The Bum's 2016 College Football Best Bets,Trends,Stat, News !!

[StarDust Bum]

KSU at STAN

KSU +14.5

U 47.5


TOL at ARST 09:00 PM

TOL +4.5

O 64.5


CP at NEV 09:30 PM

NEV -21.5

[StarDust Bum]

Tech Trends - Week 1
September 2, 2016

SATURDAY, SEPT. 3
Matchup Skinny Edge

GEORGIA TECH vs. BOSTON COLLEGE (at Dublin, Ireland)...GT major disappointment LY as it lost and failed to cover 9 of last 10. Paul Johnson was 13-3 SU and 12-4 vs. line previous 16 games. BC only 4-7-1 vs. line itself last season and 4-8-1 last 13 on board, though Addazio is 6-0-1 as dog away from Chestnut Hill past two seasons.
Slight to GT, based on extended team trends.

HAWAII at MICHIGAN...Over 9400 miles away from Sydney and last week's Cal game for Hawaii. Warriors 2-4 each of past two seasons as road dog, 1-3 as DD dog LY, though did cover opener vs. Cal.. Hawaii only 3-10 vs. line LY, 9-18 since 2014 (counts Cal win), so much work for Rolovich. Harbaugh 4-2 as home chalk LY, 1-1 laying 24 or more.
Slight to Michigan, based on team trends.

MIAMI-OHIO at IOWA...Chuck Martin actually a decent 14-9-1 vs. line past two seasons for RedHawks. He's 8-4 as road dog that span and 9-4 getting DD since 2014. Miami 5-3 vs. line non-MAC for Martin. Ferentz only 2-5 as Iowa City chalk LY as Hawkeyes did their best pointspread work as visitor. Iowa 8-17 as Nile Kinnick chalk since 2013, only 1-6 as DD chalk since 2014.
Miami-Ohio, based on team trends.

WESTERN MICHIGAN at NORTHWESTERN...Fitzgerald was 1-8 as home chalk 2013-14 but recovered to 3-2 in role LY. Still, Cats just 13-24 as Evanston chalk since Fitz took over in 2006, and 0-7 vs. spread last 7 vs. MAC. WMU 18-10 last 28 on board and 11-4 last 15 as visiting dog.
WMU, based on team trends.

BOWLING GREEN at OHIO STATE...Jinks BGSU debut! Urban vs. his long ago employer in first college HC job! Falcs no covers in two tries as DD dog for Dino Babers past two years but were 9-4-1 overall vs. line in 2015. As away dog, Falcs 23-13-1 since 2006. Urban a poor 1-6 as home chalk LY and now 1-8 last 9 in role. All of those as heavy DD chalk, too.
BGSU, based on recent trends.

KENT STATE at PENN STATE...James Franklin 7-4 as Happy Valley chalk past two years but only 1-2 laying DD in 2015. Nittany Lions just 4-9 overall vs. number last season. Golden Flashes just 4-7 as road dog past two seasons and only 1-5 as DD dog in 2015. Paul Haynes yet to record a winning spread mark in three years on Kent State job. Flashes 1-7 vs. line last 8 vs. Big Ten (since 2004).
Slight to Penn State, based on extended Kent State negatives.

MISSOURI at WEST VIRGINIA...Odom Mizzou debut! These teams passed each other somewhere in the night in recent years during conference shifting though never in same league at same time. During a distracting 2015, Mizzou 3-9 vs. line, though Pinkel was 20-8 in two previous years when road dog mark was 5-1 (1-2 LY). Tigers 2-5 overall as dog LY. Holgorsen was 5-12 as home chalk at WVU until improving to 4-3 in role LY. Mounties 4-1 as DD chalk LY.
Slight to WVU, based on recent trends.

NEW MEXICO STATE at UTEP...UTEP 7-0 SU, 5-0-2 vs. line last seven in series vs. nearby Ags. After 1-9 mark as away dog in 2013-14, NMSU improved to 4-2 in role LY. But Ags have not had a winning spread mark since 2011. Miners 8-2 vs. line at Sun Bowl past two seasons, and 4-1-1 as chalk since 2014 (though 0-1-1 in role LY).
UTEP, based on team and series trends.

SMU at NORTH TEXAS...Littrell UNT debut! This was the game two years ago that forced June Jones out at SMU! Metroplex clash. Post-McCarney, Mean Green covered 4 of 7 LY, though team is just 5-13 as dog past two seasons. First time SMU road favorite since 2013.
Slight to SMU, based on recent UNT woes.

SOUTH ALABAMA at MISSISSIPPI STATE...Dan Mullen has had a winning spread mark each of past three years and Bulldogs were 5-2 as chalk LY (3-2 laying DD). Jags 4-9 as dog since 2014, 2-6 as DD dog. MSU won big at Mobile 35-3 in 2014.
MSU, based on team trends.

TEXAS STATE at OHIO...Withers TSU debut! Under Franchione, Bobcats faded to 3-9 vs. line LY (after 9-3 in 2014). Bobcats also 0-4 as DD dog LY after 9-4 mark in role 2012-14. No covers all six on road for TSU LY after 6-0 road mark in 2014! Solich 6-2 as home chalk since 2014 and was 2-1 as DD chalk LY, though 2-4 in role since 2014. Solich 3-6 laying 20 or more with Bobcats (since 2005).
Slight to Ohio, based on recent trends.

SOUTHERN MISS at KENTUCKY...Hopson USM debut! Golden Eagles 10-4 vs. line in LY's breakthrough including 2-0 as DD dog. It has been a very dry spell the previous three seasons. Southern Miss also covered all four reg season non-CUSA games LY. Mark Stoops is 7-3 as home chalk since 2013 but faded to 3-9 vs. line overall LY and now 4-13-1 last 18 on board.
Southern Miss, based on team trends.

LA TECH at ARKANSAS...Skip Holtz 18-9 vs. line past two years, 11-5 vs. line away from Ruston (though just 2-4 on reg season road LY). LT also 9-2 vs. points last 11 non-CUSA and 6-1 last seven as dog. Bielema only 3-4 as home chalk LY and 3-3 laying DD after 3-0 mark in latter in 2014.
La Tech, based on Skip trends.

TOLEDO at ARKANSAS STATE (moved to Friday, September 2)...Candle Rocket debut! Toledo rolled 63-44 in the GoDaddy Bowl two years ago and 37-7 romp at Glass Bowl last year. Though ASU 8-4 as Jonesboro chalk for Blake Anderson since 2014. Rockets 3-0 as dog LY en route to 9-3 overall spread mark in 2015. UT now on 11-3 spread run since late 2014.
Toledo, based on series trends.

UMASS at FLORIDA...UMass only 1-4 as road dog LY though was fairly competitive all season despite 4-8 overall spread mark. Minutemen on 4-10 spread skid since late 2014. UF faded late LY but spread mark was still 8-5-1 and McElwain now on personal 29-13-1 spread run since late 2012 at CSU. Yet Gators were only 1-3 as DD chalk LY and are 7-13 in role dating back to Will Muschamp's days of 2012. UF 1-4 vs. spread non-SEC LY.
Slight to Florida, based on McElwain numbers.

CLEMSON at AUBURN...Dabo just 2-6 as visiting chalk past two seasons (2-3 LY). Clemson 3-7 vs. spread as visitor since 2014. Malzahn however just 3-15 vs. spread last 18 since midway in 2014, and 1-6 as dog past two seasons after covering all five as short in 2013.
Slight to Clemson, based on Auburn negatives.

UCLA at TEXAS A&M...Jim Mora 0-3 as dog since 2014. Bruins 2-6 vs. spread non-Pac 12 past two seasons, and just 10-16 overall vs. number since 2014. Aggies however only 3-9 last 12 as home chalk since late 2013, and 9-19-1 vs. spread overall since last 2013.
Slight to UCLA, based on recent Aggie spread woes.

SAN JOSE STATE at TULSA...Tulsa inside-out deluxe last season, 1-5 vs. line at home but 6-0 vs. number as visitor. Road team 11-1 vs. line in Tulsa games last season! Hurricane 4-14 vs. spread at home since 2013, 2-8 last 10 as home chalk. Unfortunately for SJSU it is 1-9 as visiting dog since 2014, and 2-12 as dog since 2014 (0-8 in 2014!), though Spartans 4-3 vs. spread away from home LY.
Slight to Tulsa, based on recent SJSU road dog woes.

RUTGERS at WASHINGTON...Ash Rutgers debut! Huskies on 11-6 spread surge since late 2014. UW 5-2 last seven as Seattle chalk and was 2-0 as DD chalk in 2015, though Petersen has only once laid more points than this game with Huskies (LY -30 « vs. Sac State). Also 4-0 vs. non Pac-12 LY. 'Gers had been 11-5 as visiting dog until LY when fading to 1-3 in role. Scarlet Knights 2-6 last 8 as DD dog, 1-6 last 6 getting 17 or more.
UW, based on team trends.

LSU vs. WISCONSIN (at Green Bay)...Teams met in 2014 opener at Jerry Jones Stadium, LSU escaped 28-24. Les only 5-11 vs. spread as chalk away from Baton Rouge since 2012, 5-8 last 13 against line vs. non-SEC. Chryst 2-1 as dog LY, Badgers 8-3-1 as dog since 2012. Wiscy 10-5 vs. line non-Big 10 since 2012.
Wisconsin, based on team trends.

NORTH CAROLINA vs. GEORGIA (at Atlanta)...Kirby Smart Georgia debut! Fedora only 5-10 as dog at UNC, 3-7 last 10 vs. line against non-ACC. Bulldogs 5-8 last 13 as chalk. Rematch of 1971 Gator Bowl won by Bulldogs 7-3, Bill vs. Vince Dooley!
Slight to Georgia, based on team trends.

OKLAHOMA at HOUSTON...Cougs 28-13-1 last 42 on line, 10-1-1 as dog since 2013, 6-1 last seven vs. non-American foes. Stoops 6-2 as visiting chalk since 2014 and was 9-4 vs. line LY, but just 4-4 last 8 vs. non-Big 12.
Houston, based on team trends.

FRESNO STATE at NEBRASKA...Bulldogs have dropped last 8 vs. line vs. non-MW BCS foes (not counting covers vs. FCS Southern Utah and Abilene Christian last two years). Using that criteria, FSU now 1-11 last 12 in that role, only cover vs. Idaho in 2013. DeRuyter 6-13 as dog since 2013. Huskers only 1-4 as home chalk LY and 2-6 as chalk, Mike Riley 3-11 last 14 as chalk since 2014 at Oregon State.
Slight to Nebraska, based on recent Fresno negatives.

SOUTHERN CAL vs. ALABAMA (at Jerry Jones AT&T Stadium, Arlington)...Trojans 0-3 as dog LY, 1-5 in role since 2014. SC dropped 5 of last 6 vs. line in 2015, also 6-11 last 17 vs. spread non-Pac 12. Nick 5-1 as chalk away from Tuscaloosa LY (only L vs. Clemson in BCS title game) after Tide struggled in that role previous year. Nick 7-1 vs. line last 8 openers.
Alabama, based on team trends.

BOISE STATE at UL-LAFAYETTE...Boise won and covered vs. Cajuns 34-9 on blue carpet in 2014. Harsin 8-4 as chalk away from home since 2014, and Broncos 31-15 in road chalk role since 2007. ULL faded to 4-7-1 vs. line LY , though Hudspeth 2-0 in rare home dog role since 2011.
Boise State, based on team trends.

BYU vs. ARIZONA (at Glendale, Az)...Sitake BYU debut! Short price but note Cats just 2-5 last seven as dog. UA just 3-5 vs. line vs. non-Pac 12 past two years. Rich-Rod very so-so 25-28 vs. spread with Arizona. Cougs 10-6 last 16 vs. line since late 2014. "Totals" alert-Cats 12-2 "over" last season, BYU "Over" 16-9-1 since 2014.
"Over" and slight to BYU, based on "totals" and team trends.

NORTHERN ILLINOIS at WYOMING...Bohl improved a bit to 6-4 as dog LY though Wyo dropped to 2-10 SU. Cowboys only 4-8 vs. line at Laramie for Bohl. NIU 10-3 as visiting chalk since 2013.
NIU, based on team trends.

SUNDAY, SEPT. 4
Matchup Skinny Edge

NOTRE DAME at TEXAS...Irish won big 38-3 LY in opener. ND 9-5 last 14 on board, but only 1-4 last five as chalk away from home, 2-8 last 10 in role. Charlie just 2-3-1 as home dog past two years, and Horns just 2-7-1 in that role since 2006. Texas "under" 16-9 for Charlie.
Slight to Texas and "under," based on team and "totals" trends.

MONDAY, SEPT. 5
Matchup Skinny Edge

OLE MISS vs. FLORIDA STATE (at Orlando)[/B]...Hugh Freeze 33-18-1 vs. line with Ole Miss, 43-20-1 vs. line since 2011 at Ark State and Rebs. Freeze 11-5 as dog with Ole Miss and 4-1 against line vs. non-SEC LY, 14-5-1 in role since arriving in 2012. Jimbo recovered to 8-5 vs. line LY after 3-11 mark in 2014.
Ole Miss, based on team trends.

[StarDust Bum]

Saturday's Tip Sheet
September 1, 2016


**LSU vs. Wisconsin**

-- LSU will invade Lambeau Field in Green Bay for a rare college game at the storied venue Saturday afternoon against Wisconsin. These schools are poised to collide at 3:30 p.m. Eastern on ABC.

--This is a rematch of the season opener for both schools held in Houston two seasons ago. With Melvin Gordon sidelined for nearly all of the second half after running all over LSU in the early going, the Tigers rallied in the second half to capture a 28-24 win as 3.5-point favorites.

-- LSU finished 2015 with a 9-3 straight-up record and a 5-6-1 against-the-spread mark. Les Miles’s team went to Tuscaloosa unbeaten and ranked fourth in the nation, only to take a 30-16 thumping from Alabama. This led to a three-game losing streak that included beatdown defeats at home vs. Arkansas and at Ole Miss. The slide led to Miles coming extremely close to being fired after 11 successful seasons. For the entire week leading into the regular-season finale at home vs. Texas A&M, Miles was as good as gone. However, with the state of Louisiana going through all sorts of financial turmoil, the idea of paying Miles north of $15 million just to go away led to a public-relations nightmare. Then when LSU beat the Aggies 19-7 and Miles was carried off the field by his team to the massive approval of the crowd at Tiger Stadium, the LSU brass knew it had to reverse course. Hence, Miles was retained but could be facing the same situation in November if LSU isn’t in the race for a berth in the College Football Playoff.

-- We should note that LSU’s cupcake opener against McNeese State was cancelled due to weather last year, so it really should’ve been another 10-win campaign for Miles. Also, the Tigers smashed Texas Tech by a 56-27 count as seven-point ‘chalk’ at the Texas Bowl.

-- LSU brings back eight starters on offense and nine on defense, including Heisman Trophy candidate Leonard Fournette. The junior RB rushed for 1,953 yards and 22 touchdowns while averaging 6.5 yards per carry as a sophomore. He also had 19 receptions for 253 yards and one TD. Fournette will run behind one of the top offensive lines in the nation. QB Brandon Harris, who completed 53.8 percent of his passes for 2,165 yards with a 13/6 touchdown-to-interception ratio last year, has a pair of future NFL receivers to target. Malachi Dupre and Travin Dural are a pair of burners whose stats don’t do them any sort of justice because of the shaky QB play they’ve dealt with in Baton Rouge. Dupre had 43 catches for 698 yards and six TDs in ’15, while Travin Dural had 28 receptions for 533 yards and three TDs.

-- Fournette suffered a mild a ankle sprain a couple of weeks ago that forced him to miss about a week of practice, but he’s now 100 percent and ready to go against Wisconsin. LSU will be without four players versus the Badgers. Starting senior DE Christian LaCouture and back-up LB Isaiah Washington both went down with season-ending knee injuries in August. LaCouture had 35 tackles and one sack last season. WR Tyron Johnson elected to transfer recently after catching nine passes for 150 yards and two TDs as a true freshman in ’15. Also, senior reserve safety Corey Thompson is out indefinitely due to a leg injury. Thompson has eight career starts 66 career tackles.

-- LSU’s defense wasn’t on the level it has consistently displayed during Miles’s tenure last season. John Chavis bolted for Texas A&M following the ’14 campaign, leading to the hire of defensive coordinator Kevin Steele. This was a major downgrade and the Tigers allowed 24.3 points per game. Steele is out and now holds the same post at Auburn. Meanwhile, I feel like Miles made a stellar hire by bringing in Dave Aranda from Wisconsin. Aranda will work with better talent at LSU one year after leading a unit that gave up just 13.7 PPG.

-- LSU’s defense lost leading tackler Deion Jones, but nine of its top 11 tacklers are back in the mix. Senior DE Lewis Neal was a third-team All-SEC selection in ’15 when he tallied 48 tackles, eight sacks, 1.5 tackles behind the line, six passes broken up and eight QB hurries.

-- Wisconsin went 10-3 SU and 7-6 ATS in its first season under Paul Chryst, who took over following the shocking departure of Gary Andersen to Oregon State. Chryst had spent three years as the head coach at Pitt after serving as UW’s offensive coordinator during record-setting seasons from 2005-11. Chryst was born and raised in Madison and played QB for the Badgers from 1985-88.

-- Wisconsin returns 12 total starters, six on each side of the ball. However, the Badgers will be without one of those returnees against LSU. Sophomore LB T.J. Edwards is ‘out’ with a foot injury sustained in mid-August. Edwards was UW’s leading tackler in ’15 with 84 stops, including 6.5 tackles behind the line. His presence will be missed going up against Fournette. Senior OLB Vince Biegel was a second-team All Big Ten selection in ’15 when he recorded 66 tackles, eight sacks, six tackles behind the line and eight QB hurries. Chryst replaced Aranda with Justin Wilcox, who has spent the last decade in the DC role at Boise State, Tennessee, Washington and USC.

-- Chryst has tabbed senior Bart Houston as his starting QB. Houston completed 27-of-47 passes (57.4%) for 281 yards with a 3/2 TD-INT ratio last season. He had seen limited action in eight games as a freshman and sophomore. The Badgers lost star WR Alex Erickson, but four of the top five pass catchers return.

-- Wisconsin’s offense took a major hit last week when senior OG Dan Voltz decided to retire due to lingering knee injuries. Voltz was a preseason All-American candidate with 28 career starts under his belt. As usual, though, the o-line should be solid and the Badgers have a plethora of talent in the backfield. The hope is that senior Corey Clement can return to his ’14 form after an injury-plagued ’15 campaign. Clement rushed for nearly 1,000 yards as a sophomore and combined for 1,496 rushing yards with a 7.0 YPC average in his first two seasons at UW. Dare Ogunbowale rushed for a team-best 819 yards and seven TDs in ’15, averaging 4.2 YPC. He also had 36 catches for 299 yards and one TD.

-- As of Thursday, most books had LSU listed as an 11-point favorite with a total of 44.5 points. The Badgers were +350 on the money line (risk $100 to win $350). For first-half bets, the Tigers were favored by 6.5 points with a 22.5-point total.

**North Carolina vs. Georgia**

-- This SEC/ACC showdown will take place at the Georgia Dome in Atlanta, with ESPN providing television coverage at 5:30 p.m. Eastern.

-- As of Thursday, most betting shops had Georgia installed as a three-point ‘chalk’ with a total of 56.5 points. The Tar Heels were available for a +125 return if they win outright. UGA was favored by one-half point for first-half wagers, while the total was at 28.5.

-- The Kirby Smart Era in Athens has arrived. Smart wisely rejected overtures from other schools during his nine-year reign as DC for Nick Saban at Alabama. He also turned down former UGA head coach Mark Richt’s offer to become DC at his alma mater several years ago. The Bainbridge, Georgia product had his eyes on Richt’s job and figured it was only a matter of time before the gig became open. When it did just one day after UGA beat arch-rival Ga. Tech in its regular-season finale, Smart was the lone candidate to replace Richt.

-- On Thursday morning, Smart announced that senior QB Greyson Lambert will get the starting nod vs. UNC. Lambert, a transfer from Virginia, connected on 63.3 percent of his passes for 1,959 yards with a 12/2 TD-INT ratio last year. Those numbers actually look solid on paper, but Smart’s decision isn’t going over well in the Bulldog Nation, which is thirsty to see five-star true freshman Jacob Eason take over. Lambert was benched twice last year after poor performances against Alabama and Missouri. Don’t be surprised if we see Eason on Saturday, especially if Lambert struggles in the first half.

-- Georgia has two of the nation’s premier RBs, but both are coming off of injuries. Nick Chubb was a leading Heisman Trophy candidate before sustaining a nasty knee injury in a loss at Tennessee. In only five games, Chubb had already rushed for 747 yards and seven TDs while averaging an eye-opening 8.1 YPC. He has reportedly looked healthy during camp and is set to start. In fact, Smart told the media this week that “he won’t be on a pitch count.” When Chubb went down, Sony Michel took center stage and rushed for 1,161 yards and eight TDs while averaging 5.3 YPC. However, Michel is ‘questionable’ against the Tar Heels after breaking his arm in July.

-- UGA’s defense lost its top four tacklers from a salty unit that allowed only 16.9 PPG in ’15. Junior safety Dominick Sanders is the best of those defenders who return. Sanders was a second-team All-SEC selection last season when he recorded 48 tackles, six interceptions, six passes broken up, four tackles behind the line, one sack and one QB hurry.

-- Former DC Jeremy Pruitt took the same job vacated by Smart at Alabama. Pruitt is being replaced by long-time NFL coordinator Mel Tucker, who has served as DC for the Browns, Jaguars and Bears in the past. The new OC is Jim Chaney, who held the same position at Pittsburgh last season and has had previous SEC stints at Arkansas (’13-14) and Tennessee (’09-12).

-- North Carolina is off its best season in decades and brings high hopes into the 2016 campaign. UNC finished 11-3 SU and 8-6 ATS in ’15. After dropping its season opener by beating itself with red-zone turnovers in a 17-13 loss to South Carolina, UNC ripped off 11 consecutive wins for its first double-digit win total since Mack Brown’s last season in Chapel Hill in 1997. It was the first 11-win season since 1980, the year the Tar Heels last won an ACC title.

-- With an 11-1 record, Larry Fedora’s fourth UNC team made the school’s first appearance at the ACC Championship Game. The Tar Heels lost a 45-37 decision to eventual runner-up Clemson, and then they subsequently came up on the short end of a 49-38 shootout against Baylor at the Russell Athletic Bowl.

-- North Carolina brings back 14 total starters, seven on each side of the ball. QB Marquise Williams has moved on after throwing for 3,072 yards with a 24/10 TD-INT ratio as a senior. Williams was a dual-threat signal caller who also rushed for 948 yards and 13 TDs. He will be sorely missed, but there is a ton of optimism about new starter Mitch Trubisky, a junior who has seen spot duty in 21 games as a freshman and a sophomore. In ’15, Trubisky completed 40-of-47 passes (85.1%) for 555 yards and six TDs without an interception. He also rushed for 101 yards and three TDs with a 6.3 YPC average.

-- Trubisky gets back the program’s top two wideouts in Mack Hollins and Ryan Switzer. Hollins had 30 receptions for 745 yards and eight TDs last year. Meanwhile, Switzer hauled in 55 catches for 697 yards and six TDs. Switzer was a third-team All-ACC pick as a WR in ’15. As a freshman in ’13, he earned first-team All-American honors as a punt returner when he set at NCAA record with five TDs. He added two more punt returns for scores in ’15. For his career, Switzer has produced 22 TDs and 4,941 all-purpose yards.

-- UNC has a pair of excellent RBs in junior Elijah Hood and senior T.J. Logan. Hood rushed for 1,463 yards and 17 TDs while averaging 6.7 YPC in ’15. Logan rushed for 400 yards and five TDs, averaging 6.1 YPC. Hood garnered first-team All-ACC honors last season.

-- Fedora enters his fifth season in Chapel Hill with a 32-20 combined record. He has led UNC to three straight bowl appearances after his first squad, one that finished 8-4, couldn’t go to the postseason due to NCAA sanctions from the Butch Davis Era. The wisest move Fedora has made since being hired in 2012 was pulling Gene Chizik away from CBS Sports to be his DC last year. The Tar Heels gave up 39.0 PPG in ’14, but they were salty on that side of the ball in the first season under Chizik, surrendering only 24.5 PPG. Chizik gets his leading tackler back in junior safety Donnie Miles, who had 128 tackles in ’15. Senior CB Desmond Lawrence also returns after earning second-team All-ACC honors. Lawrence had 59 tackles, two interceptions and 14 passes broken up in ’15.

**Alabama vs. Southern California**

-- For the first time in 31 years, these storied programs will collide Saturday night at Jerry World in Arlington, Texas. As of Thursday, most spots had Alabama listed as an 11.5-point favorite with a total of 53. Gamblers had the chance to back the Trojans to win outright for a gorgeous +375 return. For first-half action, the Crimson Tide was favored by 6.5 (with a -120 price) or seven points with a total of 27.

-- Alabama won its fourth national title on Nick Saban’s watch by beating Clemson 45-40 as a 6.5-point favorite in last year’s finals of the College Football Playoff. The defending champs bring back six starters on offense and five on defense. They lost their starting QB (Jake Coker), the school’s all-time leading rusher (Derrick Henry) and four of the top five tacklers from a defense that gave up just 15.1 PPG.

-- Saban hasn’t announced a starting QB yet, but he said it will be either junior Cooper Bateman or redshirt freshman Blake Barnett. Bateman completed 37-of-52 passes (71.2%) for 291 yards with one TD pass and two interceptions last year.

-- Alabama has one of the top 2-3 groups of WRs in the country. Sophomore Calvin Ridley was nasty as a true freshman in ’15, bringing down 89 receptions for 1,045 yards and seven TDs. ArDarius Stewart had 63 catches for 700 yards and four TDs last year. O.J. Howard might be the nation’s best TE. He had a monster game against Clemson and finished the season with 38 catches for 602 yards and a pair of TDs.

-- Sophomore RB Damien Harris, a former five-star recruit, will split carries with another sophomore, Bo Scarbrough. Both are extremely talented but inexperienced. They’ll run behind one of the nation’s top offensive lines.

-- This is the fifth straight season Alabama has opened the year against a non-conference program on a neutral site. The Crimson Tide has won all four previous games against Michigan (41-14), Virginia Tech (35-10), West Virginia (33-23) and Wisconsin (35-17), producing a 3-1 spread record.

-- Alabama will be without a pair of key players due to suspensions. Senior starting OG Alphonse Taylor (17 career starts) won’t dress versus USC, nor will back-up CB Tony Brown, who had 16 tackles and two passes broken up in ’15.

-- Southern Cal finished a turbulent ’15 campaign with an 8-6 SU record and a 6-8 ATS mark. Steve Sarkisian was fired in early October after showing up to a Sunday practice smelling like alcohol. Clay Helton took over on an interim basis and was given the full-time gig in January. Four of the Trojans’ six setbacks came by double-digit margins, including a 41-22 loss at Stanford in the Pac-12 Championship Game.

-- USC returns 10 starters on offense and five on defense. The only offensive starter who isn’t back is QB Cody Kessler, who had a 29/7 TD-INT ratio in ’15. Max Browne, a true junior who was a five-star recruit, is set to take over the starting duties under center. Browne has seen limited playing time in nine games. He completed 8-of-12 throws for 113 yards in ’15.

-- Browne will operate behind an offensive line that many, including Phil Steele, consider to be the best in the country. The Trojans have their top two RBs back in the fold. Ronald Jones rushed for a team-best 987 yards and eight TDs (6.5 YPC) last season, while Justin Davis had 902 rushing yards and seven TDs (5.3 YPC).

-- Browne has USC’s top eight pass catchers back, including second-team All-American JuJu Smith, who had 89 receptions for 1,454 yards and 10 TDs in ’15.

-- USC is in its first double-digit underdog situation since November of 2011 when it went to Eugene and shocked Oregon by a 38-35 count as a 15-point puppy.

[StarDust Bum]

Things to know about college football's opening weekend
September 3, 2016

The first weekend of the college football season is loaded. Here are five things to know as you prepare to immerse yourself in football.

BEST GAME

No. 1 Alabama vs. No. 20 USC? No. 10 Notre Dame at Texas? No. 18 Georgia vs. No. 22 North Carolina. No. 5 LSU vs. Wisconsin at Lambeau Field. And that's just to name a few. Lots of interesting matchups from which to choose, but the best looks as if it will be the last.

No. 11 Mississippi faces No. 4 Florida State in Orlando, Florida, on Monday night. The Rebels are in a bit of a reload season after losing three first-round draft picks that were the heart of a team coming off two straight New Year's Six bowl appearances. There is still plenty for the Ole Miss fans to be excited about, starting with Chad Kelly, one of the best quarterbacks in the country, throwing to a bunch of speedy receivers.

Florida State seems set everywhere but quarterback. Redshirt Deondre Francois takes over a team with national title hopes. Dalvin Cook is one of the best running backs in the country and safety Derwin James is a versatile playmaker on defense.

Add in some SEC-ACC bragging rights and you have the game of the week.

HEISMAN WATCH

No player could do more for his Heisman Trophy hopes in Week 1 than Houston quarterback Greg Ward Jr. The 15th-ranked Cougars open against No. 3 Oklahoma at NRG Stadium, the home of the Houston Texans. If Ward, who passed for 2,828 yards, ran for 1,108 yards and accounted for 38 touchdowns last season, has a big game and leads the Cougars to an upset, he can vault himself into the heart of a crowded field of Heisman contenders that includes three of the top four vote-getters from last season.

If Ward and the Cougars play a clunker, you can probably scratch him off the list of possible winners.

NUMBERS TO KNOW

-Longest current season-opener winning streaks:

Florida - 26. The Gators play UMass at the Swamp.

USC - 17. The Trojans face Alabama in Arlington, Texas.

Ohio State - 16. The Buckeyes host Bowling Green.

-Nebraska coach Mike Riley and Virginia coach Bronco Mendenhall each enter the season with 99 victories. The Cornhuskers open the season at home against Fresno State. Mendenhall's first game as Cavaliers coach is home against FCS power Richmond.

(SLIGHTLY) OFF THE RADAR

BYU opens against Arizona at University of Phoenix Stadium in Glendale, Arizona, marking the return of Cougars QB Taysom Hill for a sixth season of eligibility.

Hill lost most of each of the last two seasons to injuries. He also did a Mormon mission at the start of his career. So now at 26, a quarterback who was in the same recruiting class in 2009 as Matt Barkley, gets one more chance to lead the Cougars. When healthy Hill drew comparisons to Tim Tebow. He won a tight competition with Tanner Mangum to win the starting job.

The Arizona game is the first in a string of high-level opponents for the independent BYU. Also on the schedule: Utah, UCLA, West Virginia, Toledo, Michigan State, Mississippi State, Boise State and Cincinnati. All of those teams played in bowl games last season. All but Cincinnati spent at least one week ranked.

Regardless of how well the Cougars do, a full season from Hill will be a victory.

COACH IN NEED OF A WIN

It's never too early to start the hot seat watch.

Texas A&M's Kevin Sumlin and Auburn's Gus Malzahn enter the season with pressure to change the trajectory of their programs. Both start with huge home openers. The Aggies take on No. 16 UCLA and Auburn host No. 2 Clemson and Deshaun Watson.

Big challenges and great opportunities to show things are headed in the right direction. Also, a chance to start 0-1 in front of the home crowd.

For Auburn, a solid showing against a team that pushed Alabama in the championship game could make a loss in the opener palatable to Malzahn's critics. That's not necessarily the case for Sumlin. UCLA has the ranking and the star quarterback in Josh Rosen, but the Aggies are favored at home by a couple points. It is a winnable game. The Aggies are 1-6 at Kyle Field against ranked teams under Sumlin. Fall to 1-7, with an always tough slate of SEC West games still ahead, and things almost immediately get uncomfortable in College Station, Texas.

[StarDust Bum]

Grand Opening: College football begins with marquee games
September 3, 2016

Now this is the way to start the college football season.

The usual steady stream of games from Thursday through Monday night this year includes four matchups of ranked teams and six more ranked teams facing Power Five opposition, four of those away from home.

In some cases, regardless of the quality of the competition, the names alone scream big-time college football game. Alabama vs. USC. Texas vs. Notre Dame.

Since the NFL moved the start of its season to the week following Labor Day in 2001, college football has turned summer's last hurrah weekend into a delightful opening act. But it tended to be quantity - lots of games on TV spread out over five games - over high quality. Most top teams were playing cupcakes.

The College Football Playoff has encouraged teams to play step-up nonconference scheduling since one loss early won't kill a team's national championship hopes. The demands of television networks and fans - who are paying the bills in college football - also pushed schools to accept more challenging games.

This opening weekend is not quite the greatest in college football history. In 1998, eight games matched Top 25 teams. But it is better than most.

The last time four games paired ranked teams in the first week of the season was 2009. The opening slate that year included a top-10 matchup in Atlanta between No. 5 Alabama and No. 7 Virginia Tech, won by the Crimson Tide, and No. 20 BYU upsetting No. 3 Oklahoma at the Dallas Cowboys' stadium in Arlington, Texas.

A third-ranked Sooners team losing in an NFL stadium to a school from outside the power conferences? Houston fans would like to see a repeat of that Saturday.

The picks:

SATURDAY MAIN EVENTS

No. 1 Alabama (minus 11 1/2) vs. No. 20 Southern California at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas

The thought of losing to the defending national champions might not be so bad for USC fans. The thought of losing to former Trojans coach Lane Kiffin, now the Tide's offensive coordinator, probably won't be as easy to take ... ALABAMA 27-14.

No. 3 Oklahoma (minus 11) vs. No. 15 Houston at NRG Stadium in Houston

The last time the Cougars went into a huge early season game this highly ranked was 1991 against Miami, and it did not turn out well for Houston. Can another much-hyped bunch of Coogs be heading for a similar fate? ... OKLAHOMA 38-24.

No. 18 Georgia (minus 2 1/2) vs. No. 22 North Carolina at the Georgia Dome in Atlanta

The Kirby Smart era begins for the Bulldogs. More importantly, the Nick Chubb era continues after last year's knee injury put it on hold ... GEORGIA 28-23.

UNDERCARD

No. 2 Clemson (minus 7 1/2) at Auburn

QB DeShaun Watson was last seen putting up 478 total yards against Alabama's defense. Auburn does not have Alabama's defense. ... CLEMSON 35-21, BEST BET.

No. 5 LSU (minus 10) vs. Wisconsin at Lambeau Field in Green Bay, Wisconsin

Badgers best bet to stop RB Leonard Fournette was defensive coordinator Dave Aranda, but he is with the Tigers now ... LSU 28-10.

No. 16 UCLA (plus 3) at Texas A&M

Pac-12-SEC matchup could feature the No. 1 pick in this year's NFL draft, Aggies DE Myles Garrett, and next year's, Bruins QB Josh Rosen ... UCLA 27-24, UPSET SPECIAL

EASY OPENERS

Bowling Green (plus 28) at No. 6 Ohio State

Urban Meyer gets to ease in a bunch of new Buckeyes ... OHIO STATE 45-14.

Hawaii (plus 40) at No. 7 Michigan

Back-to-back road trips to Australia and Ann Arbor. The Rainbow Warriors might need a new travel agent ... MICHIGAN 48-7.

Rutgers (plus 26 1/2) at No. 14 Washington

The Huskies' hype machine is not likely to be interrupted by a visit from the rebuilding Scarlet Knights ... WASHINGTON 31-7.

Miami of Ohio (plus 27) at No. 17 Iowa

Kirk Ferentz begins his 18th season at Iowa, tied with Bob Stoops of Oklahoma as the longest tenured coach in major college football ... IOWA 45-10.

UMass (plus 35) at No. 25 Florida

The first of three SEC opponents for the Minutemen. Only SEC teams play more ... FLORIDA 56-13.

SUNDAY SHOWDOWN

No. 10 Notre Dame (minus 3) at Texas

The first of many referendum games for Longhorns coach Charlie Strong ... NOTRE DAME 24-20.

MONDAY NIGHT FOOTBALL

No. 4 Florida State (minus 4) vs. No. 11 Mississippi at Camping World Stadium in Orlando, Florida

Among running backs with at least 100 carries, the Seminoles' Dalvin Cook had the highest average per carry against Power Five opponents at 7.69 ... FLORIDA STATE 27-17.

TWITTER REQUESTS

BYU (plus 1) vs. Arizona at University of Phoenix Stadium in Glendale, Arizona - (at)RustyHink

QB Taysom Hill, who was in the same recruiting class as former USC quarterback Matt Barkley, is starting again for the Cougars after two seasons lost to injuries ... ARIZONA 28-24.

Missouri (plus 10) at West Virginia - (at)watt11

It's been a few years since realignment, but this still qualifies as an odd SEC-Big 12 matchup ... WEST VIRGINIA 23-17.

Colorado (minus 7 1/2) vs. Colorado State at Sports Authority Field in Denver, Colorado - (at)MackinnonisGod

An often entertaining rivalry game ... COLORADO 30-24.

South Carolina (plus 4 1/2) at Vanderbilt - (at)BCrawford247

Will Muschamp's first season as Gamecocks coach is going to be a long one if it starts with a loss to Vandy ... SOUTH CAROLINA 15-12.

Western Michigan (plus 5) at Northwestern - (at)MatthewHLeach

Broncos were second in the nation in time of possession per game last season at 34:33 ... NORTHWESTERN 24-21.

Georgia Tech (minus 3) vs. Boston College at Aviva Stadium in Dublin, Ireland - (at)RustyHink

Two teams coming off awful seasons, open in Ireland hoping to change their (wait for it) luck ... GEORGIA TECH 24-17.

[StarDust Bum]

Top 25 Capsules
September 3, 2016

WACO, Texas (AP) Seth Russell threw four touchdown passes in less than a half and No. 23 Baylor beat FCS team Northwestern State 55-7 on Friday night in its first game since the dismissal of coach Art Briles.

Russell was the top-rated FBS passer when he suffered a season-ending neck injury in the seventh game last season. He completed 14 if 20 passes for 163 yards. The Bears led 41-0 when he threw his last pass, a 10-yard TD pass to Pooh Stricklin with 5 minutes left in the first half.

Baylor's offense looked very similar to what it has in recent years under Art Briles, the two-time Big 12 champion coach who lost his job in the wake of a May report from an external investigation into allegations the school mishandled complaints of sexual assault, including some against football players.

Acting head coach Jim Grobe retained the rest of the coaching staff, including offensive coordinator Kendal Briles, the former coach's son.

Baylor had 498 total yards, 275 rushing and 223 passing.

The Bears scored on their first nine possessions, seven touchdowns and two field goals by Chris Callahan, and were up 55-0 before their first punt with 5 minutes left in the third quarter. Northwestern State finally scored on their ensuing possession.

Baylor led 48-0 at the half, when the Demons had 3 total yards and eight punts.

NO. 8 STANFORD 26, KANSAS STATE 13

STANFORD, Calif. (AP) - Christian McCaffrey had a two long touchdown runs and Ryan Burns threw a scoring pass in his first career start to lead Stanford past Kansas State.

With the Wildcats focused on stopping McCaffrey after he set the major college football record for all-purpose yards and finished second last year in Heisman Trophy voting, Stanford turned to its new quarterback to lead the offense early in the opener for both teams.

Burns completed his first 10 passes, including a 40-yard touchdown strike to Michael Rector on the opening play of the second quarter.

McCaffrey then got into the act with an electrifying 35-yard touchdown run. He froze safety Kendall Adams with a juke and raced to the end zone for the score.

Stanford's offense stalled in the second half before McCaffrey iced the game with a late 41-yard TD run. He finished 126 yards on 22 carries and 210 all-purpose yards.

NO. 12 MICHIGAN STATE 28, FURMAN 13

EAST LANSING, Mich. (AP) - Tyler O'Connor threw for 190 yards and three touchdowns, and Michigan State held off upset-minded Furman.

O'Connor went 13 of 18 with an interception, a generally efficient performance in his second career start. The fifth-year senior is taking over as Michigan State's No. 1 quarterback after spending the past three seasons backing up Connor Cook.

Michigan State was merely serviceable on offense for most of the night, and that was good enough against Furman. LJ Scott ran for 105 yards and a touchdown, but the Spartans let the Paladins hang around for a while in the opener for both teams.

Down 21-13, Furman took over at the Michigan State 44 with 11:49 remaining after O'Connor's pass was intercepted. But P.J. Blazejowski's pass was picked off on the very next play - linebacker Andrew Dowell made a diving, one-handed grab to give the Spartans the ball back.

O'Connor threw a 12-yard touchdown pass to Jamal Lyles with 4:55 remaining to make it 28-13.

The Spartans have won 18 home openers in a row.

[StarDust Bum]

CFB ACTION TRENDS

ATS

9:00 pm 9/3/2016
(183) CLEMSON @(184) AUBURN
Play AGAINST AUBURN against the spread in All games when playing on a Saturday.
The record is 1 Wins and 9 Losses for the last two seasons (-8.9 units)
BET NOW!

7:00 pm 9/3/2016
(187) SAN JOSE ST @(188) TULSA
Play AGAINST TULSA against the spread in Home games when playing on a Saturday.
The record is 0 Wins and 8 Losses for the last three seasons (-8.8 units)
BET NOW!

5:30 pm 9/3/2016
(195) N CAROLINA @(196) GEORGIA
Play ON GEORGIA against the spread in Road games against ACC opponents.
The record is 18 Wins and 3 Losses since 1992 (+14.7 units)
BET NOW!

---------------------------

CFB FIRST HALF


9:00 pm 9/3/2016
(183) CLEMSON @(184) AUBURN
Play ON CLEMSON in the first half in All games in non-conference games.
The record is 10 Wins and 1 Losses for the last three seasons (+8.9 units)
BET NOW!

8:00 pm 9/3/2016
(167) NEW MEXICO ST @(168) UTEP
Play AGAINST NEW MEXICO ST in the first half in All games in a road game where the first half total is between 28.5 and 31.5.
The record is 6 Wins and 23 Losses since 1992 (-19.3 units)
BET NOW!

4:00 pm 9/3/2016
(177) LOUISIANA TECH @(178) ARKANSAS
Play ON ARKANSAS in the first half in All games versus the first half line in all games.
The record is 20 Wins and 5 Losses for the last three seasons (+14.5 units)
BET NOW!

4:00 pm 9/3/2016
(177) LOUISIANA TECH @(178) ARKANSAS
Play ON ARKANSAS in the first half in All games versus the first half line in all games.
The record is 20 Wins and 5 Losses for the last three seasons (+14.5 units)
BET NOW!

3:30 pm 9/3/2016
(157) MIAMI OHIO @(158) IOWA
Play ON IOWA in the first half in All games in games played on turf.
The record is 10 Wins and 1 Losses for the last two seasons (+8.9 units)
BET NOW!

2:00 pm 9/3/2016
(191) RUTGERS @(192) WASHINGTON
Play ON RUTGERS in the first half in Road games in non-conference games.
The record is 35 Wins and 13 Losses since 1992 (+20.7 units)
BET NOW!

12:00 pm 9/3/2016
(203) BOISE ST @(204) LA LAFAYETTE
Play ON BOISE ST in the first half in All games in September games.
The record is 40 Wins and 16 Losses since 1992 (+22.4 units)
BET NOW!

12:00 pm 9/3/2016
(203) BOISE ST @(204) LA LAFAYETTE
Play ON BOISE ST in the first half in All games in non-conference games.
The record is 10 Wins and 0 Losses for the last three seasons (+10 units)
BET NOW!

-------------------------------------

CFB MONEYLINE

7:30 pm 9/4/2016
(209) NOTRE DAME @(210) TEXAS
Play AGAINST TEXAS using the money line in Home games in non-conference games.
The record is 8 Wins and 11 Losses since 1992 (-24.6 units)
BET NOW!

10:30 pm 9/3/2016
(207) N ILLINOIS @(208) WYOMING
Play AGAINST WYOMING using the money line in All games in games played on turf.
The record is 19 Wins and 35 Losses since 1992 (-40.4 units)
BET NOW!

10:30 pm 9/3/2016
(207) N ILLINOIS @(208) WYOMING
Play AGAINST WYOMING using the money line in All games in games played on turf.
The record is 2 Wins and 4 Losses for the last two seasons (-18.05 units)
BET NOW!

9:00 pm 9/3/2016
(183) CLEMSON @(184) AUBURN
Play ON CLEMSON using the money line in All games as a favorite vs. the money line.
The record is 15 Wins and 1 Losses for the last three seasons (+13.7 units)
BET NOW!

8:00 pm 9/3/2016
(201) USC @(202) ALABAMA
Play ON USC using the money line in Road games in September games.
The record is 15 Wins and 13 Losses since 1992 (-33.75 units)
BET NOW!

7:00 pm 9/3/2016
(169) SMU @(170) NORTH TEXAS
Play AGAINST SMU using the money line in Road games in games played on turf.
The record is 16 Wins and 47 Losses since 1992 (-40.15 units)
BET NOW!

12:00 pm 9/3/2016
(197) OKLAHOMA @(198) HOUSTON
Play ON HOUSTON using the money line in All games in all lined games.
The record is 10 Wins and 1 Losses for the last two seasons (+10.85 units)
BET NOW!

12:00 pm 9/3/2016
(197) OKLAHOMA @(198) HOUSTON
Play ON HOUSTON using the money line in All games in all games.
The record is 10 Wins and 1 Losses for the last two seasons (+10.85 units)
BET NOW!

7:30 am 9/3/2016
(153) GEORGIA TECH @(154) BOSTON COLLEGE
Play AGAINST GEORGIA TECH using the money line in All games as a favorite vs. the money line.
The record is 0 Wins and 6 Losses for the last two seasons (-11.65 units)
BET NOW!

7:30 am 9/3/2016
(153) GEORGIA TECH @(154) BOSTON COLLEGE
Play AGAINST GEORGIA TECH using the money line in All games in games played on a grass field.
The record is 1 Wins and 8 Losses for the last two seasons (-11.85 units)
BET NOW!

-----------------------

CFB HALFTIME OVERS

12:00 pm 9/3/2016
(159) W MICHIGAN @(160) NORTHWESTERN
Play OVER W MICHIGAN on the first half total in Road games in games played on a grass field.
The record is 23 Overs and 6 Unders since 1992 (+16.4 units)
BET NOW!

12:00 pm 9/3/2016
(159) W MICHIGAN @(160) NORTHWESTERN
Play OVER W MICHIGAN on the first half total in All games in non-conference games.
The record is 32 Overs and 11 Unders since 1992 (+19.9 units)
BET NOW!

------------------------------

CFB HALFTIME UNDERS


9:00 pm 9/3/2016
(183) CLEMSON @(184) AUBURN
Play UNDER AUBURN on the first half total in All games when playing on a Saturday.
The record is 1 Overs and 9 Unders for the last two seasons (+7.9 units)
BET NOW!

9:00 pm 9/3/2016
(183) CLEMSON @(184) AUBURN
Play UNDER AUBURN on the first half total in All games as an underdog vs. the 1rst half line.
The record is 0 Overs and 7 Unders for the last two seasons (+7 units)
BET NOW!

7:30 pm 9/3/2016
(181) MASSACHUSETTS @(182) FLORIDA
Play UNDER FLORIDA on the first half total in All games when playing on a Saturday.
The record is 2 Overs and 11 Unders for the last two seasons (+8.8 units)
BET NOW!

3:30 pm 9/3/2016
(163) KENT ST @(164) PENN ST
Play UNDER PENN ST on the first half total in All games in a home game where the first half total is between 21.5 and 22.5.
The record is 5 Overs and 22 Unders since 1992 (+16.5 units)
BET NOW!

12:00 pm 9/3/2016
(165) MISSOURI @(166) W VIRGINIA
Play UNDER MISSOURI on the first half total in All games when playing on a Saturday.
The record is 4 Overs and 17 Unders for the last three seasons (+12.6 units)
BET NOW!

-----------------------

CFB TEASERS

5:30 pm 9/3/2016
(195) N CAROLINA @(196) GEORGIA
Play ON GEORGIA using a teaser in Road games against ACC opponents.
The record is 21 Wins and 0 Losses since 1992 (+21 units)
BET NOW!

[StarDust Bum]

CFB POWER LINES

12:00 pm 9/3/2016
(197) OKLAHOMA @(198) HOUSTON
Play Line: HOUSTON 13
BTB PowerLine: HOUSTON +5
Edge On: HOUSTON 8

12:00 pm 9/3/2016
(171) S ALABAMA @(172) MISSISSIPPI ST
Play Line: MISSISSIPPI ST -28
BTB PowerLine: MISSISSIPPI ST -39
Edge On: MISSISSIPPI ST 11

12:00 pm 9/3/2016
(203) BOISE ST @(204) LA LAFAYETTE
Play Line: BOISE ST -19.5
BTB PowerLine: BOISE ST -27
Edge On: BOISE ST 7.5

3:30 pm 9/3/2016
(193) LSU @(194) WISCONSIN
Play Line: WISCONSIN 13
BTB PowerLine: WISCONSIN 0
Edge On: WISCONSIN 13

3:30 pm 9/3/2016
(157) MIAMI OHIO @(158) IOWA
Play Line: IOWA -28
BTB PowerLine: IOWA -35
Edge On: IOWA 7

4:00 pm 9/3/2016
(177) LOUISIANA TECH @(178) ARKANSAS
Play Line: LOUISIANA TECH 24
BTB PowerLine: LOUISIANA TECH +18
Edge On: LOUISIANA TECH 6

7:00 pm 9/3/2016
(169) SMU @(170) NORTH TEXAS
Play Line: NORTH TEXAS 9.5
BTB PowerLine: NORTH TEXAS 0
Edge On: NORTH TEXAS 9.5

7:30 pm 9/3/2016
(181) MASSACHUSETTS @(182) FLORIDA
Play Line: MASSACHUSETTS 36.5
BTB PowerLine: MASSACHUSETTS +29
Edge On: MASSACHUSETTS 7.5

7:30 pm 9/3/2016
(175) SOUTHERN MISS @(176) KENTUCKY
Play Line: SOUTHERN MISS 4.5
BTB PowerLine: SOUTHERN MISS -3
Edge On: SOUTHERN MISS 7.5

8:00 pm 9/3/2016
(201) USC @(202) ALABAMA
Play Line: ALABAMA -11.5
BTB PowerLine: ALABAMA -21
Edge On: ALABAMA 9.5

[StarDust Bum]

COLLEGE FOOTBALL BEST BETS

WLT PCT UNITS

ATS Picks 13-10-0 56.52% +1000

O/U Picks 2-5-0 28.57% -1750


SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 3

GAME TIME(ET) PICK UNITS

MIZZ at WVU 12:00 PM

WVU -9.5

HAW at MICH 12:00 PM

O 55.0

BSU at ULL 12:00 PM

U 63.0

OKLA at HOU 12:00 PM

U 66.5

WMU at NW 12:00 PM

WMU +3.5

BGSU at OSU 12:00 PM

BGSU +27.5

O 64.5

EKY at PUR 12:00 PM

PUR -20.0

USA at MSST 12:00 PM

USA +28.0

U 53.0

FOR at NAVY 12:00 PM

NAVY -19.0

HOW at MD 12:00 PM

HOW +50.0

LIB at VT 12:30 PM

VT -31.5

VILL at PITT 01:30 PM

PITT -26.5

RUTG at WASH 02:00 PM

WASH -26.0

ACU at AFA 02:00 PM

AFA -42.5

[StarDust Bum]

HIGH NOON BEST BETS:

KENT at PSU 03:30 PM

U 45.0

LSU at WIS 03:30 PM

WIS +13.0

MURR at ILL 03:30 PM

ILL -33.0

M-OH at IOWA 03:30 PM

M-OH +27.5

UCLA at TAM 03:30 PM

TAM -3.0

O 53.0

SELA at OKST 03:30 PM

OKST -49.0

TXST at OHIO 03:30 PM

TXST +19.5

RICH at UVA 03:30 PM

UVA -13.5

[StarDust Bum]

LT at ARK 04:00 PM

ARK -23.5

UCD at ORE 05:00 PM

ORE -47.5

UGA at UNC 05:30 PM

UNC +3.5

O 59.0

WCU at ECU 06:00 PM

WCU +17.5

SIU at FAU 06:00 PM

FAU -7.5

PEAY at TROY 06:00 PM

TROY -40.0

NCCU at DUKE 06:00 PM

DUKE -34.0

FAMU at MIA 06:00 PM

MIA -53.0

SAV at GASO 06:00 PM

GASO -55.0

VMI at AKR 06:30 PM

AKR -29.0

[StarDust Bum]

Saturday's NCAAF Top 25 betting cheat sheet and odds


No. 17 USC Trojans vs. No. 1 Alabama Crimson Tide (-12, 52.5)

Game to be played at AT&T Stadium, Arlington, Texas

* USC has won 17 consecutive season openers and head into the season with junior Max Browne as the team's new signal caller. The Trojans feature one of the nation's top receivers in junior JuJu Smith-Schuster -- who caught 89 passes for 1,454 yards and 10 touchdowns last season -- and that should help Browne gain his footing as a starter.

* The Crimson Tide have won 14 consecutive season openers and are looking to win their fifth national crown in the past eight seasons. The uncertainty at quarterback isn't a concern to Saban, who eliminated freshman Jalen Hurts from the derby earlier this week and said he has the big picture in mind. "We want to play the guy that's the most ready to give us the best chance," Saban said at Monday's press conference. "We also want to continue to develop guys that can compete at this position in the future. That's kind of where it is right now. There's really nothing else to talk about."

LINE HISTORY:

The defending champs opened this game as double digit favorites (-10), but that number did not last long with bettors jumping on Alabama. The number quickly moved to Alabama -10.5, then right to -11.5 and has since settled at -12.

As for the total, bettors are thinking Alabama's renowned defense will have the advantage in an early season matchup. The number opened at 54 and has been steadily bet down to the current number of 52.5.

TRENDS:

* USC went 1-5 ATS in their final 6 games at the end of last season.
* Alabama is 3-11-1 ATS in its last 15 non-conference games.
* Over is 8-3-1 in USC's last 12 neutral site games.
* Over is 16-4-1 in Alabama's last 21 neutral site games.


No. 2 Clemson Tigers at Auburn Tigers (+8, 63.5)

* Everyone knows Clemson is a title fave once again with Heisman candidate DeShaun Watsonat the helm, but the biggest question for Clemson rests on defense, where seven starters will make their debut. Watson dazzled as a sophomore, becoming the first FBS quarterback to pass for more than 4,000 yards and rush for 1,000-plus yards en route to finishing third in the Heisman voting.

* Auburn coach Gus Malzahn has named sophomore Sean White the starting quarterback but hinted both Jeremy Johnson and John Franklin III could play this season. White took over for Johnson early last season and completed 58 percent of his passes, but the Tigers feature a mostly inexperienced running back and receiving corps entering the opener.

LINE HISTORY:

Clemson opened as 7.5-point road faves for their opener against Auburn. Early on Clemson was bet down to a converted touchdown, but since then bettors have backed the defending ACC champs, with the line moving all the way to Clemson -8.5.

When it comes to the total, the Over has seen all the hot action. The line opened at 59 and bettors were all over that number, which quickly made its way up to 62. It didn't stop there, as the number continued to climb all the way to the current number of 63.5.

TRENDS:

* Clemson is 6-2 ATS in its last eight non-conference games.
* Auburn is 1-10 ATS in its last 11 home games.
* The Over went 4-0 in Clemson's final four road games last season.
* The Under is 7-1-1 in Auburn's last nine home games.

[StarDust Bum]

NCAAF

Saturday, September 3

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
NCAAF Game of the Day: USC vs. Alabama
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

No. 17 USC Trojans vs. No. 1 Alabama Crimson Tide (-12, 52.5)

Game to be played at AT&T Stadium, Arlington, Texas

Defending national champion Alabama hasn't decided on a starting quarterback, but the lack of an incumbent at the pivotal position hasn't stopped the Crimson Tide from drawing the nation's No. 1 ranking as they enter Saturday's opener against No. 17 USC at Arlington, Texas. Alabama coach Nick Saban said that junior Cooper Bateman and redshirt freshman Blake Barnett are his squad's top two quarterbacks, while the Trojans previously settled on junior Max Browne to replace three-year starter Cody Kessler.

The Crimson Tide have won 14 consecutive season openers -- USC has an even longer streak at 17 -- and are looking to win their fifth national crown in the past eight seasons. The uncertainty at quarterback isn't a concern to Saban, who eliminated freshman Jalen Hurts from the derby earlier this week and said he has the big picture in mind. "We want to play the guy that's the most ready to give us the best chance," Saban said at Monday's press conference. "We also want to continue to develop guys that can compete at this position in the future. That's kind of where it is right now. There's really nothing else to talk about." Browne has thrown 19 career passes for USC, which is beginning its first full season under coach Clay Helton.

TV: 8 p.m. ET, ABC. LINE: Alabama -11.5.

LINE HISTORY: The defending champs opened this game as double digit favorites (-10), but that number did not last long with bettors jumping on Alabama. The number quickly moved to Alabama -10.5, then right to -11.5 and has since settled at -12.

As for the total, bettors are thinking Alabama's renowned defense will have the advantage in an early season matchup. The number opened at 54 and has been steadily bet down to the current number of 52.5. Check out the complete line history here.

INJURY REPORT:

USC - S M. Tell III (probable Saturday, hamstring), CB J. Plattenburg (questionable Saturday, concussion), T C. Wheeler (out Saturday, foot), DE O. Masina (out Satuday, suspension), CB I. Langley (out Saturday, suspension).

Alabama - LB R. Evans (probable Saturday, undisclosed), DL R. Davis (questionable Saturday, eligibility), OL A. Taylor (out Saturday, suspension), DB T. Brown (out Satuday, suspension).

WEATHER REPORT: Indoors.

WHAT SHARPS SAY: "Alabama is one of the few teams that just reloads each year, instead of rebuilding. They return just 5 defensive starters for the third time in the past five seasons, but it will not matter as they still have plenty of NFL caliber players and have routinely allowed less than two touchdowns per game every recent season. Alabama will be tested by a veteran USC offense that returns all their key players from last year, except QB Kessler."

"Alabama returns 6 starters on offense, but they are unproven at QB and RB. They do benefit from facing an unproven USC defense that returns only 5 starters from a unit that has struggled the past two years, allowing 25.7 points and 401 yards per game last season, and 25.2 points and 408 yards per game the year before."

ABOUT USC (2015: 8-6): The Trojans feature one of the nation's top receivers in junior JuJu Smith-Schuster -- who caught 89 passes for 1,454 yards and 10 touchdowns last season -- and that should help Browne gain his footing as a starter. Sophomore Ronald Jones II set a school freshman rushing record with 987 yards -- surpassing school legend Charles White (1976) -- in his first college season and will share the workload with senior Justin Davis (902 yards in 2015) behind a solid offensive line led by senior right tackle Zach Banner. Junior cornerback Adoree' Jackson - who also returned two punts for scores and caught 27 passes on offense in 2015 - is the big name on the defense but sophomore inside linebacker Cameron Smith (78 tackles, three interceptions) and sophomore cornerback Iman Marshall (three interceptions) are emerging stars.

ABOUT ALABAMA (2015: 14-1): Bateman threw 52 passes and started one game last season when now-departed Jake Coker was helping the Crimson Tide win the national crown. Replacing Heisman Trophy winner Derrick Henry is another chore - sophomores Bo Scarbrough and Damien Harris will share carries against USC -- but the Crimson Tide remain well-stocked at receiver with sophomore Calvin Ridley (SEC-freshman record 89 receptions for 1,045 yards in 2015) and junior ArDarius Stewart (63 catches) leading the way. Alabama is reloading on defense but returns a quartet of senior standouts in strong safety Eddie Jackson (six interceptions for 230 yards and two touchdowns), defensive end Jonathan Allen (12 sacks), and linebackers Reuben Foster (73 tackles) and Tim Williams (10.5 sacks).

TRENDS:

* USC went 1-5 ATS in their final 6 games at the end of last season.
* Alabama is 3-11-1 ATS in its last 15 non-conference games.
* Over is 8-3-1 in USC's last 12 neutral site games.
* Over is 16-4-1 in Alabama's last 21 neutral site games.

CONSENSUS: Bettors are taking the points with Alabama, with 65 percent of wagers backing the defending champs. As for the total, bettors are almost split down the middle, with 51 percent of wagers on the Under.

[StarDust Bum]

EVENING BEST BETS:


SJSU at TLSA 07:00 PM

SJSU +4.0

SMU at UNT 07:00 PM

SMU -7.5

AAMU at MTU 07:00 PM

AAMU +47.5

SOUTH at ULM 07:00 PM

SOUTH +14.0

URI at KU 07:00 PM

URI +28.0

SOMIS at UK 07:30 PM

SOMIS +3.5

MASS at FLA 07:30 PM

FLA -34.5




NMSU at UTEP 08:00 PM

UTEP -8.5

FRES at NEB 08:00 PM

NEB -28.5

SDST at TCU 08:00 PM

TCU -34.0

USC at ALA 08:00 PM

ALA -12.0

U 51.0

EWU at WSU 08:00 PM

WSU -27.5

SFA at TTU 08:00 PM

TTU -37.5

UNI at ISU 08:00 PM

UNI +9.5

UNH at SDSU 08:30 PM

SDSU -31.0

CLEM at AUB 09:00 PM

AUB +7.5

U 62.0

ARIZ at BYU 10:30 PM

BYU -1.5

NAU at ASU 11:00 PM

ASU -26.5

[StarDust Bum]

Top 25 Capsules
September 4, 2016

ARLINGTON, Texas (AP) True freshman quarterback Jalen Hurts threw two touchdown passes to ArDarius Stewart and ran for two more scores, and top-ranked Alabama opened its national championship defense with a 52-6 victory over No. 20 Southern California on Saturday night.

Stewart was wide open in the end zone behind the secondary when Hurts hit him for a 39-yard score midway through the second quarter that made it 7-3.

Right after halftime, Hurts found Stewart alone near the Alabama 40 and the receiver sprinted up the right sideline untouched for a 71-yard touchdown and a 24-3 lead. USC punter Chris Tilbey bobbled the snap on the ensuing drive to set up Alabama at the Trojans 15 and lead to Hurts' TD run.

The season-opening win came at AT&T Stadium - the home of the NFL's Dallas Cowboys - was also where the Crimson Tide started their 2012 and 2015 national championship seasons with victories.

Alabama is 10-0 in season openers under coach Nick Saban.

NO. 15 HOUSON 33, NO. 3 OKLAHOMA 23

HOUSTON (AP) - Brandon Wilson went end line to end zone for a touchdown with an Oklahoma missed field goal and Houston beat the Sooners, looking every bit ready to compete in the Big 12.

Regardless of whether Houston ends up in the Big 12 if the conference expands, coach Tom Herman's Cougars made an opening statement that could have season-long ramifications.

Wilson provided the key play in the biggest regular-season nonconference game the Cougars have played in 25 years. When Oklahoma kicker Austin Seibert's 54-yard field goal attempt came up just short, Wilson reached up to catch the ball while barely keeping his feet in bounds. Reminiscent of Auburn's Kick Six against Alabama in 2013, Wilson came flying out of the end zone, hit the sideline and hurdled a teammate to score what went into the books as a 100-yard return that made it 26-17 with 8:28 left in the third.

Greg Ward Jr. passed for 321 yards and two touchdowns for Houston.

Baker Mayfield threw for 323 yards and two scores for Oklahoma.

WISCONSIN 16, NO. 5 LSU 14

GREEN BAY, Wis. (AP) - Rafael Gaglianone kicked a 47-yard field goal with 3:47 left, and Wisconsin staved off LSU's desperate last-ditch drive.

LSU's frustration was on full display at the end of the game, when offensive lineman Josh Boutte was ejected for a flagrant foul after a blind-side hit on Wisconsin's D'Cota Dixon after the safety sealed the victory with an interception with 57 seconds left.

Heisman Trophy hopeful Leonard Fournette ran for 138 yards on 23 carries, but limped off on his final carry for LSU, a 15-yard run with less than 2 minutes left.

NO. 2 CLEMSON 19, AUBURN 13

AUBURN, Ala. (AP) - Deshaun Watson passed for 248 yards, including 174 to Mike Williams in his return from an injury, and Clemson escaped with a victory over Auburn.

Clemson struggled to put the away the opener even though Auburn produced little offense for much of the game while swapping three quarterbacks in and out. Finally, Watson hit former walk-on receiver Hunter Renfrow in the back of the end zone on third and goal from the 16 with 9:59 left in the fourth quarter.

Ben Boulware's subsequent goal line interception only provided a temporary reprieve for a team that made the national championship game last season. Auburn finally got a touchdown with 3:22 left on a 9-yard direct snap run by Kerryon Johnson and Clemson's failed fourth-down try deep in Auburn territory set up another shot with 40 seconds and 85 yards to go.

Sean White drove the offense to the Clemson 40, but two desperation heaves into the end zone fell incomplete, with the second getting batted around.

NO. 6 OHIO STATE 71, BOWLING GREEN 10

COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) - J.T. Barrett threw six touchdown passes and Ohio State rolled up a school-record 776 yards against Bowling Green.

Eight players scored touchdowns on offense as the Buckeyes overpowered the Falcons in front of a crowd of 107,193 at sunny Ohio Stadium. The 776 yards topped the 718 yards Ohio State put up against Mount Union in 1930.

Barrett also set a school record with seven touchdowns overall - six passing, one running. The junior was 21 for 31 for 349 yards and ran for another 30 in the hurry-up offense before giving way to backup Joe Burrow with 6:30 left in the third quarter.

Tailback Mike Weber, a redshirt freshman playing for the first time, bullied his way for 136 yards on 19 carries. H-back Curtis Samuel ran for two touchdowns and caught a TD pass. Thirty Ohio State players played in their first college game.

NO. 7 MICHIGAN 63, HAWAII 3

ANN ARBOR, Mich. (AP) - Wilton Speight threw three touchdown passes in the first half and Michigan beat Hawaii in its most lopsided victory since 1975.

Speight threw an interception on his first snap in the Wolverines' opener, then bounced back with TD passes to Grant Perry, Jake Butt and Amara Darboh to put Michigan up 21-0 early in the second quarter. Speight, who beat out Houston transfer John O'Korn for the job, finished 10 of 13 for 145 yards.

The Rainbows (0-2) avoided a shutout with Rigoberto Sanchez's 55-yard field goal early in the fourth.

NO. 13 TCU 59, SOUTH DAKOTA STATE 41

FORT WORTH, Texas (AP) - Kenny Hill accounted for five touchdowns after a shaky start in his TCU debut, KaVontae Turpin returned a punt 81 yards for a score and the Horned Frogs pulled away late in a victory over South Dakota State.

Playing his first game since a 59-0 loss to Alabama that cost Hill the starting job at Texas A&M two years ago, the junior transfer bounced back from interceptions on consecutive passes that led to a 10-point lead for the lower-division Jackrabbits.

Turpin started the recovery from the surprising second-quarter deficit with his return, sparking the Frogs to their 15th straight win in a home opener since losing to Northwestern State in Gary Patterson's first season as head coach. The 5-foot-9 speedster added a 33-yard run and had 177 all-purpose yards.

Hill was 33 of 49 for 439 yards with two touchdown passes, ran for three scores and converted a critical third down with a 13-yard scramble in the fourth quarter. That drive ended on a 46-yard scoring pass to Taj Williams for a 52-41 lead. Williams had 11 catches for 158 yards.

NO. 14 WASHINGTON 48, RUTGERS 13

SEATTLE (AP) - Jake Browning threw for 287 yards and three touchdowns, John Ross caught two scoting passses and returned a kickoff for another score in his first game since the end of the 2014 season to help Washington beat Rutgers.

The Huskies raced to a 24-0 first-quarter lead and were never threatened by the rebuilding Scarlet Knights, in their first game under new coach Chris Ash.

Browning threw for 277 yards and all three scores in the first half as the Huskies built a 34-3 lead. He would have thrown four TDs in the half, but Darrell Daniels dropped a pass in the end zone late in the second quarter.

TEXAS A&M 31, NO. 16 UCLA 24

COLLEGE STATION, Texas (AP) - Trevor Knight threw for 239 yards and a touchdown and ran for two more scores, including one in overtime, to lead Texas A&M past UCLA in his debut with the Aggies.

The Aggies had a fourth-and-1 from the 1 in overtime when Knight waltzed into the end zone untouched for the score in the opener for both teams. Texas A&M sealed the victory when Justin Evans knocked down Josh Rosen's pass at the goal line on fourth down.

Knight is a graduate transfer from Oklahoma. Rosen threw three interceptions while working under heavy pressure from a defense led by Myles Garrett.

The Aggies looked to have this one wrapped up when they led by 15 in the fourth quarter after using two third-quarter touchdowns. But UCLA's offense finally got going after that, scoring twice in two minutes with the second one coming on a 62-yard pass by Rosen to cut it two 2. A 2-point conversion after that TD tied it with 2:39 left.

NO. 17 IOWA 45, MIAMI (OHIO) 21

IOWA CITY, Iowa (AP) - Akrum Wadley ran for 121 yards and two touchdowns, LeShun Daniels added 83 yards rushing and two scores, and Iowa beat Miami (Ohio).

C.J. Beathard was 13-of-20 passing for 192 yards and a touchdown for the Hawkeyes.

Daniels and Wadley each scored twice in the first half, and Jerminic Smith's 12-yard reception put the Hawkeyes ahead 35-7 early in the third quarter.

Billy Bahl threw for 266 yards and two TDs for Miami.(backslash)

NO. 18 GEORGIA 33, NO. 22 NORTH CAROLINA 24.

ATLANTA (AP) - Nick Chubb rushed for 222 yards in his return from a gruesome knee injury, including a 55-yard touchdown run late in the fourth quarter that clinched Georgia's victory over North Carolina in Kirby Smart's debut as the Bulldogs' coach.

Chubb scored a pair of touchdowns for Georgia, sending the largely red-clad crowd at the Chick-fil-A Kickoff Game into delirium when he broke loose down the right sideline with 3:34 remaining and the Bulldogs clinging to a two-point lead over the Tar Heels.

Leaving no doubt he was fully recovered from a horrific knee injury that looked like it might be career-threatening, Chubb carried a staggering 32 times and was every bit as dominating as the Heisman-touted back he was before.

NO. 21 OKLAHOMA STATE 61, SOUTHEASTERN LOUISIANA 7

STILLWATER, Okla. (AP) - Jhajuan Seales caught two touchdown passes, helping Oklahoma State rout Southeastern Louisiana.

Seales finished with three catches for 61 yards.

Barry J. Sanders had 76 all-purpose yards and scored a touchdown. Sanders, whose father, Barry, won the Heisman Trophy for Oklahoma State in 1988, is a graduate transfer who played for Stanford last season. The younger Sanders scored on a 1-yard run in the first quarter and nearly scored again later in the quarter. He was stopped at the 1-yard line after weaving through the Lions for a 57-yard punt return.

Mason Rudolph completed 18 of 26 passes for 188 yards and two touchdowns.

NO. 24 OREGON 53, UC DAVIS 28

EUGENE, Ore. (AP) - Dakota Prukop threw for 271 yards and three touchdowns in his Oregon debut and the Ducks overcame a rocky start to beat UC Davis.

Prukop, a graduate transfer from Montana State, completed 21 of 30 passes for the Ducks, while also scoring on a 1-yard keeper. He follows in the footsteps of Vernon Adams, a graduate transfer out of Eastern Washington who started for the Ducks last season but was dogged by injuries.

Royce Freeman rushed for 87 yards and two scores, and Darren Carrington caught seven passes for 117 yards and a touchdown. Ben Scott was 27 of 47 for 303 yards and had a touchdown run for UC Davis.

NO. 25 FLORIDA 24, UMASS 7

GAINESVILLE, Fla. (AP) - Luke Del Rio threw two touchdown passes in his first career start, and Florida beat UMass and extend the nation's longest winning streak in season openers to 27.

It was far from the offensive resurgence the Gators were hoping for after ending last season with three consecutive losses. Things were so ugly for much of the night that retired coach Steve Spurrier provided most of Florida's early highlights.

After having Florida Field named after him and then leading 90,000 rain-soaked fans in a pre-game cheer, Spurrier posed like Olympic sprinter Usain Bolt. The 71-year-old Spurrier flashed Bolt's ''To The World'' pose to all four sides of the newly renamed Steve Spurrier-Florida Field at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium. It drew a raucous ovation from fans on hand for the opener.

Del Rio completed 29 of 44 passes for 256 yards, with TD passes to Antonio Callaway in the first quarter and Brandon Powell in the fourth.