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**StarDust Bum** · 09-30-2016, 02:06 AM

No. 16 Mississippi wary of undefeated Memphis
September 29, 2016

OXFORD, Miss. (AP) Mississippi coach Hugh Freeze has been paying attention to Memphis' hot start.

The Tigers might have a new coach and new quarterback this season, but Freeze says the 16th-ranked Rebels (2-2) will be tested when Memphis (3-0) comes to town on Saturday night.

''They put up some crazy numbers offensively and defensively and they are playing very, very good football,'' Freeze said.

Memphis beat Ole Miss last season 37-24 in Memphis, but that was with former coach Justin Fuente, who is now at Virginia Tech, and former quarterback Paxton Lynch, who is now in the NFL.

The new-look Memphis program appears just as dangerous.

While Ole Miss has had some ups and downs in September, the Tigers haven't even been tested. Memphis has won its three games by an average of more than 40 points, including a 77-3 victory over Bowling Green last weekend.

That's made Memphis a tough team to study.

''I am not sure we have a good sample size, because their games haven't been close and they really don't have to show a whole lot,'' Freeze said. ''So there are probably some things that we are not seeing.''

What's certain is Memphis has the ability to score touchdowns in a hurry under first-year coach Mike Norvell, who was the offensive coordinator at Arizona State before joining the Tigers. Junior quarterback Riley Ferguson has completed 67 percent of his passes for 843 yards, 11 touchdowns and two interceptions this season.

''I really like this team,'' Norvell said. ''I like their attitude, their physicality.''

Ole Miss will counter with an offense that's averaging 40 points per game. The Rebels built a 45-0 lead last week over then-No. 12 Georgia before settling for the 45-14 victory.

Ole Miss quarterback Chad Kelly said the Memphis defense will provide a challenge.

''They're just all running around, flying to the ball and making plays,'' Kelly said. ''They're athletic - they always have been. We've just got to make sure we go out and execute.''

Here are a few other things to watch when No. 16 Mississippi hosts Memphis on Saturday:

WATCH OUT FOR ENGRAM: Kelly's favorite target this season has been tight end Evan Engram, who has caught 26 passes for 397 yards. Both of those totals are tops in the nation for a tight end.

OLE MISS LOVES THE FIRST HALF: The Rebels have outscored opponents 41-6 in the first quarter and 66-27 in the second quarter through four games this season. They've been outscored 47-24 in the third quarter and 40-29 in the fourth quarter.

REBELS LOOKING FOR PICKS: Ole Miss has just one interception this season, which is tied for last in the SEC. The interception came last weekend against Georgia, when Derrick Jones picked off a pass and ran it 52 yards for a touchdown.

MASSIVE MARGINS FOR MEMPHIS: Memphis has had some huge blowout wins over the past two weeks. The Tigers beat Kansas 43-7 on Sept. 17 and then crushed Bowling Green 77-3 last weekend. The 74-point margin of victory for Memphis was the biggest since World War II.

ELLIOTT CAN KICK: Memphis senior Jake Elliott could help the Tigers at the end if the game is close. The two-time defending American Athletic Conference special teams player of the year is 5 of 6 on field goals this season and has hit nine field goals of over 50 yards during his career. He's also made all 162 extra-point attempts over four seasons.

**StarDust Bum** · 09-30-2016, 02:10 AM

West Virginia wary of Kansas State's special teams success
September 29, 2016

West Virginia has been burned by Kansas State the past two years on special teams and coach Dana Holgorsen wants to make sure it doesn't happen again.

Holgorsen said the Mountaineers (3-0) are doing extensive work on kickoffs and punts ahead of Saturday's game against Kansas State (2-1) in their Big 12 opener in Morgantown.

''Our goal is to not get beat on special teams, and that's a huge goal this week,'' Holgorsen said.

For good reason. Dominique Heath is the latest threat for Kansas State when the ball changes possession. Heath already has a 75-yard punt return TD this season and has caught two passes for scores.

In 2014, Tyler Lockett scored on a 43-yard punt return against the Mountaineers. Punter Nick O'Toole was supposed to kick the ball to the right, but Lockett fielded the ball on the other side of the field and scored untouched. At wide receiver, Lockett caught 10 passes for 196 yards in the 26-20 win.

Holgorsen told Lockett after the game the coach was glad he was graduating.

But the special teams follies continued. Last year, the Wildcats' Morgan Burns returned a kickoff 97 yards in the fourth quarter for the go-ahead touchdown in a 24-23 victory. Burns also had a 67-yard kickoff return earlier in the game to set up another score.

Cranking out special teams stars ''probably has something to do with the scheme and their emphasis in how they coach it,'' Holgorsen said, giving credit to Sean Snyder, the Wildcats' special teams coordinator since 2011.

''Sean Snyder is as good as there is,'' Holgorsen said. ''We have to be on guard, and we have to work hard this week in countering what he's going to be able to do.''

West Virginia did not renew the contract of special teams coordinator Joe DeForest after last season. This year those responsibilities went to second-year assistant coach Mark Scott.

Holgorsen has been pleased with how his team has handled punt returning and chasing after punt returners so far. It's kickoffs that have him concerned. West Virginia is average when it comes to returns and is next-to-last in the Big 12 in yards allowed per kickoff.

Last week against BYU, kicker Mike Molina didn't have a kickoff for a touchback after having seven in the previous two games. One of his kickoffs went out of bounds. The Mountaineers twice gave up long kickoff returns.

''Our hang time was bad. Our ball placement was bad,'' Holgorsen said. ''We put our defense in bad situations by not being able to cover kicks the appropriate way.''

Holgorsen said he plans to change the players he uses on kickoffs, too.

''There are some guys out there who weren't ready to play yet,'' he said.

Josh Lambert returns this week from a three-game suspension for an undisclosed violation of Big 12 rules. Two years ago, Lambert was a finalist for the Lou Groza Award, given to the nation's top placekicker. Holgorsen said Lambert will split kicking duties with Molina, who was 5 of 6 on field goals.

**StarDust Bum** · 09-30-2016, 01:31 PM

NCAAF

Friday, September 30

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NCAAF Game of the Day: Stanford at Washington
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Both Stanford and Washington are undefeated heading into Friday's big Pac-12 battle, but its the Cardinal who are a perfect 3-0 ATS.

No. 6 Stanford Cardinal at No. 9 Washington Huskies (-3.5, 44.5)

Junior running back Christian McCaffrey ranks second in the nation in rushing yards per game but is somehow considered to be experiencing a down season as he leads No. 6 Stanford into a Pac-12 showdown at No. 9 Washington on Friday night. McCaffrey's spectacular 2015 campaign in which he rushed for 2,019 yards and finished second in the Heisman Trophy balloting has made his 145.3 rushing yards per game seem pedestrian but only San Diego State's Donnel Pumphrey (199.7) has a better average.

McCaffrey aims to help the Cardinal defeat the Huskies for the eighth time in the past nine meetings and Washington coach Chris Petersen is well aware of who will be the best player on the field. "He's great with the ball in his hands," Petersen told reporters of McCaffrey. "Unbelievable vision, extremely explosive, and maybe as patient as anybody I've seen. Whether he's returning kicks or handed the ball in the backfield, those characteristics just show up, and it's a unique combination." Both teams won their last seven games dating back to last season and the contest is the Huskies' opportunity to show they are for real and not unbeaten just because of a soft schedule. Stanford won 15 of its past 16 contests and matched the school record of seven consecutive Pac-12 road wins (2010-11).

TV: 9 p.m. ET, ESPN.

LINE HISTORY: Washington opened this important Pac-12 showdown favored by a field goal at home and have since moved to -3.5. The total opened at 44 and has been bet up slightly to the current number of 44.5. Check out the complete line history here.

INJURY REPORT:

Stanford - G B. Fanaika (questionable Friday, undisclosed), TE G. Taboada (questionable Friday, undisclosed), CB A. Holder (out Friday, undisclosed), FB D. Marx (out Friday, undisclosed), CB Q. Meeks (out Friday, undisclosed), WR F. Owusu (out Friday, concussion).

Washington - WR B. Lenius (questionable Friday, undisclosed).

WEATHER REPORT: It should be a nice night for football in Seattle. The forecast is calling for partly cloudy skies with temperatures in the low 60's for the game. There will also be a very slight 10 percent chance of rain and there will be a five to six mile per hour wind gusting across the field from the southwest.

WHAT SHARPS SAY: "Another pivotal top battle takes place in the Pac-12 Friday as the Washington Huskies host the Stanford Cardinal. Both are coming off narrow surviving wins last week. With a tight line to the home team of the Huskies will Stanford's pedestrian ways payoff, or can the Huskies take a program step forward as the elite representative of the Pac-12?"

ABOUT STANFORD (3-0, 3-0 ATS, 0-3 O/U): McCaffrey rushed for 436 yards and leads the Cardinal in receiving (12 catches for 119 yards), which led frustrated coach David Shaw to say "when this kid doesn't get 300 yards of total offense, we say he got 'bottled up.'" Opponents are crowding the line to stop McCaffrey as senior quarterback Ryan Burns (395 yards, three touchdowns, two interceptions) hasn't displayed the ability to be a downfield passing threat despite throwing the go-ahead touchdown pass with 24 seconds left to beat UCLA on Saturday. The defense ranks eighth nationally in scoring defense at 12 points per game and junior defensive tackle Solomon Thomas was named Pac-12 Defensive Player of the Week after returning a fumble 42 yards for a touchdown and also posting a sack against the Bruins.

ABOUT WASHINGTON (4-0, 2-2 ATS, 3-1 O/U): Sophomore quarterback Jake Browning threw 14 touchdown passes against two interceptions this season while helping the Huskies rank 10th nationally in scoring offense at 45.8 points per game. Sophomore tailback Myles Gaskin has a team-leading 302 rushing yards but is being pushed by junior Lavon Coleman, who exploded for a career-best 181 yards on 11 carries in Saturday's 35-28 overtime victory over Arizona. Washington allowed a staggering 308 rushing yards to the Wildcats, which makes slowing McCaffrey seem like more of a challenge for a defense led by junior linebacker Azeem Victor (team-best 31 tackles) and junior safety Budda Baker (20 stops).

TRENDS:

* Stanford is 4-0 ATS in its last four road games.
* Home team is 4-1 ATS in their last five meetings.
* Over is 6-1 in Washington's last seven games overall.
* Under is 5-1 in the last six meetings in Washington.

CONSENSUS: The public likes the road dog in this Pac-12 clash with 64 percent of wagers on Stanford. When it comes to the total, bettors like the Over here, with 67 percent of wagers on it.

**StarDust Bum** · 09-30-2016, 06:16 PM

WLT PCT UNITS

ATS Picks 107-101-6 51.44% -2050

O/U Picks 40-39-2 50.63% -1450

FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 30

GAME TIME(ET) PICK UNITS

STAN at WASH 09:00 PM

STAN +3.5

O 45.0

TOL at BYU 10:15 PM

TOL +3.5

U 51.0

**StarDust Bum** · 10-01-2016, 03:48 AM

Washington routs Stanford, 'over' hits
September 30, 2016

SEATTLE (AP) Jake Browning threw for 210 yards and three touchdowns, Myles Gaskin added 100 yards rushing and two scores, and No. 10 Washington overwhelmed No. 7 Stanford 44-6 on Friday night.

After months of hype surrounding a possible breakout performance for Washington (5-0, 2-0 Pac-12), the Huskies showed they were ready for their return to the national stage.

And they did it emphatically, handing Stanford (3-1, 2-1) its worst loss since a 41-3 setback against Arizona State in 2007.

The Huskies raced to a 23-0 halftime lead, scored early in the second half and coasted to their biggest victory over an AP Top 10 team since beating No. 5 Southern California 31-0 in 1990. That game 26 years ago announced Washington as a national contender and the Huskies went on to share the national title a year later with Miami - taking the coaches' version while Miami topped the AP media poll.

''We don't get any trophies for winning tonight,'' Washington coach Chris Petersen said.

Browning was the leader of an efficient offense that scored on six of eight drives. He threw touchdown passes of 3 yards to Dante Pettis, 19 yards to John Ross and 3 yards to Aaron Fuller with 5:30 remaining. Browning was 15 of 21 and did not commit a turnover.

Equally important was Washington's ability to establish a running game. The Huskies rushed for 214 yards and averaged 5.2 yards per carry.

Meanwhile, Stanford star Christian McCaffrey saw his Heisman Trophy aspirations hit a major speed bump. McCaffrey was held to 49 yards rushing on 12 carries, five catches for 30 yards and continued his streak of never scoring an offensive touchdown in a road game.

It was McCaffrey's fewest yards rushing since 2014 at California when he had 19 yards on three carries.

Stanford's only TD came late in the third quarter on a 19-yard pass from Ryan Burns to J.J. Arcega-Whiteside.

''We didn't play well. We didn't block well. We couldn't run the ball. We couldn't pass protect and we couldn't complete passes with any consistency, particularly the first two and a half quarters,'' Stanford coach David Shaw said. ''Just not the style of football that we can play and not as well as we can play.''

Burns was 15 of 22 for 151 yards, but Washington controlled the line of scrimmage on both sides. Stanford quarterbacks were sacked eight times, six in the first half. Stanford had allowed only four total sacks in the first three games combined.

Stanford was playing short-handed without starting cornerbacks Quenton Meeks and Alijah Holder, starting wide receiver Francis Owusu and starting fullback Daniel Marx. Starting right tackle Casey Tucker limped off with an apparent leg injury late in the fourth quarter.

TAKEAWAYS

Stanford: The Cardinal were unexpectedly sloppy. Stanford committed 11 penalties after entering the week as the least penalized team in the Pac-12. There were communication issues in part due to the roaring Washington crowd, but also a lack of sharpness not normally seen from Shaw's team.

Washington: The defense was up to the task of keeping McCaffrey under control and forcing Burns to beat them through the air. McCaffrey had 34 yards on 10 carries in the first half and forced the Cardinal into numerous long third-down situations. That allowed Washington to bring extra pass rushers to get to Burns.

UP NEXT

Stanford: The Cardinal head home after two straight weeks on the road to host Washington State.

Washington: The Huskies travel to Oregon looking to snap a 12-game losing streak to the Ducks.

**StarDust Bum** · 10-01-2016, 03:49 AM

Saturday’s best 13 games

Penn State is 2-2, giving up 91 points, 667 RY in its two losses, both on road. Lions are 15-12 in last 27 games as home fave, 0-2 this year- they won four of last five games with Minnesota, with 20-0/44-14 wins in last two here- last game here was in ’09. This is teams’ second meeting since ’10. First road game for Gophers, who are 8-3 in their last 11 games as a road underdog.

Last 9+ years, Kansas State is 20-12-1 as road underdog; they lost 26-13 at Stanford in only road game this year- they outgained the Cardinal by 62 yards. Wildcats won last four games with West Virginia; they were underdog in three of the four; Wildcats won 55-14/26-20 in last two visits here. WV is 11-15 as home favorite under Holgorsen; they gave up 983 TY in two I-A wins this year. BYU ran for 280 yards in WV’s 35-32 win in Landover LW.

Miami beat up on three stiffs to start season, now move up into ACC play. Hurricanes won six of last seven games with Georgia Tech, with five of six wins by 15+ points. Hurricanes are 2-3 in last visits here. Tech was held to 95 RY in 26-7 loss to Clemson LW; Jackets are 3-6 in last nine games as a home underdog. Favorites are 6-2 in last eight series games. Hurricanes play Florida State next; better not look past this game.

Wisconsin held LSU/Michigan State to combined 20 points in pair of upset wins- they held Spartans to 75 rushing yards LW. Badgers covered five of last six as an underdog vs Michigan, won three of last four games SU vs Wolverines; teams last met in 2010. Wisconsin had 586 yards rushing in last two series games, 48-28/45-24 wins. Michigan hasn’t had close game yet; 45-28 win over Colorado was closest game, when Buffs’ QB got hurt when game was closer. Michigan is 7-3 as home favorite under Harbaugh, 3-1 this year. Badgers are 6-2 in last eight games as a road underdog.

Clemson held Louisville to 272-264 TY in 20-17 (-6), 23-17 (-9.5) wins over Louisville last two years; Cardinals are scoring 58.5 pts/game in 4-0 start, with 34/31 point wins at Syracuse/Marshall. Louisville is 6-2 as road favorite under Petrino. Tigers are an unimpressive 4-0, scoring 25 mpg in its three I-A games, though two of those were on road. Clemson is 13-13-1 as home favorite last 4+ years, 26-21-1 overall under Swinney. Syracuse passed for 293 yards vs Louisville; Watson is by far, the best QB they’ve faced this season.

Underdogs are 9-3-1 vs spread in last 13 Navy-Air Force games, 6-0 in last six played here; Middies lost two of last three visits here, are +8 in turnovers in last four series games (+4 LY). Falcons are 6-2-1 in last nine games as home favorite, 1-0 this year. Navy had LW off while Flyboys won tough 27-20 game at MW rival Utah State. Middies won only road game 21-14 at Tulane, are 24-9 as road underdogs the last decade. Mountain West teams are 10-18 vs spread out of conference, 3-4 as home favorites.

Georgia is home underdog for first time since 2011, 4th time in last 11 years (0-2-1 vs spread). Tennessee had huge comeback at home vs nemesis Florida LW, now goes between hedges to play Georgia; Vols lost last four visits to Athens, with underdogs covering last four in series (average total, 74). This is first true road game for Tennessee; over last decade, they’re 11-4 as road favorites. Dawgs gave up 971 PY in splitting pair of SEC road games last two weeks; they got whacked 45-14 at Ole Miss LW, after escaping Mizzou with 27-26 win.

Utah rallied late LW, pulled out emotional 31-27 home win over USC; Utes are 4-0 with two close wins, beating rival BYU 20-19- they won only road game 34-17 (-13) at San Jose State. Utah covered its last six games where spread was 3 or less points; since ’10, Golden Bears are 5-10 in games with spread of 3 or less. Cal is 4-9-1 as home favorite under Dykes; Utah covered six of its last seven games as a road dog. Bears scored 40-50-41 points in last three games and lost two of the three. Home side won last five series games; Utes lost 34-10/29-21 in last two trips to Berkeley, last of which was in 2011.

Home side lost last seven Texas-Oklahoma State games (favorites 6-0-1 vs spread); Longhorns won last eight visits to Stillwater. Texas had LW off after 50-43 loss to Cal- they’ve allowed 47-50 points in two of three games and have Oklahoma rivalry game on deck next week. OSU allowed 34.3 pts/game losing losing two of last three games; they got beat 35-24 (+7.5) at Baylor LW. Cowboys are 26-10 as home favorite last 8+ years (1-1 this year), 3-7-2 in last 12 games with spread of 3 or less. Texas is 1-4 as a road dog under Strong, 5-7-1 in last 13 games with spread of 3 or less.

Wake Forest is 4-0 after upsetting Indiana LW; Deacons are 9-4 as double digit underdog last 2+ years, already have road wins at Duke/Indiana this year, but they’ve also lost last four visits to Raleigh, with three of four losses by 29+ points. Favorites covered five of last seven Wake Forest-NC State games; Wolfpack won three of last four meetings, all of which were decided by 15+ points. State has 604 rushing yards in last two games with Wake- they had LW off, play Notre Dame/Clemson next two weeks. Wolfpack is 8-4 as double digit favorite under Doreen. Hard to tell lot about State, since they’ve played soft schedule so far.

USC is 1-3, losing Pac-12 games on road last two weeks; Trojans are 19-11 in last 30 games as a home favorite, 9-13 in last 22 as a double digit favorite- they won only home game this year, 45-7 (-16) over Utah State. Arizona State is 4-0 despite allowing 600+ TY in two of last three games; Texas Tech/Cal passed for 1,018 yards vs ASU- even I-A Northern Arizona had 369, but 4-0 is 4-0. Favorites covered four of last five series games with ASU 3-2 SU in those five; Sun Devils lost seven of last eight visits to Coliseum, winning 38-34 in last visit here in ’14- they won 32-28 at UTSA in only road game.

Oklahoma won four of last five games with TCU, with last three decided by 4 or less points; Sooners won two of last three visits here. OU had last week off after dismal 45-24 home loss to Ohio State, when Buckeyes ran for 291 yards in easy win. This is first true road game for Sooners who have rivalry game with Texas next week; Oklahoma is 10-5 as road favorite last 4+ years. Horned Frogs are young (3 starters back on offense); their only loss was to Arkansas in OT. TCU is 4-1 as an underdog last 3+ years, 2-0 at home. QB Hill (son of former MLB pitcher) has completed 66% of his passes this year.

Oregon allowed 76 points in pair of FG losses to Nebraska/Colorado last two weeks; Ducks allowed 1,021 TY, 488 RY in those games. Washington State (+16) upset Ducks 45-38 in Eugene LY, ending 8-game series skid. Ducks gained 500+ TY in seven of last nine series games, winning last four visits to Paloose, three by 20+ points. Underdogs covered last six series games. Coogs are 4-2 under Leach in games with spread of 3 or less points, 4-6 as home underdog; they had LW off after 1-2 start, with pair of FG losses, to I-AA team and at Boise State.

**StarDust Bum** · 10-01-2016, 03:53 AM

Saturday's SEC Tip Sheet
September 30, 2016

**Tennessee at Georgia**

-- Coming off a monster win, Tennessee heads to Athens to take on Georgia in a crucial SEC East showdown. If the Volunteers can get a victory between the hedges, they will be in a great position to get back to Atlanta for the first time since 2007.

-- As of Friday afternoon, most betting shops had Tennessee (4-0 straight up, 2-2 against the spread) installed as a three-point favorite with a total of 52.5 points. The Bulldogs were +140 on the money line (risk $100 to win $140).

-- Tennessee finally snapped an 11-game losing streak against Florida at Neyland Stadium last week, scoring 38 unanswered points after falling behind 21-0 en route to a 38-28 win as a five-point home ‘chalk.’ It was a tale of two halves. The first half saw the Gators lighting up a UT secondary minus its best cover corner in Cam Sutton. Austin Appleby hit three deep balls in the first half, while UF’s defense stayed in Josh Dobbs’s face and shut down the Vols’ ground attack. After intermission, however, UT’s offense got cranked up in a hurry. On the other side, Jim McElwain and offensive coordinator Doug Nussmeier went away from the aerial attack that had been so successful in the first half and the running game stalled. McElwain pointed out that poor field position was one reason why UF chose to run the ball in a third quarter that saw his team get shut out in the first-down department. Dobbs completed 16-of-32 throws for 319 yards and four touchdowns compared to two interceptions. The senior signal caller rushed 17 times for 80 yards and one TD. Jalen Hurd had 95 yards on 26 carries, while Jauan Jennings had three catches for 111 yards and one TD. The UT defense didn’t allow Florida to score in the second half until there was 4:17 remaining and the outcome had basically been decided.

-- For the season, Dobbs has completed 57.0 percent of his passes for 805 yards with a 10/5 touchdown-to-interception ratio. He has rushed for 241 yards and four TDs. Hurd has rushed for 365 yards and two TDs, but the junior is only averaging 4.0 yards per carry. Josh Malone has been Dobbs’s favorite target, hauling in 13 receptions for 287 yards and five TDs.

-- Before beating Florida, UT posted wins vs. Appalachian State (20-13 in overtime), vs. Virginia Tech (45-24) and vs. Ohio (28-19).

-- Tennessee is still without Sutton, who might return in (late) November from a broken bone in his leg. Two other starters, LB Jalen Reeves-Maybin (shoulder) and LB Darrin Kirkland (ankle), are ‘questionable’ at UGA. Kirkland has missed back-to-back games since spraining his ankle against the Hokies. He had 66 tackles and three sacks as a true freshman in 2015. Reeves-Maybin was injured vs. Ohio and tried to play in pain last week, but he was limited to only two snaps in the second half.

-- Georgia is a hard team to figure out at this point. The Bulldogs trailed by nine late in the third quarter of its opener at the Ga. Dome in Atlanta vs. North Carolina. They rallied for a 33-24 win with Nick Chubb looking like his old self by rushing for 222 yards and a pair of scores on 32 carries. But in Week 2 at home vs. Nicholls, an FCS school, UGA trailed for a decent chunk of the game and barely escaped with a 26-24 win as a 53-point ‘chalk.’ Next, Kirby Smart’s team went to Missouri and had to hit a fourth-and-10 TD pass from Jacob Eason to Isaiah McKenzie for 20 yards with 1:29 remaining to emerge with a 28-27 victory. Then in Oxford last week, Ole Miss raced out to a 45-0 advantage on its way to an easy-as-hell 45-14 triumph over UGA as a seven-point home favorite.

-- Chubb hasn’t been able to equal his Week 1 production in the three combined games since then. He was forced out against the Rebels last week with an ankle sprain after rushing for 57 yards on 12 attempts and was kept out of practice all week. On Friday, the Bulldogs downgraded him to 'out vs. the Vols. Fortunately for UGA, it has a back-up RB who already has a 1,000-yard season to his credit. After Chubb was injured at UT last year, Sony Michel took over and finished the year with 1,161 rushing yards and eight TDs while averaging 5.3 YPC. Michel, a true junior, broke his arm in July and missed the opener vs. UNC. He had only three carries for three yards vs. Nicholls. Michel had 11 carries to 66 yards against the Rebels, but he’s yet to get into the end zone this year.

-- Eason, a true freshman, has been up and down as you would expect. He has all the tools in terms of size and arm strength, but he’s still trying to find his way and probably took a substantial confidence hit last week. Eason has connected on just 64-of-123 passes (52.0%) for 780 yards with a 5/3 TD-INT ratio. His favorite target has been McKenzie, who has a team-best 21 receptions for 318 yards and four TDs.

-- Tennessee owns a 3-1 spread record in four games as a road favorite during Butch Jones’s four-year tenure. This is obviously the first home underdog situation for first-year head coach Kirby Smart, but we’ll nonetheless point out a 0-2-1 spread record in UGA’s three games as a home ‘dog over the last 10 years.

-- Georgia saw its five-game winning streak over Tennessee snapped last season when the Vols rallied from a 24-3 deficit to win a 38-31 decision a 2.5-point home underdogs. It was UT’s fourth spread cover in a row against UGA, but we should point out that the previous there were from double-digit ‘dog situations. UT is 8-2 ATS in the last 10 encounters with UGA.

-- In last year’s come-from-behind win, Dobbs scored the game-winning TD on a five-yard run with 5:48 left in the final stanza. Dobbs was the catalyst all day, throwing for 312 yards and three TDs while also rushing for a team-high 118 yards and a pair of scores. Hurd ran 21 times for 80 yards, while Malone had five catches for 60 yards. After Chubb was injured on the game’s first play from scrimmage, Michel ran for 145 yards on 22 totes.

-- The ‘over’ has hit in four consecutive head-to-head meetings between these SEC East rivals. The combined scores have been 69, 67, 65 and 95.

-- The ‘under’ is 3-1 overall for UGA this year, 1-0 in its lone home games. However, we should note that all three ‘unders’ had totals that were in the 60s. As for UT, its totals have been split (2-2) and this is its first true road assignment.

-- Kickoff is scheduled for 3:30 p.m. Eastern on CBS.

**Texas A&M at South Carolina**

-- Texas A&M (4-0 SU, 4-0 ATS) will travel for a third consecutive week to take on South Carolina at Williams-Brice Stadium in Columbia on Saturday afternoon. As of Friday afternoon, most books had the undefeated Aggies listed as 17.5-point favorites with a total of 48. The Gamecocks were +650 on the money line.

-- I spent all summer hyping this A&M squad. My thinking was that veteran grad transfer Trevor Knight would be a good fit at QB in an offense featuring four elite WRs. In addition, there was no reason to think that John Chavis’s defense wouldn’t get even better in his second year at DC helm. Although things could still turn south and such a change in fortune might lead to Kevin Sumlin taking a pink slip, that scenario is looking less likely every week. Most important, my wager for the Aggies to go ‘over’ their season win total of 6.5 is looking like an easy winner. They’ve posted wins vs. UCLA (31-24 in overtime), vs. Prairie View A&M (67-0), at Auburn (29-16) and vs. Arkansas (45-24 at Jerry World).

-- Sumlin’s squad pulled away from the Razorbacks in the fourth quarter last week in Arlington. Texas A&M played great goal-line defense all night. In the first half, its ‘D’ kept Arkansas out of the end zone on seven straight plays (the Hogs were given a new set of downs following a pass-interference penalty) to force a field goal. Then with the game tied at 17-17 late in the third quarter, A&M’s defense got a stop on a fourth-and-goal play that completely shifted the momentum of the game into its favor.

-- Following the fourth-down stop late in the third quarter, Knight hooked up with Josh Reynolds for a 92-yard scoring strike to give the Aggies the lead for good. They would score on three straight possessions en route to the spread cover as seven-point favorites. The 69 combined points jumped ‘over’ the 52-point total. Knight threw for 225 yards and two TDs without an interception and also rushed for a team-high 157 yards and two scores on 10 carries. True freshman RB Trayveon Williams ran for 153 yards and two TDs on 12 carries, while Reynolds finished with four catches for 141 yards and the aforementioned TD.

-- Texas A&M’s defense held Arkansas to a 3.0 YPC average. This unit is led by junior DE Myles Garrett, who has 11 tackles, five tackles for loss, three sacks and six QB hurries. Garrett is nursing an ankle injury but is expected to play.

-- Texas A&M WR Ricky Seals-Jones is listed as ‘questionable’ with an ankle injury. Seals-Jones has 10 receptions for 175 yards.

-- For the season, Knight has connected on 75-of-141 throws (53.2%) for 1,055 yards with a 7/2 TD-INT ratio. He has also rushed for 308 yards and five TDs while averaging 8.1 YPC. Meanwhile, Williams has rushed for a team-high 389 yards and three scores on 40 attempts for an amazing 9.7 YPC average. Reynolds has brought down 17 receptions for 370 yards and three TDs, while Christian Kirk has 21 catches for 211 yards and three TDs.

-- South Carolina (2-2 SU, 2-2 ATS) won its opener by a 13-10 count at South Carolina thanks to a 55-yard field goal from Elliott Fry late in the fourth quarter. Will Muschamp’s first team at his second head-coaching gig came up short in a Week 2 trip to Starkville, dropping a 27-14 decision at Mississippi State as a 7.5-point underdog. The Gamecocks would bounce back to edge East Carolina 20-15 as two-point home ‘chalk,’ but then they lost 17-10 at Kentucky last weekend.

-- In the one-possession loss at UK, South Carolina generated only 268 yards of total offense against a deplorable defense that had given up 42, 45 and 44 points in its first three games. True freshman QB Brandon McIlwain completed only 15-of-30 passes for 177 yards and his scrambling skills were negated. McIlwain had just 11 rushing yards on 13 attempts. The Gamecocks mustered merely 91 rushing yards on 35 attempts for an atrocious 2.6 YPC average. Sophomore tight end Hayden Hurst had a team-best seven receptions for 84 yards.

-- McIlwain has completed 47-of-91 passes (51.6%) for 533 yards and two TD passes without an interception. He has 91 rushing yards and a pair of rushing scores. McIlwain looks like a keeper and his scrambling ability will be needed against an A&M d-line that gets after passers with authority.

-- On his Thursday night radio show, Muschamp said WRs Deebo Samuel and Bryan Edwards will be game-time decisions due to hamstring injuries. Samuel has missed back-to-back games after rushing for a key eight-yard score at Vandy and catching four balls for 66 yards in the first two games. Edwards, a true freshman who has the terrible misfortune of being a Brian with a ‘y,’ is a beast and a future star. He has 17 receptions for 223 yards through four contests.

-- South Carolina’s defense gave up 27.5 points per game in 2015 and returned only four starters once star senior LB Skai Moore was ruled out for the season due to neck surgery this past summer. But the Muschamp Effect has been in full force through four outings. The Gamecocks are giving up plenty of yards (399.2, ranking No. 74 in the nation), but they’ve been excellent at forcing turnovers or field-goal attempts in the red zone. This is evidenced by its No. 17 ranking nationally in scoring defense (17.5 PPG).

-- The ‘under’ is 4-0 for the Gamecocks this season with their combined scores looking like this: 27, 35, 41 and 23.

-- The SEC Network will provide the telecast at 4:00 p.m. Eastern.

**Kentucky at Alabama**

-- As of Friday afternoon, Alabama (4-0 SU, 3-1 ATS) was listed as a 35.5-point favorite with a total of 57.5 points. Are you the one feeling a UK upset? Well, if so, 5Dimes is offering a 100/1 money-line return, so go ahead and get you some.

-- Alabama has wins vs. USC (52-6 at Jerry World), vs. Western Ky. (38-10), at Ole Miss (48-43) and vs. Kent State (48-0). The Crimson Tide had to rally from a 24-3 first-half deficit in Oxford to eventually capture a 48-43 win. The Rebels hooked up their backers as 11-point underdogs in backdoor style. They were down 48-31 late in the fourth quarter before mounting a furious rally.

-- Alabama has three key players listed as ‘questionable:’ WR ArDarius Stewart, RB Damien Harris and WR Robert Foster. Also, All-American LB Tim Williams is a question mark after being arrested on campus Thursday for possession of a firearm without a permit.

-- Jalen Hurts, a true freshman, has emerged as the QB of the present and future for Nick Saban’s program. In fact, that’s become so crystal clear that redshirt freshman Blake Barnett chose to transfer several days ago. Hurts can beat you with his arm and his legs. Through the first four games of his career, he has completed 62.7 percent of his passes for 727 yards with a 5/1 TD-INT ratio. Hurts is second on the team in rushing yards (251) with three rushing scores and a 5.6 YPC average.

-- Hurts’s favorite target is Calvin Ridley, a true sophomore who might be the nation’s top WR even though his numbers don’t point that out. Ridley has 20 catches for 224 yards and one TD, and he also had a key rushing TD at Ole Miss. Stewart was off to a fast start before getting injured against the Rebels. In 2.5 games, he had 13 receptions for 205 yards and three TDs. Harris has rushed for a team-best 345 yards and one TD on 40 carries. That’s good for an 8.6 YPC average.

-- Kentucky (2-2 SU, 1-3 ATS) has won back-to-back games since dropping its first two games in disappointing fashion. In the team’s lif-lifter, Mark Stoops’s team raced out to a 35-10 lead over So. Miss at home. However, the Golden Eagles rallied to capture a 44-35 win as four-point road underdogs. Then in Week 2, the Wildcats went to The Swamp in Gainesville and were dealt a 45-7 clubbing for their 30th consecutive loss to the Gators.

-- After beating New Mexico State 62-42 at home in Week 3, UK improved to 1-1 in SEC play by beating South Carolina, 17-10. The ‘Cats took the cash as 2.5-point home favorites thanks to Benjamin Snell’s one-yard TD plunge with 10:21 left in the fourth quarter. Stanley ‘Boom’ Williams rushed for 123 yards and one TD on 15 carries, while Snell produced 73 yards on 16 totes. Junior QB Stephen Johnson struggled, completing just 11-of-19 passes for 135 yards and one interception.

-- Johnson has taken over as the UK starting QB since Drew Barker was ineffective at Florida and injured his back against NM State. Barker is ‘out’ this week and might not return for a month or so. He had a 4/5 TD-INT ratio in three games. Johnson was the catalyst in the win over the Aggies, connecting on 17-of-22 passes for 310 yards and three TDs without an interception. He also rushed for 51 yards on 10 carries. For the season, Johnson is completing passes at a 65.9 percent clip for 490 yards with a 3/1 TD-INT ratio.

-- Williams is one of the SEC’s premier RBs. The junior has rushed for 464 yards and two TDs while averaging 8.0 YPC. Snell has run for 209 yards and five scores while averaging 6.3 YPC. Jeff Badet has eight receptions for 245 yards and one TD, while Garrett Johnson has 13 catches for 212 yards and two TDs.

-- Since Stoops took over in 2013, Kentucky has limped to a 5-9 spread record in 14 games as a road underdog. Meanwhile, Alabama is 29-31 ATS as a home ‘chalk’ on Saban’s watch.

-- Kickoff on ESPN is scheduled for 7:00 p.m. Eastern.

**B.E.’s Bonus Nuggets**

-- Sportsbook.ag updated its Games of the Year lines this week. Alabama is now favored by 12 at Tennessee, by 10 (-115) at LSU and -21.5 vs. Auburn.

-- Florida will be in bounce-back mode for its noon Eastern kick at Vanderbilt. As of late Friday afternoon, most spots had the Gators listed as 10-point favorites with a total of 40.5 points. Starting QB Luke Del Rio was upgraded from ‘doubtful’ to ‘questionable’ after practicing on a limited basis Thursday. Jim McElwain indicated that Del Rio might be the back-up if Austin Appleby gets injured. If he has his druthers, McElwain would like to keep the redshirts on true freshmen QBs Kyle Trask and Feleipe Franks. Two defensive starters and one starting offensive lineman are listed as ‘questionable’ – DB Quincy Wilson, DE Jordan Sherit and OG Tyler Jordan. UF owns a 3-0 spread record as a road favorite on McElwain’s watch. Vandy has taken the cash in two of the last three head-to-head meetings with the Gators. In fact, the Commodores ended a 22-game losing streak to UF with a 34-17 win at The Swamp in 2013. In last year’s encounter, a field goal in the final minute gave Florida a 9-7 non-covering win to clinch the SEC East title. As a home ‘dog under Derek Mason, Vandy has compiled a 5-3 ATS mark.

-- Missouri owns a 12-6 spread record in its last 18 games as a road underdog. Barry Odom’s team was listed as a 13-point underdog late Friday afternoon. Missouri sophomore QB Drew Lock has soaring confidence thanks to 1,503 passing yards that ranks him third in the nation. LSU is expected to be without star RB Leonard Fournette due to an ankle injury.

**StarDust Bum** · 10-01-2016, 03:58 AM

Big Ten Report - Week 5

September 30, 2016

2016 BIG 10 STANDINGS

Team SU Conference ATS Over/Under

Illinois Fighting Illini 1-2 0-0 1-2 1-2

Indiana Hoosiers 2-1 0-0 1-2 1-2

Iowa Hawkeyes 3-1 1-0 1-3 1-3

Maryland Terrapins 3-0 0-0 1-2 0-3

Michigan Wolverines 4-0 1-0 3-1 4-0

Michigan State Spartans 2-1 0-1 1-2 1-2

Minnesota Golden Gophers 3-0 0-0 1-2 1-2

Nebraska Cornhuskers 4-0 1-0 3-0-1 1-3

Northwestern Wildcats 1-3 0-1 1-3 0-4

Ohio State Buckeyes 3-0 0-0 3-0 2-1

Penn State Nittany Lions 2-2 0-1 1-3 4-0

Purdue Boilermakers 2-1 0-0 1-2 2-1

Rutgers Scarlet Knights 2-2 0-1 1-3 3-1

Wisconsin Badgers 4-0 0-0 3-1 1-3

Wisconsin at Michigan (-10.5) – (ABC, 3:30 p.m. ET)

Michigan: Penn State had scored 30+ points in each of their first 3 games before Michigan held them to 10 points last week. Wolverines dominated winning 49-10 outgaining PSU by 324 yards. Their offense is clicking scoring 45 or more points in each of their first four games. It will be strength on strength here as they now face a Wisconsin defense that has allowed only 3 offensive TD’s in 4 games this season. The offense has been as balanced as anyone in the country averaging 238 YPG passing & 230 YPG passing. The defense will look to slow down Wisconsin’s running game and they’ve been very good at doing that for the most part this year. In 3 games they held their opponent to 81 yards rushing or fewer with the one aberration being their game vs UCF where the Knights gashed the Wolverines for 275 yards on the ground. Michigan did pick up a key injury in last week’s win over PSU as starting CB Jeremy Clark injured his knee and is out for the season. Much has been made of the Wolves fairly easy schedule to date but they have a chance to prove they are worth their ranking by beating #8 Wisconsin in the Big House this week (Michigan’s 4th straight home game). Surprisingly Michigan is 0-11 their last 11 games vs top 10 teams with their last win coming 8 years ago in 2008.

Wisconsin: Unlike those that might be questioning Michigan’s early competition, the same cannot be said for Wisconsin. After upsetting Michigan State on the road last week 30-6, the Badgers have now beaten two top 10 teams in their first 4 games (also beat LSU). Freshman QB Alex Hornibrook made his first career start and was very solid. We were told his accuracy was the most impressive thing as he battled Bart Houston in pre-season camp. That has shown to be the case in game action as well as Hornibrook has completed 34 of his 48 passes for a 71% completion rate. RB Corey Clement returned after sitting out the previous game but Wisconsin is still banged up at that position with Taiwan Deal and Bradrick Shaw still questionable. Kicker Rafael Gaglianone is now out for the season with a back injury. His absence didn’t end up affecting last week’s game although is replacement Andrew Endicott did miss an extra point. The Badger defense took a huge hit this week when LB Vince Biegel injured his foot in practice and will be out for 2 to 4 weeks. We’ll see if the UW defense can keep up their dominant season with Biegel on the sideline. The Badger defense kept MSU’s offense out of the endzone last Saturday. It was the 2nd time in 4 games that the UW defense did not allow an offensive TD. They have allowed only 3 offensive TD’s in 4 games this year which has led to just 11.7 PPG for their opponents. They will get a test this weekend facing a Michigan offense that ranks 4th in the nation averaging over 50 PPG. It will be strength on strength this Saturday in Ann Arbor.

Last Year: These two play in opposite divisions of the Big Ten and have not met since 2010.

Inside the Numbers: Since 1999, Wisconsin is 35-23-1 ATS as an underdog (60%). As a double digit underdog (they are +10.5 as of this writing), Wisconsin is 18-6-1 ATS. As mentioned above, the Wolverines have not beaten a top 10 team since 2008. They are on an 0-11 SU run vs teams ranked inside the top 10. Michigan dominated this series between 1965 - 2002 with a 29-3 record. Since 2002, Wisconsin has won 4 of the 6 meetings.

Minnesota at Penn State (-3) – (Big Ten, 3:30 p.m. ET)

Penn State: The Nittany Lions are really banged up on defense right now and it really showed last week when Michigan shelled them for 49 points and over 500 total yards including 326 yards on the ground. It was already the 2nd time this season that PSU’s defense allowed over 325 yards rushing in a game (the other was vs Pitt). Their 3 starting linebackers were out last week and remain sidelined this Saturday vs Minnesota. Once known as Linebacker U, Penn State’s 2-deep at that position this week consists of 2 sophomores, 1 freshman, 2 former walk ons, and a player who was not initially a LB that had to move there due to the depth issues. That could cause a problem again this week as Minnesota relies heavily on the run averaging 45 attempts for 228 YPG. That includes a running QB in Mitch Leidner which will make it even tougher on this injury plagued defense. Offensively this team put up 30+ points in each of their first 3 games but were held to just 10 last week. They had only 191 total yards on just 3.4 YPP. In the first half alone, the Nits accumulated just 50 total yards on 24 plays. Four of their six drives in the 1st half were 3 and outs and another was a 4 and out. At that point they were already down 28-0.

Minnesota: The Gopher defense has been solid through 3 games allowing just 347 YPG on 4.7 YPP. Despite those numbers, they have allowed 23, 24, and 28 points in their 3 games and those point totals should be lower based on their YPP average. Minny continues to be shorthanded in the secondary one starter suspended (Hardin) and two reserves out. Their pass defense has allowed 228 YPG this year (68th nationally) after giving up just 179 YPG a year ago (11th nationally). The problem with those pass defense numbers is this, the Gophers haven’t played any good QB’s to date. Oregon State started a transfer from Utah State, Indiana State is well, Indiana State, and Colorado State had a freshman making his first road start under center. Now they face a PSU QB in McSorley that has thrown for nearly 1,000 yards in his 4 games. Putting pressure on McSorley could be compromised with Minnesota starting defensive end Tai’yon Devers who had 3 sacks last week vs Colorado State will not play in this game due to an ankle injury. Offensively they are run heavy as we noted in the Penn State analysis. They’ve been putting points on the board (almost 40 PPG) and the Gophs are tied for first in the country when it comes to offensive red zone efficiency. Minnesota has produced 10 rushing touchdowns, three passing touchdowns and a field goal on 14 possessions.

Last Year: These two play in opposite divisions of the Big Ten and have not met since 2013.

Inside the Numbers: Penn State has covered the number 16 of the last 24 times they’ve been tabbed a home favorite. Dating back to 1981, Minnesota is just 6-15 ATS as a road underdog between +3 and +7 in conference play.

Northwestern at Iowa (-13) – (ESPNU, 12:00 p.m. ET)

Iowa: The already struggling Iowa offense received a huge blow this week when WR Matt Vandeberg injured his foot in practice. Vandeberg, who was the Hawkeyes leading receiver last year and so far this season, will be out for an extended period of time, possibly the entire season. To give you an idea of his importance to the Iowa offense, he has 19 catches this year and all other wide receivers have combined for 15 catches. The Iowa offense put up only 14 points last week at Rutgers and just 21 the week before at home to FCS opponent North Dakota State. Last week’s offensive output vs Rutgers was a bit alarming as the Knights had allowed 48 & 28 points in their other two games vs FBS opponents (Washington & New Mexico). The Hawkeyes currently rank 101st in total offense and they have been outgained in 3 of their 4 games (they had more yardage than Iowa State and that’s it). This team is averaging just 356 YPG while allowing 365. It’s hard to believe with those stats that Iowa has outscored their opponents 122-54 so far this year.

Northwestern: Speaking of struggling offenses, the Wildcats are right at the top of the heap. After scoring 24 points and putting up over 400 yards for the first time in 11 games a week earlier vs Duke, the Cats fell back into their struggling ways last week at home vs Nebraska. The Huskers held NW to just 13 points dropping their season average to only 16 PPG. Overall offensively they rank 104th nationally in total offense (347 YPG) and 125th nationally in scoring offense. Mistakes were front and center as the culprit vs Nebraska last Saturday. The Wildcats missed a FG, had one drive end on downs at the Nebraska 23 yard line, and threw 2 interceptions deep in Husker territory. Poor offense is nothing new to this team as they averaged just 19 PPG on 327 YPG last season. They finished 10-3 due to a staunch defense that allowed just 18 PPG on 319 YPG. This year the defense has also fallen off as they’ve been ripped for 435 YPG which is 94th nationally. Somehow, despite allowing big yardage, opponents have scored only 17 PPG on this NW defense. The discouraging part about Northwestern’s 1-3 start is all of those games have been at home. They have won 7 of their last 10 road games so maybe getting away from home isn’t a bad thing.

Last Year: Iowa (-1.5) destroyed Northwestern 40-10 last year in Evanston. It wasn’t a fluke as Iowa outgained the Cats by almost 300 yards. Iowa put up 6.3 YPP in that win to just 2.8 for NW. The game was tight at half with Iowa leading 16-10 and the Hawks went on to outscore Northwestern 24-0 in the 2nd half.

Inside the Numbers: The Wildcats have covered 16 of their last 25 road games overall. Over the last 5 years, Northwestern has both won and covered their first road game of the season. Since 1981, Iowa is 23-10 SU and 20-13 ATS in this Big Ten series. The Hawks are 14-4 SU at home in this series (since 1980) with all but 3 of those wins coming by double digits. Iowa is a money burning 12-33-1 ATS as a favorite of 10 or more dating back to 2006.

Rutgers at Ohio State (-38.5) – (Big Ten, 12:00 p.m. ET)

Ohio State: Ohio State is 3-0 both SU & ATS and they’ve beaten the spread by a whopping 75.5 points over those 3 contests! The Buckeyes had last week off after beating up on Oklahoma 45-24 the week before. The offense continues to click despite returning only 3 starters from last year’s team. They rank 3rd nationally in scoring offense at 56 PPG and 10th in the nation in total offense averaging 545 YPG. Amazingly, this Ohio State team has now scored 40 points or more in 26 of their last 39 games. Ohio State has had 35 drives this year in which they did not commit a turnover. On those drives they have scored points on 23 of them. Not bad scoring on over 65% of your drives where you don’t turn it over. Defensively the Bucks have held all 3 opponents under their season PPG average by a combined 50 points. They may also have some extra motivation on that side of the ball as OSU defensive coordinator Greg Schiano was the head coach at Rutgers for 11 years (2001-2011) and this will be the first time he’s faced his former team. In a weird twist, Schiano replaced Chris Ash as DC for OSU after Ash took the head job at Rutgers this year.

Rutgers: Speaking of Rutgers head coach Chris Ash, he should have a decent idea of how to defend to OSU offense after facing them in practice every day last year. Having an idea what to do and implementing with the lessor talent at Rutgers are two different things. However, this team looks much better defensively this year compared to last. They are currently allowing just 362 YPG through their first 4 games which is a full 100 yards per game better than last year. Their pass defense ranks 28th nationally allowing only 181 YPG through the air. That stat is a bit skewed however as the Knights have faced New Mexico, Howard, Washington, and Iowa, only one of which is a prolific passing team (Washington). The other 3 prefer to run the ball and their passing games are not dynamic. The Rutgers defense did take a big hit last week when their best defensive lineman, Quanzell Lambert, was lost for the season. Scoring points was a problem last week as they put up just 7 points vs Iowa. That task gets tougher this week as Rutgers has to face OSU without their #1 offensive weapon, Jenarion Grant is out for the season after injuring his ankle last week. Grant accounted for 35% of Rutgers all purpose yards this year with 210 yards receiving, 138 yards rushing, 195 yards on kick returns, and 112 yards on punt returns. Tough loss for a team that will probably have to score quite a few points this Saturday to keep up.

Last Year: The Bucks destroyed Rutgers on the road last year 48-7 as 21.5 point favorites. Rutgers lone TD in last year’s loss came with just 13 seconds remaining in the game. These two have met each of Rutgers first two years in the Big Ten and OSU has won both games big outscoring the Knights 105-24 and outgaining them 1,119 to 638.

Inside the Numbers: Since the start of the 2012 season, OSU has been favored by 30 points or more 12 times covering just 3 of those games. Urban Meyer is 44-3 SU when he has more than one week to prepare for his opponent. Dating back to 1999, the Scarlet Knights have been tabbed a dog of 21 points or more 25 times. They are 7-18 ATS in those games. In their 2 years since joining the Big Ten, Rutgers has a conference record of 4-12 SU and 6-10 ATS.

Purdue at Maryland (-10.5) – (Big Ten, 3:30 p.m. ET)

Maryland: The Terps are one of 19 remaining unbeaten teams. They are also one of 5 unranked and unbeaten teams so most feel the jury is still out on Maryland. We agree. The Terps 3 wins have come against the likes of Howard, FIU, and UCF and those teams have combined to go 2-10 so far this year. Maryland is off a bye and their game two weeks ago vs UCF went to overtime. Maryland won the game 30-24 but they were outgained by 75 yards. UCF ran 18 more offensive plays in that game as well. In that game, freshman QB Tyrrell Pigrome was inserted for one play in OT and he ran for a 24 yard TD and the win. Pigrome was under center because starting QB Perry Hills injured his shoulder late in that win. Hills looks OK and is expected to start on Saturday. On defense, starting safety Denzel Conyers tore his ACL vs UCF and is out for the season. His replacement will be making the first start of his career and two freshman are now back ups at the position. The Maryland defense is allowing only 4.9 YPP but again the competition may have something to do with that. Howard is a bad FCS team and FIU is averaging only 4.6 YPP on the season. The one decent offense they played, UCF, racked up 455 yards.

Purdue: The Boilers have won 2 of their 3 games this year which is has given their fan base some optimism. While it may not seem like a big deal to most, keep in mind that coming into this year this team had won only 2 of their previous 18 games so 2 of 3 sounds pretty good. Last week they beat Nevada 24-14 but the fact is, the Boilers dominated more than the final score may indicate. They outgained the Wolfpack by over 200 yards but were -4 in the turnover margin which kept the game close. Two of those turnovers came inside the Nevada 5-yard line which took away 14 potential points. Turnovers have been a big problem for Purdue as they are -9 the last two games alone! Starting QB David Blough has already thrown 7 interceptions in just 3 games. Partly due to the turnovers, this offense has scored on just 8 of their 13 red zone attempts (61%) ranking them 124th nationally. The defense is allowing 25 PPG and while it’s early, it is much better than last year’s 36 PPG allowed. However, the one good offense the Boilers faced, Cincinnati, rolled up 38 points.

Last Year: Maryland joined the Big Ten just 2 years ago and these two have not yet met. Their only meeting was back in 2008 and the Terps won that game 24-7.

Inside the Numbers: Purdue has won just 2 of their last 24 Big Ten games dating back to 2013. This will be the Boilers first road game of the season and they are 9-3 ATS (75%) their last 12 away from home. However, Purdue are just 7-35 SU their last 42 road games. In their two years in the Big Ten, Maryland has never been a double digit favorite. The Terps are just 3-9 both SU & ATS their last 12 with more than a week of rest.

Illinois at Nebraska (-20) – (ESPN2, 3:30 p.m. ET)

Nebraska: The Huskers come in with a perfect 4-0 record having won 3 of their 4 games by double digits. Their offense is as balanced as they come as they are averaging 242 YPG on the ground and 243 YPG through the air. Nebraska beat Northwestern 24-13 on the road last week but the Huskers dominated more than the scoreboard showed. They rolled up 556 yards on the Wildcat D including 310 yards rushing. However, the squandered a number of scoring opportunities including not once but twice losing fumbles at the Northwestern 1-yard line. The Husker defense has been decent (not great) this year allowing 366 YPG on 5.4 YPP. Where they have been solid is in the red zone where they have allowed just 5 TD’s and 1 FG in 10 trips inside the 20 which ranks them 18th nationally.

Illinois: After whipping Murray State in their season opener, the Illini have been outscored by 39 points and outgained by 277 yards in their last 2 games and lost both (Western Michigan & North Carolina). They had a bye last week to try and straighten things out. The Illinois defense was a bright spot last year as they allowed just 23 PPG on 351 YPG. They lost many of their key starters on that side of the ball and it shows. If you subtract their game vs Murray State, the Illinois defense has allowed 900 yards on 129 plays – almost 7.0 YPP – in their other 2 games. They’ve also allowed 484 yards rushing in those 2 losses. QB Wes Lunt has been decent hitting 62% of his passes with 6 TD’s and just 1 interception this year. The problem is, the Illini rushing attack has been inconsistent at best. Sure they looked great against a bad Murray State team rushing for 287 yards, but in their most recent game vs a defense with a pulse, the Illini rushed for only 3 yards on 15 attempts. It makes it almost impossible to win with those numbers unless you have a prolific passing attack which Illinois does not.

Last Year: Illinois won just 2 Big Ten games last year and one of them was against this Nebraska team. Illinois (+6.5) topped the Huskers 14-13 in Champaign outgained Nebraska by 90 yards in the game.

Inside the Numbers: Illinois has lost 18 consecutive games vs ranked Big Ten teams. Their last win over a ranked conference opponent came way back in 2007. Illinois is just 4-15 SU the last 19 times they’ve had more than a week to prepare for a game. The Huskers have won and covered 4 of the 5 meeting with Illinois with last year being the only exception. Nebraska is 12-5 ATS the last 17 times they’ve been favored by 20 points or more.

Michigan State (-7.5) at Indiana – (Big Ten, 8:00 p.m. ET)

Indiana: The Hoosiers come into this game off a home loss to Wake Forest last week. Looking at the stats you would have never guess that IU lost the game. They put up 611 total yards to just 352 for Wake. The Hoosiers averaged 7.7 YPP while the Deacs averaged only 4.4 YPP. Indiana was up 7-0 after the first play of the game when QB Lagow threw a 75 yard TD pass. Lagow threw for 496 yards and 3 TD’s. So how did they lose? Lagow also threw 5 interceptions which led directly to 17 of Wake’s 33 points. Before last week Lagow had attempted 54 passes this season without an interception. The Indiana offense has been prolific under head coach Kevin Wilson averaging 400+ YPG in each of the last 4 seasons. They look like they will be again already averaging over 500 YPG on 6.7 YPP. The defense has been atrocious under Wilson and that’s an understatement. In his 5 seasons as head coach IU has allowed at least 33 PPG each year and at least 430 YPG each year. They look better on that side of the ball this year “just” 22 PPG but now we’ll see if that continues as they hit the meat of their schedule.

Michigan State: Sparty is coming off an embarrassing 30-6 loss at home vs Wisconsin. It was their worst home loss since 2009. The yardage was close to even but two key turnovers killed MSU. A 66-yard fumble return for a Wisconsin TD and a muffed punt attempt by MSU inside their 5-yard line led to 14 of Wisconsin’s 30 points. The key here will probably be if MSU can slow down Indy’s passing attack. The Spartans have been OK this year allowing 226 YPG passing and 7.2 yards per attempt. They did face a very good passing attack in Notre Dame and a decent passing game in Wisconsin to prepare for this one. Creating a pass rush vs Indiana will be key. The problem is MSU has only 5 sacks this year after racking up 37 last year. Making things even tougher is they will be short at LB again this week as starter Joe Reschke will be out and Riley Bullough, their team leader on defense, might have to sit again this week after missing the Wisconsin game. Offensively, look for Sparty to lean more on their running game this week. Last week the Badger stymied them for just 75 yards on 27 attempts. The Spartans will test an IU defense that has been solid vs the run this year but last season allowed over 200 YPG.

Last Year: MSU rolled at home 52-26 a year ago. However Sparty led just 31-26 with under 5:00 minutes remaining but scored 21 points in the final 4:57 to make it a blowout.

Inside the Numbers: MSU has absolutely dominated this series winning 16 of the last 18 and 25 of the last 31 overall. Sparty is also 13-4 ATS the last 17 in this Big Ten battle. If you’re looking for the outright win from the home dog, don’t count on it. IU has lost 19 of their last 20 games SU as a home underdog. That’s not all. Indiana is a terrible 1-41 SU the last 42 times they’ve been an underdog of 7 or more.

**StarDust Bum** · 10-01-2016, 11:58 AM

Clemson-Louisville highlights trio of top 10 matchups
October 1, 2016

The fifth week of the college football season offers arguably the best lineup of games since the opening weekend. With so many top 10 teams facing each other, this week could provide some clues on which teams have legitimate College Football Playoff aspirations.

BEST GAME

No. 3 Louisville at No. 5 Clemson.

This weekend features two other matchups of top 10 teams as No. 7 Stanford visits No. 10 Washington on Friday night and No. 8 Wisconsin plays at No. 4 Michigan on Saturday.

But the Atlantic Coast Conference showdown offers the most intrigue. The winner takes command of a loaded Atlantic Division that also features No. 12 Florida State, which already got blown out at Louisville two weeks ago.

Louisville is averaging 63.5 points to lead all Football Bowl Subdivision programs.

Clemson allows just 11 points per game and is tied for fifth nationally in scoring defense. The Tigers also have won 18 straight regular-season games and a school-record 18 straight home games.

HEISMAN WATCH

That Louisville-Clemson showdown also could have major Heisman Trophy implications.

Clemson quarterback Deshaun Watson entered the season as one of the Heisman favorites, but his thunder has been stolen a bit by Louisville quarterback Lamar Jackson's sensational September. Watson could reassert himself as a Heisman front-runner by outplaying Jackson in a Clemson victory.

''I know (Watson's) the best player in the country,'' Clemson receiver Ray-Ray McCloud said. ''For him to go out there against someone who supposedly is the best player in the country as well is just going to get him to a whole other level.''

NUMBERS TO KNOW

4 - The number of wins for undefeated Wake Forest heading into Saturday's game at North Carolina State. The Demon Deacons haven't won more than four games in a season since going 5-7 in 2012.

8-4-2: Wisconsin won 30-6 last week over No. 17 Michigan State, which was ranked eighth at the time of their meeting. The Badgers visit No. 4 Michigan this week. After taking next week off, they host No. 2 Ohio State on Oct. 15.

12-1 - No. 11 Tennessee has 12 fumbles this season but has lost only one of them.

35 - Oklahoma has won 35 consecutive regular-season games following a regular-season loss. The Sooners haven't lost consecutive regular-season games since October 1999. The Sooners try to continue that streak Saturday when they visit No. 21 TCU after losing to Ohio State in their last game.

OFF THE RADAR

Memphis had to replace its coach and quarterback as Virginia Tech hired away Justin Fuente and the Denver Broncos drafted Paxton Lynch in the first round. But the new-look Tigers have done just fine so far, as they have outscored opponents 155-27 in the first three games of Mike Norvell's coaching tenure.

The Tigers face a much tougher test this week at No. 16 Mississippi. The Rebels are seeking to avenge the 37-24 loss at Memphis last season.

''We went up there and got embarrassed last year,'' Ole Miss defensive lineman John Youngblood said. ''I don't think we prepared well, and we didn't have our mindset good enough going into the game.''

COACH IN NEED OF A WIN

Notre Dame coach Brian Kelly's decision to bring back Brian VanGorder as defensive coordinator this season backfired when the Fighting Irish staggered to a 1-3 start while allowing 33.5 points per game.

Kelly fired VanGorder on Sunday, the day after a 38-35 home loss to Duke. Greg Hudson is taking over the defense on an interim basis.

Notre Dame opened the season ranked 10th and has a quarterback (DeShone Kizer) being mentioned as a potential No. 1 overall draft pick, but the Irish will struggle to finish above .500 if they don't fix their defense.

Kelly and the team try to turn things around Saturday when Notre Dame faces Syracuse's up-tempo attack at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey.

**StarDust Bum** · 10-01-2016, 12:03 PM

Saturday's college action report: Louisville continues to be the public darlings of 2016

“Interestingly enough, this line opened with Clemson a 3-point favorite, (now) all the way to a 2-point favorite with Louisville, the biggest public darling so far this year.”

Week 5 of the college football season has seen several games make significant line movements, including two of the biggest contests on Saturday’s schedule. We talk about the action with Johnny Avello, executive director of race and sports at Wynn Las Vegas, and Matthew Holt, vice president of business development at CG Technology in Las Vegas.

No. 4 Louisville Cardinals at No. 3 Clemson Tigers – Open: -3; Move: +2, +1.5

The Atlantic Coast Conference takes center stage this week in a battle of unbeatens at 8 p.m. Eastern. Louisville, behind Heisman Trophy favorite quarterback Lamar Jackson, is 4-0 SU and nearly the same ATS (3-0-1), whipping Marshall 59-38 last weekend to push as 31-point chalk. Clemson (4-0 SU, 2-2 ATS) rolled at Georgia Tech in Week 4, 26-7 as a 10-point favorite.

The Tigers reached the national title game last year, losing a thriller to Alabama, and have a great QB of their own in DeShaun Watson. And Clemson won 20-17 at Louisville last year laying 5 points. But bettors are plowing their money into Louisville.

“Interestingly enough, this line opened with Clemson a 3-point favorite, (now) all the way to a 2-point favorite with Louisville, the biggest public darling so far this year,” Holt said. “Just an example of how much public support Louisville’s getting: Quarterback Lamar Jackson started the preseason at 100/1 right here (at CG) to win the Heisman Trophy. All of a sudden, he’s -300 to win the Heisman.”

The Cardinals’ 63-20 wipeout of Florida State in Week 3 remains firmly in many bettors’ minds.

“Everybody saw what they did to Florida State. This line, the public is gonna be all over Louisville,” Holt said. “The difference here, I do think we’re gonna get some sharp buyback. Just before the season, this was gonna be a line that was double-digit favorites for Clemson.

“All of a sudden, with no injuries, both teams healthy, and a Clemson team that’s also undefeated and looked really good last Thursday night against Georgia Tech, with extra rest, I think we’ll see two-way action on this. (The) public all over the Louisville Cardinals, sharp guys all over the home team Clemson Tigers.”

Oklahoma Sooners at No. 19 Texas Christian Horned Frogs – Open: +1; Move: +3.5

Oklahoma, considered a national championship contender before the season opened, is coming off a much-needed bye after going 1-2 SU (0-3 ATS) in its first three games. The Sooners fell at Houston 33-23 giving 13 points in Week 1, then got boatraced 45-24 at home by Ohio State as a 2-point pup in Week 3.

TCU (3-1 SU, 1-3 ATS) rolled past Southern Methodist 33-3 laying 21.5 points last week. The Horned Frogs have also cashed the last three in this rivalry, though Oklahoma is 2-1 SU, including a 30-29 win as a hefty 18-point favorite last year.

The Sooners drew the early action at the Wynn for this 5 p.m. Eastern kickoff, with the line jumping from the -1 opener Sunday night to -3.5 by Monday afternoon.

“There still are some believers out there in Oklahoma,” Avello said. “TCU has struggled a little bit this year, especially defensively.”

No. 8 Wisconsin Badgers at No. 5 Michigan Wolverines – Open: -9; Move: -10.5

Wisconsin (4-0 SU, 3-1 ATS) has been nothing short of impressive this season, yet finds itself a double-digit chalk at Michigan. The Badgers were just in the Great Lakes State a week ago, drubbing another top-10 team in Michigan State 30-6 as a 3.5-point underdog. The Wolverines (4-0 SU, 3-1 ATS), meanwhile, have scored 45 points or more in all four of their starts, including a 49-10 Week 4 wipeout of Penn State giving 15.5 points at home.

“While Louisville’s getting all this love for their winning streak, Wisconsin’s not,” Holt said of action for this 3:30 p.m. Eastern start. “Wisconsin really put a stranglehold on Leonard Fournette and LSU, then last week, they hammered Michigan State in East Lansing, which nobody does. Just an absolute blowout on the road, and yet they’re not getting any love.

“This line opened Michigan -9, (now) all the way up to Wolverines a 10.5-point favorite, a lot of love for the Wolverines. They were the most highly bet team before the season started, they continue to be one of the most highly bet teams week in and week out. This one’s gonna be a really good one.”

Missouri Tigers at Louisiana State Tigers – Open: -14.5; Move: -12.5

LSU fired coach Les Miles last Sunday, a day after the Tigers lost 18-13 at Auburn when what appeared to be a game-winning touchdown was overruled on replay because LSU didn’t get the play off on time. That left LSU, a 3.5-point road fave in that contest, 2-2 SU and 0-4 ATS. Missouri (2-2 SU, 3-1 ATS) is coming off a 79-0 ripping of FCS foe Delaware State as a massive 48-point fave.

Although LSU, with Ed Orgeron now the interim head coach, may seem in disarray, Avello said he’s not sold on those who are betting the line downward for this 7:30 p.m. Eastern kickoff.

“The players bet the ‘dog in this game, feeling that maybe emotionally the air was let out of LSU with that coach being fired,” Avello said. “But I don’t believe so, because the defensive line coach is now the new coach, he’s been around. I think they fire them up pretty good, and I really don’t think Missouri’s that good of a team. So I look for this line to go back up again.”

Other games that have seen sizable moves at Wynn Las Vegas, which posts college lines each Sunday, earlier than most Las Vegas books:

• Notre Dame opened as 13-point road chalk against Syracuse, but was bet down to a 10-point fave by Friday afternoon.
• New Mexico is up to a 10.5-point home fave against San Jose State, after opening at -8.5.
• UCLA, which suffered a heartbreaking loss to Stanford last week (along with a terrible beat for its bettors), has been bet from an 11.5-point home favorite up to a 14-point chalk against Arizona.
• Southern California, which opened -7.5 against visiting Arizona State, is now at -10.

**StarDust Bum** · 10-01-2016, 12:06 PM

NCAAF

Saturday, October 1

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Saturday's college football Game of the Day: Louisville at Clemson
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The budding rivals never met before Louisville joined the ACC in 2014, and Clemson has won both meetings by a combined nine points, including a 20-17 road victory last season.

No. 4 Louisville Cardinals at No. 3 Clemson Tigers (+1, 67)

The last time Louisville and Clemson squared off, it turned into a defensive struggle. A repeat would be quite a surprise when two of the nation’s most dynamic offenses meet in a showdown of top-five teams Saturday night at Clemson.

The budding rivals never met before Louisville joined the ACC in 2014, and Clemson has won both meetings by a combined nine points, including a 20-17 road victory last season. The Tigers’ defense dominated last year’s contest, holding the Cardinals to 272 total yards — and just 19 yards on the ground. Slowing down this year’s Louisville team will be a tough task, as the No. 4-ranked Cardinals lead the nation in scoring and total offense behind dual-threat quarterback Lamar Jackson. No. 3 Clemson boasts a dangerous quarterback of its own in Deshaun Watson, who is 22-2 as a starter and ranks third on the Tigers’ all-time passing list.

TV: 8:22 p.m. ET, ABC.

LINE HISTORY: This is the big matchup that everyone has been waiting for all season. Clemson opened the betting as 3.5-point home favorites but the betting public hammered Louisville and forced some drastic line moves throughout the week. The spread was dropped from -3.5 to -2 almost immediately after release and on Monday the books dropped it all of the way to a Pick 'Em. On Tuesday that Pick 'Em fully jumped the fence and Louisville were installed as 2-point favorites. As of Friday afternoon the spread was beginning to come back again and Louisville currently sits as 1-point faves.

The total began the betting week at 67.5, took a slight bump to 68, and settled back down to 67 on Friday. View complete line history here.

INJURY REPORT:

Louisville - WR J. Savage (Questionable Saturday, shoulder), S L. Iakopo (Out For Season, knee), LB T. Young (Out For Season, hip), CB C. Sturghill (Out For Season, foot).

Clemson - DE A. Bryant (Questionable Saturday, foot), CB A. Baker (Questionable Saturday, knee), WR A. Dunn (Out For Season, knee), CB D. Johnson (Out Saturday, hamstring), LB J. Williams (Out Indefinitely, knee), DB B. Dawkins (Out Indefinitely, knee), OL C. Reeves (Out Indefinitely, knee), WR H. Renfrow (Mid October, hand).

WEATHER REPORT: It's going to be a perfect evening for football at Clemson's Memorial Stadium on Saturday. Clear skies, no wind, temperatures in the low 70's and humidity levels down around 50-55 percent.

WHAT BOOKS SAY: “Interestingly enough, this line opened with Clemson a 3-point favorite, (now) all the way to a 2-point favorite with Louisville, the biggest public darling so far this year. Just an example of how much public support Louisville’s getting: Quarterback Lamar Jackson started the preseason at 100/1 right here (at CG) to win the Heisman Trophy. All of a sudden, he’s -300 to win the Heisman.”

ABOUT LOUISVILLE (4-0 SU, 3-0-1 ATS, 4-0 O/U): Jackson is widely considered the runaway leader in the Heisman Trophy race, having accounted for 25 touchdowns (13 passing, 12 rushing) through four games. Running back Brandon Radcliff has topped 100 yards rushing in three straight games, combining with Jackson to lead the nation’s No. 3 rushing attack at 318.2 yards per game. The Cardinals’ huge offensive numbers have overshadowed a strong defense, which has held three of four opponents under 300 total yards.

ABOUT CLEMSON (4-0 SU, 2-2 ATS, 0-4 O/U): If any team is up to the task of quieting the Cardinals’ offense, it might be the Tigers, who are coming off a dominant defensive effort after holding Georgia Tech to 124 total yards in a 26-7 victory. Clemson ranks third nationally in total defense and has been especially tough against the pass, allowing just 125.8 yards per game through the air. Watson has put up solid passing numbers, but the Tigers could use more of a contribution from running back Wayne Gallman, who has averaged just 44.3 rushing yards over the past three games.

TRENDS:

* Cardinals are 5-0-1 ATS in their last 6 games overall.
* Tigers are 5-1 ATS in their last 6 games following a straight up win.
* Over is 5-0 in Cardinals last 5 conference games.
* Under is 4-0 in Tigers last 4 games overall.

CONSENSUS: The public is all about the Louisville Cardinals in this one at a rate of 58 percent and the Over is picking up 69 percent of the totals wagers.

**StarDust Bum** · 10-01-2016, 12:07 PM

NCAAF

Saturday, October 1

Examining weather forecasts for today. Seems like rain issues in:

New England
Mich
Iowa
Carolinas
Penn
DMV
Indiana
Ohio
Oregon
Hawaii
Tenn

**StarDust Bum** · 10-01-2016, 12:21 PM

Saturday's NCAAF Top 25 betting cheat sheet and odds: Week 5

Ohio State quarterback J.T. Barrett has 10 touchdowns and only one interception, a big reason why the Buckeyes lead the nation with a plus-9 turnover margin.

We're on to Week 5 of the college football season and the full slate of games can be tough to navigate for bettors. So we bring you our Top 25 betting cheat sheet to handicap the best games of the day.

No. 21 Florida Gators at Vanderbilt Commodores (+9.5, 40.5)

* Even with last week’s meltdown, the Gators still lead the SEC in total defense (221.8 yard per game, fourth nationally) and are allowing a league-best 13 points per game. Appleby, a fifth-year senior transfer from Purdue, completed 23-of-39 passes for 296 yards and three touchdowns at Tennessee as Del Rio recovers from a knee injury. Better offensive line play also is needed this week, after the Gators rushed for just 19 yards on 13 attempts in the second half last week.

* Quarterback Kyle Shurmur played well down the stretch in the Commodores' rally, going 8-for-12 for 155 yards and a touchdown in the fourth quarter and overtime. Webb leads the SEC in rushing (472 yards) and is ninth nationally after rushing for 95 yards and three touchdowns last week. Vanderbilt is allowing 452.5 yards per contest, next-to-last in the SEC.

LINE HISTORY: The point spread for this one hit the board with Florida giving 9.5 points. There were a few wobbles throughout the week (went as high as 10.5) but the line currently sits right on that opening number. The total opened at 41 and fell a half point to 40.5. View complete line history here.

TRENDS:

* Gators are 9-2 ATS in their last 11 road games.
* Commodores are 0-5 ATS in their last 5 home games vs. a team with a winning road record.
* Under is 6-0 in Commodores last 6 games in October.
* Road team is 8-0 ATS in their last 8 meetings.

No. 25 Texas Longhorns at Oklahoma State Cowboys (-2.5, 70.5)

* Freshman Shane Buechele has completed 66.3 percent of his passes for 720 yards and seven TDs as the Longhorns average 44.7 points. The backfield of D'Onta Foreman (288 yards, three TDs in two games) and Chris Warren III (260 yards, three TDs) is averaging 5.6 yards per carry while backup quarterback Tyrone Swoopes has added three scores. Freshman defensive end Malcolm Roach (two sacks) could get more playing time as part of Strong's changes to the defensive personnel.

* Mason Rudolph has thrown for 1,296 yards and six TDs, connecting with James Washington (league-leading 122 receiving yards per game) for three scores. Hill (211 rushing yards, TD) had 122 yards and two fumbles in a loss at Baylor last week while Rennie Childs (158 yards) has six rushing TDs. The Cowboys have forced a league-best nine turnovers - including two interceptions by cornerback Ramon Richards - but have lost eight, including six fumbles.

LINE HISTORY: Oklahoma State opened as three-point favorites and by midweek the spread was bet down to -2.5. The total opened at 71.5 and came down a full point to sit at 70.5. View complete line history here.

TRENDS:

* Longhorns are 1-5 ATS in their last 6 road games.
* Cowboys are 1-5 ATS vs. a team with a winning record.
* Under is 8-0 in Longhorns last 8 games after allowing more than 40 points in their previous game.
* Over is 6-0 in Cowboys last 6 games after allowing more than 280 yards passing in their previous game.
* Road team is 9-0 ATS in their last 9 meetings.

Rutgers Scarlet Knights at No. 2 Ohio State Buckeyes (-38, 60)

* Janarion Grant leads the team with 20 catches for 210 yards (not to mention 138 rushing yards and a touchdown pass) but will miss the remainder of the season with a right ankle injury suffered against Iowa. That will put more pressure on quarterback Chris Laviano (647 passing yards, five TDs) and running back Robert Martin (358 yards, one TD). Rutgers outgained the Hawkeyes last week, 383-355, thanks to 106 rushing yards by Martin, who is seeking his third straight 100-yard performance this weekend.

* The Buckeyes' defense returns only three starters from last year - as does the Ohio State offense - but the results have been extremely impressive to this point. Defensively, Ohio State has nine interceptions - four of them "pick-sixes" - and is the only FBS team not to allow a rushing touchdown all season. On the offensive side, J.T. Barrett has 10 touchdowns and only one interception, a big reason why the Buckeyes lead the nation with a plus-9 turnover margin.

LINE HISTORY: Ohio State opened the betting week as 38-point favorites over their conference rivals from Rutgers. In the middle of the week, the lofty spread actually went up slightly to -38.5 but settled back down to the opening number on Thursday evening. The total began the week at 59 but immediately dropped to 57.5. On Wednesday afternoon the total made another big move up to the current number of 60. View complete line history here.

TRENDS:

* Scarlet Knights are 1-5 ATS in their last 6 conference games.
* Buckeyes are 5-0 ATS in their last 5 games overall.
* Over is 4-1 in Scarlet Knights' last 5 road games.
* Under is 5-1 in Buckeyes' last 6 conference games.

No. 14 Miami Hurricanes at Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets (+7, 54)

* Linemen Demetrius Jackson and Chad Thomas have combined for 10 tackles for loss and 4.5 sacks while the all-freshman starting linebacker trio featuring Michael Pinckney and Shaquille Quarterman has exceeded expectations for a defense that is tied for first in sacks (4.33 per game) and No. 1 in tackles for loss (13.3). After dominating Florida A&M and Florida Atlantic on the ground, coach Mark Richt opened up the offense against the Mountaineers behind Kaaya, who threw scoring passes to veterans Stacy Coley and David Njoku while finding a new big-play option in freshman Ahmmon Richards (four catches, including a 62-yard TD). Sophomore Mark Walton is averaging 133.7 yards rushing and got the Hurricanes started with an 80-yard score on Miami's first offensive play against Appalachian State.

* Versatile quarterback Justin Thomas will look to get his team's usually reliable running attack back on track after an error-filled outing that Johnson termed "a train wreck" while also looking to improve his passing accuracy (23-of-51) in an effort to keep the Hurricanes' defense guessing. Freshman running back Dedrick Mills has emerged as the team's top rushing threat (67 yards per game, five touchdowns) and sophomore Clinton Lynch has big-play ability, averaging 12 yards on 11 carries and also scoring on a 71-yard pass play. Led by lineman Patrick Gamble (2.5 sacks), linebacker P.J. Davis (24 total tackles) and defensive back Corey Griffin (25 tackles, one interception), the defense had been solid - allowing only 31 points in three wins - prior to the first-half mess against Clemson.

LINE HISTORY: Miami opened the betting week as 6.5-point road favorites and by Monday morning that line was up to 7. The total hit the board at 49 and was bet up all week - 51.5, 52, 53 - and finally settled at its current number of 54. View complete line history here.

TRENDS:

* Hurricanes are 5-1 ATS in their last 6 games overall.
* Yellow Jackets are 1-8 ATS vs. a team with a winning record.
* Under is 5-1 in Yellow Jackets' last 6 conference games.
* Hurricanes are 6-1 ATS in their last 7 meetings.

No. 13 Baylor Bears at Iowa State Cyclones (+16.5, 61)

* The Bears have led the NCAA in total and scoring offense the last three years but are off to a slow start -- for them -- averaging 42 points (24th in FBS) and 548.8 yards (eighth). Russell is the reigning Big 12 Offensive Player of the Week after passing for 387 yards and four touchdowns in the win over Oklahoma State and for the season has thrown for 1,148 yards and 13 TDs while completing 80-of-133 attempts. Tailback Shock Linwood became the school's all-time leading rusher in the win over Rice and now has 3,679 yards, third-most among active FBS players, while linebacker Aiavion Edwards leads the defense with 33 tackles.

* The Cyclones lost their first three games to open the season, including a 25-20 home loss to FCS Northern Iowa, but finally broke though in the win column for first-year head coach Matt Campbell with an impressive 44-10 victory over San Jose State last Saturday. Mike Warren rushed for 103 yards and Jacob Park (165 yards, 3 TDs) and Joel Lanning (136 yards, 2 TDs) both had big games splitting time at quarterback. The defense, which intercepted four passes, was led by safety Kamari Cotton-Moya, who had 11 tackles and an interception, and linebacker Brian Mills, who finished with six tackles, a sack and a forced fumble.

LINE HISTORY: Baylor opened the betting week as 16.5-point road favorites and, despite a brief bump up to 17 in the middle of the week, the spread currently sits right on that opening number. The total opened at 60 and came up a point to 61 on Thursday. View complete line history here.

TRENDS:

* Bears are 1-6 ATS in their last 7 games following a straight up win.
* Cyclones are 1-6 ATS in their last 7 games following a straight up win of more than 20 points.
* Under is 5-0 in Bears last 5 games on grass.
* Over is 6-0-1 in Cyclones last 7 games following a straight up win.

No. 11 Tennessee Volunteers at No. 20 Georgia Bulldogs (+3, 52)

* Quarterback Joshua Dobbs ripped Florida’s defense for a career-best 319 yards passing and four touchdowns in winning SEC offensive player of the week, and has rushed for more than 80 yards in each of the Volunteers’ first four games. The Volunteers have five touchdown drives of one minute or less, and average 1:54 on their 16 offensive touchdown drives this season. Defensive end Derek Barnett earned SEC defensive player of the week honors after recording two sacks, three tackles for a loss and a batted pass in the second half.

* Chubb, who suffered a devastating left knee injury early in last season’s 38-31 loss at Tennessee, rushed for 57 yards on 12 carries last week before leaving. If Chubb cannot play, the tandem of Brian Herrien (78 yards last week) and Sony Michel (66 yards) will have to establish the running game and provide balance for Jacob Eason. The freshman quarterback struggled in his second road start last week, completing only 16-of-36 passes and throwing an interception that was returned for a touchdown.

LINE HISTORY: Tennessee opened as three-point road favorites and on Tuesday that line went up to 3.5. On Thursday morning some money came back on Georgia which dropped the line back to the opening number of 3. The total began the betting week at 54 before being dropped, almost immediately, to 53 and came down another full point to 52 on Thursday morning. View complete line history here.

TRENDS:

* Volunteers are 6-0 ATS vs. a team with a winning record.
* Bulldogs are 0-4 ATS in their last 4 games in October.
* Over is 8-2 in Volunteers last 10 games after allowing more than 280 yards passing in their previous game.
* Under is 8-0 in Bulldogs last 8 home games.

No. 23 North Carolina Tar Heels at No. 12 Florida State Seminoles (-10.5, 70)

* The Tar Heels have also struggled keeping teams off the scoreboard, permitting 30 points per game, and coordinator Gene Chizik told reporters, “We need to show up and play with a defense that looks like it can compete in this league.” The other side of the ball is not a problem, although Pitt held the Tar Heels to 18 yards rushing last week and running back Elijah Hood is averaging just 72.8 yards per game. Trubisky boasts four veteran targets with at least 183 receiving yards, led by senior Ryan Switzer’s 33 catches (16 last week) and 429 yards.

* The Seminoles rushed for at least 400 yards for the first time since 1995 (10th overall) last week (478) and sophomore Jacques Patrick showed he can be a factor in support with 124 yards against USF. Freshman quarterback Deondre Francois is completing 62.8 percent of his passes with just two interceptions and junior Travis Rudolph boasts 16 receptions for a team-high 233 yards and three scores. Florida State has not put it together on defense, yielding more than 200 yards per game on the ground, but has 13 sacks – 5.5 by end DeMarcus Walker.

LINE HISTORY: Florida State began the betting week as 11.5-point favorites. That spread was quickly bumped up to -12 before being dropped to -11 later Monday morning and was dropped even further to -10.5 on Thursday. The total opened at 69 and was bumped up to 70 by the end of the week. View complete line history here.

TRENDS:

* Tar Heels are 6-1 ATS in their last 7 games in October.
* Seminoles are 6-0 ATS in their last 6 games on grass.
* Over is 8-0 in Tar Heels last 8 vs. a team with a winning record.
* Over is 5-1 in Seminoles last 6 home games.

No. 8 Wisconsin Badgers at No. 5 Michigan Wolverines (-10.5, 44.5)

* Freshman quarterback Alex Hornibrook showed veteran poise in his first career start, throwing for 195 yards and a touchdown to lead the Badgers past Michigan State. T.J. Watt, who is the brother of Houston Texans star J.J. Watt, was named the Walter Camp National Defensive Player of the Week after registering six tackles, including 3.5 for loss, and 2.5 sacks against the Spartans. Offensive lineman Brett Connors will make his second straight start after an impressive performance last week while left guard Jon Dietzen (right leg) and kicker Rafael Gaglianone (back) are listed as questionable after missing the victory against Michigan State.

* The Wolverines' running back by committee approach paid off as Karan Higdon rushed for 81 yards and two touchdowns while De'Veon Smith (107), Ty Isaac (74) and Chris Evans (56) all added a TD apiece last week. Senior cornerback Jeremy Clark will miss the remainder of the season after tearing his ACL on a kickoff return in the fourth quarter against Penn State. Wolverines head coach Jim Harbaugh revealed he's "hopeful" that nose tackle Bryan Mone, who has been sidelined with a knee injury since the opening week, will return in time to face the Badgers while freshman defensive backs Lavert Hill and David Long are expected to see more meaningful snaps in Clark's absence.

LINE HISTORY: The Michigan Wolverines opened the betting week as 10.5-point favorites for this key Big Ten matchup. The line wobbled between -10 and -11 all week before settling back to -10.5 on Thursday evening. The total hit the board at 44 and was immediately bumped up to 45 before being dropped back slightly to 44.5 where it remained for most of the week. View complete line history here.

TRENDS:

* Badgers are 5-1 ATS in their last 6 games overall.
* Wolverines are 4-1 ATS in their last 5 games overall.
* Under is 6-1 in Badgers last 7 vs. a team with a winning record.
* Over is 12-0 in Wolverines last 12 games overall.

Illinois Fighting Illini at No. 15 Nebraska Cornhuskers (-20, 53)

* Ke'Shawn Vaughn and Kendrick Foster combined for 337 yards rushing on 48 carries over the Illini's first two contests but totaled only 25 yards on 10 attempts as the Broncos stacked the box and forced quarterback Wes Lunt to beat them. Lunt had a season-high 312 yards passing in the loss, but he took four sacks, committed two turnovers (including his first interception of the season) and only three of his 29 completions covered more than 20 yards. The defense has also not held up its end of the bargain after allowing -10 yards rushing and recording three takeaways in the opener, yielding 484 total rushing yards and failing to force a turnover in the two games since.

* Tommy Armstrong Jr. has flourished in his senior season - averaging a career-high 8.78 yards per attempt while also posting a 8:1 touchdown-to-interception ratio - and is coming off a game in which he threw for 246 yards and ran for a career-high 132 yards. After running backs Terrell Newby and Devine Ozigbo each fumbled on potential scoring opportunities in the first half, Chicago native Mikale Wilbon impressed with 55 yards on six carries as the Cornhuskers put the game away on the ground over their final two drives. Guard Tanner Farmer (high-ankle sprain) has been ruled out and big-play wideout Alonzo Moore (shoulder), who leads the team with 310 yards receiving, is doubtful for Saturday.

LINE HISTORY: Nebraska opened the week as 21-point home favorites. The line held for most of the week before taking a couple of 1/2 point drops on Thursday to settle in to its current number of -20. The total began the week at 54, was dropped to 52.5, and came back up slightly to 53 on Thursday. View complete line history here.

TRENDS:

* Fighting Illini are 3-12 ATS in their last 15 road games vs. a team with a winning home record.
* Cornhuskers are 4-0-1 ATS in their last 5 games overall.
* Under is 7-1 in Fighting Illini last 8 games after allowing more than 200 yards rushing in their previous game.
* Under is 4-0 in Cornhuskers last 4 home games vs. a team with a losing road record.

No. 10 Texas A&M Aggies at South Carolina Gamecocks (+17.5, 47.5)

* The Aggies are the only team in the SEC and one of three in the nation who have passed and rushed for at least 1,000 yards, as they lead the SEC with 269.2 rushing yards per game. Texas A&M rolled up 366 rushing yards in last week’s 45-24 win over Arkansas with freshman running back Trayveon Williams and quarterback Trevor Knight leading the charge with more than 150 yards apiece. The defense was a liability a year ago but has been steady early this season with pass-rush specialist Myles Garrett leading a unit that is much-improved, especially against the run.

* The Gamecocks have taken to Muschamp’s defensive philosophy, allowing a respectable 17.3 points per game and forcing six turnovers over the past two games. The offense has not been as effective, as freshman quarterback Brandon McIlwain has not thrown an interception but has completed only 51.6 percent of his passes with two touchdowns. The ground game has been even worse, as the Gamecocks have averaged a paltry 2.95 yards per carry.

LINE HISTORY: Texas A&M opened the betting week as 17-point road faves and their line was bumped up to 17.5 early in the week - the spread has not moved since Monday. The total opened at 47.5 and hasn't moved at all as of Friday afternoon. View complete line history here.

TRENDS:

* Aggies are 3-13 ATS in their last 16 games in October.
* Gamecocks are 6-0 ATS in their last 6 games after allowing more than 200 yards rushing in their previous game.
* Under is 6-0 in Aggies last 6 road games.
* Under is 9-1 in Gamecocks last 10 games after accumulating less than 100 yards rushing in their previous game.

Oklahoma Sooners at No. 19 Texas Christian Horned Frogs (+3.5, 69.5)

* The Sooners are averaging 35.3 points per game behind Mayfield, who has passed for 793 yards and seven touchdowns against two interceptions after accumulating 3,700 yards and 36 touchdown passes last season. Sophomore Joe Mixon (235 yards, 8.4 average) has been much more productive than junior Samaje Perine (149 yards, 4.5 average) while sophomore wideout Mark Andrews has 211 receiving yards and four touchdowns on just nine receptions. Oklahoma is one of seven teams nationally without an interception and also has just five sacks while allowing an average of 31.7 points - including 33 to Houston and 45 to Ohio State.

* The Horned Frogs are averaging 42.8 points per game and junior quarterback Kenny Hill has been a multi-dimensional threat by passing for 1,487 yards and six touchdowns while rushing for 166 yards and six scores. Junior receiver John Diarse, a transfer from LSU, has blossomed with 13 receptions over the past two weeks, while junior running back Kyle Hicks has been solid with a team-best 314 rushing yards. Sophomore outside linebacker Ty Summers has posted 29 of his team-best 39 tackles in the past two games as a defensive unit that allowed 82 points over its first two games has given up just 23 over the last two contests.

LINE HISTORY: The unranked Oklahoma Sooners opened as 2-point road favorites against the No. 19 ranked TCU Horned Frogs. As the betting week progressed this line took several 1/2-point jumps to settle at its current number of 3.5. The total hit the betting board at 69.5 and hasn't moved all week. View complete line history here.

TRENDS:

* Sooners are 6-1 ATS in their last 7 conference games.
* Horned Frogs are 7-1 ATS in their last 8 games in October.
* Over is 9-1 in Sooners last 10 games following a straight up loss.
* Over is 4-0 in Horned Frogs last 4 home games.

No. 18 Utah Utes at California Golden Bears (-2.5, 65)

* Cornerback and team captain Dominique Hatfield, who had two interceptions in last year’s win over Cal, missed this season’s first three games with a knee injury but recorded five tackles last week and faces a key matchup against Cal’s top receiver on Saturday. While the Utes’ defense was expected to be among the team’s strengths, the offense has been a pleasant surprise thanks to players such as Tim Patrick, who is coming off back-to-back 100-yard receiving games. True freshman Zack Moss is averaging 92.5 rushing yards since becoming the starter two games ago, and the Utes’ offensive line didn't allow a sack last week against the Trojans.

* The Golden Bears have scored at least 40 points in each of their games but rank among the worst in the country in several defensive categories despite the play of end Cameron Saffle, who notched eight tackles and two sacks against Arizona State. While the defense remains a concern, the offense continues to put up points behind Webb and wide receiver Chad Hansen, who has six touchdowns and leads the nation with an average of 12.5 catches per game. As good as the offense has been, the Golden Bears still need more production from their running game along with wide receivers Demetris Robertson and Melquise Stovall.

LINE HISTORY: Cal opened the week as one-point home favorites and that line was bumped up to -2 on Wednesday before being bumped another 1/2 point to -2.5 on Thursday. The total opened at 67, went up slightly to 68, took a sharp drop to 65.5 on Thursday afternoon, and settled down to its current number of 65. View complete line history here.

TRENDS:

* Utes are 1-8 ATS in their last 9 games after allowing more than 200 yards rushing in their previous game.
* Golden Bears are 1-6 ATS in their last 7 conference games.
* Over is 6-0 in Utes last 6 road games.
* Over is 6-0 in Golden Bears last 6 games overall.

Kentucky Wildcats at No. 1 Alabama Crimson Tide (-35.5, 57.5)

* The Wildcats are effective on the ground with an average of 196.8 yards per game as both junior Stanley "Boom" Williams (464 yards, 8.0 average) and freshman Benny Snell (209 yards, 6.3 average) have played well. Junior quarterback Stephen Johnson made his first career start last Saturday and went 11-of-19 passing for 138 yards in a victory over South Carolina and he may hold the job the rest of the season after Drew Barker's back injury leaves his status unclear. Sophomore weak-side linebacker Jordan Jones has a team-leading 43 tackles while sophomore strong-side linebacker Josh Allen and sophomore defensive end Denzil Ware share the team lead with three sacks.

* Freshman quarterback Jalen Hurts has been superb while passing for 727 yards and five touchdowns and adding 251 yards and three scores on the ground. If Harris doesn't play, freshman Joshua Jacobs is in line for increased duty after producing 97 yards and two touchdowns on just 11 carries versus Kent State. The Crimson Tide have allowed 59 points - 43 were in one game by Ole Miss - and thrives behind star players such as senior safety Eddie Jackson (nine career interceptions), senior defensive end Jonathan Allen (three sacks), senior weak-side linebacker Reuben Foster (team-best 29 tackles) and senior strong-side linebacker Ryan Anderson (three sacks).

LINE HISTORY: Alabama opened as big 34.5-point home favorites over Kentucky and that line was bumped up even further throughout the week to settle in at -35.5. The total opened at 57.5 and, as of Friday afternoon, has yet to move off the opening number. View complete line history here.

TRENDS:

* Wildcats are 2-10 ATS in their last 12 games overall.
* Crimson Tide are 4-0 ATS in their last 4 home games.
* Over is 5-1 in Wildcats last 6 games overall.
* Under is 7-0 in Crimson Tide last 7 games after allowing less than 170 yards passing in their previous game.

Memphis Tigers at No. 17 Mississippi Rebels (-14.5, 69)

* Ferguson was named American Athletic Conference Offensive Player of the Week despite playing only the first half of last weekend's thumping of the Falcons; his 359 yards passing was the 11th-highest single-game mark in school history, while his six passing touchdowns fell one short of Lynch's school record. Anthony Miller tallied 10 catches during last year's upset and leads the team with 17 receptions this season, while leading rusher Doroland Dorceus needed only nine carries to accumulate 117 yards versus Bowling Green, joining Miller as one of 11 Tigers this season to score a touchdown. After recording one takeaway against Southeast Missouri State in the opener, Memphis has forced 10 turnovers the last two games and is tied for fourth in FBS with 11.

* Chad Kelly continued his assault on the Rebels' record book during Saturday's victory over Georgia, completing a TD pass for the 17th straight game to break Eli Manning's school record while also moving past Archie Manning into sixth place on the total yardage list with 5,901. Evan Engram leads all FBS tight ends with a SEC-best 26 catches and 397 yards receiving, the latter of which is good for 13th among all players in the country. Senior defensive back Derrick Jones ran back Ole Miss' first interception of the season 52 yards for a touchdown last weekend - only one of four turnovers forced by the team this season - while junior linebacker DeMarquis Gates is one of nine SEC players with at least 30 tackles.

LINE HISTORY: Ole Miss opened the betting week for this matchup as 14.5-point home favorites. There was some movement down to -13.5 early in the week, but the point spread returned to its opening number of -14.5 by Wednesday and still sits at that number on Friday afternoon. The total hit the betting board at 65.5 and rose sharply to 69 by the end of the week. View complete line history here.

TRENDS:

* Tigers are 1-7-1 ATS in their last 9 vs. SEC.
* Rebels are 5-1 ATS vs. a team with a winning record.
* Under is 6-1 in Tigers last 7 games overall.
* Under is 8-0 in Rebels last 8 home games vs. a team with a winning road record.

No. 24 San Diego State Aztecs at South Alabama Jaguars (+18.5, 51.5)

* Pumphrey justifiably has received most of the credit for the Aztecs’ hot start, but sophomore quarterback Christian Chapman also has played well with six touchdown passes - including three to wide receiver Mikah Holder. The offense is averaging 39.3 points and 442.7 yards per contest, while the defense ranks sixth nationally in rushing yards allowed per game (107.6) since the beginning of the 2015 season. Linebacker Calvin Munson has recorded 34 tackles to lead a unit that includes defensive end Alex Barrett (four sacks) as well as shutdown cornerbacks Damontae Kazee and Derek Babiash.

* Dallas Davis threw for 302 yards but was intercepted four times in last week’s win over Nicholls while playing through a case of turf toe suffered on Sept. 17 in a loss to Louisiana-Lafayette. Xavier Johnson, the team’s leading rusher, ran for 142 yards and two touchdowns in last year’s win over San Diego State but could miss Saturday’s contest due to a sprained ankle suffered in last week's victory. The defense is allowing an average of 28 points and will need another strong effort Saturday from safety Kalen Jackson and linebacker Roman Buchanan, who are tied for the team lead with 33 tackles apiece.

LINE HISTORY: San Diego State opened as 20-point road favorites and that line steadily fell all week to settle in at 18.5 by Thursday afternoon. The total hit the board at 52 and got as high as 53 before settling down to 51.5 on Friday afternoon. View complete line history here.

TRENDS:

* Aztecs are 6-0 ATS in their last 6 road games.
* Jaguars are 1-8 ATS vs. a team with a winning record.
* Under is 8-2 in Aztecs last 10 games in October.
* Over is 7-1-1 in Jaguars last 9 home games.

No. 4 Louisville Cardinals at No. 3 Clemson Tigers (+1, 67)

* Jackson is widely considered the runaway leader in the Heisman Trophy race, having accounted for 25 touchdowns (13 passing, 12 rushing) through four games. Running back Brandon Radcliff has topped 100 yards rushing in three straight games, combining with Jackson to lead the nation’s No. 3 rushing attack at 318.2 yards per game. The Cardinals’ huge offensive numbers have overshadowed a strong defense, which has held three of four opponents under 300 total yards.

* If any team is up to the task of quieting the Cardinals’ offense, it might be the Tigers, who are coming off a dominant defensive effort after holding Georgia Tech to 124 total yards in a 26-7 victory. Clemson ranks third nationally in total defense and has been especially tough against the pass, allowing just 125.8 yards per game through the air. Watson has put up solid passing numbers, but the Tigers could use more of a contribution from running back Wayne Gallman, who has averaged just 44.3 rushing yards over the past three games.

LINE HISTORY: This is the big matchup that everyone has been waiting for all season. Clemson opened the betting as 3.5-point home favorites but the betting public hammered Louisville and forced some drastic line moves throughout the week. The spread was dropped from -3.5 to -2 almost immediately after release and on Monday the books dropped it all of the way to a Pick 'Em. On Tuesday that Pick 'Em fully jumped the fence and Louisville were installed as 2-point favorites. As of Friday afternoon the spread was beginning to come back again and Louisville currently sits as 1-point faves.

The total began the betting week at 67.5, took a slight bump to 68, and settled back down to 67 on Friday. View complete line history here.

TRENDS:

* Cardinals are 5-0-1 ATS in their last 6 games overall.
* Tigers are 5-1 ATS in their last 6 games following a straight up win.
* Over is 5-0 in Cardinals last 5 conference games.
* Under is 4-0 in Tigers last 4 games overall.

No. 16 Michigan State Spartans at Indiana Hoosiers (+6.5, 52)

* While the offense had its struggles against Wisconsin, Dantonio has to be concerned about his defense, especially with two of the unit’s most productive players – Riley Bullough and Jon Reschke – dealing with injuries. Bullough, a senior captain at linebacker, missed the game against the Badgers and is day-to-day with an undisclosed injury, while fellow LB Reschke will be out for a “significant time period” with an ankle injury, according to Dantonio. Shane Jones started for Bullough against the Badgers and will likely see time whether Bullough plays or not, while Andrew Dowell, who started for Reschke when he missed the opener against Furman, will also see his playing time go up.

* The Hoosiers are coming off a huge game passing the ball, with Lagow throwing for 496 yards and WR Ricky Jones setting career highs with eight catches for 208 yards. But to keep Michigan State’s ferocious defensive line from simply pinning their ears back and rushing Lagow every play, the running game must improve from last week’s 115-yard outing. The Spartans don’t give up many yards on the ground, but look for the Hoosiers to feed Devine Redding and other backs the ball early to at least establish the threat of a running attack.

LINE HISTORY: Michigan State opened the week as 7.5-point road favorites. The point spread went up as high as 8.5 early in the week but settled all of the way down to 6.5 by Wednesday. The total opened at 53.5 and dropped down to 52 by Thursday afternoon. View complete line history here.

TRENDS:

* Spartans are 5-0 ATS in their last 5 games following a straight up loss.
* Hoosiers are 1-6 ATS vs. a team with a winning record.
* Under is 4-1 in Spartans last 5 games overall.
* Over is 8-0 in the last 8 meetings.

**StarDust Bum** · 10-01-2016, 12:28 PM

CFB BEST BETS: ( *** DENOTES TRIPLE PLAY )

WLT PCT UNITS

ATS Picks 108-102-6 51.43% -2100

O/U Picks 41-40-2 50.62% -1500

SATURDAY, OCTOBER 1

GAME TIME(ET) PICK UNITS

RUTG at OSU 12:00 PM

OSU -38.0

O 60.0

SYR at ND 12:00 PM

SYR +9.5

U 73.0

SMU at TEM 12:00 PM

TEM -12.5

U 52.0

UCF at ECU 12:00 PM

UCF +3.0

O 61.0

NW at IOWA 12:00 PM

IOWA -13.5

O 43.5

FLA at VAN 12:00 PM

VAN +10.5

U 40.5

TEX at OKST 12:00 PM

TEX +2.5

U 70.5

BAY at ISU 12:00 PM

BAY -17.0

O 61.0

MIA at GT 12:00 PM

MIA -7.0

U 54.0

GSU at APP 12:00 PM

APP -19.0 ***

O 52.0

UVA at DUKE 12:30 PM

UVA +4.0

U 62.0

**StarDust Bum** · 10-01-2016, 12:55 PM

BUFF at BC 01:00 PM

BC -18.0

ORST at COLO 02:30 PM

COLO -17.5

OHIO at M-OH 02:30 PM

OHIO -3.0 ***

EMU at BGSU 03:00 PM

EMU +2.5 ***

KSU at WVU 03:30 PM

KSU +3.0 ***

TULN at MASS 03:30 PM

TULN -2.5

NAVY at AFA 03:30 PM

NAVY +7.0

MINN at PSU 03:30 PM

MINN +3.0 ***

WIS at MICH 03:30 PM

MICH -10.0 ***

ILL at NEB 03:30 PM

NEB -20.0

PUR at MD 03:30 PM

MD -11.0

TENN at UGA 03:30 PM

TENN -4.0

ULM at AUB 03:30 PM

ULM +32.5

NIU at BALL 03:30 PM

BALL -3.5 ***

AKR at KENT 03:30 PM

AKR -8.0

WAKE at NCST 03:30 PM

NCST -14.0

UNC at FSU 03:30 PM

FSU -10.5

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

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