Week 8 NCAA Newsletters

[UT-Longhorn]

POINTWISE COLLEGIATE & PROFESSIONAL FOOTBALL PROPHECY

COLLEGE KEY RELEASES
1* CLEMSON over North Carolina
1* PURDUE over Michigan
2* GEORGIA TECH over Maryland
2* WYOMING over San Diego State
3* TOLEDO over Ball State
4* ARIZONA STATE over Ucla
5* TULSA over Southern Methodist
5* MINNESOTA over Illinois

Detailed Analysis of NCAA Key Releases

Purdue 24 - MICHIGAN 23 - (12:00) -- Wolves have scored 87 pts in their last 5 quarters, along with 57 FDs in last 2 outings. Check 275 RYs at Illinois, after averaging just 83 in previous 4 games. Boilers on 6 game run (SU & ATS), & have 15, 19, & 13? minute time edges in last 3. Purdue rush "D" the key here.

CLEMSON 45 - North Carolina 10 - (3:30) -- Check the stats of UNC's final play loss to ArizSt. That's right, a 598-331 yd deficit. Heels field the worst "D" in the nation, & won't contain the streaking & balanced Tigers, who've held the likes of GT, Va, & NCSt to 45, 53, & 70 RYs respectively. Covered first chalk role by 9. reeling from 45-14 home loss to Memphis, as 5-pt chalks. Stand at 5-2, with losses by 47 & 31 pts. If rush "D" returns, could give Tcu anxious moments.

Wyoming 33 - SAN DIEGO STATE 30 - (9:00) -- Cowboy upset of BYU wasn't in classic 'Poke style. No offensive TDs, after 48 pts previous week. Aztecs can't run (43 ypg last 3), & are in off 11, 12?, & 22 pt ATS losses. Threw 59 passes vs NMex: 7 pts. That says it all. Bramlet had field day LY, & will again.

GEORGIA TECH 27 - Maryland 20 - (7:30 - ESPN) -- Both squads had LW off. The Terps have been one of the better "go-to" squads for the past 2? seasons, but note that they are on an 0-4 road spread slide, by 20 ppg. Had a 44-yd deficit vs Duke in last outing. Jackets have posted 3 outright upsets, so a revenge call.


NCAA KEY RELEASES
SYRACUSE by 4 over Pittsburgh
BOSTON COLLEGE by 16 over Notre Dame
NORTHERN ILLINOIS by 7 over Bowling Green

Detailed Analysis

Syracuse 34 - PITTSBURGH 30 ?Impressed by resiliency Syracuse howed in bouncing back from trouncing at Va. Tech for dominant 39-14 win over BC. Young Orange defense steadily improving. And savvy sr. QB R.J. Anderson (20 of 27, 2 TDP, ran for 73 yds. & a TD last week) still hasn?t thrown an interception TY. Pitt sr. QB Rutherford (21 TDP, only 3 ints.) & star soph WR Fitzgerald (13 TDC, 145 ypg) will get theirs. But Panthers are banged up, and defense (499 ypg last 4) declining.

BOSTON COLLEGE 30 - Notre Dame 14 ?ND offense showing somesigns of turning things around under stewardship of frosh QB Quinn. But, Irish defense showed some major cracks in allowing USC QB Leinart 351 YP & 4 TDs. BC has steadiest offensive threat on field in RB Knight (nation?s top rusher?134 ypg), so expect major bounce-back effort from Eagles. BC defense allowing just 3.7 ypc and a stingy 5.5 ypp this season.

Northern Illinois 28 - BOWLING GREEN 21 ?NIU banged up a little in DL, but nothing seems to faze the 7-0 Huskies TY. RB Turner (929 YR), QB Haldi & WR Fleck are terrific triplets at their own level (maybe at any level?). Bowling Green QB J. Harris a dangerous character, but Falcon ground game often inconsistent (only 3.3 ypc vs. Div. I-A prior to last week?s 33-20 win at yielding E. Mich.). Huskies 8-2 last 10 as a dog & 14-1 SU last 15

SUMMARY OF NCAA PLAYS:

BEST BETS
*IOWA over PENN STATE by 24
*CLEMSON over NORTH CAROLINA by 25
*BOWLING GREEN over NORTHERN ILLINOIS by 18
NORTH TEXAS over *MIDDLE TENNESSEE by 16

RECOMMENDED PLAYS
RUTGERS over *TEMPLE by 7
PURDUE over *MICHIGAN by 4
ARKANSAS over *MISSISSIPPI by 9
TENNESSEE over *ALABAMA by 12
*NEBRASKA over IOWA STATE by 33
ARIZONA STATE over *UCLA by 6
*CONNECTICUT over AKRON by 2
*HOUSTON over TCU by 2

 

[UT-Longhorn]

NORTHCOAST'S POWERSWEEP

UNDERDOG PLAY OF THE WEEK
PENN ST +11 OVER IOWA

SUMMARY OF NCAA KEY SELECTIONS:
4?? Texas Tech over MISSOURI
3?? Ohio St over INDIANA
3?? Arkansas (+) over MISSISSIPPI
2?? WASHINGTON (+) over Usc
2?? OREGON over Stanford
2?? FLORIDA ST over Wake Forest

THE RED SHEET

RED SHEET ONLINE RATINGS:
89 & ABOVE: SUPERIOR PLAY
88 & BELOW: ABOVE AVERAGE PLAY

NEBRASKA 48 - Iowa State 10 - (12:30 EDT) -- Line opened at Nebraska minus 22, and is now minus 23?. A year ago, the Cyclones ran off 6 straight wins, behind QB Wallace's brilliance, climbing into the top ten in the land. But they were murdered in their showcase match with Oklahoma, & it has been all down hill since. They are on a 3-11 SU slide, as well as a 1-10 spread run. Their defense has been mauled by the week, & ranks 108th in the nation. Check allowing 107 FDs the past 3 weeks! A week ago, they hosted Texas, & were outgained 346-45 in the first half. Yes, the list of their current dismal performances is long indeed.The Huskers, on the other hand, field the nation's #2 defense. Not only that, but scoreboard is finally reflecting their on-field showing. Revenge is game's name.
RATING: NEBRASKA 89

Syracuse 34 - PITTSBURGH 31 - (12:00) -- Line opened at Pittsburgh minus 7?, and is now minus 7. A year ago, the Panthers turned an early 3-0 deficit into a 48-3 lead, before eventual 48-24 win over the Orange. That one ended an 11-game series losing streak to the 'Cuse. Pitt wound up last season with a 38-13 blowout of OregonSt in the Insight Bowl, & with 15 starters back, including the most dangerous combo in the nation (Rutherford-to-Fitzgerald), great things were expected this year. However, the Panthers are struggling, with their "D"Ranking 86th in the nation. Emergence of Orange QB Anderson (20-of-27 vs BC), complements Reyes' brilliant running, behind an ever-improving "O" line. Yet another revenger.
RATING: SYRACUSE 89

Arizona State 31 - UCLA 24 - (10:00) -- Line opened at Ucla minus 3?, and is now minus 3. A week ago, we had the Sun Devils as a high choice on Pointwise, & they failed to bring home the bacon at NoCarolina, despite winning SU on a 5-yd Walter pass on the game's final play. An outright loss in that one would have marked their 4th in 5 games, with the distinct possibility of towel tossing. However, that comeback ensures an all-out effort here. In that narrow escape vs UNC, Walter threw for 408 yds, & now has 724 the past 2 weeks, to go along with 6 TD passes. Spells trouble for Bruins, who rank 69th in aerial defense. And Ucla ranks
114th in rushing offense. Devils are finally showing pre-season potential.
RATING: ARIZONA STATE 88

CLEMSON 45 - North Carolina 14 - (12:00) -- Line opened at Clemson minus 13, and is now minus 13?. This one goes directly against one of the strongest current trends in college ball, namely the success of the visitor when the Heels take the field. The guest is on a 16-3 ATS run in UNC games. However, it was 16-2 before LW's miss, so all things come to an end. A week ago, as noted above, the Tars went down on the game's final play, which is the ultimate drainer. Heels rank 107, 111, & 116 in rushing, passing, & total "D". Not proper credentials in attempting to contain efficient Tiger offense. And defensively, Clemson ranks 22nd. The series favorite has covered 12-of-15, for yet another edge. Lay the pts!
RATING: CLEMSON 88

TEXAS A&M 38 - Oklahoma State 33 - (3:30 -- Line opened at OklahomaSt minus 6, and is still minus 6. We earlier had the smoking Cowboys as a 10-pt winner in this one, but respected sources have convinced us that this is the spot to step out with the Aggies. OkieSt is in off a pair of monumental drainers (38-34 win over KansasSt, & 51-49 triumph over TexasTech), & has arch-rival Oklahoma up next week. If this doesn't represent a flat spot, the term has no meaning. There is no questioning the ability of 'Pokes' quick-strike offense, but A&M posted73 pts in its last hoster, & has been contained only by Nebraska's 2nd-rated stop unit. Franchione regroups Aggies, after that horrid 8 turnover showing vs the Huskers.
RATING: TEXAS A&M 88

PITTSBURGH 30 - St Louis 20 - (1:00) -- Line opened at Pick-em, and is now Pittsburgh minus 1?. To say that the Steelers have been a disappointment, in the NFL's early going, would be a hugeunderstatement. A year ago, Pitt was a single play from making it to the AFC title game, & was figured to be there again. But, since its opening week blowout of Baltimore, Pittsburgh has impressed only in its narrow loss at Denver. Not only that, but check near identical 30-13 & 33-13 home losses in its last hoster. However, Steelers had last week off, & are 14-5 ATS at home off a pair of losses. Rams have been great at home, but this marks 1st road trip in more than a month, & they've been less than special on natural turf.
RATING: PITTSBURGH STEELERS 88

NEAR CHOICES (Rated 87): Purdue, Tulsa, Stanford, Mississippi -- NFL: Tampa, New Orleans, San Diego

 

[bohawk]

Horn-Man, thanks for the info. Were couple of the reports
Sports Reporter & something else. Know Playbook goes
5*, 4*, &3*. Just wondered. Think PW was about 50% LW