The Bum's 2017 College Football Picks-Trends-News Etc. !

[StarDust Bum]

Aternoon Best Bets:

CMU at SYR 03:30 PM

CMU +9.5 *****

SMU at TCU 03:30 PM

SMU +20.0

VT at ECU 03:30 PM

ECU +24.5

WIS at BYU 03:30 PM

WIS -16.5

FIU at IND 03:30 PM

IND -25.0 *****

MTU at MINN 03:30 PM

MTU +9.0 *****

UNT at IOWA 03:30 PM

UNT +22.0

TENN at FLA 03:30 PM

TENN +5.5 *****

ND at BC 03:30 PM

U 51.5 *****

UNC at ODU 03:30 PM

ODU +10.5 *****

PUR at MIZZ 04:00 PM

PUR +6.5

ARMY at OSU 04:30 PM

OSU -31.5

ORST at WSU 05:30 PM

WSU -21.0 *****

TULN at OKLA 06:00 PM

TULN +33.5

KENT at MRSH 06:30 PM

KENT +14.0 *****

[StarDust Bum]

Middle Tennessee QB Brent Stockstill out vs. Minnesota
September 16, 2017

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) Middle Tennessee State quarterback Brent Stockstill has been scratched from Saturday's game against Minnesota with an injured left shoulder.

Stockstill said earlier in the week that he was confident he would be ready to play after injuring his shoulder last weekend in a win over Syracuse. But he never even donned pads or a helmet for pregame warmups when the Blue Raiders took the field at TCF Bank Stadium.

It was a big setback for Middle Tennessee. Stockstill owns the school record for single-season touchdown passes and threw for 269 yards and three touchdowns last week to beat Syracuse.

Sophomore John Urzua was put into the starting lineup in Stockstill's place. Urzua started three games last season while Stockstill was injured.

[StarDust Bum]

Early evening games:

LT at WKU 07:00 PM

O 62.0 *****

IDHO at WMU 07:00 PM

WMU -18.0 *****

TLSA at TOL 07:00 PM

TOL -7.0

SOMIS at ULM 07:00 PM

ULM +7.0

CSU at ALA 07:00 PM

CSU +30.5 *****

ORE at WYO 07:00 PM

O 64.0 *****

LSU at MSST 07:00 PM

LSU -7.5

BGSU at NW 07:30 PM

BGSU +21.0 *****

O 56.0

GSU at PSU 07:30 PM

GSU +37.0

UK at SOCAR 07:30 PM

UK +6.0 *****

KSU at VAN 07:30 PM

U 49.0 *****

CIN at M-OH 08:00 PM

U 49.0

CLEM at LOU 08:00 PM

LOU +3.0 *****

[StarDust Bum]

Late Evening Games:

TROY at NMSU 08:00 PM

NMSU +8.0 *****

RICE at HOU 08:00 PM

HOU -23.0

ASU at TTU 08:00 PM

TTU -7.0 *****

O 75.5 *****

TEX at USC 08:30 PM

USC -17.0 *****

FRES at WASH 09:30 PM

WASH -33.0

SJSU at UTAH 10:00 PM

U 60.5 *****

STAN at SDSU 10:30 PM

SDSU +8.5

O 48.5 *****

MISS at CAL 10:30 PM

U 71.5 *****

[StarDust Bum]

CFB Aug/Sept Best Bets: ( All Best Bets Based On 5 Units Per Play )
BEST BETS & OPINIONS

DATE W-L-T % UNITS RECORD

09/16/2017 20-26-3 43.48% -43.00

09/15/2017 3-3-0 50.00% -1.50

09/14/2017 1-1-0 50.00% -0.50

09/09/2017 19-21-3 47.50% -20.50

09/08/2017 4-0-0 100.00% +20.00

09/07/2017 0-1-0 0.00% -5.50

09/04/2017 1-1-0 50.00% -0.50

09/03/2017 3-1-0 75.00% +9.50

09/02/2017 11-21-0 34.38% -60.50

09/01/2017 6-3-0 66.67% +13.50

08/31/2017 9-4-0 69.23% +23.00

08/26/2017 5-5-0 50.00% -2.50

Totals:..........82 - 87 - 6......48.52%....-68.50


Best Bets:*****
Best Bets :........................ATS............TOTALS.... .............O/U................TOTALS

09/16/2017....................7 - 9 - 1.........- 14.50.................3 - 6...............-12.50
09/15/2017....................2 - 0..............+10.00.................1 - 2...............- 6.00

Totals:...........................9 - 9 - 1..........- 4.50...................4 - 8.............- 18.50

[StarDust Bum]

Tuesday's Six-Pack

— Phillies 4, Dodgers 3— Aaron Altherr hit a grand slam, the first one Clayton Kershaw allowed in the big leagues.

— A’s 8, Tigers 3— Matt Olson homered for the 4th consecutive game; he has 14 HR’s in his last 20 games. Oakland is 9-3 in its last 12 games.

— Marlins 13, Mets 1— Giancarlo Stanton hit his 55th home run; he has 117 RBI, Marcell Ozuna has 113— will they both be Marlins next year?

— Chargers are sticking with kicker Younghoe Koo, who missed clutch FG’s at the end of the Bolts’ first two games the last two weeks.

— Red Sox 10, Orioles 8— Wild game at Camden Yards.

— If the baseball playoffs started today (they do not):

AL: Boston-Cleveland-Houston. Wild Cards: New York/Minnesota
NL: Washington-Chicago-Los Angeles. Wild Cards: Arizona/Colorado

*************************

Tuesday’s List of 13: Nobody asked me, but……..

13) Lions 24, Giants 10— Detroit broke game open with an 88-yard punt return for a TD; they’re 2-0 while Giants are 0-2, having scored only one TD on 18 drives so far this season.

One thing thats going to be an issue in Detroit, if they have a good season this year; Jim Caldwell doesn’t have a contract past this season. Think about Tampa Bay/Lovie Smith, when he got fired because Bucs’ brass liked the job OC Dirk Koetter was doing with franchise QB Jameis Winston- they didn’t want Koetter leaving, so they made him head coach.

Same thing could happen in Detroit if OC Jim Bob Cooter becomes a hot name on the coaching carousel; if the Lions want Cooter/Matthew Stafford to stay connected, they may have to make Cooter the head coach to keep him in the Motor City. Stay tuned.

12) Obscure Lions’ trivia: Cooter was Peyton Manning’s backup QB at Tennessee.

11) Matthew Stafford is now 53-58 as an NFL starting QB, plus 0-3 in playoff games. Detroit was 0-16 the year before they drafted him.

Jon Gruden called him “a great quarterback” last night. I’m not disputing that at all, just repeating his words. Stafford has attempted more passes per game than anyone in NFL history— I wouldn’t have guessed that.

10) Archie Manning (Peyton/Eli’s dad) was a great college football player at Ole Miss; he was just like Steve Young, except he threw righty instead of lefty. Otherwise, the same; great mobility, solid passer, but in the NFL, Archie Manning played 11 years for the then-putrid New Orleans Saints. No bueno.

There was was no free agency back then; Manning got pummeled playing on a horrible team; his record was 35-91-3 as a starter for New Orleans, which is probably why Archie orchestrated Eli’s trade from San Diego to the Giants after the 2003 draft.

9) My point is this: football is a TEAM game; no one player makes a team great. I’m reading lot of media nitwits who follow the “narrative flowchart”:

— Team A won: Team A’s quarterback is on the upswing.
— Team A lost: Team A’s quarterback was a lousy draft pick, or is over-the-hill.

It is just lazy commentary; developing players is a process, it takes years to become a great player. Matthew Stafford is under .500 in his career, but Jon Gruden says he is a great QB, and that’s good enough for me.

8) Arizona Wildcats have a 26-year old freshman QB named Donovan Tate who was drafted 22 spots above Mike Trout in the 2009 baseball draft- he was the third player taken.

San Diego Padres gave Tate a $5M+ signing bonus in ‘09, then watched his struggle with injuries and off-field problems ruin his baseball career. Now Tate is trying football and is a backup QB now— he is the son of former Georgia running back Lars Tate.

7) Atlanta Braves are moving their spring training HQ from Kisssimmee to Sarasota; they’re having groundbreaking on the new facility in October.

6) Everyone was a kid once: ESPN’s Jon Gruden hit a home run in Little League off of John Parry, the referee in the Lions-Giants game last night.

5) At one point in his career, Andy Reid was the offensive line coach at UTEP. He’s come a very long way since then. Offensive line coach at UTEP is not usually a stepping stone to the NFL.

4) Record for most total home runs in a season is 5,693, which figures to fall late this week.

3) Weird stat: the NFL quarterback with the most wins in FirstEnergy Stadium in Cleveland, home of the Browns, is Ben Roethlisberger, with 11. He obviously plays for the Steelers, which is bad for the Browns.

2) No baseball team has ever made the playoffs after losing more than 97 games the previous season. Minnesota lost 103 games last season and right now, they hold one of the AL Wild Card spots, so they could make some history soon

1) Had a great weekend in Philadelphia the past few days; very underrated city. Saw the A’s play three games, had some cheesesteaks, visited with friends. Good stuff, very much appreciated.

[StarDust Bum]

CFB notebook: Michigan WR Black headed for surgery
September 18, 2017

Michigan freshman wide receiver Tarik Black will need surgery after suffering a cracked bone in his foot, coach Jim Harbaugh said Monday.

Harbaugh said he did not know whether Black would be healthy enough to return later in the season.

"He's going to be out. He's going to need surgery. He's got a crack in his foot," Harbaugh said. "On the outside of his foot."

Black was carted off the field in Saturday's 29-13 win over Air Force. The injury came late in the fourth quarter after Black was tackled from behind on his final reception of the game.

The 6-foot-3, 206-pound Black started all three games this season for the eighth-ranked Wolverines (3-0). He is the team's leading receiver with 11 catches for 149 yards. Black would be eligible for a medical redshirt year since he has played only three games thus far.

Michigan starts Big Ten play this week on the road at Purdue on Saturday.

--Auburn backup quarterback Sean White was dismissed from the team following his arrest for public intoxication, coach Gus Malzahn announced.

"Sean White is no longer a part of our football program at Auburn," Malzahn said in a statement. "He has made poor decisions that are not in the best interest of our program, and more importantly, himself. We appreciate his time at Auburn and wish him nothing but the best."

The 21-year old White, who had just served a two-game suspension for undisclosed reasons, was arrested by Auburn police at 2:45 a.m. Sunday, according to Auburn police. Jail records show that White was taken to the Lee County Detention Center at 3:28 a.m. Sunday. He was jailed on $500 bond.

White, a redshirt junior, started 16 games between 2015 and 2016 but lost the preseason competition for the job to transfer Jarrett Stidham. White was limited in the spring while recovering from a broken right forearm suffered in the Sugar Bowl.

--South Carolina will be without its best offensive playmaker, junior receiver Deebo Samuel, for an "extended period of time," coach Will Muschamp said on a conference call Monday morning.

Samuel suffered a lower-leg fracture in Saturday's home loss to Kentucky as his left leg got caught underneath him while being tackled.

Muschamp said after the game that Samuel's injury would be season-ending, but Samuel tweeted that night that he would miss only five to six weeks and the coach is now leaving the door open for a potential return.

Samuel is an all-purpose player for the Gamecocks offense, with 15 catches for 250 yards and three touchdowns, as well as two rushes for 30 yards and a score. He has scored on two kick returns this season, giving him six of South Carolina's 11 touchdowns. South Carolina (2-1) plays host to Louisiana Tech this Saturday.

--Texas standout left tackle Connor Williams will be out indefinitely after suffering sprained knee ligaments and a meniscus tear that will require surgery, the school announced Sunday night.

Williams, a junior, was rated the No. 1 offensive tackle prospect in the nation last week by NFLDraftScout.com.

Williams suffered the injuries in the second quarter of Saturday's double-overtime loss at then-No. 4 USC. He is expected to undergo arthroscopic surgery "in the next week to 10 days," according to the school's release, which added that there was no timetable for his return.

He sustained sprains of the medial and posterior collateral ligaments. Texas (1-2) is off this week before playing at Iowa State on Thursday, Sept. 28.

--Washington State middle linebacker Peyton Pelluer will miss the rest of the season after suffering a broken bone in his left foot on Saturday, according to multiple reports.

The Lewiston Tribune in Idaho was first to report the news, confirming with the redshirt senior's family. The Seattle Times also verified with the family. Washington State typically does not discuss injuries.

He suffered the injury early in the second quarter of last week's 52-23 win over Oregon State. Pelluer was one of the top defenders for the 18th-ranked Cougars. He made 21 tackles and intercepted a pass in the first three games this season.

Pelluer was a honorable mention All-Pac-12 selection last season, when he was fourth in the league with 93 tackles, including 7.5 for loss. Washington State (3-0, 1-0 Pac-12) plays Nevada on Saturday before a Top 25 showdown on Friday, Sept. 29, against No. 5 USC.

[StarDust Bum]

Betting Recap - Week 3
September 17, 2017

Overall Notes

COLLEGE FOOTBALL WEEK 3 RESULTS

WAGER Favorites-Underdogs
Straight Up 53-12
Against the Spread 28-35-2

WAGER Home-Away
Straight Up 46-19
Against the Spread 25-38-2

WAGER Totals (O/U)
Over-Under 31-32-2

The largest underdogs to win straight up
Idaho State (+32.5, ML +9375) at Nevada, 30-28
North Carolina A&T (+11.5, ML +355) at Charlotte, 35-31
Northern Illinois (+10.5, ML +350) at Nebraska, 21-17
San Diego State (+8.5, ML +270) vs. Stanford, 20-17
Mississippi State (+7.5, ML +260) vs. Louisiana State, 37-7
California (+7, ML +230) vs. Mississippi, 27-16

The largest favorites to cover
Rutgers (-41) vs. Morgan State, 65-0
Penn State (-37.5) vs. Georgia State, 56-0
South Alabama (-36) vs. Alabama A&M, 45-0
Oklahoma (-33) vs. Tulane, 56-14
Utah (-28) vs. San Jose, 54-16
Virginia Tech (-27) at East Carolina, 64-17

Top 25 Notes

-- Southern California got all they could handle from unranked Texas, needing double overtime to push aside the Longhorns by a 27-24 score. Heisman hopeful Sam Darnold and company slipped to 1-2 ATS on the season, although they're a perfect 3-0 SU. ...

Clemson and Louisville hooked up in a marquee game in the ACC, but the Tigers pulled away in the second quarter and they never looked back. The defending national champs rolled to a 33-7 lead after three quarters, beating down 2016 Heisman winner Lamar Jackson. ...

The Cardinals are a dismal 1-2 ATS through their first three games. ... Stanford slipped up at San Diego State, dropping their second consecutive road contest and likely dropping them out of the Top 25 rankings in the process. ...

-- Alabama took care of Colorado State by a 41-23 score, but they failed to cover a 31-point number. The Tide was up 38-10 after three quarters, but the Rams outscored them 14-7 for the cover. The Tide is now 0-2 ATS in two home games.

-- Ohio State rebounded with a 38-7 victory over Army in their first-ever meeting against the service academy. The Buckeyes got off to a slow start, perhaps having a little bit of a hangover after last week's loss to Oklahoma. The Buckeyes just failed to cover the 31 1/2-point number, and they're just 1-2 ATS overall while the 'under' has hit in each of their past two outings.

-- Louisiana State was humbled at Mississippi State, and it wasn't even close. The Tigers entered the game closing in on the Top 10, but leave after a 37-7 butt-kicking. There are plenty of teams jockeying for position in the SEC West behind the top-ranked Tide. The Bulldogs are certainly to enter the Top 25 next week, and they're 3-0 ATS through their first three outings and facing a showdown at Georgia next week.

-- Michigan struggled mightily against Air Force, leading by just one score late in the third quarter. However, talent took over in the fourth quarter and the Wolverines were able to scratch out a 29-13 victory. Michigan has slipped to 1-2 ATS on the season.

Big Five Conference Report (ACC, Big 10, Big 12, Pac-12, SEC)

-- Duke continues their hot start, winning an ugly game against Baylor. The Blue Devils won by a 34-20 score, moving to 3-0 SU/ATS on the season. They'll take on rival North Carolina on Saturday at Kenan. ... The Tar Heels finally got off the schneid, rolling past Old Dominion 53-23. The Tar Heels are averaging 39.3 PPG on offense while allowing 35.0 PPG. Needless to say, the 'over' has cashed in all three of their outings to date. ... Wake Forest is off to a hot start, moving to 3-0 SU/ATS with a dominating 46-10 victory over Utah State. The Demon Deacons are averaging 43.7 PPG on offense while yielding just 8.0 PPG. They'll head to Appalachian State next week before a measuring-stick game against Florida State to close out September.

-- Wisconsin dominated by a 40-6 score at Brigham Young. The Badgers moved to 2-1 ATS overall. They have a week off before resuming play against Northwestern. ... Nebraska was tripped up at home, falling to Northern Illinois in front of the home crowd, turning up the heat on Mike Riley's coaching seat. The Huskers are 0-2 ATS in two games in Lincoln so far. ... Minnesota took advantage of Middle Tennessee missing their QB, romping by a 34-3 score. The Gophers have fired out to a 3-0 SU/2-1 ATS start. They'll have a week off before a showdown with equally surprising Maryland.

-- Baylor is 0-3 SU/ATS through three games. The Bears have now dropped nine consecutive regular-season games, and they're 1-8 ATS during the ugly stretch. It won't get any easier, as the Bears face Oklahoma next weekend at home. ... Oklahoma State routed Pittsburgh by a 59-21 count in the Steel City. The Cowboys shot out to a 21-0 lead after the first quarter and never looked back. OSU is a perfect 3-0 SU/ATS, and they're averaging 54.0 PPG. ... Iowa State has scored 41 or more points in each of its three games so far, and they're 3-0 ATS so far.

-- UCLA had their hands full at Memphis against a team playing in their own stadium, while feeling slighted against a Power 5 squad. The Bruins and Tigers traded blows all day, with Memphis outlasting them 48-45 at the Liberty Bowl. The public certainly took a bath on that game, as nearly 80 percent of the bets were on UCLA. ... Oregon continues its resurgence, posting 42 first-half points for the second consecutive week. However, also for the second straight week, their offense disappeared in the second half. Last week they were blanked, this week they managed just seven points in their 49-13 win in Wyoming. ... Oregon State was rolled 52-23 at Washington State, falling to 0-4 ATS. The 'over' has also cashed in each of their four outings.

-- Florida stunned Tennessee with a Hail Mary on the final play of the game, winning 26-20. (see bad beats) ... Kentucky covered for the first time this season, topping South Carolina 23-13 in Columbia. The 'under' is a perfect 3-0 forthe Wildcats so far, as their defense is allowing just 15.3 PPG. ... Mississippi took the trip west to California, and they're now likely regretting it. The Bears stunned them 27-16 as touchdown underdogs at home. Ole Miss is now a dismal 0-3 ATS. ... Vanderbilt topped Kansas State 14-7 in Nashville in a defensive battle. The Commodores have allowed a total of 13 points through three games, with the 'under' going 3-0 to date.

Mid-Major Report

-- East Carolina continue to struggle, as they fell 64-17 to Virginia Tech. The Pirates are 0-3 SU/ATS, and they have lost all three of their games by 20 or more points. ... Cincinnati kept up their dominance in their rivalry against Miami-Ohio, winning 21-17. The Bearcats have taken the Victory Bell back to Cincinnati for 12 consecutive seasons. ... Tulsa fell in a shootout at Toledo, 54-51. The Golden Hurricane cannot stop anyone, allowing an average of 51.7 PPG through three outings with at least 42 points in each game.

-- Charlotte was tripped up by FCS North Carolina A&T, as the 49ers slipped to 0-3 SU/ATS. The 49ers are allowing 38.0 PPG through three outings. ... Florida Atlantic won 45-0 over FCS Bethune-Cookman, covering for the second consecutive weekend. ... Not much was expected out of Marshall this season, but they blanked Kent State 21-0 for their second win of the season (both against MAC foes), while covering for the third time in as many tries.

-- Central Michigan looked great on offense last weekend, but they were unable to bring that same intensity to Syracuse. The Orange housed the Chippewas by a 41-17 count, killing the public who invested heavily in the Chips. CMU is now 1-2 ATS through three games. ... The 'over' is a perfect 3-0 for Ohio through three outings. ...

-- Nevada was dumped by FCS Idaho State, 30-28. The Wolf Pack slipped to 0-3 SU/1-2 ATS, but one thing has been consistent. The 'under' is a perfect 3-0 so far for Nevada. ... San Jose State was hammered again on Saturday, this in Utah. The Spartans have failed to cover in each of their past two against Power 5 schools, losing by a combined 110-16.

Bad Beats

-- It was like losing twice if you were holding a Temple (-14.5) ticket on Friday. They hadn't covered for the entire game until 3:58 left in regulation, but Massachusetts struck with 1:41 to go, cutting the score to 29-21.

-- On Thursday, Boise State was covering a 14 1/2-point number late, leading 28-7. However, New Mexico struck with 1:11 left for the backdoor cover. It was the first non-cover of the season for the Broncos.

-- The ultimate bad beat happened in Gainesville when the Gators struck for a game-winning touchdown with no time remaining, stunning the Volunteers. If you were holding a Tennessee moneyline ticket, my condolensces. They didn't kick the extra point, either, so if you were holding a Florida -6 ticket you were hurt by the premature end to the game.

-- In the Oregon-Wyoming game, the total line fluctuated dramatically during the week. The line was anywhere from 59 to 66 throughout the week. There were a total of 52 points at halftime, but just 10 total points in the second half. So depending on when you made the wager, it was an ugly bad beat with all of the defense in the second half.

-- Miami-Ohio led 14-3 after three quarters against Cincinnati, but the Bearcats stormed back by outscoring the Redhawks 18-3 in the final stanza. For those laying just three, at least you were pushing still with 2:52 to go. However, the 'Cats scored with 1:07 left in regulation to crush Miami again.

[StarDust Bum]

Betting Recap - Week 3
September 17, 2017

Overall Notes

COLLEGE FOOTBALL WEEK 3 RESULTS

WAGER Favorites-Underdogs
Straight Up 53-12
Against the Spread 28-35-2

WAGER Home-Away
Straight Up 46-19
Against the Spread 25-38-2

WAGER Totals (O/U)
Over-Under 31-32-2

The largest underdogs to win straight up
Idaho State (+32.5, ML +9375) at Nevada, 30-28
North Carolina A&T (+11.5, ML +355) at Charlotte, 35-31
Northern Illinois (+10.5, ML +350) at Nebraska, 21-17
San Diego State (+8.5, ML +270) vs. Stanford, 20-17
Mississippi State (+7.5, ML +260) vs. Louisiana State, 37-7
California (+7, ML +230) vs. Mississippi, 27-16

The largest favorites to cover
Rutgers (-41) vs. Morgan State, 65-0
Penn State (-37.5) vs. Georgia State, 56-0
South Alabama (-36) vs. Alabama A&M, 45-0
Oklahoma (-33) vs. Tulane, 56-14
Utah (-28) vs. San Jose, 54-16
Virginia Tech (-27) at East Carolina, 64-17

Top 25 Notes

-- Southern California got all they could handle from unranked Texas, needing double overtime to push aside the Longhorns by a 27-24 score. Heisman hopeful Sam Darnold and company slipped to 1-2 ATS on the season, although they're a perfect 3-0 SU. ...

Clemson and Louisville hooked up in a marquee game in the ACC, but the Tigers pulled away in the second quarter and they never looked back. The defending national champs rolled to a 33-7 lead after three quarters, beating down 2016 Heisman winner Lamar Jackson. ...

The Cardinals are a dismal 1-2 ATS through their first three games. ... Stanford slipped up at San Diego State, dropping their second consecutive road contest and likely dropping them out of the Top 25 rankings in the process. ...

-- Alabama took care of Colorado State by a 41-23 score, but they failed to cover a 31-point number. The Tide was up 38-10 after three quarters, but the Rams outscored them 14-7 for the cover. The Tide is now 0-2 ATS in two home games.

-- Ohio State rebounded with a 38-7 victory over Army in their first-ever meeting against the service academy. The Buckeyes got off to a slow start, perhaps having a little bit of a hangover after last week's loss to Oklahoma. The Buckeyes just failed to cover the 31 1/2-point number, and they're just 1-2 ATS overall while the 'under' has hit in each of their past two outings.

-- Louisiana State was humbled at Mississippi State, and it wasn't even close. The Tigers entered the game closing in on the Top 10, but leave after a 37-7 butt-kicking. There are plenty of teams jockeying for position in the SEC West behind the top-ranked Tide. The Bulldogs are certainly to enter the Top 25 next week, and they're 3-0 ATS through their first three outings and facing a showdown at Georgia next week.

-- Michigan struggled mightily against Air Force, leading by just one score late in the third quarter. However, talent took over in the fourth quarter and the Wolverines were able to scratch out a 29-13 victory. Michigan has slipped to 1-2 ATS on the season.

Big Five Conference Report (ACC, Big 10, Big 12, Pac-12, SEC)

-- Duke continues their hot start, winning an ugly game against Baylor. The Blue Devils won by a 34-20 score, moving to 3-0 SU/ATS on the season. They'll take on rival North Carolina on Saturday at Kenan. ... The Tar Heels finally got off the schneid, rolling past Old Dominion 53-23. The Tar Heels are averaging 39.3 PPG on offense while allowing 35.0 PPG. Needless to say, the 'over' has cashed in all three of their outings to date. ... Wake Forest is off to a hot start, moving to 3-0 SU/ATS with a dominating 46-10 victory over Utah State. The Demon Deacons are averaging 43.7 PPG on offense while yielding just 8.0 PPG. They'll head to Appalachian State next week before a measuring-stick game against Florida State to close out September.

-- Wisconsin dominated by a 40-6 score at Brigham Young. The Badgers moved to 2-1 ATS overall. They have a week off before resuming play against Northwestern. ... Nebraska was tripped up at home, falling to Northern Illinois in front of the home crowd, turning up the heat on Mike Riley's coaching seat. The Huskers are 0-2 ATS in two games in Lincoln so far. ... Minnesota took advantage of Middle Tennessee missing their QB, romping by a 34-3 score. The Gophers have fired out to a 3-0 SU/2-1 ATS start. They'll have a week off before a showdown with equally surprising Maryland.

-- Baylor is 0-3 SU/ATS through three games. The Bears have now dropped nine consecutive regular-season games, and they're 1-8 ATS during the ugly stretch. It won't get any easier, as the Bears face Oklahoma next weekend at home. ... Oklahoma State routed Pittsburgh by a 59-21 count in the Steel City. The Cowboys shot out to a 21-0 lead after the first quarter and never looked back. OSU is a perfect 3-0 SU/ATS, and they're averaging 54.0 PPG. ... Iowa State has scored 41 or more points in each of its three games so far, and they're 3-0 ATS so far.

-- UCLA had their hands full at Memphis against a team playing in their own stadium, while feeling slighted against a Power 5 squad. The Bruins and Tigers traded blows all day, with Memphis outlasting them 48-45 at the Liberty Bowl. The public certainly took a bath on that game, as nearly 80 percent of the bets were on UCLA. ... Oregon continues its resurgence, posting 42 first-half points for the second consecutive week. However, also for the second straight week, their offense disappeared in the second half. Last week they were blanked, this week they managed just seven points in their 49-13 win in Wyoming. ... Oregon State was rolled 52-23 at Washington State, falling to 0-4 ATS. The 'over' has also cashed in each of their four outings.

-- Florida stunned Tennessee with a Hail Mary on the final play of the game, winning 26-20. (see bad beats) ... Kentucky covered for the first time this season, topping South Carolina 23-13 in Columbia. The 'under' is a perfect 3-0 forthe Wildcats so far, as their defense is allowing just 15.3 PPG. ... Mississippi took the trip west to California, and they're now likely regretting it. The Bears stunned them 27-16 as touchdown underdogs at home. Ole Miss is now a dismal 0-3 ATS. ... Vanderbilt topped Kansas State 14-7 in Nashville in a defensive battle. The Commodores have allowed a total of 13 points through three games, with the 'under' going 3-0 to date.

Mid-Major Report

-- East Carolina continue to struggle, as they fell 64-17 to Virginia Tech. The Pirates are 0-3 SU/ATS, and they have lost all three of their games by 20 or more points. ... Cincinnati kept up their dominance in their rivalry against Miami-Ohio, winning 21-17. The Bearcats have taken the Victory Bell back to Cincinnati for 12 consecutive seasons. ... Tulsa fell in a shootout at Toledo, 54-51. The Golden Hurricane cannot stop anyone, allowing an average of 51.7 PPG through three outings with at least 42 points in each game.

-- Charlotte was tripped up by FCS North Carolina A&T, as the 49ers slipped to 0-3 SU/ATS. The 49ers are allowing 38.0 PPG through three outings. ... Florida Atlantic won 45-0 over FCS Bethune-Cookman, covering for the second consecutive weekend. ... Not much was expected out of Marshall this season, but they blanked Kent State 21-0 for their second win of the season (both against MAC foes), while covering for the third time in as many tries.

-- Central Michigan looked great on offense last weekend, but they were unable to bring that same intensity to Syracuse. The Orange housed the Chippewas by a 41-17 count, killing the public who invested heavily in the Chips. CMU is now 1-2 ATS through three games. ... The 'over' is a perfect 3-0 for Ohio through three outings. ...

-- Nevada was dumped by FCS Idaho State, 30-28. The Wolf Pack slipped to 0-3 SU/1-2 ATS, but one thing has been consistent. The 'under' is a perfect 3-0 so far for Nevada. ... San Jose State was hammered again on Saturday, this in Utah. The Spartans have failed to cover in each of their past two against Power 5 schools, losing by a combined 110-16.

Bad Beats

-- It was like losing twice if you were holding a Temple (-14.5) ticket on Friday. They hadn't covered for the entire game until 3:58 left in regulation, but Massachusetts struck with 1:41 to go, cutting the score to 29-21.

-- On Thursday, Boise State was covering a 14 1/2-point number late, leading 28-7. However, New Mexico struck with 1:11 left for the backdoor cover. It was the first non-cover of the season for the Broncos.

-- The ultimate bad beat happened in Gainesville when the Gators struck for a game-winning touchdown with no time remaining, stunning the Volunteers. If you were holding a Tennessee moneyline ticket, my condolensces. They didn't kick the extra point, either, so if you were holding a Florida -6 ticket you were hurt by the premature end to the game.

-- In the Oregon-Wyoming game, the total line fluctuated dramatically during the week. The line was anywhere from 59 to 66 throughout the week. There were a total of 52 points at halftime, but just 10 total points in the second half. So depending on when you made the wager, it was an ugly bad beat with all of the defense in the second half.

-- Miami-Ohio led 14-3 after three quarters against Cincinnati, but the Bearcats stormed back by outscoring the Redhawks 18-3 in the final stanza. For those laying just three, at least you were pushing still with 2:52 to go. However, the 'Cats scored with 1:07 left in regulation to crush Miami again.

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4th Quarter Covers - Week 3
September 18, 2017

Glancing at the scoreboard won’t tell you the whole story in most games. Here are some of the games that went down to the wire relative to the spread in the fourth quarter last week in the third big college football weekend.

Each week there are several teams that cover despite not necessarily deserving it, as well as other teams that played much better than the final score shows.

Boise State (-17) 28, New Mexico 14: Offense was limited Thursday night as Boise State hosted New Mexico with reserve quarterbacks in action. Boise State led 14-7 early in the second quarter but the game then featured nearly 24 scoreless minutes before the Broncos took advantage of a strong punt return for a short-field scoring drive. The Broncos eclipsed the home favorite spread for the first time with about three minutes to go in the game but behind third-string quarterback Coltin Gerhart New Mexico delivered a late score to steal the cover, finding the end zone with just over a minute to go to extend a failed cover streak at home for the Broncos to now 11 straight games.

Temple (-14½) 29, Massachusetts 21: Massachusetts climbed back into the game with a 20-yard touchdown pass late in the third quarter to trail by just five points. Temple settled for a field goal heading into the fourth quarter with a 22-14 edge and then watched the Minutemen come away empty with a missed field goal early in the final frame. Massachusetts reached the Temple 28-yard-line on its next drive but still couldn’t add points and Temple appeared to secure a narrow favorite cover with a touchdown just after the four-minute mark, leading by 15. In just over two minutes Massachusetts rallied for a late scoring drive to trail by just eight with still over a minute remaining and then forced a Temple 3-and-out, reaching mid-field before the only turnover of the game on a lateral attempt.

Notre Dame (-14) 49, Boston College 20: Nearly 40 minutes into this rivalry game Notre Dame led by just a single point but three consecutive scores put the Irish up by 22 early in the fourth quarter. Boston College would answer to climb back within 15 but with two short field scores following turnovers in the final seven minutes Notre Dame posting a convincing 49-20 final score that wasn’t entirely deserved in what was a fairly competitive game and a contest where Notre Dame completed just 11 of 27 passed for 96 yards.

Memphis (+3½) 48, UCLA 45: This early national contest lived up to the bulling with a tight high scoring game. Memphis weathered the early storm and pulled ahead by halftime, leading by 10 late in the third quarter with a defensive touchdown. UCLA scored the next two touchdowns to lead by four, just past the road favorite spread into the fourth quarter. Memphis didn’t trail for long with a four-play drive going 81 yards to take the lead back before the pair of high profile quarterbacks traded interceptions. UCLA was stopped on downs just past midfield in the final minute as the Tigers hung on for a huge home win.

Duke (-10) 34, Baylor 20: Duke led just 24-20 through three quarters after Baylor closed the third quarter with a 79-yard touchdown pass but missed the extra-point. That point proved costly for some with a line that reached as high as +14 at times as Duke returned a fourth quarter interception for a touchdown to lead by 11 and then added a field goal after an 18-yard drive with about five minutes to go for a 14-point final margin, with the Blue Devils ending the game taking a knee at the Baylor 24-yard line.

Texas A&M (-24) 45, UL-Lafayette 21: The Ragin’ Cajuns scored three touchdowns in the second quarter to lead by seven at the half, setting potential for panic in College Station for a team that already had endured a disappointing start to the season. The Aggies would get in front by 10 by the end of the third quarter but covering the spread didn’t appear likely until an early fourth quarter interception return touchdown. The Aggies added another score by breaking a 67-yard run and wound up with a 24-point win for a narrow cover for most on the heavy favorite.

Florida (-6½) 26, Tennessee 20: The Gators were favored by 4½-to-5 points most of the week but wound up closing just short of a touchdown. A wild finish made those prices quite critical in this SEC opener. The Gators led just 6-3 through three quarters but with an interception return touchdown in the first minute of the fourth quarter the Gators led by 10. After trading scores Tennessee found the end zone on just a two-play drive with fewer than five minutes remaining to trail 17-20. Felipe Franks was intercepted in Florida territory two plays later as Tennessee managed to tie the game with a field goal with only 50 seconds remaining. Franks managed to redeem his big mistake on the final offensive play, scrambling and heaving to the end zone for 63-yard touchdown as time expired. There was no need to kick an extra-point that late Florida backers needed for the win.

TCU (-22) 56, SMU 36: TCU looked in jeopardy of an upset early as SMU jumped in front 19-7 in this matchup of nearby schools. Scoring as the half expired TCU led by six and that remained the margin after trading scores in the third quarter. The Frogs added a touchdown to lead by 13 early in the fourth quarter and then scored two more touchdowns in a minute’s span with the second score coming on an interception return to sit past the number with a 56-29 edge. TCU didn’t cover for long however as SMU hit a 61-yard pass touchdown a few plays later and the margin finished at 20 right in the middle of a -18½ opening price and the closing figure of -22.

Marshall (-14) 21, Kent State 0: This game was still 0-0 until the final seconds of the first half as Marshall found the end zone with just six seconds remaining. After a scoreless third quarter Marshall went up by 14 to match the common spread with about seven minutes remaining in the game. Kent reached the Marshall 36-yard line but had to go for it on 4th-and-long and Marshall was able to put the game away while slipping past the favorite spread by breaking a long run with just over a minute to go.

Oklahoma (-34) 56, Tulane 14: The Wave scored two touchdowns in the first quarter to look like a great underdog cover bet with this hefty line but by halftime Oklahoma led 28-14 with the help of a 77-yard interception return touchdown. The Wave were still holding on through three quarters trailing by 21 but Oklahoma added three fourth quarter scores for a convincing final result that was enough to cover on the nearly five-touchdown spread.

Louisiana Tech (+4) 23, Western Kentucky 22: The Hilltoppers had a 22-13 edge through three quarters with this game on a much lower scoring trajectory than a pair of meetings between these Conference USA foes last season. Louisiana Tech completed a 91-yard scoring drive with about six minutes remaining in the game to get in position to cover, down by two. The Bulldogs forced a 3-and-out on defense but wound up throwing an interception and the defense had to step up again. Getting the ball back with fewer than two minutes remaining the Bulldogs marched down the field, aided by a face mask penalty and nailed a 21-yard field goal with two seconds remaining for the outright win.

Alabama (-31) 41, Colorado State 23: Alabama only led 17-10 late in the second quarter but the Tide would take over, leading by 28 through three quarters and by 31 early in the fourth quarter to sit right near the opening and closing numbers. That timing didn’t end up mattering as Nick Stevens led two late Colorado State scoring drives to make the final statistics and score much more respectable.

Cincinnati (+3½) 21, Miami, OH 17: Looking to snap a long losing streak in this rivalry Miami was in command with a 14-3 edge through three quarters. Cincinnati climbed within eight before Miami also settled for a short field goal with fewer than five minutes remaining on the clock. That left Cincinnati with a 0.4% chance of winning the game according to ESPN’s probability model. Cincinnati rallied for a touchdown strike just past the three-minute mark, and converted the two-point try to trail by just three, in what looked like a critical play for the spread result. Cincinnati opted to kick deep and Miami bobbled the return and had to take the ball out of the end zone, burying themselves at their own 5-yard line. It appeared that Miami head coach Chuck Martin called timeout facing 3rd-and-2 but the Redhawks were assessed a delay-of-game penalty. On 3rd-and-7 with just over a minute to go Gus Ragland was intercepted with Cincinnati taking the pick to the end zone to take the lead 21-17. Miami drove 55 yard to Cincinnati 20-yard line looking to get back on top and a flag came out on a 3rd-and-five on a throw to the end zone. Clear pass interference was incredibly waved off and Miami failed on 4th down to end the game.

Troy (-9½) 27, New Mexico State 24: Troy climbed to a 20-3 advantage early in the third quarter but the Aggies showed some late fight, getting back-to-back scores to trail by four. In the final seconds of the third quarter Troy quarterback Brandon Silvers broke a long run to put Troy up by 11, just past a road favorite spread that climbed significantly throughout the week. New Mexico State scored with about 10 minutes to go in the game, successfully getting the two-point conversion to trail by only three. After trading punts Troy delivered an 11 play drive to burn off over six minutes of game clock before taking a knee.

Texas Tech (-6½) 52, Arizona State 45: The Red Raiders led 35-17 at the half and that was with losing a fumble on the one-yard line to cost the team a bigger advantage. The defense started to run out of gas and this game turned into a shootout similar to last season. Through three quarters Texas Tech still led by seven, even with the common spread though -6½ was the opening and closing number on the game. Arizona State tied the game with about 10 minutes to go for a fourth straight touchdown drive for the Sun Devils. Both teams were forced to punt on their next possessions and Texas Tech got back in front with a 12-play 90-yard drive to lead by seven again with just under two minutes to go. Arizona State was stopped in its own territory but they had no timeouts as Texas Tech had no need to add points.

Utah (-28½) 54, San Jose State 16: The Utes kicked field goals early but eventually pulled away in the third quarter to take a 30-13 edge into halftime. Through three quarters Utah led by 24 and early in the fourth quarter the Spartans trimmed the deficit to 21 points. Utah added 17 points in the fourth quarter for a 54-16 final and a home favorite cover, scoring after a pair of San Jose State fumbles.

Washington (-35) 48, Fresno State 16: The highly regarded Huskies were much more dominant than the final numbers as they led 34-0 just 18 minutes into the game. The Huskies led 48-7 just over a minute into the second half before pulling off. Fresno State would score three field goals the rest of the way taking advantage of a pair of Washington fumbles as the Bulldogs moved to 3-0 ATS, slipping just within the closing spread.

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STAT WATCH: Irish's 515 yards rushing their most since 1969
September 18, 2017

Notre Dame in back-to-back weeks went from its worst rushing performance in three seasons to its best in almost five decades.

The Irish's 515 yards on 51 carries in a 49-20 win at Boston College on Saturday were the most since they amassed 597 yards against Navy in 1969. Their 10.1 yards per attempt broke the modern school record of 10.0 against Great Lakes in 1942.

This happened after they netted 55 yards on 37 carries in a loss to Georgia, their fewest since they managed 41 on 38 attempts in a loss to Arizona State in 2014.

Josh Adams and quarterback Brandon Wimbush each went over 200 yards against the Eagles, a first for Notre Dame. Adams finished with 229, the most since Julius Jones had 218 at Stanford in 2003. Wimbush, with 207 yards, broke the quarterback rushing record of 146 set by Bill Etter against Navy in 1969.

Notre Dame's seven rushing touchdowns were the most since it had the same number against Navy in 2011.

The 515 rushing yards tied for second-most allowed by Boston College. Army ran for 516 against the Eagles in 2012 and for 515 in 1985.

Other notable statistical feats over the weekend:

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THE 200 CLUB

Joining Adams and Wimbush with 200-yard games was Ito Smith of Southern Mississippi. He had a career-high 219 yards on 27 carries against Louisiana.

There have been 11 200-yard rushing performances in the Bowl Subdivision this season.

SLINGING SHIMONEK

Texas Tech's Nic Shimonek set the national season high for passing yards with 543 against Arizona State in his second career start. He took 24 yards in losses on three sacks, rushed once for a yard, giving him 519 total yards - second-most in a game this season.

Shimonek was among four quarterbacks who threw for six touchdown passes. The others were Washington State's Luke Falk, against Oregon State; Memphis' Riley Ferguson, against UCLA; and Toledo's Logan Woodside, against Tulsa.

Shimonek is the No. 1 passer in the FBS with 463.5 yards a game. He's thrown nine touchdowns and has not been intercepted.

CATCHING CAM

Virginia Tech's Cam Phillips had the best receiving day of the weekend, catching a school-record 14 balls for 189 yards against East Carolina. He leads the FBS with 417 receiving yards.

Phillips' 11 receptions in the first half were the most since the Hokies joined the Atlantic Coast Conference in 2004, and his three touchdown catches were Tech's most since Bucky Hodges had three in a triple-overtime game against Duke in 2015.

Phillips also tied the school record with his 30th consecutive game with at least one catch.

GETTING HIS KICKS

Quinn Nordin tied the Michigan record by kicking five field goals in a 29-13 win over Air Force. It was the most since K.C. Lopata kicked five against Minnesota in 2009. J.D. Carlson, against Illinois in 1990, and Mike Gillette, against Minnesota in 1988, also had five in a game for the Wolverines.

Nordin hit from 35, 26, 49, 29 and 36 yards and is tied for the national lead with 11 field goals on 13 attempts. Utah's Matt Gay is 11 for 11.

GETTING SACKED

Winless Massachusetts continues to have problems keeping opposing defenses out of its backfield. The Minutemen allowed nine sacks to Temple a week after giving up eight to Old Dominion. Those are the second- and third-highest totals in FBS games behind the 11 Auburn surrendered to Clemson.

UMass' 23 allowed in four games ranks 130th, and last, in the country with a line that has four starters playing different spots this year. Last year the Minutemen allowed 45 in 12 games to rank 125th.

[StarDust Bum]

Opening Line Report - Week 4
September 18, 2017

Mississippi State turned heads with its 37-7 romp as a 7.5-point home underdog over LSU last Saturday, and they’ll be substantial dogs again this week when they visit Georgia (Saturday, 7:00 p.m. ET, ESPN)

Despite Miss State’s impressive showing this past weekend, bettors laid the points immediately upon Week 4 college football lines being posted Sunday at the Wynn, pushing the point spread from Georgia -5.5 to -7 within minutes. The +7 prompted buyback on Miss State, the line sinking to 5 before progressing back to 6.5 on Monday.

John Avello, sports book director at the Wynn, said he’s surprised by Miss State’s 3-0 start, and while he’s adjusted the power rating on Dan Mullen’s men, he offered a few words of caution for those looking to ride them in Athens this week.

“The LSU game was eye-opening, but the LSU offense is very week – no quarterback there,” Avello said.

“I reevaluated (Miss State) as being a better team than I thought, but this a tough spot because Georgia is team that has a good chance to win the (SEC) East, and this is a game they need to get through, because after this .... the schedule gets real tough (and many of the games are within the East division). So it’s a game they’d certainly like to have in their pocket.”

To Ed Salmons, manager at the Westgate Las Vegas SuperBook, LSU didn’t appear ready for Miss State.

“LSU played like they were walking into a game they thought they’d win easy, and before they knew it, they were down so much they had no chance,” he said.

Nevertheless, he was impressed by Miss State.

“No one really beats LSU like that,” he said.

Salmons, though, agrees with Avello that Saturday’s game is a difficult spot for the underdog.

“This is a tough crossover game for Miss State after the big win,” Salmons said. “This is gonna be a tough spot for them. But from what you see, there’s no reason they can’t compete.”

Here’s a quick look at a few more of Saturday’s games.

N.C. State at Florida State (-11.5) - (ABC, 12:00 p.m. ET)

Avello opened Florida State -12.5 and moved to -13 before scaling back to -11.5 during Sunday wagering.

The Seminoles come into this contest having not played since losing to Alabama in Week 1 (their schedule the last two week was disrupted by Hurricane Irma) and also without Heisman candidate quarterback Deondre Francois, who was lost for the season to a knee injury.

Avello said with James Blackman replacing Francois, he’s tweaked his rating on FSU, but he’ll hold off on making a major adjustment until he sees how the 6-foot-5 freshman performs.

“College football is a lot different than in pro football, where if you lose your starter and you go to your second string you fall way off usually,” Avello said. “That’s not necessarily the case in college football, because the kids they recruit are such good athletes. Maybe the guy coming in is better than the kid that was already there – I doubt that, but he may be over time.

“It’s an adjustment but not a huge, huge adjustment, so we’ll see what happens over the next couple of weeks.”

From a betting perspective, N.C. State has owned Florida State for over a decade and a half, covering the spread in 13 of the last 16 meetings, and Avello is high on the Wolfpack this season, too.

”I think N.C. State’s a lot better than they’ve shown so far (the Wolfpack are 2-1, with a loss to South Carolina and wins over Marshall and Furman). Coming into the season, I expected them to have pretty good season, an eight- or nine-win type of year. They played Florida State tough last year (a 24-20 loss as 7-point dogs). Even without having that quality a team, they gave them some trouble.”

TCU at Oklahoma State (-11.5) - (ABC, 3:30 p.m. ET)

Oklahoma State continues to roll through the early part of the season, winning 59-21 at Pitt this past Saturday behind a 497-yard, five TD performance from QB Mason Rudolph. And it could have been worse – coach Mike Gundy took Rudolph out of the game with about five minutes to go in the third quarter.

The Cowboys opened -11 at the Wynn, and despite the lofty number against a ranked conference foe, bettors laid the points and pushed the line to -12.

While TCU is expected to be without running back Kyle Hicks, Avello said the senior’s absence was baked into his original number. Plus, Darius Anderson has carried the bulk of the load in the Horned Frogs’ backfield this season.

The early line here looked big to Salmons.

“I’m surprised by how high this line is. I thought that line would be more than a touchdown but a notch below 10,” he said. “But it looks like they’re going to take every Ok State game and add 3 or 4 points, and if you want to bet the dog, so be it. They did that last week (at Pitt). I thought the 14.5 they pushed that line up to was crazy, and they had (49) points by halftime. It was just insane. They could have scored 100 points if they wanted to. I liked them coming into the year, but I didn’t think they’d be as good as they’ve looked so far.

“But this will be a tough game. TCU is pretty good,” Salmons added.

Said Avello, “What you’ve got to contend with is Ok State’s 50-plus points a game. They spread it around, they’re just a really tough team to defend, and they’ve made very few mistakes so far. I understand why the game is double digits, but you’ve got to be careful not to give a quality team like TCU too much.”

Alabama (-19.5) at Vanderbilt - (CBS, 3:30 p.m. ET)

While the Alabama opened -19.5 at the Wynn and stuck there through the first 24 hours of betting action, other shops were gentler on chalk players, offering ‘Bama -18.5. Before laying even that shorter number, know Vandy is a tough bet-against proposition at home vs. SEC opponents. The Commodores are 10-3 ATS in their last 13 home conference games.

Vandy is also off to a 3-0 start, although Avello noticed “they got a lot of breaks” in Saturday’s win over Kansas State.

“A lot of (calls) went their way and they ended up winning the game, 14-7. That’s a game they could have lost very easily,” Avello said. “Offensively, against a team like Kansas State, they didn’t show much. They had a couple of big plays and that’s how they got on the board. Now you meet a team like (Alabama) who can shut them down and the problem they’re going to have is trying to score against Alabama.

“If Vandy can find some offense in this game, maybe they can hang around,” he added. “The spread’s not as big as you would normally see for an Alabama game.”

Should Vandy keep the game close early by slowing Alabama’s offense, hold off on spending the winnings from your underdog bet until the final buzzer sounds, cautions the Wynn oddsmaker.

“Maybe they can shut them down a little bit. I suspect in the first half they might, but long term, the whole game, Alabama’s the type of team – we see it week in and week out – they will wear you out over time,” Avello said.

Michigan (-10) at Purdue - (FOX, 4:00 p.m. ET)

Bettors took Purdue +11, the Wynn’s opening line, and the number sunk to 9.5 before being bet back up to 10. But based on how Avello anticipates this line moving, you may want to lay the points now if you’re on Michigan this week.

“I expect this line to go up. I expect to close this game 11 or higher,” he said.

Purdue has put together a solid season so far, its only loss a 35-28 defeat as 25.5-point dogs against Louisville. Since then, they’ve beaten Ohio (44-21) and Missouri (35-3).

The Boilermakers should expect to face a Jim Harbaugh group that’s at its best.

“They haven’t had a winning record at home for over four years, so I don’t know how much weight I give there,” Avello said. “Michigan really hasn’t played that well so far, but they’re capable. As the season goes on, they get better, and Michigan knows this team is playing well, and Michigan’s offense has been so-so…. I think they come in prepared for this one.

“That’s’ the problem for Purdue. They might catch a Michigan team who is ready to roll.”

Penn State (-12) at Iowa (ABC, 7:30 p.m. ET)

Iowa may be 3-0, but the Westgate’s Salmons believes this double-digit line is justified.

“I don’t think much of Iowa,” Salmons said. “I know Iowa beat Michigan last year, but they were so fortunate to beat Iowa State (in Week 2 this season). They had no business winning that game. Wyoming’s been just awful, so I kind of throw that game out, and they were losing at home to North Texas at halftime.”

Early Line Moves

Here are Week 4 games that have seen the point spread move at least 2 points in the favorite’s direction during first 24 hours of wagering at the Wynn.

Boston College vs. Clemson
Open line: Clemson -31.5
After 24 hours: Clemson -33.5

Kent State vs. Louisville
Open line: Louisville -39.5
After 24 hours: Louisville -41.5

Old Dominion vs. Virginia Tech
Open line: Va Tech -24.5
After 24 hours: Va Tech -26.5

Rutgers vs. Nebraska
Open line: Nebraska -11
After 24 hours: Nebraska -14

Ball State vs. Western Kentucky
Open line: WKU -7
After 24 hours: WKU -9

Nevada vs. Washington State
Open line: Wash State -25
After 24 hours: Wash State -27.5

Here are Week 4 games that have seen the point spread move at least 2 points in the underdog’s direction during the first 24 hours of wagering at the Wynn.

Louisiana Tech vs. South Carolina
Open line: La Tech +10.5
After 24 hours: La Tech +8.5

San Diego State vs. Air Force
Open line: Air Force +6
After 24 hours: Air Force +3.5

Oregon vs. Arizona State
Open line: ASU +17
After 24 hours: ASU +15

Odds Subject to Change

[StarDust Bum]

Georgia-Mississippi State ready to battle
September 18, 2017

ATHENS, Ga. (AP) They share a nickname and a league.

Little else.

There's just not a whole lot of history between Georgia and Mississippi State.

''We don't play Georgia very often,'' State coach Dan Mullen said Monday. ''I think it's only the third time since I've been the head coach here'' - he's now in his ninth season - ''that we're going to be playing Georgia. And we don't play them again, I guess, because of the way the schedule works, for another seven years. So there's some uniqueness to it.''

Unique, indeed.

For the first time in what barely qualifies as a rivalry, the No. 11 Bulldogs (the Georgia version) and the 17th-ranked Bulldogs (that would be Mississippi State) are set to play a Southeastern Conference game that could have huge ramifications in the national race.

Never before have the schools squared off with both ranked in the Top 25.

In fact, they haven't faced each other much at all over the years.

Just 23 times - a rather perplexing lack of familiarity, given both were charter members when the SEC was founded in 1932.

They met for the first time in 1914 - State won 9-0 in Athens, nearly two decades before the founding of the SEC - and didn't play again until 1950. Since then, there have been infrequent games, usually in back-to-back years separated by long layoffs, with Georgia holding a 17-6 edge.

Georgia safety J.R. Reed was a high school sophomore the last time these teams met in 2011 .

Even so, he won't have any trouble getting up for the game, given what's on the line.

''In the back of your mind, you know, `Hey, this is the SEC,''' Reed said. ''We've got to win if we want to go anywhere bowl game-wise and playoff-wise.''

Mississippi State (3-0) surged into the rankings with a 37-7 blowout of then-No. 12 LSU last Saturday night in Starkville, a game that suddenly stamped Mullen's team as a potential championship contender. Quarterback Nick Fitzgerald had a breakout performance, throwing for two touchdowns and running for two more.

Now he's going against the home-state school that passed on him after high school. Fitzgerald played at Richmond Hill, just outside of Savannah, but Georgia didn't think he had much of a future as a college quarterback.

Under Mullen's tutelage, he has become one of the most talked-about players in the country.

''It's the new-age quarterbacks,'' said Georgia linebacker Roquan Smith. ''You've got to be able to use your feet and pass the ball. It's a different thing. It puts a lot of stress on the defense. The defense has to adapt to that. But I think we'll be able to do it.''

Georgia (3-0) is off to a strong start in Kirby Smart's second season as coach. Its most impressive performance was a 20-19 victory at Notre Dame , the sort of statement game that Georgia lacked while stumbling to an 8-5 mark in Smart's debut year.

A victory this week would be even bigger.

''Playing a team like this will tell us a lot,'' Smart said. ''I'm not going to sit here and say we've arrived, because I don't think that's the case. I think we've improved. I think we have to continue to improve to beat the teams we have on our schedule.''

Georgia has faced Mississippi State fewer than any of the other original members still in the SEC. For State, Vanderbilt (22 meetings) is the lone school with that distinction.

Georgia has played five other schools more often than the other Bulldogs, including Georgia Tech, former SEC member Tulane and current conference foe South Carolina, though most of those 64 meetings against the Gamecocks came before they even joined the league in 1992. Clemson and North Carolina also have been more frequent opponents.

It's much the same for Mississippi State, which has more history with Arkansas (an SEC member only since 1992) as well as Tulane, Southern Mississippi and Memphis.

Perhaps the oddest note in this pseudo-rivalry: Georgia and Mississippi State met twice (in 1959 and 1961) at Georgia Tech's Bobby Dodd Stadium in Atlanta, then known as Grant Field. Both contests were part of doubleheaders in which the Yellow Jackets hosted Auburn in the other game.

The Dawgs will have the stage all to themselves Saturday night between the hedges.

No familiarity needed to realize this is a big one.

''There's just a little bit more excitement, a little bit more heart pounding,'' Reed said. ''I'm ready to go.''

[StarDust Bum]

Vanderbilt coach starting to reap benefits of experience
September 19, 2017

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) Derek Mason and his Vanderbilt Commodores are showing that experience matters.

Yes, even in the mighty Southeastern Conference where so many 5-star recruits make an instant impact.

A year ago, Mason's job security was shaky after a 2-4 start to his third season. Since then, the Commodores have gone 7-3, Mason picked up a contract extension and Vanderbilt is off to its best start at 3-0 since 2011 with the latest win a 14-7 upset of then-No. 18 Kansas State .

Mason thinks the turnaround is simple to explain: experience matters. Now he has 27 juniors and seniors on the Commodores' two-deep depth chart.

''You just have to grow guys up in your culture, in your program and what you try to do is hold them responsible for playing good football, and I think man these guys have done just that,'' Mason said. ''It's not me holding them responsible. It's those guys holding each other responsible. They're loyal to one another, and that loyalty runs deep.''

James Franklin proved Vanderbilt could win, posting back-to-back 9-4 records in 2012 and 2013 with bowl victories that put the Commodores in the final AP Top 25 rankings. But he bolted for Penn State after three seasons, and Vanderbilt hasn't been ranked since the final poll after the 2013 season.

Mason now is in his fourth season, and he has a lot to work with thanks to 18 returning starters - trailing only Georgia and Kentucky in the SEC with 19 apiece. That's one more than Florida, the two-time SEC East champs.

Of that group, seven have started 10 or more games consecutively, and Vanderbilt's all-time leading rusher Ralph Webb has 40 consecutive starts. Six other Commodores started multiple games last season: wide receivers C.J Duncan and Caleb Scott, tight end Jared Pinkney, defensive end Dare Odeyingbo, safety Arnold Tarpley III and cornerback Bryce Lewis.

That's why Mason keeps talking about having a veteran team.

''When you start to get an older football team in this conference, you can play only 11 guys on the field , you can play anybody,'' Mason said. ''You just got to make sure those guys believe it.''

Beating Georgia , Mississippi and Tennessee last season sure helped. The Commodores lost to Florida,Auburn and South Carolina in 2016 by a combined 17 points.

Senior safety Ryan White made it clear the Commodores trust Mason.

''We know that Coach has been through a lot,'' White said. ''He always says trust the process, and we're trusting that process and we've got each other's backs.''

The Commodores face their biggest test Saturday when top-ranked Alabama (3-0) visits for the SEC opener for both teams. Franklin only had to face Alabama once, and Vanderbilt lost 34-0 in Tuscaloosa in his first season in 2011. This will be the first No. 1 team Vanderbilt has hosted since Tennessee in 1998 on the Vols' way to a national title.

Charles Wright, a redshirt junior, leads the SEC with six sacks, while senior linebacker Emmanuel Smith ranks fourth in the league with 28 tackles. The Commodores are tied for the most sacks (10) and interceptions (five) in the league while leading the nation having allowed only 13 points through three games.

On offense, junior quarterback Kyle Shurmur has Vanderbilt averaging 242.6 yards passing per game, third-best in the league.

Alabama coach Nick Saban said Monday that the Commodores' experience in Mason's system is easy to see with a physical offense and defense on film and in Vanderbilt's results this season.

''There's no question about the buy-in to the program and the job that he's (Mason) done there,'' Saban said.

One area that Mason still is working to improve is his young offensive line. A redshirt freshman is starting at right tackle with redshirt sophomores at right and left guard. Mason had to jump on the linemen about penalties at halftime of the win over Kansas State.

''The win helps them grow up, so we'll be better,'' Mason said.

[StarDust Bum]

Mike Stoops has Oklahoma defense rolling after rough '16
September 18, 2017

NORMAN, Okla. (AP) A year ago, Mike Stoops was a very unpopular man.

Oklahoma's fans were looking for scapegoats after the Sooners lost two of three to start the season and allowed at least 40 points to Ohio State, TCU, Texas and Texas Tech. Stoops, the Sooners' defensive coordinator, took most of the blame.

Even though the defense improved the second half of the season, some weren't sure he'd be around for long after Lincoln Riley took over as head coach this summer. He was retained, and he was vindicated when Oklahoma posted a resounding 31-16 win at Ohio State in between dominant performances against UTEP and Tulane. The third-ranked Sooners (3-0) have one of the nation's top defenses heading into Saturday's conference opener at Baylor.

''They are starting to build pride and confidence and want to play consistent football,'' Stoops said ''We didn't have any consistency a year ago. We were up and down, quarter by quarter, game by game.''

Stoops has been around long enough to realize that he could be in the crosshairs in a week.

''You have to handle prosperity well, too,'' he said. ''People tell you how great you are for a week straight and then, again, you have to block out the noise. It's a week-to-week season, and you have to be smart enough to realize that.''

Riley said Stoops took last year's struggles personally. Now, the Sooners rank 13th out of 129 schools in points allowed per game, seventh in passing yards allowed per game and 20th in total defense. Oklahoma held Ohio State to 350 yards and only allowed the Buckeyes to reach the end zone once.

''Mike and them do a great job, but they've done an even better job this year with our guys' heads, making sure that we're in the right frame to play great team defense and to play the type of defense that this university has been known for for a long time,'' Riley said.

Oklahoma cornerback Parnell Motley has been a key reason the Sooners have improved. He had an interception against Ohio State, and his 77-yard interception return for a touchdown against Tulane turned the momentum in a 56-14 win .

''He's confident,'' Riley said. ''He's physically better. Mentally, he's more comfortable with what we're doing. He's not thinking, he's just kind of letting his natural ability take over, his instincts take over. As a DB, there's probably nothing more important than that.''

Linebacker Ogbonnia Okoronkwo has evolved from a pass-rushing specialist to an all-around player. He has at least two tackles for loss in each of the first three games and is second on the team with 19 tackles.

Defensive back Steven Parker is the veteran leader of the secondary. He's fourth on the team with 14 tackles. Linebacker Emmanuel Beal leads the way with 21 tackles. Freshman linebacker Kenneth Murray is third on the team with 16 stops.

First-year assistant head coach Ruffin McNeill, who is helping with the defensive line, has made an impression helping Stoops.

''He brings a lot mentality-wise, to us, there's no doubt,'' Riley said. ''He's got a presence out there that, not just defensively, I think the whole team feels it.''

The Sooners got off to rough starts against UTEP and Tulane but rallied and posted shutouts in the final three quarters of both games.

''The staff has made the adjustments necessary,'' Riley said. ''I think the players, though, have had a good mentality. Even though you don't start off right, you've got to keep swinging. They've done that. They've settled in. I think they've got a lot of confidence in what we're doing defensively, and that shows in situations like that.''