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[StarDust Bum]

Big 12 challengers get a shot this week
October 3, 2019
By The Associated Press

AUSTIN, Texas (AP) Finally, the Big 12 has a full slate of conference games this weekend.

By Sunday, the league should have a pretty good idea of which teams are in the mix with Oklahoma and Texas for spots in the Big 12 championship game in December.

The No. 6 Sooners and No. 11 Longhorns remain the favorites to reach the title game, but they meet in the Cotton Bowl in Dallas on Oct. 12. The pressure will be on the winner to avoid a second loss that could jeopardize what many presume will be a rematch/replay of 2018.

It takes a deep trek into the Big 12 record book to find a conference title game that didn't have either the Sooners or the Longhorns: It was way back in 1998 when former league member Texas A&M beat Kansas State.

The Big 12 didn't play a championship game from 2011-2016 but in the years before, and since, it has included either Texas or Oklahoma 15 times. The Sooners have made the title game a whopping 10 times. That puts a premium on snagging that second spot. Just who will be in line to possible do that should begin to shake out this week when every game is a conference matchup.

The only matchup of Big 12 unbeatens is Texas (3-1, 1-0) at West Virginia (3-1, 1-0). The Longhorns were off last week after a tough win against Oklahoma State. The Mountaineers also had a week off after getting their first conference win for new coach Neal Brown

The Texas offense has been rolling behind quarterback Sam Ehlinger, but the defense has been badly wounded. Texas has been hardest hit in the secondary and Ehlinger may have to carry the Longhorns all season.

Texas coach Tom Herman doesn't want the Longhorns thinking of themselves as league favorites. After beating Oklahoma in the regular season last year, Texas lost two conference games and had to scrap its way into the championship. One of those losses was to West Virginia.

''We're not far enough along in the development of our program to have any sense of enjoying prosperity," Herman said. ''It's unfathomable that anybody at this stage we're in could feel anything resembling comfortability."

Oklahoma State, with tailback Chuba Hubbard, already has a loss to Texas, but the Cowboys have the look of a team that could hang around until the season-ending Bedlam game with Oklahoma on Nov. 30. The Cowboys (4-1, 1-1) face Texas Tech (2-2, 0-1) this week. The Red Raiders have lost two in a row under first-year coach Matt Wells and are missing injured quarterback Alan Bowman.

Iowa State (2-2, 0-1) enjoyed it first preseason ranking in 41 years and the Cyclones were a darkhorse pick for the league championship. A road loss at Baylor has them desperate to avoid an 0-2 league start when they host TCU (3-1, 1-0). The Cyclones rallied from a 20-point deficit last week at Baylor, only to lose on a game-ending field goal.

The calendar suggests it's time for a Cyclones surge. Iowa State has won eight straight in October dating to 2017 and another mid-season run could put them back among the league favorites for the title game.

Baylor (4-0, 1-0) hasn't enjoyed that kind of status since 2015. Last week's win - with a dominant defensive effort over three quarters, then a late drive for the field goal - could be a huge step under third-year coach Matt Rhule. The university certainly likes what it has in him, giving Rhule a contract extension over the weekend through 2027.

Beat Kansas State on Saturday to reach 2-0 in conference play and the Bears will be taken seriously the rest of the way.

''We're playing really hard and we're playing really physical, so you see a lot of good things happening," Rhule said.

Kansas State (3-1, 0-1) had a perfect start under first-year coach Chris Klieman. That included an impressive road win at Mississippi State. Then came a conference-opening loss at Oklahoma State when Hubbard romped for nearly 300 yards. The loss ended a 24-game win streak dating back to 2017 for Klieman, who was at North Dakota State before taking over the Wildcats.

While the rest of the Big 12 field tries to sort itself out, Oklahoma travels to Kansas (2-3, 0-2) while getting ready for next week's matchup with the Longhorns in Dallas. The only concern there for the Sooners and transfer quarterback Jalen Hurts should be getting out of Lawrence without any serious injuries.

[StarDust Bum]

THURSDAY, OCTOBER 3
GAME TIME(ET) PICK UNITS

GASO at USA 07:30 PM
GASO -10.0
O 45.0

TEM at ECU 08:00 PM
TEM -12.5
U 47.0

[StarDust Bum]

Davis runs for 157 with a TD, Temple tops E Carolina 27-17
October 3, 2019
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GREENVILLE, N.C. (AP) Reâ??Mahn Davis rushed for a career-high 157 yards with a touchdown and Temple defeated East Carolina 27-17 on Thursday night.

The true freshman surpassed the 135 yards he had a week earlier in a win over Georgia Tech. He carried the ball 24 times and scored on a 1-yard run in the second quarter that broke a 10-10 tie.

Temple (4-1, 1-0 American Athletic Conference) had its quarterbacks go 27 of 39 for 253 yards. Starter Anthony Russo was 23 of 34 for 208 with a touchdown pass late in the third quarter to push the lead to 14. Branden Mack had nine receptions for 107 yards and Isaiah Wright 9 for 104, including a 7-yard score.

Holton Ahlers was 19 of 39 for 229 yards and two touchdowns, the last coming with 29 seconds left, for the Pirates (3-3, 0-2). CJ Johnson had eight catches for 100 yards with 10 catches of 14 yards to open the scoring and 10 to close it.

Temple leads the series 9-8, having won all six matchups following the formation of the AAC. The game was delayed for about 10 minutes after the lights some of the lights went out with about 3½ minutes remaining.


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Late TD, FG in OT lifts Georgia Southern past South Alabama
October 3, 2019
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MOBILE, Ala. (AP) Tyler Bass kicked a 37-yard field goal in the second overtime after the Georgia Southern forced a turnover and the Eagles rallied to defeat South Alabama 20-17 on Thursday night.

Bass, who kicked a 46-yard field goal to put Georgia Southern up 10-7 at halftime, missed a 32-yarder on the first possession of overtime. However, Ty Phillips blocked a 45-yard attempt by South Alabama's Frankie Onate to force a second overtime.

On the Jaguars' first play, Ricky Wade Jr., strip-sacked Cephus Johnson, and Raymond Johnson III recovered. The Eagles gained six yards on three running plays before Bass' winner.

The Eagles forced overtime by going 65 yards on eight running plays, chewing up 4-minutes, 4-seconds before scoring on Wesley Kennedy III's 1-yard option pitch with 20 seconds to play.

Georgia Southern (2-3, 1-1 Sun Belt Conference) ran 83 plays and had 388 yards, 310 on the ground, keeping the ball for 40 1/2 minutes. Quarterback Shai Werts was just 9 of 17 for 78 yards but had 102 yards on 20 rushes.

South Alabama (1-5, 0-2) ran just 39 plays for 247 yards and held the ball for 19:22. Johnson was 8 of 15 for 194 yards and two TDs. He had a 75-yard touchdown pass to Kawaan Baker in the first half, and the Jags had just 17 yards of offense other than that. He hit Jalen Tolbert for a 60-yard score in the third quarter and Baker for 43 yards in the fourth to set up Onate's 45-yard field goal for a 17-10 lead. Take away the three big pass plays and South Alabama, which is 0-6 against the Eagles, had 69 yards on offense.

[StarDust Bum]

CFB OCTOBER OPINIONS AND BEST BETS: ALL BASED ON 5 UNITS

DATE W-L-T % UNITS RECORD

10/03/2019......1-3-0...........25.00%..........-11.50


Totals...............1-3-0...........25.00%.........-11.50


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BEST BETS:

DATE........................ATS.............UNITS. ............O/U...............UNITS.............TOTALS

10/03/2019.............0 - 2............-11.00..............1 - 2..............-6.00..............-17.00


Totals.....................0 - 2.............-11.00..............1 - 2..............-6.00..............-17.00

[StarDust Bum]

Friday’s 6-pack

Odds to make the Stanley Cup playoffs this season:

— St Louis Blues Yes -$240, Yes +$190

— Chicago Blackhawks No -$210, No +$175

— Washington Capitals Yes -$300, Yes +$240

— Calgary Flames Yes -$220, No -$180

— Florida Panthers Yes -$220, No -$180

— Minnesota Wild No -$260, Yes +$210

Quote of the Day
“It’s kind of like going to recess and they have the first 85 picks.”
Miami OH football coach Chuck Martin, talking about playing Ohio State

Friday’s quiz
In all of MINOR league baseball this season, how many no-hitters were thrown?

Thursday’s quiz
Lions and Cowboys always host NFL games on Thanksgiving Day.

Wednesday’s quiz
Giants beat Detroit in 2012, the last time the World Series was a sweep.

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Friday’s Den: Writeup on 13 other college football games……

Boston College beat Louisville the last two years, 38-20/45-42; favorites are 3-3 SU in last six series games. Eagles lost two of last three visits to Louisville; last two were both decided by 3 points. Under Addazio, BC is 12-4-1 ATS as a road underdog; they lost two of last three games overall. Over last decade, Louisville is 19-32 ATS when laying points at home; they they split first two games, with losses by 18-11 points.

Trap game for North Carolina after an emotional 21-20 loss at Clemson; UNC lost its last three games, last two by total of 4 points. Tar Heels are 6-3 ATS in last nine games as a road favorite. Georgia Tech is 16-5 in its last 21 games with UNC, winning 38-28/33-7 the last two years; Tar Heels lost nine of last ten visits to Atlanta (4-5-1 ATS). Tech lost 24-2 to Temple LW; they’re off to a 1-3 start, with a loss to a I-AA team.

Tulane/Army split their last eight meetings; Green Wave won last two meetings, 21-17/34-31. Underdogs covered five of last seven series games; dogs are 6-2 ATS in Tulane’s last eight trips to West Point. Tulane came from behind to beat Houston last game; they’re 3-2 ATS in last five games as a road favorite. Under Monken, Army is 3-4 ATS when getting points at home; they beat three stiffs and lost 24-21 (+22.5) at Michigan.

Underdogs covered last four Central Michigan-Eastern Michigan games; Eagles lost last three visits to CMU, by 12-7-32 points, with an average total of 62.3. Eastern is 3-2 ATS in last five games as a road favorite; they blocked punt for TD with 0:10 left to nip a I-AA team in their last game. CMU is 5-13 ATS in last 18 games as a home dog; they threw for 330+ yards in two of their last three games.

Miami won four of last five games with Virginia Tech, winning last two 28-10/38-14; Hokies lost last two trips to Miami, 30-20/28-10. Favorites covered four of last five series games. Tech is 8-4 ATS in last dozen games as a road underdog; they’re 3-3 in last six games asa double digit underdog. Miami lost its first two games by total of 7 points, then snuck by CMU 17-12 in last game; Hurricanes are 5-8 ATS in last 13 games as a home favorite.

UCLA won four of last five games with Oregon State, winning last two 41-0/38-24; teams split last four meetings played here. Beavers are 0-3 vs I-A teams, with last two losses by 3 points each; they’re 10-16-1 ATS in last 27 games asa a road underdog. UCLA lost four of first five games and trailed 49-17 in its one win; they gave up 1,782 TY in last three games. Bruins are 8-15 ATS in last 23 games as a home favorite.

Favorites covered last seven California-Oregon games; Golden Bears lost their last five visits to Eugene (0-5 ATS). Ducks ran ball for 588 yards in last two meetings. Cal was 4-0 but lost at home to ASU LW; Golden Bears have wins at Washington, Ole Miss, are 8-3 as road underdogs under Wilcox. Oregon won its last two I-A games, allowing 6-6 points; Ducks are 7-4 ATS in last 11 games as a home favorite.

Home side won seven of last eight Washington-Stanford games; Huskies lost their last five trips to The Farm (1-4 ATS). Washington won its last three games, beating USC LW; under Petersen, Huskies are 10-9 ATS as a road fave- they won 45-19 at BYU in their only road game. Stanford lost three of last four games; over last decade, they’re 5-1 as a home underdog (1-0 this year). Cardinal allowed 330+ PY in three of its last four games.

Underdogs covered 10 of last 13 Toledo-Western Michigan games; Broncos lost four of last five visits to Toledo (4-2 ATS in last six). WMU gave up 103 points in losing its two road games, at Michigan St/Syracuse; under Lester, Broncos are 2-5 as road underdogs. Under Candle, Toledo is 10-7 ATS when a home favorite; they won last two games over Colorado St/BYU, despite giving up a total of 1,149 yards.

Home side won last nine Buffalo-Ohio games; Bobcats lost their last four visits to western NY (0-4 ATS). Ohio Is 0-3 vs I-A teams, giving up 481 TY in all three games; Bobcats are 5-4 ATS in last nine games as a road favorite.- they gave up 33-45 points in last two games. Buffalo lost three of last four games, with all three losses by 14+ points; under Leipold, Bulls are 9-3 ATS when getting points at home.

Home side won last four Ole Miss-Vanderbilt games; Commodores lost 27-16/57-35 in last two visits to Oxford. Favorites covered four of last six series games. Vandy lost three of first four games; they’re 18-14 ATS in its last 32 games as a road underdog- ‘dores lost 42-24 at Purdue in their only road game this year. Ole Miss gave up 1,006 yards in losing its last two games; they gave up 309 PY to a I-AA team. Rebels are 12-10 ATS in last 22 games as a home favorite.

Western Kentucky (-4) lost 37-34 to Old Dominion LY, their first loss in five games with ODU (3-2 ATS). Hilltoppers won 35-31/55-30 in their two visits to ODU. WKU split its first four games, losing to a I-AA team, running ball for only 58 ypg vs I-A teams- over last 2+ years, they’re 0-5 ATS when laying points on road. ODU is 0-3 vs I-A teams; since moving to I-A, they’re 5-8 ATS when getting points at home.

Tennessee is 0-3 vs I-A teams, losing SEC opener 34-3 at Florida; Vols covered once in their last seven games as a home underdog. Georgia had LW off after beating Notre Dame; they’re 8-4 ATS in last dozen games as a road favorite. Underdogs covered five of last seven Georgia-Tennessee games; Dawgs won last two meetings, 38-12/41-0- they’ve won three of last four visits to Knoxville.

[StarDust Bum]

by: Monty Andrews

BEARCATS TAKE A PASS

UCF has traditionally been known for being one of the most dangerous offensive teams in college football – but that reputation will be put to the test Friday night as the Knights face the Bearcats in Cincinnati. While Dillon Gabriel leads the AAC with 14 touchdown passes so far this season, he hasn't had to face a Bearcats pass defense that is allowing just 167 yards per game on the season while limiting opponents to a paltry four touchdown passes. And as good as Central Florida has been, it has actually finished below the total in seven of its previous eight road games against teams with winning home records.

The Bearcats can't hope to keep up with this Knights offense, but should be able to contain the pass attack sufficiently to keep things interesting. We like UCF to finish below its team total, which sits at around 33.5 points.


POSITIVE GAME SCRIPT

The San Jose State Spartans know what they're good at – and it puts them in great position to succeed Friday night as they host New Mexico. The Spartans have undergone a complete offensive transformation: after averaging just 324 yards per game in 2018, they're up over 400 this season thanks to a pass offense (284.8 ypg) that ranks fifth-best in the Mountain West Conference. That could spell doom for the visiting Lobos, who have surrendered an average of 380 yards per game through the air; opponents have 13 passing touchdowns against them with just one interception.

With home-field advantage and an opponent that hasn't been able to slow down opposition aerial assaults, San Jose State looks like a terrific cover option in this one despite giving up double-digit points.


PURDUE’S STAR RECEIVER SIDELINED

It's bad news for the Purdue Boilermakers, who will be without star receiver Rondale Moore indefinitely. Moore let last week's 38-31 loss to the Minnesota Golden Gophers on a cart after sustaining a leg injury. He'll miss this week's encounter with the Penn State Nittany Lions, but head coach Jeff Brohm isn't ready to declare Moore out for the season. Moore was one of the top wide receivers in the nation prior to the injury, catching 29 passes for 387 yards and a pair of touchdowns. He joins quarterback Elijah Sindelar (broken collarbone, out indefinitely) on the sidelines.

This has moved by as many as five points in some places – and Penn State still looks like the superior cover option with Purdue down its top two offensive players in hostile territory this weekend.


OREGON GAINS A WEAPON

The Oregon Ducks will likely have one more difference-maker in the lineup for Saturday's game against the rival Cal Golden Bears. Four-star wide receiver Mycah Pittman has been cleared to return to action for the first time since suffering a shoulder injury in preseason camp. Considered one of the top wide receiver prospects in the Pac-12, Pittman joins a Ducks receiving corps that is led by the talented trio of Jacob Breeland (18 receptions, 265 yards, 5 TDs), Johnny Johnson III (22 receptions, 264 yards, 2 TDs) and Jaylon Redd (17 receptions, 149 yards, 3 TDs).

With the Ducks (and quarterback Justin Herbert in particular) officially loaded in the passing game and the Golden Bears starting a backup quarterback this weekend, Oregon looks like a good bet to surpass its team point total despite the tough matchup.

[StarDust Bum]

UCF at Cincinnati
October 1, 2019
By Matt Blunt

No. 18 Central Florida at Cincinnati
Venue/Location: Nippert Stadium, Cincinnati, OH
Time/TV: Friday, Oct. 4 (ESPN, 8:00 p.m. ET)
Line: UCF -4 ½, Total 60
Recent Meetings:
2018: Central Florida (-6.5) 38 vs. Cincinnati 13, Under 60 ½
2017: Central Florida (-15) 51 at Cincinnati 23, Over 52 ½
2016: Central Florida (-10.5) 24 vs. Cincinnati 3, Under 51 ½
2015: Cincinnati 52 (-26) 52 vs. Central Florida 7, Under 61

The Conference of Champions is taking this Friday night off, as it's the AAC's turn to shine under the bright Friday night lights. The conference is hoping to showcase it's “best” team as the 18th ranked UCF Knights travel north to Cincinnati to try and knock off a 3-1 Bearcats program.

Outside of getting waxed by Ohio State, the Bearcats have looked good, winning by double-digits in all three of their wins, and really who has gone up against the Buckeyes so far in 2019 and not gotten waxed. There is a view that a loss to Pitt, as essentially double-digit road chalk, looks much worse on UCF's resume, but with how the Knights bounced back with a no-nonsense win over Connecticut last weekend, UCF knows they can't afford any more slip-ups.

Can the Bearcats play well enough to help one of those slip-ups happen, or will UCF just be on their way to potentially another long winning streak?

UCF cruised to the 56-21 win over Connecticut last weekend, as a 56-0 lead was established before the Knights called it a day and did so early enough to let Connecticut through the back door for an ATS win. But really -42 was a lofty number to cover after the program's first loss in 27 regular season games, and had UCF decided to play the full 60 minutes, the easy ATS win was there.

A thought like that has to be concerning to the rest of the AAC as league play really begins in earnest, because this UCF team just keeps pushing forward, even after dealing with their first setback in years. What that tells me is that it's going to be tough to ever catch UCF in a flat spot, or a look-ahead spot, at least pregame, the rest of the way. They can flush good and bad efforts just as quickly as one another, and while they probably got caught looking ahead to this primetime showcase in the 4th quarter last week as they watched Connecticut stroll through the back door, that happens here and it won't matter given the spread they've got to cover this week.

Hard to take anything away from Cincinnati's effort this year, although I guess you would have preferred to see a bit more fight and potential production against Ohio State. And while they are currently the only Ohio State opponent that didn't score against the Buckeyes this season, their 42-point deficit in the loss isn't the worst margin of defeat for an Ohio State opponent. Even further had they mustered a safety or FG in that game, they'd have the 2nd smallest margin of defeat by an Ohio State foe at just 39 points. That's how impressive Ohio State has been.

Not as much shame in that loss as it may appear for Cincinnati, and UCF, while good, is still not Ohio State. But the Bearcats defense got absolutely gashed on the ground that day (270 yards, 5.9 average), and UCF's attack is on the ground first. The Knights may not be Ohio State, but they recruit a similar caliber of athlete, and that does not bode well for Cincy's defense either. Sure, holding down Marshall, Miami (Ohio) and UCLA – although UCLA's offense deserves more credit after that Washington State game – to 14 or fewer points is one thing, doing that to the Knights is going to be near impossible. As a program, UCF hasn't scored fewer than 30 points in a single game since their 2016 Bowl loss to Arkansas State (31-13). That's 31 straight games of putting up 30 or more for UCF. Does this Bearcats offense have enough pop to keep up?

I'm not sure that they do, as even Pittsburgh needed a punt return TD, to win the ball control battle by 11+ minutes, and the turnover battle (2-1) to squeak out a 1-point win in the final minute. That's a lot of things going right for one team at home, and with how UCF came out of the gates last week, you know they've learned their lesson about playing sloppy ball. The focus shifted to this game for UCF in the 4th quarter of last week's win, and I don't believe they fall for the second time in three games.

A clean performance from UCF from start to finish has them winning by 10+, leaving plenty of room for error should the game not turn out so spotless for the Knights under the lights. Cincinnati's interior got whitewashed in that Ohio State game, and UCF should be capable of doing something similar. Really thought this line would be closer to a TD, but I guess that recent loss from UCF has popped their invincibility shield.

The Knights haven't lost three in a row against the number since late in the 2017 season - the one where they won the “National Championship”. Two of those three games saw them laying 39 points or more and that's what got them ATS-wise, and that's nothing we have to worry about here. Sorry Cincinnati, it will be the second primetime football loss this week for football teams in your city.

Best Bet: UCF -4 ½
Friday Best Bet YTD Record: 2-3 ATS

[StarDust Bum]

FRIDAY, OCTOBER 4
GAME TIME(ET) PICK UNITS

UCF at CIN 08:00 PM
UCF -3.5
O 63.0

UNM at SJSU 10:00 PM
SJSU -6.5
U 69.0

[StarDust Bum]

AAC upset: Cincinnati beats No. 18 UCF 27-24 with 3 INTs
October 4, 2019
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CINCINNATI (AP) Ahmad Gardner returned an interception for a go-ahead touchdown and Cincinnati clamped down on freshman quarterback Dillon Gabriel and No. 18 UCF's high-scoring offense Friday night for a 27-24 victory that ended the Knights' streak of 19 conference wins.

After getting blown out their last two games against the two-time defending American Athletic champs, the Bearcats (4-1, 1-0) gave themselves an early edge in the race. And it came by way of a defense that's had trouble keeping up with UCF (4-2, 1-1).

In addition to Gardner's 16-yard interception return, the Bearcats picked off Gabriel's passes at the Cincinnati 2 and 6 as they took control and closed it out.

''He's a freshman,'' Gardner said. ''We were going to try to get into his head. That's what the adjustment was. It worked.''

UCF's Tre Nixon turned a short pass into a 45-yard touchdown that cut it to 27-24 with 3:11 to go, but the Bearcats ran out the clock, converting a fourth-and-1 at midfield in the closing seconds.

''The only way you're going to knock off the best is to continue to be aggressive,'' coach Luke Fickell said. ''The only way you beat the best is to take those chances.''

Gabriel came in leading the AAC in passing efficiency, but finished 25 of 46 for 297 yards with three decisive interceptions against a pressing defense that dared him to throw deep. The true freshman also botched a handoff at the UCF 19 that set up the first of Desmond Ridder's two touchdown passes and got the crowd chanting ''Overrated!''

''Three turnovers are unacceptable,'' Gabriel said. ''I didn't do my part.''

The Knights had scored at least 30 points in each of their last 31 games, the longest such FBS streak since 1936.

''I thought Dillon responded to the pressure at times but he didn't take care of the football,'' coach Josh Heupel said. ''No matter what age you are, you have to take care of the football.''

Ridder was 17 of 31 for 149 yards. He also threw an interception that set up Greg McCrae's 1-yard touchdown run with 58 seconds left in the half that put UCF ahead 16-10 lead.

Gardner changed the game by stepping in front of a sideline pass and returning an interception 16 yards untouched in the third quarter, and Gabriel couldn't rally the Knights.

''I knew he was going to throw it,'' said Gardner, who also is a freshman. ''I knew I was going to jump it, and it was going to be there.''

Michael Warren II had a 61-yard run that set up Ridder's second touchdown pass early in the fourth quarter for a 27-16 lead.

THE TAKEAWAY

UCF: The Knights' lack of experience at quarterback cost them their long streaks of conference wins and 30-point games.

Cincinnati: After giving up 51 and 38 points in its last two losses to UCF, the Bearcats started preparing for their quick-snap offense during camp. After UCF opened the game with a field goal drive, the Bearcats' defense settled in and took control.

POLL IMPLICATIONS

UCF's second straight road loss leaves the Knights in a tenuous spot. They were ranked No. 15 when they lost at Pittsburgh 35-34 on Sept. 21.

SHUT DOWN

The Knights came into the game ranked second nationally in total offense with 568.6 yards per game. They managed 423.

UP NEXT

UCF is off next week before hosting East Carolina on Oct. 19.

Cincinnati plays at Houston on Oct. 12.


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SAN JOSE ST. 32, NEW MEXICO 21

[StarDust Bum]

CFB OCTOBER OPINIONS AND BEST BETS: ALL BASED ON 5 UNITS

DATE W-L-T % UNITS RECORD


10/04/2019......2-2-0...........50.00%..........-1.00
10/03/2019......1-3-0...........25.00%..........-11.50


Totals...............3-5-0...........37.50%.........-12.50


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BEST BETS:

DATE........................ATS.............UNITS. ............O/U...............UNITS.............TOTALS


10/04/2019.............1 - 1............-0.50................1 - 1..............-0.50..............-1.00
10/03/2019.............0 - 2............-11.00..............1 - 2..............-6.00..............-17.00


Totals.....................1 - 3.............-11.50..............2 - 3..............-6.50..............-18.00

[StarDust Bum]

CFB OCTOBER OPINIONS AND BEST BETS: ALL BASED ON 5 UNITS

DATE W-L-T % UNITS RECORD


10/04/2019......2-2-0...........50.00%..........-1.00
10/03/2019......1-3-0...........25.00%..........-11.50


Totals...............3-5-0...........37.50%.........-12.50


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BEST BETS:

DATE........................ATS.............UNITS. ............O/U...............UNITS.............TOTALS


10/04/2019.............1 - 1............-0.50................1 - 1..............-0.50..............-1.00
10/03/2019.............0 - 2............-11.00..............1 - 2..............-6.00..............-17.00


Totals.....................1 - 3.............-11.50..............2 - 3..............-6.50..............-18.00

[StarDust Bum]

Saturday’s 6-pack

Odds to win the Stanley Cup next spring:

6-1— Tampa Bay, Toronto

7-1— Colorado, Vegas

10-1— Chicago, Dallas

12-1— Boston, St Louis

15-1— Nashville, Pittsburgh

18-1— San Jose


Quote of the Day
“I love doing what I’m doing at UT, but I love more being with my family and my grandchildren. I’m still the assistant to the assistant pee-wee baseball coach and I’m the flag football coach. You can’t do those things and ever coach. We got a really, really good coach and we need to make sure we appreciate that.”
Tennessee AD Philip Fulmer, the former football coach

Saturday’s quiz
Who is the only pro golfer ever to win $1M+ on the PGA Tour 20 years in a row?

Friday’s quiz
In all of MINOR league baseball this season, 31 no-hitters were thrown.

Thursday’s quiz
Lions and Cowboys always host NFL games on Thanksgiving Day.

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Saturday’s List of 13: Random stuff with the weekend here…….

13) Greetings from Las Vegas, America’s favorite city; had a long flight in Friday, complete with 20+ fired-up college students sitting behind me, drinking their way across America. It was a very loud five hours.

12) College football teams with best record vs spread:
5-0: UL-Lafayette, SMU, Auburn, Oklahoma State
11) College football teams with worst record vs spread:
0-5: Akron
0-4: FIU, Georgia Tech, Vanderbilt, Virginia Tech

10) Weird NFL schedule this Sunday; 10 games at 1PM ET, only two at 4:00 or 4:25, with Packers-Cowboys the feature game.

There used to be a rule that the Jets/Giants couldn’t play at the same time unless they were playing each other, to maximize ratings in NY/NJ, but that has gone by the boards.

9) Good program on HBO; 24/7: College Football, which features a different team each week, with Hard Knocks-type access to the head coach and players.

This week’s show featured an hour on the Florida Gators; next three weeks are Penn State, Arizona State and then Washington State.

8) Speaking of Washington State, they found a scapegoat for consecutive losses when defensive coordinator Tracy Claeys “resigned” (got fired) Friday.

Two weeks ago, Wazzu was unbeaten and Leach was playing up his quirky Pirate image with the media; then they blew a 49-17 lead at home to UCLA, got whacked at Utah LW and now fingers are being pointed. We live in a fickle society.

7) Mets fired manager Mickey Callaway, who went 163-161 in his two years in Flushing. There are now seven managerial openings in the major leagues.

6) NFL stuff:
— Colt McCoy will start at QB for the Redskins Sunday.
— Saquon Barkley, Sam Darnold are both out this week.
— Rams’ LB Clay Matthews broke his jaw Thursday, is out for a month.

5) Braves’ OF Ronald Acuna had 33 singles this year that went 300+ feet, a testament to both his power and his tendency not to hustle out of the batters’ box.

4) Sports Illustrated laid off half of its writing staff this week; TheMaven, which is now running SI, is expected to hire contract workers to fill out the writing staff after the layoffs.

3) College football stuff:
— Oklahoma suspended K Calum Sutherland, after an alleged incident with his girlfriend.
— Tennessee will start true freshman QB Brian Maurer against Georgia today.

2) Apparently when the Washington Redskins drafted QB Dwayne Haskins last April, coach Jay Gruden didn’t want the kid, which must make things awkward now, since by the time Haskins is deemed ready to start for Washington, Gruden is likely to have a different job.

1) Golden State Warriors’ star Draymond Green made only 29% of his jump shots LY, the worst %age in the NBA.

[StarDust Bum]

Auburn at Florida
October 4, 2019
By Brian Edwards

No. 7 Auburn Tigers at No. 10 Florida Gators
Venue/Location: Ben Hill Griffin Stadium, Gainesville, FL
Time/TV: Saturday, Oct. 5, 3:30 p.m. ET
Line: Auburn -2.5, Total 48.5

For the first time since 2011, Florida and Auburn will finally collide again Saturday afternoon at The Swamp in Gainesville. It’s easily the toughest ticket for a UF home game since the Tim Tebow Era ended in 2009.

Both teams are undefeated and looking to stay that way with brutal schedules on the horizon in the coming weeks. Both are also playing new quarterbacks that have thrown some life into their respective offenses.

As of Friday afternoon, most betting shops had Auburn (5-0 straight up, 5-0 against the spread) installed as a 2.5-point favorite with a total of 48.5. The Gators were +120 on the money line. The Westgate SuperBook was showing the best price on Auburn at -2.

Auburn owns an 8-5-1 spread record in 14 games as a road favorite during Gus Malzahn’s seven-year tenure. Meanwhile, UF won outright in its only home underdog spot since Mullen took over, beating LSU 27-19 last year as a 2.5-point home ‘dog. The Gators are 3-5 ATS in eight games as home ‘dogs since 2009.

Auburn won in come-from-behind fashion in its season opener, rallying to a 27-21 win over Oregon at Jerry World in Arlington. The Tigers took the cash as four-point favorites.

Since then, Malzahn’s bunch has won 24-6 vs. Tulane, 55-16 vs. Kent State, 28-20 at Texas A&M and 56-23 vs. Mississippi State. Auburn is one of only four schools with 5-0 spread records (the other three are down below in Bonus Nuggets).

Mississippi State got its clock cleaned on The Plains from start to finish last Saturday night. Auburn, which surprisingly went from a double-digit favorite down to -8 or -7.5 just before kickoff, raced out to a 21-0 lead in the first six minutes and one second of action. By intermission, the Tigers had a commanding 42-9 advantage.

Auburn racked up 580 yards of total offense and converted 6-of-10 third-down opportunities. True freshman QB Bo Nix was sensational, connecting on 16-of-21 passes for 335 yards and two touchdowns without an interception. He also rushed for 56 yards and one TD on only seven attempts.

JaTarvious Whitlow ran for 55 yards and three TDs on 10 carries. Seth Williams had eight receptions for 161 yards and two TDs, while Anthony Schwartz had two catches for 67 yards. Schwartz, WR with big-time wheels, also ran for 25 yards and one TD on three totes.

Nix, the five-star recruit, was in for spring practice and won the job in August over redshirt freshman Joey Gatewood. Nix passed my “eye test” right away against Oregon, especially with his work on the game-winning drive. Trailing 21-20 and in field-goal range, Nix decided to take a shot deep and found Williams with a 26-yard scoring strike with only nine seconds remaining.

Obviously, this prevented Auburn from depending on a kicker to boot a field goal from more than 40 yards out to win. Most important for our purposes, though, it hooked up Auburn backers with a winner as a four-point ‘chalk.’

For the season, Nix has completed 57.6 percent of his throws for 980 yards with a 7/2 touchdown-to-interception ratio. He threw both picks against the Ducks and has five TD passes without an interception in AU’s last four games. Nix, who has improved every week and will most likely continue to do so, has 173 rushing yards, two TDs and a 4.9 yards-per-carry average.

Williams has emerged as Nix’s favorite target, pulling down 17 receptions for 289 yards and four TDs. Eli Stove has 18 catches for 177 yards and two TDs, while Will Hastings has nine grabs for 148 yards and one TD. Schwartz, who missed the first two games after breaking a bone in his hand in early August, has produced five receptions for 110 yards and 82 rushing yards and two TDs on just four carries.

Whitlow has been handline the bulk of the carries on the ground, rushing for 463 yards and seven TDs while averaging 5.0 YPC. Kam Martin has 145 rushing yards and two TDs with a 5.0 YPC average.

AU’s offense is ranked 14th in the nation in rushing yards, averaging 251.8 yards per game. The Tigers are ranked 24th in scoring with their 38.0 points-per-game average.

Auburn defensive coordinator Kevin Steele has done outstanding work with his unit since taking this job in 2016. The Tigers are ranked 19th in the country in run defense and 22nd in scoring ‘D’ (17.2 PPG).

Florida (5-0 SU, 2-3 ATS) opened the season with a 24-20 non-covering win over Miami down in Orlando. After an open date, the Gators beat up on UT-Martin by a 45-0 count as 44.5-point home favorites. They lost two-time, second-team All-SEC cornerback CJ Henderson to an ankle sprain against the Skyhawks, however.

Henderson has missed the last three games, but he’s good to go against Auburn. Truth be told, Henderson probably could’ve played last week vs. Towson and maybe even against Tennessee two weeks ago, but Mullen wisely held him out to be 100 percent vs. Auburn. Likewise, UF’s other preseason All-American, senior DE Jabari Zuniga, hasn’t played since injuring his ankle in the second half of a 29-21 win at Kentucky on Sept. 14. Zuniga is ready to go this week and probably could’ve played last week, too. Zuniga, a third-team All-SEC selection in 2018, had three sacks in UF’s first three games.

In Week 3, Florida saw starting QB Feleipe Franks go down with a dislocated ankle in the third quarter at Kentucky. The injury required season-ending surgery the following week.

Trailing 21-10 going into the fourth quarter, back-up QB Kyle Trask rose to the occasion. He sparked the UF offense to three TD drives in the fourth quarter of a 29-21 comeback win as a 9.5-point road ‘chalk.’ With 12:41 remaining, Trask ran left on the option and made a smooth pitch at the last second to LaMical Perine who strutted his way into the end zone for an eight-yard TD scamper.

Down 21-16 after a failed two-point conversion, Mullen called a QB draw for Trask and the middle was open for a four-yard TD run. The Gators failed on another two-point attempt and led 22-21, but Kentucky’s Chance Poore missed a short field goal wide right.

On a third-down play with Kentucky set to use its final timeout and get the ball back if it could stop UF short of a first down, Mullen called a sprint sweep to Josh Hammond. The senior WR found a crease and busted it 76 yards for a TD with 33 ticks left.

On Sept. 21 at home vs. Tennessee, Trask made his first start since his freshman year of high school. He was a back-up at the prep level behind Houston star QB D’Eriq King. Trask responded by hitting Kyle Pitts for a 19-yard scoring strike on the game’s opening drive.

Florida went to halftime with a 17-0 lead on the Volunteers. Trask put the Gators in front 24-3 with a 29-yard TD pass to Freddie Swain midway through the third quarter. Although he did throw a pair of second-half interceptions, Trask completed 20-of-28 passes for 293 yards in the 34-3 win over UT as a 13-point home favorite. His 293 passing yards were the most by a QB since Mullen took over (more than Franks in his 16 starts).

Trask has connected on 51-of-66 passes for 698 yards with a 5/3 TD-INT ratio. He also had a pair of TD runs. Unlike Franks, he makes quick decisions and gets the ball out fast, and that’ll be key against Auburn’s stout defensive line.

UF’s weakness is its offensive line, so that matchup could be a major issue for the Gators. Mullen will need to get creative with his play-calling and do a masterful job in that department or Trask could take a lot of big hits vs. Auburn.

Trask has provided a major upgrade at the QB position, and he’s blessed with UF’s best and deepest group of WRs in a decade. Van Jefferson has 18 catches for 248 yards and one TD, while Trevon Grimes has 15 catches for 231 yards. Pitts is emerging as one of UF’s most improved players and one of the SEC top tight ends. He has 17 receptions for 189 yards and three TDs.

Hammond (14-176), Tyrie Cleveland (10-167-1 TD) and Swain (8-134-2 TDs) are also factors in the passing game. However, the explosive and versatile Kadarius Toney remains ‘out’ with a wrist injury sustained against UT-Martin.

Perine hasn’t had any room to navigate yardage on the ground. He’s been limited to 198 rushing yards and a 3.7 YPC average, but it’s not on him and he does have three rushing TDs. The senior RB also has 14 catches for 78 yards and one TD.

UF is ranked No. 89 in the country in rushing yards. The Gators are No. 29 in passing yards and No. 43 in scoring with their 34.0 PPG average.

Florida’s defense gets its two best players back and even with Zuniga and Henderson missing five combined games, Todd Grantham’s unit is ranked fifth in the nation in scoring defense (8.8 PPG). The Gators are 18th in the country in total defense, No. 17 in run ‘D’ and No. 30 in passing defense.

UF senior LB David Reese has a team-high 36 tackles that ranks him fifth in the SEC. He has one sack and one tackle for loss. DE Jonathan Greenard is in a first-place tie with South Carolina DT Javon Kinlaw for the SEC’s lead in sacks with four. Greenard, the transfer from Louisville, has 21 tackles, 1.5 TFL’s, four QB hurries, three passes broken up, one forced fumble and one interception.

The ‘over’ is 3-2 overall for Auburn, 1-0 in its lone road assignment as the 48 combined points at Texas A&M inched ‘over’ the 47.5-point total. The Tigers’ games have averaged combined scores of 55.2 PPG.

The ‘under’ is 4-1 overall for the Gators, 4-0 in their home games. Their games have averaged combined scores of 42.8 PPG.

Auburn has won three games in a row in this rivalry, including a 17-6 home win in 2011 and a 20-17 win at UF in 2007. In fact, the Tigers are 4-1 SU and 5-0 ATS in the past five meetings dating back to 2001.

Kickoff is scheduled for 3:30 p.m. Eastern on CBS.

Bet and Collect Podcast

**B.E.’s Bonus Nuggets**

-- For what it’s worth, Florida was a four-point favorite vs. Auburn at most books this summer in Games of the Year lines.

-- Speaking of Games of the Year, the Westgate SuperBook released its updated lines earlier this week. UF is a 14-point underdog next week at LSU. Also in Week 7, Oklahoma is a 12.5-point favorite vs. Texas. If that line hold and keeps the Sooners as double-digit ‘chalk,’ it’ll leave Tom Herman as a double-digit underdog. In that role as a head coach at both Houston and Texas, Herman is 5-0 ATS with four outright victories. The Gators are 10-point underdogs for their Nov. 2 showdown vs. Georgia in Jacksonville. They’re 14.5-point home ‘chalk’ vs. FSU in the regular-season finale.

-- Other notable Games of the Year from The Westgate: LSU -9.5 vs. Auburn, Alabama -12.5 vs. LSU and Alabama -11 at Auburn.

-- Florida is 13-3 SU at home vs. Auburn since 1973. The home team has won 22 of 30 head-to-head meetings in this rivalry since 1976. H/T to Phil Steele for both of those factoids.

-- UF-Auburn will take place 10 days shy of the 25-year anniversary of a showdown in The Swamp on Oct. 15 of 1994. Bo Nix’s father, Patrick Nix, found Frank Sanders for a TD pass in the final minute to rally Auburn past the top-ranked Gators in Gainesville.

-- Former Florida LB Kylan Johnson is thriving at Pittsburgh after leaving the Gators via the grad-transfer route. Johnson has 20 tackles, four sacks, two TFL’s, one forced fumble and one PBU. The Panthers are 3-1 both SU and ATS since losing their season opener 30-14 to Virginia at Heinz Field. The only loss during that span is a 17-10 defeat at unbeaten Penn State. Pat Narduzzi’s squad has won four games in a row over Duke both SU and ATS, but it is an underdog in Durham on Saturday. Pitt junior starting QB Kenny Pickett has been upgraded to ‘probable’ after a shoulder injury kept him out of last week’s 17-14 win over Delaware as a 27.5-point home ‘chalk.’ The Panthers are 13-6 ATS as road underdogs during Narduzzi’s five-year tenure. Since 2012, Duke is 19-15 ATS as a home ‘chalk’ despite limping to a 1-5 ATS mark in six such spots last season. As of Friday, most books had the Blue Devils favored by five points for this 8:00 p.m. Eastern kickoff on the ACC Network.

-- Duke senior QB Quentin Harris has an 18/3 career TD-INT ratio and nine rushing touchdowns.

-- Northwestern, a 7.5-point road underdog at Nebraska, is 28-10 ATS as a road underdog since 2008. Since Nebraska joined the Big Ten, six of eight meetings with the Wildcats have been one-possession games, and five of those contests were decided by three points or less. Also, Northwestern is 4-0 ATS in the four games played in Lincoln.

-- Colorado head coach Mel Tucker told the Denver Post Monday that star WR Laviska Shenault will be game-time decisions for Saturday’s home game vs. Arizona. Shenault was a fourth-team All-American in 2018 despite playing in only eight games. He had 86 receptions for 1,011 yards and six TDs last year, in addition to 115 rushing yards and five TDs with a 6.8 YPC. Colorado senior DT Mustafa Johnson, who had 7.5 sacks and 16 QB hurries in 2018, has been downgraded to ‘doubtful’ due to an ankle injury. Arizona QB Khalil Tate (hamstring) and RB J.J. Taylor (ankle) both missed last week’s 20-17 home win over UCLA, and both remain ‘questionable’ against the Buffaloes.

-- UCLA QB Dorian Thompson-Robinson is ‘questionable’ vs. Oregon State. ‘DTR’ has thrown for 1,253 yards and has an 11/6 TD-INT ratio for the Bruins, who are 4-13 since hiring Chip Kelly.

-- Stanford QB K.J. Costello is ‘out’ again this week vs. Washington due to a thumb injury. The Huskies had been favored by 16.5 points for most of the week, but the number dropped to 15 or 14.5 by Friday afternoon. The Cardinal is 4-1 both SU and ATS as a home underdog during David Shaw’s nine-year tenure, but let me be clear that that’s not an endorsement in this spot.

-- Akron, the only team in the nation with a 0-5 ATS record, has an open date this weekend ahead of an Oct. 12 home tilt vs. Kent State.

-- Virginia Tech, Georgia Tech, FIU and Vanderbilt are 0-4 ATS.

-- The four schools with 5-0 spread records include Auburn, Oklahoma State, Louisiana and SMU. Meanwhile, Washington, Wyoming and Ohio State are 4-1 versus the number.

-- Purdue first-team All-American WR Rondale Moore (leg) is ‘out’ of Saturday’s game at Penn State. Junior QB Elijah Sindelar had surgery earlier this week to repair his broken collarbone. He is ‘out’ indefinitely, perhaps for the rest of the season.

-- The ‘over’ is 5-0 for Charlotte and SMU, 4-0 for LSU. On the flip side, the ‘under’ is 4-0 for Tulsa, East Carolina, Old Dominion and San Diego State.

-- TCU is 19-8-1 ATS as a road underdog since 2005. The Horned Frogs are 3.5-point ‘dogs at Iowa State for a noon Eastern kick on ESPN2.

-- Rutgers QB McLane Carter is ‘out’ again this week at home vs. Maryland. Johnny Langan will start for the Scarlet Knights against the Terrapins, who are 13.5-point road favorites. According to a report from Football Scoop, former Rutgers HC Greg Schiano resigned as New England Patriots defensive coordinator in March because he informed Bill Belichick that boosters at his former school told him he’d be the top target if/when Chris Ash was fired. Since Schiano reportedly wants his old gig back, he and Belichick agreed that it wouldn’t work with the Patriots if he planned on leaving the club in November or December to return to New Jersey.

-- Boise State, a 23-point road favorite at UNLV, is 41-17-1 in its last 59 games as a road favorite. The Broncos have had two weeks to prep for the Rebels, who are 3-7 ATS in 10 games as home underdogs during Tony Sanchez’s tenure. Although UNLV QB Armani Rogers (leg injury) has been upgraded to ‘probable,’ Sanchez has named redshirt freshman Kenyon Oblad as his starting QB vs. BSU.

[Udog]

Saturday's Essentials
Tony Mejia

Here’s a look at what must be considered before wagering on Saturday's slate in key FBS vs. FBS matchups:

Early Starts
Purdue at Penn State (-28/54), 12 p.m. ET, ESPN: Boilermakers QB Elijah Sindelar and star WR Rondale Moore were injured on the same play in last week’s loss to Minnesota and won’t play here. Sindelar broke his collarbone and Moore injured a knee, so they’ll join a number of Purdue’s top defensive players and projected starting backs Tario Fuller and Richie Worship in missing the team’s Big Ten road opener. It’s homecoming week in Happy Valley, so we’ll see how effectively the Nittany Lions handle business against depleted Purdue will the peril of looking ahead to games against Iowa, Michigan and Michigan State the rest of this month an obstacle in covering such a large spread. Since 2010, the Boilers are 0-10 in games where they’ve been an underdog of 23 points or more but they’ve covered in six of those games. Penn State QB Sean Clifford threw for 398 yards and set a new school record by throwing fo 287 in the first half. Despite losing Trace McSorley and Miles Sanders, PSU is averaging 50 points per game after putting up a 55.5 clip through four games last season.

Maryland (-13.5/56) at Rutgers, 12 p.m. ET, BTN: The Scarlet Knights are under new leadership since Chris Ash caught a pink slip after Saturday’s 52-0 loss at Michigan. Offensive coordinator John McNulty was let go too, so Nunzio Campanile, a veteran of the New Jersey high school scene, will get his shot to impress in turning an interim gig into a full-time job by calling his own plays. Sophomore QB Art Sitkowski will redshirt and starter McLane Carter remains still sidelined by a concussion so redshirt freshman Johnny Langan, a Boston College transfer who won a state title under Campanile in ’17, will see his first action. The Terps are looking to rebound from last weekend’s 59-0 home loss against Penn State and play at banged-up Purdue next week, giving them an opportunity to rally after consecutive losses. QB Josh Jackson has developed a case of the yips after a fantastic start and probably can’t afford a third straight opening-drive interception. Tyrell Pegrome and redshirt freshman Tyler DeSue are waiting the turn, but first-year Maryland head coach Mike Locksley would certainly prefer if Jackson rebounds since he gives the team the best chance to win. Between a banged up offensive line and top WR D.J. Turner suspended, the Terps need him to avoid turnovers and serve as a stabilizing force on the road. RB Anthony McFarland was bottled up by Penn State but should get plenty of carries as he looks for his second 100-yard game of the season.

Oklahoma State (-10/63.5) at Texas Tech, 12 p.m. ET, FS1: Alan Bowman remains sidelined with an unfortunate collarbone injury that knocked him out after an excellent start and it looks like Jett Duffey will be the starter until he returns. Rice transfer Jackson Tyner started against Oklahoma but was ineffective while Duffey has more experience in Big 12 play and will look to help prevent Tech’s first 0-2 start in league play since 2015. The Cowboys bounced back from their tough loss at Texas by stifling K-State and look to avoid consecutive losses against the Red Raiders for the first time since 2002, back when Mike Gundy was still Les Miles’ offensive coordinator. Gundy’s latest QB, athletic freshman Spencer Sanders, will be challenged to make throws on the road to beat teams, so this will be another opportunity to demonstrate growth after struggling with consistency since conference play opened.

Iowa at Michigan (-4/47.5), 12 p.m ET, FOX: After destroying Rutgers, the Wolverines are back in a position where Jim Harbaugh’s team can disappoint everyone. It’s Homecoming week in Ann Arbor and a capable Hawkeyes team comes through town for the first time since 2012. That happens to be the only time Michigan has won in the last six meetings between these schools dating back to ’09. Kirk Ferentz is 7-5 against Michigan and beat Harbaugh 14-13 as a 21-point underdog back in ’15 to spoil a 9-0 start. Shea Patterson is on campus to prevent that type of loss and looks to salvage the season after a dreadful opening month. He’s expected to be the healthiest he’s been all season after being limited in September, but the key to a strong outing is going to keep Iowa’s AJ Epenesa, the nation’s top pass rusher, from disrupting his rhythm early. The Hawkeyes haven’t been at full strength but get top tackle Alaric Jackson from a sprained knee and safety Kaevon Merriweather back to help in the secondary.

Oklahoma (-33.5/66.5) at Kansas, 12 p.m. ET, ABC: Last year’s game shed the spotlight on what can happen when a team doesn’t respect their competition. Consider that a Heisman Trophy winner and No. 1 pick and a number of future pros had to go up and down the field in order to survive last year’s Jayhawks 55-40. Pooka Williams ran for 252 yards on 15 carries and will therefore have the attention of Sooners defense looking to show continued improvement prior to next week’s Red River Shootout. Oklahoma owns the nation’s most prolific offense with Jalen Hurts at the controls, but covering this number or eclipsing this total will likely hinge on freshman Spencer Rattler, the nation’s top QB recruit. He’s likely to get snaps with the second unit down the stretch and will probably be facing the first-team defense with Les Miles seeking improvement from a group that gave up a season-worst 51 points at TCU last week. .

TCU at Iowa State (-3.5/44), 12 p.m. ET, ESPN2: The Horned Frogs won’t be back in Fort Worth until they host Texas on Oct. 26. In order to have a shot at playing for a Big 12 title, they’ll need to pull off a number of road upsets. While freshman QB Max Duggan has taken over as the starter, K-State transfer Alex Delton has experience playing in Ames and should see time. Duggan is an Iowa native returning home and was recruited by the Cyclones. Top TCU corner Julius Lewis will make his debut opposite fellow senior Jeff Gladney, boosting one of the conference’s top secondaries. WR TreVontae Hights is also due back after missing last week’s rout of KU. The Cyclones come off a 23-21 loss at Baylor and have wasted a strong defensive effort in losing tight games against rival Iowa and the Bears in last week’s Big 12 opener. Iowa State DE JaQuan Bailey and center Colin Newell could miss this contest. The Frogs have won eight of 10 meetings in this series, last falling in Ames 14-7 in 2017. Rain could play a significant role in this contest, so keep an eye on the forecast.

Boston College at Louisville (-5/60.5), 12:30 p.m. ET, ACCN: The loser of this one will take a second conference loss before facing Clemson, which each of these teams is forced to do later this month. It’s likely that whoever drops this game will miss out on a bowl game given their remaining schedules, which would be an easier pill to swallow for Louisville first-year head coach Scott Satterfield on the heels of a 2-10 season than it would be for Steve Addazio in a season where BC has the talent to win eight games for the first time since ’09. Losing to Kansas at home was a wakeup call and last week’s home loss to Wake Forest was disappointing, but the wrong team appears favored here. The Cards have to prove this season’s improvement against the run isn’t smoke and mirrors and must do so against standout backs AJ Dillon and David Bailey. Dillon ran for 272 yards and four touchdowns in his first visit to Louisville in leading BC to a 45-42 win. The Eagles won last season’s matchup 38-20. The ‘Ville likely won’t have top QB Puma Pass available due to a foot injury, but backup Malik Cunningham looks to be over an ankle issue and should start.

Late-night Snack
Washington (-14.5/52) at Stanford, 10:30 p.m. ET, ESPN: The Cardinal hope to avoid becoming the first Pac-12 team to lose three conference games this season by pulling off an upset in their first game being this heavy an underdog since beating then No. 1 Oregon in Eugene as a 20-point underdog in 2012. Unfortunately for Stanford, constant shuffling along on the offensive line is expected to remain an issue. The left side of the line is comprised of freshmen. Junior QB KJ Costello is sidelined by a thumb injury, so sophomore Davis Mills will get another start after helping beat Oregon State last week with his arm in addition to a touchdown reception. The Huskies have looked impressive since losing at home 20-19 to Cal and will have all their remaining games against the league’s top teams in Seattle. We’ll get to see what killer instinct this group has since walking onto the Farm and winning a game by two-plus touchdowns just because you’re expected to is easier said than done. QB Jacob Eason has thrown 10 touchdown passes and completed over 70 percent of his attempts. He went 24-for-28 in his lone start at BYU, finishing with 290 passing yards and three touchdowns. Chris Petersen is 2-3 against David Shaw and Stanford since taking over at U-Dub and is looking for back-to-back wins in the series for the first time.

[StarDust Bum]

SATURDAY, OCTOBER 5
GAME TIME(ET) PICK UNITS

OKLA at KU 12:00 PM
OKLA -33.5

OKST at TTU 12:00 PM
TTU +10.0
O 62.5

USF at CONN 12:00 PM
USF -10.5

USU at LSU 12:00 PM
LSU -27.0

TULN at ARMY 12:00 PM
ARMY +1.5
O 42.5

KENT at WIS 12:00 PM
WIS -35.0
U 58.5

IOWA at MICH 12:00 PM
MICH -3.5
U 48.0

PUR at PSU 12:00 PM
PSU -28.5
U 55.5

MD at RUTG 12:00 PM
MD -14.0

BC at LOU 12:30 PM
BC +4.0

TCU at ISU 02:00 PM
TCU +3.5
U 45.0