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

[StarDust Bum]

Late Afternoon Games:

HOU at TLSA 04:00 PM

HOU -13.5 *****

O 62.5

COLO at ORST 04:00 PM

ORST +10.0

WYO at USU 04:30 PM

USU -2.5 *****

CHAR at WKU 04:30 PM

CHAR +17.0

APP at IDHO 05:00 PM

APP -12.5

GSU at ULM 05:00 PM

ULM -6.5

NMSU at GASO 06:00 PM

NMSU -6.5 *****

MTU at UAB 06:30 PM

UAB +4.5 *****

U 54.5

[StarDust Bum]

Early Evening Games:

UTEP at SOMIS 07:00 PM

SOMIS -23.0 *****

U 52.5

TULN at FIU 07:00 PM

TULN -13.0

ECU at UCF 07:00 PM

UCF -35.0 *****

U 69.5

TAM at FLA 07:00 PM

TAM +3.0

UTSA at UNT 07:00 PM

UTSA -2.5 *****

O 59.5

CCAR at ARST 07:00 PM

U 65.0

ARK at ALA 07:15 PM

ARK +36.0

CIN at USF 07:30 PM

USF -24.0 *****

OSU at NEB 07:30 PM

OSU -24.5 *****

MIZZ at UGA 07:30 PM

UGA -28.5 *****

[StarDust Bum]

Late Evening Games:

UTAH at USC 08:00 PM

UTAH +13.0 *****

MSU at MINN 08:00 PM

MINN +4.5

UCLA at ARIZ 09:00 PM

ARIZ +2.5 *****

UNM at FRES 10:00 PM

FRES -0.5 *****

NEV at CSU 10:15 PM

CSU -24.5 *****

BSU at SDSU 10:30 PM

SDSU -5.5 *****

WASH at ASU 10:45 PM

ASU +18.0 *****

ORE at STAN 11:00 PM

STAN -9.5 *****

SJSU at HAW 11:59 PM

HAW -17.0

U 63.5

[StarDust Bum]

Saturday's best
October 14, 2017

STARS

-J.T. Barrett, Ohio State, accounted for seven TDs and 373 yards to help the ninth-ranked Buckeyes roll to a 56-14 victory over Nebraska.

-Khalil Tate, Arizona, ran for 230 yards and two touchdowns to lead Arizona over UCLA 47-30, a week after breaking the FBS record for a quarterback with 327 yards.

-Mason Rudolph, Oklahoma State, passed for 459 yards and three TDs, and ran for another score to help the No. 14 Cowboys beat Baylor 59-16.

-Jonathan Taylor, Wisconsin, ran for 219 yards , including a 67-yard touchdown, helping the No. 7 Badgers beat Purdue 17-9.

-Lamar Jackson, Louisville, accounted for 512 yards and five TDs in the Cardinals' 45-42 loss to Boston College.

-L.J. Scott, Michigan State, returned from an injury to rush for a career-high 194 yards and two TDs, helping the 21st-ranked Spartans hang on for a 30-27 victory over Minnesota.

-Troy Pelletier, Lehigh, set a school and Patriot League record with 16 receptions for 197 yards and four TDs in a 54-35 win against Georgetown.

-Arion Worthman, Air Force, ran for five TDs , including a 1-yard dive with 2:14 remaining, helping the Falcons rally from a 27-point deficit to beat UNLV 34-30.

-Will Grier, West Virginia, threw for 352 yards and had four of his five TD passes in the second half to help the Mountaineers overcome an 18-point deficit to beat No. 24 Texas Tech 46-35.

-Charlie Volker, Princeton, ran for 163 yards and four TDs, including a school-record 96-yard score, in a 53-0 win over Brown.

-Shea Patterson, Mississippi, threw for 351 yards and four TDs in a 57-35 win over Vanderbilt.

-Mike White, Western Kentucky, tied a career high with five passing TDs and ran for another score in a 45-14 win over Charlotte.

-Gresch Jensen, Montana, threw for a career-best 423 yards and three TDs in a 41-17 win against North Dakota.

-Sam Straub, Southern Illinois, threw for 368 yards and four TDs to help the Salukis surprise FCS nationally-ranked Illinois State 42-7.

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SYRACUSE STUNNER

Syracuse coach Dino Babers paused at midfield in the Carrier Dome after the most important victory of his coaching career. He had no choice because he was surrounded by ecstatic fans stunned by the Orange's upset of No. 2 Clemson.

A Syracuse stunner and a signature win.

The Tigers were outplayed in a chippy game that featured 23 penalties for 219 yards that were evenly divided. Led by quarterback Eric Dungey's three touchdown passes and back-breaking runs, Syracuse ran 26 more plays than Clemson and outgained the Tigers 440-317.

The Tigers won the national championship last year despite a loss during the season to Pittsburgh. The road ahead this time likely will be more difficult.

Quarterback Kelly Bryant, already nursing an injured ankle, was knocked out of the game just before halftime with a concussion after a big hit by Syracuse defensive tackle Chris Slayton. Bryant lay on the turf for a couple of minutes before being helped to the locker room and watched the rest of the game from the sideline.

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MIAMI MIRACLE, PART 2

Darrell Langham was going down, and so was No. 11 Miami.

Until they weren't.

A Miami Miracle happened again - and the Hurricanes are still perfect this season. Langham's 28-yard catch on a tipped ball that just happened to fall into his arms as he fell down on a fourth-or-else play helped set up Michael Badgley's 24-yard field goal with 4 seconds left, and Miami somehow beat Georgia Tech 25-24.

A week ago at Florida State, Langham had the winning touchdown catch with 6 seconds left as Miami (5-0, 3-0 Atlantic Coast Conference) rallied to beat their archrival. This time, his catch with 35 seconds left, again down the right sideline just like the one in Tallahassee, was no less dramatic - hauling in a throw from Malik Rosier that kept the Hurricanes' chances alive.

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NUMBERS

670-Total yards by Georgia State in its 47-37 win over Louisiana Monroe to break the school record.

747-Total yards by No. 14 Oklahoma State in its 59-16 win over Baylor, breaking the school record.

4,639-Career yards rushing by Northwestern's Justin Jackson , moving him past Damien Anderson (4,485) for most in school history.

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LSU TOPS AUBURN

LSU coach Ed Orgeron didn't want the game ball, turning down a chance to stick it in the faces of so many critics who think he is in over his head.

Auburn fans clustered in the stands near the visitor's locker room voiced their displeasure with coach Gus Malzahn, some yelling audibly that he's ''got to go.''

Such is life in the Southeastern Conference, where a young LSU team might be changing minds - and winning back disillusioned fans - thanks to a pair of gritty victories.

D.J. Chark returned a punt 75 yards for a touchdown, Connor Culp kicked field goals of 42 and 36 yards inside the final three minutes, and LSU erased a 20-point deficit on its way to a 27-23 victory over No. 10 Auburn.

LSU's defense improved dramatically in the second half, when it allowed no points and just 64 yards. That enabled LSU to win with special teams play.

[StarDust Bum]

Top 25 roundup: No. 12 Oklahoma holds off Texas
October 14, 2017

DALLAS -- A series that has produced so many tight games produced another Saturday as No. 12 Oklahoma built a big lead early and then hung on for a 29-24 win over Texas in the Red River Showdown at the Cotton Bowl.

Oklahoma's defense, a problem in the loss to Iowa State a week earlier and a liability for much of a win over Baylor before that, came up big when the game tightened up.

The Sooners stopped Texas on four of the Longhorns' last five possessions, and one huge Baker Mayfield touchdown pass led Oklahoma (5-1, 2-1 Big 12) to its second consecutive win in the series and its fourth in the last five years.

With just less than seven minutes remaining, Mayfield found a wide-open Mark Andrews open along the sidelines for a 59-yard touchdown to put the Sooners back in front. Mayfield finished 17 of 27 with 302 yards, two touchdowns and an interception.

No. 1 Alabama 41, Arkansas 9

TUSCALOOSA, Ala. -- Top-ranked Alabama extended its streak to 11 straight victories over Arkansas with a lopsided victory.

A stingy defense and running back Damien Harris, who had 125 yards and two touchdowns, powered the Crimson Tide (7-0, 4-0 SEC). Quarterback Jalen Hurts finished 12 of 19 for 155 yards with a touchdown and an interception.

Alabama flexed its muscle early, taking a 24-0 lead into halftime in Bryant-Denny Stadium. It took all of 15 seconds for the Crimson Tide to get on the scoreboard. On the first play from scrimmage, Harris broke free for a 75-yard touchdown down the left sideline.

No. 4 Georgia 53, Missouri 28

ATHENS, Ga. -- No. 4 Georgia rolled up 696 total yards to rout Missouri in a victory that will likely push the Bulldogs into the third spot in the poll.

It was certainly a good night to pad the stats for the Bulldogs (7-0, 4-0 SEC), who found themselves tied with Missouri at 21 before scoring the next 26 points. Freshman quarterback Jake Fromm enjoyed a stellar day, completing 18 of 26 passes for a career-high 326 yards and one touchdown. Georgia rushed for 372 yards.

Sony Michel recorded 86 yards and two scores, freshman D'Andre Swift totaled 94 and Nick Chubb added 70. Wide receiver Mecole Hardman scored twice -- on a 35-yard run and a 59-yard pass. Drew Lock accounted for all the points for Missouri (1-5, 0-4), completing 15 of 25 passes for 253 yards and four touchdowns. Emanuel Hall caught a pair of 63-yard TD passes for the Tigers.

No. 6 TCU 26, Kansas State 6

MANHATTAN, Kan. -- No. 6 TCU overcame a day of weather interruptions and offensive inconsistencies to defeat Kansas State in a game that was delayed at the start for three hours by severe weather.

TCU (6-0, 3-0 Big 12) scored on its first possession of the second half to open up a 20-3 lead and was never threatened. The Horned Frogs hold sole possession of first place in the Big 12, after Texas' loss to Oklahoma. Quarterback Kenny Hill was 27 of 37 for 297 yards. He also had a 10-yard touchdown run to open the scoring.

Kansas State (3-3, 1-2) provided little resistance. The Wildcats mustered just 216 yards of total offense and averaged 2.4 yards per carry. There was another delay of one hour in the fourth quarter.

No. 7 Wisconsin 17, Purdue 9

MADISON, Wis. -- Freshman running back Jonathan Taylor had 30 carries for 219 yards and a touchdown as No. 7 Wisconsin beat Purdue for the 12th straight time.

Taylor, a true freshman, has accumulated 986 rushing yards in six games for the Badgers. Wisconsin (6-0, 3-0 Big Ten) had three turnovers and eight penalties for 65 yards, but its defense kept the Boilermakers (3-3, 1-2) from scoring a touchdown. And senior linebacker Leon Jacobs came up big with a late save for the Badgers.

With Purdue posing a red-zone challenge on the 7-yard line, Jacobs picked off Elijah Sindelar with 8:14 left in the game. The pass was intended for freshman wide receiver Jackson Anthrop. Wisconsin held Purdue to 221 yards, including 155 passing.

No. 9 Ohio State 56, Nebraska 14

LINCOLN, Neb. -- JT Barrett tied a school record by accounting for seven touchdowns in Ohio State's romp over Nebraska.

Barrett set the mark last September in a win against Bowling Green. Barrett had five touchdowns passing, two rushing and 325 passing yards in a game that was over early. Ohio State (6-1, 4-0 Big Ten) scored on its first eight possessions and finished with 633 total yards, dispiriting a Nebraska fan base that expressed itself initially with anger, then absence.

Nebraska (3-4, 2-2) finished with 44 rushing yards on 16 carries in what was its third home loss of the season. The loss continued an angst-riddled season for the Cornhuskers. Athletic director Shawn Eichorst was fired last month days after a loss to Northern Illinois. Speculation has swirled much of the year that coach Mike Riley, now 18-15 in three seasons in Lincoln, could be next.

LSU 27, No. 10 Auburn 23

BATON ROUGE, La. -- LSU erased a 20-point first-half deficit and freshman kicker Connor Culp kicked two field goals in the final 2:36 to lift the Tigers to an upset victory against No. 10 Auburn.

LSU (5-2, 2-1 SEC) trailed by 20 midway through the second quarter, but the Tigers rallied by holding Auburn (5-2, 3-1), which had averaged 48 points in its last three games, scoreless over the final 32 minutes to beat a ranked team for the second consecutive week.

Trailing 23-21, LSU moved the ball to the Auburn 25, where on fourth-and-1, Culp came in and split the uprights on the go-ahead 42-yard kick. After stopping Auburn on its next possession, Culp hit a 36-yard field goal with 38 seconds left to make it 27-23.

No. 11 Miami 25, Georgia Tech 24

MIAMI GARDENS, Fla. -- Quarterback Malik Rosier found wide receiver Darrell Langham for a crucial 28-yard fourth-down completion to help set up kicker Michael Badgley's 24-yard field goal as No. 11 Miami rallied for a victory over Georgia Tech.

Just a week after throwing the decisive touchdown pass to Langham in a 24-20 victory over Florida State, Rosier again found Langham down the right side. Langham appeared to catch the ball off his facemask as he tumbled to Georgia Tech's 15-yard line with just 33 seconds remaining.

Three plays later, Badgley kicked the decisive field goal with just four seconds remaining

The win kept the Hurricanes (5-0, 3-0 ACC) unbeaten while the Yellow Jackets (3-2, 2-1) lost for the first time since their overtime defeat to Tennessee in the opener. Rosier finished the game 23 of 37 for 297 yards. Sophomore Travis Homer, subbing for an injured Mark Walton, rushed for 170 yards, scoring on a 27-yard run and a 17-yard reception.

No. 13 USC 28, Utah 27

LOS ANGELES -- No. 13 USC rallied from a two-touchdown halftime deficit to defeat Utah.

The Trojans (6-1, 4-1 Pac-12) trailed the Utes (4-2, 1-2) 21-7 at intermission, the result of three first-half fumbles. Quarterback Sam Darnold threw two of his three touchdown passes, running back Ronald Jones II scored on a front-flip into the end zone to give USC the lead, and defensive back Ajene Harris stopped Utah quarterback Troy Williams on a game-deciding two-point conversion attempt with an open-field tackle to preserve the win.

Darnold finished 27 of 50 for 358 yards. Jones rushed 17 times for 111 yards. Williams finished 16 of 27 for 262 yards for Utah (4-2, 1-2).

No. 14 Oklahoma State 59, Baylor 16

STILLWATER, Okla. -- No. 14 Oklahoma State piled up a school-record 747 yards of offense and seven players scored touchdowns in a rout of Baylor.

After a fast start and a 7-0 lead by the Bears, it was all Oklahoma State (5-1, 2-1 Big 12). Quarterback Mason Rudolph tied a school record with his seventh career 400-yard passing game, finishing with 459 yards and three touchdowns. Wideout James Washington tied another school mark with his third career 200-yard receiving game, going for 235 and a touchdown.

Marcell Ateman posted a 119-yard receiving day, with a score. And running back Justice Hill ran for 117 yards and a touchdown, giving the Cowboys a 400-yard passer, two 100-yard receivers and a 100-yard rusher for just the fourth time in program history.

Baylor fell to 0-6 for the first time since 1969, when it finished 0-10. The Bears are 0-3 in league play.

No. 17 Michigan 27, Indiana 20 (OT)

BLOOMINGTON, Ind. -- Karan Higdon rushed for 200 yards and three touchdowns, including the game-winner, to lead No. 17 Michigan to an overtime victory against Indiana on Saturday at Memorial Stadium.

Indiana's Griffin Oakes hit a 46-yard field goal as time expired in regulation to tie the game 20-20. On the first play in overtime, Higdon ran 25 yards for the touchdown, breaking around the left corner after Indiana appeared to have him bottled up as Michigan improved to 5-1 and 2-1 in the Big Ten. The Hoosiers fell to 3-3, 0-3.

Leading 13-10 in the fourth quarter, Higdon broke loose for a 59-yard touchdown run to give the Wolverines a 20-10 lead with 10:25 to go. Hoosiers quarterback Peyton Ramsey completed 20 of 41 passes for 178 yards with two interceptions.

No. 18 South Florida 33, Cincinnati 3

TAMPA, Fla. -- Quarterback Quinton Flowers totaled more than 260 yards of offense as South Florida lengthened the nation's longest streak with a rout of the University of Cincinnati.

Flowers had game highs in rushing (80 yards) and passing (178 yards) for the No. 18 Bulls (6-0, 3-0 AAC East), who have won 11 straight games and are 6-0 for the first time since 2007. Despite recording their lowest point total since Sept. 2 against Stony Brook, the Bulls reached the 30-point plateau for the 23rd straight game, tying the University of Oregon (2011-12) for the longest streak all-time.

Darius Tice rushed for 55 yards and a touchdown for South Florida, which remained perfect under head coach Charlie Strong despite being flagged for 137 yards of penalties. The Bearcats (2-5, 0-3) were limited to 95 rushing yards in losing for the fourth straight time.

No. 20 North Carolina State 35, Pittsburgh 17

PITTSBURGH -- Nyheim Hines was the difference-maker with two electric touchdowns as No. 20 North Carolina State overcame a slow start to beat Pittsburgh.

The Wolfpack (6-1, 4-0 ACC) failed to score on the opening drive of the game for just the second time this season and went into halftime tied at 14 with the Panthers (2-5, 0-3). After Pittsburgh started the scoring on a 33-yard pass from Ben DiNucci to receiver Jester Weah, Hines broke free two plays later for an 83-yard touchdown run to tie the game.

After a defensive stop by N.C. State, Hines then returned a Ryan Winslow punt 92 yards straight up the middle to give N.C. State the lead. Hines finished with 249 all-purpose yards.

No. 21 Michigan State 30, Minnesota 27

MINNEAPOLIS -- Junior running back LJ Scott rushed for 194 yards and two touchdowns on 25 carries to help No. 21 Michigan State squeak by Minnesota a week after taking down then-No. 7 Michigan on the road.

The Spartans built a 23-6 lead after three quarters but Minnesota quarterback Demry Croft threw a trio of fourth-quarter touchdown passes to wide receiver Tyler Johnson to make things interesting. The Spartans extended the lead to 23-6 heading into the fourth quarter on a pair of Matt Coghlin field goals. Minnesota closed the gap to 10 when Scott fumbled at the Michigan State 27 with 12:45 left and Croft hit Johnson for a 28-yard touchdown two plays later.

The Spartans responded immediately, however, when Connor Heyward received the ensuing kickoff at the goal line and returned it 55 yards to the Minnesota 45-yard line. Just four plays later, Scott carried in from 6 yards for his second touchdown of the game to restore Michigan State's 17-point cushion.

No. 22 Central Florida 63, East Carolina 21

ORLANDO, Fla. -- Central Florida scored in every phase of the game, nine players found the end zone and the impressive Golden Knights cruised past East Carolina.

McKenzie Milton completed 21 of 27 passes for 324 yards with two touchdowns in just three quarters. Mike Hughes returned a punt 66 yards for a touchdown and defensive back Tre Neal scored on an interception return as the Knights improved to 5-0 overall and 3-0 in the American Athletic Conference.

It's the first 5-0 start for UCF since 1988, when the Golden Knights were playing in Division II. The Pirates (1-6, 1-3) have dropped three in a row and 10 of 11 dating to last season under second-year coach Scottie Montgomery.

West Virginia 46, No. 24 Texas Tech 35

MORGANTOWN, W.Va. -- Will Grier threw five touchdown passes, including four unanswered during the second half when West Virginia climbed out of an 18-point hole to defeat No. 24 Texas Tech.

After suffering close losses to Virginia Tech and TCU, the Mountaineers (4-2, 2-1 Big 12) snapped a nine-game skid against Top 25 teams that dated back to 2014. Grier finished 32 of 41 passing for 352 yards, salvaging an offense that rushed for only 44 yards. The Big 12's leading rusher, Justin Crawford, finish with 47 yards on 14 attempts.

David Sills caught three touchdowns, adding to his FBS lead, now at 12. Ka'Raun White scored twice in the fourth quarter, one on a leaping 32-yarder and again on a 17-yarder that gave West Virginia its first lead at 39-35. Nic Shimonek tossed four scores for Texas Tech (4-2, 1-2), which led 35-17 midway through the third quarter.

Memphis 30, No. 25 Navy 27

MEMPHIS, Tenn. -- Memphis used five Navy turnovers to propel it to victory over the No. 25 Midshipmen.

The Tigers (5-1, 2-1 American Athletic Conference) got two interceptions from safety Austin Hall, the second of which clinched the win for Memphis with 1:42 to play.

The anticipated offensive show was dulled by an opportune Tiger defense, which gave up 314 rushing yards to Navy (5-1, 3-1), but that was an improvement over Memphis' last two games against the Mids, both losses.

Riley Ferguson threw for 279 yards and three touchdowns for Memphis.

[StarDust Bum]

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

Aug/SeptTotals:.......154 - 145 - 9.....51.50%....-27.50

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

Aug/Sept Totals:...........41 -33 - 2...........+30.50...............13 - 18.............- 25.50

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CFB Ocotber's Best Bets & Opinions ( All Best Bets Based On 5 Units Per Play )

DATE W-L-T % UNITS RECORD

10/14/2017 36-24-0 60.00% +48.00
10/13/2017 3-1-0 75.00% +9.50
10/12/2017 2-0-0 100.00% +10.00
10/11/2017 0-2-0 0.00% -11.00
10/07/2017 19-32-1 36.73% -80.50
10/06/2017 3-1-0 75.00% +9.50
10/05/2017 2-0-0 100.00% +10.00
10/04/2017 1-1-0 50.00% -0.50

Total..............61 - 61........50.00%.....- 5.00


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

10/14/2017.....................16- 9.............+30.50.................1 - 1.................-0.50
10/13/2017......................2 - 0.............+10.00.................1 - 1.................-0.50
10/11/2017......................0 - 1..............-5.50...................0 - 1.................-5.50
10/07/2017.....................11 - 15..........- 27.50..................0 - 3................-16.50
10/06/2017......................2 - 1.............+1.75...................3 - 1................+9.50
10/05/2017......................1 - 0.............+5.00...................1 - 0................+5.00
10/04/2017......................0 - 1..............-5.50...................1 - 0................+5.00

Totals..............................32 - 27...........+8.75.................7 - 7.................-3.50

[StarDust Bum]

Sunday’s six-pack

Six most popular picks for Week 6 in the Westgate Super Contest:

6) Atlanta Falcons, -11.5 (644)

5) Los Angeles Rams, +2.5 (701)

4) Denver Broncos, -11.5 (716)

3) Detroit Lions, +5 (779)

2) Green Bay Packers, -3 (970)

1) Pittsburgh Steelers, +4.5 (993)

Season record of top 6 picks: 13-17

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Sunday’s List of 13: Wrapping up a college football Saturday

13) Rough week for big favorites:
Syracuse (+24) 27, Clemson 24
Boston College (+21) 45, Louisville 42
South Alabama (+18) 19, Troy 8
California (+14) 37, Washington State 3
Tulsa (+13.5) 45, Houston 17
Florida International (+13.5) 23, Tulane 10
UConn (+9.5) 28, Temple 24

12) Friday the 13th hijinx; If you put $10 on a Syracuse/Cal moneyline parlay Friday night, you cashed a ticket for $700.

11) Washington State alum Klay Thompson was on the sidelines at Berkeley for the second half of the Coogs’ loss at Cal Friday night. Wazzu turned the ball over seven times; everything they tried went wrong. Just a very bad night, after they had beaten USC/Oregon their last two games.

Warriors beat Sacramento at home earlier Friday night.

10) South Carolina 15, Tennessee 9— Vols started a freshman QB, Vols didn’t score in second half. Vols play Alabama next; good luck with that. Just for the record, Butch Jones’ buyout is over $8M. You know someone dislikes your performance if they pay you $8M to go away.

9) LSU 27, Auburn 23— Auburn led this game 20-0; LSU ran punt return back for a TD early in 4th quarter, then kicked two FG’s in last 2:36 for the upset win.

8) Air Force 34, UNLV 30— Rebels led this game 30-7 in the 3rd quarter.

7) South Florida 33, Cincinnati 3— Bulls have won their last ten games, the longest current win streak in college football.

6) Rained so hard at the Akron-Western Michigan game that they postponed it until Sunday; the stadium had some damage with the heavy rains, they weren’t 100% sure they could play Sunday.

5) Texas A&M 19, Florida 17— Not often you beat a good team on the road when your QB is 8-24 passing, but Aggies pulled this win out- they’re 5-2, after blowing a 44-10 lead in their opener, a hideous 45-44 loss at UCLA. At one point early in 2nd quarter, A&M had four true freshman playing in their secondary— you don’t see that very often.

4) Ohio State 56, Nebraska 14— In its last two games, Ohio State outgained opponents 390-35 in the 1st quarter. Maybe Mike Riley can go back to Oregon State when Nebraska fires him.

3) Oklahoma 29, Texas 24— Sooners blew a 20-0 lead, but pulled out a win; Longhorns covered the last four games in this rivalry. Two of Oklahoma’s three TD’s in this game came on plays of 50+ yards.

2) USC 28, Utah 27— Utes scored a TD with 0:42 left to make score 28-27 USC, then went for two points and the lead— they failed on the attempt. I’ve said this before in this spot, but I really dislike this play— it is the macho thing to do, but if you’re the underdog, keep the game going as long as possible, plus this— YOU’RE ON NATIONAL TV!!!! National TV exposure is PRICELESS.

1) Army 28, Eastern Michigan 27— Eagles did the same thing as Utah, except with 0:49 left; this is even more of a blunder against a service academy, since chances are you have a better kicker than they do, as far as overtime goes. Army didn’t complete one pass (0-5) in this game, so they weren’t gonna score in the last 0:49 of regulation.

[StarDust Bum]

Akron holds off Western Michigan, 14-13
October 15, 2017

KALAMAZOO, Mich. (AP) Thomas Woodson threw a TD pass, Manny Morgan ran in another score and Akron held off Western Michigan 14-13 on Sunday.

The homecoming game was supposed to be played Saturday but was postponed because of heavy rain and lightning.

Woodson made it 7-0 with a 13-yard pass to Kobie Booker in the opening quarter. Morgan's 1-yard run in the second period gave the Zips (4-3, 3-0 Mid-Atlantic Conference) a 14-0 lead.

Two field goals by Josh Grant sandwiched a 50-yard TD pass from Jon Wassink to D'Wayne Eskridge that got the Broncos within a point in the fourth quarter. Eskridge had seven catches for 93 yards.

Western Michigan (4-3, 2-1) had the ball with 45 seconds left but could only get to the Akron 39 before Wassink was sacked on the final play of the game.

Jarvi Franklin had 130 yards rushing for the Broncos.

[StarDust Bum]

First and 20: Pac-12 hurting itself
October 15, 2017

If a Pac-12 team doesn't make the College Football Playoff, the league might have nobody to blame but itself.

Every league is a slave to television and its capricious kickoff times and the need for broadcast windows outside of those on Saturday. We get that. That's the new normal. But the Pac-12 -- twice this season -- has put one of its best teams in peril by scheduling it for back-to-back road games on a short week.

Preseason favorite USC had to go to Colorado and then get right back on a plane to Washington State for a raucous Friday night game. The Cougars hadn't even played a road game at that point. A late field goal gave Washington State a 30-27 victory and national attention, while the then-No. 5 Trojans suffered their first loss and were knocked off their high horses.

Washington State now knows how that feels.

Put into the uncomfortable Saturday-Friday road combination, the eighth-ranked Cougars meekly bowed to Cal 37-3 in Berkeley last week, the kind of totally unexpected result that was the hallmark of a Week 7 slate in which four Top 10 teams went down to unranked teams.

The upshot of the 24 hours of chaos is that the Pac-12 is in the worst shape of the Power Five Conferences in terms of making the four-team playoff.

USC has one loss and it seems only a matter of time before it falls off the high wire it has walked in wins vs. Texas, Cal and, on Saturday night, Utah, surviving a two-point conversion attempt in the final minute. The Trojans, because of their strength of schedule, remain the league's best shot at a playoff team.

The lack of nonconference strength of schedule means one-loss Washington State and Washington -- which fell at Arizona State on Saturday night with the rested Sun Devils coming off a bye (another scheduling quirk) -- means those teams need lots of help.

The Pac-12, fresh out of undefeated teams, has to get in line behind six unbeaten Power Five Conference teams -- Alabama, Georgia, Penn State, Wisconsin, TCU and Miami. One-loss teams with better resumes than Pac-12 schools include Clemson, Oklahoma and even North Carolina State. Ohio State and Oklahoma State still loom among the one-loss class.

Washington showed last season that a one-loss champ with a horrible nonconference strength of schedule can squeeze into the playoff. But the Pac-12 is going to need some help. It is going to need chaos in other leagues to pick off contenders.

The league has stumbled into a marketing slogan and a social media hashtag in the past few years -- #Pac12AfterDark. But #Pac12AfterDark has its, well, dark side.

Those Friday night games weren't the only reason USC and Washington State lost, but the schedule didn't exactly allow them to be at their best.

Not all schedules are equal. They aren't always fair. But the Pac-12 schedule-makers have done the league no favors in its now-uphill chase to the playoff.

10 thoughts on Week 7

1. College football has a new superstar. Arizona sophomore quarterback Khalil Tate has rushed for 557 yards on only 29 carries in the past two weeks, scoring on runs of 58, 28, 47, 75, 45 and 71 yards. He's the first FBS quarterback, according to ESPN, to rush for at least 200 yards in consecutive games since Navy's Chris McCoy in 1997. Tate also completed 21 of 26 passes for 302 yards, with two touchdowns and no interceptions, in those two games. The Lamar Jackson of the West?

2. Texas A&M has survived its gut check. The opening-game collapse at UCLA could have been devastating for the Aggies, but they have gone 5-1 since then -- losing only to No. 1 Alabama -- including getting a last-minute field goal to outlast Florida 19-17 on Saturday in The Swamp. Since being outscored 28-0 by the Bruins in the fourth quarter, A&M has a 75-33 edge in the final period. Kevin Sumlin might be OK after all.

3. Why wait on Mike Riley? The last two weeks -- at home against Wisconsin and Ohio State -- felt like a last stand for Nebraska's third-year head coach. Pretty much. The Cornhuskers were clobbered by a combined 94-31. Go ahead. Make a change now. Nebraska nation turns its lonely eyes to Scott Frost.

4. Speaking of Scott Frost. In addition to the shakeup in the Top 10, two Group of Five conference teams -- San Diego State and Navy -- were knocked from the unbeaten ranks. That leaves Frost's UCF team and Charlie Strong's USF team -- or, Central Florida and South Florida, if you prefer -- as the favorites to earn a bid into a New Year's Six bowl. The teams meet in Orlando on Nov. 24 to end the regular season.

5. This era of the Red River Showdown is going to be great. There's no reason to think Oklahoma's Lincoln Riley and Texas' Tom Herman won't be in their jobs for a long time, and Saturday's rivalry game seemed to be a sign of what's to come -- high-level teams, elite draft prospects and a thrilling finish amid the unique pageantry at the Cotton Bowl during the State Fair of Texas.

6. It's the Year of the True Freshman Running Back. Boston College's AJ Dillon ran for 272 yards and four touchdowns in a win at Louisville. Wisconsin's Jonathan Taylor has three 200-yard games this season. Ohio State's J.K. Dobbins has 775 yards, averaging 7.8 per carry. Malik Davis leads Florida with 84.3 yards per game. Oklahoma's Trey Sermon, Florida State's Cam Akers and Clemson's Travis Etienne are playing huge roles at traditional powers.

7. Clemson will be fine. Syracuse shocked the Tigers on Friday night, giving college football fans another glorious locker room video of passionate Orange head coach Dino Babers. As for Clemson, as long as quarterback Kelly Bryant gets healthy in the bye week, we still like its chances of getting to the playoff -- and winning it.

8. Arizona State can play defense? The Sun Devils had allowed at least 30 points in 11 consecutive games ... and then they beat No. 5 Washington 13-7 with repeated red-zone stops. Never stop making sense, college football.

9. Alabama is getting great play from a walk-on. Amid the five-star talent and future first-rounders on Alabama's defense, take notice of senior cornerback Levi Wallace, who walked-on in 2013 after receiving no FBS scholarship offers. He's moved from 2016 special teams contributor to pass coverage ace, breaking up three passes against Arkansas on Saturday, giving him a team-high nine to go with his team-best three interceptions.

10. Our revised playoff predictions: Alabama, Penn State, Clemson, Oklahoma.

5 top Heisman candidates

1. Stanford RB Bryce Love. He did it again Saturday, extending his streak of games with a 50-yard run to nine. He cruised to 147 yards in a little more than a half of work as Stanford -- now in first in the Pac-12 North -- easily dispatched Oregon 49-7.

2. Oklahoma QB Baker Mayfield. The senior had some Heisman moments in the win over Texas, connecting on timely deep balls and making key scrambles. He leads the nation in passing efficiency with a rating of 207.3.

3. Penn State RB Saquon Barkley. The opportunity is all right in front of him: The Nittany Lions have Michigan on Saturday, followed by road games at Ohio State and Michigan State. Check back on Barkley's status on Nov. 4.

4. Ohio State QB JT Barrett. Are we all-in on the Buckeyes, who have impressively stomped on inferior opponents since losing to Oklahoma? No. But Barrett's 21-to-1 touchdown-to-interception ratio deserves some kudos as Ohio State prepares to swing away in a challenging final month that will define the Buckeyes' season.

5. Alabama CB Minkah Fitzpatrick. Offered here for the defenders everywhere and as the top candidate from the top team in the nation.

5 top games for Week 8

1. Michigan at Penn State (Saturday, 7:30 p.m. ET) -- The Nittany Lions aim offensive stars Trace McSorley and Saquon Barkley into the teeth of Michigan's defensive front in a key Big Ten East battle.

2. USC at Notre Dame (Saturday, 7:30 p.m. ET) -- The rested Irish are coming off a bye week while the Trojans continue to stagger like a beat-up boxer. Notre Dame can make a playoff statement but must conquer USC's Rocky-like resolve.

3. Oklahoma State at Texas (Saturday, noon ET) -- The Longhorns clearly aren't all the way back, but true freshman quarterback Sam Ehlinger is a joy to watch ... hey, so is Mason Rudolph and the Cowboys offense. This should be fun.

4. Syracuse at Miami (Saturday, 3:30 p.m. ET) -- Will the Orange have a hangover from its upset of Clemson? What does Miami have left in the tank after back-to-back weeks of late and improbable wins over Florida State and Georgia Tech?

5. Oklahoma at Kansas State (Saturday, 4 p.m. ET) -- Teams going into Manhattan are always on upset alert -- TCU managed just fine Saturday, though -- and then there's this nugget: The youngest head coach in the FBS (Oklahoma's Lincoln Riley, 34) will take on the oldest (Kansas State's Bill Snyder, 78).

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Betting Recap - Week 7
October 15, 2017

Overall Notes

COLLEGE FOOTBALL WEEK 7 RESULTS

WAGER Favorites-Underdogs
Straight Up 40-18
Against the Spread 22-34-2

WAGER Home-Away
Straight Up 34-24
Against the Spread 29-27-2

WAGER Totals (O/U)
Over-Under 25-33

The largest underdogs to win straight up
Syracuse (+24, ML +1000) vs. Clemson, 27-24
Boston College (+19, ML +650) at Louisville, 45-42
South Alabama (+18, ML +750) at Troy, 19-8
Arizona State (+17.5, ML +700) vs. Washington, 13-7
California (+16.5, ML +550) vs. Washington State, 37-3
Tulsa (+14, ML +425) vs. Houston, 45-17
Florida International (+12.5, ML +400) vs. Tulane, 23-10
Connecticut (+10.5, ML +330) at Temple, 28-24

The largest favorites to cover
UCF (-36) vs. East Carolina, 63-21
Oklahoma State (-26) vs. Baylor, 59-16
Ohio State (-24) at Nebraska, 56-14
South Florida (-24) vs. Cincinnati, 33-3
Mississippi State (-23) vs. Brigham Young, 35-10
Southern Mississippi (-23) vs. Texas-El Paso, 24-0
Iowa State (-22.5) vs. Kansas, 45-0
Western Kentucky (-18) vs. Charlotte, 45-14

Top 25 Notes

-- The first real topsy-turvy weekend in college football arrived, and four teams in The Associated Press Top 10 suffered setbacks. The upsets started off on Friday night when defending champ Clemson was knocked out by Syracuse in the Carrier Dome by a 27-24 score. In the nightcap on Friday, Washington State said, 'Watch this. Hold my beer.' They went out and laid an egg, 37-3, in smoky California in perhaps the most stunning upset of the week. The fact the Cougars lost wasn't the shocking part, but it's how they were dismantled by 34 points despite the fact, unlike Clemson, they did not lose their quarterback to injury. The upsets kept rolling in on Saturday, as Washington was stifled in the desert by Arizona State, 13-7. It's a loss that might leave the Pac-12 on the outside looking in when playoff time rolls around.

-- Alabama continues to dissect the SEC, pounding Arkansas by a 41-9 score. While Crimson Tide side bettors suffered the bad beat (see below), the Tide remained perfect after seven games. However, they're just 3-4 ATS while the 'under' has hit in four of their seven games. Defense reigns supreme in Tuscaloosa, as they have allowed just 10.2 PPG.

-- Ohio State annihilated Nebraska in Lincoln, as the Buckeyes continue to roll on offense. Since their loss to Oklahoma back on Sept. 9, the Buckeyes have won five in a row. They have covered the past three, while posting 54 or more points in each of their past four outings. The 'over' is a perfect 4-0 over the past four contests, too. They'll have a bye and two weeks of preparation before taking the field next against Penn State at home.

-- San Diego State was another upset victim, as they fell to Boise State by a 31-14 count at home. The Aztecs escaped the upset bug in their most recent home game Sept. 30, but they couldn't avoid it on Saturday. They're now just 1-3 ATS in their four home games while the 'under' is 2-1-1 at Qualcomm Stadium.

-- Stanford was dumped by SDSU earlier in the season, but they have been on fire lately thanks to the superb running of Bryce Love. The Cardinal powered past Oregon 49-7 for a fourth consecutive victory.The 'under' has cashed in three in a row for Stanford, too. However, they have yet to cover in consecutive games this season, something they'll be looking to change on Thursday, Oct. 26, next time out at Oregon State.

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

-- Duke's freefall continued on Saturday, as they dropped a home game to Florida State, 17-10. The Blue Devils opened 4-0 SU/ATS, but they're now 0-3 SU and 0-2-1 ATS over their past three contests. Total bettors are enjoying their defensive efforts, however, as the 'under' has hit in five in a row for Duke. ... After all of the craziness this past week, North Carolina State actually finds themselves at least in the conversation as playoff dark horses. The Wolfpack had no hangover in Pittsburgh, winning 35-17 as 11-point favorites. The Wolfpack have now covered consecutie games for the first time this season, and the 'under' is a perfect 4-0 over their past four.

-- Purdue didn't win at Wisconsin on Saturday, but they covered again. They're 3-1 ATS as a double-digit underdog, and 5-1 ATS overall this season. ... Maryland lost for the second straight week, falling to Northwestern 37-21, The Terrapins have been a fan of side bettors at the window, as the 'over' is 5-1 in six outings this season, including 3-0 over the past three. ... For the second straight weekend, Minnesota was in the middle of a bad beat. See below.

-- Texas earned the cover in the Red River Rivalry Game against Oklahoma, falling 29-24. The Longhorns had a costly mistake by a member of their secondary, allowing a Sooners receiver to get wide open for the go-ahead touchdown with 6:53 to go. The Longhorns had a chance to move it down the field, but stalled near midfield. With one final play, there were a series of laterals and Texas side bettors closed their eyes, hoping there wasn't a repeat of the disastrous bad beat we saw two weeks ago on Monday night in the NFL. It worked out. ... Oklahoma State spanked Baylor 59-16 to pick up their fifth win in six tries. The Cowboys earned their first cover in three weeks after opening the season 3-0 ATS.

-- Colorado posted a 36-33 win at Oregon State, although the Buffaloes slipped to 1-5 ATS over their past six outings. The Beavers saw their first 'over' since Sept. 16 after hitting the over in each of their first four outings. ... Arizona rolled UCLA by a 47-30 count, as the Bruins failed to cover for the fourth consecutive outing. Defense has been a huge part of the Bruins' downfall,as they have allowed 44 or more points in four of their six games this season. As such, the 'over' is 5-1 in six tries.

-- Florida lost for the second consecutive weekend, as Texas A&M picked up a win in 'The Swamp', 19-17. A&M has certainly picked up the pace lately, winning five of their past six games and giving Bama a test last week. A&M is 4-0-1 ATS against the number, and a big part of their success lately is due to improvement on defense. They have allowed 20.3 PPG over the past three, and the 'under' is a perfect 3-0 during the span. ... Georgia wasn't about to let the upset bug bite them. While Missouri had UGA tied up 14-14 after the first quarter, the Bulldogs found their run game and kicked it into high gear, outscoring the Tigers 39-14 over the final three quarters. After the 'under' hit in Georgia's first five, the over is 2-0 across the past two.

Mid-Major Report

-- Connecticut pulled off a straight-up win as double-digit underdogs, winning at Temple 28-24. It wasn't terribly shocking the the Huskies won, but it did mark their first cover in six outings this season. ... Memphis handed Navy its first setback of the season, 30-27, although the Middies did earn the cover (see bad beats). While it was the fifth win in six tries for the Tigers, they're still just 2-3-1 ATS overall this season. ... UCF and South Florida kept their dreams of being one of the Group of 5 teams playing in a New Year's Day bowl game, benefiting from San Diego State's setback. Both covered, too, as the Golden Knights are now 5-0 ATS on the season, with the Bulls covering their fourth straight. These teams meet Nov. 24.

-- Florida International cooled off Tulane, 23-10, winning as big underdogs. The Golden Panthers are a surprising 4-2 SU under Butch Davis, although it was just their second cover of the season, and first at home. ... The struggles continue for Texas-El Paso, as they fell to 0-7 SU. The Miners were shut out at Southern Mississippi, falling to 2-5 ATS against the number, too.


-- Kent State stunned Miami-Ohio as 8 1/2-point underdogs, winning 17-14. After opening 0-3 ATS, the Golden Flashes are now 3-1 ATS over their past four. Total bettors love KSU, too, as the total has gone under in each of their past five outings. ... Toledo rolled Central Michigan by a 30-10 count. The Rockets have covered eight in a row in this series, and they're 8-3-1 ATS in their past 12 trips to Mount Pleasant. The favorite is also 17-5-1 ATS in the past 23 in the series, so jot that down and file away for next season.

-- Hawaii took care of visiting San Jose State, 37-26. However, while the Warriors are now 3-4 SU, they have failed to cover in each of their past five outings. This game also wasn't quite a bad beat, but if you were holding an 'under' ticket you're not happy. There were 41 total points on the board with 9:01 to go until Hawaii struck for a TD. With a total of 58 1/2 points, under bettors were still all right. San Jose State scored on a 96-yard return on the ensuing kickoff, slicing the lead to 30-26. An 80-yard return on the missed extra point made it 30-26 with 8:44 to go. Of course it was going over now, and Hawaii punched in their last score with 6:09 to go to dash the hopes of 'under' bettors.

-- In Sun Belt, Fun Belt action, the 'over' cashed again for Louisiana-Monroe. They were dumped at home by Georgia State, 47-37. That's now four straight overs for the Warhawks, asthey have scored 37 or more points in each of their past four while allowing 27 or more points in all six of their outings this season. ...

Bad Beats

-- There's just something about Minnesota, as they have been involved in bad beats in each of the past two weekend. Michigan State was laying four, and they had a 30-13 lead with 10:15 left in regulation. Minnesota cut the lead to 30-20 with 5:20 to play, but side bettors backing Sparty were still OK. Well, that is until Minnesota struck again with 1:06 to play, slicing the lead to 30-27 while earning the backdoor cover.

-- To bettors, there are no 'garbage time' touchdowns. Alabama held a 41-3 lead into the fourth quarter, but Arkansas struck for its first touchdown of the game with 3:03 to go, spoiling a winning ticket for Tide side bettors.

-- In Sun Belt action, New Mexico State scored the cover on a fade to a 6'6 receiver in the left-corner of the end zone at Georgia Southern to keep the Eagles down. The touchdown came at 2:05 left in regulation, changing the result of the total (59), as well as the side. Ouch.

-- If you were holding a moneyline ticket with Utah at Southern California, at first you were excited. The Utes scored with :42 left in regulation to close USC's lead to 28-27, extra point pending. They elected to go for two, which nearly worked out, but Troy Williams came up just short of the goal line. While Utes side bettors (+13 1/2) were never in any danger of not covering, moneyline bettors were sickened wondering what might have been.

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Tuesday’s six-pack

NBA over/under win totals for the coming season:

Golden State Warriors 67.5

Boston Celtics 56.5

Houston Rockets 55.5

San Antonio Spurs 54.5

Cleveland Cavaliers 53.5

Oklahoma City Thunder 51.5

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

13) You hear a lot of cruddy things about people these days; here’s something nice about someone, Joey Votto of the Cincinnati Reds.

Votto is the Reds’ biggest star; when a 6-year old boy in Cincinnati had cancer this past summer, Votto visited the kid, without wanting publicity, and tried to make the kid feel as good as possible as this horrible disease took its toll. He helped in a fundraising event for the boy’s family that the Reds sponsored- he contributed $10,000 of his own money.

The little boy passed away 10 days ago; Votto was at the memorial service, again not wanting publicity, but in this age of negativity, how can you can not talk about such a nice person?

12) Detroit Lions’ QB Matthew Stafford is on pace to get sacked 61 times this season; the last NFL QB to get sacked 60+ times in a season? Jon Kitna, also of Detroit, back in 2006.

11) Maryland fired its athletic director, in part because the guy tried to get the AD job out at California, and Maryland’s school president wasn’t happy about that.

10) Rams play Arizona in London Sunday, but they’re staying in Jacksonville until Thursday, to get solid practices in, as opposed to doing tourist-type stuff in England. Different teams have taken different approaches to the London games; we’ll see how this works out.

9) New York-Houston playoff game Friday was the first time ever that the two cleanup hitters in a playoff game were the starting shortstops.

8) Cubs’ pitching coach Chris Bosio takes a while to the walk to the mound, but with good reason; he has a broken ankle, and is wearing a boot on his foot.

7) 37-year old Damien Wilkins has been out of the NBA since 2013, but he made the Indiana Pacers’ roster this season— good for him.

6) Nebraska hired Washington State AD Bill Moos as its new athletic director, which may be bad news for both football coach Mike Riley and basketball coach Tim Miles, both of whom have been struggling to win as much as the wealthy boosters would like.

5) Ike Iroegbu played an exhibition game for the Clippers last week with no name on the back of his uniform; he had arrived in LA just a few hours before the game. Clippers cut him over the weekend; he is probably headed to the G-League.

4) Golden State Warriors may have found itself a steal in Oregon alum Jordan Bell; the 38th pick in the draft scored 29 points in 49 minutes in the preseason.

3) When Cavaliers’ JR Smith drinks coffee, he puts in 8 creams and 8 sugars in each one. Not a lot of room left for the coffee.

2) 49ers released LB NaVorro Bowman last week, a once-great player who is still good enough to play in the NFL. He signed with Oakland Monday.

1) Chiefs were at the last NFL team to lose this season; last time the “last team to lose” won the Super Bowl that year? The 2006 Indianapolis Colts

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4th Quarter Covers - Week 7
October 16, 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 seventh big college football weekend in mid-October.

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.

UL-Lafayette (-14) 24, Texas State 7: The Ragin’ Cajuns were even with the closing spread just a few minutes into game with a 14-0 advantage but there were no points for over 30 minutes of game clock before Texas State completed an 89-yard drive to stay in the game, scoring with four minutes remaining in the third quarter. Hopes of a comeback for the Bobcats ended as they fumbled on their next possession leading to a field goal for UL-Lafayette, though the margin was just 10 points heading into the fourth quarter. With 10 minutes remaining UL-Lafayette put the game away, getting the past the spread with a touchdown pass and Texas State opted to punt from just inside Ragin’ Cajuns territory with about six minutes remaining on its best late opportunity.

Ohio (-10) 48, Bowling Green 30: The Bobcats trailed late in the third quarter before Nathan Rourke broke a 75-yard touchdown run to put Ohio in the lead heading into the fourth quarter though still sitting short of the favorite spread. The Bobcats added three fourth quarter touchdowns to pull away with a 48-30 final with the help of two of the four Bowling Green turnovers in the final quarter.

Army (-4) 28, Eastern Michigan 27: Army led by seven through three quarters, failing to complete a pass but dominating on the ground. Eastern Michigan tied the game early in the fourth but Army answered with a 16-play touchdown drive to go back up by seven with five minutes to go. The Eagles converted a big fourth down in their own territory on the final drive and eventually snuck into the end zone in the final minute. Down one the Eagles went for the win and failed but the late score was enough for the slight underdog to cover the spread.

Virginia (-3½) 20, North Carolina 14: The Tar Heels led 14-10 late in the third quarter but Virginia took the lead on an 81-yard pass play. A three-point edge was just short of the closing number but off a Tar Heels turnover the Cavaliers added a short field goal early in the fourth quarter to lead by six. The Tar Heels stayed in the game by forcing a fumble with about three minutes to go to prevent another Cavaliers score but North Carolina didn’t seriously threaten needing a touchdown late, eventually sacked on 4th down just past midfield to effectively end the game.

West Virginia (-5½) 46, Texas Tech 35: The Red Raiders led 35-17 late in the third quarter before a stunning comeback from the hosting Mountaineers. Texas Tech still led by 11 into the fourth quarter and after a missed field goal the Red Raiders were bailed out with an interception from West Virginia. The Mountaineers climbed within three on a 32-yard touchdown run and then forced a 3-and-out on defense. A few plays later West Virginia had a 39-35 lead, though that margin was short of the most of the home favorite spreads on a line that bounced around during the week from -3½ to -6. It wound up not mattering as Texas Tech went backwards and had to punt again and the Mountaineers piled on another touchdown with about three minutes remaining for a deceptive 46-35 victory.

NC State (-13) 35, Pittsburgh 17: NC State and Pittsburgh were tied at halftime and it took until two minutes to go in the third quarter for the Wolfpack to take the lead. Early in the fourth quarter NC State slipped past the favorite spread with a touchdown run. Pittsburgh momentarily got back within the spread hitting a field goal with eight minutes to go but NC State broke a 40 yard run with two minutes remaining while essentially trying to run out the clock, winning by 18.

Michigan (-6½) 27, Indiana 20: The Wolverines led by 10 at halftime but Indiana closed to within three early in the third quarter before an exchange of eight consecutive punts, including seven 3-and-outs. Early in the fourth quarter Karan Higdon broke a 59-yard touchdown run to put Michigan back up by 10 and it looked like that might hold with both offenses struggling. Michigan allowed a 53-yard punt return however to put Indiana in the red zone and with about three minutes remaining the Hoosiers were back within three. Indiana managed to hold on defense and in the final seconds got in range for a game tying field goal. Any momentum the Hoosiers had was quickly erased as Higdon put Michigan up by seven on the first play of overtime and despite reaching 1st-and-goal from the Michigan 1-yard-line Indiana was stopped as the Wolverines escaped Bloomington with a win and a narrow cover for most on a line that did hit -7 and even briefly -7½ before falling back down and early in the week was as low as -5.

Marshall (-13) 35. Old Dominion 3: Marshall was just short of the favorite spread heading into the fourth quarter but with the help of a defensive score the Thundering Herd scored three touchdowns in the first five minutes of the final frame to pull away for a more decisive final result.

Florida State (-7) 17, Duke 10: This ACC game was a 10-10 tie through three quarters but led by Cam Akers the Seminoles completed a 91-yard touchdown drive early in the fourth quarter to lead by seven, matching the road favorite spread. A pair of punts on each side followed but Duke was a threat to tie late reaching a new set of downs in the final 30 seconds from the Florida State 32-yard-line. The game ended with three straight incomplete passes as most wound up with a push though some early backers of the Seminoles might have found -6½.

Wyoming (-1) 28, Utah State: An underdog most of the week Wyoming closed as a slight favorite on a game that wound up tied through three quarters. The Aggies led 23-16 early in the fourth but Wyoming added a field goal and then took a 26-23 lead with a 28-yard passing touchdown just after the four-minute mark. Utah State had a fumble and then took a safety on its final two possessions as the Cowboys escaped with the narrow Mountain West win.

Oklahoma (-8½) 29, Texas 24: Oklahoma dominated the first half in the Red River Rivalry with a 20-0 edge and a massive yardage edge but after the Sooners settled for a short field goal Texas got a long kickoff return. With two personal foul penalties on Oklahoma the Longhorns were handed 30 more yards and reached the end zone about three minutes before halftime. In the final minute before halftime Oklahoma was on the doorstep to score again but Baker Mayfield threw his first interception of the season. Texas managed to get a field goal as time expired to only trail by 10 at the break. Late in the third quarter Texas climbed within the spread trailing 23-17 and actually took the lead briefly with a touchdown in the middle of the fourth quarter. Oklahoma quickly answered to lead by five, failing going for two on a play that could have reached an early week spread that hovered around -7. Texas was stopped on downs but Oklahoma couldn’t run out the clock as the Longhorns made a late threat near midfield before a failed final lateral play.

Mississippi State (-22½) 35, BYU 10: Mississippi State completely dominated the yardage in this revenge spot but three turnovers helped to keep BYU in the game as the Bulldogs led by 18 at the half and still 18 through three quarters, just short of a home favorite spread that reached up to -24. BYU threw a fourth quarter interception in Mississippi State territory and the Bulldogs turned that turnover into seven more points midway through the final frame, enough to just barely slip by the favorite spread.

Memphis (-3½) 30, Navy 27: Memphis led 20-19 through three quarters and the Tigers delivered a 99-yard touchdown drive to start the fourth quarter and then off one of Navy’s five turnovers Memphis added a field goal to lead by 11 with 11 minutes to go. Memphis was poised to score again but a fumble in Navy territory gave the Midshipmen new life and Navy delivered a long touchdown drive, hitting the end zone with just over three minutes to go. The two-point conversion loomed large for the pointspread result and Navy succeeded for a three-point final margin, at least netting a push for Navy backers on a spread that opened at +5½ before dipping to +3 and climbing back up to +3½.

LSU (+6) 27, Auburn 23: Auburn led 23-7 late in the second quarter but LSU found the end zone just before halftime to only trail by nine. Six straight punts opened the second half and LSU returned that sixth punt for a touchdown to trail by just two early in the fourth quarter. LSU took the outright lead with a field goal with just over two minutes to go and added another three points for good measure for the upset in comeback fashion.

Alabama (-37) 41, Arkansas 9: Alabama eventually pulled away from Arkansas, though the favorite cover looked unlikely with just a 28-point edge into the fourth quarter. Handed good field position in the final frame the Tide added 10 points on a pair of short drives to slip past the inflated number but Arkansas spoiled the result with a late touchdown to lose by only 32, incredibly close enough to cover in a division game though the Tide were favored by as low -30½ before a significant Saturday line move that left the middle available on this outcome.

New Mexico State (-5) 35, Georgia Southern 27: Favored by as many as eight most of the week New Mexico State trailed most of this Sun Belt game, down three at halftime and down by six through three quarters. The Aggies took a 28-27 lead early in the fourth quarter and with two minutes left New Mexico State scored on a 3rd down play in a spread outcome deciding play, winning by eight instead of the four point margin a field goal would have given the team had Georgia Southern held defensively on that play.

Southern Miss (-23) 24, UTEP 0: Scoring 24 points didn’t seem likely to be enough to cover in this Conference USA clash and getting that many looked unlikely early as it would have been just 7-0 at halftime if not for a UTEP fumble in the final minute of the second quarter at its own two-yard-line. The Golden Eagles didn’t score again until the fourth quarter and a field goal with just three minutes remaining proved to be the difference in getting just past the favorite spread.

North Texas (+1½) 29, Texas-San Antonio 26: The Roadrunners led 20-16 through three quarters but North Texas took the lead early in the fourth quarter as a very slight underdog. Texas San Antonio connected for a 46-yard pass play to lead by four with just over three minutes to play. North Texas failed going for it on fourth down just ahead of midfield but they held on defense to get the ball back. Pinned back at their own 2-yard-line the Mean Green went 98 yards in just over a minute for the win.

Texas A&M (+3½) 19, Florida 17: Florida led 17-10 early in the fourth quarter but Texas A&M delivered steady production while featuring great defense to net three field goals in the fourth quarter, slipping ahead 19-17 and sealing the game with a late interception.

Michigan State (-4) 30, Minnesota 27: Michigan State was in command in Minneapolis but the Spartans settled for a pair of short field goals in the third quarter to keep the game in range for the Gophers with a 17 point margin. Minnesota took advantage of a turnover early in the fourth quarter to climb within 10 but Michigan State answered two minutes later. The Gophers delivered another touchdown drive to get back within 10 and then Michigan State missed a field goal working on a short field after a failed onside kick. With about a minute to go the Gophers found the end zone again to climb within the spread for a three-point final margin but they missed on another onside kick try.

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Opening Line Report - Week 8
October 16, 2017

With undefeated teams dropping like flies, there’s probably going to be room at the College Football Playoff party for a few one-loss clubs. Two such teams meet Saturday night in South Bend, with Notre Dame installed as the home favorite against USC (NBC, 7:30 p.m. ET).

Notre Dame -4, the first line posted in Las Vegas – on Sunday at the Wynn – was bet up to -4.5, which drew immediate money on the underdog, prompting a move back the original number. Later in the day, the point-spread was down to 3.5 at the Wynn, and on Monday, there was a fairly even split of 3.5s and 4s being dealt around town.

“USC was life-and-death to win last week (at home vs. Utah, 28-27),” said Wynn sports book director John Avello, who noted the Trojans have been involved in several close games en route to their 6-1 record. In fact, they’re a wallet-depleting 1-6 against the spread.

Notre Dame, on the other hand, has covered the spread in all five of its victories, its only loss coming against still-unbeaten Georgia.

”Notre Dame’s done nothing wrong, and they’re good at home,” Avello said, “Last year, they didn’t play well at home, but you go back in history, you’ll see that’s a very tough place to play.”

To Westgate Las Vegas SuperBook manager Ed Salmons, though, ”Anything above 3 in this game is too many. Anything above 3 is a decent bet on USC. If I made this line, I would have made it probably closer to the pick ‘em range.”

Here are two more games on Saturday’s college football slate that could figure into the national title picture:

Michigan at Penn State (-10) - (ABC, 7:30 p.m. ET)

Wiseguys took Michigan +10.5, the Wynn’s opening line, with the spread settling at 10 at that shop and at most books in town. The Westgate in an exception, as it’s dealing 9.5, and Avello said it wouldn’t surprise him to see the number continuing to move in Michigan’s direction.

Even though the Wolverines followed their loss at home to Michigan State two weeks ago with a nail-biting overtime win at middling Indiana, both bookmakers believe Jim Harbaugh’s men will give the Nittany Lions all they can handle.

“Definitely, no question about it,” Avello said. “What makes me think they can be competitive is that they haven’t played their best football, and they’re coming in knowing the other team is undefeated. I think you’ll see their best game here.”

Added Salmons, “You give coach Harbaugh 10 points, I like my chances. I know Penn State’s off a bye week, but I think that spread is a little on the high side.”

It’s not so much that Salmons disagrees with the sentiment that Harbaugh may be overrated, it’s just that the coach’s style of play lends itself to low-scoring, close games.

“He plays essentially 1970s football, he plays Woody Hayes football, where he wants to run three yards and a cloud of dust and stop the run,” Salmons said. “If you give him 10 points and he’s playing that style, it will probably work really well.”

In comments that may take some college football observers aback, Salmons added, “Penn State’s not going to run the ball against Michigan. Penn State has struggled to run the ball against anyone this year...The one thing you’re not going to do against Michigan is run the ball.”

Wait, what about the ballyhooed Saquon Barkley?

Well, despite the hype, Penn State’s rushing numbers haven’t been the stuff of legends. Really, Barkley has had just two outstanding games, and one was against Akron. As a team, the Nits are 67th in the nation with 165 rushing yards per game , and 45th with 4.8 yards per carry.

Said Avello, “I like Penn State a lot, I like the team to possibly make the final four of college football. Their defense has been impressive, but their schedule has been really weak except for the one game at Iowa, and they were hard-pressed to win that game. Now they’re getting a team that’s well-coached, and the defense will be well-prepared.”

Syracuse at Miami (-14.5) - (ESPN, 3:30 p.m. ET)

Early bettors grabbed +16, as Syracuse looks to deliver the first loss of the season to its second straight foe. As 24-point 'dogs, the Orange upset Clemson 27-24 Friday night in the Carrier Dome. In fact, ‘Cuse has covered all three times they’ve caught points this season, cashing against big numbers in relatively tight losses at LSU and at N.C. State.

“I understand the move on them because they keep games close,” Avello said of Syracuse. “The only issue I have is Miami comes off a game they could have lost very easily, rallied to beat Georgia Tech (25-24), and Georgia Tech’s a better team than Syracuse. They may recoup in this game and score, because it’s not like Syracuse has got a good defense – they don’t. Syracuse may go up and down the field, but they could go up and down the field more times, so that’s the fear if you’re betting Syracuse.”

Both bookmakers see Syracuse as a team on the improve, Avello mentioning quarterback Eric Dungey, Salmons impressed with coach Dino Babers.

“I really like the Syracuse coach,” Salmons said. “You can see now in his second year, they’re playing faster and smarter on offense. This game’s going to come down to if Syracuse can somewhat control Miami from scoring points, they should hang in there, because Syracuse can score points against anyone. It’s definitely a team on the rise.”

Salmons, though, said if this game was played a week ago, before Syracuse got people’s attention by beating Clemson, the spread would have been closer to three touchdowns.

As casual bettors weighs in before kickoff, it may be approaching that number.

“The early money, the sharp guys, they did their handicapping, they think there’s value (in the opening number) ,” Avello said, “but the weekend crowd may not, and that game may go back up.”

[StarDust Bum]

Teams to Fade
October 17, 2017

What’s a Fade List, you ask? It’s a group of teams that you’re looking to play against. Sometimes these squads are dealing with injuries galore (see North Carolina below), a coach on his way out the door (see Tennessee below), chemistry issues, poor QB play and/or depth issues at key positions.

But here’s the thing with a Fade List – it must be constantly updated. When the books continue to get beaten by savvy gamblers wagering against a struggling squad, they’ll eventually overcompensate and suck the value out of going against that club.

On that note, I’m not implying you bet against every team listed below in Week 8. The window might be closing on fading these teams and, in some cases, it could be shut already. But the squads listed below are undoubtedly having issues right now and in some examples, the chances of getting them fixed don’t look great at this point.

North Carolina: UNC’s season was undone with a wild rash of injuries over the first six weeks of the year, including 15 – that’s right, FIFTEEN! -- season-enders. Larry Fedora has never lost more than six games during the regular season of his six-year tenure in Chapel Hill, but the Tar Heels are 22-point underdogs Saturday to lose for the seventh time at Virginia Tech. I made the Hokies 22.5-point favorites. Therefore, I’m not necessarily looking to go against UNC this week, although a first-quarter or first-half look might be worth consideration. UNC is 1-6 both straight up and against the spread, with its lone spread cover coming in a 53-23 win at Old Dominion as an 11-point road ‘chalk’ in Week 3. That’s when the Tar Heels still had Austin Proehl, who had three receptions for 48 yards and one touchdown against the Monarchs. Proehl, who is still UNC’s leader in receiving yards (270) despite not playing in the last three games, is one of the 15 UNC players who won’t return this year. Three other WRs, two tight ends, two starting offensive linemen and two reserve o-linemen are done for the season, as is last year’s second-leading tackler and third-team All-ACC selection, junior LB Andre Smith.

Fedora won 19 games in 2015 and ’16, and he’s taken UNC to the postseason four straight years (it was ineligible for a bowl in ’12 when it went 8-4). Therefore, he should be given a mulligan for this lost, injury-riddled campaign, so I don’t believe – at least not yet – that this squad will be dealing with coaching hot-seat adversity as it plays out the string. Then again, three ACC heavyweights (Va. Tech, Miami and N.C. State) are left on the slate, so it would be wise to win at least one home game. We’re talking about a visit from an FCS foe in Western Carolina on Nov. 18. (The Tar Heels are winless in five home games both SU and ATS, dropping three of those by double-digit margins.)

Florida: Suspensions? Check. Injuries? Check. Coach on the Hot Seat? Check. Issues at the QB position since Will Grier was suspended after six games in 2015? You can say that again, and again, AND AGAIN! The reality is that Florida has been suffering from extremely inept (to put it kindly) QB play since Tim Tebow played his last down for the Gators in a blowout win over Cincinnati at the Sugar Bowl to close the 2009 season. Grier went 6-0 to start Jim McElwain’s tenure but other than an offensive explosion against Ole Miss and a 61-point effort in the opener vs. New Mexico State, it’s not as if Grier was even flirting with the numbers he’s now producing at West Virginia. And since we broached that topic, we might as well ponder the notion that MAYBE Mac wishes he hadn’t showed up two hours late to that meeting with Grier and his father (when he was out recruiting Franks, an LSU verbal commit at the time) after the 2015 season. You know, the one that prompted Grier to begrudgingly leave UF even though he had zero desire to do so. Mac might want to have that one back, don’t you think?

Anyway, Florida took a big hit before the season even started when nine players were suspended indefinitely for their involvement in a credit-card fraud case. Although only two of the nine players were starters, the duo represented the offense’s two best players in RB Jordan Scarlett and WR Antonio Callaway. To be clear, the last of UF’s issues is play at the RB position. The Gators are just fine there and Scarlett hasn’t been missed in any way whatsoever. Callaway is another story, however, especially since injuries have become an issue at this position. Tyrie Cleveland, the true sophomore who had emerged as a big-time playmaker, has been sorely missed while sidelined with a high-ankle sprain the last two games. Also, Kadarius Toney couldn’t go in last week’s 19-17 home loss to Texas A&M due to a separated shoulder. Both players get this week’s open date to heal, but it’s still a concern whether or not either will be 100 percent for the Georgia game on Oct. 28.

With injuries now taking a toll on the defense, the other suspensions are looming large as the depth on that side of the ball is a major concern. Jordan Sherit, who had a team-high nine QB hurries in the first six games, just sustained a hip injury vs. Texas A&M that’ll keep him out for the season. If Sherit wasn’t UF’s best pass rusher, then Jabari Zuniga was but an injury at practice last week had him in street clothes against the Aggies.

McElwain was hired to ignite the offense, but this unit has been worse – by far – than it was on Will Muschamp’s watch. UF is ranked No. 106 of 130 FBS teams in the nation in total offense and is No. 103 in passing. The Gators are No. 98 in scoring with a 23.7 points-per-game average but if you take away the three defensive TDs on pick-sixes, UF would only be averaging 20.2 PPG. During McElwain’s tenure, UF is an abysmal 5-11 in the 16 games when the opponent scores more than 14 points. Now to be clear here, we aren’t suggesting that you look to go against the Gators in Jacksonville vs. Georgia. Sportsbook.ag has UF listed as a 13.5-point underdog in its updated Games of the Year spreads. The last time UGA beat UF by 14 points or more? That would be in 1997 when Robert Edwards scored four TDs in the Bulldogs’ 37-17 victory.

Tennessee: I’ve actually only gone against UT once this year, cashing in with South Carolina last week as a three-point underdog in its 15-9 win at Neyland Stadium. The Volunteers are in their richest underdog position of Butch Jones’s tenure this week at Alabama. Just like I was appalled that Hugh Freeze wasn’t forced to be on the Ole Miss sidelines for the 66-3 clubbing it took from the Crimson Tide at Bryant-Denny Stadium a few weeks ago, it would be borderline criminal if Jones didn’t have to take this shellacking that he’s got coming on Saturday up close and in-person. Reports out of Knoxville indicate that UT’s powerful attorneys have been working on the details of a buyout over the last two weeks. And with the torture UT’s fan base has been put through with five years of Butch-isms, there’s little doubt that the pink slip will be issued before lunch on Monday (if not sooner).

As for the on-field product, UT is either 0-6, 0-5-1 or 1-5 ATS depending on what line bettors had for its loss at Florida by six (the number was all over the place that week and in the final 90 minutes before kickoff). Jones changed QBs for some reason last week, and the result was three field goals and zero TDs. That lack of production prompted another vintage Butch-ism on Monday. “Our football team did everything there is to win the game except for scoring TDs.” Boom! He’s the gift that keeps giving, isn’t he? The Vols have chemistry issues, evidenced by two recent fights at practice. One resulted in a comical denial by Jones, who lied and said the black eye Shy Tuttle was sporting came from falling on a helmet. The second garnered an indefinite suspension for Darrell Taylor, the sophomore DE who was playing well. Injuries have been a killer, too. Four defensive starters, including one of the nation’s top safeties and all three projected starters at LB, are done for the season. So is UT’s best WR, Jauan Jennings, leaving the offense with zero proven playmakers outside of stud RB John Kelly.

Our last two teams on the Fade List are obvious since they’re the only teams in the country lacking a spread cover this year.

Georgia Southern is 0-4-1 ATS, while BYU is 0-7. I’ve been saying for more than a month that the Cougars are the nation’s most disappointing team. They went 9-4 last year with their four defeats coming by eight combined points. I took a it step further on my podcast last week, saying that these are the worst teams both Georgia Southern and BYU have put on the field in my lifetime. I don’t need to give away my age, but I do remember when Jim McMahon, Steve Young, Robbie Bosco and Ty Detmer lined up under center for BYU and hell, I was at The Swamp when Georgia Southern's two most legendary figures, former QB and College Football Hall-of-Famer Tracy Ham and the late/great head coach Erk Russell, visited Gainesville in mid-1980s.

ATS Rankings

Honorable Mention: Western Kentucky (The Jeff Brohm Effect; 1-5 ATS), Southern California (1-6 ATS), Louisville (1-6 ATS), Bowling Green (1-6 ATS), East Carolina (Never-Should’ve-Fired-Ruffin McNeil Impact; 1-6 ATS), Kansas (Where’d you go, Mark Mangino? 1-5 ATS) and Illinois (1-5 ATS; I’m an idiot for writing that Lovie Smith was a good hire!).

[StarDust Bum]

Auburn boots WR Davs off squad
October 17, 2017

Auburn wide receiver Kyle Davis has been dismissed for violation of team rules, coach Gus Malzahn told reporters on Tuesday.

Davis, a sophomore, did not travel with the team to Saturday's game against LSU. Malzahn did not disclose the reason for Davis' absence to reporters after LSU posted a 27-23 victory.

"Kyle Davis has been dismissed from our team for breaking team rules," Malzahn said Tuesday. "We wish him nothing but the best moving forward."

Davis has reeled in seven receptions for 210 yards this season. The 6-foot-3, 213-pounder had 12 catches for 248 yards and two touchdowns during his freshman campaign.

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Tom Herman still talking rebuilding at 3-3
October 17, 2017

AUSTIN, Texas (AP) Midway through a first season most notable for two close losses, an emerging freshman quarterback and an off-hand ''fairy dust'' comment, Tom Herman has a 3-3 team that is not really any closer to reaching a bowl game than Charlie Strong's last one was.

When asked to grade his program so far, Herman gave his players top marks for effort if not for results

''We're well on schedule in terms of our effort level and physicality,'' Herman said this week after Texas lost 29-24 to rival Oklahoma. ''I told our assistant coaches at the start training camp if we can get them to play hard and play physical we'll have a chance to be in every game. ... We're here for a reason and that's to rebuild this thing from a bunch of years of mediocrity and sub-mediocrity.

''We understand that's going to take time,'' Herman said. ''We also want to win right now.''

Herman is at Texas because Texas got tired of seven years of not winning a Big 12 title and three straight years of losing. Strong's last team started 3-3 and finished 5-7, missing a bowl game for the second straight season.

The back half of this year's schedule doesn't look much easier.

Tenth-ranked Oklahoma State visits this Saturday with games still to come at No. 4 TCU and No. 23 West Virginia, and a season finale against improving Texas Tech. The only two games most would consider easy wins are on the road at winless Baylor and home against Kansas, one of the worst road teams in college football history. (This is where Texas fans would gently remind Herman the Longhorns lost at Kansas last season, a defeat that sealed Strong's fate.)

Herman isn't coaching on short time. Texas gave him a long-term contract that guarantees him more than $25 million and he'll get time to turn things around.

Herman said the only thing that surprised him over the first six games was an ugly, season-opening loss to Maryland in which the Longhorns gave up 51 points, the most they'd surrendered at home in 20 years. Texas fans bristled at his post-game comment that he could just sprinkle ''fairy dust'' on the program to turn it into a winner again.

''The first game surprised me. Surprised everybody. A lot of introspection after that one,'' Herman said. ''The way that we responded from that was awesome.''

Texas shut out San Jose State the next week and the Longhorns had a late-fourth quarter lead at then-No. 4 USC before losing in overtime. Freshman quarterback Sam Ehlinger has pumped life in the offense with his tough running and late-game play making.

Ehlinger seized on the chance to play after last season's regular starter Shane Buechele got hurt, and he hasn't let it go.

''I think we're going to come together as a team. We're going to translate this pain of losing (to Oklahoma) so we can be the best we can be moving forward,'' Ehlinger said.

A question over the next six games will be Ehlinger's durability. He was injured much of his senior season in high school and took a beating from Oklahoma last week. That Ehlinger has emerged as Texas' best rusher is a concern.

''I worry about it. We don't want our quarterback carrying it 20-22 times. If you've got to have it to win the game, we'll do it,'' Herman said. ''He's like a wild horse right now, trying to tame him. You don't want to take away his energy.''

Texas at least seems to be closing the gap with top teams. Strong's teams lost 11 games by at least 21 points over the previous three seasons. The 2017 Longhorns are just a handful of plays from being 5-1.

But even those stats could create the false optimism of moral victories. In his last season, four of Strong's last five losses were by five points or less, starting with a five-point loss to Oklahoma.

Herman said he didn't set reaching a bowl game as a minimum standard for his first season.

''We've never said we want to make a bowl game or we want to beat Oklahoma or we want to beat USC,'' Herman said. ''We said we want to be in the conversation for the Big 12 title in the month of November and December.''