College Football Betting News and Notes Saturday, November 11th, 2017

College Football Week 11

Underdogs covered 10 of last 11 Virginia Tech-Georgia Tech games; road team won last four series games. Hokies won their last three visits to Atlanta, by 2-7-11 points. Va Tech is 1-2 this season in games with single-digit spread; they’re 1-2 on road, winning at ECU/BC but losing in Miami LW, 28-10. Ga Tech is 3-0 at home but lost last two games, 24-10 at Clemson, 40-36 at Virginia. GT completed only 6-22 passes LW; thats 16 empty plays, too many. Five of Hokies’ last six games, four of Jackets’ last six games stayed under total.

Wake Forest lost four of last five games after a 4-0 start; they need one more win to go to a bowl. Deacons are 2-3 on road, losing last three games on foreign soil, by 14-14-11 points. Syracuse is 4-5, needs two wins for a bowl; they beat Pitt/Clemson in last two home games. Home side won five of last six Wake Forest-Syracuse games; Deacons lost last three games in Carrier Dome, by 13-13-7 points. Wake snapped a 4-game series skid with 28-9 home win over the Orange LY. Deacons’ last three games went over total; last five Syracuse games stayed under.

Ohio State gave up 93 points in last two games, losing 55-24 at Iowa LW; Buckeyes allowed 243 rushing yards, were -4 in turnovers in Iowa City LW. Under Meyer, Buckeyes are 2-2 vs spread in game following a loss. Michigan State won five of last six games, with loss in OT at Northwestern- they lost 38-18 at home to Notre Dame. Dogs covered last six MSU-OSU games; road teams won last six series games SU. Spartans won last three visits Columbus: 17-14/34-24/10-7. Four of last six series games were decided by 3 or less points. Last six OSU games went over the total; over is 3-1 in Spartans’ last four games.

Wyoming won five of last six games after a 1-2 start; they beat rival Colorado State in rain/snow LW. Cowboys are 1-2 on road, losing 24-3 at Iowa, 24-14 in Boise- they won at Utah State. Air Force got shut out at home by Army LW, snapping 3-game win streak; Falcons are 1-2 at home vs I-A teams, and they trailed 30-7 in the one win. Underdogs covered seven of last eight Wyoming-Air Force games; home side won last three series games, but Cowboys won two of last three visits here. Under is 6-2 in Wyoming games, 2-5 in last seven Air Force games.

Underdogs covered four of last five West Virginia-Kansas State games; WVU won 17-16 LY- they lost 24-23/35-12 in last two visits to the Little Apple. West Virginia is 2-1 in true road games, losing 31-24 at TCU, winning at Kansas/Baylor- they lost by 7 to Va Tech in Landover. K-State is 5-4, needs one more win to go bowling; Wildcats just won road games at Kansas/Texas Tech, scoring 72 points- they’re 1-3 vs spread as a favorite this year. K-State lost its last two home games, to Texas/Oklahoma. Over is 5-2 in last seven West Virginia games.

Oklahoma beat rival Okla State 62-52 LW; Sooners won their last four games, three on road- they’re 3-1 vs spread as a home favorite this year. TCU scored 7-24 points in its last two games, splitting pair after a 7-0 start. Frogs covered their only game as an underdog this year. Oklahoma won five of last six games with TCU, winning 30-20/52-46 last two years, running ball for 260-333 yards. Horned Frogs lost last three visits to Norman, by 1-3-25 points. Underdogs covered three of last four series games. Over is 5-2 in last seven Oklahoma games, 0-5 in last five TCU games.

Oklahoma State won its last five games with Iowa State, winning 35-31/38-31 last couple years. Cowboys won 35-31/58-27 in their last two visits to Ames. OSU won four of its last five games, scoring 102 points in last two games, but they lost 62-52 home game to Oklahoma LW, giving up 798 yards, 598 thru air. Cyclones won five of last six games, losing 20-16 at WVU LW; ISU is 2-2 at home vs I-A teams, holding Kansas to 0-7 points in last two home games. Over is 5-2 in Cowboys’ last seven games, 1-6 in Cyclones’ last seven games.

Miami is a home underdog despite being 8-0; Hurricanes are 5-0 at home- this is first time this season Miami is an underdog. ‘canes allowed 200+ rushing yards in three consecutive games, vs FSU/Ga Tech/Syracuse- three of their last five wins are by 5 or less points. Notre Dame won seven in row since 20-19 home loss to Georgia; five of their last seven games went over the total. Notre Dame outgained Miami 411-306 in a 30-27 (+1) home win over the Hurricanes LY, teams’ first meeting in a while. Last six Miami games stayed under the total.

Washington State gave up 95 points in losing its last two road games, its only losses this season; Coogs won 33-10 at Oregon in their only other road game. Wazzu is 4-2 vs spread in games with a single digit spread. Utah snapped 4-game skid when they hammered UCLA last week; Utes lost home games by 3 to Stanford, 20 to Arizona State- they’re 3-1-1 vs spread in games with a ingle digit spread. Underdogs covered four of last six Washington State-Utah games; teams haven’t met since 2014. Six of last seven Wazzu games stayed under the total; over is 3-1 in last four Utah games.

USC won its last six games with Colorado, but Buffaloes covered three of last four; Trojans won 27-24 (-18.5) in last visit to Boulder in 2015. USC hasn’t had a week off this season; next week id their last regular season game- they’re 2-2 on road, losing by 3 at Wazzu, 35 at Notre Dame. Trojans scored 48-49 points in winning both their games since the ND loss. Colorado is 5-5, needs one more win for a bowl; they lost two of last three home games, to Washington/Arizona. Last four USC games went over total, as did four of last five Colorado games.

Georgia is 4-0 on road, winning last three away games by combined score of 128-21; they also won 20-19 at Notre Dame. Auburn scored 42+ points in its last five wins; they were held to 6-23 points in their two losses, at Clemson/LSU- this is Tigers’ first home game in over a month. Georgia is 9-2 in its last 11 games with Auburn, winning last three games- Dawgs were a dog in last two series games. Georgia won four of last six visits to Auburn. Three of Dawgs’ last four games went over total, as did Auburn’s last six games. SEC home underdogs are 5-7 vs spread.

Home side won last four Kentucky-Vanderbilt games; Wildcats lost last three visits to Nashville, 21-17/22-6/38-8. Favorites covered seven of last eight series games. Kentucky is 1-3 when it allows 28+ points, 5-0 when it doesn’t; they’re 2-1 on road, winning at So Miss/So Carolina, losing 45-7 at Miss State. Vandy snapped a 5-game skid with win over WKU LW; Commodores are 1-4-1 vs spread as an underdog this year, 1-2 as a home dog. Three of last four Kentucky games went over total, as did five of candy’s last six games.

Florida State is 3-5, with road wins at Wake Forest/Duke and a 35-3 loss at BC; six of their last seven games were decided by 7 or less points. Clemson won its last two games by 14-7 points since they lost at Syracuse. Tigers are 1-4-1 vs spread as a double-digit favorite this season. Underdogs covered four of last five Florida State-Clemson games; Tigers won 23-13/37-34 in last two meetings, but didn’t cover either game. Seminoles lost six of last seven visits to Death Valley (1-6 vs spread). Under is FSU games this season, 5-1 in last six Clemson games.

Armadillosports.com

College Football Betting News and Notes Week 11
By Adam Burke
Bangthebook.com

We gave it a few more hours to look for injury news and notes as Week 11 continues. Some of the news will continue to be a surprise, like the Thomas Woodson announcement just before Akron kicked off against Miami of Ohio. Other times, we’ll have plenty of lead time on a major injury to a key player. It can be hard to keep up with 351 teams, but we’ve done the best we can all season long and we’ll take another look this week.

Here are the College Football News & Notes blurbs for Week 11:

ACC

Florida State has rescheduled its game against Louisiana-Monroe for December 2 because the Seminoles are going to need that win to maybe make a bowl game and keep their bowl streak alive. The Seminoles still need two wins before the ULM game and haven’t missed a bowl in 35 years.

It wasn’t all good news for Miami following the huge win over Virginia Tech. Defensive end Demetrius Jackson, the team’s leader in tackles for loss, is done for the year after suffering an injury that required surgery.

Big Ten

Illinois could be without defensive coordinator Hardy Nickerson after the passing of his mother. It would seem that the defense would be okay with a head coach like Lovie Smith, so this probably doesn’t change much for the game against Indiana.

Iowa safety Brandon Snyder is out for the season with a left knee injury. He last played on October 7, but news officially came down this week that his 2017 is over.

Some schools have been remarkably snakebitten at quarterback. One is Maryland, who faces the very real possibility of starting Ryan Brand this week against Michigan. Max Bortenschlager, who has played okay with a 10/5 TD/INT ratio, is dealing with a shoulder injury. Brand is 8-fo-12 for 68 yards with a 0/0 ratio.

Minnesota has had a lot of running back injuries this season. Shannon Brooks is still dealing with the after effects of a concussion heading into this week’s game against Nebraska. Brooks has 369 yards on 79 carries this season and did not play last week against Michigan.

Purdue quarterback David Blough underwent surgery on Tuesday for a dislocated ankle and his 2017 season is finished. He has been splitting time with Elijah Sindelar, so the QB depth for the Boilermakers has taken a big hit.

Wisconsin finally gets a test this week from Iowa. Starting WR Quintez Cephus and starting LB Chris Orr will both be out with leg injuries. Cephus leads the team in receptions and Orr has played well for a group already missing Jack Cichy and Mason Stokke.

Big 12

Oklahoma State wide receiver James Washington was seen in a walking boot after the game against Oklahoma last week. Washington has three straight 1,000-yard seasons for the Cowboys.

Texas quarterback Sam Ehlinger was a non-contact participant in Tuesday’s practice. Shane Buechele has played okay in his absence, but it seems like head coach Tom Herman prefers Ehlinger’s skill set. He’s questionable this week for the game against Kansas. Texas also suspended top cornerback Holton Hill for the rest of the season for a violation of team rules.

Pac-12

Oregon quarterback Justin Herbert is nearing a return. He hasn’t played since breaking his collarbone in the game against Cal. The Ducks are on a bye this week, so he could be back for the next game.

Oregon State running back Thomas Tyner is questionable for this week’s game against Arizona. Tyner has a rushing touchdown in each of his last two games as a change-of-pace back behind starter Ryan Nall.

Josh Rosen is expected to be back behind center for UCLA this week after missing last week’s game against Utah. He didn’t even travel with the team to Salt Lake City in the lifeless loss for the Bruins. He’ll be without top wide receiver Darren Andrews, who suffered a torn ACL in the Utah game. The Bruins need two of the last three against Arizona State, USC, and Cal to make a bowl.

Washington needs to find some more dudes for Jake Browning to throw to. With Chico McClatcher and Hunter Bryant already out for the year, you can now add Quinten Pounds to the list. Pounds only had 10 catches on 13 targets, but still. UDub visits Stanford this week.

SEC

Alabama’s depth will be challenged a little bit at linebacker this week and beyond. Two-year starter Shaun Hamilton suffered a fractured kneecap and will be out for the rest of the season.

Kentucky punter Matt Panton was suspended after getting picked up for a public intoxication arrest. He was passed out on a sidewalk. As Pat McAfee would say, for the brand!

South Carolina wide receiver Deebo Samuel is officially done for this season, but he did tell the Gamecocks faithful and the coaching staff that he will be back next year in Columbia.

Other Conferences

Akron lost a big game on Tuesday night and also lost another running back. Deltron Sands, who had seven carries for 70 yards the week before, left with a right leg injury in the first quarter and did not return. With Warren Ball already out, Manny Morgan is now the feature back. Akron still needs a win for bowl eligibility and has to host Ohio next week.

It won’t have much impact this season, but keep an eye out for the name Shaedon Meadors next season. Meadors had 45 catches for 716 yards for Appalachian State last season. He hasn’t played this year with an injury redshirt, but he will look to transfer after graduating.

Ball State officially announced that Riley Neal and James Gilbert are done for the season. With the current state of the Cardinals, this isn’t a big surprise and they are an enormous underdog once again for Thursday’s matchup with NIU.

BYU quarterback Tanner Mangum saw his season come to an end last weekend with a non-contact Achilles injury. Beau Hoge will now slot in as the starter for the Cougars, but he has also been hurt. Hoge is 19-of-39 passing with a 2/3 TD/INT ratio heading into Friday’s game against UNLV. Also, KJ Hall, who had 10 carries for 112 yards against San Jose State before missing the game against Fresno State is listed as questionable.

Navy quarterback Zach Abey did not practice on Tuesday. Abey left the game against Temple with an injury and was ineffective when he was out there with a season-low 60 yards on 25 carries. Junior Garret Lewis has 13 carries for 38 yards and nine completions on 18 attempts for 166 yards. Abey has 233 of Navy’s 496 carries and has a shoulder injury. Normally, this is viewed as a plug-and-play scheme, but Abey has been proficient this season and Lewis does not have much experience.

Northern Illinois is expected to have Jordan Huff back on Thursday night and quarterback Ryan Graham may also be healthy enough to make an appearance. Marcus Childers will still the start, but with a blowout on tap, Graham can ease back into the game.

Old Dominion has some big running back problems again. Ray Lawry is still hobbled by a hamstring injury and now Jeremy Cox is done for the year. Cox had 621 yards on 147 carries for the run-heavy Monarchs, who have an 18-year-old starting quarterback that has had some growing pains as a true freshman.

In worse-than-football news, safety Denzel Williams, ODU’s second-leading tackler, was arrested on a list of charges that includes felony strangulation. Safe to say he’ll be removed from the team.

UConn was already in big trouble against UCF, but Bryant Shirreffs won’t be able to play because of a concussion. Backup David Pindell will get the start. He is 25-of-44 for 222 yards with zero TDs and a pick. He has 12 carries for 51 yards and a touchdown. In relief against USF, he was 3-of-4 for 37 yards and had three rushes for 19 yards and that lone rushing score.

Just a couple of weeks after getting stretchered off, Andrew Ford is expected to be available for UMass this week against FCS Maine. It seems unnecessary to rush him back here, but we’ll see.

Western Kentucky quarterback Mike White is listed as day-to-day with an undisclosed injury. Running back Quinton Baker is done for the year. The Hilltoppers actually have several players listed as questionable, including tight end Deon Yelder and three starters in the back seven. Things could be tough the week against Marshall.

Western Michigan has been hit very hard by injuries this season. As we know, quarterback Jon Wassink is out indefinitely. LaVante Bellamy was knocked out for the year earlier this season. Now, Jamauri Bogan and Davon Tucker are done for the year. Jarvion Franklin will have to carry a heavy load this week and his backup, Matt Falcon, has not caught a pass or had a carry this season. Keep that in mind for live betting on Wednesday night against Kent State.

College Football's Biggest Betting Mismatches: Week 11
By: Monty Andrews
Covers.com

Surveying the weekly NCAAF schedule can be a daunting task for even seasoned bettors. So each week, Monty Andrews breaks down some of the underlying betting mismatches on the college football slate, giving you an inside edge when handicapping the schedule.

Florida State Seminoles at Clemson Tigers (-16, 46)

Florida State's O-line troubles vs. Clemson's top-flight pass rush

Clemson looks to continue its surge toward the College Football Playoff as it hosts lowly Florida State on Saturday afternoon. The Tigers outlasted a game NC State Wolfpack team last weekend, escaping with a 38-31 road victory. The Seminoles are also coming off a victory - edging Syracuse 27-24 - but are one of just a handful of FBS teams that has failed to cover a spread this season (0-6-2 ATS). Clemson has a significant edge in this one, particularly when Florida State has the football.

The Seminoles' quarterbacks have had a rough go of it this season, with James Blackman and Deondre Francois combining for nine touchdown passes and nine interceptions through eight games. Part of the problem has been a leaky Florida State offensive line that has surrendered a whopping 25 sacks - an average of 3.13 per game, ahead of only nine NFL teams. The O-line struggles have also played a role in the Seminoles ranking 90th in the nation in rushing yards per contest (143.8 ).

Florida State's beleaguered line might be facing its biggest test of the season Saturday against a Clemson pass rush that has made bettors smile - and opposing teams cringe. The Tigers' 33 sacks on the season rank second behind only USC, while their 3.67 sacks per game put them slightly behind NCAA-leading Arkansas State (3.71). Florida State could be in for a long afternoon if it can't figure out a way to slow a Clemson D-line that has the Tigers on the path to a CFP berth.

Oklahoma State Cowboys at Iowa State Cyclones (+6.5, 61.5)

Oklahoma State's turnover troubles vs. ISU's elite thievery

Bedlam took on a life of its own this past weekend, as the Cowboys and Oklahoma combined to score an absurd 114 points in a game the Sooners eventually won 62-52. The Cowboys' ransacked defense will look to recover this Saturday against an Iowa State team that saw its four-game winning streak halted with a 20-16 loss at West Virginia. But the Cyclones could make this a closer game than expected if they can exploit their advantage in securing - and preventing - turnovers.

The Cowboys need to take better care of the ball if they have any hope of playing in a marquee bowl game this December. Oklahoma State lost the turnover battle 3-2 against rival Oklahoma and has coughed up the ball 19 times through its first nine games; only 12 Division I teams have been worse at hanging onto the football. The Sooners are one of 14 FBS teams to have lost 10 or more fumbles, and QB Mason Rudolph has thrown three interceptions over his past two games.

That trend could very well continue this weekend, with Iowa State among the league's best at forcing turnovers. The Cyclones have recovered seven fumbles and snagged 11 interceptions through eight games, giving them a total of 18 takeaways - just outside the top 20 nationally. Three of those came in a stunning 14-7 win over then-No. 4 TCU two weekends ago, a victory that put Iowa State in the elite bowl picture. Look for a similar performance this weekend against a Cowboys team susceptible to turnovers.

Virginia Tech Hokies at Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets (+3, 50.5)

VT's vaunted pass defense vs. GT's anemic air assault

The Hokies met their match this past weekend, getting throttled 28-10 by a Miami Hurricanes team that all but secured a spot in the ACC title game. Virginia Tech will look to bounce back against a Georgia Teach roster that fell to 0-4 on the road with a 40-36 setback at Virginia. The Yellow Jackets have been a completely opposite team in their own stadium - boasting a flawless 4-0 home record - but that could be in jeopardy if they can't overcome a significant mismatch in the passing game.

Virginia Tech isn't messing around in the pass defense department, allowing a minuscule 177.8 passing yards per game - tied with UTSA for the 13th-lowest mark in Division I. The Hokies have forced more than their share of bad passes; opponents are completing just 45.2 percent of their total attempts, the lowest mark in the nation. In consecutive wins over Boston College, North Carolina and Duke, Virginia Tech limited opposing quarterbacks to 391 total yards on 32-of-79 passing.

Georgia Tech is known primarily for an incredibly run-heavy attack, but with the Hokies boasting a top-20 run defense that has allowed just four rushing scores all season, the Yellow Jackets will need to do something through the air. And that could be a problem: Georgia Tech has completed fewer than 40 percent of its passes on the season, ahead of only Army in all of Division I. Look for the Yellow Jackets offense to struggle in all areas this weekend - particularly in the passing department.

Michigan Wolverines at Maryland Terrapins (+15.5, 46.5)

Michigan's third-down dominance vs. Terrapins' drive-extension troubles

The Wolverines appear to have righted the ship following a disheartening loss to rival Penn State, reeling off consecutive blowout victories over Rutgers and Minnesota. With a pivotal game against hated Ohio State on the horizon, Michigan will look to build even more momentum this weekend in Maryland. The Terrapins have been one of the worst defensive teams in the nation, and haven't done themselves any favors by struggling to sustain drives on offense.

Michigan gets things done with a stout defense that ranks among the Division I leaders in a number of categories - including third-down defense. Only Syracuse and Washington State have been better at forcing punts when facing third-down situations than the Wolverines, who have limited opponents to a 24.4-percent success rate. The Scarlet Knights and Golden Gophers combined to make good on just seven of their 24 third-down opportunities in their respective losses to Michigan.

Third-down success has been elusive for the Terrapins in 2017 - and while that might not be the primary reason for Maryland's defense spending so much time on the field, it's certainly a contributing factor. Maryland comes into the weekend having extended drives or scored points on just 32.2 percent of their third-down situations - ranking it 115th in the nation. The chances of that success rate rising this weekend isn't good - and that could result in even more time on the gridiron for the Terrapins' weary D.

ACC Report - Week 11
By Joe Williams
VegasInsider.com

North Carolina State at Boston College

The Wolfpack hit the road looking to end their skid. In two weeks the Wolfpack have went from having playoff aspirations to a dejected bunch in just two weeks. They were manhandled at Notre Dame two weeks ago, and nearly rebounded in a home game with Clemson. However, they find themselves at 6-3 and with different goals now. Boston College has been quite a story, going from doormat of the ACC to bowl eligibility in a matter of just two seasons. The Eagles have rattled off three straight victories, including road wins at Louisville and Virginia, while embarrassing Florida State 35-3 in the Red Bandana Game last time out. The Eagles have posted six straight covers, but they find themselves as a field-goal underdog as of Thursday AM.

Duke at Army

Duke steps out of conference to face Army in West Point, and the Blue Devils are a two-point favorite. The Blue Devils are an impressive 5-1 SU over their past six bye weeks. At 4-5 SU and on a five-game losing streak, that's a bit of a curious line considering the Black Knights are 7-2 SU, including 5-0 at home, and they're coming off an impressive 21-0 win at Air Force. The Black Knights would love to run the ball at will, and they have actually had four game this season without a pass attempt. They're 3-1 SU in those outings. Duke enters 13-10-1 in the series, including wins in nine of the past 11 meetings.

Virginia Tech at Georgia Tech

The Hokies and Yellow Jackets do battle in Atlanta, and it's a battle for a better bowl with the team likely out of the Coastal Division race. The Hokies enter the game just 2-5 ATS in their past seven road games, including a failure last week in Miami. Georgia Tech has been on fire against the number lately, including 6-0 ATS in their past six home games. They're also 6-1-1 ATS in the past eight conference games, 6-1-1 ATS in their past eight against teams with a winning overall mark and 12-3-1 ATS in the past 16 games overall. The head-to-head trends in this series are one-sided, as the underdog is 10-1 ATS in the past 11 meetings, with the road team also going 10-1 ATS during the span. The Hokies are 5-1 ATS in their past six trips to Atlanta, with the under hitting in four of the past five at Ga. Tech. The under has cashed in five straight meetings overall.

Wake Forest at Syracuse

Wake heads to upstate New York trying to squeeze the Orange, but Syracuse enters as a slight home favorite. This game is vital to each team's chances at bowl eligibility, with Wake 5-4 SU and 'Cuse 4-5. More importantly, Wake Forest has posted an 8-2-1 ATS mark over their past 11 ACC games, and they're 7-2-1 ATS in 10 games overall. They have also dominated on the road, going 9-3 ATS across their past 12 road tilts, and 3-1-1 ATS in the past five against teams with a losing overall mark. The Orange have been hot against the number, too, going 5-0-1 ATS in their past six league outings, and 6-0-1 ATS in the past seven overall. The favorite has hit in five stragiht, while the home team is 4-1 ATS in the past five in the series. The Demon Deacons are just 1-5 ATS across the past six in this series.

Florida State at Clemson

Normally this would be a marquee matchup, and Clemson has held their end of the bargain up. The defending champs are 8-1 SU and poised for another playoff appearance. However, FSU has slipped to 3-5 SU and they're an uncharacteristic 16-point underdog heading into this one. The public has bet it down from an opening line of 18, but that's bold considering the fact the 'Noles have yet to cover this season (0-6-2 ATS). The Seminoles are also 0-3-2 ATS in their past five against teams with a winning record, while the Tigers are 0-3-1 ATS in their past four league games and 2-8 ATS in their past 10 against teams with a losing record. Something's gotta give here. FSU is 2-8 ATS in their past 10 trips to Death Valley, and that's been with teams much, much better than this one. The over is 9-4 in the past 13 in this series, although the under is the overwhelming trend for both sides lately. The under is 7-1 in FSU's past eight overall, and 20-7 in their past 27 league games. The under is 5-1 in Clemson's past six, 4-0 in their past four at home and 5-1 in their past six inside the conference.

Virginia at Louisville

The Cavaliers head to Kentucky to battle the Wildcats, and while the Hoos enter with a better record (6-3 SU vs. 5-4 SU), they're a double-digit underdog. The Cavs are 4-0 ATS in their past four agaisnt a team with a winning record, and 5-2 ATS in their past seven overall. Louisville has covered just once in the past five ACC battles, and 1-6 ATS in their past seven overall. And Louisville is just 0-7 ATS in the past seven at home, and 0-7 ATS in their past seven against teams with a winning overall record, too. Total bettors might like the over instead. While the under is 12-5-1 in the past 18 road games, and 20-9-1 in the past 30 for UVA, the over is 4-1 in the past five for Virginia against a team with a winning overall mark. The over is 4-1 in the past five for the Cardinals, and 5-1 in the past six ACC bouts.

Notre Dame at Miami-Florida

The marquee game of the day, not only in the ACC, but in all of college football, takes place in South Florida. It's like taking a time machine back to the 1980's or 1990's, as Catholics vs. Convicts has been trending again on social media and pre-game talk. But it's a long time since Miami was considered the bad boys of football, and they're running a very clean program under Mark Richt. But they're also reminding fans of the days when the Hurricanes were a dominant force on the recruiting trail, as well as the field. Notre Dame has also awakened the echoes, and this game is basically a de facto battle for a spot in the College Football Playoff. A loss is devastating, especially for the Irish, while a signature win strengthens an already strong resume.

The Irish are an impressive 6-1 ATS in the past sevenoverall, and 4-1 ATS in their past five road games, while Miami is 7-0 ATS in their past seven games in the month of November, and 5-2 ATS in their past seven outside of the conference. The Canes are also 5-2 ATS in their past seven agaisnt teams with a winning record. However, they have failed to cover in six straight against independents. The over is 8-3 ATS in the past 11 overall for Notre Dame, and 12-5 ATS in the past 17 road games. For Miami, it's the opposite, with the under 6-0 in the past six overall and 5-1 in their past six at home.

Big 12 Report - Week 11
By Joe Williams
VegasInsider.com

Oklahoma State at Iowa State

The Cowboys are coming off a bitter loss to their rivals in 'Bedlam', while Iowa State came up just short in a road trip to West Virginia. Each team is on the rebound, looking to keep their hopes alive for a big bowl game. The Cowboys have covered just twice in their past seven conference outings, while Oklahoma State is 7-3 ATS in the past 10 road games. Iowa State is an impressive 4-0-1 ATS over the past five overall, while going 4-0-1 ATS in their past five against winning teams and 11-2 ATS in the past 13 games on a grass surface. They have also covered nine of their past 11 in Ames. While the favorite is 9-3 ATS in the past 12 meetings, the home team is 8-3 ATS in the past 11 in this series. OK State enters as a 6 1/2-point road favorite as of Thursday morning.

Texas Tech at Baylor

The Red Raiders head to Waco to battle the Bears, looking to keep their bowl eligiblity alive and well. A loss and they still have a chance at a bowl, but it's awfully difficult. They head to Baylor as a 7 1/2-point favorite as of Thursday morning. The Red Raiders are 0-4 ATS in the past four conference games, and they're 5-12 ATS in the past 17 neutral-site games. This game will be played at AT&T Stadium in Arlington. The Bears are 5-2 ATS in their past seven conference battles, but they're 2-8 ATS in the past 10 against losing teams. Texas Tech enters 6-2-1 ATS in the past nine trips to Baylor, and that's against much better Bears teams. The over is 7-0 in the past seven meetings in this series.

West Virginia at Kansas State

The Mountaineers head to Manhattan looking to take down the Wildcats and keep their hopes alive for a primetime Big 12 bowl bid. It won't be easy, and Vegas has Dana Holgorsen's bunch as slight 'dogs on the road. West Virginia is just 1-4 ATS in their past five on the road, and 6-15-1 ATS in their past 22 against teams with a winning overall mark. K-State has posted a 4-1-1 ATS in their past six following a straight-up win, but they're just 2-7 ATS in the past nine after a cover. The under has hit in five straight in the series, while the underdog is 4-1 ATS in the past five meetings. West Virginia is also 0-5 ATS in the past five meetings with Kansas State.

Kansas at Texas

The Jayhawks search for their first win of the season against an FBS opponent, and they're coming off a loss against previously winless Baylor at home last week. Texas suffered an embarrassing 24-21 overtime setback to Kansas last season, the final nail in Charlie Strong's coffin. The Jayhawks are just 1-4 ATS in their past five conference battles, and 1-4 ATS in their past five overall. They're also 15-35-1 ATS in the past 51 road games, while the Longhorns are 6-1-1 ATS in the past eight overall, and 3-0-1 AST in the past four home games and 4-1-1 ATS in their past six conference tilts. In this series, Kansas is 1-6 ATS in their past seven trips to Texas, and 4-10 ATS in the past 14 meetings overall. The under is 5-1 in the past six meetings. The under is also 4-0 in the past four for Kansas, 19-7 in their past 26 conference games, while going 38-16 in the past 54 overall for Texas, and 5-1 in their past six against teams with a losing record.

Texas Christian at Oklahoma

While everyone is talking about Notre Dame-Miami, the battle between TCU and Oklahoma has huge playoff ramifications as well. The winner keeps hope alive, while the loser is effectively eliminated from national championship contention. Vegas feels the Heisman hopeful Baker Mayfield and the Sooners will trudge on, favored by a touchdown at most shops. TCU is 5-1 ATS in the past six road games, while going 5-0 ATS in the past five road games against a team with a winning home record. Oklahoma is 9-1 ATS in the past 10 against teams with a winning record, and 8-1 ATS in the past nine home games. TCU is 4-1 ATS in the past five trips to Norman, while the road team is also 4-1 ATS in the past five meetings. The under is 4-0 in the past four in Oklahoma, too, and 5-2 in the past seven battles overall.

Big 10 Report - Week 11
ASAWins.com

IOWA @ WISCONSIN (-12)

wisc vs iowaWow. Sure Iowa caught Ohio State in a great spot for a letdown coming off their big PSU comeback win, but 55-24? Nobody saw that coming. Entering last week’s game, the Hawkeye offense had topped 19 points only once in their previous 5 conference games. The only team they looked good offensively against was Illinois who is the worst team in the Big Ten. Take that game out and Iowa had averaged just 14 PPG. That’s 56 points in four conference games for Iowa (vs Northwestern, Michigan State, Minnesota, and Penn State) and 100 in the other two (Ohio State and Illinois)! After getting outgained in each of their first four Big Ten games, the Hawks have now outgained Minnesota (by 34 yards) and Ohio State (by 116 yards) on back to back weeks. This offense was as balanced as they could possibly be last week rushing for 243 yards and passing for 244 yards. That was vs an OSU defense that held a very potent PSU team to 283 total yards and just 91 yards rushing a week earlier. Iowa QB Nate Stanley is slowing turning into one of the Big Ten’s best. He led the way last Saturday with 5 TD passes and no interceptions. On the season, Stanley, a sophomore, now has 23 TD’s and just 4 interceptions. Their rushing attack was averaging 3.6 YPC in league play coming into the game and ripped the OSU defense for 6.4 YPC on Saturday. It’s not like the Buckeyes did nothing offensively. They had 371 total yards and averaged 5.8 YPP. Four OSU turnovers, however, turned into 17 Iowa points and one interception was in the endzone taking points away from the Bucks.

Wisconsin looked a bit vulnerable last week as we felt they might. The Badgers got down 10-0 in the game before outscoring Indiana 45-7 the rest of the way. As per usual Wisconsin dominated the ground game 237 to 40 which led to a 2 to 1 time of possession edge. Freshman RB Jonathan Taylor came back strong after sitting out the 2nd half of the Illinois game with a leg injury. Taylor ran for 45 yards on the Badgers first play from scrimmage and racked up 183 yards rushing for the game. We’ve mentioned it before but this offense is completely different with Taylor in the game. The concern is his durability moving forward. He is a true freshman and he’s already carried the ball 190 times on the season which is the most in the Big Ten. After allowing 146 yards and 10 points on IU’s first three drives of the game, the UW defense locked in. After that, they gave up just 120 total yards and 7 points on the Hoosiers final 10 offensive possessions. The Badger defense has held every opponent but one to 17 points or less and in the one game they didn’t, vs Northwestern, the Cats scored 2 TD’s in the final 4:46 of the game to get to 24. Wisconsin definitely has some injury concerns heading into this game as their top WR Quintez Cephus is out and could be for awhile with a leg injury. They’ll also be missing starting LB Chris Orr as both were injured last week.

INSIDE THE NUMBERS – Wisconsin topped Iowa 17-9 on the road last year and outgained the Hawks 423 to 236. That was the 4th win in the last 5 meetings for the Badgers with their only loss during that stretch coming in 2015 by a final score of 10-6. The road team has covered 8 of the last 10 in this intense rivalry. This current number of Wisconsin -13 is quite high for this series. In fact, the last time either of these teams were favored by double digits in this match up was back in 2000. This series has been a low scoring, defensive battle for the most part as only 6 of the last 34 meetings have topped 50 points. The Hawkeyes have been a double digit underdog twice this year and covered both easily beating OSU outright as a 21 point dog and nearly upsetting PSU as a 13 point dog. That makes Iowa and impressive 15-4-1 ATS the last 20 times they’ve been an underdog of 10 points or more

MICHIGAN STATE @ OHIO STATE (-15.5)

MSU pulled the big upset at home last week topping Penn State to keep their fate in their own hands when it comes to the Big Ten East title. Sparty kicked the game winning field goal as time ran out and topped the Nittany Lions 27-24. The game was interrupted by a 3 hour and 22 minute lightning delay as the contest took 7 hours from start to finish. That win sets up the Spartans huge showdown with OSU this week as both teams control their own destiny in the Big Ten East. MSU’s rush defense continues to be a brick wall holding a very good Penn State rushing attack to just 65 yards. They continue to lead the Big Ten in rush defense allowing just 87 YPG on 2.9 YPC. The only conference game in which they allowed more than 100 rushing yards was vs Michigan and the Wolverines tallied just 102 on the ground in that game. This week’s match up at Ohio State will be an interesting one to say the least with the old cliché “unstoppable force vs immovable object” coming into play. That’s because OSU’s running game leads the Big Ten averaging 5.9 YPC. If MSU’s defense has trouble slowing down the Buckeyes, can the Spartan offense keep up? MSU is 11th in the league in scoring at just 24 PPG, a full 20 points below Ohio State. Last Saturday was just the 2nd time in the last 7 games the Spartans were able to top 18 points (in regulation). If QB Brian Lewerke keeps up his stellar play, they may just be able to. Lewerke has thrown for 845 yards and 6 TD’s in his last two games alone.

What can we say about Ohio State? They were obviously flat last week after coming from behind to beat Penn State a week earlier. It was a game OSU had circled for a year and they weren’t ready for what was about to hit them last week. QB JT Barrett who had been fantastic this season throwing for 25 TD’s and only 1 interception coming into the game, probably took himself out of Heisman consideration with his 4 interception performance last Saturday. The 55-24 loss in Iowa City was the worst setback in Urban Meyer’s career. The defense which has been stellar for most of the season was shredded for nearly 500 yards by an Iowa offense that was struggling coming into the game. After allowing only 7 offensive TD’s in their previous 4 games, the Buckeye defense gave up 6 offensive TD’s to Iowa last Saturday. That was a Hawkeye offense that put up only 12 offensive TD’s in their first 5 Big Ten games. Despite that terrible outing, OSU remains the top team in the conference in yards per play differential at +2.5 (7.2 YPP offensively and 4.7 YPP defensively). The also lead the league by a wide margin in YPG differential at +226 with no other team topping +171. They key moving forward will be trying to figure out OSU’s mental state. Will they bounce back and play at a high level after their embarrassing performance or will they take the “I don’t care” mentality now that they have basically been eliminated from the College Football Playoff?

INSIDE THE NUMBERS – MSU has been very competitive in this series as of late winning 3 of the last 6 meetings with their 3 losses coming by a combined 14 points. Last year OSU was a 20 point road favorite in this match up and squeaked out a 17-16 win. Dating back to 1980, the Spartans are 34-23 ATS as a double digit underdog. As an underdog of any number, MSU is an impressive 18-4-1 ATS their last 23. Since 1981, the Buckeyes are 1-9 ATS in this series when a favorite of 10 points or higher.

PURDUE @ NORTHWESTERN (-4.5)

The Boilers cracked their 3 game losing streak with a 29-10 win last Saturday over Illinois. After winning 3 of their first 5 games to start the season, Purdue dropped 3 straight tight games coming into this game which made this one a must win if they have any hopes of going to a bowl game. Purdue has been much more competitive overall this season under first year head coach Jeff Brohm with 4 of their 5 losses being one score games and coming by a combined 18 points. The Boilermakers put together a balanced attack in their win over Illinois with 236 yards rushing and 209 yards rushing. After scoring only 45 combined points their previous 3 games the offense put 29 on the board and outgained the Illini by 185 yards. Starting QB David Blough put together a solid game before a serious leg injury early in the 4th quarter ended his season. That means Elijah Sindelar takes over under center and while he has played sparingly the last two games, he was in a rotation with Blough for much of the season. Sindelar has thrown for just under 1,000 yards and has 7 TD passes on the season. The Purdue defense continues to impress allowing just 19 PPG on the season (5th in the Big Ten) after allowing more than 30 PPG in each of their previous 5 seasons.

After starting the conference with an 0-2 record, the Cats have won 4 straight with their last three all coming in OT! Last week they traveled to Nebraska as 2 point favorites and topped the Huskers 31-24 in overtime. They have now beaten Iowa, MSU, and Nebraska all in overtime on consecutive Saturdays. The Cats dominated last Saturday’s game in the stat sheet outgaining Nebraska by 138 yards which included a 232 to 112 edge on the ground. After struggling for much of the early season, the NW offense has now topped 400 yards in 3 of their last 4 games including their 475 yard performance last Saturday. The Cats are now one of just five Big Ten teams averaging over 400 YPG offensively. In their game vs Nebraska they were able to win the game and rack up nearly 500 yards despite going just 1 for 11 on 3rd downs. That has been one downside to this offense for much of the season as they rank near the bottom of the Big Ten in 3rd down conversion rated at just 34%. Their win over Nebraska made them bowl eligible for the third straight season.

INSIDE THE NUMBERS – Last year Northwestern traveled to West Lafayette as a 13 point favorite and rolled over the Boilers 45-17 putting up over 600 total yards in the process. Purdue has been a big time money maker on the road as of late covering 15 of their last 19 games away from home. This will be the 3rd straight year Northwestern is favored in this Big Ten battle, however from 1980 – 2014, the Cats were favored only 5 times vs Purdue. Northwestern is 10-3 ATS the last 13 times they’ve been a favorite of less than a TD.

NEBRASKA @ MINNESOTA (-2.5)

The Huskers continue to play out their rudderless season with a home loss in OT to Northwestern last Saturday. After the Nebraska brass let go of their AD a few weeks ago, head coach Mike Riley need a miracle to stay on board after this season and the Huskers have now lost 3 of their last 4 games. Last week’s 31-24 loss in OT looked close on the scoreboard but the Huskers were outgained for the 3rd time in 4 weeks as Northwestern tallied 475 yards to just 337 for Nebraska. Starting QB Tanner Lee, who seemed to have things moving in the right direction after a terrible start to the season, threw 3 interceptions. Lee had thrown just 1 pick in his previous 4 games. The offense isn’t the only side of the ball with issues. Nebraska currently rank 13th in the Big Ten in total defense allowing over 400 YPG. In their defense, they’ve been shredded for 466, 475, and 633 yards vs Wisconsin, Northwestern, and Ohio State who are all in the top 4 in the league in total offense. Against lower tier offensive teams (Purdue, Rutgers, and Illinois) they’ve done much better holding those three opponents to an average of 252 yards per game. This week they play a Minnesota offense that ranks 12th overall in the Big Ten. Expect a better showing from the defense this weekend.

The Gophs only Big Ten win was a tight 24-17 game vs the worst team in the Big Ten (Illinois). Last Saturday they went on the road for the 2nd straight Saturday and were not competitive losing 33-10 @ Michigan. The Minnesota defense, which had been playing fairly well, made a struggling Michigan offense look like a juggernaut. The Wolverines simply pounded it down their throats with 371 yards rushing (on a whopping 10 YPC) while completing only 8 passes the entire game. The Minnesota run defense should find it a bit easier this weekend vs a Nebraska team that has been outrushed by 757 yards over their last 4 games (an average of 190 YPG). Forget about the defense, if Minnesota doesn’t start finding a way to put some points on the board, they’ll continue to lose. They’ve scored fewer offensive TD’s this season than everyone in the Big Ten not named Illinois. Their rushing attack is solid, but they have ZERO passing game right now. Since PJ Fleck switched to Demry Croft as his starting QB they have completed a TOTAL of 19 passes in 3 games. In his three starts Croft is 19 for 56 (34%) with 1 TD and 3 interceptions. Conor Rhoda was the starter before the change and he has not seen the field since.

INSIDE THE NUMBERS – Last year Nebraska scored the game winning TD with 7:00 remaining and held on for a 24-17 home win over the Gophers. The Huskers have actually been better on the road this year where they are 2-1 with wins over Purdue & Illinois to go along with a 7-point loss @ Oregon. Minny is just 3-11 ATS their last 14 games at home as a favorite (1-3 ATS this year). This hasn’t really been a close series. Since Nebraska joined the Big Ten, these two have met 6 times with the average margin of victory being 16 points.

RUTGERS @ PENN STATE (-31)

Rutgers has already doubled their win total from last year as they sit with a 4-5 record after their home win vs Maryland last week. That win also put them at 3-3 in league play which is not bad for a team that won a grand total of ONE Big Ten game the last two years combined. While the record looks solid, let’s also keep in mind that Rutgers, while winning a few games, is getting beat basically every week on the stat sheet. They have been outgained in every game this year with the exception of Morgan State. That includes last week when they topped Maryland 31-24. The Knights scored with 7:30 remaining to take the 31 -24 lead and the Terp offense was put in a very tough spot for their final drive of the game when starting QB Max Bortenschlager who was dinged on the previous possession couldn’t return. His absence meant 4th stringer Ryan Brand, a walk on transfer from Air Force, had to lead Maryland on their final drive. Brand actually gave them a chance pushing it to the Rutgers 15 yard line before turning the ball over on downs. While they have improved, let’s put it in perspective. Rutgers ranks last in the Big Ten in total offense and near the bottom in total defense. They have won 3 conference games but been outgained by 1,121 yards in those 6 games (a deficit of 186 YPG)! They are also 31 point underdogs to a team that sits just one spot ahead of them in the standings!

How quickly things can change over a few weeks in college football. PSU is a prime example. Two weeks ago they had visions of the College Football Playoff dancing in their heads and now they are completely out of that discussion and have pretty much eliminated themselves from the Big Ten East race. Last week’s 27-24 road loss dropped the Lions to 4-2 in conference play with losses to both teams that sit ahead of them in the standings (Michigan State & Ohio State). After blowing a 15-point fourth quarter lead a week earlier @ Ohio State, last week’s result in East Lansing was not surprising. That was a very tough spot for PSU to bounce back and play well. All American RB Saquon Barkley was shut down for the 2nd straight week. After rushing for just 44 yards on 21 carries @ OSU the Spartans held Barkley to only 63 yards on the ground last week. Barkley only touched the ball 17 times the entire game with 14 rushes and 3 receptions. How that happens with a player that talented is beyond us. A definite mistake in our opinion by head coach James Franklin and company. We’ll make a prediction that Barkley sees the ball A LOT this weekend after that situation. Add that to the fact that Rutgers is 13th in the conference in rush defense allowing 190 YPG and we could step in and come up with a great gameplan in this one. What will PSU’s mental state be in this one and moving forward will probably be the key to their ATS success or failure.

INSIDE THE NUMBERS – PSU has won all 3 meetings since Rutgers joined the Big Ten by margins of 39, 25, and 3 points. Rutgers as covered 6 of their last 7 games and they are 7-2 ATS this season. Penn State was 15-1-1 ATS their previous 17 games before their ATS loss @ Michigan State last Saturday. The Nittany Lions are 8-0-1 their last 9 home games and have topped the spread by a combined 165 points or 20 PPG above and beyond the number. Before Rutgers started making their bettors some money this year with a 7-2 ATS mark, they were 5-13 ATS their previous 18 games coming into this year.

MICHIGAN (-16.5) @ MARYLAND

Could the Maryland Terrapins have any more bad luck when it comes to the QB position? After losing their starter (Pigrome) and back up (Hill) early in the season, now current starter and 3rd stringer Max Bortenschlager could be on the shelf this weekend. Head coach DJ Durkin said it will be a game time decision for Bortenschlager and was very vague on what the injury actually was. Those in the know feel it was a possible concussion although he may have a shoulder problem as well. If he can’t go, walk on Ryan Brand, a transfer from Air Force, will get the nod. Brand was thrust into action late in the 4th quarter last week and nearly led the Terps to a game tying TD on their final drive @ Rutgers. He drove the team 63 yards in 17 plays but was stopped on downs inside the Rutgers 20 yard line in a 31-24 loss. Brand is not known as a proficient passer so the Terps will have to rely heavily on the run in this game. That could be a problem as Michigan allows only 3 YPC and held Minnesota to 90 yards on 44 carries in last week’s blowout win. The Wolverines looks like they’ve turned the corner offensively the last few games which bad news for a Maryland defense that ranks dead last in the Big Ten in total defense (433 YPG). They allowed Rutgers to put up 346 yards last week and while that may not seem like much, the Scarlet Knights have only topped 300 yards one other time in conference play.

The Michigan offense seems to have gotten a shot in the arm with the insertion of new starting QB Brandon Peters. He entered the game in the 2nd quarter of the Rutgers game for the first time this season and proceeded to lead Michigan to score 4 TD’s on their next 5 possession with their only non-scoring drive ending in a missed FG. Peters got his first start last weekend vs Minnesota and led the Wolves to 33 points and 427 yards in their 33-10 win. He has now led Michigan on 18 offensive possessions and they have scored TD’s on half of those (9) which is a huge step up from their previous production. Peters hasn’t done much through the air completing just 18 passes in his two games but the offense obviously has responded to him as their starter. Staying on the QB theme, starter Wilton Speight, who has been out since late September with a back injury, has started throwing again. There is no time table as to when he might be able to return to game action if at all this season. The Maryland offense has put up 66 points in their last 2 games but you can bet they will be slowed dramatically here vs a Michigan defense that has allowed more than 20 points only once the entire season (PSU).

INSIDE THE NUMBERS – Michigan crushed Maryland in Ann Arbor last year by a final of 59-3 outgaining the Terps by almost 300 yards. Maryland has been an underdog in every Big Ten game this year with a spread mark of 2-4 ATS. The Terps are just 5-14 ATS the last 19 times they’ve been an underdog in conference play. Michigan has been a road favorite of 2 TD’s or more 12 times since 1997. They are 4-8 ATS in those games.

INDIANA (-8 ) @ ILLINOIS

Indiana remained winless in the Big Ten with a 45-17 home setback at the hands of undefeated Wisconsin last Saturday. We still believe the Hoosiers are better than their 0-6 conference mark as they have played the toughest schedule of anyone in Big Ten play. Five of IU’s six conference losses came at the hands of Wisconsin, Ohio State, Michigan State, Penn State, and Michigan. Their other Big Ten loss was a 3-point setback @ Maryland, a game in which they outgained the Terps by 140 yards. Starting QB Peyton Ramsey sat out last week’s game vs Wisconsin and former starter Richard Lagow took over. Lagow is the better passer, however Ramsey gives the Hoosiers a mobile QB who can throw but also beat opponents with his legs of needed. Lagow and IU looked good on offense their first 3 drives putting up 10 points but were held to just 120 total yards after that. Ramsey is questionable again this Saturday with a knee injury. The Indiana defense had been playing very well as they had not allowed an opponent to top 400 yards of offense since their season opener vs Ohio State. Wisconsin shredded the Hoosier defense for 407 yards including 237 on the ground. Now IU gets a shot at their first win of the year vs the Big Ten’s worst team. A big step down from who they have been facing off against so far in league play.

Illinois continues to get rolled week in and week out and that continued last Saturday with a 29-10 loss @ Purdue. It was the sixth time this season the Illini have been beaten by double digits. Their only loss that was not by 10 or more was a 24-17 setback @ Minnesota. It was also the fifth time in their six Big Ten games the offense had been held to 17 points or less. They are averaging just 16 PPG on the season which is last in the conference by a full 6 PPG (Rutgers is 13th at 22 PPG). Illinois was solid for a half last week as they trailed Purdue just 13-10 at the break. They went scoreless in the 2nd half and Purdue went on to the easy win. Freshman Cam Thomas got his second straight start at QB and played OK in the first half leading Illinois to 10 points on their 5 offensive possessions. He was 10 for 20 overall with 159 yards. That’s fantastic compared to what he did in the previous two games completing a grand total of 4 passes with 3 interceptions. Their young offensive line with 4 freshmen starters continues to have problems allowing 5 sacks and 9 TFL’s in the game. The defense played well in the first half but ran out of gas with Purdue racking up 255 yards in the 2nd half.

INSIDE THE NUMBERS – This may seem like a meaningless match up between two winless Big Ten teams. However, It is a big rivalry as these two are separated by just 170 miles. This is just the 6th time since 2000 that Indiana has been a Big Ten road favorite (2-4 ATS). The Hoosiers have been a road favorite of 7 or more 19 times since 1987 and they are 13-6 ATS in those games. Illinois is just 1-8 ATS the last 9 times they’ve been a home underdog in conference play.

Pac-12 Report - Week 11
By Joe Williams
VegasInsider.com

Southern California at Colorado

USC hits the road for Colorado looking to stay firmly in control of the Pac-12 South. Colorado, in the basement currently, would love nothing more than to throw a monkey wrench into the picture. The Trojans had a strong showing against Arizona last weekend, and they're 6-0 ATS in their past six games in the month of November. They're also 6-2 ATS in their past eight following a cover, although they're just 2-6 ATS in the past eight overall and 1-4 ATS in their past five road tilts. For Colorado, they haven't been much better against the number. The Buffs are 1-4 ATS in their past five league games, 1-4 ATS in their past five home games and 0-4 ATS in their past four games against a team with a winning overall mark. The home team has covered four of the past five in this series.

Washington State at Utah

The Cougars face a stiff test heading to Rice-Eccles in Salt Lake City, never an easy place to play. Utah snapped a four-game skid last weekend against a Josh Rosen-less UCLA side. A visit from Luke Falk and the high-octane Wazzu offense will be a stern test. The Cougars are 4-1 ATS in their past five agaisnt teams with a winning record, and 6-2 ATS in their past eight overall. But Washington State hasn't been good on the road, going just 1-5 ATS in their past six away from the Palouse. Utah is 5-0-1 ATS in the past six against teams with a winning overall record, while the Utes are 3-1-1 ATS in the past five home outings. The Utes are also 7-3-1 ATS in their past 11 league games. Total bettors might like the under in this one. The under is 6-1 in Washington State's past seven overall, 5-1 in the past six league games and 4-1 in their past five against winning teams. The under is 5-2 in Utah's past seven at home, and 19-8-1 in the past 28 against teams with a winning record.

Arizona State at UCLA

The Sun Devils look to keep it going in the right direction against the skidding Bruins. While they took it on the chin at home against USC two weeks ago, they have won three of the past four, including a 13-7 victory against Washington and a solid 41-30 showing against Colorado last weekend. The Sun Devils have covered five of their past six outings. However, Sparky has had trouble on the road, going a dismal 5-12 ATS in the past 17 on the road. UCLA heads into this one with just one cover over their past seven games, and they're 1-7 ATS in the past eight league outings. UCLA is 1-4 ATS in the past five against teams with a winning record, too. The toad team has hit in four of the past five, but Arizona State is 2-5 ATS in the past seven trips to UCLA.

Oregon State at Arizona

Oregon State hits the road for the desert with nothing but pride on the line, as they have been eliminated from bowl contention already. The Wildcats were tripped up at USC last weekend, pumping the brakes on their ascension. Arizona enters as a 22-point favorite as of Thursday morning. The Beavers are just 1-4 ATS in their past five games overall, but they are 7-3 ATS in the past 10 against teams with a winning overall record and 10-4 ATS in the past 14 league games. The Wildcats are 7-16 ATS in their past 23 games overall, and 4-10 ATS in the past 14 league outings. They're also 1-5 ATS in the past six games in November, including last weekend's non-cover against the Trojans. Oregon State is 6-1 ATS in the past seven trips to Arizona, and they're 13-3 ATS in the past 16 meetings. The underdog is also 5-2 ATS in the past seven meetings in this series.

Bye Weeks

California, Oregon

Weekly SEC Thoughts & Observations
By Spartan

We are entering the back stretch of the regular season and some heavyweight battles are looming. The latest playoff poll still finds the SEC holding down the top two slot with Georgia and Alabama. Hard for anyone to reasonable take exception to that. Although with the emotion involved in these things I assure you there are those out there that do. Actually both the Bulldogs and Tide will get stiff tests this weekend. Particularly Kirby Smart's club against Auburn. As I travel around in my car I usually have the radio tuned into sirius radio and I enjoy (for the most part) listening to the endless stream of various talking heads spinning things their way. I honestly heard some guy trying to still make a case that Ohio State should still be in the top four. I don't know what he was smoking but it has clearly gotten a strangle hold on his brain.

Okay, I will tip my hat to the top dawg and start with them. Last week they hosted South Carolina and prevailed in a pretty good game 24-10. I had a release on the Cocks +24.5 so it worked out for me. But trust me, I wish most my other games saturday had fared so well. I had a crap day. But I did like South Carolina and they came though here. This week in perhaps the game of the day depending on ones perspective the Bulldogs butt heads with a very good Auburn team with it's own agenda. Gus has his Tigers playing well as Kevin Sumlin would attest to but he could use a win here for another reason. The stubborn fact of the matter is Gus has whiffed in his last seven games when squaring off against top ten opponents. In my own observations talking with folks and listening to the blathering on the radio Auburn is shaping up as one of this weeks trendy picks. Each week I see them. Here is my own take on it fellas. I have a real tough time seeing that Auburn offense generating enough to seal the deal here. I like Stidham but I question he has the weapons to match the Bulldogs on the scoreboard. That Bulldogs defense is frighteningly similar to the one they play in Bama. I know Mizzou hit them for 21 in the first half but Lock can do that to anyone. They were not exactly long, sustained drives. There is a difference. I do know this shapes up as a classic SEC saturday afternoon snot bubbler. I only wish they could have brought old Verne out of retirement to do just one more game. I miss the old goat. His voice was SEC football. Danielson can get on my nerves for stating the obvious too much but I admittedly miss Verne. JMO.

I lost my release on Alabama last week. I went ahead and laid the 21 and they came up one touchdown short. One of those games where they were clearly the better team but LSU defensively hung in there like a bad toothache you cannot shake. Props to the Tigers defense. I expecting a special teams score or turnover to get us over the hump as Bama so often does but it just did not happen. To coach O's credit he had his kids ready to rumble. I will say this with all confidence as well, LSU is not a team that is intimidated playing Bama. They might not prevail but you get the feeling they would be willing to meet in the alley behind the hotel after the game and pick things right back up. I respect that. They were clearly not as good a team but they came to get it on and left nothing behind. There is zero disgrace in losing to that machine at their place on a saturday night 24-10. This week they will have to fight a let down as they match up with the Piglets. God did Arkansas ever bare their asses last week. I actually laid the points against Coast Carolina. Well, the Piglets eked out a 39-38 victory. Hell, I wish they had lost the thing. I don't know who those kids think they are to overlook anyone. They almost got put into their places. I hope LSU just beats the dog crap out of this Arkansas team. The schedule sets up nicely for LSU to still win out now and get a major bowl. I hope so, I like Coach O, a lot. As for Arkansas, Grrrr!

As for Alabama they better get ready to hear those damn cow bells. Starkville can be a tough venue but the Tide are bullet proof when it comes to that sort of thing. Alabama does not rattle. They get everyone's best shot on a weekly basis. It is just part of the culture Saban has cultivated. I fully expect a very strong Mississippi State club to bring everything they have to bear here. Another valiant effort. Do I expect them to pull off the upset? Hell no. While I don't expect the Tide to blow them out 51-3 like last season I do expect a solid win. Some folks are raising their eye brows at some Tide injuries but this might be the deepest team in college football. Let me correct that, this is the deepest team in college football. I expect the Tide to jump up early and I want to see how this Bulldogs team responds to it. LSU showed they had enough sand in their pants to keep fighting hard. I am curious to see just how salty this team of Mullen's is faced with similar circumstances. And they have the Tide on their own turf. Bulldogs are another trendy pick with some. Well, whatever lights your match.

As anyone who reads this weekly knows my respect for my own Missouri Tigers up to this point could fit into a thimble. With room to spare. They won two games in a row against Idaho and U-Conn and suddenly everyone around Columbia had a hard on again. Well here comes Florida to town playing their first game with interim coach Randy Shannon on the sideline. I thought the Gators would rally around one another with that old us against the world thing. I could tell after about five minutes I was dead wrong. I was at the game. I saw up close and personal a team mail it in. That team did not care about competing saturday. Mizzou punched them in the mouth and they did not have the stomach to punch back. I am not trying to me over dramatic but they put up a lame, **** effort. Sorry, sometimes you just have to speak plainly. When I competed in high school the worst thing you could call an opponent was a non. Meaning they are just nothing. A, well, non. The Florida Gators played saturday like a whole team of non's. Trust me, I have no axe to grind. I am as hard on my Tigers as anyone, anywhere. I just think they really let their fan base down big time. That was a humiliating performance. This week they travel to another Columbia to deal with South Carolina. Will they NOW stand up and fight? My question would be if they did not want to fight in Missouri what makes you think that will change this week? I think it is a fair question to pose to yourself. This week Missouri has another game at home and wouldn't you know it. They have another team with serious issues coming to town in Tennessee. Good grief, the way this schedule is laid out for Barry Odom and his Tigers they can yes, make a bowl. They could run the table. Un freaking real. Of course they need to take care of business this week but they are feeling their oats right now. The Vol's had better be ready to play or they will get waxed like the Gators did. The Tigers can score if you don't have your heart into that whole defensive thing.

Kentucky bolted to a 5-1 start but I had a strong feeling that was fools gold. This week they play Vanderbilt and I would not be the least bit surprised to see the Commodores take them. I am not a fan of that Wildcat defense. It looks more like a Big 12 defense, (exception TCU). This game does little to inspire one to tune in with the exception of that gambler with dough on the line. From a competitive side this is more like Gomer & Goober getting into a scrap back behind Wally's gas station.

Texas A&M and Ole Miss both have non league games on for this weekend. Both are heavy chalk. And I frankly think both numbers are spot on.

Okay, time for some real talk. After a great start to the football season where I was cruising along to a hopefully huge season my winning bus hit a moose lying in the middle of the road. Plenty of football left and I am not freaking out but it is what it is. I have taken more bad beats than a rented mule. But excuses are not my thing. I clearly have not been seeing things as clearly as need be. I do have legit confidence this is about to turn in a huge way. Those kind of things tend to even out. Although watching Brogan Roback inexplicably suck and throw five picks last night did not fit the script. That just kind of came out of nowhere. It can be cruel stuff at times. No other word.

With that being said I am not flinching on one game this college saturday I love. I do have my Big 12 Game of the Year kicking off this saturday. Yes, I know. Every time someone see's that label they groan and say oh they always lose. Or they are just to make money and it all is about marketing. Well, I guess like anything else in this life it depends on the source now doesn't it? The fact is I have released a total of four football games of the year in the year 2017 and cashed on three of them. Here they are. Back on January 15th I released the Packers +4.5 vs the Cowboys for my NFL playoff game of the year. It cashed for us. On september 23rd I released Auburn -19 over Missouri as my SEC game of the year. It cashed for us. On October 21st I released Notre Dame -4 vs USC as my College football game of the year. It cashed for us. On October 28th I released Clemson -14.5 vs Georgia Tech. Of course I had to grade it as a loss. They won by 14 when Tech scored late making for a push to the vast majority. Tough one. Over the past two years combined I have won 75% of my football games of the year. The entire listing is on my pro page. I won't do it all again here. Anyway, it is loaded and available. If you do not like game of the year releases then don't play it. Most of mine have clearly won. But on that note, I have to add as always it is not lock or sure thing. That is a stupid term. Only rank amateurs use the word lock. JMO.

The Dozen: Showdown Saturday
By Tony Mejia
VegasInsider.com

The following has been true over the past few weeks, but this looks like the most appealing college football card of the season, stacked with tremendous matchups that will directly impact the national championship picture. Here's everything you need to know to handicap the week's top games.

1. Notre Dame at Miami (FL): Hard Rock Stadium hasn't offered the Hurricanes the same type of homefield advantage they enjoyed at the old Orange Bowl, but the environment for last week's win over Virginia Tech was eye-opening. The hope is that they can recreate that for this rare rivalry game that registers as an event in South Florida and should therefore wind up played in front of a packed house.

The Fighting Irish have only lost once, squandering multiple opportunities in a tight home loss to Georgia. They're generally regarded to boast the country's top offensive line and have an elusive, strong-armed QB in Brandon Wimbush that helps balance out an attack averaging nearly 325 rushing yards per game. Notre Dame leads the country with 7.0 yards per carry, led by Heisman Trophy candidate Josh Adams. Miami ranks 40th in the country in allowing 3.9 yards per carry, so the key to this one will be stunting the Irish ground game to get them off the field. The Canes lead the nation in tackles for loss and will need to keep this from becoming a shootout in order to pull off the home upset. Although the Irish haven't beaten Miami in South Florida since 1977, they won last year's game 30-27 despite squandering a 20-0 lead by allowing 27 consecutive points.

2. Georgia at Auburn: While the Bulldogs will remain in the championship chase if they lose this game since they'll reach the SEC Championship as the East Division representative, this is an elimination game for the Tigers before the Iron Bowl since they've already lost to Clemson. Auburn's Kerryon Johnson leads the conference in rushing yards and has scored 16 touchdowns over his team's seven games, so this is an opportunity for him to shine on a national stage against a physical, disciplined defense before squaring off against Alabama later in the month.

Georgia has allowed just three third-quarter points all season and has one of the top running back combos in the country in Nick Chubb and Sony Michel. Look for a heavy dose of the run game from the Dawgs to keep the pressure off freshman QB Jake Fromm. He threw the ball just seven times in last Saturday's 24-10 win over South Carolina, an indication that head coach Kirby Smart wants no part of him testing himself against the top defenses on the UGA schedule. Auburn definitely qualifies as one of those, which bodes well for an 'under' call. Currently, Bookmaker.eu has the SEC landing two teams in the college football playoff at -260, offering +200 if you want to fade the conference. Spokesman Scott Cooley said the little bit of "smart" money they've taken on this game has come in on UGA.

3. TCU at Oklahoma: Six of the last seven meetings between these schools have been decided by one possession with last season's game resulting in a 52-46 Sooners win in Fort Worth. Baker Mayfield missed the second half of the last game these two played in Norman, holding on 30-29. He accounted for four scores last season, throwing two and running in a pair. Oklahoma leads the nation in total yards after last week's 62-52 win over Oklahoma State and has scored 42 or more points in six of its nine contests. Conversely, the Horned Frogs have allowed seven or fewer points in five games this season after last week's 24-7 win over Texas. The winner of this game takes sole possession of first place in the Big 12 and moves into the driver's seat to reach the conference's championship game.

TCU would come into this undefeated if it hadn't imploded in the red zone in a 14-7 loss at Iowa State to close October, so it will be looking to get off to a strong start offensive. The Sooners will be without free safety Will Johnson for the first half due to a targeting call and have declared his backup Kahlil Haughton out, so the expectation here is that the Horned Frogs will be aggressive early. The Horned Frogs have shut out their last three opponents in the second half and will be the top unit that OU has run into since winning at Ohio State to start the season. TCU contained Oklahoma State's high-octane attack in late September and last beat the Sooners 37-33 in 2014.

4. Michigan State at Ohio State: The winner of this one takes control of the East Division and will likely meet Wisconsin in the Big Ten Championship game. While the Buckeyes still have to get through Michigan in Ann Arbor, they have to win out to have any chance to make a third college football playoff appearance in four years. The Spartans were supposed to be rebuilding this season but come off an upset of Penn State and are playing with house money as they take the field in Columbus.

Despite identical records and the fact Michigan State is actually a spot ahead in the latest college football playoff rankings, the Buckeyes are an eyebrow-raising 17-point favorite here. They get starting H-Back Parris Campbell back from a head injury and should feed RB J.K. Dobbins more after he curiously took a back seat in the game plan in last week's puzzling blowout loss at Iowa. Ohio State has yet to allow a punt return this season, but lost to Michigan State in Columbus in 2015 despite facing a backup quarterback. Last year's game saw the Buckeyes hang on 17-16 in East Lansing despite closing as a 21-point favorite.

5. Alabama at Mississippi State: The Crimson Tide are roughly a two-touchdown favorite here, the lowest number they've laid since closing as a 7.5-point chalk against Florida State in the season opener. This will only be their third true road game. 'Bama's only competitive SEC game came on the road in College Station in a 27-19 win over Texas A&M nearly one month ago, but only two of their nine opponents have managed to score more than 10 points against their tremendous defense. Corner Minkah Fitzpatrick (hamstring) and DE Da'Shawn Hand (knee) both have injury concerns but are expected to play. Linebackers Shaun Dion Hamilton and Mack Wilson were each lost to season-ending leg injuries at LSU, so the Alabama defense isn't likely to be as formidable as it has been.

Mississippi State has its own injury concerns, as WR Donald Gray is dealing with a groin injury while Gave Myles has also been banged up. The unit lost speedy playmaker Malik Dear last month, but will have Keith Mixon in the mix after an ankle injury. Middle linebacker Dez Harris has also been playing nicked up, so both teams come in hobbled here. The Bulldogs have already surpassed last season's win total and are led by QB Nick Fitzgerald, whose 13 10-yard rushing game are most all-time in the SEC by a quarterback. Johnny Manziel, who gave the tide so much trouble during his stint at A&M, is second with nine. Fitzgerald couldn't prevent last season's 51-3 rout in Tuscaloosa, the ninth straight Tide win in this series.

6. Florida State at Clemson: Say, didn't you used to be FSU? Wasn't this game supposed to be at the top of this list, not that other one involving that other Florida-based ACC team? It's been a nightmare of a season for the Seminoles, who have to win out if they lose this game just to become bowl eligible. While games against Delaware State, Florida and Louisiana-Monroe all appear winnable, this one doesn't. Oddsmakers have made the Tigers a 16-point home favorite as they look for their third straight win in this series. Although a tough assignment awaits in the ACC Championship game, getting through this game means the Tigers only have dates against overmatched in-state foes the Citadel and South Carolina as remaining obstacles between them and the college football playoff.

Kelly Bryant is healthy again after an ankle injury, but went 0-for-10 on downfield passes of 15 or more yards in the 38-31 win against NC State. The Seminoles are hoping to make him a passer as they look to salvage their season after hitting rock bottom in a 35-3 loss at Boston College to end October. FSU survived Syracuse last week but again failed to cover the number and is 0-7-1 against the spread this season. Freshman QB James Blackman has been inconsistent since taking over for standout Deondre Francois and may not have top target Auden Tate for a second straight week due to a foot injury. RB Jacques Patrick, who suffered a knee injury in an Oct. 21 home loss to Louisville and was ruled out the rest of the season, has recovered and will get work alongside exciting freshman Cam Akers as the 'Noles look to move the ball on Clemson.

7. Washington at Stanford: The Huskies are hoping to win on the Farm for the first time since 2007 and appear to be the Pac-12's only hope to reach the national semifinals. Home wins against UCLA and Oregon on the heels of its upset loss at Arizona State aren't as impressive as they were expected to be when the season began since both have fallen off, but if it wins here, Washington can close with home wins over Utah and Washington State and would likely get USC in the conference title game. Chris Petersen's team likely controls their own destiny to return to the national semis.

Stanford isn't going to be involved in the playoff picture, but can still win the conference and will also attempt to play spoiler since Notre Dame will come through town on Nov. 25. Bryce Love managed just 69 yards on 16 carries in last week's loss at Washington State, so we'll see if he looks closer to his explosive normal self against the national leader in total defense. QB K.J. Costello will start despite throwing for just 105 yards in last week's loss. His ability to tuck and run provides a wrinkle that junior Keller Chryst doesn't bring to the table and will be invaluable here. The Huskies lost another starter for the season with WR Quinten Pounds suffering a non-contact knee injury, so QB Jake Browning will have to develop chemistry with other weapons to compensate for the absence of a receiver who averaged over 20 yards per catch.

8. Iowa at Wisconsin: The Hawkeyes benefited from Ohio State's hangover after their emotional comeback win against Penn State, but now must face the same danger as they take the field in Madison following a 55-24 romp over the Buckeyes. Iowa isn't going to win the West even if it pulls this upset and is more likely to be up for the home finale against Purdue next week and its rivalry game at Nebraska after Thanksgiving. The Badgers opened as nearly a two-touchdown favorite in a game that's expected to be played in freezing weather and might feature the dreaded wintry mix. For the uninitiated, that's snow and wind and a generally nasty conditions. Is Iowa really going to want to be out there?

The unbeaten Badgers welcome in Michigan next week and close at Minnesota prior to the Big Ten championship, so even though the subject of their inclusion in a national playoff is currently being debated due to the fact they're unbeaten, remaining perfect is going to be a chore. Wisconsin lost its top receiver, Quintez Cephus, for the season against Indiana. He underwent surgery on Thursday and was leading the team in receiving yards and TD catches. Tight end Troy Fumagalli, sophomore A.J. Taylor and freshmen Danny Davis and Kendric Pryor will try and help QB Alex Hornibrook make up the difference, but there's no question losing Cephus is a major blow. Linebacker Chris Orr is out, while safety D'Cota Dixon and a number of backup defensive linemen are questionable. Wisconsin is 65-9 in Madison since 2007.

9. Oklahoma State at Iowa State: The winner here stays alive for a berth in the Big 12 Championship game, so even though the national title chase is over for both, it can still be a special season despite last week's disappointment. Mason Rudolph threw five touchdowns against Oklahoma in a wild loss and won a 35-31 result in his only trip to Ames back in 2015. Iowa State fell at West Virginia on Saturday, but has already defeated co-leaders Oklahoma and TCU, putting them in the driver's seat to reach a conference title game if they can pull off an upset here. The Cyclones haven't posted a winning record since 2009 and have already won as many games this season as they have the previous two years. The success has Matt Campbell on the short list of every AD looking to make a coaching change following this season, so this could very well be the final home game he coaches at Iowa State.

The Cowboys are hoping to have WR James Washington available since he's been in a walking boot most of the week. One of the nation's top receivers and a likely NFL first-round pick, Washington will likely be careful with his ankle but underwent testing on Wednesday and wasn't ruled out. He might be a game-time decision. With home games against Kansas State and Kansas remaining, the Cowboys are hoping to get another crack at OU and TCU in the conference title game, but will need help in getting there since they lose tie-breakers to both. OSU head coach Mike Gundy has lost on two of his five visits to Iowa State and has won seven of eight in the series.

10. Washington State at Utah: Although Stanford and Washington square off on Friday, the Cougars will control their ability to win the Pac-12 North if they can get out of Salt Lake City with a win. They'll play U-Dub in the Apple Cup in Seattle following next week's bye and have already taken down the Cardinal, so this game means everything to Mike Leach's program, which can close in on its first 10-win season since 2003. The Utes have had a disappointing season and need one more win to become bowl eligible for the fourth straight year.

Utah wide receiver Darren Carrington will play despite leaving last week's win over UCLA with a limp and a leg issue, so QB Tyler Huntley will have his full compliment of weapons. Kyle Whittingham beat Leach 49-6 in their first meeting, but Washington State has gotten the better of the Utes in the last two games back in '13 and '14. The Cougs have won four of five in Salt Lake City and are looking for the first three-game winning streak for either team in this series.

11. Virginia at Louisville: This season has obviously not gone as envisioned for reigning Heisman winner Lamar Jackson and his Cardinals, who will attempt to get bowl eligible and clinch at least a .500 record here. Following Bronco Mendenhall's 2-10 debut in Charlottesville, Virginia has already claimed its sixth win with last week's upset of Georgia Tech. The 'Hoos will be underdogs here and against Miami and Virginia Tech but are 2-1 in true home games, defeating Boise State and North Carolina. UVa will visit the Hurricanes next week.

This is a great matchup featuring elite safety Quin Blanding attempting to corral Jackson, while 'Ville CB Jaire Alexander is also set to return after missing time with a nagging knee issue and a broken hand. Virginia seemingly always plays the Cards tough, losing just 32-25 as a 33-point underdog last year and 38-31 the previous season. It defeated a ranked Louisville team in Charlottesville in '14.

12. Boise State at Colorado State: The Rams have never defeated the Broncos and look to pull an upset to avoid a three-game losing streak as their season has gone south down the stretch. With a veteran group led by senior QB Nick Stevens and electric WR Michael Gallup, Colorado State was looking forward to having this home game mean everything, so the fact it doesn't and the best it can do is play spoiler and do Wyoming a favor carries some peril. The Rams lost 16-13 in Laramie last week after a 45-28 setback against Air Force and won't have tailback Izzy Matthews due to a collarbone injury. Daylin Dawkins' workload will intensify. You may not recognize the Rams if you tune in since they'll be wearing blue, red and yellow, to celebrate Colorado state pride, incorporating the flag into their uniform design.

The Broncos rank 15th in the nation in total defense and are looking to continue an unbeaten run in conference play. Boise State has surrendered 14 or fewer points in all seven of their wins and have given up an average of 45.5 in the two losses. It will look to shut down the top passing offense in the conference, which has allowed the Rams to rank fourth nationally in third-down conversions at 50.7 percent. WR Cedrick Wilson, who leads Boise with six TD catches, is questionable after leaving last week's homecoming win over Nevada. BSU is 6-0 in the series.

NCAAF Week 11 Picks and Predictions
By: Andrew Caley
Covers.com
So, I go to the woods for one weekend during the season and the whole college football world goes a little sideways, especially in terms of betting.

Ohio State and Penn State both got downed as big road faves, Oklahoma took the latest edition of the Bedlam Series in a crazy shootout, Lane Kiffin trolled the sports betting community saying he “didn’t want to cover because of too much rat poison”, and maybe craziest of all, Tennessee won and covered in the same game (albeit against non-conference Southern Mississippi). That was a lot to take in when I returned home.

Worst of all, our picks last week were also not immune to the unpredictability of Week 10, as we suffered our first losing week in a month. A Tom Herman-coached team didn’t cover as an underdog for the first time in his career and Wake Forest scored two late touchdowns against Notre Dame to cover as a 14-point dog. When I watched the replay of final touchdown, I almost hucked my laptop out the window.

Luckily, Washington (the Pac-12’s final College Football Playoff hope) salvaged a win for us, crushing Oregon.

So, to get us back on track this week, let’s try to keep going with one of the aforementioned teams that shook up the college football landscape - the Michigan State Spartans - as they take Ohio State.

Sparty has been a hard team to peg this season. Are they the squad that got embarrassed by a good Notre Dame team at home and came up short against Northwestern? Or is MSU the team that upset Michigan and Penn State as a 13 and 9.5-point underdog? I’m not really sure.

What I am sure about is that this is a least a good, bordering on very good team, with a great coach in Mark Dantonio.

I also know that the Spartans match up very well with Ohio State. In fact, these two Big Ten foes have traded victories going back to 2011, with each team going 3-3 with an average margin of victory of just five points and neither team has won by more than two scores.

But that’s exactly what oddsmakers have this matchup set at, with Ohio State currently on the board at -17. Frankly, I can’t seem to make sense of a line like that.

The Buckeyes have played just three good teams so far this season and they lost two of those games (Oklahoma and Iowa). They also required a miracle fourth-quarter performance from J.T. Barrett to pull out a one-point win as 7-point home faves versus Penn State. Against those good teams, Ohio State has given up an average of 41.3 points per game. Not surprisingly, they went 0-3 against the spread in those matchups.

Meanwhile, the Spartans are allowing 24.2 points per game against what I would call good competition (Notre Dame, Iowa, Michigan, Northwestern and Penn State).

Like I said, Michigan State falls under the category of at least a “good” team and three scores feel like way too many. Now, this game is seeing a classic sharp-versus-square split, as 74 percent of wagers are on Michigan State, but the line has moved from Ohio State -15.5 to -17.

Call me a square, but I’ll take the points.

Pick: Michigan State +17

Florida State Seminoles at Clemson Tigers (-16, 46)

Admittedly, I was a little shocked when Clemson was No. 4 in the initial College Football Playoff ranking, but then the Tigers went out and put on a very solid performance on the road against a tough North Carolina team. The Tigers didn’t cover the 10-point chalk on the road, but they were at least a late field goal away from a push. In fact, the Tigers haven’t covered since a 31-17 win over Virginia Tech.

That’s the thing about the ACC this season: there aren’t many great teams, but it's full of solid squads from top to bottom (the Atlantic Division in particular) and Clemson is getting rewarded by the committee for their tough schedule.

Heading into this season, this was the ACC matchup college football fans and sports bettors alike had circled on their calendars. But then Florida State quarterback Deondre Francois was lost for the season after injuring his knee in its opener against Alabama. It’s been all downhill for the Seminoles ever since.

They are 3-5 straight up on the season and Freshman James Blackman has struggled since taking over under center, throwing almost as many interceptions as touchdowns and completing just 59 percent of his passes. The Seminoles rank 113th in the country in total yards, but Blackman hasn’t gotten any support from a run defense that ranks 90th. Now they go up against a Tigers defense that is licking their chops. Clemson ranks 13th in total defense and eighth in points allowed at just 15.8 points per game.

With a win, the Tigers book their ticket to the ACC Championship Game (likely against undefeated Miami) and I think that plays a factor here. Clemson will be focused and that defense will overwhelm Florida State’s offense.

Oh yeah. And while Clemson hasn’t covered in four games, Florida State hasn’t all season (the only FBS team not to). So if you’re asking me to chose one of those skids to end, give me the Tigers and their swarming defense.

Pick: Clemson -16

North Carolina State Wolfpack at Boston College Eagles (+3, 52)

We’re sticking to the ACC for the final pick, in a matchup of two of the conference’s more surprising teams when the Wolfpack visit the Eagles.

The Eagles are a red-hot bet, covering six straight games, which includes three straight outright wins as underdogs. But this Wolfpack team is no joke and they still have an outside chance to play in the ACC Championship should Clemson somehow stumbles against Florida State.

North Carolina State is coming off back-to-back defeats, but the losses came against the No. 3 and No. 4 teams in the CFP rankings - Notre Dame and Clemson. They’re due for a rebound.

North Carolina State also features arguably the best quarterback in the conference in Ryan Finley. The 6-foot-4 junior is quickly moving up NFL draft boards thanks to his physical tools, efficient play, and his overall impressive season. Finley has thrown for 2,519 yards with 15 touchdowns to just three interceptions.

In a matchup where Boston College will attempt to lean on a run game against a good Wolfpack run D, I think Finley is the difference. North Carolina State is also a great bet on the road going 5-1 ATS in its last six away from home. I’m laying the points with the Pack.

Pick: North Carolina State -3

Last week: 1-2
Season to date: 18-11-1 (62.1 percent)

Heisman Odds Update

Does anyone want to win the most coveted individual award in college football? It seems like the very instant we have had a new favorite or up-and-coming contender, they've followed that hype with a dud performance.

We were all singing J.T. Barrett’s praises after his huge game against Penn State, but he followed it up with a stinker, throwing four interceptions in Ohio State’s 55-24 loss at Iowa. Barrett drops from 4/1 to 30/1 according to the Westgate Las Vegas Superbook.

Stanford running back Bryce Love looked human in his return from an ankle injury against Washington State, rushing for just 4.3 yards per carry, when he had been averaging over 10 per clip prior. Love is currently 10/1.

Long-time favorite Saquon Barkley has put up back-to-back pedestrian outings for Penn State, rushing for just 107 yards on 35 carries and one touchdown in consecutive losses. Barkley is still in the running however at 8/5.

But that means we have a new favorite. Baker Mayfield come on down! The Sooners’ senior signal caller is now a big 4/7 favorite to win the award (until he isn’t) after torching Oklahoma State for nearly 600 yards passing in OU’s big 62-52 Bedlam Series win. However, Mayfield threw two more picks, making that the fourth straight game in which he has at least one and he gets to face a tough TCU defense with a ton on the line as both teams are 8-1 heading into this game.

Finally, the name once again to keep an eye on is Notre Dame running back Josh Adams. The Irish back is an 8/1 contender with 1,191 yards on just 137 carries (8.7 yards per carry) to go along with nine scores. Adams will continue to climb up the board, especially if Notre Dame keeps winning.

Week 11 NCAAF Top 25 Betting Cheat Sheet
By: Covers.com

We enter Week 11 of the NCAA football betting season, with a marquee Big Ten matchup in Columbus and the return of 'Catholics versus Convicts' in Miami headlining the week. If you don’t have time to handicap Saturday’s biggest matchups, use our college football cheat sheet to point you in the right direction.

(15) Oklahoma State Cowboys at (23) Iowa State Cyclones (+6.5, 60.5)

* The Cowboys rank second in the nation in points per game (45.2) and total touchdowns (53). Oklahoma State turned the ball over three times in Saturday's loss to Oklahoma and has 19 turnovers on the season; only 12 Division I schools have more.

* Cyclones QB Kyle Kempt has racked up 1,108 passing yards with 10 touchdowns and three interceptions since taking over as the starter. Only six FBS programs average fewer penalty yards per game than Iowa State (35.7).

LINE HISTORY: The Cowboys opened this game at most books as 7-point road fave and has been bet down slightly to +6.5. The total hit the betting board at 62 and is available as low as 60.5.

TRENDS:

* Cowboys are 7-1 ATS in their last 8 games following a ATS loss.
* Cyclones are 9-2 ATS in their last 11 home games.
* Cyclones are 9-2 ATS in their last 11 home games.

(24) NC State Wolfpack at Boston College Eagles (+3, 52)

* The Wolfpack have turned the ball just minuscule six times through nine games; only Alabama has fewer turnovers among Division I schools. NC State QB Ryan Finley has thrown for multiple touchdowns just four times in nine starts.

* The Eagles have surrendered seven sacks on the season, sixth-fewest in the nation. RB AJ Dillon has erupted for 460 rushing yards and five touchdowns over his previous three games, all Boston College victories.

LINE HISTORY: Oddsmakers installed the Wolfpack as field goal road faves and the line has yet to move off that number. The total opened at 52 and was briefly bet up to 53 but has since returned to the opening number.

TRENDS:

* Eagles are 7-0 ATS in their last 7 games following a ATS win.
* Under is 9-1 in Wolfpack last 10 conference games.
* Under is 5-1 in the last 6 meetings.
* Wolfpack are 1-5 ATS in their last 6 meetings in Boston College.

(16) Michigan State Spartans at (11) Ohio State Buckeyes (-17, 53.5)

* The Spartans rank third in rushing defense (87 yards per game) and are one of only six Division I teams allowing fewer than three yards per carry. QB Brian Lewerke and RBs LJ Scott and Madre London have accounted for all 10 Michigan State rushing TDs.

* Buckeyes QB J.T. Barrett threw a career-high four interceptions in last week's loss to Iowa; it was his first game with multiple INTs since last year's Fiesta Bowl loss to Clemson. Ohio State averages 77.2 penalty yards per game, sixth-most in Division I.

LINE HISTORY: Ohio State hit the betting board as 16-point home chalk, money on the road team brought that line as low as -14.5 early in the week. Later in the week money started to come in on the home team and the line bounced back as high as -17, where it currently sits. The total opened at 55 and has been bet down to 53.5.

TRENDS:

* Buckeyes are 1-6 ATS vs. a team with a winning record.
* Over is 4-1 in Spartans last 5 road games.
* Over is 7-0 in Buckeyes last 7 conference games.
* Underdog is 6-0 ATS in their last 6 meetings.

Rutgers Scarlet Knights at (13) Penn State Nittany Lions (-31, 52.5)

* Scarlet Knights passers have completed just 52.4 percent of their attempts, good for 115th nationally. WR Jerome Washington (253) is the only Rutgers pass catcher with more than 170 yards through the air; no player has more than one receiving TD.

* Nittany Lions RB and Heisman Trophy candidate Saquon Barkley has exceeded 75 rushing yards just once in his last five games. Penn State's plus-12 turnover margin for the season is the fourth-best rate in Division I.

LINE HISTORY: The Nittany Lions opened as massive 31-point home faves, that was briefly bet down to 30.5 before returning to the opening number. The total hit the board at 52.5 and was bet down slightly to an even 52.

TRENDS:

* Scarlet Knights are 4-0 ATS in their last 4 games overall.
* Nittany Lions are 1-9-2 ATS in their last 12 games following a straight up loss.
* Over is 4-1 in Scarlet Knights last 5 games overall.
* Over is 6-1 in Nittany Lions last 7 games following a straight up loss.

Arkansas Razorbacks at (25) LSU Tigers (-17.5, 55)

* The Razorbacks are allowing opponents to convert 46.2 percent of their third-down opportunities, ranking 117th among FBS teams. Arkansas has surrendered 28 sacks while generating just 12 of its own.

* Coming off a 276-yard breakout vs. Ole Miss, Tigers RB Derrius Guice settled for 71 rushing yards against Alabama and has reached triple digits just once in his last six games. LSU is one of eight Division I schools with 30 or more sacks.

LINE HISTORY: Oddsmakers opened the Tigers as 19-point home favorites and money on the road team has seen that number drop as low as -16.5, before settling at -17. The total opened at 55 and was briefly bet up as high as 56 before settling back to the opening number.

TRENDS:

* Tigers are 1-5-1 ATS vs. a team with a losing record.
* Over is 6-1 in Razorbacks last 7 games overall.
* Over is 4-1 in the last 5 meetings in Louisiana State.
* Razorbacks are 8-2 ATS in their last 10 meetings.

Connecticut Huskies at (12) Central Florida Knights (40.5, 64)

* The Huskies rank last in the nation in passing yards against (3,407) and passing yards allowed per game (378.6). QB Bryant Shirreffs has thrown for a combined 335 yards in his past two games after surpassing the 300-yard mark in four of his previous five.

* The Knights complete better than 71 percent of their passes, behind only Oklahoma. UCF has been flagged an average of 8.75 times per game so far in 2017; only South Florida has been penalized more often.

LINE HISTORY: The Knights opened as 37 point home chalk and money on the home team drove that line as high as 41, before fading slightly to -40.5. The total hit the betting board at 64.5 and is down slightly to an even 64.

TRENDS:

* Huskies are 2-8 ATS in their last 10 games following a ATS win.
* Knights are 6-0 ATS vs. a team with a losing record.
* Under is 4-0 in Huskies last 4 games overall.
* Under is 5-1 in Knights last 6 games following a ATS loss.

(17) Virginia Tech Hokies at Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets (+3, 50)

* The Hokies have limited opponents to a 24.8-percent conversion rate on third downs, fourth-best in the nation. Virginia Tech QB Josh Jackson hasn't exceeded 200 passing yards in his previous three games.

* The Yellow Jackets average better than 34 1/2 minutes time of possession per game, the third-best rate in Division I. Georgia Tech incurs just 30.75 penalty yards per game, behind only Boston College among FBS teams.

LINE HISTORY: Virginia Tech opened this ACC Coastal division matchup as 2.5-point road chalk and money on the Hokies pushed that line to +3, where it currently sits. The total hit the betting board at 50 and briefly went up to 50.5 before returning to the opening number.

TRENDS:

* Yellow Jackets are 6-1-1 ATS in their last 8 conference games.
* Under is 5-1 in Hokies last 6 games overall.
* Under is 5-0 in the last 5 meetings.
* Underdog is 10-1 ATS in their last 11 meetings.

Iowa Hawkeyes at (3) Wisconsin Badgers (-12, 46)

* Hawkeyes QB Nathan Stanley had five touchdown passes in last week's win over Ohio State - equaling his output from the previous four games combined. Iowa has converted 74.3 percent of its red-zone trips into points, ranking 112th nationally.

* Badgers RB Jonathan Taylor has exceeded 180 yards rushing in three of his last five games, scoring five touchdowns over that span. Wisconsin boasts the country's top third-down conversion rate at 53.5 percent.

LINE HISTORY: Oddsmakers opened the Badgers as 13-point home favorites and money on the road team brought that number down to 12. The total opened at 46 and has yet to move off the opening number.

TRENDS:

* Hawkeyes are 5-0 ATS in their last 5 meetings in Wisconsin.
* Road team is 5-1 ATS in their last 6 meetings.
* Under is 4-0 in the last 4 meetings in Wisconsin.
* Under is 3-0-1 in the last 4 meetings.

Florida State Seminoles at (4) Clemson Tigers (-16, 46)

* The Seminoles have converted just 31.2 percent of their third-down opportunities so far in 2017, ranking 118th in Division I. The Florida State defense has surrendered an average of 3.13 sacks per game, more than all but nine FBS teams.

* Five different Tigers players have at least three rushing touchdowns on the season, led by QB Kelly Bryant with nine. Clemson ranks second in both total sacks (33) and sacks per game (3.67).

LINE HISTORY: Clemson opened this ACC showdown favored by 17.5 points at most books, money on FSU has brought that line down to -16. The total opened at 46, briefly went up to 46.5, before returning to 46.

TRENDS:

* Seminoles are 0-6-2 ATS in their last 8 games overall.
* Under is 7-1 in Seminoles last 8 games overall.
* Under is 5-1 in Tigers last 6 games overall.
* Seminoles are 2-8 ATS in their last 10 meetings in Clemson.

(2) Georgia Bulldogs at (10) Auburn Tigers (+2.5, 47)

* The Bulldogs boast the top red-zone offense in the nation, having scored on 35 of 36 trips inside the opponents' 20-yard line (25 touchdowns, 10 field goals). RB Nick Chubb leads the SEC with 16 rushes of 15+ yards this season.

* The Tigers have thrown just three interceptions - only four Division I schools have fewer - but have surrendered an average of 2.67 sacks per game, ranking 100th nationally. Auburn's 36.3 penalty yards per game are the 11th-fewest among FBS schools.

LINE HISTORY: The second-ranked Bulldogs opened this game at most books as 2-point road chalk and money coming in on Georgia has seen that line up slightly to +2.5. The total opened as 51.5 and money has been flooding in on the underdriving it down to 47 at most shops.

TRENDS:

* Bulldogs are 7-0 ATS in their last 7 road games.
* Favorite is 6-1 ATS in their last 7 meetings.
* Bulldogs are 5-1 ATS in their last 6 meetings.
* Under is 5-1 in the last 6 meetings.

(22) Michigan Wolverines at Maryland Terrapins (+17, 45.5)

* Wolverines RB Karan Higdon has erupted for 603 rushing yards and eight touchdowns in his last four games, with a pair of 200-yard efforts in that span. Michigan ranks third nationally in third-down conversion rate against (24.4 percent).

* Terrapins QB Max Bortenschlager (1,007 passing yards, 10 TDs, five INTs) is considered a game-time decision due to injury. RB Ty Johnson opened the season with three 100-yard rushing efforts in his first four games but hasn't had one since.

LINE HISTORY: The Wolverines opened as 15.5 point road chalk and that wasn't high enough as money came in on the road team pushing that number as high as 17 at most shops. The total opened at 46.5 and is down one point to 45.5.

TRENDS:

* Wolverines are 0-6 ATS in their last 6 road games vs. a team with a losing home record.
* Over is 10-2 in Wolverines last 12 road games.
* Over is 6-0 in Terrapins last 6 conference games.

(14) USC Trojans at Colorado Buffaloes (12.5, 64.5)

* The Trojans have allowed opponents to score on just 70.3 percent of their red-zone visits, the fifth-best rate in Division I. RB Ronald Jones has rushed for 410 yards and five touchdowns over his past two games.

* Buffaloes RB Phillip Lindsay is tied for second in the Pac-12 in rushing scores (12) and ranks third in rushing yards per game (133.4). Colorado is surrendering 199.3 rushing yards per game, ranking outside the top 100 nationally.

LINE HISTORY: The Trojans opened this Pac-12 South showdown as 13.5-road faves and money coming in on the home team has brought that line down a full point to +12.5. The total hit the betting board at 60.5 and money rolling in on the over has pushed that number as high as 64.5, where it currently sits at most shops.

TRENDS:

* Trojans are 1-5 ATS in their last 6 games following a straight up win.
* Over is 4-0 in Trojans last 4 games overall.
* Over is 4-1 in Buffaloes last 5 games overall.
* Home team is 4-1 ATS in their last 5 meetings.

(20) Washington State Cougars at Utah Utes (+1, 52)

* Cougars QB Luke Falk threw for 300 yards and three TDs in last week's win over Stanford, the first time he has reached the 300-yard/3-TD plateau in the same game since Sept. 23 vs. Nevada. Washington State ranks first in pass play percentage (68.8 ).

* The Utes led the Pac-12 with 43 sacks last season but have just 15 so far in 2017, tied for second-fewest in the conference. Utah has converted just 34.7 percent of its third downs, ranking 106th among FBS teams.

LINE HISTORY: Oddsmakers opened the Cougars as 1-point road chalk at most shops and that number has yet to move off the opening number. The total opened at 52 and like the spread has yet to move.

TRENDS:

* Cougars are 4-1 ATS vs. a team with a winning record.
* Under is 6-1 in Cougars last 7 games overall.
* Under is 6-1 in Utes last 7 games following a ATS win.
* Cougars are 4-1 ATS in their last 5 meetings.

(1) Alabama Crimson Tide at (18) Mississippi State Bulldogs (+13.5, 51)

* The Crimson Tide have trailed for a two minutes, 23 seconds of the 540 minutes they have played this season. Alabama has forced a three-and-out on 44.6 percent of opponent drives in 2017; only Michigan has a higher success rate.

* The Bulldogs have seven interceptions in their past four games, with interception returns for a touchdown in each of their previous three contests. Mississippi State QB Nick Fitzgerald has four straight 100-yard rushing games, with seven TDs in that span.

LINE HISTORY: The undefeated Crimson Tide opened as 14.5 road faves at most shops and money on the home team has brought that line down to 13. The total hit the betting board at 51 and is down slightly to 50.5.

TRENDS:

* Bulldogs are 21-5 ATS in their last 26 home games vs. a team with a winning road record.
* Under is 4-1 in Bulldogs last 5 conference games.
* Under is 8-0 in the last 8 meetings in Mississippi State.
* Under is 14-3-1 in the last 18 meetings.

(9) TCU Horned Frogs at (7) Oklahoma Sooners (-6.5, 61.5)

* The Horned Frogs have made good on 50 percent of their third-down opportunities, the sixth-best rate in the country. TCU RB Darius Anderson is averaging 6.0 YPC but hasn't reached the 100-yard mark since Sept. 23 vs. Oklahoma State.

* Sooners QB Baker Mayfield has multiple touchdown passes in every game this season, and has amassed 1,008 passing yards in his previous two road outings. Oklahoma is the only team in the nation averaging better than 600 yards of offense per game.

LINE HISTORY: The Sooners opened as 7.5 home chalk and that number was too high for bettors and money came in on the road team bringing that line down to 6.5. The total opened at 62.5 and has been bet down a full point to 61.5.

TRENDS:

* Horned Frogs are 5-0 ATS in their last 5 road games vs. a team with a winning home record.
* Under is 5-0 in Horned Frogs last 5 games overall.
* Under is 5-1 in Sooners last 6 vs. a team with a winning record.
* Under is 4-0 in the last 4 meetings in Oklahoma.
* Horned Frogs are 4-1 ATS in their last 5 meetings in Oklahoma.

(5) Notre Dame Fighting Irish at (6) Miami Hurricanes (+3, 57.5)

* The Fighting Irish are one of seven FBS teams with a per-game turnover margin of 1.33 or better. Notre Dame QB Brandon Wimbush has accounted for three or more touchdowns in each of his previous four starts.

* The Hurricanes have converted just 31.3 percent of their third-down chances this season; only 12 Division I teams have been worse. Miami is tied for 10th nationally with 20 forced turnovers (seven recovered fumbles, 13 interceptions).

LINE HISTORY: Oddsmakers opened 'The U' as 3-point home dogs and that line briefly went up to +3.5 before returning to the opening number. The total hit the betting board at 57.5 and held for most of the week until dropping to 56.5 on Friday morning.

TRENDS:

* Fighting Irish are 6-1 ATS in their last 7 games overall.
* Hurricanes are 0-6 ATS in their last 6 vs. INDEP.
* Under is 6-0 in Hurricanes last 6 games overall.

SEC Report - Week 11
By Brian Edwards
VegasInsider.com

Auburn is technically alive for everything despite two defeats. This is evident by its 45/1 odds to win the College Football Playoff at most betting shops. Think about it: If Auburn beats Georgia and Alabama, it would win the West and get a rematch with UGA in Atlanta. If the Tigers could top UGA a second time, they would be SEC champions with a pair of wins over Georgia (currently ranked No. 1 in the CFP rankings) and a win over Alabama (currently No. 2 in the CFP rankings).

Now I’m not implying – by any stretch – that those three things are going to happen. However, if they do, Auburn’s losses would be at Clemson (14-6) and at LSU (27-23). Therefore, the only one-loss team that would get in the CFP ahead of AU would be Clemson.

We only point this out to further clarify the ramifications of Saturday’s SEC showdown between Auburn and Georgia on The Plains at Jordan-Hare Stadium. Kickoff is set for 3:30 p.m. Eastern on CBS.

As of Friday afternoon, most books had Georgia listed as a 2.5-point favorite with a total of 49. The Tigers were available on the money line for a +115 return.

Auburn (7-2 straight up, 4-3-2 against the spread) owns a 4-2 spread record with three outright victories in six games as a home underdog during Gus Malzahn’s five-year tenure. The Tigers are undefeated in four home games this year, going 1-1-2 ATS.

AU has won back-to-back games both SU and ATS since allowing a double-digit lead to get away in the second half of the loss at LSU. Malzahn’s bunch won at Arkansas (52-20) and then after an open date, it went to Texas A&M last week and captured a 42-27 victory as a 14.5-point road favorite.

Texas A&M took a 13-7 lead on a short field with 2:39 left in the second quarter, but Auburn went back in front 14-13 on a 53-yard TD pass from Jarrett Stidham to Darius Slayton with 1:36 remaining until halftime. Then the Tigers seized all momentum (and hooked up its backers for first-half wagers) when they got a blocked punt from Mark Miller, who recovered the loose ball in the end zone for a TD and a 21-13 edge at intermission.

Auburn tacked on two more TDs less than seven minutes into the third quarter and coasted to victory from there. Stidham completed 20-of-27 passes for 268 yards and three touchdowns without an interception. Kerryon Johnson rushed 29 times for 145 yards and one TD, while Slayton had two receptions for 99 yards and one TD. Ryan Davis added seven catches for 80 yards and one TD, while Johnson had five grabs for 29 yards and one TD.

For the season, Stidham has connected on 66.8 percent of his throws for 1,996 yards with an 11/3 touchdown-to-interception ratio. Stidham, the former five-star recruit who played one year at Baylor in 2015 before transferring to AU, has nine TD passes compared to merely one interception in his team’s last six games.

Johnson is fourth in the nation with 16 TDs scored. He missed two games, however, so he’s actually No. 1 in the country in points scored per game (13.7 PPG). The junior RB has rushed for 868 yards and 15 TDs while averaging 5.2 yards per carry. Johnson also has 13 receptions for 86 yards and one TD.

Johnson has become the featured back due to an injury-riddled campaign for junior RB Kam Pettway, who was a first-team All-SEC selection in 2016 when he produced 1,224 rushing yards and seven TDs. Pettway is currently sidelined indefinitely due to a shoulder injury. He had rushed for 305 yards and six TDs, but was only averaging 4.0 YPC in five games played.

Davis has been Stidham’s favorite target, hauling in 48 receptions for 461 yards and four TDs. Slayton has 13 catches for 401 yards and three TDs, while Will Hastings has grabbed 18 balls for 371 yards and three TDs.

Auburn is ranked ninth in the nation in scoring defense, allowing only 16.9 points per game. This unit is 14th in the country in total defense, 19th at defending the pass and 24th versus the run. Junior LB Deshaun Davis has a team-high 44 tackles to go with one sack, one tackle for loss and one pass broken up. Sophomore DE Marlon Davidson has recorded 25 tackles, 2.5 sacks, two TFL’s, two QB hurries, one PBU, one forced fumble and one fumble recovery for a 33-yard return.

Georgia (9-0 SU, 6-3 ATS) is 3-0 both SU and ATS on the road this season. As a road favorite on second-year head coach Kirby Smart’s watch, UGA has compiled a 4-1 spread record.

Georgia is ranked No. 1 in the College Football Playoff rankings for the second straight week. The Bulldogs won a 24-10 decision over South Carolina last week, but they never threatened to cover the 23.5-point spread. Jake Fromm completed 16-of-22 passes for 196 yards and two TDs without an interception.

Nick Chubb ran for 102 yards on 20 carries, while Sony Michel produced 81 rushing yards and one TD on 16 attempts. Terry Godwin had three receptions for 53 yards, while Javon Wims had five catches for 46 yards and one TD.

Fromm replaced former starting QB Jacob Eason early in the first quarter of UGA’s season opener when he sprained his knee. He has remained the starter since then, although Eason has been healthy and ready to play since early October.

Fromm’s play has made it a no-brainer for Smart to stick with him. The true freshman has completed 63.3 percent of his passes for 1,459 yards with a 15/4 TD-INT ratio. Fromm has also rushed for 98 yards and three scores. Godwin has 19 receptions for 422 yards and five TDs, while Wims has 24 catches for 375 yards and four TDs.

Chubb has run for a team-best 867 yards and nine TDs, averaging 6.2 YPC. Michel has 710 rushing yards, nine rushing TDs and a 7.9 YPC average. Another true freshman, D’Andre Swift, has rushed for 388 yards and one TD while averaging 7.6 YPC.

Georgia is ranked fourth in the nation in total defense, seventh at defending the pass, fifth versus the run and third in scoring (11.7 PPG). This unit is led by junior LB Roquan Smith, who has a team-best 70 tackles along with 2.5 sacks, 0.5 TFL’s, three QB hurries, two PBU and one forced fumble. Senior LB Lorenzo Carter had recorded 32 tackles, four sacks, 2.5 TFL’s, six QB hurries and a pair of forced fumbles.

The ‘under’ is 6-3 overall for UGA, 2-1 in its three true road assignments. The Bulldogs have watched their games average combined scores of 48.2 PPG.

Since the ‘under’ cashed in Auburn’s first three games, the ‘over’ has hit in six in a row. Totals have been a wash (2-2) in AU’s home outings. The Tigers’ games have averaged combined scores of 53.8 PPG.

Georgia has won three in a row over Auburn and five of the last six both SU and ATS, including last year’s 13-7 triumph as a 10-point home underdog. Chubb rushed for 101 yards, Eason threw for 208 yards and the UGA defense limited AU to only 164 yards of total offense.

The ‘under’ has cashed in three straight head-to-head meetings between these bitter rivals and is 5-1 in the last six encounters.

OTHER SEC GAMES

Florida at South Carolina As of Friday afternoon, most books had South Carolina (6-3 SU, 5-2-2 ATS) listed as a 5.5 or six-point favorite with a total of 43.5 or 44. The Gators were +190 on the money line (risk $100 to win $190).

Will Muschamp’s second team at USC went ‘over’ its season win total of 5.5 before the end of October. In last week’s loss at UGA, Jake Bentley threw his first interception since a Sept. 23 win over La. Tech. In fact, he was picked off twice by the Bulldogs. Nevertheless, the true sophomore signal caller has led South Carolina to a 10-6 record in his 16 career starts. He has thrown for 1,986 yards this year with a 14/6 TD-INT ratio.

Since Muschamp took over, the Gamecocks are 2-4-1 ATS as home favorites, 0-2-1 in three such spots this season. They are 3-1 SU and 1-2-1 ATS at home this season, taking its only loss vs. Kentucky back in Week 3.

Florida (3-5 SU, 2-6 ATS) has lost four in a row while going 1-3 ATS in the process. UF fired third-year head coach Jim McElwain after a 42-7 loss to UGA two weeks ago. Randy Shannon, the former player, assistant and head coach at Miami, is serving as the interim head coach. His debut was a disaster last week at Missouri, where the home team spanked UF by a 45-16 count.

Shannon gave Malik Zaire, the grad transfer from Notre Dame, his first start of the season. Zaire completed 13-of-19 passes for 158 yards with one interception. He ran for 17 yards on six attempts. Lamical Perine had 66 rushing yards on 19 carries, in addition to catching four balls for 30 yards and one TD.

However, on the TD grab late in the fourth quarter, Perine injured his knee. He was still listed as ‘questionable’ as of Friday afternoon. Brett Heggie, UF’s second-best offensive lineman, went down at Missouri with a season-ending knee injury. Other starters who won’t make the trip to Columbia due to injuries include senior safety Nick Washington, sophomore LB Kylan Johnson, WR Kadarius Toney, DE Jachai Polite, DE Jordan Sherit, QB Luke Del Rio and leading rusher Malik Davis.

Totals have been a wash both overall (4-4) and on the road (1-1) for UF. The Gators have watched their games average combined scores of 49.0 PPG.

The ‘under’ is 6-3 overall for the Gamecocks, 2-2 in their home games. They’ve seen their games average combined scores of 45.1 PPG.

Alabama at Mississippi State

As of Friday afternoon, most spots had Alabama (9-0 SU, 4-5 ATS) installed as a 13.5-point ‘chalk’ with a total of 52.5. Gamblers could take MSU to win outright for a +400 return (risk $100 to win $400). Kickoff from Starkville is slated for 7:00 p.m. Eastern on ESPN.

Mississippi State (7-2 SU, 6-3 ATS) is 11-10 ATS as a home underdog during Dan Mullen’s nine-year tenure. The Bulldogs are undefeated in five home games this year with a 4-1 spread record. The lone non-cover came in last week’s 34-23 win over UMass as 32-point home ‘chalk.’

MSU fell victim to the classic look-ahead situation against the Minutemen. In fact, Mullen’s team trailed by seven at intermission, prompting me to jump all over MSU as a 14.5-point favorite for second-half wagers. When the Bulldogs scored a pair of quick third-quarter TDs, I thought I was poised to cash an easy winner.

It didn’t go like that, though. In fact, I was fortunate that MSU forced a short field goal on a UMass drive into the red zone early in the fourth quarter. Then I just got downright lucky when Deddrick Thomas busted an 83-yard punt return for a TD with 5:00 left, as MSU won a 34-23 decision and covered the number on halftime bets (-7.5 adjusted).

Nick Fitzgerald threw for only 139 yards and was intercepted twice. To his credit, however, the junior signal caller ran for a team-best 135 yards and two TDs on 17 carries. For the season, Fitzgerald has run for 801 yards and 12 TDs while averaging 6.9 YPC. He has completed 56.8 percent of his passes for 1,459 yards with a 13/10 TD-INT ratio.

MSU is ranked seventh in the nation in total defense, eighth in pass defense, 23rd versus the run and 15th in scoring (18.0 PPG). Mullen made perhaps the best hire of the offseason when he snagged defensive coordinator Todd Grantham away from Bobby Petrino at Louisville.

Alabama lost senior leader and starting LB Shaun Dion Hamilton to a season-ending knee injury in last week’s 24-10 non-covering home win over LSU. Dion Hamilton had recorded 40 tackles (second-best on the team), 2.5 sacks, three TFL’s, two QB hurries, one forced fumble and two PBU. Dion Hamilton is the fourth Alabama linebacker to go down with a season-ending injury. On the bright side, star DB Minkah Fitzpatrick (hamstring) has been upgraded to ‘probable’ at MSU.

Alabama is ranked second in the nation in total defense, first in scoring ‘D’ (9.8 PPG), second in run defense and ninth at defending the pass. The ‘under’ is 3-1 in its last four games.

Nick Saban’s squad has won eight of its nine games by 14 points or more. The only one-possession game it has played came in a 27-19 win at Texas A&M. This is its second-smallest spread of the season and its shortest number since being favored by 19.5 at Vandy in Week 4. Remember, the Tide was only favored by 7.5 against then-third-ranked FSU in the season opener in Atlanta.

Alabama has won nine in a row over Mississippi State, going 6-3 ATS during that streak. MSU last tasted victory over the Tide in 2007, Saban’s first year at the helm, when it won 17-12 as a four-point home underdog.

Arkansas at LSU LSU (6-3 SU, 4-4 ATS) had a 306-299 advantage over Alabama in total offense and easily covered the spread as a 20.5-point underdog in last week’s 24-10 loss at Bryant-Denny Stadium. The Tigers limited the Tide to merely 116 rushing yards on 36 attempts (3.2 YPC average) in a valiant defensive effort.

Ed Orgeron’s team returns home to face Arkansas as a 17-point favorite. The Tigers have won three of four home games, going 1-2-1 ATS. They took massive defeats to Arkansas in 2014 (17-0) and ’15 (31-14), but avenged those defeats with last year’s 38-10 win in Fayetteville. Derrius Guice torched the Razorbacks for 252 rushing yards and two TDs on 21 carries.

Arkansas (4-5 SU, 2-6 ATS) is a remarkable 9-1 ATS in its last 10 games as a road underdog. The Razorbacks will get starting QB Austin Allen back after he was sidelined for four consecutive games with a shoulder injury. Allen threw for only 152 yards and was intercepted twice vs. LSU last season. Allen has an 8/4 TD-INT ratio this year.

Bret Bielema’s fifth season at Arkansas has been a major struggle, one that has his job security (and perhaps that of AD Jeff Long’s as well) is major jeopardy. The Razorbacks have won back-to-back games, rallying from 24 points down to win on a last-second FG at Ole Miss two weeks ago. However, last week’s 39-38 victory over a one-win Coastal Carolina squad was nearly a disaster.

Arkansas had to rally from a 38-25 fourth-quarter deficit to pull out the ugly win as a 24.5-point home favorite. T.J Hammonds got the comeback started with an 88-yard TD run with 10:09 remaining. Then with 1:55 left, Cole Kelley scored on a one-yard plunge to provide the winning points.

The ‘under’ is 5-4 overall for LSU, but the ‘over’ has hit at a 3-1 clip in its four home outings. Meanwhile, the ‘over’ is on a 6-1 run for the Hogs to improve to 6-3 overall. They’ve seen the ‘over’ go 2-1 in their road assignments and their games have averaged combined scores of 66.0 PPG (regardless of the venue).

This is a noon Eastern kick from Tiger Stadium in Baton Rouge on ESPN.

Tennessee at Missouri Missouri junior QB Drew Lock is absolutely on fire, throwing 21 TD passes compared to merely three interceptions in his team’s last five games. For the season, Lock has completed 60.7 percent of his throws for 2,795 yards with a 31/9 TD-INT ratio. J’Mon Moore is his favorite target, hauling in 44 receptions for 740 yards and eight TDs.

Missouri (4-5 SU, 5-4 ATS) picked up its first SEC win in last week’s 45-16 destruction of Florida as a 1.5-point home favorite. The Tigers have won three in a row and even better for our purposes, they’ve covered the number in five consecutive games.

Since Barry Odom took over for Gary Pinkel before the 2016 season, Missouri is 5-5 ATS as a home favorite. The Tigers went 0-4 ATS in their first four home games this year, but they’ve taken the money in back-to-back home outings.

After missing three straight games with a shoulder injury, sophomore RB Damarea Crockett has been upgraded to ‘probable’ vs. UT. Crockett rushed for 1,062 yards and 10 TDs with a 6.9 YPC average to garner third-team All-SEC honors as a true freshman in 2016. In Missouri’s first six games this year, he had run for 481 yards and two TDs.

Tennessee (4-5 SU, 3-6 ATS) is winless in three road games, but it has managed to produce a 2-1 ATS record. The Volunteers are 6-6-1 ATS as road underdogs during Butch Jones’s five-year tenure.

As of late Friday afternoon, most books had Missouri listed as a 12.5-point favorite with a total of 62. The Vols were +375 on the money line (risk $100 to win $375).

B.E.’s Bonus Nuggets

Texas A&M will take on New Mexico at 7:00 p.m. Eastern on ESPNU. The Aggies will be attempting to avoid a third straight loss after setbacks vs. Mississippi State (35-14) and vs. Auburn (42-27). They were favored by 17.5 at most spots late Friday afternoon. The ‘under’ had cashed in four straight A&M games until last week’s loss to Auburn saw the ‘over’ appear. As for New Mexico, it has seen the ‘under’ go 8-1 overall after hitting in four consecutive contests. The Lobos have dropped four in a row while going 1-3 ATS.

Vanderbilt (4-5 SU, 3-5-1 ATS) will face Kentucky in Nashville at 4:00 p.m. Eastern on the SEC Network. Most spots had Vandy favored by 2.5 with a 53.5-point total as of late Friday afternoon. The Commodores snapped a five-game losing streak with last week’s 31-17 win over Western Ky. as a 12.5-point favorite. I went 6-1 last weekend and my only loss was the ‘over’ in this game, with the 48 combined points sliding ‘under’ the 54.5-point total. The ‘over’ had hit in five straight for Vandy before last week’s result on the total. Ralph Webb, the all-time leading rusher in Vandy history even before his senior season started, led the ‘Dores with 104 rushing yards on 23 carries. Junior QB Kyle Shurmur threw for 220 yards and two TDs without an interception. For the season, Shurmur has a stellar 20/3 TD-INT ratio. Vandy has won four of the last six head-to-head meetings with UK, but it had covered the spread in five in a row against UK until dropping a 20-13 decision in Lexington as a three-point road ‘dog last year.

Kentucky (6-3 SU, 2-7 ATS) has won outright in two of its three road outings, going 1-2 ATS. The Wildcats have failed to cover the number in five straight games, including last week’s 37-34 home loss to Ole Miss as 3.5-point ‘chalk.’ The Rebels rallied to win thanks to a seven-yard TD pass from Jordan Ta’amu to D.K. Metcalf with five seconds remaining. In the losing effort, UK sophomore RB Benny Snell had 176 rushing yards and three TDs on 28 carries.

The ‘under’ has cashed in five consecutive Vandy-UK games.

Ole Miss (4-5 SU, 2-6-1 ATS) will take on UL-Lafayette as a 19-point home favorite at noon Eastern on the SEC Network. The Rebels, who are 3-2 SU but just 1-4 ATS at home this season, avoided a three-game losing streak with last week’s come-from-behind victory at UK. Ta’amu was sensational in his second career start for the injured Shea Patterson. The juco transfer hit on 31-of-40 throws for 382 yards and four TDs without an interception. During Mark Hudspeth seven-year tenure with the Ragin’ Cajuns, they’ve compiled a 19-11-1 spread record in 30 games as road underdogs.

The ‘over’ is 8-1 overall for Ole Miss after cashing in each of its last six games. The total vs. UL-Lafayette was up to 67 as of late Friday afternoon.

5Dimes.eu currently has Alabama listed as a seven-point favorite vs. UGA in a potential matchup at the SEC Championship Game.

Week 11 Action Report
By: Patrick Everson
Covers.com

A once-great rivalry gets rekindled to highlight Week 12 of the college football season. Covers checks in on the action for that huge matchup and a boatload of other games, with insights from Will Bernanke, lead analyst for CG Analytics in Las Vegas, and Nick Bogdanovich, director of trading for William Hill US, also in Vegas.

No. 5 Notre Dame at No. 6 Miami

Open: +2.5; Move: +3; Move: +3.5; Move: +3; Move: +3.5

This 8 p.m. ET game amounts to a playoff in itself, with the winner staying alive in the chase for a spot in the four-team College Football Playoff. Notre Dame (8-1 SU, 7-2 ATS) has been stout on the field and for bettors, riding runs into this game of 7-0 SU and 6-1 ATS. The lone pointspread loss came last week, when the Irish beat Wake Forest 48-37 as a 15.5-point home favorite.

Miami is undefeated and coming off a victory over perhaps the best team it’s seen so far. The Hurricanes (8-0 SU, 4-4 ATS) rolled past Virginia Tech 28-10 as a 2-point home chalk in Week 11.

“Sharps really aren’t sure what to do with this game. It’s even on account (betting),” Bernanke said of action at CG books, including at The Cosmopolitan and Venetian on the Vegas Strip. “But the public certainly knows what to do. They’re laying the points with Notre Dame, three times more money coming in over-the-counter on the Irish. So a lot of people still don’t believe in Miami, for some reason.”

William Hill US, which operates dozens of books around Las Vegas among more than 100 throughout Nevada, opened the Irish -3 and has bounced back and forth between 3 and 3.5 throughout the week. The line has been at 3.5 since Thursday.

“It’s all Notre Dame, too,” Bogdanovich said. “Professionals and public are on the Irish. We’ll need Miami big in this game.”

No. 2 Georgia at No. 10 Auburn

Open: +2.5; Move: +3; Move: +2.5; Move: +3; Move: +2.5

The second big game of this week has another road favorite, in this case unbeaten Georgia, which put the only blemish on Notre Dame’s record. The Bulldogs (9-0 SU, 6-3 ATS) dropped South Carolina 24-10 last week, but fell well short of cashing as a hefty 23.5-point home fave.

Auburn (7-2 SU, 4-3-2 ATS) has won five of its last six, going 4-1-1 ATS in that stretch. Last week, the Tigers traveled to Texas A&M as 14.5-point favorites and narrowly covered with a 42-27 victory.

“We’re pretty even to the game,” Bogdanovich said of activity for this 3:30 p.m. ET start. “It’s a good two-way game, but when push comes to shove, I think we’ll need Auburn.”

CG opened Georgia -2 and quickly went to 2.5, where it remained all week before ticking back to 2 Friday night.

“Right now, it’s all Georgia money,” Bernanke said. “Sharps and public are on Georgia. Auburn again getting no respect at home as a short underdog. Three times more money on account and four times more money over-the-counter coming in on the Bulldogs.”

No. 9 Texas Christian at No. 7 Oklahoma

Open: -7; Move: -6.5

It’s another elimination game, with the loser of this 8 p.m. ET Big 12 clash having virtually no chance of reaching the CFP. Oklahoma (8-1 SU, 5-4 ATS) tuned up with a ridiculous outburst on offense – and a porous effort on defense – in the Bedlam game last week, topping Oklahoma State 62-52 as a 1-point road pup.

Texas Christian (8-1 SU, 5-4 ATS) bounced back from an upset loss at Iowa State in Week 10. The Horned Frogs topped Texas 24-7 laying 7.5 points at home in Week 11. Coincidentally, both TCU and Oklahoma lost to Iowa State.

“Professionals are on the ‘dog, but not a lot of money in the pot yet,” Bogdanovich said. “I think that’ll be a pretty evenly bet game.”

No. 1 Alabama at No. 18 Mississippi State

Open: -14.5; Move: -14; Move: -13.5; Move: -14

Alabama is a double-digit favorite for the eighth time in nine games this year. The Crimson Tide (9-0 SU, 4-5 ATS) enter this 7 p.m. ET meeting coming off a harder-than-expected 24-10 home win over Louisiana State giving 20.5 points.

Mississippi State has won four in a row and oddly got the most trouble in what should have been the easiest game, at home against Massachusetts last week. The Bulldogs (7-2 SU, 6-3 ATS) trailed 20-13 at halftime, but went on to a 34-23 victory as a massive 33-point favorite.

“This one is a sneaky good game,” Bernanke said. “So far, the sharps have weighed in, taking Mississippi State. Four times more money on account is backing the Bulldogs.”

On the flip side, the public is all in on ‘Bama at CG books. William Hill US also opened the Tide -14.5 and was down to 13.5.

“Obviously, the pros are on Mississippi State,” Bogdanovich said. “Right now, we’re about dead even to it. But the pros are definitely on the ‘dog.”

Iowa at No. 3 Wisconsin

Open: -12; Move: None

Iowa, taking a page from instate brethren Iowa State, is coming off one of the more staggering upsets of the year. The Hawkeyes (6-3 SU, 4-4-1 ATS) boatraced Ohio State 55-24 as a 21-point underdog in Week 11.

Wisconsin hopes to keep things rolling as it tries to gain a CFP berth out of the Big Ten. The Badgers (9-0 SU, 5-4 ATS) had no trouble last week laying 10.5 points at Indiana, as they rolled 45-17.

“We haven’t moved off of 12,” Bogdanovich said. “It’s a pretty dead-even game, so Iowa’s upset got some public sway. I think we’ll end up needing Wisconsin. The Badgers are still undefeated and need style points in this game.”

CG books opened Wisconsin -13, moved to 12 within a few hours and stayed there all week for this 3:30 p.m. ET clash.

“I saw a stat on last week, Iowa-Ohio State (was) one of the biggest pointspread covers in the history of pointspreads, meaning from the closing line, which was 21, to the margin of victory, counting the pointspread,” Bernanke said, noting bettors surely took notice. “It’s all Iowa money, believe it or not. Everyone is jumping on the Iowa bandwagon here after what they saw as a giant killer. Four times more money on account on Iowa and three times more money over-the-counter is backing the Hawkeyes, as well, as a road ‘dog here. And people don’t believe in Wisconsin – strength of schedule, all those factors, people still questioning.”

No. 16 Michigan State at No. 11 Ohio State

Open: -15; Move: -17

Ohio State is still looking for the license plate of the truck that ran over it last week. The Buckeyes (7-2 SU, 4-5 ATS), fresh off a stirring Week 10 comeback victory over Penn State, blew all the goodwill of that win with a 55-24 Week 11 loss at Iowa as a 21-point favorite.

And Michigan State (7-2 SU, 3-5-1 ATS) apparently caught Penn State at an opportune time. The Spartans sprang a 27-24 road upset catching 9.5 points against the Nittany Lions last week.

Despite the Buckeyes’ stunning setback, the line jumped straight from 15 to 17 on Thursday for this noon ET kickoff.

“The pros bet Ohio State every week, so it’s not a surprise,” Bogdanovich said. “But we got a big bet from a regular on Michigan State, so right now, we’re Buckeyes fans.”

Other games seeing noteworthy action/line movement at William Hill US:

• Florida at South Carolina: The Gators opened +7.5 and were down to +5.5 by Friday morning. “Sharps are on the ‘dog. They can’t get enough of the cesspool that is Florida right now,” Bogdanovich said with a level of incredulity. “So we take the tickets and just move the line. They want the Gators, they can have ‘em.” Kickoff is at noon ET.

• Michigan at Maryland: The Wolverines opened -15 and are up to -17 for this 3:30 p.m. ET start. “Maryland’s got a mess of injuries, and Michigan’s gotta win,” Bogdanovich said. “It’s a garbage game, no handle whatsoever.”

• Connecticut at Central Florida: The Knights are a perfect 8-0 SU (5-2-1 ATS) and are grabbing money for this noon ET kickoff, despite being a monster favorite. The line shifted from 37 to 40. “The public has backed Central Florida every week. At some point, it’ll be so high that the professionals will take Connecticut because they can’t stand it,” Bogdanovich said. UConn also won’t have quarterback Bryant Shirreffs (concussion).

• Purdue at Northwestern: The Wildcats were bet down from -6 to -3.5 by Friday evening, before the line ticked back to 4 for this 7 p.m. ET contest. “The pros are on Purdue, that’s it. There’s not a lot of money in our pot,” Bogdanovich said.

• Washington State at Utah: “There’s some money on Washington State, probably public,” Bogdanovich said. That action helped this line jump the fence, from Utes -1 to Cougars -1 for a 5:30 p.m. ET meeting.