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

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NCAAF

Monday, October 10


College football underdogs went 35-19 ATS last week (20-34 SU), covering at 60%, including a 22-10 ATS mark from road dogs (69% ATS winner).

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West Virginia placekicker Josh Lambert leaves team
October 11, 2016

MORGANTOWN, W.Va. (AP) West Virginia placekicker Josh Lambert has left the team.

Coach Dana Holgorsen didn't disclose a reason for Lambert's departure at his weekly news conference Tuesday and declined further comment.

Lambert played in one game this season after serving a three-game suspension for an undisclosed violation of Big 12 eligibility rules that also forced him to sit out spring practice. Lambert missed one of two field goals in a 17-16 win over Kansas State on Oct. 1.

Mike Molina has made five of six tries this season in Lambert's place.

No. 20 West Virginia (4-0, 1-0 Big 12) plays at Texas Tech (3-2, 1-1) on Saturday. In 2014, Lambert kicked a 55-yard field goal as time expired to beat the Red Raiders 37-34 in Lubbock.

Lambert was five field goals shy of the school career record.

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Minnesota lists QB Mitch Leidner as out vs. Maryland
October 11, 2016

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) Minnesota has ruled out quarterback Mitch Leidner for Saturday's game against Maryland.

The depth chart for the week released by the team on Tuesday listed junior Conor Rhoda as the starter and sophomore Demry Croft as the backup. The Gophers have not yet said that Leidner is injured, but the senior struggled through the last game, against Iowa, and was not made available to the media afterward.

Leidner completed only 13 of 33 passes for 166 yards, with two interceptions in the 14-7 loss to the Hawkeyes. He played through a painful left foot injury last year that required surgery.

The matchup between with the Gophers (3-2, 0-2) and the Terrapins (4-1, 1-1) is the first regular-season game between them.

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AP Heisman Watch: Jackson leads, but Browning surges
October 11, 2016

The challenge for Lamar Jackson as he chases the Heisman Trophy is to maintain front-runner status while playing games that will not be drawing a lot of attention.

No. 7 Louisville and its star quarterback get back into action this week for the first of five straight games in which they will be big favorites. On one hand, Jackson and the No. 1 offense in the country have a chance to put up some big stats and lopsided victories. On the other hand, there will be few chances for those Heisman moments that usually come in marquee matchups - such as the Cardinals' last game at No. 3 Clemson.

For now, Jackson is still the overwhelming leader in The Associated Press' Heisman Watch, receiving the first-place votes from all seven AP sports writers polled. Only four players made each voters' top three.

The AP prohibits its journalists from voting for awards such as the Heisman so none of those polled are actual Heisman voters. Three points are given for a first-place vote, two for second and one for third.

1. Lamar Jackson, QB, Louisville (21 points)

Last week: Off.

Next: Duke, which ranks seventh in the Atlantic Coast Conference in defense at 5.09 yards per play.

2. Deshaun Watson, QB, Clemson (11 points)

Last week: Watson threw four touchdown passes and no interceptions in a rout of Boston College. He already has seven picks so keeping that number down the rest of the way will be important. He ran for only 28 yards against the Eagles, mostly because he didn't have to do much running.

Next: North Carolina State, which ranks fifth in the ACC in defense at 4.47 yards per play. Watson threw for 383 yards and five touchdowns and ran for a score against the Wolfpack last season.

3. Jake Browning, QB, Washington (8 points)

Last week: The sophomore made his Heisman statement, accounting for eight touchdowns in a blowout of Oregon. He leads the nation in touchdown passes (23) and efficiency rating (204.86). Could be the latest Pac-12 star to test the East Coast bias theory in Heisman voting.

Next: Oregon State, Oct. 22.

4. Greg Ward Jr., QB, Houston (2 points)

Last week: Ward threw two interceptions, including a pick six, in the Cougars' first loss with him as a starting quarterback since 2014. He also had 359 yards passing, 94 rushing and was in on four touchdowns. Still, it will be hard for Ward to stay here as Houston's playoff hopes fade.

Next: Tulsa, which ranks fifth in the American Athletic Conference in defense at 5.07 yards per play.

FIVE MORE TO WATCH:

- Jabrill Peppers, LB/RB/PR, Michigan. If the Wolverines continue using Peppers on offense the way they did against hapless Rutgers, he could make a serious run at Jackson. If that was just a showcase for Peppers in his home state, he is a fringe candidate.

- J.T. Barrett, QB, Ohio State. Could get usurped by versatile teammate Curtis Samuel, who is pace to make a run at 1,000 yards both rushing and receiving.

- Dalvin Cook, RB, Florida State. The junior surged against Miami and still has potential marquee games left against No. 2 Clemson and No. 18 Florida.

- Donnel Pumphrey, RB, San Diego State. The nation's leading rusher probably needs to reach 2,000 yards to get an invite to New York.

- Patrick Mahomes, QB, Texas Tech. The numbers are crazy (454 yards passing per game), but the Red Raiders' defense is crazy bad and it's hard to overcome the system-QB label on a mediocre team.

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No. 9 Tennessee dismisses DT Danny O'Brien from team
October 10, 2016

KNOXVILLE, Tenn. (AP) Tennessee has dismissed defensive tackle Danny O'Brien from the program for an unspecified violation of team rules.

The school announced his dismissal from the team Monday. The move comes two days after O'Brien was carted off the field in a 45-38 overtime loss at Texas A&M.

In the release announcing O'Brien's dismissal, school officials said the news is unrelated to the injury. The release also said that ''should he require any additional care, it will be provided by the University of Tennessee.''

''I take full responsibility,'' O'Brien tweeted Monday night. ''I'm grateful for my teammates, coaches and Vol nation. It has been (an) honor to help bring this program back.''

O'Brien started each of Tennessee's first six games and had 14 tackles, including three for loss. The fifth-year senior from Flint, Michigan, had made 18 career starts over the last three seasons.

The ninth-ranked Volunteers (5-1, 2-1 SEC) host No. 1 Alabama (6-0, 3-0) on Saturday.

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UCLA coach Mora hopeful QB Rosen can play at Washington St
October 10, 2016

LOS ANGELES (AP) UCLA coach Jim Mora is ''hopeful'' quarterback Josh Rosen will be able to play at Washington State on Saturday. Regardless of Rosen's status, there are fundamental issues for the Bruins offense to address.

Rosen was twice knocked out of the 23-20 loss at Arizona State, with a right leg injury leaving the sophomore limping in the first half and a hard landing on his throwing shoulder in the fourth quarter sidelining him for the rest of the game.

Mora would not go into specifics regarding either and instead took the approach used by NHL coaches, referring to Rosen's ailments as upper body and lower body injuries. Still, Mora expects Rosen to exhaust every option to be able to play against the Cougars.

''He doesn't want to let anyone down and loves to compete,'' Mora said. ''I was impressed by the way he came back in and fought through some obvious pain and delivered a pretty good performance. I think he showed some grit, some toughness and I think his teammates appreciated that.''

Rosen threw for 400 yards and two touchdowns with one interception against the Sun Devils. Former walk-on Mike Fafaul was 3 of 11 passing for 44 yards and two interceptions in relief of Rosen, neither quarterback getting any help from the beleaguered UCLA run game as Nate Starks and Soso Jamabo rushed for just 40 yards on 17 carries.

Despite spending the offseason installing a run-oriented offense intended to become more physical, UCLA is averaging 2.95 yards per carry, ahead of only Miami (Ohio) and Texas State among the 128 FBS teams.

UCLA has 595 yards rushing this season. Washington State, a pass-heavy Air Raid offense that lines up with four receivers most of the time, has run for 381 yards in its last two games, outrushing Oregon and Stanford by 106 yards combined in those wins.

''Right now we're just sub-standard in a lot of ways in the run game,'' Mora said. ''That's not a statement that is going to astound people. We all know that.''

Those meager rushing statistics are exacerbated by the 15 sacks allowed, four more than UCLA surrendered all of last season.

Mora won't assign the blame for the offense's struggles to any one player or position group. Instead, Mora pointed to a series of individual breakdowns that can cause a negative play, be it a running back not picking up the right defender in pass protection or misreading a block carrying the ball, a wide receiver not running the right route, or the quarterback holding the ball too long. And when the rush offense isn't effective, opponents can unleash the pass rush on Rosen or Fafaul.

''It's a fine line between being 6-0 and 3-3, and we have to find a way to get over that line and make those plays when they need to be made,'' Mora said.

UCLA has been in this position before, starting 1-2 in Pac-12 play in four of Mora's five seasons. The difference this time is the offense's confidence is a ''little shaken,'' Mora admitted, making the balance between making corrections and maintaining belief in the new system difficult.

''You have got to find a way to be critical and demanding and honest with yourself. At the same time you have got to find a way to build confidence back and that's tricky,'' Mora said. ''You got to have some success. You have got to try to create some success.''

NOTES: Mora expects right tackle Kolton Miller (left leg) to return this season. Miller did not play against Arizona State and is still in a cast after suffering the injury against Arizona. ''It's just a matter of when,'' Mora said. ''It's a pain thing. If it was season-ending I'd tell you.''

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WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 12

GAME TIME(ET) PICK UNITS

APP at ULL 08:00 PM

APP -10.0

O 48.0

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App State at UL-Lafayette
October 11, 2016

UL-Lafayette ripped off four consecutive 9-4 seasons that were each capped by wins at the New Orleans Bowl to start Mark Hudspeth’s tenure. Before his arrival, the Ragin’ Cajuns had never been invited to the postseason.

Since the start of the 2015 campaign, however, Hudspeth’s program has lost 11 of 17 games. UL-Lafayette could be staring at another defeat on Wednesday if the oddsmakers are correct.

As of Tuesday night, most books had Appalachian State (3-2 straight up, 3-2 against the spread) installed as a 10-point road favorite for its trip to Cajun Field. The total was 48.5 points, while UL-L was +300 on the money line (risk $100 to win $300). For first-half wagers, the Mountaineers were favored by six with a total of 24.5.

Scott Satterfield’s team dropped a heartbreaker at Tennessee in Week 1. Appalachian State led 13-3 against the Volunteers at halftime, but a missed extra point in the first half and a sliced 42-yard field goal in the fourth quarter allowed UT to force overtime.

Then in the extra session on a third-and-goal play, UT quarterback Josh Dobbs scrambled to his right and dove for the end zone. An Appalachian State defender stuck Dobbs and forced a fumble, but Jalen Hurd recovered for the Vols to give them a touchdown.

When a fourth-and-five throw to the end zone was off the mark, Tennessee collected a fortunate 20-13 victory even though the Mountaineers easily took the cash as 21-point road underdogs. The 33 combined points stayed ‘under’ the 58-point total.

After thumping Old Dominion 31-7 as a 21-point home ‘chalk,’ Appalachian State welcomed Miami to Kidd Brewer Stadium for the biggest home game in the program’s history. It didn’t go as Satterfield would’ve hoped. The Hurricanes raced out to an early lead and coasted to a 45-10 win as 4.5-point road favorites.

Not only did ASU get thumped, but it also lost star RB Marcus Cox to a leg injury. Cox, who was a second-team All Sun Belt selection in 2015 when he rushed for 1,423 yards and nine TDs, has missed back-to-back games since the loss to UM. He is listed as ‘questionable’ this week.

Appalachian State bounced back from the loss to Miami to capture a 45-38 win at Akron as a 4.5-point road favorite. The 83 combined points sailed ‘over’ the 56-point total. Junior QB Taylor Lamb and sophomore RB Jalin Moore stole the show against the Zips.

Moore was a workhorse, rushing 39 times for 257 yards and two TDs. He ripped off TD runs of 32 and 49 yards. Lamb connected on 22-of-30 throws for 280 yards and three TDs without an interception. Lamb also had a one-yard TD run.

In its last outing on Oct. 1, ASU beat Georgia State 17-3 but failed to cover the spread as a 19-point home favorite. Moore rushed for 159 yards and one TD on 28 carries, while the defense limited the Panthers to 241 yards and produced four interceptions.

Moore has rushed for a team-high 564 yards and three TDs, averaging 5.1 yards per carry. Before getting injured, Cox had run for 278 yards and three TDs while averaging 5.7 YPC. Lamb has completed 61.7 percent of his passes for 827 yards with a 6/4 touchdown-to-interception ratio. Senior TE Barrett Burns has 10 receptions for 170 yards and one TD.

UL-L (2-3 SU, 3-2 ATS) has dropped back-to-back games in six total overtimes and by eight combined points. That’s right, the Ragin’ Cajuns lost a 41-39 decision at Tulane in four OTs on Sept. 24. Then on Oct. 1, they lost 37-31 at New Mexico State in double overtime.

In the defeat against the Green Wave, UL-L covered the spread as a three-point road underdog. Bettors backing the ‘under’ (46.5 pts.) took a massively bad beat. The score was 16-16 at the end of regulation, but the four extra sessions netted 48 combined points.

Per NCAA rules, both teams have to attempt a two-point conversion starting in the fourth OT. Tulane scored first and converted its two-point try. UL-L answered with a 22-yard TD run by Elijah McGuire, but the two-point pass failed to end the game.

McGuire rushed for 89 yards and a pair of TDs on 38 carries. He also had four catches for 48 yards and one TD. QB Anthony Jennings, the transfer from LSU, threw for 240 yards and two TDs but he was also intercepted twice. Al Riles had six receptions for 70 yards.

Stevie Artigue’s third field goal from 47 yards out with 2:58 remaining forced overtime in the loss to the Aggies in Las Cruces. Jennings was benched after throwing a second interception that resulted in a pick-six. Darius Hoggins rushed 12 times for 81 yards and one TD, while Riles had eight catches for 110 yards.

UL-L opened the season by getting blasted at home by Boise State, 45-10, as an 18.5-point home underdog. The Ragin’ Cajuns would respond with consecutive wins vs. McNeese State (30-22) and vs. South Alabama (28-23), taking the cash as single-digit home favorites in both instances.

For the season, Jennings has completed 60.7 percent of his passes for 995 yards with an 8/6 TD-INT ratio. Riles has been his favorite target, hauling in 26 receptions for 374 yards and one TD. Ja’Marcus Bradley has 15 catches for 237 yards and one TD, while Keenan Barnes has 13 grabs for 148 yards a team-high four TDs.

McGuire, who was the Sun Belt Conference Player of the Year two seasons ago, has run for 517 yards and three TDs while averaging 5.2 YPC. Jennings also has two rushing scores to his credit.

During Satterfield’s four-year tenure, ASU owns a 5-1 spread record in six games as a road ‘chalk.’ Meanwhile, UL-L has compiled a 2-1 record both SU and ATS in just three games as a home underdog on Hudspeth’s watch.

The ‘under’ is 3-2 overall for the Mountaineers, 1-1 in their road assignments. The Ragin’ Cajuns have seen the ‘under’ go 2-1 in their home games, 2-2-1 overall.

Kickoff is scheduled for 8:00 p.m. Eastern on ESPN2.

**B.E.’s Bonus Nuggets**

-- Jerod Evans has a 15/1 TD-INT ratio while leading Virginia Tech to a 4-1 record. He’s also second on Justin Fuente’s team in rushing with 258 yards and two TDs for a 4.2 YPC average. The Hokies have 40/1 odds to win the CFP at the Westgate SuperBook. When you look at their schedule, it’s not unreasonable to see them winning out in the rest of their regular-season games.

-- If you look at the Big 12 standings, you’ll see Iowa State with a 1-5 record. However, if you dig a little deeper, you can see that Matt Campbell has the Cyclones improving. In fact, they’ve been a serious money maker for our purposes. Campbell’s bunch has covered the number in four consecutive games and the ‘over’ has hit in all four of those contests as well. ISU took Baylor and Oklahoma State to the wire the last two weeks, nearly winning outright and easily taking the cash as a double-digit underdog in both games.

-- USF’s Quinton Flowers has 1,317 passing yards and an 11/3 TD-INT ratio. Also, the Bulls QB has 498 rushing yards and four TDs while averaging 6.4 YPC.

-- Minnesota QB Mitch Leidner has been ruled ‘out’ this week at Maryland.

-- Stanford star RB Christian McCaffrey is ‘questionable’ at Notre Dame.

-- Only one team remains unscathed for our purposes and that would be Colorado with its 6-0 spread record.

-- The worst ATS squads are Oregon (0-5-1 ATS) and FAU (0-6 ATS).

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A capsule look at the Blue Jays-Indians playoff series
October 12, 2016

A look at the best-of-seven American League Championship Series between the Toronto Blue Jays and Cleveland Indians:

Schedule: (All times EDT) Game 1, Friday, at Cleveland (8:08 p.m.); Game 2, Saturday, at Cleveland (4:08 p.m.); Game 3, Monday, Oct. 17, at Toronto (8:08 p.m.); Game 4, Tuesday, Oct. 18, at Toronto (TBA); x-Game 5, Wednesday, Oct. 19, at Toronto (TBA); x-Game 6, Friday, Oct. 21, at Cleveland (TBA); x-Game 7, Saturday, Oct. 22, at Cleveland (TBA). (All games on TBS).

x-if necessary.

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Season Series: Indians won 4-3.

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Projected Lineup:

Blue Jays: 2B Devon Travis (.300, 11 HRs, 50 RBIs), 3B Josh Donaldson (.284, 37, 99), 1B Edwin Encarnacion (.263, 42, 127), DH Jose Bautista (.234, 22, 69), C Russell Martin (.231, 20, 74), SS Troy Tulowitzki (.254, 24, 79), RF Michael Saunders (.253, 24, 57), CF Kevin Pillar (.266, 7, 53), LF Ezequiel Carrera (.248, 6, 23) or Melvin Upton Jr. (.238, 20, 61 with San Diego and Toronto).

Indians: DH Carlos Santana (.259, 34, 87, 99 walks), 2B Jason Kipnis (.275, 23, 82, 41 doubles), SS Francisco Lindor (.301, 15, 78, 19 steals), 1B Mike Napoli (.239, career highs with 34 HRs, 101 RBIs), 3B Jose Ramirez (.312, 11, 76, 46 doubles, .357 with runners in scoring position), RF Lonnie Chisenhall (.286, 8, 57), LF Rajai Davis (.249, 12, 48, team-high 43 steals), CF Tyler Naquin (.296, 14, 43, among top 5 rookies in several offensive categories), C Yan Gomes (.167, 9, 34, only 74 games because of injuries).

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Projected Rotation:

Blue Jays: RH Marco Estrada (9-9, 3.48 ERA), LH J.A. Happ (20-4, 3.18), RH Marcus Stroman (9-10, 4.37, career-high 204 IP), RH Aaron Sanchez (15-2, AL-leading 3.00).

Indians: RH Corey Kluber (18-9, 3.14, 227 Ks in 215 innings), RH Trevor Bauer (12-8, 4.26, career-high 190 innings), RH Josh Tomlin (13-9, 4.40, 36 HRs in 174 innings), RH Mike Clevinger (3-3, 5.26 in 17 games, 10 starts).

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Relievers:

Blue Jays: RH Roberto Osuna (1-6, 2.68, 36/39 saves), RH Jason Grilli (7-6, 1.29, 81Ks in 59 innings with Atlanta and Toronto), LH Brett Cecil (1-7, 3.96), RH Joe Biagini (4-3, 3.06 in 60 games as a rookie), LH Francisco Liriano (8-13, 4.69 with Pittsburgh and Toronto; 2-2, 2.92 in 10 games, 8 starts, for Blue Jays).

Indians: RH Cody Allen (3-5, 2.51, 32/35 saves), RH Bryan Shaw (2-5, 3.24, 75 games), LH Andrew Miller (10-1, 1.45 ERA, 12 saves, 14.9 Ks per 9 innings with Yankees and Indians), RH Dan Otero (5-1, 1.53, 39 of last 46 appearances scoreless), RH Jeff Manship (2-1, 3.12, 53 games), RH Zach McAllister (3-2, 4.44, 53 games).

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Matchups:

Toronto and Cleveland, previously AL East foes, have never met in the postseason. But the cities squared off this spring for a spot in the NBA Finals when LeBron James and the Cavaliers beat the Toronto Raptors en route to a long-awaited championship. ... As in ALDS between Indians and Red Sox, there are connections between the franchises. Blue Jays president and CEO Mark Shapiro spent 24 years with Indians, working his way up through the front office before leaving last year. Toronto general manager Ross Atkins also came from Cleveland, and Blue Jays player development adviser Eric Wedge is a former Indians manager. ... Len Barker pitched a perfect game for Cleveland against Toronto in May 1981. ... Indians played two of their most memorable games this season against Toronto. They won 2-1 in 19 innings on July 1 (Canada Day) to extend their franchise-record winning streak to 14 games. Santana hit the decisive homer off Darwin Barney, the second Blue Jays infielder to pitch in the game. Toronto topped the Indians 9-6 the following day. Cleveland also beat the Blue Jays 3-2 on Aug. 19, winning on Naquin's game-ending, inside-the-park homer. ... Four of the seven regular-season meetings were decided by one run. ... Bauer came out of the bullpen in the July 1 win and pitched five scoreless innings. ... Indians batted .227 against Toronto pitchers in 2016. ... Chisenhall hit .348 against Blue Jays despite striking out 12 times in 23 at-bats. ... Napoli batted .148 vs. Blue Jays but has 20 career homers and 51 RBIs against Toronto. ... Kluber went 0-1 this season and is 1-3 with a 5.34 ERA in five career starts against Blue Jays. He pitched seven shutout innings in his postseason debut against Boston. ... Miller has faced the Blue Jays more than any Cleveland pitcher, posting a 3-1 record and 4.11 ERA in 30 games. ... Donaldson is 9 for 18 with five doubles and three RBIs in four playoff games this year. He has a .778 slugging percentage and has scored five runs. ... Encarnacion is 6 for 16 (.375) with three homers and seven RBIs in playoffs. He has four career postseason homers, the second-highest total in Blue Jays history. Bautista and Joe Carter each have six. ... Tulowitzki is 6 for 17 (.353) with five RBIs in playoffs. ... Two of Bautista's four hits this postseason have been home runs. ... Blue Jays have outscored opponents 26-12 in four postseason games and outhomered them 10-3. ... Estrada allowed one run over 8 1/3 innings to beat Texas in Game 1 of ALDS. He is 3-1 with a 2.68 ERA in eight postseason games, four starts. ... Sanchez is expected to make only one ALCS start as Blue Jays limit his career-high workload.

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Big Picture:

Blue Jays: After snapping a 22-year postseason drought in 2015, Toronto reached the playoffs for the second straight season under manager John Gibbons. The last time the Blue Jays did that was a three-year run from 1991-93 that ended with back-to-back World Series titles. ... This time, Blue Jays (89-73) captured the top AL wild card by winning their last two regular-season games in Boston. They beat division-rival Baltimore at home in the wild-card game on Encarnacion's three-run homer in the 11th inning, then eliminated Texas in the ALDS for the second consecutive year. The win over the Rangers marked the first postseason sweep in Blue Jays history. ... Toronto is 6-0 in October after going 11-16 in September, its worst month of the season. ... Blue Jays averaged an AL-worst 3.69 runs in September and October regular-season games, a full run off their season average of 4.70. ... Blue Jays starters were strong down the stretch, allowing no more than one earned run in 12 of the final 17 games. The bullpen struggled, however, blowing leads five times in a seven-game stretch that ended Oct. 1. ... Blue Jays went 46-35 at home, the fourth-best mark in the division. ... Toronto has several pending free agents, including Bautista, Encarnacion, Saunders, Cecil and RHP R.A. Dickey.

Indians: Cleveland makes its fifth ALCS appearance and first since 2007. Indians haven't been to World Series since 1997. ... Indians (94-67) took lead in AL Central on June 4 and never looked back, winning division with ease. They've overcome adversity all season. Star outfielder Michael Brantley played in just 11 games following shoulder surgery, but team got unexpected contributions from Ramirez, Naquin and others to more than pick up slack. ... Cleveland's starting pitching was supposed to carry club, but it's been a consistent lineup and one of baseball's best bullpens that has Indians playing again in October. Manager Terry Francona's deft touch has kept team energized and believing it can make a deep playoff run. ... Cleveland hasn't won the World Series since 1948, but following Cavs' NBA title in June, Indians don't feel pressured to end city's championship drought. ... Front office stepped up at trade deadline and acquired Miller, who might be most valuable reliever in majors. Also, team acquired Brandon Guyer and Coco Crisp to provide depth in outfield. Abraham Almonte is not available in postseason because of PED suspension. ... Indians are different team at home, where they went AL-best 53-28 and led league with 11 walkoff wins. ... Indians didn't lose three straight all season.

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Watch For:

- Center Stage. Die-hard baseball fans know Lindor, one of the game's rising stars. He's got all the tools: a sweet swing, golden glove and smile that can light up any ballpark. The 22-year-old shortstop plays with a youthful joy that will draw the TV cameras and national audience to him as never before.

- Liriano's Status. The left-hander was removed from Toronto's roster in the ALDS because of a concussion sustained in Game 2. He was struck in the back of the head by Carlos Gomez's line drive, measured at 102 mph off the bat. Liriano, who has made two relief appearances this postseason, said this week he felt fine. He's not eligible to return until Game 2 of the ALCS.

- Miller Time. Francona's decision in Game 1 of the ALDS to bring in Miller in the fifth inning - his earliest appearance of the season - proved to be a defining moment as Cleveland's bullpen closed out the opener and the Red Sox never recovered. Francona won't hesitate to use the talented lefty in a nontraditional way again. Miller has not allowed a run in 12 1/3 innings over eight career postseason appearances. He has 17 strikeouts and has limited opponents to a .077 batting average (3 for 39).

- Devon's Knee. Travis was scratched from Game 2 of the Division Series with a bone bruise in his right knee. After a cortisone shot Saturday, he was available off the bench in Game 3 but did not play. Atkins said Travis is improving and is expected to return for the ALCS. Travis said he felt much better and will be ready to go in Game 1. Barney, a former Gold Glove winner, made two starts for Toronto in the ALDS.

- Cleveland Rocks. After waiting 52 years for one of its major pro sports teams to win a championship, Cleveland could be on the brink of a second one in four months. James and a few teammates attended the Division Series to support the Indians and promised a return visit.

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Corey Kluber to start Game 1 of ALCS for resilient Indians
October 12, 2016

CLEVELAND (AP) Corey Kluber is back at the top of the Indians' make-it-up-as-they-go rotation.

Cleveland will start its ace in Game 1 of the AL Championship Series against the Toronto Blue Jays, one of the few certainties Indians manager Terry Francona has as his team plays for a spot in the World Series.

Trevor Bauer, who started the opener of the Division Series against Boston, will pitch Game 2 and Josh Tomlin will take the mound for Game 3 in Toronto on Sunday. After that, Francona has ''penciled in'' Mike Clevinger for Game 4, but that plan could change depending on what happens in the first three games.

The uncertainty is nothing new to Francona, who has been forced to juggle his rotation for weeks after losing starters Carlos Carrasco and Danny Salazar to injuries.

Francona's decision to send out Kluber first was expected after the right-hander showed no signs of a late-season quadriceps injury and pitched seven shutout innings in Game 2 against the Red Sox. Kluber limited baseball's highest-scoring team to three hits and ended any concerns about him not being himself in his first postseason.

The Indians will need Kluber and the rest of their staff to be on when they face the wild-card Blue Jays, who battered Texas in their ALDS by hitting eight homers and scoring 22 runs.

''They're good,'' said Indians pitching coach Mickey Callaway. ''They're excellent. Their whole roster is pretty good, as far as swinging the bat. We've got to make pitches from Pitch 1. They're a little bit different makeup than Boston. They're not going to sit around and take a first-pitch strike. You can't just groove a first pitch to them. You've got to throw quality strikes right out the get-go, and then make sure you stay ahead. That's going to be the challenge, making sure you throw quality strikes early and see what happens after that.''

Kluber, who will face Toronto right-hander Marco Estrada in the opener, went 18-9 during the regular season, bouncing back from a 16-loss season in 2015. He was 0-1 with a 6.30 ERA in two starts against the Blue Jays.

While Francona has had to mix and match with his starters, he won't have Salazar on the ALCS roster.

The Indians sent the right-hander to Arizona to build up stamina in hopes that he might be able to return for this series after being sidelined since early September with forearm tightness. But Francona said the 11-game winner is not ready, and the Indians don't want to rush him back.

''He's doing pretty good,'' Francona said. ''He's not back yet where he's throwing all his pitches or letting it go 100 percent. I think if we ask him to do that, he might be reaching right now. We've been pretty vocal about the first priority is getting him back healthy. I think this proves it. We wouldn't do that to somebody.''

The loss of Salazar was compounded when Carrasco broke his right hand when he was hit by a line drive on Sept 17. Francona has had to be creative with his bullpen, using eight relievers to complete the game in which Carrasco got hurt.

''There's not much our bullpen hasn't experienced throughout the course of the year,'' team president Chris Antonetti said. ''We've had all different types of games, from the extra-inning game in Toronto to the game when Carlos left after two pitches. So, there's not too much our guys haven't handled and I think they're prepared and ready to go pitch when it's their turn, whenever Tito calls upon them.''

Francona used his bullpen masterfully against the Red Sox, bringing in left-hander Andrew Miller earlier and relying on late-inning stalwarts Bryan Shaw and Cody Allen.

The manager will likely take a similar approach into the series with Toronto.

At this point, he doesn't have much choice.

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One ace standing: Nats' Scherzer to face Dodgers in Game 5
October 12, 2016

WASHINGTON (AP) While going to ace Clayton Kershaw on short rest helped the Los Angeles Dodgers stave off elimination in their NL Division Series against the Washington Nationals, it also has raised the question:

Who will start Game 5 for the Dodgers?

''I know Kershaw isn't pitching,'' Nationals manager Dusty Baker said. ''Thank God.''

While there will be no Kershaw and LA manager Dave Roberts still has not named his starter, the Nationals will hand the ball to Cy Young Award candidate Max Scherzer in the decisive Game 5 at home Thursday night.

With a spot in the NL Championship Series against the Chicago Cubs at stake, Scherzer is the man Washington wants on the mound and he's embracing the pressure.

''I've kind of said over the past few days, I've said that a handful of times throughout my career, `Hey, this is the biggest start of my career,''' Scherzer said Tuesday. ''How you handle that, going out there using the emotion of that scenario, that everything is on the line, look, I'm not going to shy away from it. This is the biggest start of my career.''

Scherzer (20-7, 2.96 ERA) lasted only six innings and lost Game 1 after giving up home runs to Corey Seager and Justin Turner. While Scherzer is looking for some redemption, the Dodgers are looking forward to another shot at him.

''I mean, we beat him once already,'' first baseman Adrian Gonzalez said. ''We put some pretty good at-bats against him in Game 1, and we're confident that we can do that again.''

The Nationals also had some good at-bats against LA lefty Rich Hill, beating him in Game 2. Hill (12-5, 2.12) will most likely be the Dodgers' starter in Game 5, though Roberts will use a ''collection of arms'' and could quickly turn to fresh 20-year-old lefty Julio Urias if there's trouble.

Washington's bullpen has been strong, but Scherzer is in the spotlight.

''I know who Max is and how he goes about it,'' right fielder Bryce Harper said. ''I think there are things we can do in the bullpen, as well, if Max doesn't get to the ninth. He's got a lot of help. So hopefully we'll get a couple of runs early and do what we can to stay with our approach and stay within ourselves (and) just have a lot of fun.''

Scherzer considers the big stage plenty of fun. He said it doesn't matter that it's not him against Kershaw again and expects the Dodgers' best effort and a charged atmosphere.

''It's going to be a heck of a ballgame,'' Scherzer said. ''These are two great teams. We've seen great pitching, we've seen great offense, great bullpens, clutch hitting. We've seen it all. So the opportunity to go out there in Game 5, back in D.C. with our fans, it's going to be a heck of an experience.''

Some other things to watch in Game 5 between the Dodgers and Nationals:

LEFT, LEFT, LEFT: The Dodgers can trot out a lineup of seven left-handed batters, starting with Chase Utley and Seager and continuing down to Gonzalez, Joc Pederson, switch-hitting catcher Yasmani Grandal and Andrew Toles. That's a powerful crew that can do damage if Scherzer makes even a couple of mistakes.

MURPH-TOBER: Nationals second baseman Daniel Murphy has picked up where he left off last October with the New York Mets. Murphy is 6 for 13 with six RBIs in the series but has yet to hit a home run. He had seven in the playoffs last year, including three against the Dodgers.

BULLISH 'PEN: Nationals relievers have combined to allow two runs on 10 hits in 14 2/3 innings in the series. Lefties Sammy Solis, Marc Rzepczynski and Oliver Perez have flummoxed the Dodgers, who developed a reputation for struggling against left-handed pitchers.

BAD AIM, NOT BLOOD: Pitchers have combined to hit 11 batters through four games, the most in a playoff series in major league history. That's not because things have been chippy. ''I think our guys have done a lot of breaking balls to the lefties and caught their feet,'' Scherzer said. ''That's just baseball. No one on either side is trying to hit anybody with everything on the line right now.''

[StarDust Bum]

LEADING OFF: Day off in playoffs, Nats-Dodgers travel to DC
October 11, 2016

A look at what's happening all around the majors Wednesday:

NO GAMES

Baseball takes a day off during the playoffs. A pair of Game 5s were scheduled in the AL Division Series - but the Blue Jays and Indians have already clinched, so they get extra time to rest. They meet in Game 1 of the AL Championship Series on Friday night in Cleveland.

CALM BEFORE THE STORM

The Dodgers and Nationals get a day off for travel before the deciding Game 5 of their NL Division Series on Thursday in Washington. ''Biggest start of my life. I'm not going to shy away from it,'' said 20-game winner Max Scherzer, set to pitch for the Nationals. ''The effort from both sides over the first four games has been incredible. Great pitching, great hitting, defense, everything.'' Not to mention pain, too: There have been 11 hit batters in the series, a postseason record.

WAIT AND SEE

The Nationals will see if Stephen Strasburg is feeling any better after the ace felt discomfort in his right elbow earlier this week. Strasburg's bullpen session at Dodger Stadium was cut short Monday. He has been out since tearing a tendon in his elbow on Sept. 7. Strasburg has said he would try to pitch again this season if Washington reaches the NL Championship Series.

HEALING

Yankees pitcher CC Sabathia is recovering from arthroscopic surgery on his troublesome right knee. The team said it was ''a routine cleanup'' and that they lefty is expected to be ready for spring training. ... Royals pitcher Chris Young had surgery to his abdominal area, pelvis and groin this week. The club said the veteran right-hander should be OK for camp. ... Angels outfielder Kole Calhoun is having surgery on a bilateral core muscle injury. He will need at least six weeks of recovery time, but he is expected to head into spring training with no limitations.

[StarDust Bum]

NCAAF
Dunkel

Week 7

Wednesday, October 12

Appalachian St @ LA-Lafayette

Game 101-102
October 12, 2016 @ 8:00 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Appalachian St
81.032
LA-Lafayette
75.680
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Appalachian St
by 5 1/2
56
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Appalachian St
by 10 1/2
49
Dunkel Pick:
LA-Lafayette
(+10 1/2); Over


Thursday, October 13

NC A&T @ Bethune Cookman

Game 303-304
October 13, 2016 @ 7:30 pm

Dunkel Rating:
NC A&T
65.125
Bethune Cookman
44.835
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
NC A&T
by 20 1/2
56
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
NC A&T
by 19 1/2
50 1/2
Dunkel Pick:
NC A&T
(-19 1/2); Over

Monmouth @ Presbyterian

Game 301-302
October 13, 2016 @ 7:00 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Monmouth
57.419
Presbyterian
48.882
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Monmouth
by 8 1/2
31
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Monmouth
by 6
34 1/2
Dunkel Pick:
Monmouth
(-6); Under


Friday, October 14

San Diego St @ Fresno State

Game 113-114
October 14, 2016 @ 10:00 pm

Dunkel Rating:
San Diego St
86.679
Fresno State
60.621
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
San Diego St
by 26 1/2
65
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
San Diego St
by 16 1/2
55
Dunkel Pick:
San Diego St
(-16 1/2); Over

Mississippi St @ Brigham Young

Game 111-112
October 14, 2016 @ 10:15 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Mississippi St
88.364
Brigham Young
99.830
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Brigham Young
by 11 1/2
63
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Brigham Young
by 7
53 1/2
Dunkel Pick:
Brigham Young
(-7); Over

Memphis @ Tulane

Game 109-110
October 14, 2016 @ 8:00 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Memphis
90.628
Tulane
85.078
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Memphis
by 6 1/2
62
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Memphis
by 12
54 1/2
Dunkel Pick:
Tulane
(+12); Over

Duke @ Louisville

Game 107-108
October 14, 2016 @ 7:00 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Duke
82.208
Louisville
110.794
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Louisville
by 28 1/2
64
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Louisville
by 35 1/2
71
Dunkel Pick:
Duke
(+35 1/2); Under

[StarDust Bum]

NCAAF
Short Sheet

Week 7

Wed – Oct. 12

Appalachian State at LA Lafayette, 8:00 PM ET
Appalachian St: 3-10 ATS when the total is between 49.5 and 56
LA Lafayette: 4-1 ATS after covering the spread in 2 out of their last 3 games


Fri – Oct. 14

Duke at Louisville, 7:00 PM ET
Duke: 19-7 ATS in games played on turf
Louisville: 10-22 ATS in home games after a 2 game road trip

Memphis at Tulane, 8:00 PM ET
Memphis: 15-5 UNDER in road games off a win against a conference rival
Tulane: 8-20 ATS off 2 or more consecutive overs

Mississippi State at BYU, 10:15 PM ET
Mississippi St: 9-0 ATS after playing a game at home
BYU: 5-7 ATS after playing their last game on the road

San Diego State at Fresno State, 10:00 PM ET
San Diego St: 8-1 ATS against conference opponents
Fresno St: 22-44 ATS after 2 consecutive games where they forced 1 or less turnovers

[StarDust Bum]

NCAAF
Armadillo's Write-Up

Week 7


Wednesday’s game

Appalachian State beat UL-Lafayette 28-7/35-16 last two meetings, running ball for 462 yards while out gaining Cajuns by 162 yards/game. ASU lost to Tennessee, Miami (guarantee games) but won other three games by 24-7-14 points, running ball for 251.7 yards/game vs similar competition- they’re 5-1 as a road favorite since moving up to I-A. ULL allowed 78 points in losing last two games to Tulane/New Mexico State, both on road- they’re 2-1 as home dogs under Hudspeth. Sun Belt home teams are 5-4 vs spread, 2-1 as home underdogs.

Navy-East Carolina game scheduled for Thursday was moved to November 19 because of the flooding in North Carolina.

Friday’s games

Louisville had 12 days off since 42-36 loss at Clemson, when they outgained Tigers 568-507 but lost; Cardinals gained 530+ yards in all five games this year- their four wins this year are all by 31+ points- their home wins this year are by 56-43 points. Louisville is 6-6 as home favorite since Petrino returned as coach, 2-0 this year. Duke is 2-3 vs I-A teams after slogging thru 13-6 win over Army in downpour LW; Blue Devils’ losses this year are by 10-11-14 points- they’re 7-4 in last 11 games as a road underdog, with a 38-35 win at Notre Dame earlier this year.

Memphis won its last nine games with Tulane, winning last five by 14+ points; Tigers won last four visits to Big Easy- they beat Green Wave 38-7/41-13 last two years, are 2-1 as a road favorite in series. Memphis allowed 806 passing yards in last two games but beat Temple LW in game where Owls out gained them by 208 yards; Tigers are 5-4-2 as road favorites last decade- they lost 48-28 at Ole Miss in only road game this year. Tulane scored 72 points in winning its last two games; they’re 2-8 in last 10 games as a home underdog, 0-1 this year.

Mississippi State got waffled at home by Auburn LW, after they missed chip-shot FG when score was 0-0; Bulldogs allowed 527 rushing yards in last two games, including 299 at UMass, a huge red flag. MSU covered seven of last nine games as a road underdog. BYU scored 86 points in winning its last two games, pulling 31-14 upset at Michigan State LW; Cougars are 5-1 in last six games as a home favorite- their two home games this year were decided by total of five points. SEC teams are 12-13 vs spread in non-conference games, 2-2 as road underdogs.

Favorites are 3-0-1 vs spread in last four San Diego State-Fresno State games; Aztecs lost last three visits here, by 11-12-2 points, but they outgained Fresno 409-89 in LY’s 21-7 home win. San Diego State is 7-3 in last ten games as a road favorite, 1-1 this year. Bulldogs are 3-4 as a home dog under DeRuyter, 1-0 this year- they blew a 31-0 lead at home and lost to Tulsa in OT earlier this year. Mountain West home underdogs are 3-2 vs spread this year. Over is 3-1 in last four games for both teams.