Cnotes 2019-2020 College Football Trends-News-Notes-Best Bets & Opinions !

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LSU coach Orgeron: Linebacker Divinity has left the team
November 4, 2019
By The Associated Press

BATON ROUGE, La. (AP) LSU coach Ed Orgeron says pass-rushing outside linebacker Michael Divinity has left the team for personal reasons.

The announcement on Monday of Divinity's departure comes just six days before the No. 1 Tigers travel to second-ranked Alabama on Saturday in a clash of unbeaten teams with College Football Playoff implications.

While Divinity tied for the team lead in sacks in 2018, he has played a reduced role this season because of the return of top edge pass rusher K'Lavon Chaisson and the emergence of Jacob Phillips and Patrick Queen at inside linebacker spots. Divinity also has missed three games.

Divinity had three sacks and a forced fumble in the five games he has played this season.

Orgeron says LSU ''should be fine'' because Chaisson takes the majority of snaps at the position Divinity also plays, and the coach expressed confidence in backups Andre Anthony and Ray Thornton.

Orgeron also says he won't ''close the door'' on the possibility of Divinity returning this season.

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Florida State fires coach Willie Taggart after 21 games
November 3, 2019
By The Associated Press

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (AP) Florida State fired second-year football coach Willie Taggart on Sunday, less than 24 hours after the Seminoles lost to rival Miami and with the team in danger of missing a bowl game for the second consecutive season.

Taggart was 9-12 at Florida State, which won the national title in 2013 and has been in a freefall for the last three seasons. The Seminoles have not been ranked this season, are 0-5 against rivals Miami, Florida and Clemson under Taggart and attendance for games at Doak Campbell Stadium has plummeted.

''We had no choice but to make a change,'' Florida State President John Thrasher said.

The school said longtime Florida State assistant Odell Haggins has been asked to take over as interim coach for the remainder of the season. Haggins was 2-0 as the interim in 2017, after Jimbo Fisher left Florida State for Texas A&M in December.

''We still have a lot of faith,'' Florida State linebacker Emmett Rice said Saturday. ''We have a lot to play for. It's not over just because we lost to Miami.''

For Taggart, it is over. He will receive a large payday as Florida State owes him a $17 million buyout as part of the letter of agreement he signed in Dec. 2017.

''Obviously, I am disappointed in the decision today as I believe our future is bright and Florida State,'' Taggart said in a statement posted on Twitter. ''Building a program and a culture takes time and I regret that we will not have the opportunity to continue to coach these incredible young men.''

Florida State (4-5) plays at Boston College (5-4) on Saturday, and needs to win two of its final three to become bowl eligible. The Seminoles finish the regular season against FCS foe Alabama State and then play at No. 10 Florida.

Florida State's 5-7 record last season was the program's first losing campaign since 1976 and it snapped a streak of 36 consecutive seasons in which the Seminoles played in a bowl game.

''I spoke to Coach Taggart this afternoon to let him know of our decision,'' Florida State athletic director David Coburn said Sunday. ''I met with the team and coaches immediately after that conversation to let them know of the change. It was very important to us that the student-athletes know right away.''

Only 63,995 fans were at Doak Campbell Stadium on Saturday for the Miami-Florida State game, the smallest attendance for any Hurricanes-Seminoles matchup in Tallahassee since 1991. That was the largest crowd to attend a Florida State game this season, with fans clearly showing their unhappiness with the on-field product.

''I think very highly of Coach Taggart and wish him well,'' Thrasher said.

Taggart's future has been the subject of speculation for weeks as the team was unable to sustain success. The `Noles followed a two-game winning streak in late September with consecutive losses to Clemson and Wake Forest. A victory against Syracuse provided some hope but then Florida State was routed 27-10 by a Miami team that has had its own struggles.

Taggart, a 43-year-old Florida native who grew up rooting for the Seminoles, thanked the players, coaches and staff and Florida State in his tweet.

''On behalf of my family and I, we wish Florida State nothing but the best and will be cheering on the Seminoles the rest of the way,'' he wrote.

Taggart is 56-62 as a head coach. He went 16-20 at Western Kentucky, 24-25 at South Florida and 7-5 in his lone season at Oregon.

The team Taggart inherited from Fisher had talent deficiencies, especially along the offensive line, and academic issues, but it also showed little improvement on the field over the course of 21 games. Florida State ranks 126th in the nation in penalties per game at 8.9 and has played sloppily and undisciplined throughout Taggart's tenure.

''We will support our student-athletes in every way and do all we can to return to the winning tradition that is Seminole football,'' Thrasher said.

Haggins has been a Florida State assistant coach since 1994, coaching alongside Bobby Bowden, Fisher and Taggart. The 52-year-old Haggins spoke in August of ''the standard at Florida State, it's the standard. There's one way to do it. Do it the right way, do it full speed and be dominant.''


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


Syracuse fires defensive coordinator Ward
November 3, 2019
By The Associated Press

SYRACUSE, N.Y. (AP) Syracuse coach Dino Babers has fired defensive coordinator and linebackers coach Brian Ward, effective immediately.

Babers says in a release Sunday from the university that he felt ''a change needed to be made at this time.'' Defensive ends coach Steve Stanard has been promoted to defensive coordinator on an interim basis.

The move came a day after the Syracuse defense allowed a school-record 496 yards rushing in a humiliating 58-27 home loss to Boston College, which set a school record of its own with 691 yards offensively. BC tailbacks AJ Dillon and David Bailey combined to rush for 414 yards and five touchdowns and quarterback Dennis Grosel had three scoring passes in only 10 throws.

Stanard, who joined the Syracuse staff in 2017, has spent 20 seasons as a defensive coordinator, most recently at Wyoming where he served as the Cowboys' defensive coordinator and linebackers coach from 2014-16. He's also worked as the defensive coordinator at five other schools.

The Orange (3-6, 0-5 Atlantic Coast Conference), who are in a bye week, are the only team in the conference without a league win.

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STAT WATCH: Hubbard on pace for top rushing total since 2014
November 4, 2019
By The Associated Press

Oklahoma State's Chuba Hubbard turned in his fourth 200-yard rushing performance of the season, and it came against an unlikely opponent.

Hubbard carried 20 times for 223 yards against TCU and became the first player to go for 200 against the Horned Frogs since Gary Patterson took over as head coach in 2000. TCU went into the game 15th against the run (103.7 ypg) and had allowed just six rushes of 20-plus yards. Hubbard broke runs of 92 and 62 yards while piling up 192 in the second half in the Cowboys' 34-27 win.

Hubbard has rushed for at least 100 yards in seven straight games, the longest active streak in the Football Bowl Subdivision.

His nation-leading 178.2 yards per game put him on pace for 2,317 in 13 games, assuming the Cowboys don't play in the Big 12 championship game. That would be the highest total since 2014, when Melvin Gordon ran for 2,587 yards in 14 games for Wisconsin.

Joining Hubbard as 200-yard rushers Saturday were Boston College's AJ Dillon, Mississippi State's Kylin Hill, Texas A&M's Isaiah Spiller and Clemson's Travis Etienne.

Dillon carried 35 times for 242 yards for his second 200-yard game of the year. Hill ran 21 times for 234 against Arkansas, Spiller carried 20 times for 217 yards against UTSA and Etienne amassed 212 yards on just nine carries against Wofford in his second 200-yard game of the season.

CAN'T BUY A TD

Winless Akron has gone 16 quarters without scoring a touchdown, the longest drought since UConn went 16 quarters in 2016, according to Sportsradar. The Zips' most recent touchdown was in the fourth quarter against UMass on Sept. 28. They've been outscored 131-9 in their last four games.

Northwestern has gone 13 quarters without a touchdown. The Wildcats' last TD was in the third quarter against Nebraska on Oct. 5.

PASSING PIRATES

East Carolina's Holton Ahlers became the fifth quarterback this season to pass for more than 500 yards, setting a school record with 535 in a loss to Cincinnati. Ahlers threw for 316 yards in the first half and finished with four touchdown passes. He also ran for a TD.

C.J. Johnson set AAC and school records with 283 yards receiving, the most in the FBS this season. Each of his 12 receptions went for at least 10 yards.

HE'S A TIGER

Memphis' Antonio Gibson sets the American Athletic Conference record with 386 all-purpose yards against SMU. It was the highest total since Deon Jackson of Duke went for 403 against Pittsburgh in October 2018. Gibson is the first player in the FBS this season to score rushing, receiving and kick return touchdowns in the same game.

VOL GETS THE BALL

Bryce Thompson became the first Tennessee player since 1999 to intercept three passes in a game. Thompson, who entered the game against UAB with no interceptions this season, made his first pick on the first play from scrimmage. He intercepted UAB's Tyler Johnston III two more times in the second quarter. Thompson is the fourth player in the FBS with three interceptions in a game this season.

ALL THE WAY

UTEP's Duron Lowe and Oregon's Mykael Wright are the 12th and 13th players to run back a kick 100 yards. Lowe went the distance against North Texas, and Wright did it against Southern California.

NATIONAL LEADERS

Hubbard's average of 178.2 yards per game is well ahead of Boston College's Dillon (142.9 ypg). Other leaders are Washington State's Anthony Gordon in passing yards (423.4 ypg) and Arkansas State's Omar Bayless in receiving yards (129.8 ypg).

Team leaders are Oklahoma in scoring (49.3 ppg) and total offense (598.4 ypg), Ohio State in scoring defense (7.9 ppg) and Wisconsin in total defense (223.5 ypg).

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CMU now bowl eligible after going 1-11
November 3, 2019
By The Associated Press

Central Michigan's quick turnaround reached another milepost: The Chippewas are bowl eligible.

CMU beat Northern Illinois 48-10 on Saturday to improve to 6-4 this season under new coach Jim McElwain. The Chippewas went 1-11 last season.

Elsewhere, Virginia Tech (5-3) still has work to do if the Hokies are going to extend their 26-year bowl streak. Six wins is not enough for Virginia Tech to be sure of bowl eligibility, since the Hokies have two victories over FCS teams. After losing to Notre Dame on Saturday, Virginia Tech has games remaining against Wake Forest, Georgia Tech, Pittsburgh and Virginia.

There are 42 teams that are already bowl eligible:

Air Force

Alabama

Appalachian State

Auburn

Baylor

Boise State

Central Florida

Central Michigan

Cincinnati

Clemson

Florida

Florida Atlantic

Georgia

Georgia State

Indiana

Iowa

Kansas State

Louisiana-Lafayette

Louisiana Tech

LSU

Marshall

Memphis

Michigan

Minnesota

Navy

Notre Dame

Ohio State

Oklahoma

Oklahoma State

Oregon

Penn State

Pittsburgh

San Diego State

SMU

Texas A&M

Tulane

UAB

Utah

Virginia

Wake Forest

Wisconsin

Wyoming

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Kansas State sends notice to Big 12
November 3, 2019
By The Associated Press

MANHATTAN, Kan. (AP) There is a documentary series called ''Miles to Go'' chronicling Les Miles' first season at Kansas, and during an episode following the Jayhawks' last-second win over Texas Tech, he brazenly walked into the locker room and asked his team, ''Who is K-State?''

Miles knew the annual Sunflower Showdown was on deck the next weekend.

Well, the former Oklahoma State coach surely remembers who the Wildcats are now.

After knocking off then-No. 5 Oklahoma in a game far more lopsided than the 48-41 final score, the No. 20 Wildcats romped to a 38-10 victory over the Jayhawks on Saturday. And that score also was not indicative of the way Kansas State manhandled its neighbors just down Interstate 70.

The Wildcats ran for 342 yards despite missing their top two running backs. They needed to throw the ball just 16 times all game. Only one of those throws came on an opening 10-play, 88-yard march to the end zone that essentially set the tone for the entire afternoon.

''We didn't think of this game any bigger than it is,'' said Wildcats quarterback Skylar Thompson, who ran for 127 yards and three scores. ''We dominated them in the trenches, and you could tell in the third and fourth quarter that they didn't want to be a part of it.''

The Sunflower Showdown? More like a sunflower beat-down.

On defense, the Wildcats (6-2, 3-2) held an offense that had been humming under new coordinator Brent Dearmon to fewer than 200 yards until the final drive. Carter Stanley was 13 of 23 for 115 yards with two interceptions, and the Jayhawks' running game managed just 61 yards.

If not for a litany of penalties against Kansas State, those numbers would have been worse.

''I mean, you could see it as the game went on, just us continuing to do our job and being in the right spots,'' Kansas State linebacker Da'quan Patton said. ''I mean, it means a lot because it's a huge rivalry game and you know everyone comes out to watch this game.''

The game was about as lopsided as the series has become.

Kansas State has won 11 straight against the Jayhawks, and 23 of the past 27, going back to the first tenure of former coach Bill Snyder. Since 2010, shortly after Snyder returned from a brief retirement, the Wildcats (6-0) have won just as many games in Lawrence as the Jayhawks (6-37).

''They just came in here and beat our ass,'' Kansas wide receiver Andrew Parchment said.

The Wildcats also answered the question Miles posed: They showed exactly who they are in what new coach Chris Klieman called their best all-around performance of the season.

They dominated the game on the ground, dictating the tempo and holding the ball for more than 38 minutes. They ran for big chunks on first down to give them options on second, and called just enough pass plays to keep the Jayhawks from crowding the line of scrimmage.

It looked a whole lot like the way Klieman's teams bludgeoned opponents at North Dakota State, when he was busy winning FCS national championships with the regularity of winter snowfall.

On defense, the Wildcats won at the point of attack, stuffing up the Jayhawks' running game and forcing them into second- and third-and-long. Then, boxed into obvious passing situations, Kansas State dialed up blitzes that usually resulted in Stanley running for dear life.

Kansas was just 2 of 10 on third down. It was 0 for 2 on fourth.

''I never in a million years saw that result coming,'' Stanley said.

Now, the Wildcats can turn their attention to bigger things. They became bowl-eligible with the win, but still harbor hopes of playing for the Big 12 championship. They are tied with Iowa State and Texas in the standings, trailing unbeaten Baylor and the Sooners. But if Oklahoma stumbles again, and Kansas State wins out, it could sneak into the title game.

The finishing stretch begins Saturday with a trip to Texas, followed by a home game against West Virginia. Texas Tech on the road and the Cyclones at home wrap up the regular season.

So going back to the question posed by Miles: ''Who is K-State?''

He had his answer Saturday night.

''It's exactly the style of rivalry that I'm used to seeing, close proximity, people that - they know us, we know them, and it was hard-fought,'' Miles said. ''Yeah, they're pretty talented.''

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NCAAF
Armadillo's Write-Up

Week 11

Tuesday’s games
Favorites won five of last six Kent State-Toledo games, with Rockets winning last four by average score of 40-20; Golden Flashes are 0-3 ATS in last three visits here. Toledo ran ball for total of 672 yards in last two meetings. Kent lost four of five road games TY; they’re 14-18 ATS in last 32 games as a road underdog- three of their last four games stayed under. Home side won all four of Toledo’s MAC games; under Candle, they’re 12-7 ATS as a home favorite, 2-0 TY. Both teams allowed over 1,000 TY in their last two games.

Ball State upset Western Michigan 42-41 LY, after losing previous two meetings 55-3/52-20; favorites are 5-2 ATS in last seven series games. Ball won three of its last four games, with wins at NIU, Eastern Michigan; road team covered six of their seven lined games this year. Under Neu, Cardinals are 12-9 ATS as a road underdog, 4-0 TY. Four of their last five games stayed under. WMU ran ball for 399 yards in their last game; they’re 11-7-1 ATS in last 19 games as a home favorite, 3-0-1 TY- under is 4-0-1 in their last five games.

Wednesday’s game
Miami (+4.5) upset Ohio U 30-28 LY, just their second series win in last 13 meetings; Miami is 2-4 ATS in their last six visits to Athens. Ohio is +8 in turnovers in last four series games. RedHawks won three of first four MAC games, with one loss 38-16 at WMU; they’re 5-8 ATS in last 13 games as a road favorite, 1-4 TY. Bobcats won three of first four MAC games, with loss 39-36 at home to NIU; Ohio is 0-3 ATS as a home favorite TY, after being 8-3 the last two years. Four of their last six games went over the total.

Thursday’s games
UL-Lafayette won six of last seven games, running ball for 611 yards in last two; they scored 119 points in winning all three of their road games TY. Cajuns are are 7-1-2 ATS in last ten games as a road favorite, 2-0 TY- their last three games stayed under total. Coastal Carolina snapped a 3-game skid with a 36-35 win over Troy LW; Chanticleers are 4-6 ATS as a home underdog since joining I-A ball, 1-1 TY- five of their last six games went over. Coastal (+3.5) won 30-28 LY in Lafayette, in first series meeting, running ball for 311 yards.

Underdogs covered four of last five Temple-USF games, winning three times SU; home side won all five series games. Owls lost 43-7/44-23 in their two visits here. Temple was held to 114 YR in losing its last two games, 45-21/63-21; Owls are 0-2 ATS as a road favorite TY, after being 10-2-1 in previous 13 tries- their last three games went over the total. Temple held four of last five foes under 200 RY. South Florida is 4-0 when it runs for 213+ yards, 0-4 when it doesn’t; Bulls are 2-5 ATS in last seven games as a home underdog, 1-2 TY. Five of their last six games went over.

Friday’s games
Central Florida scored 49.3 ppg in winning its last three games; Knights are 9-4 ATS in last 13 games as a road favorite, 2-2 TY, with outright losses at Pitt/Cincinnati- over is 5-1-1 in their last seven games. Tulsa lost its last five games, but missed an easy FG to upset Memphis two weeks ago; Golden Hurricane is 5-9 ATS in last 14 games as a home underdog, 1-1 TY- four of their last five games went over. Tulsa actually won five of last six series games, but teams last met in ’16; UCF lost all four of its visits here- favorites covered eight of ten series games.

Washington won its last seven games with Oregon State, winning by 35-45-42 points in last three visits to Corvallis; Huskies are +13 in turnovers in last seven series games. OSU won three of last four games overall with three road wins; road team won all five of heir Pac-12 games SU- under Smith, Beavers are 1-7 ATS as a home underdog, 1-2 TY. Washington lost three of last four games, giving up 35-33 points in home losses their last two games. Huskies are 5-7 ATS in last dozen games as a road favorite, 2-1 TY.

Saturday’s top 13 games
Florida State fired coach Taggart Sunday, after only 21 games on job. Seminoles lost three of last four games, are 0-4 TY when scoring less than 31 points- they’re 1-4-1 ATS in last six games as a road underdog. Last six FSU games stayed under the total. BC gave up 440+ TY in four of last five games; they split four I-A home games TY, are 4-3 ATS in last seven games as a home favorite- their last four games all went over. Underdogs covered four of last six FSU-Boston College games; won five of last seven visits to Beantown, but lost last one 35-3 in ’17.

West Virginia lost its last four games, scoring exactly 14 points in last three; WVU has a total of 106 RY in last three games- they’ve given up 1,013 TY in last two games. Mountaineers are 1-4-1 ATS in last six games as a home underdog. Texas Tech gave up 34.7 ppg in losing its last three games, two by 3 points; over is 4-0-1 in their last five games. Red Raiders are 0-4 SU on road TY, 1-6 ATS in last seven games as a road favorite. WVU won its last five games with Texas Tech, winning 46-35/31-26 in last two played here; average total in last seven series games: 68.1.

Minnesota is 8-0 for first time since 1941; they’re 9-4 ATS in last 13 games as a home underdog- five of their last seven games went over. Minnesota held its last four opponents under 300 TY. Penn State is 8-0; Michigan was only team to score more than 13 points against them- PSU is 10-4 ATS inlets 14 games as a road favorite, 3-0 TY. Five of last six Penn State games stayed under the total. Nittany Lions won five of last six games with Minnesota, losing 24-10 (+2.5) in last visit here; favorites covered last four series games. Gophers’ coach Fleck signed a long-term contract extension this week.

USC lost three of last five games overall, three of four on road TY, with alone win 35-31 (-10.5) at Colorado. Trojans are 4-13 ATS in last 17 games as a road underdog, 2-7 under Helton, who is likely a lame duck at this point. Under is 5-2 in last seven USC games. Arizona State lost last couple games after a 5-1 start; under Edwards, Sun Devils are 2-6 ATS when favored, 0-3 TY. USC won three of last four games with Arizona State, with all three wins by 21+ points; Trojans won seven of last nine visits to Tempe, winning 48-17/42-14 in last two.

Underdogs covered six of last seven Baylor-TCU games, with Horned Frogs winning last four; Baylor lost four of last five visits to TCU, losing 45-22/28-21 in last two. 8-0 Baylor has three wins by 2 or 3 points; Bears won their three road games TY, by 8-19-18 points- under Rhule, Baylor is 2-1 ATS as a road favorite, 2-0 in games with spread of 3 or less points. TCU lost three of last four games; they gave up 906 TY last two games, 301 RY LW. Last six years, Horned Frogs are 3-2 ATS as a home underdog; five of their last six games went over the total.

Alabama QB Tagovailoa is a gametime decision, but is expected to play. Alabama won its last seven games with LSU, covering five of last six; LSU scored total of 10 points in last three series games; they lost last three visits to Tuscaloosa, by 21-14-14 points. LSU is 8-0, scoring 49 ppg in wins at Texas (45-38), Vandy (66-38), Miss State (36-13); under Orgeron, Bayou Bengals are 6-1 ATS as an underdog. Alabama’s closest game this year was 47-28 at Texas A&M; Crimson Tide is 6-5 ATS in its last 11 games as a single digit favorite.

Oklahoma won 14 of its last 15 games with Iowa State, with Cyclones covering last three: ISU is 2-5 ATS in last seven visits here- they upset Sooners 38-31 (+31) in last visit here, in ’17. ISU is 3-2 in Big X, losing 23-21 at Baylor, 34-27 to Okla State; under Campbell, Cyclones are 7-5 ATS as a road underdog- under is 3-1-1 in their last five games. Under Riley, Oklahoma is 10-7 ATS as a home favorite, 2-1 TY; they’re 3-2 ATS coming off last five losses. Sooners are minus-5 in turnovers their last four games; they won their two Big X home tilts, 55-16/52-14.

Underdogs covered seven of last eight UAB-Southern Miss games, with dogs winning six of them SU: Blazers scored 38 ppg in winning last four trips to Hattiesburg. 6-2 UAB was held to 13-7 points in its two losses, losing 30-7 at Tennessee LW; Blazers split four road games TY- under Clark, UAB is 8-5 ATS as road underdogs, 0-1 TY. Southern Miss won three of last four games; they allowed 38+ points in all three of their losses. Golden Eagles are 6-5-1 ATS in last dozen games as a home favorite.

Tennessee won six of last seven games with Kentucky (5-2 ATS); Vols covered six of last eight visits to Lexington. Tennessee lost its two road games 34-3 at Florida, 35-13 at Alabama; they won three of last four games, need 2-1 finish to go bowling for first time in three years. Under Pruitt, Vols are 4-2 ATS on the road. Five of their last seven games stayed under total. Kentucky won its last two home games, over Arkansas/Mizzou; they’re 4-0-1 ATS at home this year, after being 2-11 the previous two years- their last five games stayed under.

Texas lost two of its last three games; they allowed 30+ points in each of their last five games; six of their eight games went over. Under Herman, Longhorns are 5-10 ATS as a home favorite, 2-3 TY. Kansas State won its last three games, including an upset of Oklahoma; Wildcats are 1-4 ATS in last 15 games as a road underdog, 1-1 TY- four of their last five games stayed under. Texas won three of last four games with K-State, holding Wildcats to 14 or fewer points in all three wins; K-State lost last three visits to Austin, by 10-14-6 points, but they covered five of last seven visits here.

Underdogs covered eight of last ten FAU-FIU games, with dogs winning seven of them SU. Panthers lost their last three visits to FAU, by 28-14-15 points. FIU won four of its last five games, losing 50-17 at Middle Tennessee; Panthers lost all three road games this year, by average score of 45-21- under Davis, they’re 3-5 ATS as a road underdog. FAU won six of its last seven games, scoring 76 points in their last two games; under Kiffin, Owls are 8-6-1 ATS in last 15 games as a home favorite, 1-1 TY.

Wisconsin lost its last two games after a 6-0 start, had bye LW to regroup; Badgers are 4-1 ATS as home favorites this year, winning last two home games by a combined 86-0- their last five games stayed under. Iowa won two of its three road games, despite scoring total of 41 points in those games; they’re 1-3-1 ATS in last five games as a road dog- under is 6-0-1 in their last seven games. Wisconsin won/covered last three games with Iowa, winning by 11-24-8 points; Badgers held Iowa under 250 TY in three of last four meetings. Hawkeyes did cover five of last six visits to Madison.

Washington State lost four of last five games after a 3-0 start; they allowed 37+ points in all four losses, are 0-3 SU in games decided by fewer than 7 points- they’ve already fired their DC. Under Leach, Coogs are 6-8 ATS as road favorites, 0-2 TY. California scored total of 41 points in losing their last four games; they’ve got severe injury problems at QB- under Wilcox, Bears are 5-2 ATS as home dogs. Under is 6-1 in Cal games TY. Underdogs covered four of last five Wazzu-Cal games; Coogs lost six of last seven visits to Berkeley, losing last two 37-3/34-28.

[StarDust Bum]

NCAAF
Dunkel

Week 11


Tuesday, November 5

Kent State @ Toledo

Game 101-102
November 5, 2019 @ 7:00 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Kent State
71.045
Toledo
74.916
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Toledo
by 4
59
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Toledo
by 7
62
Dunkel Pick:
Kent State
(+7); Under

Ball State @ Western Michigan

Game 103-104
November 5, 2019 @ 8:00 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Ball State
76.908
Western Michigan
80.483
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Western Michigan
by 3 1/2
59
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Western Michigan
by 6 1/2
63 1/2
Dunkel Pick:
Ball State
(+6 1/2); Under

[StarDust Bum]

TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 5
GAME TIME(ET) PICK UNITS

KENT at TOL 07:00 PM

TOL -7.0 ******

U 62.5 *******


BALL at WMU 08:00 PM

BALL +6.5 *******

U 64.0 ******

[Udog]

NCAAF
Dunkel

Week 11


Wednesday, November 6

Miami of Ohio @ Ohio

Game 105-106
November 6, 2019 @ 8:00 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Miami of Ohio
73.595
Ohio
83.034
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Ohio
by 9 1/2
50
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Ohio
by 7
54 1/2
Dunkel Pick:
Ohio
(-7); Under


Thursday, November 7

LA-Lafayette @ Coastal Carolina

Game 109-110
November 7, 2019 @ 7:30 pm

Dunkel Rating:
LA-Lafayette
90.837
Coastal Carolina
72.854
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
LA-Lafayette
by 18
53
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
LA-Lafayette
by 14
58
Dunkel Pick:
LA-Lafayette
(-14); Under

Temple @ South Florida

Game 111-112
November 7, 2019 @ 8:00 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Temple
78.546
South Florida
79.558
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
South Florida
by 1
56
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Temple
by 1 1/2
50
Dunkel Pick:
South Florida
(+1 1/2); Over


Friday, November 8

Central Florida @ Tulsa

Game 113-114
November 8, 2019 @ 7:00 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Central Florida
97.386
Tulsa
82.302
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Central Florida
by 15
75
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Central Florida
by 17
70 1/2
Dunkel Pick:
Tulsa
(+17); Over

Washington @ Oregon State

Game 115-116
November 8, 2019 @ 10:30 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Washington
102.736
Oregon State
86.580
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Washington
by 16
68
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Washington
by 9 1/2
65
Dunkel Pick:
Washington
(-9 1/2); Over


Saturday, November 9

North Alabama @ Monmouth

Game 171-172
November 9, 2019 @ 12:00 pm

Dunkel Rating:
North Alabama
47.518
Monmouth
66.038
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Monmouth
by 18 1/2
64
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Monmouth
by 20 1/2
59
Dunkel Pick:
North Alabama
(+20 1/2); Over

Baylor @ TCU

Game 161-170
November 9, 2019 @ 12:00 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Baylor
99.329
TCU
94.296
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Baylor
by 5
46
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Baylor
by 2
50
Dunkel Pick:
Baylor
(-2); Under

Texas Tech @ West Virginia

Game 123-124
November 9, 2019 @ 12:00 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Texas Tech
88.907
West Virginia
90.119
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
West Virginia
by 1
64
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Texas Tech
by 2 1/2
59 1/2
Dunkel Pick:
West Virginia
(+2 1/2); Over

Florida State @ Boston College

Game 119-120
November 9, 2019 @ 12:00 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Florida State
88.751
Boston College
86.212
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Florida State
by 2 1/2
58
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Boston College
by 2 1/2
62
Dunkel Pick:
Florida State
(+2 1/2); Under

Vanderbilt @ Florida

Game 143-144
November 9, 2019 @ 12:00 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Vanderbilt
77.504
Florida
107.029
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Florida
by 29 1/2
46
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Florida
by 26
48
Dunkel Pick:
Florida
(-26); Under

Maryland @ Ohio State

Game 129-130
November 9, 2019 @ 12:00 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Maryland
80.738
Ohio State
127.193
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Ohio State
by 46 1/2
52
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Ohio State
by 42 1/2
64
Dunkel Pick:
Ohio State
(-42 1/2); Under

Western Kentucky @ Arkansas

Game 171-172
November 9, 2019 @ 12:00 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Western Kentucky
77.199
Arkansas
72.282
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Western Kentucky
by 5
47
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Arkansas
by 2 1/2
51
Dunkel Pick:
Western Kentucky
(+2 1/2); Under

Purdue @ Northwestern

Game 145-146
November 9, 2019 @ 12:00 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Purdue
80.639
Northwestern
86.029
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Northwestern
by 5 1/2
35
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Northwestern
by 2
40 1/2
Dunkel Pick:
Northwestern
(-2); Under

Penn State @ Minnesota

Game 141-142
November 9, 2019 @ 12:00 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Penn State
112.911
Minnesota
100.758
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Penn State
by 12
44
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Penn State
by 7
47
Dunkel Pick:
Penn State
(-7); Under

Massachusetts @ Army

Game 131-132
November 9, 2019 @ 12:00 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Massachusetts
41.550
Army
72.010
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Army
by 30 1/2
66
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Army
by 35
61 1/2
Dunkel Pick:
Massachusetts
(+35); Over

East Carolina @ SMU

Game 163-164
November 9, 2019 @ 12:00 pm

Dunkel Rating:
East Carolina
72.727
SMU
91.044
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
SMU
by 18 1/2
68
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
SMU
by 22
70 1/2
Dunkel Pick:
East Carolina
(+22); Under

Georgia Tech @ Virginia

Game 121-122
November 9, 2019 @ 12:30 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Georgia Tech
79.632
Virginia
92.297
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Virginia
by 12 1/2
41
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Virginia
by 15 1/2
45
Dunkel Pick:
Georgia Tech
(+15 1/2); Under

TX-San Antonio @ Old Dominion

Game 151-152
November 9, 2019 @ 2:00 pm

Dunkel Rating:
TX-San Antonio
63.618
Old Dominion
59.677
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
TX-San Antonio
by 4
46
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Old Dominion
by 4 1/2
42 1/2
Dunkel Pick:
TX-San Antonio
(+4 1/2); Over

Air Force @ New Mexico

Game 147-148
November 9, 2019 @ 2:00 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Air Force
92.566
New Mexico
63.218
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Air Force
by 29 1/2
59
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Air Force
by 21
56 1/2
Dunkel Pick:
Air Force
(-21); Over

Stanford @ Colorado

Game 149-150
November 9, 2019 @ 3:00 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Stanford
87.921
Colorado
79.899
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Stanford
by 8
58
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Stanford
by 3 1/2
54 1/2
Dunkel Pick:
Stanford
(-3 1/2); Over

South Alabama @ Texas State

Game 165-166
November 9, 2019 @ 3:00 pm

Dunkel Rating:
South Alabama
61.757
Texas State
64.500
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Texas State
by 3
37
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Texas State
by 7 1/2
42
Dunkel Pick:
South Alabama
(+7 1/2); Under

Charlotte @ UTEP

Game 159-160
November 9, 2019 @ 3:00 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Charlotte
74.221
UTEP
55.582
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Charlotte
by 18 1/2
53
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Charlotte
by 13
58
Dunkel Pick:
Charlotte
(-13); Under

LSU @ Alabama

Game 167-168
November 9, 2019 @ 3:30 pm

Dunkel Rating:
LSU
112.968
Alabama
114.573
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Alabama
by 1 1/2
68
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Alabama
by 6 1/2
65
Dunkel Pick:
LSU
(+6 1/2); Over

Illinois @ Michigan State

Game 135-136
November 9, 2019 @ 3:30 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Illinois
83.177
Michigan State
100.626
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Michigan State
by 17 1/2
49
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Michigan State
by 14 1/2
45 1/2
Dunkel Pick:
Michigan State
(-14 1/2); Over

Louisville @ Miami-FL

Game 125-126
November 9, 2019 @ 3:30 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Louisville
87.442
Miami-FL
91.432
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Miami-FL
by 4
55
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Miami-FL
by 6 1/2
51 1/2
Dunkel Pick:
Louisville
(+6 1/2); Over

UAB @ Southern Miss

Game 175-176
November 9, 2019 @ 3:30 pm

Dunkel Rating:
UAB
76.819
Southern Miss
78.744
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Southern Miss
by 2
47
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Southern Miss
by 5
50 1/2
Dunkel Pick:
UAB
(+5); Under

Georgia Southern @ Troy

Game 177-178
November 9, 2019 @ 3:30 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Georgia Southern
78.397
Troy
79.524
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Troy
by 1
52
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Georgia Southern
by 2 1/2
56
Dunkel Pick:
Troy
(+2 1/2); Under

USC @ Arizona State

Game 153-154
November 9, 2019 @ 3:30 pm

Dunkel Rating:
USC
93.525
Arizona State
86.300
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
USC
by 7
62
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Arizona State
by 1 1/2
57
Dunkel Pick:
USC
(+1 1/2); Over

Wake Forest @ Virginia Tech

Game 137-138
November 9, 2019 @ 3:30 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Wake Forest
92.907
Virginia Tech
86.605
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Wake Forest
by 6 1/2
67
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Wake Forest
by 2
63
Dunkel Pick:
Wake Forest
(-2); Over

Connecticut @ Cincinnati

Game 133-134
November 9, 2019 @ 3:30 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Connecticut
58.928
Cincinnati
91.429
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Cincinnati
by 32 1/2
62
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Cincinnati
by 35
56
Dunkel Pick:
Connecticut
(+35); Over

Kansas State @ Texas

Game 183-184
November 9, 2019 @ 3:30 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Kansas State
94.897
Texas
104.110
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Texas
by 9
54
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Texas
by 7
58 1/2
Dunkel Pick:
Texas
(-7); Under

New Mexico St @ Mississippi

Game 169-170
November 9, 2019 @ 4:00 pm

Dunkel Rating:
New Mexico St
63.758
Mississippi
87.723
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Mississippi
by 24
66
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Mississippi
by 28
62
Dunkel Pick:
New Mexico St
(+28); Over

Iowa @ Wisconsin

Game 193-194
November 9, 2019 @ 4:00 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Iowa
102.859
Wisconsin
103.033
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Iowa
Even
34
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Wisconsin
by 9 1/2
38
Dunkel Pick:
Iowa
(+9 1/2); Under

North Texas @ Louisiana Tech

Game 185-186
November 9, 2019 @ 4:00 pm

Dunkel Rating:
North Texas
74.632
Louisiana Tech
82.022
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Louisiana Tech
by 7 1/2
65
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Louisiana Tech
by 5 1/2
68
Dunkel Pick:
Louisiana Tech
(-5 1/2); Under

Georgia State @ LA-Monroe

Game 187-188
November 9, 2019 @ 5:00 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Georgia State
79.328
LA-Monroe
70.525
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Georgia State
by 9
80
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Georgia State
by 2 1/2
76 1/2
Dunkel Pick:
Georgia State
(-2 1/2); Over

FIU @ Florida Atlantic

Game 189-190
November 9, 2019 @ 6:00 pm

Dunkel Rating:
FIU
68.634
Florida Atlantic
83.781
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Florida Atlantic
by 15
64
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Florida Atlantic
by 10
60
Dunkel Pick:
Florida Atlantic
(-10); Over

Utah State @ Fresno State

Game 191-192
November 9, 2019 @ 7:00 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Utah State
81.413
Fresno State
80.910
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Utah State
by 1
54
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Fresno State
by 6
59
Dunkel Pick:
Utah State
(+6); Under

Washington St @ California

Game 195-196
November 9, 2019 @ 7:00 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Washington St
92.503
California
82.496
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Washington St
by 10
55
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Washington St
by 7 1/2
50 1/2
Dunkel Pick:
Washington St
(-7 1/2); Over

Appalachian St @ South Carolina

Game 139-140
November 9, 2019 @ 7:00 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Appalachian St
88.975
South Carolina
96.225
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
South Carolina
by 7 1/2
47
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
South Carolina
by 4 1/2
52
Dunkel Pick:
South Carolina
(-4 1/2); Under

Missouri @ Georgia

Game 181-182
November 9, 2019 @ 7:00 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Missouri
93.939
Georgia
108.302
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Georgia
by 14 1/2
51
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Georgia
by 17
47
Dunkel Pick:
Missouri
(+17); Over

Clemson @ NC State

Game 117-118
November 9, 2019 @ 7:30 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Clemson
118.358
NC State
76.438
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Clemson
by 42
56
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Clemson
by 32
53 1/2
Dunkel Pick:
Clemson
(-32); Over

Tennessee @ Kentucky

Game 179-180
November 9, 2019 @ 7:30 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Tennessee
91.890
Kentucky
93.448
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Kentucky
by 1 1/2
44
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Tennessee
by 1
41 1/2
Dunkel Pick:
Kentucky
(+1); Over

Notre Dame @ Duke

Game 127-128
November 9, 2019 @ 7:30 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Notre Dame
97.479
Duke
85.587
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Notre Dame
by 12
47
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Notre Dame
by 8
51 1/2
Dunkel Pick:
Notre Dame
(-8); Under

Liberty @ Brigham Young

Game 157-158
November 9, 2019 @ 7:30 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Liberty
71.731
Brigham Young
91.813
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Brigham Young
by 20
54
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Brigham Young
by 17
59
Dunkel Pick:
Brigham Young
(-17); Under

Iowa State @ Oklahoma

Game 173-174
November 9, 2019 @ 8:00 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Iowa State
98.985
Oklahoma
109.382
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Oklahoma
by 10 1/2
64
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Oklahoma
by 14 1/2
68
Dunkel Pick:
Iowa State
(+14 1/2); Under

Wyoming @ Boise State

Game 155-156
November 9, 2019 @ 10:15 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Wyoming
79.348
Boise State
94.990
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Boise State
by 15 1/2
44
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Boise State
by 13
48 1/2
Dunkel Pick:
Boise State
(-13); Under

Nevada @ San Diego St

Game 197-198
November 9, 2019 @ 10:30 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Nevada
63.967
San Diego St
85.672
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
San Diego St
by 21 1/2
41
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
San Diego St
by 17
38 1/2
Dunkel Pick:
San Diego St
(-17); Over

San Jose St @ Hawaii

Game 199-200
November 9, 2019 @ 11:00 pm

Dunkel Rating:
San Jose St
69.108
Hawaii
80.102
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Hawaii
by 11
74
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Hawaii
by 7 1/2
77 1/2
Dunkel Pick:
Hawaii
(-7 1/2); Under

[Udog]

by: Monty Andrews


WHICH OHIO WILL PREVAIL?

An all-Ohio battle highlights Wednesday's “MACtion” between the Miami (Ohio) RedHawks and the host Ohio Bobcats. And while the Bobcats are touchdown favorites in the latest edition of their rivalry with the RedHawks, they could be well-positioned to make this one a laugher – at least if third-down trends carry over into Wednesday's game.

Miami (Ohio) has struggled all season at converting on third down, coming into this one ranked 123rd in the nation with a 30.6-percent success rate. The Bobcats are at the other end of the spectrum, ranked 13th in the country with a 48.6-percent third-down conversion rate.

This spread is sitting on a magic number, which means a little more commitment to the home team. But given how these teams have fared at extending drives, the Bobcats are a solid choice to make good on the cover.


ANOTHER ONE GONE

The Texas Christian Horned Frogs are quickly running out of quarterback options. Less than a week after watching Justin Rogers depart the program, the Horned Frogs also bid farewell to Alex Delton, who arrived at TCU as a grad transfer but wasn't given an opportunity to challenge for the starting role.

Not only do the departures deliver a major hit to TCU's quarterback depth, but current starter Max Duggan is dealing with a finger injury and is questionable against Baylor while backup Michael Collins has a midsection injury and won't play versus the Bears Saturday.

There's a real possibility the Horned Frogs will be forced to turn to redshirt freshman Matthew Downing, which would obviously be a worst-case scenario. Even if Duggan plays, he likely won't be 100 percent, so we like the Under on TCU's team total of 23.5 points.


SPARTANS SHORTHANDED

The Michigan State Spartans come out of the bye week well-rested and ready to tangle with Illinois, but they'll be without the services of one of their top offensive weapons.

Wide receiver Darrell Stewart won't play against the Illini Saturday after suffering a leg injury versus the Penn State Nittany Lions on October 26. Stewart has been the team's top pass catcher, coming into Week 11 with 47 catches for 694 yards (second in the Big Ten) and four touchdowns. Cody White and C.J. Hayes will likely see more targets in Stewart's absence against Illinois this weekend.

Stewart is far and away Michigan State's most dangerous offensive weapon, and with the Illini struggling on offense we see the Under 45.5 as the superior play here.


TUA TIME!

We're saving the best for last here, with the Alabama Crimson Tide expected to have their Heisman candidate quarterback under center for Saturday's epic encounter with visiting LSU.

Tua Tagovailoa split first-team reps during Monday's practice and is reportedly set to return to the field after suffering an ankle injury that required surgery late last month. Tagovailoa missed the Tide's win over Arkansas but will return to face the Tigers in a battle between the top two teams in the nation. Tagovailoa has thrown for more than 2,100 yards with 27 touchdowns and just two interceptions this season.

Oddsmakers expect to see plenty of fireworks in this one, but between Tua having some early-game rust and LSU counterpart Joe Burrow facing a hostile reception at Bryant-Denny Stadium, we like the Under on the first-half total.

[Udog]

Temple at USF
Joe Nelson

With football every night of the week in early November, the Thursday night game will have a harder time standing out and a matchup in the AAC this Thursday isn’t an alluring national draw as Temple visits South Florida. Both teams are tied at 2-2 in conference play and the victor will get a big boost towards the postseason.

Venue: Raymond James Stadium in Tampa, Florida
Time/TV: Thursday, November 7, 8:00 PM ET ESPN
Line: Temple -1, Over/Under 50
Last Meeting: 2018 at Temple (-14) 27, South Florida 17

Temple had a messy off-season after Geoff Collins left the program after two seasons to take over at Georgia Tech. The Owls hired Miami defensive coordinator Manny Diaz, but a few weeks later, he was brought back to Miami after Mark Richt retired. Rod Carey was hired after a successful run at Northern Illinois and is now the fifth coach for the program since 2006, not counting Diaz or interim coach Ed Foley.

Temple hasn’t been thought of as one of the top Group of 5 programs often but since 2015, the Owls are 40-22 S/U and 40-22 ATS for records that few programs can match. Temple is 5-3 this season with erratic results beating Maryland and Georgia Tech as well as Memphis, but taking a loss to Buffalo and now outscored 108-42 in the past two AAC games.

Carey’s track record promoted running the ball and stopping the run with the Huskies ranking third nationally in per carry run defense last season. So far this season, Temple has held foes to 189 rushing yards per game on 4.3 yards per carry for average numbers. The Owls have better numbers against the pass, 34th nationally in allowing 6.8 yards per attempt while 6th nationally in opposing quarterback completion percentage.

Temple’s offense has struggled, sitting at the bottom of the AAC posting just 4.6 yards per play. The Owls are one of the nation’s worst rushing teams posting just 3.3 yards per attempt and 132 yards per game on the ground. Junior quarterback Anthony Russo is asked to do a lot and he has thrown for more than 1,800 yards this season with 16 touchdowns but also eight interceptions. He hasn’t had a 300 yard passing game vs. FBS competition this season and he had a marginal game vs. USF last season passing for 264 yards, but with no touchdowns and just 59 percent completions.

Temple draws difficult games with Tulane and Cincinnati the next two weeks but will have a favorable finale at home vs. Connecticut should they still be searching for win #6 to claim a fourth bowl bid in five seasons, though the program hasn’t won a bowl game since 2011 under Steve Addazio coming out the MAC.

USF went 11-2 under Willie Taggart (as well as TJ Weist for the bowl game) in the 2016 season. Taggart left for Oregon and then Florida State and he is now out of a job, though with full pockets. Charlie Strong was a rising star going 37-15 in four seasons at Louisville before a mediocre three-year run at Texas. He seemed to land on his feet in Tampa with a 10-2 first season with the Bulls in 2017, nearly ousting undefeated UCF for the division title and also beating a Big Ten team in non-conference play and a Big XII team in bowl action.

It appeared to be more of the same last season for Strong with early season wins over ACC and Big Ten teams and a 7-0 start led by Alabama and Arizona State transfer Blake Barnett at quarterback. USF would close the season losing six straight including the Gasparilla Bowl at home in Tampa. In a hyped opening game with Wisconsin in 2019, the Bulls lost 49-0, but since a 1-3 start, USF has turned around to go 3-1 the past four games with a notable home win over BYU.

This is a critical game for USF as they will face three of the top American teams in the next three games and any hopes of returning to a bowl game will likely require a win this week. Barnett was benched early in the year and Jordan McCloud has had mixed results as a freshman quarterback. He is much smaller in stature and more of a rushing threat and the offense now leans on the rushing attack led by senior Jordan Cronkrite, who has amassed nearly 600 yards on 5.4 yards per carry including 100+ yards in each of the past three wins.

USF ranks 36th nationally in yards per rush at 4.9, a spot ahead of the Badgers team they were blown out by in the opener. Few teams gain fewer passing yards than the Bulls as this is a matchup of contrasting offenses. USF’s defense has slightly better pass defense numbers than run defense numbers as well to mirror Temple.

Series History:
The host has won all four meetings between these teams going back to 2012 with USF’s underdog cover last season the only instance of the S/U winner not matching the ATS winner.

Last season:
Temple had clinched bowl eligibility the previous week with a 59-49 win at Houston and it had been a run of marquee games vs. top AAC contenders for the Owls including an overtime win over Cincinnati and a primetime loss to undefeated UCF in a very competitive game. It proved to be a flat spot for Temple as USF led 17-0 at halftime.

The tables turned after the break as up by 17, USF was stopped on 4th-and-1 just outside of field goal range. Temple answered with a touchdown and the second half went disastrously for the Bulls with five turnovers including allowing a fumble return touchdown as well as a punt return touchdown as Temple stormed back to take the lead in the fourth quarter and ultimately won 27-17. Temple had a 337-266 yardage edge and a 5-2 turnover edge. USF had a 184-73 edge in rushing yards and held on to cover at +14.

Historical Trends for Temple:
There aren’t many negative trends for Temple in recent years and the Owls are 11-4 ATS since 2014 as a road favorite while 27-13 ATS in all road games since 2013. Temple won but fell short of the spread playing on Thursday night at East Carolina in early October and is 0-3 ATS on the road this season. Rod Carey is 57-33 S/U in his career mostly as Northern Illinois before joining Temple this season, going 46-42-2 ATS including 13-9 ATS as a road favorite.

Historical Trends for USF:
Under Charlie Strong since 2017, USF is 11-6 S/U but 6-11 ATS at home including 2-4 ATS as a home underdog. USF is on a 25-36-3 ATS run in home games since 2010. Strong is 74-49 S/U in his career at Louisville, Texas and now USF while three games below .500 ATS though he is 26-20-1 ATS as an underdog in his career.

[Udog]

Washington at Oregon State
Matt Blunt

Venue/Location: Reser Stadium, Corvallis, Oregon
Time/TV: Friday, Nov. 8 (FS1, 10:30 p.m. ET)
Line: Washington -10, Total 65

As I wrote in an earlier underdog piece this season, when you back dog crap teams often, you'd better expect dog crap results at times, and across the board it was a rough week for my selections in college football. It started with last Friday's play on the Connecticut Huskies as they were blasted 56-10 by Navy in a game that got ugly from the start. Sometimes it doesn't matter how favorable a situation may appear, talent – especially in collegiate sports – tends to win out and Connecticut has a severe deficiency in talent on the football field.

This week it's back to the Pac-12 conference wanting to showcase its programs on Friday night once again, albeit not the most attractive matchup you could drub up within the conference. Yet, Oregon State has been playing better football with consecutive road wins @ California and @ Arizona the past two weeks to push their record up to 4-4 SU. In fact, the Beavers have outright wins in all three of their conference road games this year (beat UCLA too), and with a 6-1 ATS run going entering Friday, they've been great to bettors as well.

The same can't be said for this Washington team that has seen a promising season go awry with back-to-back home losses to Oregon and Utah. Those defeats have the Huskies left playing for whatever Bowl game they end up getting now, as they blew leads in both of those games which you just can't do at home when you are trying to win your conference. The Huskies have now dropped three of their last four ATS too, meaning you've got two teams on the opposite ends of the recent form spectrum and I'm sure that will be a talking point for some who break down this game.

So should we be backing the current form approach and taking the points with the Beavers, or selling high on Oregon State and buying low on Washington?

Betting Odds: Washington (-10) vs Oregon State; Total set at 65

It's hard to not like what the Beavers have done lately with those three road wins in their last four games on top of that 6-1 ATS run. Outside of the season opener vs Oklahoma State, the Beavers have two losses by just a FG and also suffered a woodshed beating from Utah (52-7) the last time they were at home. For a team that's not been to a Bowl game since 2013, and not won more then four games since 2015, sitting at 4-4 SU with four games left is quite the improvement. After all, the Beavers were a combined 3-21 SU – including 1-17 SU in Pac-12 play – the past two years, so it is nice to see this team take some strides forward. It's all about becoming Bowl eligible for them now, and to get to that magic number of six wins, they will need to continue to play solid football.

Getting to those six wins is not going to be easy though given that the rest of their schedule consists of this game vs Washington, vs Arizona State, and then on the road for games against Washington State and Oregon to finish the year. If you are a believer in what the Beavers or doing or just prefer to ride the hotter team right now, you've got to figure that Oregon State needs an outright win in at least one of these next two games at home, and there is a lot to like about the situation vs Washington this week.

The Huskies 2019 season is done in terms of the preseason goals they set out for themselves – win the division, win the conference, see where they land in national picture – and it's going to be really hard for Washington to pick themselves up after coming to that realization. Washington put all their energy and focus into trying to knock off Oregon and Utah the past two weeks and they just couldn't close the deal in both cases. The 2nd half collapses have to be completely disheartening, and a road trip to Corvallis against an annual bottom feeder like the Beavers can't be high on the excitement meter for the Huskies this week.

However, at the same time, Oregon State has done their best work this year away from home, and truthfully, they've had the best of it in terms of their Pac-12 schedule. Outside of the Utah game, Oregon State has yet to face a team that currently sits with a winning record in the conference, and obviously the one time they did step up in class against Utah, the Beavers got smacked with their own tails. Washington's still got next level talent at multiple positions on both sides of the ball, and if the Huskies do decide to show up and play, this one could be another ugly loss at home for Oregon State.

Because after all, another potential scenario that could play out here is that Washington's so pissed off and frustrated with themselves for the two blown games the past two weeks that they look to take out all that frustration on a lesser opponent like Oregon State and route them quick and decisively. All that means is that this current spread of -10 is probably about where it should be and one that I believe could land either way. I do like Washington to win the game outright, but covering the number depends on how motivated they are to be in Oregon State this week.

Instead, I'm looking at this total as one that's probably a bit too high, all things considered. If Washington's out there going through the motions, chances are they aren't going to be that sharp offensively. Even with the Beavers being a team that's allowed 30+ in four of their last five games – the lone outlier coming against a California team that struggles to score against ghosts – I'm still not sure I can trust the Huskies to pull their weight here.

At the same time, Oregon State's offense is hard to trust with the step up in competition level, especially when you figure that Washington's defense is coming off two straight games where they coughed up victories. As a team the Huskies may not be that enthused for this game, but I'd be willing to bet that Washington's defense has heard an earful this week about their inability to close out games and get the key stop when needed.

Getting those issues corrected is something that they should be able to do against a team like Oregon State, especially when Washington's last two trips to Corvallis have ended with the Beavers scoring just 7 points each time. That previous step up in class vs Utah saw Oregon State score just a single TD that day, and while Utah's defense is better then what Washington brings to the table, asking Oregon State to put up any more then 20 points seems like a stretch. The Beavers have averaged just 17.5 points scored in their two previous games this year after efforts of scoring 40+, and are on a 2-7 O/U run after scoring 40+ if you take it back even further.

With the Beavers also on a 0-3-1 O/U run in their last four games against a winning team, and Washington 2-5 O/U in their last seven away from home, I expect this game to stay much lower then this current total suggests.

Best Bet: Under 65

YTD Record: 4-7 ATS

[StarDust Bum]

Wednesday, November 6

M-OH at OHIO

08:00 PM

M-OH +7.0 *****

U 57.5 *****

[Udog]

by: Monty Andrews


RUNNING COAST TO COAST

The Louisiana Ragin' Cajuns know what they do best – and fans and bettors can expect them to do a lot of it as they visit Coastal Carolina on Thursday night. The visiting v that ranks in the middle of the pack nationally in run defense. Of greater concern for the visitors is whether an all-out rush attack will be enough, as they might struggle through the air against Coastal Carolina's 10th-ranked pass defense (175.5 yards allowed per game).

While this might be a bit more of a grind than the Cajuns are used to, they should still be able to use their sensational ground game to pound Coastal Carolina into submission. We like the visitors – but at a half-point lower than the current spread.


TROUBLE WITH TURNOVERS

Oddsmakers have Thursday night's American Athletic Conference showdown between Temple and host South Florida as a tight one – but turnovers could make the home team a much more attractive proposition. The Bulls are on an incredible turnover spree, having forced 20 through their first eight games (second only to Illinois). USF also ranks inside the top-10 in turnover margin at +7. The Owls, on the other hand, have turned the ball over 15 times on the season and boast a -3 turnover margin. Turnovers went a long way in deciding last year's outcome, with Temple capitalizing on five USF miscues to earn a 27-17 win.

The Bulls will likely take much better care of the football this time around, which is more than we can say for visiting Temple. We like both the home team cover and the defensive/special teams touchdown here.


BRYANT "ON TRACK" TO RETURN

The Missouri Tigers will likely have their starting quarterback in the lineup for Saturday's daunting encounter with host Georgia. Kelly Bryant handled the majority of first-team reps during Wednesday's practice, and looks to be nearing a return to action after suffering a hamstring injury in a 29-7 defeat at the hands of Kentucky prior to last week's bye. Bryant completed just 10-of-19 passes for 130 yards in that game, and has thrown for a meager 270 total yards over his previous two contests. Taylor Powell will likely get the start if Bryant isn't able to suit up against the Bulldogs.

Missouri has been a thorn in Georgia bettors' side in recent years with four consecutive covers in the head-to-head series – but with both defenses looking stout and the Tigers' offense in a bit of a tailspin, the Under looks like a terrific play.


DIVINITY TO MISS LSU-BAMA SHOWDOWN

The biggest game on the college football calendar to date will be missing at least one key defensive player. LSU learned it will be without star linebacker Michael Divinity, who left the team this week due to personal reasons. Divinity has been a standout on the Tigers' defensive unit in 2019, racking up 23 tackles, four tackles for loss and three sacks despite missing three games earlier in the season. LSU head coach Ed Orgeron couldn't say whether Divinity would return to the team later in the season. Look for the Tigers to rely even more on their nickel and dime packages with Divinity out of action.

The idea is to not make things easier on a Crimson Tide offense led by Heisman Trophy candidate (and future NFLer) Tua Tagovailoa. This development leads us to put more stock in the home team to cover Saturday.

[Udog]

The Triple Option: College football Week 11 best picks and predictions
Andrew Caley

Baylor is 8-0, but ranked 12th in the initial College Football Playoff rankings, behind 7-1 Oklahoma and multiple two-loss teams. Can the Bears use that as motivation this week against TCU?

So, we got our first look at the College Football Playoff rankings this week and there were definitely a few surprises.

Ohio State debuted as the CFP selection committee’s initial No. 1 overall team, followed by LSU at No.2 and Alabama at No. 3. Fellow Big Ten school Penn State rounded out the top four. Notice anyone missing?

Oh, that would just be the defending national champs. Yup, Clemson was ranked No. 5 and on the outside looking in. Predictably, Tigers fans everywhere freaked out. But the fact of the matter is the ACC is the worst Power 5 conference this season. Heck, the AAC might have given Clemson more of a challenge.

The other conference the CFP committee didn’t think too highly of was the Big 12. The highest ranked team was 7-1 Oklahoma at No. 9, while undefeated Baylor came in at No. 12. Now, the Bears don’t have any marquee wins, but victories against Iowa State and at Kansas State and Oklahoma State should be considered quality. Oh, and won that game at K-State by 19. Yeah, the same K-State team that went into Norman and put up 48 points on the Sooners.

All that means is Baylor now has some added motivation heading into Saturday’s matchup at TCU. The Bears, who were already looking for their first win over the Horned Frogs since 2014, have gone 8-0 (4-4 ATS) thanks to being one of the most balanced teams in the country.

Quarterback Charlie Brewer leads an offense that ranks 15th in total yards per game and 25th in Football Outsiders Offensive FEI ratings, while the defense might be the best unit in the Big 12 and ranks 20th in DFEI.

Brewer has been efficient, completing nearly 68 percent of his passes with 20 total touchdowns (six rushing) with just three interceptions. And if TCU wants to key on the Bears’ air game, they can then turn to the ground, where they have gashed opponents for 5.2 yards per carry this season.

On the other side, TCU’s quarterback situation is murky at best. Starter Max Duggan is questionable with a hand injury and if he can’t tough it out, the Frogs will be in trouble. Backup QB Alex Delton left the team this past week and new backup Michael Collins is already out with a rib injury.

This might have been a lookahead spot for Baylor with Oklahoma coming to Waco next week. But thanks to the CFP committee, the Bears now have a chip on their shoulder and will want to prove the doubters wrong each and every week. That starts against TCU.

Pick: Baylor -2.5

WAKE FOREST DEMON DEACONS AT VIRGINIA TECH HOKIES (+2, 61.5)

OK. I’ll say it. This game feels like a trap.

The two-point spread says it all. The Demon Deacons could record their first double-digit win season since 2006. They are playing a 5-3 Virginia Tech team, that while inconsistent, is playing its best football of the season. And this is a classic lookahead spot with a trip to Death Valley to take on Clemson on the docket next week. But screw it! This number is too good to pass up.

Quarterback Jamie Newman leads a Wake Forest offense that ranks seventh in the nation in total yards per game and ninth in passing yards per game. Newman has thrown for 2,059 yards while completing 67.2 percent of his passes with 20 touchdowns compared to five interceptions. Newman leans heavily on star wideout Sage Surratt who has 62 receptions for 948 yards and nine touchdowns already this season.

This week, Newman and Surratt get to go up against a Hokies defense that ranks 110th against the pass and 82 DFEI ratings.

On the other side of the ball, the Wake Forest defense is underrated, ranking 55th in DFEI and should be able to handle a Virginia Tech team that has struggled to find its identity on offense.

And while this may be a lookahead spot for the Deacons, it’s also a letdown spot for the Hokies coming off a near upset of Notre Dame in South Bend last week. Wake Forest will at least provide us with the illusion that they can give Clemson a challenge next week by taking care of business against Virginia Tech.

Pick: Wake Forest -2

WASHINGTON STATE COUGARS AT CALIFORNIA GOLDEN BEARS (+7.5, 51.5)

The 2019 campaign has undoubtedly been a letdown for Mike Leach and Wazzu.

After the Gardner Minshew experience led Washington State to a 11-2 campaign last year, Wazzu is 4-4 with just one conference win this season. But if there is any coach out there that can lead a late season turnaround, it’s Leach.

Despite the tough start, the Cougars still have a chance to qualify for a bowl game for the fifth straight season thanks to an easier schedule down the stretch. And that starts in Berkley as Washington State visits California this weekend.

Washington State is still doing what Washington State does. And that is throw the ball. A lot. The Cougars once again lead the nation in passing at an eye-popping 436.4 yards per contest. Senior signal caller Alex Gordon has a whopping 3,387 passing yards with 32 touchdowns while completing 70 percent of his passes.

He’ll face a Golden Bears defense that is definitely solid, but hasn’t been as dominant as most expected heading into this season. But one of the reasons for that is because the offense can’t sustain drives.

Ever since quarterback Chase Garbers went down with a shoulder injury in the first half of Cal’s Sept. 27 matchup with Arizona State, the Golden Bears offense has been, well, one of the worst in the country. In the 14 quarters Cal has played without Garbers, it has scored just 34 points and now ranks 124th in total yards per game and 107th in OFEI.

Wazzu doesn’t play much defense, but that shouldn’t matter in this one. A worn out Cal defense can only do so much against Leach’s air raid offense, and the Golden Bears won’t be able to keep up.

Pick: Washington State -7.5

Last week: 3-0
Season to date: 15-14-3