week could be a different story.

“They played awful. Coach (Brian Kelly) was really angry and I expect him to stay angry this week in practice,” Avello said. “That’s why I like Notre Dame here. I really think they can bounce back.”

**StarDust Bum** · 09-06-2011, 12:04 AM

TGS COLLEGE FOOTBALL UPDATE...LOOKING FOR AN ANGLE?

Uab at FLORIDA...UF is 14-3 as DD home chalk since 2004. Gators won't underestimate UAB after highly-combative efforts at Tennessee & Mississippi State LY.

South Carolina at GEORGIA...In this important early SEC East showdown, visitor is 4-1-1 vs. spread last 6 meetings (11 of last 12 in series have gone "under" the total).

Virginia at INDIANA...New coaching staff at Indiana, but Hoosiers eager for delayed payback after embarrassing 47-7 road debacle in 2009 (worst loss that year).

Iowa at IOWA STATE...After going just 1-8 vs. spread in previous 9 in this intense instate rivalry, Iowa has walloped ISU in last two (aided by 9 Cyclone TOs) for the Cy-Hawk Trophy, which is undergoing more change after criticized corn-themed prototype was recently trashed. Last six in hard-fought series have gone "under."

Notre Dame at MICHIGAN...Underdog is 13-2 vs. spread last 15 in series, with 7 outright wins in past 9 meetings. UM's jet-quick QB Denard Robinson was one-man highlight reel in 28-24 upset at South Bend LY, amassing 502 yards (258 YR, 244 YP), including go-ahead 2-yd. TD run with :37 left. Wolverines sky high for first-ever true night game at "The Big House."

Florida Atlantic at MICHIGAN STATE...MSU is 1-10 vs. spread last 11 prior to big Notre Dame clash, including uninspiring 30-17 win vs. FAU at Detroit's Ford Field LY.

New Mexico State at MINNESOTA...NMS has been strong go-against early in season, compiling 1-12 spread mark in first three posted games since 2007.

Fresno State at NEBRASKA...FSU's intense HC Pat Hill (his mantra "anyone, anytime, anywhere") is 9-6 as an away dog since 2007. New Big Ten rep Nebraska hasn't been much of a bully in Lincoln, going just 22-25 as DD chalk there since 2000 (10-15 L3Ys).

Utah at SOUTHERN CAL...USC just 2-10 as home chalk since 2009, while Utes 22-8 as away dog since 2000. Utah's new o.c. Norm Chow (former Trojan o.c. 2001-04) gameplanning for USC for third straight season after serving same position at UCLA L2Ys before negotiating buyout and returning to Salt Lake City, where he played back in the '60s.

Utep at SMU...SMU in ornery mood following 28-14 upset in El Paso LY, which was Mustangs' lowest scoring output in reg.-season. SMU outgained UTEP 359-319, but had several potential scoring drives thwarted by penalties (10 for 118 yds.).

Tulsa at TULANE...Tulsa has toyed with Tulane since joining C-USA in 2005, covering all 6 tilts, by avg. 44-15 score. Golden Hurricane had season-high 332 YR in 52-24 home romp LY.

North Carolina State at WAKE FOREST...WF had covered 6 of previous 7 in this "Tobacco Road" series until 38-3 stomping in Raleigh LY. Deacons were trailing only 10-3 at halftime before melting down following intermission, getting outgained 258-36.

**StarDust Bum** · 09-06-2011, 07:11 PM

Alabama Travels To Meet Penn State Nittany Lions

The Alabama Crimson Tide (1-0) and Penn State Nittany Lions (1-0) will meet at Beaver Stadium for the first time since 1989 Saturday afternoon. Kickoff from University Park, PA, is scheduled for 3:30 (ET) and will be nationally-televised on ABC.

Alabama may have received some motivation Tuesday, dropping to No. 3 in the AP Poll due to LSU’s convincing neutral-site win over the Oregon Ducks at Cowboys Stadium. The Don Best Linesmaker Poll disagrees with the writers and lists 'Bama at the very top.

Penn State moved to No. 25 after a 41-7 win over Indiana State, failing to cover as 38-point home favorites over a non-FBS school.

The betting odds released Alabama as 10-point road favorites and that has been bet down at some books, while the total has fallen from its original number of 43 ½.

The Crimson Tide lead the all-time series, 9-5, including a 3-2 mark when playing away from home. Alabama earned a 17-16 victory in 1989, its last trip to Penn State.

Head coach Nick Saban’s squad tallied a 48-7 victory over Kent State last week as 39-point home favorites, which would have been a whole lot worse if not for it being against his alma mater.

Alabama’s main concern in prepping for this contest is running back Trent Richardson, who gained just 37 yards on 13 carries in the opener. It’s possible that the Heisman Trophy candidate was simply saving himself for the national stage, as he gained 144 yards in place of Mark Ingram in last year’s 24-3 win over the Nittany Lions as 14½-point home favorites.

Bettors will definitely be interested in the Crimson Tide’s 0-4 ATS mark as a road favorite of 3½ to 10 points if the line remains in its current spot.

Penn State has tallied a 17-18 SU record against SEC opponents, with 30 of those games coming under the direction of head coach Joe Paterno (14-16). The team is 5-4 ATS versus such opponents in its last nine tries.

The Nittany Lions defense allowed just eight first downs and 170 yards against the Sycamores in the opener, and will need to play big against a much tougher opponent. Total players will notice that Paterno’s squad is known for low-scoring games early in the season, as the ‘under’ has cashed seven consecutive times in September.

Professional bettors are eagerly awaiting who will be named the starting quarterback for Penn State this week, as both Rob Bolden and Matt McGloin saw action last week. Bolden started the opener and completed 6-of-12 passes for 37 yards, while McGloin connected on 6-of-8 throws for 77 yards.

Alabama’s defense is hoping its Bolden, holding him to a 44.8 percent completion percentage and intercepting him two times in last year’s meeting.

Weather forecasts are suggesting game-time highs in the low-70s and a 40 percent chance of showers throughout.

**StarDust Bum** · 09-06-2011, 07:12 PM

Luck, Stanford Clash With Duke Blue Devils

The Duke Blue Devils (0-1) are likely in for a long second week of the season when they host the Stanford Cardinal (1-0) Saturday inside Wallace Wade Stadium in Durham, N.C. Kickoff is scheduled for 3:30 p.m. EST and will be televised on ESPNU.

Stanford entered the season No. 5 in the Don Best Oddsmaker Poll and two ticks lower in the opening AP Top 25. The team from Palo Alto, CA, had no problems dismantling its first opponent of the 2011 campaign.

The Cardinal scored early and often in a 57-3 blowout win as 30-point home favorites over the San Jose State Spartans last Saturday. Surprisingly enough, Stanford only outgained its opponent by 136 yards, but a plus-three turnover margin was the difference.

Cardinal quarterback Andrew Luck completed 17-of-26 passes for 171 yards, throwing for two touchdowns and rushing for another. It was a rather pedestrian effort for a player that many have already stated will be the No. 1 pick in next year’s NFL draft.

The betting odds suggest another easy victory for Luck’s squad, currently marked as a 21-point road favorite after being bet up from an opening 15½-point sprad. The total stands at 59. Bettors may elect to lay the large number due to the Cardinal being 5-2 ATS as a road favorite the last two-plus seasons, while the ‘under’ is 5-2 in those contests as well.

Duke would like to hit the reset button to the start of its 2011 college football campaign, dropping a 23-21 home contest to the Richmond Spiders, a member of the Football Championship Subdivision. The Blue Devils have actually dropped three of the last six meetings in the series, but last Saturday’s result was shocking due to finishing with a 379-288 yardage advantage.

Fourth-year head coach David Cutcliffe was miffed at the performance due to the fans in Durham welcoming back 17 starters from last year’s squad, including junior quarterback Sean Renfree. The top returning signal-caller in the Atlantic Coast Conference managed to complete 23-of-33 passes for 201 yards, but failed to throw for a single touchdown.

Many insiders are expecting the Blue Devils’ offense to be able to trade scores with the Cardinal despite last week’s showing, as the unit has averaged 351.2 yards of total offense per game the last three seasons.

Over the last two-plus campaigns, Duke has been an underdog of 10½ to 21 points, posting a 5-1 ATS mark in those contests. It’s important to note that not a single one of those games occurred on its home field.

Weather forecasts suggest sunny skies and comfortable temperatures in the mid-80s throughout the game. The field may be soft on game day due to Tropical Storm Lee passing over the area earlier in the week.

**StarDust Bum** · 09-06-2011, 07:14 PM

Florida State, Charleston Southern NCAA Odds Preview

The Charleston Southern Buccaneers are going to try to make a name for themselves in Week 2 of the college football betting campaign when they head to Bobby Bowden Field at Doak Campbell Stadium to take on the Florida State Seminoles.

Kickoff from Tallahassee this Saturday is slated for 6:00 p.m. (ET), and the game will be shown live on ESPN3.com.

Nearly half of the Charleston Southern (0-1 SU, 0-1 ATS) roster played high school ball in the Sunshine State, which is probably why the Buccaneers are making a second straight trip to Florida. The Bucs were crushed by the UCF Knights 62-0 at Bright House Networks Stadium last Saturday night, and they're just hoping to avoid getting laughed off of the field in Tallahassee this weekend.

The Knights scored at least two TDs in all four quarters and racked up 560 yards of offense on the night in Week 1. Meanwhile, Charleston Southern only accounted for 119 yards and only reached the UCF side of the field three times in the game. The Buccaneers had more punts (seven) than first downs (six).

Head coach Jimbo Fisher and his Seminoles (1-0 SU, 1-0 ATS) have to be licking their chops. The garnet and gold posted a shutout in their first game of the season, blanking the Louisiana-Monroe Warhawks 34-0. ULM only had 191 yards of total offense.

Of course, it wasn't all peaches and cream for the No. 4 ranked team in the Don Best Oddsmaker Poll. The Seminoles had a ton of drives in the first half halted prematurely, and good field position was squandered. Quarterback EJ Manuel threw for 252 yards and two TDs, but he was also picked off once and could have made a heck of a lot more out of his chances in Warhawks territory.

The running game also never really got going for Florida State against the Sun Belt reps. Chris Thompson only had 33 yards on six carries, while freshman Devonta Freeman had 24 yards and a TD on seven rushes. Ty Jones, the veteran of the bunch, only had five carries for nine yards. A team average of 3.3 rushing yards per attempt is going to be something that Coach Fisher and his staff harps on dramatically against Charleston Southern.

Over the past several seasons, the Buccaneers have had no luck whatsoever against FBS schools. The 62-0 loss against UCF was the worst they have suffered against an FBS foe in a decade, but it's not the only awful defeat. The team's closest result since 2008 was a 49-21 loss at the Kentucky Wildcats last season.

However, mixed in there are a 66-7 loss at the Hawaii Warriors, a 59-0 loss at the South Florida Bulls and a 62-3 loss at the Florida Gators in 2009 and 2010.

Florida State hasn't always had good success against FCS teams, though. Yes, the 'Noles took down the Samford Bulldogs 59-6 in the opening game of last season, but in 2009, the Jacksonville State Gamecocks took it down to the wire in a 19-9 FSU victory. Each of the other three games against FCS opponents dating back to 2000 all resulted in victories of at least 39 points.

Temperatures are starting to cool down in northern Florida this week, and the thermometer should only read in the low-80s at game time on Saturday. There is a modest 30 percent chance of isolated storms.

**StarDust Bum** · 09-06-2011, 07:15 PM

Nevada At Oregon Ducks NCAA Betting Preview

The third-ranked Oregon Ducks will try to regroup from a disappointing 40-27 loss to No. 4 LSU last week when they host the Nevada Wolf Pack at Autzen Stadium on Saturday.

Oregon opened as 22 ½-point favorites against the Wolf Pack according to the Don Best odds screen and have already seen the line go as high as 27.

The Ducks were 3 ½-point favorites against the Tigers last Saturday at Cowboys Stadium in Arlington, Texas and will be happy to be back playing in front of their home fans.

Oregon (0-1) had hoped a step-up in competition would immediately help the team get on the fast track to another potential national title run after falling short last year in a 22-19 loss to Auburn in the BCS Championship Game. Instead, the Ducks were overwhelmed at times by a Southeastern Conference school for the second game in a row and did not play a true neutral site game because many more Tigers fans made the short trip to Texas from Louisiana.

LSU was able to capitalize on four turnovers by Oregon and limited running back LaMichael James to 54 yards on 18 carries to pull off the victory. James was considered a Heisman Trophy candidate heading into the game after leading the nation in rushing yards a year ago and will need to be a bigger factor offensively against Nevada.

The Ducks looked good early on but wore down again in the second half, much like they did against Auburn in the BCS Championship. They led 13-9 with 5:16 remaining in the second quarter and then saw the Tigers score 24 consecutive points to take a 33-13 lead with 14:07 left in the fourth. Oregon lost three fumbles, and quarterback Darron Thomas also threw an interception despite outplaying his counterpart Jarrett Lee, who filled in for the suspended Jordan Jefferson.

What looked early like it could be a low-scoring game ended up going way ‘over’ the 54-point line.

Nevada will be opening its season on the road following a successful 2010 campaign that resulted in the team going 13-1, capped by a 20-13 win over Boston College in the Kraft Fight Hunger Bowl at AT&T Park in San Francisco. In fact, the Wolf Pack will play their first four games away from home, visiting San Jose State, Texas Tech and Boise State after the trip to Eugene.

The team lost star quarterback Colin Kaepernick to the NFL’s San Francisco 49ers and has replaced him with senior Tyler Lantrip, who will making his first career start in a hostile environment. Lantrip has played in 13 games over his first three years at Nevada and is viewed as a better pure passer than Kaepernick, a dual threat who was just as dangerous running the ball.

Senior wide receiver Rishard Matthews will give Lantrip a big target and should help ease the transition after making 56 catches for 879 yards and scoring five touchdowns last season.

Saturday’s high temperature in Eugene is expected to reach a high of 94 degrees under sunny skies. Game time is scheduled for 3:30 p.m. (ET) with television coverage provided by FX.

**StarDust Bum** · 09-06-2011, 07:17 PM

Missouri Tigers Visit Arizona State Sun Devils

The 21st-ranked Missouri Tigers will visit the Arizona State Sun Devils on Friday as each team steps up in class against major conference opponents after earning wins last week in their season openers.

The Sun Devils opened as 7-point favorites according to the Don Best odds screen, and the game will be televised nationally on ESPN starting at 10:30 p.m. (ET).

Arizona State (1-0) is coming off a 48-14 rout of UC-Davis last Thursday, failing to cover the 37 ½-point spread after taking a commanding 41-0 lead with 48 seconds left in the third quarter. The team led 14-0 at the end of the first quarter and 24-0 at halftime.

The Sun Devils had twice as many first downs (24-12) as Davis and more than double the total yards (517-243), including a dominant 217-88 advantage on the ground. Junior quarterback Brock Osweiler completed 19-of-26 passes for 262 yards with two touchdowns and one interception and joined seven other Arizona State runners in amassing over 200 yards on the ground.

The total did not go ‘over’ until Aggies running back Josh Reese ran up the middle from a yard out for the game’s final touchdown with 6:28 remaining.

Missouri (1-0) had a much tougher time with Miami of Ohio, seeing a 10-0 lead cut to 10-6 heading into the fourth quarter. However, The Tigers got a 10-yard touchdown pass from James Franklin to Marcus Lucas five seconds into the fourth to extend their lead to 17-6, which turned out to be the final score.

Sophomore James Franklin made his first start for Mizzou in place of the departed Blaine Gabbert, passing for 129 yards and a touchdown while rushing for 72 more and another score. The Tigers have won 22 straight non-conference regular-season games but failed to cover the 19 ½-point line while the total fell way ‘under’ 49 points.

Missouri also suffered a couple of key injuries on defense against the RedHawks. Defensive end Jacquies Smith dislocated his left elbow and linebacker Will Ebner suffering a sprained ankle. Both Smith and Ebner could miss several weeks, but the team is expected to get starting cornerback Kip Edwards back after he missed the season opener.

Edwards is one of two returning starters in the defensive backfield and will be welcomed back to a Tigers team that saw center Travis Ruth (Achilles), wide receivers Jerrell Jackson (hamstring) and Gahn McGaffie (knee) and tight end Erik Waters (hamstring) all sit out the season opener with injuries.

Isolated thunderstorms are expected to move through the Tempe area on Friday, cooling the temperature from a high of 103 degrees during the day to 80 at night.

**JAB** · 09-06-2011, 07:34 PM

Thanks for the great write ups!

**StarDust Bum** · 09-06-2011, 11:30 PM

Week 1 Rewind

September 6, 2011

We’ve called out Les Miles quite a bit during his seven-year tenure in Baton Rouge. And, to be clear, we weren’t in the wrong in any of those instances.

Fact: ‘The Hat’ doesn’t have a clue when it comes to making clock-management decisions. As we’ve always maintained, that’s inexcusable for a head coach at a big-time program that makes north of a million dollars per year.

With that said, there’s no question that Miles is one of the best in the business when it comes to recruiting and motivating. Make no mistake, buckling the chin strap is a requirement when the Bayou Bengals come to town.

They play hard, they play fast and they have a coach who isn’t scared to dial up a blitz or fake a punt or a field goal at any point in a 60-minute football game.

Just ask Oregon. The Ducks came to Cowboys Stadium as the inexplicable favorites this past Saturday, only to get dominated in a 40-27 shellacking that wasn’t as close as the final score indicated.

If you heard me on the radio at any point last week or throughout the summer, you knew that LSU was the play in Week 1. Back in June, I wrote that LSU should be favored by at least three and that the number would likely close at 3 ½ or four.

Then WR Russell Shepard got suspended for a compliance issue. Next, starting QB Jordan Jefferson and DT Josh Downs were suspended indefinitely for their alleged involvement in a bar fight.

Oregon was favored by one at most books before the game was taken off the board following the news about Jefferson. When the game went back up several days later, the Ducks were favored by four or 4 ½. That number would eventually go down to 3 ½ and closed at three in many betting shops.

This space encouraged bettors not to sweat the Jefferson situation. After all, my LSU recommendation was never based on Jefferson. The thinking was that the Tigers would dominate in the trenches on both sides of the ball.

We saw Auburn’s defensive line have a field day against Oregon’s offensive line back in January. And that o-line brought back just one starter.

As for the absence of Shepard, it was basically a wash since Oregon All-American cornerback Cliff Harris was also out of the lineup.

And, oh yeah, there was the head-coaching matchup. I gave the edge to Oregon’s Chip Kelly but insisted Miles would have his team ready to play despite the distractions. I was wrong about the former and correct on the latter.

On this night at Jerry World, Miles was the better head coach and it wasn’t even close.

The dude isn’t the sharpest pencil in the box. He eats grass – literally. He’s not the best speller or speaker but he knows how to do one thing – win football games.

Since taking over for Nick Saban at LSU, Miles owns an incredible 63-17 record. The Tigers have won 11 games or more in four of his six previous seasons, including the BCS title in 2007.

And guess what, LSU fans? You can count on another 11-win campaign in 2011.

While Miles has job security galore these days, the same can’t be said for Mark Richt at Georgia. And you know, sometimes it’s just time. Sometimes a voice can go stale in a locker room.

As Steve Spurrier said after announcing his resignation at Florida on Jan. 4 of 2002, “Twelve years as a head coach at an SEC school is long enough.”

Now certainly, Georgia can recover from Saturday’s 35-21 loss to Boise State at the Georgia Dome in Atlanta. The Dawgs haven’t even started their SEC schedule, so all of their goals remain within reach.

But South Carolina is coming between the hedges Saturday and the Gamecocks have been installed as three-point favorites. If Richt and the Dawgs fall to 0-2, wins at Tennessee and vs. Florida become imperative. And as UGA fans know, wins in Knoxville and Jacksonville have been difficult to come by in recent years (or decades in terms of The Cocktail Party).

In short, it’s not looking good for Richt if UGA goes down Saturday at home.

In the interest of fairness, though, we should be talking about the real story coming out of Atlanta in Week 1. What happened at the Ga. Dome was more about the greatness of Boise St. rather than the demise of a UGA program that’s lost eight of its last 14 games.

Greatness? Yeah, it’s a strong word that gets used in sports way too often. But it’s not a stretch in this case.

Chris Petersen’s team has won 62 of 67 games on his watch. Since 2006 when Petersen was hired to replace Dan Hawkins, BSU has won seven of its eight games against BCS foes, including wins over Oklahoma, Oregon St. (twice), Oregon (twice), Va. Tech and Georgia. Only three of those eight games were played on the smurf turf.

Since 2008, the Broncos have lost twice by four combined points. TCU beat them by one in the Poinsettia Bowl after BSU’s kicker missed a short field goal late in the fourth quarter. Boise St.’s other loss came by three at Nevada in overtime when the kicking game faltered once again at crunch time.

Boise State didn’t need the kicking game against Georgia. It didn’t need the trick plays used to beat Oklahoma in the 2006 Fiesta Bowl. It didn’t need the blue carpet either.

Kellen Moore and Co. just went about its business as usual. The Broncos went on the road for a season opener in hostile territory and dominated an SEC school playing 75 miles from its campus.

There was nothing fluky about it. Boise St. was more physical, had a better defense, had a better gameplan, had a better QB and had a better head coach. Speaking of the QB and the head coach, they are both as good as any in America.

After spotting Georgia a 7-0 lead on an 80-yeard touchdown run, Boise St. responded by scoring 28 consecutive points. By late in the third quarter, it was clear that a stirring comeback was not in the works. Not against this defense.

The anti-Boise argument has always gone something like this: If it played a BCS schedule for an entire season, it wouldn’t hold up due to a lack of depth. This premise probably has some merit and that’s fine.

All the 2011 Broncos can do is beat who they have on the schedule and who they’ll eventually face in a BCS bowl game. Whether that’s in the BCS Championship Game remains to be seen but one thing is for certain: Once again, the Broncos are legit national-title contenders.

Oklahoma is another contender, although I have them ranked third behind Alabama and LSU. The Sooners made quick work of a Tulsa team that was playing without its best player, WR Damaris Johnson. They jumped on the Golden Hurricane in a hurry and never let up en route to a 47-14 win as 25-point home favorites.

Landry Jones completed 35-of-47 passes for 375 yards and one touchdown without an interception. Ryan Broyles was his favorite target, hauling in 14 receptions for 157 yards. OU has two weeks to prep for its Week 3 showdown at FSU.

Baylor and TCU played the best game of the weekend on Friday night, as the Bears won a 50-48 thriller thanks to a brilliant performance from junior QB Robert Griffin. The darkhorse Heisman hopeful did it all with his arm, legs and his hands. His catch on a trick play in traffic on 3rd-and-10 set up the game-winning field goal.

Griffin completed 21-of-27 passes for 359 yards and five TDs without being intercepted. WR Kendall Wright had 12 receptions for 189 yards and two TDs and also threw a TD pass and the 15-yard strike to Griffin on the crucial 3rd-down conversion.

If Art Briles’ team can win at Kansas St. in Week 4, it has a chance to be 5-0 going into College Station on Oct. 15. Meanwhile, TCU will have to quickly get past what happened in Waco or it could fall prey to another tough road game Saturday at Air Force.

The toughest bad beat of Week 1 wasn’t actually a loss, but it sure as hell tasted like one if you backed Michigan at home laying 14 to Western Michigan. Just like the infamous UNLV-Wisconsin game in 2002, the Wolverines won and comfortably covered the number. However, because the game was postponed due to weather and had not yet completed 55 minutes of play, the game became a no-play (push) by Las Vegas gambling rules.

Supporters of Wisconsin and Wake Forest also suffered tough-to-swallow defeats for our purposes. The Badgers looked great all night with Russell Wilson running the show, racing to a 51-3 lead before pulling the starters. This made it easier for UNLV to score a pair of fourth-quarter TDs to post the backdoor cover as a 35-point underdog.

Wake Forest, a six-point underdog at the Carrier Dome, had a 29-14 lead on Syracuse with eight minutes remaining. But the Orange scored 15 unanswered to pull even and then had a chance for a go-ahead field goal at the two-minute mark. Fortunately for ‘Cuse backers like me, the Demon Deacons blocked the kick and overtime ensued. Doug Marrone’s team scored to go ahead 36-29 and held on for the win and cover.

It’s no longer 2010 and Cam Newton is in the NFL, but the football gods continue to smile on Auburn. Gene Chizik’s team needed a perfectly-executed onside kick to overcome a 10-point deficit with three minutes left to beat Utah St. 42-38 on The Plains. The Aggies took the cash as 23-point underdogs.

**B.E.’s Bonus Nuggets**

--Future non-conference foes for Boise St.: at Michigan St., vs. BYU and at So. Miss in 2012; at Washington, at BYU and vs. So. Miss in 2013; vs. Ole Miss (at Ga. Dome) and vs. BYU in 2014; at BYU and vs. Washington in 2015; vs. Washington St. and at Oregon St. in 2016. The Broncos also play at Washington St. in 2017, vs. Michigan St. in 2022 and at Michigan St. in 2023.

--Best Play of Week 1: TCU-Baylor ‘over’ 52 that was a casher before halftime. The number dipped from 56 to 52 in the 24 hours before kickoff.

--Texas A&M won for the seventh time in eight games when it trounced SMU 46-14 Sunday as a 15-point home favorite.

--Oregon St. lost at home to Sacramento St and Duke lost at home to Richmond. Ouch! The Beavers go to Camp Randall to face Wisconsin this week. The Wynn opened the Badgers as only 16-point favorites and I immediately noted (via twitter) that my number was 21 and 16 wouldn’t be available for long. That turned out to be true as most books opened in the 18-19 range and settled at 21 by Monday evening.

--My Top Ten:
1-Alabama
2-LSU
3-Oklahoma
4-Wisconsin
5-Boise St.
6-Va. Tech
7-Arkansas
8-Nebraska
9-South Carolina
10-Stanford

--Hot Seats:
1-Mark Richt (Georgia)
2-Rick Neuheisel (UCLA)
3-Mike Locksley (New Mexico)
4-Houston Nutt (Ole Miss)
5-Paul Wulff (Washington State)

**StarDust Bum** · 09-06-2011, 11:36 PM

4th Quarter Covers

September 6, 2011

Glancing at the scoreboard won’t tell you the whole story in many games. Here are the games that went down to the wire relative to the spread in the fourth quarter last week. Each week there are teams that cover that didn’t deserve to and teams that likely should have taken the cash.

Syracuse (-6) 36, Wake Forest 29

Sharps were treated to a bitter opening night as books surprisingly took a lot of Wake Forest action to push the Syracuse favorite line down to -6 after opening at -8. The Demon Deacons certainly looked like the right side most of the way with a 20-7 halftime lead and a 29-14 early fourth quarter lead. The Orange battled back with an impressive drive to cut the lead to eight about halfway through the final frame. The game seemed to turn with an injury to Wake Forest QB Tanner Price and after forcing a quick punt it took just one play for the Orange to get in position to tie and they converted on the 2-point try to tie the game with just over seven minutes to go. An interception gave the Orange a shot to win the game but Wake Forest backers appeared set to still cash but the Syracuse field goal attempt was blocked with less than three minutes to go. In overtime Syracuse scored first and then held on defense for a seven-point final margin and a miraculous cover on the later week and closing lines in a wild opening night game.

Ohio State (-31.5) 42, Akron 0

Akron did virtually nothing on offense in this game but the Buckeyes left the door open for an underdog cover. Ohio State was lucky to be up 21-0 at the half as an interception set up a score in the final two minutes of the half after mixed results on offense. The Buckeyes moved the ball much better under QB Todd Bauserman but he and Braxton Miller split the snaps. Ohio State led by just 28 entering the fourth quarter but quickly pushed the lead to 35-0 and without much of a challenge from Akron the Buckeyes padded the lead late to ensure the cover.

Alabama (-39) 48, Kent State 7

Alabama was in control early against Kent State with a 21-0 lead but with a massive spread the 24-0 halftime lead did not seem to be enough. Kent State scored first in the second half and one score looked like it would be enough for a Flashes cover as Alabama led just 38-7 entering the fourth quarter as Alabama was plagued with turnovers and sloppy play on offense throughout the game. The Crimson Tide added 10 fourth quarter points however including a field goal with just over five minutes to go that got Alabama just past the closing spread.

South Carolina (-21) 56, East Carolina 37

Those backing the Pirates had to feel good early as East Carolina led 17-0 as three touchdown underdogs almost halfway through the second quarter. South Carolina started to get things going on offense after Stephen Garcia was put in at QB after the first quarter but the Pirates still led by ten at halftime, looking like a sure underdog cover. The Gamecocks took advantage of turnovers for quick scores in the second half and turned the game around with four third quarter touchdowns, taking a 42-31 lead into the fourth quarter. It looked like the Gamecocks would secure a miracle cover after a punt return touchdown pushed the margin to 25 in the fourth quarter but East Carolina would get back within the numbers with a late scoring drive.

Texas (-24) 34, Rice 9

While Texas more than doubled the yardage that Rice posted the Longhorns had to settle for field goals early in the game and led by just seven at halftime. Rice actually trimmed that lead to 13-9 in the third quarter before a big pass play got Texas into the end zone. Texas moved the ball with ease on the first two fourth quarter drives, to go up 34-9 with about six minutes to go in the game, getting past the spread for the first time and Rice was not able to threaten in its final possessions.

Illinois (-19) 33, Arkansas State 15

Arkansas State played Illinois very tough in the first half, actually leading 8-7 with less than three minutes to go in the second quarter. Illinois put together a quick scoring drive and got the ball back in time for a field goal in the closing seconds to lead by nine at the half. While Arkansas State continued to post strong yardage totals, Illinois did all the scoring pushing the lead to 30-8 entering the fourth quarter and adding a field goal halfway through the final frame. Arkansas State was able to find the end zone with just over three minutes to go to get just back within a closing number that had dropped throughout the week.

Florida State (-30.5) 34, UL-Monroe 0

The Seminoles did their part on defense as Louisiana Monroe was held to less than 200 yards while never entering the red zone. The offense had to punt on its first two possessions and never seemed to get into a great rhythm. Florida State led just 17-0 at halftime and 24-0 entering the fourth quarter but a field goal and a touchdown in the fourth quarter allowed the Seminoles to sneak past the large spread.

Clemson (-14.5) 43, Troy 19

This game featured a very misleading final as Clemson actually trailed at halftime 16-13 and the Tigers only out-gained the Trojans by 45 yards. Clemson hit a few big plays to take a ten-point lead into the fourth quarter but that lead was quickly cut to just seven points. A 75-yard rush gave Clemson a 14-point lead and in desperation Troy gave Clemson great field position late and the Tigers added ten points in the final five minutes to get past the spread and create a lopsided final in game that was quite even.

Florida (-34.5) 41, Florida Atlantic 3

Florida had dominant numbers in this game but the Gators led just 24-3 at halftime. A blocked punt return gave the Gators a 31-3 lead entering the fourth quarter but it took until the fourth quarter for Florida to get past the spread. Florida Atlantic had a missed field goal and a turnover on downs in Florida territory so this game was not far from going the other way.

**StarDust Bum** · 09-06-2011, 11:39 PM

Tech Trends - Week 2

September 6, 2011

Thursday, Sept. 8

ARIZONA at OKLAHOMA STATE...Rematch from last December's Alamo Bowl won by OSU, 36-10. Mike Stoops just 4-9 vs. line away from home since '09. OSU 10-3 vs. spread in 2010, and Mike Gundy is 13-6 vs. points last 19 laying DDs. Tech edge-OSU, based on team trends.

Friday, Sept. 9

MISSOURI at ARIZONA STATE...Erickson was 10-2 vs. line LY and has covered 6 of last 7 at Sun Devil Stadium. After UC Davis gets backdoor cover on Thursday, Erickson 4-2 vs. spread against non-conference foes since '09 and 17-10 vs. points at Tempe since arriving at ASU in 2007. Pinkel 18-12 against line last 30 on road. Tech edge-ASU, based on recent Erickson trends.

FLORIDA INTERNATIONAL at LOUISVILLE…Charlie Strong only 2-6 vs. line as host since LY, and Cards only 8-16 against number at Papa John's post-Bobby Petrino (since 2007). Tech edge-FIU, based on team trends.

Saturday, Sept. 10

OREGON STATE at WISCONSIN...Beavers have a stellar 28-12 spread mark their last 40 away from Corvallis. Although OSU only 2-5 against number its last seven visiting non-conference foes. Tech edge-slight to Wiscy, based on recent trends.

IOWA at IOWA STATE...ISU had covered five straight vs. Iowa prior to the past two years, when Hawkeyes won and covered both. Last Cyclone SU win in series came in 2007, and Cyclones haven't scored a TD in the three games since, tallying only 8 points total. Last six in series also "under" as well. Tech edge-"Under," based on series "totals" trends.

CENTRAL MICHIGAN at KENTUCKY...Joker was 5-2 vs. spread at Lexington LY. Cats also 7-2 vs. line last 9 hosting non-SEC opposition. Tech edge-UK, based on team trends.

SAN DIEGO STATE at ARMY...Surprisingly, Rich Ellerson just 2-8 vs. number at West Point since 2009. SDSU 4-2 vs. line away LY and Aztecs covered all five vs. non-MWC foes in 2010. Tech edge-SDSU, based on team trends.

TOLEDO at OHIO STATE...Rockets 2-2 vs. number last 4 visiting Big Ten. Toledo also improved to 4-2 vs. spread as visitor LY after 6-16 spread mark previous 22 in role. Bucks have covered their last 10 vs. non-conference foes. Tech edge-OSU, based on extended trends.

MISSISSIPPI STATE at AUBURN...Tigers 7-2 vs. line last 9 vs. Maroon. Back to late 2008, Auburn 7-1 vs. line last 8 as SEC host If MSU gets points, note Dan Mullen only 1-4 as dog in 2010. Tech edge-Auburn, based on team and series trends.

RUTGERS at NORTH CAROLINA...UNC was 4-0 vs. line against non-ACC BCS-level foes LY. Schiano's point-spread magic disappeared LY as Rutgers fell to 2-8-1 vs. line as Scarlet Knights covered just one of six (1-4-1) away from Piscataway. Tech edge-UNC, based on Rutgers' recent spread shortcomings.

NORTHERN ILLINOIS at KANSAS...This is NIU's role, as Huskies 8-1 vs. points last nine as visitor against non-MAC opposition. NIU 11-4 vs. line since LY. Tech edge-NIU, based on extended trends.

UTEP at SMU...Revenge for June Jones after losing 28-14 at Sun Bowl LY. That was Miners' only SU win the second half of last season. Mike Price only 3-9 vs. number last 12 away from home. Tech edge- SMU, based on extended UTEP road woes.

CINCINNATI at TENNESSEE...Cincy has covered just one of last six away from Nippert, and only 2-9 vs. number last 11 vs. non-Big East foes away from home. Tech edge-UT, based on team trends.

TULSA at TULANE...Tulsa has won and covered the past six years against Tulane. Bob Toledo 3-14 vs. spread last 17 at Superdome for Green Wave. Tulane also only 7-20-1 vs. line last 28 on board. Tech edge-Tulsa, based on team and series trends.

VIRGINIA TECH at EAST CAROLINA...Note that Beamer is 25-7 vs. line as visitor since 2004 and has covered 15 of last 19 vs. number. Tech edge-VPI, based on Beamer road and overall numbers.

NEW MEXICO STATE at MINNESOTA...NMSU a surprising 8-5 vs. number away since '09, but only 1-8 vs. line outside of WAC since '09. Tech edge-slight to Minnesota, based on early season NMSU woes.

HAWAII at WASHINGTON...Leahey is 24-10 vs. number last 33 reg.-season games on board. UH 6-2 against line last 8 on mainland, Sarkisian just 2-5 against line as host since LY. Tech edge-Hawaii, based on team trends.

NEVADA at OREGON...Chris Ault just 4-9 against number as visitor in regular-season games vs. non-WAC foes since returning to Nevada sidelines in 2004. Ducks 11-3 against line last 14 at Eugene and 16-8 last 24 laying double digits at home. Tech edge-Oregon, based on team trends

CALIFORNIA at COLORADO...Cal 1-4 vs. line away LY and 10-19 last 29 away from Berkeley. Bears also just 4-13 as road chalk since '07. Tech edge-Colorado, based on Tedford road negatives.

STANFORD at DUKE...Tree ventured into ACC and lost at Wake in 2009 and is only 5-5 against line its last 10 on road. Cutcliffe 6-2 vs. line last 8 vs. BCS foes. Tech edge-slight to Duke, based on team trends.

ALABAMA at PENN STATE...Shades only 1-5 as dog LY and 9-18 last 27 as short dating to mid 2003. Nick Saban 28-14 last 41 on board and has covered last 4 against non-SEC away from Tuscaloosa. Tech edge-Bama, based on team trends.

TCU at AIR FORCE...Last time these two meet as MW foes, and note that home team has covered the last five meetings. Troy Calhoun 4-1 as home dog with Falcs since 2007. Frogs only 3-6 against spread their last 8 away from Fort Worth. Tech edge-slight to Air Force, based on team and series home trends.

NC STATE at WAKE FOREST...Grobe only 11-20-1 vs. number last 32 on board after Syracuse heartbreak in opener. Tech edge-NCS, based on recent Wake downturn.

PURDUE at RICE...Purdue 1-8 last 9 as chalk. Danny Hope 0-5-1 against number last 5 vs. non-Big Ten foes. Rice 5-2 as home dog LY. The home team covered in the last nine Owls games. Tech edge-Rice, based on team trends.

SOUTHERN MISS at MARSHALL...Herd has lost and failed to cover 4 of last 5 vs. USM. Marshall also no covers last 3 as home dog. USM 9-5 as road chalk since 2007 and 19-11 against line last 30 away from Hattiesburg. Tech edge-USM, based on team and series trends.

SOUTH CAROLINA at GEORGIA...Spurrier is winless in last three trips to Athens but Gamecocks have covered each of those games. Spurrier 3-0-1 vs. line last four years against Richt. Dawgs also just 3-10 against number last 13 between the hedges since early 2008. Tech edge-SC and "under," based on series and "totals" trends.

TEMPLE at AKRON...Owls have won and covered last four meetings and really ripped the Zips in the last three, all wins by 21 or more. Zips only 3-9 vs. line last1 2 as host, 2-8 since moving into new stadium in 2009. Owls now 31-18 vs. line since 2007 after opening romp past Villanova and 9-3 against spread as visitor since 2009. Tech edge-Temple, based on team and series trends.

FRESNO STATE at NEBRASKA...Bo Pelini only 3-6 laying DD since 2010. Huskers only 10-16 since 2007 as Lincoln chalk. Tech edge-Fresno, based on team trends.

VIRGINIA at INDIANA...Cavs romped 47-7 in 2009. Hoosiers 7-4 vs. spread at Bloomington under Bill Lynch the past two years. If dog, note IU also 3-0 at home in role dog LY and 9-2 in role since 2005. Tech edge-slight to Indiana, based on recent home marks.

BYU at TEXAS...Cougs enter having won 5 of last 6 SU. Mack 4-12 against number his last 12 at home. Tech edge-BYU, based on team trends.

UAB at FLORIDA...UF now 14-2 vs. line his last 16 hosting non-SEC teams in The Swamp. UAB just 5-9 vs. spread last 14 on road. Tech edge-Florida, based on team trends.

BALL STATE at SOUTH FLORIDA...Ball State actually 10-3 vs. line away since 2010, 18-5 last 23 away from Muncie, and 9-2 since 2006 as a visitor vs. non-MAC foes. Tech edge-Ball State, based on team trends.

NEW MEXICO at ARKANSAS (at Little Rock)...Locksley entered 2011 0-for-September (0-8) SU and vs. spread the past two years before narrow cover vs. CSU. Lobos also just 1-4 as DD road dog in 2011. Petrino has covered 10 of last 11 in reg. season LY and now 22-9 last 31 on board. Tech edge-Arkansas, based on team trends.

UNLV at WASHINGTON STATE...Rebs broke their road spread losing streak at Wisconsin but still just 2-12 vs. spread last 14 away (1-11 last 12 as road dog). UNLV only 8-22 against number away since mid 2004. Tech edge-WSU, based on extended UNLV road woes.

UCONN at VANDERBILT...Vandy just 3-13 vs. line at home in reg. season since mid 2008 and 1-8 last 9 as home dog. Tech edge-slight to UConn, based on recent Vandy home woes.

UTAH at SOUTHERN CAL...Utes 0-2 as dog LY but 22-8 in role since 2000. SC 9-18 vs. line the past two years (7-17 as chalk) and 2-10 vs. line last 11 at home. Tech edge-Utah, based on team trends.

BOSTON COLLEGE at UCF...Spaziani covered last five away from home LY and was 4-1 as dog in 2010. O'Leary 18-5 vs. line since 2009 and 15-4 as chalk that span. Tech edge-slight to UCF, based on recent spread marks.

NOTRE DAME at MICHIGAN...Michigan has now won and covered 4 of last 5 in series including both of the last two at Ann Arbor. Brian Kelly was 5-1 vs. line away from home LY and his Cincy and Irish teams are 10-2 vs. spread away the past two years. Tech edge-slight to ND, based on team trends.

SAN JOSE STATE at UCLA...Slick Rick has taken advantage of win opportunities the past three years, notching 7-2 chalk mark (a departure from past stops in his career) since taking over at UCLA in 2008. Rick also 5-0 vs. number hosting non-conference foes since 2008. San Jose was just 7-24 vs. number last 31 on board. Tech edge-UCLA, based on team trends.

BOSTON COLLEGE at UCF...Spaziani covered last five away from home LY and was 4-1 as dog in 2010. O'Leary 18-5 vs. line since 2010 and 15-4 as chalk since 2009. Tech edge-slight to UCF, based on recent spread marks.

Added Games

FLORIDA ATLANTIC at MICHIGAN STATE...Howard now 4-20 vs. spread last 24 vs. non-Belt foes in reg.-season play. Tech edge-MSU, based on Howard extended non-Belt woes.

MEMPHIS at ARKANSAS STATE...Memphis now 7-18 its last 25 on board (5-8 for Porter) after opening loss vs. Miss State. Porter now 4-7 as DD dog since 2010 with Tigers. Tech edge-Ark State, based on Memphis negatives.

HOUSTON at NORTH TEXAS...New stadium opens in Denton. Hope for Mean Green in that UH just 1-7 as road chalk since 2009 and 6-17 vs. points last 23 away. UNT 7-22-1 vs. points last 30 outside of Belt, however. Tech edge-slight to UH, based on UNT's extended spread woes outside of Belt.

NAVY at WESTERN KENTUCKY...Mids have flattened out the past few years vs. number, only 26-25 vs. spread since 2007. But Mids 29-17 vs. line away from Annapolis since 2006. Tech edge-slight to Navy, based on extended road marks.

GEORGIA TECH at MIDDLE TENNESSEE...Paul Johnson 13-8 vs. line away since '08 with GT, and he's 5-2 as visiting chalk with Jackets (though 0-2 LY). Tech edge-GT, based on extended Paul Johnson marks.

UL-LAFAYETTE at KENT STATE...Ragin' Cajuns 7-1 vs. spread away since 2010, and 18-9 last 27 vs. line away. Tech edge-ULL, based on recent road marks.

**StarDust Bum** · 09-06-2011, 11:42 PM

Notre Dame makes a quarterback change

September 6, 2011

SOUTH BEND, Ind. (AP) - Tommy Rees is in and Dayne Crist - benched after halftime of Notre Dame's ugly 23-20 loss to South Florida - is out.

Notre Dame coach Brian Kelly announced a quarterback switch Tuesday with the Irish coming off a dreadful showing in their opener and facing a Saturday night game against Michigan in the Big House.

Crist's regular-season stay lasted about as long as Notre Dame occupied a spot in the Top 25. The Irish were knocked out of the poll Tuesday following their stunning loss to USF on a wild day interrupted by dangerous weather.

Just two weeks ago, Crist was announced as the starter after beating out Rees in training camp. Kelly said at the time he expected the senior to keep the job for the rest of the season.

But Crist's uneven performance on Saturday and Rees' strong relief job in the second half prompted the change.

``A very difficult situation that I felt needed to be addressed,'' Kelly said.

``I want to win right now. I believe Tommy gives us the best chance to win against Michigan. There are so many things you do within your program that you build for the future. Recruiting is always about building for the future. But your roster has to be evaluated about how to win right now. Especially at Notre Dame.''

Kelly called Saturday's loss ``probably one of the most frustrating experiences that I've ever had as a head football coach. I mean, extremely frustrating. Everybody was frustrated.''

And Kelly, who gave Crist an earful on the sideline as the Irish fell behind 16-0 at the half, erupted in the second half after a Rees pass hit receiver TJ Jones and was intercepted as the Irish were in position to score. Notre Dame had five turnovers in the game, three interceptions.

TV cameras showed Kelly screaming at Jones and the coach's outrage prompted criticism across chat boards, websites and publications.

Asked about his demeanor Tuesday, Kelly first answered with a question to a reporter: ``Did I hit somebody? Did I strike somebody? Is that what you're referring to? I'm asking specifically what you're referring to.''

Told that there were numerous articles about his sideline outburst, Kelly acknowledged that with the cameras on him -- Notre Dame's home games are televised by NBC -- he has to be more careful.

``Yeah, I think I was extremely frustrated with the game. You know, what I have to recognize is that I'm on TV all the time,'' he said. ``You know, do a better job of understanding when that camera is on me. Seems like it's on more than I'm used to. So I'll have to do a better job of controlling my emotions.'

It will now be up to Rees to lead the team against the Wolverines (1-0).

Rees, who won four games as the starter to close last season after Crist suffered his second season-ending knee injury in as many years, looked much more comfortable and got rid of the ball quicker. He completed 24 of 34 passes for 296 yards with a pair of TD passes to Michael Floyd, who caught 10 of his 12 passes Saturday from Rees.

Rees was also good last season against Tulsa after Crist to hurt. He put up big numbers in that game - 33 of 54 for 334 yards with four TD passes - but also threw a last-second interception in a tough loss.

Going to Michigan's massive 100,00-plus seat stadium will be another stop at a marquee venue for Rees. The sophomore started games last season at Notre Dame Stadium, Yankee Stadium and the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum. He also started the Sun Bowl victory over Miami.

If Rees is productive, it's his job to keep.

``Nobody wants to go in and change their quarterbacks each and every week. That's just not the way you play this game,'' Kelly said.

``So we don't come to this decision thinking, `Well, he'll give us one game and then we'll go back to Dayne.' That's obviously not why we made this decision. We believe that Tommy is capable of leading this football team, just as I believed strongly that Dayne is capable.''

Crist did some good things in the first half when the Irish fell behind against USF 16-0, Kelly said. A long opening drive was stymied by Jonas Gray's fumble near the goal line, and a TD run by Cierre Wood was called back by a holding penalty just before Crist threw an interception in the end zone.

But Crist didn't make his decisions quick enough Saturday and there too many mistakes, certainly not all of his making.

``You know, it wasn't all Dayne Crist,'' Kelly said. ``Unfortunately it falls on the quarterback as the leader to be productive. That's why we went with the decision. ...I'm not here to cover Dayne's butt, OK? That's not by job. ... The difference between being good and great sometimes is being decisive. You know, not whether you can process and understand, but decisiveness.''

Rees, an early enrollee last year, hails from a football family. His dad has an extensive background in coaching and personnel in both the NFL and college ranks, and his brother was a punter and holder at UCLA.

He actually made his college debut last season against Michigan when Crist was shaken up in the first half. Rees threw two passes, one of them intercepted, and was obviously not ready for the stage at that time and was quickly yanked in favor of Nate Montana.

Now he's relaxed and able to keep cool when he's in the game or on the sideline.

``Obviously it's been a pretty up and down couple of weeks,'' Rees said. ``When I found out Dayne would be the guy, obviously I was disappointed, but at the same time excited for him. He deserved it. ... Now I'm getting my chance, he's been the same way to me. It's such a good relationship.''

**StarDust Bum** · 09-07-2011, 05:53 PM

Northwestern State In Mismatch At LSU Tigers

LSU will be a big step up in competition for NW State after opening against Delta State.
Saturday night college football presents a game from one of the best atmospheres in the sport down in the Bayou at Tiger Stadium in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. At 8:00 p.m. (ET) the LSU Tigers will host the Northwestern State Demons. This game can be streamed live on ESPN3.com.

The Don Best Linemakers Poll finds the LSU Tigers tied for No. 7 with the team that they just beat by 13 points to open the season, the Oregon Ducks.

It is safe to say that Northwestern State will not be challenging for a BCS title this season, most prominently because they are an FCS (Division I-AA) school reigning from the Southland Conference.

The best news for the Demons, besides their intimidating moniker, is that they are coming off of a win in their opener and in exciting fashion at that. At home against the Delta State Statesmen, Northwestern State stopped a 2-point conversion attempt with 10 seconds remaining that would have been the deciding score. The Statesmen could not exorcise these Demons.

As for LSU, it would be a very tough challenge to find a reason for them to slip up in this game. The only plausible argument could be this is a trap game considering the Tigers head on the road to face tougher opponents in Mississippi State and West Virginia the next two weeks. Both teams are ranked in the Don Best and AP Polls.

That’s enough of the fairy tale because this is an LSU squad that held Heisman hopeful LaMichael James to 54 yards on the ground a week ago and forced the Ducks to commit four turnovers. Oregon did outgain the Tigers in total yards, but LSU kept possession of the ball for 33 minutes and amassed 80 more yards rushing.

This could be the perfect game for quarterback Jarrett Lee to get into his groove for the season. Lee wasn’t spectacular completing 10-of-22 passes for 98 yards. He did, however, throw one TD and no interceptions.

Lee, of course, took over for Jordan Jefferson who is still suspended indefinitely due to off the field issues.

LSU has a very impressive streak heading into this game winning its last 34 games against nonconference opponents. Many of those teams were undoubtedly better than Northwestern State.

There is no betting line on this contest at this time, but expect the Tigers to be a massive favorite.

Weather should not be a factor as the forecast calls for a temperature of 76 degrees and minimal cloud cover.

**StarDust Bum** · 09-07-2011, 05:56 PM

South Carolina Gamecocks At Georgia Bulldogs

South Carolina is favored by three points on the road this week at Georgia.
Early bragging rights in the SEC East are up for grabs Saturday when the South Carolina Gamecocks head to Athens to take on the Georgia Bulldogs.

The game kicks off at 4:30 p.m. (ET) and will be televised nationally on ESPN. South Carolina is currently listed as a 3-point road favorite on the Don Best odds screen.

Both South Carolina and Georgia cracked the top 30 on The Don Best Linemakers Poll, with South Carolina sitting 11th and Georgia 26th. Most fans and analysts agree that the SEC East will come down to these two teams and Florida this year, making this game a particularly important one that could play a huge role in crowning the division champion at season’s end.

South Carolina (1-0) got off to a rough start last Saturday against Eastern Carolina, falling down 17-0 early as starting quarterback Connor Shaw failed to get anything going on offense. Stephen Garcia relieved Shaw and led the offense to 56 points, passing for one touchdown and rushing for three.

Despite the huge output on offense, the Gamecocks still failed to cover the 21-point spread as they won by a final score of 56-37. The total easily sailed ‘over’ the posted line of 59 ½ points.

Steve Spurrier may have trouble keeping Garcia on the bench after this performance. Marcus Lattimore rushed for 112 yards and three touchdowns against East Carolina, and Alshon Jeffery had five catches for 92 yards.

Georgia (0-1) had no answer for Kellen Moore and the Boise State offense last weekend as they dropped the game 35-21 as a 3-point underdog. Moore finished 28-for-34 through the air for 261 yards and three touchdowns. The total went ‘over’ the posted line of 51 ½.

Bulldogs quarterback Aaron Murray passed for 236 yards and two touchdowns, but it wasn’t enough to match Boise State’s offensive production. While the loss doesn’t hamper Georgia’s chances in the SEC East, it was a disappointing way to start a season with high expectations attached, especially considering it was essentially a home game at the Georgia Dome.

East Carolina and Boise State exploited South Carolina and Georgia on defense, and it will be interesting to see this week if these defensive units can bounce back or if the holes revealed in opening week turn out to be legitimate.

The total for Saturday is appropriately set at a fairly high 51½, taking last week’s defensive struggles and the powerful offenses of these two teams into account. The final score has gone ‘under’ in nine of the last 10 games played between these two rivals.

South Carolina will begin a stretch of four straight home games following this contest, the first against Navy on Sept. 17. Georgia has Coastal Carolina next week before heading back into SEC action on Sept. 24 at Ole Miss.

Announcement

The Bum's CFB Week # 2 Best Bets !

The Bum's CFB Week # 2 Best Bets !

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