College Football
2009 NCAA College fooball betting preview
Spring Practices are done, summer is on the way so it's time to take a look at the top teams that will be vying for the 2011 NCAA National Championship. We are going to take a look at the top few teams in each of the 6 "Power Conferences", as well as some of the better teams from Mid-Major Conferences, and of course "The Fighting Irish" of Notre Dame.
SEC
We are going to start our coverage with the SEC. This conference, more than any other has produced the most competitive games over the last few years, produced the most professional prospects, and has given us the last 3 National Champions.
Florida Gators (2008 record 13-1). This team is still loaded. Of course we can start with QB Tim Tebow who is the best leader in college football and possibly the best player. He returns for his senior year, instead of going to the pros, and instantly makes Florida the team to beat in the SEC, as well as in the Nation. The only major loss for the Gators is Wr Percy Harvin, but they still have plenty of talent to go around. TE Aaron Hernandez is back, as well as LB Brandon Spikes, who was the leader of the Defense. Speaking of Defense, they return all 11 starters to a team that ranked 4th in the nation in scoring and 9th in total Defense. The Offense remains intact except for loosing 2 OTs. This team was crushing everyone last year, except for the 1 bad game vs "Ole Miss", and has beaten everyone by at least 10 points. Very easy schedule this year as they have only 4 road games. The toughest game of the year looks like 10-10 at L.S.U. This team is in very good shape to win the SEC and a 3rd National Title in 4 years.
Alabama Crimson Tide (2008 record 12-2). Bama was probably a year ahead of schedule last year, and might take a step back this year as they retool their Offense. That being said, this team did start the year 12-0, and was ranked No.1 in the country till they lost to Florida in the SEC Championship Game, and then got killed in the Sugar Bowl by Utah. The biggest problem this year will be on Offense. They lost 3 year starter John Parker Wilson at QB, Andre Smith at OT, All SEC Center Antoine Caldwell,and Runningback Glen Coffee. Junior Glen McElroy will take over at QB, and still has Wr Julius Jones to throw to, but this team must run the ball well and play low scoring games, even more than last year. The Defense returns 9 starters, led by DT Terrence Cody and a good group of LBs. They will miss, however, 2 time All SEC Safety Rashad Johnson. The 2008 recruiting class was rated number 1, and must contribute right away. As far as the schedule goes it's not that bad. They start right "out of the gate" with VA Tech on 9-5, in Atlanta. If they can win that game, the only other 2 stumbling blocks, are home against L.S.U.on 11-7, and then at Auburn to end the season on 11-28. This team will be good, not great this year, but winning the SEC West, is a good possibility and once you get in the "Title Game" anything is possible.
Georgia Bulldogs (2008 record 10-3). The Bulldogs have many question marks. Last year it was the opposite, as some people had them as a preseason No.1. This years team will by highly motivated to erase the mistakes of a year before. The obvious problem is how do they replace 2 of the best players in the nation in QB Matt Stafford, and RB Knowshon Moreno. Senior QB Joe Cox will try to replace Stafford, and a "running back by committee", will do their best to replace Moreno. The Offensive line had injuries last year, but all return, so that is a good sign. The Defense must stop having bad games as they did last year. In 6 games their opponents scored less than 14 points, but in 5 they gave up over 38 points. The back 7 are good, led by LB Rennie Curran who had 115 tackles last year, and Safety Reshad Jones. The Defensive line however couldn't sack the QB, and played poorly. Their schedule is also brutal, as they have 6 games that they could lose. It looks like an 8 win season should be a realistic goal.
L.S.U.Tigers (2008 record 8-5). This team is pretty close to being a contender. The big problem is lack of a quarterback. The 2 options are sophomore Jarret Lee who threw 16 interceptions last year, and sophomore Jordan Jefferson who only threw 1. They are set at Runningback with Charles Scott who had 18 TDs last year. The OL lost a lot of people, but OT Ciron Black did come back. Losing WR Demetrius Byrd will hurt, but WR Brandon Lafell will be back. The Strength of this team as always is defense. The back 7 are very good, and they have a few good LBs, as well as Safety Harry Coleman. The Defense started to fall apart at times last year because the Offense put them in bad situations. Losing DT Ricky Jean-Francois and DE Tyson Jackson to the Pros will hurt. Last year was a rebuilding year for L.S.U., this year the upper class leadership will help. They have a favorable schedule as their 2 toughest road games are 10-3 at Georgia and 11-7 at "Bama". This team must show improvement this year or Head Coach Les Miles may be in trouble.
Big 12
This Conference was the most fun to watch last year, as it seemed liked most teams in the Conference could put up 5 touchdowns a week. Texas, Texas Tech, Oklahoma, Oklahoma St., Missouri, and even Kansas went right down the field and scored at will. A few of these teams were Ranked No.1 during the year, and almost won a National Title.
Texas Longhorns (2008 record 12-1). This team could go all the way this year, and almost did last year except for the late loss to Texas Tech. Just by the fact that Colt McCoy will be back, and he will be throwing to Jordan Shipley, makes them a contender. Throw in the fact the the 2nd ranked Defense remains mostly intact, and they might make a National Title run. There is lots of upper-class leadership on the OL to protect McCoy. The Defense also has senior leadership at the 3 LB spots, but the Defensive front must be replaced, and DE Brian Orakpo will be missed. The key thing however is how the Secondary will play in those wild “Shootout Games", that seem to happen weekly in the Big 12. football betting the under at 70 was a risk last year. The Longhorns have a favorable schedule. There is the annual "Red River Rivalry", on 10-17 vs Oklahoma, but other than that it looks like "clear sailing", except for at Okla S.t on 10-30. This team is very good and might ride Colt McCoy's arm, all the way to a National Tittle.
Oklahoma Sooners (2008 record 12-2). This team was a few plays away from beating Florida in the National Title game last year, and most of the team stays largely intact. The offense is obviouly led by Redshirt Jr. QB Sam Bradford who had 50 Td passes last year. Are you kidding me, those are Dan Marino and Tom Brady NFL numbers. He will still be throwing the ball to TE Jermaine Gresham, but Wr Juaquin Iqlesias has moved on. They are very deep at Rb also. The problem lies in the fact that 4 of the 5 starting O-Linemen are gone. The good news is Super-Star OT Trent Williams will be back. This may lead to Bradford having to move around the pocket move then he is accustomed to. The Defense returns 9 starters but will have 2 new starting safeties, which won't help the 99th ranked pass defense. The schedule looks good as they might stumble early at Miami on 9-12, but if they get by that, they only have Texas on 10-17, and at Texas Tech on 11-21, to really worry about. This team talks title every year, and this year should be no different.
Oklahoma St. Cowboys (2008 record 9-4). Here we go again talking about another Big 12 team who can score but has problems on Defense (and we're not done yet, Texas Tech is next). Zac Robinson could the best QB in the Nation but for some reason he gets largely overlooked when it comes to National Honors. The St. Offense put up nearly 500 yards a game last year, and are returning 8 starters. WR Dez Bryant, who caught 87 passes and 19 TDs is back, as are the RB Duo of Kendal Hunter and Keith Toston who combined for over 2200 yards and 27 touchdowns. TE Brandon Pettigrew will be missed, but not much as the Cowboys have plenty of other weapons. That's the good news, the bad news is Ok St. plays even less defense, than does Texas and Oklahoma, and is only returning 1 starter to the secondary. "OUCH". The Defense must find a way to pressure the QB, or it will be more "Arena Football Type Shootouts". The schedule looks very good, as most of their key games are at home. Georgia comes into town on 9-5 as does Texas on 10-31 and Texas Tech on 10-14. The big game is at Oklahoma on 10-28. If the Cowboys play just a little defense this team has as good a shot as any to win the Big 12 Title or more.
Texas Tech Red Raiders (2008 record 11-2). O.K. here we go again, but I promise you this is the last time I'm going to talk about a Big 12 team and say how good the offense is and how bad the defense is. Actually this defense played O.K. at times last year, and did play good against Texas in that big upset late last year. DE Brandon Williams and his 11 sacks are gone, as well as both starting safeties. 6 of the front 7 return however. All things considered, last year, and possibly this year, may be the best Defense Lubbock has seen, since Mike Leach and his "Mad Scientist" Offense took over. Leach has his new contract, and it may pay dividends immediately. Obviously losing Graham Harrel and Michael Crabtree will hurt, but they have 3 young receivers who all had over 500 yards receiving, and the new QB, Taylor Potts has potential. He is big and was rated highly out of high school, in a pro-style offense, and has been in the Tech system for 3 years now, so you never know. The Bad news is the whole left side of the line is gone, which won't help a young QB. They could get off to a good start and be undefeated going into a tough 3 game stretch at Texas, at Ok. St. and hosting Oklahoma, from 11-7 to 11-21. That will show us what type of team Texas Tech is in 2009.
Big 10
This is one of the oldest and most historic Conferences, but has fallen on tough times as of late. As the rest of the country has been getting stronger, faster and more athletic, the Big 10 has stayed the same. Lack of team speed has hurt this conference lately.
Ohio St Buckeyes (2008 record 10-3). Ohio St. is always going to be in the hunt for a Big 10, as well as National Championship. They lost lots of players, many going to the NFL, and then they retool, and win. Loosing LB James Laurinatis, and corner backs Malcom Jenkins and Donald Washington to the Nfl can’t help the defense, but it won’t hurt that much either. Same for losing 2 starting Wrs, Brian Robiske and Brian Hartine, and Runningback "Beannie" Wells to the Pros, they will find a replacement. The Defense will be fine with a pair of, 3year starters at Safety leading the way. Special teams is always good. The one question mark has to be the play of QB Aaron Pryor, who played fairly well as a freshman last year. He had only 4 interceptions but threw 12 touchdowns. That being said, he must take it to another level if O.S.U. wants to win another National Title. Wells is not going to be in the backfield, and Pryor must take a more central role in the Offense, whether it’s by running or passing. Ohio St. will obviously be in the hunt for a Conference Title, but if they want more then that Pryor will have to lead the way. They have U.S.C. on 9-12 then it’s gets easy till they go to Penn St. on 11-7, host Iowa a week later, then the annual Big Game at Michigan to end the year.
Penn St. Nittany Lions (2008 record 11-2). Penn St. surprised many people last year, and came within last second field goal versus Iowa of going to the National Title Game. This year will be harder. They return only 4 starters on the Defense. Their 3 starting DEs combined for 19 sacks last year, and the best of the lot Aaron Maybin and his 12 sacks will be back. The linebackers are always good in "Happy Valley". The question mark is that if they don’t get enough pressure on the Qb, will the young secondary play well. On Offense Quarterback Darryl Clark is better than most people think, and Evan Royster is very good. They did lose all 3 receivers to the NFL, as well as 3 good offensive line and that hurts both the running and passing game. The schedule is normal. They host Iowa early in the year, then go to Michigan on 10-24, host O.S.U on 11-7 and go to Mich St. on 11-21. If they can win 3 out 4 of those games Penn.St will be o.k...
Iowa Hawkeyes (2008 record 9-4). Iowa started the year slow last year then game on at the end, even beating No.1 ranked Penn St in the process. Quaterback Ricky Stanzi played pretty well throwing for 2000 yards, 14 TDs and 9 interceptions. His favorite target is back in Darrel Johnson-Koulianos, but he must find more weapons. RB Shonn Greene has gone to the NFL, but his understudy Jewel Hampton played good at times as his back-up. The strength of this team, however, is the defense ranked 12th in the nation last year. All of the back 7 return, and the 3 LBs could be the best in the Conference. The bad news is they lose 2 great DLs in Mitch King and Matt Kroul that will hurt. This team will surprise a few people this year, but their schedule is brutal, as all of their tough games are on the road against O.S.U., P.S.U, Wisconsin and Michigan St.. That schedule will slow down the Hawkeyes, but 8-9 wins is still likely.
Pac 10
The Pac 10 has fallen on tough times of late, as the only really good team in it is U.S.C. Gone are the days when other teams such as U.C.L.A, Stanford, and even Arizona St. could compete on the "National Stage". Today it's U.S.C. and the other 9.
U.S.C. Trojans (2008 record 12-1). U.S.C has been loosing 1 conference game every year, that "screws up" their season. Last year it was early in the season at Oregon St. This year's team only question marks are on the defensive side of the ball, as they loose 9 starters, including 4 incredible Lbs (3 went to NFL). If they can solve the problems defensively, (AND THEY WILL), then the offense will carry the team. They have the best group of running backs in the nation, and the entire great OL stays in tack. This will take the pressure off of who ever replaces Mark Sanchez, whether it be Arkansas transfer Mitch Mustain or Soph Aaron Corp. With this supporting cast, any QB would play well. U.S.C. has to go to Ohio St early in the season, and then at Cal on 10-3 and at Notre Dame on 10-17 seems difficult. This team has been in the National Title mix every year since Pete Carrol arrived that won't change till he goes back to the NFL.
Oregon Ducks (2008 record 10-3). The best thing you can say about Oregon is that they have a very favorable schedule, with all of their tougher games being at home, except for the opener at Boise St. on 9-5. The offense is in good shape with returning QB Jeremiah Masoli at the helm. Masoli played well at the end of the year and threw for 1700 yards and 13 TDs. The Running back tandem of Jeremiah Johnson and LeGarret Blount, who both ran for 1000 yardds are both back. Center Max Unger will be playing on Sunday, and will be missed. They also lost 2 good receivers, but Jason Williams will be back. The defense is a mess however. Gone from the secondary are Patrick Chung and Jarius Byrd, who moved on the NFL. That means the 2 best players from a bad defense, which ranked 111th in the country in passing, are gone. That being said, this is a weak conference, and Oregon has a chance to finish 2nd or 3rd in this group.
California Golden Bears (2008 record 9-4). The Bears like the Ducks will be competing for the No.2 spot in the Conference. The Strength of this team will be the defense. They might switch from a 3-4 back to a 4-3 due to the loss of 3 solid LBs. The secondary should strong, led by Senior Syd'Quan Thompson and other upperclassmen. They also can rush the Qb as shown by being 14th in the country in sacks last year; the offense will again be turned over to Kevin Riley, who split time with the departed Nate Longshore, last year. He must produce, or the outstanding rushing attack, led by Heisman Candidate Javid Best will be predictable. Losing 2 OLs and a great TE won't help matters either. The 2 toughest games on their schedule come early on at Oregon 9-26 and a week later versus U.S.C., if they can split those games, Cal will have a good year once again.
A.C.C.
Another league that has fallen on tough times as of late. Many of the games are very competitive but the quality of play is not very high. A few teams at the top can compete on the National Stage, but most fall into the 25-50 in the nation range.
Virginia Tech Hokies (2008 record 10-4). Frank Beamer did a terrific job coaching last year, getting this team into the Orange Bowl and winning it. This team should be better off this year, with a year more experience. The best part of this team is the defense that plays both the run and the pass well. DE Jason Worlds can rush the passer. They did however lose 1 LB, and CB Victor "Macho" Harris is gone to the NFL. The defense still should carry this team. The other bright sign is QB Tyrod Taylor. He will have WRs with a year more experience under their belt, which will help. Taylor can play, and will be in the conversation for National Awards. The schedule is favorable as the only tough games are week 1 vs Alabama and 10-17 at Georgia Tech. Va.Tech is at the top of a weak Conference, and will compete for a trip to the Orange Bowl again.
Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets (2008 record 9-4). Coach Paul Johnson showed last year what his Offense can do when it has athletes to run it. They finished 4th in the nation in rushing and everybody knew that they were going to run the ball. RB Jonathan Dwyer is one of the best in the nation, and his buddies Roddy Jones and Lucas Cox are good as well. QB Josh Nesbit makes good decisions and this Offense makes Georgia Tech a possible Top 10 team. The Defense has 8 players back, but the 3 losses are big ones. Gone are DE Michael John, and DLs Darryl Richards and Vance Walker. The back 7 remain intact, and if the Offense can keep the Defense off the field, "The Ramblin Wreck" will be fine. The schedule also looks good after going to Florida St. on 10-10, they host Va. Tech on 10-17 and finish with rival Georgia at home on Thanksgiving weekend. Look out for Georgia Tech this year.
Florida St. Seminoles (2008 record 9-4). The Seminoles were a very young team last year, but played well. This year the offense will be a year older but the defense was hit by graduation. Gone are DE Everette Brown, and most of LBs and secondary, from a "D" that ranked 15th in the nation and averaged 3 sacks a game. LB Dekota Spikes is a force and will return however. Now for the first time in a few years, Florida St. has some experience on offense, but the defense is questionable. Speaking of offense, they finally return a starting Qb in Chris Ponder, who played shaky at times behind a very young OL. Both he, and the line will be a year older and that will help. Back-up Jermaine Thomas takes over at Tailback and there is good speed and athleticism at Wr. Their schedule is very tough however, as they play, B.Y.U., Florida,B.C., and North Carolina, on the road as well as Georgia Tech at home. There is cause for optimism in Tallahassee, but a return to 8-9 wins is likely.
Big East
The Conference is more known for its basketball teams and rightfully so I don't understand why they still call this a "Power Conference", as there is nothing powerful about it. Similar to the A.C.C. and the Pac 10, there are always a few good teams at the top, but top to bottom, the level of play is average.
Pitt Panthers (2008 Record 9-4). Pitt is returning 16 starters to a team that has been getting better every year. Keeping Dave Wannstedt was the right call, too many times colleges, and even pro teams, give up on a system too quickly, and never "reap the rewards". The key to this team is they play hard on both sides of the ball. They did lose some players however. The big loss is Rb LeSean McCoy going to the Pros. Also gone from the Offense are the 2 starting guards, and their top receiver. The top 4 tacklers are gone from the Defense, but the big loss is Star MLB Scott McKillop.The front 4 does put pressure on the QB however, which will help an already good secondary. They have to find a new punter and kicker also. The schedule looks great early on till they go to West Virginia, and host Cincinnati to close out the year. This team was last year, and will be this year, at the top of the Big East.
West Virginia Mountaineers (2008 record 9-4). This will be a different team this year due to the loss of star QB Pat White. It will be hard to replace his 1800 yds passing 21Tds and close to 1000 yds on the ground. The new QB will be Sr. Jarret Brown, and although he does have receivers to throw to, the focus will be on the running game. RB Noel Devine will get many more touches. The bad news is they did lose 3 guys on the OL. On the defensive side of the ball, they return 8 starters to a very good defense that gave up only 17 points a game. They were very young last year and a year of experience can only make them better. The schedule will be tough, as they must travel to Auburn, South Florida, Cincy, and Rutgers as well as host Pitt and UConn. This team should still win 9-10 games and have a shot at a New Year's Day Bowl Game .
Cincinnati Bearcats (2008 record 11-3). Defending Champion Cincy played well all year till the debacle in Orange Bowl. Sr.LB Tony Pike will be back, as well as Wr Marshawn Gilyard. Dominick Goodman is gone however, so someone else must step up to take the pressure off of Gilyard. It is also very important that they run the ball well to keep a totally new defense off the field. 10 starters are gone from a "D" that struggled at times last year. New defensive coordinater Bob Diaco is going to switch to a 3-4 defense, and they need players. They need players so bad that former QB Demetrius Jones will try to play LB, and WR Marcus Barnett may be a starting CB. They have 4 tough road games, and host West Virginia, but this team played well on the road last year and should win its fair share of games this year.
Mid Major Conferences and Independents
Utah proved last year by crushing Alabama in the Sugar Bowl, that small schools can still play football. 3 years ago it was Boise St. beating Oklahoma in the Fiesta Bowl. Small schools deserve the chance to play for a National Title, and by going 13-0 last year Utah deserved to be crowned National Champion, not Florida.
Utah Utes (2008 record 13-0). They deserved the National title last year after finishing undefeated and destroying former No.1 Alabama in the process. This year's team however has many holes to fill on the offensive side of the ball. They lost 3 starting Wrs,a nd RB Darrell Mack, but the big loss is QB Brian Johnson. This Offense was unstoppable at times last year. The first half at Michigan last year, made Michigan look like a High School team. They looked that way for most of the year, including jumping out to a 21-0 lead in the Sugar Bowl before many people even turned on the game. Corbin Louks will try to take over at QB, but they do have a J.C. transfer, and a freshman,"Waitng in the Wings". Rbs Matt Asiata and Sausan Shakerin are back as well as 3 good players on the OL. This team also had a good “D”, and returns 10 of their top 11 Tacklers to a Defense that was ranked 2nd in the Conference. Their schedule is not that bad, but they do visit Oregon as well as T.C.U.,and B.Y.U. This team will be fine this year, maybe not undefeated, but should win at least 10 games and get into a decent Bowl Game.
Boise St. Broncos (2008 record 12-1). This program has set the standard for mid-majors. Every year since 1999 they have won at least 8 games and many of those years won in double digits. The offense will miss RB Ian Johnson, and Wr Vinny Perretta. The good news is that young and very good QB Kellen Moore will be back and be protected by a great OL, that gave up only 11 sacks in 08. The Boise St. defense is always overlooked because of their high powered Offense, but they ranked No.3 in the nation in Scoring "D". Basically what I'm saying this is a very good team that belongs in the top 25. The only problem is the front 7 on defense lost many players but the secondary stays intact. If they can beat Oregon at home to open the season, there is no reason that they won't go undefeated again and raise questions about putting a "mid-major" in the National Title game.
B.Y.U. Cougars (2008 record 10-3). This team always has an explosive offense and this year will be no different. QB Max Hall (4000 yards passing) is great and Rb Harvey Unga is pretty good too. This Offense was ranked 16th in nation last year. They will miss Wr Austin Coles and his 106 catches, as he moves on to the N.F.L. The OL will have to be retooled as it returns only 1 starter. The Defense was a question mark going into last year, but played well and returns 8 starters. They played well against the run, but at times struggled against the pass. They do play a few tough games, but 2 out the 3, Florida St. and Utah will be at home. They also travel to Oklahoma to start the year, so they better be ready early.
Notre Dame Fighting Irish (2008 record 7-6). Let’s face it, The Irish "SUCKED" the last 2 years. This is still Notre Dame however and they might be a much better team this year. Charlie Weiss just didn't have the players last year, but this year they will be a year older and better. The defense was not as bad as it looked last year. They blitzed too much and often got "burnt". This year they will switch to a 4-3 due to lack of Linebackers. The DLine is very solid led by T Ian Williams, and DE Kapron Lewis-Moore, as well as Ethan Johnson. DE Justin Brown is gone however. The secondary may be better than the D-line Led by Safety Kyle Mcarthy. The Offense has been the big problem lately. Jimmy Clausen is a year older and Golden Tate is back to catch his passes, but they "MUST" get a running game going, or Clausen will be killed again. The OL returns 4 starters which is good news. Notre Dame always plays a tough schedule but this year it "ain’t" so bad. U.S.C. comes into South Bend as well as Michigan St., and they travel to a weak Michigan team. Every other game is very winnable. Notre Dame might surprise some people this year, and if they don't, it's time for Charlie Weiss to go.
Predictions |
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Orange Bowl Georgia Tech over Pitt |
Rose Bowl Ohio St over Oregon |
Sugar Bowl Florida over Notre Dame |
Fiesta Bowl Oklahoma St. over Boise St. |
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BCS National Championship Game Texas over U.S.C. |
National Champions Texas Longhorns |
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Arizona State is coming off a 35-14 win over the Utah Utes, scoring the final 25 points of the game, as quarterback Brock Osweiler threw for 325 passing yards and three touchdowns.
Oklahoma has won the last six meetings in this series, including the last two at Kansas’ Memorial Stadium. The most recent game in the series took place on Oct. 24, 2009
Florida will be on the road for the second straight week, looking to improve upon a dreadful 8-25-1 record when visiting Auburn
Kansas State heads back on the road for the second time this season when it travels to Lubbock, looking to improve upon its 5-0 start to the season. The Wildcats are fresh off a 24-17 win over Missouri
Clemson is tied with Wake Forest atop the ACC’s Atlantic Division and will be trying to push its record to 7-0 on Saturday.
Virginia Tech and Wake Forest will be meeting for the 36th time, with the Hokies holding a 23-11-1 series advantage
Boise State just finished up its fourth-straight undefeated regular-season non-conference schedule and will now dive into Mountain West Conference play. The Broncos have enjoyed tremendous success as a program
Ohio State is 0-2 in the Big Ten Conference for just the second time and lost back-to-back games for the first time in 88 games
Georgia Tech is bowl eligible for the 15th consecutive year, which is the fourth-longest such streak in the nation. The Yellow Jackets have six games remaining
Oklahoma State returns to the road for the next two games and has proven victorious in all five games this season. The Cowboys ended a 12-game losing streak in this series
LSU is playing its third straight game as the No. 1 ranked team in the nation, posting a 16-3 all-time record in that situation
Alabama travels to Oxford to take on Mississippi inside Vaught-Hemingway Stadium. The Crimson Tide tallied a 23-10 win as 20-point home favorites in last year’s meeting, while coming away with a 22-3 win
South Carolina travels to Starksville to take on the Mississippi State Bulldogs in an SEC clash, as the team will be on the road for the first time since Week 2. Both teams are coming off wins
For only the seventh time in 108 series meetings, both Baylor and Texas A&M are ranked in the AP Top 25
Michigan has opened up 6-0 for the 27th time in school history and first time since 2006. “We’re not a top 10 team,” claimed Wolverines first-year head coach Brady Hoke
Indiana is set to hit the road for the first time during Big Ten Conference play, but will likely be handed a loss as an overwhelming underdog. The Hoosiers are coming off a 41-20 defeat to the Illinois Fighting Illini
Hawaii is coming off its only bye week of the season and will look to push its winning streak to three games, coming off a 44-26 win over the Louisiana Tech Bulldogs as 4.5-point road underdogs.
USC returns to the road after a bye week and will be playing the first of two consecutive games away from the Los Angeles Coliseum. The Trojans first trip away from home didn’t work out so well, dropping a 43-22 contest against the Arizona State Sun Devils
The Houston Texans invade M&T Bank Stadium this upcoming Sunday afternoon to face the Baltimore Ravens in a showdown between two division leaders in the AFC
Auburn will travel on the road for the second consecutive week and is coming off a 16-13 win over the South Carolina Gamecocks as 10.5-point road underdogs.
Vanderbilt comes into this contest with a 3-1 record and dropped a 21-3 decision to the South Carolina Gamecocks as 14.5-point road underdogs last time out.
Air Force is completing a stretch of back-to-back road games this week at Notre Dame after playing at Navy last weekend. The Falcons picked up a 35-34 win over the Midshipmen as three-point road underdogs in that particular contest.
Arizona State is coming off a 35-20 win over Oregon State as 17.5-point home favorites and will now play its first-ever Pac-12 Conference road game. The Sun Devils have faced the Utes 22 times, but this will be the first meeting since 1993.
Ohio State enters Saturday’s prime-time event with a 3-2 record and coming off a 10-7 loss to the Michigan State Spartans as three-point home favorites. This will be the Buckeyes second trip away from Ohio Stadium, as they dropped a 24-6 contest to the Miami Hurricanes as two-point underdogs.
Miami is set to play its first road game since being handed a 32-24 loss by the Maryland Terrapins as four-point underdogs in the season opener.
Missouri leads this series by a 60-31-5 margin and has won five consecutive games by an average margin of 18 points, including last year’s 38-28 win in Columbia.
Kansas will travel to take on Oklahoma State Saturday in its Big 12 Conference road opener under second-year head coach Turner Gill. This will be the 63rd meeting between the two teams and the Jayhawks are 29-29-3 all-time in the series, including a 14-12-2 mark in Stillwater.
Florida hits the road for the second time this season and will face the top-ranked team in the country. The Gators are coming off their first loss of the season, a 38-10 defeat toe the Alabama Crimson
Illinois hits the road for the first time this season and is coming off an emotional 38-35 win over the Northwestern Wildcats as 9.5-point home favorites. The Fighting Illini tallied a 43-13 win as 13-point home favorites in last year’s meeting with the Indiana Hoosiers.
Kentucky will be looking to snap a three-game losing streak, which includes blowout losses to its first two conference opponents. The Wildcats were handed 35-7 and 48-10 defeats by the LSU Tigers and Florida Gators respectively.
Connecticut is coming in off a 38-31 loss to Western Michigan last week despite finishing with 451 yards of offense, but it surrendered 479 passing yards and 490 overall.
Maryland is set to play its third game against a ranked ACC team already this year, as it travels to Georgia Tech as a double-digit underdog.
Oklahoma will meet Texas in Dallas for the 90th time overall and 83rd time in a row, as the 106th renewal of the Red River Rivalry is set to take place inside the Cotton Bowl on Saturday.
Boise State heads out on the road against after successfully completing its first homestand of the season, coming away with victories over Tulsa (41-21) and Nevada (30-10).
Boston College and Clemson will be meeting for the 21st time and the series is deadlocked at 9-9-2. The Eagles hold a 4-2 mark since joining the ACC and have played the Tigers annually since 2005.
Michigan heads out on the road for the first time this year and is 52-15-2 all-time against Northwestern. The Wolverines defense is tied for first in the Big Ten and tied fro second in the nation in scoring defense.
California will look to bounce back from its first loss of the season in traveling off a bye week to Eugene, Oregon, to take on the Ducks inside Autzen Stadium. The Golden Bears nearly pulled off a monumental upset in last year’s meeting, falling 15-13 as 18.5-point home underdogs.
Oregon State heads to the desert in hopes of picking up its first win of the season, while extending its winning streak to four games in this series. In last year’s meeting, the Beavers came away with 31-28 home win as three-point favorites.
Texas is 3-0 for the fifth straight year and ninth time under the direction of head coach Mack Brown. Saturday will mark the first time the Longhorns have played consecutive games on the road within the first four weeks of the season since 1998.
Clemson hits the road for the first time this year and comes off back-to-back wins over ranked opponents. The Tigers handed the Auburn Tigers (38-24) and Florida State Seminoles (35-30) losses the last two weeks.
Nevada will end its four-game road trip to start the season Saturday in hostile territory, taking on the No. 4 Boise State Broncos at Bronco Stadium. The Wolfpack can expect to face a revenge-minded team after handing the Broncos a 34-31 loss last season as 14-point home underdogs.
Northwestern has captured wins in six of its last eight meetings with Illinois, with an average margin of victory of 12.3 points in its six wins. The Wildcats won their last trip to Memorial Stadium, a 21-16 victory in 2009 as six-point underdogs.
Ball State improved to 3-1 overall with a 48-21 non-conference win over Army last week as four-point home underdogs, which followed a 28-25 win over Buffalo as four-point home favorites.
UCLA evened its record to 2-2 on the season with a 27-19 win over the Oregon State Beavers as 4.5-point road underdogs last week, which was a nice bounce back performance from dropping a 49-20 home contest to the Texas Longhorns the week before.
Notre Dame has evened its record through four games and is coming off a 15-12 win over the Pitt Panthers as seven-point road favorites last week. The Fighting Irish have won the statistical battle in three of four contests.
Nebraska will match up with Wisconsin for just the fourth game between top 10 teams nationally this season. The Cornhuskers are 4-0 following a 38-14 win over Wyoming last Saturday as 20.5-point road favorites.
Alabama heads off on the road to face a ranked team for the second time this season and is coming off a 38-14 win over the Arkansas Razorbacks as 11-point home favorites. The Crimson Tide have won the statistical battle by over 100 yards in all four games this season.
SMU is riding a three-game win streak and is coming off a 42-0 win over the Memphis Tigers as 24-point road favorites. The Mustangs have won the statistical battle in three consecutive games since being handed a 46-14 loss by Texas A&M on the road in the season opener.
Bowling Green is off to a 3-1 start this season that includes a 37-23 win over Miami (OH) last week as four-point road underdogs. The Falcons have actually won the statistical battle against all four opponents this year.
Kentucky enters the game having lost back-to-back contests, including an SEC opener against Florida last week. The Wildcats dropped that contest, 48-20, failing to cover as 17.5-point home underdogs.
Auburn is set to meet South Carolina for the 11th time, leading the series 8-1-1, including wins in the last six meetings overall. The Tigers bounced back from their first loss since their 17-game winning streak was snapped, coming away with a 30-14 win over Florida Atlantic.
Baylor is in search of its first conference-opening road win since the 1995 season, as it travels to take on undefeated Kansas State at Bill Snyder Family Stadium. The Bears will be led by a legitimate Heisman Trophy candidate when the game kicks off.
Texas A&M is coming off a crushing 30-29 loss to the Oklahoma State Cowboys as 4.5-point home favorites, blowing a 17-point halftime lead. “The game changed and we had to respond to what they were doing
South Florida puts its perfect 4-0 record on the line Thursday night when opening up its Big East Conference schedule against the Pittsburgh Panthers at Heinz Field. The Bulls have dropped consecutive contests in the series as 6.5 and three-point underdogs.
Oregon is averaging 49 points per game during its current three-game winning streak against the Arizona Wildcats. The Ducks lead the all-time series, 22-14, and have won 14 of the past 16 meetings.
USC closes out September with its first road game of the 2011 season, facing the Arizona State Sun Devils inside Sun Devil Stadium in Tempe, AZ. The Trojans have tallied a perfect 3-0 straight-up record and are 2-1 ATS this season.
Tulsa is looking for its first victory in six meetings against Boise State, as the last meeting was a 28-21 loss as nine-point home underdogs on Oct. 14, 2009. The Golden Hurricane have lost the last two games by an average of five points, which is a dramatic different
LSU will put its nation’s longest non-conference regular season winning streak on the line Saturday in traveling to Morgantown in a prime-time event. The Tigers came away with a 20-14 win in last year’s meeting inside Tiger Stadium as 9.5-point home favorites
Nebraska heads out on the road for the first time in 2011, traveling to Laramie, Wyoming, to take on the Wyoming Cowboys. The Cornhuskers come in with a perfect 3-0 straight-up record, but 0-3 ATS mark. Offensively, the team managed to top 40 points
Missouri opens up its Big 12 Conference schedule against the top-ranked team in the country, coming off a 69-0 win over Western Illinois as 32-point home favorites. The team began the season in the rankings, but dropped a 37-30 contest in Week 2 to the Arizona State Sun Devils.
Rice has already played two solid opponents this season, dropping a 34-9 road contest to the Texas Longhorns, but bouncing back with a 24-22 victory as two-point home underdogs against the Purdue Boilermakers.
Florida hits the road for the first time this season, traveling to Lexington, Ky., to face the Kentucky Wildcats. The Gators are fresh off a solid 33-23 win last week over the Tennessee Volunteers as 9.5-point home favorites.
Saturday’s game will mark the 11th football meeting between Virginia Tech and Marshall, as the Hokies come in with an 8-2 edge in the all-time series. The two schools last met in 2009, as Virginia Tech captured a dominating 52-10 win as 19.5-point home favorites. Interestingly enough, Virginia Tech hasn’t started 4-0 since 2006
Vanderbilt comes in with a perfect 3-0 ATS and straight-up record, including a 30-7 win over the Ole Miss Rebels as 2.5-point home underdogs in its SEC opener. The Commodores will now head out on the road for the first time this season.
Florida State will be heading into Death Valley with backup freshman quarterback Clint Trickett, who has thrown for 310 yards and four touchdowns. He got a little taste of big-time college football last week after EJ Manuel went down with a shoulder injury. The Seminoles get their second opportunity to knock off a ranked opponent, as they dropped a 23-13 contest to the No. 1 Oklahoma Sooners last week as 3.5-point home underdogs
Oklahoma State opens up its 2011 Big 12 Conference season in traveling on the road for a second consecutive week to College Station. The Cowboys came away with a 59-33 win over Tulsa the previous week as 13.5-point road favorites, while going over the posted total of 67. A lot has been made of the team’s last contest ending
North Carolina won its ACC opener for the first time since 2000, coming away with a 28-17 win over Virginia as 10-point home favorites. The Tar Heels are a perfect 3-0 coming into this contest, but will be playing on the road for the first time. A major concern coming into this game is the 468 yards it gave up to Virginia
Notre Dame will be meeting Pittsburgh for the 67th time, holding a 45-20-1 series advantage. The Fighting Irish own a 25-10-1 mark away from Notre Dame Stadium and have won 13 of the last 17 meetings.
The Arkansas Razorbacks are about to go up the ladder in terms of scheduling, heading out on the road for the first time this year and open SEC play against the Alabama Crimson Tide. Saturday’s game features Arkansas’ offense, which leads the SEC
Oklahoma heads into Tallahassee, Florida with a 5-1 advantage in this series, winning five meetings in a row. Last season meeting turned into a 47-17 blowout win for the Sooners as seven-point home favorites.
Stanford has had little trouble in picking up blowout victories over San Jose State (57-3) and Duke (44-14) leading up to its Pac-12 Conference opener. The Cardinal are 9-1
Navy last played a school from the SEC in 2004 when knocking off the Vanderbilt Commodores, 29-26, a team that was led by quarterback Jay Cutler. The Midshipmen also beat the Commodores in 2003
Arkansas State plays its second road game over the first three weeks of the season this Saturday. The Red Wolves picked up their first victory under head coach Hugh Freeze last week, knocking off Memphis 47-3 in the team’s home opener. Obviously we are thrilled to get a win,” Freeze commented. “But we’ll keep it in perspective, it’s one win in a 12-game schedule
Texas heads out on the road for the first time this year after picking up home wins over Rice (34-9) and BYU (17-16). The Longhorns will be seeking to gain revenge from last year’s 34-12 home loss to the UCLA Bruins a year ago
Both teams enter this heated SEC rivalry with perfect 2-0 records heading into the 41st meeting, as Florida holds a 21-19 edge in the series. The Gators
Washington takes to the road for the first time this season as the Huskies travel to Lincoln to face Nebraska for the third time in a year. The Huskies current six-game winning streak is the fourth-longest in the nation.
Louisiana-Monroe has definitely played against opposite ends of the spectrum in its first two games this season, taking on the Florida State Seminoles (0-34) on the road before last week’s home win over Grambling (35-7).
The Auburn Tigers have escaped the first two weeks with home victories over Utah State (42-38) and Mississippi State (41-34), but will now head out on the road against an angry opponent.
West Virginia is set to play its first road game of the season when facing off in a non-conference contest against the Maryland Terrapins at Capital One Field at Byrd Stadium. This will be the 48th meeting between the two schools and the Mountaineers own a slight edge, 24-21-2, including wins in five straight.
Wisconsin has won 30-straight regular-season non-conference games and trails only LSU in that category heading into Saturday. The Badgers last lost such a contest back in 2003.
The Michigan State Spartans have been placed as one of the more shocking underdogs in college football this season. The Spartans have done nothing wrong in posting easy home wins over Youngstown State (28-6) and Florida Atlantic (44-0) to open the 2011 campaign.
Boise State enjoyed a week off after its 35-21 win over the Georgia Bulldogs as a three-point neutral-site favorite. The Broncos actually held just a 17-yard advantage in the contest, as the game went over the posted total of 51.5
The Alabama Crimson Tide will undoubtedly begin the season with a 3-0 record heading into their SEC opener next week against the Arkansas Razorbacks. The team has won all three previous meetings in this series by a combined 124-33 margin.
LSU dropped a spot in the AP Top 25 poll due to paying a non-FBS opponent last week and Alabama crushing Penn State on the road. The Tigers tallied a 49-3 non-conference win over Northwestern State, but failed to cover the 49-point spread.
BYU opened up with a slim 14-13 road win over the Ole Miss Rebels last week as two-point road favorites and falling well below the posted total of 54. The Cougars will now be facing the Texas Longhorns
Ball State is set to play its second straight game in a NFL stadium after coming away with a 27-20 win over Indiana at Lucas Oil Stadium last week. The Cardinals picked up the victory as 4.5-point neutral-site underdogs
UAB will begin its 2011 season Saturday, as it was one of two programs that didn’t open up the year last week. The Blazers bring back 16 starters, seven on offense, nine on defense from a team that finished with a 4-8 record
Stanford travels on the road for the first time this season to take on the Duke Blue Devils from the Atlantic Coast Conference Saturday inside Wallace Wade Stadium. The Cardinal opened up the season with
Florida Atlantic was handed a 41-3 loss by the Florida Gators last week, failing to cover as 34-point underdogs, while the total stayed below the posted total of 49.5. It wasn’t a good way
Notre Dame dropped its opener, 23-20, as double-digit home favorites to the South Florida Bulls and a new starting quarterback will be under center this week as a result. Tommy Rees
Fresno State surrendered 314 yards in the first half in a 36-21 neutral-site loss to the California Golden Bears last week and will be facing another mobile quarterback in heading to Lincoln, Nebraska
South Carolina will begin its 20th season in the Southeastern Conference and is 8-11 in league openers since joining prior to the 1992 season. The Gamecocks come into this game
It’s been a very long time since the TCU Horned Frogs were handed a loss, let alone giving up 50 points defensively, but it happened last week in a 50-48 road defeat against the Baylor Bears.
The Nevada Wolf Pack will open up their 2011 college football season against an angry football team Saturday in Eugene, Oregon, making an already difficult place to play even tougher to deal with
The Mississippi Bulldogs will be seeking revenge from last year’s 17-14 loss to the Auburn Tigers as 1-point home underdogs a year ago. The Bulldogs are coming into this contest off a season-opening victory
Toledo finished off New Hampshire by winning an easy 58-22 contest and will now look to score its first-ever point against the Ohio State Buckeyes. The Rockets have suffered two losses in the series and been outscored by 87 points in the process
Oregon State will need to regroup this week in order to survive not getting absolutely blown out in Madison, as the team suffered a 29-28 loss in overtime at home to Sacramento State. It’s a loss that should never happen for a Pac-12 Conference school.
Alabama is likely to be quite motivated for this contest now that the AP Top 25 poll dropped them a spot and moved up LSU into the No. 2 spot. The Crimson Tide did nothing wrong last week in picking up a 48-7 blowout win
