NCAAF Trends and Indexes - Week 5 (Thursday, October 1 - Saturday, October 3)

[Udog]

NCAAF

Saturday, October 3

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Game of the Day: Alabama at Georgia
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The Bulldogs, who have not won a national championship since 1980, fell five yards shy of beating the Crimson Tide for the conference title and a berth in the BCS title game three years ago.

Alabama Crimson Tide at Georgia Bulldogs (-1.5, 51)

Georgia head coach Mark Richt has tried all week to quell the buildup, but there is no denying plenty is on the line when his sixth-ranked Bulldogs host No. 13 Alabama on Saturday in an early-season showdown full of SEC and playoff implications. The Bulldogs are soaring after opening the season with four resounding victories but face their first true test against the Crimson Tide, the SEC’s gold standard who broke Georgia’s hearts when the two schools last met, in the 2012 SEC championship game.

The Bulldogs, who have not won a national championship since 1980, fell five yards shy of beating the Crimson Tide for the conference title and a berth in the BCS title game three years ago. Georgia features a potent offensive attack, fronted by running back Nick Chubb (fifth nationally in rushing) and quarterback Greyson Lambert (second nationally in completion percentage). Alabama, which saw its quest for a perfect season snuffed in a 43-37 loss to fifth-ranked Ole Miss on Sept. 19, finally has settled on Jake Coker at quarterback to provide much needed stability to the Crimson Tide offense. Alabama will provide the biggest challenge Georgia’s rushing game has faced this season, the Crimson Tide ranking fourth nationally by holding opponents to 56.8 rushing yards per contest.

TV: 3:30 p.m. ET, CBS.

LINE HISTORY: Books opened Georgia -2 but that has been adjusted to -1.5. The total is down to 51 from the opening 52.

INJURY REPORT: Alabama - DB Jabriel Washington (Probable, knee), DL Jonathan Allen (Questionable, shoulder), K Gunnar Raborn (Out indefinitely, suspension), WR Robert Foster (Out for season, shoulder). Georgia - LB Davin Bellamy (Probable, undisclosed), WR Isaiah McKenzie (Probable, personal), FB Christian Payne (Out indefinitely, leg), SE Justin Scott-Wesley (Out indefinitely, knee).

WEATHER: Temperatures are expected to be in the low-60s with a 100 percent chance of rain and wind blowing across the field around seven miles per hour.

WHAT CAPPERS SAY: "The Crimson Tide can not afford another loss if they want to challenge for another SEC title, but they are an underdog at Georgia on Saturday. Greyson Lambert has thrown for 476 yards and five touchdowns on 33-of-35 passing in his last two starts. The Bulldogs host Alabama this week, and this game will likely make or break their season."

WHAT BOOKS SAY: "The Tide are 1-1 SU against ranked teams so far this season and face the 4-0 (SU) No. 8-ranked Georgia Bulldogs. We opened Georgia as 2.5 point faves at home but took nothing but action on the Tide to cover that number on the road, forcing us to move to Georgia -2 and eventually to our current number of Georgia -1.5. Alabama is still receiving the majority of the action with 67 percent."

ABOUT ALABAMA (3-1 SU, 1-3 ATS, 2-2 O/U): Coker threw an interception for the third straight game in last week’s 34-0 shutout of ULM, but completed 17-of-31 passes for three touchdowns after splitting duty with Cooper Bateman in the first three games. The Crimson Tide’s offense has battled inconsistency since a crisp performance in the season-opening victory over Wisconsin, and a big day from running back Derrick Henry (422 yards rushing, 6.3 yards per carry) will be critical Saturday. So, too, will be the play of Alabama’s defensive front seven, considered one of the best units in the nation.

ABOUT GEORGIA (4-0 SU, 2-2 ATS, 2-2 O/U): Lambert has completed 33 of his past 35 passes for 476 yards and five touchdowns in his past two games, directing a Bulldogs offense scoring 45.5 points per contest (11th nationally). Chubb is a legitimate Heisman candidate who enters Saturday having rushed for 100-plus yards in 12 consecutive contests, and has combined with Sony Michel for 10 rushing scores. The Bulldogs have allowed 13.5 points per game and will need to keep Henry and Coker in check in order to pull off one of their biggest victories in recent history.

TRENDS:

* Over is 5-0 in the last five meetings.
* Crimson Tide are 1-4 ATS in their last five meetings.
* Bulldogs are 5-2 ATS in their last seven conference games.
* Over is 21-8 in Bulldogs last 29 home games.

CONSENSUS: Users are split with each team seeing 50 percent of the support.


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[Udog]

NCAAF

Saturday, October 3


Florida QB Grier could sit against Ole Miss

Florida starting quarterback Will Grier is ill and may not play in Saturday's game against No. 3 Mississippi, multiple media outlets reported.

Whether Grier plays or starts will be a game-time decision.

A flu bug has circulated through the Gators' roster, and it's unclear whether Grier is suffering from that illness.

If Grier can't play, Treon Harris is expected to start for No. 25 Florida. Harris did not play in last week's victory over Tennessee because he was serving a one-game suspension.

Before Grier's health became an issue, head coach Jim McElwain had planned to start Grier and use Harris if needed to run the option.

Grier rotated with Harris the first two games, but Grier played the entire games against Kentucky and Tennessee.

Grier has completed 62.6 percent of his passes with six touchdowns and three interceptions.


DE Tuaua could return for TCU

Defensive end Mike Tuaua and wide receiver Andre Petties-Wilson returned to practice and could play for TCU on Saturday.

The Horned Frogs would welcome reinforcements, but coach Gary Patterson won't make the call on the players arrested last week on robbery and assault charges.

He said Wednesday they have completed TCU's disciplinary process.

"As an ambassador for this university, I'm sad for all parties, not just my guys, that the incident happened," Patterson told the Star-Telegram. "They've had a three-game suspension. I'm saddened that the whole situation went down. Hopefully my guys learn from it."

Tuaua would likely start if he's available with TCU missing two defensive ends. He had half a sack at Minnesota before being suspended.


Pac-12 visiting teams dominating in conference play

Road teams have been the hot trend to begin Pac-12 conference play in 2015, going 6-0 both straight up and against the spread to begin the campaign.

Cal, UCLA, Utah and USC have each gone 1-0 away from home while Stanford has been a true road warrior winning both of their road games SU and ATS as we head into Week 5 of the college football schedule.

This week, Washington State visits Cal (-17.5), Arizona State travels to UCLA (-13), Colorado hosts Oregon (-7.5), and Arizona ventures to Stanford (-13.5) in Pac-12 action.


Purdue backers have fond memories of Michigan State

Purdue has struggled to win games against Michigan State in recent seasons but haven't been such a bad wager. The Boilermakers have lost five-straight meetings but have gone 3-1-1 ATS in those games, covering the spread in three straight.

The Boilermakers have been lofty underdogs in those past three matchups, closing +20.5, +28 and +21 in 2010, 2013 and 2014 respectively and Saturday will be no different. Purdue is presently a 21.5-point road dog after opening +24 for their Week 5 visit to Michigan State.


Minnesota has been a red-hot wager in Big Ten play

With a victory over Northwestern on Saturday, the Minnesota Golden Gophers would improve to 10-5 over its last 15 Big Ten contests – matching the school’s best 15-game league stretch since Nov. 11, 1972-Oct. 26, 1974.

Perhaps even more impressive is the fact that the Gophers are 12-2 ATS in the previous 14 showdowns with opponents from the Big Ten.

The Gophers rattled off a record of 4-2 SU but 6-0 ATS to close Big Ten play in 2013 before going 5-3 SU and 6-2 ATS last season.

For the trip to Northwestern, the Gophers are tabbed as 4.5-point road dogs.


Colorado stumbling SU, but not ATS versus Pac-12

The Colorado Buffaloes begin their Pac-12 schedule against Oregon riding a three-game winning streak, but they have not fared well against conference opponents.

The Buffaloes have lost 11-consecutive conference games, comprised of all nine games in 2014 after dropping their final two to USC and Utah in 2013. But they've been a productive wager in those conference games heading into Saturday, going 7-4 against the spread in those spots.

The Oregon Ducks head into Folsom Field as 7.5-point road faves after opening -10.5.

[Udog]

Essential Week 5 betting tips for college football's top games

The Clemson Tigers come off a bye week and head into Saturday's meeting with Notre Dame 2-1 ATS, but failed to cover the -5 at Louisville in Week 3.

Looking for some quick-hitting betting info for Week 5 of the college football slate? We break down all the need-to-know facts and figures for Saturday's Top 25 NCAAF contests.

(21) West Virginia Mountaineers at (14) Oklahoma Sooners (-6.5, 59.5)

* West Virginia leads the nation in scoring defense (7.7 points per game), interceptions (nine), turnover margin (plus-3.3) and fourth down defense (0-for-7). No doubt part of the reason for those glowing stats could be a non-conference schedule that included wins over Georgia Southern (44-0) of the Sun Belt and a FCS school, Liberty (44-17). But the Mountaineers erased any doubt that their defense is for real with the blowout win over a respectable Big Ten team in Maryland, holding the Terrapins to 326 total yards, including just three yards passing and 80 total yards while building a 38-0 halftime lead.

* Oklahoma QB Baker Mayfield, a transfer from Texas Tech who was the 2013 Big 12 Freshman of the Year, has been outstanding in his first year starting for the Sooners, ranking third in the nation in total offense (400.3), second in points responsible for per game (28.0) and seventh in passing yards (354.0).


Texas Longhorns at (3) TCU Horned Frogs (-15, 70)

* The Longhorns are off to a shaky 1-3 start and innuendos have begun circulating that second-year coach Charlie Strong is a poor fit for the job. Texas lost its last two games -- to California and Oklahoma State -- by a combined four points and Strong is trying to salvage the season with TCU and Oklahoma being the next two opponents.

* The Horned Frogs are averaging 51 points over their past three games and topped 600 total yards in each contest, including back-to-back efforts of over 700 yards.


Purdue Boilermakers at (2) Michigan State Spartans (-21.5, 55)

* Purdue has struggled to win games against Michigan State in recent seasons but haven't been such a bad wager. The Boilermakers have lost five-straight meetings but have gone 3-1-1 ATS in those games, covering the spread in three straight.

* The Spartans extended their streak of scoring 30 or more points to a team-record 12 games while sweeping through their non-conference schedule and must avoid peaking ahead to road tilts against Rutgers and Michigan on the horizon. The Spartans are 6-6 ATS (including 0-4 this season) and the O/U count is 8-4 in those 12 games.


Minnesota Golden Gophers at (17) Northwestern Wildcats (-4.5, 39.5)

* With a victory on Saturday, Minnesota would improve to 10-5 over its last 15 Big Ten contests – matching the school’s best 15-game league stretch since Nov. 11, 1972-Oct. 26, 1974. The Gophers are 12-2 ATS in the previous 14 showdowns with opponents from the Big Ten.

* The Wildcats sustained their fair share of defensive injuries last week, losing safety Godwin Igwebuike and defensive end Ifeadi Odenigbo; Igwebuike (upper body injury) is listed as questionable for this weekend.


Iowa Hawkeyes at (18) Wisconsin Badgers (-6.5, 44.5)

* While the defense has done its part, the offense - led by quarterback C.J. Beathard (68.2 percent completion rate, six touchdowns, one interception) - is also productive, averaging 37.8 points. The Hawkeyes are 49th in the nation in rushing (196.3) with senior Jordan Canzeri (316 yards, Big Ten-best eight TDs) leading the way.

* The Badgers have not allowed a touchdown in 188 minutes, 2 seconds dating back to their season-opening loss to Alabama, defeating Miami (Ohio) 58-0 and Troy 28-3 prior to blanking Hawaii 28-0 last week.


(13) Alabama Crimson Tide at (6) Georgia Bulldogs (-1.5, 51)

* Alabama enters the contest as an underdog, snapping a 72-game streak of being favored dating back to the 2009 SEC championship game.

* Georgia QB Greyson Lambert has completed 33 of his past 35 passes for 476 yards and five touchdowns in his past two games, directing a Bulldogs offense scoring 45.5 points per contest (11th nationally). Running back Nick Chubb is a legitimate Heisman candidate who enters Saturday having rushed for 100-plus yards in 12 consecutive contests, and has combined with Sony Michel for 10 rushing scores.


(9) Florida State Seminoles at Wake Forest Demon Deacons (+20, 44)

* Florida State will be without junior RB Mario Pender, who suffered a collapsed lung during practice last week. But the Seminoles are led by sophomore running back Dalvin Cook (476 yards, five touchdowns), who is fourth in the nation at 158.7 rushing yards per game.

* Sophomore quarterback John Wolford (ankle) did not play in Wake Forest's 31-24 loss to Indiana last week after missing most of the previous contest - a 17-14 victory over Army, but has since returned to limited practice. "When John (Wolford) is healthy, he will be our starting quarterback,'' Demon Deacons coach Dave Clawson said at his weekly press conference. " I think if John is 70 percent or 80 percent, then (freshman quarterback) Kendall (Hinton) gives us our best shot to win. ..."


(1) Ohio State Buckeyes at Indiana Hoosiers (+22.5, 66)

* Top-ranked Ohio State attempts to stretch its record Big Ten regular-season winning streak to 25 consecutive games when it visits Indiana to open conference play on Saturday. The Buckeyes have gone 8-0 in Big Ten play in each of the past three seasons, posting a record of 13-10-1 ATS in those games.

* Indiana junior WR Ricky Jones (ankle) is expected to play; he leads the Hoosiers with 18 receptions for 411 yards and three touchdowns.


(4) Baylor Bears vs. Texas Tech Red Raiders (+17, 88)

* Baylor QB Seth Russell got his first college experience playing in a close game when he came on in relief of Bryce Petty (concussion) against Texas Tech last season and threw a touchdown pass to help his team hang on for the win. “Getting that experience and a feel for the atmosphere was definitely valuable,” Russell told reporters. “I feel like I kind of got thrown into the fire and I answered well, or as well as I needed to.”

* Oddsmakers have been setting high totals when the Bears and Red Raiders meet and this season is no different. These matchups have seen totals of 82, 80, 84 and 79.5 the past four meetings and books have a total of 88 on the board for Saturday's game. All four of those previous matchups have cashed for Over bettors.


Kansas State Wildcats at (19) Oklahoma State Cowboys (-7.5, 49.5)

* Kansas State has lost four straight at Oklahoma State by an average of 4.5 points. The Wilcats are 3-1 ATS in those four games.

* Oklahoma State (16) and Kansas State (12) are tied for fourth in the country with four sacks per game. "It's good for us to keep getting pressure on the quarterback, without having to bring five or six (rushers) and play coverage behind them," Oklahoma State defensive coordinator Glenn Spencer told The Oklahoman. Oklahoma State's Emmanuel Ogbah leads the league with 5.5 sacks while teammate Jordan Sterns tops the Big 12 with 40 tackles.


Washington State Cougars at (24) Cal Golden Bears (-17.5, 71.5)

* Washington State defeated the Golden Bears 44-22 in its last visit to Berkeley in 2013. Furthermore, the Cougars are 6-1 ATS in their last seven meetings in California.

* California’s Jared Goff has entered the Heisman Trophy race with 1,240 passing yards and 11 touchdowns against three interceptions. Goff threw for 342 yards with two touchdowns in last week’s 30-24 win at Washington and the Golden Bears enter this weekend as the Pac-12 North’s only undefeated team.


Eastern Michigan Eagles at (8) LSU Tigers (-44.5, 60.5)

* The Eagles have averaged 435.5 yards per game with a balanced attack and scored 48 points in a victory against Wyoming – their only road game. Darius Jackson leads the way with 407 yards rushing (6.9 per carry) and seven touchdowns while Shaq Vann has contributed 240 and three, respectively.

* Sophomore tailback Leonard Fournette looks to add to his impressive rushing numbers on Saturday night. The Heisman Trophy front-runner has gained 631 yards in the first three games for the Tigers, who should get a breather against the struggling Eagles -- last among 127 FBS teams in rushing defense (373.3 yards).


(5) Ole Miss Rebels at (23) Florida Gators (+7, 51)

* The Rebels lead the SEC in passing (344.5 yards per game), total offense (543.5) and scoring (54.8), but the offense sputtered somewhat against Vanderbilt. Chad Kelly (1,219 passing yards, 10 TDs, 3 INTs) continued to put up big passing numbers but threw two picks against the Commodores after only one in the first three games.

* Redshirt freshman Will Grier still hasn’t locked up the starting quarterback job, according to coach Jim McElwain, despite passing for a career-high 283 yards and throwing two TD passes to lead the fourth-quarter comeback against the Vols. McElwain said Wednesday that Grier (725 yards, 6 TDs, 3 INTs) will make his fourth straight start but Treon Harris also could see action.


(22) Mississippi State Bulldogs at Texas A&M Aggies (-5.5, 63)

* "Mississippi State is pretty good," Texas A&M coach Kevin Sumlin said. "Five or six weeks last year they were No. 1 and have the quarterback with the most experience in the league." Sumlin was referring to senior signal-caller Dak Prescott, who has thrown seven touchdowns and zero interceptions this season and also fared well in last season's 48-31 victory over the Aggies.

* Only Penn State (18) has more sacks among FBS teams than Texas A&M (17), which is led by defensive end Myles Garrett (6.5). Daeshon Hall has contributed four sacks, making the Aggies the country's only team with two players in the top 10 nationally.


Arizona State Sun Devils at (10) UCLA Bruins (-13, 60)

* The receiving corps for the Sun Devils should get plenty of attention as it is led by D.J. Foster, the team's leading rusher last season turned wide receiver who has recorded just one play of more than 20 yards this season. Gary Chambers has emerged as a first-down machine for Arizona State, and the senior is coming off his first career 100-yard receiving effort against USC.

* The biggest hurdle for UCLA thus far has been replacing three injured starters on defense - linebacker Myles Jack, cornerback Fabian Moreau and defensive lineman Eddie Vanderdoes, all of whom have been lost for the season. The Bruins welcomed another starter back last weekend in defensive back Ishmael Adams, who returned from a three-game suspension and produced an interception that set up a touchdown in the 56-30 win at Arizona.


(7) Notre Dame Fighting Irish at (11) Clemson Tigers (-2, 51.5)

* DeShone Kizer was thrown into the fire immediately at Virginia in Week 2 when Malik Zaire went down, and he has responded to the challenge of leading the Fighting Irish offense. The sophomore scored his first rushing touchdown against Massachusetts last week and added a pair of scores through the air before taking most of the second half off in the 62-27 win.

* The Tigers led the nation in total defense last season and are once again in the Top 10, though depth has been a concern behind the front seven. “Our defense is kind of right where I thought they'd be,” Clemson head coach Dabo Swinney told reporters. “I didn't think we'd have a big drop-off if we could stay healthy with our first group, that's kind of how it's played out.”


(24) Oregon Ducks at Colorado Buffaloes (+7.5, 68.5)

* Ducks WR Byron Marshall (nine receptions for 121 yards) is likely lost for the season after reportedly undergoing surgery for a lower leg injury suffered against Utah.

* The Buffaloes enter with a three-game winning streak but have lost 11 straight Pac-12 games (7-4 ATS) and that latter fact doesn't matter to junior quarterback Sefo Liufau. "We actually believe we can win this game this year," Liufau told reporters. "We're pretty confident this week and we believe we can get the job done if we execute."


Arizona Wildcats at (20) Stanford Cardinal (-13.5, 60.5)

* The Wildcats' suspect defense will be undermanned for the next few weeks while All-American linebacker Scooby Wright recovers from a sprained right foot suffered in the 56-30 loss to UCLA. Fellow linebacker Derrick Turituri is questionable due to an unspecified injury, and the Wildcats could also be without starting quarterback Anu Solomon (concussion), who will be a game-time decision.

* When the Cardinal get near the goal line, Christian McCaffrey often gives way to 5-9, 205-pound Remound Wright, who has rushed for five touchdowns this season, including four from the 1-yard line. The balanced running attack has created opportunities for senior quarterback Kevin Hogan, who has bounced back from a quiet outing against Northwestern by throwing seven touchdowns against one interception over the last three games.

[Udog]

Armadillo: Saturday's six-pack

Some college football trends for Saturday's games........

-- Underdogs are 10-1-1 vs spread in last 12 Air Force-Navy games.

-- Ohio State is 7-10-1 vs spread in last 18 games as a road favorite.

-- Since 2005, Ole Miss is 5-13 vs spread as a road favorite.

-- Arkansas lost its last six games at Tennessee by average score of 43-22

-- Average total in last five Arizona State-UCLA games is 78.8.

-- Colorado covered five in row as home dog; Oregon is 13-3 as a road favorite.

[Udog]

NCAAF

Saturday, October 3


Missouri backers desperate for first ATS win in 2015

The Missouri Tigers were a solid play against the spread in 2014, going 9-5 ATS in their 14 games. This season, however, the Tigers have turned into a frustrating bet for dedicated Mizzou backers.

Missouri heads into its Week 5 tilt with the South Carolina Gamecocks as one of seven programs with an 0-4 ATS record.

A silver lining could potentially be that the Tigers covered as 6.5-point underdogs against South Carolina last season and has gone 2-2 ATS versus the Gamecocks dating back to 2005.

This time around, Mizzou is tabbed as a 3-point home fave after opening -3.5.


Baylor-Texas Tech total the highest ever

The Baylor Bears and Texas Tech Red Raiders have gone 5-0 Over/Under in their previous five meetings.

The total for the matchup between the Baylor Bears and Texas Tech Red Raiders is presently at a towering 89 and is currently the highest of all time in the college game.

If it closes there, or 88.5 for that matter, it would eclipse the previous high that our records indicate, which was the 2012 meeting between Oklahoma State and Baylor, which closed at 88. The Cowboys and Bears combined for 75 points in that game, finishing under the number.

But how do totals play out in games with a closing total of 80 or greater?

Well, our records show that 18 games have been played with a total of at least 80 and the Over/Under count is 7-11.

Baylor has played in a whopping nine of those games and is 5-4 O/U in those matchups.

The Red Raiders are no slouches either, playing in four of those games and going 4-0 O/U in those spots.

[Udog]

NCAAF

Sunday, October 4


Unders score big in college football Week 5

Week 5 of the college football schedule provided one the highest totals of all time (Baylor-Texas Tech 88), but it was the Under that stole the headlines.

In Saturday's games alone, the Under went 42-14 to cash in at a 75 percent clip. Couple that with Unders in all four games from Thursday and Friday and you've got a 14-46 Over/Under record for Week 5 (76.7 percent).

That moves the season-to-date record to 161-179 O/U (52.6 percent).



Top 25 roundup: Watson leads No. 12 Clemson over No. 6 Irish

CLEMSON, S.C. -- Clemson's Deshaun Watson threw for two touchdowns and ran for a third Saturday night as No. 12 Clemson held off No. 6 Notre Dame 24-22.

The game was in doubt until the final seconds after the Fighting Irish scored with seven seconds left to cut the Tigers' lead to two points, but Notre Dame quarterback DeShone Kizer was stopped by Clemson defensive tackle Carlos Watkins on the 2-yard line on the two-point conversion attempt.

The Tigers then recovered an onside kick attempt to clinch the victory.

Clemson improved to 4-0 and Notre Dame fell to 4-1

No. 1 Ohio State 34, Indiana 27

BLOOMINGTON, Ind. -- Ezekiel Elliott had three second half touchdown runs of over 55 yards and No. 1 Ohio State withstood a furious rally in the closing minutes as the Buckeyes held on.

On the game's final play, Ohio State cornerback Eli Apple knocked down a pass in the end zone as IU had a fourth-and-goal at the 9.

Elliott, who ran for 274 yards on 23 carries, had touchdown runs of 55, 65 and 75 yards.

No. 2 Michigan State 24, Purdue 21

EAST LANSING, Mich. -- LJ Scott scored two first-half rushing touchdowns and Connor Cook broke the school record for most wins by a starting quarterback.

Scott, a freshman tailback, gained a career-high 146 yards on 18 carries in the Spartans' Big Ten opener. Cook passed for 139 yards and a touchdown while going over the 7,000-yard mark for his career but the Spartans nearly squandered a 21-point lead.

Freshman running back Markell Jones gained a career-high 157 yards on 22 carries and scored twice, including a 68-yard touchdown run, for Purdue.

No. 25 Florida 38, No. 3 Mississippi

With freshman quarterback Will Grier and a fast, hard-hitting defense sharing starring roles, the Gators thumped the Rebels in a stunning Southeastern Conference mismatch.

Florida established a 25-0 halftime lead as Grier threw four touchdown passes, then cruised through the second half as its defense throttled the high-scoring Ole Miss offense at almost every turn.

Grier completed 24 of 29 passes for 271 yards for Florida, which figures to soar up the rankings after perhaps its biggest win since Urban Meyer was presiding over national titles in 2006 and 2008.

No. 4 TCU 50, Texas 7

FORT WORTH, Texas -- The Horned Frogs thoroughly dismantled the Longhorns, leaving a wide chasm between the two Big 12 rivals.

Trevon Boykin set a new school record for career touchdown passes after throwing for five -- four going to freshman receiver KaVontae Turpin.

TCU's senior Heisman candidate was able to pick out his targets on his way to 332 yards in three quarters of work.

No. 5 Baylor 63, Texas Tech 35

ARLINGTON, Texas -- The Bears' Big 12-opener looked pretty familiar for the two-time defending conference champions.

Bears quarterback Seth Russell passed for 286 yards and four touchdowns, and running back Shock Linwood rushed for 221 yards and two TDs on 20 carries.

Texas Tech quarterback Pat Mahomes passed for 415 yards and three touchdowns. However, he was intercepted twice, and the Red Raiders lost two fumbles. Texas Tech was also penalized 17 times for 142 yards.

Arizona State 38, No. 7 UCLA 23

PASADENA, Calif. -- Arizona State's energy-infused defense gave the UCLA offensive line grief.

On offense, the Sun Devils kept the UCLA defense off balance with a bevy of sleight of hand plays.

The Sun Devils jumped out to a 29-10 lead and weathered the Bruins comeback attempt.

No. 13 Alabama 38, No. 8 Georgia 10

ATHENS, Ga. -- If there's any lesson to be taken from Saturday's game, it's not to bet against coach Nick Saban when the backs of his Crimson Tide are against the proverbial wall.

Just ask the Bulldogs, who came in as a 1½-point favorite.

Derrick Henry led the Tide with 26 rushes for 148 yards and a touchdown. Quarterback Jake Coker turned in his most-efficient effort to date, completing 11 of 16 passes for 190 yards and accounting for two touchdowns.

No. 9 LSU 44, Eastern Michigan 22

BATON ROUGE, La. -- Leonard Fournette became the first back in SEC history to rush for at least 200 yards in three consecutive games, battering Eastern Michigan with 233 yards and three touchdowns to power the Tigers to the win.

The game was much closer than expected. LSU was a 45-point favorite, but led just 30-22 late in the third quarter.

Fournette ran for touchdowns of 3, 75 and 11 yards, raising his season touchdown total to 11 during LSU's 4-0 start. He raised his season total to 864 yards, an average of 216.0 a game.

No. 11 Florida State 24, Wake Forest 16

WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. -- The Seminoles' defense rose to the occasion and stiffened late in the game to secure the win.

Wake Forest moved to the Florida State 20-yard line in the final minute before Tyler Hunter intercepted a Kendall Hinton pass in the end zone with 21 seconds remaining.

The Seminoles survived in a game in which running back Dalvin Cook, one of the country's top rushers, had a long touchdown run before exiting in the first quarter because of a leg injury.

No. 14 Texas A&M 30, No. 21 Mississippi State 17

Kyle Allen threw for 322 yards and defensive end Myles Garrett had another big game as the Aggies beat the Bulldogs.

Allen completed 25 of 41 passes for 322 yards and two touchdowns without an interception. The Aggies rolled to 516 total yards against a Bulldogs defense that entered the game allowing an average of 349 per game.

Garrett, a sophomore who entered the game with 6.5 sacks, made a key play in the third quarter when he forced a fumble that A&M recovered at its 3-yard line. He finished with seven tackles, including two for loss and a sack, and also broke up a pass.

No. 15 Oklahoma 44, No. 23 West Virginia 24

NORMAN, Okla. -- The Sooners came through with two big turnovers in the fourth quarter to defeat the Mountaineers.

After nearly letting a big lead slip away, the Sooners finally put the game away early in the fourth quarter when Eric Striker stripped West Virginia quarterback Skyler Howard of the ball and Jordan Evans picked it up and took it 41 yards for the touchdown.

Jordan Thomas intercepted a pass on the next drive to further put the game away against the Mountaineers.

No. 16 Northwestern 27, Minnesota 0

EVANSTON, Ill. -- The Wildcats' defense recorded its second shutout in five games and kept the Golden Gophers bottled up in its own territory in a Big Ten season-opening victory.

The Wildcats improved to 5-0 for the first time since 2012. Unranked Minnesota failed to reach 100 yards in either rushing or passing while its three-game winning streak was snapped.

Northwestern quarterback Clayton Thorson was 14 of 18 for 128 yards and rushed for two touchdowns while Justin Jackson carried 20 times for 120 yards.

No. 18 Stanford 55, Arizona 17

STANFORD, Calif. -- Christian McCaffrey had his third straight 100-yard rushing game and Kevin Hogan threw two touchdowns to pace the Cardinal

McCaffrey rushed for 156 yards, 113 of which came in the first half and also had a 63-yard kickoff return in the third quarter that led to a touchdown.

Arizona was without starting quarterback Anu Solomon, who did not make the trip after suffering a concussion last week against UCLA, and the Wildcats were also missing several defensive starters.

Iowa 10, No. 19 Wisconsin 6

MADISON, Wis. -- Desmond King took advantage of a mistake-prone Wisconsin offense to help the Hawkeyes pull off an upset.

King had two interceptions as Iowa toppled the Badgers in the teams' Big Ten opener.

Iowa's C.J. Beathard completed 9 of 21 passes for 77 yards and one touchdown.

No. 20 Oklahoma State 36, Kansas State 34

STILLWATER, Okla. -- Ben Grogan, who kicked the tying and winning field goals in the final 1:33 the week before, pushed through a 37-yarder with 32 seconds left as the Cowboys came back to beat the Wildcats.

Kansas State had taken a 34-33 lead with 3:01 left when Joe Hubener scored on a fourth-and-3 option keeper from the 5.

But the Cowboys marched back down the field, putting Grogan in position to be the hero again after he connected on field goals of 41 and 40 yards in a 30-27 victory over Texas.

No. 22 Michigan 28, Maryland 0

COLLEGE PARK, Md. -- Michigan survived a scare with a strong third quarter to overcome Maryland in the Big Ten opener for both teams.

The Wolverines scored the game's first two touchdowns in a span of 2:31 in the third quarter to take command and ride their strong defense to a fourth straight win.

Jourdan Lewis' interception of Caleb Rowe's pass set up the Wolverines in Maryland territory and three plays later, Michigan quarterback Jake Rudock connected with running back Drake Johnson on a 31-yard screen pass for a score.

No. 24 Cal 34, Washington State 28

BERKELEY, Calif. -- It was not quite as wild as last year's game when the two teams combined for 119 points, but this year the Bears overcame an early 21-7 deficit to beat the Cougars.

Washington State quarterback Luke Falk was 34 of 48 for 374 yards, two touchdowns and no interceptions but was sacked seven times.

Cal quarterback Jared Goff was 33 of 45 for 390 yards, four touchdowns and one interception but was sacked three times.