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  • Total Talk - Week 14

    It was a good final week of the regular season to follow the steam on the college football totals I outlined in this piece last week. All that money on the Stanford/UCLA 'over' and Rutgers/Michigan State 'under' go there with ease on those respective contests, but while Miami did get some revenge on Pitt for their 2017 loss, that dominant “turnover chain” defense the Hurricanes had in 2017 showed up as well, keeping that contest well below the number.

    Now that the regular season has concluded, there are fewer CFB games on the betting board, but that doesn't mean that we haven't seen significant movement already on some totals. This week tends to be one of the more heavily bet weekends of the year in college football because of the stakes in play, and there was no need to wait until later in the week to get this piece out.

    So let's get right to the bigger movers of the week on these totals to see if you are looking to jump on board now, or wait and possibly go the other way closer to kick-off.

    Biggest Movers to the 'Over'

    Fresno State vs. Boise State: Open: 49 – Current: 53


    The Mountain West championship will be decided on the “Smurf Turf” at Boise State again this year, as it's a rematch between Boise State and Fresno State from last year's game. This will be the third time in the six-year history of the Mountain West title game that these two programs have squared off, and Boise State has hosted and won both of the previous two matchups. Neither of those title games finished with more than 42 total points scored, and considering the regular season matchup between these two finished with 41 total points, this big move upwards is a little surprising.

    Both of these programs finished with winning records to the 'under' this year – Fresno was 4-8 O/U and Boise was 5-7 O/U – and yet this is a move that on the surface looks to be one that should be followed before it's faded. For the number to quickly jump through a key number of 51 and still hit another key number of 53 is something that can't be taken lightly, and with Boise's offense scoring 45 and 33 points in their two games since beating Fresno, the Broncos attack is riding a strong wave of momentum right now as well. Weather forecasts are calling for ideal early December weather in Boise so their shouldn't be much concern there either.

    The fact that betting percentage numbers offered at VegasInsider.com show it's only about a 55/45 split in favor of the 'over' suggests it's a move to be followed as well, although the only concerning thing in that regard is the notion that the value in taking the 'over' is all but gone now and we will likely see some buyback to the low-side closer to kick-off. After all, each of these two teams finished the regular season on 0-4 O/U runs, and each of the past four meetings between the two have stayed 'under' as well with no more than 45 points scored in any of those games.

    That makes this total one I'm more interested in monitoring as the week goes on, simply because if there is some buyback on the 'under' it will be interesting to see what happens if the total drops back to that key number of 51. Clearly there was plenty of love (and respect) in the markets for going 'over' that key number here as maybe we do see a game where it's something like 28-24 for either side. We did see how well following the steam did a week ago though, no matter the number, so if forced to make a play on this total now, it would have to be siding with the move on the high side of things.

    Biggest Movers to the 'Under'

    Memphis vs. UCF: Open: 70 – Current: 65


    This move is much easier to explain as the big drop in the number is basically injury related. UCF lost QB McKenzie Milton to a horrific leg injury a week ago, and backup QB Darriel Mack Jr was able to do enough to keep the lead, get the W, and keep the undefeated UCF season intact. However, it's not like the freshman Mack was all that impressive in the effort (5-for-14 passing for just 81 yards) as he did enter the game with a double-digit lead and let the running game bring things home. If UCF wants to remain unbeaten this year, that can't be the case against a high-powered Memphis team that's looking for some revenge after a one-point defeat to UCF earlier this year.

    UCF will likely lean heavily on the ground game once again this week, as they don't particularly want to get into a shootout without Milton at the helm. That should lead to the clock continuously running quite a bit here as UCF's defense does what it can to contain Memphis, and it's not like the Knights haven't been a great 'under' team recently either. UCF enters this championship game on a 1-7 O/U run overall and that's something casual fans/bettors might not figure when they think about this UCF program.

    From a betting perspective now, the value in this number is long gone, and while the likelihood of some buyback isn't going to be necessarily as strong here as it could be in Fresno/Boise, I believe this total is nothing but a pass now. It's not like Memphis' defense hasn't been gashed on the ground this year, and UCF still has some explosive RB's in that stable of theirs that could break one off at any moment. The Tigers own attack can put up points in a hurry, and knowing that they don't have to deal with Milton in this game, building a multi-score lead early in the 2nd half and then going into prevent mode and giving up a few scores could be very decisive in the ultimate result on this total. Last year's meeting in the championship game was an epic OT shootout that finished with 117 points scored, so if you hadn't already gotten a piece of this 'under' at a better number, it's probably best to pass on this total now.

    Best Total Bet for Championship Saturday

    Georgia vs. Alabama Under 63.5


    The SEC championship game is one that the entire CFB world has been waiting on for weeks now as it's a rematch from last year's National Championship, and one you know this Georgia team has been excited about for weeks. The Bulldogs have wanted to get another crack at 'Bama all year long, and with a win putting Georgia into the CFB Playoff again and a loss eliminating them, the stakes couldn't be much higher for the Bulldogs this week.

    And while both programs have made improvements on offense this year compared to when they met last season, I do believe the number is still slightly too high all things considered. For one, an Alabama loss doesn't “guarantee” them a spot in the CFB playoff if it were to come in ugly fashion, and with that as the backdrop to Nick Saban's game planning, you can bet that he'll have his defense overly prepared for what he expects to see from Georgia.

    At the same time, Kirby Smart will have his Bulldogs defense very prepared for what he expects to see from Alabama, as they did get caught off guard in the title game when Saban made the QB switch to Tua in the 2nd half. Like Alabama, Georgia has basically had a month to prepare and install bits of the game plan into their unit and that's never a bad thing for 'unders.'

    Finally, both teams are coming off consecutive games of 'overs' cashing to end the year, with Alabama putting up 50+ in both wins, while Georgia averaged 50+ in their two victories. Those results have to be taken into consideration when putting out a total for this week, and because of them, I do believe the total is slightly inflated. Remember, the total for the National Title game a year ago closed at 45.5 and was a dead ringer for the 'under' before Alabama forced OT, and it still could have cashed had Georgia been the only team to score in that extra frame. Even with the improved offenses, this number is nearly three TD's higher than last year's meeting, and with two elite SEC teams going at it – a conference that's known for defense – I have a hard time seeing where 64+ points will come from.

    Alabama had only two SEC games this year where the total closed in the 60's or higher and both of those games did find a way to cash 'under' tickets. This SEC title game should be no different as somewhere in the mid-50's is likely where this score tops out.
    Remember the 3 G's Gambling, Golf, Girls not in any particular order.....

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    • ACC Championship Preview
      Joe Williams

      Matchup: Clemson vs. Pittsburgh
      Date: Saturday, Dec. 1
      Time/TV: 8:00 p.m. ET - ABC
      Venue: Bank of America Stadium
      Location: Charlotte, N.C.
      Line, Total: Tigers -27.5, 52.5

      The Atlantic Coast Conference will crown a champion in Charlotte on Saturday, and the playoff-hopeful Clemson Tigers (12-0 straight-up, 6-6 against the spread) are largely expected to run away in a rout over the Pittsburgh Panthers (7-5 straight-up, 7-5 against the spread).

      These teams will be meeting for the first time since the Panthers stunned the Tigers 43-42 in Death Valley on Nov. 12, 2016 as 21 1/2-point underdogs.

      Clemson rolled through the schedule without many scares, especially after the early portion of their schedule. They squeaked out a 28-26 win at Texas A&M on Sept. 8, and narrowly escaped with a 27-23 win over Syracuse on Sept. 29. That near-miss against the Orange served as a wake-up call, as they combined to win their next four games against Wake Forest, N.C. State, Florida State and Louisville by a combined 240-36. They finished up with a pair of non-covers against Duke and rival South Carolina, but those games were never really in doubt, especially in the second half.

      Pitt will be making their first-ever ACC title game appearance, and they took the circuitous route to get there. No one seemed to want to win the Coastal Division. Everyone had three or more conference losses except for the Panthers, who despite losing five games overall, had just two losses in the league. Despite the fact they're in the championship game, they have a point differential of just plus-3. They were routed by Penn State 51-6 on Sept. 8. They were routed at UCF by a 45-14 score on Sept. 29. They were toppled 19-14 by Notre Dame on Oct. 13, and they were punched in the mouth by a 24-3 score in Miami in the season finale. The last game was perhaps the most excusable, as the young Panthers already had the ACC title game berth sewn up and they just didn't show to the stadium. It snapped a six-game cover streak dating back to Sept. 29.

      The Tigers are making their fourth consecutive appearance in the ACC title game, and they're a perfect 3-0 SU and 2-1 ATS. They routed the Hurricanes 38-3 as 12 1/2-point favorites last season, and they're nearly a four-touchdown favorite to take home the hardware for a fourth straight year. They have also won five straight appearance in the ACC title game after losing their initial appearance to Georgia Tech during the 2009 installment of this game.

      Clemson ranked third overall in the country with 540.1 yards per game, and they checked in fifth in the land with 45.7 points per game (PPG). They have a very balanced attack, ranking 12th in the country in rushing yardage per game at 257.8 yards, while finishing 24th in passing yards per game at 282.3 yards. They're not one of those one-trick pony teams who need to outscore teams because of a poor defense. Their D is nasty, too. They allowed just 290.2 yards per game to rank ninth in the nation, and they allowed just 91.8 yards per game on the ground to finish second overall. They also gave up 14.0 PPG, finishing fourth.

      Tigers QB Trevor Lawrence took over the starting duties early in the season from the departed QB Kelly Bryant, and he managed to complete 200-of-303 (66.0 percent) for 2,488 yards, 22 touchdowns and four interceptions while also running for 133 yards and a score. RB Travis Etienne emerged as a superstar, gobbling up 1,308 rushing yards with 19 touchdowns and a ridiculous 8.0 yards per carry. RB Lyn-J Dixon was a nice change of pace with 531 yards and four touchdowns, averaging 10.2 yards per tote. RB Tavien Feaster also plunged into the end zone six times.

      In the passing game it's WR Tee Higgins trying to be the next great Clemson receiver. He led the way with 49 grabs, 766 yard and eight touchdowns, while WRs Justyn Ross, Amari Rodgers and Hunter Renfrow combined for 1,615 yards and 11 touchdowns, with Ross getting into the end zone six times. Renfrow (head) is listed as questionable for Saturday's game due to a head injury suffered late in the season.

      For the Panthers, QB Kenny Pickett finished the season strong, completed 62.3 percent of his passes for 1,825 yards, 12 touchdowns and five interceptions and he rushed for 186 yards and three scores on the ground. He isn't necessarily a dual threat, but teams do have to be mindful for the occasional run. Speaking of running, RB Qadree Ollison finished with 1,134 yards and 10 scores to lead the way, giving Pitt a home-run hitter on the ground. RB Darrin Hall is also dangerous in the run game, averaging 7.6 yards per tote, rolling up 935 yard with nine scores. WR Taysir Mack and WR Maurice Ffrench were the best of the lot in the passing game, both nearly 500 yards. Ffrench led the team with six receiving yards, and he is a demon on special teams, too.

      Betting Trends to Watch

      -- The Tigers have racked up an impressive 10-2 ATS mark in their past 12 neutral-site games, while going 5-1 ATS in the past six ACC battles and 5-2 ATS in the past seven overall. Clemson is also 7-1 ATS across their past eight games played in the month of December.

      -- Pitt has been crazy against the number lately, going 6-1 ATS in the past seven games overall while cashing in five of the past six ACC battles. The Panthers are also 4-1 ATS in the past five battles against teams with a winning record. However, Pitt is just 1-5 ATS in the past six appearances on a neutral-site field.

      -- For Clemson, the 'under' is 6-2 in their past eight games in December while the under is 11-5 in Clemson's past 16 against teams with a winning record.

      -- For Pittsburgh, the 'under' is 17-7-1 in their past 25 games, while hitting in 11 of the past 16 conference battles. The under is also 9-3 in the past 12 against teams with a winning overall record. However, the 'over' is 4-1 in their past five appearances on a neutral-site field.

      ACC Championship History

      Remember the 3 G's Gambling, Golf, Girls not in any particular order.....

      Comment


      • Big 12 Championship Preview
        Joe Williams

        Matchup: Oklahoma vs. Texas
        Date: Saturday, Dec. 1
        Time/TV: 12:00 p.m. ET - ABC
        Venue: AT&T Stadium
        Location: Arlington, Tex.
        Line, Total: Sooners -8, 77.5

        The Big 12 Championship Game has major playoff implications this season, and for the first time in the title game's history we get a rematch of the Red River Rivalry. That's exactly what the league was hoping for when the league revived the championship game last season.

        The Oklahoma Sooners (11-1 straight-up, 4-7-1 against the spread) will be looking for revenge against the rival Texas Longhorns (9-3 straight-up, 5-6-1 against the spread) after falling 48-45 in the neutral-site game at the Cotton Bowl back on Oct. 6. The Longhorns won that game outright as seven-point underdogs as the 'over' (60) easily connected in that outing. Now the teams will meet on the even faster track of the field turf surface at Jerry World in Arlington.

        Oklahoma lost QB Baker Mayfield, last season's Heisman Trophy winner, to the NFL's Cleveland Browns with the No. 1 overall pick. In stepped QB Kyler Murray, and the Sooners haven't missed a beat. In fact, he might be on his way to New York City looking to give the team back-to-back bronze statues. OU opened with three straight victories, including a 37-27 revenge-game win at Iowa State on Sept. 15. They received quite a scare from Army of all teams, surviving 28-21 in overtime back on Sept. 22. They spurred them on, as they doubled up Baylor 66-33 to head to Dallas for that Longhorns game at 5-0 SU/2-3 ATS. We know what happened there, but they bounced back to win six straight outings while scoring 48 or more points in all six of their final games. In fact, they rolled up at least 37 points in 11 of their 12 contests, although they closed out the season 0-3-1 ATS in the final four.

        This will be Oklahoma's 10th appearance in the Big 12 championship game, and their sixth trip in the past seven installments of this game. Oklahoma appeared last season against Texas Christian at AT&T Stadium and they routed the Horned Frogs 41-17 as 7 1/2-point favorites. They have been favored in all nine of their previous appearances in this game, posting an 8-1 ATS mark,

        The Longhorns are back in the Big 12 title game for the first time since 2009 when they eeked out a 13-12 win over Nebraska despite entering as two-touchdown favorites. This is their sixth appearance in the Big 12 championship game, and they're 3-2 SU/2-3 ATS in their previous five battles.

        Things didn't start out so well for Texas, as they were topped 34-29 in a neutral-site battle against Maryland in the opener on Sept. 1. They edged Tulsa 28-21 in their home opener, but still were not hitting on all cylinders. It wasn't until at 37-14 win on Sept. 15 against USC that the Longhorns looked to be on their way back. Two more wins in September and then the Red River Rivalry victory, and Texas was in the Top 10 and they had championship hopes. Oklahoma State ended their playoff dreams 38-35 in Stillwater on Oct. 27, and a loss the next week at home against West Virginia by a 42-41 score looked like the end of the road. They rebounded for wins at Texas Tech and at home against Iowa State, while surviving at Kansas to punch their ticket back to the Metroplex.

        Texas ranked 60th in the nation with 414.2 total yards per game, and they were 38th in passing yards (257.4 YPG). Their rushing offense, normally a staple in Austin, was just so-so, as they ranked 84th overall in that department. They did average 31.7 points per game (PPG) in their 12 games to check in 46th.

        Longhorns QB Sam Ehlinger (shoulder) seized the starting job and he ran with it, rolling up 2,774 passing yards, 23 touchdowns and just four interceptions. He was also a threat in the run game, posting 376 rushing yards and 11 touchdowns on the ground. He has been battling a raw right shoulder, and that's something to watch in the game in case he takes a hard hit to the joint.

        RB Keaontay Ingram was the co-leader in the backfield with Tre Watson. Ingram posted 676 rushing yards (5.2 YPC) while finding the end zone three times, and Watson was good for 656 yards (4.3 YPC) and three scores on the ground. In the pass game it's WR Lil'Jordan Humphrey who led the way with 72 grabs, 1,058 yards and eight touchdowns while WRs Collin Johnson and David Duvernay combined for 1,236 yards and 10 scores. Watson and Ingram combined for 41 grabs for 260 yards and five scores out of the backfield.

        Oklahoma's offense was prolific, and their defense somewhat pathetic. That leads to a lot of video-game like performances. The Sooners ranked No. 1 in the country with 583.9 yards per game, and they were also No. 1 in points scored (50.3 PPG). OU had a balanced attack with 264.5 yards per game on the ground, while rolling up 319.4 yards per game through the air to rank eighth in both categories. However, they were just 110th in the country in defense, allowing 449.0 yards per game and 32.8 PPG, ranking 100th.

        Murray completed 70.6 percent of his passes, as the Oakland A's draftee and Heisman hopeful has the world in his hands right now. He'll be a rich man playing either pro baseball or pro football. Will this be his final college game? There is talk speculating he could sit in the bowl game to protect himself for the future. Murray rolled up 3,674 yards, 37 touchdowns and seven interceptions while running for 853 yards and 11 more scores.

        RB Kennedy Brooks led the way with 993 yards on the ground while finding the end zone 12 times. RB Trey Sermon managed 863 rushing yards and 11 touchdowns on the ground. WR Marquise Brown was good for a team-best 1,264 receiving yards with 10 scores on 70 grabs, averaging a gaudy 18.1 yards per snare. WR CeeDee Lamb was also a deep threat, posting 882 yards and nine scores on 51 grabs. The Longhorns will have to account for WR Lee Morris, who ended up finding the end zone eight times.

        Betting Trends to Watch

        -- The Longhorns have posted a 5-1 ATS mark in their past six neutral-site contests, although they failed to cover in Week 1 this season in such situation. They're also 13-5-2 ATS in the past 20 against teams with a winning overall mark.

        -- The Sooners have struggled against the number, going 0-3-1 ATS in their past four inside the league. They're also a dismal 0-3-1 ATS in their past four attempts against teams with a winning overall record. OU has managed a 2-9 ATS record in the past 11 neutral-site battles, too.

        -- As far as the total is concerned, the 'under' is an impressive 42-17 in the past 59 league games while going 5-0 in the past five in the month of December. The 'under' is also 30-11 in the past 41 against teams with a winning overall record, while going 25-10 in the past 35 following a straight-up win.

        -- For OU, the 'over' is 5-0 in their past five against teams with a winning record. The over is also 19-7 in their past 26 and 36-15-1 in the past 52 inside the Big 12. However, the 'under' is 7-3 in the past 10 neutral-site battles.

        -- Texas has covered six straight head-to-head meetings, with the underdog cashing in each of the past six battles.

        Big 12 Championship History

        Remember the 3 G's Gambling, Golf, Girls not in any particular order.....

        Comment


        • Pac-12 Championship Preview
          Joe Williams

          Matchup: Utah vs. Washington
          Date: Friday, Nov. 30
          Time/TV: 8:00 p.m. ET - FOX
          Venue: Levi's Stadium
          Location: Santa Clara, Calif.
          Line, Total: Huskies -5, 44.5

          The Pac-12 Championship Game kicks off on Friday night at Levi's Stadium, and we'll get some new blood in the battle. The Utah Utes (9-3 straight up, 7-5 against the spread) survived in the South Division, and they will be making the first-ever appearance in the league's title game. In fact, it might be the school's most important game since Kyle Whittingham took them to the Sugar Bowl against Alabama back in 2008.

          The Washington Huskies (9-3 straight up, 3-9 against the spread) surprised the 10-win Washington State Cougars last weekend in the Apple Cup, pushing their rivals out of first place to claim the Pac-12 North for themselves. The season started with championship expectations of high proportions. However, a loss in a neutral-site battle against Auburn in the opener, and a couple of conference road setbacks against Oregon and California forced the Huskies to refocus.

          The Utes lost in their conference opener back on Sept. 15 against the Huskies by a 21-7 score at Rice-Eccles Stadium in Salt Lake City as the 'under' (45.5) connected. The Utes followed that loss with a 28-24 setback in Pullman against Washington State, and an appearance in the conference championship game certainly didn't appear very possible with an 0-2 SU league start. However, Utah pulled together for an impressive 40-21 road victory at Stanford on Oct. 6, kicking off a four-game winning streak and cover streak to get right back into the thick of things. During the span the offense posted 40 or more points and things were humming again. The only loss since Oct. 6 was a 38-20 loss at Arizona State, but the team rebounded with three straight wins against Oregon and Colorado, as well as their rivalry game in the Holy War against Brigham Young in the season finale, 35-27. After a 1-3 ATS start, Utah ended up 6-2 ATS over their final eight outings.

          The Huskies are making their second appearance in three seasons in Santa Clara, representing the North Division. They rolled past Colorado 41-10 in the 2016 installment to easily cover as 8 1/2-point favorites as the 'under' (55.5) cashed in that one. As mentioned, Washington won their conference opener Sept. 15 in SLC, and they fired out to a 3-0 SU/1-2 ATS start in the conference. They lost a heartbreaker in Oregon on Oct. 13, dropping a 30-27 decision in overtime, a game which could have been a win in the fourth quarter if not for a missed field goal. While that game might have knocked them out of contention for a national playoff spot, a stunning 12-10 loss at Cal on Oct. 27 looked like a potential death blow to their conference title hopes. The Huskies went 2-9 ATS in the first 11 outings, including an 0-6 ATS run from Oct. 6 through Nov. 17. However, they won in a snowy Apple Cup in Washington State to find their way back to the Bay Area and a potential Rose Bowl bid.

          The Huskies ranked 52nd in the nation in total yards (421.2 YPG), while posting a very ordinary ranking of 64th in passing yards (236.2 YPG). They were a very ordinary 53rd in rushing yardage, too, posting 185.0 yards per contests with 28.0 PPG, ranking 77th in the country.

          Senior QB Jake Browning took another step backward after his magical 2016-17 season. He completed 65.1 percent of his pass attempts (196-for-301) for just 2,692 yards with 16 touchdowns and nine interceptions while rushing for 114 yards and four scores this season. Senior RB Myles Gaskin missed some time due to injury at the end of October, but he still managed to roll up 1,076 yards (5.1 yards per carry) with 10 touchdowns, including 143 yards and a score in the win against Utah in mid-September. Sophomore RB Salvon Ahmed, the heir apparent to Gaskin in the backfield, posted 576 yards and seven touchdowns while actually outgaining Gaskin in yards per carry (6.3 to 5.1). Junior WR Aaron Fuller was good for a team-high 754 yards on 49 grabs with four touchdowns, while sophomore WR Ty Jones, a Utah native, led the team with six receiving scores.

          This defense is championship caliber, and the secondary is littered with NFL prospects. Washington allowed 311.2 total yards per game which ranked 13th in the land, and their 16.5 points per game allowed was good for eighth in the country. Junior S Taylor Rapp is a game changer and heavy hitter in the secondary.

          Utah averaged 414.0 total yards per game to rank 61st in the country, while the team scored 30.8 PPG to check in 54th in the nation. It was all about the run game, as they rolled up 201.0 yards per game to finish 40th in the land. Like Washington, it all starts and stops with defense for Utah. They were 15th in the country in total yards allowed (317.1 YPC), while yielding just 101.6 yards per game on the ground to finish sixth in the nation. They also allowed 19.2 PPG to end up 17th in the country.

          Junior QB Tyler Huntley (collarbone) is listed as questionable for Friday's game. He completed 149-of-233 passes for 1,762 yards, 12 touchdowns and six interceptions while also posting 304 rushing yards with four scores. He is a dual-threat signal caller for sure, checking in third on the team in rushing. If he cannot go it would be freshman QB Jason Shelley (54-of-96, 723 yards, three TD, one INT) taking the reins. No matter who is under center, they'll be handing off to junior RB Zack Moss, who led the team with 1,092 rushing yards (6.1 yards per carry) and 11 touchdowns. Junior RB Armand Shyne is the change-of-pace back, posting 442 yards and five scores on 95 carries. WR Brittain Covey is the Swiss Army Knife for Utah. He ran for a score, had a receiving touchdown and he was the primary kickoff and punt return specialist, too. He ranked 103rd in the country with 1,137 all-purpose yards.

          Betting Trends to Watch

          -- The Utes head into the game 5-0 ATS in their past five appearances on Friday, for whatever that's worth. They're also 7-1 ATS in their past eight appearances on a grass surface, while going 10-3-1 ATS in the past 14 against teams with a winning record. Utah has cashed in four of the past five outings on a neutral site field, while cashing in six of their past seven conference tilts. They have covered six of the past eight overall.

          -- The Huskies have also excelled on Fridays, going 6-2 ATS in the past eight on the day. However, they're struggled with just one cover across the past eight conference battles, while going 1-6 ATS in the past seven overall and 1-4 ATS in the past five against winning sides. The Huskies have also failed to cover in each of their past five appearances on a grass surface.

          -- The 'over' has connected in four straight for Utah against teams with a winning overall mark, although the under is 7-3 in the past 10 outings on grass.

          -- For Washington, it's been all 'under' all the time. The under is 9-3 in their past 12 overall, while going 6-2 across the past eight neutral-site battles. In addition, the under has hit in eight of the past nine games against teams with a winning record.

          -- In this series, the underdog has hit in five of the past six battles, while the 'over' is 4-1 across the past five battles, with the under hitting earlier this season.

          Pac-12 Championship History

          Remember the 3 G's Gambling, Golf, Girls not in any particular order.....

          Comment


          • MAC Championship Preview
            Joe Nelson

            Championship weekend kicks off in Detroit with the MAC Championship Game Friday night in Detroit. Northern Illinois has now represented the West in seven of the last nine title games while this is just the second appearance for Buffalo.

            Here is a look at Friday’s closely-lined championship game in the MAC.

            Match-up: Northern Illinois Huskies vs. Buffalo Bulls;
            Venue: At Ford Field in Detroit, Michigan
            Time/TV: Friday, November 30, 7:00 PM ET, ESPN2
            Line: Buffalo -3, Over/Under 49
            Last Meeting: 2017, at Northern Illinois (-8) 14, Buffalo 13

            Buffalo has been the prominent MAC team all season since starting the year 4-0 with notable wins at Temple and at Rutgers. The Bulls started 6-0 in conference play to take a commanding lead in the East but slipped up at Ohio in mid-November before clinching the division title last weekend. At 10-2, it has been the best season record-wise in Buffalo history already and the Bulls will have two more opportunities to add to the win count.

            This if the fourth season for Lance Leipold who won six Division III championships in eight years at Wisconsin-Whitewater and figures to be a candidate to be interviewed for major conference positions in the near future. Buffalo went 5-7 and 2-10 in his first two seasons before reaching 6-6 last year without getting a bowl invite.

            Rod Carey took over Northern Illinois for the Orange Bowl at the end of the 2012 season after Dave Doeren was hired at NC State. In six-plus seasons he is 51-29 with the Huskies finishing in the top three in the West every season while this will be his fourth MAC title game, going 1-2 in three straight appearances from 2013 to 2015. A bowl win has eluded Carey, winless in five tries but the program has been a consistent force in the conference.

            The Dollar General Bowl in Mobile vs. a Sun Belt team has been the typical landing spot for the MAC Champion though there are not true ranked bowl tie-ins for the MAC. The Camellia, Famous Idaho Potato, Frisco, and Bahamas Bowls are also tied to the MAC with the conference featuring seven bowl-eligible teams including six that are at least 7-5 this year.

            West champion Northern Illinois is just 7-5 but the Huskies lost non-conference games to Iowa, Utah, and Florida State, while beating BYU for one of the nation’s most difficult non-conference schedules. The Huskies held this spot despite losing its final two MAC games to slide to 6-2 in league play, falling in single-score games hosting Miami and at Western Michigan in the final two weeks.

            Northern Illinois has the top scoring defense in the MAC, allowing just 19.8 points per game while Buffalo was one of the conference’s top offensive teams, posting 35.5 points per game in conference play. These teams didn’t play in the regular season this year but Buffalo did face Eastern Michigan and Toledo in the crossover games for a fairly difficult schedule. Northern Illinois drew Ohio and Miami as both teams faced the second and third place teams from the opposing divisions.

            Experienced mobile quarterbacks are on both sides with sophomore Marcus Childers playing significantly last season as a freshman for Northern Illinois. He posted worse numbers across the board this season however despite a similar record for the Huskies. Junior Tyree Jackson threw nearly twice as many touchdown passes this season compared with last season for Buffalo but he also saw major declines in most of his passing numbers compared with last season. At 6’7” Jackson is a difficult matchup for any defense but the Huskies have had great defensive numbers this season.

            Only Clemson is allowing fewer yards per carry than Northern Illinois at just 2.6 yards per rush attempt on the season. The Huskies were only out-gained on the ground three times this season and never in MAC play with only Iowa, Florida State, and BYU holding a ground edge in this matchup while in six of eight MAC games Northern Illinois had a rushing edge of at least 96 yards.

            Dominating the ground game has been the key to beating Buffalo this season as in the team’s two losses they had a major rushing deficit. In September Army out-gained Buffalo by 178 rushing yards and won 42-13 in Buffalo while in mid-November Ohio out-rushed Buffalo by 280 yards in a 52-17 result that prevented the Bulls from clinching the division at the time.

            Despite the 6-2 record Northern Illinois played almost exclusively close games in MAC play with seven of eight games decided by 10 or fewer points in either direction. The only lopsided result was a home win over 2017 MAC Champion Toledo but that game featured nearly identical production but a few big turnovers and special teams plays tilting the scales to the Huskies. Northern Illinois actually has a negative scoring differential on the season despite being 7-5, though they outscored MAC foes by an average of 5.3 points per game.

            Buffalo outscored foes by an average of 11.0 points per game overall this season and 10.9 points per game in MAC play. Buffalo scored at least 31 points in nine of ten wins this season while five of seven wins for Northern Illinois came with 26 or fewer points scored by the Huskies as these teams have generally been in contrasting types of contests and whoever dictates the pace could have the advantage.

            2017 Meeting: In mid-October Northern Illinois visited Buffalo and took 14-3 lead with a pair of early second quarter touchdown drives led by Marcus Childers who ran for the first score and threw for the second. Buffalo would answer with 10 points before halftime including getting a field goal following a fumble for a one-point game at the break, 14-13. Northern Illinois had 1st-and-goal early in third quarter before a Childers fumble and on the next possession the Huskies missed on a 43-yard field goal. Buffalo got zero points after an 81-yard drive early in the fourth quarter with a missed field goal that could have taken the lead and a few minutes later an interception in Huskies territory also cost the Bulls a chance to get in front. Northern Illinois missed another field goal in the final minutes as the 14-13 edge held after a scoreless second half filled with missed opportunities.

            Series History:

            -- Northern Illinois is 10-0 S/U in this series since Buffalo joined the FBS ranks with the Huskies 7-3 ATS.

            -- Northern Illinois has been favored by at least seven points in every previous meeting as this will be the first time Buffalo has been favored in this series and in eight of the previous 10 meetings Northern Illinois has been favored by 14 or more points.

            MAC Championship History:

            The MAC Championship has been won by the West representative in eight of the last 12 seasons and Northern Illinois has been six of the previous eight MAC championships, winning the title in 2011, 2012, and 2014, with the last title under current head coach Rod Carey.

            Comment


            • Tyree Jackson grounded as Buffalo set to play for MAC title
              November 29, 2018
              By The Associated Press


              AMHERST, N.Y. (AP) Tyree Jackson credits his older sister for never allowing the University at Buffalo quarterback to ever get too far ahead of himself.

              For all the numbers he's put up in helping the Bulls win a school-record 10 games and reach only their second Mid-American Conference championship game, and amid talk of whether the junior should declare for the NFL draft this spring, Jackson need only to refer to 23-year-old McKenzie Jackson for keeping him grounded.

              ''There's no room for any of that,'' Jackson said, when asked if he ever gets overconfident.

              ''I mean, my sister won six national championships for competitive cheerleading at Davenport University,'' he added. ''So any time she'll just send a picture of all her rings in our family group chat to kind of bring me down.''

              Tyree Jackson is still searching for his first ring. The closest he came was during his senior year at high school in Muskegon, Michigan, when Mona Shores lost the 2014 Division II state championship to Warren DeLaSalle, 44-8 at Ford Field in Detroit.

              Ford Field, just so happens to be where Jackson and the East Division champion Bulls (10-2, 7-1 MAC) will face West champion Northern Illinois (7-5, 6-2) on Friday night.

              ''I try not to remember the score. But I remember that it was a good experience,'' Jackson said of the outcome four years ago. ''And I always wanted to get back there and kind of get another shot at it.''

              Jackson has done his part in helping the Bulls get there, while also assuring the school of just its fourth bowl invitation.

              The 6-foot-7, 245-pound Jackson is enjoying a breakout year overseeing a dual-threat offense that's scored 423 points already, 1 short of matching the single-season record set over 14 games in 2008. Jackson's 25 touchdowns passing are tied for second on the single-season school list, and he's also scored seven touchdowns rushing.

              His performance has already generated buzz among NFL draft followers, some of whom already rank him as the No. 5 quarterback prospect should he skip his senior season.

              Jackson dismisses the talk by saying he's focused solely on whoever's next on Buffalo's schedule.

              ''Got to keep going. We need more,'' he said, when reminded no one had ever quarterbacked a Buffalo team that had won 10 games in one year.

              And to think, Jackson only wound up committing to Buffalo because the Bulls were the first and only school to offer him a scholarship before his senior high school season.

              Though he'd attract more interest later, Jackson chose Buffalo out of loyalty, and stuck with his decision after Jeff Quinn was fired after the 2014 season and replaced by current coach Lance Leipold.

              ''My first impression of him was he was a winner,'' Jackson said about Leipold, who went 109-6 over his eight previous seasons at Division III Wisconsin-Whitewater. ''I could tell he had that winning demeanor and that he was going to change the culture at Buffalo.''

              Leipold, a former college quarterback, immediately saw the potential in Jackson. Aside from Jackson's physical attributes, Leipold noted what he called the quarterback's ''infectious personality'' as being something players would rally around.

              After redshirting in 2015, Jackson took his lumps in going 2-7 as a starter the following year. He made tremendous strides last year in going 5-3, but missed four games with a knee injury.

              This season, he's topped 300 yards passing three times, and completed 187 of 337 attempts for 2,605 yards with 25 touchdowns and 11 interceptions.

              ''He hasn't hit his ceiling yet,'' Leipold said.

              Buffalo's offense features two top receiving threats in senior Anthony Johnson (45 catches for 820 yards and nine TDs) and junior K.J. Osborn (46 catches for 769 yards and six TDs), and freshman running back tandem of Jaret Patterson and Kevin Marks, who have combined for 1,669 yards rushing and 23 touchdowns.

              The Bulls face a Northern Illinois opponent which features a defense leading the MAC in fewest points and yards allowed, and a unit led by Sutton Smith, who ranks fourth in the nation with 13 sacks.

              ''Just do what we've been doing,'' Jackson said of the Bulls' approach. ''We can't really change anything just because it's the championship game.''

              Much of Jackson's motivation comes from the sting of Buffalo's 2-10 season two years ago.

              ''It's tough. Those were some long nights that year,'' Jackson said. ''It's awesome to see where we're at now.''
              Remember the 3 G's Gambling, Golf, Girls not in any particular order.....

              Comment


              • NCAAF
                Dunkel

                Week 14



                Friday November 30

                Northern Illinois @ Buffalo


                Game 303-304
                November 30, 2018 @ 7:00 pm

                Dunkel Rating:
                Northern Illinois
                79.817
                Buffalo
                85.757
                Dunkel Team:
                Dunkel Line:
                Dunkel Total:
                Buffalo
                by 6
                47
                Vegas Team:
                Vegas Line:
                Vegas Total:
                Buffalo
                by 3 1/2
                51
                Dunkel Pick:
                Buffalo
                (-3 1/2); Under

                Utah @ Washington


                Game 305-306
                November 30, 2018 @ 8:00 pm

                Dunkel Rating:
                Utah
                94.981
                Washington
                105.837
                Dunkel Team:
                Dunkel Line:
                Dunkel Total:
                Washington
                by 11
                47
                Vegas Team:
                Vegas Line:
                Vegas Total:
                Washington
                by 5
                45
                Dunkel Pick:
                Washington
                (-5); Over


                Saturday, December 1

                UAB @ Middle Tennessee St


                Game 307-308
                December 1, 2018 @ 1:30 pm

                Dunkel Rating:
                UAB
                84.450
                Middle Tennessee
                80.850
                Dunkel Team:
                Dunkel Line:
                Dunkel Total:
                UAB
                by 3 1/2
                49
                Vegas Team:
                Vegas Line:
                Vegas Total:
                Middle Tennessee
                by 1 1/2
                44
                Dunkel Pick:
                UAB
                (+1 1/2); Over

                Memphis @ Central Florida


                Game 309-310
                December 1, 2018 @ 3:30 pm

                Dunkel Rating:
                Memphis
                98.165
                Central Florida
                96.529
                Dunkel Team:
                Dunkel Line:
                Dunkel Total:
                Memphis
                by 1 1/2
                67
                Vegas Team:
                Vegas Line:
                Vegas Total:
                Central Florida
                by 3 1/2
                64 1/2
                Dunkel Pick:
                Memphis
                (+3 1/2); Over

                Texas @ Oklahoma


                Game 311-312
                December 1, 2018 @ 12:00 pm

                Dunkel Rating:
                Texas
                103.856
                Oklahoma
                106.681
                Dunkel Team:
                Dunkel Line:
                Dunkel Total:
                Oklahoma
                by 3
                72
                Vegas Team:
                Vegas Line:
                Vegas Total:
                Oklahoma
                by 8
                78
                Dunkel Pick:
                Texas
                (+8); Under

                LA-Lafayette @ Appalachian St


                Game 313-314
                December 1, 2018 @ 12:00 pm

                Dunkel Rating:
                LA-Lafayette
                76.558
                Appalachian St
                90.781
                Dunkel Team:
                Dunkel Line:
                Dunkel Total:
                Appalachian St
                by 14
                64
                Vegas Team:
                Vegas Line:
                Vegas Total:
                Appalachian St
                by 18
                58 1/2
                Dunkel Pick:
                LA-Lafayette
                (+18); Over

                Georgia @ Alabama


                Game 315-316
                December 1, 2018 @ 4:00 pm

                Dunkel Rating:
                Georgia
                105.337
                Alabama
                126.427
                Dunkel Team:
                Dunkel Line:
                Dunkel Total:
                Alabama
                by 21
                59
                Vegas Team:
                Vegas Line:
                Vegas Total:
                Alabama
                by 13 1/2
                64
                Dunkel Pick:
                Alabama
                (-13 1/2); Under

                Fresno State @ Boise State


                Game 317-318
                December 1, 2018 @

                Dunkel Rating:
                Fresno State
                93.134
                Boise State
                99.220
                Dunkel Team:
                Dunkel Line:
                Dunkel Total:
                Boise State
                by 6
                55
                Vegas Team:
                Vegas Line:
                Vegas Total:
                Boise State
                by 2 1/2
                52 1/2
                Dunkel Pick:
                Boise State
                (-2 1/2); Over

                Pittsburgh @ Clemson


                Game 319-320
                December 1, 2018 @ 8:00 pm

                Dunkel Rating:
                Pittsburgh
                96.114
                Clemson
                119.254
                Dunkel Team:
                Dunkel Line:
                Dunkel Total:
                Clemson
                by 23
                45
                Vegas Team:
                Vegas Line:
                Vegas Total:
                Clemson
                by 27 1/2
                53
                Dunkel Pick:
                Pittsburgh
                (+27 1/2); Under

                Northwestern @ Ohio State


                Game 321-322
                December 1, 2018 @ 8:00 pm

                Dunkel Rating:
                Northwestern
                97.601
                Ohio State
                103.483
                Dunkel Team:
                Dunkel Line:
                Dunkel Total:
                Ohio State
                by 6
                57
                Vegas Team:
                Vegas Line:
                Vegas Total:
                Ohio State
                by 15 1/2
                61 1/2
                Dunkel Pick:
                Northwestern
                (+15 1/2); Under

                Drake @ Iowa State


                Game 323-324
                December 1, 2018 @ 12:00 pm

                Dunkel Rating:
                Drake
                44.743
                Iowa State
                100.552
                Dunkel Team:
                Dunkel Line:
                Dunkel Total:
                Iowa State
                by 56
                56
                Vegas Team:
                Vegas Line:
                Vegas Total:
                Iowa State
                by 42
                53 1/2
                Dunkel Pick:
                Iowa State
                (-42); Over

                Norfolk St @ Liberty


                Game 325-326
                December 1, 2018 @ 2:00 pm

                Dunkel Rating:
                Norfolk St
                34.871
                Liberty
                70.591
                Dunkel Team:
                Dunkel Line:
                Dunkel Total:
                Liberty
                by 35 1/2
                64
                Vegas Team:
                Vegas Line:
                Vegas Total:
                Liberty
                by 29 1/2
                59 1/2
                Dunkel Pick:
                Liberty
                (-29 1/2); Over

                East Carolina @ NC State


                Game 327-328
                December 1, 2018 @ 12:00 pm

                Dunkel Rating:
                East Carolina
                72.852
                NC State
                92.615
                Dunkel Team:
                Dunkel Line:
                Dunkel Total:
                NC State
                by 20
                62
                Vegas Team:
                Vegas Line:
                Vegas Total:
                NC State
                by 23 1/2
                60 1/2
                Dunkel Pick:
                East Carolina
                (+23 1/2); Over

                Marshall @ Virginia Tech


                Game 329-330
                December 1, 2018 @ 12:00 pm

                Dunkel Rating:
                Marshall
                81.448
                Virginia Tech
                83.355
                Dunkel Team:
                Dunkel Line:
                Dunkel Total:
                Virginia Tech
                by 2
                41
                Vegas Team:
                Vegas Line:
                Vegas Total:
                Virginia Tech
                by 4 1/2
                53
                Dunkel Pick:
                Marshall
                (+4 1/2); Under

                Akron @ South Carolina


                Game 331-332
                December 1, 2018 @ 12:00 pm

                Dunkel Rating:
                Akron
                67.044
                South Carolina
                93.590
                Dunkel Team:
                Dunkel Line:
                Dunkel Total:
                South Carolina
                by 26 1/2
                52
                Vegas Team:
                Vegas Line:
                Vegas Total:
                South Carolina
                by 30
                56
                Dunkel Pick:
                Akron
                (+30); Under


                Stanford @ California

                Game 333-334
                December 1, 2018 @ 3:00 pm

                Dunkel Rating:
                Stanford
                90.065
                California
                94.663
                Dunkel Team:
                Dunkel Line:
                Dunkel Total:
                California
                by 4 1/2
                41
                Vegas Team:
                Vegas Line:
                Vegas Total:
                Stanford
                by 3 1/2
                46 1/2
                Dunkel Pick:
                California
                (+3 1/2); Under

                Southern U @ Alcorn State


                Game 335-336
                December 1, 2018 @ 4:30 pm

                Dunkel Rating:
                Southern U
                55.639
                Alcorn State
                53.141
                Dunkel Team:
                Dunkel Line:
                Dunkel Total:
                Southern U
                by 2 1/2
                52
                Vegas Team:
                Vegas Line:
                Vegas Total:
                Southern U
                Pick
                53
                Dunkel Pick:
                Southern U
                Under

                Comment


                • NCAAF
                  Armadillo's Write-Up

                  Week 14


                  Friday
                  MAC, Detroit

                  Northern Illinois went 3-3 in this game from 2010-15; Buffalo is in it for first time since 42-24 win over Ball State in ’08. Huskies beat Buffalo last three years, by 11-1-37 points; NIU beat Bulls 14-13 LY- teams played a scoreless 2nd half that day. Buffalo is 10-2 this year but got pounded in its two losses, 42-17 at Army, 52-17 at Ohio U; Bulls gave up 281-437 yards in those games. NIU lost its last two games after winning six in row before that. Under is 9-3 in NIU games this season; three of last four Buffalo games went over. Game is in a dome, so no worries about the weather.

                  Pac-12, Santa Clara, CA
                  Washington won its last three games with Utah, by 7-3-14 points; Huskies beat Utes 21-7 in SLC Sept 15- they held Utah to 261 yards, were +2 in turnovers. Washington won its last three games overall, running ball for 275-258 yards in last two games- they outgained Wazzu 487-237 in snowy Apple Cup LW. Utah is 8-0 when it scores 30+ points, 1-3 when they score less; does it help that they didn’t play a big rival LW? Washington beat Colorado 41-10 in this game two years ago; Utah is in this game for first time. Under is 9-3 in Washington games this year; over is 6-3 in last nine Utah games.

                  Saturday
                  Conference USA, Murfreesboro, TN

                  Middle Tennessee whacked UAB 27-3 last week here, outgaining Blazers 394-89; Blazers hit on only 9-27 passes, ran for minus-1 yard. MTSU is 3-1 vs UAB in C-USA meetings. Blazers lost last two games, after winning eight in row; all three of their losses this year are by 21+ points. MTSU won five of last six games after a 3-3 start; their senior QB is the coach’s son. UAB/Middle Tennessee State are both in this game for first time; UAB didn’t even field a team n 2015-16, due to budget issues- they’re 17-8 since reviving the program. Three of last four UAB games went over the total.

                  AAC, Orlando
                  Central Florida QB Milton tore up his knee LW, is out here; Knights won their last 25 games, edging Memphis 31-30 Oct 13, their only win this year by less than 11 points. Memphis ran ball for 281 games vs UCF, outgaining Knights 490-461. UCF won its last 10 games vs Memphis, beating Tigers 62-55 in OT in this game LY. Backup QB Darriel was 5-14/81 passing in relief of Milton LW. Memphis won its last four games after a 4-4 start, scoring 47+ points in three of the four games; Tigers ran ball for 401 yards in 52-31 win over Houston LW. Four of last five Memphis games went over; seven of last eight UCF games stayed under.

                  Big X, Arlington, TX
                  Texas (+7.5) beat Oklahoma 48-45 Oct 6; Longhorns were +3 in turnovers that day- yardage was 532-501, OU. Sooners fired their DC after the game. Teams split their last six meetings, with underdogs covering all six games. As a head coach, Tom Herman is 8-1-1 vs spread as an underdog. Oklahoma is 6-0 since Texas loss, scoring 48+ points in all six games, scoring 51+ five times; Sooner defense allowed 640-524-704 yards in their last three games. Longhorns won their last three games, giving up 10-17 points in last two; Texas is 2-3 when it gives up 21+ points. Over is 10-1-1 in Oklahoma games this year. Sooners are in this game for 10th time, going 8-1 in previous nine visits. Texas is 3-2 in Big X title tilts.

                  Sun Belt, Boone, NC
                  Appalachian State is in only its 5th year of I-A football; they’re 39-11 the last four years, 5-0 vs Louisiana, beating the Ragin’ Cajuns 27-17 back on October 20, when ASU ran ball for 258 yards. App State won its last four games, allowing average of only 10.3 ppg. ASU is 9-2 this year with an OT loss at Penn State when they outgained the Nittany Lions. Louisiana won its last three games after a 4-5 start; Cajuns have allowed 200+ rushing yards in seven games this year. Four of last six ULL games, five of last seven App State tilts stayed under the total.

                  SEC, Atlanta
                  Alabama is 12-0 this season; closest game they’ve played was 45-23 over Texas A&M. Georgia is 11-1 with a 36-16 loss at LSU; Dawgs won their last four games- under Smart, they’re 3-1 as an underdog, 0-0 this year. Alabama beat Georgia 26-23 in OT for the national title LY; yardage was 371-365- this is only teams’ 5th meeting the last 11 years, with Crimson Tide winning last four by 11-4-28-3 points. Bama won national title LY but didn’t make SEC title game, which Georgia won over Auburn. Crimson Tide won their five SEC title games; Georgia is 3-3 in this game. Over is 4-1-1 in last six Georgia games, 6-3 in last nine Alabama games.

                  Mountain West, Boise
                  Fresno State is 10-2 but lost 24-17 (-2.5) on blue carpet Nov 9, first time Broncos had been home underdog in almost 20 years. Fresno allowed 20 or fewer points in nine of their ten wins; they’re 1-2 when allowing more than 20. Under Tedford, Bulldogs are 4-0 as road underdogs. Fresno is 1-2 in this game, with both losses to Boise (28-14/27-14, LY). Boise won its last seven games after a 3-2 start; Broncos were held under 60 yards rushing in both their losses. Boise is 4-2 as a home favorite this year, after going 4-15 the previous three years. Under is 7-1 in last eight Fresno games. 4-0 in last four Boise games.

                  ACC, Charlotte
                  Clemson is in ACC title game for 4th year in row, winning last three by 8-7-35 points over three different teams, while scoring 41.7 ppg. Clemson is 12-0 this year, despite playing freshman QB; their last seven wins are all by 20+ points. Tigers gave up 510 PY in 56-35 win over Palmetto State rival South Carolina LW— total yardage in game was 744-600. Pitt is in ACC title game for first time; Panthers won four of last five games after a 3-4 start; they had scored 40.8 ppg in last four games before 24-3 loss at Miami LW. Pitt is 5-3 vs spread as an underdog this year. Three of last four Pitt games stayed under the total.

                  Big 14, Indianapolis
                  Ohio State is on fringes of making national playoff; impressive win here and an Alabama win in SEC game makes it a OSU/Oklahoma decision for 4th seed. Buckeyes won last four gamess, but also allowed 31+ points in four of last five games- they hammered arch-rival Michigan 62-39 LW, so this could be little bit of a letdown. OSU ran ball for 283-249 yards last two weeks. Northwestern won seven of its last eight games after a 1-3 start; Wildcats are 4-1 this year in games decided by 4 or fewer points. Ohio State is 2-1 in this game, beating Wisconsin 27-21 here LY; Northwestern is in its first Big 14 title game.

                  Comment


                  • FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 30
                    GAME TIME(ET) PICK UNITS


                    NIU at BUFF 07:00 PM
                    NIU +3.0
                    U 51.0


                    UTAH at WASH 08:00 PM
                    UTAH +4.5
                    U 45.0
                    Remember the 3 G's Gambling, Golf, Girls not in any particular order.....

                    Comment


                    • Northern Illinois scores late to win MAC title game 30-29
                      November 30, 2018
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                      DETROIT (AP) Marcus Childers threw a touchdown pass - his fourth of the game - to D.J. Brown with 1:09 to go and Northern Illinois rallied from a 19-point, second-half deficit to take a 30-29 victory over Buffalo in the Mid-American Conference championship game on Friday night.

                      The 35-yard TD pass came on the eighth play of a 70-yard drive that took a little more than two minutes following a punt forced by Sutton Smith's sack of Bulls quarterback Tyree Jackson.

                      NIU's 2-point conversion failed and the Bulls (10-3) reached the Huskies' 41-yard line before an incomplete pass on fourth down with 21 seconds left ended Buffalo's hopes.

                      The Huskies' touchdown completed a comeback from a 29-10 deficit in the third quarter. Childers threw a 28-yard score to Brown near the end of the third quarter and a 32-yarder to Spencer Tears with under 13 minutes left in the fourth. Childers also had a 13-yard TD pass to Tears in the first half. Childers completed 21 of 33 passes for 300 yards with an interception and led the team with 58 yards rushing.

                      Jackson was 18-of-35 passing for 252 yards and two touchdown passes to Anthony Johnson, who had 124 yards receiving on seven catches. Kevin Marks and Jaret Patterson ran for touchdowns. Buffalo missed a PAT after their second TD.

                      The Bulls have never beaten NIU in a MAC game since joining the league in 1999, going 0-12. A lone win over the Huskies came in 1968. The Huskies (8-5) have won four title games, the Bulls one.


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

                      No. 10 Washington beats No. 17 Utah 10-3 for Pac-12 title
                      November 30, 2018
                      By The Associated Press


                      SANTA CLARA, Calif. (AP) On a night when neither offense could do much of anything, it was only fitting that a pass that bounced off a receiver's hands and leg turned into the winning play.

                      Byron Murphy returned a deflected interception 66 yards for the game's only touchdown to lead No. 10 Washington to a 10-3 victory over No. 17 Utah in the Pac-12 championship game Friday night and a berth in the Rose Bowl.

                      ''You know, life isn't easy. A Pac-12 championship, is not going to be easy,'' coach Chris Petersen said. ''It's not reality. If it happens, go buy lottery tickets because it's not going to be like that. That's just luck. It is a grind, it's hard.''

                      The matchup between the two stingiest defenses in the conference lived up to the billing with Washington (10-3, No. 11 CFP) holding Utah (9-4, No. 17 CFP) to 188 yards and both offenses limited to just one field goal apiece all game.

                      That's why it was up to the defense to come up with the score for the Huskies.

                      Jason Shelley's pass hit Siaosi Mariner in the hands inside the Washington 35. But Mariner couldn't hold onto the pass and it ricocheted off his leg and into the hands of Murphy, who raced 66 yards for the score that made it 10-3.

                      ''The ball came up and I just knew I had to make a play,'' Murphy said. ''The opportunity was there. I just had to make sure I took it.''

                      Jordan Miller intercepted another pass from Shelley on the following drive and Murphy got his second interception of the game the next time Utah had the ball. The Huskies sealed the victory with a fourth-down stop in the final minute to earn a trip to Pasadena.

                      ''They play the kind of game we want to play,'' linebacker Ben Burr-Kirven said. ''They play a physical brand of football. They want to run the ball down our throats and I think we're built to play that kind of game.''

                      Murphy broke up the final pass on a throw to Mariner that the Utes thought should have been called pass interference.

                      ''Everybody's hurt,'' Shelley said. ''We were that close. We played that bad and we still lost by only seven points.''

                      The Huskies had four drives of at least 10 plays but got only one field goal out of those. They were stopped on a fourth-and-6 from the Utah 23 on the opening drive, threw an interception in Utah territory on the third drive and had a field goal blocked in the fourth quarter.

                      The one score came on Peyton Henry's 29-yard field goal late in the first half.

                      ''It's really hard to describe because we're so excited about our defense out there and in some ways frustrated on the other side,'' Petersen said. ''We just couldn't get things done like we needed to.''

                      That Utes tied it with a score on the opening possession of the third quarter when Matt Gay's 53-yard field goal just cleared the cross bar but couldn't get anything else.

                      THE TAKEAWAY

                      Utah: The Utes made it to the title game despite losing quarterback Tyler Huntley and running back Zack Moss to injuries in a four-day span in early November. They then lost leading receiver Britain Covey to what appears to be a serious knee injury in this game.

                      Shelley and Armand Shyne stepped in and let the Utes to three straight wins and a spot in this game but they weren't good enough against the Huskies. Shelley's three interceptions were his first turnovers as a starter. He threw for just 137 yards. Shyne ran for 37 yards on 11 carries.

                      ''It's hard when you lose a game and you don't give up a defensive touchdown,'' coach Kyle Whittingham said. ''It doesn't happen very often. But give the Huskies credit, because there's a reason we didn't do much on offense.''

                      Washington: The Huskies came into the season with playoff hopes but a season-opening loss to Auburn and then a pair of losses to Oregon and California in October ended that quest. But Washington still managed to win the conference and will go to the Rose Bowl for the first time since the 2000 season.

                      UP NEXT

                      Utah: Bowl game to be determined.

                      Washington: Rose Bowl on Jan. 1.
                      Remember the 3 G's Gambling, Golf, Girls not in any particular order.....

                      Comment


                      • Saturday's Group of 5 Tips
                        November 29, 2018
                        By Joe Nelson


                        Playing for a championship is the goal of every program and eight conference champions will be decided on Saturday.

                        College Playoff berths are not likely on the line in the Conference USA, American, Sun Belt, and Mountain West games but all four contests will be rematches to fill out the championship Saturday schedule. One of these teams should also get called for the top Group of 5 spot in the New Year’s Six.

                        CONFERENCE USA CHAMPIONSHIP

                        Match-up: UAB Blazers at Middle Tennessee State Blue Raiders
                        Venue: At Johnny Floyd Stadium in Murfreesboro, Tennessee
                        Time/TV: Saturday, December 1, 1:30 PM ET, CBSSN
                        Line: Middle Tennessee State -1, Over/Under 44½
                        Last Meeting: November 24, 2018 at Middle Tennessee State (+3) 27, UAB 3


                        UAB wasn’t playing football two years ago and after a successful bowl season in last year’s re-boot the Blazers look to take another step this season with a division title and a shot a the conference title. Middle Tennessee State is also in the Conference USA Championship for the first time looking to keep a run of four consecutive championships for the East division champion going.

                        Bill Clark stayed with UAB through the two-year hiatus after coaching the Blazers for his first season in 2014 following one year at Jacksonville State. UAB was perfect at home this season in a 9-3 campaign though the team enters this game off back-to-back losses, falling 41-20 to Texas A&M and then in last week’s game in Murfreesboro. Senior quarterback A.J. Erdely miss three November games before returning last week with freshman Tyler Johnston filling in with similar numbers as both could see the field this week.

                        Rick Stockstill won a Sun Belt title in his first season with the program in 2006 and this will be his first trip back to a championship game, leading mostly successful results over now 13 seasons with an 87-76 record and no losing seasons in Conference USA play. Last year’s team had a lot of potential but his son Brent was injured most of the year. Back as a senior quarterback the younger Stockstill has posted terrific numbers this season and he missed most of the one conference game the Blue Raiders lost at Florida International.

                        These schools are only about 200 miles apart as a good crowd should be expected even with some potential rain in the forecast for Saturday.

                        Regular Season Meeting: These teams met just last week on the same field. The incentives were vastly different however as Middle Tennessee State needed to win to get to this game and shortly after kickoff knew that Florida International had lost to make it a win-and-win-the-division-title game. UAB had already clinched its division and had little at stake last week and it showed, ultimately posting only 89 net yards of offense and not scoring again after taking a 3-0 lead on the opening drive in an eventual 27-3 result.

                        Series History: UAB won last season’s meeting 25-23 while Middle Tennessee State has won four of seven meetings since 1995 with a 3-2 ATS run in lined games since 2000.

                        AMERICAN ATHLETIC CONFERENCE CHAMPIONSHIP

                        Match-up: Memphis Tigers at Central Florida Knights
                        Venue: At Spectrum Stadium in Orlando, Florida
                        Time/TV: Saturday, December 1, 3:30 PM ET, ABC
                        Line: Central Florida -3, Over/Under 65
                        Last Meeting: October 13, 2018, Central Florida (-4½) 31, at Memphis 30


                        This will be the fourth meeting in two seasons for these programs with UCF looking to extend the nation’s longest winning streak to 25 games with a second straight conference title. The storyline however will be the absence of quarterback McKenzie Milton who was injured for UCF in last week’s win over South Florida.

                        In last year’s championship game these teams put on a show with Milton helping to deliver a 62-55 win in double-overtime with both teams eclipsing 700 yards of offense in a game with several big swings. UCF has won the regular season meetings the past two years as well, getting a lopsided home win last year and this year winning in Memphis by one-point with a second half comeback.

                        The Tigers are one of the nation’s top rushing teams with Darrell Henderson posting 1,699 yards so far and Memphis posting 6.4 yards per carry for nearly 276 yards per game. Replacing a highly productive quarterback, junior Brady White has been effective in his first season after transferring from Arizona State. Freshman Darriel Mack will start at quarterback for UCF with Milton out. Mack did play in entire game in the win over East Carolina but that has been his only meaningful action this season. He is much bigger than Milton and a serious rushing threat but likely not nearly the same caliber performer in the passing game at this point in his career.

                        Regular Season Meeting: In a highly anticipated rematch of the 2017 championship game Memphis took command early with a 30-14 edge until just before halftime. UCF trimmed the deficit to just six points in the third quarter and then took a one-point lead in the fourth. Memphis fumbled twice in the second half to wind up shut out in the second half at home and losing despite a 281-165 rushing edge.

                        Series History: Central Florida has won S/U 12 meetings in a row in this series going back to 2005 with the last win for Memphis coming in 1990 when UCF was not playing at the top college football level. Memphis has gone 4-2-1 ATS in the seven meetings going back to 2010.

                        SUN BELT CHAMPIONSHIP

                        Match-up: UL-Lafayette Ragin’ Cajuns at Appalachian State Mountaineers
                        Venue: At Kidd Brewer Stadium in Boone, North Carolina
                        Time/TV: Saturday, December 1, 12:00 PM ET, ESPN
                        Line: Appalachian State -18, Over/Under 59
                        Last Meeting: October 2, 2018 at Appalachian State (-25½) 27, UL-Lafayette 17


                        The Sun Belt split into two five-team divisions this season and will join the Championship Weekend with the inaugural title game this weekend after often featuring a full regular season schedule in this final weekend in previous years. There was great drama in determining the division champions this season with last week’s results meaningful and the heavy Sun Belt favorite to open the season, Arkansas State, did not make it.

                        Scott Satterfield led a 4-8 FCS squad in his first season in Boon in 2013 but has had a winning season every year since the program jumped to the FBS level in 2014. The Mountaineers are 3-0 in bowl games the past three years and 39-11 the past four years combined while going 28-4 in Sun Belt play in that span. Expect Satterfield to field interviews from prominent openings if he so chooses as he has done a remarkable job. This year may have been his best work as the roster appeared to be in a major transition with the loss of several key players from last season.

                        The one game in Sun Belt play that Appalachian State lost came without quarterback Zac Thomas at Georgia Southern and the numbers were dominant for the Mountaineers with a 255-108 scoring record in going 7-1 in league play. Appalachian State went 5-0 at home on the season and nearly upset Penn State in the opening week on the road.

                        Louisiana started the season 1-3 but losses at Mississippi State and at Alabama certainly are forgivable. The Ragin’ Cajuns beat Arkansas State at home 47-43 and last week earned this spot by besting rival UL-Monroe on the road 31-28. The Ragin’ Cajuns played both Appalachian State and Troy on the road for a difficult crossover draw and lost both games by 10 points in lower scoring games. In going 5-3 in Sun Belt play Louisiana outscored foes by just 24 points while being outscored overall on the season despite being 7-5.


                        Regular Season Meeting: As a massive home favorite Appalachian State led just 17-10 at the half before pulling away. The final score was 27-17 but Louisiana scored with 63 seconds to go to make the final margin tighter, though the yardage edge for the Mountaineers was modest at 372-328. The ground game was the key with a 266-140 rushing advantage for the Mountaineers at home.

                        Series History: These teams have met each of the last five years with five straight wins for Appalachian State, going 3-2 ATS including 2-1 in the home meetings.

                        MOUNTAIN WEST CONFERNCE CHAMPIONSHIP

                        Match-up: Fresno State Bulldogs at Boise State Broncos
                        Venue: At Albertson’s Stadium in Boise, Idaho
                        Time/TV: Saturday, December 1, 7:45 PM ET, ESPN
                        Line: Boise State -2½, Over/Under 50½
                        Last Meeting: November 9, 2018, at Boise State (+2½) 24, Fresno State 17


                        These teams met in the Mountain West title game last season with a 17-14 win for Boise State with a 90-yard touchdown drive for the lead late in the fourth quarter. That was after Fresno State defeated Boise State at home the previous week to close the regular season. These teams also met in the 2014 MWC Championship, also a win but missed cover for Boise State.

                        The stakes are potentially higher this season as if UCF loses to Memphis now playing without its star quarterback, the victor of this game could be the highest rated Group of Five squad in line for a New Year’s Six bowl bid. Boise State is currently 22nd while Fresno State is 25th in those rankings. UCF is 8th and could potentially hold the highest ranked spot with a loss though that would be an unusual precedent to set as they wouldn’t be a conference champion and would likely look like a much less promising team without Milton.

                        Marcus McMaryion and Brett Rypien are both in the nation’s top 12 in QB Rating and both seniors are coming to the close of excellent seasons and careers. They have combined to throw only 10 interceptions in nearly 800 attempts. Defense has been the key for Fresno State however, second nationally allowing just 13.5 points per game with a significant edge in pass defense relative to Boise State. The Broncos are 119-7 S/U at home since 1999 for truly the toughest home field edge in the nation however.

                        Regular Season Meeting: As a rare home underdog Boise State fell behind 17-3 early in the third quarter. The Broncos rallied to win in the fourth taking a 24-17 edge while Fresno State had a missed field goal while getting stopped on downs in Boise territory on its final two possessions. Boise State had a 448-390 edge in yards and committed the only turnover in the game.

                        Series History: Boise State is 15-4 S/U in this series since 1996 with a 13-5 ATS record however Fresno State has covered in four of the past five meetings. This will be the MWC Championship matchup for the third time in the last five years with a 28-14 win for Boise in 2014 and a 17-14 win over Boise last season with the Broncos hosting all of those games. Fresno State did win S/U hosting Boise State in the regular season in 2013 and 2017 but has not won in Boise since 1984.
                        Remember the 3 G's Gambling, Golf, Girls not in any particular order.....

                        Comment


                        • The Triple Option: College football Conference Championship Week picks and predictions
                          Andrew Caley

                          It’s hard to believe another college football season has come to an end. That’s right, we’re at conference championship week.

                          But that means another season of The Triple Option comes to a close. And while we weren’t as profitable in Year 2 as we were in Year 1, profit is never something to turn down. We went a respectable 22-17 this season (56.4). And it would have been a little better if Notre Dame didn’t let USC march down the field at the end of the game for a meaningless backdoor cover last week.

                          Luckily for us we have one more chance to improve on, or tank, that record by picking every conference championship game this week in a special edition of the Triple Option. This year we're up to 10 conference Championship games with the Big 12 and the Sun Belt joining the mix. (Covers' editorial staff will be doing our Bowl Pick'em challenge once again this season in which we pick every Bowl game, so there will be still ample time to fade me hahaha).

                          Thank you all once again for reading and following this season. I hope you enjoyed reading the column as much as I had writing it. So, let's eat up one more batch of winners and some awesome eats with the complete compilation of all of this season’s recipes. Thanks again and good luck as always. Now, it's showtime!

                          Sun Belt Championship – Louisiana vs Appalachian State (-17, 58)

                          The Sun Belt championship game is also a rematch, as Appalachian State hosts Louisiana for the second time this season. The Mountaineers defeated the Ragin’ Cajuns 27-17 as big 24.5-point home favorites back on Oct. 20.

                          Appalachian State is the class of the Sun Belt going 9-2 this season, but Louisiana head coach Billy Napier (and former Nick Saban assistant) has already started to change the culture for the Ragin’ Cajuns. After a 1-3 start (to be fair two of those games were against Alabama and Mississippi State), Louisiana has won six of its last eight games scoring nearly 38 points per contest.

                          This game will be determined on the ground as both Louisiana and App State rank in top 20 in rushing at 230.2 and 242.5 yards per game respectively. So, the big difference between these two teams is on defense, where the Mountaineers dominated the conference and rank fourth in the country in total yards and fifth in points allowed.

                          Appalachian State should ride this edge to another win, but I really like what Napier has done in his first season at Louisiana and the Ragin’ Cajuns will put on a respectable show.

                          Pick:
                          Louisiana +17


                          Big 12 Championship – Texas vs Oklahoma (-8, 77.5)

                          Hey, look! Another rematch! This time it’s a rematch of one of the best games in college football this season when Texas upset Oklahoma 48-45 as 7-point underdogs in an instant classic back on Oct. 6.

                          We all know the narratives this time around. Kyler Murray and Tom Herman as an underdog.

                          Murray leads the nation’s No. 1 offense in terms of total yards and scoring. The incredible two-sport athlete is completing over 70 percent of his passes for 3,674 yards with 37 touchdowns compared to just seven interceptions. He also has another 800-plus rushing yards and 11 majors on the ground.

                          But as good as the Sooners have been on offense, they have been almost equally as bad on defense. They own the third worst passing defense in the country and rank 100th in points allowed at 32.8 per game. Over their last four contests its been even worse ballooning to an obscene 47.3 ppg and are 0-3-1 ATS in those games.

                          For Texas, quarterback Sam Ehlinger is healthy enough and racked up 314 passing yards with two touchdowns and no interceptions in the last meeting. He should be able to go blow for blow with Murray here.

                          I just don’t have any faith in Oklahoma to cover a number this large with a defense this bad. And of course, Tom Herman is 10-1-1 ATS (2-0-1 this season) in his career as an underdog.

                          Pick:
                          Texas +8


                          AAC Championship - Memphis vs UCF (-3, 64.5)

                          Straight up. This line scares the hell outta me.

                          UCF is looking to wrap up its second straight undefeated season and New Year’s Six bowl game berth when it takes on Memphis in the AAC Championship. But they will have to do it without their heart and soul after quarterback McKenzie Milton suffered a devastating knee injury in last week’s win over USF.

                          Despite no Milton, oddsmakers still have the Knights favored. And I’m not sure why. UCF should have lost when these teams faced off in Memphis last month and probably would have if it wasn’t for two fourth quarter fumbles and some poor last-minute play calling by the Tigers. And that was with Milton at quarterback.

                          UCF backup quarterback Darriel Mack Jr. will make just his second career start. His first came in a 37-10 walkover against East Carolina where he completed 12-20 passes for just 69 yards but put up 120 yards and a touchdown on the ground. However, Memphis is decent at stopping the rush and has collected 15 sacks over its last three games.

                          Let’s not forget about likely All-American running back Darrell Henderson. The junior running back has racked up 1,699 at a clip of 8.6 yards per carry with 22 total touchdowns and ran all over UCF in their last meeting for 199 yards and a score.

                          UCF will definitely be dedicating this game to Milton, but I’m not sure that amounts to much. What’s life like if you’re not a little scared sometimes? Memphis extracts some revenge and wins outright.

                          Pick:
                          Memphis +3


                          SEC Championship – Alabama vs Georgia (+12.5, 63.5)

                          For me, this may bet the easiest game to cap this weekend.

                          Every week, even with these massive spreads, there seems to be whispers of “What if Alabama losses?” Guess what. They’re not going to lose. Guess what else. It’s not going to be close.

                          Alabama has passed every test this season with flying colors. I mean, they shutout then ranked No. 3 LSU in Death Valley and then ranked No. 16 Mississippi State at home in consecutive weeks! They covered the 25.5-point spread in the Iron Bowl. Just crazy stuff.

                          They rank at or near the top of every major statistical category (outside field goal percentage) you can think of. And Tua is just an unfair weapon for Nick Saban to have at his disposal. He creates too many mismatches on the field and the defense is getting better every week.

                          This is obviously a huge rematch for Georgia, who were seconds away from a national championship before Tua TagovaIloa happened. And they need almost certainly need a win to qualify for the CFP, but I just don’t see it happening. Georgia is good, don’t get me wrong, but I don’t think they’re that much better than LSU, who by the way, the Bulldogs lost to by 20 back in mid October.

                          Tua and this Tide squad Saban has assembled is special. Lay the points. Bama will wins by 20.

                          Pick:
                          Alabama -12.5


                          Mountain West Championship – Fresno State vs Boise State (-1, 52.5)

                          These Mountain West rivals have faced off three times since last November with the Broncos taking two of the three meetings, both of which were on the blue field of Albertson Stadium. Speaking of which, the Bulldogs have never won on the blue field. Ever.

                          Both teams head into this game with 10-2 records with Fresno State at 8-4 ATS and Boise State at 7-4-1 ATS. The Broncos have the better offense, while the Bulldogs have the better defense. But Broncos running back Alexander Mattison is on fire right now, rushing for 489 yards and six touchdowns in his last three games, including 144 yards and two scores against the Bulldogs just a few weeks ago.

                          In matchup this close, I’m giving the edge to who I think is the better quarterback, and to me that’s Brett Rypien. Throw in the blue field advantage and the Broncos capture back-to-back Mountain West titles.

                          Pick:
                          Boise State -1


                          ACC Championship – Clemson vs Pittsburgh (+27.5, 52.5)

                          I honestly can’t believe this is the sad matchup we get for the ACC title game. Earlier this season I was convinced Pitt would be near the bottom of the ACC Coastal standings and maybe one of the worst teams in the country. They were blown out by Penn State and UCF and lost to a two-win UNC team. So, yeah, I still might make that argument.

                          It also means laying four touchdowns with Clemson doesn’t scare me. Qadree Ollison and Darrin Hall won’t be able to move the chains against a Tigers defensive line that is NFL quality and ranks No. 2 in the nation in rushing yards allowed. And they won’t get any help from a pass game that ranks 120th and is facing the team with the third most sacks this season.

                          For Clemson, Trevor Lawrence is looking better every week and brings balance to offense that loves to pound the rock with sophomore running back Travis Etienne. The potential ACC offensive player of the year, Etienne has totaled 1,308 yards at a clip of 8 yards per carry and has 20 total touchdowns.

                          Pick:
                          Clemson -27.5


                          Big Ten Championship – Northwestern vs Ohio State (-14.5, 61)

                          This might be the game that I’m having the most trouble with.

                          On one side we have Ohio State, coming off a massive 62-39 dismantling of rival Michigan to get here and likely need to put down another beatdown in this matchup to qualify for the CFP.

                          But on the other hand, we have Northwestern. These ‘Cats are actually scrappy underdog that went 6-0-1 ATS and 4-1-1 SU when getting points this season. Northwestern also has not been in a game all season decided by more than 14 points either way. So of course, the spread is 14.5.

                          The Buckeyes, led by quarterback Dwayne Haskins, have the nation’s second rated offense in terms of total and passing yards and are clearly the more talented team. But before their Big Blue beatdown, the Buckeyes almost lost at Maryland, needed at late comeback vs Nebraska and were blown out at Purdue. So, this team is definitely inconsistent, especially on the defensive side of the ball.

                          And you know who always has his team prepared? Pat Fitzgerald. While I expect Ohio State to win, Fitzgerald will have his ‘Cats primed for one more scrappy performance.

                          Pick:
                          Northwestern +14.5
                          Remember the 3 G's Gambling, Golf, Girls not in any particular order.....

                          Comment


                          • SATURDAY, DECEMBER 1
                            GAME TIME(ET) PICK UNITS


                            ECU at NCST 12:00 PM
                            O 61.0

                            MRSH at VT 12:00 PM
                            MRSH +3.5
                            O 51.0

                            AKR at SOCAR 12:00 PM
                            SOCAR -28.5
                            U 56.5

                            ULL at APP 12:00 PM
                            ULL +17.0
                            O 56.0

                            TEX at OKLA 12:00 PM
                            OKLA -9.5
                            U 80.5

                            UAB at MTU 01:30 PM
                            MTU -1.5
                            U 44.5

                            STAN at CAL 03:00 PM
                            CAL +3.0
                            U 45.5

                            MEM at UCF 03:30 PM
                            UCF -3.0
                            O 63.5


                            ALA at UGA 04:00 PM
                            UGA +11.5
                            U 64.0


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

                            FRES at BSU 07:45 PM
                            FRES +1.5
                            U 52.5

                            CLEM at PITT 08:00 PM
                            CLEM -27.5

                            NW at OSU 08:00 PM
                            NW +15.5
                            Remember the 3 G's Gambling, Golf, Girls not in any particular order.....

                            Comment


                            • Saturday's best
                              December 1, 2018
                              By The Associated Press


                              STARS

                              -Jalen Hurts, Alabama, came off the bench to pass for one touchdown and run for another in the fourth quarter, rallying the top-ranked Crimson Tide to a 35-28 win over No. 4 Georgia for the Southeastern Conference title.

                              -Darriel Mack, UCF, rushed for three second-half TDs and passed for two more, helping the No. 7 Knights rally for a 56-41 victory over Memphis in the American Athletic Conference championship game.

                              -Paulson Adebo, Stanford, had two interceptions in the fourth quarter, including a spectacular one-handed grab in the end zone to help prevent the game-tying score, as the Cardinal won its ninth straight Big Game, 23-13 over California.

                              -Chris Ferguson, Maine, threw for five TDs as the seventh-seeded Black Bears defeated Jacksonville State 55-27 in the second round of the FCS playoffs.

                              -Jake Constantine, Weber State, threw for four TDs and ran for another to lead the second-seeded Wildcats to a 48-23 win over Southeast Missouri in the second-round of the FCS playoffs.

                              -Lance Dunn, Montana State, rushed for four TDs and the top-seeded Bison overwhelmed Montana State 52-10 in a second-round FCS playoff game.

                              -De'Shawn Waller, Alcorn State, ran for 177 yards and three TDs to help the Braves beat Southern 37-28 in the Southwestern Athletic Conference championship.

                              ---

                              SEC CHAMPIONSHIP


                              In a dramatic twist on last season's national championship game, Jalen Hurts came off the bench to pass for one touchdown and run for another in the fourth quarter, rallying No. 1 Alabama to a 35-28 win over No. 4 Georgia for the Southeastern Conference title.

                              Heisman Trophy favorite Tua Tagovailoa had to be helped off the field with just over 11 minutes remaining after one of his own linemen stepped on the quarterback's right ankle as he attempted to throw.

                              Enter Hurts, who led Alabama to the national title game as a freshman but lost the starting job to Tagovailoa. Hurts calmly guided the Crimson Tide to a game-tying touchdown with a 10-yard pass to Jerry Jeudy, capping a 16-play, 80-yard drive that consumed more than 7 minutes.

                              After Georgia was stuffed on a fake punt near midfield, Hurts took matters into his own hands for the winning score. Spotting an opening up the middle, he took off on a 15-yard TD run with 1:04 remaining .

                              This was a reversal of the story line from last season's national title game, when Tagovailoa replaced an ineffective Hurts at the start of the second half with Alabama trailing Georgia 13-0. The replacement threw three touchdown passes, including a 41-yarder in overtime that gave the Tide a stunning 26-23 victory.

                              ---

                              BIG 12 CHAMPIONSHIP

                              Kyler Murray had another Heisman Trophy-worthy performance, Oklahoma's much-maligned defense made some big key plays, and the fifth-ranked Sooners won yet another conference title.

                              Now the 12-time Big 12 champions wait to find out if all of that is good enough to get back into the College Football Playoff.

                              Murray was 25-of-34 passing for 379 yards and three touchdowns as the Sooners beat No. 9 Texas 39-27 in the Big 12 championship game, avenging their only loss and making their case for their third playoff appearance in four years.

                              The Sooners won their seventh consecutive game - and became the first Power Five team to win four outright conference titles in a row since Florida in the SEC in the mid-1990s.

                              ---

                              AAC CHAMPIONSHIP

                              Unbeaten UCF updated its sparkling resume with an impressive come-from-behind 56-41 victory over Memphis in the American Athletic Conference title game.

                              Now the seventh-ranked Knights, who proclaimed themselves national champions last January after finishing as the only undefeated team in the FBS, will see if repeating as AAC champs and having the nation's-longest winning streak are good enough to get them into the College Football Playoff.

                              With the red-shirt freshman filling in for injured quarterback McKenzie Milton, UCF amassed 698 yards of total offense and tightened defensively after a shaky start to limit Memphis to three points after halftime.

                              Mack completed 19 of 27 passes for 348 yards and two touchdowns without an interception. He began the Knights' comeback from a 17-point halftime deficit with a 54-yard TD pass to Otis Anderson and finished off the Tigers with scoring runs of 2, 2, and 5 yards in the fourth quarter.
                              Remember the 3 G's Gambling, Golf, Girls not in any particular order.....

                              Comment


                              • No. 5 Oklahoma beats No. 9 Texas 39-27 for Big 12 title
                                December 1, 2018
                                By The Associated Press


                                ATLANTA (AP) In a dramatic twist on last season's national championship game, Jalen Hurts came off the bench to pass for one touchdown and run for another in the fourth quarter, rallying No. 1 Alabama to a 35-28 victory over No. 4 Georgia in the Southeastern Conference title game Saturday.

                                Heisman Trophy favorite Tua Tagovailoa had to be helped off the field with just over 11 minutes remaining after one of his own linemen stepped on the quarterback's right ankle as he attempted to throw.

                                Enter Hurts, who led Alabama to the national title game as a freshman but lost the starting job to Tagovailoa. Hurts calmly guided the Crimson Tide (13-0, No. 1 CFP) to tying touchdown with a 10-yard pass to Jerry Jeudy.

                                After Georgia (11-2, No. 4 CFP) was stuffed on a fake punt near midfield, Hurts took matters into his own hands for the winning score. Spotting an opening up the middle, he took off on a 15-yard TD run with 1:04 left.

                                This was a reversal of the storyline from last season's national title game, when Tagovailoa replaced an ineffective Hurts at the start of the second half with Alabama trailing Georgia 13-0. The replacement threw three touchdown passes, including a 41-yarder in overtime that gave the Tide a stunning 26-23 victory.

                                Tagovailoa won the starting job in preseason practice and performed brilliantly during the regular season, throwing 36 touchdown passes with only two interceptions.

                                The SEC title game took a different path. Georgia put quite a beating on Tagovailoa, who threw two interceptions, spent much of his spare time in the medical tent and was largely ineffective as the Bulldogs built a pair of two-touchdown leads.

                                BIG 12 CHAMPIONSHIP

                                NO. 5 OKLAHOMA 39, NO. 9 TEXAS 27


                                ARLINGTON, Texas (AP) - Kyler Murray threw for 379 yards and three touchdowns and Oklahoma beat Texas in the Big 12 championship game, with the Sooners avenging their only loss and making their case for a return to the College Football Playoff.

                                Murray, the Heisman Trophy-contending dual-threat quarterback, threw two TD passes to Grant Calcaterra. That included an impressive 18-yard score on a third-and-10 play with two minutes left as the Sooners (12-1, No. 5 CFP) won their seventh consecutive game despite being held to fewer than 40 points for the first time in nine games.

                                Sam Ehlinger was 23-of-36 passing for 349 yards with two touchdowns, and ran for two scores for Texas (9-4), but his final pass was picked off by Tre Norwood at the 1 in the final minute.

                                Oklahoma is the first Power Five team to win four consecutive outright conference titles since Florida in the SEC in the mid-1990s.

                                The Sooners went ahead to stay on Austin Seibert's third field goal, a 31-yarder with 12:37 left that was good after ricocheting off the top of the left upright to make it 30-27.

                                Two plays after Oklahoma's only turnover, when receiver CeeDee Lamb fumbled inside the 10 after a 54-yard catch-and-run with nine minutes left, the Sooners got points anyway. Cornerback Tre Brown sacked Ehlinger in the end zone for a safety.

                                The 114th meeting between the Red River rivals was their first in a championship game - and the first time since 1903 they had played twice in the same season. Every game since 1929 had been played about 20 miles away at the State Fair of Texas, where the Longhorns beat Oklahoma 48-45 eight weeks ago.

                                ACC CHAMPIONSHIP

                                NO. 2 CLEMSON 42, PITT 10


                                CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) - Travis Etienne ran for 156 yards and two touchdowns, Trevor Lawrence threw two short scoring passes to Tee Higgins and Clemson beat Pitt to become the first team to win four straight Atlantic Coast Conference championships.

                                Clemson (13-0, CFP No. 2) is expected to face third-ranked Notre Dame, which was idle Saturday, in the College Football Playoffs on Dec. 29.

                                The Tigers ran for 301 yards and four touchdowns and averaged 9 yards per carry against Pitt (7-6) on a dreary, rain-soaked night in which Lawrence was limited to 118 yards passing.

                                Clemson forced three turnovers, including two in the first half that gave the offense the ball inside the Pitt 10 and led to 14 points. The Tigers limited Panthers quarterback Kenny Pickett to 8 yards passing and had nine tackles for a loss.

                                The Tigers joined the Steve Spurrier's Florida Gators (1993-96) as the only Power Five teams to win four straight conference titles. The historic win comes exactly 10 years after Dabo Swinney was hired as Clemson's coach.

                                BIG TEN CHAMPIONSHIP

                                NO. 6 OHIO STATE 45, NO. 21 NORTHWESTERN 24


                                INDIANAPOLIS (AP) - Dwayne Haskins added five more touchdown passes to his single-season record and Ohio State relied on its staunch defense to hold off a second-half charge from Northwestern for its second straight Big Ten championship.

                                The Buckeyes (12-1, 9-1 Big Ten, No. 6 CFP) won their third title in five years and their fifth consecutive game - but it's unlikely to get the Buckeyes into the four-team College Football Playoff.

                                Haskins finished 34 of 41 with 499 yards and one interception.

                                Clayton Thorson went 27 of 44 with 267 yards, one TD and two interceptions for Northwestern. The Wildcats (8-5, 8-2) trimmed a 24-7 halftime deficit to 24-21 midway through the third quarter.

                                AAC CHAMPIONSHIP

                                NO. 7 UCF 56, MEMPHIS 41


                                ORLANDO, Fla. (AP) - Darriel Mack shrugged off two early turnovers to rush for three second-half touchdowns and rally UCF past Memphis in the American Athletic Conference championship game.

                                With the red-shirt freshman filling in for injured McKenzie Milton, the Knights (12-0, No. 8 CFP) won their second straight league title and extended the nation's longest winning streak to 25 games.

                                Mack also threw for 348 yards and two TDs without an interception.

                                Greg McCrae ran for 206 yards and a TD for the Knights, who beat the Tigers 62-55 in the 2017 AAC title game and rallied from a 16-point second-half deficit to win 31-30 at Memphis in the regular season.

                                This time, UCF trailed 38-21 at halftime before scoring touchdowns on five straight possessions in the second half. Darrell Henderson scored on runs of 62, 12 and 82 yards and also throw a 4-yard TD pass to help Memphis (8-5) build its big halftime lead. But the nation's second-leading rusher only gained 3 yards on six carries in the second half, finishing with 210 yards on 16 carries.

                                MWC CHAMPIONSHIP

                                NO. 24 FRESNO STATE 19, NO. 19 BOISE STATE 16, OT


                                BOISE, Idaho (AP) - Ronnie Rivers scored on a 1-yard run in overtime to lift Fresno State past Boise State in the snowy Mountain West championship game.

                                Fresno State (11-2, No. 25 CFP) won its first conference title since 2013, beating the Broncos (10-3, No. 22 CFP) on their blue turf for the first time in 10 tries.

                                Rivers scored after Boise State's Haden Hoggarth made a 23-yard field goal on the opening overtime possession. Boise State's seven-game winning streak ended, and both teams' dreams of crashing the New Year's Six bowl games died when UCF beat Memphis to complete a perfect season.

                                With the temperature in the 30s and a constant mix of snow and rain falling, both teams struggled to sustain anything offensively.

                                With 8:01 left, Boise State's Alexander Mattison ripped off a 34-yard run, muscling his way into the end zone with a defender draped on his back. However, Hoggarth's extra point attempt was blocked by Matt Boetang, leaving it tied.

                                NO. 24 IOWA STATE 27, DRAKE 24

                                AMES, Iowa (AP) - David Montgomery ran for 145 yards and two touchdowns and Iowa State barely survived a near-upset by non-scholarship FCS school Drake.

                                Brock Purdy had 153 yards passing and a TD for the Cyclones (8-4), who fought through persistent rain and a sloppy field to win their sixth straight home game, tying a school record.

                                The Bulldogs (7-4) forced turnovers on back-to-back possessions to open the second half. They turned the second one, a pick of Kyle Kempt's pass, into a 19-yard TD pass from Grant Kraemer to Devin Cates and a 24-20 lead in the third quarter. Iowa State responded with a 7-yard touchdown reception by Deshaunte Jones to jump back on top, and Spencer Benton and JaQuan Bailey came up with sacks to force Drake punts. Montgomery's 2-yard run on a third-down-and-1 with 1:26 left sealed it.

                                Kraemer threw for 221 yards and three TDs. Drake outgained Iowa State 279-273.
                                Remember the 3 G's Gambling, Golf, Girls not in any particular order.....

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