Announcement

**StarDust Bum** · 12-02-2013, 12:19 AM

Stanford, Arizona State set for Pac-12

December 1, 2013

STANFORD, Calif. (AP) - The Pac-12 title game matchup has been set for a week. Now so is the location.

And that could be a major factor in the outcome.

No. 11 Arizona State (10-2, 8-1), whose only league loss came at seventh-ranked Stanford (10-2, 7-2) on Sept. 21, will host the defending champion Cardinal in the Pac-12 title game Saturday night with a spot in the Rose Bowl at stake.

The Sun Devils sealed home-field advantage by routing rival Arizona 58-21 in the regular-season finale. Arizona State is 7-0 at home this season, and perhaps even more importantly, it avoids a return trip to Stanford Stadium - where the Cardinal have won 16 straight.

''I can tell you this: Our guys are determined, and we need everyone in these seats,'' Sun Devils coach Todd Graham said. ''We need to be loud and proud and make it a great home-field advantage. Our guys want to win this and go to the Rose Bowl.''

The rematch figures to be quite different than the first go-around.

Stanford's 42-28 victory in the Pac-12 opener for both teams was mostly a one-sided affair. The Cardinal led 29-0 at halftime and 39-7 through three quarters before Taylor Kelly threw three touchdown passes in the fourth quarter to give Stanford a brief scare.

Both teams have been through quite a lot since then.

The Sun Devils routed a reeling Southern California team 62-41 the following week, which led to the firing of Trojans coach Lane Kiffin, then lost 37-34 to Notre Dame in Arlington, Texas, before rolling off seven straight victories - including a win at UCLA to clinch the South Division crown.

Stanford regrouped from a stunning upset at Utah that dashed its national championship hopes to beat previously undefeated Oregon. The Cardinal lost control of the Pac-12 North title with a loss at USC before getting it back when the Ducks dropped their game at Arizona the next week.

None of that matters now.

The Sun Devils are going for their first Rose Bowl berth since 1997. And Stanford, which beat Wisconsin for its first Rose Bowl victory in 41 years last season, is trying to book consecutive trips to the ''Granddaddy of Them All'' for the first time since 1971-72.

''We had ups and downs; we had bumps and bruises,'' Stanford coach David Shaw said. ''We lost some guys, had some guys step up. We lost a couple games. But when you look up, we're where we wanted to be, a 10-win team in the Pac-12 championship game, and it's going to be a heck of a game.''

The Sun Devils could be without leading scorer and rusher Marion Grice (injured leg) for the second straight week. The senior running back watched the win over Arizona on crutches from the sideline, and with practices closed to reporters and Graham saying only that Grice's injury is ''day to day,'' his status remains a mystery for the Pac-12 title game.

Stanford should be relatively healthy.

Defensive end and co-captain Ben Gardner had season-ending surgery on his left chest muscle, and kicker Jordan Williamson's range is limited because of a leg injury. But Shaw said the Cardinal will get back defensive end Josh Mauro, who sat out Stanford's 27-20 win over Notre Dame on Saturday night with a leg injury.

The bigger challenge for Stanford to overcome might be beating the same opponent twice in the same season.

Last year, Stanford handled UCLA 35-17 in the regular-season finale before a tough 27-24 victory over the Bruins six days later for the conference championship. With so many games between meetings this time, both teams have had nearly a season of lessons learned, and now is the time to put them to use.

''It's unbelievable. We're anxious, but we know we have got a lot of work still,'' said Arizona State's D.J. Foster, who ran for 124 yards and two touchdowns against Arizona in Grice's place. ''There is still a big game coming up, so we can't get ahead of ourselves. We still have to work hard and prepare like we always do. We just have to understand what we have in front of us and how close we are to our goal. But we have to finish strong.''

**StarDust Bum** · 12-02-2013, 12:21 AM

FSU, Ohio State in top two BCS spots

December 1, 2013

Florida State and Ohio State are in position to play for the BCS national championship, though Auburn and Missouri are close enough behind in the BCS standings to put pressure on the Buckeyes.

The Seminoles grabbed the top spot in the BCS standings released Sunday after Alabama relinquished it for the first time this season.

The Crimson Tide's wild 34-28 loss at Auburn dropped Alabama to fourth. Ohio State is second and Auburn is third. Missouri is fifth. Auburn and Missouri play in the Southeastern Conference championship game Saturday in Atlanta. The winner should get a boost in the standings, but it might not be enough to catch the unbeaten Buckeyes.

Ohio State (12-0) faces Michigan State, 10th in the latest standings, in the Big Ten championship game Saturday in Indianapolis.

Florida State is first in both the USA Today coaches' poll and Harris poll, and rated No. 1 in the compilation of six computer rankings used in the BCS standings.

The Seminoles' .9948 BCS average makes them a lock to get to the title game in Pasadena, Calif., on Jan. 6 if they can beat Duke in the Atlantic Coast Conference championship game Saturday.

The Buckeyes (.9503) are second in the polls and second in the computers. Auburn (.9233) is third in each. Missouri (.8428) is fifth in each. But each of those SEC Tigers is 11-1. Ohio State is riding a 24-game winning streak.

An unbeaten team from a BCS automatic-qualifying conference (ACC, Big Ten, Big 12, Pac-12, SEC and Big East, now American Athletic Conference) has never been shut out of national championship game in favor of a team with a loss.

The SEC, which has won the last seven BCS championships, would like that to change.

''Any one-loss team in the SEC (should be considered) just because of the strength of schedule,'' Missouri coach Gary Pinkel said. ''Hopefully that will be taken into consideration.''

Jerry Palm, who analyzes the BCS for CBS.com, said there is no reason to expect the unprecedented to happen.

''I think the voters would have to abandon Ohio State, and that's never happened in the history of the BCS,'' he said Sunday.

Alabama (.8539) is fourth but the Tide would need both Florida State and Ohio State to lose to get back in the title conversation.

The BCS is in its last season. It will be replaced by a four-team playoff next year, which will use a selection committee to pick the teams.

Farther down the latest standings, the competition to become the last BCS buster is now a one-team race after Fresno State lost to San Jose State. It's all about Northern Illinois now.

The undefeated Huskies from the Mid-American Conference remained 14th in the standings this week. NIU, looking for its second straight BCS bid, plays Bowling Green in the MAC title game on Friday night.

The Huskies can earn an automatic BCS bid two ways:

- Finish in the top 12 of the final BCS standings.

- Finish in the top 16 of the final standings, ahead of an automatic qualifying conference champion.

The Huskies used the latter route to get to the BCS last season with one loss.

It could happen again this season. Central Florida, in line to win the American and earn its first automatic BCS bid, is ranked 16th in the latest standings and plays SMU on Saturday. It doesn't seem likely that the Knights (10-1) will pass the Huskies, so the only thing standing in the way of Northern Illinois and the BCS is Bowling Green. NIU would most likely play in the Fiesta Bowl.

No team will enter the final weekend of the regular season with a BCS bid locked up. Here are the possibilities:

- Oklahoma State, Baylor and Texas are all alive to earn the Big 12 title and the conference's automatic bid to the Fiesta Bowl. Oklahoma State gets the bid by beating Oklahoma. If the Cowboys lose, the winner of the Baylor-Texas game gets the bid.

- The winner of the SEC championship gets an automatic bid to the Sugar Bowl.

- If Duke wins the ACC championship it will play in the Orange Bowl.

- The winner of the Pac-12 title game between Stanford and Arizona State gets a Rose Bowl bid.

- Michigan State will earn a Rose Bowl bid by beating Ohio State in the Big Ten title game, but also stands a good chance to end up in the Rose Bowl with a loss. If Ohio State plays for the national championship, the Spartans (11-1) are likely to be picked by the Rose Bowl to replace the Buckeyes.

- If UCF loses, it could create a three-way tie for the AAC title with Cincinnati and Louisville that would be settled by the BCS standings. Louisville is 19th in the standings this week, while Cincinnati is unranked.

- Alabama is a virtual lock to get an at-large bid, most likely to the Orange Bowl.

**StarDust Bum** · 12-02-2013, 12:23 AM

Alabama teammates rally around Foster

December 1, 2013

MONTGOMERY, Ala. (AP) - Alabama kicker Cade Foster was inundated with support from teammates and thousands of fans on social media after missing two field goal attempts and having a third blocked in the Crimson Tide's loss to Auburn.

The initial negative backlash after Saturday's 34-28 defeat mostly turned supportive by Sunday. A fan page titled ''Bama fans supporting Cade Foster'' was started on Facebook after the game and was approaching 40,000 ''likes'' by Sunday afternoon. It included a message that negative posts would be deleted.

Alabama quarterback AJ McCarron posted on Twitter that ''we win & lose as a team. If u blame this on 1 guy U aren't a true fan!''

Linebacker C.J. Mosley was even more emphatic with a tweet urging ''fake'' and ''spoiled'' fans to ''stop sending threats to my teammates.''

Auburn wound up winning on the final play on Chris Davis' 100-yard return of a missed 57-yard field goal attempt by Adam Griffith, who tried the potential game-winning kick in place of Foster.

The loss likely doomed Alabama's chances of making history with a third consecutive national title.

Foster, a senior, had been 11 of 12 on field goal attempts this season before the Iron Bowl. One of his misses came after he had to re-kick when a false start penalty negated his 28-yarder, and two others were 44-yarders.

The Tide was stopped short on a fourth-and-1 from Auburn's 13 after going for it instead of sending Foster out to try to give Alabama a 31-21 lead with about five minutes to play.

Some fans reacted angrily to Foster on his Twitter account in the game's aftermath. One tweet urged him to ''drink bleach'' and another said: ''Cade foster I'm gonna kill you and your family just FYI.''

The tone changed dramatically when calmer heads prevailed Sunday.

Blogger Kaitlin Goins, who said she is a 20-year-old Alabama student, posted a letter that included apologies to Foster for his treatment.

''I want to apologize for fans `booing' you,'' Goins wrote in a widely circulated post. ''I want to apologize for the hateful comments. I want to apologize for the death threats. I want to apologize for the future interviews. I want to apologize for the future comments.

''But mostly, I want to apologize because your fan base did not stand behind you when you needed us the most.''

Foster has rebounded from a rough game in the national spotlight before. He missed three long field goal tries in 2011 against No. 1 LSU when second-ranked Bama lost 9-6 in overtime.

Former Alabama kicker Leigh Tiffin watched the Auburn game on TV and said he's ''sure nobody feels worse today than Cade Foster.'' Tiffin said some criticism comes with the position.

''The cruelty and a lot of the things are said in the heat of the moment after the game,'' said Tiffin, an All-American on the Tide's 2009 national championship team. ''Anybody that plays the position is going to have to take flak when they don't perform up to standards. You've just got to understand that most of the people truly don't have a full appreciation for what's involved in the position.''

Missouri kicker Andrew Baggett received nasty tweets after missing a short field goal attempt in overtime against South Carolina, including one that said ''go kill yourself everyone in Missouri hates you.''

The Tigers rebounded and will face Auburn on Saturday in the SEC championship game. Foster will get only one more game in his Alabama career.

Tiffin's toughest game at Alabama might have come in an overtime loss to Arkansas. But the stakes weren't nearly so high, and he was a freshman with plenty of time to gain seasoning and redemption.

''Cade's situation is unique and it's extraordinarily tough, I'm sure,'' Tiffin said. ''I don't really know exactly what that feels like. I've certainly had a bad game in my career, but never with those sort of mistakes and not at the end of my career.''

**StarDust Bum** · 12-02-2013, 06:39 PM

College football odds: Week 15 opening line report

If your heart has recovered from a wild weekend of college football in Week 14, well, have your defibrillator ready, because there are still some big games to come in Week 15. Leading the way are two teams that, before the season, almost no one would have projected to reach the Southeastern Conference championship game: Auburn and Missouri, in a battle of Tigers at Atlanta’s Georgia Dome.

Auburn provided a ridiculously riveting finish to Saturday’s Iron Bowl, returning a field goal for a touchdown in a 34-28 shocker over No. 1 Alabama. This is the same squad that went 3-9 SU and 4-8 ATS last year, including 0-8 SU and 2-6 ATS in the SEC. This year, Auburn is 11-1 SU and is tied for the second-best ATS record in the country at 10-2.

Missouri is also 11-1 SU and fields the No. 1 spread-covering unit in the nation at 10-1-1. The Tigers were 5-7 SU and ATS last year, but they’ve rocketed to the top of the SEC behind quarterback James Franklin and a defense that allows just 19.4 ppg (14th). Mizzou wrapped up the regular season by holding high-octane Texas A&M and QB Johnny Manziel to just 21 points in a 28-21 victory Saturday.

Peter Korner, founder of Nevada-based odds service The Sports Club, says the Crimson Tide being out of the picture makes this contest far more intriguing.

“It turns out to be a great game which will be highly competitive and a real toss-up as to who will win. I think this game is much more interesting now that Alabama is out. With that, the majority of oddsmakers all made this a pick ‘em, and that's what we sent out. Auburn has really turned on the afterburners to be where it is, and Missouri has been strong all year. We'll let the bettors decide this one.”

Ohio State Buckeyes vs. Michigan State Spartans (+6)

The Buckeyes allowed a middling Michigan squad to put up 41 points and come a 2-point conversion away from an upset that would have rivaled Auburn’s shocker over Alabama. But even if the 42-41 win was far tighter than expected, with Ohio State laying 17 points, the Buckeyes (12-0 SU, 6-5-1 ATS) have still won 24 consecutive games SU heading into the Big Ten title game at Lucas Oil Field in Indianapolis.

The Spartans, meanwhile, grinded out a 14-3 home win Saturday as a 17-point chalk against Minnesota. Michigan State (11-1 SU, 7-4-1 ATS) has won eight in a row (6-2 ATS), holding opponents to 14 points or less six times in that stretch, and five of those foes scored only in single digits. The Spartans have the nation’s No. 1 total defense (273.3 ypg), No. 1 rushing defense (64.4 ypg) and No. 4 scoring defense (11.8 ppg).

“We're all wary that Ohio State has no defense and Michigan State has a top-notch defensive unit,” Korner said. “Our range went from Ohio State -4.5 to -7. We sent out Ohio State -6. Smart money will be on Michigan State, squares will be on the favorite. Hopefully it will balance out and we get good two-way action right where it's at.”

Oklahoma Sooners at Oklahoma State Cowboys (-13)

The host Cowboys are gunning for the Big 12 title and an automatic berth in a BCS bowl, but just playing the archrival Sooners in the Bedlam game is generally motivation enough. If not for a toe-stubbing loss at West Virginia back in September, Oklahoma State (10-1 SU, 8-3 ATS) would be firmly in the hunt for the national championship game. Since that setback, the Pokes have gone 7-0 SU and 6-1 ATS, scoring 38 points or more five times and winning by two TDs or more six times.

The Sooners (9-2 SU, 6-5 ATS) won their first five games, then went 4-2 down the stretch to fall out of Big 12 title contention. While Korner and his crew have Oklahoma State a double-digit chalk, he said the Sooners could surely make things interesting.

“We were all actually very close on this one, as the numbers ranged from Oklahoma State -12.5 to -14,” he said. “We sent out -13. We're sure dog players will wait and see how high this can go, but both teams are quality squads, and we don't see much movement – if any – until much later in the week.

“The way this year has ended up, I'm pretty sure that Oklahoma could win outright as the double-digit underdog, so we won't be surprised if the Sooners make this a game.”

Duke Blue Devils vs. Florida State Seminoles (-32)

Duke is yet another surprise team to be hanging around at this point of the year, coming off a 10-2 SU regular season and standing tied for second nationally with a 10-2 ATS record, as well. The Blue Devils are on an 8-0 SU run and have cashed in their last seven games, nabbing four outright wins as an underdog, including Saturday’s 27-25 win at North Carolina as a 5-point pup.

Florida State is steaming toward the BCS national championship game, despite sexual assault allegations swirling around star QB Jameis Winston, though no charges have been brought yet. The Seminoles (12-0 SU) have also been a spread-covering machine at 10-2 ATS, winning by at least 27 points in all but one game, so Korner isn’t expecting much out of the ACC championship tilt in Charlotte, N.C.

“This is a real non-game. Our range went from Florida State -30 to -33, and we sent out -32,” he said. “There’s not much to see here. We expect late-week action to be on the favorite, as usual, so we're ignoring the offshore line moves on Sunday. Moving fast and to a lower number this quickly, this early in the week is a joke. Any sports book that follows this is going to be rooting for Duke come Saturday.”

**StarDust Bum** · 12-03-2013, 02:23 AM

Sarkisian named new USC coach, Orgeron leaving

Los Angeles, CA (SportsNetwork.com) - USC hired Steve Sarkisian as its new head football coach on Monday, tabbing the Washington sideline boss over interim program leader Ed Orgeron in the wake of the Trojans' 21-point loss to crosstown rival UCLA over the weekend.

Sarkisian, a top assistant under Pete Carroll at USC prior to his five-year stint with the Huskies, takes over a Trojans' team that went 6-2 under Orgeron after the latter was promoted to the top post following Lane Kiffin's dismissal in late September.

The school announced that Orgeron will not remain with the program as he pursues a head coaching opportunity elsewhere.

Sarkisian guided Washington to four consecutive winning campaigns after going 5-7 in his debut season, including an 8-4 overall mark and a 5-4 record in Pac-12 play in 2013. The Huskies went 34-29 during his tenure and 24-21 in conference games.

The 39-year-old is also well-regarded as a developer of quarterbacks. He tutored Heisman Trophy winners Carson Palmer and Matt Leinart during his two previous stops at USC, with future NFL first-round picks Mark Sanchez and Jake Locker also among Sarkisian's ex-pupils.

"He embodies many of the qualities for which we looked," USC athletic director Pat Haden said of Sarkisian. "He is an innovative coach who recruits well and develops players. He is a proven and successful leader. He connects with people. He has energy and passion. He knows how to build a program and create a culture that we value. He is committed to academic success and rules compliance. And he understands the heritage and tradition of USC."

Sarkisian, a former quarterback at BYU and with the CFL's Saskatchewan Roughriders, first joined the Trojans in 2001 as quarterbacks coach and spent three years in that role before serving in the same position with the Oakland Raiders in 2004. He went back to Carroll's staff the following year and was promoted to offensive coordinator in 2007.

During his time as a USC assistant, Sarkisian was a part of five Pac-10 champion teams and helped the Trojans reach the BCS Championship Game for the 2005 season.

The Los Angeles-area native also began his collegiate playing career as a walk-on baseball player for the Trojans before transferring to junior college.

"I am extremely excited to be coming home to USC and for the opportunity that USC presents to win championships. I can't wait to get started."

Orgeron was under consideration to claim the Trojans' head-coaching gig on a permanent basis after leading the team to five consecutive victories, including an upset of then fifth-ranked Stanford, prior to Saturday's 35-21 defeat to the Bruins.

"Ed is one of the greatest Trojans ever and we thank him for all he has done for the program," said Haden. "He and I had a very open and frank discussion. He understandably was disappointed when I told him we were going in a different direction. We talked about the possibility of him remaining at USC, but Ed wants to be a head coach and I am supportive of that. I told him I will do whatever I can to help him in that pursuit."

**StarDust Bum** · 12-03-2013, 02:26 AM

Arkansas State accepts third consecutive GoDaddy Bowl invitation

Mobile, AL (SportsNetwork.com) - Arkansas State has accepted an invitation to play a team from the Mid-American Conference in the 15th annual GoDaddy Bowl game on Jan. 5, 2014, at Ladd-Peebles Stadium.

The Red Wolves are 7-5 this season, with a 5-2 record in the Sun Belt Conference.

Arkansas State will play in the GoDaddy Bowl for a third consecutive year. In 2012, Northern Illinois of the Mid-American Conference defeated the Red Wolves 38-20. The next year, Arkansas State returned, defeating Mid-American Conference member Kent State, 17-13.

**StarDust Bum** · 12-03-2013, 12:04 PM

Power Rankings

Conference Rankings

Now that mighty Alabama has fallen, we're going to see what the value of SEC is truly worth. The Auburn-Missouri SEC title game will produce the most worthy one-loss team to play for the national title, but it's going to be difficult for an undefeated Ohio State team, fresh off a win over the only truly impressive team in the league (Michigan State) to be denied. Cue the national debate. Auburn AD Jay Jacobs said it would be un-American for an SEC team to be denied a spot in Pasadena. Buckeye nation and for that matter, most of the country, probably disagrees.

1) SEC
2) Pac-12
3) Big 12
4) Big Ten
5) ACC
6) American Athletic Conference (AAC)
7) Mountain West
8) MAC
9) C-USA
10) Sun Belt

BCS Championship Prediction
Florida State vs. Ohio State - It's going to be unpopular in SEC country, but a Buckeyes team that has been undefeated for back-to-back regular seasons is unlikely to be denied a spot, especially if Missouri-Auburn ends up a tight game. Florida State will be favored regardless of who it lines up against in Pasadena.

Heisman Watch
1) Jameis Winston, QB, Florida State
2) Johnny Manziel, QB, Texas A&M
3) Jordan Lynch, QB, Northern Illinois

Barring charges that aren't expected to be announced this week, if at all, Winston will be most deserving.

Team to Watch
Ohio State - Ohio State will face the best defense it has seen on its schedule to date, and it's ironic that the last hurdle it must clear is indeed formidable enough to trip it up. Sparty has lost only once and has improved offensively enough to make them a real threat to win the Big Ten Championship, which is exactly what the Buckeyes need them to be in the eyes of voters. It may actually benefit Ohio State if the game is close for three quarters, but no matter how it goes down, QB Braxton Miller and RB Carlos Hyde must shine brightest.

Top 25 - Week 13

Rank School Betting Notes Prev

1 Florida State (12-0 SU, 10-2 ATS)
Won at Florida 37-7 2

1 Ohio State (12-0, 6-5-1 ATS)
Won at Michigan 42-41 3

1 Auburn (11-1 SU, 9-3 ATS)
Beat Alabama 34-28 6

1 Oklahoma State (10-1 SU, 8-3 ATS)
Bye 4

1 Alabama (11-1 SU, 7-5 ATS)
Lost at Auburn 34-28 1

1 South Carolina (9-2 SU, 5-6 ATS)
Beat Clemson 31-17 7

1 Missouri (11-1 SU, 10-1-1 ATS)
Beat Texas A&M 28-21 8

1 Baylor (10-1, 8-3 ATS)
Won at TCU 41-38 10

1 Clemson (10-2, 6-6 ATS)
Lost at South Carolina 31-17 5

1 UCF (10-1, 7-4 ATS)
Beat South Florida 23-20 11

1 Louisville (10-1, 3-8 ATS)
Bye 12

1 Stanford (10-2, 6-6 ATS)
Beat Notre Dame 27-20 13

1 Oregon (10-2 SU, 7-4-1 ATS)
Beat Oregon State 36-35 14

1 Northern Illinois (12-0 SU, 8-4 ATS)
Beat Western Michigan 33-14 16

1 Michigan State (10-1, 7-4 ATS)
Beat Minnesota 14-3 17

1 Arizona State (10-2 SU, 7-5 ATS)
Beat Arizona 58-21 18

1 LSU (9-3 SU, 5-6-1 ATS)
Beat Arkansas 31-27 21

1 UCLA (9-3, 8-4 ATS)
Beat Southern Cal 35-14 23

1 Oklahoma (9-2, 6-5 ATS)
Bye 19

1 Wisconsin (9-3, 9-2-1 ATS)
Lost to Penn State 31-24 15

1 Duke (10-2 SU, 10-2 ATS)
Beat North Carolina 27-25 24

1 Fresno State (10-1, 4-7 ATS)
Lost at San Jose State 62-52 9

1 Texas (8-3 SU, 6-5 ATS)
Beat Texas Tech 41-16 NR

1 Southern California (9-4 SU, 6-7 ATS)
Lost to UCLA 35-14 20

1 Texas A&M (8-4 SU, 5-7 ATS)
Lost at Missouri 28-21 22

Dropped out: 25 - Notre Dame

On the cusp: Cincinnati, Vanderbilt, Georgia, Miami, Fl., Iowa, Washington

**StarDust Bum** · 12-03-2013, 12:06 PM

Armadillo: Tuesday's six-pack

-- Missouri won the SEC East, Auburn the SEC West; problem is, Auburn is farther east than Columbia, Missouri by a decent amount.

-- Kid who scored the winning TD for Auburn Saturday got a standing ovation when he went to his Geology class Monday morning.

-- Bishop Gorman has the best high school football team in Las Vegas; its QB is Randall Cunningham II, whose dad played at UNLV.

-- Tony Romo has a 24-5 record in November, 11-15 in December.

-- According to the Wall Street Journal, 44% of all sales this past weekend were done online; in 2006, that figure was 23%.

-- Phil Hughes got $24M for three years from the Twins. Go figure.

*****

Armadillo: Tuesday's List of 13: Nobody asked me, but........

13) Steve Sarkisian inherited an 0-12 Washington program in 2009; Huskies went 34-29, 24-21 in Pac-12 play under the BYU grad/former USC assistant. Apparently that was enough to impress the Trojans, who hired Sarkisian as head coach Monday. Curious move.

12) It is a tremendous kick in the teeth to leave a school for a conference rival; can only think of two times it has happened-- Tommy Tuberville, who bolted Ole Miss for Auburn, and Bruce Snyder, from Cal to Arizona State. It would be more understandable if Sarkisian was an alum, but he's not.

USC-Washington games will be very interesting the next couple of years.

11) Tweet of the Day, from Washington freshman QB Troy Williams: "Don't ever commit cus of a coach. Faker then a 3 dollar bill."

10) Related happening: USC offered Ed Orgeron a raise to stay with the Trojans as an assistant, but he wasn't happy and quit. He really did a fine job as interim coach; guess he isn't that impressed with Sarkisian.

9)) Florida State is #1 in the college football poll for the first time since 2000; they opened up as a 9.5-point favorite over Ohio State, if that matchup were to take place in the BCS title game.

8) Disappointed that there is only one Papa John’s pizza place in the Albany area south of Saratoga, and that one place doesn’t deliver to the area I live in. Dagnabbit; it’s the best pizza I’ve ever had and I can’t get any. Oy.

7) Sounds like Maryland basketball coach Mark Turgeon might not have left Texas A&M for Maryland if he knew the Terps were jumping to the Big Dozen. He’s making big money either way, but it’s a piece of information that might’ve changed his thought process.

6) I asked noted basketball expert Harry the Handicapper if a change from a 0:35 shot clock to a 0:30 clock would have that much of an effect on the college game, and he said it would/will not.

Sounds like its going to happen next year; they might also allow each player six fouls before fouling out, which would be a bigger change.

5) Rory McIlroy won the Australian Open, his first win of 2013, depriving Adam Scott of the Australian Triple Crown. Some of these international golfers never seem to take time off.

4) Of the thirty current head coaches in the NBA, eight of them played for the Knicks, at one time or another.

3) Browns’ WR Josh Gordon has 498 receiving yards in his last two games, with the forgettable Brandon Weeden throwing him passes; the leader for the Jets in receiving yards for the entire 12-game season is Jeremy Kerley, with 347. In 12 games.

Speaking of the Jets, they’re the first team since the 2008 Browns to score 0 or 3 points in consecutive games.

2) Its pretty cool that college football’s national Coach of the Year is going to be a guy who was a high school coach for 16 years. Gus Malzahn will find that he’s raised expectations at Auburn to ridiculous levels, but what a season his team has had. Curious to see how it translates in his recruiting this year.

1) I’m convinced Thanksgiving weekend is busiest sports weekend of the year; so much going on. Rivalry Saturday in college football, 16-game NFL slate, lot of college basketball tournaments, as well as NBA/NHL. Just lot of stuff going on, tremendous amount of action.

**StarDust Bum** · 12-03-2013, 12:07 PM

See spot. See spot bet: This week's best spot bet opportunities

Spot bets are classic handicapping practices that have proven profitable no matter what sport you’re betting. Whether it’s a team looking past this week’s opponent, one coming off a hard-fought victory, or a rough patch of schedule, bettors can find value picking their spots.

Letdown spot

The Villanova Wildcats had fun in the sun this past weekend, shocking No. 2 Kansas and edging Iowa in overtime to win the Battle 4 Atlantis in the Bahamas. The Wildcats narrowly avoided a massive letdown against the Hawkeyes in the championship game, overcoming a sloppy first half in which they committed 12 of their 19 turnovers. If it wasn’t for James Bell catching fire from beyond the arc, Villanova would have been a one-hit wonder this weekend.

It will be a shock to the system when the Wildcats return home. Not only does the bitter cold of Philadelphia sting extra when you’ve been soaking in the tropical heat but Villanova could come crashing back to earth against two tough opponents this week. The Wildcats face off against Big 5 rivals Penn Wednesday and St. Joseph’s Saturday. Be careful of overinflated Villanova’s bubble bursting this week.

Lookahead spot

The Houston Rockets are living up to the preseason hype, jumping out to a 13-5 record and winning five straight games heading into Monday’s matchup with Utah. The Rockets peaked with a 112-106 win over the division-leading Spurs Saturday and can make another huge statement in the Western Conference with a win over Golden State Friday.

But before Houston butts heads with the Warriors, it hosts the NBA’s best bet Wednesday night. The Phoenix Suns bring their 12-4-1 ATS mark (as of Monday) to the Honda Center, coming off a game in Memphis the night before. The Suns have hung tough with the best in the West, covering on the road in Oklahoma City, Denver and San Antonio this year, and enter the week as 8-1 ATS away from home. Phoenix went 2-2 SU and 3-1 ATS in its four meetings with Houston last season.

Schedule spot

Some teams see the NFL Thanksgiving games as a burden, throwing a mid-week wrench into a team’s schedule so deep into the season. Others, like the Dallas Cowboys, have learned to cope with the Turkey Day tasks and benefit from them greatly in Week 14 of the season. Since scoring a comeback win over the Raiders last Thursday, the Cowboys will have 10 full days between games before taking the field in Chicago Monday night.

This extended break is huge for Dallas at this point in the season. Not only does the 10-day hiatus act as a mini bye week, giving the coaching staff added time to fine tune its gameplan for Monday, but it also allows the Cowboys to lick their many wounds. Dallas is expected to return top LB Sean Lee from a hamstring injury, and could get CB Morris Claiborne and return weapon Dwayne Harris back as well.

**StarDust Bum** · 12-03-2013, 12:08 PM

Snow and rain to dampen this weekend's football schedule

NFL and college football bettors beware, there is a high probability of messy conditions this weekend, including snow and rain. So when it comes to handicapping the games this week make sure to keep an eye out on the elements in several cities.

In this weekend's the NFL action, there is a 50 percent, or greater, chance of snow in Baltimore, Philadelphia and Washington when the Ravens, Eagles and Redskins face the Vikings, Lions and Chiefs respectively. In Cincinnati there is a 35 percent chance of snow when the Colts come to town.

A few cities in warmer climates may also not be able to escape the precipitation this weekend. There is a 16 percent chance of rain in Tampa Bay when the Bills take on the Buccaneers and there will be a 23 percent chance of rain when the Giants travel to San Diego to battle the Chargers.

In college action:

There will be a 43 percent chance of rain for the ACC title game when Duke takes on Florida State.

In two huge Big 12 matchups this weekend, three teams will battle each other and the weather for the conference championship. Texas travels to Waco to face Baylor where there is a 32 percent chance of freezing rain and Oklahoma will clash with Oklahoma State where there is a 10 percent chance of snow.

In the AAC, Louisville plays at Cincinnati where there is a 60 percent chance of rain and UCF travels to Southern Methodist where there is a 31 percent chance of freezing rain.

And there is a 40 percent chance of rain in Houston when Marshall battles Rice for the C-USA title.

**StarDust Bum** · 12-04-2013, 12:18 AM

4th Quarter Covers - Week 14

December 3, 2013

Glancing at the scoreboard won't tell you the whole story in most games. Here are the games that went down to the wire relative to the spread in the fourth quarter last week in college football. Each week, there are several teams that cover despite not necessarily deserving it, as well as other teams that played much better than the final score shows, get the details in this weekly column.

Mississippi State (+3) 17, Mississippi 10: Ole Miss took a 10-7 lead early in the second half and that score would remain until late in the fourth quarter. Mississippi State had a productive drive early in the fourth quarter, but that threat ended with an interception. With just over two minutes to go, the Bulldogs were able to tie the game with a field goal. They actually got the ball back again after forcing an Ole Miss three-and-out, but the game-winning attempt missed in the closing seconds. In overtime, Mississippi State was eventually dealt a tough decision going first. They were sitting with fourth and one from the three-yard line and opted to go for it. The plan worked with a Dak Prescott rush into the end zone and on defense, the Bulldogs forced a Bo Wallace fumble to end the game.

Ball State (-35) 55, Miami, OH 14: Ball State led 35-0 at the half, but that was just good enough to be even with this massive spread. Miami scored two touchdowns in the third quarter as the Cardinals entered the final frame 'only' leading by 31. Still aggressive on offense, Ball State connected for a 75-yard pass play early in the fourth quarter to get by the number with a late field goal added for good measure.

Syracuse (+2 ½) 34, Boston College 31: Syracuse needed this win to get to bowl eligibility, but they trailed 28-24 after a Boston College touchdown halfway through the fourth quarter. A field goal with five minutes to go put the Orange in position to cover down 28-27, but with two minutes to go, the Eagles settled for a short kick to go back up by four, taking advantage of an interception that set them up immediately in the red zone. Failing to get seven proved costly, however, as the Orange executed the two-minute drill to perfection, moving 75 yards in eight plays and scoring the game-winning touchdown with just six seconds on the clock.

Iowa State (+7 ½) 52, West Virginia 44: West Virginia stormed out to a 17-0 lead in this game and at one point, led 31-7 in the second quarter. Iowa State still trailed by 17 heading into the fourth quarter and they were still down 17 after a 76-yard pass play for the Mountaineers seemingly put the game away. With less than 10 minutes to go, Iowa State hit its own big play and then added a field goal with just four minutes to go to get within seven after a West Virginia fumble. On the next drive for the Mountaineers, a third down pass was intercepted as Iowa State was in great shape with just less than three minutes to go. It took five plays and Iowa State had tied the game. In the first two overtimes, there were four successful field goals as neither team could break through. Going first in the third session, Iowa State connected on the very first play for a 25-yard touchdown strike and then hit the two-point conversion. West Virginia was down to the Iowa State three-yard line in just two plays, but they could not get in as the Iowa State defense held.

Northwestern (-3 ½) 37, Illinois 34: Seeking its first Big Ten win of the season, Northwestern trailed Illinois, 27-23 entering the fourth quarter as a slight road favorite. With two touchdowns in a seven-minute span, the Wildcats went on top 37-27 with just eight minutes to go in the game, taking advantage of an Illinois interception. Both teams traded punts before Illinois managed to score with just over two minutes to go to get within three, getting back in beneath the spread. Northwestern was able to run out the clock to get the win, but Illinois earned the cover as Northwestern closed the conference season 1-7 S/U and ATS.

Indiana (-20 ½) 56, Purdue 36: Indiana led 35-9 at the half and with two more touchdowns, the rout was on with the Hoosiers leading 49-9 with less than six minutes to go in the third quarter, nearly doubling the spread with the 40-point margin. The Indiana defense has certainly had some issues this season and in a 10-minute span, Purdue put three consecutive touchdown drives together, the last of which came on an 80-yard pass play. That put Purdue within 19, but Indiana would add its own touchdown with just over three minutes to go. With a minute left, Purdue scored again and the failed two-point conversion put the margin at 20 points, just short of the favorite spread for most.

Connecticut (+2) 28, Rutgers 17: Rutgers led 17-14 entering the fourth quarter in this game, needing one more win to be bowl eligible. Connecticut punched in a touchdown to take the lead in the first minute of the fourth quarter and then the Huskies had the ball back with an interception a few plays later. Later in the frame, Connecticut put the game away with a 12-play drive for another touchdown and the last chance for the Knights resulted in another interception.

Georgia (-2 ½) 41, Georgia Tech 34: The Bulldogs would not have it any other way with another dramatic finish in this rivalry game. Georgia Tech led 20-0 early in this game, but Georgia pulled within three just before the start of the fourth quarter. It seemed like the Yellow Jackets had wrapped things up with a 10-point lead after a fourth quarter touchdown, but Georgia answered with a 13-play scoring drive to get back within three. An interception on a rare pass play from the Yellow Jackets changed everything and with about four minutes to go, Georgia tied the game. Georgia Tech actually moved to the Georgia 40-yard line, but eventually had to punt and the game went to overtime. Both teams scored touchdowns with relative ease in the first overtime session and it took Georgia just one play to score again going first in the second overtime. Georgia Tech got down to the Georgia three-yard line, but went backwards from there and eventually failed on fourth down as the road favorite Bulldogs escaped with a lucky cover.

Missouri (-4) 28, Texas A&M 21: The Missouri defense held Johnny Manziel in check, but the Tigers needed to rally from a halftime deficit with an SEC East title on the line. Missouri led 21-14 entering the fourth quarter, but Texas A&M tied the game early in the fourth. Both teams traded punts twice with the game tied at 21-21 and it appeared that it might be a field goal game either way before Henry Josey broke a 57-yard run for the Tigers to take a seven-point lead. The Missouri defense held and the Tigers kept their incredible ATS season going.

Virginia Tech (-10 ½) 16, Virginia 6: There was no scoring in the entire second half of this game, despite Virginia Tech having five possessions that reached Virginia territory. The defense for the Hokies dominated, but those on the road favorite could not get the points they needed in a narrow defeat.

Texas-San Antonio (-16 ½) 30, Louisiana Tech 10: This was a seven-point game at the half after a late interception return touchdown for the heavy underdog Bulldogs. The Roadrunners did not get by the spread until settling for a short field goal with 11 minutes left in the game. UTSA added another field goal later in the fourth to put the margin at 20 points, but covering the spread was at great risk as Louisiana Tech had first and goal on its final drive before three incomplete passes and a sack ended the threat.

New Mexico State (-2 ½) 24, Idaho 16: New Mexico State clung to a one-point lead after a short field goal from Idaho late in the third quarter. Early in the final frame, the Aggies found the end zone to push the margin to eight points, where the game closed despite Idaho getting inside the 20 on two separate fourth quarter drives.

South Carolina (-2) 31, Clemson 17: This was a tie game at 17-17 entering the fourth quarter, but Clemson's three fourth quarter drives all ended in turnovers. Despite posting fewer than 50 yards in the fourth quarter on offense, the Gamecocks added 14 points to deliver another win in this heated series. Clemson held South Carolina to just 318 yards but had six turnovers in the game compared with none for the Gamecocks.

**StarDust Bum** · 12-04-2013, 12:19 AM

Tulane accepts New Orleans Bowl bid

December 3, 2013

NEW ORLEANS (AP) - Tulane has accepted an invitation to play against Louisiana-Lafayette in the New Orleans Bowl.

The Green Wave's confirmation of the bowl bid Tuesday marks the program's first chance to play a postseason game since the Hawaii Bowl in 2002.

Tulane had 10 straight losing seasons before second-year coach Curtis Johnson led the Green Wave to a 7-5 record this season.

Tulane was in contention to win Conference USA's West Division until falling 17-13 at division-winner Rice on Saturday.

Louisiana-Lafayette, which accepted its bowl bid after losing to Louisiana-Monroe on Saturday night, has won the past two New Orleans Bowls.

The game is played in the Superdome, which has been Tulane's home field since 1975.

However, Tulane is slated to open a new on-campus stadium next season.

**StarDust Bum** · 12-04-2013, 02:42 AM

ACC Championship Football Game History

The Atlantic Coast Conference is the postseason title game for the conference, and it is held on the first Saturday in December. The 12-team league was divided equally into two divisions of six teams each, with the best conference record in each division meeting for the title. Due to future expansion, each division will increase over the next two years with Pittsburgh and Syracuse joining in 2013. Louisville will fill the void of Maryland in 2014, who is leaving for the Big Ten in the same year.

The inaugural game was played in 2005 with Virginia Tech entering the game as a two-touchdown favorite against Florida State. Things didn't exactly go according to play for Frank Beamer and the Hokies, as the Seminoles paid off handsomely with a 27-22 outright victory. The following season, the underdog came through again, with Wake Forest winning an ugly 9-6 slugfest.

From 2007-2010, the favorite reigned supreme, with Virginia Tech claiming the title in three of those four games. The over also connected from 2008 through 2010, but the total has been split down the middle in eight championship games to date. The same holds true for the favorite and underdog, with each covering four times.

Since the inception of the championship game format, the Atlantic Division champion has four titles, and the Coastal Division champion has four titles. Six of the 12 ACC teams have made an appearance in the championship game, with Duke, Maryland, Miami, North Carolina, North Carolina State and Virginia never appearing in the big game.

Virginia Tech (3) and Florida State (2) are the only schools to have multiple championships.

ACC Championship History

Year Location Matchup Line Score ATS Result

2012 Charlotte, NC Florida State-Georgia Tech Florida State -14 (62) Florida State 21-15 Underdog-Under

2011 Charlotte, NC Virginia Tech-Clemson Virginia Tech -7 (54) Clemson 38-10 Underdog-Under

2010 Charlotte, NC Virginia Tech-Florida State Virginia Tech -4.5 (51) Virginia Tech 44-33 Favorite-Over

2009 Tampa Bay, FL Georgia Tech-Clemson Georgia Tech -1 (56.5) Georgia Tech 39-34 Favorite-Over

2008 Tampa Bay, FL Virginia Tech-Boston College Virginia Tech -1 (38.5) Virginia Tech 30-12 Favorite-Over

2007 Jacksonville, FL Virginia Tech-Boston College Virginia Tech -5 (48.5) Virginia Tech 30-16 Favorite-Under

2006 Jacksonville, FL Wake Forest-Georgia Tech Georgia Tech -3 (40.5) Wake Forest 9-6 Underdog-Under

**StarDust Bum** · 12-04-2013, 02:43 AM

Big 10 Championship Football Game History

The Big Ten expanded to 12 teams prior to the 2011 season when Nebraska left the Big 12. That opened the door for a conference championship, which is played at Lucas Oil Field in Indianapolis. The conference welcomes Maryland and Rutgers in 2014, as the Big Ten will play with six teams in each of their divisions (Legends and Leaders) once again in 2013.

Wisconsin won each of the first two Big Ten championships in the underdog role, beating Michigan State in 2011 and Nebraska in 2012. The Badgers claimed the "Leaders" division title both times, but the second instance was by default after Ohio State and Penn State were deemed ineligible for postseason play. After failing to cash as 9 ½-point favorites against Michigan State in 2011, the Badgers destroyed the Cornhuskers, 70-31 as short underdogs in 2012. The 'over' easily cashed both times, hitting by at least 25 points in the first two title games.

The 2013 Big Ten championship takes place on Saturday, December 7 in Indianapolis.

Big Ten Championship History

Year Location Matchup Line Score ATS Result

2012 Indianapolis, IN Wisconsin-Nebraska Nebraska -2.5 (48) Wisconsin 70-31 Underdog-Over

2011 Indianapolis, IN Wisconsin-Michigan State Wisconsin -9.5 (56) Wisconsin 42-39 Underdog-Over

Announcement

The Bum's College Football + Bowl Games POD'S- Trends- Stats !

The Bum's College Football + Bowl Games POD'S- Trends- Stats !

Comment

Comment

Comment

Comment

Comment

Comment

Comment

Comment

Comment

Comment

Comment

Comment

Comment

Comment