Cnotes 2018 College Football Thru The Bowl Games News- Trends-Stats-Best Bets !

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Tuesday, January 1

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IOWA (8 - 4) vs. MISSISSIPPI ST (8 - 4) - 1/1/2019, 12:00 PM
Top Trends for this game.
MISSISSIPPI ST is 8-1 ATS (+6.9 Units) in non-conference games over the last 2 seasons.

Head-to-Head Series History
There were no past matchups in this series during this time period.

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KENTUCKY (9 - 3) vs. PENN ST (9 - 3) - 1/1/2019, 1:00 PM
Top Trends for this game.
KENTUCKY is 3-11 ATS (-9.1 Units) in non-conference games over the last 3 seasons.
PENN ST is 25-13 ATS (+10.7 Units) in all games over the last 3 seasons.
PENN ST is 25-13 ATS (+10.7 Units) in all lined games over the last 3 seasons.
PENN ST is 19-8 ATS (+10.2 Units) after playing a conference game over the last 3 seasons.
PENN ST is 18-3 ATS (+14.7 Units) off a win against a conference rival over the last 3 seasons.
PENN ST is 11-2 ATS (+8.8 Units) after 2 or more consecutive straight up wins over the last 2 seasons.

Head-to-Head Series History
There were no past matchups in this series during this time period.

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LSU (9 - 3) vs. UCF (12 - 0) - 1/1/2019, 1:00 PM
Top Trends for this game.
UCF is 17-6 ATS (+10.4 Units) in all games over the last 2 seasons.
UCF is 17-6 ATS (+10.4 Units) in all lined games over the last 2 seasons.
UCF is 9-2 ATS (+6.8 Units) in games played on a grass field this season.
UCF is 8-2 ATS (+5.8 Units) after 2 or more consecutive straight up wins this season.

Head-to-Head Series History
There were no past matchups in this series during this time period.

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WASHINGTON (10 - 3) vs. OHIO ST (12 - 1) - 1/1/2019, 5:00 PM
Top Trends for this game.
OHIO ST is 190-146 ATS (+29.4 Units) in all games since 1992.
OHIO ST is 190-146 ATS (+29.4 Units) in all lined games since 1992.
OHIO ST is 15-4 ATS (+10.6 Units) against Pac Twelve conference opponents since 1992.
OHIO ST is 120-87 ATS (+24.3 Units) in games played on a grass field since 1992.
OHIO ST is 96-70 ATS (+19.0 Units) when playing against a team with a winning record since 1992.

Head-to-Head Series History
There were no past matchups in this series during this time period.

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TEXAS (9 - 4) vs. GEORGIA (11 - 2) - 1/1/2019, 8:45 PM
Top Trends for this game.
GEORGIA is 6-0 ATS (+6.0 Units) as a favorite of 10.5 to 21 points over the last 2 seasons.
GEORGIA is 19-8 ATS (+10.2 Units) in all games over the last 2 seasons.
GEORGIA is 19-8 ATS (+10.2 Units) in all lined games over the last 2 seasons.
GEORGIA is 6-0 ATS (+6.0 Units) in games played on a neutral field over the last 2 seasons.
GEORGIA is 6-0 ATS (+6.0 Units) in games played on turf over the last 2 seasons.
GEORGIA is 33-12 ATS (+19.8 Units) in road games in non-conference games since 1992.
GEORGIA is 13-3 ATS (+9.7 Units) when playing against a team with a winning record over the last 2 seasons.

Head-to-Head Series History
There were no past matchups in this series during this time period.

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Tuesday, January 1

Iowa Hawkeyes
Iowa is 1-4 ATS in its last 5 games
Iowa is 10-4 SU in its last 14 games
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Iowa's last 5 games
Mississippi State Bulldogs
Mississippi State is 4-1 ATS in its last 5 games
Mississippi State is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games
The total has gone UNDER in 8 of Mississippi State's last 9 games

LSU Tigers
Louisiana State is 9-3 SU in its last 12 games
The total has gone OVER in 6 of Louisiana State's last 9 games
UCF Knights
Central Florida is 5-1 ATS in its last 6 games
Central Florida is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games
The total has gone UNDER in 7 of Central Florida's last 9 games

Kentucky Wildcats
Kentucky is 2-5 ATS in its last 7 games
Kentucky is 9-3 SU in its last 12 games
The total has gone UNDER in 6 of Kentucky's last 9 games
Penn State Nittany Lions
Penn State is 5-1 SU in its last 6 games
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Penn State's last 5 games

Washington Huskies
Washington is 2-6 ATS in its last 8 games
Washington is 5-1 SU in its last 6 games
The total has gone UNDER in 10 of Washington's last 13 games
Ohio State Buckeyes
Ohio State is 3-6 ATS in its last 9 games
Ohio State is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Ohio State's last 6 games

Texas Longhorns
Texas is 2-4-1 ATS in its last 7 games
Texas is 9-3 SU in its last 12 games
The total has gone UNDER in 17 of Texas's last 25 games
Georgia Bulldogs
Georgia is 5-1 ATS in its last 6 games
Georgia is 11-2 SU in its last 13 games
The total has gone OVER in 6 of Georgia's last 7 games


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Tuesday, January 1

Iowa Hawkeyes
Iowa is 1-4 ATS in its last 5 games
Iowa is 10-4 SU in its last 14 games
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Iowa's last 5 games
Mississippi State Bulldogs
Mississippi State is 4-1 ATS in its last 5 games
Mississippi State is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games
The total has gone UNDER in 8 of Mississippi State's last 9 games

LSU Tigers
Louisiana State is 9-3 SU in its last 12 games
The total has gone OVER in 6 of Louisiana State's last 9 games
UCF Knights
Central Florida is 5-1 ATS in its last 6 games
Central Florida is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games
The total has gone UNDER in 7 of Central Florida's last 9 games

Kentucky Wildcats
Kentucky is 2-5 ATS in its last 7 games
Kentucky is 9-3 SU in its last 12 games
The total has gone UNDER in 6 of Kentucky's last 9 games
Penn State Nittany Lions
Penn State is 5-1 SU in its last 6 games
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Penn State's last 5 games

Washington Huskies
Washington is 2-6 ATS in its last 8 games
Washington is 5-1 SU in its last 6 games
The total has gone UNDER in 10 of Washington's last 13 games
Ohio State Buckeyes
Ohio State is 3-6 ATS in its last 9 games
Ohio State is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Ohio State's last 6 games

Texas Longhorns
Texas is 2-4-1 ATS in its last 7 games
Texas is 9-3 SU in its last 12 games
The total has gone UNDER in 17 of Texas's last 25 games
Georgia Bulldogs
Georgia is 5-1 ATS in its last 6 games
Georgia is 11-2 SU in its last 13 games
The total has gone OVER in 6 of Georgia's last 7 games


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January 1

Outback Bowl, Tampa
Underdogs are 4-3 vs spread in this bowl the last seven years; average total in last five is 45.8. SEC teams won this bowl five of last six years, all vs Big 14 teams. Iowa lost 21-14/30-3 in this bowl in ’13/’17, both to SEC teams; Hawkeyes snapped 5-game bowl skid with win in Pinstripe Bowl LY. Mississippi State won last three bowls, but that was with Mullen as coach- this is Moorhead’s first bowl as a HC. Iowa won its last two games after a 3-game skid, running ball for 203-266 yards vs Illinois/Nebraska- they’re +9 in turnovers their last eight games. Miss State won four of its last five games, allowing 13 or fewer points in all four wins- they held five of last six opponents under 300 TY. SEC teams covered six of last eight bowls when favored over a Big 14 opponent. Over is 8-2 in last 10 Iowa games; under is 8-1 in MSU’s last nine.

Citrus Bowl, Orlando
Favorites covered this bowl five of last seven years, with average total in last five, 46.4. SEC teams won this bowl five of last seven years. Big 14 teams are 1-4 in last five Citrus Bowls. Kentucky scored 34-56 points in winning its last two games (both outside SEC), after being held to 17 or fewer points in last five SEC games. Wildcats are 3-2 vs spread as underdogs this year, 2-3 in games with single digit spread. Kentucky is 7-0 this season when they score more than 17 points. PSU won its last three games, allowing total of 20 points; they’re 6-4 vs spread as a favorite. Kentucky lost its last four bowls, scoring 16 ppg; their last bowl win was in ’08. Penn State is 2-3 in its last five bowls, all as underdogs- last time they were favored in a bowl was in ’09. Three of last four Kentucky games went over; under is 6-2 in last eight Penn State games.

Fiesta Bowl, Glendale, AZ
Central Florida was 0-12 three years ago, but they’re 25-0 last two years, under two different coaches; Golden Knights are 4-3 vs spread in last seven games as underdogs, 0-0 this year; they were only single digit favorite three times this year, so they’re stepping up in class here. UCF is 3-2 in last five bowls, winning SU twice as double digit underdogs. UCF’s QB is out here with knee injury- the backup has thrown 70 passes TY. LSU is 3-2 in last five bowls (2-3 vs spread, all as favorites); Tigers are 4-3 in last seven games, losing last game in 7 OT’s to A&M. LSU is 4-1 this year in games with single digit spread. Underdogs are 4-3 vs spread in last seven Fiesta Bowls; UCF won this game as 16-point underdogs five years ago. Average total in last five Fiesta Bowls is 65.6. Six of last nine LSU games went over the total.

Rose Bowl, Pasadena
Favorites are 5-2 vs spread in last seven Rose Bowls; Pac-12 teams won five of last six visits here, with average total of 77.4 in last five. Winning side scored 45+ points in last four Rose Bowls. Big 14 teams lost four of their last five Rose Bowls. Washington won its last four games, giving up 16 ppg; under Petersen, Huskies are 5-6 vs spread as underdogs, 1-1 this year. Ohio State won its last five games, but allowed 31+ points in three of those games; Buckeyes are 2-1 in games with single digit spread this year. Washington was last in Rose Bowl in 2000; Huskies lost three of last four bowls, losing 24-7/35-28 last two years- they covered four of last six games as a bowl underdog. This is Ohio State’s first Rose Bowl since ’09, when they upset Oregon 26-17 (+4); Buckeyes won four of last five bowls. Under is 9-3 in Husky games, 0-3 in last three OSU games.

Sugar Bowl, New Orleans
Georgia (rightfully) thinks they should’ve been in national playoff, how do they react here? Dawgs won five of last six games, losing 35-28 to Alabama in SEC title game. Favorites won/covered last three Sugar Bowls; SEC teams lost this bowl four of last six years, with average total of 51 in last five. As a HC, Texas coach Herman is 8-2-1 vs spread when an underdog. 2-1-1 this year. Longhorns split their last six games after 5-1 start- they scored an average of 33 ppg in their four losses. Texas is 8-3 in its last 11 bowls; they upset Mizzou 33-16 (+3) LY, their first bowl in three years. Georgia lost national title game LY, just their second bowl loss in last seven tries. Dawgs are 4-3 vs spread as dole digit favorites this year. Last three Georgia games stayed under total; over is 3-1-1 in Georgia’s last five games.


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Tuesday, January 1

Iowa @ Mississippi St

Game 269-270
January 1, 2019 @ 12:00 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Iowa
99.769
Mississippi St
108.633
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Mississippi St
by 9
43
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Mississippi St
by 6
44 1/2
Dunkel Pick:
Mississippi St
(-6); Under

Kentucky @ Penn State

Game 271-272
January 1, 2019 @ 1:00 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Kentucky
94.093
Penn State
103.819
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Penn State
by 10
41
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Penn State
by 5 1/2
48
Dunkel Pick:
Penn State
(-5 1/2); Under

LSU @ Central Florida

Game 273-274
January 1, 2019 @ 1:00 pm

Dunkel Rating:
LSU
98.042
Central Florida
102.635
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Central Florida
by 4 1/2
50
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
LSU
by 8
55 1/2
Dunkel Pick:
Central Florida
(+8); Under

Washington @ Ohio State

Game 275-276
January 1, 2019 @ 5:00 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Washington
100.844
Ohio State
110.335
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Ohio State
by 9 1/2
76
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Ohio State
by 5
58
Dunkel Pick:
Ohio State
(-5); Over

Texas @ Georgia

Game 277-278
January 1, 2019 @ 8:45 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Texas
97.527
Georgia
116.019
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Georgia
by 18 1/2
63
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Georgia
by 10 1/2
58
Dunkel Pick:
Georgia
(-10 1/2); Over


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TUESDAY, JANUARY 1

Matchup Skinny Edge

IOWA vs. MISSISSIPPI STATE (Outback Bowl)...Iowa 9-5 vs. line since late 2017, but Hawks 0-3 as dog in 2018. Ferentz 2-3 vs. spread last five bowls but has covered last four against non-Big Ten foes. Note Hawkeyes on 12-5 “over” run. MSU 16-9 vs. line since last season, 8-4 TY for Moorhead.
Slight to Miss State, based on team trends.

KENTUCKY vs. PENN STATE (Citrus Bowl)...UK winless SU last four bowls but did cover in Music City vs. NU last year. Cats 4-1 as dog TY, Stoops 13-7 getting points since 2016. Penn State no covers last three away TY but James Franklin 3-1 vs. line in bowls for Nittany Lions, 5-2 vs. spread in bowls with Vandy years.
Slight to Kentucky, based on recent trends.

LSU vs. UCF (Fiesta Bowl)...Orgeron 2-5 as chalk this season, and LSU just 2-5 vs. spread last seven bowls (1-1 with Orgeron). UCF 4-2 vs. spread last six bowls, 10–3 vs. line since late last season, 5-1 last six vs. points away from home.
UCF, based on team trends.

WASHINGTON vs. OHIO STATE (Rose Bowl)...Huskies only 4-9 vs. line this season, 5-11 last 16 on board. Petersen 1-3 as dog since 2016. U-Dub 2-7 vs. line last 9 against non-Pac 12. Huskies 1-3 SU and vs. line in bowls for Petersen. Urban 4-2 SU and vs. line in bowls with Buckeyes, 10-3 SU and vs. line in bowls back to Utah days in 2003.
Ohio State, based on team trends.

TEXAS vs. GEORGIA (Sugar Bowl)...Tom Herman teams 12-2 as dog since 2015 with Houston. Herman 2-0 SU and vs. line in bowls. Georgia has covered last five playoff/bowl games, Kirby Smart 2-0 vs. line in those. Bulldogs on 13-5 spread uptick since late 2017.
Slight to Texas, based on Tom Herman dog trends.

[StarDust Bum]

Tuesday's Early Bowl Tips
Joe Williams

**Iowa vs. Mississippi State**

Outback Bowl

-- The Iowa Hawkeyes (8-4 straight up, 7-5 against the spread) from the Big 10 Conference will square off against the Mississippi State Bulldogs (8-4 straight up, 8-4 against the spread) from the Southeastern Conference in the Outback Bowl in Tampa, Fla.

-- Iowa will be playing in their sixth consecutive bowl game under head coach Kirk Ferentz, and their 16th since 2001 under his leadership. Their past two trips to the Outback Bowl haven't ended well, losing to Florida 30-3 in 2016, and 21-14 against LSU in 2013. This will be their sixth appearance in the Outback Bowl, posting a 2-3 SU record so far.

-- Mississippi State doesn't have as lengthy of a bowl history as Iowa, but they have had plenty of success when they have qualified. Mississippi State has won three straight bowls, and nine of their past 11 appearances in the postseason. This will be their first-ever appearance in the Outback Bowl in Tampa, although it will be their third consecutive bowl appearance in the Sunshine State. All-time they're 4-3 SU in seven bowl games in the state of Florida, including a 13-12 loss to Duquesne in 1936 in their first appearance in the Orange Bowl.

-- Mississippi State rolled out to a 3-0 SU/ATS start, holding a Top 25 ranking for the two of those weekends. However, back-to-back losses and offensive fizzles in a 28-7 loss to Kentucky and 13-6 loss to Florida spoiled that start. They lost three of four from Sept. 22 to Oct. 20, with only a win over Auburn to show for it. They finished up with four wins in the final five, with a shutout to National Championship Game participant Alabama as their only blemish. They routed Ole Miss 35-3 on Nov. 22 to secure their eighth victory of the season.

-- Iowa also opened 3-0 SU/ATS, including a win over rival Iowa State. They lost to Wisconsin on Sept. 22 with a 28-17 setback, but theyripped off three straight after that to get back on track and secure bowl eligibility by Oct. 20. That's a good thing, too, as they dropped three in a row at Penn State, at Purdue and home to Northwestern before wrapping up the year with back-to-back wins against Illinois and Nebraska.

-- Iowa had difficulty on offense, ranking 79th in total yards per game (389.7 YPG), while checking in 69th in passing yards (227.7 YPG) and 74th in rushing yards (162.0 YPG). Still, somehow they managed to end up 42nd in the country with 31.5 points per game (PPG). Defense was a key to their success, ranking seventh in total yards allowed (289.6 YPG), 21st in passing yards (186.8 YPG) and fourth in rushing yards allowed (102.8 YPG). They also checked in 10th in points allowed (17.4 PPG), which will be key to whether they can win or not.

-- Mississippi State ranked 69th in total yards (402.0 YPG), while going for 175.6 YPG in passing yards to check in 111th in the nation. They did pound the ball for 226.4 YPG on the ground, finishing 11th overall. Defensively Mississippi State had it on lockdown, ranking first in the country in total yards allowed (268.4 YPG) and points allowed (12.0 PPG). They also shut down the pass with 164.2 YPG, ranking sixth, and just 104.2 YPG in rushing yards to finish 10th in the land.

-- Iowa RB Ivory Kelly-Martin (undisclosed) is listed as probable for the bowl game, while the FB Brady Ross (leg) is questionable. TE Noah Fant, who declared for the NFL Draft, will skip the bowl game, too. Fant posted 49 catches for 518 yards and seven touchdowns.

-- Mississippi State DE Montez Sweat, who is expected to go in the first round of the 2019 NFL Draft, will play and not skip the game.

-- Mississippi State is 4-1 ATS in the past five overall, 5-0 ATS in the past five non-conference games and 9-4 ATS in the past 13 against winning teams.

-- Iowa is 4-0 ATS in the past four non-conference games, but 1-3-1 ATS in the past five neutral-site games and 1-4 ATS in the past five overall.

-- The 'under' is 13-3 in the past 16 against teams with a winning record and 19-7 in the past 26 overall, too.

-- The 'over' is 8-2 in Iowa's past 10 games while going 7-2 in the past nine against teams with a winning record. However, the under is 7-3 in the past 10 non-conference games and 9-4 in the past 13 neutral-site battles.

-- This will be the first-ever meeting between the Hawkeyes and Bulldogs.

-- Kickoff is slated for 12:00 p.m. Eastern on ESPN2.

**Kentucky vs. Penn State**

Citrus Bowl

-- The VRBO Citrus Bowl will feature a matchup of the Kentucky Wildcats (9-3 straight up, 5-7 against the spread) from the Southeastern Conference will face off against the Penn State Nittany Lions (9-3 straight up, 7-5 against the spread) at Camping World Stadium in Orlando, Fla. This will be a battle featuring a pair of Top 15 teams.

-- Kentucky will finish their season in a bowl game for the third consecutive season. They're hoping to snap a four-game losing streak in the postseason dating back to their last win in a bowl on Jan. 2, 2009 against East Carolina in the Liberty Bowl. This will be their second meeting in a bowl against the Nittany Lions since Jan. 1, 1999 when the teams squared off over in Tampa in the Outback Bowl. Penn State won that game by a 26-14 score under Joe Paterno against former UK coach Hal Mumme. The Wildcats are 0-3 all-time in bowl games in the state of Florida.

-- Penn State is back in the Citrus Bowl for the first time since the game was named the Capital One Bowl in 2009, a 19-17 win over LSU with JoePa at the helm. This will be their sixth appearance in the Capital One/Citrus Bowl game, going 2-3 SU in the first five showings. After a 9-2 SU run from 1993 to 2007, they're just 3-5 SU over the past eight postseason appearances.

-- Kentucky won their first five games of the season, including impressive wins at Florida, home against Mississippi State and home against South Carolina, all bowl teams. They suffered a 20-14 overtime loss at Texas A&M on Oct. 6, but bounced back against bowl teams Vanderbilt and Missouri the following two weeks. The Wildcats had a chance to clinch the SEC East Division and make their first-ever appearance in the SEC Championship Game, but they fell short against Georgia 34-17 on Nov. 3. They followed that up with an egg-laying in Tennessee on Nov. 10, 24-7. They bounced back with two non-conference wins to close out the year, but questions remain heading into the bowl.

-- Penn State nearly lost a stunner to Appalachian State in their opener, needing overtime to survive. They opened 4-0 SU/3-1 ATS in the first four before suffering a gut-wrenching 27-26 setback against Ohio State on Sept. 29. They also lost to Michigan State the following week. After a pair of wins they were humbled at Michigan by a 42-7 score. They wrapped up the conference schedule with three straight wins against Wisconsin, Rutgers and Maryland, all 'under' results.

-- Penn State was 45th in total yards (424.3 YPG) on offense, while posting 215.8 YPG in passing yards to finish 77th. They finished 28th in rushing yards (208.5 YPG) and 30th in points scored (30.6 PPG). The Nittany Lions are strong on defense, finishing 35th in total yards allowed (354.9 YPG), while giving up just 186.5 YPG to check in 19th. They also gave up just 20.0 PPG to finish 21st in the nation.

-- Kentucky finished 101st in total yards on offense, posting just 366.9 YPG while going 116th in passing yards (164.8 YPG). Their bread and butter is the run game, going for 202.1 YPG to finish 34th in the country. Defensively the Wildcats had it on lockdown, ranking 20th in the nation (327.0 YPG) in total yards. They were 15th against the pass (181.3 YPG) while checking in eighth (16.2 PPG) in points per game allowed.

-- The one to watch for the Wildcats is RB Benny Snell Jr., who managed 1,305 rushing yards (5.0 YPC) with 14 touchdowns.

-- For Penn State, RB Miles Sanders (207-1,223-9) did his best to fill the shoes of Saquon Barkley, while QB Trace McSorley passed for 2,285 yards, 16 touchdowns and six interceptions while running for 723 yards and 11 more scores.

-- Kentucky covered just two of their final seven games overall. They're also a dismal 3-12 ATS in their past 15 non-conference games and 1-5 ATS in the past six on a neutral-site field.

-- While Penn State is 0-4 ATS in their past four tries against SEC teams, they're 6-1-1 ATS in the past eight non-conference battles. They're also 15-5-2 ATS in the past 22 against winning teams while going 24-9-2 ATS in the past 35 games overall, including 5-2 ATS in the past seven at a neutral site.

-- The 'under' has cashed in four straight bowl games while going 6-1 in the past seven neutral-site appearances. The under is also 11-3 in the past 14 against teams with a winning overall mark.

-- The over is 5-0 in Penn State's past five outside of the conference while going 6-1 in the past seven neutral-site battles. The over is 13-6 in the past 19 overall and 9-3 in their past 12 against teams with a winning overall record.

-- Kickoff is slated for 1:00 p.m. Eastern on ABC.

**LSU vs. UCF**

Fiesta Bowl

-- The Playstation Fiesta Bowl features the UCF Knights (12-0 straight up, 9-3 against the spread) from the American Athletic Conference while facing the Louisiana State Tigers (9-3 straight up, 6-6 against the spread) from the Southeastern Conference at University of Phoenix Stadium in Glendale, Ariz.

-- The self-proclaimed national champion Knights won the Peach Bowl last season against Auburn, 34-27. Overall they're 4-5 SU in their nine bowl appearances, although they won their previous Fiesta Bowl showing on Jan. 1, 2014 against Baylor, 52-42. They're also 2-1 SU in three bowl games all-time against the SEC.

-- LSU has a lengthy bowl history, although lately their history in bowls hasn't been great. They're just 4-5 SU in the past nine bowl appearances after a 10-2 SU run from 1995 through 2008. This will be their first-ever appearance in the Fiesta Bowl. They're looking to bounce back after a 20-17 loss against Notre Dame in the Citrus Bowl last season.

-- UCF has won 25 consecutive games dating back to their last loss, Dec. 17, 2016 in the Cure Bowl against Arkansas State. The Knights scored 31 or more points in all 12 of their games this season, including 37 or more in each of the final six. Six of the wins came against teams which qualified for bowl games, including two wins against Memphis.

-- LSU opened the season with a 33-17 win over Miami-Florida in a neutral-site battle in Arlington, Tex. They opened conference play 22-21 at Auburn to move to 3-0, and headed to Florida 5-0 on Oct. 6. The Gators upended the Tigers 27-19, however, before the Tigers bounced back 36-16 over Georgia and then 19-3 over Mississippi State. Like most, the Tigers were outclassed by Alabama 29-0 on Nov. 3 at Death Valley in an anticlimactic game. They wrapped up the regular season with an epic 74-72 loss in 7 OT against Texas A&M in front of the 11th man on Thanksgiving weekend.

-- UCF finished third in the land with 545.7 total yards per game and fifth in rushing yards (276.8 YPG). They also posted 44.2 PPG to finish fifth in the country. They slacked off slightly in passing yardage, due in part to a season-ending loss in November of Heisman candidate QB McKenzie Milton (knee). The Knights ranked 86th in total yards allowed (425.5 YPG), while finishing 118th against the run (227.5 YPG). Still, they managed to rank 21st in points allowed (21.2 PPG).

-- RB Adrian Killins Jr. (lower body), who had 698 rushing yards and four scores and 385 receiving yards and four touchdowns through the air, is listed as questionable.

-- LSU was so-so on offense, going 80th in total yards (389.3 YPG) while finishing 41st with 31.8 PPG. They posted 174.7 yards per game on the ground, finishing 58th. That might be the key to victory for the Tigers. On defense, the Tigers ranked 29th in total yards allowed (346.1 YPG), while finishing 24th in the land with just 20.9 PPG.

-- Graduate transfer QB Joe Burrow was adequate, posting 2,500 passing yards, 12 TDs and four INTs while running for 375 yards and seven touchdowns. RB Nick Brossette racked up 14 rushing touchdowns with 922 yards on the ground, while RB Clyde Edwards-Helaire added seven touchdowns with 626 rushing yards.

-- LSU leading WR Justin Jefferson (undisclosed), who posted 788 receiving yards and four touchdowns, is listed as questionable with an undisclosed ailment.

-- The Tigers are 2-5 ATS in their past seven bowl games, 1-4 ATS in the past five games in the month of January and 1-6-1 ATS in the past eight non-conference battles.

-- The Knights have cashed in four straight against winning teams while going 5-1 ATS in the past six games overall. UCF is also 5-2 ATS in the past seven non-conference battles.

-- The under is 3-1-1 in the past five games overall while going 4-1 in the past five neutral-site contests. The under is 5-2 in the past seven bowl games, too, while hitting the over in five of the past seven against winning teams.

-- The under is 7-2 in the past nine overall, while going 8-0-1 in UCF's past nine against the SEC.

-- This is the first-ever meeting between LSU and UCF on the gridiron.

-- Kickoff is slated for 1:00 p.m. Eastern on ESPN.


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Tuesday's Evening Bowl Tips
Joe Nelson

Getting to play on New Year’s Day is still a big draw even if the College Football Playoffs have taken some of the appeal away from the traditional bowl schedule. If that field expended these two matchups would be fitting play-in games as four prestigious programs face off in the Rose Bowl and Sugar Bowl games Tuesday night to wrap up the bowl schedule ahead of next week’s championship game.

ROSE BOWL

Matchup: Washington Huskies at Ohio State Buckeyes
Venue: Rose Bowl in Pasadena, California
Time/TV: Tuesday, January 1, 5:00 PM ET, ESPN
Line: Ohio State -6½, Over/Under 57½
Last Meeting: 2007 Ohio State (-3) 33, at Washington 14

For the second straight season, Ohio State wound up just on the outside of the College Football Playoffs as the Big Ten champion was left out for the second straight season. The 12-1 Buckeyes didn’t always look the part but wound up with a playoff caliber resume as this was an exceptional season with three prominent undefeated teams. For the second straight season, the caliber of the loss was damaging to Ohio State with a 49-20 defeat against a Purdue team that wound up 6-6 after last season being left out with an ugly 55-24 loss to Iowa cited, though a difference being that last season that was loss #2.

The season for Ohio State started with great controversy with the allegations surrounding Urban Meyer. He was suspended for the first three games which Ohio State won, including what at the time looked like a notable win over TCU. Meyer has announced that he will resign following this game and assistant Ryan Day, who led the team in Meyer’s absence, will take over leading the program.

The Buckeyes posted huge offensive numbers with Dwayne Haskins producing great results in what will likely be his only year as the starter, finishing third in the Heisman voting and with potential to be a NFL draft pick in the spring. Haskins was asked to do a lot this season as Ohio State was not a strong rushing team gaining nearly 1,000 fewer yards on the ground and 1.7 fewer yards per carry compared with last season. Ohio State also allowed 26 or more points in eight different games this season and had close call results with teams like Nebraska and Maryland before the emphatic win over Michigan.

With three losses out of a mediocre Pac-12, Washington didn’t receive any consideration by the playoff committee, but while Ohio State’s single loss came by 29 points, the three losses for Washington came by a combined total of 10 points. Washington lost two Pac-12 road games against Oregon and California and lost a big season opener with Auburn, ironically a team that just blasted the Purdue team that beat Ohio State. Washington was in position to win all three of those games as it will be a remembered as a season of what-ifs for the Huskies.

Senior quarterback Jake Browning had an underwhelming season as he has not been able to recapture the success of his sophomore season when the Huskies made the playoffs. He still had steady numbers and the Huskies out-rushed foes by nearly a yard per carry this season led by Myles Gaskin on offense and one of the nation’s better run defenses. While Meyer’s retirement will steal the spotlight with an all-time great resume, Chris Petersen has a tremendous 139-32 record at Boise State and Washington though he has lost three of his past four bowl games including a seven-point loss to Penn State in last season’s Fiesta Bowl.

Even in the current era where the significance of many bowls games has declined, the Rose Bowl still remains a prized invitation. The past two Rose Bowls have been wildly entertaining games with USC beating Penn State 52-49 two years ago in a traditional Big Ten/Pac-12 contest while the Rose Bowl was a playoff semifinal last season with Georgia holding off Oklahoma 54-48 in overtime. That type of scoring was common in Ohio State games this season but isn’t likely the preferred pace for a Washington team that allowed just over 15 points per game on the season.

SUGAR BOWL

Matchup: Texas Longhorns at Georgia Bulldogs
Venue: Mercedes-Benz Superdome in New Orleans, Louisiana
Time/TV: Monday, December 31, 8:45 PM ET, ESPN
Line: Georgia -13, Over/Under 58
Last Meeting: 1984 (Cotton Bowl) Georgia (+7½) 10, Texas 9

Georgia had a playoff spot on the line in the SEC Championship with Alabama, a rematch of last season’s national championship game. The Bulldogs had a two-touchdown lead in the second half of that game but wound up falling short and ended up the last team out of the bracket. A Sugar Bowl bid is certainly a worthy consolation, but Georgia is a bowl team that has immense potential but perhaps suspect motivation in the final bowl game ahead of next week’s championship in Santa Clara.

Georgia had a few breaks in that game against Alabama with a 2-0 turnover edge and quarterback Tua Tagovalioa leaving the game for Alabama but for the second year in a row, the Bulldogs couldn’t finish off the Tide in a game they controlled. Georgia’s only regular season loss was a 20-point defeat at LSU in which they had four turnovers and the Bulldogs were a dominant rushing team posting 6.1 yards per carry and 252 yards per game. Georgia allowed just over 18 points per game on defense as well, only four times allowing more than 17 points, though they did so in each of the three most recent games.

Cornerback Deandre Baker is skipping this game for a big loss for the Georgia defense while defensive coordinator Mel Tucker left the program several weeks ago after being announced as the new head coach at Colorado and he has hired two assistants from the Georgia staff to join him. Georgia didn’t post the eye-popping offensive numbers that some of the other elite teams in the nation did, but Jake Fromm was one of the top quarterbacks in the nation in his second season and Georgia wound up defeating seven bowl teams by 14 or more points.

Georgia drew a difficult SEC schedule pulling LSU and Auburn from the West and certainly looked the part of a playoff caliber team and would have had a compelling case in most seasons. As this line suggests, Georgia is certainly considered one of the top four teams in the nation even if they didn’t have the credentials to be in the playoff field.

Tom Herman’s second season in Texas began poorly as he was often named in the investigation surrounding Urban Meyer. Texas then went out and lost to Maryland to open the season for the second straight season. The Longhorns rebounded for a fine season reaching 6-1 before losing a pair of very tight Big XII games, eventually making the Big XII title game where they lost to Oklahoma after beating the Sooners in the regular season. None of the four losses for Texas came by more than 12 points which was the margin in the Big XII championship loss in a game that was tied in the fourth quarter.

Texas also had several narrow wins however with six wins by seven or fewer points and four of those wins were against non-bowl teams. The Longhorns struggled to run the ball consistently this season, but quarterback Sam Ehlinger did have a breakthrough season in the passing game after inconsistent results last year.

The Sugar Bowl has not featured many close games in recent years with five of the past six games decided by 10 or more points. The game has featured some prominent upsets however with a pair of Alabama losses in 2014 and 2015 and while it wasn’t an upset by the pointspread, Alabama was the playoff #4 seed defeating #1 seed Clemson last season in this game. This will be a measuring stick game for the Big XII against the SEC with the Big XII winning two of the past three Sugar Bowl meetings with the SEC.

[StarDust Bum]

TUESDAY, JANUARY 1
GAME TIME(ET) PICK UNITS

MSST at IOWA 12:00 PM
MSST -7.0
U 40.0

UK at PSU 01:00 PM
UK +6.0
U 46.0

LSU at UCF 01:00 PM
LSU -7.5
U 58.0

WASH at OSU 05:00 PM
WASH +6.5
O 55.0

TEX at UGA 08:45 PM
UGA -11.5
O 59.0

HAPPY NEW YEARS !

[StarDust Bum]

Iowa rallies past Miss State in Outback
January 1, 2019
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TAMPA, Fla. (AP) The Iowa Hawkeyes lost a yard on the last play of the Outback Bowl, pushing their final rushing total to minus 15 yards, and didn't mind a bit.

They ran the play from victory formation.

Safety Jake Gervase's interception in the end zone helped preserve a late lead, and a ball-hawking defense compensated for a sputtering offense as Iowa beat No. 18 Mississippi State 27-22 on Tuesday.

Gervase also batted down an errant fourth-down pass to end the Bulldogs' final drive at the Iowa 32 with 25 seconds left. Two earlier Mississippi State threats in the fourth quarter led to only three points.

The Hawkeyes totaled just 199 yards, with 75 coming on a touchdown pass from Nathan Stanley to Nick Easley , but they converted three takeaways into 17 points.

The Hawkeyes won despite losing 27 inches per rush. Their three running backs totaled 4 yards in 15 carries.

''We had a hard time blocking their front,'' coach Kirk Ferentz said. ''Defense really bailed us out.''

Iowa (9-4) earned its biggest postseason victory since an Orange Bowl win over Georgia Tech to cap the 2009 season. Mississippi State (8-5) lost to a team outside the top 15 for the first time.

Trailing 24-19, the Bulldogs had a first down at the Iowa 1 early in the fourth quarter, but three quarterback draws lost 2 yards and they settled for a field goal.

They were again on the verge of taking the lead with nine minutes left, but receiver Stephen Guidry bobbled a tipped pass in the end zone, and Gervase snatched it away.

''Sometimes you get lucky,'' Gervase said.

The Hawkeyes then drove 50 yards for a field goal, the game's final score.

''Bowl games are a lot like early season games, where turnovers and penalties really factor in,'' Ferentz said. ''If you aren't on top of that part of your game because you haven't played in a while, it can be a really tough thing. Obviously it helped us today being a little bit more opportunistic.''

Iowa had no penalties, while Mississippi State was penalized 90 yards, including a holding call that negated a 51-yard completion.

''Too many missed opportunities, too many penalties,'' Bulldogs coach Joe Moorhead said. ''Can't turn the ball, can't give up explosive plays, can't have penalties take scores off the board. We didn't do enough to earn the right to win.''

Mississippi State receiver Osirus Mitchell put it another way.

''We definitely beat ourselves,'' he said. ''They weren't better than us.''

A takeaway helped Iowa score two touchdowns in 97 seconds for a 17-6 lead - especially impressive against a team that allowed only 12 TDs during the regular season.

Mississippi State rallied with two touchdowns in 18 seconds to go up 19-17. Quarterback Nick Fitzgerald gave the Bulldogs the advantage on a nifty 33-yard touchdown run , his 100th career score rushing or passing.

But on their next possession, Fitzgerald's tipped pass was intercepted by defensive lineman Chauncey Golston. Stanley then scrambled to convert a fourth and 1, and on the next play he hit Easley with an 8-yard score to put Iowa ahead to stay, 24-19.

MAKING THE ADJUSTMENT

Easley had a career-high 104 yards receiving on eight catches and was chosen the most valuable player. He nearly ran out from under his helmet on his long touchdown.

''I had a little bit of a malfunction with my helmet strap - a little piece broke the play before,'' he said. ''As I was running, it started coming off a little bit. Thankfully I was able to pull it back on and continue to run.''

Easley and Gervase played their final game as seniors who walked on.

''It's how we're built,'' Ferentz said.

INJURY REPORT

Running back Kylin Hill left the game when he took a hit to the helmet in the fourth quarter, but he was back in the lineup on the Bulldogs' final possession.

Moorhead said Hill cleared the concussion protocol.

''I'm good,'' Hill tweeted with a thumbs-up emoji after the game.

TAKEAWAYS

Iowa will likely finish in the Top 25 for only the second time in the past nine seasons. Ferentz concluded his 20th season at Iowa and improved to 152-101, including 8-8 in bowl games.

The down-to-the-wire finish was a rarity for the Bulldogs, who had only one other game decided by fewer than 14 points.

UP NEXT

Stanley will be a third-year starter returning to lead the 2019 Hawkeyes, who also will have their top three rushers back. They open the season Aug. 31 at home against Miami (Ohio).

With fifth-year senior Fitzgerald departing, the Bulldogs will have a new starting quarterback when they open the 2019 season on Aug. 31 in New Orleans against Louisiana.


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Kentucky holds off Penn State, 27-24
January 1, 2019
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ORLANDO, Fla. (AP) Winning 10 games, beating Penn State on New Year's Day, and finishing in the Top 20 is no small deal for the Kentucky Wildcats.

So when Mark Stoops took a seat on the podium flanked by linebacker Josh Allen and running back Benny Snell Jr. after Tuesday's 27-24 victory in the Citrus Bowl, the coach understandably was beyond excited.

''It was extremely important to this team, to all of us, to come home with some hardware, to come home with a trophy,'' Stoops said.

Snell ran for 144 yards and two touchdowns to become Kentucky's career rushing leader and helped the 16th-ranked Wildcats end their best season in more than four decades on a winning note.

''There's no question that these guys changed the culture,'' Stoops said. ''They've done so much and meant so much to this team and this program that it was very important to finish, to collect the trophy, win 10 games and win a game on New Year's Day. Believe me, we had a great belief that we didn't have to do anything special (to win), just be us.''

Snell scored on runs of 2 and 12 yards in the second half, then carried for a couple of crucial first downs to help Kentucky (10-3) run out the clock after Penn State's Trace McSorley trimmed a 27-7 deficit to three points despite playing with a foot injury.

McSorley threw for 246 yards and two touchdowns, and the Nittany Lions' career passing and wins leader also rushed for a team-high 75 yards and one TD.

''The same thing that troubled us throughout the season troubled us here again today. Dropped balls, missed opportunities. That's really kind of the story of the game,'' said Penn State coach James Franklin, whose team started slowly on offense, missed one field goal and had another blocked.

Lynn Bowden Jr. scored on a 58-yard punt return for Kentucky. Allen, the Southeastern Conference defensive player of the year, had three of the Wildcats' six sacks.

''The three guys we knew we needed to stop were Bowden, Snell and Allen. All three of them showed up today,'' Franklin said.

''They've built their program around those guys, they built their season around those guys,'' Franklin added. ''They made plays. That's what great players do.''

Penn State (9-4) trailed 27-7 entering the fourth quarter, but McSorley's wasn't finished. His 1-yard TD run capped a 75-yard drive, and he followed with an 18-yard TD pass to Pat Friermuth to cut Kentucky's lead to six.

The Nittany Lions marched to the Kentucky 14 on their next possession and pulled within 27-24 with 4:12 left.

Thanks to Snell, a junior who already has declared for the NFL draft, McSorley didn't get the ball back until just one second was left on the clock.

Franklin declined to discuss specifics of McSorley's injury.

''We don't typically get into specifics. ... Obviously Trace was experiencing some discomfort. The doctors felt like he could go, but it really just came down to Trace on how Trace felt,'' Franklin said.

McSorley, who was to undergo further evaluation, said he hadn't received ''definitive information'' on whether his foot was broken.

''I've been through too much, the team has been through too much. ... They told me it was a matter of if I could deal with the discomfort,'' the quarterback said. ''If I could do that, I was going to play.''

HISTORIC SEASON

Kentucky finished with its first 10-win season since 1977 - when the Wildcats went 10-1 - and just the third time in program history. The school also did it in 1950. Snell, meanwhile, broke Sonny Collins' career rushing record on his 12-yard TD run that made it 27-7 late in the third quarter. Collins rushed for 3,835 yards from 1972-75.

THE TAKEAWAY

Kentucky: Facing a tradition-rich opponent in a New Year's bowl was significant for the Wildcats, who made the most of the opportunity. Along with the three sacks, Allen blocked a field goal to key a strong defensive effort, while the offense shrugged off a slow start to help the Wildcats pull away in the second half.

Penn State: The Nittany Lions fell short of their goal to finish with 10 wins in three consecutive seasons for the first time since 1980-82. Three of their four losses were by a total of eight points.

UP NEXT

Kentucky: Wildcats look to build on success they've had under coach Mark Stoops, who has transformed them into a Top 25 team. Their 5-3 record in SEC play represented their first winning mark in the league in 41 years, spawning heightened expectations for 2019.

Penn State: Nittany Lions face challenge of replacing McSorley, the school's career leader for wins, completions, passing yards, passing TDs, total offense and rushing TDs by a quarterback.


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


LSU knocks off UCF 40-32 in Fiesta
January 1, 2019
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GLENDALE, Ariz. (AP) Joe Burrow watched the ball land in an opposing player's hands and immediately gave chase. Locked in on preventing a pick six, LSU's quarterback didn't see Joey Connors, Central Florida's 313-pound defensive lineman, bearing down on him.

With a thunderous, blindside collision , Burrow found himself flat on his back, woozy and wondering what happened.

Minutes later, after being helped to his feet, Burrow was back on the field, hitting receivers all over the field.

The nation's longest winning streak was over. So was a second self-proclaimed national championship.

The LSU Tigers were Fiesta Bowl champions, thanks to their gritty junior quarterback.

Burrow shook off the big early hit to throw for 394 yards and four touchdowns, helping No. 11 LSU end No. 7 UCF's 25-game winning streak with a 40-32 victory in the Fiesta Bowl on Tuesday.

''I didn't really think about the hit too much after it happened,'' said Burrow, who had a cut on his neck from the hit. ''It hurt for a second, I got right up and went on to the next play.''

LSU (10-3, No. 11 CFP) started its first Fiesta Bowl without several key players on defense and fell into an early 11-point hole against the high-scoring Knights (12-1, No. 8 CFP).

The Tigers clawed back behind Burrow and a defensive front that made life difficult for UCF quarterback Darriel Mack Jr.

Burrow returned from the early blindside hit to pick apart UCF's secondary, hitting 21 of 34 of passes, including two touchdowns to Justin Jefferson.

''It looked like the passing game we wanted,'' LSU coach Ed Orgeron said. ''Joe was on the money.''

LSU sacked Mack five times and made him rush numerous throws, holding the nation's third-best offense to 250 total yards - 295 below its average - while spoiling the Knights' bid for a second straight self-proclaimed national title.

Taj McGowan scored on a 2-yard run and the Knights converted a 2-point conversion to pull UCF to within 40-32. After LSU recovered the onside kick, the Knights' last-ditch attempt finished with a tipped interception, ending a run that started after a loss in the 2016 Cure Bowl.

''Obviously, everyone in the locker room is really upset,'' UCF defensive lineman Mason Colubiale. ''We haven't lost a game since 2016.''

UCF declared itself national champions after finishing as the only undefeated FBS team a year ago. The Knights earned another shot at an undefeated season by staging a massive rally to beat Memphis in the American Athletic Conference title game.

But just like last year, UCF was on the outside looking in when the College Football Playoff final four was announced, adding to the boulder-sized chip on its shoulder and only a self-awarded national title in its reach.

The Speedy Knights got the Fiesta Bowl off to a fast start, going up 14-3 on Greg McCrae's 25-yard TD run and Brandon Moore's 93-yard interception return.

The Tigers roared back behind Burrow and their disruptive defensive front.

Burrow shook off the big hit on the pick six, finding Jefferson on a pair of scoring passes and a 49-yard TD to Derrick Dillon.

UCF sputtered offensively after its opening drive, but Mack hit Gabriel Davis on a 32-yard pass in the closing seconds to pull UCF to within 24-21 at halftime.

Burrow opened the second half with a 32-yard TD pass to Ja'Marr Chase, and Cole Tracy hit three field goals to put LSU up 40-24. Tracy's final kick, the 97th of his career, broke the NCAA all-division record and ended the nation's fourth-longest winning streak since 2000.

''Love the way they competed for four quarters, continued to fight with everything that they had. Believed. Played as a group,'' UCF first-year coach Josh Huepel said. ''Just weren't good enough at the end.''

THE TAKEAWAY

Even depleted, LSU's defense proved to still be formidable and Burrow showed his grit after the big hit, giving LSU its first 10-win season since 2013.

UCF missed injured two-time AAC player of the year McKenzie Milton and had no answer for LSU's passing game to lose for the first time in two years.

SO MANY PENALTIES

The first meeting between UCF and LSU was chippy from the start, including three first-half ejections. LSU consensus All-America safety Grant Delpit was among those ejected after being called for targeting in the second quarter.

UCF had a key penalty in the second quarter, when Randy Charlton was hit with an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty after the Knights stopped LSU on a third-and-6. That kept the Tigers' drive alive and Burrow hit Justice for a TD that pulled LSU to within 14-10.

LSU had 14 penalties for 145 yards, LSU had 12 for 104 yards.

UP NEXT

LSU: RB Nick Brossette is a senior, Clyde Edwards-Helaire is just a sophomore and Burrow will be back. Delpit also is a sophomore and most of the defense should be back. LSU opens the 2019 season against Georgia Southern on Aug. 31.

UCF: Most of the Knights' offense skill players should be back, but they have four seniors on the two-deep offensive line roster. UCF also will have new pieces on defense next season, with nine seniors on the two-deep. UCF opens the 2019 season against Florida A&M on Aug. 31.

[StarDust Bum]

Ohio State tops Washington 28-23 in Meyer's Rose Bowl finale
January 1, 2019
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PASADENA, Calif. (AP) Urban Meyer says he decided to end his remarkable coaching career at Ohio State partly because of the stress inherent in this high-intensity job.

After his Buckeyes blew most of a 25-point lead in the fourth quarter and had to recover a last-minute onside kick to win the Rose Bowl, anybody could understand why this 54-year-old coach can't wait to retire.

But the stress is over. Meyer is going out at the top of his profession. And for the first time, he is a Rose Bowl champion.

Dwayne Haskins passed for 251 yards and three touchdowns, and Meyer headed into retirement with a 28-23 victory after the fifth-ranked Buckeyes held off No. 9 Washington's thrilling comeback in the 105th Rose Bowl on Tuesday.

After the confetti flew in the north end zone, the Buckeyes gathered around Meyer for one last celebration of their coach. He is walking away after going 83-9 at Ohio State with one national championship, three Big Ten titles and this Rose Bowl victory, the Buckeyes' eighth overall in the Granddaddy of Them All.

''I'm a very blessed man,'' Meyer said. ''I'm blessed because of my family, (but) this team, this year, I love this group as much as any I've ever had.''

Parris Campbell, Johnnie Dixon and Rashod Berry caught TD passes in the first half for the Buckeyes (13-1), who took a 28-3 lead into the fourth and seemed to be cruising to a blowout.

But star running back Myles Gaskin threw a touchdown pass and rushed for two more scores for the Huskies (10-4), scoring from 2 yards out with 42 seconds left.

The Huskies got no closer, however. Defensive player of the game Brendon White intercepted Jake Browning's pass on the 2-point conversion attempt, and Dixon recovered Washington's onside kick.

''We're going down as one of three teams in Ohio State history to win 13 games,'' Buckeyes defensive end Chase Young said. ''Legendary team. Legendary coach. We're all legendary right now.''

Meyer cited his health last month in his decision to step down. A cyst in Meyer's brain causes severe headaches that are even worse for a man who says he gets not just nervous, but ''deathly ill'' before big games.

Meyer largely refused to reflect publicly on his career during the month since he announced his plans. After he shook Washington coach Chris Petersen's hand, raised the trophy and walked off the Rose Bowl turf, Meyer finally thought about the journey that brought him back to his home state for a stellar seven-year tenure capped by this late-breaking thriller.

''Every week, every yard, every down, when we recruited these players, I just wanted to make sure that we made the great state of Ohio proud,'' Meyer said. ''And once again, we weren't perfect, but we did a lot of good things.''

After Southern California's epic win over Penn State and Georgia's double-overtime thriller with Oklahoma over the past two years in Pasadena, the Rose Bowl got another matchup packed with late-game fireworks.

Browning passed for 313 yards and Gaskin rushed for 121 in the final game of the four-year starters' landmark careers at Washington, which has lost three straight New Year's Six bowl games.

But after three poor offensive quarters, the Pac-12 champions made it awfully interesting late. The Huskies racked up 170 yards of offense while making three strong drives in the fourth, but they had fallen too far behind in their first Rose Bowl game appearance in 18 years.

''It was too little, too late, but we're always going to keep swinging,'' Browning said. ''That's how we are as a team. We're never out of it.''

Petersen dropped to 1-4 in bowls during his otherwise remarkable tenure at Washington, including consecutive defeats in the Peach, Fiesta and Rose.

''Very frustrating when you start the first half like we started,'' Petersen said. ''I have no idea why. It's on me. It's not these kids. ... We'll go back to the drawing board on how to prepare these guys better to come out of the gate a little bit faster. But I am proud of how hard these guys play, and I never doubt that.''

While Petersen likely will get more chances for his first Rose Bowl win, Meyer insists his three-decade collegiate coaching career is over. After starting out as a graduate assistant at Ohio State, he has been a head coach since 2001, achieving huge success at Bowling Green, Utah and Florida before his stellar run in Columbus.

These Buckeyes are Meyer's eighth team to finish with one loss or fewer in his 17 seasons as a head coach.

''He's a really tough guy,'' said Ohio State running back Mike Weber, who rushed for 96 yards. ''Sometimes you never really know what he's thinking. He really doesn't show a lot of emotion, but I felt him today. You could tell he was giving his all. It felt a little different.''

Although Meyer's final season began with an embarrassing three-game suspension over his mismanagement of domestic abuse accusations against former assistant Zach Smith, he propelled the Buckeyes to another dominant regular season despite missing out on the College Football Playoff.

This game could be Haskins' farewell to Ohio State as well, if the sophomore goes pro. The offensive player of the game and Heisman Trophy finalist became the sixth FBS quarterback to throw 50 touchdown passes in a season while picking away at the vaunted Washington secondary minus injured Taylor Rapp, the second-team All-American safety.

Gaskin became the fourth running back in NCAA history with four 1,200-yard seasons during the third quarter, but Ohio State increased its lead with J.K. Dobbins' TD run.

The Huskies finally scored their first offensive touchdown since the Apple Cup when Gaskin threw a TD pass to Drew Sample with 12:17 to play.

THE TAKEAWAY

Ohio State: The offense did enough to win despite punting on five straight late drives. Fans can only wonder whether this bunch of Buckeyes would have done better than overmatched Notre Dame or Oklahoma in the playoff semifinals.

Washington: The defeat wrapped up an unimpressive Pac-12 football season. The Huskies were the class of the conference, and they showed tremendous heart in the fourth - but they'll be frustrated with a campaign bookended by losses to national powers Auburn and Ohio State.

UP NEXT

Ohio State: Ryan Day is now the 25th head coach in program history. Haskins could be the first quarterback drafted if he leaves, and he's just one key contributor who must be replaced. But Meyer has built a fierce machine in Columbus, and he seems certain Day is the man to drive it forward.

Washington: Replacing the most prolific quarterback and running back in program history isn't easy, but many Huskies fans are excited to see who's next. Petersen has built a powerhouse in Seattle, and Washington should be in position to contend for a trip to Pasadena almost every year.


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Ehlinger's 3 TDs lead Texas past Georgia
January 1, 2019
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NEW ORLEANS (AP) Sam Ehlinger ran for three touchdowns, the Texas defense largely held Georgia's offense in check, and the Longhorns earned their first 10-win season since 2009 by beating the Bulldogs 28-21 in the Sugar Bowl on Tuesday night.

Ehlinger was the star of a gritty win, running for a 2-yard touchdown in the first quarter, a 9-yard score in the second, and a 1-yard TD in the fourth. The 6-foot-3, 230-pound sophomore finished with 64 yards rushing on 21 carries and also threw for 169 yards.

No. 14 Texas (10-4) continued its quick rise under coach Tom Herman, capping his second season with a Sugar Bowl win that will surely send expectations soaring after nearly a decade of mostly mediocrity.

Texas stretched its lead to 28-7 with 11:49 left in the fourth quarter on Ehlinger's 1-yard run, finally scoring on fourth down after his first three attempts at running for the score fell just short of the end zone.

No. 6 Georgia (11-3) was a 12 1/2-point favorite and claimed it would be ready for the Sugar Bowl despite just missing a spot in the College Football Playoff after a loss in the Southeastern Conference championship game. But a sloppy opening sequence indicated otherwise.

Texas jumped out to a 17-0 lead by early in the second quarter, largely because of Georgia's mistakes on special teams and offense.

The most costly was when D'Andre Swift fumbled deep in Georgia's own territory, giving Texas possession at the 12. Three plays later, Ehlinger deftly escaped trouble in the pocket and scored on a 9-yard run to give the Longhorns a 17-point advantage with 14:53 left in the second quarter.

Georgia got back into the game with a methodical 12-play drive that ended with Jake Fromm finding Brian Herrien for a 17-yard touchdown, but Texas still took a 20-7 advantage into halftime.

Fromm completed 20 of 34 passes for 212 yards, three touchdowns and one interception. The Bulldogs scored a touchdown with 14 seconds left to pull within 28-21 but Texas recovered the ensuing onside kick.

DON'T MESS WITH BEVO

Even the Texas mascot was in a feisty mood before the Sugar Bowl.

Bevo - which is the Longhorns' huge longhorn steer - charged through a barricade and toward Georgia's red sweater-clad bulldog mascot Uga X about an hour before the game. A few people, including photographers, were knocked down to the ground, but there were no reported injuries and Bevo was quickly restrained.

THE TAKEAWAY

Texas: It's a validating win for Texas, which was the physically dominant team while playing one of the SEC's best programs. It's fair to say the Longhorns are ahead of schedule under Herman and expectations will skyrocket going forward.

Georgia: A very good Bulldogs' season ended with a huge thud after back-to-back losses to Alabama and Texas. Georgia made far too many mistakes against the Longhorns and Fromm didn't have one of his best games.

UP NEXT

Georgia is a set to be very good again in 2019, especially on offense where most of the starters should return. The Bulldogs open next season with an SEC game on the road against Vanderbilt on Aug. 31.

Texas returns several key pieces, including Ehlinger, but loses several key contributors on defense. Texas will host Louisiana Tech in the season opener on Aug. 31.

[StarDust Bum]

2018-2019 College Bowl Record - Opinions and Best Bets !

DATE W-L-T % UNITS

01/01/2019 3-7-0 30.00% -23.50
12/31/2018 7-4-1 63.64% +13.00
12/29/2018 5-4-1 55.56% +3.00
12/28/2018 2-4-0 33.33% -12.00
12/27/2018 5-1-0 83.33% +19.50
12/26/2018 1-3-0 25.00% -11.50
12/22/2018 4-4-0 50.00% -2.00
12/21/2018 2-2-0 50.00% -1.00
12/20/2018 1-1-0 50.00% -0.50
12/19/2018 0-2-0 0.00% -11.00
12/18/2018 0-2-0 0.00% -11.00
12/15/2018 4-6-0 40.00% -13.00

TOTAL............34-40-0.......45.94%.....-50.00


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DATE........................ATS................... UNITS..................O/U....................UNITS.................TOTAL

01/01/2019.............2 - 2..................-1.00...................0 - 3.....................-16.50...............-17.50
12/31/2018.............5 - 1.................+14.50.................2 - 1.....................+4.50...............+19.00
12/29/2018.............2 - 2.................-1.00....................1 - 1.....................-0.50................-1.50
12/28/2018.............2 - 1.................+4.50...................0 - 3.....................-16.50..............-12.00
12/27/2018.............2 - 1.................+4.50...................3 - 0....................+15.00..............+19.50
12/26/2018.............0 - 2..................-11.00..................1 - 2....................-6.00.................-17.00
12/22/2018.............2 - 2..................-1.00....................2 - 2....................-1.00.................-2.00
12/21/2018.............1 - 1..................-0.50....................1 - 1....................-0.50.................-1.00
12/20/2018.............1 - 0.................+5.00....................0 - 1....................-5.50.................-0.50
12/19/2018.............0 - 1..................-5.50....................0 - 1....................-5.50.................-11.00
12/18/2018.............0 - 1..................-5.50....................0 - 1....................-5.50.................-11.00
12/15/2018.............0 - 4..................-22.00..................3 - 2....................+4.00................-18.00

TOTAL...................17 - 18................-19.00.................13 - 18..................-34.00...............-53.00

[StarDust Bum]

Wednesday’s 6-pack

NBA’s top six players free throw shooters (min 50 att):

6) JJ Redick, 76ers 109-120, 90.8%

5) Kevin Durant, Warriors 269-295, 91.2%

4) Stephen Curry, Warriors 130-142, 91.5%

3) Lou Williams, Clippers 169-184, 91.8%

2) Danilo Gallinari, Clippers 191-207, 92.3%

1) Malcolm Brogdon, Bucks 56-57, 98.2%

Quote of the Day
“We felt it important to extend and amend Lincoln’s contract at this time as we want him at the University of Oklahoma for a long time. He is a great coach and role model for our student-athletes. His record of success speaks for itself. Lincoln is also the right representative for our university in such a high-profile position. I am proud to work with him and anxious to support him as he takes our program into the future.”
Oklahoma president James Gallogly; lets see the Sooners go 7-5 a couple years in a row and see what a great role model they think Riley is.

Wednesday’s quiz
Who was the only NFL QB to take every offensive snap for his team this season?

Tuesday’s quiz
Shaquille O’Neal played his college basketball at LSU.

Monday’s quiz
Fred Dalton Thompson played a DA on Law and Order for five years, then later ran for the Republican nomination for President in 2008.

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

Wednesday’s List of 13: Wrapping up the first day of 2019

13) Forgot to mention this Monday, but NFL gets the Week 17 thing right; every game is a divisional rivalry game, and the most meaningful games are stuffed into the 4:25 window of games, to maximize drama. Makes handicapping more difficult, but so be it.

12) There are rumors going around Las Vegas these days that UNLV is going to have a new basketball coach next year, and that guy is coaching in Greece right now— Rick Pitino.

11) Kentucky 27, Penn State 24— Wildcats win 10+ games in same football season for first time since 1977. Kentucky led 27-7, were outgained 407-297, but hung on for the win- they ran a punt back for a touchdown, the first punt return Penn State allowed for a TD since 2012.

10) Houston snags football coach Dana Holgorsen away from West Virginia, giving him $20M over five years; not often a guy voluntarily leaves a Big X program for an AAC team, but money talks……

9) Of the 12 teams who made NFL playoffs this year, Rams played most games (4-3) against them this season. Bears (2-1), Ravens (1-2) played the fewest.

8) Jets could be a good over bet for wins next season; since 2000, here are the Jet head coaches, 1st year and then after……

2000 Al Groh First year: 9-7 Replaced after one year
2001 Herm Edwards: First year: 10-6 Rest of time: 29-35
2006: Eric Mangini: First year: 10-6 Rest of time: 13-19
2008: Rex Ryan: First year: 9-7 Rest of time: 37-43
2015: Todd Bowles: First year: 10-6 Rest of time: 14-34

7) Speaking of the Jets, how does the coach at Iowa Freakin’ State turn down an interview with an NFL team? Matt Campbell doesn’t want to coach in the NFL? Fine, but interviewing with an NFL team wouldn’t at least be a good experience for him? I laughed when I saw this note.

6) Agreed that Steve Alford/UCLA was an odd fit, but here is the list of coaches who made 3+ Sweet 16’s in the last five years:
Alford, Beilein, Calipari, Few, Huggins, Krzyzewski, Sean MIller, Self, Williams.

Firing Alford before conference play was insulting, and probably done to placate a big-money donor. Wonder if it’ll hurt them in finding a high-profile replacement.

5) Gambling is difficult: Monday, Weber State (-6.5) won 93-87 at Idaho. Weber was up 41-16 with 5:49 left in first half, led by 22 at the half, but didn’t cover. Idaho made 10-19 3-pointers but covered by only a half-point. Weber was the right side in the game, but not the winning side.

4) Ohio State 28, Washington 23— I wonder if Urban Meyer will ever coach again; hopefully he will never be on TV again, just a totally humorless, serious person who was a great coach but for Pete’s sake, tell a joke or say something sarcastic now and then- its not that hard.

3) LSU 40, Central Florida 32— Tigers’ QB Joe Burrow was 21-34 for 394 yards and four TD’s as LSU ended UCF’s 25-game winning streak. Burrow led LSU to a 10-3 record this season; he was the 3rd-string QB at Ohio State before this year. Think about that for a second.

2) Lions fired OC Jim Bob Cooter Tuesday; officially it is a “mutual parting of ways” which is a nice way of Matt Patricia saying, “Take a hike!!!!”

Jets/Cardinals need to look at Cooter to help develop their young QB’s.

1) Tuesday is usually garbage day in my neighborhood, but because of New Year’s Day, it got pushed back a day this week. Lot of my neighbors didn’t get the memo and put their garbage out Monday night, and it was really windy Tuesday morning, so the neighborhood was a mess Tuesday morning, lot of stuff everywhere. Not a great way to start 2019.

[StarDust Bum]

Alabama-Clemson Part IV matchups
January 4, 2019
By The Associated Press

SAN JOSE, Calif. (AP) Clemson and Alabama are playing in the College Football Playoff for the fourth straight season, and the third time for the national championship.

The winner Monday will become the first 15-0 FBS champion.

With the help of SEC Network analyst Cole Cubelic, a former Auburn offensive lineman, a breakdown of some of the key matchups that could decide Tide-Tigers Part IV.

---

CLEMSON ON LINE

There are few one-on-one matchups where Alabama is ever going to be at a disadvantage. Clemson's defensive line might be good enough to capitalize on some small vulnerability even without suspended 340-pound run stuffer Dexter Lawrence.

Tigers All-America defensive tackle Christian Wilkins against Alabama left guard Lester Cotton is a place where the Tigers can win one-on-one.

''Wilkins is a player who has really good quickness inside. Could be very disruptive against a player who was benched in the middle of the season for a younger player that came in and sort of took his spot and is now suspended and not going to play,'' Cubelic said.

Deonte Brown was suspended for an undisclosed NCAA violation, Alabama coach Nick Saban has said.

Alabama right tackle Jedrick Wills has occasionally had some problems in pass protection. The Tide might need to provide some help for the sophomore to deal with Clemson's defensive ends, whether it's All-American Clelin Ferrell, Cotton Bowl defensive MVP Austin Bryant or freshman Xavier Thomas, who looks like Clemson's next great pass rusher.

Clemson leads the nation with 52 sacks, led by Ferrell with 11+ and Bryant with eight, including two against Notre Dame. The Tigers also lead the nation in yards per play allowed at 4.05.

Cubelic said he would expect Clemson to rely on the defensive line to hold its own against the run and commit more players to coverage. It sounds weird to say of Alabama, but challenging this Tide team to run the ball is probably the way to go.

''They're kind of greedy,'' Cubelic said of Alabama's offense, led by quarterback Tua Tagovailoa. ''They know they're really good throwing the ball. They know they have an elite quarterback and elite wide receivers. Why not go out there and pitch it around?''

Tagovailoa, the Heisman runner-up, has a 205.19 passer efficiency rating, which would break Baker Mayfield's single-season record from last year.

Senior Albert Huggins played well filling in for Lawrence against Notre Dame, but the junior is more likely to be missed this week.

''He's probably one of the best linemen in college football, no doubt, in terms of his production and his performance,'' Saban said. ''He's played really well against us in the past.''

---

Q RATING

If there was a defensive player with a case to the win the Heisman Trophy this season, Alabama's Quinnen Williams was the guy. He has hardly been slowed down and it's doubtful Clemson center Justin Falcinelli, an All-ACC player, and guards John Simpson, Gage Cervenka and Sean Pollard will be a physical match for the future top-five NFL draft pick.

Williams, an All-American and Outland Trophy winner, plays differently than the recent dominant Tide nose guards such as Terrence Cody and Daron Payne. Williams often lines up in one gap, and then shoots into another gap or works his way from one shoulder of a blocker to the other. Clemson uses a lot of zone- and gap-blocking schemes, where its linemen are assigned to block a particular space rather than a man.

''The scheme is not very friendly to handle not only a guy as talented as Quinnen Williams, but the way he plays,'' Cubelic said.

The 295-pound Williams had 18 tackles for loss, including eight sacks.

---

FLUSTERING THE FRESHMAN

Clemson freshman quarterback Trevor Lawrence has all the physical gifts. From that standpoint, he is ready for Alabama. The challenge against the Tide for Lawrence will be as much mental as physical.

Alabama's overwhelming talent sometimes overshadows just how well-coached the players are. The Tide doesn't make many mistakes and Saban's defenses throw a lot at quarterbacks.

''The windows are going to close faster,'' Cubelic said. ''The pressure is going to be applied more quickly. The decisions are going to have to be made faster.''

Lawrence has completed 65.5 percent of his passes, with 27 touchdown passes and only four interceptions.

An underrated part of Lawrence's game is his mobility, but he hasn't used it much until late in the season. He has 86 yards on 10 carries in the last three regular-season games. Swinney said he'd like to see Lawrence take off more.

''Sometimes people will drop and play coverage and receivers will have to work and work and work to try to get open and he's confident he can rip it there,'' Swinney said.

Because Alabama is so good up front with Williams, Raekwon Davis and Isaiah Buggs (team-high 9.5 sacks), it is likely Lawrence will see a lot of seven- and eight-man coverage and get some opportunities to run.

''If Alabama is going to give you anything, you damn well better take it,'' Cubelic said.

Alabama's excellent pass rush has helped bring along a secondary that relies on talented but inexperienced corners such as freshman Patrick Surtain.

''I don't know how good the Alabama secondary is,'' Cubelic said. ''And I don't think anybody else really knows.''

Clemson has a versatile group of receivers with Tee Higgins (11 touchdowns) and Justyn Ross (eight touchdowns) both checking in at 6-foot-4, Amari Rogers (four touchdowns), who is built like a running back, and senior Hunter Renfrow, who has scored four touchdowns in two previous championship games against Alabama.

[StarDust Bum]

*Clemson vs. Alabama*
Brian Edwards

*Matchup: Clemson vs. Alabama
Venue: Levi's Stadium, Santa Clara, California
Time/TV: ESPN, 8:00 p.m. ET*

This rivalry started in 1900 when Clemson beat Alabama 35-0 in Birmingham. Clemson won the first three meetings by a combined score of 78-0 with shutout victories in 1904 and 1905. From 1909 to 1975, Alabama put it on the Tigers 11 consecutive times, dealing out cream-cheese treatment in seven of those encounters, including a 56-0 win in ’75.

But these storied programs wouldn’t collide again until the 2008 season opener, and that’s when the modern-day version of this rivalry began. I was at the Georgia Dome in Atlanta on that Saturday afternoon, the lid-lifter for Alabama in its second season under Nick Saban and the last year that Tommy Bowden would roam the sidelines at Clemson.

As a five-point underdog, Saban’s Alabama team took the Tigers behind the woodshed in a 34-10 blowout that wasn’t even that close. Bowden would take a lot of criticism after media reports got out that Bowden had called Saban seeking advice after taking that pimpslap.

Six weeks later after a loss at Wake Forest in ESPN’s featured Thursday night game, Bowden was handed his pink slip. Some dude named Dabo Swinney was named the interim head coach. Alabama would remain unbeaten until going back to the Georgia Dome, where Tim Tebow led the Gators past the Tide in the SEC Championship Game.

That loss was the turning point for Alabama in its dynastic 12-year run under Saban. Since that defeat to UF, Alabama is 6-0 in SEC Championship Games, including this year’s 35-28 come-from-behind victory over Georgia.

The turning point for Clemson during Swinney’s 11 years on the job? That’s easy. It came at the Orange Bowl on Jan. 4 of 2012 when QB Geno Smith led West Virginia to a 70-33 win over the Tigers.

After serving as defensive coordinator under Bob Stoops at Oklahoma from 1999-2011, Brent Venables was hired away by Swinney to take the same gig at Clemson. Since then, the Tigers have an 86-11 record. They’ve posted double-digit win totals for eight consecutive years, winning 14 times in three of the past four seasons.

These teams are facing each other in the College Football Playoff for the fourth straight year and the third time in the CFP finals. In the first meeting, Alabama won 45-40 in a thriller, but Clemson took the cash as a six-point underdog thanks to a Deshaun Watson touchdown pass with 12 ticks remaining.

One year later, Watson found Hunter Renfrow for a two-yard TD pass with one second left to lift Clemson, a 6.5-point underdog, to a 35-31 win and the school’s first national title since 1981. Then in the CFP semifinals at the Sugar Bowl in New Orleans last season, Alabama won 24-6 behind a sensational defensive effort.

Maybe Monday’s game at Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara, Calif., is just Chapter 4 of a novel in its infancy? Perhaps Clemson and Alabama will meet in the College Football Playoff for three or four more seasons in a row? Maybe Saban's run at The Capstone has 3-4, maybe even five, years left in it?

With Alabama quarterback Tua Tagovailo and Clemson signal caller Trevor Lawrence both returning in 2019, there’s a strong chance these schools will meet again next year.

But you never know with these things. Maybe Saban wins his seventh career national title and his sixth at Alabama and then decides he wants to go out on top? Perhaps the competitive urge to try it again in the NFL will emerge and, with the chance to coach Aaron Rodgers, he won’t be able to turn down a lucrative offer from the Green Bay Packers?

In that scenario, Swinney would instantly become Alabama’s top candidate to replace Saban. Remember, Swinney was born and raised on the color crimson and played at Alabama under Gene Stallings. Maybe Swinney would return home, or perhaps he’d elect to stay put because it rarely works out when you replace The Legend (ask Ray Perkins about that one.)?

When I was making my weekly appearance on The Out of Bounds Show with Qualk and Kelly this past Thursday on 105.1 The Roar in Clemson, Qualk posed this question (or something very close to it) to me: “Are you tired of the Clemson-Alabama matchup? Is it a bad thing for college football when two teams meet in the playoffs four years in a row?”

I was borderline shocked. Is that some sort of theme across the country? If so, it’s nothing but bitterness and spilled milk from fan bases of schools consistently failing to make the CFP. Don’t like it? Do something about it. Beat Alabama when you have a 14-point lead in the second half. Seal the deal when you’re up 10 early in the fourth quarter at Death Valley with Clemson playing a third-string redshirt freshman at QB.

If anything, this showdown between the nation’s premier programs should be coveted by college football fans. Again, it might be Chapter 4 with many more remaining, or this could be it. Whatever the case, it’s likely the defining game for this rivalry and for Swinney, who with a win could claim his second national title and a 2-2 record against Saban (only Steve Spurrier has been better vs. Saban).

With an Alabama win, it would make Clemson the Joe Frazier of his rivalry with Muhammad Ali – the runner-up compared to the champion. It would further establish that there’s not a program on the Tide’s level these days (only Clemson is worthy of being in that conversation, anyway).

So no, hell no I’m not tired of these teams squaring off in the CFP. Why would anyone dread watching two unbeaten heavyweights slug it out with everything on the line?

As of Sunday afternoon, most betting shops had Alabama (14-0 straight up, 8-6 against the spread) installed as a five-point favorite with a total of 58 or 58.5. The Tigers were +180 on the money line (risk $100 to win $180). For first half-wagers, most spots had the Crimson Tide listed as a three-point favorite (with a -120 price tag) with the total anywhere from 28.5 to 29.5. Clemson had +160 odds to be leading at intermission.

Bettors can get down on the first quarter as well. The Westgate Las Vegas SuperBook had ‘Bama as a one-point ‘chalk’ in the opening stanza, but most books had the Tide at minus one-half point (with -120 to -130 juice). The Tigers were +135 to go into the second quarter with the lead.

Remember, Alabama went 10-0 ATS for first-half bets until failing to cover in its last two regular-season games and against Georgia in Atlanta. However, it bounced back to improve to 11-3 ATS in the first half when it took a 21-point advantage into intermission vs. OU.

Saban’s team raced out to a 28-0 lead less than two minutes into the second quarter of last Saturday’s CFP semifinal showdown vs. Oklahoma at the Orange Bowl in Miami. From there, all that was in doubt was the spread cover and whether the game would go ‘over’ or ‘under’ the closing total of 80.5 points.

OU didn’t fade away into the South Florida night, however. The Tide had surged into a lopsided lead with a flurry of haymakers that started with Damien Harris’s one-yard plunge into the end zone with 11:54 remaining in the first quarter. Before ‘Bama was done with its early onslaught, Harris had found paydirt again from one yard out and sophomore QB Tua Tagovailoa had hit Henry Ruggs III and Josh Jacobs on scoring strikes of 10 and 27 yards, respectively.

Finally, the Sooners stopped the bleeding on Trey Sermon’s two-yard TD run with 11:48 left in the second quarter. They added a 26-yard field goal from Austin Seibert midway through the second to get within 28-10, but it was a red-zone trip that was in dire need of a TD. With 25 ticks remaining until intermission, Alabama countered with a 38-yard FG from Joseph Bulovas to get the lead back to 21.

Lincoln Riley’s team once again settled for three with 9:42 left in the third on Seibert’s 26-yard FG. But with 3:03 left in the third stanza, OU’s Kyler Murray evaded Alabama’s pass rush and got out of the pocket. He spotted a streaking WR and launched a perfectly-thrown 49-yard TD pass to Charleston Ramo. Suddenly, the score was 31-20 and we had a two-possession football game with more than 18 minutes left. Most important for our purposes, the Sooners were back ahead of the number for the first time since late in the opening quarter, and the ‘over’ had a pulse once again.

Alabama would answer, however, as Tagovailoa found Devonta Smith for a 10-yard TD pass with 13:08 remaining. Again, OU would counter with Murray connecting with CeeDee Lamb for a 10-yard scoring strike with 8:31 left to make it 38-27. (My gosh, how good was Lamb in that game?!)

Alabama surged back ahead of the number again on Tagovailoa’s 13-yard TD pass to Jerry Jeudy at the 6:08 mark. Barring a turnover or successful onside kick, Tagovailoa-to-Jeudy basically ended all hopes of an epic comeback win from OU. But there was still plenty of business left to take care of.

The backdoor was wide open and a TD and FG could hook up ‘over’ supporters or burn bettors supporting the ‘under.’ When Murray scored on an eight-yard TD run with 4:23 remaining, the Sooners were back in front of the number again as 14.5-point underdogs. The ensuing onside kick had a chance but an OU player touched the ball just before it went 10 yards.

This gave Alabama great field position and time to get a front door cover, and it nearly did just that. In fact, it could’ve but once a first down set the Tide up with first and goal with just under two minutes remaining, Saban opted to go into Victory Formation. In doing so, OU backers got paid and the 79 combined points slithered ‘under’ the 80.5-point total.

On Dec. 28 the day before the game, most books had the total in the 77-78 range so for those who bought ‘over’ tickets at that time, they were also rewarded with greenbacks. Even though Alabama led by double digits nearly the entire game, this was a 60-minute battle and the Tide had scars to prove it.

Senior LB Christian Miller sustained a hamstring that has his status (officially listed ‘questionable) vs. Clemson in major doubt. Miller has produced 36 tackles, 12 QB hurries, 8.5 sacks, three tackles for loss and one pass broken up.

One concern Alabama fans don’t have to fret about is the health of Tagovailoa, who was brilliant in the victory against the Sooners. Despite undergoing ankle surgery in early December, Tagovailoa looked sharp from start to finish, completing 24-of-27 passes for 318 yards and four touchdowns without an interception. The Heisman Trophy runner-up has now connected on 69.5 percent of his throws for 3,671 yards with a 41/4 touchdown-to-interception ratio.

Clemson (14-0 SU, 8-6 ATS) has been an underdog eight times since Week 4 of the 2014 campaign. On that weekend in Tallahassee when reigning Heisman Trophy winner Jameis Winston was suspended, the Tigers took the cash as 10-point underdogs in a 23-17 overtime loss at FSU. Since then, they’ve produced a 7-1 spread record with five outright victories when listed as underdogs.

Swinney’s squad advanced to this year’s CFP finals by trouncing Notre Dame 30-3 as an 11-point favorite at Jerry World last Saturday night. The 33 combined points ducked ‘under’ the 58-point total.

After trading field goal in the first quarter, Clemson took over in the second quarter with three TD passes from Lawrence, who first found Justyn Ross for a 52-yard scoring strike with 12:50 left in the stanza. Then with 1:44 left until halftime, Lawrence hit Ross against for a 42-yard TD connection. With two ticks left in the first half, Lawrence threw 19 yards into the end zone to Tee Higgins. Travis Etienne’s 62-yard TD dash late in the third quarter closed out the scoring.

Clemson enjoyed a 538-248 advantage over the Fighting Irish in total offense. Lawrence completed 27-of-39 passes for 327 yards and three TDs without an interception. Etienne rushed for 109 yards and one TD on 14 attempts, while Ross had six catches for 148 yards and two TDs. Renfrow had four receptions for 62 yards.

For the season, Lawrence has a 65.3 completion percentage, 2,933 passing yards and a 27/4 TD-INT ratio. The true freshman has also rushed for 157 yards and one TD. Etienne has 1,573 rushing yards, 22 TDs and an 8.3 yards-per-carry average.

Clemson has won 12 games by margins of at least 20 points. The Tigers had just two close games, winning 28-26 at Texas A&M (before Lawrence was the starter) and rallying to nip Syracuse by a 27-23 count (after trailing by 10 early in the fourth quarter and with Lawrence out of the game injured) at home. Meanwhile, Alabama won its first 12 games by at least 22 points before beating UGA and Oklahoma by seven and 11 points, respectively.

The Aggies and Louisville represent the only common opponents for these schools. Alabama dusted U of L 51-14 in the season opener in Orlando and dropped Texas A&M 45-23 as a 24-point home ‘chalk.’ Clemson blasted the Cardinals 77-16 as a 38-point home favorite.

If there’s a bone to pick with Clemson’s resume, it would be its strength of schedule (No. 59 compared to No. 6 for 'Bama). The Tigers faced Pittsburgh in the ACC Championship Game and won 42-10, but the Panthers finished the season with a 7-7 record. Only The ‘Cuse (10-3) and N.C. State (9-4) had quality seasons out of the ACC, but the Wolfpack got smoked 52-13 by Texas A&M at the Gator Bowl.

Clemson is ranked third in the nation in total offense, 24th in passing yards, 10th in rushing yards and fourth in scoring with its 44.3 points-per-game average. The Tigers are ranked fifth in the country in total defense, 16th at defending the pass, fourth in run defense and first in scoring ‘D’ (12.9 PPG).

With the exception of a 35-point outburst by South Carolina in the regular-season finale, Clemson has held eight straight opponents to 16 points or fewer and seven have been limited to 10 points or less. However, junior DT Dexter Lawrence won’t be in uniform vs. ‘Bama due to a suspension. Lawrence recorded 37 tackles, six TFL’s, seven QB hurries, 1.5 sacks and three PBU.

Clemson leads the nation in sacks with 52. Clelin Ferrell paces the Tigers with 11.5, followed by Austin Bryant (eight) and Christian Wilkins (5.5). Alabama’s offensive line has given up just 14 sacks this year (to rank 10th in the country) but it won’t have starting sophomore OG Deonte Brown, who is also suspended along with two other reserves.

Alabama is ranked fourth in the nation in total offense, sixth in passing yards, 35th in rushing yards and second in scoring with its 47.7 PPG average. The Tide is ranked 13th in the country in total defense, 22nd in pass defense, 19th at defending the run and fifth in scoring ‘D’ (16.2 PPG). They are fifth in the nation in sacks with 45.

The ‘over’ is 8-5-1 overall for Alabama with its games averaging combined scores of 63.9 PPG. The ‘under’ is 3-2-1 in its past six outings. The ‘over’ went 4-2 in the Tide’s six games that had totals closing in the 50s.

After going 4-1 in its last five games, the ‘under’ is 8-6 overall for Clemson. The Tigers have seen their games average combined scores of 57.2 PPG.

Kickoff is scheduled for Monday night at 8:00 p.m. Eastern on ESPN.

***B.E.’s Bonus Nuggets***

-- Sportsbook has the following adjusted lines: Alabama -13.5 for a +220 payout, Clemson -3.5 for a +250 return, ‘over’ 68.5 for a +220 payout and ‘under’ 52.5 for a +210 return.

-- In four games against Alabama, Renfrow has 22 receptions for 211 yards and four TDs, including the game winner two years ago.

-- How many times has Clemson lost by more than five points in the last 61 games? Once, by a 24-6 count against ‘Bama last year in The Big Easy.

-- Alabama is +8 in turnover margin, while Clemson is +5.

-- Since clubbing Michigan by a 41-15 count at the Chick-Fil-A Peach Bowl in Atlanta on Dec. 29, four additional UF players have joined safety Chauncey Gardner-Johnson in declaring for the 2019 NFL Draft early. Those players include OT Jawaan Taylor, LB Vosean Joseph, RB Jordan Scarlett and DE Jachai Polite. On the bright side, WR Van Jefferson, RB Lamical Perine, LB David Reese, WR Tyrie Cleveland and DE Jabari Zuniga have announced they’re returning to school. Also, the Gators landed a huge commitment Saturday from Long Beach, Calif., CB Chris Steele, who chose UF over Southern Cal, Oregon, Oklahoma and South Carolina. Steele is a 5-star at Rivals.com and a high four-star at the other recruiting publications. UF opens the 2019 campaign against Miami in Orlando at Camping World Stadium.

-- Former Georgia QB and 5-star recruit Justin Fields has elected to transfer to Ohio State. Four other UGA players have announced they’re heading to the NFL Draft early, including RB Elijah Holyfield, WR Riley Ridley, TE Isaac Nauta and WR Mecole Hardman.

-- West Virginia has hired Troy head coach Neal Brown to replace Dana Holgorsen, who chose to leave WVU for a pay raise at Houston. When Bleacher Report first indicated that Houston was making a move on Major Applewhite in order to hire ‘Holgo,’ I tweeted that he was doing the Mountaineers a favor by leaving. And with Brown now hired, I think WVU is the big winner with a solid upgrade in the head-coaching department (Disagree? See ‘Holgo’s clock management on the final drive in this year’s loss at Oklahoma State)

-- Buffalo QB Tyree Jackson made news by placing his name in the transfer portal a week ago. He would’ve been a good get for a Power Five program. However, Jackson announced Sunday that he’s headed to the 2019 NFL Draft.

-- South Carolina QB Jake Bentley has announced he’s coming back for his senior season. The Gamecocks are still awaiting word on WR Bryan Edwards.

-- Auburn DT Derrick Brown announced he’s returning to school on Sunday. Brown garnered second-team All-SEC honors this season.

[StarDust Bum]

Monday's Best Bet
January 5, 2019
By BetOnline.ag

College Football National Championship Betting Preview

Clemson vs. Alabama

The national title matchup that you know pleased the mainstream media for all the various story lines and narratives they could draw up for another Clemson/Alabama game is the one we are getting on Monday night. Whether you're highly intrigued with another Clemson/Alabama game, or feeling a little disappointed/resentful that we don't have any “fresh blood” playing for a title, this appears to be a game where we do have the two best teams in college football this year squaring off for all the marbles.

Each program has one upped the other for a national title during recent years, but Alabama does own the edge in the rivalry having blown out the Tigers in the semi-final a year ago. Yet, none of those previous meetings featured the two QB's in Trevor Lawrence and Tua Tagovailoa and it's those two guys that have really allowed both programs to take it to the next level offensively.

So it's Clemson/Alabama IV. Who do I have?

BetOnline.ag Odds: Alabama (-5); Total set at 58.5

In the week or so that this matchup has been officially known, the market has already taken a liking to Clemson ATS and the 'under'. Both spread and total opened up a few points higher than where they currently sit, and both moves had to be expected. A game of this magnitude featuring this caliber of teams was always going to see some underdog support on the whole, and liking the 'under' in any sport where a championship trophy is on the line is quite common place. I would not be surprised to see some bettors go with the buyback angle as we get closer to kickoff by backing Alabama and the 'over', but the numbers aren't going to get beyond the openers of Alabama -6.5 and 60.5 for the total.

And while the first national championship game between these two – Alabama 45-40 win – was the only meeting between these two in the rivalry where the SU winner didn't cover the spread, that's still something to consider happening here. Both of Alabama's national titles during the CFB playoff era have come with them winning the game but not covering the point spread, so you can see why there was that early surge to at least get Clemson at +6.

Furthermore, what makes things a little stickier for Alabama in this game, is the fact that during the CFB playoff era, the team that had the bigger margin of victory in the semi-finals has gone on to win the title three of the four times, including three straight. Clemson's 30-3 win over Notre Dame in the semis puts the Tigers in that favorable role for this contest.

Secondly, we can't forget about the fact that while four years of past playoff experience isn't the biggest of samples, through those four years it's been the program that's been ranked worse coming into the playoffs that has gone on to win the title every single time. Both of Alabama's wins came when they were #2 or #4 in the eyes of the selection committee, while Clemson's national title came as the #2 (over #1 Alabama) and #4 Ohio State were the first winners of this format. Again, history is on the side of the Tigers for Monday, and while scenarios like that are bound to be broken eventually, going against history too often will likely put your bankroll in a tough spot.

Statistically on the field, it's easy to make a case for either side to win SU and/or ATS in this game, as both teams are the class of this sport. Clemson's defensive numbers of allowing just 3.9 yards per play this year (#1 in the country) is really quite impressive, but those stats also came against an overall easier schedule than the one 'Bama has faced, and the loss of DL Dexter Lawrence for Clemson should be felt more against Alabama than it was against Notre Dame. But even still, that Clemson pass rush will find success at getting to the QB, and won't be shy at all about testing that surgically repaired foot QB Tua Tagovailoa has under center. Chances are, which ever defense can hold up for the longest and get that key stop late, will be the one that decides this game in their favor, and weaker schedule overall or not, Clemson's got the edge there too in my mind.

Put it all together and I believe you've got to take the points with Clemson here (if you're more risk adverse), and strongly consider the ML option as well. All year, Clemson HC Dabo Swinney has been playing up the narrative that “it's Alabama and then the rest of y'all” and whether or not that's true in actuality (it's not), Swinney's got his players believing in that underdog mindset and I'm sure he's made the entire team aware of the point spread the oddsmakers have put out for this game too.

That underdog mindset, when fully embraced by a team, is one that can accomplish great things in these one-off games – just ask anyone who faced the Philadelphia Eagles in the playoff a year ago. The fact that Dabo has been planting this seed of Clemson being a part of “the rest of y'all” since the beginning was not by accident, and this is Clemson's opportunity to prove it to the world.

I believe the Clemson Tigers will take full advantage of this opportunity against Alabama and win the game outright. After all, that way, the mainstream media can go on for another full year hyping up a potential Clemson/Alabama V when the series is tied 2-2.

Narratives or not, Clemson has been clamoring for another opportunity at Alabama all year long, and on the biggest stage, they aren't going to miss their shot at getting off Dabo's “Rest of Y'all” bus once and for all this year.

Odds per - BetOnline.ag

Best Bets:
Clemson +5
Clemson ML +180

[StarDust Bum]

Top Props - Tide vs. Tigers
January 5, 2019
By Bookmaker

By Kyle Markus

NCAA Football Props - Clemson Tigers vs. Alabama Crimson Tide

The Clemson Tigers and Alabama Crimson Tide were considered the two best teams in college football all season long, and they proved it with impressive wins in the national semifinals. All eyes will be on these two juggernauts when they face off for the national title on Monday.

Alabama is a solid favorite as the oddsmakers have been very impressed by this team all season long. However, Clemson’s odds are good enough that an upset win isn’t out of the question. In addition to the standard wagers on this game, there are plenty of prop bets to spice up the action.

It is an interesting showdown because both defenses are strong but the offenses have also dominated often this season. The gambler that correctly forecasts the way this game plays out will be rewarded handsomely in prop bet gambling.

This NCAA football game between the Clemson Tigers and Alabama Crimson Tide will be held at Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara, California at 8 p.m. ET on Monday, January 7th, 2018. The game will be nationally televised on ESPN.

We'll have football odds at BookMaker.eu available for every game of the NCAA football season in 2019 as well.

Odds Analysis

Alabama is listed as a 5-point favorite, which is a much lower spread than it has been used to this season. It is a testament to Clemson’s talent as these two programs have become the class of the country. The Crimson Tide is the -205 favorite on the moneyline while the Tigers check in as +172 underdogs. The scoring total is listed at 59 points, a middle of the road offering because the teams have premier talent on both sides of the ball,

Alabama is the favorite to score first in this game, getting -150 odds to do so. The Crimson Tide has the more explosive offense, led by quarterback Tua Tagovailoa, but there is danger in this wager if Clemson gets the ball first. The Tigers are +120 underdogs to score first.

One of the more interesting prop bets asks if there will be a score in the first 5½ minutes of the contest. The defenses figure to settle in eventually, but look for these teams to script out some effective plays early on. The “yes” is the slight underdog at -110 odds and it is the right choice.

Clemson’s total points is listed at 26.5 points. The Tigers are averaging 44.3 points per contest but facing off against an Alabama defense which is allowing only 14.8 per contest. The “over” is the slight favorite at -120.

Alabama’s total points is listed at 32.5 points. The Crimson Tide have been more explosive than usual this season but must face an elite Clemson defense. The total looks a little high for Alabama.

Free NCAA Football ATS Picks

It is tough to forecast an exact margin of a game, but when it happens, there is a fantastic payout. Alabama is a 5-point favorite, but many outcomes tend to finish around a field goal or a touchdown margin if the game is close. The Crimson Tide is so talented that it should cover the spread against Clemson, but this game will remain close.

There is a prop bet that pays out at +600 odds if Alabama wins by a margin between 7-10 points, and that covers a lot of different scenarios. This is more of a longshot bet but that’s what props are for. It makes a lot of sense because no matter if the game is tight or if Clemson is down by two touchdowns late, this margin will be in play in myriad scenarios.

Take the Crimson Tide to win this game by a margin of 7-10 points as it would pay off much more handsomely than a standard cover in NCAA football gambling.

NCAA Football ATS Pick: Crimson Tide to win by 7-10 Points
NCAA Football Prediction: Alabama Crimson Tide 31, Clemson Tigers 24

[StarDust Bum]

Can Saban's dynasty reach new heights?
January 6, 2019
By The Associated Press

SAN JOSE, Calif. (AP) Alabama coach Nick Saban and Clemson coach Dabo Swinney went through the familiar routine Sunday.

Joint news conference, during which Swinney does most of the talking. Saban compliments Swinney's Tigers. Swinney compliments Saban's unprecedented run with the Crimson Tide. Handshake. Pose for a picture with a trophy. They have done this drill four straight seasons in the College Football Playoff.

Alabama-Clemson IV, the third meeting with the national championship on the line, will be played Monday night at Levi's Stadium in Santa Clara, California. Tide vs. Tigers might be getting old for some fans, but the latest chapter is a feature not a bug in the five-year-old playoff to Swinney.

''I think the objective is to get the two best teams,'' Swinney said. ''If that's not best for college football, then why did we even do it?''

For the first time the College Football Playoff championship game features two unbeaten teams. The top-ranked Tide (14-0) or No. 2 Tigers (14-0) will become the first 15-0 FBS champion in college football's poll era, dating back to the first AP rankings in 1936.

Saban and Alabama are already in the midst of the most impressive run in the college football history, with five national championships since 2009. If not for a last-second loss to Clemson in the 2016 championship game, the Tide would be shooting for four straight playoff titles. Alabama won a thriller against Clemson for the 2015 title.

Saban has six national championships total, including a BCS crown with LSU in 2003. One more breaks a tie with Alabama great Bear Bryant for the most by any coach.

''I don't ever even think about that at all,'' said Saban, who is in his 12th season at Alabama and 23rd overall as a college head coach. ''I do think a lot about trying to make and help this team to be the best possible - and to put them in the best possible position to have a chance to be successful.''

A case can be made that Saban has already surpassed Bryant, who was at Alabama for 25 years. The current Alabama dynasty is stacking up championships despite the constraints of scholarship limits and against competition bolstered by a deeper talent pool and more national exposure.

''You're talking about a program that I have a deep love and respect for, always have, always will, and a coach that's - I mean, he's won six national championships and the level of consistency is a model and an aspiration for every program,'' said Swinney, who was a walk-on receiver for Alabama's 1992 national title team coached by Gene Stallings.

Swinney and Clemson have come closest to reaching the Alabama standard. A second national championship in three seasons would give Clemson three overall (1981, 2016) and put Swinney in prestigious company. Among the Hall of Fame coaches with two national championships are Bobby Bowden of Florida State and Joe Paterno of Penn State.

Saban's accomplishments have pretty much settled the question of greatest college football coach. He might be better compared to coaches in other sports such as UCLA's John Wooden, who won 10 NCAA men's basketball championships; Pat Summitt, who won eight NCAA women's basketball titles with Tennessee; Geno Auriemma, who has 11 women's basketball championships at Connecticut; and Dan Gable, who led Iowa wrestling to 17 NCAA championships.

Alabama's dominance has been defined by almost monotonous excellence. None of Saban's teams stand out. They are similarly stellar, machine-like in their efficiency. This team has a chance to separate from the rest. Alabama can become just the third wire-to-wire No. 1 in the AP poll, joining 1999 Florida State and 2004 Southern California.

The biggest difference in this Tide team is Tua Tagovailoa, who came off the bench as a freshman to beat Georgia in last season's championship game. For the first time, Saban has a star quarterback. Alabama has rolled through its opponents by an average of 31 points.

''His accuracy, his athletic ability, his ability to improvise,'' Clemson defensive coordinator Brent Venables said of Tagovailoa. ''He's got the best players on the planet around him at every position, and they're two and three deep.''

Clemson has been almost as impressive, winning by an average of 29, led by a defensive line that features All-Americans Clelin Ferrell and Christian Wilkins.

''They have so many disruptive plays,'' Alabama running back Damien Harris said. ''They cause so much havoc for the offense that they're playing.''

INJURY REPORT

Plenty of attention has been focused on Tagovailoa's sprained left ankle, but Alabama linebacker Christian Miller (hamstring) is questionable. Miller has 8 + sacks this season.

On the Clemson side, defensive tackle Dexter Lawrence will sit out a second playoff game after being suspended by the NCAA for a failed performance-enhancing drug test. Lawrence is a junior and possible first-round draft pick who has likely played his last game for the Tigers. Senior Albert Huggins will start for the second straight week for Clemson in Lawrence's spot.

FABULOUS FROSH

Clemson's Trevor Lawrence would be the first starting freshman quarterback since Oklahoma's Jamelle Holieway in 1985 to lead his team to a national championship. Lawrence took over as the starter four games into the season and has thrown for 2,933 yards, 27 touchdowns and four interceptions.

''If anybody ever watched him, they wouldn't think he was a freshman,'' Saban said.

[StarDust Bum]

Dabo: DT Lawrence will be missed
January 6, 2019
By The Associated Press

SAN JOSE, Calif. (AP) Clemson coach Dabo Swinney said suspended starting defensive tackle Dexter Lawrence will be missed against top-ranked Alabama on Monday night.

Swinney said Sunday that Lawrence has been a difference-maker in the middle of the line all season and would've been that against the Crimson Tide in the national championship game in Santa Clara.

Lawrence and offensive lineman Zach Giella and tight end Braden Galloway tested positive for ostarine in NCAA drug testing. The three missed Clemson's 30-3 victory over Notre Dame in the Cotton Bowl last week.

Earlier this week, Clemson athletic director Dan Radakovich said the school filed appeals for the three players.

Lawrence is a 350-pound junior who has started the past three seasons. He's also part of Clemson's short-yardage ''Fridge Package'' on offense.

[StarDust Bum]

Running games overshadowed Monday
January 6, 2019
By The Associated Press

SAN JOSE, Calif. (AP) In four years at Alabama, Damien Harris has shared the backfield with several runners who either have or will play in the NFL.

From Heisman Trophy winner Derrick Henry and Kenyan Drake in 2015, to Bo Scarbrough the next two years, to his current running mates Najee Harris and Joshua Jacobs, the top-ranked Crimson Tide (14-0) have always had a variety of running threats to fuel their offense.

It's been a constant of Nick Saban's tenure at Alabama with Mark Ingram, Trent Richardson, Eddie Lacy and T.J. Yeldon among the other runners who helped build a dynasty on their way to the NFL.

''Being a running back at the university is something that we take a lot of pride in,'' Damien Harris said. ''So every day, every guy in that room goes in with the mentality of upholding the standard that guys before us have set. ... All those guys that laid the foundation for us and built a legacy within that room. Every day it's our job to uphold to that standard. Every day we just go in with the mentality we're going to be the best players we can be, be the best unit we can be.''

With talented passer Tua Tagovailoa leading the offense this season, the running backs have gotten overshadowed at times despite some impressive accomplishments.

All three backs have topped 1,000 yards rushing in their careers, with Damien Harris' 6.47 yards per carry in his career ranking third all-time among SEC backs with at least 400 attempts.

Jacobs was the MVP in the SEC title game win over Georgia after rushing for 83 yards and two touchdowns, while Najee Harris is averaging 6.5 yards per carry in two seasons.

''We always like to have two or three guys at that position that can play,'' Saban said. ''I think it keeps everybody fresh. It keeps everybody healthy rather than having one guy that's carrying the ball maybe a lot of turns every game and they get wore down as the season goes on. We've been fortunate to have three guys that have made a real impact at that position, different guys in different games.''

Having three capable backs keeps all of them fresh late in the game when Alabama relies more heavily on the run to close out victories.

That was the case in the semifinal against Oklahoma when the Tide ended the game with nine straight runs that ran out the clock and prevented any comeback attempt by the Sooners.

''I think the drive we had against Oklahoma last week to kind of finish out the game on the ground with the ball in our hands and a victory formation, that's the best formation in football,'' Damien Harris said. ''For us to be able to do that I think it shows we improved a lot on offense and an area we're able to get better at.''

Clemson has its own dangerous running game led by Travis Etienne, who has rushed for 1,573 yards at an average of 8.3 yards per clip. Etienne has scored 23 touchdowns, providing a capable complement to the passing game led by freshman Trevor Lawrence.

Etienne preserved the Tigers' perfect season when he ran for 203 yards and three touchdowns, including the game-winning 2-yard run, in a 27-23 come-from-behind victory over Syracuse in September.

''He's a really great running back,'' Alabama linebacker Dylan Moses said. ''He's fast, efficient, good body movement. He's a really great running back. He really could fit in as an SEC running back if he wanted to. For him to be over there at Clemson, that's a blessing for him. He's going to be a real challenge for us.''

Etienne knows he's in for a challenge as well against Alabama's always stout defense led by All-American defensive tackle Quinnen Williams. The Tide have held five opponents under 100 yards in the game and are giving up just 3.5 yards per carry.

The Tigers ran for just 63 yards on 33 carries in last year's loss to Alabama in the CFP semifinals, their lowest rushing total in their past 33 games.

''It is the best defense I've played this season,'' Etienne said. ''It presents a huge challenge for me and the offensive line. We're excited for the challenge. You don't want to go against lesser competition, you want to go against the best and Alabama is the best so we're going to have to come out and play our A game and try to establish the run.''

[Udog]

NCAAF
Dunkel

Bowl Season

Monday, January 7

Clemson @ Alabama

Game 151-152
January 7, 2019 @ 8:00 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Clemson
123.114
Alabama
121.337
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Clemson
by 2
70
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Alabama
by 6 1/2
59 1/2
Dunkel Pick:
Clemson
(+6 1/2); Over




NCAAF
Long Sheet

Monday, January 7

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CLEMSON (14 - 0) vs. ALABAMA (14 - 0) - 1/7/2019, 8:00 PM
Top Trends for this game.
ALABAMA is 58-35 ATS (+19.5 Units) in road games after 2 or more consecutive straight up wins since 1992.
CLEMSON is 32-15 ATS (+15.5 Units) as an underdog of 3.5 to 10 points since 1992.
CLEMSON is 60-36 ATS (+20.4 Units) as an underdog since 1992.
CLEMSON is 6-0 ATS (+6.0 Units) in road games after 2 or more consecutive straight up wins this season.
CLEMSON is 8-1 ATS (+6.9 Units) in road games when playing against a team with a winning record over the last 2 seasons.

Head-to-Head Series History
ALABAMA is 1-1 against the spread versus CLEMSON over the last 3 seasons
ALABAMA is 1-1 straight up against CLEMSON over the last 3 seasons
1 of 2 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons

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NCAAF
Armadillo's Write-Up

Bowl Season

Monday, January 7

National title game, Santa Clara, CA

— Underdogs covered last five national title games.

— Alabama (2-1) is in its 4th straight national title game; Clemson (1-1) its third in four years.

— Crimson Tide is 2-1 vs Clemson last three years in bowls.

— Since 2012, Tigers are 4-3 as an underdog; last time they were an underdog was national title game vs Alabama, two years ago.

— Since 2012, Alabama is 8-12 as a single digit favorite (0-0 this year).

— Average total in last five national title game is 65.4.

— Both teams were favored by 10+ points in every game this season.

— Four of last five Clemson games stayed under; over is 8-5-1 in Alabama games.




NCAAF

Bowl Season

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Trend Report
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Clemson Tigers
Clemson is 7-2 ATS in its last 9 games
Clemson is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Clemson's last 5 games
Alabama Crimson Tide
Alabama is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games
The total has gone OVER in 10 of Alabama's last 15 games


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