College Football Betting News and Notes Saturday, November 4th, 2017

College Football Week 10

Clemson won 12 of last 13 games with NC State, winning last five in row, four by 12+ points; Tigers won five of last six visits to Raleigh, winning 56-41/26-14 in last two games here. Tigers’ last three wins are all by 14 points; Clemson is 2-1 as a road favorite this year- since ’14, they’re 6-10 when laying points on road. NC State is 4-0 at home this year; under Doeren, they’re 4-7 vs spread as home underdogs- they’re 9-8 vs spread in game following last 17 losses. ACC home dogs are 7-8 vs spread in conference play. Last five games for both teams stayed under the total

Kentucky (+4 in TO’s) barely beat Tennessee 29-26 LW, their 2nd win in 33 tries against the Vols; Wildcats are 6-2 this year but 0-4 vs spread in last four games- their last three wins were by 6 or less points. Ole Miss gagged away a 38-37 loss to Arkansas LW; they allowed 44.6 ppg in losing four of their last five games. Favorites are 4-2 vs spread in last six Ole Miss-Kentucky games; teams last met in 2011. Ole Miss won four of those six games, but lost 30-13/31-14 in last two visits to Lexington. SEC home underdogs are 9-12 vs spread in conference play.

Nebraska is 4-4, losing three of last four home games, including a loss to No Illinois; Huskers also got whacked at home by Wisconsin (38-17), Ohio State (56-14)- they’re 0-5 vs spread at home this year, are 5-8-1 as home favorites under Riley. Northwestern is 5-3, winning its last two games in OT; they’re 1-2 on road, with only win 37-21 at Maryland. Wildcats won two of last three visits to Nebraska, covering all three games; road team won five of last six series games (underdogs 4-2 vs spread). Big 14 home favorites are 8-10 vs spread in conference play.

6-2 Iowa State is having a magical season, winning its last four games, including win as a 31-point dog at Oklahoma. Cyclones are 3-1-1 vs spread as an underdog this season, 9-4-1 overall as a dog under Campbell. West Virginia scored 46-38-39 points in last three games- they allowed 31+ points in last five games. WVU is 4-1 vs Iowa State in Big X play, winning last three meetings by 13-24-30 points; Cyclones split their two visits to Morgantown. Total yardage in LY’s game was 613-561, WVU. Big X home favorites are 6-5 vs spread in conference play.

Miami is 7-0 and has Notre Dame visiting next week; their last four wins are by 4-1-8-5 points. ‘canes are 1-2 as a home underdog this year. Virginia Tech won its last three games by combined score of 105-20; they’re 2-0 on road, winning at ECU/BC- their only loss was to Clemson. Miami is 3-2 in its last three games with Virginia Tech; favorites covered last three series games. Hokies are 4-3 SU in their last seven visits to South Beach. ACC home favorites are 8-7 vs spread in conference play. Under is 4-1 in Tech’s last five games, 5-0 in Miami’s last five games.

Colorado beat Arizona State 40-16 LY, their first win in last eight meetings with the Sun Devils; Buffaloes lost their last four visits to Tempe (0-4 vs spread), all by 19+ points. ASU got drilled by USC LW, after covering previous four games as a double digit underdog. Sun Devils are 0-2 as a favorite this year, 17-11 overall under Graham. Colorado lost four of last six games; they’re 1-2 on road this year, with only win in Corvallis. Buffs are 8-3 vs spread in last 11 games as a road underdog. Pac-12 home favorites are 10-6 vs spread in conference play.

Texas Tech lost its last three games, allowing 42 ppg; they allowed 544 rushing yards in last two games. Red Raiders lost last two home games, to Iowa St, Oklahoma St- they’re 6-2-1 in last nine games as a home favorite, 0-1-1 this year. Kansas State gave up 818 passing yards in their last two games. K-State won five of last six games with Texas Tech; favorites are 6-3 vs spread in last nine series games. Wildcats won two of last three visits to Lubbock; favorites are 4-3 vs spread in last seven series games played here. Under is 4-2 in last six games for both teams.

TCU won its last three games with Texas by a combined score of 129-26; underdogs are 3-2 vs spread in last five series games. Longhorns lost 50-7, won 30-7 in last two visits to Fort Worth. Horned Frogs got upset at Iowa State LW after a 7-0 start; since 2013, they’re 6-10 vs spread in game coming off a loss. Longhorns covered six of last seven games; they’re 3-0 vs spread as an underdog this season. Big X home favorites are 6-5 vs spread in conference play. Last four TCU games, six of last seven Texas games stayed under the total.

Oklahoma won 12 of its last 14 games with Oklahoma State, winning 58-23/38-20 last two years; Sooners won five of last six visits to Stillwater- underdogs are 4-3-1 vs spread in last eight Bedlam games played here. Oklahoma scored 40 ppg in winning its last three games; they’re 3-0 on road, scoring 40.7 pig in wins at Ohio St/Baylor/K-State. OSU won its last four games, three of which were on road; Cowboys their only loss was at home to TCU. Over is 4-2 in last six games for both teams. Over last 11 years, Sooners are 5-3 vs spread as an underdog.

Colorado State won three of last four games with Wyoming; underdogs covered three of the four. Rams won 26-7/52-22 in their last two visits to Laramie. State is 3-1 on road, with only loss at Alabama; they’re 8-3 vs spread in last 11 games as a road favorite. Wyoming covered its last five games, winning four of them; Cowboys covered their last four tries as a home favorite (2-0 this year). Mountain West home favorites are 4-11 vs spread in conference play. Under is 5-2 in Wyoming games this season, 2-4 in last six Colorado St games.

Penn State blew big lead late in Columbus last week, has to bounce back here on road; Nittany Lions are 5-2 vs spread as a favorite this year, 1-1 on road, winning by 2 at Iowa, by 24 at Northwestern. Michigan State lost in OT in Evanston LW; Spartans are 4-1 at home, losing 38-18 to Notre Dame. Since 2010, MSU is 4-1 vs spread as a home underdog. Favorites covered last six Penn State-Michigan State games; teams split last four series games played here. Big 14 home underdogs are 8-9 against the spread in conference play.

Washington State won 42-16 at Stanford LY, snapping 8-game series skid; Cardinal won their last four visits to Pullman (3-1 vs spread). This is first time since ’07 that Wazzu is favored to beat Stanford. Coogs lost two of last three games, giving up 310 RY to Arizona LW, but Stanford doesn’t have a running QB. WSU covered its last four homes; they’re 9-5 vs spread in last 14 games as a home favorite. Stanford won its last five games, but they were lucky to beat a bad Oregon State team 15-14 LW. Pac-12 home favorites are 10-6 vs spread in conference play.

Arizona won its last four games, running ball for 384 ypg; they’re 3-0 on road, winning last two away games 45-42/45-44 at Colorado/Cal. Wildcats are 2-7 in last nine games as a road underdog, 1-0 this year. USC is 1-6 vs spread in its last seven games; they’re 1-4 vs spread as a home favorite this season. Trojans are 13-2 in its last 15 games with Arizona, winning last four (2-2 vs spread); three of those four wins were by 8 or less points. Arizona lost its last three visits here, but they covered spread in five of their last six games in the Coliseum.

Armadillosports.com

ACC Report - Week 10
By Joe Williams
VegasInsider.com

Syracuse at Florida State

The Seminoles slipped to 2-5 SU, their worst start since 1976, when they were clubbed by Boston College last Friday night. Now, they look to rebound against a Syracuse team that did the unthinkable a few weeks ago and knocked Clemson from the ranks of the unbeaten. The public isn't feeling the Orange, however, as this line has risen from an opening 2 1/2 to FSU favored by five as of Thursday morning. The Orange head into Tallahassee 4-0-1 ATS over their past five ACC games, and a perfect 4-0 ATS over their past four on the road. They're also 5-0-1 ATS over their past six games overall. FSU is a dismal 0-4-2 ATS over their past six league games, while going 0-4 ATS in the past four outings at 'The Doak'. The under has been the play for both sides lately, going 10-1 in Syracuse's past 11 ACC tilts, 17-4 in their past 21 overall and 5-2 in their past seven on the road. The under is 6-1 in FSU's past seven overall, and 19-7 in their past 26 ACC battles.

Georgia Tech at Virginia

The Ramblin' Wreck heads to Charlottesville to take on the Cavaliers, a team that had been cruising right along until a 41-10 loss to Boston College two weeks ago. Then, the Cavs went to Pitt against a subpar Panthers side and they were manhandled 31-14. So who knows what we'll get from Virginia. The Yellow Jackets have posted an impressive 6-0-1 ATS mark over their past seven ACC games, while going 4-0-1 ATS in the past five outings on the road. They're also 12-3-1 ATS across the past 16 games overall, while going 6-0-1 ATS in the past seven against teams with a winning record. UVA is just 2-6 ATS in its past eight inside the conference, while going 1-5 ATS in the past six following a straight-up loss. They're favored by 10 points, and 3-1-1 ATS in the past five against Virginia. However, the home team is an impressive 17-4-1 ATS across the past 22 meetings in this series with the Yellow Jackets 1-7-1 ATS in the past nine trips to Charlottesville.

Wake Forest at Notre Dame

The Demon Deacons are one win away from bowl eligibility, and they could really use a signature win at Notre Dame. They snapped a three-game losing skid last week against Louisville, a team that has slipped to 5-4. A win over the Irish would prove the Deacs are all the way back from the duldrums. Wake is 8-3 ATS over the past 11 road games, while going 9-3-1 over their past 13 overall and 6-2 ATS in the past eight against teams with a winning overall mark. They're also 7-3 ATS in the past 10 on the road against teams with a winning home record. Notre Dame is 6-0 ATS across their past six games overall, while going 4-1 ATS in their past five at home. The Irish are also 4-1 ATS in the past five outings against ACC foes. The under is 5-1 across Wake's past sixroad games, while the over is 7-3 in Notre Dame's past 10 overall. However, the under is 25-11 in Notre Dame's past 36 against ACC opponents.

Clemson at North Carolina State

The Tigers and Wolfpack meet at Carter-Finley Stadium in Raleigh. Clemson enters with a school-record eight straight victories against Top 25 teams, also the third-longest streak in ACC history. The Tigers won a 24-10 defensive battle against the Yellow Jackets last week, passing yet another stern test. N.C. State looks to avenge a tough loss last season, falling 24-17 in Death Valley last season. The Pack had a chance to win at the buzzer in regulation, but Kyle Bambard misfired on a 33-yard game-winning field goal. They eventually lost in overtime. This game will likely decided the Atlantic Division champion, especially if the seven-point underdogs from Raleigh can upend the defending champs.

Virginia Tech at Miami-Florida

In the marquee game of the weekend, Virginia Tech and Miami look to take hold of the Coastal Division in a primetime battle in Miami Gardens. Virginia Tech will look to suffocate Miami with defense. They rank second in the nation by allowing just 11.5 points per game, while ranking third in the country in third-down conversion defense at 24.0 percent. Virginia Tech has rushed for at least 180 yards in five games, so the test will be the Miami rush defense against the Hokies offense while the Hurricanes will look to pass with Malik Rosier against the Va. Tech defense. Malik Rosier threw for a career-best 356 yards last week. The Hokies are 9-3 ATS over their past 12 games, and they're 8-2 ATS in their past 10 games on grass. Miami is 10-4 ATS in their past 14 games after a straight-up win, but just 2-5 ATS in their past seven after an ATS loss. Virginia Tech is 6-2 ATS in their past eight trips to Miami, and 11-5 ATS in the past 16 meetings overall. The under is 6-1 in the past sevne trips to Miami, while going 10-4 in the past 14 meetings in this series.

Bye Weeks

Boston College, Duke, Louisville, North Carolina, Pittsburgh

Big 12 Report - Week 10
By Joe Williams
VegasInsider.com

Baylor at Kansas

Did you ever think you'd see the day an 0-8 team is favored by more than a touchdown on the road? Well, the Bears opened as a 10-point favorite and the public has bet it down to 7 1/2 as of Thursday morning. No one trusts the Jayhawks. The Bears are just 9-19 ATS in their past 28 games overall, and they're 2-8 ATS in the past 10 on the road. Baylor is also just 1-8 ATS in their past nine games against teams with a losing overall record. For Kansas, they're just 2-6 ATS in the past eight games overall, while going 9-19 ATS in their past 28 following a straight-up loss. However, Baylor is 5-0 ATS in the past five meetings, but the home team is 6-2 ATS in the past eight meetings.

Kansas State at Texas Tech

The Wildcats hit the road for Lubbock and the Red Raiders are holding steady as a field-goal favorite. Both teams enter the game 4-4 SU and can ill-afford a loss if they hope to qualify for a bowl game at season's end. The Wildcats limp in just 1-4-1 ATS in the past six games overall, while going 1-3-1 ATS in the past five conference battles. For Texas Tech, they're 4-1 ATS in the past five games at home. Total bettors might be interested in the 'over', as the total has gone over in five straight meetings in Lubbock and eight of the past nine in the series overall.

Iowa State at West Virginia

Not many people predicted that Iowa State-West Virginia would be considered a marquee game, especially in November, but here we are. The Cyclones enter the game ranked No. 16, while the Mountaineers are outside of the Top 25 with three losses. Still, Iowa State gets little respect, as they're a field-goal underdog at Mylan Puskar Stadium in Morgantown on Saturday. The Cyclones head in 4-0 ATS in the past four conference games, 4-0 ATS in the past four against winning teams and 5-2 ATS in their past seven on the road. The Mountaineers have covered just six of their past 21 games against teams with a winning record, and they're 7-22 ATS in their past 29 at home against teams with a winning road record. The road team has covered four of the past five in this series, but the 'Clones are a dismal 1-4 ATS in the past five in this series.

Oklahoma at Oklahoma State

It's time for Bedlam, and one team will be officially eliminated for the chase for a spot in the College Football Playoff. The Cowboys opened as a three-point favorite, and it's down to 2 1/2 as of Thursday morning. The Sooners haven't been terribly effective against the number lately, going 2-5 ATS in their past seven on the road and 1-4 in their past five inside the conference. However, Oklahoma has put it together when facing a winning team, however, going 8-1 ATS in their past nine games against teams with a winning record. They're also very effective aginst the Cowboys, at least against the number, going 5-1 ATS in their past six trips to Stillwater while covering nine of the past 12 overall in this series. The over is 3-1-1 in the past five meetings, and 3-1-1 in the past five at OSU.

Texas at Texas Christian

The Longhorns aren't quite back, but they've been at least very competitive. And they have been a friend of the bettor, going 4-0-1 ATS in the past five conference games and 6-0-1 ATS in the past seven games overall. The Longhorns are 4-1 ATS in the past five on the road, too. TCU has managed to cover just one of their past 12 games in Fort Worth, while going 1-6 ATS in their past seven games played on a grass surface. The 'under' has been the trend for both sides lately, going 6-0 in their past six games on the road and 23-7 in their past 30 against teams with a winning overall record. The under is also 37-16 in their past 53 games overall, and 37-17 in the past 54 conference tilts. The under is 4-0 in TCU's past four overall, 4-0 in their past four Big 12 games and 6-2 in the past eight games at home. In this series the under has hit in four of the past five meetings, with the road team going 4-1 ATS in the past five in this series.

Big Ten Report - Week 10
ASAWins.com

Penn State (-7.5) at Michiagn State

Penn State continues their brutal three-week stretch with a game at Michigan State this Saturday. After beating Michigan at home and then losing a heart breaker at Ohio State last week, how much can this team have left in the tank? Despite last Saturday’s tight outcome with OSU winning 39-38, PSU was thoroughly outplayed on the stat sheet. The Buckeyes tallied 529 total yards on 6.8 YPP while the Nittany Lions were held to 283 total yards on 4.4 YPP. Turnovers (OSU was -2 for the game) and hidden yardage in the return game was what gave Penn State a chance in this one. Saquon Barkley returned the opening kick for a TD and the Buckeyes then fumbled 3 plays into their first possession. That gave PSU a 14-0 lead only a few minutes into the game. On top of that PSU had another kick return for 52 yards to the OSU 23 yard line which set up another TD. That’s 21 of their 38 points set up by special teams plays and fumbles which either were direct scores or gave them a very short field.

The OSU defense was basically able to completely shut down this potent offense. In fact, It was the first time since last September vs Michigan, a span of 17 games, that PSU was held under 300 yards of total offense. Minus his opening kickoff return, Barkley was barely a factor as the Buckeye defense held him to 44 yards rushing on 21 carries. With 36 of those 44 yards coming on one carry, Barkley was stonewalled to just 0.4 yards per carry on his other 20 carries. Defensively the Nits came in with the top scoring defense in the nation allowing just over 9 PPG. They weren’t able to slow down Ohio State who punted just 3 times the entire game and scored TD’s on each of their final 3 drives to solidify the win.

The Spartans came into last week’s game at Northwestern with a perfect 4-0 Big Ten record and aspirations of winning the ultra-tough Big Ten East. Despite the loss, MSU still controls their own destiny in that half of the conference as they play PSU this weekend and are at Ohio State in November. Win out and they would represent the East in the Big Ten Championship game. Last week’s 39-31 triple OT loss at Northwestern was a wild one. Under bettors had to be extremely frazzled as the total of 48.5 was never even close to being threatened in regulation. In fact, the score was Northwestern 17, MSU 10 with less than 30 seconds remaining in the game. Down 7 with just over 3:00 minutes remaining the Spartans went on a 12-play 88-yard scoring drive and got into the endzone with the game tying TD with 25 seconds left sending the game to OT tied at 17. The game saw 34 points scored in regulation and 36 points scored in the 3 OT’s.

he defense was very solid again for Michigan State keeping them in the game holding NW to just 17 points in regulation. The Sparty stop unit continues to impress as they rank 3rd in the Big Ten in total defense and 1st in rush defense allowing only 89 YPG. The problem continues to be on the other side of the ball where MSU was held to 18 points or fewer (in regulation) for the 5th time in their last 6 games. That forces the defense to be nearly perfect in order for them to pick up wins. With top notch opponents (PSU & OSU) on the horizon, the offense will have to start showing some life and they must start soon.

INSIDE THE NUMBERS – These two met last season and PSU was an 11-point home favorite and rolled over MSU 45-12. This has been a higher scoring series with 6 of the last 7 going OVER the total. The winning team has scored at least 30 points in 6 of those 7 contests. The favorite has covered 6 straight in this series. However, MSU has been a great home underdog when getting 7 points or more which doesn’t happen all that often. In fact, since 1983, the Spartans have been a home dog of a TD or more 23 times and covered 18 of those games (78%).

Wisconsin (-13) at Indiana

The Badgers faced off against the Big Ten’s worst last week and watching the game you’d never know Wisconsin was undefeated and Illinois had yet to win a Big Ten game. Wisconsin played their worst game of the season. They led 17-3 at half and held on for a 24-10 win. Their offense was so poor in the 2nd half it took them until half way through the 4th quarter to cross midfield. Against Illinois! Part of the problem was their #1 offensive weapon, freshman RB Jonathan Taylor, did not play in the 2nd half. After rushing for 73 yards in the first half, Taylor remained on the sidelines after halftime due to an ankle. We were told if he would have absolutely been needed, they could have played him but wanted to stay conservative with the freshman and just get out of dodge with a win so to speak. They are just not the same offense with Taylor on the bench as their back up RB’s are solid but definitely not game breakers. Struggling in the running game puts extra pressure on QB Hornibrook who just isn’t equipped to carry a team if needed. He’s not mobile enough to avoid the rush if the opposing defense doesn’t have to focus on Wisconsin’s running game. He was 10 of 19 for 135 yards on Saturday with an interception.

The defense is absolutely one of the best in the nation. They have held all but 2 opponents this year to less than 300 yards of total offense and one of those teams (Utah State) had just 304 total yards. That being said, we’ve felt this is a dangerous game for Wisconsin. Especially if they are not at full strength offensively which we will monitor as the week goes on.

Indiana was in a tough spot last week on the road at Maryland. It was their 2nd straight road game and were off a down to the wire, physical battle at Michigan State a week earlier which ended in a 17-9 loss. The Hoosiers were in a rare road favorite spot last week and lost to the Terps 42-39 despite outgaining Maryland by 140 yards. Indiana’s defense came into the game having played quite well on the season as they were holding opponents to just 4.7 YPP coming into the game. Despite giving up 42 points, the stat sheet said they played pretty well again on defense holding Maryland to 345 yards. However a closer look reveals that Maryland only ran 56 offensive plays for an average of 6.1 YPP so the IU defense probably played their worst game of the season last week. The Terps scored 42 points despite completing only 10 passes the entire game. The Hoosiers jumped out to a 14-0 lead and led 16-7 at the end of the first quarter. A blocked punt returned for a Maryland TD turned the momentum in the 2nd quarter and it was a back and forth game from that point on with the Terps leading 28-23 at half. IU pulled to within 42-39 with 8:00 remaining in the game but did nothing on their final two drives.

The offense finally looked a bit better (483 total yards) after struggling for most of the Big Ten season but we must remember it was against a Maryland defense that 62, 37, and 38 points in their three previous games. Indiana is back at home for the first time since mid October and ready for their 3rd conference game here at Memorial Stadium. They’ve been solid at home taking Michigan to OT (27-20 loss) and they actually led Ohio State late in the 3rd quarter here before imploding in the final 15 minutes. Their starting QB Peyton Ramsey was banged up last week so we’ll keep an eye on that situation.

INSIDE THE NUMBERS – The Badgers have covered 6 of the last 7 in this series (7-0 SU) with their average margin of victory a whopping 43 points! Only once over the last 7 meetings did Wisconsin not beat Indiana by at least 17 points. As much as IU is improved this season, they are 0-3-1 ATS as an underdog. Wisconsin is 18-7 ATS their last 25 road games and they are an impressive 17-2 SU their last 19 road tilts. UW is also 13-6 ATS their last 19 road games.

Illinois at Purdue (-14)

The Illini continue to sit at the bottom of the Big Ten with a winless record. However, this young team has actually shown some life the last few weeks. They definitely haven’t quit (as of yet) on head coach Lovie Smith. Two weeks ago they took Minnesota to the wire on the road in a 24-17 loss. Last week they played host to undefeated Wisconsin and weren’t embarrassed to say the least in their 24-10 loss. The offense obviously continues to struggle but the defense has been quite good the last few weeks. Last week they held the Badgers to just 103 yards and 7 points in the 2nd half. Wisconsin’s vaunted ground game was held to just 168 yards on less than 4 YPC. It was just the 2nd time this season the Badgers have been held below 200 yards rushing. Now we have to factor in UW’s key injury at RB as Jonathan Taylor didn’t play in the 2nd half but even with that it was a solid showing by the Illini defense.

Offensively this team just struggles to score. They have been held to 17 points or less in 4 of their 5 Big Ten games. They rank last in the league in scoring (17 PPG) and 13th in total offense (309 YPG). Freshman Cam Thomas got his first start of his career at QB but rotated again with Jeff George Jr. The two combined to complete just 9 of their 31 pass attempts with their only TD pass coming with 49 seconds remaining in the game.

There was a decent amount of buzz around the Purdue program coming into the Big Ten season after a 2-1 non-conference slate with their only loss coming by a TD vs Louisville. That buzz has faded a bit with the Boilers losing 4 of their first 5 conference games. The last two weeks were especially disappointing the Purdue was favored in each of those games vs Rutgers & Nebraska and lost both. Unlike previous editions, this year they are at least competitive in their Big Ten losses with 3 of 4 coming by 8 points or less. Last year all but one of their 7 conference losses came by double digits. Last week 25-24 loss at home to Nebraska was a tough one for Purdue to stomach. They led 24-12 with under 12:00 minutes to go in the game and the Huskers scored the final 2 TD’s including the game winner with 14 seconds remaining. They outrushed Nebraska 199 to 40 yet still lost the game.

The Purdue stats tell us they are the definition of a .500 type team as they average 583 YPG on 5.6 YPP while allowing 582 YPG on 5.6 YPP. Looking for their first bowl appearance since 2012, the Boilermakers must now win 3 of their final 4 games to make that a potential reality.

INSIDE THE NUMBERS – Last year was a hotly contested battle in Champaign as Purdue (+9) pulled off the upset 34-31 in OT. That was the 5th straight year the road team won this match up. Purdue has won 12 of the last 17 meetings covering 10 of those games. The Illini are just 4-21 SU their last 25 Big Ten road games. They have also burned through some serious money on the road going 9-18 ATS their last 27 away from home.

Ohio State (-17.5) at Iowa

The Buckeyes are obviously coming off a huge 39-38 win over PSU last weekend and now might be in a letdown spot on the road this weekend. Hard to gauge that however as it may have the opposite affect and give OSU new life here as they’ve vaulted themselves back into College Playoff contention. The Buckeyes dominated PSU last Saturday despite the close 39-38 final score. They outgained the Nittany Lions by almost 2.5 yards per play (6.8 to 4.4)! Special teams blunders and turnovers kept the game much closer than it probably should have been. Much maligned QB JT Barrett played a fantastic game going 33 for 39 through the air for 328 yards and 4 TD’s. Ohio State entered the fourth quarter trailing 35-20 and Barrett proceeded to complete all 13 of his pass attempts and throw 3 TD’s in that all important final frame. Let’s not forget he nearly had 100 yards rushing on top of that! After the game his coach, Urban Meyer, called it one of the best performances he’s ever seen from the QB position.

Much is made of the OSU offense and rightly so, however this defense is rounding into one of the best units in the nation. Since their home loss to Oklahoma, the Ohio State defense has allowed an average of 248 YPG on just 3.9 YPP (6 games).

Iowa continues to struggle to score points. They came away with a home win last Saturday, but it took a very good defensive performance to do so. Their 17-10 win moved them to 2-3 in Big Ten play with their wins coming over Illinois and Minnesota. The Hawkeye defense continued to hold up their end of the bargain holding the Gophers to 281 total yards on 4.5 YPP. They held a decent Minnesota running game to just 3.3 YPC and Gopher QB Croft was only able to complete 9 passes the entire game. As for Iowa’s offense, that’s another story. They have only reached 20 or more points once in their five Big Ten games and that was against the worst team in the conference, Illinois.

Their game Saturday vs Minnesota was the first time this year that Iowa actually outgained their opponent (conference play only). Their running game is averaging only 3.6 YPC this year which is 3rd worst in the Big Ten ahead of only Northwestern and Indiana. That puts a big load on their fairly inexperience first year QB Nate Stanley to play very well in order to give his team a chance to win. They’ll definitely have to score more in this game to keep up with a potent OSU offense. We’ll see if they can make some adjustments on that side of the ball and get things rolling this Saturday.

INSIDE THE NUMBERS – The last 3 meetings between these two Big Ten rivals have been tightly contested. This is the first meeting since 2013, however from 2011-2013 the Buckeyes topped Iowa by margins of 3, 3, and 10 points. Ohio State has won 13 of the last 14 meetings outright. OSU has also been a long term money maker in this series with a 16-7-1 ATS mark dating back to 1980. However, since 1981, Iowa has been a home dog of 14 or more only 11 times – they are 8-3 ATS in those games. The most recent was last year when they were 24 point home dogs to Michigan and upset the Wolverines 14-13.

Northwestern at Nebraska

The Cats pulled off a wild one last week at home vs previously unbeaten (in conference play) Michigan State. In a game that was dominated by the defense for much of regulation (17-17 at end of regulation) the two teams combined to put up 36 in 3 OT’s with Northwestern winning 39-31. The Wildcats were outgained by over 100 yards in the win and were helped by MSU not scoring a single point on 4 of their trips inside NW’s 40 yard line. It was the Cats second tight win in as many weeks after they topped Iowa in OT as well the previous Saturday. They continue to struggle with their running games as they put up just 64 yards on the ground vs MSU. They have only topped 160 yards rushing as a team just twice this entire season vs Maryland & Bowling Green who rank 68th and 125th respectively in rush defense. NW is averaging 3.5 YPC on the season which ranks ahead of only Indiana in the Big Ten.

The defense has looked very good at home holding all but Penn State to 17 points or less (in regulation). However on the road this NW stop unit has allowed 41, 33, and 21 points this season. After opening the season with a win over Nevada, this team hit rock bottom losing 3 of 4 with their season on the verge of tumbling into a hole they may not get out of. They have since been revitalized winning 3 straight to move to 3-2 in league play.

After starting the Big Ten season 2-0, the Huskers were teetering on losing their 3rd straight last week at Purdue trailing 24-12 in the 4th quarter. Nebraska scored a TD with 11:00 minutes to go in the game to cut the lead to 24-19. Then, in perhaps their best drive of the year, they took over at their own 30 yard line with 1:22 remaining in the game and went 70 yards in just over a minute to pick up the 25-24 win. QB Tanner Lee was the catalyst on that final drive completing 7 of his 8 pass attempts including a 14 yard TD with just 14 seconds remaining. Speaking of the much hyped Tanner Lee, what a transformation he has made after a horrific start to the season. He led the nation in interception through his first four games throwing a whopping 9 picks. Since that, Lee has thrown only one interception over his last four games. He’s also thrown for over 1,200 yards and 8 TD’s during that four game stretch. In Saturday’s win at Purdue, Lee threw for a career high 431 yards.

He’s needed to be on point as the Husker rushing attack has been far from potent as of late. In fact, they have put up only 194 yards on 69 carries their last 3 games combined for an average of 2.8 YPC. The Huskers have been outrushed by a combined 637 yards in those 3 games! With Northwestern’s pass defense ranking 13th in the Big Ten allowing 271 YPG, you can probably bet on Lee getting a lot of action again this week

INSIDE THE NUMBERS – Since Nebraska joined the Big Ten, the road team in this series has won 5 of the 6 meetings outright. Last year the Huskers won at Northwestern 24-13 putting up 556 yards to just 388 for the Cats. The Huskers have not covered a single game at home this year (0-5 ATS). They have lost those games by a combined 50 points to the number. This is the first time in their 8 meetings that Northwestern is favored over Nebraska.

Maryland (-2) at Rutgers

After losing 3 straight, the Terps got back on track with a 42-39 win over Indiana. The Hoosiers actually dominated the stat sheet outgaining Maryland by 140 yards with 17 more first downs. That’s nothing new as Maryland has now been outgained in their last 4 games by a combined 1,019 yards or an average of 254 YPG. Maryland attempted a total of 16 passes in the game while IU put the ball in the air 62 times! In order for the Terrapins to be successful they have to run the ball efficiently.

Their QB, Max Bortenschlager, has started the last 5 games and is averaging 12 completions per game. They are solid in the run game averaging 173 YPG with RB Ty Johnson leading the way. He ranks 4th in the Big Ten in rushing averaging 82 YPG. They face off this week against a Rutgers defense that ranks 13th in the Big Ten and 84th nationally at stopping the run. You can bet Maryland will throw a heavy dose of the running game at them in this one. Maryland’s defense has been atrocious. They rank last in the Big Ten in scoring defense by a full TD per game allowing 37 PPG. They also are dead last in total defense by a full 50 YPG allowing 445 YPG. If you throw out their game vs FCS Towson, this defense has allowed at least 37 points in every game but one! Not good.

Rutgers had their two game winning streak snapped at Michigan last week losing 35-14. At least they were semi-competitive vs the Wolverines after getting rolled 78-0 vs Michigan a year earlier. We talked about Maryland not throwing the ball much, well Rutgers is in the same boat. You can bet there won’t be many footballs flying through the air in this one. Scarlet Knight QB Giovanni Rescigno has started the last 3 games and thrown for a combined total of just 281 yards in those 3 games.

This game will be won or lost on the ground. Rutgers predictably ran into a wall last week rushing for just 94 yards on 31 carries vs Michigan. That was against a defense that allows just 3.2 YPC on the season. This week they face a Maryland stop unit that allows more than a full YPC more than Michigan (4.3). In their previous two games, both wins, they rushed for a combined 404 yards vs Illinois and Purdue. Now putting points on the board? That’s another issue. If you throw out their defensive TD’s, this Rutgers team is averaging just 14 points in Big Ten play having topped 17 points only once (vs Illinois). They have been outgained in every conference game and they are last in the conference in YPP differential at -1.1 YPP (4.6 YPP on offense & 5.7 YPP on defense).

INSIDE THE NUMBERS – These two have had some crazy games as of late. Last year not so much as Maryland rolled over Rutgers 31-13. However in 2015 Maryland mounted a 21-point comeback to slip by Rutgers 46-41. In 2014 it was Rutgers who rallied from 25 points down to beat the Terps 41-38. This is the first time this season Maryland has been a road favorite as they’ve been a double digit dog in their previous 4 roadies. The Terps are just 7-12 ATS their last 19 as a road chalk. Rutgers has covered 6 of their 8 games this season but heading into this year the Knights had covered only 7 of their previous 23 games.

Minnesota at Michigan (-15.5)

The Gophs had solid momentum coming into PJ Fleck’s first Big Ten season. After sweeping the non-conference slate they have fallen flat with a 1-4 mark in the Big Ten. Their lone conference win was a struggle at home vs last place and winless (in league play) Illinois. Last week they traveled to Iowa City and lost a tight one to the Hawkeyes 17-10. Since inserting Demry Croft as the starting QB in place of Conor Rhoda, the Gophers passing game has been almost non-existent. Croft is an athletic QB who is always a threat to run but not a great passer to say the least. Last week he completed only 9 passes and the week before vs Illinois he connected on just 5. In his two starts Croft is 14 for 44 which is barely over a 30% completion rate. Minnesota had a few chances to put some more points on the board getting inside Iowa’s 15 yard line twice in the first half coming away with no points (interception & shut out on downs). They went scoreless through the first 3 quarters putting up all 10 of their points in the final quarter. Don’t look for a big improvement this week facing a Michigan defense that has allowed only one opponent this year to top 20 points (Penn State).

Michigan is now officially down to their 3rd string QB. This move was not due to an injury however. John O’Korn had been the starter the last few games after taking over for an injured Wilton Speight. O’Korn got the start again last weekend at home vs Rutgers. After 4 series in which he was 3 of 6 with no TD’s and an interception, Harbaugh made the move to redshirt freshman Brandon Peters. O’Korn officially started 4 games completed under 50% of his passes in those 4 starts with NO TD passes. Peters will start this Saturday and he gave this offense a shot in the arm last week. After inserting Peters the Michigan offense proceeded to score 4 TD’s on their next 5 possession with their only non-scoring drive ending in a missed FG. Peters didn’t have huge numbers completing 10 of his 14 passes for 124 yards but the offense obviously rallied around him and looked light years better. Now that was against Rutgers so we say the enthusiasm must be tempered a bit until we see more. After dominating Rutgers 78-0 last year, Michigan picked up a solid 35-14 win but missed the cover as a 24-point favorite.

The defense was again fantastic holding the Knights to 195 total yards. The Knights pushed inside Michigan’s 40-yard line only twice the entire game and both of those possessions turned into TD’s. They should add to their impressive stats this weekend against a Minnesota offense that has become one dimensional (run only) and is struggling to put points on the board.

INSIDE THE NUMBERS - The Wolverines are 0-4 ATS at home this season failing to cover by a combined 37 points. Minnesota is a money making 8-1-2 ATS their last 11 road games. This is the first time this season the Gophs have been a double digit road dog and they are 6-1 ATS their last 7 in that role. Dating back to 1980, the Wolverines have dominated this Big Ten series going 29-3 SU and 21-11 ATS.

Pac-12 Report - Week 10
By Joe Williams
VegasInsider.com

Stanford at Washington State

Stanford looks to keep Washington State down. The Cougars had playoff aspirations at one point, but a 37-3 loss at California all but ended those dreams. And if there was a flicker of hope, they were dashed in Arizona by a 58-37 score last week. After a 6-0 SU/4-2 ATS start, the Cougs are 1-2 SU/ATS over their past three. One things you usually do not expect from Washington State is a regular 'under' streak, but the total has gone under in five of their past six outings. Stanford has had a lot of success this season because of their run game. They were without all-everything RB Bryce Love last time out, and needed late heroics from the pass game to slip by Oregon State by a 15-14 score last Thursday. The Cardinal are 0-3-1 ATS in their past four on the road, and just 2-5-1 ATS in their past eight against teams with a winning record. The Cougs are 4-0 ATS in their past four at home, and 5-2 ATS in the past seven overall. Stanford has covered eight of their past 10 trips to the Palouse, and the road team is 6-2 ATS in the past eight meetings. The under is 6-1-1 in the past eight meetings in Pullman, and 10-4-1 in the past 15 meetings overall.

Oregon State at California

The Beavers gave the Bears a big scare last Thursday, falling just short in the final minute. The Beavers are a dismal 1-7 SU and 0-5 in the conference. However, they have covered three in a row heading into and they have lost their past two outings by a total of four points, so they're proving to be a tough out even if they're not winning. If Cal is to qualify for a bowl game they absolutely need this one at home and cannot afford a slip-up. Cal has cashed in each of their past four home games, and they're 4-1 ATS in the past five against teams with a losing overall record. Oregon State has given Cal fits in the past, going 5-2 ATS in their past seven trips to Berkeley, and 7-3 ATS in the past 10 meetings overall. The over has hit in four of the past five in this series.

Colorado at Arizona State

Colorado can gain bowl eligibility with a road win at Arizona State, but the Sun Devils are also alive for a postseason bid and a win will get them closer to that goal. The Buffaloes are 3-9 ATS in the past 12 overall, while going 2-6 ATS in their past eight Pac-12 battles. However, they have had success against the number on the road, cashing in seven of the past 10 outings away from home. Arizona State is hot against the number, going 4-1 ATS in the past five overall, 4-1 ATS in their past five confernce games and 11-5 ATS in their past 16 against teams with a winning overall record. The Buffs haven't had a lot of success in this series, especially against the number. Colorado is 0-4 ATS in their past four trips to Tempe, and 2-6 ATS in the past eight meetings overall. The favorite has also cashed in seven of the past eight in the series.

Oregon at Washington

Washington's title hopes were punctured at Arizona State back on Oct. 14, but they're not totally sunk just yet. They rebounded last week with a 44-23 win against UCLA to stay afloat. The Huskies can ill-afford any additional setbacks, however, and need to humble everyone going forward. The Huskies have covered four of their past five, and they're 6-1 ATS in their past seven league outings. It's been the complete opposite success for the Ducks against the number, as they're 2-8-1 ATS in their past 11 road games, 6-16-1 ATS in their past 23 games overall and 0-6 ATS in their past six following a cover. The 'under' has cashed in seven in a row on the road for Oregon, and five of the past seven overall. The under is 4-1 in the past five games overall for Washington, while going 7-1-1 in the past nine conference outings. Oregon has covered five in a row in Seattle, and they're 12-3-1 ATS in the past 16 meetings in this series.

Arizona at Southern California

Arizona and USC square off at the L.A. Coliseum in Pac-12 after dark. But hey, east coast fans, we fall back or turn back the clocks this week, so you can easily squeeze this one in with an extra hours to watch. The Wildcats have been running wild lately with Khalil Tate running the show. Arizona has beaten USC just twice since 2001, so this will be an uphill battle. USC is also in the midst of a 14-game winning streak at the Coliseum, longest since they posted 21 consecutive wins from 2001-04. The Wildcats are just 2-8 ATS in their past 10 on the road, and 7-15 ATS in their past 22 games overall. USC is just 1-4 ATS in their past five at home, and 1-6 ATS in their past seven overall, so something's gotta give. The Wildcats have covered five of their past six trips to L.A., with the underdog going 10-2 ATS in the past 12 in this series. The road team is also 6-2 ATS across the past eight meetings.

SEC Thoughts & Observations
By Spartan

This season is flying by. Only four more weeks in the regular season. Man that does not seem possible. Once again I will toss out some very random thoughts regarding the league I admittedly follow the closest. We have the first playoff poll now out and the SEC has the top two slots with Georgia and Alabama holding down the top two places. Hard to argue with it. I personally cannot wait until those two monsters meet head to head. That will be a game nobody should miss. Okay, let's get to it for this week.

I will start with the top team according to the playoff poll. Kirby Smart could likely get elected governor of the state right now. Bulldog fans loves their dawgs and are loving life right now. Last week they traveled down to Florida to meet the downtrodden Gators. They went into the game laying a hefty two touchdowns. I went ahead and laid the points as I felt they would hammer the Gators. Well, they did exactly that dominating the game by a resounding final score of 42-7. It was also Jim McElwains last game at the helm for Florida. The Gators season seemed doomed from the outset this year. Georgia showed zero mercy as they jumped all over them early and never took their foot off the gas. They scored in their very first three times with the ball. Hard to believe that the Gators have now lost three games straight. Of course now the rumor mill is in full swing with the possible next head coaching names being floated about. Always interesting to see the names that surface. I even saw Steve Spurrier's name being mentioned. I personally don't see that happening. If I had to guess I think Dan Mullen will be fielding the first call made. The Gators will be traveling to Columbia this saturday for an early kick off against the Missouri Tigers. In what appeared to be an automatic loss earlier this year now finds Mizzou actually sitting in the role as 3.5 point favorite. Mizzou has scored a couple of overwhelming wins the last two weeks and proving only one thing. The worst team in the SEC can still pound the dog crap out of weaker teams from lesser leagues. It has Tiger fans here now talking about running the table and actually pulling out a bowl appearance from this dumpster fire of a season. Unreal. Looking at their schedule it is actually feasible. ( I suppose). But considering over 80 teams make bowls excuse me if I don't start planning a big party. I hate to sound like a downer but I still have low regard for this Tiger team. If Florida cannot win this game then my lord, they are really, really down. The Tigers can score some points but their defense is just pitiful. Their secondary tackles like girls. Unathletic girls at that. Lock has a cannon for an arm and his wide outs look great going up against slower, outclassed secondaries but that will not be the case saturday. If the Gators can out some pressure on Lock he is perfectly capable of making some really poor decisions with the ball. Always hard to judge how a team in the Gators position will respond in these cases. Will they come together and rise up and compete hard to win or will they show up on time and after that basically mail it in. I personally have a feeling the Gators will show up ready to rumble. Bottom line this is suddenly a very interesting game.

Dan Mullen and his Bulldogs went into a tough venue and soundly defeated the Aggies. I frankly wanted no part of this game. I passed on it. The Bulldogs defense basically just put a choke hold on the Texas A&M ground attack. They held the Aggies to under a 100 yards on the ground and that is no small accomplishment. This Bulldogs team is clearly the real deal. If they played in another conference they would be more appreciated. Looking at their schedule it is not hard to see a nine win season under their belts. Of course they still have that dreaded date with the Tide but if Saban's team is not focused on the task at hand they are perfectly capable of being a royal pain in the ass that game. This week they play U-Mass and are of course laying a bundle. Not a game I personally find particularly appealing from a wagering standpoint. Nick Fitzgerald is a very, very good quarterback, better than many realize. As for the Aggies they have another home game but the competition is no lighter, not by any means whatsoever. Gus is bringing in his Auburn Tigers and laying as I type this 15 points on the road. Kevin Sumlin bounces from off the hot seat to back on it. That huge loss at home to the Bulldogs did not set well with the powers that be. If they get smoked again at home this week it might be time for Sumlin to start investigating moving companies. Thus is life for coaches at this level. I still personally think the guy is a top notch coach. Not a popular stance to take at the moment.

I had Kentucky laying four last week to Tennessee. They won the thing by three with a 29-26 final score. Yeah, frustrating. I think the Wildcats secondary is in the same conversation with Missouri. Kentucky is now 6-2 overall but I am just not that impressed. They are the epitome of the middle of the pack team. They are not a bad football team by any definition but are clearly at the kiddies table in the SEC. Right now beating Butch Jones Tennessee club by three points is not impressive. The Vol's are clearly at the end of the Jones era. The stubborn fact is Tennessee actually out gained the Wildcats and had ten more first downs. Now let me say this, when an offense like Tennessee racks up ten more first downs than you do you have some issues on defense that will be really exposed by more capable teams. Not trying to throw Kentucky under the bus, hell they did win the game and that is all that matters in the end. I am just not impressed. This week the Wildcats host another team they "should" knock off at home in Ole Miss. But oh brother, I have a tough time trusting that defense.

I also passed last week with the South Carolina and Vandy game. I felt the number was spot on. As it turned out it was. The Cocks knocked off the Commodores by seven points prevailing 34-27. I admit I was a little surprised Vandy hung 27 points on the Cocks. Kyle Shurmur was feeling it. He had a big day for Vandy tossing an impressive four touchdown passes. But nothing will grind down a teams chances more than flags and Vandy had double digits in penalties and that is just a bitch to overcome. I know I keep saying it each week but damn, how the complexion of this Vandy teams season turned suddenly after that saturday night win over Kansas State. Alabama came into town and just abused them badly on their home field in prime time with an epic beat down and that seemed to send this team reeling. It was like Bama not only beat them they sucked the bone marrow right out of this team. I think South Carolina has a very, very interesting game this saturday traveling to Athens to meet the now #1 Georgia Bulldogs. Very big number at 24. How will the Bulldogs handle the new prosperity? So far this season Georgia has admirably answered the bell at every turn. But now they will be taking the field in rare air with the new attention. It will be another test for Kirby to see how he coaches them up and prepares for it. Make no mistake about it. They will take the Cocks best shot here. Something about this game sets up as a possible alley fight for the Bulldogs. Maybe not, perhaps they come out fired up and dust off South Carolina. Big number but I do find this an interesting game. Vandy hosts Western Kentucky this week for both of you interested.

I cannot help but wonder what practice was like this week in Oxford for the Rebels of Ole Miss. They blew a 31-7 lead to a real marginal Hogs team and ended up losing a tough one to swallow 38-37. I did not bet the game as I have a tough time right now trusting either ball club. That is the kind of loss that makes coaches want to drink heavily, even those who do not drink. But from a viewing stand point when you have a game winning field goal in the final seconds it is always a good view. A much needed shot in the arm for the piglets. But man oh man, that was a kick in the nuts for the Rebels. This week Arkansas gets to feel better about things once again as Coastal Carolina comes to town. As bad as Arkansas is by SEC standards this season they should beat the hell out of this team. Of course the odds makers have hung a huge number on it to make the bettors pause. It is still Arkansas after all. The Rebels go to Kentucky in what "should" be a close game. It's a pride thing at this point for Ole Miss.

As I touched on earlier, Missouri played their second straight non league game. After beating Idaho at home they traveled out east and beat up U-Conn by a resounding 52-12 final. My wife and I were at a local joint and the locals were basically yawning. Yes, the possibility of a bowl still is mathematically alive. But most fans were real about it all. This is not a good Mizzou team. I went into the mens room late that night after shooting some pool and talked with one young Tiger fan who was very confident the Tigers would smoke Florida this week and then proceed to run the table. I listened carefully and nodded a lot. I also had to take into consideration the apparent fact the young man had consumed approximately 20 beers that day. This week against the Gators will be interesting. I will probably go. Yes, I am still a fan. Just tough being a Tigers fan these days AND a realist.

Both Alabama and LSU had bye weeks giving them both plenty of time to prepare for this weeks big game saturday night at Bryant-Denny stadium. Saturday night SEC football between the Tide and LSU. This is what it's all about. Whatever LSU has under the hood they will be bringing it. Coach O will no question have his team ready to run through brick walls. Of course that is basically what they will have to do against that Tide defense. On the flip side Saban could not care less about the poll. BUT, his players will no doubt be fully aware of the number two slot behind Georgia. Bama just might be ready to make a statement. They had better be, because LSU is a good team when they are focused and dialed in. If they cannot get focused and dialed in for this game it will never happen. These kids live for these games. This is big time college football.

College Football's Biggest Betting Mismatches: Week 10
By: Monty Andrews
Covers.com

Stanford Cardinal at Washington State Cougars (-2.5, 55)

Stanford's stout run game vs. WSU's struggles on the ground

All eyes will be on Stanford running back Bryce Love as he continues his march toward the Heisman Trophy as he leads Stanford into Washington State for a date with the Cougars. WSU comes into this one as a slight favorite, but it's the Cardinal who own a significant mismatch when it comes to the teams' respective running games - and if the Cougars can't figure out a way to slow Love down, they could be looking at their third defeat in the past four games.

Love has been a one-man wrecking crew for the Cardinal, racking up an absurd 1,387 rushing yards on just 135 carries - good for a 10.3 YPC average that ranks well ahead of the next-closest running back, Notre Dame's Josh Adams (8.9). Love sat out last weekend's 15-14 victory over Oregon State after tweaking an ankle injury but is expected to return this week. His exploits have Stanford ranked 20th in the nation in rushing yards per game (236.5) despite sitting outside the top 100 in rushes per game (32.9).

Washington State is at the other end of the rushing spectrum. Only Western Kentucky produces fewer rushing yards per game than the Cougars (84.1), who average 3.2 YPC and have a paltry seven touchdowns on the ground so far. In fact, Washington State has generated 1,135 fewer rushing yards than Stanford on only 26 fewer carries. Slowing Love down is the primary task Saturday, but if the Cougars can't do a little more damage on the ground themselves, they could struggle to cover.

Clemson Tigers at NC State Wolfpack (+7.5, 51)

Clemson's red-zone defense vs. NC State's downfield scoring issues

Clemson remains in the national title picture after bouncing back from a stunning loss to Syracuse with a 24-10 triumph over Georgia Tech last weekend. But this week's test against the Wolfpack will go a long way in determining whether the Tigers will be playing in the College Football Playoff, or settling for a lesser bowl berth. On the plus side, Clemson's red zone defense should give the team a pivotal edge against an NC State team that has struggled mightily to take advantage of prime field position.

There are two facets to Clemson's elite red-zone defense: The Tigers haven't let teams get inside their 20-yard line often, and when opponents do get that far downfield, they don't capitalize often. Clemson has allowed just 17 opponent red-zone visits through the first eight games, and teams have scored just seven touchdowns (two rushing, five receiving) on those trips. The Tigers have allowed points on just 76.5 percent of opponent red-zone opportunities, good for 35th in the nation.

The Wolfpack have done plenty of things well so far this season, but converting red-zone visits into points isn't one of them. NC State has scored on just 26 of its 35 visits inside the opposition 20, a 74.3-percent success rate that ranks outside the top 100 nationally. It's the second-worst rate in Division I among teams with 35 or more trips inside the opponent red zone, and doesn't bode well against a Clemson defense that has been one of the best in the country at keeping foes off the scoreboard.

Texas Longhorns at TCU Horned Frogs (-7, 46.5)

Texas' field-goal follies vs. Horned Frogs' kicking prowess

The Longhorns wrap up a gruelling stretch of games against elite Big 12 opponents with a Saturday showdown against the TCU Horned Frogs. Texas lost consecutive games to Oklahoma and Oklahoma State before routing Baylor last weekend. TCU saw its national title hopes dashed with a stunning loss to Iowa State over the weekend, but is in position to bounce back nicely - particularly with such a sizeable advantage in the placekicking game.

The Longhorns' top-40 offense would be even more prolific were it not for some significant kicking struggles. Joshua Rowland has connected on all 31 of his extra-point attempts but is a disastrous 7-for-13 in field-goal kicking so far this season - ahead of only eight qualified Division I kickers. Rowland has misfired on four-of-five attempts from 40-49 yards, and is just 1-for-3 on field-goal kicks between 20 and 29 yards; one of those misses came in the win over the Bears.

The Horned Frogs haven't had to do a lot of field-goal kicking - they've scored 40 touchdowns, after all - but when they do line up for three points, they don't miss. Second-year TCU kicker Jonathan Song is a perfect 7-for-7 in attempts, atoning for the fact that he has missed a pair of extra-point kicks. Song has attempted a field goal in just four of eight games this season, but with this one expected to be a competitive affair, don't be surprised to see TCU exploit its kicking edge against Texas.

Virginia Tech Hokies at Miami Hurricanes (+2.5, 50)

VT's third-down dominance vs. Miami's drive-extension troubles

A spot in the ACC championship game will likely be decided Saturday as the Hokies visit the unbeaten Hurricanes. Miami will lock up the Coastal Division title with a victory, while a Virginia Tech win would all but secure the division for the Hokies. It's a stiff test for both teams, and one that could come down to which team performs better on third down. And if that's the case, the visitors have a decided advantage - one it could very well ride to victory on Saturday.

When opposing teams get to third down against Virginia Tech, they're punting the ball away an overwhelming majority of the time. The Hokies allow first downs or points on just 24 points of opponent third-down opportunities, the third-best rate in Division I. The Hokies held Duke to a 4-of-15 conversion rate in last weekend's 24-3 rout of the Blue Devils, and limited North Carolina to 3-of-17 in a 59-3 evisceration of the Tar Heels the game before that.

The Hurricanes are one of the more well-balanced teams in college football - but if there's a weakness to be found and exploited, it's Miami's struggles on third down. The team has converted just 27 of 88 opportunities through seven games, good for a 30.7-percent success rate that ranks 118th in the nation. With the Hokies possessing one of the stingiest third-down defenses in football, Miami will need to be a lot better at avoiding punts in order to remain undefeated through this weekend.

SEC Report - Week 10
By Brian Edwards
VegasInsider.com

Florida ended the torturous Jim McElwain Era this past Sunday following a 42-7 loss to Georgia in Jacksonville. Randy Shannon, the former player, assistant and head coach at the University of Miami, was named as the interim head coach. On Thursday, he named Malik Zaire as the starting quarterback for Saturday’s game at Missouri.

As of Friday afternoon, most books had Missouri (3-5 straight up, 4-4 against the spread) installed as a three-point favorite with a total of 61.5. The Gators were +135 on the money line (risk $100 to win $135).

Barry Odom’s team has won back-to-back games and has covered the spread in four consecutive outings, including last week’s 52-12 win at UConn as a 13.5-point road ‘chalk.’ Junior QB Drew Lock completed 31-of-37 throws for 377 yards and five touchdowns without an interception. Johnathon Johnson hauled in five receptions for 128 yards and one TD, while J’Mon Moore had eight catches for 96 yards and two TDs.

Lock is on fire over the last month, throwing 18 TD passes compared to just two interceptions in a four-game stretch. For the season, Lock has thrown for 2,567 yards with a 28/8 TD-INT ratio. Moore is his favorite target, bringing down 39 receptions for 676 yards and seven TDs. Johnson has 32 catches for 535 yards and four TDs.

Sophomore RB Damarea Crockett was sidelined indefinitely with a shoulder injury two weeks ago. Crockett is still the team’s leading rusher with 481 yards, two TDs and a 6.0 yards-per-carry average. Senior RB Ish Witter will carry the bulk of the load on the ground vs. UF. He has rushed for 421 yards and three TDs with a 5.6 YPC average.

Missouri is 2-3 SU and 1-4 ATS in five home games this year. As home favorites during Odom’s two-year tenure, the Tigers are 4-5 ATS, 1-3 versus the number in four such spots this season.

Florida (3-4 SU, 2-5 ATS) has played only one true road game to date, winning 28-27 at Kentucky as a three-point favorite. Since beating Vanderbilt by a 38-24 count to improve to 3-1, the Gators have lost three in a row vs. LSU (17-16), vs. Texas A&M (19-17) and vs. UGA.

In relief of an ineffective Feleipe Franks last week, Zaire led UF on its only scoring drive that was capped by a one-yard TD run from Mark Thompson. The Gators avoided cream-cheese treatment to extend the nation’s longest streak of not getting shutout that goes back to a loss at Auburn in the 1980s.

Zaire rushed for 30 yards on two attempts. He completed 3-of-6 passes for 36 yards. It was the first time the grad transfer from Notre Dame had touched the field since a 33-17 season-opening loss to Michigan.

In addition to the nine players who were suspended from the team in August, Florida has lost five key players to season-ending injuries. That includes last year’s leading tackler (Marcell Harris), this season’s leading rusher (Malik Davis), the team’s best pass rusher (Jordan Sherit), the most experienced QB with only one career loss as a starter (Luke Del Rio) and starting LB Kylan Johnson. Sherit went down two games ago, while Johnson and Davis sustained their injuries vs. UGA last week. Davis had rushed for 526 yards and two TDs with a 6.7 YPC average as a true freshman.

Starting senior safety Nick Washington, UF’s third-leading tackler, has missed two straight games and is listed as ‘questionable’ at Missouri.

The ‘over’ is 5-3 overall for Missouri, 3-2 in its home games. The Tigers have seen their games average combined scores of 71.2 points per game. Meanwhile, the ‘over’ is 4-3 overall for the Gators, 1-0 in their lone road assignment. They’ve seen their games average combined scores of 47.3 PPG.

This is the highest total in a UF game since 2010 when Urban Meyer was still coaching the Gators, who have seen their last three games produce combined scores of only 33, 36 and 49 points.

Kickoff on ESPN2 is scheduled for noon Eastern.

Auburn (6-2 SU, 3-3-2 ATS) will look to keep its SEC West hopes alive when it travels to College Station to take on Texas A&M in a noon Eastern kick on ESPN. As of Friday afternoon, most books had the Tigers listed as 15-point road favorites with a total of 51.5. The Aggies were available for a sweet +500 return if they win outright (risk $100 to win $500).

Auburn has had two weeks to prepare for A&M after throttling Arkansas 52-20 as a 17-point road favorite two weeks ago. Gus Malzahn’s team has taken its only losses at Clemson (14-6) and at LSU (27-23). Therefore, AU controls its own destiny to get to Atlanta for the first weekend of December.

Auburn is 7-4 ATS in 11 games as a road favorite during Malzahn’s five-year tenure. The Tigers are 2-1 in three such spots this season, covering at Arkansas and in a 51-14 win at Missouri. They picked up their most impressive win at home vs. Mississippi State by a 49-10 count back on Sept. 30.

Junior RB Kerryon Johnson has rushed for 723 yards and 14 TDs with a 5.3 YPC average. His 14 rushing scores are tied for the third-most in the country. Johnson has produced those numbers despite missing two games in September. He had 11 TD runs, including five at Missouri, in a three-game stretch.

Auburn RB Kam Pettway, a first-team All-SEC selection in 2016, is ‘out’ indefinitely with a shoulder injury, so Johnson will get a ton of carries at Kyle Field. Pettway has battled injuries all season and has only rushed for 305 yards and six TDs with a 4.0 YPC average.

Auburn QB Jarrett Stidham, a transfer from Baylor who was a five-star recruit coming out of high school, has completed 65.8 percent of his passes for 1,728 yards with an 8/3 TD-INT ratio. Ryan Davis has been Stidham’s favorite target, hauling in 41 catches for 381 yards and three TDs.

Auburn is ranked ninth in the nation in scoring defense (15.6 PPG), 13th in total defense, 17th in pass defense and 25th versus the run. This unit might be without starting senior safety Tray Matthews for a second straight game. Matthews is listed as ‘questionable’ with a hamstring injury.

Since Texas A&M (5-3 SU, 5-2-1 ATS) joined the SEC in 2012, the road team has been triumphant in all five head-to-head meetings between these schools. The Aggies won a 29-16 decision on The Plains last year.

Kevin Sumlin’s job is in serious jeopardy after A&M lost 35-14 to Mississippi State as a 3.5-point home underdog last week. The Aggies generated only 285 yards of total offense and committed three turnovers. Freshman QB Kellen Mond was benched after connecting on only 8-of-26 passes for 56 yards with two interceptions. Nick Starkel, a redshirt freshman who had not played since getting injured in the opener at UCLA, completed 8-of-15 throws for 133 yards with one TD and one interception.

As of Friday afternoon, it was unclear whether or not Starkel or Mond would get the starting nod vs. Auburn. A&M has limped to a 2-5 spread record in seven games as a home underdog during Sumlin’s six-year tenure. The Aggies are 3-2 SU and 2-2-1 ATS at home this year.

The ‘under’ is 5-3 overall for the Aggies, 4-1 in their five home games. They’ve seen the ‘under’ cash in four consecutive contests.

The ‘over’ is 5-3 overall for Auburn, 3-1 in its road assignments. The Tigers have seen their games average combined scores of 51.9 PPG.

In another noon Eastern kick on ESPNU, Vanderbilt will take on Western Kentucky in Nashville. As of Friday afternoon, most spots had the Commodores marked as 10.5-point favorites with a total of 53.5. The Hilltoppers were +320 on the money line (risk $100 to win $320).

Since a 3-0 start, Vanderbilt (3-5 SU, 2-5-1 ATS) has lost five in a row while going 0-4-1 ATS. The first four defeats came by margins of 14 points or more. The ‘Dores lost a 34-27 decision at South Carolina as seven-point underdogs last week.

Trailing 34-20 with 4:50 remaining in Columbia, junior QB Kyle Shurmur found C.J. Duncan for a four-yard scoring strike to help Vandy garner a backdoor push. Shurmur completed 27-of-49 passes for 333 yards and four TDs with one interception. Kalija Lipscomb had seven receptions for 128 yards and one TD, while Duncan snared eight balls for 80 yards and two TDs.

Shurmur has enjoyed an outstanding campaign, throwing 18 TD passes compared to merely three interceptions. Senior RB Ralph Webb, the school’s all-time leading rusher, hasn’t had much room to operate all season long. He’s run for 439 yards and five TDs, averaging only 3.8 YPC. Trent Sherfield has a team-best 27 receptions for 458 yards and two TDs, while Lipscomb has 23 catches for 397 yards and six TDs.

Vandy is 2-2 SU and 1-3 ATS at home this season. Meanwhile, Western Kentucky is 2-1 SU and 0-3 ATS in a trio of road outings. During Derek Mason’s four-year tenure, the ‘Dores are 3-7 ATS as home favorites.

These teams have played a pair of nail-biters the last two years. In 2015, Western Kentucky won 14-12 at Vandy as a 2.5-point road favorite. The Commodores answered with a 31-30 triumph in overtime as eight-point road underdogs last season.

The ‘over’ has hit in five consecutive Vandy games since the ‘under’ cashed in its first three contests. Totals have been a wash for the ‘Dores at home (2-2), while all of their games have averaged combined scores of 53.8 PPG. The ‘over’ is on a 3-0 run for the Hilltoppers, who are 5-3 SU but an abysmal 1-7 ATS.

In the 3:30 p.m. Eastern time slot on CBS, top-ranked Georgia (8-0 SU, 6-2 ATS) will face South Carolina between the hedges. As of Friday afternoon, most spots had the Bulldogs installed as 23.5-point favorites with a total of 45. The Gamecocks were +1375 on the money line at 5Dimes.eu (risk $100 to win $1,375).

UGA ended a three-game losing streak to Florida with last week’s 42-7 clubbing as a 12.5-point ‘chalk.’ Sony Michel ripped off TD runs of 74 and 45 yards in an 137-yard effort on just six carries. Nick Chubb added 77 rushing yards and one TD on 13 attempts.

For the season, Chubb has 765 rushing yards and nine TDs with a 6.4 YPC average. Michel has run for 629 yards and eight TDs, averaging 8.5 YPC. True freshman Jake Fromm took over for sophomore QB Jacob Eason when he suffered a sprained knee in the first quarter of the opener vs. Appalachian State.

Although Eason has been healthy and available for the last four games, he’s only received snaps at garbage time. Fromm has connected on 61.7 percent of his passes for 1,263 yards with a 13/4 TD-INT ratio. He has also run for 87 yards and three TDs. Terry Godwin is his go-to target, hauling in 16 receptions for 369 yards and five TDs.

With the exception of a 20-19 win at Notre Dame in Week 2, UGA has won all of its games by 21 points or more. The Bulldogs trounced Mississippi State by a 31-3 count in Athens and in a two-week span, they won at Tennessee and at Vandy by a combined score of 96-14.

Georgia is ranked third in the country in scoring defense (11.9 PPG), third in total defense, third against the pass and sixth versus the run. Missouri is the only team that has eclipsed the 19-point mark vs. UGA.

South Carolina (6-2 SU, 4-2-2 ATS) is 4-0-1 ATS with four outright victories in five games as an underdog this season. This is its richest ‘dog spot of the season. As previously noted, USC beat Vandy last week thanks to a 121-yard rushing effort from sophomore RB A.J. Turner.

Jake Bentley completed 19-of-29 passes for 174 yards and one TD without an interception. The sophomore signal caller also rushed for 47 yards and a pair of TDs on six attempts vs. Vandy. Bentley has six TD passes without an interception in the last four games. He has thrown for 1,759 yards with a 13/4 TD-INT ratio.

Since WR and special-teams ace Deebo Samuel went down with a season-ending injury in Week 3, sophomore WR Bryan Edwards and junior TE Hayden Hurst have emerged as Bentley’s favorite targets. Edwards has a team-high 35 receptions for 435 yards and one TD, while Hurst has 23 catches for 328 yards and two TDs.

USC’s leading rusher in 2016 was Rico Dowdle, but he sustained a season-ending injury three weeks ago in a 15-9 win at Tennessee. RB A.J. Turner had run for only 60 yards in the first six games, but he has produced 86 yards (and one TD on 14 carries) and 121 yards (and one TD on 15 totes) on the ground in the last two games.

The ‘under’ is 5-3 overall for the Gamecocks, 3-0 in their true road assignments. They’ve seen their games average combined scores of 46.5 PPG.

The ‘under’ is 5-3 overall for UGA, 3-1 in its home games. However, the ‘over’ has hit in three consecutive contests for the Bulldogs, who have seen their games average combined scores of 50.0 PPG.

LSU and Alabama will renew their bitter rivalry Saturday night at Bryant-Denny Stadium for an 8:00 p.m. Eastern kickoff on CBS. As of Friday afternoon, most betting shops had the Crimson Tide favored by 21.5 points with a total of 48.5. The Tigers, who have lost six in a row to Alabama since winning 9-6 in Tuscaloosa in a 2011 overtime affair, were +950 on the money line (risk $100 to win $950).

Alabama (8-0 SU, 4-4 ATS) is No. 2 in the College Football Playoff rankings. Nick Saban’s team has posted a 5-0 SU record and a 2-3 ATS mark at home this season. The Tide has won seven of its eight games by margins of 17 points or more. They are off a 45-7 win vs. Tennessee as 36.5-point home ‘chalk.’

Alabama completely dominated the Volunteers with a 604-108 edge in total offense. Jalen Hurts completed 13-of-21 passes for 198 yards and one TD without an interception. Damien Harris rushed for a team-best 72 yards and one TD on 13 attempts, while Bo Scarbrough found paydirt with a pair of TD scampers.

For the season, Hurts has connected on 62.9 percent of his passes for 1,223 yards with a 9/1 TD-INT ratio. Hurts can beat you with his legs as well, rushing for 572 yards and six TDs with a 6.8 YPC average. Harris has run for a team-high 697 yards and 10 TDs while averaging 8.6 YPC. Scarbrough has 377 rushing yards, six TDs and a 4.7 YPC average.

Alabama junior WR Calvin Ridley is one of the nation’s best, producing 41 receptions for 523 yards and two TDs.

Alabama is ranked No. 1 in the nation in scoring defense (9.8 PPG), No. 1 in rushing defense, No. 2 in total defense and No. 10 versus the pass. As for the Tide’s offense, it is ranked fifth in scoring with a 43.0 PPG average.

LSU (6-2 SU, 3-4-1 ATS) looked like its season, the first under Ed Orgeron, was about to get flushed down the toilet following an unfathomable 24-21 loss to Troy as a 20.5-point home favorite. Since then, however, LSU has ripped off three straight wins at Florida (17-16), vs. Auburn (27-23) and at Ole Miss (40-24).

Derrius Guice spent a good chunk of September injured, but he’s healthy now. The junior RB shredded the Rebels for 276 rushing yards and one TD on 22 carries. Danny Etling completed 9-of-13 throws for 200 yards and two TDs without an interception in Oxford. Senior RB Darrel Williams had 103 rushing yard at Ole Miss on 22 carries. In addition, he caught four balls for 105 yards.

Etling has completed 60.0 percent of his passes for 1,452 yards with a 9/1 TD-INT ratio. Guice has rushed for 711 yards and six TDs with a 5.7 YPC average, while Williams has 476 rushing yards, five TDs and a 4.7 YPC average. Senior WR D.J. Chark has 22 catches for 535 yards.

Totals have been an overall wash for the Tide (4-4), while the ‘over’ has hit at a 3-2 clip in its home outings. They’ve watched their games average combined scores of 52.8 PPG.

Totals have been an overall wash for LSU (4-4), but the ‘under’ is 2-1 in its three road assignments.

B.E.’s Bonus Nuggets

Tennessee (3-5 SU, 2-6 ATS) is a 6.5-point home favorite vs. Southern Miss for a 7:30 p.m. Eastern kick at Neyland Stadium on the SEC Network. The Golden Eagles had won three in a row and five of their last six both SU and ATS until losing 30-12 to UAB as 11.5-point home favorites last week. UT dropped a 29-26 decision at Kentucky last week, but it did take the cash as a four-point road underdog.

Mississippi State will play host to UMass at noon Eastern on the SEC Network. The Bulldogs were favored by 28 for most of the week until UMass QB Andrew Ford was downgraded to ‘doubtful’ (neck/head) on Thursday. Once that news hit, the line instantly moved from 28 to 32. The Minutemen have won back-to-back games, including a 30-27 home win over Appalachian St. in overtime last week. They’re 4-1 ATS in their last five games and haven’t been beaten by more than 10 points all year long.

Dan Mullen’s team went to Foxboro last season and beat UMass by a 47-35 count. However, Mississippi State failed to cover the spread as a 22.5-point road favorite. Since losing back-to-back games at Georgia (31-3) and at Auburn (49-10), the Bulldogs have responded with three straight wins both SU and ATS. They’re 4-0 ATS as double-digit favorites this season.

Kentucky (6-2 SU, 2-6 ATS) will play host to Ole Miss at Kroger Field on the SEC Network at 3:30 p.m. Eastern. The Wildcats have failed to cover the number in four consecutive contests. They were listed as 3.5-point favorites as of late Friday afternoon, with the total at 63.5. UK has won four of its five home games, but it has limped to a 1-4 ATS record. Ole Miss (3-5 SU, 1-6-1 ATS) is winless in three road games with a 0-2-1 ATS ledger. The Rebels blew a 24-point lead in last week’s 38-37 home loss to Arkansas. Ole Miss juco transfer QB Jordan Ta’amu played well in his first career start at the FBS level vs. the Razorbacks. Ta’amu hit 20-of-30 pass attempts for 368 yards with one interception.

The ‘over’ has cashed in five straight games for the Rebels to improve to 7-1 overall.

Arkansas (3-5 SU, 2-5-1 ATS) is listed as a 23.5-point home favorite vs. Coastal Carolina, which comes to Fayetteville with a 1-7 SU record and a 2-6 ATS mark.

NCAAF Week 10 Picks and Predictions
By: Andrew Caley
Covers.com

We got our first look at the College Football Playoff rankings this week and boy, was it interesting to say the least.

The committee shocked everyone by initially putting Georgia ahead of Alabama in the No. 1 and No. 2 spots, followed by No. 3 Notre Dame and No. 4 Clemson.

The Irish make sense at No. 3 due to their one loss coming by one-point at the hands of UGA, but it’s Clemson and the teams that follow the Tigers that make these initial rankings a little puzzling.

Clemson is immediately ahead of Oklahoma, Ohio State, Penn State and TCU - all of which have one loss.

Both Oklahoma and TCU’s losses came from an increasingly well-regarded Iowa State team, while Ohio State lost to the aforementioned Sooners and Penn State, of course, fell to the Buckeyes last weekend. All of those are respectable and understandable losses.

Clemson though? The Tigers lost as 24-point favorites to a 4-4 Syracuse team, which means the ACC is getting a lot of respect. Maybe that's deserved, but it just feels off to me.

If you looked to Las Vegas for the College Football Playoff rankings, in terms of odds to win the national title, we get a different look.

1. Alabama (2/3)
2. Ohio State (3/1)
3. Clemson (8/1)
4. Notre Dame/Georgia (12/1)

Alabama is where we expect it to be, by far and away the front runner, followed by Ohio State. The Buckeyes' only loss is to a Top-5 team in the rankings and somehow they’re behind a team that lost as a 24-point favorite.

So basically, all we’ve learned from the first rankings is that the committee is still unpredictable as hell, the conference you play in still matters, and the best way to secure your spot is to essentially hammer your opponents on a weekly basis.

However, that lines up well for the Fighting Irish and football bettors this week. With teams like Miami, Wisconsin, and Washington waiting in the wings - not to mention the teams directly behind them in the rankings - Notre Dame must do its best to impress the committee.

The Irish have certainly impressed bettors to this point, going 7-1 straight up and against the spread. And while they obviously don’t have a conference, they play prominently ACC teams and next up is Wake Forest.

Notre Dame’s offense runs through Josh Adams. The junior running back has been outstanding this season, rushing for 1,169 yards at a clip of 8.9 yards per carry to go along with nine scores and leads an Irish rush attack that is sixth best in the country at 317.9 yards per game.

Wake Forest meanwhile, ranks 87th in rush defense, allowing an average 183.8 gains on the ground.

The Demon Deacons are a solid team on both sides of the ball, but the Golden Domers know they must impress and are coming off back-to-back big victories over North Carolina State and rival USC.

Pick: Notre Dame -14

Oregon Ducks at Washington Huskies (-16.5, 53)

Speaking of needing to impress the committee, no one in the Pac-12 head office is hoping for any outcome other than Washington to look amazing this weekend.

Washington is the highest-rated Pac-12 team in the initial College Football Playoff rankings and that's at No. 12. Let that sink in. Twelve. That’s not a good look and Washington appears to be the conference’s last hope. The Huskies obviously need some help, but they can also help themselves with a showy win over Oregon this week.

I know the last time we laid points with the Huskies it didn’t go so well (thank you very much Arizona State), but Washington still owns the country’s top defense and it usually plays much stronger at home. The only game in which UW didn’t cover as a host was a 48-16 win over Fresno State, giving 34.5 points in Week 3.

Washington allows the fewest yards per game at 237.6 and the fourth fewest points at 12.1, but most importantly for this matchup, it ranks second against the run, which is Oregon’s bread and butter.

Plus, Jake Browning & Co. should be able to handle a Ducks’ pass defense that ranks 99th in the nation.

Pick: Washington -16.5

Texas Longhorns at TCU Horned Frogs (-7, 47)

Texas Christian was carrying the torch as the Big 12’s best chance to return to the College Football Playoff after missing out last season, but then crumbled under the pressure in a loss to Iowa State last week.

The Horned Frogs still managed to come up eighth in the initial CFP rankings, but their schedule doesn’t do them any favors as they welcome Tom Herman and Texas to town this weekend.

While 2017 hasn’t gone exactly to plan for Texas, there are definitely signs of life from the program and on top of that the Longhorns are one of the best bets in the country at 6-1-1 ATS.

Texas will find success in the passing game, despite TCU having a solid defense, while the Horns' rush defense can bottle up the run game and force Kenny Hill to beat them.

But frankly, I’m just not going to doubt Herman-coached teams as underdogs. In Herman’s three seasons as a head coach, his teams are 9-0 against the spread when getting the points.

Pick: Texas +7

Last week: 1-1-1
Season to date: 17-9-1 (11-3-1 the last five weeks)

Heisman Odds Update

Well, that was certainly quite the week for the Heisman race, highlighted of course by J.T. Barrett and Ohio State’s comeback win over Saquon Barkley and Penn State.

Barkley is still the heavy 2/3 favorite to win the award according to the Westgate Las Vegas Superbook, but with his and Barrett’s performance’s going head-to-head, things certainly got more interesting.

After a kickoff return for a touchdown, the Buckeyes were able to bottle up Barkley for the most part, limiting him to 67 total yards and a touchdown on 25 touches.

Meanwhile, Barrett went a stunning 33-for-39 for 328 yards passing and four scores, while adding 95 yards on the ground. Barrett went from 10/1 to win the award to 4/1 this week.

Since Ohio State’s loss to Oklahoma, Barrett is completing 73.5 percent of his passes for 1,668 yards, with 22 touchdowns and no interceptions. If he keeps this up on the way to a Big Ten title, he could easily walk away with some hardware.

Stanford running back Bryce Love is still on the board at 7/2, followed by Oklahoma’s Baker Mayfield at 8/1 and Notre Dame’s Josh Adams at 10/1. Keep an eye on Adams if the Irish keep winning, he represents the most value currently.

Week 10 NCAAF Top 25 Betting Cheat Sheet
Covers.com

We enter Week 10 of the NCAA football betting season, with some key conference contests on the board. 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.

(4) Wisconsin Badgers at Indiana Hoosiers (+13.5, 48.5)

* The Badgers have the nation's best third-down conversion rate at 53.5 percent, and rank second in the country in average time of possession (35 minutes per game). Wisconsin RB Jonathan Taylor saw his seven-game TD streak snapped Saturday vs. Illinois.

* The Hoosiers are one of four teams with an NCAA-low two interceptions on defense. Indiana QB Peyton Ramsey (1,252 passing yards, 10 TDs, five INTs) is considered day-to-day after suffering a knee injury in last weekend's loss to Maryland.

LINE HISTORY: The Badgers hit the betting board as 9-point road chalk at most books and money on the road team drove that number as high as 14, before coming down a bit to the current number of 13.5. The total opened at 49.5 and has been bet down a full point to 48.5.

TRENDS:

* Badgers are 8-1 ATS in their last 9 road games.
* Hoosiers are 0-5-1 ATS in their last 6 conference games.
* Badgers are 4-0 ATS in their last 4 meetings.
* Over is 6-0 in the last 6 meetings in Indiana.

(7) Penn State Nittany Lions at Michigan State Spartans (+9.5, 48)

* The Nittany Lions rank in the top 10 nationally both in turnovers gained (20) and fewest turnovers lost (six); their plus-14 overall margin is second-best in Division I. RB Saquon Barkley has three games of under 60 rushing yards this season.

* The Spartans are one of six teams allowing fewer than 100 rushing yards per game, but have given up the most rushing scores (seven) of the group. QB Brian Lewerke's 445 passing yards Saturday exceeded his total from the previous three weeks combined.

LINE HISTORY: Coming off their collapse last week the Lions opened as 7.5-point road faves in Lansing and that number wasn’t high enough for bettors. Money coming in on the road team has pushed that line up to 9.5. The total opened at 48 and has yet to move off the opening number.

TRENDS:

* Nittany Lions are 11-1-1 ATS in their last 13 games following a ATS win.
* Spartans are 7-1 ATS in their last 8 home games.
* Favorite is 6-0 ATS in their last 6 meetings.
* Over is 6-1-1 in the last 8 meetings in Michigan State.
* Over is 14-3-1 in the last 18 meetings.

Massachusetts Minutemen at (22) Mississippi State Bulldogs (-32, 56.5)

* The Minutemen lead Division I in total sacks allowed (37) and sacks surrendered per game (4.63). Massachusetts RB Marquis Young has back-to-back 100-yard rushing efforts, with three touchdowns over that span.

* The Bulldogs rank 12th in the nation in third-down conversion rate (47.5 percent). Mississippi State QB Nick Fitzgerald has accounted for 10 touchdowns (five passing, five rushing) over his past three games, all one-sided victories.

LINE HISTORY: The Bulldogs opened as massive 28-point home chalk and money coming in on the home team has only pushed that number up. On Thursday the number had reached -32 and that’s where it currently sits. The total opened at 58 and money on the under has seen that number drop as low as 56, it has since rebounded to 56.5.

TRENDS:

* Minutemen are 6-0 ATS in their last 6 vs. SEC.
* Over is 4-1 in Minutemen last 5 games following a ATS win.
* Over is 4-1 in Bulldogs last 5 vs. a team with a losing record.
* Over is 4-1 in Bulldogs last 5 home games vs. a team with a losing road record.

(15) Auburn Tigers at Texas A&M Aggies (+15, 52)

* The Tigers are tied for eighth in the nation in fewest penalty flags (33) and tied for 12th in fewest penalty yards (293). Auburn RB Kerryon Johnson has seven rushing touchdowns in three road games in 2017.

* Texas A&M ranks second in the nation in sacks (30), behind only Clemson. Three Aggies passers have combined to complete just 52.4 percent of their attempts on the season, good for 111th in Division I.

LINE HISTORY: The Tigers opened as 15-point road faves and that number has yet to move. The total opened at 52.5 and has been bet down to an even 52.

TRENDS:

* Tigers are 4-1-1 ATS in their last 6 conference games.
* Aggies are 2-15 ATS in their last 17 games following a straight up loss.
* Over is 5-0 in Tigers last 5 games overall.
* Road team is 5-0 ATS in their last 5 meetings.

(18) Stanford Cardinal at Washington State Cougars (-2.5, 55)

* Stanford has made 202 consecutive extra-point attempts, the third-longest streak in Division I behind only Texas A&M (231) and Auburn (203). RB Bryce Love ranks second in the nation in all-purpose yards per game (200.9).

* The Cougars average 84.1 rushing yards per game, ahead of only Western Kentucky; Love himself averages nearly 121 rushing yards in the first half alone. Washington State has committed 22 turnovers, third-most in the nation.

LINE HISTORY: The Cougars opened this Pac-12 North Division matchup as 2.5-point home faves and as of Friday morning that number has yet to move. The total hit the betting board as 55 and was briefly down to 54.5 before returning to the opening number.

TRENDS:

* Cardinal are 1-5-1 ATS in their last 7 games following a straight up win.
* Cougars are 4-0 ATS in their last 4 home games.
* Under is 4-0 in Cardinal last 4 games overall.
* Under is 5-1 in Cougars last 6 games overall.
* Under is 6-1-1 in the last 8 meetings in Washington State.

(3) Ohio State Buckeyes at Iowa Hawkeyes (+18, 52.5)

* Buckeyes QB J.T. Barrett has thrown for 22 touchdowns with zero interceptions since his only INT of the season Sept. 9 vs. Oklahoma. Ohio State averages a whopping 75 penalty yards per game, eighth-most in Division I.

* The Hawkeyes limit opponents to a 30.5-percent third-down success rate, good for 19th in the country. Iowa TDB Josh Jackson leads the nation in passes defended (17) and passes broken up (15).

LINE HISTORY: Oddsmakers installed Ohio State as 16-point road chalk but bettors have pushed the line up as high as 18 at some shops. the total opened at 51.5 and is up a full point to 52.5.

TRENDS:

* Buckeyes are 4-1 ATS in their last 5 conference games.
* Hawkeyes are 1-4 ATS in their last 5 games following a straight up win.
* Over is 6-0 in Buckeyes last 6 conference games.
* Road team is 3-0-1 ATS in their last 4 meetings.
* Favorite is 8-2-1 ATS in their last 11 meetings.

(5) Clemson Tigers at (19) NC State Wolfpack (+7.5, 51)

* The Tigers have won 52 consecutive games when holding the opposition to fewer than 23 points. QB Kelly Bryant has gone four games without a rushing score after racking up seven rushing TDs over his first four games.

* Wolfpack rushing leader Nyheim Hines (654 yards, six TDs) left after just two carries last week due to an ankle injury but is expected to return this week. NC State has thrown just one interception, second-fewest in Division I.

LINE HISTORY: The Wolfpack hit the board as 7.5-point home dogs and that number has yet to move. The total opened at 51 and like the spread has yet to move off the opening number.

TRENDS:

* Tigers are 5-1-1 ATS vs. a team with a winning record.
* Wolfpack are 1-5 ATS in their last 6 home games.
* Under is 5-0 in Tigers last 5 games overall.
* Under is 10-1 in Wolfpack last 11 conference games.
* Under is 5-0 in Wolfpack last 5 games overall.

South Carolina Gamecocks at (2) Georgia Bulldogs (-23.5, 45)

* The Gamecocks have been penalized for just 278 yards on the season, the fourth-lowest total in the nation. South Carolina QB Jake Bentley has failed to crack 200 passing yards in his last three games, but has accounted for six TDs over that span.

* The Bulldogs are one of only three teams still perfect in the red zone, and are the most prolific of the three, going 31-for-31. Georgia is allowing just one sack per game through eight contests, the 11th-best rate in the country.

LINE HISTORY: Oddsmakers opened Georgia as 25-point home chalk and money coming in on the road team pushing that number down to -23.5. The total started out at 45.5 and is down slightly to an even 45.

TRENDS:

* Bulldogs are 6-1 ATS in their last 7 conference games.
* Under is 13-3 in Gamecocks last 16 games following a straight up win.
* Under is 5-1 in Bulldogs last 6 home games vs. a team with a winning road record.
* Favorite is 6-1 ATS in their last 7 meetings.

(16) Iowa State Cyclones at West Virginia Mountaineers (-2.5, 60)

* The Cyclones have surrendered just 24 second-half points in their five Big 12 Conference games. Iowa State joins SMU as the only Division I teams that have yet to lose a fumble in 2017.

* Mountaineers QB Will Grier (Division I-high 28 TD passes) threw four INTs and had his streak of games with 300+ passing yards snapped at seven in last week's loss to Oklahoma State. West Virginia ranks 98th in third-down conversion percentage (35.3).

LINE HISTORY: The Mountaineers opened with some books at 2.5 home faves and the number hasn’t moved off the opening number. The total hit the betting board at 61.5 and money coming in on the under brought that line down to 60.

TRENDS:

* Under is 5-1 in Cyclones last 6 games overall.
* Under is 4-1 in Mountaineers last 5 games following a double-digit loss at home.
* Favorite is 4-1 ATS in their last 5 meetings.
* Cyclones are 1-4 ATS in their last 5 meetings.

Wake Forest Demon Deacons at (8 ) Notre Dame Fighting Irish (-14, 55)

* Demon Deacons QB John Wolford has accounted for nine touchdowns (seven passing, two rushing) over his past two games. Wake Forest has turned the ball over just five times all season, second-fewest in the country.

* Fighting Irish RB Josh Adams has had a run of 70+ yards in four consecutive games, and leads the nation in runs of 60+ yards with seven. Notre Dame is the only school in the nation that has yet to allow more than 20 points in a game this season.

LINE HISTORY: Oddsmakers opened with the Irish as 14.5-point home faves, money coming in on the Deacons pushed the number as low as -12.5 before fading back and settling at 14. The total hit the board as 55 and was quickly bet up 56 before returning to the opening number by Friday morning.

TRENDS:

* Fighting Irish are 6-0 ATS in their last 6 games overall.
* Under is 6-0 in Demon Deacons last 6 vs. INDEP.
* Under is 5-1 in Demon Deacons last 6 road games.

(23) South Florida Bulls at Connecticut Huskies (+23.5, 64.5)

* The Bulls are one of only two FBS schools averaging 250+ rushing yards and 200+ passing yards per game. South Florida leads the nation in interceptions (16) and sits tied for second in total turnover margin (plus-14).

* The Huskies have allowed opponents to convert 47.6 percent of their third-down opportunities, good for 121st in Division I. QB Bryant Shirreffs failed to throw a touchdown pass for the first time all season in last week's loss to Missouri.

LINE HISTORY: South Florida opened as high as 23-point road chalk but the line briefly came down as low as 22 before money on the road team took that line up as high as 23.5. Most books opened the total at 64.5 and have yet to move it off that number.

TRENDS:

* Bulls are 7-0 ATS vs. a team with a losing record.
* Huskies are 1-7 ATS in their last 8 games following a double-digit loss at home.
* Over is 6-1 in Bulls last 7 games after allowing less than 170 yards passing in their previous game.
* Over is 5-1 in Huskies last 6 games following a ATS loss.

(9) Oklahoma Sooners at (10) Oklahoma State Cowboys (-2.5, 76)

* Sooners QB Baker Mayfield has thrown for 691 yards while accounting for nine touchdowns over the past two games. Oklahoma has forced just four interceptions on the season; only 14 FBS teams have fewer INTs.

* The Cowboys are an incredible 13-1 in their last 14 games decided by fewer than 10 points. Oklahoma State is outscoring foes 100-20 in the first quarter this season, and have held opponents without a first-quarter point in five of eight games.

LINE HISTORY: The Cowboys opened this year’s Bedlam Series as 3-point home faves and money on the road team lowered that number slightly to -2.5. The total hit the betting board at a massive 76 and has yet to move off the opening number.

TRENDS:

* Over is 4-1 in Sooners last 5 games following a straight up win.
* Over is 4-1 in Cowboys last 5 games following a straight up win.
* Sooners are 5-1 ATS in their last 6 meetings in Oklahoma State.
* Road team is 4-1 ATS in their last 5 meetings.

(14) UCF Knights at SMU Mustangs (+14.5, 73)

* The Knights remain the only FBS team to average more than 50 points per game. A dozen UCF players have either 100+ rushing or receiving yards, while two others - Adrian Killins Jr. and Otis Anderson - have reached triple digits in both categories.

* The Mustangs average 72 penalty yards per game; only 11 teams rack up more. SMU QB Ben Hicks has 16 touchdown passes and just two interceptions in the Mustangs' six victories, and a 3:4 TD-to-INT ratio in their two defeats.

LINE HISTORY: SMU opened as 13-point home dogs and that wasn’t enough for bettors as the money kept coming in on the home team pushing the line to +14.5. The total hit the betting board at 74.5, briefly went up to 75 and since money on the under has brought that number down to 73.

TRENDS:

* Knights are 5-1-1 ATS in their last 7 games overall.
* Mustangs are 1-4 ATS in their last 5 conference games.
* Under is 4-1 in Knights last 5 games following a ATS loss.
* Under is 4-1 in Mustangs last 5 games overall.
* Favorite is 5-1-1 ATS in their last 7 meetings.

Texas Longhorns at (12) TCU Horned Frogs (-7, 46.5)

* The Longhorns rank seventh in Division I in third-down conversion defense (26.1 percent) and tied for second in fourth-down conversion rate against (14.3 percent). Texas has scored 58 points off turnovers in 2017 while allowing just seven.

* The Horned Frogs are the only school in the nation ranked in the top ten in third-down success rate (52.9 percent, second) and third-down defense (27.4 percent, eighth). QB Kenny Hill sits eighth in Division I in completion percentage (67.8 ).

LINE HISTORY: Oddsmakers opened TCU as 6.5-point home faves and is up slightly to a converted touchdown hours after opening and has held firm all week. The total opened at 46 and has been bet up to 47.

TRENDS:

* Longhorns are 6-0-1 ATS in their last 7 games overall.
* Horned Frogs are 1-11 ATS in their last 12 home games.
* Under is 11-1 in Longhorns last 12 games on grass.
* Under is 4-0 in Horned Frogs last 4 conference games.
* Under is 4-1 in the last 5 meetings.

Minnesota Golden Gophers at (24) Michigan Wolverines (-15.5, 41)

* Minnesota ranks second nationally in fewest penalty flags per game (3.75) and third in fewest penalty yards per contest (33.4). QBs Conor Rhoda and Demry Croft have combined to complete 49.2 percent of their passes, the ninth-worst rate in the country.

* The Wolverines have converted 23-of-25 red-zone trips into points, with their 92-percent success rate ranked 14th nationally. RB Karan Higdon has 403 rushing yards and six touchdowns over his last three games.

LINE HISTORY: The Wolverine opened as 15.5 home chalk and that line briefly dropped to 15 before returning to the opening number where it has remained all week. The total hit the betting board at 41.5 and is down slightly to 41.

TRENDS:

* Golden Gophers are 7-1-4 ATS in their last 12 road games.
* Wolverines are 0-4 ATS in their last 4 home games.
* Over is 4-1 in Wolverines last 5 games after accumulating less than 170 yards passing in their previous game.
* Over is 5-0 in the last 5 meetings.

(13) Virginia Tech Hokies at (6) Miami Hurricanes (+2.5, 50)

* The Hokies have allowed opponents to convert just 24 percent of their third-down opportunities, the third-best rate in Division I. Virginia Tech QB Josh Jackson leads all first-year signal callers with 2,032 passing yards and 17 touchdowns.

* The Hurricanes have made good on a paltry 30.7 percent of their third-down chances, the 12th-worst success rate in the country. Miami QB Malik Rosier has thrown for 700 yards and five touchdowns over his past two games.

LINE HISTORY: Oddsmakers opened the Hokies as high as 3-point road faves against their ACC rivals and money coming in on the ‘U’ has driven that number down to +1 at most shops. The total opened at 50 in most shops and has been bet down to 46.

TRENDS:

* Hokies are 5-1 ATS in their last 6 games after allowing less than 20 points in their previous game.
* Under is 5-0 in Hokies last 5 games following a ATS win.
* Under is 5-0 in Hurricanes last 5 games following a straight up win.
* Under is 6-1 in the last 7 meetings in Miami.

(20) LSU Tigers at (1) Alabama Crimson Tide (-21, 48.5)

* The Tigers' defense has allowed just seven first-half touchdowns in its previous 13 games. LSU LB Devin White leads the SEC and ranks tied for 10th nationally in total tackles per game (10.0).

* The Crimson Tide are the only team in the country surrendering fewer than 10 points per game (9.8 ). Alabama is also the lone FBS team to succeed on all of its fourth-down attempts to date, going 11-for-11.

LINE HISTORY: The undefeated Crimson Tide opened at most books as 21.5-home chalk, that number has come down slightly to 21. The total hit the betting board at 48.5 and has yet to move off that opening number.

TRENDS:

* Tigers are 1-4 ATS vs. a team with a winning record.
* Crimson Tide are 4-0 ATS in their last 4 games following a bye week.
* Under is 7-1 in the last 8 meetings.
* Tigers are 0-4 ATS in their last 4 meetings.

Oregon Ducks at (11) Washington Huskies (-17.5, 53)

* The Ducks have racked up an average of 82 penalty yards per game so far, fourth-most in Division I. Oregon leads the Pac-12 and ranks second in the nation in total sacks (30) and eighth in sacks per game (3.33).

* The Huskies have held opponents to 28 points or fewer in 22 consecutive games dating back to the 2015 Heart of Dallas Bowl. Washington has surrendered just eight offensive touchdowns (five passing, three rushing) in eight games.

LINE HISTORY: The Huskies opened this Pac-12 matchup as 21-point home faves and money pouring in on the road team has seen the line drop to -16.5 as of Friday afternoon. The total hit the board at 51.5 in most shops and has been bet up slightly to 52.5.

TRENDS:

* Ducks are 0-6 ATS in their last 6 games following a ATS win.
* Huskies are 6-1 ATS in their last 7 conference games.
* Under is 7-0 in Ducks last 7 road games.
* Under is 7-1-1 in Huskies last 9 conference games.
* Ducks are 5-0 ATS in their last 5 meetings in Washington.

(25) Arizona Wildcats at (17) USC Trojans (-7.5, 73)

* Wildcats QB Khalil Tate accounted for 14 touchdowns - eight rushing and six passing - in four October games. Arizona has held opponents to a 75-percent success rate in the red zone, good for 22nd nationally.

* The Trojans average 3.22 sacks per game, just outside the top 10 in Division I. USC QB Sam Darnold has thrown for 11 touchdowns against just one interception over his past four games.

LINE HISTORY: Oddsmakers opened this Pac-12 matchup with the Trojans 7.5 home faves, was bet down to an even -7 and bounced back and forth between -7 and -7.5 early in the week. Since Wednesday, the line has held at -7.5.

TRENDS:

* Trojans are 1-6 ATS in their last 7 games overall.
* Over is 6-1 in Wildcats last 7 road games.
* Wildcats are 5-1 ATS in their last 6 meetings in Southern California.
* Underdog is 10-2 ATS in their last 12 meetings.

The Dozen: Bedlam Plus
By Tony Mejia
VegasInsider.com

Here are the games that should most command your attention on the first Saturday in November and everything you need to know to handicap these matchups:

1. Oklahoma at Oklahoma State: After this year's Bedlam series result is in, there will be one very satisfied 8-1 team still alive as a national championship contender and one very disappointed program that will have wasted a run behind one of the top QBs in school history. Mix in a revenge factor for the Cowboys, who have lost 14 of 15 when both teams come in ranked and have lost their chance to win a Big 12 title in consecutive seasons, and it's easy to see why taking care of business at home in Stillwater this time around means everything to little brother OSU.

QB Mason Rudolph has produced games of 40 or more points in all but two of his team's eight outings, topping 50 or more in four of them counting last week's win at West Virginia, so concerns over his shoulder bothering him has dissipated some despite a lack of throws down the field. Oklahoma's Baker Mayfield actually has the tougher matchup given what both secondaries have shown thus far, but he's gotten a lot of help from RBs Abdul Adams, Trey Sermon and Rodney Anderson that could take some pressure off both sides of the ball by chewing up clock and maintaining possession. That could also give under 76 a fighting chance if the Cowboys can't break off the explosive plays they're counting on here.

2. Clemson at N.C. State: The Tigers followed up their tough loss at Syracuse by handling Georgia Tech again, putting together another stifling defensive effort against the triple option. We'll see how they handle the Wolfpack's more conventional offense as they hit the road for the first time since disaster hit in upstate New York. Kelly Bryant returned from his ankle injury looking spry, but not 100 percent. Presumably, he'll be better this week, which means the Tigers can rely on a playmaker who was routinely making big plays with his arm in addition to his feet, addressing legitimate concerns that he'd be too much of a running back in replacing Watson.

The Wolfpack missed a 33-yard field goal that would've sent the customers home depressed last season, ultimately losing in overtime. They then saw their season fall apart, recovering barely enough to salvage a bowl game and a winning record. Coming off their first loss of the season at Notre Dame, NC State can keep its ACC title aspirations alive by winning here and taking control of the Atlantic Division. Notre Dame took advantage of the Wolfpack by dominating up front and racing up the rushing yards, so the expectation is that Clemson will attempt to follow suit. The Tigers have won 12 of 13 games in this series after last year's close call.

3. Arizona at USC: We'll very likely see the winner here in the Pac-12 Championship representing the South Division, putting Sam Darnold back in the spotlight after a strong performance at Arizona State last week to put the Trojans in the driver's seat since they get to play this key game at home.

This puts USC's banged-up defense up against the four-time reigning Pac-12 Player of the Week, Khalil Tate, who averages over 13 yards per carry, has really picked up his passing and has led the 'Cats to nearly 49 points per game over the last four. He'll be facing the most athletic defens he's seen to date, making this a great test for a potential Heisman candidate that's come out of nowhere. USC has won four straight in the series and Rich Rodriguez hasn't won at the Coliseum with Arizona, but if Tate outplays Darnold, this Cinderella story would continue with an ironic twist.

4. Virginia Tech at Miami (FL): The Hokies came up short against Clemson at home in late September, but a little more than a month later, are basically a pick'em on the road down at Hard Rock Stadium. That tells you how seriously oddsmakers are taking the Hurricanes' chances of running the table this season, even though they keep pulling off wins in games where they've flirted with disaster.

QB Malik Rosier is going to play despite suffering an injury to his throwing shoulder and will be closely monitored here since he often struggles with accuracy as it is. Evan Shireffs, a 6-foot-5 redshirt sophomore who lacks much experience, would get the call if Rosier is too injured to play, which makes for a potentially dubious situation given Virginia Tech's defense. The Hokies can still have a special season since running the table will give them the Coastal Division over the 'Canes. QB Josh Jackson has broken Michael Vick's freshman record for passing yards but will be making just his third road start.

5. Ohio State at Iowa: Urban Meyer's team has to get up for another challenge after last week's emotional comeback win over Penn State, so this is potentionally a trouble spot. Iowa took out top-five Michigan last year and came a last-second score from adding Penn State to Kinnick Stadium's victims earlier in the season since three straight AP Top-5 teams had left Iowa City with losses since '08. Remarkably, Meyer has never coached there since the Buckeyes haven't been in town since 2010. Jim Tressel's 12-1 team survived there 20-17 as a 3-point favorite.

If they can withstand the emotional element, the Buckeyes have the same clear advantages against a young Hawkeyes offensive line that they enjoyed last week in wearing down the Nittany Lions. Ohio State's front seven is loaded with pros and QB J.T. Barrett has clearly saved his best for last. Running backs J.K. Dobbins, Mike Weber and H-back K.J. Hill are all formidable and look to be in great form, but WR Parris Campbell has been ruled out.

6. LSU at Alabama: The Crimson Tide are ranked No. 2 for the first time this season and Nick Saban knows his former employer always packs a little extra venom for him, so there's no letdown coming in Tuscaloosa. 'Bama respects LSU's talent and past success, so even though there appears to be a slight disparity here, Saban has pulled his typical routine of ranting at the media to publicly rail against meaningless rankings and caution against overconfidence.

It's all on his elite defense continuing a trend of shutting down the Tigers, who have enjoyed elite talent like Odell Beckham, Jr. and Leonard Fournette among many others and still managed just 10.5 points during a six-game losing streak at the hands of the Tide. After starting slowly by failing to cover at home against Fresno State and Colorado State, Alabama has won its three conference home dates by a combined margin of 152-19. It owns a 17-game home winning streak. LSU's Derrius Guice hopes to carry over the form he displayed running for 276 yards at Ole Miss and the Tigers do come off a bye after sandwich a season-saving conquest of Auburn with road wins over Florida and Ole Miss. We'll see whether they can compete this time around enough to even hang within the 21.5-point spread.

7. Penn State at Michigan State: We referenced a potential emotional letdown for Ohio State, and it was the team that euphorically claimed last week's big game. The Nittany Lions have to deal with a hangover effect and get to do it on the road. James Franklin's team wasted a golden opportunity to remain undefeated and may have cost Saquon Barkley his shot at the Heisman due to an inability to block up front.

It won't be any picnic, since 40-degree weather and showers are expected to play a role in what will likely be a physical football game won on the ground and potentially, by the elusiveness and ingenuity of both quarterbacks. MSU's Brian Lewerke is capable of making plays with his legs and has really generated results to elevate a once-anemic attack. Since Sparty visit the Buckeyes in Columbus next week, they control their destiny in the East Division. PSU's Trace McSorley had a great game against Michigan State's defense last season and will need to lift his team up on the road by creating momentum with some chunk plays that can help a sputtering group lock back in.

8. Stanford at Washington State: This one doesn't decide the Pac-12 North, but will certainly play a huge role. The Cardinal have seen RB Bryce Love emerge as a legitimate Heisman candidate due to his breathtaking Barry Sanders-like runs and it's telling that he still leads the country in rushing yards (1,387) despite missing essentially the last game-and-a-half after a nasty ankle injury. He's expected to play, which eases the pressure on redshirt freshman K.J. Costello, who will start on the road for the first time and has looked good in playing a few games this season.

He'll be dueling a polar opposite of sorts in Cougs' QB Luke Falk, the nation's active career leader in passing yards (13,469), touchdowns (112) and yards per game (336.7). He'll break Sean Mannion's Pac-12 record for passing yards at some point in this game barring injury and will be honored and cheered heavily since this will be his final home game. Washington State is 6-0 in Pullman this season, improving to 15-4 over the last three seasons. Despite this and because of the uncertainty of Love's ankle, WSU opened as a 2.5-point favorite but is now a pick'em.

9. Iowa State at West Virginia: Although it's overshadowed by Bedlam in Big 12 circles, this matchup ends up making the list over Texas-TCU as the league's second-best offering due to the curiosity the Cyclones have become. Derailing a Horned Frogs team they seemed to intimidate in the red zone has kept a team that looked like they had a realistic shot to crash the national semifinals.

Bowl eligible for the first time since 2012, Matt Campbell's team will look to continue the ride in Morgantown, where West Virginia is hoping to avoid consecutive home losses after dropping a 50-39 shootout to Oklahoma State. Will Grier continues to be a prolific passer, but turned over too much in last week's upset bid, making today's game entirely about his ability to solve an Iowa State defense that looked so great last week in shutting down Kenny Hill. There have been at least 74 points scored in six of eight games involving the Mountaineers, while the under has prevailed in five of Iowa State's last six. Dana Holgorsen beat Campbell in Ames last season 49-19 in last year's regular-season finale, so it will be fun to see how he'll fare now against a far better team.

10. Auburn at Texas A&M: After playing 'Bama tougher than anyone has this season, the Ags barely survived at Florida and got blown out at home by three touchdowns against Mississippi State. This provides head coach Kevin Sumlin's final opportunity to impress the 12th Man and win over those in the fan base still on the fence about him. Auburn recovered from blowing a 20-0 halftime lead at LSU by hanging a 52-20 rout at brutal Arkansas and has been on hiatus since. With a showdown against Georgia set for next week, the Tigers need to look good here in what should be a worth tune-up.

The road team has won all five meetings since the Aggies joined the conference, so that trend would certainly bode well for the Tigers, who will also have a determined QB returning to his home state in Baylor transfer Jarrett Stidham, who originally had some interest in the school in College Station. Perhaps because of the presence of highly touted recruit Kellen Mond, interest in him waned, so the narrative is clear that Stidham can earn himself a little payback against the beleaguered Sumlin, who is sticking with Mond despite his poor play over the past few weeks. The speedy athlete hasn't been able to consistently make throws, which could hurt A&M's chances against a stout Tigers defense.

11. South Carolina at Georgia: In a season where most of the SEC has been down, the Gamecocks have actually surprised and have been terrific against the spread, coming in 5-2-1 as they look to shock the 'Dawgs and make their run as the nation's top-ranked team short-lived. A 24-point underdog, South Carolina winning outright would net you +1400 on the money line at 5 Dimes, but has little chance of happening since it lost top playmaker Deebo Samuel early this season, limiting the likelihood of thriving against the best defense and rushing attack it has seen all season. Still, Will Muschamp has his team bowl eligible a second consecutive year and up for playing spoiler for these Bulldogs and rival Clemson in the regular season finale.

Georgia head coach Kirby Smart has to be concerned his team will look past a pretty good team given road games ahead at Auburn and Georgia Tech later this month. The Auburn test is next, so the temptation to pull starters early also makes the spread employed here a little high, but the 42-7 rout at Florida continued a UGA run that has seen it defeat its five SEC conquests by a 212-45 margin, covering spreads against all but Mizzou.

12. Wisconsin at Indiana: The Badgers are catching no respect despite their perfect record since they haven't beaten anyone of significance, so this has become a popular upset pick. The lone unbeaten team currently left in the Big Ten may also be without their most dynamic offensive threat, dynamic true freshman RB Jonathan Taylor, who is questionable with a leg injury and isn't expected to be 100 percent if he goes. They're playing a second straight road game for the first time and will face an engaged crowd that will pack the house despite likely showers since college basketball isn't quite back in Bloomington.

The Hoosiers have yet to win a game in the Big Ten, but they've been competitive against Ohio State for a half and both Michigan schools for four quarters. A tough loss at Maryland last week puts Indiana in a position where it is forced to win out to reach a bowl, so it should be engaged to save its season. There are offensive line issues to be concerned with, including that of LT Coy Cronk. Starting QB Peyton Ramsey left with a knee issue last week, which likely means senior Richard Lagow could start. Many believe he should've been the starter all along.

Others: Texas at TCU, Wake Forest at Notre Dame, Oregon at Washington, Minnesota at Michigan, Syracuse at Florida State, Colorado State at Wyoming, UCF at SMU, Kansas State at Texas Tech, Georgia Tech at Virginia, Northwestern at Nebraska, Army at Air Force, Colorado at Arizona State.