The Bum's 2015 College Football All You Need To Know- Trends, Picks, News Etc.

[StarDust Bum]

NCAAF
Long Sheet

Thursday, September 17

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CLEMSON (2 - 0) at LOUISVILLE (0 - 2) - 9/17/2015, 7:30 PM
Top Trends for this game.
LOUISVILLE is 18-33 ATS (-18.3 Units) in home games in games played on turf since 1992.

Head-to-Head Series History
LOUISVILLE is 1-0 against the spread versus CLEMSON over the last 3 seasons
CLEMSON is 1-0 straight up against LOUISVILLE over the last 3 seasons
1 of 1 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons

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Friday, September 18

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FLORIDA ST (2 - 0) at BOSTON COLLEGE (2 - 0) - 9/18/2015, 8:00 PM
Top Trends for this game.
FLORIDA ST is 4-12 ATS (-9.2 Units) in all games over the last 2 seasons.
FLORIDA ST is 4-12 ATS (-9.2 Units) in all lined games over the last 2 seasons.

Head-to-Head Series History
BOSTON COLLEGE is 2-0 against the spread versus FLORIDA ST over the last 3 seasons
FLORIDA ST is 2-0 straight up against BOSTON COLLEGE over the last 3 seasons
1 of 2 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons

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NEW MEXICO (1 - 1) at ARIZONA ST (1 - 1) - 9/18/2015, 10:00 PM
There are no Top Trends with records of significance that apply to this game.

Head-to-Head Series History
ARIZONA ST is 1-0 against the spread versus NEW MEXICO over the last 3 seasons
ARIZONA ST is 1-0 straight up against NEW MEXICO over the last 3 seasons
1 of 1 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons

[StarDust Bum]

Tech Trends - Week 3

September 16, 2015


NFL Trends

THURSDAY, SEPT. 17

Matchup Skinny Tech Edge

CLEMSON at LOUISVILLE

Note that Dabo was 0-3 as road chalk LY. Tigers just 3-7 vs. line as visitor since 2013.

Slight to Louisville, based on Clemson road trends.


FRIDAY, SEPT. 18

Matchup Skinny Tech Edge

FLORIDA STATE at BOSTON COLLEGE

Jimbo is 6-3 as visiting favorite since 2013, the one spread role that did not damage Noles too much in 2014. But Jimbo still just 4-13 last 17 on board. And BC has covered last two vs. FSU. Addazio 5-2 as dog last season.

BC, based on team and series trends.

NEW MEXICO at ARIZONA STATE

Lobos 8-3 as road dog since 2013, but were crushed at home by ASU LY. Todd Graham on 6-11 spread run since late 2014, 3-5 last 8 laying DD.

Slight to New Mexico, based on recent trends.

[StarDust Bum]

SATURDAY, SEPT. 19

Matchup Skinny Tech Edge

WAKE FOREST at ARMY
Likely first road chalk for Deacs since Grobe's last year of 2013. Note that Army has not had a winning spread record since 2008 and is 4-7 as single-digit dog since 2013.
Slight to Wake, based on team trends.

TEMPLE at UMASS
Mass was sharp 8-4 vs. line LY and is 4-1 vs. line last five as host (Gillette and McGuirk). But Owls were 3-1 as chalk LY and Temple is 9-4 vs. spread away since 2013.
Slight to Temple, based on recent trends.

UNLV at MICHIGAN
Rebs now 8-3 vs. spread as visitor since 2013. Under Hoke, Mich only 3-4 as DD chalk the past two seasons. Harbaugh on personal 7-12 spread skid wityh Niners and Wolves since late 2013.
Slight to UNLV, based on team trends.

BALL STATE at EASTERN MICHIGAN
EMU 2-0 vs. line TY but still just 6-11 vs. line last 17 at Rynearson. Creighton not-too-terrible 6-7-1 vs. line since taking over LY but Eagles still just 12-25-1 vs. spread since 2012. Ball had covered three straight in series before EMU slipped inside of DD number LY. Lembo 17-9 vs. spread as visitor since taking over Cards in 2011.
Ball State, based on team trends.

CHARLOTTE at MTSU
49ers 1-0 SU TY and 1-0 vs. line in history, the only unbeaten all-time spread team! Stockstill only 10-15-2 vs. line his last 27 against FBS foes, just 6-7 as chalk since 2013.
Slight to Charlotte, based on team trends.

KENT STATE at MINNESOTA
Kent State just 3-7 vs. line against non-MAC under Haynes since 2013. Golden Flashes no covers last 4 at Big Ten and no TDs in those games, either. Kill 9-3 as home chalk since 2012 and 15-7 vs. spread overall at TCF since 2012.
Minnesota, based on team trends.

BUFFALO at FAU
Bulls 2-6-1 vs. spread last 8 away from home. Also 9-14 as away dog since 2010. Owls 24-14 last 38 on board.
FAU, based on team trends.

TROY at WISCONSIN
Troy now 3-7 vs. line last ten vs. non-Belt foes after NCS blowout loss. Badgers were only 4-5 as DD chalk for Andersen LY and Chryst was just 7-9 as chalk the sicne 2013 with Pitt and Wiscy.
Slight to Wisconsin, based on Troy woes.

ILLINOIS at NORTH CAROLINA
Illini has been a bad road dog lately with 3-11 spread mark in role (counts bowl loss LY). But Illini 8-3 vs. number against non-Big 10 since 2013. Fedora 9-4 as home chalk his first two years with Heels before slip to 1-3 in role LY.
Slight to UNC, based on Illini extended road woes.

NORTHERN ILLINOIS at OHIO STATE
At horseshoe Bucks only 4-4 vs. line since LY, and Urban now 11-11 as DD chalk since 2013. Note NIU 15-4 vs. line as visitor since 2012 but no covers last 3 as DD dog since 2011. Huskies have covered last four vs. Big Ten.
NIU, based on team trends.

NC STATE at ODU
ODU covered this game LY but note Monarchs just 1-7 vs. line at home since LY. Wolfpack had been poor on road prior to LY when covering 5 of 6 away from Raleigh. Pack now on 10-5 spread run since LY.
NCS, based on team trends.

TULSA at OKLAHOMA
Stoops has destroyed Tulsa in all four meetings with wins and covers in each since 2009 (52-7 LY) though Bob's overall spread numbers mostly middling past few years.
OU, based on recent series trends.

CENTRAL MICHIGAN at SYRACUSE
Chips were 6-1 vs. line away from Mt. Pleasant LY, 4-1 as dog away from home. CMU on 14-7 spread run since mid 2013, though lost big to Cuse 40-3 LY.
Slight to CMU, based on team trends.

NORTHWESTERN at DUKE
Throwing out 2013 when 1-4 as dog, NU 11-4 vs. line getting points from 2012, '14-15. Cats also 9-5-1 last 15 vs. line against non-Big 10. Cutcliffe 20-7-1 vs. line since 2013.
Slight to Duke, based on recent trends.

NEVADA at TEXAS A&M
Ags only 5-8 as Kyle Field chalk the past two seasons. Pack 9-4 as DD dog since 2010.
Slight to Nevada, based on team trends.

GEORGIA STATE at OREGON
Note GSU is a solid 9-5 as road dog since 2012, covered at Washington LY. Panthers 14-7 last 21 as DD dog. Ducks 4-7 last 11 laying DD at Eugene, 1-4 last five laying 30 or more.
GSU, based on team trends.

RICE at NORTH TEXAS
Owls 4-0 as chalk away from home LY. Bailiff on 28-14-1 spread run since late 2011. UNT 4-9 vs. line since LY and just 1-7 last 8 as dog (though 1-0 as home dog).
Rice, based on team trends.

LA TECH at KANSAS STATE
Skip 12-4 vs. line since LY, 8-2 vs. spread last nine away from Ruston, and 6-1 last six as dog. Tech also 15-7 vs. spread last 22 vs. non-conference (back to the Sonny Dykes era). Bill Snyder only 9-9 vs. spread last 18 vs. non-Big 12.
La Tech, based on team trends.

SOUTH CAROLINA at GEORGIA
Home team has won and covered last three in series and is 4-0-1 vs. line last five meetings. Spurrier is 8-3 as dog since 2012.
Slight to Georgia, based on series home trends.

EAST CAROLINA at NAVY
Mids 17-10 last 27 on board, 7-4 last 11 at Annapolis (6-4 last 10 as home chalk). AAC debut for Navy. Ruffin McNeill 6-9 vs. line last 15 away from Dowdy-Ficklen.
Navy, based on recent trends.

AUBURN at LSU
Auburn has covered 4 of last 5 vs. Les Miles but has not won SU at Baton Rouge since 1999. Malzahn, however, just 1-6 vs. spread last seven away from Jordan-Hare. Miles only 14-14 vs. spread at Baton Rouge since 2011.
Slight to Auburn, based on recent series trends.

OLE MISS at ALABAMA
Nick 3-2 vs. line last five in rare revenge role. Prior to LY, Tide had not lost to Ole Miss since Eli won 43-28 in 2003 over Mike Shula's first Bama team. Nick 32-19 laying DD since 2010 but is just 3-5 vs. line against Rebs since arriving at Bama in 2007. Hugh Freeze teams 36-16-1 vs. line since 2011, at Ole Miss he is also 10-5 as dog.
Slight to Ole Miss, based on team trends.

VIRGINIA TECH at PURDUE
Hazell just 6-9 vs. spread at Ross-Ade since arriving at Purdue in 2013. If Beamer lays points, however, note he is just 1-7 on road in role since 2012. VPI also on 19-35-1 spread run since late 2010.
Slight to Purdue, based on extended Beamer spread woes.

UTSA at OKLAHOMA STATE
Home team has covered past two years in series. Aside from 4-8 spread mark LY, Coker is 15-9 vs. spread since 2012 with UTSA. OSU is 15-5 last 20 as Stillwater chalk, however.
Slight to OSU, based on team trends.

NEBRASKA at MIAMI-FLA
Mike Riley on 3-11 spread run last 14 at OSU & Nebraska., also 1-5 as dog with Beavers LY but had done much better in role previously (25-12 preceding six years). Note that the Pelini Huskers were 6-1 last seven as dog away from Lincoln.
Slight to Nebraska, based on team trends.

GEORGIA TECH at NOTRE DAME
Check spreads, but if Irish favored, note 8-15 spread mark last 23 in role. Paul Johnson was 6-0 as dog last season and Jackets on 9-game spread win streak.
Georgia Tech, based on team trends.

UTAH STATE at WASHINGTON
USU just 4-5 as road dog the past two seasons and Matt Wells just 5-6 as dog after Andersen was 7-0 in role 2011-12. Petersen teams just 7-15 last 22 as home chalk.
Slight to USU, based on team trends.

SOUTHERN MISS at TEXAS STATE
If dog note Golden Eagles 4-2 on road in role LY. If Bobcats favored note Franchione just 2-5 as home chalk since 2013, though TSU is 10-4 last 14 on board.
Slight to USM, based on team trends.

CINCINNATI at MIAMI-OHIO
Old bitter nearby rivals, RedHawks have covered last two meetings after Cincy rolled in previous three. Miami hasn't beaten Bearcats SU since 2005. RedHawks 5-10-1 vs. spread last 16 at Yager Stadium. Tub 4-0 as visiting chalk LY.
Cincy, based on team trends.

IOWA STATE at TOLEDO
Rockets 1-5-1 vs. spread last seven at Glass Bowl. ISU has covered last four as non-Big 12 visitor.
Slight to ISU, based on team trends.

TEXAS TECH at ARKANSAS
Bielema 6-1 vs. line last seven vs. non-SEC, and Hogs 12-4 vs. spread run last 16 even after Toledo loss. Kingsbury on 7-12-1 spread run since mid 2013, 2-4 last six as visiting dog.
Arkansas, based on team trends.

MEMPHIS at BOWLING GREEN
Tigers on 10-4-1 spread run, also 6-1-1 vs. line away from Liberty Bowl since LY, and 9-1-1 against number last 11 vs. non-league. Falcs just 3-6 vs. spread last nine at Doyt Perry Stadium.
Memphis, based on team trends.

COLORADO vs. COLORADO STATE (at Denver)
Teams have split SU and vs. line last six meetings. Buffs just 3-8 vs. number last 11 away from Boulder. Rams on 23-9 spread run since late 2012.
CSU, based on team trends.

SOUTH FLORIDA at MARYLAND
Taggart 18-3 last 21 as visiting dog at WKU and USF. Edsall 4-6 last ten as chalk, 8-10 as Byrd Stadium chalk since arriving at Md in 2011.
USF, based on Taggart trends.

UCONN at MISSOURI
Pinkel only 8-8 last 16 as home chalk, though Mizzou is 20-`0 overall vs. number since 2013. Pinkel 1-5 last six laying DD after 6-1 mark the seven prior in role. Huskies just 4-12 as visiting dog the past four years, and Diaco only 3-11 vs. line since arriving LY.
Mizzou, based on extended trends.

FLORIDA at KENTUCKY
Gators haven't lost SU vs. UK since 1986. UF also had seven-game cover streak vs. Cats snapped LY in narrow OT win at Swamp. McElwain now on 22-9 spread run at CSU and UF. Stoops 1-5-1 as home dog since arriving at UK in 2013 (1-1-1 LY).
Florida, based on series trends.

WESTERN KENTUCKY at INDIANA
Brohm 6-7-1 vs. line since taking over WKU. IU on 8-13 spread run since mid 2013.
Slight to WKU, based on recent trends.

CAL at TEXAS
Texas 2-8 last ten vs. points against non-conf foes, and Charlie Strong no covers last four. If Bears getting points, note Sonny Dykes 6-2 as dog LY, and Sonny now 9-5 vs. line last 14 overall with Bears.
Cal, based on recent trends.

SAN JOSE STATE at OREGON STATE
Beavs only 2-12 vs. line since LY, they're also 2-7 as home chalk since 2013, 8-16 as Corvallis chalk since 2009. OSU also 2-7 vs. spread last 9 vs. non-Pac 12. Spartans however 0-9 as dog since LY, though were 9-3 as road dog previous three seasons.
Slight to SJSU, based on extended trends.

SMU at TCU
Frogs have smashed Metroplex rival past two years though SMU had covered previous four meetings. Morris era off to pair of covers with Ponies. Patterson 7-0 as home chalk LY after 4-9-1 mark in role previous three years, and Frogs 12-3 vs. points since LY.
TCU, based on recent trends.

UTEP at NEW MEXICO STATE
Kugler was 4-0-1 vs. line as chalk LY and Miners have won six straight vs. nearby NMSU, covering five of those. Ags 10-25-2 vs. line since 2012, 5-9-1 as Las Cruces dog that span.
UTEP, based on team and series trends.

RUTGERS at PENN STATE
Kyle Flood 11-5 as road dog last 16 getting points away from Piscataway. Back to 2011 and Schiano's last year, Scarlet Knights are 17-8 as dog. James Franklin on 3-8 spread skid since mid 2014.
Rutgers, based on team trends.

SOUTH ALABAMA at SAN DIEGO STATE
Jags were 0-3 as away dog LY en route to 1-5 dog mark. Rocky however just 8-15 vs. line at SDSU against non-MW foes, and 6-11 as DD chalk that span since 2011.
Slight to USA, based on extended SDSU trends.

STANFORD at SOUTHERN CAL
David Shaw has given games to SC the past two years after Tree had won 4 straight and 5 of 6 SU vs. Trojans. Tree still 7-3 last 10 vs. line against SC. Shaw 6-1-1 as dog with Tree.
Slight to Stanford, based on team trends.

PITT at IOWA
Ferentz was 6-12 as Nile Kinnick chalk the past three years before cover in opener vs. ISU Redbirds. Hawkeyes did beat Pitt 24-20 LY at Heinz. Narduzzi familiar with Ferentz but Pitt only 11-17 vs. line since 2013. Panthers 4-8 vs. line last 12 away from Heinz.
Slight to Iowa, based on team trends.

AIR FORCE at MICHIGAN STATE
Troy Calhoun rediscovering spread magic at Force, now 10-5 vs. line since LY and 4-2 as dog that span. Also 5-1 last six vs. non-MW. Spartans no covers first two TY.
AFA, based on team trends.

BYU at UCLA
Mora 2-4-1 vs. line last seven at Rose Bowl, but UCLA extended spread marks at home are good (43-25 since early in 2004). Bronco Mendenhall 2-5 last seven as dog away from Provo.
Slight to UCLA, based on extended home marks.

UTAH at FRESNO STATE
DeRuyter 1-9 vs. spread last ten vs. BCS-level non-MW foes (only W vs. Idaho). Fresno 3-6 as dog past two years. Kyle Whittingham 9-1 vs. line last ten vs. non-Pac 12 foes!
Utah, based on team trends.

[StarDust Bum]

Tech Trends - Week 2

September 16, 2015



THURSDAY, SEPT. 17

NFL Mathcups NFL Mathcups
DENVER at KANSAS CITY (NBC, 8:30 p.m. ET)

Manning 6-0 SU and 4-2 vs. line against Chiefs since 2012. Broncos 14-8 vs. spread last 22 as regular season visitor. Eight of last nine also "under" in this series despite Denver's "over" trends in recent years.

Tech Trend: Broncos and "under," based on series trends.

SUNDAY, SEPT. 20

NFL Mathcups NFL Mathcups
HOUSTON at CAROLINA (CBS, 1:00 p.m. ET)

Houston 5-2 vs. spread mark LY for O'Brien after loss. Carolina has not covered second game on schedule in past four years. Panthers "under" 13-4 last 17 at home.
Tech Trend: "Under" and Texans, based on team trends.

NFL Mathcups NFL Mathcups
TAMPA BAY at NEW ORLEANS (FOX, 1:00 p.m. ET)

Saints lost SU and failed to cover last five at home in 2014, a departure from previous Superdome spread form under Sean Payton. Saints have won last four SU at home vs. Bucs and 3-1 vs. line in those. Payton 4-10 as chalk in 2014 and failed to cover both vs. Lovie.
Tech Trend: Slight to Bucs, based on recent Saints woes.

NFL Mathcups NFL Mathcups
SAN FRANCISCO at PITTSBURGH (FOX, 1:00 p.m. ET)

After departing from an extended "over" trend at home during 2012-13, the "over" at Heinz Field roared back to a 6-2 mark LY. Niners, however, "under" 5-11 in 2014. Off SU loss, Tomlin 4-1 vs. line LY.
Tech Trend: Slight to "over," based on Steelers' extended home "totals" trends.

NFL Mathcups NFL Mathcups
DETROIT at MINNESOTA (FOX, 1:00 p.m. ET)

Zimmer 10-6 vs. line LY and Vikes on 15-7 spread run last 22 since late 2013 (prior to SF). Vikes also "under" 11-6 last 17 since late 2013. Lions only 2-7 vs. line away in reg. season for Caldwell, now 8-20-1 last 28 away reg season.
Tech Trend: Vikings and "under," based on team and "totals" trends.

NFL Mathcups NFL Mathcups
NEW ENGLAND at BUFFALO (CBS, 1:00 p.m. ET)

Bills have only beaten Pats SU three times in last 23 games, but did win regular season finale LY and have covered 3 of last 5 in series. "Overs" 7-3 last 10 meetings. Pats "over" 28-12 on road in reg. season since 2010. But Rex Ryan has covered last four and five of last six vs. Belichick. Bill just 2-7 vs. spread last nine as visiting chalk.
Tech Trend: Bills and "over," based on team and "totals" trends.

NFL Mathcups NFL Mathcups
ARIZONA at CHICAGO (FOX, 1:00 p.m. ET)

Arians is 11-5 vs. line on road in reg season with Big Red, counting interim with Colts in 2012 he's 15-6 vs. spread last 21 away in reg season. Fox had a 16-8 reg season spread mark as host with Denver past three years, though Bears only 5-16-2 vs. spread last 23 at Soldier Field.
Tech Trend: Cards, based on team trends.

NFL Mathcups NFL Mathcups
TENNESSEE at CLEVELAND (CBS, 1:00 p.m. ET)

Browns 3-6 as chalk past two seasons and now on 1-7 spread skid. Also "under" 40-24-1 since 2011.
Tech Trend: "Under" and slight to Titans, based on "totals" and team trends.

NFL Mathcups NFL Mathcups
SAN DIEGO at CINCINNATI (CBS, 1:00 p.m. ET)

With exception of 6-0 mark in role in 2013, Cincy has been subpar as home chalk for most of the Marvin Lewis era. Bolts 12-6-1 as road dog since 2012.
Tech Trend: Chargers, based on team trends.

NFL Mathcups NFL Mathcups
ST. LOUIS at WASHINGTON (FOX, 1:00 p.m. ET)
Rams just 5-11 vs. line away past two seasons after Fisher was 7-1 in mark in role in 2012. But Rams did win 24-0 at FedEx LY. Skins on 7-18 spread run, 10-24 last 34 on board since late 2012.
Tech Trend: Rams, based on Redskins woes.

NFL Mathcups NFL Mathcups
ATLANTA at N.Y. GIANTS (FOX, 1:00 p.m. ET)
Eli 7-4 as home chalk the past two years. Falcs entered 2015 on 4-10 spread skid last 14 as true visitor.
Tech Trend: Slight to Giants, based on team trends.

NFL Mathcups NFL Mathcups

BALTIMORE at OAKLAND (CBS, 4:05 p.m. ET)
Raiders "over" 7-2 at home since LY, Ravens "over" 8-4 last 12 away.
Tech Trend: "Over," based on recent "totals" trends.

NFL Mathcups NFL Mathcups

MIAMI at JACKSONVILLE (CBS, 4:05 p.m. ET)
Philbin just 8-13 as chalk the past three seasons, also "under" 8-4 last 12 away. Gus Bradley 3-12-1 as home dog since 2013, Jags 8-24-1 as home dog since 2010. Also "under" 22-12 last 34 at home since late 2010.
Tech Trend: "Under" and slight to Dolphins, based on "totals" and team trends.

NFL Mathcups NFL Mathcups

DALLAS at PHILADELPHIA (FOX, 4:25 p.m. ET)

Cowboys have won and covered last three at Philly. Jerry Jones 11-4 as road dog past three seasons (4-0 LY) and covered 8 of 9 away from Arlington LY. Cowboys also "over" 11-2 last 13 as reg season visitor. Chip "over" 6-2 at home LY.

Tech Trend: "Over" and Cowboys, based on "totals" and team trends.

NFL Mathcups NFL Mathcups

SEATTLE at GREEN BAY (NBC, 8:30 p.m. ET)
Pete Carroll 9-2-1 as dog since 2012 (7-1-1 of that coming in 2012). Pack however 6-2-1 as home chalk LY. Last three meetings at Seattle all won SU by Seahawks including 2012 controversy and 2014 NFC title. Pack "over" 8-1 last nine reg. season at Lambeau Field.
Tech Trend: "Over" and slight to Seahawks, based on "totals" and team trends.

MONDAY, SEPT. 21

NFL Mathcups NFL Mathcups

N.Y. JETS at INDIANAPOLIS (ESPN, 8:30 p.m. ET)
Colts 29-18-2 vs. spread in reg. season since Luck (and Pagano) arrived in 2012. Also 8-2-1 last 11 as Lucas Oil Stadium chalk and 8-1-1 vs. line since 2013 off SU loss. Jets slumped as road dog in Rexy's final years, just 9-15-1 last 25 reg. season in role.
Tech Trend: Colts, based on team trends.

[StarDust Bum]

Big Ten Report - Week 3

September 16, 2015


UNLV at Michigan (Big Ten, 12:00 p.m. ET)
Opening Line: Wolverines (-34)

No opener on this game as UNLV’s starting QB Decker is questionable with a hamstring injury. Decker was injured late in the 1st quarter of last week’s game vs UCLA and didn’t play the final 3 quarters. Once he went out, the Rebels went on to pass for only 4 yards over the final 3 quarters in their 37-3 loss to the Bruins as his back up Kurt Palandech is more of a runner than a drop back passer. Last week was a disappointment for UNLV as they looked for some progress after a solid week 1 performance at Northern Illinois where despite the 38-30 loss, the Rebs had more first downs and were only -52 yards for the game. If Decker can’t play UNLV will probably be running the ball a lot as Palandech is not a great passer and they face a Michigan team that allowed Oregon State to pass for only 79 yards last week on 20 attempts.

UNLV is coached by first year head man Tony Sanchez who had been a high school coach for the previous 16 years, including the last 6 at Nevada power Bishop Gorman H.S. in Las Vegas. He led Bishop Gorman to an 85-5 record and won the state title all 6 years he was there. Michigan rolled to a 35-7 win and dominated the stats as well rolling up 405 yards while limiting the Beavers to only 138. OSU averaged a terrible 2.6 yards per play in that game. Michigan QB Jake Rudock threw another interception last Saturday giving him 4 in his first 2 starts for Michigan. That after throwing just 5 all last season as the Iowa starter. The Wolverines are fairly healthy entering this game with only starting CB Lewis and FB Kerridge questionable. Michigan plays BYU next some coming off their home opener last week, this could be a tough spot to play at their emotional & physical peak. However, if UNLV QB Decker can’t play, we don’t see them doing much of anything offensively. Last time UNLV beat a Big Ten team was in 2003 vs Wisconsin. They are 0-6 SU since then.

Kent State at Minnesota (Big Ten, 12:00 p.m. ET)
Opening Line: Gophers (-23)

The Gophs come home after a big OT win at Colorado State last week. Minnesota looked a little out of sorts in that game which was to be expected after playing TCU to the wire at home in their first game of the season. Minny did dominate the stats with 9 more first downs and +100 total yards. However they ran 86 plays to pick up 413 yards which only equates to 4.8 yards per play. Minnesota started the game in an offensive rut not able to get a first down on their first 6 drives. After that they went up-tempo with their “new” no-huddle offense and things improved drastically. Head coach Jerry Kill said they may go with the no-huddle more often this week. The Gophers are banged up on the offensive line coming out of that game. Starting guard Jon Christenson will be out a month or so with a knee injury. Two other starting offensive linemen (Lauer & Campion) were held out of practice early in the week for injuries and their status is up in the air. Also starting WR KJ Maye who has 10 receptions for 127 yards was in a “green” non-contact jersey for much of this week in practice (chest injury). He hopes to be ready by Saturday.

Kent has already played one Big Ten team getting destroyed 52-3 at Illinois. The Illini only had 100 more total yards in that game but Kent was done in by 4 turnovers which led to Illinois TD drives of just 5, 6, and 7 yards! On the bright side for Kent, at least they scored. In their previous 3 games vs Big Ten teams the Flashes were outscored 124-0! Since 2005, Kent has faced 6 Big Ten teams and been outscored 268-6!

Troy at Wisconsin (Big Ten, 3:30 p.m. ET)
Opening Line: Badgers (-35)

Last week we had a big line move on the Miami OH – Wisconsin game as they Badgers opened -34 and were bet all the way down to -31. The move was dead wrong as the Badgers had the spread covered at halftime (37-0) and went on to win 58-0. Starting RB Corey Clement sat out with a pulled groin. He hasn’t been practicing this week as of this writing (Tuesday) and unless he’s 100% ready to roll, they won’t play him. Our word is it is very, very doubtful he will play this Saturday. Clement’s back up, Dare Ogunbowale (a former walk on), rolled up 112 yards on just 16 carries. The Badger offensive line is not anywhere near the level they are used to at Wisconsin. They actually had trouble getting a big push early on vs the Miami OH defensive line which is concerning. They improved as the game went on but with 3 new starters and a number of injuries up front, this offense will not be able to just pound good teams as they have become accustomed to doing.

QB Joel Stave has made huge improvements under new head coach and great offensive mind Paul Chryst. After just 2 games he’s thrown for 464 yards (on pace for 2,800) with 5 TD’s (he had just 9 last year) and a completion percentage of 65% (up from 53% last year). He’s already attempted 69 passes in 2 games and Wisconsin is no longer a “non-threat” to throw the ball. However, they may not have to throw the ball much this Saturday against a Troy team that has been gashed for 251 yards rushing (NC State) and 263 on the ground (Charleston Southern) the last 2 weeks. The Trojans were whipped 49-21 in week 1 by NC State & despite beating Charleston Southern 44-16 last week, the yardage was dead even at 374 apiece.

Illinois at North Carolina (ESPN2, 12:00 p.m. ET)
Opening Line: Tar Heels (-9)

We had a feeling the Illini might be affected in a positive way by the Tim Beckman firing and it looks like we might be correct. New head coach & offensive coordinator Bill Cubit was very well respected by the players and they seem to love playing for him. He’s much more “positive” than Beckman was and with the losing culture and “fragile psyche” of the Illini players (because of losing), it just wasn’t a good fit. Illinois has had two easy wins vs Kent and Western Illinois outscoring the two 96-3. We’ll find out how far the Illini have advanced this week against a decent North Carolina team. The Heels are 1-1 after losing to South Carolina the first week and then crushing NC A&T last Saturday. In their loss to the Gamecocks, UNC actually dominated the stat book racking up 440 yards on 7 yards per play (just 5.3 YPP for South Carolina). The problem was the Heels turned it over 3 times to 0 for SC. Not only that, two of their turnovers were interceptions in the endzone making the close loss (17-13) a tough one in a game they should have won.

Can the Illini turn the corner this year? Some say they may have done so last year with a 6-6 regular season record and a bowl appearance. However, the fact is, they lost all 7 games last year by double digits and 5 of their 6 wins required 4th quarter come from behind rallies. Illinois has been a horrendous road team winning only 3 of their last 21 SU away from home! They are just 3-12 ATS their last 15 away and as a road dog for a TD or more, they are just 3-10 ATS.

Northern Illinois at Ohio State (ESPN2, 3:30 p.m. ET)
Opening Line: Buckeyes (-33.5)

The Bucks were favored by 41 points last week at home vs Hawaii and fell just short winning 38-0. OSU was lethargic to start the game taking just a 14-0 lead into halftime. That was not a huge surprise as they played their massively hyped season opener at Virginia Tech on Monday and then had a short week to get ready for a “ho-hum” opponent. The Hawaii defense was very good holding the Buckeyes to 363 yards on 83 plays for just 4.3 YPP. However the Rainbows could only muster 2.7 YPP for the game and were held under 90 yards both rushing and passing.

NIU struggled in week 1 getting by UNLV 38-30 as a 23-point favorite. The Huskies only outgained the Rebels by 53 yards in that game. Last week against an overmatched Murray State team NIU rolled 57-26 on 636 total yards. The look to be very solid again offensively and that’s the norm for this team. They have now averaged more than 31 PPG and more than 440 YPG in each of the last 5 seasons. The Huskies have become the top program in the MAC making it to 5 straight conference title games, winning 3 of them. This NIU team has won 37 of their last 40 games (excluding bowls) and they won’t be intimidated in this venue. They’ve actually won their last 3 contests vs Big Ten teams at Northwestern last year & at Purdue and at Iowa the year before. The Huskies have not been an underdog of this magnitude since the 1998 season. OSU is obviously has vastly superior talent, however they better come to play on Saturday if they expect to cover this huge number. After a lack luster effort last week, we’re guessing Urban Meyer has this team ready to play on Saturday.

Northwestern at Duke (ESPN3, 12:30 p.m. ET)
Opening Line: Blue Devils (-3)

Don’t sleep on this NW defense which might just be one of the top few stop units in the Big Ten. They were solid on that side of the ball last year but simply ran out of gas down the stretch. They held 5 of their first 6 opponents last year to 24 points or less including Wisconsin & Minnesota. They held 4 of their Big Ten opponents to 14 points or fewer last year. The Cats bring back 8 starters on that side of the ball including their entire D Line. They have yet to give up a TD this year. They opened the year by upsetting Stanford 16-6 limiting the Cardinal to just 240 yards for the game on only 3.8 YPP. Last week they shutout Eastern Illinois 41-0 and gave up only 138 total yards. EIU only moved the ball inside the NW 40 yard line twice and never got inside the 30.

Duke has yet to be tested rolling over 2 weak opponents. They topped Tulane 37-7 to open the season and followed that up with a 55-0 win over NC Central. NCCU is an FCS team and Tulane has lost their two games 37-7 and 65-10. Because of their cupcake schedule so far, NW coach Pat Fitzgerald said the tape hasn’t helped them much as Duke has been fairly vanilla on offense. Expect a number of new wrinkles and formations this weekend as Devil HC David Cutcliffe is a fantastic offensive mind. One might expect these two top academic schools to simply keep quiet and play the game however that hasn’t been the case. Northwestern DL Ifeadi Odenigbo spoke early this week of pitching a shutout when they travel to Duke this Saturday. A few Devil players have taken offense to that and taken their thought to the twitter verse. It should make for an interesting game on Sunday.

Virginia Tech at Purdue (ESPNU, 3:30 p.m. ET)
Opening Line: Hokies (-5.5)

The Hokies take on their 2nd Big Ten opponent this season when they travel to Purdue on Saturday. After losing in the much hyped home opener vs #1 Ohio State, Va Tech had a “breather” last week hosting Furman. They took care of business rolling to a 42-3 win that included 299 rushing yards on 7.3 YPC. Not much can be taken from the game as Furman is a weak FCS opponent that has only 1 win in their last 12 games. Head coach Frank Beamer may have created a bit of a QB controversy. His starter, Michael Brewer, was injured in the Ohio State game and will be out for at least a month and probably longer. His replacement Brenden Motley did little to nothing against Ohio State completing just 44% of his passes for 36 yards in one half of work. Motley got the start vs Furman but Beamer decided to pull the redshirt off highly touted true frosh Dwayne Lawson on just the 3rd play of the game. Motley went onto have a solid game but Lawson did as well so expect to see both again on Saturday.

We felt Purdue would be much improved this year and it looks like we were on target. The Boilers had Marshall beat on the road in week 1, but 2 pick 6’s by QB Appleby (4 interceptions thrown in the game) cost them the game. Last week they dominated Indiana State in a game they could have been flat in after their tough loss the Sunday before. They return QB Appleby and all 5 starting offensive lineman as their offense is much improved putting up 34.5 PPG so far after averaging just 23 PPG a year ago. VT has been a very solid road team winning 8 of their last 11 games away from home. Purdue on the other hand has only won 5 of their last 20 home games. The Boilers are improved and VT will be playing with unproven QB’s in their first ever road action. An upset?

Nebraska at Miami (FL) (ABC, 3:30 p.m. ET)
Opening Line: Hurricanes (-3.5)

These two met last year in Lincoln and the Huskers won 41-31 as an 8-point favorite. The total yardage was very close (Nebraska was +21 total yards) with the Huskers controlling the ground game (343 to 76) while the Canes took to the air (359 to 113). Nebraska led by 17 late and Miami came up with a TD with just 18 seconds remaining in the game to cut the final margin to 10. The Canes come in at 2-0 beating Bethune Cookman & Florida Atlantic. There most recent game last Friday night at FAU was much closer than the final score of 44-20 would indicate. The game was tied at 20 apiece in the 3rd quarter. FAU lost their starting QB Jaquez Johnson early in the first quarter and his replacement, Jason Driskel threw 2 ints in his first collegiate action. The Owls had 5 turnovers in all and the Canes didn’t turn the ball over once.

The Huskers bounced back after their heartbreaking hail-mary loss to BYU and whipped South Alabama last week. The Nebraska defense has been shaky vs the pass this year allowing 379 & 313 yards through the air the first 2 games. Big plays have been a big problem as the Huskers have already allowed pass plays of 55, 53, 42, 38, 37, 33, 24, and 21 yards this year. Last year when they faced Miami, then freshman QB Brad Kaaya threw for 359 yards and completed 13 passes of 15 yards or more. Kaaya is a year older and much better than he was at the point when they played Nebraska last year so the Husker defensive coaches have been stressing and stopping big plays has been brought up often at practice this week. The Canes are off to a good start, however this is a team that has won more than 7 games only once since 2009. Since 2010, they have just a 36-28 overall record. Miami will be without starting LB Darrion Owens who was lost for the season last week. However, starting WR’s Berrios will return and Coley might be back after both missed last week.

Western Kentucky at Indiana (ESPN News, 4:00 p.m. ET)
Opening Line: Hoosiers -2.5

While IU’s defense was better last week than in their first week debacle, they weren’t great. FIU put up over 400 yards in the 36-22 Indiana win. However, the game was closer than the final score and one key play really turned the tide. Down 29-22 driving for the tying score with under 4:00 remaining the game, FIU QB Alex McGough drove the Panthers down to the IU 2-yard line on the doorstep of a tie game. Instead he threw an interception that was returned 96-yards for a TD to give IU the clinching TD. Back to the defense…In two games the Hoosier defense has given up almost 1,100 yards. They did get a number of key players back on the defensive side of the ball last week after being suspended in week one, most important being DL Darius Latham.

Western Kentucky is obviously a team that can shred a poor defense. The Hilltoppers averaged 44 PPG on 535 YPG a year ago. They struggled offensively at Vandy in their first game but bounced back in a big way last week against a very solid La Tech defense scoring 41 points and rolling up 589 yards. The problem is, their defense allowed 38 points and 580 yards to the Bulldogs. So while WKY might have their way with Indiana’s defense, the same can be said about the Hoosiers offense. Indiana scored 29 points offensively last week but it should have been much more. On their first 6 drives of the game, the Hoosiers crossed the 50 yard line 5 times and pushed inside the FIU 30 yard line on 4 of those, yet only came away with 13 points. Head coach Kevin Wilson acknowledged he made some very poor offensive calls and didn’t take advantage of field position. This one could be a shootout.

Rutgers at Penn State (Big Ten, 8:00 p.m. ET)
Opening Line: Nittany Lions (-8.5)

It was definitely another tough week for the Rutgers football program. Not only did they lose a home game to Washington State, their star WR Leonte Carroo, all Big Ten last year, was arrested after the game for assaulting a woman he was involved with. He is now suspended. That is the SEVENTH Rutgers player that has been arrested this month alone! All of the off the field noise has to have a negative effect on not only the players, but the coaches focus on preparation. It has quickly put head coach Kyle Flood on the hot seat which has to be a distraction and now Flood has been suspended three games by the school. Back to the Washington State loss which wasn’t nearly as close at the 37-34 final score indicated. WSU had a big edge yardage wise (+157) and Rutgers needed 2 return TD’s (one punt & one kickoff) just to stay close. They also had a punt return for a TD the week before in their blowout win over Norfolk State.

Penn State’s offense has been under a microscope since the end of last season when they averaged only 20 PPG overall and topped 20 points only ONCE the entire Big Ten season. The offensive line was supposed to be drastically improved, after a horrendous 2014. Well after 2 games it doesn’t look like that has happened. The PSU offense is averaging just 18 PPG – actually down from last year – and just 255 YPG on offense. QB Hackenberg was sacked 10 times in their opener vs Temple after 44 times last season. He has thrown for only 231 yards in two games combined and this from a QB that is supposed to be a potential high NFL draft choice. The offense still isn’t good. Last year PSU went into Rutgers and escaped with a hard fought 13-10 win and the Nits were +4 in turnovers in that game. We’re probably looking at another “grinder” on Saturday.

Pittsburgh at Iowa (Big Ten, 8:00 p.m. ET)
Opening Line: Hawkeyes -5

The Hawkeyes went into Pitt last year as a 6.5 point dog and pulled off the mild upset winning 24-20. The Panthers held a semi comfortable 17-7 lead at half and had a +130 yardage edge at the break. The final stats also had Pitt with a +7 edge in first downs and +120 in total yardage. The Panthers also had 20 more offensive snaps and still lost by 4. Iowa has impressed so far this year. They definitely look like an improved football team. After rolling over a very good FCS team in week 1 (Illinois St) and Hawks got by state rival Iowa State in Ames by a final score of 31-17. It was close most of the way with Iowa scoring two TD’s in the final 3:00 minutes to pull away. However, Iowa dominated in the trenches with a 260-63 rushing edge and a 6.8 to 5.0 YPP advantage.

Lots has changed on the Pitt side since then including a new coaching staff led by head man Pat Narduzzi. Narduzzi is very familiar with the Iowa offense from his days defending it as the DC at Michigan State. In Narduzzi most recent meeting with Iowa in 2013, his MSU defense held the Hawks to 14 points on just 264 total yards (only 23 yards rushing). The more concerning issue for Narduzzi and Pitt is at the key position on the field, QB. Last year’s starter Chad Voytik has been under center to start the first two games but was replaced last week in the 2nd quarter by Tennessee transfer Nathan Peterman who was 12 of 17 for 148 yards. Voytik did not re-enter the game after being pulled in a tie game in the 2nd quarter and Narduzzi has not announced a starter as of this writing. Pitt won both games but they weren’t easy. They struggled to a 7-point home win over Youngstown St to open the season and then led only 10-7 last week at Akron before extending to a 24-7 win. Pitt has a bye after this game while Iowa hosts North Texas.

Air Force at Michigan State (ABC, 12:00 p.m. ET)
Opening Line: Spartans (-27)

This could be a dangerous game for Sparty. It’s going to be awfully tough for this team to get up emotionally for this game as a huge favorite. They had been waiting for a full year for another crack at Oregon and the overwhelming thought was, if they can get by the Ducks, this MSU team would run the table until their match up at Ohio State on November 21st. They got the win and it was a tight one that was undecided with only a few seconds remaining. Now they have only a week to “come down” from that win and prepare for an Air Force offense they almost never see.

The Falcons, who had a 10-3 record last year, rarely pass the ball and lead the nation in rushing attempts per game at 69. They did lose starting QB Romine last week to a knee injury and he is gone for the season. His replacement, Karson Roberts, came in last week with Air Force leading San Jose State by just 7 and led them to 2 TD’s in the 37-16 win. Roberts also started 3 games in 2013 so he has some experience. The knock on him is he doesn’t pass the ball as well as Romine but when you attempt only 11 passes per game as a team that weakness isn’t quite as pronounced. It is rare for a disciplined, smart Air Force team to be getting this type of number. Since 1980, the Falcons have been an underdog of 21 points or more just 11 times. They are 8-3 ATS in those games winning 2 of them outright. Michigan State will obviously have a big edge on both sides of the ball if they show up and play. The question is will they and if not can they cover this big number?

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Pac-12 Report - Week 3

September 16, 2015

2014 PAC-12 STANDINGS

Team SU Conference ATS Over/Under

Arizona 2-0 0-0 1-1 2-0

Arizona State 1-1 0-0 0-2 0-2

California 2-0 0-0 2-0 1-1

Colorado 1-1 0-0 1-1 1-1

Oregon 1-1 0-0 1-1 1-1

Oregon State 1-1 0-0 0-2 0-2

Southern California 2-0 0-0 2-0 1-1

Stanford 1-1 0-0 1-1 0-2

UCLA 2-0 0-0 1-0-1 0-2

Utah 2-0 0-0 1-1 0-2

Washington 1-1 0-0 2-0 0-2

Washington State 1-1 0-0 1-1 1-1

New Mexico at Arizona State (Friday - Pac-12 Network, 10:00 p.m. ET)
It has been a very trying season for Arizona State already, as they have disappointed early on. They had their doors blown off in a neutral-site game against Texas A&M, and they barely squeaked by FCS Cal Poly last week, tied 21-21 into the fourth quarter. These teams faced each other last season at UNM, with the Sun Devils leaving with a 58-23 win. But this is a different ASU team that isn't hitting on all cylinders - yet. New Mexico is 4-1 ATS in their past five road games, but just 8-18 ATS in the past 26 non-conference tilts. That includes a home loss last weekend to Tulsa. ASU is 0-4 ATS in their past four, and 2-7 ATS in the past nine non-conference games. Arizona State has the offensive firepower to cover a 28-point number against the Lobos, they just haven't shown it yet.

Utah State at Washington (Pac-12 Network, 5:00 p.m. ET)
Hard-nosed Utah State pays a visit to the Pacific Northwest Saturday, bringing a stout defense and vanilla offense. The Aggies scratched out a 12-9 win over FCS Southern Utah in their opener, and fell 24-14 to in-state rival Utah last weekend. Washington struggled offensively in their opener at Boise State, but righted the ship against FCS Sacramento State last weekend. Still, facing the USU defense is no joke, and a third straight under to start the season might be in order for the Huskies despite what appears on the surface to be a low number at 44 1/2.

Colorado at Colorado State (CBS Sports Network, 7:00 p.m. ET)
The Buffaloes and Rams will clash at Sports Authority Field at Mile High in Denver for their annual battle of Colorado. The Buffaloes have split a pair of games, losing at Hawaii in their opener before taking out their aggressions on UMass in a 48-14 romp in Boulder. The Rams throttled FCS Savannah State 65-13 in their opener before falling to a good Minnesota team 23-20 in overtime last weekend. Through two games Colorado State has covered each time. The Buffaloes are surprisingly favored by 3 1/2 in this one, perhaps because of the dynamic pass-catch combo of QB Sefo Liufau and WR Nelson Spruce, one of the best in the nation. The underdog has cashed in 14 of the past 19 meetings in this series.

California at Texas (FOX, 7:30 p.m.)
It has been a tumultuous week in Austin. The athletic director has been fired, and Longhorn Nation is at a crossroads. Will the football team respond favorably and rally around each other, or will Cal come in and blow their doors off? It will be interesting to watch. The Bears are no slouch anymore after a couple of down seasons. They're actually favored by nearly a touchdown in this one. How many people had Cal being the last remaining unbeaten in the Pac-12 North through two games? Cal has covered four of their past five non-conference games, and they're 5-0 ATS in their past five on the road. Texas has covered four of the past five against Pac-12 teams, but they're 1-5 ATS in their past six at home and 0-4 ATS in their past four overall. The Longhorns have never lost in five meetings with the Golden Bears, but Texas football also has never been this low.

Stanford at Southern California (ABC, 8:00 p.m. ET)
USC has coasted to wins against Arkansas State and Idaho, but now they face their first real test in the conference opener against a wounded, yet still dangerous Stanford squad. The line opened at 9 1/2 and is up to double digits, as bettors have shown little faith in the Cardinal. Stanford is just 2-6 ATS in the past eight on the road, while USC is 10-4 ATS in the past 14 at home. The under is worth watching, hitting in 13 of the past 16 conference games for Stanford, and 18 of the past 23 overall. The under is also 19-7 in Stanford's past 26 on the road. For USC, the under is 4-0 in four straight conference tilts, and 8-3 in their past 11 in the month of September. The over has been the trend in this series, though, going 7-3 in the past 10 meetings at the Coliseum, and 13-6 in the past 19 overall. In this series, Stanford is 4-1 ATS in the past five trips to USC, the road team is 7-3 ATS in the past 10 and the dog has hit in seven of the past eight. Can Stanford continue those trends?

San Jose State at Oregon State (Pac-12 Network, 8:00 p.m. ET)
A pair of mediocre 1-1 teams lock horns in Corvallis Saturday night. San Jose State was trampled by the triple-option of Air Force last Saturday, while the Beavers are the trivia answer to the question 'Who did Jim Harbaugh earn his first win as head coach of Michigan?'. Neither team has looked very good to date. Even in a win in their opener, OSU struggled with FCS Weber State. San Jose State was a little more impressive in their opener, spanking a good New Hampshire team 43-13. Neither team is very good against the number, with San Jose going 1-7 ATS in their past eight (their only cover during the span vs. UNH this season). Oregon State is 2-8 ATS in their past 10 non-conference games, 0-2 ATS this season and 1-5 ATS in their past six at home.

Wyoming at Washington State (Pac-12 Network, 8:30 p.m. ET)
Washington State is a hard team to figure. They fell at home 24-17 to FCS Portland State in their opener, looking listless. Then, they go cross-country and steal a win from Rutgers in the closing seconds, 34-31, and their offense is prolific again. Wyoming hasn't been so inconsistent. In fact, they have just been consistently bad. After a pair of bad home losses to FCS North Dakota and usual MAC doormat Eastern Michigan, there are a million questions and no answers in Laramie. They lost two games straight up as double-digit favorites, so their first game on the road does not look promising for Wyoming.

Brigham Young at UCLA (FOX Sports 1, 10:30 p.m. ET)
BYU heads to UCLA and the Bruins should be awfully careful not to let the game come down to the final moments. In each of the first two weeks the Cougars have snatched victory from the jaws of defeat with a pair of Hail Mary touchdown grabs, sending Nebraska and Boise State fans home scratching their heads. Will the Bruins be next? Not if UCLA QB Josh Rosen has anything to say about it. The Bruins are averaging 35.5 points per game, and their defense has been stout, allowing just 9.5 PPG to Virginia and UNLV. BYU's defense has been gouged for a total of 53 points to date, and that's an area they need to tighten up to avoid needing last-second miracles. Plenty of people will be on BYU plus-17 because of the highlights on social media and the sports networks, so expect the points to head toward the two-touchdown mark. Keep in mind, though, UCLA is 9-4-1 ATS in their past 14 non-conference games, and 3-1-1 ATS in the past five at home.

Utah at Fresno State (CBS Sports Network, 10:30 p.m. ET)
Utah heads to the Valley to battle Fresno State, a team licking its wounds after an ugly 73-21 shredding from Mississippi last week in Oxford. Utah is battle tested, withstanding charges from Michigan and in-state rival Utah State early on. The under has hit in each of Utah's past two, although the over could be in play if Fresno State's defense look like turnstiles again. The Utes are 6-1 ATS in their past seven on the road, and 38-18-2 ATS in their past 58 non-conference games while going 10-4 ATS in their past 14 against the Mountain West. Fresno is 3-9 ATS in their past 12 non-conference tilts, including 2-8 ATS in their past 10 against Pac-12 opponents. The Utes have also covered in four of their past five against the Bulldogs, although the home team has hit in five straight in this series.

Other ACC teams in action

Georgia State at Oregon (Pac-12 Network. 2:00 p.m.)

Northern Arizona at Arizona (Pac-12 Network. 11:00 p.m.)

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ACC Report - Week 3

September 16, 2015

2015 ACC STANDINGS

Team SU Conference ATS Over/Under

Boston College 2-0 0-0 0-1 0-1

Clemson 2-0 0-0 2-0 1-1

Duke 2-0 0-0 2-0 0-2

Florida State 2-0 0-0 1-1 1-1

Georgia Tech 2-0 0-0 2-0 2-0

Louisville 0-2 0-0 1-1 1-0-1

Miami (Fla.) 2-0 0-0 2-0 1-1

North Carolina 1-1 0-0 1-1 1-1

North Carolina State 2-0 0-0 2-0 1-1

Pittsburgh 2-0 0-0 1-1 1-1

Syracuse 2-0 1-0 2-0 2-0

Virginia 0-2 0-0 1-0-1 1-1

Virginia Tech 1-1 0-0 1-1 2-0

Wake Forest 1-1 0-1 1-1 2-0

Clemson at Louisville (Thursday - ESPN, 7:30 p.m. ET)

The line on this game started at five and quickly jumped to seven. The Clemson Tigers roll into Papa John's looking to hang an 0-3 record on Louisville, who has suddenly gone from ACC contender to has-been in the matter of two disappointing games. A loss to Auburn in their kickoff game was nothing to be ashamed of, but last week in their home opener they were dropped 34-31 by Houston with their defense getting trampled in the process. Louisville might be starting a third different quarterback in as many games with Kyle Bolin likely to get the nod. Reggie Bonnafon started the first game, Lamar Jackson was in there last week. Clemson has no such issues with DeShaun Watson, and the stability of the Tigers will be why they win this one and send Louisville to their first 0-3 start since 1984.

Florida State at Boston College (ESPN, 8:00 p.m. ET)

Florida State started off sluggish against South Florida before pulling away for a 34-14 victory. Perhaps the 11:30am ET kickoff did not agree with them, as it was 7-7 at halftime and took a while for the Seminoles to wake up. Boston College had no trouble getting started against FCS Howard, posting 41 points in the first quarter alone, 62 at halftime and ending with a 76-0 victory. It was graded a 'no play' because the teams agreed to 10 minute quarters in both the third and fourth, so at least 55 minutes is required for action. Florida State is favored by just 7 1/2 points in this one, and the underdog is 7-2 ATS in the past nine meetings. The Seminoles are also 2-5 ATS in the past seven in this series. Still, is BC ready for prime time yet? They snuck by FCS Maine 24-3, and romped Howard, but can they hang with the No. 6 team in the nation? FSU's schedule hasn't been full of killers, but at least they have faced two FBS teams. The line appears to be a little low, especially given the fact the road team is 7-3 ATS in the past 10 meetings.

Illinois at North Carolina (ESPN2, 12:00p.m. ET)

I'll be in attendance at this game, and it could be a high-scoring affair. The total opened at 63 points. Illinois has averaged 48.5 points per game, while yielding a total of just three. UNC was dropped in a neutral-site game in Charlotte against South Carolina before rebounding last weekend against North Carolina A&T, an FCS school. QB Marquise Williams made poor decisions in that game against South Carolina, but righted the ship against the FCS foe. QB Wes Lunt has been hot for Illinois, throwing for five touchdowns in two games. The Illini have covered each of their games to date, while both teams have split 1-1 on totals.

Wake Forest at Army (CBS Sports Network, 12:00 p.m.)

Wake Forest heads to Michie Stadium looking to avoid going 0-2 in the state of New York in back-to-back weeks. The Demon Deacons opened ACC play with a 30-17 setback at Syracuse last week. Army has struggled in their two games, losing 37-35 to FCS Fordham in their opener Sept. 4, and following it up with an ugly 22-17 setback against Connecticut. It's hard to gauge where Army's offense is, since they split totals 1-1. Their offense was terrible against UConn in an easy under. These two sides met in Winston-Salem last season with the Deacs winning 24-21. This time around might not be as close, as QB John Wolford is the best player on the field in this game.

Central Michigan at Syracuse (ESPN3, 12:30 p.m.)

Central Michigan heads to Syracuse looking to avenge a 40-3 shellacking in Mount Pleasant last season. CMU looked decent in their opener against Oklahoma State Sept. 3, holding the Cowboys to a 24-13 win while easily covering a 21-point number. The role was flipped last weekend, as the Chips were favored by three touchdowns over Monmouth (NJ). They won 31-10, a push for some and a win for others on a 20 1/2-point spread. Both of CMU's games have hit under. 'Cuse rolled to a 30-17 win over Wake Forest in their ACC opener last week, playing its first game without QB Terrel Hunt (Achilles'), who suffered a season-ending injury in the opener against FCS Rhode Island. Central enters this game as a seven-point road dog. They're 4-0 ATS in their past four road games, but 0-6 ATS in their past six against the ACC. 'Cuse is a rousing 14-2-1 ATS in their past 17 against MAC teams, 10-4 ATS in their past 14 against non-conference teams and 4-1 ATS in their past five after a straight-up win. The under might be the better play, since it is 9-3-1 in Syracuse's past 13 and 8-3 in their past 11 against the MAC.

Northwestern at Duke (ESPN3, 12:30 p.m. ET)

Northwestern puts its Top 25 ranking on the line at Duke Saturday in an underrated matchup. Many might look to Georgia Tech-Notre Dame or Nebraska-Miami as the marquee game of the weekend in the ACC, but the Wildcats and Blue Devils should put on a show. Northwestern looked solid on defense in a 16-6 win against Stanford, following that up with a 41-0 spanking of FCS Eastern Illinois. Duke has also had success, pounding Tulane 37-7 on the road in their opener before settling in for a 55-0 drumming of FCS North Carolina Central last week. Dual-threat QB Thomas Sirk has been impressive for the Blue Devils, passing for 604 yards while running for 154 more. The Wildcats are 7-3 ATS in their past 10 against the ACC, but 4-12 ATS in their past 16 against teams with a winning overall record. Duke has covered 10 of their past 11 against teams with winning marks, and they're 19-7-1 ATS in their past 27 at home and 15-5-1 ATS in their past 21 against non-conference foes.

Georgia Tech at Notre Dame (NBC, 3:30 p.m.)

The Yellow Jackets roll into South Bend and they catch the Irish at a good time. Notre Dame is awfully banged up with QB Malik Zaire, RB Tarean Folston and TE Durham Smythe each done for the year, while DT Jarron Jones and CB Shaun Crawford are also out for the season on the defensive side of the ball. That's bad news against a Georgia Tech team averaging 67.0 points per game while yielding just 8.0 per outing. The Jackets have covered nine straight dating back to last season, and they're 5-1 ATS in their past six away from Atlanta. Notre Dame is just 2-6 ATS in their past eight overall, although they covered in their only home game this season against Texas in the opener.

Nebraska at Miami-Fla. (ABC, 3:30 p.m.)

Nebraska and Miami getting together sends most older college football fans back to the 1980's, when Hurricanes football was at its pinnacle. You either loved them or hated them, and they were unbeatable in the old Orange Bowl. This one is at the more stale Sun Life Stadium, although it should still be a very entertaining tilt. The last time these two teams hooked up, the Huskers came away with a 41-31 win in Lincoln Sept. 20, 2014. Nebraska has covered eight of their past nine games on the road, and they find themselves as slight favorites in this one. They're also 7-3 ATS in their past 10 aginst teams with a winning overall mark. Miami has had an extra day to rest after pulling away from Florida Atlantic on the road last Friday. They're 5-2 ATS in their past seven at home, and confidence is key after a blowout. They're 11-2 ATS in their past 13 following a victory greater than 20 points.

Virginia Tech at Purdue (ESPNU, 3:30 p.m.)

Virginia Tech plays its second Big Ten opponent of the season this time traveling to Ross-Ade Stadium in West Lafayette after losing to defending national champ Ohio State in their opener on Labor Day. The Hokies piled up plenty of points last week in a 42-3 win against FCS Furman, giving new QB Brenden Motley a full game to get comfortable. He replaced the injured QB Michael Brewer (collarbone), who was injured against the Buckeyes. Motley will start again, but faces a much bigger test on the road against a Big Ten defense. Purdue shut down a very good FCS Indiana State team, blowing their doors off in a 38-14 game. I-State has a strong defense, but it was no match for QB Austin Appleby, who gains confidence by the day. Purdue hung tough with Marshall on the road in their first game before losing 41-31. They failed to cover, but it was only because of a late pick-six.

North Carolina State at Old Dominion (NO TV - 7:00 p.m.)

N.C. State hits the road for the first time this season, but it's a quick jaunt up to the Tidewater for a date with ODU. The Wolfpack have socked around Troy and Eastern Kentucky, posting impressive offensive totals along the way. However, their first road test against an opponent from Conference USA has the spread down to just 17. QB Jacoby Brissett is one of the more impressive signal callers in the ACC, and the two-headed running back monster of Matt Dayes and Shadrach Thornton will be hard for ODU to contain. They have allowed 22.0 PPG through their first two outings at Eastern Michigan and at home against FCS Norfolk State, failing to cover the spread in either outing. They covered in a 46-34 loss in Raleigh Sept. 6, 2014, but that was also with QB Taylor Heinicke, who is now playing for the Minnesota Vikings. If NC State is to cover, they'll need to corral RB Ray Lawry, who is tied for best in the nation with six rushing touchdowns.

Pittsburgh at Iowa (Big Ten Network, 8:00 p.m.)

Pittsburgh won on the road last week against Iowa, now they face an even bigger test at Kinnick Stadium in Iowa City. The Panthers won 24-7 in Akron, one week after losing 2014 ACC Player of the Year RB James Conner to a torn ACL. It wasn't all rosy in the win, though, as QB Chad Voytik was replaced by Nate Peterman, who took over in the second quarter. Iowa pounded rival Iowa State 31-17, and is still favored by less than a touchdown in this one. The Hawkeyes look to move to 3-0 for the first time since 2009. The Hawkeyes won 24-20 in Pittsburgh last season, and the winner of this one takes a 4-3 all-time series lead. Pitt is 1-4 ATS in their past five against the Big Ten, and 1-5 ATS in their past six non-conference games (although they covered last week). The Hawkeyes are 4-1 ATS in their past five at Kinnick, including 3-0-1 ATS in their past four against a team with a winning home record.

Other ACC teams in action

William & Mary at Virginia (ESPN3, 3:30 p.m.)

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Thursday's Top Action

September 14, 2015

CLEMSON TIGERS (2-0) at LOUISVILLE CARDINALS (0-2)

Papa John's Cardinal Stadium - Louisville, KY
Kickoff: Thursday, 7:30 p.m. ET
Sportsbook.ag Line: Clemson -5.5

No. 11 Clemson looks to stay unbeaten when it travels to winless Louisville on Thursday night.

The Tigers have rolled over a pair of weaker opponents (SU and ATS) to start the season, beating FCS Wofford and 18.5-point underdog Appalachian State by a combined score of 90 to 20.

The Cardinals have played a much tougher schedule than their Thursday opponent, losing (but covering) in a neutral-site game with Auburn to open the season before falling at home to 13-point underdog Houston last week.

These teams played a tight contest last season in South Carolina when host Clemson held on for a 23-17 victory over Louisville in a game where both schools combined for a mere 124 rushing yards on 70 carries (1.8 YPC).

Road favorites coming off two straight games of allowing 14 points or less facing a team that allowed 31+ points in two straight contests are a whopping 27-5 ATS (84%) in the past 10 seasons.

However, bettors on the Cardinals can point to the fact that road favorites of 3.5 to 10 points, in the first month of the season, after closing out last season with 3+ straight wins are just 15-48 ATS (34%) since 1992.

While the Tigers have a few injuries of concern with WR Mike Williams (neck) and K Ammon Lakip (suspension) out, and OL Ryan Norton (leg) questionable, the Cardinals are really hurting, especially on offense. QB Will Gardner (ribs), TE Cole Hikutini (shoulder) and WRs James Quick (ankle), Jamari Staples (knee), Alphonso Carter (hamstring) and Emonee Spence (hamstring) are all questionable for Thursday. Quick had 101 receiving yards in last year's loss to Clemson.

Clemson has had no trouble moving the football last season with a great balance of run (181 YPG, 4.2 YPC) and pass (281 YPG, 8.3 YPA). QB Deshaun Watson has completed a whopping 77% of his passes for 442 yards (9.2 YPA), 5 TD and only 1 INT this season.

A dozen different players have already recorded a reception this season, led by sophomore WR Artavis Scott, who has nearly identical catch-yards-TD numbers in both games (6-75-1 and 6-73-1). Scott also caught 10 passes against Louisville last year, but gained only 66 yards on those double-digit grabs. Senior WR Charone Peake is coming off a huge game against Appalachian State with four catches for 86 yards and 2 TD.

On the ground, it has been sophomore RB Wayne Gallman rumbling for more than 75 yards in both contests, totaling 171 yards on 5.9 YPC and three touchdowns. With Louisville's defense allowing more than 200 rushing YPG this season, Gallman could be in for a big afternoon. The Tigers have also been fierce on defense, holding opponents to 256 total YPG on 3.8 yards per play.

Opposing quarterbacks have a dreadful 32.6% completion rate (15-of-46) against Clemson, while opposing rushers are gaining only 3.6 yards per carry. The unit was also very opportunistic last week with four forced turnovers.

Louisville's offense has been decent so far this season with 27.5 PPG and 400 YPG, but there are major questions at the quarterback position. Assumed starting QB Will Gardner is still not 100 percent, so head coach Bobby Petrino isn't sure who his starter should be between freshman QB Lamar Jackson (26-47, 268 yds, 1 TD, 3 INT) or sophomore QBs Reggie Bonnafon (8-13, 67 yds, 0 TD, 0 INT) and Kyle Bolin (10-18, 157 yds, 1 TD, 0 INT).

The Cardinals have already committed six turnovers and are one of just three FBS teams to have three quarterbacks with double-digit pass attempts this season.

The Louisville ground game hasn't done much either with 154 rushing YPG on 4.2 YPC. Jackson is the team's leading rusher with 122 yards on 4.4 YPC and 2 TD, while senior RB Brandon Radcliff is close behind at 119 rushing yards on 4.4 YPC and 2 TD. Radcliff had no running room last year against Clemson with only 23 yards on 11 carries (2.1 YPC) in that defeat.

Defensively, the Cardinals have been a mess, surrendering 32.5 PPG, 23.0 first downs per game and a 61% completion percentage. Four takeaways in the two games have certainly helped, but they were out-rushed 226 to 70 in last week's loss to Houston.

[StarDust Bum]

SEC West survivor games begin Week 3

September 16, 2015

The SEC West survivor series begins.

Sure, the power of the Southeastern Conference has been overplayed, but there are still a bunch of really good teams in the western division and they often play intense, entertaining games. Hate the SEC if you want, but you are only spiting yourself by not enjoying it.

No. 2 Alabama tries to avenge last season's loss at Mississippi when the No. 15 Rebels come to Tuscaloosa on Saturday. Under Nick Saban, the Crimson Tide has won seven of eight games against teams that it lost to the season before - by an average of 21 points.

No. 18 Auburn gets a shot at redemption at No. 13 LSU after dodging what would have been a historic upset last week.

''No, it makes no difference to me whatsoever,'' LSU coach Les Miles said, dismissing last week's Auburn struggles against FCS Jacksonville State.

Consider the SEC West a double-elimination tournament. The winner has had one loss each of the last three seasons as the strength of the division has spread. The losers of Saturday's games aren't out, but they are likely out of mulligans.

THURSDAY NIGHT LIGHTS

No. 11 Clemson (minus 6) at Louisville

Cardinals coach Bobby Petrino has never had a college team start 0-3 ... CLEMSON 28-24.

FRIDAY NIGHT LIGHTS

No. 9 Florida State (minus 7 1/2) at Boston College

This ain't Howard ... FLORIDA STATE 31-21

SATURDAY

MARQUEE MATCHUPS

No. 15 Ole Miss (plus 6 1/2) at No. 2 Alabama

About to learn a lot about two quarterbacks - Rebels' Chad Kelly and Tide's Jake Coker ... ALABAMA 28-21.

No. 15 Georgia Tech (minus 2 1/2) at No. 8 Notre Dame

Injuries will catch up to the Fighting Irish - eventually ... NOTRE DAME 28-24.

No. 19 BYU (plus 17) at No. 10 UCLA

Tanner Mangum magic runs out for Cougars ... UCLA 35-21.

No. 18 Auburn (plus 7 1/2) at No. 13 LSU

Sports are weird ... UPSET SPECIAL, AUBURN 28-23.

CONFERENCE CALLS

Stanford (plus 10) at No. 6 Southern California

After four straight wins by the Cardinal, the Trojans have won last two and are retaking control of the rivalry ... USC 28-14.

South Carolina (plus 16 1/2) at No. 7 Georgia

Strange things happen in this rivalry, but not this year ... GEORGIA 42-14.

SMART FOOTBALL

No. 23 Northwestern (plus 3 1/2) at Duke

The winner gets the ranking ... NORTHWESTERN 21-20.

PLUCKY UNDERDOG OR MISMATCH?

Northern Illinois (plus 34 1/2) at No. 1 Ohio State

The Huskies have been to the MAC what the Buckeyes have been to the Big Ten ... OHIO STATE 42-14.

Air Force (plus 26 1/2) at No. 4 Michigan State

The Falcons option offense can be a real pain in the neck ... MICHIGAN STATE 38-24.

No. 21 Utah (off) at Fresno State

Utes go to backup quarterback and Bulldogs happy to be home and away from Ole Miss ... UTAH 34-23.

UConn (plus 21) at No. 22 Missouri

And so it begins for the Huskies ... BEST BET, MISSOURI 37-7

UTSA (plus 24 1/2) at No. 25 Oklahoma State

Cowboys QB Mason Rudolph is second in Big 12 in completion percentage at 67 percent ... OKLAHOMA STATE 45-17.

TWITTER REQUESTS

Nebraska (plus 3 1/2) at Miami

Has Been Bowl ... NEBRASKA 27-23.

Memphis (minus 3) at Bowling Green

Group of Five nonconference game of the week ... BOWLING GREEN 42-38

Texas Tech (plus 11 1/2) at Arkansas

Razorbacks need a quick bounce back after tanking against Toledo ... ARKANSAS 38-28.

Florida (minus 3) at Kentucky

Gators have won 28 straight against the Wildcats ... KENTUCKY 28-17.

California (minus 6 1/2) at Texas

Longhorns fans already got one bit of good news this week ... TEXAS 35-31.

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Last week's record: 17-4 straight; 11-10 vs. spread

Overall: 31-6; 21-17.

Upset specials: 2-0.

Best bets: 0-1.

[StarDust Bum]

Oregon quarterback Adams confirms broken finger

September 16, 2015

Oregon quarterback Vernon Adams Jr. confirmed that he has a broken finger and says it's a game-time decision whether he'll start Saturday against Georgia State.

Vernon told reporters Wednesday that he broke his right index finger in the season opener. It was bothering him in the Ducks' 31-28 loss at now-No. 4 Michigan State last weekend.

Jeff Lockie, Marcus Mariota's backup last season for the Ducks, will start against the Panthers if Adams cannot go.

''I can definitely play with it throughout the season. I played with it this past game, you know,'' Adams said. ''I just gotta keep rehabbing it, keep icing it, make sure the swelling's going down and hopefully it gets to 100 percent as soon as possible.''

Adams' comments ended speculation that had been swirling since before the game against the Spartans. Oregon's coaches do not discuss injuries as a policy.

Adams finished with 309 yards passing against Michigan State, but wore gloves and was seen examining the finger on the sideline during the game. Afterward, the finger was wrapped in a splint.

The No. 12 Ducks (1-1) rallied late with Adams' 15-yard touchdown pass to Byron Marshall with 3:25 remaining. Oregon drove to the Spartans' 33 on its next drive, but Adams overthrew Marshall before he was sacked for a loss of 10, and his pass on fourth-and-16 was incomplete.

''I didn't really feel it during the game. I got a cortisone shot and I couldn't feel it. It felt like I was throwing with four fingers,'' Adams said. ''I got it hit one time in the second half and that's when I started feeling it again.''

Adams said he injured the finger in Oregon's opener, a 61-42 victory over his former school, Eastern Washington. The Eagles' quarterback for the past three seasons transferred to Oregon for his final year of eligibility.

He performed well in his Oregon debut, throwing for 246 yards and two touchdowns before he left the game in the fourth quarter after a scary late hit that left him wobbly. He briefly went to the locker room, but later returned to watch the end of the game from the sideline.

Adams, who arrived in fall camp late because he had to finish a final math class to complete his degree at Eastern Washington, was named Oregon's starter before the opener. Both he and Lockie were vying to take over the job after Mariota's departure for the NFL.

[StarDust Bum]

Inside College Football: Season-ending injuries ravaging 2015 contenders

September 16, 2015 1:39 pm ET

This young college football season has forced us to become familiar with the likes of DeShone Kizer.

Wait, who? Exactly. We are forced to pay attention to the obscure, mostly because this young season has been cruel as hell.

Through two weeks, it has become -- quite rapidly -- the Year of the Season-Ending Injury. That's a big reason why Kizer, Notre Dame's 6-foot-4, 230-pound redshirt freshman quarterback is getting his chance.

Kizer is replacing Malik Zaire, who broke his ankle Saturday against Virginia. When tight end Durham Smythe was declared out for the season this week, he became the fifth Notre Dame starter to suffer a season-ending injury -- all of them since August, all of whom were starters.

The bump and grind of Week 3 and beyond awaits. This site currently lists 185 FBS players either out indefinitely or for the season. The loss of starters has severely impacted the fortunes of Clemson, Illinois, TCU, Vanderbilt … and the Irish.

“Coach Kelly always talks about the next man in,” Kizer told reporters after replacing Zaire in Notre Dame's 34-27 win at Virginia. “I've got to look at some the guys -- the seniors -- and let know I'm the guy. It might be a little different.”

The NCAA's injury monitoring system, Datalys, didn't immediately have up-to-date comparative figures on season-ending injuries. In the latest figures available, overall injury rates have been relatively constant.

Something just feels out of whack this season.

“I think the biggest issue is the overuse,” said sports medicine consultant Rod Walters. “Kids are training year-round. Dez Bryant is a great example. So many times these things are sore and we don't realize how sore they care and they're stress fractures.”

TCU's Gary Patterson has three starters left from last season on defense. He began the season with five returning starters. On Saturday, the Horned Frogs played without four players due to injuries. They've been particularly hard hit at linebacker and safety.

“We told them, ‘You never know, you're a couple of snaps away when the third-team guys are away from being the first-team guys,' Patterson said. “I think they're starting to believe it now.”

Iowa State's Paul Rhoads finds himself on the hot seat (6-20 since 2013) after injuries have ravaged his program. Four Cyclone starters made it through the entire 2014 season. Rhoades was down four starters Saturday against Iowa.

“[Wear and tear] is worse than it was 10 or 15 years ago,” Rhoads said. “We train these kids so hard. There's so much muscle, so much speed, so much torque. I don't think there's any scientific backing to it, but if you ask most coaches, it's part of the reason.”

Some of the NCAA injury research is dated. What we know officially is players are seven times more likely to be injured in games than practice. The knee is the most likely spot on the body to get injured. Linebackers are injured most often. Concussions occur most often to players defending on run plays.

Quarterbacks from 12 schools are at least out indefinitely, if not all season. Another five are expected to be out an extended period. BYU, Kansas, Kansas State, South Carolina and Virginia Tech have all lost starters at the position.

BYU has somehow thrived despite the loss of quarterback Taysom Hill, who suffered his third season-ending injury.

Now, it's hard to find a team with two more impressive wins to begin the season. The Cougars ended Nebraska's 29-year season-opening win streak. In Week 2, BYU beat a top 20-ranked Boise State, perhaps ruining the season of the country's best Group of Five program.

All with the help of a couple bombs from true freshman Tanner Mangum, whose story is a separate column.

For now, we're left to wonder who is DeShone Kizer? A kid with character, for starters. Near the end of his first year at Notre Dame, his girlfriend had a baseball-sized tumor removed from her neck. Kizer was 34-6 as a starter at Toledo Central Catholic. His Notre Dame prospects improved significantly when Everett Golson transferred to Florida State.

Forced into action against Virginia, Kizer threw the game-winning touchdown with 12 seconds left. This week against Georgia Tech, he becomes Notre Dame's third starting quarterback in the last five games.

“You're going from a guy like Malik who's a very bright and outspoken guy. I'm not really that type of guy,” Kizer said.

Yeah, but at least he's healthy.

California Golden Bears

Goff faces a test
Cal's Jared Goff went into the season hyped as the best underclassman quarterback in the upcoming 2016 NFL draft. After two games this season, he certainly looks the part, completing 73.2 percent of his passes for 630 yards, six touchdowns and two interceptions.

All of it is on the line Saturday at Texas. Bothteamsbelievethey'veturned the corner after troubling pasts. Goff's 7,481 yards were the most ever by a Pac-12 quarterback through his first two seasons. While Goff would love to win, it might be imperative for coach Sonny Dykes, 8-18 in his third season.

"I think Jared is one of the best quarterbacks in college football," Dykes said. "But just because some guy throws his name out there doesn't mean anything right now."


Texas Longhorns

Under Armour to make a major play
While Texas figures out who is going to be its next athletic director, the school is involved in what could be game-changing negotiations.

Nike's exclusive negotiating window with the athletic department ends Oct. 1. Under Armour is considered a major player in acquiring the branding rights for Texas.

According to a source, Nike has done a good job of renewing deals lately at below market value. To that point, Arizona, Florida and Georgia renewed with Nike for roughly a third of what Michigan got from the apparel giant.


Auburn Tigers

Johnson still struggling
The problem with Jeremy Johnson is his decision making. Through two games, Auburn's quarterback seems uncomfortable and too often fails to go through his progressions. As colleague Jon Solomon pointed out, Johnson's five interceptions are two fewer than Nick Marshall threw all of last season.

There's no room for a deep breath heading to LSU. Johnson is 50th nationally in quarterback rating among the 59 Power Five qualifying QBs (75 percent participation, at least 15 passes per game).


Notre Dame Fighting Irish

Would ND really drop football?
It's good to know Notre Dame administrators are on the same page. President Rev. John Jenkins told the New York Times last week that if players are paid in the future, his school will de-emphasize football. That echoes what I wrote after talking to Irish athletic director Jack Swarbrick in March.

In one sense, it all kind of depends on what your definition of "paid" is. Some would argue we're already there with cost of attendance. But while many doubt ND would leave the big-money, big-time athletic industrial complex, consider a national championship race without Notre Dame as a participant. Yup, the Irish still have leverage.


Arkansas Razorbacks

Red zone troubles

What's the issue at Arkansas after that embarrassing loss to Toledo? Red zone, red zone, red zone. Brandon Allen has completed 2-of-18 passes inside the 20 (for 17 yards). As a team, the Razorbacks are 118th in the red zone getting only three touchdowns in 10 trips inside the 20.


Oklahoma Sooners

Some good, some bad

The good: After winning at Tennessee, Bob Stoops stumped once again for his scheduling habits. "To compete in that type of environment is as good as it gets. I'm surprised more teams don't play those kinds of games. The last six games we've been to Florida State, Notre Dame, Tennessee … That's what you want from your college experience."

The bad: Stoops acknowledged widely circulated videos and stories of players' conduct on the field after the game. "Inappropriate language and gestures in the heat of the moment …," he said. "It will be dealt with internally."


Quick hits

Oklahoma is the only team in the country to play two FBS opponents and hold each to less than 126 yards passing … FBS teams scored 70-plus points nine times last season. Through two weeks, it's happened six times -- twice by Ole Miss … Speaking of the Rebels, they're the first team to score at least 73 points in back-to-back games since Houston in 1968. Andy Kennedy's basketball team failed to reach 73 points 15 times last season … Yet to commit a turnover: Boston College, Georgia, LSU, Notre Dame, Toledo, USC and West Virginia … Reason No. 1,273 you need an effective quarterback in the Big 12: Through two weeks of play, Big 12 teams have 90 touchdown drives -- 50 have lasted less than two minutes and 25 less than one minute … Heading to Miami, Nebraska has 51 plays of at least 10 yards to lead the nation.


Quotes of the Week

All is not lost after Arkansas' loss to Toledo, mostly because I think Bret Bielema just compared the Hogs to Ohio State: He's not going to comment "on anyone else's schedule, obviously, but there were teams last year that took an early loss & had success."

Noted professor Les Miles on the heat factor this week against Auburn: "Hydrating at the cellular level is the new buzz word."

[StarDust Bum]

Tennessee loses defensive anchor Curt Maggitt to freakish injury


Losing Saturday's game vs. Oklahoma after leading 17-0 was bad enough. It turns out losing one of your best defenders from an already injury-depleted defense is even worse.

Butch Jones announced Monday that Tennessee star linebacker Curt Maggitt will be out indefinitely after suffering a hip injury in the loss to the Sooners. Per GoVols247's Wes Rucker, Jones called the injury one of the most "freakish" he has seen in coaching. Maggitt was injured on an Oklahoma punt in the first half.

Maggitt is still being evaluated and Jones did not establish a timetable for his return, saying only that the senior would be out an "extended" period of time.

The loss is another major blow for a Tennessee defense that's already lost two starters to injury and another through suspension. Safety LaDarrell McNeil is attempting to recover from a neck injury, but nickelback Rashaan Gaulden is out for the season and defensive tackle Danny O'Brien remains indefinitely suspended.

Maggitt's loss might be as painful as all of the above combined, however. An All-SEC candidate who led Tennessee with 11 sacks a year ago and finished second in tackles-for-loss, Maggitt was one of the defense's unquestioned leaders and might have been the closest thing the Vols front seven had to an anchor.

That front seven remains loaded -- junior linebacker Jalen Reeves-Maybin was exceptional against the Sooners and could be headed to a breakout season -- but if Maggitt misses more than a week or two (and the pivotal Florida game isn't far away), Tennessee's injury bug will have taken its biggest bite yet.

[StarDust Bum]

NCAAF
Armadillo's Write-Up

Week 3

Thursday's games
Louisville is 0-2 after losing as 13-point favorite to Houston last week, turning ball over four times (-3), allowing Cougars to run ball for 226 yards, convert 11-22 on third down. Clemson (-9.5) beat Cardinals 23-17 at home LY, despite being outgained 264-229. Since '10, Louisville is 0-4 as home underdog. Playing a freshman QB has its disadvantages. Tigers are 1-4 in last five games as road favorite. This game opened at pick 'em; Clemson has been bet up to -6.

Friday's games
Underdogs covered seven of last nine Florida State-Boston College tilts; Seminoles won last five meetings, with three of last four by 14+ points. FSU won four of last five visits here, last two 48-34/38-7- they're 6-3 in last nine games as road favorite. BC just beat couple of I-AA stiffs; hard to tell much from that; Eagles are 4-2 as home dog under Addazio, have run ball for 440 yards in last two games against Florida State. Soph QB is playing his first game against a bigtime opponent.

Arizona State struggled with I-AA Cal Poly last week after losing week before to Texas A&M; Sun Devils play USC next week, are 11-6 as a home favorite under Graham. ASU ran ball for 423 yards in 58-23 win at New Mexico LY (-23). Pac-12 home favorites are 7-2 vs spread out of conference; MW road underdogs are 3-2. Lobos are 1-6 as home dogs the last 2+ years; they gave up 600 yards in home loss to Tulsa last week.

[StarDust Bum]

NCAAF

Thursday, September 17

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Game of the Day: Clemson at Louisville
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The Clemson Tigers, 2-0 ATS to start the campaign, are 6-0 ATS in their last six games in September.

Clemson Tigers at Louisville Cardinals (+6.5, 51)

Ninth-ranked Clemson begins its pursuit of a spot in the ACC title game when it visits winless Louisville on Thursday in the conference opener for both schools. The Tigers have rolled over two lesser opponents to begin the slate while Louisville lost to Auburn and Houston and is looking to avoid its first 0-3 start since 1984.

Clemson quarterback Deshaun Watson suffered a broken hand early in an October contest against the Cardinals last season and the injury caused him to miss the following three games. "I wouldn't say this game matters more," Watson, a sophomore, said at a press conference. "Each game is the biggest game for me." Louisville hasn't announced a starting quarterback but is expected to turn to sophomore Kyle Bolin, who would represent the team's third starting quarterback in three games. "He hit hands and he executed what we were asking him to do in that part of the (Houston) game and I think he's had a good week of practice," Cardinals coach Bobby Petrino told reporters.

TV: 7:30 p.m. ET, ESPN.

LINE HISTORY: Books opened the Cardinals as 5-point home dogs but that is now up to +6.5. The total opened at 54 and is down to 51.

INJURY REPORT: Clemson - OL Ryan Norton (Out, leg), WR Mike Williams (Out indefinitely, neck). Louisville - TE Cole Hikutini (Questionable, shoulder), WR Emonee Spence (Questionable, hamstring), QB Will Gardner (Questionable, ribs), DE Johnny Richardson (Questionable, knee), WR Alphonso Carter (Questionable, hamstring), WR Jamari Staples (Out, undisclosed), WR James Quick (Out, ankle).

WEATHER: Temperatures expected to be in the high-70s with wind blowing toward the north endzone at around five miles per hour.

WHAT CAPPERS SAY: "Deshaun Watson threw for 248 yards and three TDs in a win over Appalachian State on Saturday. The Tigers will look to move to 3-0 as they face a struggling Louisville team on Thursday."

WHAT BOOKS SAY: "We opened Clemson as 4.5 point faves over Louisville and was quickly bet up to our current number of Clemson -7 with the Tigers seeing 76 percent of the action and the OVER 52 point total getting all the early action."

ABOUT CLEMSON (2-0 SU, 2-0 ATS, 1-1 O/U): Watson has completed 77.1 percent of his passes for five touchdowns in two games while displaying no lingering signs of the major knee injury he suffered last November. Sophomore receiver Artavis Scott has a team-best 12 catches -- he had 10 receptions versus Louisville last season -- as the Tigers deal with the loss of standout junior Mike Williams (fractured neck), who had 1,030 receiving yards in 2014. A strong defense is receiving stellar play from junior free safety T.J. Green (23 tackles), junior defensive end Shaq Lawson (4.5 tackles for losses) and junior strong safety Jayron Kearse (seven career interceptions).

ABOUT LOUISVILLE (0-2 SU, 1-1 ATS, 1-0-1 O/U): The Cardinals have dropped their first two games for the first time since 1998 and settling on a starting quarterback is becoming a necessity. Sophomore Reggie Bonnafon started the opener against Auburn and freshman Lamar Jackson started the second game before Bolin entered and passed for 157 yards and one touchdown in the final quarter against Houston to likely draw his starting opportunity. Defensively, junior strong safety Josh Harvey-Clemons leads the squad with 24 tackles and two interceptions, junior outside linebacker Keith Kelsey has 23 tackles and team's only two sacks and senior outside linebacker James Burgess has 18 tackles.

TRENDS:

* Tigers are 6-0 ATS in their last six games in September.
* Tigers are 0-5 ATS in their last five conference games.
* Cardinals are 0-6 ATS in their last six home games.
* Over is 5-1-2 in Cardinals' last eight games overall.

CONSENSUS: Fifty-eight percent of users are backing Clemson.

[StarDust Bum]

7:30 PM EDT

103 CLEMSON -4.5 -6 / -6 -05 / -5.5 -5 -210
104 LOUISVILLE 54 52 / 52.5 / 53 54 +180

CLM-WR-Mike Williams-OUT | TV: ESPN, DTV: 206 | MOSTLY FAIR, SOUTH WIND 3-8. GAME TEMP 78, RH 43% HEAT INDEX 79


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NCAAF Consensus Picks

SIDES (ATS)

Time Away Line Picks Pct Home Line Picks Pct Detail Odds

7:30 PM Clemson -5 1111 59.83% Louisville +5 746 40.17% View View


TOTALS (OVER/UNDER)

Time Away Total Over Pct Home Total Under Pct Detail Odds

7:30 PM Clemson 54 777 65.08% Louisville 54 417 34.92% View View


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THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 17

Game Score Status Pick Amount

Clemson - 7:30 PM ET Louisville +5 500 DOUBLE PLAY

Louisville - Over 54 500 DOUBLE PLAY