NCAAF News and Notes Week 2

Fourth-Quarter Covers
By Joe Nelson

Utah entered the fourth quarter with a 17-10 lead before Pittsburgh scored a field goal to cut the lead to four-points just over the -3 to -3.5 spread. A 61-yard pass play gave the Utes a 24-13 lead but Pittsburgh answered less than a minute later and got the two-point conversion after the eventual touchdown to get within three-points. Utah killed nearly five minutes of clock on the next drive but ultimately gained very little yardage due to penalties, punting poorly back to Pittsburgh near mid-field with less than three minutes to go. The Panthers were able to move within field goal range before Utah Coach Whittingham called consecutive timeouts negating the first two kick attempts (a make and a miss) before Dan Hutchins hit the tying field goal. It was for naught however as Pittsburgh QB Tino Sunseri immediately threw a pick in OT and Utah kicked the game winning field goal to put the margin back to 3 and leave most with a push.

In a closely lined game Middle Tennessee State took a 17-14 lead into the fourth but Minnesota quickly tied the game and then put together a 15-play drive to burn over nine minutes for the winning touchdown as the Gophers O-line dominated the game with a huge time of possession edge.

Michigan State took control against Western Michigan late in the second quarter but it looked like the Spartans might blow the cover with a fumble at the end of 63-yard drive late in the third quarter while leading by 21 after the Broncos scored down 28 to get back within the number. The next MSU drive stalled deep in scoring territory but a field goal and a great defensive stand on the next possession would be enough to hold on for a narrow cover.

Despite getting out-gained, Northwestern appeared to lock up a cover with a touchdown to put the lead to eight with less than five minutes to go. Vanderbilt would respond with a 69-yard scoring drive on the ensuing possession to cut the lead to two but the 2-point conversion failed and the Wildcats left victorious. With the line falling at -3.5 those backing the Wildcats may have been miffed with the missed Northwestern conversion that would have netted a theoretical 4-point margin but in that scenario Vanderbilt does not go for two on its score and a more painful 3-point loss would have been the final margin.

The result in the game between Purdue and Notre Dame could have varied quite significantly depending on when the game was bet but a wild fourth quarter seemed to give Purdue the cover at any number, bringing the deficit to just eight-points despite being down 17 entering the final frame. After a Purdue 3-and out deep in their own zone the Irish were able to do enough to add on a late field goal with less than five minutes to go to bring the final margin to eleven with lines varying throughout the week between 10.5 and 11.5.

Alabama was in complete control with an over 3:1 yardage edge against San Jose State but the Tide needed a fourth quarter touchdown to get over the massive 39-point spread. The final touchdown came less than a minute into the final frame and San Jose State never threatened to steal the spread back, gaining no more than nine yards in any of the second half drives.

While TCU never got above the double-digit spread against Oregon State the Horned Frogs dominated the yardage and after a fourth quarter safety appeared poised to take the ball in for another score and the spread win. After getting the ball near mid-field TCU took the ball down to near the ten-yard line before the game clock ran out with the final margin at just nine.

In one of the big games of the weekend LSU appeared to be in complete control with a 20-point lead entering the fourth quarter. North Carolina delivered a valiant comeback effort however, hitting a 97-yard pass play to get some momentum and delivering another touchdown in the final three minutes to cut the margin to six. The teams exchanged fumbles as LSU gave the ball back on what looked to be the game sealing and possible spread sealing drive and North Carolina ended the game failing to convert deep in the red zone in what would have been a remarkable turnaround.

Wisconsin had a couple of turnovers against UNLV that prevented a bigger margin of victory but even after just a 3-point halftime lead the Badgers appeared on track to cover with a 41-14 lead entering the fourth quarter. Against some of the reserve defenders UNLV put together a few productive drives resulting a score early in the fourth quarter to cut the lead to just 20, right below the spread and the Rebels actually missed on a field goal try late in the game as well while Wisconsin quickly punted in all three fourth quarter drives.

With a massive spread that continued to grow all week long it was going to be tough for Nebraska to cover the closing line of 39.5. Nebraska led 35-3 entering the final quarter but Western Kentucky was able to score early in the fourth to finish off a long drive. Western Kentucky had 203 yards on the first three drives of the second half but only posted ten-points as a fumble was costly. Nebraska kept the gas on with two late touchdowns to cover most of the early week numbers, ending with a 49-10 score with the final touchdown coming on a 13-yard drive off an interception.

Clemson added a fourth quarter touchdown to push the final score to 35-10, covering for those that played the game early in the week against North Texas. The spread jumped mid-week and closed at 27.5 and the Mean Green got the ATS win with a fourth quarter field goal.

Texas Tech appeared to be on cruise control for a convincing opening win in the Tommy Tuberville era with a 35-14 lead late in the third quarter. SMU added a pair of field goals in the third and fourth quarter and Texas Tech twice went for it on fourth down late in the game and gave SMU favorable field position to get back in the game. Getting set-up at the Texas Tech 32-yard line SMU added a passing touchdown to cut the lead to eight for the final margin.

One of the best games of the weekend was saved for the end of the holiday weekend as Virginia Tech and Boise State delivered a classic. Virginia Tech seemed to be in control leading by one entering the fourth quarter and then cashing in a late field to push the margin to four. The Hokies could not run the clock out however and Boise State was able to put together a 38 second drive to take the lead and cover back and then shut down Virginia Tech on the final drive.

Games to Watch - Week 2
By Judd Hall

Week 1 of the college football season had plenty of surprises in store for gamblers. I’m sure nobody thought the Gators would struggle as much on the attack as they did against Miami (OH). Meanwhile, ECU and Jacksonville State snatched victory from the jaws of defeat. Here’s a look at this week’s key contests.

Miami, FL at Ohio State (ESPN, 3:30 p.m.)

Skinny

The ACC opened up on a high note with a 10-2 mark in the opening weekend of the season. Now the league can get a leg up on a possible national title contender with the Hurricanes coming into Columbus to face Ohio State. While fans still remember the '03 Fiesta Bowl, the current players were still awkwardly going through middle school. The 'Canes were able to rip apart Florida A&M 45-0. That score could have been worse had Randy Shannon not called off the dogs after a 35-0 halftime lead. Jacory Harris was sharp, connecting on 12 of his 15 pass attempts for 210 yards and 3 TDs. Ohio State didn't have any problems in rolling over the Thundering Herd with a 45-7 triumph at the 'Shoe. Terrelle Pryor showed off his skills with 247 passing yards and three scores through the air. But the Buckeyes had no problem keeping Marhsall down with 199 total yards on offense. Making that number more impressive is the Herd only made it into red zone once, and that drive ended in a fumble.

Gambling Notes

Most everyone remembers the last time these two teams, when the Bucks won a controversial national title at the 2003 Fiesta Bowl. But Randy Shannon's tenure has been a lousy one when it comes taking on teams from other BCS conferences. Any doubts you have about that can be squashed by the fact that the Hurricanes are 2-4 SU and 3-3 ATS with the 'under' going 4-2. Ohio State has shown over the last five years as a home favorite against non-conference foes, evidenced by a 13-1 SU and 7-7 ATS. Pare that down to the BCS clubs and you'll see the Buckeyes are 1-2 SU and 2-1 ATS.

Michigan at Notre Dame (NBC, 3:30 p.m.)

Skinny

Rich Rodriguez's hot seat is a little cooler in Ann Arbor right now after the Wolverines dominated Connecticut 30-10 to start the year. Denard Robinson proved his coach knew what he was doing by making him the starting quarterback. All Robinson did was set a school record for rushing yards by a QB (197 yds, 1 TD) and completed 19-of-22 passes for 186 yards and 1 TD. The Brian Kelly Era started strong for the Fighting Irish with a 23-12 win over Purdue on South Bend. Notre Dame came away with a strong running game with Armando Allen picking up 93 yards and a score against the Boilermakers.

Gambling Notes

This rivalry might have the name recognition, but the games haven't been all that close. Four of the last seven meetings have been decided by double-digits. If last year's game is any indication of what we can expect, then both teams will be moving up and down the field. These two schools compiled 920 total yards on offense as the Wolverines won 38-34. As strong as the Wolverines might seem in this game, we have to remember they haven't won in the land of Touchdown Jesus since 2006...that was Chad Henne's last year in the winged helmet.

Saturday - Florida State at Oklahoma (ABC, 3:30 p.m.)

Skinny

While a lot of people are watching what is going on in Columbus, there should be just as much attention to the drama unfolding in Norman. Florida State started off on a high note with Jimbo Fisher running the show as they ripped Samford a new hole in a 59-6 romp. Christian Ponder lit up the Bulldogs for 4 touchdowns, while throwing for 167 yards in short work. The Seminoles did convert just three of four third-downs last weekend, but that'll happen when you rack up 27 first downs. The Sooners come into this contest after getting more than they bargained for in a 31-24 home win over Utah State. Oklahoma had six three-and-outs against the Aggies as Landry Jones struggled to gain 217 yards through the air. DeMarco Murray looked awful impressive on Saturday, gaining 218 yards and two touchdowns on 35 carries.

Gambling Notes

Florida State comes into this game as a 9 ½-point road pup, which isn't such a bad thing for bettors. The Seminoles have gone 8-7 SU and 8-6-1 ATS over the last five years in this role. Being home favorites against BCS schools is nothing new for the Sooners. Oklahoma is 7-0 SU and 4-2-1 ATS its games as a home "chalk" against teams from AQ conferences. A win in this game for the 'Noles gives them a very tough let down spot next week at home against BYU. After all, the Cougars will tend to remember a 54-28 loss at home last season.

Other Games to Watch

Penn State at Alabama

The SEC may have went 10-2, but the quality was lacking in many of those victories. That wasn't the case for the Crimson Tide as they begun their title defense with a 48-3 thrashing of San Jose State. Mark Ingram is "doubtful" for Saturday's tilt. Will that help Penn State as they put Robert Bolden into one of the roughest venues to play as a visitor, let alone as a true freshman quarterback.

Oregon vs.Tennessee

The Ducks didn't show mercy to New Mexico as they rolled to a 72-0 win to start the year. Derek Dooley started his time in Knoxville with a quality 50-0 win over UT-Martin. While some are against Oregon in this game as a 13-point road favorite, remember that they have gone 5-1 ATS in its last six road games against BCS schools.

Georgia at South Carolina

These two teams have played some close games over the past few years, with none of them being decided by more than seven points in the last three games. Georgia has won two straight, but the Gamecocks were impressive in dismantling Souther Miss on Sept. 2. But South Carolina hasn't beaten the Bulldogs at home since 2000.

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NCAA Football: Betting News and Notes
By Ted Sevransky

In the first weekly installment of my NCAA Notes & Quotes article of the young college football season, I’ll take a look at three major conference teams that struggled mightily in their opener; two from the SEC and one from the Big 12.

Ooops for Stoops:

Oklahoma certainly did not look like a national title contender in their opener against Utah State. After jumping out to an early 21-0 lead, the Sooners barely hung on for a 31-24 victory, bad news for a 34-point favorite.

There were certainly some bright spots. Star wideout Ryan Broyles caught nine passes for 142 yards and senior running back DeMarco Murray gained 218 yards on the ground. But QB Landry Jones completed fewer than half of his passes and the offense was only able to convert on 5 of 17 third down attempts. Meanwhile, Oklahoma’s defense showed vulnerability to the big play – six different Aggies receivers caught a pass of 25 yards or longer.

Head coach Bob Stoops was not amused. “Both sides of the ball, I thought we were inconsistent and I’m really not at all pleased with it in any way.”

QB Landry Jones wasn’t thrilled with his performance either, blaming himself for rushing his throws and not trusting his protection. “I was a little off tonight. I didn’t play very good. It’s frustrating not playing the way you know you’re capable of playing. I’ll get better.”

Offensive coordinator Kevin Wilson thought his unit was tentative for extended stretches of the game. “Quit worrying about screwing up and pin your ears back and go play. Go play, and play like an Oklahoma team is supposed to play.”

DeMarco Murray has been waiting for three years to get his chance at the full time No. 1 running back job. “No disrespect to Utah State, but they should have never been that close to us. We didn’t help the defense out, going three-and-outs a couple times in a row, and offensively we should have put a lot more points out there. We’re still young, we’re still learning.”

Linebacker Travis Lewis thought that the closer-than-expected victory could be an excellent learning opportunity for the team. “As players, we thought we were at the top of the world, ranked seventh, all that. A Utah State team comes in here and they almost beat us.So, it’s a great humbling experience as a team, as a defense and as players.”

The Sooners face a much tougher test this week when Florida State visits Norman for a Top 20 showdown. Bob Stoops will be coaching against his brother, Mark, the new defensive coordinator for the Seminoles. “The only way you want to play your brother is in a championship game. Because not only does somebody have a chance to lose, but somebody can win.”

Gator Haters:

In one of the more misleading final scores of the weekend, Florida beat Miami-Ohio 34-12. At the midway point of the third quarter, Florida had a grand total of 17 yards of total offense against a MAC opponent that went 1-11 last year. Their final touchdown came on 4th and 21, with a deflected pass caught in the end zone.

The Gators finished the game with 212 total yards, exactly matching the Redhawks production. Their offense couldn’t handle the most basic of tasks, like the center-quarterback exchange, putting the ball on the turf a whopping eight times. The Gators converted only three third down tries all afternoon, while gaining just 3.8 yards per play.

Florida quarterback John Brantley spent the day after the game working with star senior center Mike Pouncey on the exchange. “I don’t know if it was the heat, the sweaty hands, I don’t know what it was, but we’re figuring that out.” Pouncey said that he has adjusted his grip on the football to make the exchange easier.

Brantley certainly wasn’t panicking despite the rough debut as the starter: “Things went wrong, but we’ll learn from our mistakes. We’ll get better from here.” Head coach Urban Meyer agreed with that assessment: “There are a lot of guys with a lot of pride (on this team).”

Meyer was very disappointed in his team’s blocking in the win. “Our edge blocking is something that we take great pride in around here and our receivers have to improve at. When I talk about perimeter blocking, we have fast guys. The first four plays of the game, if we execute on the edge we have big plays, and that didn’t happen.”

And Meyer was quick to caution his squad about the strength of this week’s opponent, South Florida, a team that has beaten Florida State and Auburn on the road in recent years. “This is an SEC-caliber team that we’re playing.” The early money has come in on the underdog Bulls, driving the current line down to -15.

Busted Nutt:

The single most publicized upset from the opening weekend of college football came in Oxford, when Mississippi lost in double overtime to FCS foe Jacksonville State. After a convoluted week where Oregon transfer quarterback Jeremiah Masoli was ruled ineligible, then eligible in a two day span; it was the Ole Miss defense that fell apart in the defeat.

Defensive coordinator Tyrone Nix signed a fat contract to stay at Ole Miss in the offseason, but he’s already feeling heat from the locals after the Gamecocks racked up 49 points against the Rebels. The Rebels allowed the winning touchdown on a fourth and 15 pass, and they allowed a pair of key two-point conversions. The first conversion came at the end of regulation to tie the game, the second came in double overtime resulting in the one point loss.

Jacksonville State did not march up and down the field all afternoon. The Gamecocks trailed 31-13 after three quarters, held under 100 yards of total offense before scoring touchdowns on their last five drives of the game as the Rebels defense wilted late. Other than the key points allowed stat, Ole Miss had decent defensive numbers, allowing only 103 rushing yards and 252 passing yards for the game.

Linebacker D.T. Shackelford manned up to the defensive weaknesses following the game. “We played embarrassingly. That’s not up to our standards at all.”

The Rebels defense should get a major boost this Saturday if star defensive end Kentrell Lockett is allowed to play, after getting cleared by doctors who were concerned about his heart ailment. Lockett: “If we ball out the rest of the season, we can make people forget the first game.”

Head coach Houston Nutt doesn’t seem too concerned with the lingering effects of the loss. “You have to put that last one to bed, learn and correct as many things as possible and get going. That’s the thing about this game, it is a tremendous teacher. It is a lot like life, things aren’t going to always go as you planned. It is all about your attitude and how you get back up.”

Nutt continued: “There were a lot of hurt feelings and we expected that. You want it to hurt. I know we can have a good football team; we just have to get going and get back out on the field.”

Nutt also said that he’ll continue to rotate quarterbacks Jeremiah Masoli and Nathan Stanley for at least one more week. The Rebels gained 479 yards of offense and hung 48 points against the Gamecocks, but three key turnovers – two fumbles and a Masoli interception -- prevented them from turning the game into a blowout.

Ole Miss is currently a 20.5-point favorite this week as they travel to New Orleans to take on Tulane.

Look Aheads and Let Downs - Week 2
By Judd Hall

There was no shortage of excitement in college football’s opening weekend. Upsets, however, were at a premium. The biggest shock was Ole Miss falling at home to FCS school Jacksonville State. I firmly believe this was due to the school not being able to get Admiral Ackbar as their new mascot.

Regardless of oddly dressed person on the sidelines, the Rebels could very well be set for a surprising letdown. That means we are in line for some positive chances for the underdogs to be barking. Let’s look at a few games that fall into this category.

What a Rebel Hell…

How many folks at Ole Miss are wishing that Jeremiah Masoli was denied his appeal to play last week? That might be a bit far fetched but that’s all Rebels fans can think of after losing 49-48 in double overtime to Jacksonville State last Saturday.

Mississippi was strong on the attack with 479 total yards on offense and wasn’t penalized once during the game. Yet they coughed up the ball three times (four with the turnover on downs) to the Gamecocks, which led to 14 points. Plus, the Rebs couldn’t stop JSU drives short as they were 8-of-17 on third downs.

The betting shops aren’t too worried about that loss as they’ve made Ole Miss a 20 ½-point road favorite against the Green Wave.

It’s awfully hard to think that Tulane will push Houston Nutt into drinking some Black Label on the sideline, but there is a chance it can happen. The Green Wave are coming off of a 27-21 home win over Southeastern Louisiana. That win doesn’t sound like much, but it’s the first time Tulane has won a season opener since 2002.

The Green Wave were quite balanced on the attack last week (123 rushing yards, 129 passing yards), which could give Ole Miss some fits. But that all depends on how well Nutt gets his team to bounce back this week.

Pirates on a High…

Out of all the excitement of last weekend’s action, the biggest of the bunch was East Carolina’s 51-49 win as a seven-point home pup over the Golden Hurricane on a Hail Mary pass to Justin Jones as time expired. Not a bad way for Ruffin McNeill to open his career as a head coach at his alma mater.

Most sportsbooks have no doubt parlayed that finish into making the Pirates 12 ½-point home favorites against Memphis.

You can’t fault the betting shops for setting the line as they did in this game. ECU took quickly to Lincoln Riley’s offense, gaining 538 of total offense. And they are taking on a Tigers squad that was decimated 49-7 at Mississippi State last weekend.

So why would you take a stab with the Tigers, a team that hasn’t beaten East Carolina since 2005 and covered against them since 2000?

It can happen if you have a first-year coach and a first-year offensive coordinator taking care of an offense that brought back just five starters. This team could easily find itself confused by a passing attack that only gained 196 yards through the air, but were 20-of-32 on pass attempts. Not a bad number considering that the Bulldogs are an up-and-coming team in the SEC.

Sleeping Huskies…

Jake Locker has been tabbed as the next top pick in the next NFL Draft. As far as Washington fans are concerned, he was the reason they lost 23-17 to the Cougars. Now the Huskies come home to face off with Syracuse as 13 ½-point favorites this Saturday.

So why would this game be a problem for Huskies? Well, losing a game that they could have easily won in Provo last week is a tough pill to swallow. But Washington has the Cornhuskers coming to town on Sept. 18. That’s a Top 10 team coming into the Pacific Northwest. How can you keep your eyes on the lowly Orange?

They should keep their eyes on Syracuse for this game because they’re not as bad as they had once been. The Orange are coming off of a 29-3 win at Akron last week eight-point road faves for their first season opening win since Paul Pasqualoni was roaming the sidelines on 2003. This is a tough test for the ‘Cuse as they’re practically traveling the entire length of the country. But bettors can take heart in the fact that the Orange are 6-12 SU and 11-7 ATS as a road pup against non-conference teams since 1998. Adding a little a fuel to the fire is the fact that Washington is 4-1 SU and 1-4 ATS in its last five games as a home “chalk” against non-conference teams.

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Saturday's Games

Highlighted Games

Georgia's star WR Green is suspended for this game; Dawgs are 4-0 last four visits here, winning by average score of 16-8- they're 7-1 overall in last eight series games. Dawgs are 4-6-1 as road favorite since '06; they have 10 starters back on offemse, replacing only shaky QB Cox. USC is 4-1-1 in last six as home dog. Underdog is 3-1-1 in last five series games.

Wake Forest won last ten games vs Duke, with road team covering four of last five; Duke lost last two visits here, 14-13/33-30ot. Deacons are just 8-18 vs spread in last 28 tries as home favorite, 16-32-1 as favorite overall. Duke is 29-14 as dog on road since '02. Only one of Wake's last five series wins was by more than five points.

Florida was awful on offense for three quarters last week, gaining just 212 yards vs Miami OH; Gators have SEC opener wit Tennessee next, are on upset alert vs South Florida squad that won at Florida State LY and at Auburn in '07. Holtz was 14-5 vs spread as road dog with East Carolina; Bulls are 8-4 as road dog since '05. Florida is 25-11 as home favorite since '04.

Underdog covered four of last five Iowa-Iowa State games; Cyclones lost last two visits here, 27-17/17-5; its been 14 quarters since their last TD in this series. Since 2004, State is 15-11 as road dog. Since 2006, Iowa is 7-12 as home favorite; their top seven rushers from LY are back. Both teams have experienced senior QBs. Iowa blocked a punt for TD in their easy win last week. This is an underrated rivalry.

California is 12-7 vs spread in last 19 games as favorite, 9-2 in last 11 as home fave; they've got four starters back on OL and senior QB with 24 career starts who has been disappointment. Colorado is 7-13 as road dog since '05; they've got two experienced QBs and all five starters back on its OL. Buffs held Colorado State to 245 yards in 24-3 win last week.

Oklahoma was outgained 442-441 at home by Utah State last week; not sure if that is red flag, but it ain't good. Sooners are 16-7-1 as home fave since '06. Florida State has senior QB with 23 starts and all five starters back on OL; they're 6-5 as road dog since '06, but just 12-18 vs spread in non-league games since '04. LY's top seven FSU rushers are back in '10.

Underdogs won SU last five times Michigan visited Notre Dame; average total in last four series games is 55.8. Wolverines are 2-5 as road dog last two years- they ran ball for 287 yards last week in surprisingly easy win over UConn, converting 14-19 on third down. Irish have 11 of their top 13 tacklers back but are just 11-23-1 in last 35 games as home favorite.

Miami is 12-7 vs spread as underdog last ten years, 9-6 as road dog since '02; 'canes have three new starters on OL but have experienced junior QB with 14 career starts. Ohio State covered six of last eight games as home favorite; they're got nine starters back on offense with 3rd-year starting QB. Last time these teams met was for national title eight years ago.

BYU won last six games vs Air Force by average score of 41-22, taking last two visits here, 33-14/38-24. Cougars, who are playing pair of QBs to start season, are 7-10 vs spread in last 17 road games- they did a great job of containing Washington running game last week. Air Force is 17-7 vs spread in last 24 MWC games; they covered 11 of last 15 at home.

Tennessee DC Wilcox played for Oregon, but Ducks are powerful- they beat New Mexico 72-0 last week, leading 59-0 at half, they ran ball for 269 yards, passed for 351, but this is first road start for young Thomas, the new QB. Tennessee is on third HC in last three years; they lost 13 of 22 starters from LY. Oregon is 15-10 as a road favorite since '01. Vols are 4-5 vs spread in last nine games as home underdog.

Alabama lost nine starters from LY's defense; they held San Jose State to 175 yards in easy win last week (led 31-3 at half). Tide is 13-7 as a fave last two years, but just 7-6 at home. Penn State has freshman QB making first road start in very tough stadium; Lions are 3-8 vs spread in last 11 games as road dog (0-3 since '06). PSU has four starters back on OL.

Central Florida (+8) upset NC State 25-23 in Raleigh in '07; Knights are 9-5-1 vs spread as home favorite since '05, but they covered just 10 of last 28 non-league games. Wolfpack is 22-10 as road underdog since '00; they're 8-6 vs spread on road under O'Brien. UCF is 0-9 at home against teams from BCS leagues. NC State QB Wilson has 24 career starts.

Stanford lost last six visits to UCLA by average of 12 points, losing last two visits here, 31-0/23-20; Cardinal is 1-3 as road favorite since 2006, 7-10 vs spread on road under Harbaugh. Bruins are 11-4 as a home dog since '03 (0-2 LY); they gave up 313 rushing yards in loss at Kansas St last week. Soph QB Prince completed just 9-26 on a bright sunny day.

Rest of the Card

-- Georgia Tech is 5-0 as road favorite under Johnson. Kansas is 0-4 as a home dog since '06; they lost 6-3 to I-AA North Dakota St last week.
-- East Carolina won its last four games vs Memphis by average score of 40-22; Pirates 10-6 as home favorite since '06. Tigers covered jsut two of last nine as a road underdog.
-- Army coach Ellerson is Hawai'i grad; his Cadets are 4-6 as home fave since '04. Long road trip for Hawai'i club that is 6-4 as road dog since '03.
-- Wisconsin is 18-12 in last 30 games as home favorite; this is kind of a sandwich game (UNLV/Arizona St.) for Badgers. San Jose State is 0-7-1 vs spread in last eight games as road dog.
-- Idaho has ten starters back on defense, senior QB with 21 starts, but they're 15-24 as road dog since '04. Nebraska goes to Washington next week; they're 8-11 as home favorite since '07.
-- LSU won 10 of last 11 games vs Vanderbilt, winning last five by 25-6 average; Tigers almost let three-TD lead slip away vs North Carolina in opener. Vandy missed a PAT, two 2-point conversions in 23-21 home loss to Northwestern last week- they're 8-14 as a home dog.
-- Eastern Michigan lost last six visits to Miami by average of 12 points. Miami is 1-6-1 in last eight games as home favorite; their defense played well in Gainesville last week (Gators 26 TY first three quarters).
-- Boston College is 16-8-2 as home favorite since '05; they've covered four in row vs MAC teams. Kent covered two of last nine non-MAC games- they're 10-8 in last 18 games as road underdog.
-- UNLV is 8-19-1 as road underdog since '04; they lost last two visits to Utah, 45-23/42-21. Utes are 10-8-2 as home favorite since '05.
-- Tulsa (-5.5) whacked Bowling Green 63-7 in a bowl in '07; Falcons are 11-4 in last 15 games as road underdog, covering last six. Tulsa had brutal loss Sunday, losing 51-49 on 33-yard Hail Mary on last play of game.
-- Wyoming is playing with heavy hearts; a player died in car crash last weekend. Texas plays Texas Tech next week; they're 18-12 in their last 30 games as a home favorite.
-- Texas A&M is 14-9 as home favorite since '04, 5-3 under Sherman; Louisiana Tech is 8-26 as a road underdog the last six years.
-- Washington is 1-9 as home favorite since '02, 12-28-2 as fave overall the last decade. Syracuse is 29-14 vs spread in non-league games since '01, but they're 16-22 as road underdog since '00.
-- Toledo won last 11 games vs Ohio, winning last five here, but they're 7-18 vs spread as road dog since '04. Rockets won last two meetings by 43-40/30-21 scores. Bobcats are playing Ohio State next week.
-- Baylor (-3) won 34-21 at Buffalo in '07. Bulls were 16-7 as road dog in four years under former coach Gill. Baylor is 3-2 as home favorite with Briles as coach- they play TCU next, could be looking ahead.
-- New Mexico State covered two of last nine as home dog; they lost by 17 at San Diego State LY. Aztecs were +3 in turnovers, outgained Aggies by only 18 yards (252-234).
-- SMU is 0-7 as home favorite since '07; they won last three games vs UAB, upsetting Blazers LY as 11-point dog. UAB is 4-9 in their last 13 games as road dog. Mustangs are on short week after Texas Tech loss.
-- Texas Tech covered five of last seven as road favorite; they're playing Texas next week, should look past New Mexico squad that was down at halftime 59-0 last week at Oregon.
-- Ole Miss won last nine games vs Tulane, winning last four visits here by 20-point average; rebels were up 31-10 last week, got beat at home by I-AA Jacksonville State. Tulane is 5-13-1 as home dog since '05.
-- Nevada is amazing 19-4 vs spread as home favorite since '04; the home team won their last three games vs Colorado State. Rams lost last visit here 28-10; they're 1-7 as road underdog under Fairchild.
-- Virginia has new coach; they're 8-4 as road dog since '07, after covering one of ten between '03-'06. USC was in Hawai'i last week; they're 26-11 vs spread in non-league games, 21-25 in last 46 games as a favorite.
-- Kentucly covered two of last seven games as home favorite. Western Kentucky is 6-7 vs spread in its last 13 games as a road underdog.
-- Florida Atlantic gave up 345 rushing yards at UAB last week, but still rallied for wild 32-31 win; they're 10-18-1 as road dog since '05- they got beat 17-0 by Michigan State on rainy day two years ago. Spartans play Notre Dame, will likely overlook this game.
-- UL-Monroe didn't play last week; they're 18-11 as road dog since '04. Arkansas needed two 4th quarter TDs to nip ULM 28-27 two years ago. Hogs play Georgia in SEC opener next.
-- Rice (-17) humiliated North Texas 77-20 two years ago. North Texas is 1-6 as home favorite since '05. Owls are 12-17 as road dog since '05.
-- Home side won four of last five Arkansas State/UL-Lafayette games, with ASU losing last two visits here, 28-13/28-23. ASU lost last seven visits here and covered just three of last 15 as road underdog.
-- Oklahoma State is 12-5 as home favorite since '06; they're very young team, hosting Troy club that lost 8 starters on defense, but is 12-9-1 vs spread as road underdog since 2004.
-- Rutgers is 5-2 vs spread in last eight games as road favorite. Florida International (+16) lost 23-15 at Rutgers LY; Scarlet Knights outrushed FIU 160-42. FIU covered six of last eight as home dog.

Week 2 college football line moves
By Chad Millman

In theory, the second week of a football season, whether it's college or pro, should be a heckuva lot easier to handicap than Week 1. Instead of an offseason spent reading and studying and trying to glean the slightest intent from a coach's quote, you can base your decisions on a team's actual performance.

Although, you're still not completely out of the guessing fields. "That first week you are looking to play a team if the starting QB, starting coach and three of the five offensive linemen are returning," says veteran capper Bryan Leonard. "After that you have to decide if what you saw in Week 1 is the true identity of that team. For example, was that Miami of Ohio team playing the game of its life against Florida or did it mature from last season? Or, is Florida in trouble or does it just need time to regroup after losing some key veteran players? It is still very hard to watch a game and say a team is overperforming and another is underperforming. You need at least three or four more weeks. And that is why you see a lot of line movements here early in the season."

Which brings us to this week's college football line moves report. The drill is the same as last week, and last season. I asked Bryan to give me the wiseguy insight on five games where lines have made big moves or ones in which fans will be paying a lot of attention. So here we go ...

Georgia Tech at Kansas

Line move: Tech opened as 11.5-point favorites, currently favored by two touchdowns.

Leonard says that means: "Obviously the move is because of Kansas. Turner Gill is a good coach, but he's in his first year with that team and as a rule you don't want to bet on first-year coaches at home in their first game. The expectation and level of excitement is too high, so the teams tend to underperform. Kansas actually outplayed North Dakota State last week, it just didn't show up on the scoreboard. This move was as much about wiseguys staking a position as anything else. They know that the public saw Kansas lose and will bet against them. When the 11.5 came out on Sunday night, sharps saw this game as an opportunity for potentially buying back on Kansas plus the points at a much higher number, presenting a nice middle situation. It ends up costing you nothing if you do that with equal bets on both sides."

Georgia at South Carolina

Line move: South Carolina opened as 1.5-point fave, currently 3.5-point fave.

Leonard says that means: "There are two reasons why this is moving in South Carolina's direction. First, it played on national television and looked very good. This is the most well-rounded team Steve Spurrier has had. But it also has a lot to do with the players not on the field. Georgia has lost A.J. Green to an NCAA suspension and SC didn't play three key players last week for team reasons. Moves like these are tough to gauge. Look at last week: SC opened up as a 14-point favorite. Then the NCAA announced a bunch of potential suspensions for the team and the line dipped to 11.5. Then, just before the game, word leaked on Twitter and then was confirmed that some of those players could suit up, so the line jumped back up to 13. This week I think people are expecting South Carolina to reinstate the three guys who didn't play last week, so they started betting the 1.5 in anticipation of that. Plus, with Green out, the line immediately moved up half a point."

Florida State at Oklahoma

Line move: The Seminoles were nine-point dogs, line is now down to Sooners minus-7.5.

Leonard says that means: "This move is because it's one of those Week 1 to Week 2 scenarios that leaves you guessing. Oklahoma was highly touted coming into the season. Phil Steele picked them to win the title. But the Sooners struggled in that first game against Utah State, which was missing its two best playmakers and still moved the ball. Meanwhile, Florida State played weak competition and did what it was supposed to do: dominate. So maybe FSU is better than we thought and Oklahoma is still a little uneven. Or we could be wrong about how bad we thought Utah State was. You try to make adjustments three or four games down the road this is one where we are still feeling it out a bit. But we are feeling it out in Florida State's favor."

Penn State at Alabama

Line move: Bama opened as 11-point faves, currently favored by 12.

Leonard says that means: "To me this isn't a big move but all wiseguys know that Penn State will not be very good this year. In the first half against Youngstown State, the team struggled before eventually wearing down a weaker opponent. But Bama without Ingram dominated. Teams in the SEC are so much stronger around the line, they can push anyone around at any time. Bama is just the better team at this point. The general public thinks this is Joe Paterno and Penn State, so the wiseguys wanted to get the 11 while it was available. If it gets to 13 wiseguys will probably buy a little bit back."

Miami at Ohio State

Line move: Ohio State opened at minus 9.5, currently minus-9.

Leonard says that means: "Another small move. I actually bet this as a game of the year offering at one of the books a while back when it was Ohio State minus-8. The line movement is because Miami looked good in Week 1 and, while Ohio State did too, people are thinking Miami is better than projected. I actually think this is a statement game for Ohio State, which has always been known as a powerful team without any speed. Now it is going to come out and play with a chip on its shoulder to prove that it has been recruiting speed. Also, Randy Shannon has not played well against top teams on the road. Last year Miami lost to Virginia Tech on the road and the year before that it lost to Florida and Georgia Tech. Ultimately, I think it means more to Ohio State to look good."

Game of the day: Miami at Ohio State
By PATRICK GARBIN

For what appears to be the best Saturday of matchups we’ll see this college football season, Miami and Ohio State square off in the afternoon’s featured game.

In only the Hurricanes and Buckeyes’ fourth meeting ever and second in Columbus, the spread is somewhat lofty. However, there are some factors which show this game could end closer than the experts think.

Line movement

Ohio State opened as 9.5-point favorites but early action on Miami moved the line all the way down to -8, where it increased to -8.5 and has remained.

Approximately 85 percent of the public has sided with the over, which is evident by the total steadily rising from 45.5.

Significant Injuries

Ohio State’s Nathan Williams, a projected starter at defensive end, missed the season opener versus Marshall with a knee sprain. He has since been upgraded to probable and will certainly be needed as the Buckeyes are thin along their defensive line.

Miami’s Graig Cooper, the team’s leading rusher the last three seasons, played very little last week after undergoing major knee surgery in January. Despite Cooper’s appearance against Florida A&M, coach Randy Shannon said the senior tailback "probably" won't play against the Buckeyes.

Must run to win

For Ohio State and coach Jim Tressel, the recipe to win has been a rather simple one: Run the ball well.

Last season, when the Buckeyes averaged at least three yards per rush, they had an 11-0 record (8-3 ATS). In Ohio State’s two losses (USC and Purdue), it averaged a combined 2.7 yards per rush.

Returning its top five rushers from a year ago, Ohio State expects to have one of the better rushing offenses in the country. However, it must face a Miami defense that returns seven starters, including five of its front seven.

Although the Hurricanes were at time susceptible to the run, against the reputable rushing attacks of Florida State, Georgia Tech, and Clemson in 2009, Miami yielded an average of less than 100 yards and just 2.8 yards per carry.

Under pressure

In 2009, Miami quarterback Jacory Harris was prone to mistakes and ineffective at times. In the Hurricanes’ three regular-season losses – all of which Miami was favored to win – Harris completed only 53 percent of his passes, just three touchdowns and was intercepted eight times.

Despite Harris’ apparent flaws, he still is regarded as one of college football’s best quarterbacks, who is rarely rattled and always calm under pressure. But that could be difficult for Harris to uphold in front of 105,000 fans in the Horseshoe.

“(Miami) is a game of pressure and we're going to need pressure," said Tressel.

Key matchup

Although the success of the Buckeyes’ rushing attack is important, quarterback Terrelle Pryor’s performance – both rushing and passing - could decide its outcome.

Pryor is a gifted runner, who often turns a broken play into a nice gain. He has also proved to be an effective passer as he matures, as evident by last season’s Rose Bowl performance.

The dual-threat quarterback will be difficult to contain but the Hurricanes feel they are up to the challenge.

"Going against Jacory (Harris) every day (in practice),” said Miami defensive tackle Marcus Fortson, “we can be ready for any quarterback."

Trends

Ohio State is nearly unbeatable at home, going 52-5 SU, including 31-20-1 ATS in Ohio Stadium since 2002.

Miami is 9-6 ATS since 2002 as a road underdog, including an outright winner as an underdog on the road at least once in each of the previous three seasons.

Penn State at Alabama: What Bettors Need to Know
By MARC LAWRENCE

Top-ranked Alabama plays host No. 14 Penn State in a super-sexy battle at Bryant-Denny Stadium Saturday night.

SEC in the city

Penn State travels to Tuscaloosa tonight for its first regular-season game against an SEC opponent since 1990 when they blanked Alabama, 9-0, here as 2.5-point underdog.

The Nittany Lions are 6-2 straight-up and against the spread against SEC opponents (all bowl games) since that contest.

Joe Paterno is 4-8 against the Crimson Tide and leads the series 2-1 in games played in Tuscaloosa. Alabama scored nine points in those three games.

PSU played four games against the SEC while Paterno was an assistant coach, starting in 1957.

As the Nittany Lions’ head coach, Joe Pa is 14-14 against the SEC, the only conference against which Paterno hasn’t won at least 63 percent of his games.

Astonishingly, Penn State has never played in a game against an SEC team without Paterno.

College football’s all-time winningest coach also recalled the inaugural Liberty Bowl in Philadelphia.

"We played Alabama in the Liberty Bowl in 1959 and they didn't have any blacks. We tried to have home and home with some of the SEC teams but you can't get them to come up.”

“Alabama has been willing to come home and home. And we've had good games, a good series… The Alabama game is a good game for us even though I feel we're outmanned for this one because of age and maturity,” said Paterno.

Heisman holocaust

It started in 2007 when Heisman front-runner Dennis Dixon, the Oregon quarterback, tore his ACL against Arizona State.

The 8-2 Ducks lost their last three games and ended the season in the Sun Bowl.

Oklahoma quarterback and 2008 Heisman winner Sam Bradford, the No. 1 pick in this year’s NFL draft, tore his shoulder in his first game of 2009.

The Sooners began the season with legitimate championship hopes. They ended the campaign 8-5… in the Sun Bowl.

Texas quarterback and Heisman finalist Colt McCoy went down against the Crimson Tide in the 2010 BCS National Championship game.

Freshman QB Garrett Gilbert stepped in and committed five turnovers in a 37-21 loss.

Last year’s Heisman winner, RB Mark Ingram of Alabama, will miss his second-straight game tonight with a hip injury.

Fortunately, the Crimson is arguably the deepest team in the land and its second-string backup, Trent Richardson, could start for just about any team in the country.

In fact, Alabama’s third-string back, Eddie Lacy, could start just about anywhere else in the Southeastern Conference.

Star defensive end Marcell Dareus didn’t play Saturday due to a suspension, yet defense still didn’t lose a step. He will be sidelined again tonight.

"It's a test that really defines where you are and a little bit of who you are, and it tells you where you have to go to get where you want to be," said Tide head coach Nick Saban.

Can’t touch this

• Alabama has not allowed an opposing player to rush for at least 100 yards in its past 35 games. Penn State has not allowed a 100-yard rusher in its past 17 games, the nation's third-longest streak.

• Alabama has won the past 22 games in which it has made an interception.

• Alabama has won 25 of the 31 games it has played when ranked No. 1 in the AP poll.

• Crimson Tide QB Greg McElroy was a backup in high school to Chase Daniel and didn’t start until his senior season. He is 31-0 in games he has started.

• Penn State quarterback, Robert Bolden, is the first true freshman to start behind center for the Lions in the Joe Paterno era.

• Since Paterno became Penn State's coach in 1966, NCAA FBS schools have made 860 coaching changes.

• The Nittany Lions are 8-21 against the spread in games versus undefeated opponents since 1980.

Boo who?

Coach Saban is taking a staunch stand against fans booing the opposition.

The catcalls reached a crescendo when San Jose State took the field in last week’s season opener, and Saban didn’t like it one bit.

"Our football program and our stadium is probably the largest window that anyone looks at in the state of Alabama and maybe the University of Alabama," he said. "And I just don't think there's any place for booing anywhere in college football, and that includes booing the other team."

He went on to say that Penn State "is a class program with class people that have been there for 45 years and done wonderful things for college football, the game of football, and a lot of people over a 45-year period… I think it would be a (bleep) crying-(bleep) shame if we booed 'em when they come into the stadium like we did last week's team. I just don't understand that."

Think about this

Since 1980, defending national champions are 15-40 against the spread in non-conference games when playing off a straight-up and pointspread win in its last game.

Tips and Trends

Michigan Wolverines at Notre Dame Fighting Irish

WOLVERINES: That breath you hear is Coach Rich Rod exhaling, as the Wolverines were able to beat UCONN in their season opener. Michigan had arguably the most impressive Week 1 win, beating a good UCONN team 30-10 SU as a 3 point favorite. The breakout star of their season opening win was sophomore QB Denard Robinson. Robinson rushed for 197 YDS and threw for 186 YDS, in addition to scoring 2 TD's. Coach Rodriguez finally has his clone of QB Pat White, and with this being his critical 3rd year coaching the Wolverines, he couldn't be happier. Moving forward, it appears Robinson is going to continue to rush the football and keep the time of possession in the Wolverines favor. Because of their impressive win against UCONN, the sharp action is in favor of Michigan today. This point spread originally opened at +6, which is now down to +3.5. The Wolverines have played to the over in 9 of their past 12 road games. Michigan has also played to the over in 7 of their past 10 games against an Independent school.

Michigan is 4-0 ATS last 4 non-conference games.
Over is 8-1 last 9 road games against a team with a winning home record.

Key Injuries - S Junior Hemingway (hamstring) is questionable.

Projected Score: 30 (SIDE of the Day)

FIGHTING IRISH: (-3.5, O/U 53) The Brian Kelly era is off to solid start, as Notre Dame won their season opener against Purdue 23-12 SU. The Fighting Irish defense was the surprise of the game, yet Notre Dame still lost ATS by 0.5 point. Notre Dame has struggled with the Wolverines of late, losing 3 of the past 4 meetings SU. However, the Fighting Irish have won 4 of the past 5 games against Michigan at home. Notre Dame isn't expected to use their no huddle offense as much this week, as they want to keep the ball away from the dangerous Michigan offense. Coach Kelly needs to rest his defense more, as even in victory they allowed Purdue to have multiple drives of 15 plays. If that happens against the Wolverines, it's likely to lead to defeat. WR Michael Floyd is sure to gain confidence when he sees the Michigan uniforms, as he had 7 catches for 131 YDS last year against them. Notre Dame is only 8-20 ATS in their past 28 home games. However, the home team is 6-2 ATS in the past 8 meetings amongst these two teams.

Notre Dame is 5-15 ATS last 20 home games against a team with a winning road record.
Under is 7-3 last 10 games after allowing less than 20 points in their previous game.

Key Injuries - C Dan Wenger (concussion) is questionable.

Projected Score: 27

Miami Hurricanes at Ohio St. Buckeyes

HURRICANES: Miami finally has their chance to back up all their talk. The team simply know as the U gets to face the 2nd ranked team in the country on the road, as well as the team that cost them a National Championship in 2003. Miami and Ohio St. haven't met since the Fiesta Bowl in 2003, so the Hurricanes have had to wait quite some time to exact their revenge. Miami opened their season with a dominating 45-0 rout of Florida AM. Miami was a 40.5 favorite in that game, and they were so successful that they never punted in the contest. The Hurricanes also didn't allow a single point, the first time they've had that type of success since 2006. Miami is going to be led into the Horseshoe behind the arm of QB Jacory Harris. Much like his counterpart, Terrelle Pryor, Harris threw 3 TD's in the season opener. Harris led the ACC with 3,352 passing YDS last year, yet he also had a conference high 17 INT's. Harris will need to play with poise tonight, a tough act in such a hostile environment. The Hurricanes are looking to unleash their speedy defense against the Buckeyes. Miami is likely to blitz from every conceivable angle, to try to confuse and disrupt the Buckeyes passing game.

Miami is 2-10 ATS last 12 games following a SU win of more than 20 points.
Under is 37-15 last 52 non-conference games.

Key Injuries - LB Jordan Futch (knee) is questionable.

Projected Score: 17

BUCKEYES: (-8.5, O/U 46.5) Ohio St. dominated Marshall in their season opener, but things are about to get alot tougher. After being favored by 28 points, the Buckeyes are only 8.5 favorites at home this evening. Coach Tressel will know exactly what type of team he has after facing off with the Hurricanes tonight. Ohio St. comes into this evening's contest as the 2nd ranked team in the country. The last time the Buckeyes faced Miami, they won the national title in the Fiesta Bowl in 2003. Heisman Trophy candidate Terrelle Pryor is coming off a 3 TD performance against Marshall, and he will be counted on to lead his team over the Hurricanes. Pryor has the necessary mobility to beat Miami, as he will be able to use his speed to remain elusive against a speedy Hurricanes defense. This game against the Hurricanes will be one of only 3 games this year that Ohio St. will be a single digit favorite in. The Buckeyes have saved their best performances against their toughest opponents, going 8-1 ATS against their past 9 opponents with a winning record.

Ohio St. is 5-0 ATS last 5 non-conference games.
Under is 8-2 last 10 non-conference games.

Key Injuries - DL Nathan Williams (knee) is probable.

Projected Score: 24 (UNDER-Total of the Day)