Cnotes 2017 College Football Picks-Trends-News Etc. !

Search

Active member
Joined
Sep 26, 2005
Messages
104,059
Tokens
Friday’s six-pack


— Chargers fired Bobby Wick this week, their equipment man for the last 39 years. Classy.


— Chris Sale has a 4.78 ERA in 118.2 IP vs Cleveland; against everyone else, his career ERA is 2.81, in 1,169.2 IP. Thanks to Christopher Kamka for that stat.


— Boston closer Craig Kimbrel has faced 197 batters this year; he struck out 102 of them.


— Boston Celtics are already sold out of season tickets for the 2017-18 season.


— Dodgers won their 90th game before any other team got their 80th win.


— Dodger pitcher Kenta Meada’s season stats this year:
Wins: 11
Saves: 1
WHIP: 1.11
IP: 111.1
Strikeouts: 111


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

Friday’s List of 13: Random stuff with weekend here……

13) 6th/7th innings of New York-Detroit game Thursday took around two hours to play, thanks to a brawl, eight ejections, two hit batters and six runs scored.


Detroit’s Michael Fulmer hit Gary Sanchez in the 5th inning; when NY reliever Tommy Kanhle threw behind Miguel Cabrera, benches emptied, Kanhle and Joe Girardi got tossed. Before play could resume, Cabrera and backup catchup Austin Romine started jawing and a fight broke out, an actual fight, not a baseball shoving match.


Not the best job of controlling things by the umpires; New York lost its DH when Sanchez had to come in and catch, but they rallied to tie the game in the top of the 7th before the Tigers scored three times in the bottom of the 7th.


New York used Aroldis Chapman in the 6th inning, after Kanhle got tossed.


12) Last summer on Hard Knocks, Rams’ rookie QB Jared Goff was hardly on the show, which didn’t help the program any— they focused mostly on guys on who got cut.


This year, Bucs’ QB Jameis Winston IS THE SHOW— he is all over it and that makes the program better. Haven’t seen much of coach Dirk Koetter yet, except when Winston threw an ill-advised pass in the red zone against Jacksonville and Koetter went bullshit on him for it.


11) Pittsburgh beat the Dodgers Wednesday despite getting only one hit; last time the Pirates won a game when they had one hit was May 2, 1943- Vince DiMaggio got the only Pittsburgh hit.


10) Josh Harrison’s walk-off homer to end that game was the first walk-off homer in MLB history that also ended a no-hitter. That same night, Harrison’s cousin JaVon Shelby caught a no-hitter in the Class A Midwest League.


Hill is the 5th major leaguer and first since 1995, to lose a no-hitter in extra innings.


9) On May 26, 1959, a Pirates pitcher named Harvey Haddix threw 12 perfect innings in a game at Milwaukee, but lost the game and no-hitter 1-0 on an unearned run in the 13th inning. It is the greatest losing performance in baseball history.


The next year, Haddix was the winning pitcher in Game 7 of the 1960 World Series, throwing a scoreless 9th inning as the Pirates upset New York to win a world championship.


8) Some people are going to protest until Colin Kaepernick is on an NFL team; then once he is on a team, other people will protest until he is out of the league again.


What a world this has become.


7) Marvin Bagley III is committed to play basketball at Duke this fall, but will be play? Will the NCAA clear him on time? Bagley went to three different high schools in two states, he took online classes, so it is going to take some time, and the NCAA can be slow in these cases.


Expecting Bagley to be dominant in the ACC might be a bit much; don’t forget, he is supposed to be a high school senior- when he plays against older people, there will sometimes be a big age/maturity gap, not a talent gap. Plus you wonder if he isn’t already looking ahead to the NBA, which has often been an issue with probable 1-and-done guys.


6) Cole Hamels is 9-1, 3.42 in 16 starts this year, but in the six games where Hamels didn’t get a decision, the Rangers are 1-5, and that could bite Texas coming down the stretch. In races like this, with so many teams bunched together, you have to win when your ace is pitching.


5) I can’t even imagine working in a sportsbook and having someone hand me $100,000 to bet on a fight. Someone risked $100,000 to win $20,000 on Floyd Mayweather Saturday night. I’m trying to think of the most money I’ve ever held at one time…….$100K is a lot of cabbage.


4) Mets’ OF Michael Conforto dislocated his left (throwing) shoulder swinging at a pitch Thursday; never saw that happen before. Conforto had been playing really well for the Mets.


3) There was an old movie on TV the other night; Taking Care of Business, with Jim Belushi and Charles Grodin; Belushi is an escaped convict who escapes jail to go watch the Cubs play in the World Series. Filmed in 1990, one of the TV announcers was Joe Torre— this was just before he took over managing the Cardinals. His record at that point wasn’t Hall of Fame-worthy.


Cubs beat the Angels in the fictitious movie, by the way, even though Bert Blyleven was in the movie, pitching for the Angels.


2) In the movie Friday Night Lights, where Billy Bob Thornton coaches Permian HS to the finals of the Texas state football tournament, his team loses to Carter HS of Dallas in the state title game.


In real life, three of those Carter HS players made the NFL, including Jesse Armstead. Hall of Famer LaDanian Tomlinson calls that Carter team “the greatest high school football team ever assembled.”


1) This November will be the last-ever Great Alaskan Shootout; once one of the best preseason college hoop tournaments, it suffered because ESPN started running tournaments in places with way better weather than Alaska. One year, Duke-Cincinnati was the final in Alaska, back when Bob Huggins was coaching Cincinnati.
 

Active member
Joined
Sep 26, 2005
Messages
104,059
Tokens
NCAAF
Dunkel


Week 1


Saturday, August 26



Rice @ Stanford


Game 297-298
August 26, 2017 @ 10:00 pm


Dunkel Rating:
Rice
66.159
Stanford
98.204
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Stanford
by 32
57
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Stanford
by 30
51
Dunkel Pick:
Stanford
(-30); Over


South Florida @ San Jose St



Game 295-296
August 26, 2017 @ 7:30 pm


Dunkel Rating:
South Florida
97.953
San Jose St
68.713
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
South Florida
by 29
67
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
South Florida
by 21 1/2
69
Dunkel Pick:
South Florida
(-21 1/2); Under


Hawaii @ Massachusetts



Game 293-294
August 26, 2017 @ 6:00 pm


Dunkel Rating:
Hawaii
73.292
Massachusetts
68.423
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Hawaii
by 5
67
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Massachusetts
by 2
61 1/2
Dunkel Pick:
Hawaii
(+2); Over


Oregon State @ Colorado State



Game 291-292
August 26, 2017 @ 2:30 pm


Dunkel Rating:
Oregon State
90.082
Colorado State
89.775
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Oregon State
Even
54
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Colorado State
by 4
59
Dunkel Pick:
Oregon State
(+4); Under









NCAAF
Long Sheet



Saturday, August 26


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------


OREGON ST (4 - 8) at COLORADO ST (7 - 6) - 8/26/2017, 2:30 PM
Top Trends for this game.
COLORADO ST is 10-1 ATS (+8.9 Units) when playing on a Saturday over the last 2 seasons.
COLORADO ST is 9-2 ATS (+6.8 Units) in games played on turf over the last 2 seasons.
OREGON ST is 8-1 ATS (+6.9 Units) in games played on turf over the last 2 seasons.

Head-to-Head Series History
There were no past matchups in this series during this time period.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

HAWAII (7 - 7) at MASSACHUSETTS (2 - 10) - 8/26/2017, 6:00 PM
Top Trends for this game.
HAWAII is 7-17 ATS (-11.7 Units) when playing on a Saturday over the last 3 seasons.

Head-to-Head Series History
MASSACHUSETTS is 1-0 against the spread versus HAWAII over the last 3 seasons
HAWAII is 1-0 straight up against MASSACHUSETTS over the last 3 seasons
1 of 1 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

S FLORIDA (11 - 2) at SAN JOSE ST (4 - 8) - 8/26/2017, 7:30 PM
Top Trends for this game.
S FLORIDA is 14-5 ATS (+8.5 Units) when playing on a Saturday over the last 3 seasons.

Head-to-Head Series History
There were no past matchups in this series during this time period.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

RICE (3 - 9) vs. STANFORD (10 - 3) - 8/26/2017, 10:00 PM
There are no Top Trends with records of significance that apply to this game.

Head-to-Head Series History
RICE is 1-0 against the spread versus STANFORD over the last 3 seasons
STANFORD is 1-0 straight up against RICE over the last 3 seasons
1 of 1 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------








NCAAF
Armadillo's Write-Up


Saturday, August 26



Colorado State returns 8 starters from team that lost 61-50 to Idaho in bowl game LY; Rams are 13-6-1 vs spread in non-MW games the last four years, 4-4-1 under Bobo. CSU is 13-5 vs spread as a home favorite since 2012, 5-2 under Bobo. Rams have senior QB with 21 starts; their OL has 64 returning starts. Since 2014, Oregon State is 5-11 vs spread on road; Beavers are 9-10 vs spread as an underdog under Anderson. OSU’s OL has 56 returning starts. JC transfer Luton gets first OSU start at QB; the 2nd-string QB transferred. Last two years, Pac-12 teams are 14-8-1 vs spread when facing a Mountain West squad.


Very long road trip for Hawai’i squad that is 0-4 vs spread as a road favorite the last six years. Rainbows (-7.5) beat UMass 46-40 at home LY- total yardage was 479-459. Hawai’i has soph QB who started 10 games LY; their offensive line has 79 returning starts, so it’s a veteran group. UMass has only 29 starts back on OL; their junior QB has nine starts under his belt, Minutemen are 4-6 vs spread as a home underdog under Whipple. Since 2012, UMass is 20-28 vs spread as an underdog.


South Florida has new coach, young OL (40 returning starts) but a senior QB with 26 starts. Since 2013, Bulls are 5-3 vs spread as a road favorite; since ’09, they’re 22-18 vs spread in non-league games. San Jose State has most experienced offensive line (125 returning starts) in country, but also has a new coach, new QB; Spartans are 8-5 vs spread in last 13 games as a home underdog. Last five years, Mountain West teams are 5-4 vs spread when facing an AAC opponent. USF went to bowl last two years, going +19 in turnovers.


Stanford (-35) whacked Rice 41-17 at home LY, running ball for 373 yards; they outgained the Owls, 528-291. Since 2013, Cardinal is 6-9-1 vs spread in non-league games; they play USC in first game back in US, in two weeks. Stanford had 8 starters back on both sides of ball but has new QB- they’re 12-9 vs spread in last 21 games as a favorite. Rice has an experienced OL (92 returning starts) but also has new QB; since ’14, Owls are 7-11-1 vs spread as an underdog- they’re 14-6-2 vs spread in last 22 non-league games. This game is in Australia.








NCAAF

Saturday, August 26


------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Trend Report
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------


2:30 PM
OREGON STATE vs. COLORADO STATE
Oregon State is 0-5 SU in its last 5 games on the road
Oregon State is 4-17 SU in its last 21 games
The total has gone OVER in 5 of Colorado State's last 6 games
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Colorado State's last 5 games at home

3:00 PM
PORTLAND STATE vs. BYU
Portland State is 2-14 SU in its last 16 games
Portland State is 2-14 SU in its last 16 games on the road
BYU is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games at home
BYU is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games

6:00 PM
HAWAII vs. MASSACHUSETTS
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Hawaii's last 5 games
Hawaii is 8-16 SU in its last 24 games
Massachusetts is 3-7 ATS in its last 10 games at home
Massachusetts is 1-8 SU in its last 9 games

7:30 PM
SOUTH FLORIDA vs. SAN JOSE STATE
The total has gone OVER in 6 of South Florida's last 7 games
The total has gone OVER in 4 of South Florida's last 5 games on the road
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of San Jose State's last 7 games
San Jose State is 3-7 SU in its last 10 games

10:00 PM
STANFORD vs. RICE
Stanford is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games
Rice is 4-13 SU in its last 17 games
The total has gone OVER in 5 of Rice's last 6 games
 

Active member
Joined
Sep 26, 2005
Messages
104,059
Tokens
August 26 college football games


Colorado State
returns 8 starters from team that lost 61-50 to Idaho in bowl game LY; Rams are 13-6-1 vs spread in non-MW games the last four years, 4-4-1 under Bobo. CSU is 13-5 vs spread as a home favorite since 2012, 5-2 under Bobo. Rams have senior QB with 21 starts; their OL has 64 returning starts. Since 2014, Oregon State is 5-11 vs spread on road; Beavers are 9-10 vs spread as an underdog under Anderson. OSU’s OL has 56 returning starts. JC transfer Luton gets first OSU start at QB; the 2nd-string QB transferred. Last two years, Pac-12 teams are 14-8-1 vs spread when facing a Mountain West squad.


Very long road trip for Hawai’i squad that is 0-4 vs spread as a road favorite the last six years. Rainbows (-7.5) beat UMass 46-40 at home LY- total yardage was 479-459. Hawai’i has soph QB who started 10 games LY; their offensive line has 79 returning starts, so it’s a veteran group. UMass has only 29 starts back on OL; their junior QB has nine starts under his belt, Minutemen are 4-6 vs spread as a home underdog under Whipple. Since 2012, UMass is 20-28 vs spread as an underdog.

South Florida
has new coach, young OL (40 returning starts) but a senior QB with 26 starts. Since 2013, Bulls are 5-3 vs spread as a road favorite; since ’09, they’re 22-18 vs spread in non-league games. San Jose State has most experienced offensive line (125 returning starts) in country, but also has a new coach, new QB; Spartans are 8-5 vs spread in last 13 games as a home underdog. Last five years, Mountain West teams are 5-4 vs spread when facing an AAC opponent. USF went to bowl last two years, going +19 in turnovers.

Stanford (-35)
whacked Rice 41-17 at home LY, running ball for 373 yards; they outgained the Owls, 528-291. Since 2013, Cardinal is 6-9-1 vs spread in non-league games; they play USC in first game back in US, in two weeks. Stanford had 8 starters back on both sides of ball but has new QB- they’re 12-9 vs spread in last 21 games as a favorite. Rice has an experienced OL (92 returning starts) but also has new QB; since ’14, Owls are 7-11-1 vs spread as an underdog- they’re 14-6-2 vs spread in last 22 non-league games. This game is in Australia.
 

Active member
Joined
Sep 26, 2005
Messages
104,059
Tokens
Saturday’s six-pack


— Rhys Hoskins hit 9 HR’s in his first 54 AB’s for Philly, and that includes an 0-12 start.


— Giancarlo Stanton had 2 HR’s, a 2B and five RBI in the first four innings vs San Diego.


— Patriots (-3) 30, Lions 28— Detroit trailed 24-0; gambling is difficult.


— Astros bench coach Alex Cora got tossed two outs into the Astros-Angels game.


— DeMatha HS from Maryland played at Bishop Gorman in Las Vegas last night; who pays the tab for THAT road trip?


— Yoenis Cespedes hurt his leg running from 2nd to 3rd in the first inning; not sure how the Mets’ trainer keeps his job? The whole damn team is hurt.

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


Saturday’s List of 13: Random stuff with weekend here……



13) Baseball players are all wearing more colorful uniforms this weekend, with their nicknames on the back; apparently this is something the players wanted and got as part of the last collective bargaining agreement. I’m withholding judgment on the uniforms until later this weekend.


12) 49ers saved $5.2M in salary cap space Friday by cutting LB Ahmad Brooks, who played nine years for San Francisco.


11) Miguel Cabrera was suspended for 7 games, Gary Sanchez for 4 games as penalties for the fights in Detroit Thursday got handed down. Austin Romine only got two games.


10) Thru Thursday games, Texas has challenged 50 plays this season, most in MLB. Rangers have won 27 of the 50 challenges.


9) Padres’ OF Matt Szczur was a WR/RB for Villanova’s football team in 2009, when they won the I-AA national championship.


8) Washington Nationals have gotten saves from nine different pitchers this season.


7) Louisville signed a 10-year deal with adidas worth $160M, which buys a lot of sneakers and sweatsuits.


6) Happy birthdays: Sean Connery 87, Regis Philbin 86, Monty Hall 96, Rollie Fingers 71.


5) Over last five years, NFC East teams are 8-15 vs spread as a home favorite of 6+ points, in non-divisional games.


During that same time, the four NFC South teams are 46-25 against the spread as a non-divisional road underdog- they were 15-4 last year.


4) Edmonton Eskimos sold over 40,000 tickets for their game with Saskatchewan Friday night, first time in three years they’ve sold that many tickets.


3) With Hurricane Harvey bearing down on Texas, the University of Houston’s football team has moved its practices to the University of Texas in Austin.


2) Thursday night, a bettor at a William Hill sportsbook bet $1.2 million on Floyd Mayweather; if he wins, the bettor wins $240K. How do you bet $1.2M on an event like this?


That said, as much as $80M might be wagered on this fight, so guess I’m in the minority with my apathy towards it.


1) I don’t think I’d watch the Mayweather-McGregor fight if it was on free TV, but they’re promoting the hell out of it, and a lot of people will buy it on pay-per-view. As much as I love going to Las Vegas, this is probably a pretty good weekend not to be there.
 

Active member
Joined
Sep 26, 2005
Messages
104,059
Tokens
Saturday's Early Tips
August 22, 2017



Finally, the 2017 college football season has arrived! The year gets started Saturday with five lined games, so let’s take a look at a pair of those contests now.

**Oregon State at Colorado State**



-- Gary Andersen is entering his third season of a rebuild job in Corvallis after he left Wisconsin to replace Mike Riley at Oregon State. The Beavers went 2-10 straight up and 3-9 against the spread in his first year, improving to 4-8 SU and 8-4 versus the number last season. They finished 2016 on a tear for our purposes, compiling a 7-1 spread record in their last eight games, winning outright in their last two outings at home vs. Arizona (42-17) and Oregon (34-24).


-- Andersen named juco transfer Jake Luton his starting quarterback in mid-August, prompting Marcus McMaryion to leave the program for Fresno State as a grad transfer. McMaryion started the last six games for the Beavers in 2016. For the season, he completed 59.4 percent of his passes for 1,286 yards with a 10/5 touchdown-to-interception ratio.


-- Oregon State returns seven starters on offense and eight on defense. OSU is loaded in the backfield with running back Ryan Nall returning. Nall rushed for 951 yards and 13 TDs while averaging 6.5 yards per carry. RB Artavis Pierce had a solid true freshman season in ’16, rushing for 523 yards and four TDs with a 5.3 YPC average. Andersen landed a pair of grad transfers for depth, including Trevorris Johnson from TCU and Oregon’s Thomas Tyner, who is a former 5-star recruit but hasn’t played since 2014 due to injuries. Nall also had 22 catches for 214 yards and two TDs last year, while Pierce had 21 receptions for 132 yards and one TD.


-- Oregon State junior WR Seth Collins is ‘out’ against the Rams due to a finger injury that could keep him sidelined into September. Collins, who started seven games at QB in 2015 before logging nine starts at WR last season, had 36 receptions for 418 yards and one TD in 2016.


-- As of Aug. 18, most betting shops had Colorado State installed as a 3.5-point favorite. One offshore book opened the total at 62 on Aug. 13, but it moved down to 61 a day later and remained there on Aug. 18. By Tuesday of this week (8/22), the total was at 58.5 or 59 at most spots, while the Rams remained 3.5-point home ‘chalk’ (with a couple of shops at four). Gamblers can take the Beavers on the money line for a +155 return (risk $100 to win $155).


-- Oregon State owns a 5-6 spread record as a road underdog during Anderson’s brief tenure. The Beavers are winless in those 11 road assignments, but we’ll point out that they did take the cash in last year’s season-opening loss at Minnesota by a 30-23 count as 13-point ‘dogs.


-- Colorado State has finished 7-6 in both of its first two seasons under Mike Bobo, the former QB and long-time offensive coordinator at Georgia before getting his first head-coaching gig at CSU. The Rams were an impressive 9-4 ATS last year, going 5-1 SU and 4-2 ATS at home. They have compiled a 5-2 spread record in seven games as home favorites on Bobo’s watch.


-- CSU brings back six starters on offense and eight on defense. Bobo’s team returns its top four rushers, two excellent QBs and three of its top four WRs. Nick Stevens completed 64.2 percent of his passes for 1,936 yards with a 19/5 TD-INT ratio in ’16. He also ran for a pair of scores. Stevens has a 41/17 career TD-INT ratio in 21 career starts, but he was intercepted only three times in his last seven starts of last season. He was a second-team All-MWC selection in ’15.


-- As a true freshman in ’16, CSU’s Collin Hill was named the starting QB in Week 3. He would go 2-2 in four starts before going down with a season-ending injury in a 31-24 home win over Utah State Before the injury, Hill connected on 58.1 percent of his throws for 1,096 yards with an 8/2 TD-INT ratio. Stevens has been named the starter, but Hill is healthy and ready to go.


-- Stevens has one of the best wideouts in the Mountain West Conference in senior Michael Gallup, who earned first-team All-MWC honors after catching 76 balls for 1,272 yards and 14 TDs in ’16. Olabisi Johnson had 28 receptions for 613 yards and four TDs last season, averaging 21.9 yards per catch.


-- Colorado State’s offensive line is anchored by center Jake Bennett, a second-team All-MWC selection last year who has 29 career starts to his credit. The only other o-line starter that’s back is senior OT Zack Golditch, who has made 25 career starts. This unit will look to pave holes for Dalyn Dawkins, Izzy Matthews, Marvin Kinsey and Detrich Clark, who combined to rush for nearly 2,300 yards and 27 rushing TDs last year.


-- Kinsey rushed for a team-best 919 yards and four TDs with a 5.7 YPC average last season. Matthews rushed for 734 yards and a team-high 13 TDs while averaging 4.8 YPC. Kinsey, who is listed as ‘questionable’ vs. OSU with a knee injury, rushed for 546 yards and seven TDs with a 5.9 YPC average. Clark has moved to WR after rushing for 247 yards and three TDs on 36 attempts (6.9 YPC).


-- CSU junior DB Braylin Scott is out indefinitely due to legal issues. Scott recorded 39 tackles and three interceptions last year. Senior LB Deonte Clyburn, a likely starter if he can get back to 100-percent health remained out indefinitely due to blood clots. Clyburn redshirted last season for a similar issue, but he registered 74 tackles and seven tackles for loss in ’15.


-- These schools have met twice before, splitting a pair of meetings, but they haven’t faced each other since 1975. This is OSU’s first trip to Ft. Collins and it is only the fourth time a Power Five opponent has come here since 2004. Andersen went 1-1 against the Rams when he was the head coach at Utah State prior to leaving for Wisconsin.


-- Kickoff is scheduled for 2:30 p.m. Eastern on the CBS Sports College Network.


**Hawaii at Massachusetts**


-- As of Aug. 18, this game was a pick ‘em at many spots, while others had either team favored by one point. One offshore shop opened the total at 64, but it went up to 64.5 the next day and that’s where it remained as of Aug. 18. By Tuesday of this week (8/22), most books had UMass favored by 1.5 or two with the total down to 62.5 points.


-- Hawaii went 7-7 SU and 5-8-1 ATS last season, going to its first bowl game since 2010 in its first year under head coach Nick Rolovich. The Warriors thumped Middle Tennessee by a 52-35 count as seven-point home underdog in the Hawaii Bowl. However, we should note that the Blue Raiders were without their star QB Brent Stockstill.


-- During Norm Chow’s dismal tenure at Hawaii from 2012-2015, the Warriors lost 23 of 24 road games. However, they went 3-3 on the road last year under Rolovich, winning outright at San Jose State, at Air Force (in double overtime as 16.5-point ‘dogs) and at Fresno State


-- Hawaii returns eight starters on offense and six on defense. The offense is led by sophomore QB Dru Brown, who took over as the starter after the Warriors lost three of their first four games last season. Brown completed 62.4 percent of his throws for 2,488 yards with a 19/7 TD-INT ratio. He loses his favorite target Marcus Kemp, but the team has plenty of depth and experience at the WR position. As a redshirt freshman in ’16, John Ursua hauled in 53 receptions for 652 yards and three TDs. Dylan Collie added 33 catches for 322 yards and four TDs.


-- Hawaii RB Diocemy Saint Juste rushed for a team-high 1,006 yards and three TDs last year, averaging 6.1 YPC in the process. He also had eight catches for 56 yards and one TD.


-- Hawaii’s defense is led by All-American candidate Jahlani Tavai, a junior LB who garnered first-team All-MWC honors after tallying 129 tackles, 12.5 tackles for loss, seven sacks, four QB hurries, two forced fumbles, two passes broken up, one fumble recovery and one interception in ’16. Senior safety Trayvon Henderson is another standout, recording 90 tackles, 8.5 TFL’s, two sacks, seven PBU, one QB hurry, one blocked kick and three interceptions, including one pick-six. This unit gave up 37.3 points per game in ’16 and has a new coordinator in Legi Suiaunoa, who has been a d-line coach at Montana (’11-’15) and Hawaii since 2011.


-- UMass finished ’16 with a 2-10 SU record and a 7-5 ATS mark. Although the Minutemen are an abysmal 8-28 SU since HC Mark Whipple took over for his second stint here in ’14, they have been decent for our purposes with a 19-17 ATS record.


-- UMass lost three one-possession games last season and picked up its wins at home vs. FIU (21-13) and vs. Wagner (34-10). The Minutemen faced three SEC opponents, going 3-0 ATS in losses at Florida (24-7), vs. Mississippi State (47-35) and at South Carolina (34-28). They bring back six starters on offense and nine on defense.


-- Junior QB Andrew Ford started nine of 12 games last year, throwing for 2,665 yards with a 26/14 TD-INT ratio. He also ran for a pair of scores. Ford has one of the nation’s best tight ends, former five-star recruit Adam Breneman who signed with Penn State out of high school and was prep teammates with Ford. In his first season with UMass, Breneman made 70 catches for 808 yards and eight TDs. Junior WR Andy Isabella is off an excellent sophomore year when he brought down 62 balls for 801 yards and seven TDs. UMass also returns leading rusher Marquis Young, who had 898 rushing yards and four TDs with a 4.6 YPC average in ’16.


-- When these teams met in the regular-season finale last season at Aloha Stadium in Honolulu, Hawaii captured a 46-40 win but the Minutemen took the money as a 7.5-point road underdog. The 86 combined points soared ‘over’ the 57-point total. Trailing 40-26 with less than seven minutes remaining, UMass scored a pair of TDs in less than 90 seconds to pull even. However, Brown would find Kellan Ewaliko on a 56-yard scoring strike with 3:52 left to provide the winning points. For bettors who might’ve bought the hook to seven from 7.5 with a Hawaii wager, they were left furious (& push-less) when the extra-point kick was missed.


-- This is a non-televised game that will kick at 6:00 p.m. Eastern.


**B.E.’s Bonus Nuggets**


-- BYU will square off with FCS opponent Portland State in Provo on Saturday at 3:00 p.m. Eastern on ESPN. This game did not have a spread as of Tuesday, but some books will probably throw up a number by later Friday afternoon. Most games between FBS and FCS teams eventually get a line, but the books usually don’t release it until late Friday or early Saturday.


-- Georgia Tech took a big loss late last week when sophomore RB Dedrick Mills was kicked off the team for undisclosed reasons. Mills led the Yellow Jackets in rushing as a true freshman, gaining 771 yards and scoring 12 TDs with a 5.1 YPC average. They open at the new Mercedes Dome in Atlanta against Tennessee in Week 1.


-- Mark Richt named junior Malik Rosier as Miami’s starting QB on Aug. 22. Rosier threw for 272 yards in his only career start in ’15 when the Hurricanes won at Duke on the wild and controversial finish with laterals galore on the kick return as time expired.


-- Kentucky senior WR Dorian Baker is out for an indefinite period of time with an ankle injury, and there’s speculation he could done for the entire season. Baker has started 23 career games, producing 88 receptions for 1,015 yards and six TDs. He had a team-best 55 catches in ’15.


-- Rutgers has named ex-Louisville QB Kyle Bolin as its starter for the opener vs. Washington.


-- Florida landed a transfer on Monday when Texas offensive lineman Jean Delance decided to become a Gator. Delance was a four-star recruit for the Longhorns in the ’16 class. He’ll sit out this year per transfer rules and then have three years of eligibility for UF.
 

Active member
Joined
Sep 26, 2005
Messages
104,059
Tokens
Saturday's Late Tips
August 25, 2017



**South Florida at San Jose State**


-- As of Friday afternoon, most betting shops had USF installed as a 21.5-point favorite with a total of 71.5 points for ‘over/under’ wagers. The total was at 66.5 on Wednesday, moving five points in the span of just 48 hours. The Bulls were favored by 20.5 earlier in the week, but the number on the side eventually slipped north of the key number of 21. Most spots had the Spartans with 10/1 odds on the money line (risk $100 to win $1,000).


-- South Florida lost head coach Willie Taggart to Oregon, but it found an excellent replacement in Charlie Strong. Strong cut his teeth as a long-time defensive coordinator at multiple SEC schools like Florida and South Carolina before a strong run as head coach at Louisville, where he went 11-2 and 12-1 in ’12 and ‘13. That success earned him an offer at Texas, which came with greenbacks galore but was never going to be a good fit. The Texas job brings with it the demands of The Longhorn Network, something that worked perfectly for Mack Brown but was never going to mesh with Strong’s personality. So he gets a fresh start right in the heart of an area he’s thrived in as a recruiter for more than two decades. Strong inherits enough talent and such a soft schedule that going undefeated is a realistic goal.


-- USF returns seven starters on offense and nine on defense from a team that finished 11-2 with its only losses coming vs. FSU and at Temple (on a short week in a cold-weather game). The Bulls beat South Carolina 46-39 in overtime at the Birmingham Bowl. Seven of their victories came by margins of 15 points or more.


-- Marlon Mack, the school’s all-time leading rusher who produced 3,609 yards on the ground in three seasons, elected to skip his senior season to turn pro a year early. But D’Ernest Johnson is a capable replacement who ran for 543 yards and eight TDs while averaging 4.9 yards per carry in 2016.


-- Senior QB Quinton Flowers will break Mack’s school rushing record if he can duplicate the 1,530 rushing yards he produced last year. Flowers is third in school annals currently with 2,594 career rushing yards. He had 18 TDs on the ground last year. Flowers also completed 65.2 percent of his passes for 2,812 yards with a 24/7 touchdown-to-interception ratio.


-- USF lost Flowers’ favorite target in Rodney Adams (67 catches for 822 yards), but four of the top five pass catchers are back. Senior WR Marquez Valdes-Scantling started all 13 games in ’16, hauling in 22 receptions for 415 yards and five TDs. Tyre McCants had 25 catches for 384 yards and four TDs, while Johnson had 28 grabs for 293 yards and five TDs.


-- USF averaged 43.8 points per game last season, but it also gave up 31.6 PPG. Strong’s ‘D’ will be led by senior LB Auggie Sanchez, a second-team All-AAC selection in ’16 when he recorded 120 tackles, six sacks, 2.5 tackles for loss, three passes broken up, one interception, one forced fumble, one fumble recovery and one QB hurry. Senior CB Deatrich Nichols was also a second-team All-AAC pick last season. He had 49 tackles, four interceptions, seven PBU and two TFL’s.


-- USF senior WR Ryeshene Bronson is listed as ‘doubtful’ with a shoulder injury. He has started 17 career games.


-- San Jose St. limped to a 4-8 SU record with a 6-6 ATS mark last year, resulting in the dismissal of Ron Caragher after four seasons. He took the Trojans to only one bowl game. His replacement is Brent Brennan, a first-time head coach who has spent the last six years serving as the WR coach at Oregon St. Brennan served as an assistant on the staffs of both Dick Tomey (’05-’10) and Mike MacIntyre (’11-’16) at San Jose St. Brennan has hired Andrew Sowder as his offensive coordinator, and the former Baylor tight tend is the youngest FBS coordinator at the age of 28.


-- San Jose St. has compiled an 8-5 spread record in 13 games as a home underdog since 2011. The Spartans beat UNLV outright as a three-point home ‘dogs last year before taking the cash in a 41-38 loss to Air Force as 11-point puppies.


-- San Jose St. brings back seven starters on offense and eight on defense. Five of the defenses’ top six tacklers return, including junior LB Frank Ginda, who recorded 99 tackles, 6.5 sacks, five tackles for loss, one interception and one pass broken up in 2016. Phil Steele’s magazine ranks the Spartans’ secondary as the best in the Mountain West Conference thanks to the presence of senior cornerback Andre Chachere, who finished ’16 with 14 PBU (tops in the MWC), four interceptions (fourth in the MWC) and a spot on the first-team of All-MWC selections. Senior safety Maurice McKnight had 68 tackles, two interceptions, three PBU and one QB hurry.


-- San Jose St. posted a 3-3 SU record and a 4-2 ATS ledger last year. The wins came over Portland St., Nevada and UNLV, while the Spartans picked up their other victory at Fresno St. in the regular-season finale. They lost six of their games by margins of 14 points or more.


-- San Jose St. returns its leading rusher and two of its top three WRs. Junior RB Malik Roberson rushed for a team-best 508 yards and two TDs with a 5.1 YPC average despite starting only three games. Justin Holmes hauled in 39 receptions for 613 yards and three TDs, while fellow junior wideout Tre Hartley caught 33 balls for 572 yards and four TDs.


-- USF owns 4-2 spread record in its last six games as a road favorite.


-- Kickoff is scheduled for 7:30 p.m. Eastern on the CBS Sports College Network.

**Stanford vs. Rice**



-- This is the second Sydney Cup game that will take place in Australia at Allianz Stadium, where California defeated Hawaii by a 51-31 count last August. The facility has a capacity of 45,500 and is used for rugby and soccer.


-- As of Friday afternoon, most books had Stanford installed as an enormous 30.5-point favorite with a total of 51.5 points. Not many shops are offering a money-line return on the Owls, but they are available for a +4750 payout at 5Dimes.eu (risk $100 to win $,4750).


-- Stanford returns 16 of 22 starters (eight on each side of the ball) from a team that went 10-3 SU and 6-6-1 ATS last season. The Cardinal dropped three of four games midway through the year before finishing with a six-game winning streak, including a 25-23 victory over North Carolina at the Sun Bowl.


-- With the exception of an 8-5 record in 2014, Stanford has posted double-digit win totals in five of six seasons on David Shaw’s watch. The Cardinal has won at least 11 games in four of those years and it has won 12 twice.


-- Stanford lost its top two tacklers from a salty defense that allowed only 20.4 PPG, but it has eight of its top 10 tacklers back. This unit is led by junior LB Joey Alferi, who had 51 tackles, five sacks, 5.5 TFL’s, nine QB hurries, two interceptions and one PBU last season. Junior DT Harrison Phillips was a third-team All Pac-12 selection in ’16 when he had 46 tackles, 6.5 sacks, three TFL’s, three QB hurries and one PBU.


-- Stanford’s offense struggled last year, averaging just 26.3 PPG. This unit improved when Keller Chryst became the starter in the last six games (all wins), but he tore his ACL in the bowl game. Nevertheless, he has recovered and will get the starting nod in this spot. The junior signal caller connected on 56.6 percent of his throws for 905 yards with a 10/2 TD-INT ratio. His top two WRs are back, including Trenton Irwin, who had 37 receptions for 442 yards and one TD. JJ Arcega-Whiteside had 24 catches for 379 yards and five TDs.


-- Look for Stanford TE Kaden Smith to emerge as one of the nation’s top redshirt freshman. The five star recruit out of Marcus High School in the Dallas area chose Stanford over Alabama. Still bouncing back from a knee injury sustained during his senior year of HS and with plenty of depth at “Tight End U,” the Cardinal opted to redshirt Smith in ’16 but he’s poised to make an instant impact now.


-- Stanford lost RB Christian McCaffrey, the school’s third all-time leading rusher who produced 1,603 rushing yards, 13 TDs and a 6.3 YPC average last year. There’s a more-than-able replacement ready to step in and fill his shoes, however. Junior RB Bryce Love rushed for 783 yards and three TDs in ’16, averaging 7.1 YPC. He also had eight catches for 83 yards and one TD.


-- These schools met in last season’s regular-season finale with Stanford capturing a 41-17 victory in Palo Alto. Rice took the cash, however, covering the 35-point number as a massive road underdog. Gamblers on the total were looking at a push until Rice scored a TD with only 1:17 remaining to get the 58 combined points ‘over’ the 51-point tally. Chryst completed 11-of-16 passes for 154 yards and two TDs without an interception. He also had a 62-yard TD run to open the scoring early in the first quarter. McCaffrey ran for 204 yards and one TD, while Love had 111 rushing yards and one TD on just seven carries.


-- Rice finished 3-9 SU and 6-5-1 ATS in David Bailiff’s 10th season at the helm in 2016. It was the worst season on Bailiff’s watch since going 2-10 in 2009. He also went 3-9 in the first year of his tenure at the Conference USA school in Houston. Baliff’s overall record at Rice is 56-69, but he has led the school to a pair of 10-wins seasons (2008 & 2013) and a 3-1 record in four bowl games. Nevertheless, this is obviously a crucial year for C-USA’s second-longest tenured coach. (Middle Tennessee’s Rick Stockstill is entering his 12th season.)


-- Rice returns seven starters on offense and eight on defense. The Owls’ defense is led by senior LB Emmanuel Ellerbee, a first-team All C-USA selection last season when he recorded 118 tackles, 3.5 sacks, 4.5 TFL’s, three QB hurries, one PBU and one interception. They gave up 37.3 PPG in ’16.


-- A three-man race for the Rice starting QB job was won by redshirt freshman Sam Glaesmann, who stands 6’3” and threw for 178 yards and accounted for three TDs in the team’s spring game. The Waco Midway HS product had a 70-yard TD run in the scrimmage. Glaesmann threw for 3,017 yards and 29 TDs while also rushing for 605 yards and four TDs as a prep senior.


-- Rice’s leading rusher Sam Stewart is back. The junior rushed for 479 yards and three TDs with a 6.3 YPC average in ’16. Stewart also had 15 receptions for 107 yards and three TDs.


-- ESPN will have the telecast at 10:00 p.m. Eastern.

**B.E.’s Bonus Nuggets**



-- UCLA senior OT Kenny Lacy sustained a hip injury earlier this week that required season-ending surgery. Lacy has made 21 career starts at OG and OT, and he was a third-team preseason All Pac-12 selection in Phil Steele’s magazine.


-- According to the Toledo Blade, Bowling Green junior free safety Jamari Bozeman is out for at least the season opener at Michigan St. due to an upper-leg injury. The newspaper implied Bozeman could be out much longer by stating that, “his status for the rest of the season is uncertain.” Bozeman is the Falcons’ leading returning tackler. He recorded 71 tackles, 1.5 TFL’s, three PBU and three interceptions last year.


-- Iowa sophomore starting CB Manny Rugamba has been suspended for the season opener vs. Wyoming due to an offseason team violation. Rugamba started three of 12 games for the Hawkeyes in ’16, producing 19 tackles, four PBU, two interceptions and one-half TFL.


-- With a hat tip to ESPN Chalk’s David Payne Pardum, here are the best and worst ATS teams since 2012:


Best:
1-Temple 39-24
2-Colorado St. 38-24
3-Duke 30-20
3-Georgia St. 30-20
5-Rice 36-25


Worst:
UConn 18-40
South Alabama 23-41
Kansas 22-37
California 23-38
Arizona 25-40
 

Active member
Joined
Sep 26, 2005
Messages
104,059
Tokens
Saturday's Best Bets
August 25, 2017



While everyone is anxiously awaiting the start of the 2017 NFL season, football fans (and bettors) should know that the college football season actually kicks off this Saturday. It's not a full-fledged Saturday college football card that bettors are used to throughout the year, but four games featuring FBS teams is more than enough to wet the appetite for college football betting. These four contests are basically spread out through the day so it makes for an interesting day of football betting before the main course of NCAAF football arrives the following week.


So with that being said, let's take a look at two of these games where bettors can hopefully start their seasons on a high note by cashing some best bets:

BetOnline.ag Best Bet #1: Colorado State Rams -4



Colorado State and Oregon State were great for bettors a year ago, as CSU finished with a 9-4 ATS record, while OSU was 8-4 ATS; including 7-1 ATS in their last eight games overall. But this year is a new year, and with Oregon State now in Year 3 of Gary Andersen's rebuilding project there, I just don't believe they'll have the talent on the field to match up with a veteran Colorado State squad.


The Rams bring back a total of 14 starters and many of them were significant pieces to their success a year ago. Three of its top four WR's are back in the fold, as are their top two QB's, led by Nick Stevens. Stevens through 19 TD's to just 5 INT's a year ago for Colorado State, and with three of his top weapons back on the outside, a Colorado State offense that scored 42+ points in five of their last six games a year ago should be well on their way to threatening that number in this year's season opener. All four of CSU's top rushers from a year ago are back as well, so a productive, balanced attack is what is likely going to lead Colorado State to success here.


Oregon State has made solid improvements in Andersen's first two years, but naming juco transfer Jake Luton as his starter compared to Marcus McMaryion (started last six games for Oregon State in 2016), might hinder the Beavers growth early on. McMaryion has since transferred to try and get playing time elsewhere, so it's all on Luton's shoulders here, and that might not be a particularly good thing. Oregon State is built this year to move the ball on the ground, and with Colorado State's gameplan that's likely to be heavy on stopping the run, if Luton shows any kind of nerves or struggles in his first Div-1 game, Colorado State could easily run away with this thing.

BetOnline.ag Best Bet #2: Rice +30.5



The nightcap on Saturday has the Rice Owls as heavy road underdogs against Stanford, in an odd scheduling quirk. See, Rice's final game a year ago was in Stanford too, losing 41-17 to the Cardinal – but covering the +34 point spread – and now they turn around and open up the 2017 season at the same venue. If there ever was a spot where a revenge angle applied between two non-conference foes with one typically being as weak as Rice has over the years, this would be it.


As bad as Rice has been for years, they did manage to go 6-3-1 ATS over their final 10 games a year go, and they get to play a Stanford team that's going through some drastic changes themselves. There is no more Christian McCaffrey doing anything and everything for the Cardinal, and he killed Rice last year. McCaffrey had 204 rushing yards and a TD on 30 carries on the ground, and 23 receiving yards on two catches and a TD through the air in last year's game vs. Rice. There's no question that Stanford has plenty of talented guys to step up and take over McCaffrey's spot, but filling his shoes at Stanford is going to be next to impossible, and it might take the Cardinal a week or two to fully grasp that the McCaffrey era is gone.


With Rice doing enough to hold their own and cover ATS despite McCaffrey's skills a year ago, I don't see how oddsmakers can give them a similar number to cover this year. In a game where controlling the ball through the running game will be the motive for both sides, time will tick away quicker than Stanford backers will want, in trying to cover a big number like this.
 

Active member
Joined
Sep 26, 2005
Messages
104,059
Tokens
SATURDAY, AUGUST 26


GAME TIME(ET) PICK UNITS


ORST at CSU 02:30 PM


CSU -4.0


O 60.5



PRST at BYU 03:00 PM


BYU -33.5


O 59.0



HAW at MASS 06:00 PM


HAW +3.0


O 61.5



USF at SJSU 07:30 PM


USF -21.5


O 70.5



STAN at RICE 10:00 PM


RICE +30.5


O 51.5
 

Active member
Joined
Sep 26, 2005
Messages
104,059
Tokens
Colorado St opens new stadium with rout
August 26, 2017



FORT COLLINS, Colo. (AP) The opening of a new stadium left quarterback Nick Stevens momentarily breathless.


A big hit to the stomach early in the game from a linebacker will do that. He quickly got his second wind to help Colorado State make quite a first impression.


Stevens threw three touchdown passes, linebacker Tre Thomas scored on a 44-yard interception return to lead a Colorado State defense that forced five turnovers and the Rams launched their new on-campus stadium with a 58-27 win over Oregon State on a steamy Saturday.


Colorado State moved into its new digs after nearly five decades of playing down the road at Hughes Stadium. A raucous 37,583 fans showed up to catch a glimpse of the $220-million facility.


''I just told the guys in there - there's only one shot at opening a new stadium,'' said Rams coach Mike Bobo , who was hoisted onto his players' shoulders in the locker room after the game. ''There's going to be one memory. It was a good one for Colorado State people.''


Stevens did his part to make sure it was a successful unveiling by throwing for 334 yards - his third career 300-yard game. A hit in the first quarter, though, left him shaken up and gasping for air.


''It felt like I wasn't going to be able to breathe for another couple hours,'' Stevens cracked. ''Usually, a hit like that takes some of the breath out of you. But it took every ounce of breath I ever breathed. I had to focus on breathing after that. I got over it.''


The Beavers fumbled twice and threw three interceptions on the way to losing their 14th straight road game.


Oregon State's Jake Luton finished 27 of 47 for 304 yards and two scores. He also threw three interceptions, including the game-changer in the third quarter. Thomas grabbed a tipped pass out of the air and raced 44 yards to make it 34-20.


''We got beat badly - badly,'' Oregon State coach Gary Andersen said. ''There are a lot of concerns when you get beat like that. It's unchartered waters for me.''


For a while, all the ''firsts'' in the new stadium appeared to be going the way of Oregon State:


- Winning the inaugural coin flip.


- Hauling in the first TD pass (Timmy Hernandez ).


- Picking off the first pass (Kyle White ).


But Colorado State ended up earning the biggest first of all in its new facility - a win.


''Everyone is going to pat us on the back now,'' Bobo said. ''Everybody is going to tell us how great we are. Everybody is going to tell us how great that moment was. ... We've got to be mature enough as a football team to understand how we got to this point to win this ball game - by doing the little things every day.''


THE TAKEAWAY


OREGON STATE: Andersen stressed the importance of the little things in winning on the road. Costly turnovers, missed receivers and allowing 48 points in the red zone added up to another road loss.


COLORADO STATE: Granted, it is very early in the season. But the Rams took a big step toward a run at a fifth straight bowl game. Their non-conference schedule also includes Colorado and top-ranked Alabama.


THIS & THAT


Colorado State director of athletics Joe Parker said he was so eager for the stadium opener that he arrived at 6:45 a.m. ... Rams RB Dalyn Dawkins caught an 18-yard TD pass and scored on a 3-yard run. ... Oregon State RB Ryan Nall rushed for 115 yards, including a 75-yard TD run in the second quarter. ... This was Colorado State's first football game on campus since Nov. 25, 1967, when the Rams beat Wichita State.


DON'T DO THAT AGAIN


Bobo wasn't too pleased with Stevens attempting a jump pass near the goal line that was nearly picked off. The Rams ended up with a field goal.


''That was stupid. We've got points right there,'' Bobo said. ''Luckily, they didn't catch it. That's not a smart decision. He's not Brett Favre.''

QUOTABLE



''We didn't expect a 10-7 game. Nor that it would be a walk in the park. We expected a dog fight.'' Oregon State coach Gary Andersen.


UP NEXT


OREGON STATE:
Hosts Portland State next Saturday. The Beavers are 4-0 all-time against the Vikings.


COLORADO STATE: Faces in-state rival Colorado in Denver on Friday. The Rams lost 44-7 to the Buffaloes last season.
 

Active member
Joined
Sep 26, 2005
Messages
104,059
Tokens
Mangum, Canada lead BYU to 20-6 win over Portland State
August 26, 2017



PROVO, Utah (AP) Tanner Mangum completed 16 of 27 passes for 194 yards and a touchdown, and Squally Canada had 13 carries for a career-high 90 yards and a score to help BYU beat Portland State 20-6 Saturday in the season opener for both teams.


Portland State's offense crossed midfield just twice and went three-and-out on four of its first five possessions.


Mangum hit Matt Bushman for a 36-yard completion to the 28. On third-and-10, Neil Pau'u's 28-yard catch gave the Cougars a 7-0 lead late in the first quarter. Midway through the second, Mangum's 33-yard pass to Talon Shumway set up a 1-yard scoring run by Canada.


Jalani Eason's 4-yard pass to Darnell Adams capped Portland State's 17-play, 87-yard drive and, after a missed PAT attempt, it was 14-6 at halftime.


Rhett Almond made fourth-quarter field goals of 27 and 35 yards to cap the scoring as the Vikings had three turnovers - two on downs - in their final three possessions.


Charlie Taumoepeau had six receptions for 73 yards for Portland State.
 

Active member
Joined
Sep 26, 2005
Messages
104,059
Tokens
Brown's TD pass lifts Hawaii over UMass
August 26, 2017



AMHERST, Mass. (AP) Dru Brown threw a 7-yard touchdown pass to Metuisela `Unga with 48 seconds left to lift Hawaii to a 38-35 win over Massachusetts in the season opener for both teams Saturday night.


Brown drove the Rainbows 73 yards in eight plays, completing 3 of 5 passes, including a 52-yarder to John Ursua on third-and-10 that put the ball on the Minuteman 7 with 1:15 to play. The winning pass came on third down.


Brown completed 25 of 38 passes for a career-high 391 yards and three touchdowns and ran for another score. Ursua had 12 receptions for 272 yards, including an 85-yard touchdown late in the first half for the fifth-longest pass play in school history. The 272 yards are the fourth-most in the program.


Hawaii, traveling more than 5,000 miles, had 503 yards of total offense.


Andrew Ford threw for 275 yards and two touchdowns for UMass. Marquis ran for 83 yards and two scores.


Hawaii right guard Chris Posa was ejected in the first half for throwing a punch.
 

Active member
Joined
Sep 26, 2005
Messages
104,059
Tokens
USF beats San Jose St. after slow start
August 26, 2017



SAN JOSE, Calif. (AP) The start of the Charlie Strong era at South Florida didn't quite go as scripted. Now that it's over the coach of the 19th-ranked Bulls is actually pretty pleased that his team had to show the ability to overcome some adversity.


Quinton Flowers threw two touchdown passes and D'Ernest Johnson had two TD runs in a dominant second quarter that helped South Florida rally from an early 16-point deficit to beat San Jose State 42-22 on Saturday.


''It's good that you have a good game like this so now guys know there's improvement to be made,'' Strong said. ''We can't get complacent. You want a game like this. It's not as much pressure as they think it is but you have to play well to win games.''


The Bulls were held to 22 yards in the opening quarter, the defense allowed two early TD passes by Josh Love and two ineffective punts set up two scores for the Spartans.


But the game turned when Josh Black stuffed Malike Roberson for a 1-yard loss on fourth-and-1 from the South Florida 33 in the closing minute of the first quarter with San Jose State leading 16-0.


''I told the guys we can't flinch,'' Flowers said. ''We've been down like that before. It was time where I had to step up and tell the team, `Let's go.'''


It took less than nine minutes for the Bulls to turn that big early deficit into a lead with help from a pair of interceptions off deflected passes by Josh Love. Flowers started the comeback with a 24-yard touchdown pass to Darnell Salomon, Johnson followed with a TD run on fourth-and-goal from the 2 and Flowers followed with a 49-yard scoring strike to Temi Alaka.


Johnson capped the four-touchdown, 271-yard quarter with a tight-rope act down the sideline for a 50-yard touchdown run that made it 28-16 and the rout was on in the second half.


''I thought we did some good stuff early and we were executing,'' Love said. ''The scoring fell off it felt like we needed to answer their scores and we just didn't.''


Flowers added a touchdown run in the fourth quarter and finished 11 for 23 for 212 yards passing and 70 yards on 18 carries.


Strong took over at South Florida after being fired following three losing seasons at Texas. He went 16-21 with the Longhorns after a successful stint at head coach at Louisville and now will look to have similar success with the Bulls.


THE TAKEAWAY


SOUTH FLORIDA:
The Bulls entered the season with lofty expectations after tying the 2008 squad for the highest preseason ranking in school history. The early struggles could be a sign of concern or just the normal process of finding a rhythm under a new coaching staff. One bright spot all game was a stout run defense that held San Jose State to 2.9 yards per carry.


SAN JOSE STATE: The Spartans looked far more competitive in their opener under coach Brent Brennan but still lost for the 24th time in their past 25 meetings against ranked teams. Love threw two touchdown passes to Bailey Gaither in the first quarter to open up the big lead. Gaither also blocked a punt that set up his second touchdown and the San Jose State defense held one of the nation's most dynamic quarterbacks in check for one quarter. But the offense failed to get much going after the first quarter with Love throwing three interceptions. Backup QB Montel Aaron threw a TD pass in the fourth quarter.


BIG HIT

The defensive highlight for the Bulls came on San Jose State's first drive of the third quarter when Juwuan Brown slammed Zamore Zigler with a 5-yard loss on a crushing hit .


SPEED IT UP

The Bulls are playing at a much faster tempo on offense this season and ran a school-record 101 plays in the opener. That helped wear down the Spartans and contributed to a 315-yard rushing night.


''This offense is really fast,'' Flowers said. ''You get to the point where you get a defense very tired. That's what you have to see in a defense. You pick them apart and just keep moving.''

POLL IMPLICATIONS



With no new poll until Sept. 5, this game doesn't figure to have much impact on the Bulls ranking.


UP NEXT


SOUTH FLORIDA:
The Bulls their home opener next Saturday against Stony Brook of the FCS.


SAN JOSE STATE: The Spartans get a bit of a breather in a grueling nonconference schedule when they host FCS-level Cal Poly next weekend before making trips to No. 23 Texas and Utah the following two weeks
 

Active member
Joined
Sep 26, 2005
Messages
104,059
Tokens
Love stars in Stanford's romp over Rice
August 26, 2017

SYDNEY (AP) Bryce Love proved he could fill in quite nicely as Christian McCaffrey's replacement at Stanford, scoring a touchdown and finishing with 180 yard rushing to lead the No.14 Cardinal to a 62-7 victory over Rice on Sunday in the Sydney College Football Cup.


Love, installed as the No. 1 player in the backfield after McCaffrey was drafted in the first round by the Carolina Panthers, had 13 carries, including a 62-yard burst through the Rice line on Stanford's opening play from scrimmage. He didn't play much after the middle of the third quarter.


''Bryce is going to be our lead dog,'' Stanford coach David Shaw said. ''But it's nice to know we've got some guys who can back him up. I'm excited about where Bryce is heading into this season. We don't want to wear Bryce out in any one game, so those guys have got to come out and make plays like they did today.''


Cameron Scarlett was one of those guys.


Scarlett, a redshirt freshman who also moved up in the Stanford pecking order, had three touchdowns, all rushing, and finished with 68 yards on nine carries. He also had one 56-yard pass reception.


The Cardinal were 31-point favorites. They led 38-0 at halftime and scored touchdowns on their first four possessions.


Rice, trailing 55-0, finally broke its scoreless drought with 6 minutes remaining on running back Austin Walker's 23-yard touchdown run.


THE TAKEAWAY


STANFORD: Quarterback Keller Chryst, who tore the ACL in his right knee in December in the Sun Bowl, showed no sign of the injury. Chryst finished with 14 completions in 24 attempts for 253 yards and two TDs before Ryan Burns and later K.J. Costello took over with Stanford leading 45-0. Costello scored the final Stanford TD on a 25-yard run


''It was great to see Keller Chryst come and be completely healthy, and be able to run the show from the quarterback position,'' Shaw said.


RICE: Redshirt freshman quarterback Sam Glaesmann won the starting job and had a very difficult beginning to his college career. Starting his first play from scrimmage on the Rice 10-yard line, Rice was hit for a delay of game and false start and the Owls later punted from deep in their end zone. Glaesmann was 7 for 18 for 69 yards.


''We're a better team than we showed today,'' Rice coach David Bailiff said. ''When you play against a team like Stanford, or any elite team, you have to be at your very best. And we made some poor decisions early.''


HURRICANE WATCH: Rice players and staff had been keeping a close and anxious eye on developments in Houston from former hurricane and now tropical storm Harvey. The players have been keeping in touch with friends and family on social media, and team staff were in contact with spouses and partners back in Houston to make sure they were aware of neighbors and friends who might have emergency equipment such as generators. The team is scheduled to leave Australia on Monday morning for Los Angeles, with a decision expected in LA whether they will attempt to fly on to Houston


KEY NUMBERS


STANFORD:
The Cardinal offense was in strong early-season form, with 656 total yards - 369 passing and 287 rushing. Also, eight touchdowns, 27 first downs and an average of 9.0 yards per play.


RICE: The Owls were 5 for 15 in third-down conversions. Five Owls receivers combined for only 95 yards, the longest 28 yards by Samuel Stewart.


BIG ROAD TRIP: It was Stanford's second game outside the U.S., and first since 1986 when the Cardinal beat Arizona 29-24 in Tokyo. It was the second year in a row that a regular-season college game was played in Sydney. Last year, Cal beat Hawaii 51-31 at the Olympic stadium with 62,000 spectators. This year the game was moved to Allianz Stadium, closer to the downtown area. Officials said there 33,181 spectators Sunday at the 45,000-seat venue.


UP NEXT


STANFORD
: after a week off, plays at Pac-12 favorite USC on Sept. 9


RICE: The Owls also have a week off before playing at Texas-El Paso on Sept. 9.
 

Active member
Joined
Sep 26, 2005
Messages
104,059
Tokens
NCAA Football Best Bets and Opinions ( Record Based on 5 Units )


DATE W-L-T % UNITS RECORD


08/26/2017 5-5-0 50.00% -2.50






DATE..............ATS..............+ / -UNITS...........TOTALS..............+ / -UNITS ( Best Bets )




08/26/2017......2 - 3..............- 6.50.................3 - 2..................+ 4.00
 

Active member
Joined
Sep 26, 2005
Messages
104,059
Tokens
Thursday, August 31, 2017
Time (ET) Away Home
6:00 PM Florida International Golden Panthers Central Florida Knights
6:30 PM Presbyterian Blue Hose Wake Forest Demon Deacons
7:00 PM Austin Peay State Governors Cincinnati Bearcats
7:00 PM Buffalo Bulls Minnesota Golden Gophers
7:00 PM Elon Phoenix Toledo Rockets
7:00 PM Tennessee State Tigers Georgia State Panthers
7:00 PM Rhode Island Rams Central Michigan Chippewas
7:30 PM Holy Cross Crusaders Connecticut Huskies
7:30 PM North Dakota Fighting Hawks Utah Utes
7:30 PM Tulsa Golden Hurricane Oklahoma State Cowboys
8:00 PM Ohio State Buckeyes Indiana Hoosiers
8:00 PM Florida A&M Rattlers Arkansas Razorbacks
9:00 PM Louisiana-Monroe Warhawks Memphis Tigers
9:00 PM California State-Sacramento Hornets Idaho Vandals
10:30 PM New Mexico State Aggies Arizona State Sun Devils


Friday, September 1, 2017
Time (ET) Away Home
6:00 PM Fordham Rams Army Black Knights
6:30 PM North Carolina-Charlotte 49ers Eastern Michigan Eagles
7:00 PM Central Connecticut State Blue Devils Syracuse Orange
8:00 PM Washington Huskies Rutgers Scarlet Knights
8:00 PM Colorado State Rams Colorado Buffaloes
8:00 PM Navy Midshipmen Florida Atlantic Owls
9:00 PM Utah State Aggies Wisconsin Badgers
9:30 PM Boston College Eagles Northern Illinois Huskies


Saturday, September 2, 2017
Time (ET) Away Home
12:00 PM Kent State Golden Flashes Clemson Tigers
12:00 PM Bowling Green State Falcons Michigan State Spartans
12:00 PM Akron Zips Penn State Nittany Lions
12:00 PM Ball State Cardinals Illinois Fighting Illini
12:00 PM Wyoming Cowboys Iowa Hawkeyes
12:00 PM Missouri State Bears Missouri Tigers
12:00 PM Maryland Terrapins Texas Longhorns
12:00 PM Rhode Island Rams Central Michigan Chippewas
12:20 PM California Golden Bears North Carolina Tar Heels
12:30 PM Bethune Cookman Wildcats Miami-Florida Hurricanes
1:00 PM Youngstown State Penguins Pittsburgh Panthers
2:00 PM Portland State Vikings Oregon State Beavers
2:05 PM Virginia Military Keydets Air Force Falcons
3:00 PM South Carolina Gamecocks North Carolina State Wolfpack
3:30 PM Temple Owls Notre Dame Fighting Irish
3:30 PM William & Mary Tribe Virginia Cavaliers
3:30 PM Nevada Wolf Pack Northwestern Wildcats
3:30 PM Texas-El Paso Miners Oklahoma Sooners
3:30 PM Alabama A&M Bulldogs Alabama-Birmingham Blazers
3:30 PM Michigan Wolverines Florida Gators
3:45 PM Troy Trojans Boise State Broncos
4:00 PM Stony Brook Seawolves South Florida Bulls
4:00 PM Charleston Southern Buccaneers Mississippi State Bulldogs
4:00 PM Kentucky Wildcats Southern Miss Golden Eagles
4:00 PM Eastern Washington Eagles Texas Tech Red Raiders
5:15 PM Western Michigan Broncos Southern California Trojans
6:00 PM North Carolina Central Eagles Duke Blue Devils
6:00 PM James Madison Dukes East Carolina Pirates
6:00 PM Albany Great Danes Old Dominion Monarchs
6:15 PM Appalachian State Mountaineers Georgia Bulldogs
6:30 PM Miami-Ohio Redhawks Marshall Thundering Herd
7:00 PM Massachusetts Minutemen Coastal Carolina Chanticleers
7:00 PM Liberty Flames Baylor Bears
7:00 PM Southeast Missouri State Redhawks Kansas Jayhawks
7:00 PM Southeastern Louisiana Lions Louisiana-Lafayette Ragin Cajuns
7:00 PM Northwestern State Demons Louisiana Tech Bulldogs
7:00 PM Lamar Cardinals North Texas Mean Green
7:00 PM Houston Cougars Texas-San Antonio Roadrunners
7:00 PM Eastern Kentucky Colonels Western Kentucky Hilltoppers
7:00 PM Stephen F. Austin State Lumberjacks Southern Methodist Mustangs
7:00 PM Hampton Pirates Ohio Bobcats
7:00 PM Houston Baptist Huskies Texas State Bobcats
7:10 PM Central Arkansas Bears Kansas State Wildcats
7:30 PM Louisville Cardinals Purdue Boilermakers
7:30 PM Georgia Southern Eagles Auburn Tigers
7:30 PM South Alabama Jaguars Mississippi Rebels
7:30 PM Cal Poly-Slo Mustangs San Jose State Spartans
8:00 PM Northern Iowa Panthers Iowa State Cyclones
8:00 PM Vanderbilt Commodores Middle Tennessee State Blue Raiders
8:00 PM Arkansas State Red Wolves Nebraska Cornhuskers
8:00 PM Jackson State Tigers Texas Christian Horned Frogs
8:00 PM Abilene Christian Wildcats New Mexico Lobos
8:00 PM Grambling State Tigers Tulane Green Wave
8:00 PM Florida State Seminoles Alabama Crimson Tide
8:15 PM Southern Utah Thunderbirds Oregon Ducks
8:30 PM California-Davis Aggies San Diego State Aztecs
9:00 PM Howard Bison UNLV Rebels
9:30 PM Brigham Young Cougars Louisiana State Tigers
10:00 PM Incarnate Word Cardinals Fresno State Bulldogs
10:30 PM Montana State Bobcats Washington State Cougars
11:00 PM Northern Arizona Lumberjacks Arizona Wildcats


Sunday, September 3, 2017
Time (ET) Away Home
12:00 AM Western Carolina Catamounts Hawaii Warriors
7:30 PM Texas A&M Aggies UCLA Bruins
7:30 PM West Virginia Mountaineers Virginia Tech Hokies
 

Active member
Joined
Sep 26, 2005
Messages
104,059
Tokens
Conference Title Odds Leans
August 22, 2017



The Associated Press released its preseason Top 25 on Monday, which for the majority of the college football world, eclipsed even a rare solar event in terms of importance.


Alabama got the nod over Ohio State and Florida State, while USC and defending champion Clemson rounded out the top five. That pecking order will change immediately since the Crimson Tide and Seminoles square off on Sept. 2.


Conference championship odds are also out there courtesy of the Westgate Superbook, which we'll break down here by looking at the favorites and top longshots for the nine top leagues since the Sun Belt and WAC didn't get odds posted.


ACC: It's debatable that this league has surpassed the SEC in terms of quality but they've definitely narrowed the gap and come in housing the reigning national champs and Heisman Trophy winner. Clemson (3/1) and Lamar Jackson-led Louisville (9/2) should be looking up at Florida State (10/11), who will ascend to No. 1 if it pulls off an upset against Alabama in Atlanta. The 'Noles have to win in Death Valley this season and play their annual rivalry game against talented Florida the week before this game, so I don't recommend riding chalk despite how talented a group Jimbo Fisher has assembled in Tallahassee. I'd take a shot with the 'Ville or even Coastal Division favorite Miami (5/1), which returns a fierce-looking defense.

American:
There's no denying that South Florida (EVEN) is rightfully favored, returning QB Quinton Flowers to lead a loaded offense and Charlie Strong taking over as head coach to work with a defense that returns a lot of veterans from last year's 11-2 squad. The Bulls are likely to host this game too, having a clear edge in the East Division where Houston (5/1), Memphis (5/1), Navy (6/1) and Tulsa (8/1) will all beat up on one another in the West.


Big 12: While I'm not knocking Lincoln Riley and think he'll have a long, successful career as Bob Stoops' successor, I don't foresee immediate success and therefore want no part of Oklahoma (EVEN) despite their favored status here. Oklahoma State (5/2) and Kansas State (7/1) are more attractive options and I wouldn't write off West Virginia (25/1) to pull off a shocker behind new transfer QB Will Grier and Dana Holgorsen giving up play-calling duties with Jake Spavital at the controls of a potentially potent offense. The expectation here is that the OSU Cowboys will prevail in the inaugural league championship game that is scheduled to be played at AT&T Stadium on Dec. 2.

Big Ten:
This league is definitely top-heavy this season and can be carved into tiers. Ohio State (5/7), Wisconsin (5/2), Penn State (5/1) and Michigan (7/1) all have such an edge in terms of collective talent that it's impossible to look elsewhere for a true long shot. J.T. Barrett had a dreadful Fiesta Bowl in national semifinal loss to Clemson but is a proven winner who will likely close out his career with a Big Ten title. If you're looking for a bigger pay day, I'd ride the Nittany Lions, who beat the Buckeyes last year and are loaded on both sides of the ball, paced by the nation's top running back, Saquon Barkley.


C-USA: Lane Kiffin is getting some immediate respect since Florida Atlantic (12/1) has gone 3-9 in three straight seasons and would normally join rival FIU (50/1) as a major longshot. Adding transfer QB De'Andre Johnson of Last Chance U. fame gives the Owls one of the top playmakers in the conference, which could be up for grabs since favored Western Kentucky (5/7) lost head coach Jeff Brohm to Purdue. Mike Sanford Jr. takes over and returns a ton of talent, but I'd chase a bigger pay day via Middle Tennessee (5/1) or the aforementioned FAU Owls. Blue Raiders QB Brent Stockstill will put up cartoonish numbers in his dad's offense.


MAC: PJ Fleck coached Western Michigan (6/1) to an unbeaten run last season that included a win over Ohio in the championship game, but he's now coaching at Minnesota. The Broncos should still be a threat, but the smart money is indeed on favored Toledo (10/11), which returns the conference's top QB in senior Logan Woodside. I wouldn't mess around and fade the Rockets, who are likely to have a similar run through league play as WMU enjoyed last year. If you're looking for more of a gamble, go with Western or Miami of Ohio (9/2).


Mountain West: Perennial favorite Boise State (6/5) is the chalk to reclaim their spot atop the MWC after stumbling in each of the past few years following its dominant run. It's undeniable that San Diego State (8/5) has replaced them as the class of this league, but this is a good year to take a shot at one of the two up-and-comers, Colorado State (4/1) and Wyoming (7/1). Cowboys QB Josh Allen is the best player in the conference and Craig Bohl enters his fourth year at the helm of the program and will likely be coming to a major conference near you following this season. Of course, the same could be said about Mike Bobo, who has put together a pair of 7-6 years but always has the Rams playing their best football late. My choice backs the Cowboys to make for a memorable year in Laramie.


Pac-12: Although USC (10/11) is rightfully favored, there's tremendous value in riding with Washington (9/5) now that Chris Petersen has the ball rolling in Seattle. They cruised to last year's conference championship with a 41-10 rout of surprising Colorado (40/1) and have a ton of talent back, avoid the Trojans on the schedule and close with a tough five-game stretch where they'll be challenged, but get to play four of them at home. Huskies QB Jake Browning needs to take the next step in his progression but could end up having a more effective season than USC's Sam Darnold. Utah (40/1) is enticing if you want a dramatic longshot to back.

SEC:
Mighty Alabama (4/9) is favored to win a fourth consecutive conference championship, which is no surprise given how dominant they've been in beating Missouri and Florida twice, posting a cumulative scoring edge of 125-44. The only time over the past five years that Nick Saban's Crimson Tide failed to win an SEC title came in 2013 after losing the Iron Bowl to Auburn (6/1), which has to be considered the top longshot to back since the SEC West is again the class of the conference and the Tigers get to host Georgia and 'Bama in November, giving them a chance to control their destiny if they're playing their best football at that time. LSU (6/1) looks more like potential spoiler than title contender to me. The Florida Gators (12/1) would be my choice for an East Division team to back since I like their depth better than Georgia (8/1).
 

Active member
Joined
Sep 26, 2005
Messages
104,059
Tokens
ACC Report - Week 1
August 27, 2017



2016 ACC STANDINGS
Team SU Conference ATS Over/Under
Boston College 7-6 2-6 6-6-1 5-8
Clemson 14-1 7-1 8-7 8-7
Duke 4-8 1-7 7-5 4-8
Florida State 10-3 5-3 8-4 6-6
Georgia Tech 9-4 4-4 7-4-1 6-5-1
Louisville 9-4 7-1 5-7-1 8-5
Miami (Fla.) 9-4 5-3 9-4 6-7
North Carolina 8-5 5-3 8-5 4-9
North Carolina State 7-6 4-5 9-4 5-7-1
Pittsburgh 8-5 5-3 5-8 11-2
Syracuse 4-8 2-6 5-7 3-9
Virginia 2-10 1-7 4-7-1 4-7-1
Virginia Tech 10-4 6-3 8-6 8-6
Wake Forest 7-6 3-5 8-5 6-7


Boston College at Northern Illinois (Fri. - CBS Sports Network, 9:30 p.m. ET)
The Eagles hit the road for DeKalb, Ill. to meet the Huskies of NIU, a team looking to bounce back from a disappointing 5-7 record. It was the first losing season for Northern Illinois, normally a powerhouse in the MAC, since 2007. They also had their streak of eight streak seasons in a bowl game snapped, so they'll be champing at the bit looking to fire out of the gate against a Power 5 representative. Boston College looks to pick up where they left off last season, as they rebounded nicely in 2016 with two wins down the stretch to go bowling, eventually beating former ACC member Maryland in the Quick Lane Bowl. redshirt freshman Anthony Brown might be the answer at quarterback, as the Eagles look for excitement. Jon Hilliman and Davon Jones will tote the mail more often than not, with true freshman A.J. Dillon a potential star-in-the-making. B.C. already has one win under its belt, as they beat out Michigan for Dillon's services just before National Signing Day. DE Harold Landry, and his nation-leading 16 1/2 sacks, will be back to terrorize the NIU backfield.


Kent State at Clemson (ESPN, 12:00 p.m. ET)
The defending national champion Tigers welcome Kent State to the upstate, and this could be ugly early out of the gates. Many have the Golden Flashes predicted to finish last in the MAC East, as head coach Paul Haynes' seat is getting awfully toasty. Clemson opened as 40-point favorites, bet down slightly. That number should fluctuate even more before the opening kick. The Tigers were 3-4 ATS last season as a 20-plus-point favorite last season, although they did cover a 53 1/2-point number against South Carolina State. However, their first home game (second overall) was a sluggish 30-24 win against Troy, so might be see another stumble out of the gate before


California at North Carolina (ACC Network, 12:20 p.m. ET)
The Tar Heels open as 12 1/2-point favorite against the visiting Bears. California hasn't had a lot of luck, failing to cover over their past four road games. However, Cal has had some luck in their past non-conference tilts, covering five of the past seven. The Golden Bears have to replace QB Davis Webb, and that will be their biggest question mark. Will either Ross Bowers or Chase Forrest be ready, especially after a cross-country flight, playing on the road in hostile territory in their first-ever start? New O.C. Beau Baldwin, formerly head coach of high-flying FCS program Eastern Washington, will make this offense fun, but it might take time. UNC also must replace QB Mitch Trubisky, a big hole, as well as stud TBs Elijah Hood, T.J. Logan, WRs Bug Howard and Ryan Switzer, as well as three offensive linemen. The defense will be fine with six starters back, but there are a ton of question marks on offense.


North Carolina State vs. South Carolina from Charlotte, NC (ESPN, 3:00 p.m.)
The Wolfpack and Gamecocks will do battle at Bank of America Stadium in Charlotte. BOA was a nice place to start in 2015, as the 'Cocks topped UNC 17-13 before their season unraveled. With a short jaunt up Interstate 77 from Columbia, you can expect a pro-South Carolina crowd despite the game being played behind enemy lines. South Carolina has covered four straight neutral-site games, while N.C. State is equally impressive with a 7-3-1 ATS mark over their past 11 such situations. And the Wolfpack has posted a glamorous 11-2 ATS mark over their past 13 non-conference tilts, although this is a step up from the Old Dominions, Presbyterians and South Alabamas of the world. Ryan Finley is back to lead the offense, and the dynamic Jaylen Samuels has the chance to be one of the best players in the league.

Louisville vs. Purdue from Indianapolis, IN (FOX, 7:30 p.m.)

The Cardinals return Heisman Trophy QB Lamar Jackson, and that already makes them a team to watch. However, they'll have their hands full trying to supplant Clemson, and perhaps even Florida State, at the top of the ACC, although the Cards certainly handled the 'Noles easily last season. The Cardinals ripped off 42.5 points per game (PPG) last season, but they'll be missing key cogs with RB Brandon Radcliff, WRs James Quick and Jamari Staples, as well as TE Cole Hikutini, all having moved on. Jaylen Smith could be the player ready to step up and be the next offensive star, and a quick start against a Purdue squad picked to finish at or near the bottom of the West Division in the Big Ten. Louisville opened as 24 1/2-point favorites and that number has been on the rise. Purdue doesn't really seem to have the guns to get into a track meet at Lucas Oil Stadium with what should be a much speedier Cardinals offense, even with some new parts.

Florida State vs. Alabama from Atlanta, GA (ABC, 8:00 p.m.)

The Crimson Tide and Seminoles will be the gem of the opening weekend, doing battle in the brand spanking news Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta. The Tide are favored by a touchdown to roll on the Seminoles, who are looking to bounce back from a subpar season by their standards, if you can call 10 wins subpar. FSU finished strong, winning five straight and covering four in a row, but they were a dismal 5-3 SU through eight games with a blowout loss in Louisville (63-20), as well as setbacks on their home turf to Clemson and UNC. The 'Noles would like a signature win against a high-profile Tide team, boosting their stock immediately. However, FSU will need to find a workhorse to replace Dalvin Cook, and that will not be easy. QB Jalen Hurts is back for the Tide, and he should be even better after a big season, although he occasionally would look like a freshman, too. The mistakes should be even fewer, and that's not good for the rest of the nation. The 'over' might be the way to go, as it is 20-6-1 in Alabama's past 27 neutral-site games and 4-0-1 in their past five vs. ACC foes. The over has hit in six straight neutral-site battles for FSU, while going4-1 in their past five non-conference affairs.


West Virginia vs. Virginia Tech from Landover, MD (Sun. - ABC, 7:30 p.m.)
Unless you're alumni, or from the Appalachia region, this game doesn't have as much meaning. But, ahh, you'll watch because it's football, and, well, it's football. The Mountaineers of the Big 12 head to suburban D.C. looking to shine their star a bit. They haven't fared well against the number in big games in recent times, going 6-15 ATS in their past 21 against ACC foes, 1-4 ATS in their past five non-conference battles and 0-4 ATS in their past four on a neutral field. On the flip side, Virginia Tech is tabbed to contend for the Coastal Division in the ACC, and another 10-win season could easily be within reach. The 'over' has hit in four of the past five for West Virginia on a neutral field, whilegoing 5-1-1 in Virginia Tech's past seven in such situations. Therefore an offensive feast might be on tap. Virginia Tech has hit the over in 13 of their past 16 outside of the ACC, too.


Tennessee vs. Georgia Tech from Atlanta, GA (Mon. - ESPN, 8:00 p.m.)
The Volunteers will head down Interstate 75 and into enemy territory to face the Yellow Jackets. While technically not a home game, the game is in Atlanta and will be a pro-Ramblin' Wreck crowd, although plenty of burnt orange will be on hand, too. The Vols are favored, even so slightly, in a game with a line bouncing between 3 1/2 and 6. The Vols have been great in their recent neutral-site contests, going a perfect 6-0 ATS in the past six tries. Ga. Tech has been very good, too, going 3-0-1 ATS in their past four on a neutral field, while hitting a perfect 4-for-4 in their past four outside of the conference. Tennessee will be christening a new quarterback, and Quinten Dormady and Jarrett Guarantano should both see some snaps. They will find a rather inexperienced, yet potential explosive wideout corps facing down against a decent Yellow Jackets secondary. With inexperience on the offensive side of the ball, and a strong Georgia Tech run game and questionable QB play on their end, too, a low-scoring game might be in the offing.


Other Games
Presbyterian at Wake Forest (Thu. - 6:30 p.m., ACC Network)
Central Conn. at Syracuse (Fri. - 7:00 p.m., ACC Network)
Bethune-Cook. at Miami, FL (ACC Network, 12:30 p.m.)
Youngstown St. at Pittsburgh (ACC Network, 1:00 p.m.)
William & Mary at Virginia (ACC Network, 3:30 p.m.)
North Carolina Central at Duke (ACC Network, 6:00 p.m.)
 

Active member
Joined
Sep 26, 2005
Messages
104,059
Tokens
Big 12 Report - Week 1
August 27, 2017

2016 BIG 12 STANDINGS
Team SU Conference ATS Over/Under
Baylor 7-6 3-6 4-9 4-9
Iowa State 3-9 2-7 7-5 8-4
Kansas 2-10 1-8 6-6 5-7
Kansas State 9-4 6-3 6-7 7-6
Oklahoma 11-2 9-0 7-6 6-7
Oklahoma State 10-3 7-2 8-5 7-6
Texas 5-7 3-6 6-6 4-8
Texas Christian 6-7 4-5 3-10 6-7
Texas Tech 5-7 3-6 8-4 7-5
West Virginia 10-3 7-2 5-8 5-8

Tulsa at Oklahoma State (Thurs. - FOX Sports 1, 7:30 p.m. ET)

Originally set for Saturday, this contest will now kick off on Thursday night in Stillwater. These Sooner State universities have met frequently on the gridiron, with Oklahoma State holding a 39-28-5 all-time series lead. This will be the third-ever meeting to open a new season, however. The offense has been prolific in Tulsa for most of Philip Montgomery's tenure, but the Golden Hurricane must replace some big guns. QB Dane Evans expired his eligibility and top WRs Keevan Lucas and Josh Atkinson are gone. QBs Chad President and Luke Skipper look to fill the void under center. For the first time in a while, the running backs spot appears to be the strength of Tulsa. For OK State, they need no reinforcements on offense, as QB Mason Rudolph is back with his cadre of high-flying receivers, led by James Washington. The difference in this game from the outset will be OK State's defensive line pressure againt an untested QB.

Maryland at Texas (FOX Sports 1, 12:00 p.m.)

If not for Rutgers, Maryland would be battling Indiana to avoid the cellar in the East Division in the Big Ten Conference. For Texas, it's a brand new day with Tom Herman taking the reins after Charlie Strong was relieved of his duties. Big things are expected of the Longhorns in 2017, but when isn't that the case in football-crazy Texas? In recent season the Terrapins of UMD have struggled, wrapping up their 2016 campaign 1-5 ATS over their final six games while going a dismal 0-6 ATS over the past six on the road. They're also 1-4 ATS in their past five outings outside of the conference. For Texas, they've been a tough out in Austin, at least against the number lately, going 7-3 ATS over their past 10 outings. However, they've covered just one of their past five showings against the Big Ten. In terms of non-conference games and the total, the 'under' is 4-1-1 in the past six for the Terps, while the 'over' is 4-1 across the past six the the burnt orange.

Texas-El Paso at Oklahoma (FOX, 3:30 p.m. ET)

This game isn't terribly attractive if you want to see a good game, as Oklahoma opened as a 48-point favorite. It has been bet down into the 44-45 point range, but it is still expected to be a blood bath. Still, plenty of eyes will be on Norman as Lincoln Riley coaches his first game for Boomer Sooner. Oklahoma failed to cover last season against Louisiana-Monroe as a 46-point favorite in a cupcake matchup in mid-September, and they're 4-1 SU/2-3 ATS over their past five season openers, too, including a straight-up loss to Houston last season. The Miners showed some improvement down the stretch, winning three of their final six games. But they have a long way to go before they're remotely close to Oklahoma in terms of talent. Still, they might give the Sooners a better game than the likes of Kansas.

Eastern Washington at Texas Tech (No national TV, 4:00 p.m. ET)

If you like offense, this could be the game for you. Eastern Washington might be an FCS team, but they're the national champs of that level from 2010, and they have been a giant killer -- or at least a giant scarer -- in recent seasons. They won at Washington State, 45-42, to open their season in 2016, and put up 42 against a good Oregon squad in a loss back in 2015. They also gave Washington a run for its money, 59-52, back in 2014, while knocking off No. 25 Oregon State to open the 2013 campaign in Corvallis. So don't expect the Eagles to be intimidated, or outscored by much. A win over Texas Tech could turn up the temperature on the hot seat of head coach Kliff Kingsbury to intense heat. Offense is never a problem in Lubbock, and QB Nic Shimonek is the next great, taking over for the departed Patrick Mahomes. But defense needs to improve quickly after allowing 43.5 points per game, or it's going to be another disappointing season.

West Virginia vs. Virginia Tech from Landover, MD (Sun. - ABC, 7:30 p.m.)

Unless you're alumni, or from the Appalachia region, this game doesn't have as much meaning. But, ahh, you'll watch because it's football, and, well, it's football. The Mountaineers of the Big 12 head to suburban D.C. looking to shine their star a bit. They haven't fared well against the number in big games in recent times, going 6-15 ATS in their past 21 against ACC foes, 1-4 ATS in their past five non-conference battles and 0-4 ATS in their past four on a neutral field. On the flip side, Virginia Tech is tabbed to contend for the Coastal Division in the ACC, and another 10-win season could easily be within reach. The 'over' has hit in four of the past five for West Virginia on a neutral field, whilegoing 5-1-1 in Virginia Tech's past seven in such situations. Therefore an offensive feast might be on tap. Virginia Tech has hit the over in 13 of their past 16 outside of the ACC, too.


Other Games
Liberty at Baylor (Kickoff time still TBD)
Southeast Missouri State at Kansas (No national TV, 7:00 p.m.)
Central Arkansas at Kansas State (No national TV, 7:10 p.m.)
Northern Iowa at Iowa State (No national TV, 8:00 p.m.)
Jackson State at Texas Christian (FOX, 8:00 p.m.)
 

Forum statistics

Threads
1,106,770
Messages
13,438,863
Members
99,338
Latest member
chaicoca816
The RX is the sports betting industry's leading information portal for bonuses, picks, and sportsbook reviews. Find the best deals offered by a sportsbook in your state and browse our free picks section.FacebookTwitterInstagramContact Usforum@therx.com