Bad Company - Week 7
By Kevin Rogers
Following a wild weekend in college football last week in which Alabama, Oregon, Oklahoma, and Texas A&M all lost, it seems like the domination of few teams in this sport no longer exists. What about squads that struggle from a week-to-week basis? This will never go away, as we’ll take a look at several clubs that are fade material heading into Week 7 of the college football season.
Texas (+14 ½) vs. Oklahoma – 12:00 PM EST
The Longhorns head into the Red River Showdown against the Sooners in a similar spot like last season, as Texas was a heavy underdog after a less than stellar start. UT destroyed Oklahoma, 36-20 to cash outright as 13 ½-point ‘dogs in Dallas, as the Horns try to duplicate that effort, but it won’t be easy this time around. Charlie Strong’s club has been in shambles since the season-ending injury to quarterback David Ash, scoring 17 points or less in each of their three losses to BYU, UCLA, and Baylor.
Oklahoma won’t be a happy bunch after suffering its first defeat of the season, falling to TCU, 37-33 as 3 ½-point road favorites. Bob Stoops has lost consecutive games only once in his career, coming way back in 1999, as the Sooners are 12-0 SU and 9-3 ATS since 2009 off a loss. The last three times the Longhorns have lost the week prior to Oklahoma, Texas ended up dropping the Red River Showdown, while covering just once back in 2007 as a 12-point underdog in a 28-21 setback.
Syracuse (+24) vs. Florida State – 12:00 PM EST
The Orange has been crushed in each of the last three losses to Maryland, Notre Dame, and Louisville, dropping each contest by double-digits. To make matters worse for Syracuse, it lost starting quarterback Terrel Hunt to a broken fibula for four to six weeks, as the Orange turns to sophomore Austin Wilson, who attempted just three passes in last Friday’s defeat to Louisville. Syracuse covered four of five games at the Carrier Dome last season, but the Orange has stumbled to an 0-3 ATS home mark in 2014.
Florida State finally covered a game after failing to cash in its first four victories of the season, as the Seminoles waxed Wake Forest, 43-3 as 37 ½-point home favorites. The Seminoles slammed the Orange in Tallahassee last season, 59-3 as 38-point favorites, but FSU is 3-8 ATS in its past 11 road games as a double-digit favorite since the start of the 2012 season. FSU could be in a look-ahead spot with crucial games against Notre Dame and at Louisville coming up in the next few weeks.
Tulsa (+16 ½) at Temple – 12:00 PM EST
The Golden Hurricane owns one of the worst defenses in the country, allowing 42, 37, 50, 52, and 31 points in their first five games. Granted, Tulsa gave up 20 points in overtimes to Texas State in a 37-34 triple OT defeat, but the Golden Hurricane was torched for 532 yards in last week’s 42-17 thumping at Colorado State. During Tulsa’s four-game losing streak, it hasn’t covered once, while getting blown out as 18 and 24-point underdogs.
Temple is listed as a double-digit favorite over an FBS school for the first time since 2011, as the Owls own an amazing 10-2 ATS record since the start of 2013. These teams haven’t met since 1988, while Temple has allowed 17 points in its three victories, but it has lost six of its past eight home games.
Troy (-6 ½) vs. New Mexico State – 3:00 PM EST
These two squads have combined for just two wins so far, and those victories came by the underdog in this game. New Mexico State beat Cal Poly SLO and Georgia State to start the season, but the Aggies have lost four consecutive contests. The Aggies have given up at least 36 points in each defeat, while hitting the ‘over’ in five straight games. New Mexico State has actually covered in both Sun Belt games against Georgia State and Georgia Southern, as the Aggies blew a 14-0 lead in last week’s loss to Georgia Southern as 17 ½-point underdogs, 36-28.
What else is there to say about Troy? The Trojans are 0-5, which includes a home setback to FCS foe Abilene Christian as 11-point favorites, while getting outscored 114-10 in losses to Georgia and UAB. Troy has been outgained in the yardage category in all five games, but managed to cover in its Sun Belt opener as 13 ½-point ‘dogs to Louisiana-Monroe, 22-20. Dating back to 2012, the Trojans have put together a 2-8 ATS in the last 10 opportunities in the favorite role.
