Here are the writeups guys and good luck Saturday...
<B>3-0 (+11*) </b>Posted record NCAA here.
<b>3* Wash St(-12)</b> Wash St is 9-1 ATS the last 10 games on grass and 11-3 ATS the last 14 road games while AZ is the worst home team ATS around at 2-13 ATS the last 3 years at home and 17-40 at home since 1992!! Both teams can throw the ball, but WSU has a huge advantage in the running game as they average 4.3 yards per rush and allow just 3.3 yards per carry while AZ averages just 2.2 yards per rush and surrenders 4.0 and 162 yards per game. AZ offense is one of the least efficient ones in the Contry as they score a point for every 20 yards gained while WSU manges a point for every 12.5 yards gained and average 439 yards of offense per game. Gesser has a field day and the Cougars roll.
<b>3* PENN ST(+4.5)</b> Penn St has the offensive balance to frustrate an overrated Ohio St defense that is very vulnerable through the air allowing 260+ yards per game. The running games are equal on offense and defense in my opinion and statistically although most would rate Ohio St with a huge advantage there with Clarett. Mills is more of a playmaker than Krenzel and that will spell the difference. Penn St has played a much stiffer conference schedule to this point and yet has the better conference numbers. Ohio St has played Indiana, Northwestern, and Wisconsin who have a combined one conference win. The only disturbing number here is the 135-28 shellacking that the Nittany Lions have been on the short end of in 4 previous visits since 1993 at the shoe.
<b>3* USC(-1.5)</b> USC will get some revenge for the 4 straight losses to the Ducks here including a 2 point loss here last year when they outgained the Ducks by 150 yards but Palmer threw 3 INT's. He is playing extremely well and making better decisions this season and should have a huge day against an Oregon secondary that has been torched for 412 yards per game in their last 3!! Plamer averaging 339 yards a game in his last 3 and should reach 400 here. Oregon needs Onterrio Smith to run well to be at their best and USC rush defense is stout. USC has played the toughest schedule in the Country while Oregon beat up on the sisters of the poor in non-conference and this one will be a Trojan win as they line up a rose bowl bid.
<b>3* Tennessee(-2)</b> Claussen is going to return here and the Vols have owned the Tide winning 7 straight meetings. Bama needs to run the ball to be effective and open up the passing game and Tennessee allows just 2.8 yards per carry on the season. Tennessee is off a bye week and if Fullmer loses this game, he is gone at the end of the year I think. Bama is just 3-8 SU in their last 11 road games and 2-7 SU their last 9 as a dog. Tennessee is 22-4 SU as a FAV the last 26 and 14-3 SU their last 17 at home. Night game in Rockytop is not a good time for the visitor and Tennessee can set out on resurrecting a disappointing season here. I think they do.
<b>3* Mich St(+4.5)</b> This line is a knee jerk reaction to the suspension of Smoker but I see that as a blessing as Dowdell gives another dimension with the run. Wisky is 0-3 in conference play and are 7-17 ATS the last 24 times as a FAV, 8-16 ATS the last 24 on turf, and 1-5 ATS vs losing teams the last 3 years. MSU is 7-2 ATS as a HD of 3.5 to 7 since 1992, 8-4 L12 as a dog, and Wisky is a team that has been outgained on the season and those teams do not need to be laying points on the road. I look for Dowdell to add a spark and get MSU back on track.
<b>3* KST(-31)</b> Poor Baylor. They catch another tough team off a disappointing loss and this will get ugly as Baylor may get shutout for the 3rd straight game and the 4th time this season here. Bill Snyder is not the type to let up on a beaten team either and KST will pour it on for 60 minutes here. They average 5.1 yards per carry on the year and Baylor allows 4.3 yards per rush and 175 yards per game on the ground in their last 3 against lesser running clubs. KST has won the last two meetings by a combined 97-13 count. Baylor averages just 3.5 yards per rush and will find it tougher going against KST defense allowing just 2.8 yards per rush on the year and 285 total yards per game. Baylor offense averages 352 yards per game which isn't terrible, but when you consider it has come against defenses that allow 418 yards per game on the year, it is well below average. Baylor also has turned the ball over 26 times in 7 games which makes that figure even worse. This gets ugly fast and stays ugly all day.
<b>3* PITT(-4)</b> BC 3-8 ATS the last 11 road games, and are 2-11 SU in the last 13 as a dog. Pitt 4-2 ATS off a bye the last 3 years, 3-1 ATS as a home fav of 3.5 to 7, and 14-3 SU as a fav the last 17. They have won 11 of their last 13 games since getting pasted 45-7 by BC last year in Chestnut Hill and they haven't forgotten and are also steaming about the loss to ND where they outgained ND 402-185!! They have had two weeks to stew on that one and should be fired up here. They have gained 400+ in 3 straight and the offense is getting better each week as Rutherford gains confidence. 402 vs ND, 459 vs Syracuse, and 469 vs Toledo in their last 3 games. They also have an excellent defense that allows opponents 70 yards below their season offensive averages. BC offensive numbers(390 yards per game) were aided a ton by 500+ yards vs a poor CMU team and 469 vs bad Navy defense. They are -2 in turnover margin and if not for Navy turning the ball over 6 times(most turnover prone team in the Country), would be worse. BC also has a huge matchup problem with Pitt's top 2 receivers as the BC dbacks are smallish and Fitzgerald and Slade go 6'3 210 and 6'4 210. Pitt +9 turnover margin on the season and they won here 42-26 in 2000 over BC and I expect the same on Saturday.
<b>3* FSU(-10)</B> Vegas is BEGGING you to take ND with this line, and we won't oblige. FSU has had an extra week to prepare while ND played Saturday night in Colorado in a big game and FSU has the edge there. FSU offense is the biggest test by far for the ND defense this year and I think Jones can wear them down as he is simply a bull. ND doesn't have the passing game to exploit the FSU weakness on defense which is against the pass and Jones banged away and wore down the best front 7 in the country vs Miami and will do the same here. ND has lived off special teams and defensive TD's and they actually meet a team in FSU that forces more turnovers per game than they do and also has hurt teams with the return game. Luck of the Irish runs out finally here by two TD's.
Good luck all.......Bookie
