Announcement

**InsiderEdge** · 10-30-2004, 10:07 AM

Breeders Cup Selections

2* Tamwheel should have a nice price. 3-2-0 in 5 races on dirt. Finished 3 lengths back to Azeri, who would be the favorite if running this race, last time out.

3* Balletto has 3/4 career winners including 1/2 in Grade 1. With Bailey riding on the rail, sets up nice.

4* Whipper defeated last year's Mile winner Six Perfections with his best tiem ever. His Sire won this race twice back in the 80's.

5* Kela has the best speed number in the field and won at this track back in May. Trainer Mitchell is on fire.

6* Film Maker finished well last time out after a bad start and will need another strong finish here. Should be around 18-1 or higher.

7* Sun King could spring the upset in this small field. 1 through 6 all have a shot here.

8* Don't think it's possible for Kittens Joy to lose this one.

9* Roses In May won the Grade 1 Whitney and has yet to lose this year. Coming off a subpar effort but a bounce back can happen with the added distance.

**InsiderEdge** · 10-31-2004, 01:09 AM

5-1-1 with another GOY Winner with Texas Tech…

Oklahoma Sooners at Oklahoma St. Cowboys 2:00 PM ET

Oklahoma St. Cowboys +13 –110 (2 Units)

Oklahoma has lost only 6 games over the past four plus seasons and two of those losses came at the hand of the Cowboys. There is no intimidation for Oklahoma St. as they know they can win and getting this many points at home with one of the best rushing teams in the country is an added bonus. The atmosphere will be bedlam, appropriate for the longtime name of this series. For the first time ever, the wildly popular ESPN College GameDay will set up shop in Stillwater for the 99th edition of Bedlam football. And no it will not be a distraction as there is more at stake for the Cowboys than just a big game against their rival. A win puts Oklahoma St. in position to claim its first ever Big 12 South title.

Oklahoma State shocked the Sooners in 2001 and 2002. Both times, the Cowboys were playing the role of spoiler. That won’t be the case Saturday as they are going for the bigger prize. Last week gave them a great shot of confidence heading into this contest. Down 17-0 and on the verge of a second straight disappointing loss, the Cowboys showed the kind of guts that will be necessary against the nation's No. 2 team. The Cowboys know they must stay grounded and focused on the task at hand despite all the hype. Tailback Vernand Morency added, “If you don’t stay focused, what happened last year can happen this year.” What happened last year was a 52-9 shellacking at the hands of the Sooners in Norman. The Cowboys are 11-2 ATS is revenge games against Oklahoma including a 6-1 ATS mark at home. In the past two weeks, Oklahoma State has shown it has some ability to toss the ball around. But there is little doubt the Cowboys are a run first type of team. They're fourth in the nation in rushing offense (269.4 yards per game) and have the nation's third-leading rusher in Morency (164.7 yards per game). Oklahoma St. is one of the few teams with an offensive line able to pound on the Sooner defensive line. Through seven games, Donovan Woods has completed 48 of 91 passes for 836 yards and nine touchdowns. His efficiency rating is 155.96. As a team, Oklahoma State is first in the Big 12 and No. 9 nationally in passing efficiency. Oklahoma's slow start against Kansas last weekend continued a recent trend. Last season, the Sooners scored on its first drive in 10 of its first 11 games. In the last five games, they have scored just 14 first-quarter points. A sluggish start might provide confidence for a determined underdog. The Sooners have only played one game on the road this season, defeating Kansas St. by only 10 points and this is a much better team than the Wildcats. They have struggled against the better teams on their schedule on offense, scoring 31 points against Oregon, 28 against Texas Tech, and 12 against Texas. Mistakes are becoming a problem as well. In their first five games, Oklahoma committed 32 penalties for 247 yards. But at Kansas State, they were flagged 10 times for 100 yards and Saturday against Kansas, they were penalized nine times for 70 yards. Through seven games and 31 possessions inside the opponent’s 20 yard line, the Cowboys have scored 29 times. Included among the redzone scoring are 24 touchdowns and five field goals. On the other side of the ball, Oklahoma State’s defense has allowed only 18 red zone penetrations with opposing offenses scoring on 12 of those. The Cowboys have been among the top four in the country in turnover margin all season, and are fourth this week as well. Oklahoma State has recovered 11 fumbles and picked off seven passes for a total gain of 18 turnovers. The Cowboys have lost only three fumbles and thrown just three interceptions. Oklahoma’s special teams have gone from superior to inferior. The two biggest issues are the loss of return star Antonio Perkins and the blocked kicks. Oklahoma St. is 8-2 ATS their last 10 at home against the Sooners.

Big XII Game of the Year

Texas Tech Red Raiders at Kansas St. Wildcats 7:00 PM ET

Texas Tech Red Raiders +2.5 –102 (3 Units)

Focus is the name of the game in football and that focus does not mean solely on the game at hand. It goes back to the practices leading up to that game. Prior to their loss against Texas, Texas Tech coach Mike Leach said he noticed something was wrong when the Red Raiders had poor practices Tuesday and Wednesday. After the loss, it was clear that the Red Raiders did not use the week leading up to the game as they should have. An angry Leach barred his players from talking to the media after Saturday's loss and they won’t be talking to them at all during the week. Now it’s a about refocus and there is no doubt Leach will have his players in a better frame of mind against the Wildcats. He’s done it before as witnessed by Texas Tech going 14-1 ATS the following week after a home loss. It gets ever better as the Red Raiders are 31-8 ATS (79.5%) following a loss of any kind since 1994, winning 32 of those games straight up. The average score in these 39 games is 36-19.

By talking with the media, players got a false sense of accomplishment and let it go right to their heads. They got brought back down to earth last weekend and they will make up for it this Saturday. "We're not tough enough to talk to the media and keep track of what we're supposed to do all at the same time," Leach said. It will do wonders as 100% of their focus is on Kansas St. This week, the Red Raiders will be pedaling to stay above .500, to get one of the two wins they need for bowl eligibility and to avoid getting KO'ed by another one-two rushing punch. Texas Tech defensive coordinator Lyle Setencich said the 351-yard rushing performance that Texas put on the Red Raiders Saturday wasn't the same as the breakdowns the Raiders suffered last year. "It was not like last year," Setencich said. "We were aligned better. We had our shots. They made the plays and we didn't." Vince Young killed Texas Tech last week and that type of quarterback is what can hurt the Red Raiders every week. The Wildcats do have such a threat but he won’t be on the field Saturday. Kansas State quarterback Allen Webb had a spectacular game against Nebraska and that is all everyone will remember heading into this game. What they won’t remember is in his two previous starts against Fresno State and Kansas, he had collective numbers of 8-22 for 87 yards through the air and 30 yards on 22 carries on the ground. It won’t matter which Webb shows up since he will not be starting anyway. Dylan Meier, who suffered a concussion against Oklahoma, is supposed to be back to his starting spot after throwing for 737 yards and six touchdowns with an interception in his previous three games. Head coach Bill Snyder confirmed that Meier is his man and will start even though he isn’t 100%. “I don't feel great. I don't feel good. But I do feel better,” said Meier. Meier already has been slowed by an injury to his throwing shoulder. That, apparently, is lingering. Asked whether that is something he is feeling better about in terms of overcoming it, Meier said: “Personally not really. It's something that I've had to live with for the season, as far as a certain injury. But I've played through it, and I'm going to continue to play through it. It's something I've got to live with.” Snyder has no plan to play Webb just in order to give him snaps. That could turn into a very bad decision. Kansas St. knows what the Red Raiders will be doing on offense but they won’t be able to contain them. Kansas State has the Big XII's second best pass defense only allowing 170 yards per game. However, that is not a good indicator of how they are defending the pass as opposing quarterbacks have a combined passer rating of 131.89 against them. The Wildcats are 79th in pass efficiency defense in the country and 9th in the conference. Conversely, the Red Raiders are 1st in the Big XII against the pass with a 100.72 rating. Texas Tech should win the field position battle as Kansas State is last in the Big XII in punting and punt returns.

TCU Horned Frogs at Cincinnati Bearcats 3:00 PM ET

Cincinnati Bearcats –5.5 –105 (2 Units)

Cincinnati picked the perfect time to play their best game of the season. The win over Memphis made up for their loss at Army two weeks ago and gives them confidence heading into the homestretch of their schedule. Road games against Southern Miss and Louisville loom large at the end of the season, so the remaining home games against Texas Christian and South Florida are even more important if they Bearcats still hope to salvage a winning season. Cincinnati needs to win three of the four remaining games to be bowl-eligible meaning both home games are must wins. The Bearcats have the opportunity to determine their fate in the C-USA race as they have games remaining with three of the teams tied with or ahead of them in the standings.

After losing Oct. 9 to previously winless Army, the Bearcats spent their off week last week examining why they're struggling so badly with a senior-dominated team. It wasn't hard to pinpoint one major reason as Cincinnati has a minus-7 turnover ratio, which is tied with South Florida and Tulane for the worst in the conference. That and poor special teams have helped negate an offense that averages 407 yards. They are coming off a turnover free game against Memphis last Saturday in what was by far their best game of the season. "I think this win speaks for their attitude," head coach Mark Dantonio said. "I've been impressed with their attitude all along. This team never quit. It's never not played hard. We've made mistakes, but we've always played hard." Their season is far from done and they can get back at TCU who destroyed them in Fort Worth last season. "We've got a good shot," senior guard Kyle Takavitz said. "We've got a lot of our goals still intact, but we've got to take it one week at a time. We've got to have a good week of practice and we'll be fine." Word out of Cincinnati is that they did in fact have a great week of practice. The fear is that this team is getting ready for next season but that is not the case here. Dantonio, who will have a young, inexperienced team next season, says he won't start playing younger players in place of his seniors the rest of the season as training for next year. The TCU defensive line hasn't quite replaced the likes of former defensive ends Bo Schobel or Robert Pollard, and has endured its share of criticism this season for lack of pressure. The Horned Frogs have struggled against the better offenses they have faced this season. UAB, Texas Tech and Northwestern, ranked 33rd, 3rd and 26th respectively in total offense, gained a combined 1,696 total yards and scored a combined 156 points. They allowed 1,297 in their other four games. The Bearcats come in ranked 32nd in total offense and have really gotten things going lately. They have adjusted to the new pro-style offense employed by head coach Mark Dantonio and offensive coordinator Don Treadwell to put up some impressive numbers. After averaging 375 yards and 19 points in its first four games, Cincinnati is averaging 454 yards and 35 points in its last three. Quarterback Gino Guidugli has been outstanding in his last three games, with 67 completions in 109 attempts (61.5 percent) for an average of 277 yards, with 10 touchdown passes and only two interceptions. TCU put a hold on Houston for three quarters last Saturday but they once again imploded. Houston finished with 377 total yards but 175 of those came in the final 15 minutes to go along with three touchdowns.

Florida Gators vs. Georgia Bulldogs at Jacksonville 3:30 PM ET

Florida Gators +7 –105 (2 Units)

Anytime a coach gets fired in sports, players rally around their new coach making their next game a solid proposition. The same can’t be said for a coach who is let go and remains to finish out the season. Unless that coach got a raw deal and the players rally around him sending a message to the men upstairs. And that is exactly what the Gators will be doing for Ron Zook. He is extremely well liked by the players and they will go into this huge rivalry with extra motivation. Coming off a loss makes it better as Florida is 11-3 ATS as an underdog following a straight up loss. That includes a 3-0 record with Zook as coach.

Will Florida fold or will they pick their game up in the wake of their coach getting fired? The latter will happen. The Florida team that takes the field Saturday might be the most motivated it has been all season. "We've got extra motivation now," kicker Matt Leach said. "We're going to go out there and play for Coach Zook, for the coaching staff, to show that people made the wrong decision. We've got to go out and win these games now. We're playing for ourselves, we're playing for our pride, we're playing for the coaches and we're playing for our family and that's it." The players' plan now is a simple one. If the Gators can win out, the decision to fire Zook will be a controversial one in the end. "Everybody is a little mad right now," defensive tackle Ray McDonald said. "But we will come out to play for our coaches. We just have to play for our coaches now and show them that this was the wrong decision. We have got to prove a lot of things Saturday." Players strongly defended their coach this week when hearing the news and chastised athletic director Jeremy Foley for the timing of the move. “He basically just ripped the heart out of the team,'' safety Jarvis Herring said. “He kept saying it was all about the team, all about the team. No, it's not about the team. It's really about the damn boosters and the fans or whatever. That's all it's about. It's nothing about us. We're just in the middle. We're just trapped.'' It’s not like this team needed any more motivation coming off that embarrassing loss as well as playing a hated rival. Florida enters the game having won 13 of the past 14 games against Georgia including six in a row. Georgia is coming into this game with the opposite amount of confidence as they can’t seem to get past this team. "Most of the time everybody's just so uptight," wide receiver Fred Gibson said. "I wish when we get to Jacksonville we just go to the movies or just relax or something. Everybody's just so uptight about this game, this Florida game. I don't know what it is.” Florida will challenge the tough Georgia defense with the league's best passing attack and a solid ground game. There's nothing wrong with the offense with enough balance and confidence to score. The Gators are 25th in the country in total offense and 17th in scoring offense. Their lowest output on the season was 20 points against Kentucky but that game was played in horrible weather in the aftermath of a hurricane. Georgia has held their last 6 opponents to less than 20 points but they have yet to face an offense that is currently ranked in the top 30. The Georgia offense is hardly consistent and hasn't done much, outside of the LSU win, against top teams. The Bulldogs have scored 20 points or less in 4 of their 7 games with their highest scoring total coming against 1-AA Georgia Southern. They have scored 20 points in both of their road games this season. Wide receiver A.J. Bryant will miss his second straight game this week due to a foot injury. Florida linebacker Travis Harris was still wearing a protective boot on his right foot, but said he plans to play in Saturday's game. Two other injured Gators, starting offensive tackle Jonathan Colon (ankle) and starting defensive tackle Ray McDonald (ankle), also have a chance to play. Even though this is at a neutral site, the advantage goes to the Gators. Georgia head coach Mike Richt said Georgia has to adjust to warmer weather for the game in Jacksonville. "We get cool weather and then all of a sudden we get popped in the 80s when we're used to being in the 70s or 60s. Humidity can make a difference. It's more the climate that Florida is used to."

Eastern Michigan Eagles at Bowling Green Falcons 6:00 PM ET

Eastern Michigan Eagles +30 –110 (2 Units)

Eastern Michigan has come a long way from last season. Their offense was pathetic as they ranked 106th in scoring offense and 116th in total offense. They scored 30 points only once and got over 20 points just 4 times. This season they are 32nd in scoring offense and 21st in total offense. A new spread offensive attack brought in by new head coach Jeff Genyk and a more experienced group are the big reasons for the turnaround. The Eagles have scored more than 30 points in 5 of their 7 games this year. The defense is another story but this line is so big that an average effort from the offense should cover this number. This game sets up just like our game with Central Michigan over Toledo last week.

The Eagles have rebounded from a four-game losing streak with back-to-back road wins. They have not been against great competition but winning any game is important, something they could not do in the past. Genyk said the key to the turn-around was turning around the attitude of the team. "The first thing we had to do was to get into a position to win games," Genyk said. "We did that in some of our non-conference games, but we were not in position to take the victory. That's something we stressed as a coaching staff - when the game presents itself in the fourth quarter, you've got to take it." They will be facing one of the best offenses in the country. The Falcons rank first in the MAC in scoring offense (41.4 points per game), second in passing offense (319.9 yards per game) and second in total offense (464.9 yards per game). Excellent numbers but the problem with the offense is that they cannot run the ball as they are ranked 70th in the country. For a team that has blown out a lot of their competition, one would think they would have more yards on the ground but they don’t. Last week against Ohio, they struggled to gain some short yardage plays and finished with just 76 yards on 31 carries. Defensively, they can’t stop the run either. They are 68th in the country, allowing 156.4 ypg and that is against some offenses that have had to do nothing but pass late in the game. The Eagles are rushing for 187.4 ypg and 4.5 ypc, putting them at 24th in the country. They can get yards in chunks and this will be the best offense the Falcons have seen since Northern Illinois and their opener against Oklahoma. The results were the two highest point totals allowed by the defense this season. We are not comparing Eastern Michigan to those teams obviously but Bowling Green will give up their yards and points here. Quarterback Matt Bohnet is relatively unknown but is making a name for himself in the conference. He has completed 53.5 percent of his passes this season for 1,728 yards (246.9 ypg), 15 touchdowns and just five interceptions. He is third in the conference in total offense trailing only Omar Jacobs and Bruce Gradkowski. To prepare the Eastern Michigan defense for what awaits it Saturday, Genyk has used his first-team offense to play the role of Bowling Green, a task normally reserved for backups. The thinking behind the move was to give the Eagles defense a full-speed look at pass routes and offensive packages the Falcons will employ with offensive weapons used to making big plays. The Eagles have had two weeks to prepare for the Falcons as well as healing some of their injuries. Running back Anthony Sherrill (knee), who didn’t practice last week, and defensive back Chris Roberson (thigh) should be at close to full capacity. Genyk also said cornerback Chris Roberson, who missed the Western Michigan game with a pulled muscle, is back to nearly 100 percent, a factor that will be key in Eastern Michigan putting the clamps on Bowling Green's offense.

Tennessee Volunteers at South Carolina Gamecocks 7:00 PM ET

South Carolina Gamecocks +1 –110 (2 Units)

This series has had its share of close games recently with Tennessee coming away with the win each time. With the Gamecocks dropping their last four well-played games against the Vols by a combined 21 points and with all four being decided by a late clutch play on Tennessee's part, it shows how much experience has played a role in those outcomes. Tennessee brings in a freshman quarterback this season and while Erik Ainge has done a great job in these hostile environments, he was a play or two away from losing some of those games. The Gamecock defense is the best in the Lou Holtz era at South Carolina, as they are currently 12th in the nation in total defense at 278 ypg and 4th in scoring defense, only allowing 11 ppg.

The Vols are winning, but in SEC play beat Florida by two, Georgia by five, and Ole Miss and Alabama by four, so this should be a tight game. Tennessee has won three in a row since losing to Auburn, but the games have been close and the offense has been less productive than earlier in the season. Tennessee was averaging 38 points a game three games into the season, but that production has dropped to 16.8 over the past four outings. With teams stacking up against the Vols' running game more and more each week, Tennessee needs the passing game to provide the lift it gave early on in the season. However, quarterback Erik Ainge was leading the conference in quarterback efficiency three games into the year, but he has completed less than 50% of his passes and thrown three interceptions the past two weeks. Here they face a talented and experienced secondary that rates 5th in the nation in pass efficiency defense, highlighted by an excellent ratio of 11 interceptions vs. only three touchdown passes allowed. Tennessee is not pleased with its overall running game output recently. Gerald Riggs Jr., who has started the past two games at tailback, has three 100-yard rushing games this season, but had just 39 yards against Alabama. Cedric Houston, the Vols' previous starter, has averaged just 2.1 yards per carry over the past three games. Riggs (elbow) and Houston (ankle) are both ailing. Offensive coordinator Randy Sanders said they might play freshman Arian Foster if necessary even though the coaching staff was hoping to redshirt him. With two weeks to prepare the defensive game plan, the Gamecocks can feast on that inexperience, and having a bye also came at the right time for the Carolina offense as it allowed both Dondrell Pinkins and Syvelle Newton to get healthy again. Pinkins continues to work with the first-team offense after being out since Oct. 2 with a partially torn rotator cuff. He said he would “definitely play Saturday.” Holtz sought to establish a confident tone for the Tennessee week at his Monday news conference. “I hope we have great respect for Tennessee, which we do, but we’re not afraid of them. We don’t stand in awe. Bring it on,” Holtz said. “Bring your ‘A’ game because they’re going to bring it, anyway. It isn’t like they’re going to leave the sucker at home.” Holtz also says his team is practicing better than at any point this season. “I like our team despite the uncertainty at quarterback,” he said. “We’ve had two good weeks. The players are practicing to win.” With three conference games remaining, South Carolina is still alive for its first SEC East title. Under the SEC’s tiebreaking process, the Gamecocks’ best chance is to finish 6-2 and hope Florida beats Georgia this weekend. In that scenario, assuming Georgia, Tennessee and South Carolina all finish with 6-2 records, the Bulldogs would be knocked out with two divisional losses and the Gamecocks would hold the head-to-head edge over Tennessee.

Utah St. Aggies at Middle Tennessee St. Blue Raiders 3:00 PM ET

Middle Tennessee St. Blue Raiders –9.5 –104 (2 Units)

This will be the second of four straight road games for the Aggies, who are in a stretch with six of seven games away from home. Utah St. is 1-3 on the road this year, having won at UNLV (despite getting outgained by 259 total yards), and they are 5-24 away from Logan in the Mick Dennehy era. Middle Tennessee St. is clicking on offense and their defense has played their two best games in their last two conference outings. Besides their loss to Florida, their other three losses were by 9 points or less and two of those were on the road. They have put up 79 points on offense in their last two games at home.

The Blue Raiders should be able to name their score here. Utah St. ranks 16th in the NCAA in pass defense allowing just 170.3 ypg but that is due to teams running on them late due to big leads. The Aggies are 94th in pass efficiency defense, a much better indicator of how their defense is holding up against the pass. Blue Raiders QB Clint Marks leads the Sun Belt Conference in passing and total offense, averaging 294.4 yards per game. Marks even played well against Florida two weeks ago, completing 25-37 passes for 223 yards including a 37-yard TD toss to Kerry Wright. The Blue Raiders are 7th in the country in passing offense and 21st in pass efficiency offense. However, it’s the rushing game that is making strides. Last week against Idaho, the Blue Raiders finished the game with a season-high 165 yards rushing and 203 passing. That marked the closest the two offensive phases had grown in a game this season. The Blue Raiders have put up three straight 100-yard rushing performances in conference play while opposing defenses have tried to limit the team's fiery air attack. In fact, Middle Tennessee St. has raised its rushing average from 75 yards per game in the year's first three contests to a 138-yard average in the last three Sun Belt games. Utah State is ranked 108th nationally in rushing defense, allowing 224.7 yards on the ground per game. On offense for Idaho, quarterback Travis Cox's problem this season has been youth at the skill positions. He has tossed 13 interceptions this season after throwing only seven all of last year. A big part of the problem is the youth surrounding him as the Aggies' two leading receivers are a freshman and a sophomore, respectively. Their running game isn’t doing much better either. Their 62.6 yards per game rushing is its lowest since averaging 51.1 in 1988 and their 281.9 total offense yards per game is its lowest since 1986 when the Aggies averaged just 192.0 yards per game. Injuries aren’t helping this team either. Senior linebacker Jared Johnstun and senior offensive guard Victor Eti suffered "stinger-concussion problems," according to Dennehy. Despite the bye this week, both players are listed as questionable. "If they don't improve dramatically, they probably won't play," Dennehy said. Eti's injury could further decimate an offensive line which, in recent weeks, has lost starters Malik Cin (blood clot) and Pace Jorgensen (knee). There is more bad news. After getting injured in a car accident last weekend, defensive back Antonio Taylor will not play. Taylor is tied for the team lead in tackles with 47. Joe Lindsay and Andrea Bala will be looked at to fill the newest hole in the Aggies' secondary that is still missing starting safety Terrance Washington. Utah St. does not travel well as they have lost all four of their road Sun Belt Conference games in the last two years, while they are 4-2 in conference home games in that time span. Middle Tennessee St. is looking forward to this game after getting embarrassed last season at Utah St. The Aggies produced a season-high 495 yards of total offense, while the defense limited the Blue Raiders to 150 yards and no points through three quarters. Defensive lineman Jerry Vanderpool remembers last year's visit to Utah State. "I never played in the snow before," said Vanderpool. "And I never lost like that in my life." Blowout city.

**Buzz** · 10-31-2004, 01:44 AM

Nice Work Edge!!!

Buzz

**InsiderEdge** · 10-31-2004, 08:15 AM

Thanks Buzz!

Announcement

Saturday - Big XII Game of the Year!

Saturday - Big XII Game of the Year!

Comment

Comment

Comment

Comment