Cnotes 2018 College Football Thru The Bowl Games News- Trends-Stats-Best Bets !

[Cnotes53]

Wednesday?s six-pack

Some interesting NFL trends for the week:

? Arizona is 2-8 in its last ten games as road underdogs.

? Denver is 2-13-1 vs spread in its last 16 games.

? Detroit covered six of its last eight games.

? Cleveland is 4-12 in its last 16 games as home underdogs.

? Ravens are 13-4 vs spread in their last 17 divisional games.

? Green Bay is 10-5 in its last 15 games as divisional road favorites.

Quote of the Day
?I don?t like having to worry about that. Now Week 4 every year is going to be the trade deadline, and everyone is going to make decisions. I don?t like that part of it. When you commit to a school, when you commit to a team, that?s your team, right?

It?s what?s best for him (Bryant). It?s kind of like, when you have a brother, and he makes a bad decision, you love him. Not that it was necessarily a bad decision, but just one you wouldn?t make yourself. But I?m not him, and I?m not here every day in his shoes.?
Clemson WR Hunter Renfrow, on QB Kelly Bryant transferring

Wednesday?s quiz
Who was Lebron James? first coach in the NBA?
(Hint: He was also a very good player, playing for five teams)

Tuesday?s quiz
Colts? kicker Adam Viniatieri played for NFL Europe?s Amsterdam Admirals, in 1996.

Monday?s quiz
Tom Brady tied an NFL record Sunday, throwing a TD pass to his 70th receiver; he shares this record with Vinny Testaverde.


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Wednesday?s List of 13: In praise of these A?s??..

13) Last three years, Oakland A?s finished last in AL West, winning 68-69-75 games.

A?s have the lowest payroll in the major leagues, but they made the playoffs this season, going 97-65, something no one thought possible back in the spring. Great managing job by Bob Melvin; this is 4th time in last seven years Oakland is in the playoffs, but first time since 2014.

How they?ve gotten to this point is really pretty amazing.

12) Oakland has used 53 players this season, 33 of them pitchers.

Their two best starting pitchers right now are Mike Fiers and Edwin Jackson; Fiers? first game with the A?s was August 8, Jackson?s first game was June 25. Jackson is pitching for his 13th major league team.

11) Kendall Graveman was Oakland?s Opening Day starter; he lasted until May 11 before he blew his arm out.

Sean Manaea pitched a no-hitter against Boston, but he got hurt August 24 and is done until 2020. A?s went 16-11 in Manaea?s starts this year- they acquired him in the Ben Zobrist trade when Kansas City made their World Series run in 2015.

Gossett, Triggs, Montas, Blackburn started a combined 31 games; A?s went 17-14 in those games.

10) February 12, 2016, the A?s traded two minor leaguers to Milwaukee for Khris Davis, who has gone on to hit 133 homers, knock in 335 runs. Pretty good trade.

One of the minor leaguers, Jacob Nottingham, has appeared in nine major league games. Davis is mostly a DH, so he wouldn?t have done Milwaukee much good, but a damn good trade.

9) On March 12, 2018, Oakland signed C Jonathan Lucroy, giving their pitchers/defenses an anchor, the team a leader. Lucroy hasn?t hit much, but this will be his third straight year in the playoffs (Texas 2016, Colorado 2017). His acquisition was huge for the A?s.

8) Ramon Laureano is a 24-year old OF who hit .227 in the AA Texas League LY; when you hit .227 in the hitter-friendly Texas League, it is usually time to start looking for a new career, but since making his Oakland debut August 3, Laureano has an on-base% of .364, is a terrific CF with a great arm- he doubled a runner off first base in Anaheim with a throw that went 107 yards in the air!!!!

A?s got him from Houston in a trade for a pitcher who went 5-8 in A ball this year.

7) When they make Moneyball 2, the story of Stephen Piscotty?s family will be front/center. St Louis was going to trade Piscotty last winter, but his mother had Alzheimer?s and he wanted to be close to her in her final months, so Piscotty asked to be traded to the A?s or Giants.

Last December, he got traded to Oakland and has hit 27 homers with 88 RBI, many of them in key spots. Quite a story.

6) Last July, the A?s were awful and Washington needed bullpen help to make the playoffs, so Oakland dealt Doolittle/Madson to Washington for Blake Treinen and two minor leaguers (one of whom is Jesus Luzardo, a big prospect).

Treinen has turned into one of the best closers this season, with 38 saves. Luzardo is expected to be a star down the road.

5) 41-year old Fernando Rodney (acquired August 9) and Jeurys Familia (July 21) pitch the 7th and 8th innings if the A?s are winning. When your starting pitchers are mostly all hurt and have a hard time finishing six innings, you load up on relievers and hope the starting pitcher gets 15 outs. Lou Trivino pitched the 6th inning most of the season, when needed.

4) Oakland?s infielders are very good; a pair of Matts, Chapman/Olson are young corner infielders who appear headed for stardom. Chapman and Nolan Arenado and the two best defensive 3B in the major leagues right now.

Marcus Semien/Jed Lowrie give the A?s solid defense up the middle and timely hitting- Lowrie knocked in 99 runs. It is so unusual for a playoff team to have starting pitching being the weakest part of the team.

3) On June 5, the A?s lost 6-4 to the Angels, dropping them to 34-36; since then, Oakland is 63-29, the best record in MLB during that time. An astounding turnaround.

2) Bob Melvin managed the Mariners for two years, Arizona for five; this is his 8th year with Oakland, his hometown team. Can?t imagine why he got fired from the other places; he is calm, smart and guys play their butts off for him, otherwise a 34-36 team wouldn?t go on a 62-27 run. Excellent manager.

1) This is the 50th anniversary of the A?s first season in Oakland, after they moved west from Kansas City. It has been a great season for these guys; hopefully it?ll last another month or so

 

[Cnotes53]

DILLION ON THE MEND

One of the top rushers in the nation is hoping to return to action this week. Boston College sophomore, A.J. Dillon's status is up in the air after he rolled his ankle early in the third quarter of last weekend's 45-35 victory over Temple and didn't return. Head coach Steve Addazio had no update for reporters Monday, but Dillon was headed for a historic game at the time of his injury, having racked up 161 yards and a pair of touchdowns on 28 carries to that point. Dillon enters Week 6 ranked third in the nation in rushing yards (652), putting him on pace to blow past the 1,589 rushing yards he put up as a freshman.

Bettors should monitor Dillon's progress throughout the week as the Eagles prepare to visit N.C. State. If he misses the game or is hobbled going into the weekend, the Wolfpack suddenly become a terrific cover option; they're -4 as of Tuesday.


LAWRENCE BATTLING A NECK STRAIN

Clemson quarterback Trevor Lawrence has one more ailment to deal with as the Tigers prepare for Saturday's showdown with Wake Forest. In addition to being placed in the concussion protocol, Lawrence is recovering from a neck strain; both injuries were suffered on the same play, one that knocked Lawrence from the game in Clemson's come-from-behind 27-23 win over Syracuse. Lawrence will need to get clearance for the concussion before he can return to practice. Chase Brice, who led the Tigers' late rally against the Orange, would get the start if Lawrence isn't able to return in time.

More quarterback uncertainty could be a problem for Clemson, which has gone just 1-4 ATS on the season and very nearly lost outright at home to Syracuse. Wake Forest is getting 17 points at home, and that number might climb if Lawrence is delayed in his return to practice; the Demon Deacons fell 28-14 to Clemson in last year's meeting.


GANGI OUT FOR NEVADA?

The Nevada Wolf Pack could be without their starting quarterback for Saturday's pivotal Mountain West showdown with visiting Fresno State. Ty Gangi suffered a leg injury in last week's 28-25 triumph over Air Force and missed Monday's practice as a result. Head coach Jay Norvell has suggested that Gangi won't return to the field Tuesday, either. Gangi has been the lynch pin for a Wolf Pack pass offense ranked in the Top 30 in yards per game, having completed nearly 73 percent of his passes for 1,338 yards with 11 touchdowns and six interceptions. He finished with four TD tosses in the win over Air Force.

The downgrade from Gangi to No. 2 option Cristian Solano is significant enough for us to recommend taking Fresno State -12 if Gangi can't go. His absence would also impact Nevada's shot at reaching its team total, which sits at ~24 points as of Tuesday.


NORTHWESTERN ABOUT TO BE GROUNDED

It could be a long, difficult day for Northwestern running backs Saturday as the Wildcats visit the Michigan State Spartans. The Northwestern rush attack has been dismal through the first four games of the season; the Wildcats rank 122nd out of 129 Division I schools in average yards on the ground (94.8) and are one of only 10 programs not averaging triple digits. That mark isn't likely to improve this weekend at Spartan Stadium, with Michigan State having held foes to just 161 rushing yards on 108 carries ? good for a microscopic 1.49 yards per attempt. Their 40.3 rushing yards allowed per game is the fewest in the nation.

Granted, the Wildcats had just 64 yards on 28 carries (2.3 YPC) in last year's encounter and still pulled out a 39-31 overtime win. But a similar showing Saturday at Spartan Stadium would make the home side an attractive cover option at -11.5.

 

[Cnotes53]

Tulsa at Houston
Joe Nelson

This week?s Thursday night ESPN game comes out of the American Athletic Conference with a West division battle between Tulsa and Houston.

The Golden Hurricane fared poorly on Thursday night two weeks ago in their first conference game while this is the AAC opener for Houston. Here is a look at Thursday?s game to start college football Week 6.

Match-up: Tulsa Golden Hurricane at Houston Cougars
Venue: At TDECU Stadium in Houston, Texas
Time/TV: Thursday, October 4, 8:00 p.m. ET ESPN
Line: Houston -18, Over/Under 68?
Last Meeting: 2017, at Tulsa (+14) 45, Houston 17

Houston won the inaugural AAC Championship game in 2015 and grabbed headlines nationally in 2016 with a pair of high profile upsets. That success let to Tom Herman being hired in Austin and last season former Texas quarterback Major Applewhite guided Houston to a 7-5 record in his first season as head coach.

Four of the five losses for Houston came in single score games but the one exception was a blowout loss at Tulsa, losing by 28 as a two-touchdown favorite. This season Houston is 3-1 with a notable win over Arizona while the loss came by 14 at Texas Tech. This will be the first game of the AAC season for the Cougars who figure to be the favorites in the West division with last season?s champion Memphis already 0-2 in league play.

Houston struggled to find a quarterback early last season but D?Eriq King emerged in late October, keying the upset over South Florida and finishing the season with solid results in the air and on the ground. Now a junior King has rushed less successfully and has a lower completion rate than last season but with 15 touchdowns and just one interception he has been a great leader with the offense scoring at least 45 points in every game.

Houston has rushed for over 1,000 yards in four games on 6.4 yards per carry with a committee approach as Patrick Carr leads the team with only 201 rushing yards and King leads the team with five rushing touchdowns.

Houston also has one of the highest profile defensive players in the nation with Ed Oliver a projected 1st round NFL pick next spring. Houston hasn?t had great defensive numbers this season allowing over 30 points per game after surrendering fewer than 24 points per game last season.

After a two-win 2017 season, Tulsa is expected to be an improved team with a shot at making the postseason. The 1-3 start has featured three losses in a row all against quality competition falling to Texas, Arkansas State, and opening the conference season with a 31-17 loss at Temple two weeks ago. Tulsa out-gained Temple by more than 100 yards in that game but had five turnovers including allowing two defensive touchdowns.

Luke Skipper split time at quarterback last season and has led the offense in all four games this year. He has marginal numbers with six interceptions and just 6.2 yards per attempt. Chad President is still on the roster but has only seen a few snaps this season after sharing the load last season for Philip Montgomery, in his fourth season as the head coach at Tulsa.

Montgomery led Tulsa to a bowl game in his first season and then produced a 10-win 2016 season before reversing course last year. Montgomery was an assistant at Houston from 2003 to 2007 before being the offensive coordinator at Baylor from 2008 to 2014 as a long-time assistant to Art Briles.

Houston is on the road the next two weeks making this home date an important one looking to take the division lead with only SMU and Tulane currently in the AAC West without a conference loss. Both of those teams are underdogs this week and will face off the following week as Houston is in a great position to move to the top of the standings.

Without producing an upset in the first month Tulsa could find itself needing a spectacular late season to reach six wins and earn a bowl bid. A 1-6 start looks realistic at this point hosting South Florida next week before a non-conference game at Arkansas. Road games at Memphis and at Navy will still be waiting in November as while Tulsa looked like a team that could take a positive step forward this season the path looks challenging. Upsetting Houston this week could change that trajectory.

Last season: Houston was 4-1 heading to Tulsa with the Hurricane 1-5 at the time and coming off a 62-28 loss at Tulane. It wasn?t a surprise when the Cougars took a 10-0 early lead but out of halftime Tulsa was a different team, feeding off of a big turnover to produce 17 points in the third quarter. Houston would get back within seven before Skipper hit a 70 yard pass play to seal the win for the Hurricane. Tulsa added two touchdowns in the final minute for a more convincing result than they deserved and it may be something the Houston players remember.

Historical Trends:

Houston is on a 42-31-1 run in home games since 2006 including a 6-2 ATS start under Applewhite including 3-0 as a double-digit home favorite.

Tulsa has covered in six of the past eight meetings between these schools going back to 2009 including covering in each of the last four meetings in Houston.

Tulsa is on a 22-11 ATS run as a double-digit underdog since 2010 with seven S/U upsets, going 12-4 ATS in that role since 2015 under Montgomery.

 

[Cnotes53]

Tech Trends - Week 6
Bruce Marshall

Thursday, Oct. 4

TULSA at HOUSTON...Tulsa has covered last 2 and 3 of last 4 in series, though neither of these sides have been too reliable lately, as UH just 9-15-1 last 25 on board and Hurricane 6-10 last 16. Tulsa is 10-4 as visiting dog for Montgomery.
Slight to Tulsa, based on series trends.


GEORGIA STATE at TROY...Ga State just 2-6-1 vs. spread last 9 in reg. season. Once-solid road dog mark taking some hits, 0-2 in role already TY. Troy only 2-5 as home chalk LY but has won and covered last 3 in 2018.
Troy, based on recent trends.


Friday, Oct. 5

MTSU at MARSHALL...MTSU 1-6 vs. spread last seven as visitor. Herd has won and covered big last two years in series and 3-0-1 vs. line last four meetings.
Marshall, based on series trends.


GEORGIA TECH at LOUISVILLE...?Ville 6-16 last 22 on board. Petrino 2-4 last five as dog. Paul Johnson 1-4 vs. line TY but is 12-7-1 last 20 overall vs. spread.
Slight to Georgia Tech, based on ?Ville negatives.


UTAH STATE at BYU...Utags 3-0-1 vs. line TY and beat BYU in 2017. Utags 1-0 as road dog TY but were 3-6 in role preceding two years. Sitake just 2-6 last 8 as chalk (0-1 TY).
Slight to Utah State, based on team trends.


Saturday, Oct. 6

SOUTH ALABAMA at GEORGIA SOUTHERN...Eagles surprising 4-0 vs. line TY and 6-1 last seven vs. spread since last 2017.
Georgia Southern, based on recent trends.


SOUTH FLORIDA at UMASS...Mass just 2-5 as home dog since 2016. Charlie Strong only 2-4 as chalk away from Tampa since LY, also no covers last 7 laying DD.
Slight to UMass, based on team trends.


CLEMSON at WAKE FOREST...Dave Clawson 4-0 vs. line against Dabo since arriving at Wake. Deacs were 10-2-1 last two years as dog (0-2 TY). Clemson just 1-4 vs. line TY.
Slight to Wake Forest, based on team trends.


EAST CAROLINA at TEMPLE...ECU 8-19-1 vs. line for Montgomery since 2016. ECU 2-8-1 as rod dog since 2016. Owls 31-15 last 46 on board, though Collins 0-3 as DD chalk.
Temple, based on team trends.


NORTHERN ILLINOIS at BALL STATE...NIU has won last 9 SU and covered last 6 vs. Ball. Huskies destroyed Cards 63-17 LY. But NIU no covers last five away from DeKalb. Ball just 4-10 vs. spread last 14 at Muncie.
NIU, based on series trends.


SYRACUSE at PITTSBURGH...Cuse 4-0-1 vs. line TY. Babers 7-1 vs. spread last seven away, on 7-0-1 spread uptick since late 2017. Pitt 7-16 vs. line at Heinz Field since Narduzzi arrived in 2015.
Syracuse, based on team trends.


SMU at UCF... SMU has covered last two for Sonny Dykes, but Mustangs only 2-6-1 vs. line last nine away from Dallas.
Central Florida, based on team trends.


ODU at FAU...FAU 9-0 SU and 7-2 vs. line against C-USA in 2017, though he's 0-5 vs. line to open 2018. ODU had dropped five in a row vs. line prior to VPI upset. Monarchs 4-9 vs. spread as road dog since 2015.
FAU, based on team trends.


INDIANA at OHIO STATE...Tom Allen 0-3 as visiting dog for IU LY, also 0-3 as DD dog, and Hoosiers also 2-6 vs. spread last eight as visitor. Bucks 3-0 vs. line as home DD chalk TY, but just 1-6 vs. line last 7 vs. IU!
Slight to Indiana, based on series trends.


BOSTON COLLEGE at NC STATE...BC has covered 4 of last 5 in series, including SU wins last two as dog at Raleigh. Wolfpack 2-6 vs. spread last seven as home chalk. Eagles 10-3-1 as visiting dog since 2014.
Boston College, based on team and series trends.


LSU at FLORIDA...LSU has covered last five as a visitor and Coach O is 10-2 vs. spread last 12 away from Baton Rouge. But Dan Mullen covered last four years vs. LSU while at Miss State. If dog here note Mullen 14-7 in role past four+ years with MSU & Florida.
Slight to Florida, based on Mullen trends.


MISSOURI at SOUTH CAROLINA...Muschamp has won and covered last two years in series. Barry Odom, however, 4-1 last five as dog. Cocks only 3-4 last seven as Williams-Brice chalk.
Slight to Mizzou, based on team trends.


MARYLAND at MICHIGAN...Harbaugh just 2-6 vs. line last 8 at Ann Arbor though he has destroyed Terps last three years, winning and covering all three. Maryland 3-1 vs. line in 2018 (1-0 as dog).
Slight to Michigan, based on series trends.


TULANE at CINCINNATI... Willie Fritz 6-3 last nine as dog after Memphis upset, also 12-6 last 18 overall vs. line. Cincy only 2-6 as Nippert chalk since 2016 (1-1 TY).
Tulane, based on team trends.


OHIO at KENT STATE...Solich 10-3 vs. spread last 13 as visitor, 5-2 last seven as chalk away from Athens. Solich has won and covered last four vs. Kent State. Golden Flashes just 3-6 vs. spread last 9 as Dix Stadium.
Solich and Ohio, based on team trends.


EASTERN MICHIGAN at WESTERN MICHIGAN...EMU now 14-2-1 last 17 as dog away from Ypsilanti. 17-3-1 overall last 1 as dog. Also 8-2 last ten vs. spread on MAC road.
Eastern Michigan, based on team trends.


BUFFALO at CENTRAL MICHIGAN...Bulls now on 12-3-2 spread uptick since late 2016. Chips, however, on 9-1 spread surge last ten in reg season since mid 2017.
Slight to Buffalo, based on team trends.


MIAMI-OHIO at AKRON...RedHawks 1-5 vs. line last six away from Yager Stadium. Zips have covered last two this season but just 3-9-1 vs. points at Infocision since 2016.
Slight to Miami, based on team trends.


NOTRE DAME at VIRGINIA TECH...Fuente 11-2 SU at home with Hokies since 2016, if home chalk note 8-4 mark last 12 in role. Irish 5-2 vs. spread away since last season.
Slight to Notre Dame, based on team trends.


ILLINOIS at RUTGERS...Road dog has won outright last two in series. Lovie just 3-3 vs. spread last six away from Champaign-Urbana, though only 6-13 last 19 vs. line overall. ?Gers 2-5 last seven vs. points.
Slight to Illinois, based on series trends.


SAN DIEGO STATE at BOISE STATE...Rocky Long 12-7-1 last 20 as dog. Dog has also covered last four in this series. Aztecs 11-3 vs. points last 14 on MW road. Broncos 2-10 last 12 as blue carpet MW chalk.
San Diego State, based on team and series trends.


ARIZONA STATE at COLORADO...Herm 4-1 vs. line with ASU and 2-0 in dog role. ASU 7-3-1 as dog since LY. Home team has covered last five in series, however, and CU 3-0 vs. points against FBS foes this season.
Slight to Colorado, based on series trends.


LIBERTY at NEW MEXICO STATE...Ags, no covers last four in Las Cruces, 3-9 last 12 vs. spread in reg season.
Liberty, based on recent trends.


NORTH TEXAS at UTEP...UNT 7-3 vs. spread last 10 in reg season, 4-1 last five vs. line as visitor. UTEP 4-12-1 vs. line since 2017.
North Texas, based on team trends.


WASHINGTON at UCLA...Bruins on 5-12-1 spread skid. Also 5-11 vs. points last 16 at Rose Bowl.
Washington, based on UCLA negatives.


UTAH at STANFORD...Utes have covered all three times vs. Tree since entering Pac 12. Utah 10-2 against number last 12 as visiting dog. Tree 5-8 last 13 as Palo Alto chalk.
Utah, based on team and series trends.


FRESNO STATE at NEVADA...Tedford 13-3-1 vs. points since taking over FSU LY, and Bulldogs on 18-5-1 spread uptick. Pack 5-7 vs. spread as dog for Jay Norvell (though 2-1 as home dog).
Fresno State, based on team and series trends.


WASHINGTON STATE at OREGON STATE...Leach 11-4 vs. spread last 14 reg season games, 3-2 as road chalk since LY.
Washington State, based on team trends.


CAL at ARIZONA...Cal 8-4 as dog for Wilcox since LY. Cats just 2-4-1 last 7 as home chalk and Sumlin 11-18-1 last 30 in role dating to A&M days.
Cal, based on team trends.


NEW MEXICO at UNLV...Road team has covered last three in series. Sanchez just 4-8 last 12 as home chalk.
Slight to New Mexico, based on series and team trends.


NORTHWESTERN at MICHIGAN STATE...Ugh! Pat Fitz 11-3 last 14 as visiting dog. Won and covered last two years as dog vs. MSU. Dantonio 4-2 as home chalk since LY but was 12-20 in role preceding five seasons.
Northwestern, based on team trends.


KANSAS at WEST VIRGINIA...Road team has covered last four in series, though KU just 4-13-1 last 18 on Big 12 road. Mounties have covered first three in 2018, now 5-1 laying DD since 2017.
Slight to West Virginia, based on team trends.


ALABAMA at ARKANSAS...Hogs now on 5-13-1 spread skid since late 2016. Bama has only covered 1 of last 4 (1-2-1) vs. Hogs , and note Saban just 8-10-1 vs. spread last 19 on board.
Slight to Alabama, based on Arkansas woes.


UAB at LA TECH...Bill Clark 11-5 as dog with UAB since arriving in 2014. Skip just 3-5 last 8 vs. spread in Ruston.
Slight to UAB, based on team trends.


KENTUCKY at TEXAS A&M...Dog teams covered in first four UK games TY, and Mark Stoops 11-6 as dog since 2016.
Kentucky, based on team trends.


IOWA STATE at OKLAHOMA STATE...ISU 13-7-1 as dog since Matt Campbell arrived in 2016, also 6-2 vs. points last eight as visitor.
Iowa State, based on team trends.


VANDERBILT at GEORGIA...Derek Mason 3-1 vs. line against Dawgs, though Georgia romped LY. But Vandy just 3-8 last 11 as dog overall. Georgia on 14-7 spread uptick.
Georgia, based on recent trends.


IOWA at MINNESOTA...Iowa 5-1 SU, 4-1-1 vs. line last six in Floyd games. If chalk note Ferentz 12-2-1 on road in role since 2013. Fleck just 2-7-1 vs. spread in Big Ten games with Gophers since LY.
Iowa, based on team and series trends.


BOWLING GREEN at TOLEDO...Falcs 0-4-1 vs. line TY, Jinks now 7-21-1 vs. spread since taking over in 2016. Falcs haven?t beaten nearby rival Toledo SU since 2009. Rockets 4-1-1 last six vs. line in series, and 8-4 vs. spread last 12 in reg season.
Toledo, based on team and series trends.


AUBURN at MISSISSIPPI STATE...Malzahn 19-35-1 last 55 vs. number, but is 5-2-1 as visiting chalk since 2015. Malzahn whipped Dan Mullen last two years but failed to cover previous three vs. MSU. Under Mullen, MSU was 3-1 as Starkville dog past two years and 7-4 as dog.
Slight to Auburn, based on recent series trends.


NAVY at AIR FORCE...Navy was 7-2 as visiting chalk entering this season but 0-2 in that role in 2018. Teams have split last eight meetings SU and vs. line. If Calhoun a dog note 14-6 spread mark last 20 in role.
Slight to Air Force, based on team trends.


ULM at OLE MISS...Rebs 1-5 vs. line last six laying points to non-SEC at Oxford. Also just 3-6 vs. spread last 9 after facing hated LSU.
Louisiana-Monroe, based on team trends.


OKLAHOMA vs. TEXAS (at Cotton Bowl, Dallas)...Tom Herman now 11-1 as dog with Houston and Texas. Horns have covered last five in this old rivalry. Lincoln Riley just 1-4 vs. spread laying points away from Norman since LY.
Texas, based on team and series trends.


UCONN at MEMPHIS... Tigers now no covers 3 of last 4 TY but still 7-4 last 11 laying DD. UConn 0-4-1 vs. line TY, 5-11-1 for Edsall II since LY, 5-16-1 last 21 overall vs. spread since mid 2016.
Memphis, based on team trends.


ULL at TEXAS STATE... Cajuns won and covered big all three from 2014-16. Bobcats just 4-9 vs. line at home since 2016 (3-7 as home dog). Though Cajuns just 3-7 vs. line last nine away from Lafayette.
Slight to Louisiana-Lafayette, based on extended series trends.

UTSA at RICE... UTSA no covers last 9 or 12 of last 13 since mid 2017. Rice has covered 5 of last 6 in series.
Rice, based on team and series trends.


KANSAS STATE at BAYLOR...If chalk note Bill Snyder no covers last three as visitor in role. Dog team is 7-1 vs. points last eight meetings. Bears just 3-8 vs. line last 11 at Waco (3-6 for Rhule).
Slight to K-State, especially if dog, based on series and team trends.


FLORIDA STATE at MIAMI-FLA...Last four meetings all decided by 4 or fewer. Canes were just 1-4 as home chalk LY but 2-1 in role TY. Noles 0-3 as dog LY.
Miami, based on team trends.


NEBRASKA at WISCONSIN...Frost no wins or covers first four TY, Huskers on 4-14 spread skid dating to late 2016. Huskers only 1-6 SU and vs. line against Badgers since entering Big Ten. Huskers 4-9 last 13 as dog. Badgers, however, no covers first three TY at Camp Randall.
Wisconsin, based on team and series trends.


COLORADO STATE at SAN JOSE STATE...CSU really skidding, 1-4 vs. line TY, 1-11 last 12 vs. number. No covers last five away from Fort Collins. SJSU 4-0-1 vs. spread last five vs. BCS foes.
San Jose State, based on CSU negatives.


WYOMING at HAWAII...Hawaii no covers last four (0-2-1) after quick start. But Wyo no covers last four since opener vs. NMSU. Bohl however 12-7 last 19 as dog, and Bows 4-20-1 vs. line last 25 at Aloha (1-2 TY).
Slight to Wyoming, based on team trends.

 

[Cnotes53]

Games to Watch - Week 6

It is becoming clear that it is going to be no easy feat to dislodge the Top 4 in college football, as they are all continuing to find ways to win, even though those victories are not always pretty. Ohio State and Clemson both needed to dig deep in Week 5 to get wins and maintain their top status, although things look to be a little easier for them with this weekend?s schedule.

The bigger games in Week 6 involve ranked teams going head to head in an effort to continue moving up and challenging the Big 4. Let?s take a look at some of the bigger games on the Week 6 college football schedule. As always, all odds, props and futures for each game sponsored by YouWager.eu.

No. 19 Texas Longhorns at No. 7 Oklahoma Sooners

The Red River Rivalry is always one of the games that these two teams circle on the calendar and tis one should be a real treat for the fans, too, as both teams are now ranked in the top 25. Texas have recovered nicely after losing their season opener, while the Oklahoma Sooners are still unbeaten through the first 5 weeks of the season. The line may change a little as the week progresses, but for now, the Sooners are in as a 7-point home favorite. This thing may end up being a little tighter than the line suggests, but either way, I think it will be Oklahoma who come out on top in this one.


No. 5 LSU Tigers at No. 22 Florida Gators

A huge SEC match-up here, especially for Florida who are coming into this game having already dropped a conference game. They are almost certainly out of the running to be in the SEC Championship Game if they lose this one, as it really doesn?t look as though Georgia are going to drop too many games in the East Division. For LSU, it?s all about remaining unbeaten and keeping the pressure on the high-flying Alabama Crimson Tide in the West. The bookies have this as a close one, with the LSU Tigers in as an early 3 ? point favorite. It?s never easy to get a win on the road against the Gators, but I like LSU to get it.


Florida State Seminoles at No. 17 Miami Hurricanes

We have yet another big rivalry game on tap this coming Saturday, with the Florida State Seminoles making the short trip to Miami to face the Hurricanes. This is a match-up that the Seminoles dominated for a while, but it is clear that the tide is starting to turn. Florida State are in rebuilding mode at the moment, while the Hurricanes look as though they are going to be a permanent fixture in the top 25 for the foreseeable future. You can see the difference between these two in the early point spread, with the Hurricanes in as a 12 ? point favorite. This should be a win for the home team.


No. 6 Notre Dame Fighting Irish at No. 24 Virginia Tech Hokies

The Fighting Irish are one of a handful of teams who have a legitimate shot at running down the top 4 teams in the nation. They come into this one with a perfect 5-0 record this season, and while they are an early 5 ? point favorite here, this is going to be a game that is far from easy for them. The Hokies took a tough loss a couple of weeks back against Old Dominion, but they bounced back with a big win in Week 5 over a ranked Duke team. They are going to give the Irish all they can handle this coming Saturday, although I do think the Hokies will come up a little short.


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

LJ LISTED AS STARTER

The Michigan State Spartans are expected to have running back LJ Scott in the lineup for this weekend's encounter with visiting Northwestern. Scott is listed atop the depth chart for the Spartans after missing the previous two games with a leg injury. But fans and bettors should be careful, as Scott was atop last week's depth chart before being made a late scratch for Michigan State's 31-20 triumph over Central Michigan. Scott, who ran for nearly 900 yards with eight touchdowns in 2017, has just 30 carries for 103 scoreless yards in two games this season.

Scott's return would bolster a Spartans run game that has produced an average of 129.8 yards per contest, ranking 104th nationally. The total for this one has plummeted from 48 down to 43.5, and the return of Scott ? who has 25 collegiate rushing scores ? should provide some relief for over bettors.


INGRAM CARRYING THE LOAD?

Keaontay Ingram will be front and center for the Texas Longhorns this weekend as they take on the Oklahoma Sooners in a massive Big 12 matchup at the Cotton Bowl in Dallas. Injuries have limited Ingram to just 34 carries on the season, but his 6.1 YPC average has set him up for a feature role Saturday against the Sooners, who are eight-point favorites. When asked if Ingram was ready to carry the load, Longhorns head coach Tom Herman told reporters: "Yeah, I think he's ready." The freshman sensation has a pair of touchdowns in four games and has also caught 10 passes for 39 yards.

Ingram will be put to the test against a Sooners defense limiting opponents to 3.2 yards per carry, though Oklahoma has surrendered 10 touchdowns on the ground. Texas' team total sits at 24.5, and a good game from Ingram should help the Longhorns convert the over; they're averaging 28.8 points per game, while the Sooners allow 23.2.


NO BULL, JOHNSON DAY-TO-DAY

Buffalo fans are holding their collective breath as wide receiver Anthony Johnson continues his recovery from a hamstring injury. Johnson is considered day-to-day heading into this weekend's showdown with Central Michigan. The redshirt senior suffered the injury two weeks ago against Rutgers and was held out of last weekend's 42-13 drubbing at the hands of the Army Black Knights. Johnson is off to a sensational start for the Bulls, having hauled in 18 receptions for a team-best 301 receiving yards and three touchdowns so far.

The absence of Johnson, who had 1,356 receiving yards and 14 TDs a year ago, helped torpedo the Buffalo pass offense, which managed just 156 yards in the loss to Army. The Bulls are 8.5-point underdogs at Central Michigan, and this one is simple: If he's back, we recommend taking the road cover. If he sits out, we lean toward the Chippewas.


BACK TO ZEB

Iowa State will turn to quarterback Zeb Noland for a fourth consecutive week as it prepares to face Oklahoma State this weekend. Noland will once again fill in for Kyle Kempt, who remains sidelined with a knee injury but has reportedly shed his brace and is making progress. Noland has been mostly serviceable in relief, having racked up 715 passing yards with four touchdowns and just one interception through parts of four games. He was held to 79 passing yards in last week's loss to TCU but has at least one TD pass in each of his first three starts.

Noland has shown enough to warrant taking the over on Iowa State's 21.5-point team total against a Cowboys defense allowing a whopping 262 passing yards per game, ranking outside the top 100 in Division I.

 

[Cnotes53]

LSU at Florida
October 3, 2018
By BetDSI

By Tom Wilkinson

College Football Betting Preview ? LSU at Florida

When Dan Mullen was hired as head coach of the Florida Gators it was celebrated as a return to the Fun and Gun days of lore. Indeed, Mullen was offensive coordinator for Urban Meyer when quarterback Tim Tebow was leading the Gators to two national championships and with a most entertaining style of play. So far Mullen has led the Gators to a 4-1 start. But that is in spite of instead of great offensive football.

In fact, the last time the Gators offense was productive and coherent was Tebow?s final season under center. Now the Gators will be going up against a tough LSU Tigers team with a strong stop unit.

Date and Time: Saturday, October 6, 2018, 3:30 p.m. ET
Location: Ben Hill Griffith Stadium, Gainesville, Florida
College Football Odds at BetDSI: LSU -2.5
LSU vs. Florida TV Coverage: CBS

The Florida Gators are 4-1 both straight up and against the spread with three of their games going under the total. The Gators are coming off a hard fought bare knuckled brawl of a win at Mississippi State 13-6 as 6.5 point dogs. The victory was especially sweet for Gators coach Dan Mullen, who was returning to Mississippi State after leaving them in December of last year for the Florida job. Mullen led the Bulldogs to their most successful era ever but fans will never forgive him for leaving.

There is little doubt that Mullen will eventually straighten out the Florida offense. But as for now he inherited the same mess that was left behind by Urban Meyer, Will Muschamp, and Jim McElwain. It boggles the mind that in such a fertile recruiting area as Florida has not been able to field a coherent offensive attack. Florida ranks 94th in the nation for total offense but that is offset by a strong defense that ranks ninth for points allowed.

Everyone laughed when the LSU Tigers hired Ed Orgeron as head coach two years ago. Nobody is laughing now. Indeed, Orgeron has defied his critics by improving the play of the Bayou Bengals. LSU has a record of 5-0 straight up and 3-2 against the spread with three of their five games going over the total. Last week the Tigers mauled Ole Miss 45-16 as 11.5-point chalks. LSU ranks 12th in the nation for scoring defense. And although they rank 48th for scoring offense that is deceptive.

Transfer quarterback Joe Burrow has proven to be quite a find from Ohio State. While not spectacular Burrow is a fine game manager that avoids making stupid and costly mistakes. A good indicator of Burrow?s efficiency is his six touchdown passes with zero interceptions.

Matchup to Watch

These teams are similar in that their success is based on strong defense. Burrow should prove to be the matchup advantage for LSU. While not great the Bayou Bengals offense has proven to be superior to Florida thus far. LSU is also deeper defensively. Mullen will need a recruiting class or two in order to get the Florida offense where he wants it to be.

Key Stats

LSU has been a good wagering value as a road chalk lately with four payouts in their last six in that role. Three of the Tigers last four games as road favorites have gone under the total.

Florida has failed to get the money in four of their last seven as home dogs with three of their last four in that situation going under the total.

LSU has had the recent upper hand in this head to head series with Florida. The Tigers have paid in their last two meetings with the Gators as both games also went under the total. And at Ben Hill Griffith Stadium the Bayou Bengals have escaped with three wins in their last four visits. Two of the last three games between these teams at Florida went under the total.

LSU vs. Florida Picks

Florida is improving but not yet at the same level of LSU. Orgeron has a deeper roster with more experience and overall talent. LSU also boasts the better quarterback.

LSU vs. Florida Pick: Bet LSU at BetDSI
LSU vs. Florida Score Prediction: LSU 20, Florida 14

 

[Cnotes53]

Notre Dame at Virginia Tech
October 3, 2018
By Bookmaker

by Kyle Markus

NCAA Football Game Preview - Notre Dame Fighting Irish at Virginia Tech Hokies

The Notre Dame Fighting Irish may have been undefeated through three games, but a sputtering offense kept them from being considered a true national championship contender. However, a quarterback change has improved the tenor and now the team has a legitimate shot at the College Football Playoff.

Notre Dame will aim to improve to 6-0 on the season when it faces off against the Virginia Tech Hokies in Week 6 of the college football season. Virginia Tech does not have the same amount of pure talent on its roster but does have the home field advantage.

Virginia Tech was about a touchdown underdog last time out and was able to upset the Duke Blue Devils. The Hokies would love to pull a similar trick in this one and deal a blow to Notre Dame?s national title hopes in NCAA football gambling.

This NCAA football game between the Notre Dame Fighting Irish and Virginia Tech Hokies will be held at Lane Stadium in Blacksburg, Virginia at 8 p.m ET on Saturday, October 6th, 2018. The game will be nationally televised on ABC.

We'll have NCAA football odds at BookMaker.eu available for every game of the 2018 NCAA season.

Odds Analysis

Notre Dame began the week as a 5.5-point favorite and that line has moved up a point to 6.5. If it keeps growing to a touchdown difference Virginia Tech would be a wonderful choice. The Fighting Irish is the -245 favorite on the moneyline while Virginia Tech is +203 to pull off the upset. The scoring total is listed at 57.5 points, which has gone up a few points from the original line. The betting public has clearly favored Notre Dame and the ?over? early on in NCAA football odds.

Once the game begins, certain themes could emerge early on. With a new live betting platform, gamblers can make wagers on the game as it is happening. So if a pregame bet doesn?t look like it was the right one, it?s easy to counteract it once some trends start to happen.

Last Time Out

Virginia Tech paid off nicely for those who backed it on the moneyline in Week 5. The Hokies were underdogs on the road against Duke but pulled out an easy 31-14 victory. Virginia Tech led by 10 points at intermission and then added a third-quarter touchdown to pull away from the Blue Devils. Quarterback Ryan Willis looked good in the contest, throwing for 332 yards and three touchdowns. The Notre Dame defense has been good on the season, so it will be interesting to see if Willis can keep it up.

Notre Dame turned some heads by pulling away to knock off the Stanford Cardinal in a top-10 clash in Week 5. The Fighting Irish led by a touchdown in the fourth quarter and then scored 14 consecutive points for the 38-17 win. Quarterback Ian Book was 24-of-33 passing for 278 yards and four touchdowns, while Dexter Williams had 161 rushing yards and a touchdown. Wideout Miles Boykin had a huge game for Notre Dame, catching 11 passes for 144 yards and a touchdown.

Key Stat

24. That?s the most points Notre Dame scored in any of its first three games as the offense couldn?t get going behind quarterback Brandon Wimbush. It has been at a new level with Book leading the way.

He led the Fighting Irish to a 56-27 win over Wake Forest prior to last week?s impressive showing against a stingy Stanford defense. Book has thrown for 616 yards and seven touchdowns on the year and he will aim to keep it going in this one.

If Book starts well, consider live betting when it comes to Notre Dame scoring drives.

Free NCAA Football ATS Picks

The Fighting Irish has a solid team and Book has looked great. However, Virginia Tech is a solid opponent and gets this contest at home. The Hokies are the pick to cover this spread, and even as the scoring total goes up, the ?under? is the choice in NFL live betting.

NCAA Football Pick: Notre Dame Fighting Irish 27, Virginia Tech Hokies 23

 

[Cnotes53]

Friday's Tip Sheet
October 3, 2018
By Brian Edwards

**Georgia Tech at Louisville**

-- Bobby Petrino and Paul Johnson have had better days. Both bring their teams into Friday?s ACC showdown in dire need of a victory. Their respective schools have a combined 2-6 record against FBS competition going into this contest at Cardinal Stadium. As of early Wednesday, most betting shops had the Yellow Jackets installed as 4.5-point road favorites with a total of 57.5. The Cardinals were +160 on the money line (risk $100 to win $160).

-- Georgia Tech (2-3 straight up, 1-4 against the spread) is 0-2 both SU and ATS in a pair of road assignments. Johnson?s club lost 49-38 at USF in Week 2 and dropped a 24-19 decision at Pittsburgh in Week 3. The Yellow Jackets returned home to take on Clemson, but they got smashed by the Tigers, 49-21, as 16-point underdogs. Georgia Tech stopped the bleeding and avoided a four-game losing streak by beating up on Bowling Green 63-17 as a 28-point home ?chalk? last week.

-- Senior QB TaQuon Marshall completed 5-of-6 passes for 160 yards against the Falcons. He also rushed for 42 yards and two touchdowns on 13 attempts. Redshirt freshman Tobias Oliver rushed for a team-high 115 yards and two TDs on seven carries, while Jordan Mason ran seven times for 61 yards and a pair of scores.

-- Georgia Tech is ranked second in the nation in rushing yards, averaging 339.2 yards per game. Johnson?s flexbone offense has thrived through much of his 11-year tenure in Atlanta, but its production waned from 2015-17. This unit averaged 34.3, 33.6, 35.1 and 37.9 points per game from 2011-14, but those numbers were reduced to 29.3, 28.2 and 28.1 the past three seasons. The Yellow Jackets are scoring at a 36.4 PPG clip so far this year. Nevertheless, with a 2-3 record and an offense that can grow tiring for a fan base since it?s extremely lacking in homerun potential throwing the ball, Johnson is undoubtedly on the hot seat.

-- Marshall has connected on 30-of-63 passes (47.6%) for 543 yards with a 2/4 touchdown-to-interception ratio. He has run for a team-best 382 yards and seven TDs with a 4.3 yards-per-carry average. Mason has run for 365 yards and three TDs while averaging 8.1 YPC, and Oliver has run for 318 yards and five TDs with a 6.9 YPC average. Senior A-back Clinton Lynch has seven receptions for 209 yards and two TDs, in addition to 57 rushing yards and one TD on 10 totes.

-- Georgia Tech is ranked No. 83 in the country in scoring defense (27.8 PPG), No. 53 in total defense, No. 51 at defending the pass and No. 57 in run defense. The Yellow Jackets have struggled to get pressure on the QB, sacking opposing QB only six times through five games. Senior DB Malik Rivera has shine on this unit, producing a team-high 25 tackles with two interceptions for 84 return yards.

-- Louisville (2-3 SU, 1-4 ATS) has won two of its three home games, but it has limped to a 1-2 spread record and basically just gave away a victory last week due to perhaps the most inept play-call of Petrino?s career. With U of L leading FSU 24-21 with just over two minutes to play, it took over possession on FSU?s 21 with the Seminoles having two timeouts remaining. In this situation, the worst-case scenario is to run it three times in a row and settle for a short field-goal attempt. Willie Taggart would have to use both timeouts and the clock would drip down to around 1:15 left by the time FSU took over without a timeout and most likely down by six points. Instead, Petrino called a pass play that was intercepted by A.J. Westbrook. Five plays later, FSU hit a long TD pass and got a defensive stop to capture a 28-24 victory. The Cardinals still took the cash as 5.5-point home underdogs, but they allowed a 14-point halftime advantage and a double-digit lead with less than 10 minutes remaining in the fourth quarter slip away.

-- U of L sophomore QB Jawon Pass completed 24-of-45 passes for 306 yards with two TD and two interceptions vs. FSU. He also had a 14-yard TD run to open the scoring. Senior WR Jaylen Smith, a first-team All-ACC selection last season, had five receptions for 100 yards. Dez Fitzpatrick had four catches for 45 yards and one TD, while Micky Crum had eight grabs for 47 yards and one TD. RB Trey Smith rushed for a team-best 70 yards on 14 carries.

-- Louisville had a 24-16 advantage in first downs over the ?Noles and a 421-370 edge in total yards. FSU was plus two in turnover margin, however.

-- With Lamar Jackson as its starting QB the past two seasons, U of L averaged 42.5 and 38.1 PPG in 2016 and ?17, respectively. Through five games this year, the Cardinals are ranked No. 122 in the nation in scoring with a pedestrian 18.4 PPG average. They?re No. 120 in total offense, No. 112 in rushing yards and No. 102 in passing yards.

-- Louisville opened the season by losing to top-ranked Alabama by a 51-14 count down in Orlando. The Cardinals responded with back-to-back home victories (but non-covers) vs. Indiana State (31-7) and vs. Western Kentucky (20-17). They lost 27-3 at Virginia before last week?s meltdown.

-- Pass has completed merely 51.7 percent of his passes for 760 with an abysmal 4/7 TD-INT ratio. RS freshman QB Malik Cunningham has been given playing time under center as well. In fact, he?s rushed for a team-high 209 yards and one TD with a 4.9 YPC average. Cunningham has connected on 64.7 percent of his throws for 198 yards with a 1/1 TD-INT ratio. Jaylen Smith has 13 receptions for 224 yards and one TD, while Fitzpatrick has caught 14 balls for 168 yards and one TD. Trey Smith has run for 105 yards with a 4.4 YPC average.

-- Louisville has compiled a 3-2 spread record as a home underdog during Petrino?s second run at the school that started in 2014.

-- According to an SB Nation report on Tuesday, U of L would owe Petrino more than $14 million if it fires him during the 2018 season or right after it. Remember, it was recently-fired AD Tom Jurich who brought Petrino back to the school (after he bolted for the Atlanta Falcons less than a year after signing a 10-year contract) and extended his contract to 2023 after Jackson won the Heisman and the Cards went 9-4 in 2016. Amid the FBI investigation that led to basketball coach Rick Pitino being fired, Jurich was also fired but is owed more than $7 million from the school. Pitino has sued U of L to collect $37 million. Therefore, with the amount of money it would take to attract a quality new coach, the Cardinals appear to be stuck with Petrino. Like I said when Jurich decided to give Petrino a second chance, the school new it was getting into a bed with fleas.

-- Georgia Tech owns a 10-12-2 spread record in 24 games as a road favorite during Johnson?s 11 seasons on the job.

-- The ?under? is 3-2 overall for U of L, 2-1 in its home contests. The Cardinals? games have averaged combined scores of 44.4 PPG.

-- The ?over? is 3-2 overall for Georgia Tech, 1-1 in its two road outings. The Yellow Jackets have seen their games average combined scores of 64.2 PPG.

-- Kickoff is scheduled for 7:00 p.m. Eastern on ESPN.

**Utah State at BYU**

-- As of Wednesday, most spots had BYU (3-2 SU, 3-2 ATS) listed as a 2.5-point favorite with a total of 55. The Aggies were +120 on the money line (risk $100 to win $120).

-- Utah State (3-1 SU, 4-0 ATS) has had two weeks to prepare for the Cougars, who are playing their sixth game in a six-week stretch. Since losing 38-31 at Michigan State as a 23.5-point road underdog in its season opener, Matt Wells?s squad has ripped off three consecutive wins both SU and ATS vs. New Mexico State (60-13), vs. Tennessee Tech (73-12) and vs. Air Force (42-32).

-- Utah State led 35-14 against the Falcons late in the third quarter, only to see them cut the deficit to three with an 18-0 run in less than six minutes of play. Air Force got a 21-yard scoop-and-score fumble return from Christopher Musselman with 13:00 remaining to make it 35-32. But the Aggies answered with Gerold Bright?s 70-yard TD run with 6:52 left to cover the spread. Sophomore QB Jordan Love completed 26-of-38 passes for 356 yards and two TDs without an interception. Bright rushed for 101 yards and two TDs on 11 carries, while junior RB Darwin Thompson had 34 rushing yards and two scores on six attempts. Senior WR Ron?quavion Tarver hauled in nine catches for 128 yards, and Dax Raymond caught four balls for 68 receiving yards and one TD.

-- Utah State is averaging 51.5 PPG to rank fourth in the nation in scoring. The Aggies are No. 31 in the country in total offense and No. 29 in passing yards.

-- Love has completed 66.7 percent of his throws for 1,070 yards with a 5/3 TD-INT ratio. Tarver has 22 receptions for 228 yards and Raymond has 15 catches for 210 yards and one TD. Bright has rushed for 288 yards and four TDs with a 7.2 YPC average, while Thompson has run for 265 yards and six TDs with a 9.5 YPC average.

-- During Wells?s six-year tenure, Utah State has produced an 8-12 ATS mark when playing in the road underdog role.

-- BYU has wins at Arizona (28-23), at Wisconsin (24-21) and vs. McNeese State (30-3), but it lost 21-18 vs. California as a 2.5-point home favorite in Week 2. The Cougars dropped a 35-7 decision at Washington as 18.5-point road underdogs last week. They managed merely 194 yards of total offense, averaged only 1.2 YPC and didn?t score until Lopini Katoa found paydirt on a one-yard plunge with just 41 ticks remaining. Tanner Mangum completed 18-of-21 throws but for only 160 passing yards. Katoa had seven catches for 66 yards, in addition to 27 rushing yards and one score on eight carries.

-- Making matters worse in last week?s defeat at UW, tight end Moroni Laulu-Pututau was lost to a season-ending knee injury. Laulu-Pututau had 14 catches for 120 yards and one TD.

-- Mangum was forced into the starting QB role in the season opener at Nebraska in 2015 when Taysom Hill sustained a season-ending leg injury. All he did in his freshman debut was successfully throw a Hail-Mary TD pass on the game's final play in Lincoln. He then created fourth-quarter heroics in a home win over Boise State. the next Saturday. Mangum posted a 23/10 TD-INT ratio and threw for 3,377 yards that campaign. Hill returned in ?16 and regained his starting role, limiting Mangum to mop-up duty. He became the starter again last year, but he completed just 57.2 percent of his throws for 1,540 yards with a 9/8 TD-INT ratio. Here in the first five games this season, Mangum has 772 passing yards and a 3/2 TD-INT ratio.

-- BYU is ranked No. 125 nationally in total offense, No. 116 in passing yards, No. 102 in rushing and No. 115 in scoring with its meager 21.4 PPG average.

-- BYU is 4-6 ATS in 10 games as a home favorite during Kalani Sitake?s three-year tenure.

-- The ?under? is a perfect 5-0 for BYU, 2-0 in its home games. The Cougars have seen their games produce an average combined score of 42.0 PPG. This is the second-highest total they've seen this year. The 51 combined points in their season-opening win at Arizona fell below the 58.5-point tally.

-- The ?over? is 4-0 for Utah State with its games averaging combined scores of 75.2 PPG.

-- ESPN2 will have the broadcast at 9:00 p.m. Eastern.

**B.E.?s Bonus Nuggets**

-- Marshall (3-1 SU, 1-3 ATS) will play host to Middle Tennessee at 7:30 p.m. Eastern on the CBS Sports College Network. The Thundering Herd won 20-17 at Western Ky. last week thanks to a 32-yard TD pass from Isaiah Green to Tyre Brady with 1:44 remaining. Brady helped Green overcome three interceptions by making eight receptions for 162 yards and two TDs, including a 40-yard TD catch early in the first quarter. As of Tuesday, most spots had Doc Holliday?s team installed as a 6.5-point home ?chalk? with a total of 53. Rick Stockstill?s club improved to 2-2 both SU and ATS with last week?s 25-24 win over FAU as a 2.5-point home underdog. Stockstill chose to go for two after a potential tying TD late in the fourth quarter and the conversion was good when Brent Stockstill found Gatlin Casey with 38 ticks left. Since 2008, the Blue Raiders have limped to a 15-24-1 spread record as road underdogs.

-- FAU fell to 0-5 ATS in last week?s loss in Murfeesboro. The Owls are joined as winless for our purposes by other schools such as Nebraska (0-4 ATS), UConn (0-4-1) and UTSA (0-4-1).

-- The ATS Perfection Club is led by Washington State with its 5-0 spread record. West Virginia, FIU, Utah State, Appalachian State and Georgia Southern are 4-0 ATS, while Syracuse is 4-0-1 versus the number. App. State (and Utah State, as previously noted) has seen the ?over? go 4-0, while Georgia Southern has watched the ?under? hit at a 4-0 clip.

-- UNLV star QB Armani Rogers could be out up to six weeks with a broken toe, according to a report from the Las Vegas Review-Journal?s Mark Anderson (formerly of the Tallahassee Democrat WAYyyy back in the day). Rogers has completed just 41.5 percent of his passes for 369 yards with a 6/4 TD-INT ratio. However, the sophomore signal caller out of powerhouse Bishop Gorman HS, where Tony Sanchez coached before moving from the prep to the FBS level to take the UNLV gig, has rushed for a team-best 488 yards and six TDs with a 6.9 YPC average.

-- Something?s got to give with the total (55.5 pts.) in South Alabama?s road game at Georgia Southern. The ?over? is 5-0 for the USA Jaguars, who have seen combined scores of 56, 68, 72, 87 and 59. As noted earlier, the ?under? is perfect for the Eagles. USA is playing its third consecutive road game and is looking to avenge a 52-0 loss to the Eagles last year. In fact, Georgia Southern has beaten the Jags in all four meetings since moving up from FCS to the Sun Belt Conference.

-- Best wishes to Texas Tech true freshman QB Alan Bowman, who remains hospitalized with a partially collapsed lung sustained during last week?s 42-34 home loss to West Virginia. Likewise, we?re rooting hard for Tennessee State LB Christion Abercombie, who collapsed on the sidelines in last week?s narrow loss at Vanderbilt. Before collapsing, Abercrombie complained of a headache. He was rushed to nearby Vanderbilt Medical Center and underwent immediate emergency surgery on his brain. Abercrombie is reportedly showing small signs of progress but remains in Nashville in critical condition.

-- I?ve talked plenty on radio shows this week about James Franklin?s atrocious play call on fourth down at crunch time vs. Ohio State this past Saturday night, but I?ve yet to put anything about it in print here at VI. Until now, that is. My goodness, have you ever seen anything worse than that?! (This was worse than throwing on 1st and goal in the Seahawks-Patriots? Super Bowl.) There are basically zero situations where you run the ball there on fourth and five unless you have Jim Brown, Earl Campbell and Barry Sanders lined up in the Power-I formation, right? But the circumstances were that PSU?s best player is QB Trace McSorley, who by the way, was more than capable of running or throwing for first-down yardage, especially if you call a play to get him out of the pocket. He?s your ?horse,? your senior leader and your Heisman Trophy candidate. And on the most important play of the season, you take the ball out of his hands? Hey, I?ve always liked Franklin and still do, but that was utterly insane! The dude literally lost his sanity at a time in which that?s not acceptable for any head coach at any level.

-- Boston College star RB A.J. Dillon is ?questionable? at N.C. State. and is expected to be a game-time decision. He had not practiced yet this week, as of Wednesday, due to the ankle injury suffered in last week?s 45-35 home win over Temple. Dillon is ranked tops in the ACC and third in the nation with 652 rushing yards. He?s in a 10th-place tie nationally in rushing TDs (six) and is averaging 6.2 YPC.

-- Stanford RB Bryce Love is ?questionable? with an ankle injury for a home game vs. Utah. The Cardinal is favored by five points over the Utes, who are 18-11 ATS in 29 games as road underdogs in the past decade.

 

[Cnotes53]

October begins with 14 unbeatens
October 3, 2018
By The Associated Press

The arrival of October in college football means nonconference game are mostly done, with some notable exceptions involving independents, late-season rivalries and those mid-November cupcakes that have become a Southern staple.

Conference play usually means familiar opponents, tighter games and a higher probability for favorites losing. The season's second month begins with 14 unbeaten teams. Broken down by conference, they look like this:

SEC - 4 (No. 1 Alabama, No. 2 Georgia, No. 5 LSU, No. 13 Kentucky).

American - 3 (No. 13 Central Florida, South Florida, Cincinnati).

ACC - 2 (No. 4 Clemson, No. 23 North Carolina State).

Big 12 - 2 (No. 7 Oklahoma, No. 9 West Virginia).

Big Ten - 1 (No. 3 Ohio State).

Pac-12 - 1 (No. 21 Colorado).

Independent - 1 (No. 6 Notre Dame).

By the end of October, that number will be down to 12 at most. Since every conference now plays a championship game, there cannot be more than seven undefeated teams on Dec. 3, the College Football Playoff's selection Sunday. Only the SEC managed to get through the first month with the possibility of a matchup of unbeatens in its title game.

Among the unbeaten, LSU, Notre Dame and Kentucky face tricky road trips this week, while Colorado and N.C. State are home for potentially tough divisional games. The picks:

No. 1 Alabama (minus 35) at Arkansas

Tide has been outscored 28-17 in the fourth quarter. Clearly, those third- and fourth-stringers need a lot of work ... ALABAMA 52-10.

Vanderbilt (plus 26) at No. 2 Georgia

Bulldogs have the No. 1 defense in the SEC (4.35 yards per play allowed), but the fewest sacks (five). That's odd ... GEORGIA 49-21.

Indiana (plus 25) at No. 3 Ohio State

A few times each season, the Hoosiers get frisky with a highly ranked team but still lose ... OHIO STATE 38-17.

No. 4 Clemson (minus 17) at Wake Forest

QB Trevor Lawrence is expected to play against the 102nd-ranked pass defense in the country ... CLEMSON 48-21.

No. 5 LSU (minus 2+) at No. 22 Florida

Tigers have won four of five and six of eight in the annual crossover series. Six of those games were decided by one score ... LSU 23-20.

No. 6 Notre Dame (minus 5+) at No. 24 Virginia Tech

Irish won't face another ranked opponent until at least mid-November if at all ... NOTRE DAME 31-21.

No. 7 Oklahoma (minus 7+) vs. No. 18 Texas at Dallas

We can all agree this game will definitively determine whether Texas is, indeed, back. ... OKLAHOMA 35-29.

No. 8 Auburn (minus 3) at Mississippi State

Two offenses looking for answers ... MISSISSIPPI STATE 20-17, UPSET SPECIAL.

Kansas (plus 28) at No. 9 West Virginia

Mountaineers have won four straight against KU, all by at least three scores ... WEST VIRGINIA 49-17.

No. 10 Washington (minus 21) at UCLA

Bruins will be fortunate to score a touchdown ... WASHINGTON 31-6.

SMU (plus 24) at No. 12 UCF

Knights have converted 62 percent of their third downs, tops in the nation ... UCF 56-24.

No. 13 Kentucky (plus 5) at Texas A&M

It's the Bear Bryant Bowl. The legendary coach did stints at Kentucky and A&M from 1946-57. The only two times the Wildcats and Aggies played (1952-53), Bryant was coaching Kentucky. He later coached Alabama ... KENTUCKY 25-23.

Utah (plus 5) at No. 14 Stanford

Utes are third in the nation in defense (4.03 yards per play) and 96th in offense (5.33 ypp) ... STANFORD 24-17.

Maryland (plus 17+) at No. 15 Michigan

First of four straight opponents for the Wolverines that currently have winning records ... MICHIGAN 38-17.

Nebraska (plus 20) No. 16 Wisconsin

Badgers have won six of seven meetings since the Huskers joined the Big Ten and nothing sums up Nebraska's recent problems better than that ... WISCONSIN 42-21.

Florida State (plus 13) at No. 17 Miami

Hurricanes snapped a seven-game losing streak to the `Noles last season with a dramatic comeback. This year, the `Canes get to flex a little ... MIAMI 31-14.

Northwestern (plus 11) at No. 20 Michigan State

WiIdcats have beaten the Spartans the last two seasons ... MICHIGAN STATE 28-14.

Arizona State (plus 2+) at No. 21 Colorado

Sun Devils RB Eno Benjamin ran for 312 yards against Oregon State, or 29 more yards than he had on the season coming into the game ... COLORADO 28-24.

Boston College (plus 4+) at No. 23 NC State

Wolfpack could set up a huge game at home against Clemson on Oct. 20 coming off an open date ... BOSTON COLLEGE 31-28.

Iowa State (plus 10) at No. 25 Oklahoma State

Cowboys have won six straight meetings but the last three have been by seven points or fewer ... OKLAHOMA STATE 31-17.

TWITTER REQUESTS

Missouri (plus 2) at South Carolina - (at)DABomination4

Bowl eligibility could be at risk for the Gamecocks with a loss, and that is definitely not what South Carolina fans were expecting this season ... MISSOURI 34-30.

Tulane (plus 7) at Cincinnati - (at)MrCatsPatrick

Bearcats (5-0) trying to become bowl eligible for first time since 2015 ... CINCINNATI 28-18.

Iowa (minus 6) at Minnesota - (at)Jake-Burroughs

Hawkeyes are seventh in the nation in defense (4.29 yards per play) and 71st in offense (5.78 ypp) ... IOWA 16-7.

San Diego State (plus 14+) at Boise State - (at)24themoney

Broncos might not be able to afford another loss if they want to lock down a New Year's Six bowl bid ... BOISE STATE 31-21.

Syracuse (minus 4) at Pittsburgh - (at)SportsMasterDan

Two surprise teams; one (Syracuse) surprisingly good and the other (Pitt) surprisingly bad ...PITT 31-28.

---

Last week: 19-4 straight; 12-11 against the spread.

Season: 89-22 straight; 59-51-1 against the spread.

Upset specials: 3-2 (straight up).

Best bets: 2-3 (against the spread).

 

[Cnotes53]

Week 6 Upset Alerts
October 3, 2018
By Sportsbetting.ag

NCAAFB Week 6 Upset Alerts

If you've been following along with this piece all year long you've probably come to realize that backing a lot of underdogs ? especially big ones ? can be a frustrating process at times. So far this year it's not been the huge underdogs that have hurt me, it's been the smaller ones, as both Nebraska and BYU failed to do much of anything a week ago as part of last week's selections.

The Cornhuskers look to be a program in real trouble, and although Scott Frost went the public route this week by calling out his team, this school is at least a year away from being taken seriously if you ask me. They've already seen some support this week as their opening number of +21.5 has been pushed down to +18.5 currently, but some of that support has got to be disdain for a Wisconsin team laying that much chalk.

On the bright side of things, Tennessee's ATS win against Georgia a week ago kept my perfect ATS record going with underdogs of 20+ points this year. The pickings will get slimmer and slimmer as the weeks go on and the big time rivalry games start to take center stage, but hopefully that run continues with this week's selection, so let's get right to the plays:

Odds per - Sportsbetting.ag

Upset Alert #1: Underdogs in the +1 to +9 range

YTD: 1-5 SU; 1-5 ATS

Texas State +3.5 over Louisiana-Lafayette

We've got a pair of 1-3 SU Sun Belt West division teams going at it here and this hasn't been the greatest rivalry for the Texas State Bobcats since they entered the Sun Belt. Lafayette is a perfect 5-0 SU and ATS in the five meetings since 2013, but I don't think that same talent is there this year with the Ragin Cajuns.

Last year's contest was a 24-7 home victory for Lafayette as a double-digit favorite (-14), bu tit was the three turnovers for Texas State that really did them in there. Not many collegiate teams are going to win games when they lose the turnover battle 3-0, and as long as the Bobcats can take care of the ball here at home, this losing run to Lafayette should get snapped. The Bobcats lone SU victory this year came in their lone home game and I'm looking for them to make it two in a row this week.

Finally, although Lafayette was able to get the ATS cash as +49 underdogs in Alabama last week (after 'Bama took their foot off the gas in the 4th), I'd be remiss to mention that the four previous teams to lose to the Crimson Tide this year are 1-3 ATS in their next game, including 0-3 ATS when favored. That's the role this 1-3 SU Lafayette team finds themselves in this week, and it's a spot I've got no problem with backing the home side.

Odds per - Sportsbetting.ag

Upset Alert #2: Underdogs in the +10 to +19 range

YTD: 1-4 SU; 3-2 ATS

Florida State +13.5 over Miami

Florida State has started to build a bit of momentum with two straight wins the past two weeks, including a 4th quarter comeback against Louisville a week ago. FSU outscored Louisville 14-0 in the final quarter of that game (21-3 in 2nd half) to ultimately win 28-24 in what has to be considered a possible turning point for this program in 2018. Another loss there and the Willie Taggart ere would probably be over before it really began, but at 3-2 SU, the Seminoles can really make some noise this week against a ranked Miami squad.

The Hurricanes are coming off an impressive drubbing of UNC a week ago in the TNF national spotlight, and Miami's turnover chain ended up becoming the star of the show. Miami forced six turnovers on the night and scored directly on three of them, a feat that's not going to be repeated this week. Take away those 21 points ? and a few more thanks to the short fields the offense got to work with ? and a 47-10 win doesn't really look all that impressive anymore from an offensive standpoint. The QB situation between N'Kosi Perry and Malik Rosier seems to be ?solved? with the freshman Perry taking over that #1 role, but can you really trust a freshman-led offense to cover a big number like this in an instate rivalry game?

Florida State as the athletes to match Miami here in terms of both talent and speed, and as long as they can protect the ball and not let the Hurricanes build up momentum with turnovers, this game should be a one-possession game either way. As a program, Miami is 0-6 SU the last six times they've hosted FSU in this rivalry game, and each of the past four meetings overall have been decided by five points or less.

That's how I see this game playing out here as I'm not about to trust a freshman QB getting his first taste of this rivalry to be on the mark and win by 2+ TD's, against an FSU team that's starting to get their own swagger back.

Odds per - Sportsbetting.ag

Upset Alert #3: Underdogs in the +20 and above range

YTD: 5-0 ATS

UCLA +20.5 vs Washington

Speaking of a big name program trying to regain some swagger, we've got the winless UCLA Bruins back at home this week and hosting a highly ranked Washington squad. Washington is a program that cost us a play in this piece a week ago when they blew out BYU, but I'm still not a believer in this team as a huge favorite, especially when they've got a huge test @ Oregon up next. The Huskies know they've got to run the table in the Pac-12 to be considered a CFB playoff team, so with that being the case it's going to be hard for them to not have one eye on next week considering what they've seen from UCLA so far in 2018.

Year 1 of Chip Kelly in L.A has been full of many speed bumps so far, but Kelly is here to build a long term winner and the Bruins winless start is more because of youth than anything. UCLA has talented guys throughout their roster, but 2018 is a season where they are taking their lumps in a ?baptism by fire? approach that will hopefully pay dividends in 2019 and beyond. But that's not to say this team can't hang around as a big home underdog in this spot when Washington is probably taking them a little lightly.

Kelly's tenure probably runs to 0-5 SU after this game, but having that extra day of rest/prep never hurts. Washington is still just 1-2 ATS as a double-digit favorite this year, and with a 1-4 ATS run going on the road, and a 2-5 ATS run going as a program in their last seven trips to UCLA, this appears to be too many points for the Huskies to cover.

 

[Cnotes53]

Tulsa at Houston
Joe Nelson

This week?s Thursday night ESPN game comes out of the American Athletic Conference with a West division battle between Tulsa and Houston.

The Golden Hurricane fared poorly on Thursday night two weeks ago in their first conference game while this is the AAC opener for Houston. Here is a look at Thursday?s game to start college football Week 6.

Match-up: Tulsa Golden Hurricane at Houston Cougars
Venue: At TDECU Stadium in Houston, Texas
Time/TV: Thursday, October 4, 8:00 p.m. ET ESPN
Line: Houston -18, Over/Under 68?
Last Meeting: 2017, at Tulsa (+14) 45, Houston 17

Houston won the inaugural AAC Championship game in 2015 and grabbed headlines nationally in 2016 with a pair of high profile upsets. That success let to Tom Herman being hired in Austin and last season former Texas quarterback Major Applewhite guided Houston to a 7-5 record in his first season as head coach.

Four of the five losses for Houston came in single score games but the one exception was a blowout loss at Tulsa, losing by 28 as a two-touchdown favorite. This season Houston is 3-1 with a notable win over Arizona while the loss came by 14 at Texas Tech. This will be the first game of the AAC season for the Cougars who figure to be the favorites in the West division with last season?s champion Memphis already 0-2 in league play.

Houston struggled to find a quarterback early last season but D?Eriq King emerged in late October, keying the upset over South Florida and finishing the season with solid results in the air and on the ground. Now a junior King has rushed less successfully and has a lower completion rate than last season but with 15 touchdowns and just one interception he has been a great leader with the offense scoring at least 45 points in every game.

Houston has rushed for over 1,000 yards in four games on 6.4 yards per carry with a committee approach as Patrick Carr leads the team with only 201 rushing yards and King leads the team with five rushing touchdowns.

Houston also has one of the highest profile defensive players in the nation with Ed Oliver a projected 1st round NFL pick next spring. Houston hasn?t had great defensive numbers this season allowing over 30 points per game after surrendering fewer than 24 points per game last season.

After a two-win 2017 season, Tulsa is expected to be an improved team with a shot at making the postseason. The 1-3 start has featured three losses in a row all against quality competition falling to Texas, Arkansas State, and opening the conference season with a 31-17 loss at Temple two weeks ago. Tulsa out-gained Temple by more than 100 yards in that game but had five turnovers including allowing two defensive touchdowns.

Luke Skipper split time at quarterback last season and has led the offense in all four games this year. He has marginal numbers with six interceptions and just 6.2 yards per attempt. Chad President is still on the roster but has only seen a few snaps this season after sharing the load last season for Philip Montgomery, in his fourth season as the head coach at Tulsa.

Montgomery led Tulsa to a bowl game in his first season and then produced a 10-win 2016 season before reversing course last year. Montgomery was an assistant at Houston from 2003 to 2007 before being the offensive coordinator at Baylor from 2008 to 2014 as a long-time assistant to Art Briles.

Houston is on the road the next two weeks making this home date an important one looking to take the division lead with only SMU and Tulane currently in the AAC West without a conference loss. Both of those teams are underdogs this week and will face off the following week as Houston is in a great position to move to the top of the standings.

Without producing an upset in the first month Tulsa could find itself needing a spectacular late season to reach six wins and earn a bowl bid. A 1-6 start looks realistic at this point hosting South Florida next week before a non-conference game at Arkansas. Road games at Memphis and at Navy will still be waiting in November as while Tulsa looked like a team that could take a positive step forward this season the path looks challenging. Upsetting Houston this week could change that trajectory.

Last season: Houston was 4-1 heading to Tulsa with the Hurricane 1-5 at the time and coming off a 62-28 loss at Tulane. It wasn?t a surprise when the Cougars took a 10-0 early lead but out of halftime Tulsa was a different team, feeding off of a big turnover to produce 17 points in the third quarter. Houston would get back within seven before Skipper hit a 70 yard pass play to seal the win for the Hurricane. Tulsa added two touchdowns in the final minute for a more convincing result than they deserved and it may be something the Houston players remember.

Historical Trends:

Houston is on a 42-31-1 run in home games since 2006 including a 6-2 ATS start under Applewhite including 3-0 as a double-digit home favorite.

Tulsa has covered in six of the past eight meetings between these schools going back to 2009 including covering in each of the last four meetings in Houston.

Tulsa is on a 22-11 ATS run as a double-digit underdog since 2010 with seven S/U upsets, going 12-4 ATS in that role since 2015 under Montgomery.

 

[Cnotes53]

THURSDAY, OCTOBER 4
GAME TIME(ET) PICK UNITS

GSU at TROY 07:30 PM

TROY -15.0

O 54.5

TLSA at HOU 08:00 PM

TLSA +18.0

U 70.0

 

[Cnotes53]

Troy pulls away from Georgia State
October 4, 2018

TROY, Ala. (AP) Kaleb Barker was 9-of-10 passing for 136 yards and two touchdowns - all in the first half - and Troy cruised by Georgia State 37-20 on Thursday night to extend the nation's third-longest conference winning streak.

Troy (5-1, 3-0 Sun Belt) has won nine straight leagues games, trailing UCF and Oklahoma.

On the first play of the game, Barker scrambled for a 71-yard gain before being taken town at the 4. B.J. Smith capped the drive with a 2-yard touchdown run. Tyler Murray forced a fumble in the red zone on Georgia State's first possession, and the Trojans went 90 yards to take a 14-0 lead on Tray Eafford's 50-yard touchdown grab.

Troy scored on its third straight drive as Barker connected with Deondre Douglas. Hunter Reese's sack and safety made it 23-0.

Dan Ellington had 272 passing yards and 59 rushing for Georgia State (3-3, 1-1), which was outgained 350-123 in the first half. The Panthers scored both of their touchdowns in the final seven minutes.


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


Houston rallies past Tulsa, 41-26
October 4, 2018

HOUSTON (AP) D'Eriq King threw for three touchdowns and ran for two scores, helping Houston beat Tulsa 41-26 on Thursday night.

Houston, trailing 26-17 early in the fourth quarter, scored 17 points in 91 seconds - during a 24-0 spurt. Dalton Witherspoon kicked a go-ahead, 27-26, field goal with 7:51 to go and the Cougars led by 15 points seven plays later.

Houst Emeke Egbule recovered a fumble, leading to Romello Brooker's 9-yard touchdown catch for a 34-26 lead. Tulsa's next offensive play ended in Deontay Anderson's interception and Marquez Stevenson scored on a 6-yard grab.

King had 165 yards passing, with two interceptions, and 117 yards rushing for Houston (4-1, 1-0 American Athletic Conference). The Cougars, the nation's leader in total offense at 608.5 yards per game, turned it over three times and gained 477 total yards.

Freshman Seth Boomer made his first start for Tulsa (1-4, 0-2), replacing four-game starter Luke Skipper. Boomer passed for 227 yards with one touchdown and one interception.

 

[Cnotes53]

Friday?s six-pack

Six highest-paid coaches in college football:

6) Kirby Smart, Georgia, $6.6M

5) Gus Malzahn, Auburn, $6.7M

T3) Jimbo Fisher, Texas A&M, $7.5M

T3) Jim Harbaugh, Michigan, $7.5M

2) Urban Meyer, Ohio State, $7.6M

1) Nick Saban, Alabama, $8.3M

Quote of the Day
?Alex (Smith) was being Alex. He left the door open for Patrick (Mahomes) to join him. He said I?m gonna be here at the same time, lifting, eating dinner, watching tape, watching more tape, studying the pictures of the game plan versus all the coverages and doing your own little doodles to figure it out. He (Smith) gave that freely to Patrick, and that doesn?t always happen. That?s a big ego position. The QB room can be a little snitty at times. But Patrick came into a great situation. Alex didn?t make any demands of him, but he didn?t close the door on him in any way. Patrick can?t pay him enough for that opportunity.?
Andy Reid, talking to SI.com

Friday?s quiz
Before the Astros were the Astros, what was their team?s nickname?

Thursday?s quiz
Steve Spurrier coached the Washington Redskins in 2002-03.

Wednesday?s quiz
Paul Silas was Lebron James? first head coach in the NBA.

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

Friday?s List of 13: Random stuff with the weekend here??.

13) Took a walk on Fremont Street in downtown Las Vegas this afternoon; there were three guys who appeared to be close to my age (in my 50?s) who were naked except for a thong, and they were posing for pictures, in exchange for money. Ummm, no thanks.

Can?t help but be curious, though, how much cash they make in a day.

12) Brewers 3, Rockies 2 (10)? Mike Moustakas got the game-winning hit (should Colorado have walked him and pitched to Manny Pina?) after the Brewers blew a 2-0 ninth-inning lead. Rockies were playing in their 4th city in five days; Game 2 is Friday, also in Milwaukee.

11) Colorado Buffaloes have a WR named Laviska Shenault who I think will be an NFL player, but the reason he plays football is unusual, and a little sad.

When Shenault was 10 years old, his dad was hit by a car and killed, with Laviska watching; from that point on, the young man starting growing his hair out in dreadlocks and vowed never to cut his hair, to honor his late father.

When he got to high school and was a hotshot basketball player, Shenault was told he couldn?t play on the school?s team unless he cut his hair, but Shenault declined, started concentrating instead on playing football. Not really sure what the basketball coach was thinking about, but this young man is two years away from playing football on Sundays.

10) Was nice to read an Andy Reid quote today about how much Alex Smith helped Patrick Mahomes LY, when Mahomes was Smith?s backup with the Chiefs. Not all QB?s are helpful to their backups, seeing how backups have sometimes taken the starter?s job. Lot of $$$ at stake.

9) 24 college football coaches are making $4M+ this season, led by Nick Saban?s $8.3M.

8) 58% of NFL plays last season were passes; so far this year, that number is up to 61%.

7) In 63 NFL games this season, there have been 72 games where a receiver gained 100+ yards.

All of last season, in 256 games, there were 140 receiving games of 100+ yards.

6) Houston 41, Tulsa 26? Golden Hurricane led 23-17 after three quarters, but Cougars stormed back and now they?re 4-1, while Tulsa is 0-4 vs I-A opponents.

5) Games scoring zero or one run this season: Orioles 40, Cubs 39. Surprising.

4) Top college football teams at going over the total:

Rice 5-0; South Alabama, Utah State 4-0; Appalachian State, Louisiana Tech, New Mexico, Ohio U, Toledo, all 3-0. Missouri 3-0-1

3) Former major league pitcher Mark Mulder is playing in the PGA?s Safeway Open this week, on a sponsor?s exemption. Mulder shot +3 Thursday, and actually beat five pro golfers.

2) Patriots 38, Colts 24? Julian Edelman was back and New England scored 38 points, which is no huge surprise. Andrew Luck threw for 365 yards and didn?t have all that much help from his receivers, who dropped several passes.

1) Dodgers 6, Braves 0? Hyun-Jin Ryu allowed four hits in seven scoreless IP for LA.

 

[Cnotes53]

Friday's Tip Sheet
October 3, 2018
By Brian Edwards

**Georgia Tech at Louisville**

-- Bobby Petrino and Paul Johnson have had better days. Both bring their teams into Friday?s ACC showdown in dire need of a victory. Their respective schools have a combined 2-6 record against FBS competition going into this contest at Cardinal Stadium. As of early Wednesday, most betting shops had the Yellow Jackets installed as 4.5-point road favorites with a total of 57.5. The Cardinals were +160 on the money line (risk $100 to win $160).

-- Georgia Tech (2-3 straight up, 1-4 against the spread) is 0-2 both SU and ATS in a pair of road assignments. Johnson?s club lost 49-38 at USF in Week 2 and dropped a 24-19 decision at Pittsburgh in Week 3. The Yellow Jackets returned home to take on Clemson, but they got smashed by the Tigers, 49-21, as 16-point underdogs. Georgia Tech stopped the bleeding and avoided a four-game losing streak by beating up on Bowling Green 63-17 as a 28-point home ?chalk? last week.

-- Senior QB TaQuon Marshall completed 5-of-6 passes for 160 yards against the Falcons. He also rushed for 42 yards and two touchdowns on 13 attempts. Redshirt freshman Tobias Oliver rushed for a team-high 115 yards and two TDs on seven carries, while Jordan Mason ran seven times for 61 yards and a pair of scores.

-- Georgia Tech is ranked second in the nation in rushing yards, averaging 339.2 yards per game. Johnson?s flexbone offense has thrived through much of his 11-year tenure in Atlanta, but its production waned from 2015-17. This unit averaged 34.3, 33.6, 35.1 and 37.9 points per game from 2011-14, but those numbers were reduced to 29.3, 28.2 and 28.1 the past three seasons. The Yellow Jackets are scoring at a 36.4 PPG clip so far this year. Nevertheless, with a 2-3 record and an offense that can grow tiring for a fan base since it?s extremely lacking in homerun potential throwing the ball, Johnson is undoubtedly on the hot seat.

-- Marshall has connected on 30-of-63 passes (47.6%) for 543 yards with a 2/4 touchdown-to-interception ratio. He has run for a team-best 382 yards and seven TDs with a 4.3 yards-per-carry average. Mason has run for 365 yards and three TDs while averaging 8.1 YPC, and Oliver has run for 318 yards and five TDs with a 6.9 YPC average. Senior A-back Clinton Lynch has seven receptions for 209 yards and two TDs, in addition to 57 rushing yards and one TD on 10 totes.

-- Georgia Tech is ranked No. 83 in the country in scoring defense (27.8 PPG), No. 53 in total defense, No. 51 at defending the pass and No. 57 in run defense. The Yellow Jackets have struggled to get pressure on the QB, sacking opposing QB only six times through five games. Senior DB Malik Rivera has shine on this unit, producing a team-high 25 tackles with two interceptions for 84 return yards.

-- Louisville (2-3 SU, 1-4 ATS) has won two of its three home games, but it has limped to a 1-2 spread record and basically just gave away a victory last week due to perhaps the most inept play-call of Petrino?s career. With U of L leading FSU 24-21 with just over two minutes to play, it took over possession on FSU?s 21 with the Seminoles having two timeouts remaining. In this situation, the worst-case scenario is to run it three times in a row and settle for a short field-goal attempt. Willie Taggart would have to use both timeouts and the clock would drip down to around 1:15 left by the time FSU took over without a timeout and most likely down by six points. Instead, Petrino called a pass play that was intercepted by A.J. Westbrook. Five plays later, FSU hit a long TD pass and got a defensive stop to capture a 28-24 victory. The Cardinals still took the cash as 5.5-point home underdogs, but they allowed a 14-point halftime advantage and a double-digit lead with less than 10 minutes remaining in the fourth quarter slip away.

-- U of L sophomore QB Jawon Pass completed 24-of-45 passes for 306 yards with two TD and two interceptions vs. FSU. He also had a 14-yard TD run to open the scoring. Senior WR Jaylen Smith, a first-team All-ACC selection last season, had five receptions for 100 yards. Dez Fitzpatrick had four catches for 45 yards and one TD, while Micky Crum had eight grabs for 47 yards and one TD. RB Trey Smith rushed for a team-best 70 yards on 14 carries.

-- Louisville had a 24-16 advantage in first downs over the ?Noles and a 421-370 edge in total yards. FSU was plus two in turnover margin, however.

-- With Lamar Jackson as its starting QB the past two seasons, U of L averaged 42.5 and 38.1 PPG in 2016 and ?17, respectively. Through five games this year, the Cardinals are ranked No. 122 in the nation in scoring with a pedestrian 18.4 PPG average. They?re No. 120 in total offense, No. 112 in rushing yards and No. 102 in passing yards.

-- Louisville opened the season by losing to top-ranked Alabama by a 51-14 count down in Orlando. The Cardinals responded with back-to-back home victories (but non-covers) vs. Indiana State (31-7) and vs. Western Kentucky (20-17). They lost 27-3 at Virginia before last week?s meltdown.

-- Pass has completed merely 51.7 percent of his passes for 760 with an abysmal 4/7 TD-INT ratio. RS freshman QB Malik Cunningham has been given playing time under center as well. In fact, he?s rushed for a team-high 209 yards and one TD with a 4.9 YPC average. Cunningham has connected on 64.7 percent of his throws for 198 yards with a 1/1 TD-INT ratio. Jaylen Smith has 13 receptions for 224 yards and one TD, while Fitzpatrick has caught 14 balls for 168 yards and one TD. Trey Smith has run for 105 yards with a 4.4 YPC average.

-- Louisville has compiled a 3-2 spread record as a home underdog during Petrino?s second run at the school that started in 2014.

-- According to an SB Nation report on Tuesday, U of L would owe Petrino more than $14 million if it fires him during the 2018 season or right after it. Remember, it was recently-fired AD Tom Jurich who brought Petrino back to the school (after he bolted for the Atlanta Falcons less than a year after signing a 10-year contract) and extended his contract to 2023 after Jackson won the Heisman and the Cards went 9-4 in 2016. Amid the FBI investigation that led to basketball coach Rick Pitino being fired, Jurich was also fired but is owed more than $7 million from the school. Pitino has sued U of L to collect $37 million. Therefore, with the amount of money it would take to attract a quality new coach, the Cardinals appear to be stuck with Petrino. Like I said when Jurich decided to give Petrino a second chance, the school new it was getting into a bed with fleas.

-- Georgia Tech owns a 10-12-2 spread record in 24 games as a road favorite during Johnson?s 11 seasons on the job.

-- The ?under? is 3-2 overall for U of L, 2-1 in its home contests. The Cardinals? games have averaged combined scores of 44.4 PPG.

-- The ?over? is 3-2 overall for Georgia Tech, 1-1 in its two road outings. The Yellow Jackets have seen their games average combined scores of 64.2 PPG.

-- Kickoff is scheduled for 7:00 p.m. Eastern on ESPN.

**Utah State at BYU**

-- As of Wednesday, most spots had BYU (3-2 SU, 3-2 ATS) listed as a 2.5-point favorite with a total of 55. The Aggies were +120 on the money line (risk $100 to win $120).

-- Utah State (3-1 SU, 4-0 ATS) has had two weeks to prepare for the Cougars, who are playing their sixth game in a six-week stretch. Since losing 38-31 at Michigan State as a 23.5-point road underdog in its season opener, Matt Wells?s squad has ripped off three consecutive wins both SU and ATS vs. New Mexico State (60-13), vs. Tennessee Tech (73-12) and vs. Air Force (42-32).

-- Utah State led 35-14 against the Falcons late in the third quarter, only to see them cut the deficit to three with an 18-0 run in less than six minutes of play. Air Force got a 21-yard scoop-and-score fumble return from Christopher Musselman with 13:00 remaining to make it 35-32. But the Aggies answered with Gerold Bright?s 70-yard TD run with 6:52 left to cover the spread. Sophomore QB Jordan Love completed 26-of-38 passes for 356 yards and two TDs without an interception. Bright rushed for 101 yards and two TDs on 11 carries, while junior RB Darwin Thompson had 34 rushing yards and two scores on six attempts. Senior WR Ron?quavion Tarver hauled in nine catches for 128 yards, and Dax Raymond caught four balls for 68 receiving yards and one TD.

-- Utah State is averaging 51.5 PPG to rank fourth in the nation in scoring. The Aggies are No. 31 in the country in total offense and No. 29 in passing yards.

-- Love has completed 66.7 percent of his throws for 1,070 yards with a 5/3 TD-INT ratio. Tarver has 22 receptions for 228 yards and Raymond has 15 catches for 210 yards and one TD. Bright has rushed for 288 yards and four TDs with a 7.2 YPC average, while Thompson has run for 265 yards and six TDs with a 9.5 YPC average.

-- During Wells?s six-year tenure, Utah State has produced an 8-12 ATS mark when playing in the road underdog role.

-- BYU has wins at Arizona (28-23), at Wisconsin (24-21) and vs. McNeese State (30-3), but it lost 21-18 vs. California as a 2.5-point home favorite in Week 2. The Cougars dropped a 35-7 decision at Washington as 18.5-point road underdogs last week. They managed merely 194 yards of total offense, averaged only 1.2 YPC and didn?t score until Lopini Katoa found paydirt on a one-yard plunge with just 41 ticks remaining. Tanner Mangum completed 18-of-21 throws but for only 160 passing yards. Katoa had seven catches for 66 yards, in addition to 27 rushing yards and one score on eight carries.

-- Making matters worse in last week?s defeat at UW, tight end Moroni Laulu-Pututau was lost to a season-ending knee injury. Laulu-Pututau had 14 catches for 120 yards and one TD.

-- Mangum was forced into the starting QB role in the season opener at Nebraska in 2015 when Taysom Hill sustained a season-ending leg injury. All he did in his freshman debut was successfully throw a Hail-Mary TD pass on the game's final play in Lincoln. He then created fourth-quarter heroics in a home win over Boise State. the next Saturday. Mangum posted a 23/10 TD-INT ratio and threw for 3,377 yards that campaign. Hill returned in ?16 and regained his starting role, limiting Mangum to mop-up duty. He became the starter again last year, but he completed just 57.2 percent of his throws for 1,540 yards with a 9/8 TD-INT ratio. Here in the first five games this season, Mangum has 772 passing yards and a 3/2 TD-INT ratio.

-- BYU is ranked No. 125 nationally in total offense, No. 116 in passing yards, No. 102 in rushing and No. 115 in scoring with its meager 21.4 PPG average.

-- BYU is 4-6 ATS in 10 games as a home favorite during Kalani Sitake?s three-year tenure.

-- The ?under? is a perfect 5-0 for BYU, 2-0 in its home games. The Cougars have seen their games produce an average combined score of 42.0 PPG. This is the second-highest total they've seen this year. The 51 combined points in their season-opening win at Arizona fell below the 58.5-point tally.

-- The ?over? is 4-0 for Utah State with its games averaging combined scores of 75.2 PPG.

-- ESPN2 will have the broadcast at 9:00 p.m. Eastern.

**B.E.?s Bonus Nuggets**

-- Marshall (3-1 SU, 1-3 ATS) will play host to Middle Tennessee at 7:30 p.m. Eastern on the CBS Sports College Network. The Thundering Herd won 20-17 at Western Ky. last week thanks to a 32-yard TD pass from Isaiah Green to Tyre Brady with 1:44 remaining. Brady helped Green overcome three interceptions by making eight receptions for 162 yards and two TDs, including a 40-yard TD catch early in the first quarter. As of Tuesday, most spots had Doc Holliday?s team installed as a 6.5-point home ?chalk? with a total of 53. Rick Stockstill?s club improved to 2-2 both SU and ATS with last week?s 25-24 win over FAU as a 2.5-point home underdog. Stockstill chose to go for two after a potential tying TD late in the fourth quarter and the conversion was good when Brent Stockstill found Gatlin Casey with 38 ticks left. Since 2008, the Blue Raiders have limped to a 15-24-1 spread record as road underdogs.

-- FAU fell to 0-5 ATS in last week?s loss in Murfeesboro. The Owls are joined as winless for our purposes by other schools such as Nebraska (0-4 ATS), UConn (0-4-1) and UTSA (0-4-1).

-- The ATS Perfection Club is led by Washington State with its 5-0 spread record. West Virginia, FIU, Utah State, Appalachian State and Georgia Southern are 4-0 ATS, while Syracuse is 4-0-1 versus the number. App. State (and Utah State, as previously noted) has seen the ?over? go 4-0, while Georgia Southern has watched the ?under? hit at a 4-0 clip.

-- UNLV star QB Armani Rogers could be out up to six weeks with a broken toe, according to a report from the Las Vegas Review-Journal?s Mark Anderson (formerly of the Tallahassee Democrat WAYyyy back in the day). Rogers has completed just 41.5 percent of his passes for 369 yards with a 6/4 TD-INT ratio. However, the sophomore signal caller out of powerhouse Bishop Gorman HS, where Tony Sanchez coached before moving from the prep to the FBS level to take the UNLV gig, has rushed for a team-best 488 yards and six TDs with a 6.9 YPC average.

-- Something?s got to give with the total (55.5 pts.) in South Alabama?s road game at Georgia Southern. The ?over? is 5-0 for the USA Jaguars, who have seen combined scores of 56, 68, 72, 87 and 59. As noted earlier, the ?under? is perfect for the Eagles. USA is playing its third consecutive road game and is looking to avenge a 52-0 loss to the Eagles last year. In fact, Georgia Southern has beaten the Jags in all four meetings since moving up from FCS to the Sun Belt Conference.

-- Best wishes to Texas Tech true freshman QB Alan Bowman, who remains hospitalized with a partially collapsed lung sustained during last week?s 42-34 home loss to West Virginia. Likewise, we?re rooting hard for Tennessee State LB Christion Abercombie, who collapsed on the sidelines in last week?s narrow loss at Vanderbilt. Before collapsing, Abercrombie complained of a headache. He was rushed to nearby Vanderbilt Medical Center and underwent immediate emergency surgery on his brain. Abercrombie is reportedly showing small signs of progress but remains in Nashville in critical condition.

-- I?ve talked plenty on radio shows this week about James Franklin?s atrocious play call on fourth down at crunch time vs. Ohio State this past Saturday night, but I?ve yet to put anything about it in print here at VI. Until now, that is. My goodness, have you ever seen anything worse than that?! (This was worse than throwing on 1st and goal in the Seahawks-Patriots? Super Bowl.) There are basically zero situations where you run the ball there on fourth and five unless you have Jim Brown, Earl Campbell and Barry Sanders lined up in the Power-I formation, right? But the circumstances were that PSU?s best player is QB Trace McSorley, who by the way, was more than capable of running or throwing for first-down yardage, especially if you call a play to get him out of the pocket. He?s your ?horse,? your senior leader and your Heisman Trophy candidate. And on the most important play of the season, you take the ball out of his hands? Hey, I?ve always liked Franklin and still do, but that was utterly insane! The dude literally lost his sanity at a time in which that?s not acceptable for any head coach at any level.

-- Boston College star RB A.J. Dillon is ?questionable? at N.C. State. and is expected to be a game-time decision. He had not practiced yet this week, as of Wednesday, due to the ankle injury suffered in last week?s 45-35 home win over Temple. Dillon is ranked tops in the ACC and third in the nation with 652 rushing yards. He?s in a 10th-place tie nationally in rushing TDs (six) and is averaging 6.2 YPC.

-- Stanford RB Bryce Love is ?questionable? with an ankle injury for a home game vs. Utah. The Cardinal is favored by five points over the Utes, who are 18-11 ATS in 29 games as road underdogs in the past decade.

 

[Cnotes53]

college football best bets aug-sept.

total..........185 - 181-0.......50.54%....-64.35

best bets................. ats ...............units................ o/u...............units...............days total

total.....................77 - 72............-11.500...........49 - 40.............+25.00..........126 - 112.......+10.50

PODS............RECORD.............0 - 2....................TOTALS....................... .-11.00

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

College Football Best Bets For October


Date w-l-t % units record (ALL PLAYS BEST BETS AND OPINIONS )

10/04/2018 4-0-0 100.00% +20.00



best bets................. ats ...............units................ o/u...............units...............days total

10/04/2018............2 - 0...............+10.00.............2 - 0..............+10.00..............+20.00

 

[Cnotes53]

Money-line Plays - Week 6
October 4, 2018
By Bookmaker

By Kyle Markus

College Football - Week 6 Moneyline Plays

In college football, picking straight up winners can be relatively easy when there are large spreads between a superior and inferior foe. The oddsmakers know this all too well and adjust the moneylines accordingly. Yes, the majority of favorites win, but they don?t pay out very well if the line is too high. An underdog upset, meanwhile, can be extremely lucrative.

Choosing the right teams on the moneyline is an art. It is less risky than choosing the spread because late touchdowns that are meaningless to the final score can?t result in a backdoor cover. However, a favorite that loses on the moneyline will cause a hit to the bankroll, so bettors have to be careful which teams they choose in NCAA football wagering.

Here is a list at some of the best college football moneyline plays of Week 6.

Odds Analysis

The LSU Tigers have been one of the most impressive teams in the earlygoing. They have wins already over Miami and Auburn to jump into the top-5 nationally and put themselves squarely in the College Football Playoff conversation. LSU may be able to make the Playoff with one loss but is surely doesn?t want it to come this week. The Tigers must hit the road to face off against the Florida Gators. Florida has been inconsistent on the year but playing at home should give it confident. LSU is the choice as the slight -145 favorite.

The Virginia Tech Hokies are hosting the Notre Dame Fighting Irish. Notre Dame has hit a new level with Ian Book being implemented as the starting quarterback, but this is not an easy matchup. The FIghting Irish is the favorite, and the Hokies are the +211 underdogs on the moneyline. It?s possible Notre Dame comes in and takes care of business, but at this price Virginia Tech is a worthy underdog to take on the moneyline.

The Arizona State Sun Devils are hitting the road to face off against the Colorado Buffaloes. The talent level on these teams looks pretty even, with the Buffs the favorite in large part because of the home field advantage. The Sun Devils have experience at quarterback and an elite wideout, which makes them a good bet to pull the upset. Arizona State would pay out at +125 with the win on the moneyline.

The Texas A&M Aggies are welcoming the surprising Kentucky Wildcats to town. Texas A&M is the -220 favorite but that is a much lower number than what was expected when the season began. Don?t be tricked by Kentucky?s hot start. The Aggies are the superior team and are playing at home. Take Texas A&M on the moneyline in this one.

The Oklahoma Sooners are matching up against the Texas Longhorns in a neutral site matchup at the Cotton Bowl. Texas? defense has looked good this year but it faces one of the most electrifying players in the country in Oklahoma quarterback Kyler Murray. His presence alone is good reason to roll with the Sooners at -280 odds on the moneyline.

Free NCAA Football ATS Picks

One of the most intriguing underdog picks of the week is the San Diego State Aztecs on the road against the Boise State Broncos. There is every reason to believe Boise State will cruise to the win as they have the superior team and are not dealing with as many injuries. However, the Aztecs may be being underestimated in this one. If they can get some unexpected play from some key backups they could make it interesting.

San Diego State could pay out in a huge way as it is a +447 underdog on the moneyline in NCAA football betting.

NCAA Football ATS Pick: San Diego State to upset Boise State at +447 on the moneyline

 

[Cnotes53]

Power 5 Best Bets - Week 6
October 4, 2018
By YouWager.eu

College Football Week 6 - Power 5 Conference Best Bets

There are a lot of conferences and teams in college football, but when it comes to the playoffs, there are only really 5 that matter. These are the Power 5 conferences, and they are where the playoff teams are plucked from.

This season could be a little different, though, as Notre Dame, an independent, are knocking on the door, while there has been talk that another unbeaten season for the UCF Knights might well see them given some consideration.

For now, though, we are sticking with the power conferences and taking a look at the best games available in each this week with all odds, props and futures are sponsored by YouWager.eu

ACC
Notre Dame Fighting Irish (-265) at Virginia Tech Hokies (+215)

The Irish are sitting just outside the playoffs at the #6 spot in the national rankings and will have a tough one this weekend against the Virginia Tech Hokies from the ACC. The Hokies had started the season well enough, but after being forced to sit out a week due to a weather cancellation, they came out and played a stinker, losing in a stunning upset to Old Dominion. They got back on track with a win last week and are now at #24. This will not be an easy one for the Irish, but it?s a game I believe that they will win.

Big 12
Texas Longhorns (+240) vs. Oklahoma Sooners (-300)

Not only is this the biggest game featuring a Big 12 team, it may also be the biggest game on the schedule. These two teams will face off in the Cotton Bowl in the Red River Rivalry, with both teams currently ranked in the top 25. This is a huge game for both of them and it?s a match-up that usually delivers a tight score. The Oklahoma Sooners have won back to back games in this rivalry, with each one them decided by 5 points. Look for the Sooners to win again by a similarly tight score line.

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Big Ten
Maryland Terrapins (+650) at Michigan Wolverines (-1000)

There are no real huge games in the Big Ten Conference this coming week, but this game strikes as being the most intriguing of the bunch. The Wolverines, who lost their season opener to Notre Dame, have bounced back in a big way to win 4 straight with their offense really starting to roll. While this looks like another straightforward win, let?s not forget that Maryland stunned Texas in the opening week of the season. I don?t see them doing the same here, though, as this should be a comfortable win for the Wolverines.

Pac-12
Arizona State Sun Devils (+125) at Colorado Buffaloes (-145)

Perhaps not the sexiest game on the conference schedule this week, but one that should be fun to watch. The Buffaloes have started the season with a perfect 4-0 record, covering the spread in each of those games and 4 of their last 5 overall. They are a 3-point favorite over the Sun Devils, who have covered in 6 of their last 7, 3 of which were as the underdog. I think we are in for a close game here, but I ultimately like the Buffaloes to win and cover.

SEC
LSU Tigers (-125) at Florida Gators (+105)

If anyone is going to be able to get past the Alabama Crimson Tide in the SEC West, it is increasingly looking as though that team might be the LSU Tigers. They are 5-0 on the season and have already knocked off division rivals Auburn. The Florida Gators only have a single loss on the season, but the bas news is that it came against a conference foe. Another loss here and their SEC Championship dreams are likely dead. I think they are in trouble, as I like the LSU Tigers to win.

 

[Cnotes53]

Big Ten Report - Week 6
October 4, 2018
By ASA

2018 BIG 10 STANDINGS
Team SU Conference ATS Over/Under
Illinois 2-2 0-1 2-2 1-3
Indiana 4-1 1-1 1-4 2-3
Iowa 3-1 0-1 3-1 2-2
Maryland 3-1 1-0 3-1 2-2
Michigan 4-1 2-0 2-3 2-3
Michigan State 3-1 1-0 1-3 3-1
Minnesota 3-1 0-1 3-1 2-2
Nebraska 0-4 0-2 0-4 2-2
Northwestern 1-3 1-1 2-2 2-2
Ohio State 5-0 2-0 3-2 2-3
Penn State 4-1 1-1 4-1 4-1
Purdue 2-3 1-1 3-2 3-2
Rutgers 1-4 0-2 2-3 2-3
Wisconsin 3-1 1-0 1-3 2-2

Games Scheduled for Saturday, Oct. 6

Maryland at Michigan (-17.5) - (ABC, 12:00 p.m. ET)

MARYLAND ? The Terps were one of the surprise teams in the Big Ten after their first two games which were both wins including an impressive 34-29 win over Texas as a 13-point underdog. They were then brought back down to earth in a big way losing 35-14 to a Temple team that was 0-2 at the time. Maryland was favored by 15 in that game and the Owls dominated from start to finish. Two weeks ago they played host to Minnesota in their Big Ten opener and rolled over the undefeated Gophers winning 42-13 outgaining them by 170 yards. Last week the Terrapins had a bye giving them two full weeks to get ready for their trip to Ann Arbor. This will be an interesting match up of opposing strengths as Maryland ranks 3rd in the Big Ten in rushing averaging 258 YPG while the Michigan defense allows just 86 YPG on the ground. If they can?t establish the run vs Michigan the Terps might be in trouble as their freshman QB Kasim Hill has only completed 42 passes through 4 games and is completing barely 50% of his attempts. Maryland ranks 121st nationally in passing offense averaging only 141 YPG through the air.

MICHIGAN ? After coasting through 3 easy opponents at home, the Wolverines were finally back on the road last week and they were taken to the wire by Northwestern. The Cats scored on their first 3 possessions jumping out to a quick 17-0 lead. NW gained 145 yards on those first 3 possessions but were held scoreless after that. Once Michigan settled down defensively they were able to limit the Wildcats to only 57 yards after those first 3 drives. The Cats were without their top RB Jeremy Larkin who retired earlier in the week and it showed as Michigan completely walled off that portion of Northwestern?s offense holding them to 28 yards on 34 carries. The Wildcats were forced to punt on all of their 2nd half possessions and never crossed mid-field. Michigan took their first lead of the game 20-17 with just 4:06 remaining in the game after a clutch 11-play 67-yard drive ended in a TD. The Wolves continue to have a problem with the laundry as they had 11 penalties for over 100 yards. They are the 12th most penalized team in the nation averaging 85 YPG in penalties.

INSIDE THE NUMBERS ? The Wolverines are a perfect 3-0 SU & ATS vs Maryland the last 3 years winning by an average score of 41-4 and covering those games by an average of 16 PPG. In those three games (2015-2017) Maryland has scored a total of 13 points. The Terps have been an underdog of 17 or more 6 times since the start of the 2016 season. They are 1-5 ATS in those games. Going back to 1980 Maryland is 18-28-2 ATS (4-44 SU) as a dog of 17 or more. Michigan is 9-4 ATS as a home favorite of 2 TD?s or more vs Big Ten teams dating back to 2007.

Northwestern at Michigan State (-10) - (FS1, 12:00 p.m. ET)

NORTHWESTERN ? The Cats gave a valiant effort coming off their bye last week but fell just short of a huge upset vs Michigan. After the first 3 offensive possessions for each team, Northwestern was ahead 17-0 and had outgained Michigan 145 to 21. From that point on, the Wolverines dominated outscoring the Cats 20-0 and outgaining them 355 to 57 leading to the 20-17 win. The problem with Northwestern?s offense this year is they can?t run the ball. Last week they were held to a paltry 28 yards on 34 attempts. They?ve only topped 100 yards rushing as a team in one game this season vs Purdue. They rank dead last in the Big Ten and 122nd nationally in rushing offense averaging only 95 YPG. On top of that they lost their top RB Larkin last week when he retired due to a medical issue. This is putting big time pressure on QB Clayton Thorson, who?s coming off an ACL injury, to be perfect in order for the Wildcats to put points on the board. Now they face an MSU defense that ranks #1 nationally in rush defense and has allowed just 161 yards rushing the entire season! Thorson will have to be very good here to give Northwestern a shot at the upset.

MICHIGAN STATE ? After beating Indiana two weeks ago to open up the Big Ten season, Sparty had a bit of a letdown spot last week hosting Central Michigan before getting back into their Big Ten slate. The Spartans (-28) jumped out to a 31-3 lead after 3 quarters and then held on for a 31-20 win. The Michigan State defense continued to shine holding CMU to just 245 yards with 170 of those coming on their final 3 offensive possessions when the game was out of reach. Prior to those final 3 drives the Chippewas were averaging only 3 yards per play on 32 snaps. MSU allowed just 63 yards on the ground which was actually the most they?ve allowed this season! They rank #1 in the nation allowing only 40 YPG on the ground. Dating back to last season they have now held 7 consecutive opponents to less than 100 yards on the ground. Offensively the Spartans have a few injuries heading into their game vs Northwestern. Their top WR Cody White is out with a broken hand and will be for awhile. MSU starting RB LJ Scott missed his 2nd straight game due to a hamstring injury and is questionable again this week.

INSIDE THE NUMBERS ? Surprisingly the road team has won 5 of the last 6 meetings outright. The lone home win in this series since 2009 was last year when Northwestern topped MSU 39-31 in OT. That game was tied 17-17 at the end of regulation. The Cats have covered the last 7 times they?ve visited East Lansing and the road team is 12-2 ATS the last 14 meetings. Northwestern is 13-5 ATS the last 18 times they?ve been tabbed a double digit underdog (1-0 ATS this year). This is the 33rd time these two have met since 1980 and MSU has been favored in all but one of those games.

Illinois (-5.5) at Rutgers - (Big Ten, 12:00 p.m. ET)

ILLINOIS ? We?re now into October and the Illini finally play a true road game for the first time this Saturday. They come into this one off a bye which gives them an advantage over a Rutgers team that is playing for the 6th consecutive Saturday. Illinois is 2-2 and their most recent game was a 63-24 loss at home to Penn State. For those that did not watch the game, it was much closer than that final score would indicate. PSU led 28-24 entering the fourth quarter and the proceeded to score TD?s on their final 5 offensive possessions. The Illinois offense actually looked fairly decent gaining over 400 yards in the game including 245 on the ground. Their problem on offense has been their inability to generate a consistent passing game. They have thrown for just 5.4 yards per pass attempt over their last two games averaging just 167 yards through the air. Freshman MJ Rivers has been the starter the last two games but the Illini hope to have AJ Bush under center this weekend (hamstring injury) as they look for their first Big Ten win in 23 months!

RUTGERS ? The Scarlet Knights finally had a close game, however the outcome was the same and that was another loss. Indiana came into Rutgers as a 17-point favorite and walked away with a tight 24-17 win. It was a game that IU led comfortably 24-7 at half and then decided not to show up after the break. Rutgers kicked a FG with just under 5:00 remaining to cut the lead to 24-17 but never got the ball back as IU ate up the remainder of the clock. The Knights were outgained by 160 yards in the game and they have now been outgained by a combined 1,036 yards in their last four games. The one thing we have noticed is it doesn?t look like this team is giving up just quite yet. They fought hard in the 2nd half despite being down by a large margin at half and made a game of it. The Knights have to look at this as a decent shot at a win. Probably their best remaining shot this season. Wisconsin is 10-2 ATS their last 12 games with at least a week of rest. The Badgers, however, are just 9-17 ATS the last 26 times they?ve been a double digit home favorite (0-3 ATS this year).

INSIDE THE NUMBERS ? Illinois favored on the road? The Illini have been favored on the road just 17 times since 2002 covering only 6 of those games. Rutgers was favored at Illinois by -1.5 last year and won the game 35-24. A year later they are a dog at home. The road team has been favored each of the last 2 seasons in this match up and they?ve won and covered each. Illinois has won only 8 (outright wins) of their last 46 road games. Rutgers has covered just 43% of the time as a home dog dating back to 1980 (45-59 ATS).

Iowa (-7) at Minnesota (Big Ten, 3:30 p.m. ET)

IOWA ? The Hawkeyes come off a bye after losing at home 28-17 to Wisconsin two weeks ago. The game was played almost dead even stat wise with each team picking up 19 first downs and Wisconsin outgaining Iowa by just 11 yards. Iowa actually led the game 17-14 with under 1:00 minute remaining in the game but the Badgers scored a TD with 57 seconds remaining and another with 22 seconds remaining (after an Iowa interception) for the 11 point margin. The Hawkeyes had their chances in the first half as they were shut out on downs at the UW 5-yard line on their opening drive, made it to the Wisconsin 42 yard line on drive number two, scored a TD on their third possession, and fumbled a punt on their next opportunity. That sent them to half tied at 7-7 but with 216 total yards at the break the Hawkeyes should have had more than one TD on the board. QB Nathan Stanley was averaging just 137 YPG through the air and barely 50% completions after his first two games. He has since stepped up his game big time throwing for 565 yards while completing over 72% of his passes his last two games. Defensively after allowing an average of 209 YPG over their first three games the Hawks gave up nearly double that to the Badgers who had 415 total yards.

MINNESOTA ? The Gophs are also off a bye and looking to regroup after a 42-13 blowout loss @ Maryland two Saturdays ago. It was Minnesota?s first road game and they caught the Terps at a bad time coming off an embarrassing loss to Temple as a double digit favorite. The Minnesota defense came into their game @ Maryland having completely shut down their opponents running game over the first three games allowing just 72 YPG. That changed in a big way with Maryland rushing for 315 yards on 8.5 yards per carry. The Terps scored 42 points and only attempted 14 passes the entire game. The Gopher defense gave up big plays all day long as Maryland scored TD?s on plays of 26, 81, 54, 64, and 21 yards. The Minnesota offense also had it?s problems scoring just one TD with freshman QB Zach Annexstad completing only 43% of his passes. This young Gopher team, with over 50% of their roster being freshman, showed they weren?t ready to go on the road and be competitive. We?ll see how they respond back at home after a week off.

INSIDE THE NUMBERS ? Iowa has won 5 of the last 6 meetings in this series and they?ve outgained the Gophers in 6 of the last 7 match ups. Going back further the Hawkeyes are 13-4 SU the last 17 meetings. Going back to 1993, the Gophers are just 8-16-1 ATS their last 25 games vs Iowa. Since 2012, the Hawkeyes have been a road favorite of more than 4 points 8 times. They are 7-1 ATS in those games. Since 2007, the Gophers have been a home dog in Big Ten play 27 times. They are 17-10 ATS in those games.

Indiana at Ohio State (-25) - (FOX, 4:00 p.m. ET)

INDIANA ? The Hoosiers come into this game having already played two Big Ten games (1-1 record). They were beaten up two weeks ago at home vs MSU and then bounced back last week and picked up a 24-17 road win @ Rutgers. IU jumped out to a 24-7 halftime lead and their 3 TD?s in the opening stanza were on long drives of 88, 75, and 68 yards. After relying mainly on their running game the first three games, the Hoosiers QB Peyton Ramsey has attempted 46 & 40 passes in his two Big Ten games. He?s thrown for 550+ yards in those two games combined with 3 TD?s but also 3 interceptions. The offense was able to gain nearly 300 yards on over 6 YPP in the first half vs Rutgers. However, after halftime they went scoreless on just 150 yards and committed two big turnovers. The defense was decent holding Rutgers to less than 300 yards but that was sort of expected vs a Knights offense that ranks dead last in the Big Ten in total offense & scoring offense.

OHIO STATE ? OSU was involved in the best game the Big Ten had to offer last week as they came from behind to top Penn State 27-26 in Happy Valley. The Nittany Lions jumped out to a 13-0 lead and still held a 26-14 lead with less than 8:00 minutes remaining in the game. Down 26-21 with just 4:30 remaining in the game and starting at their own 4-yard line, OSU executed their most impressive drive of the season. It was an 8-play, 96-yard TD drive that game the Bucks a 27-26 lead with just over 2:00 minutes remaining in the game. The defense then held PSU on 4th and 5 from the Buckeye 43-yard line to clinch the huge road win. That gives the Buckeyes two 2nd half come from behind wins away from home this season (TCU & PSU). This game was much different than the previous two meetings where each team won a game but OSU dominated the stat sheet. The Buckeyes were a bit fortunate to win this one as Penn State dominated the numbers gaining 492 yards on 66 plays (7.4 YPP) to OSU?s 389 yards on 76 plays (5.1). Nearly half of OSU?s yardage in the game (44% to be exact) came on their final 2 drives. It was just the 2nd time in the last 10 games (dating back to last season) that OSU was outgained in a game.

INSIDE THE NUMBERS ? The Hoosiers have played the Buckeyes very tough over the last 7 seasons. They are 6-1 ATS in those games with OSU only cover coming last year in a 49-21 win as a 21-point favorite. However previous to that run by Indiana, they were 0-9 ATS vs OSU between 1998 ? 2010. Since 2000, IU is just 3-18 SU and 8-13 ATS in their 2nd of back to back road games. Surprisingly, the Buckeyes are 18-6-1 ATS the game following their match up with Penn State. The Bucks are 3-0 ATS at home this year as favorites of more than 3 TD?s. However, coming into this season, they were just 5-11 ATS in that role dating back to 2014.

Nebraska at Wisconsin (-17) - (Big Ten, 7:30 p.m. ET)

NEBRASKA ? The excitement for Nebraska football coming into the season was through the roof with new head coach Scott Frost injecting new life into a dormant program. That excitement, at least for this season, has now been tempered with the Huskers starting 0-4. They showed some life in their season opener nearly beating Colorado as they arguably outplayed the Buffs in the loss. It?s been downhill since and last week?s home loss to Purdue. The 42-28 setback set two school records notching their 8th straight loss overall and 7th straight home loss. Not the records they wanted to set for sure. The Huskers continue to hurt themselves with mistakes game in and game out. On Saturday they rolled up 30 first downs and 536 yards outgaining the Boilermakers. Nebraska has actually outgained 3 of their 4 opponents on the season. So what?s the deal? They?ve turned the ball over 9 times this year and rank 127th nationally in turnover margin at -1.5 per game. On top of their turnover problems, the Cornhuskers were shut out on downs THREE times in Purdue territory, they missed a FG, and had 136 yards in penalties. If they ever decide to cut back on the mistakes, they could have the makings of a semi-dangerous team.

WISCONSIN ? The Badgers had last week off after topping Iowa on the road 28-17 a week earlier. Their win at Iowa put Wisconsin in the driver?s seat in the Big Ten West as they push for their 4th division title in the last 5 seasons. The Badgers are 3-1 with their lone loss coming at home to BYU. They still have all of their season goals in front of them, however this team has some definite flaws. They are young and fairly thin defensively, especially on the defensive line. They are allowing 135 YPG on the ground on 4.4 YPC. Compare that to last season when they allowed 98 YPG on the ground on 3.2 YPC and you can see the drop off. It?s also not as if they?ve played a bunch of great running teams either. They are just thin and young up front. Offensively they came into the season with the anticipation they would have one of their best offenses in team history. They?ve been good but not great. After rolling up numbers on the first two overmatched team they played (Western KY & New Mexico) they averaged just 24.5 PPG over their last 2 games. They have the talent to put up big numbers but they haven?t fully clicked on that side of the ball quite yet. Perhaps it comes this Saturday night vs a Nebraska defense that has allowed 98 points in their last 2 games alone. Wisconsin might be without 2 defensive starters at OLB Andrew Van Ginkel (their top pass rusher) and CB Faion Hicks are working through injuries.

INSIDE THE NUMBERS ? This line opened Wisconsin -22 and has dropped all the way to -17 as of this writing. Since Nebraska joined the Big Ten in 2011, they are just 1-6 SU (2-5 ATS) vs the Badgers. Last year Wisconsin (-12.5) won 38-17 in Lincoln. Wisconsin is 10-2 ATS their last 12 games with at least a week of rest. The Badgers, however, are just 9-17 ATS the last 26 times they?ve been a double digit home favorite (0-3 ATS this year). Since 1980, the Huskers have been a double digit road dog just 14 times. They are 1-13 SU and 7-7 ATS in that spot.

 

[Cnotes53]

ACC Report - Week 6
October 4, 2018
By Joe Williams

2018 ACC STANDINGS

ATLANTIC DIVISION
Team SU Conference ATS Over/Under
Boston College 4-1 1-0 3-2 4-1
Clemson 5-0 2-0 1-4 2-3
Florida State 3-2 1-2 1-4 3-2
Louisville 2-3 0-2 1-4 2-3
North Carolina State 4-0 1-0 3-1 2-2
Syracuse 4-1 1-1 4-0-1 2-3
Wake Forest 3-2 0-1 1-4 4-1

COASTAL DIVISION
Duke 4-1 0-1 3-2 3-2
Georgia Tech 2-3 0-2 1-4 3-2
Miami-Florida 4-1 1-0 3-2 4-1
North Carolina 1-3 1-1 1-2-1 3-1
Pittsburgh 2-3 1-1 1-4 2-3
Virginia 3-2 1-1 4-1 3-2
Virginia Tech 3-1 2-0 3-1 2-2

Georgia Tech at Louisville (Fri. - ESPN, 7:00 p.m. ET)
It's amazing, but true. One of these teams will limp out of this game on Friday night with a fourth loss on the season. If they want to become bowl eligible, both will have work to do, starting with this key game on Friday night. The Yellow Jackets have really struggled against the number, going 1-6 ATS in their past seven overall and 1-4-1 ATS in their past six conference tilts. They're also a dismal 0-4-1 ATS in the past five on the road. Louisville isn't much better, going 3-9 ATS in their past 12 at home and 7-17 ATS in the past 24 at home against teams with a losing road record. Both of these teams are also looking to avoid going 0-3 in the conference. It's an important ACC battle, but not how it was expected to be heading into the season.

Syracuse at Pittsburgh (ACC Network, 12:20 p.m. ET)
The Orange nearly pulled off the monumental upset for a second straight season against Clemson, but they fell short in Death Valley last week. 'Cuse have been cover kings this season, going 4-0-1 ATS while hitting in seven of their past eight road games dating back to last season. They're also an impressive 7-3-1 ATS in the past 11 conference tilts. Pitt is 5-2 ATS in their past seven ACC contests, and 4-1 ATS in the past five following a straight-up loss, but they're just 1-4 ATS in the past five overall and 7-17 ATS in their past 24 at home. Syracuse is just 2-5-2 ATS in their past nine against Pitt, and 2-5 ATS in their past seven trips to Western Pennsylvania.

The 'under' has been the dominant trend for both sides lately, going 5-1 in Syracuse's past six road games and 20-6-1 in their past 27 overall, including 15-5-1 in the past 21 inside the conference. The under is 8-2 in Pitt's past 10 ACC tilts, while cashing in six of the past seven against winning teams. The under is also 10-3-1 in their past 14 overall, and 5-2-1 in the past eight at Heinz Field. In this series, the under is 5-1 in the past six meetings.

Boston College at North Carolina State (ACC Network, 12:30 p.m. ET)
The Eagles head to Carter-Finley Stadium for a key ACC showdown, and one of the more underrated games of the weekend. B.C. had some cold water splashed on their early-season run with a loss in Purdue, but they have been ranked in the Top 25 this season, and could return with a road upset. The only thing that could cool off the Wolfpack was a visit from Hurricane Florence, wiping out a huge out of conference matchup (and potential loss) against West Virginia a few weeks ago. Instead, they're 4-0 SU and in the Top 25 themselves heading into the week.

The Eagles are an impressive 7-0-1 ATS in their past eight conference games, while going 6-1-1 ATS in their past eight against winning teams. They're also a solid 6-1 ATS in the past seven on the road and 11-3-1 ATS in the past 15 games overall. State has also been red-hot against the number, going 4-0 ATS in their past four against winning teams and 4-1 ATS in their past five games overall. The under has dominated this series, going 4-0 in the past four meetings. The road team is 3-0-1 ATS in the past four, too, while the Eagles are 3-1-1 ATS in the past five in this series.

Clemson at Wake Forest (ESPN, 3:30 p.m.)
Clemson heads to the Triad favored by 20 points after a near-miss at home against Syracuse a week ago. QB Trevor Lawrence is expected to be back under center after being knocked out of that game against the Orange, leaving Chase Brice to have to save the victory. Neither of these teams have been very good against the number lately. Clemson is 1-5 ATS in the past six overall and 0-4 ATS in the past four against teams with a winning overall mark. The Tigers are also 0-4-1 ATS in the past five games in the month of October. Wake is 4-1 ATS in the past five at home against winning teams and 10-4-1 ATS in their past 15 ACC battles, but they're just 1-4 ATS in the past five at home and 1-6 ATS in their past seven games. In addition, they have failed to cover in four in a row against winning sides. BB&T Stadium has been a house of horrors for the Tigers, at least against the number, over the years. Clemson is 2-6-1 ATS in their past nine trips to Winston-Salem, and 0-4 ATS in the past four meetings in this series. The underdog has cashed in four in a row, with the under 7-3 in the past 10 in the series.

Florida State at Miami-Florida (ABC, 3:30 p.m.)
Man, FSU and Miami used to mean EVERYTHING. This was THE game back in the 1980's and 1990's, but it has lost a lot of its luster over the years. National championship implications used to be on the line. Now, it's still an important game, and a great rivalry, and Hard Rock Stadium should still be a rare packed house, but with FSU struggling, it isn't as meaningful as the past. Still, Miami has put another feather in their cap as they look to return to the ACC Championship Game for a second straight season. Florida State earned its first conference win against two losses with a win at Louisville last week, but they still have work to do. They're 1-4-2 ATS in the past seven on the road, 1-6-2 ATS in the past nine against winning teams and 0-9-2 ATS in the past 11 inside the ACC. The Canes aren't much better, going 2-6 ATS in the past eight ACC games and 1-4 ATS in the past five against winning teams.

Bettors are likely to kick the tires on the under. The under has hit in seven straight meetings in this series. While the over is 5-1 in Miami's past six, and 4-1 in their past five at home, the under is 8-2 in their past 10 ACC tilts. The under is also 7-3 in Miami's past 10 against winning teams. The under is 7-2-1 in FSU's past 10 on the road and 22-8-1 in the past 31 inside the ACC.

Notre Dame at Virginia Tech (ABC, 8:00 p.m.)
It's a primetime battle in Blacksburg with the Irish paying a visit to the Hokies. Notre Dame has playoff aspirations, and can add to their resume with an impressive road win. The Hokies had playoff aspirations, too, until they were derailed in Norfolk two weeks ago by Old Dominion in an amazing upset. Virginia Tech righted the ship at Duke last week with a signature win, but any championship hopes outside of the conference likely sailed away at ODU. still, a win over Notre Dame could vault the Hokies back into the Top 15 neighborhood, perhaps, so who knows.

The Fighting Irish are 5-2 ATS in the past seven road games, but just 2-5 ATS in their past seven away from home against teams with a winning home record. The Hokies have covered 11 of their past 15 at Lane Stadium, while going 7-3 ATS in their past 10 non-conference games and 6-1 ATS in their past seven home games against a team with a winning road record. The under has been the prevailing trend for both sides. The under is 7-2 in ND's past nine overall and 6-2 in their past eight against winning sides. The under is 8-1 in Virginia Tech's past nine against winning teams and 6-2-1 in their past nine at Lane Stadium, while going 10-4 in the past 14 overall.

Teams On A Bye
Duke, North Carolina, Virginia