College Football Betting News and Notes Saturday, September 14

Pac-12 Report - Week 3
By Joe Williams
VegasInsider.com

For the second straight week, there was a shocker in the Pac-12. Perhaps just for one week, the Washington State Cougars and their fans can say they held sole possession of first place in the Pac-12. Washington State won an ugly, low-scoring game at Southern California by a 10-7 margin. It was completely unexpected in that Wazzu won outright, but also combined with USC for just 17 total points in what is usually a wide-open, high-octane offense league.

What surprises might we see this weekend? There are quite a few games worth keeping an eye on in the Pac-12. Stanford, UCLA and Washington all head east, while Arizona State, California and Oregon all welcome opponents from the eastern time zone. It will be interesting to say the least.

Last weekend, the league went 9-1 straight up and 6-4 ATS. The home teams were 6-1 straight up and 3-4 ATS, while road teams were 3-0 straight up and ATS. The 'over' went 6-4 in Week 1, with the 'over' going 4-3 for the home teams.

UCLA at Nebraska

UCLA stunned Nebraska by a 36-30 score Sept. 8, 2012, and you know fans of Big Red have had this game circled on the calendar for a while. The Huskers will be looking for redemption when QB Brett Hundley and the Bruins invade Lincoln Saturday. It will be interesting to see how the Bruins handle what will be, to them, a 9am kickoff time. It wouldn't be surprising to UCLA get off to a bit of a slow start, and that time difference situation should not be ignored. The total is set around 70 points, and all trends point to a high-scoring affair. The over is 7-1 in UCLA's past eight, and 5-1 in their past six against a team with a winning record, while the over is 4-0 in Nebraska's past four, and 4-0-1 against a team with a winning record, remember that early kickoff time. The teams might be playing catch-up to make the game go over t

Boston College at Southern California

USC head coach Lane Kiffin is feeling an intense white-hot heat in L.A. following an uninspired 10-7 setback against Washington State last weekend. The Trojans look like they still have plenty of talent at the skill positions, but WR Marqise Lee has had a case of the dropsies on more than one occasion, and USC is not playing anywhere near their capabilities. USC is just 1-6 ATS in their past seven against a team with a winning record, they're 0-5 in their past five non-conference games and 0-5 in their past five games overall dating back to last season's stumbling down the stretch. BC looked solid last week against Wake, with RB Andre Williams running hot. The Eagles have offensive weapons in QB Chase Rettig and WR Alex Amidon, too, so it would be wise for USC not to write them off. However, over the years, Boston College has been a completely different animal on the road, failing to cover their past six road contests. This will be interesting to watch, if nothing more than to see what happens if USC loses another game at home when they enter play as a double-digit favorite. The boobirds will be out early if QB Cody Kessler doesn't get off to a hot start.

Tennessee at Oregon

The Tennessee Volunteers head west trying to corral the high-flying Oregon Ducks. It will be an interesting measuring stick game for the Vols, who are 2-0, but haven't really been tested in wins over Austin Peay and Western Kentucky. Oregon rolled up huge numbers in their opener against Nicholls State, and they hammered Virginia on the road by a 59-10 score. There might be no slowing down the Ducks offense, who have nearly caused the total to go over themselves in each of their first two contests. With Tennessee averaging 48.5 ppg, and Oregon averaging 62.5 ppg, the 'over' is looking like a very tempting play. Also keep in mind that Tennessee is 3-9-1 ATS in their past 13 against a team with a winning record, and Oregon is 7-1 ATS in their past eight against a team with a winning record. Will the Ducks win by four touchdowns or more, though?

Washington at Illinois

Personally, the Washington-Illinois game is the one Pac-12 game I am looking forward to the most. Washington whipped Boise State 38-6 in their opener back on Aug. 31, while Illinois has shown amazing offense in their first two games, both victories. The Illini was particularly impressive in hammering Cincinnati 45-17, and they have averaged 43.5 ppg through two games. The 'over' has cashed in each of their games thus far. It will be interesting to see if Illini QB Nathan Scheelhaase can continue his effective play. Washington RB Bishop Sankey rolled up 161 rushing yards with two scores against Boise State, and he'll now test the Illini defense. The Huskies are 6-1 ATS over their past seven games, and 4-1 ATS in their past five againts a team with a winning record. Illinois is 4-0 ATS in their past four neutral site games, but they are just 2-9 ATS in their past 11 overall, and 1-7 ATS in their past eight games against a team with a winning record.

Ohio State at California

Ohio State QB Braxton Miller (knee) suffered a sprained knee in last weekend's blowout win over San Diego State, but QB Kenny Guiton came on and performed admirably. Still, playing on the road against a quality opponent might be a different story if Guiton is thrust into action again. The Buckeyes are 28-10-1 ATS in their past 39 road games, and 8-2-1 ATS in their past 11 against Pac-12 opponents. Cal kept it surprisingly close last season in Columbus, falling just 35-28 in the Horseshoe. RB Brandon Bigelow torched the Buckeyes for 160 yards and two touchdowns on just four carries, and he will be a secondary story to the Ohio State QB situation. The spread for this game hinges on the knee of Miller.

Wisconsin at Arizona State

The Badgers hit the road for the first time in 2013, and this will obviously be their biggest test of the season. The Badgers have covered a pair of 44 1/2-point spreads against Massachusetts and Tennessee Tech, and they have yet to yield a point this season. That has caused each of their first two games to go 'under'. They'll get a much sterner test against AZ State. The Sun Devils also have yet to be scored upon this season, blanking Sacramento State 55-0 in their only game Sept. 5. There are a lot of unknowns in this game, making it a bit difficult to handicap. How good are the defenses for these teams? We'll find out in the first quarter. The total is rather low at 52 1/2. The 'over' has cashed in 20 of Arizona State's past 28 games, and is 4-1 in their past five non-conference tilts. The 'over' is also 11-4 in their past 15 home games, while the 'over' has cashed in four of Wisconsin's past five road games. The 'over' is also 15-6-1 in Wisconsin's past 22 games against a team with a winning record.

Other Games
Stanford at Army (CBS SN, 12:00 p.m. ET )
Fresno State at Colorado (2:00 p.m. ET )
Southern Utah at Washington State (Pac-12 Network, 6:30 p.m. ET)
Oregon State at Utah (10:00pm ET)
Texas-San Antonio at Arizona (10:30 p.m. ET)

College Football Betting: SEC News and Notes - Week 3
By Alatex Sports
Sportsmemo.com

Will Alabama take advantage of it bye week again this week at College Station? The Tide is 7-3 SU under Saban after a bye or more than a week of preparation, but it seems like that all of the big games they’ve played over the past three years have all been after a bye week. Additionally, all three losses came against teams that also had a bye or extra time to prepare for a bowl. The first thing Saban does is not start team-specific preparations too soon.

"I think that you can work too long on one team and the players get bored and lose focus after awhile," Saban said. "That's not really a good thing."

He said that a week and a half before the Virginia Tech game, but it applies to bye weeks too. Alabama has been practicing all week but only started Texas A&M preparations on Monday. Bama certainly needed some time to work on its offense after gaining just 202 yards against Virginia Tech, its lowest output on offense since 2008.

Ole Miss has a big revenge game against reeling Texas this week on the road after dropping a 66-31 decision in Oxford last year. They will most likely be without their best cover corner Charles Sawyer after his DUI arrest and will also be missing linebacker Denzel Nkemdiche and offensive lineman Aaron Morris. However, they get another offensive weapon back in wide receiver Vince Sanders who missed the first two games after suffering a collarbone injury in early August. He had 39 catches for 504 yards and four TDs in 2012 and will complement the three big play receivers that have enabled Bo Wallace to get off to a hot start. Ole Miss should be fired up to face a Texas defense in turmoil after allowing 559 yards rushing to BYU last week.

Auburn has its fans excited with its 2-0 start after a miserable 2013 season. New coach Gus Mahlzan and rookie quarterback Nick Marshall have breathed some life into the fan base, but the first two opponents, Washington State and Arkansas State, own nowhere near the caliber of defense that Mississippi State will bring to the Plains. State struggled mightily on offense in its opener against Oklahoma State, but the defense allowed just 21 points to the high powered Cowboy offense. State has its own issues on offense, but it appears that quarterback Tyler Russell and running back LaDarius Perkins will both play after missing last week’s win over Alcorn State.

Tennessee faces the most difficult non-conference task this week with a trip to Eugene, Oregon to face the high flying Ducks. Tennessee allowed an SEC worst 35.7 ppg and 471.4 ypg a year ago, and after facing Austin Peay and Western Kentucky, they will get their first real test. They have forced nine turnovers in their two games to continue a trend that coach Butch Jones started at Cincinnati. Since 2011, Jones’ coached teams have forced 70 turnovers, and they will need that to continue to hang around with Oregon.

Vanderbilt and South Carolina play in the second best conference matchup of the week, with the Gamecocks hosting the Commodores after dropping a 41-30 decision at Georgia. South Carolina is very young on defense, and they certainly appear to be a couple of notches below what they have been over the past few years on that side of the ball. Steve Spurrier is definitely concerned with his defense.

"There's nothing embarrassing about losing as long as you play smart and play with a lot of effort. We didn't do those two things,'' Spurrier said Tuesday.

The problems were particularly glaring on defense. Two South Carolina defensive assistants got into a shouting match on the sidelines, linebacker coach Kirk Botkin getting into the face of defensive ends coach Deke Adams. Spurrier talked with them and they understand that scene can't happen again.

"We hashed it out. They know we're not going to have any more of that,'' Spurrier said.

Kind of ironic that when Spurrier finally appears to have his best offense at South Carolina, his defense might let him down after sustaining the program over the past few seasons.

College Football Betting Preview: Ole Miss at Texas
By Alatex Sports
Sportsmemo.com

Mississippi at Texas
Saturday, 5 pm PT
CRIS Opener: Texas -3.5 O/U 65
CRIS Current: Texas -2.5 O/U 64.5
Rob Veno's Power Rating: Texas -1
Brent Crow's Recommendation: Mississippi

Much has been made of the firing of Texas defensive coordinator Manny Diaz and the hiring of Greg Robinson to fill his post. Obviously, Mack Brown has a problem with his defense and the hiring of Robinson, who we last saw having terrible results as Michigan’s defensive coordinator under Rich Rodriguez, isn’t likely to fix things. Texas allowed 29.2 ppg last year, giving up 404 yards per game, which was an increase of 7 ppg and 98 ypg over 2011. After BYU ran through them for 559 yards on the ground last week, the decision was made to fire Diaz and hire Robinson, who has supposedly been watching video of the Horns from his home in Los Angeles.

Robinson will have all of three practices to get the Horns defense ready for the wide open attack of Ole Miss. I am not sure three weeks or three months under Robinson would be enough to get the job done, as he basically had one good year as a DC at Texas in 2004 and has had no success as a head coach or DC since then. I don’t expect Texas to be as bad this week as they were last week, but they aren’t going to correct all of their flaws either.

Ole Miss presents an even bigger challenge than BYU did based on their personnel. Quarterback Bo Wallace is a much better passer than BYU’s Taysom Hill, and he can also run it as well. Running back Jeff Scott has averaged 10 yards per carry through the first two games to lead the Rebels and they have three solid receivers in Evan Engram, Donte Moncrief and Laquon Treadwell.

Wallace has been solid in the first game and a half that he has played, tossing for 471 yards and two touchdowns with no interceptions. The Rebels faced Texas early last year and took a 66-31 loss at home, but were able to move the ball well enough to gain 399 yards. It was really just the beginning of the Rebels’ offensive success and even though it is early in the season again this year, they are a much better offensive team in year two with Wallace at QB and Hugh Freeze as the head coach and play caller.

Texas may not be limited to just problems on the defense as starting quarterback David Ash is very questionable with concussion symptoms. If Ash can’t go, senior backup Case McCoy will get the start and a true freshman will be his backup. In addition, top playmaker Daje Johnson twisted his ankle on the third play of the game against BYU after scoring two touchdowns in the opener against New Mexico State. Johnson will not play this week and is out indefinitely. McCoy has played off and on for four years at Texas, and has never been good enough to hold the starting job.

So far, Texas has played one good half of football on offense – the second half of its opener against New Mexico State. With Johnson and possibly Ash out, the prognosis doesn’t look good for the offense this week.

Ole Miss is a completely different team than they were last year when Texas steamrolled them in Oxford. They grew up a lot throughout the season and just about everyone returned for this season. Big plays by the Texas offense killed them in last year’s blowout, but this year it should be the Rebels making the big plays.

College Football Betting Preview: UCLA at Nebraska
By Ian Cameron
Sportsmemo.com

UCLA at Nebraska
Saturday, 9 am PT - ABC
CRIS Opener: Nebraska -4 O/U 68
CRIS Current: Nebraska -4.5 O/U 70
Rob Veno's Power Rating: Nebraska -1.5
Ian Cameron's Recommendation: Over

With the nature of college football these days and the endless number of potent offenses in existence, sometimes you can’t shy away from betting a game over the total even when dealing with a total of 70 like we have with the UCLA Bruins and Nebraska Cornhuskers. This game has shootout written all over it when we account for the offensive weapons and defensive deficiencies of both squads.

UCLA has the exact type of offense, led by dual-threat quarterback Brett Hundley, that can cause Nebraska’s suspect defense fits. Hundley had an impressive performance in the Bruins opener against Nevada throwing for a pair of touchdowns and rushing for a pair in their 58-20 blowout win over Nevada. UCLA racked up 647 total yards with 345 on the ground and 302 through the air. That is the same kind of potent and well balanced offense that gave this same Nebraska team a world of problems in its opener against Wyoming. They faced another dual-threat quarterback in Brett Smith who was able to have success through the air and on the ground. Nebraska yielded a stunningly bad 602 total yards of offense to the Cowboys (383 passing, 219 rushing) including 35 first downs and nearly fell victim to the biggest upset of the college football season. But that type of performance can hardly be considered an isolated incident. Nebraska was sliced and diced by UCLA when these teams met last season as the Bruins gained 309 yards through the air and 344 on the ground in its 36-30 win in Los Angeles.

While Nebraska’s defense has its share of concerns, the offense has been terrific. Quarterback Taylor Martinez threw 6 TDs and 1 INT against Wyoming and Southern Miss. He is another dual-threat quarterback who is capable of causing problems for the UCLA stop unit that allowed Nevada’s Cody Fajardo (another multi-dimensional QB) to have success throwing the football and running it as Fajardo alone notched 106 rushing yards and a pair of rushing touchdowns.

The Achilles heel for UCLA defensively last season was stopping the run and against Nevada they surrendered 171 rushing yards. And this same Nebraska squad racked up 260 yards on the ground for 7.2 yards per carry in last year’s meeting. The Cornhuskers offense doesn’t work as well when they are shut down on the ground – Martinez needs a strong running game to make him more effective throwing the football. Off a bye week, the Bruins may put up slightly more resistance than Wyoming and Southern Miss but at home, expect NU to continue to move the ball will relative ease.

This is a high total for a reason but I don’t think it is quite high enough. With great weather conditions expected on Saturday, we’ll go to the well once again with a play on the Over in what should be a shootout.

Big Ten Report - Week 3
By ASAWins.com

In Week 2, the 12 schools in the Big Ten went 11-1 straight up in non-conference action and they also helped gamblers with an 8-4 record against the spread. For the second consecutive week, the 'over' came out on top with a 7-5 mark. Through two weeks, the 'over' has gone 15-9 in Big Ten games.

Ohio State (-16, 66) at California

There was no early line on this game yet as the status of Ohio State starting QB Braxton Miller was uncertain. The Buckeyes got a scare last week when Miller went out with an apparent knee injury. But it doesn’t appear to be serious and he is listed as 'probable' for Saturday. The nerves of OSU fans were calmed a bit when they saw what Kenny Guiton was able to do in Miller’s absence. Guiton led the Bucks to a 42-7 win over San Diego State. He threw for 152 yards and two scores and added 83 rushing yards and another score. OSU’s defense was much more impressive against SDSU than it was against Buffalo in week one. It’ll have its biggest test this week as it takes on the high-octane attack of Sonny Dykes at Cal. Cal’s freshman QB Goff has thrown for 930 yards through two games and Cal has notched 582 YPG and 33.5 PPG through two weeks. Defensively the Bears are awful. They allowed 44 points to a Northwestern team without its top two playmakers, then allowed 30 points to FCS Portland State. These two met in Columbus last year. Cal had +100 yards and +8 first downs, but OSU came away with the 35-28 victory. Ohio State is 2-3 SU when visiting non-conference BCS schools – losing the last two at USC in 2008 and at Miami in 2011.

Wisconsin (+5.5, 52.5) at Arizona State

Everything has gone swimmingly for the Badgers through two weeks. They’ve beaten up UMass and FCS Tennessee Tech to the tune of 93-0. Three different running backs have all topped 200 yards already and the Badgers have the #1 ranked defense in the nation. UW takes a big step up in competition this week as it travels to Arizona State to take on the Sun Devils. The Badgers are underdogs for the first time in non-conference play since a visit to Oregon in 2001. Arizona State had last week off after beating FCS Sacramento State 55-0 in week one. QB Taylor Kelly picked up where he left off last season, tossing for 300 yards and 5 touchdowns on 23-of-31 passing. The Sun Devils have one of the top defensive lines in the country spearheaded by All-American Will Sutton. That penetrating D-Line could wreak havoc on an offense that is predicated on creating big holes for running backs. The pressure could be put on UW sophomore QB Joel Stave. Stave is relatively untested in big games. This is a stage he is unfamiliar with and there is potential for some mistakes (he already has two interceptions against UMass and Tennessee Tech). Wisconsin has had its share of problems when traveling to the west coast and playing west coast teams. Dating back to 2010, the Badgers are 2-3 SU and 1-4 ATS against Pac-12 opponents.

Nebraska (-4.5, 70) vs. UCLA

Nebraska’s defense had a much stronger showing against Southern Miss last week than it did in week one against Wyoming. After giving up 602 yards to the Cowboys, the Huskers limited Southern Miss to just 284 yards, 16 first downs, and 13 points. They allowed just 62 rushing yards on 2.3 YPC and forced four interceptions – two of which were returned for TD. They’ll be out for revenge this week against a UCLA squad that absolutely gashed this defense a year ago. The Bruins tallied 653 yards and 344 rushing yards in the 36-30 victory over Nebraska. UCLA had last week off after blasting Nevada in the opener. The Bruins got off to a slow start (led 17-13 at halftime), but outscored Nevada 41-7 in the 2nd half en route to a blowout victory. They use a spread attack that has given Nebraska fits in the recent past and QB Hundley has established himself as an elite college quarterback. Nebraska has covered seven of its last 10 home games while UCLA is 4-1 ATS in its last five non-conference games.

Iowa (+2.5, 48.5) at Iowa State

Ironically, Iowa was much better in its loss to Northern Illinois in week one than it was in a win against FCS Missouri State last week. The Hawkeyes had just seven points through the first 37 minutes before pulling away. The game was much closer than it should have been considering Iowa had +292 yards and +13 first downs. The Hawks held the ball for nearly 37 minutes and racked up 296 rushing yards on 58 carries. Up next is a road trip to their bitter rival, Iowa State. Iowa is 4-3 over the last seven seasons against in-state rival Iowa State. The Hawks have dropped two straight to ISU, both by three points (the Hawks lost 6-9 in an ugly game last season, and 41-44 in a 2011 shootout). They’ve lost three games to ISU over the last seven years, all by three points or less. In wins they’ve outscored ISU by 20.5 points per game.

Illinois (+9.5, 62.5) vs. Washington

Illinois surprised the nation last week with a blowout of Cincinnati. The Illini offense that was non-existent at times a year ago notched 522 yards and 45 points (2nd consecutive week of 40+ points). QB Scheelhaase completed 26-of-37 passes and appears to be much more confident throwing the football this year. There’s no time to celebrate that victory, however, as Washington comes to Chicago this week to face Illinois at Soldier Field. The Huskies had last week off after one of the most impressive wins on opening weekend. They thoroughly dominated Boise State and held the Broncos out of the endzone in a 38-6 victory. QB Price and RB Sankey will be a tough test for this young Illini defense. Illinois is 1-11 in their last 12 road/neutral openers, losing by 17 points per game. Washington isn’t much better, going just 1-10 in its last 11 road/neutral openers (lost five straight by 22 points per game).

Michigan (-37, 56.5) vs. Akron

Michigan notched the biggest win in the Big Ten thus far with a 41-30 victory over Notre Dame last week. QB Gardner made a name for himself with a huge performance against a strong defense. He tallied 294 passing yards and four touchdowns and also rushed for 82 yards and a score. The defense had its issues against the Irish – allowed 410 yards, 5.1 YPC, and 23 first downs – but made timely plays when it counted and earned the victory. Michigan is a heavy favorite this week against Akron. The Zips were the worst team in the MAC last season and finished with a 1-11 record. Akron was smoked by Central Florida in week one and then barely got a victory over FCS James Madison last week. The Zips were outgained by 142 yards and had 12 fewer first downs. Through two games, Akron already ranks at or near the bottom of every major offensive & defensive stat category. Akron has played at five BCS schools over the past three years (Tennessee, Ohio State, Cincinnati, Kentucky, and Indiana). They’ve lost each game by an average of 32 points per game but are 2-3 ATS.

Purdue (+20.5, 50) vs. Notre Dame

No team needed a feel-good win more than Purdue last week after getting drubbed at Cincinnati in the opener. What the Boilers got was an uninspiring 20-14 win at home against FCS Indiana State. After a 99-yard kickoff return for a touchdown to open the game, Purdue’s scoring was again stagnant. The Boilers notched just 284 total yards and 16 first downs. QB Henry was unimpressive and the running game gained just 134 yards on 46 carries (2.9 YPC). Up next the Boilers are 20 point underdogs at home against the Fighting Irish of Notre Dame. Notre Dame is going to be angry off of its loss to Michigan last week and Purdue is going to need a huge performance to end the five-game series losing streak. Notre Dame has won two straight in West Lafayette by 15.5 PPG.

Penn State (-5.5, 50.5) vs. Central Florida

PSU didn’t have any problems with Eastern Michigan last week. The Nittany Lions had a +391 yard advantage and +14 first downs. Freshman QB Hackenberg continues to make strides with 311 passing yards on 23-of-33 passing with one touchdown and one interception. Hackenberg will face his toughest defense of the season yet when UCF visits this week. The Knights have allowed just seven points total through two games (against Akron and Florida International) and are allowing just 212 YPG. On the other side, the Nittany Lions will face their toughest offense to date. UCF is led by junior QB Blake Bortles, who is off to a great start after a breakout 2012 campaign (25 TD and 7 INT). Bortles has completed 70% of his passes for 528 yards with 4 TD and 0 INT through the first two weeks. UCF is 0-7 all-time vs. the Big Ten, but covered against Ohio State last season as a 18-point underdog (lost 16-31).

Indiana (-2.5, 63.5) vs. Bowling Green

Indiana’s defense has struggled mightily through two games. The Hoosiers allowed 306 yards and 35 points to FCS Indiana State in week one and things got much worse against Navy last week. They allowed Navy to rack up 515 total yards and 41 points. Navy didn’t punt the ball once and rushed 70 times for 444 yards. Bowling Green has looked impressive in two wins so far. The Falcons demolished a good Tulsa team in week one, 34-7; and went on the road to notch another solid win, this time over conference foe Kent State. Bowling Green’s offense has produced 37.5 PPG through two games and looks much better under sophomore QB Matt Johnson (357 passing yards on 76% completions with 2 TD and no INT in his first official start last week). The Hoosiers offense hasn’t had much trouble moving the ball, but Bowling Green’s defense will be their toughest test to date. The Falcons have allowed just 50% completions and just 3.5 YPC to opposing offenses. There has been just 29 points scored against them and 27 total first downs.

Northwestern (-31, 59.5) vs. Western Michigan

After surviving the Cal Bears on the road in week one, Northwestern had a much easier time discarding Syracuse at home. The Wildcats duo of QB’s Siemian and Colter had huge days, combining to complete 30-of-37 passes for 375 yards with four touchdowns and no interceptions. They were playing without star RB Venric Mark, but were still able to notch 206 rushing yards on 44 carries. Defensively Northwestern still has work to do. This unit allowed 434 yards and 29 first downs to the Orange. And this game would’ve been a lot closer had Syracuse QB Drew Allen not thrown four interceptions. Nonetheless, Northwestern improved to 2-0 and gets Western Michigan at home this week. The Wildcats are favored by 31 points – the most they’ve ever been favored against an FBS squad. They are 9-0 in their last nine games vs. MAC opponents and are 5-2 ATS in their last seven games hosting non-conference schools.

Minnesota (-24, 45.5) vs. FCS Western Illinois

Minnesota gets a tune-up this week against FCS Western Illinois after easy wins vs. UNLV and at New Mexico State. Much like the game against UNLV, the game against NMSU would’ve been a lot closer if not for two non-offensive touchdowns for Minnesota. The Gophers scored on a punt return and a fumble return. That gives them five non-offensive touchdowns through two weeks. The Gophers used a bruising running attack to eat clock and exhaust the defense last week. They ran 43 times for 342 yards (8.0 YPC) and three touchdowns. Minnesota is just 4-2 against FCS opponents over the last six years with the average score 28-22.

Michigan State (-24, 40) vs. FCS Youngstown State

Another week, another underwhelming offensive performance by Michigan State. MSU gained just 265 yards and 16 first downs. They used three quarterbacks who combined to complete just 12-of-24 passes for 94 yards. The Spartans notched a 21-6 win over South Florida, but the defense scored two of the three touchdowns. The “D” also held the Bulls to just 155 total yards and 12 first downs. Right now the defense is the only thing holding the Spartans together but sooner or later the offense is going to have to step up. The Spartans get a tune-up game this week against Youngstown State before traveling to Notre Dame next week. The only prior meeting between these two was the 2011 opener. MSU won 28-6 and allowed YSU to just 81 total yards. Youngstown State finished 7-4 last year and beat FBS Pittsburgh, 31-17.

NCAAF Week 3

Top 13 games

Lousiville is 8-5 in last 13 games with Kentucky, winning 24-17/32-14 in last two meetings; Cardinals won last two visits here, with last couple of wins by seven points each. Since '09, Wildcats are 5-8-1 as home dogs- they're 15-11 vs spread in last 26 non-league tilts. U of L is 3-3 as road favorite under Strong- they've got 10 starters back on defense and have one of best QBs in country (22 starts). Kentucky has QB with 5 starts, OL with only 49 combined starts, but that matters less in home games.

Indiana gave up 444 rushing yards to Navy's option offense last week in disappointing 41-35 home loss, after giving up two defensive TDs week before to I-AA Indiana State; since '08, Hoosiers are 4-8 as home faves, 8-11 in non-league games. Bowling Green won first two games by 19-27 points, running ball for 219-233 yards; they're 20-11 as road underdogs since '06, 11-7 under Clawson. For team with 19 returning starters, IU is off to bad start. MAC teams are 5-7 as non-league road underdogs. Big Dozen non-league favorites are 9-5, 7-5 at home.

Since 2004, East Carolina is 15-6-1 as home dogs, 5-3 under Ruffin; they are 10-17-1 vs spread in last 28 non-league games. Pirates are 1-6 in last seven games with Virginia Tech, losing last three played here by average score of 26-14. Hokies were 0-3 as road favorites LY, after being 20-8-1 in that role from '04-'11; they outgained Alabama 212-206 in neutral field opener, but gave up a defensive TD and two special teams TDs. Tech completed 20-35 passes last week vs I-AA foe, after being dismal 5-26 in dome week before, not what you expect from a senior QB.

Coach Edsall left UConn for Maryland, so this game has extra meaning; Huskies had last week off after hideous home loss to I-AA Towson in opener (TY 393-290). UConn (-2.5) won 24-21 at Maryland LY-- they outrushed Terps 153-96. Since '05, UConn is 15-3 as home underdogs. Maryland has thrown ball for 600 yards in first two games; they're 1-4 as road favorites since '06- this is first time they're been favored on road since '10. Neither team has much experience at QB, but at least Terps aren't playing a linebacker there this year. UConn's OL has edge here in experience. First road game for Maryland, with West Virginia on deck.

Fresno State (-15) gained 665 yards in 69-14 humiliation of Colorado at home LY; since '09, Bulldogs are 8-2 as road favorites. Colorado's new coach MacIntyre came from San Jose State, whose main rival in WAC was Fresno. San Jose (+6.5) upset Bulldogs 27-24 in last meeting in '11, after losing 33-18 previous year, MacIntyre's first with Spartans. Buffs are just 3-6 as home dogs last decade, but this also best coaching they've and in Richardson, Colorado has one of best WRs in country. When you lose game 69-14, you circle the rematch on the calendar. I'm just sayin'.

UCLA (+5) upset Nebraska 36-30 at home LY, gaining 653 yards, 344 on the ground; Bruins are 2-0 as road dogs under Mora, after being 11-18 in that role from '05-'11. UCLA had last week off after crushing Nevada in its opener; they're 4-1 in non-league games under Mora. Cornhuskers had defensive issues in 37-34 opening win over Wyoming- they scored coupel defensive TDs in rout of hapless Southern Miss last week- they are 8-2 in last 10 games as home favorites. Both teams have quality QB and similar amount of experience (80-88 starts) on OL.

Texas fired DC Diaz after giving up 550 rushing yards to BYU in 40-21 loss last week; not sure how that helps this week, facing Ole Miss squad they crushed 66-31 in LY's meeting (-10). Since '08, Rebels are 10-5 as road dogs- they already have road win 39-35 (-3) at Vandy, when they ran for 206 yards, passed for 283 with no turnovers. Ole Miss' QB has 15 starts, its OL 92 starts, so they can move ball. Since '09, Longhorns are 9-14 as home favorites- they covered only nine of last 26 home tilts and opening Big X play next week, they're headed in wrong direction.

USC lost 10-7 at home to Washington State last week despite Wazzu not scoring offensive TD; Soph Kessler gets third start after playing 1st half last week- Trojans' longest pass play last week (11-21/54) was just eight yards. Natives are restless with Kiffin; USC is 7-4 in last 11 games as home favorites, but with scholarship numbers down due to probation typical Trojan depth isn't there. Boston College is was 0-5 as road dog LY, after being 18-7 in that role from '03-'11; Eagles held Wake Forest to 246 yards in 24-10 win last week after struggling to beat I-AA team the week before. BC has had five different OC's in last 2.5 years.

Iowa-Iowa State split last six meetings in intense rivalry, with Cyclones' wins by 3-3-2 points, Iowa's by combined total of 87-15. Underdogs are 9-3 vs spread in last 12 series games; Hawkeyes lost five of last seven visits here, with dogs 4-2 vs spread in last six played in Ames. Since '10, Iowa is 2-5 as road favorites; they've got young QB and after losing at home to Northern Illinois in opener, had smallest home crowd in decade last week, so their program is sliding. State had last week off after dismal loss to I-AA Northern Iowa- they're 6-8-1 as home dog under Rhodes.

Texas A&M (+13) won 29-24 at Alabama LY, with +3 turnover margin huge stat in game where TY was 431-418, Bama. A&M is new to SEC, so Crimson Tide hasn't played here- since '08, they're 15-6 as favorites on road, but Bama's OL is inexperienced (44 starts) which showed in its opening win vs Va Tech, a misleading 35-10 win where Tide scored pair of special teams TDs and another on defense. TY in that game was just 212-206, VT. Since '05, Aggies are 9-6-1 as home dogs. Both teams are well-off at QB, Bama has revenge motive, Aggies have home field. LY, Alabama won national title; despite losing to A&M.

Washington (-4.5) waxed Boise State 38-6 in opener, gaining 592 yards as they avenged LY's bowl loss to Broncos, but over last decade, U-Dub is just 12-41 SU on foreign soil, 4-5 as road favorite- this isn't true road game, being played at Soldier Field not Champaign. Illinois had big 45-17 win over Cincinnati last week, with 210 rushing yards, 312 passing, so having veteran QB (28 starts) helps. Washington had last week off; their senior QB Price (27 starts) gives Sarkisian mobility. Illini covered four of last five tries as a home underdog. Interesectional road favorites: 11-8 so far in this young season.

South Carolina won 11 of last 13 games vs Vanderbilt, winning last four by unlikely average score of 18-8, with underdogs 7-4 vs spread last 11 years, 4-1 in last five played here. As Franklin has improved program at Vandy, they've played Carolina tough, outgaining them 276-272 LY in a 17-13 home loss (+6.5), but they haven't won. Gamecocks lost 41-30 at Georgia last week; under Spurrier, Carolina is 16-12-2 vs spread coming off a loss- they're 11-5 in last 16 games as home favorite. Since 2004, Vandy is 24-12-1 as a road dog- they lost opener at home to Ole Miss after leading 21-10 at half. These games have been defensive struggles.

Wisconson upgraded at HC when Anderson replaced Bielema, who ran off to Arkansas; Anderson was 14-2 vs spread as road underdog in his time in Logan. Badgers are 3-1 as road dogs last three years- they went out west in September LY, lost 10-7 (-7) at Oregon State. Arizona State is 18-12 as home favorites last five years, 4-1 under Graham; ASU has 70 starts back on OL and QB with 14 starts. Badgers have 58 starts on OL and new QB. Neither team has been tested yet, playing combined three stiffs. Teams met in 2010; Badgers (-12) won 20-19 in Madison, but since both teams changed coaches since then, it doesn't mean much.

Rest of the Card; notes on rest of the games

-- Eastern Michigan is 2-5 in last seven games as a road dog. Over last four years, Rutgers is 5-9 as a home favorite.
-- Stanford covered 12 of last 14 as a road favorite. Army covered five of last seven tries as a home underdog.
-- Home team covered eight of last 11 Marshall-Ohio games. Bobcats are 8-4 vs spread in last dozen non-conference games.
-- Since '08, New Mexico is 12-16 as a road underdog. Since '09, Pitt has covered 11 of 20 games as a home favorite, under three different HCs.

-- Wake Forest covered seven of last nine non-ACC home games. ULM is 7-6 in last thirteen games as a road underdog.
-- Western Kentucky is 4-0 vs spread as a road favorite; they turned ball over five times in six plays in 52-20 loss at Tennessee last week.
-- Georgia Tech won 15 of last 16 games (9-7 vs spread) vs Duke, which lost starting QB Boone last week. Tech is 2-4-1 as a road favorite.
-- Tennessee is 5-13 vs spread in last 18 games as an underdog. Oregon is 6-8-1 as a home favorite the last 2+ years.

-- Road dog won previous two Northern Illinois-Idaho games. Vandals covered twice in their last eight games as a home underdog.
-- Auburn won 10 of last 12 games vs Mississippi State, which failed to cover its last five tries as a road underdog.
-- Penn State is 6-1 as home favorite under O'Brien, who worked seven years as an assistant under UCF coach O'Leary. Knights are 16-11 as a road underdog the last few years.
-- Ball State covered 18 of last 27 games. North Texas lost to Ohio U of MAC last week, outgaining Mean Green 447-299.

-- Arkansas is 14-9-1 vs spread in its last 24 games as a home favorite. Southern Miss had 18 consecutive winning seasons until they went 0-12 LY- Golden Eagles are 1-6 in last seven games as a road dog.
-- Oklahoma won its last six games with Tulsa, going 4-1-1 vs spread. Blake Bell gets start at QB for injured starter Knight.
-- Cal Bears covered twice in last ten games as road dog. Over last four years, Ohio State is 2-6-1 when laying points on the road.
-- South Florida is 4-13 in last 17 games as home favorite- their QB was 6-26 passing last week. Oy. FAU covered both its games this season.

-- Rice (+11) upset Kansas in Lawrence LY, 25-24; their QB was once the starter at BYU. Owls are favored over BCS team for first time in 12 years- since '08, they're 8-2 as a home favorite.
-- Notre Dame won its last five games with Purdue by average of dozen points; Irish is 5-4 vs spread under Kelly when coming off a loss.
-- UTEP won its last four games vs New Mexico State (3-0-1 vs spread) Aggies allowed 100 points in first two games, vs Texas/Minnesota.

-- Arizona covered eight of last 11 non-league games. UISA has a win at New Mexico, but they're in over head here, vs team that won 58-13 last week at UNLV.
-- Home team won all four Oregon State-Utah games, covering three of the four games. Beavers covered 16 of last 22 games as a road dog.
-- Central Michigan beat I-AA New Hampshire 24-21 on final play last week, not exactly a great sign/ Chippewas are 1-9 as a road underdog.

Armadillosports.com

College Football Betting Preview: Tulsa at Oklahoma
By Andrew Lange
Sportsmemo.com

Tulsa at Oklahoma
Saturday, 9 am PT - ESPN 2
CRIS Opener: Oklahoma -28 O/U 49
CRIS Current: Oklahoma -24.5 O/U 49.5
Rob Veno's Power Rating: Oklahoma -23
Andrew Lange's Recommendation: Oklahoma -14 1st half

Oklahoma's offense has looked pretty pedestrian thus far following the departures of quarterback Landry Jones and key wide receivers Kenny Stills and Justin Brown to the NFL. Trevor Knight was named the team's Week 1 starter but has been ruled out leaving Blake Bell in charge for Saturday's game against Tulsa. I'm not expecting the Sooners to march the ball up and down the field like we've seen in years past but I think this serves as good opponent and situation (bye week upcoming) for some offensive success. Tulsa currently has only two returning starters on its stop unit and we saw both Bowling Green (233 yards) and Colorado State (178) have success against the Golden Hurricane on the ground. We know Oklahoma is going to run the ball effectively, but at home as a sizeable favorite, I expect Stoops to take more chances in the passing game in order for Bell and the offense to gain more confidence.

We saw in Week 1 what a strong defense is capable of doing against Tulsa. Bowling Green completely shut down the Golden Hurricane to the tune of a lone touchdown (late in the fourth) and 273 yards of total offense. Cody Green has been around a long time and we know that he's not a very accurate passer. Not to discredit Bowling Green, but he's in for a world of hurt against the Sooners in Norman. OU's defense has been stifling thus far, holding West Virginia and UL-Monroe to a lone touchdown. They also had five takeaways and I project at least one special team or defensive score from the Sooners – Tulsa already has five turnovers and has allowed over 21 yards per punt return including a touchdown.

On the road against a Grade-A defense is not a situation we can expect Cody Green to thrive in. And considering last week's poor offensive showing (16 points vs. West Virginia) look for Stoops to pull out all of the stops on offense – no matter how ugly it will likely look at times. The full game number of -24 is attainable though with Notre Dame on deck (after a bye) and perhaps a little bit of respect for an in-state program, we could see the Sooners pack it in early after a big lead. I'll instead focus my attention on the first half and lay the two-touchdown price.

College Football Betting Preview: Ole Miss at Texas
By Alatex Sports
Sportsmemo.com

Mississippi at Texas
Saturday, 5 pm PT
CRIS Opener: Texas -3.5 O/U 65
CRIS Current: Texas -2.5 O/U 64.5
Rob Veno's Power Rating: Texas -1
Brent Crow's Recommendation: Mississippi

Much has been made of the firing of Texas defensive coordinator Manny Diaz and the hiring of Greg Robinson to fill his post. Obviously, Mack Brown has a problem with his defense and the hiring of Robinson, who we last saw having terrible results as Michigan’s defensive coordinator under Rich Rodriguez, isn’t likely to fix things. Texas allowed 29.2 ppg last year, giving up 404 yards per game, which was an increase of 7 ppg and 98 ypg over 2011. After BYU ran through them for 559 yards on the ground last week, the decision was made to fire Diaz and hire Robinson, who has supposedly been watching video of the Horns from his home in Los Angeles.

Robinson will have all of three practices to get the Horns defense ready for the wide open attack of Ole Miss. I am not sure three weeks or three months under Robinson would be enough to get the job done, as he basically had one good year as a DC at Texas in 2004 and has had no success as a head coach or DC since then. I don’t expect Texas to be as bad this week as they were last week, but they aren’t going to correct all of their flaws either.

Ole Miss presents an even bigger challenge than BYU did based on their personnel. Quarterback Bo Wallace is a much better passer than BYU’s Taysom Hill, and he can also run it as well. Running back Jeff Scott has averaged 10 yards per carry through the first two games to lead the Rebels and they have three solid receivers in Evan Engram, Donte Moncrief and Laquon Treadwell.

Wallace has been solid in the first game and a half that he has played, tossing for 471 yards and two touchdowns with no interceptions. The Rebels faced Texas early last year and took a 66-31 loss at home, but were able to move the ball well enough to gain 399 yards. It was really just the beginning of the Rebels’ offensive success and even though it is early in the season again this year, they are a much better offensive team in year two with Wallace at QB and Hugh Freeze as the head coach and play caller.

Texas may not be limited to just problems on the defense as starting quarterback David Ash is very questionable with concussion symptoms. If Ash can’t go, senior backup Case McCoy will get the start and a true freshman will be his backup. In addition, top playmaker Daje Johnson twisted his ankle on the third play of the game against BYU after scoring two touchdowns in the opener against New Mexico State. Johnson will not play this week and is out indefinitely. McCoy has played off and on for four years at Texas, and has never been good enough to hold the starting job.

So far, Texas has played one good half of football on offense – the second half of its opener against New Mexico State. With Johnson and possibly Ash out, the prognosis doesn’t look good for the offense this week.

Ole Miss is a completely different team than they were last year when Texas steamrolled them in Oxford. They grew up a lot throughout the season and just about everyone returned for this season. Big plays by the Texas offense killed them in last year’s blowout, but this year it should be the Rebels making the big plays.

Alabama at Texas A&M
By Brian Edwards
VegasInsider.com

Matchup: Alabama Crimson Tide at Texas A&M Aggies
Venue: Kyle Field in College Station, Texas (Grass)
Date: Saturday, September 14, 2013
Time/TV: 3:30 pm. ET - CBS
Line: Alabama -8, Over/Under 61
Last Meeting: 2012, Texas A&M (+13.5) 29-24 at Alabama

The moment Alabama fans have been waiting for since Johnny Freakin’ Football conquered Bryant-Denny Stadium last season has finally arrived. The Crimson Tide will take on Texas A&M in College Station at 3:30 p.m. Eastern on Saturday afternoon.

As of late Friday afternoon, most books had Alabama (1-0 straight up, 1-0 against the spread) listed as an eight-point favorite with the total in the 60-61 range. Gamblers can back the Aggies to win outright for a +250 return (risk $100 to win $250). For first-half wagers, ‘Bama is favored by 4.5 with a total of 31.

The line opened at 7.5 at most spots on Sunday afternoon. However, that number quickly shot up to nine and even as high as 9.5 Sunday night. By Monday, though, it was back down to eight. On Tuesday, some betting shops moved to 7.5 before the number settled at eight where it has remained for most of the last 48 hours.

Nick Saban’s team won its season opener over Va. Tech by a 35-10 score at the Ga. Dome in Week 1. The Tide took the cash as a 21-point favorite, while the 45 combined points stayed ‘under’ the 45.5-point total.

Alabama only generated 206 yards of total offense against the Hokies, who finished with 212 yards. Saban’s bunch got a pair of special-teams touchdowns and a pick-six from safety Vinnie Sunseri. Christion Jones scored three TDs with a punt return, a kick return and a 38-yard TD reception from A.J. McCarron.

But the ‘Bama faithful wasn’t happy with the offense’s lackluster effort. The o-line wasn’t able to open holes for T.J. Yeldon and didn’t provide McCarron with the time needed to throw the ball. Saban had an open date to fix the issues.

Texas A&M (2-0 SU, 1-1 ATS) had to go without starting QB Johnny Manziel in the first half of its opener against Rice. The Aggies went to intermission with a 28-21 advantage before last year’s Heisman winner took the field.

Kevin Sumlin’s team would eventually collect a 52-31 win over Owls, but it failed to cover the number as a 28-point home favorite. The 83 combined points sailed ‘over’ the 69-point total.

Manziel completed 6-of-8 passes for 94 yards and three touchdowns without throwing an interception. Mike Evans had six receptions for 84 yards and a pair of TDs, while Tra Carson ran for two TDs.

In Week 2 against Sam Houston St. at Kyle Field, Texas A&M cruised to a 65-28 victory as a 35-point home ‘chalk.’ The 93 combined points soared ‘over’ the 75.5-point tally.

Manziel threw for 403 yards and three TDs and also had a rushing score. Ben Malena rushed for a team-high 91 yards and one TD on just 10 carries, while Evans made seven catches for 155 yards.

When these teams met in Tuscaloosa last year, Texas A&M raced out to a 20-0 lead and held on to capture a 29-24 win as a 13.5-point underdog. The 53 combined points dipped ‘under’ the 54.5-point total.

Manziel connected on 24-of-31 throws for 253 yards and two TDs without an interception. He also rushed for 92 yards on 18 totes. McCarron was intercepted only three times in the entire 2012 campaign, but two of those picks were made by the Aggies, including the game-clincher on fourth and goal in the final minute.

As a road favorite during Saban’s seven-year tenure, Alabama has compiled a 16-8 spread record. The Aggies have only been home underdog once on Sumlin’s watch, losing 20-17 to Florida as one-point ‘dogs in last year’s season opener.

Alabama starting senior DE Ed Stinson has an ankle sprain and is listed as ‘questionable.’ Stinson had three sacks and five QB hurries last year.

For Texas A&M, starting junior safety Floyd Raven is ‘out’ with a collarbone injuries. Each defender of the six that were suspended for the opener or the first two games will be in uniform for the Aggies.

CBS will provide television coverage.

B.E.’s Bonus Nuggets

The ‘under’ is 5-0-1 in the last six head-to-head meetings between South Carolina and Vanderilt. The Gamecocks and Commodores have a total of 50.5 points for their SEC East showdown Saturday night in Columbia.

South Carolina owns a 23-15 spread record in 38 games as a home favorite during Steve Spurrier’s tenure. The Gamecocks are favored by 14 over Vandy.

Since 2005, Oregon owns a 30-16-2 spread record in 48 games as a home favorite. The Ducks are 28-point home ‘chalk’ Saturday afternoon vs. Tennessee. The Vols are 2-5 ATS in their last seven games as road underdogs.

Tennessee starting DT Mo Couch didn’t make the trip to Eugene. Couch was ruled ineligible by the school after a Yahoo! report named him as one of five SEC players who recently received extra benefits from an agent.

Sportsbook.ag updated its Games of the Year this week. A few important ones include Clemson -1 vs. FSU, Georgia -4 vs. Florida, Oregon -6 at Stanford Alabama -11.5 vs. LSU and Florida pick ‘em vs. FSU.

As of Friday afternoon, it appears as if Ohio St. QB Braxton Miller (knee) will play at California, while Texas QB David Ash (head) will not play vs. Ole Miss.

Saturday's NCAAF Top 25 Betting Cheat Sheet: Afternoon Action
By Covers.com

Louisville Cardinals at Kentucky Wildcats (+13.5, 59.5)

Teddy Bridgewater looks to build on his early-season productivity when No. 7 Louisville visits in-state rival Kentucky on Saturday. The junior quarterback passed for 752 yards and nine touchdowns in the Cardinals’ first two victories and completed 19-of-21 passes in Louisville’s win over Kentucky last season. The Wildcats are transitioning under first-year coach Mark Stoops and the offense rolled up 675 yards in last Saturday’s 41-7 rout of Miami (Ohio).

Kentucky had 413 passing yards and 262 on the ground against Miami in the second game under new offensive coordinator Neal Brown to rack up the third-most yards in program history. The Wildcats rotated sophomore quarterbacks Maxwell Smith and Jalen Whitlow in the first two games and now face a rugged Louisville defense that allowed just seven points in each of two victories. The explosive Cardinals rank fifth in passing offense (406.5), tied for 16th in scoring offense (46.5 points) and 18th in total offense (545.0).

WEATHER: Temperatures will be in the low-60s with clear skies over Commonwealth Stadium in Lexington.

LINE: Louisville opened as 11.5-point road faves and is as high -14 at some books. The total is 59.5.

TRENDS:

* The road team is 4-1 ATS in their last five meetings.
* The over is 7-3 in Cardinals last 10 road games.
* The Wildcats are 1-9 ATS in their last 10 games following an ATS win.

Akron Zips at Michigan Wolverines (-37, 56.5)

The last time Michigan secured a home victory against Notre Dame, it struggled initially against a downtrodden Mid-American Conference opponent before recovering en route to a 6-0 start. The 12th-ranked Wolverines look to avoid another early letdown Saturday when they host Akron. Michigan, which defeated the Fighting Irish 41-30 in its last home game between the two longtime rivals, followed up a dramatic victory against Notre Dame in 2011 with a sloppy 31-3 win over Eastern Michigan.

While Eastern Michigan went on to finish 6-6 that year for its only non-losing season since 1995, the Zips - who are coming off a 1-11 campaign - don’t appear to be a team capable of trading blows with the Wolverines. Akron, which is in its second season under former Auburn coach Terry Bowden, has dropped 27 consecutive road contests. The Zips have won only one game in each of the previous three seasons and are coming off a 35-33 home win over James Madison last Saturday.

WEATHER: Temperatures will be in the high-50s with clear skies. There is a small five percent chance of rain in the forecast.

LINE: Michigan opened as 36.5-point home faves and is now -37. The total is 56.5.

TRENDS:

* The Wolverines are 6-1 ATS in their last seven versus the MAC.
* The Zips are 2-5 ATS in their last seven games overall.
* The under is 8-1 in the Zips last nine games overall.

UCLA Bruins at Nebraska Cornhuskers (-4.5, 70)

UCLA will be playing with heavy hearts this week following the death of walk-on wide receiver Nick Pasquale, who was hit by a car while walking in his hometown on Sunday. The 17th-ranked Bruins attempt to put that pain behind them when they visit No. 15 Nebraska on Saturday. UCLA had extra time to prepare after an opening destruction of Nevada on Aug. 31 and a bye week.

The Cornhuskers are searching for revenge against the Bruins, who rolled up 653 total yards in a 36-30 home win over Nebraska last season. That marked the second-most yards ever allowed by a Cornhuskers defense, and the loss threw an early wrench into their BCS bowl plans. UCLA used that triumph as a springboard to a strong campaign and hopes to turn the same trick in 2013.

WEATHER: Temperatures in Lincoln will be in the high-60s with a 24 percent chance of thunderstorms. Wind will blow from the south at 12 mph toward the north end zone.

LINE: Nebraska opened as a 4.5-point favorite. The total is 70.

TRENDS:

* The Bruins are 1-5 ATS in their last six games following a ATS win.
* The over is 4-0 in the Bruins' last four road games.
* The Cornhuskers are 17-4-2 ATS in their last 23 home games versus a team with a winning road record.

Tulsa Golden Hurricanes at Oklahoma Sooners (-24, 51)

Quarterback Blake Bell will make his first career start when No. 13 Oklahoma hosts in-state foe Tulsa on Saturday. Starter Trevor Knight suffered a bruised right knee late in the first half of the Sooners' 16-7 victory over West Virginia last week and left the game after three quarters in favor of Bell with Oklahoma ahead 13-7. Knight is expected to miss up to two weeks, but could miss only one game as the Sooners are off next week prior to their showdown at No. 21 Notre Dame on Sept. 28.

It may not matter who plays quarterback for Oklahoma as its defense has yielded seven points in two games - the fewest allowed by an FBS school that has faced two FBS teams. The Golden Hurricane, voted to win the Conference USA West Division in the preseason poll, were headed for an 0-2 start before rallying from a 10-point deficit in the fourth quarter to defeat Colorado State 30-27 last week. Julius Caesar (Trey) Watts III, son of former Sooners star quarterback and U.S. Congressman J.C. Watts, is responsible for 251 of Tulsa's 700 yards and should attract the majority of Oklahoma's attention.

WEATHER: Temperatures will be in the high-70s with partly cloudy skies. Wind will blow across the field from the east at 6 mph.

LINE: The Sooners opened as 24.5-point home faves at most books and are currently -24. The total opened at 49 and is up to 51.

TRENDS:

* The Golden Hurricane are 1-6 ATS in their last seven versus the Big 12.
* The Sooners are 1-5 ATS in their last six home games.
* The favorite is 4-1-1 ATS in their last 6 meetings.

Stanford Cardinal at Army Black Knights (+28.5, 51)

Fourth-ranked Stanford looks to extend its winning streak to 10 games when it travels to Army on Saturday in the first meeting between the schools since 1979. The Cardinal picked up where they left off in 2012 by trouncing San Jose State last weekend 34-13. It gave coach David Shaw a 24-4 mark since taking over at Stanford, including wins in his first three season openers, making Shaw the first Cardinal coach to do that in almost 80 years.

It has been nearly 41 seasons since Army knocked off a ranked opponent and almost 51 years since the Black Knights hosted a team ranked in the top five nationally. Army enters on a sour note after suffering a 40-14 loss at Ball State last weekend. The Black Knights turned the ball over three times and gave up 325 passing yards.

WEATHER: Temperatures will be in the high-50s with partly cloudy skies before clearing up later in the game. Wind will blow from the NW at 6 mph.

LINE: Army opened as 28.5-point home dogs. The total opened at 52 and has moved down to 51.

TRENDS:

* The Cardinal are 11-2 ATS in their last 13 non-conference games.
* The Black Knights are 2-10 ATS in their last 12 home games versus a team with a winning road record.
* The under is 6-1 in Black Knights last seven games overall.

Nevada Wolf Pack at Florida State Seminoles (-33.5, 65.5)

One game into his much-anticipated college career and the bar has already been set impossibly high for Jameis Winston, who will look to build on a scintillating debut when No. 9 Florida State hosts Nevada on Saturday. Winston shattered the school's single-game completion percentage and posted an FBS-best passer rating of 252.2 as the Seminoles dismantled Pittsburgh on Sept. 2. Florida State has an extra week to prepare, but it is 1-2 coming off a bye the last three seasons.

Nevada, the alma mater of San Francisco 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick, will be playing a ranked team on the road for the second time in three weeks after getting overwhelmed by UCLA 58-20 in the season opener. The Wolf Pack could be forced to play without dual-threat QB Cody Fajardo, who suffered a sprained right knee in last week's 36-7 victory over UC Davis. Fajardo is listed as day-to-day for Nevada, which went 5-1 on the road last season.

WEATHER: Temperatures will be in the mid-80s with a 41 percent chance of thunderstorms in Tallahassee.

LINE: The Seminoles opened as 32-point home faves and are currently -33.5. The total is 65.5.

TRENDS:

* The Wolf Pack are 2-9-1 ATS in their last 12 games following a SU win.
* The Seminoles are 1-4 ATS in their last five games following an ATS win.
* The under is 12-2 in Seminoles last 14 non-conference games.

Alabama Crimson Tide at Texas A&M Aggies (+7.5, 60)

The two-time defending national champions take on the Heisman Trophy quarterback who nearly derailed their title defense a year ago when top-ranked Alabama travels to No. 6 Texas A&M for a Southeastern Conference showdown Saturday afternoon. Star quarterback Johnny Manziel and the Aggies put their nation-best eight-game winning streak on the line against Alabama's vaunted defense in one of the most-anticipated matchups of the season. Last year in Tuscaloosa, Ala., Manziel's Heisman campaign hit high gear when he orchestrated a 29-24 upset of the undefeated Crimson Tide.

Coach Nick Saban has had two weeks to prepare for Manziel and the Aggies' high-powered offense, as the Crimson Tide had a week off following a 35-10 win over Virginia Tech in the opener. Alabama hasn't lost a road or neutral-site game since Nov. 6, 2010, a span of 15 games - the longest active streak in the nation. It's the first trip to College Station, Texas, for the Crimson Tide since a 30-10 victory in 1988.

WEATHER: Temperatures will be in the low-90s with a 20 percent chance of thunderstorms. Wind will blow across the field at 6 mph.

LINE: Most books opened with the Crimson Tide as 7.5-point road faves. The total opened at 62 and has come down to 60.

TRENDS:

* Crimson Tide are 20-8 ATS in their last 28 road games.
* The Aggies are 5-1 ATS in their last six games following a SU win.
* The over is 4-1 in the Aggies last five home games.

Tennessee Volunteers at Oregon Ducks (-27.5, 71)

It’s safe to say the transition from Chip Kelly to Mark Helfrich has been seamless as No. 2 Oregon hosts Tennessee on Saturday in the third game of the post-Kelly era. The high-flying offense hasn’t missed a beat by scoring an average of 62.5 points (third nationally) and ranking second in total offense (664.5) and second in rushing offense (425.0). Tennessee has allowed just 20 points in two games, ranks 29th in total defense (302.0) and has forced nine turnovers.

The Volunteers’ gaudy defensive statistics will be tested by the high-powered Ducks as the first two opponents – Austin Peay and Western Kentucky – lacked the weapons Oregon possesses. First-year Tennessee coach Butch Jones said his team needs to prevent the quick long-yardage scores the Ducks are known for and make them drive the field for points. Oregon is averaging a stellar 9.5 yards per play after opening the Helfrich era with routs over Nicholls State (66-3) and Virgina (59-10).

WEATHER: Skies will be clear and temperatures will be in the high-70s at Autzen Stadium.

LINE: Oregon opened as a 27-point home fave and has been bet up to -27.5. Most books opened to total at 70 and it is currently 71.

TRENDS:

* The Volunteers are 0-7-1 ATS in their last eight games following an ATS win.
* The Ducks are 7-1 ATS vs. a team with a winning record.
* The over is 26-8-1 in the Ducks last 35 home games.

Saturday's NCAAF Top 25 Betting Cheat Sheet: Evening Action
By Covers.com

Washington Huskies at Illinois Fighting Illini (+9.5, 62.5)

*Game to be played at Soldier Field in Chicago.

No. 23 Washington seeks to prove its season-opening thrashing of Boise State wasn’t a fluke and Illinois looks to start 3-0 for only the second time in 12 seasons when the teams meet Saturday at Soldier Field in Chicago. The Huskies shot into the national rankings after their convincing 38-6 win in their opener but went 3-10 away from Seattle over the previous two seasons. Illinois is playing at Soldier Field for only the second time.

The Fighting Illini brought in former Western Michigan coach Bill Cubit to revamp the offense, and the results were favorable in victories over Southern Illinois and Cincinnati. Illinois is averaging 43.5 points and 493 yards and has posted 17 plays of 20-plus yards after having just 34 last season. The Huskies will have All-American tight end Austin Seferian-Jenkins (69 receptions, 850 yards in 2012) back on the field after he was suspended for the Boise State game due to an offseason DUI charge.

WEATHER: Temperatures will be in the high-60s with sunny skies over Chicago's Soldier Field.

LINE: Washington opened as a 10-point road favorite and is currently -9.5. The total is 62.5.

TRENDS:

* Huskies are 6-1 ATS in their last seven games overall.
* Fighting Illini are 4-0 ATS in their last 4 neutral site games.
* The over is 4-0 in Fighting Illini last 4 non-conference games.

Vanderbilt Commodores at South Carolina Gamecocks (-13.5, 51)

Vanderbilt is trying to climb into the upper echelon of the Southern Conference's Eastern Division while No. 14 South Carolina is trying to stay there. The Commodores enter Saturday's road game with 14 straight losses to division powers Florida, Georgia and South Carolina and 14 consecutive losses to ranked opponents. South Carolina coach Steve Spurrier expressed concerns about his defense - which has been strong against Vanderbilt recently - after a dismal showing in a 41-30 loss to Georgia.

"There's nothing embarrassing about losing as long as you play smart and play with a lot of effort," Spurrier told the media Tuesday. "We didn't do those two things." The Gamecocks' defensive frustrations were evident on the sideline during that loss when two assistant coaches got into an argument and after the game when junior defensive end Jadeveon Clowney complained about how he was used. "Very frustrating," Clowney told ESPN after the Georgia game. "I told the coaches you got to put me somewhere else - in the middle if you want to - somewhere I can make some plays (to) help my team get in position to win. But (Georgia) took me right out of the game."

WEATHER: Skies will be partly cloudy to start and should clear up by the second half and temperatures will be in the low-70s.

LINE: Most books opened with the Gamecocks as 13.5-point home favorites. The total is currently 51.

TRENDS:

* The Gamecocks are 8-2 ATS in their last 10 home games.
* The under is 5-1 in the Commodores last six games in September.
* The under is 5-0-1 in the last six meetings.

Ohio State Buckeyes at California Golden Bears (+15.5, 65)

Heisman Trophy candidate Braxton Miller is expected to be available Saturday when Ohio State looks to extend the nation’s longest winning streak to 15 games against California. The junior quarterback exited last week’s 42-7 victory over San Diego State in the first quarter with a sprained left knee, but he’s hoping to return against a California team that tested Ohio State in Columbus last season before falling 35-28. If Miller isn’t cleared to play, senior Kenny Guiton will get the start.

The Golden Bears followed their season-opening loss to Northwestern with an uninspiring 37-30 win over FCS opponent Portland State last week. Ohio State allowed a season-high 512 yards against California in last year’s matchup, and the Golden Bears’ offense is even more explosive this season under new coach Sonny Dykes. California’s running attack has struggled early, but freshman quarterback Jared Goff has been a revelation with 930 passing yards in his first two games.

WEATHER: Temperatures will be in the high-60s and skies will be clear in Berkeley. Wind will blow from SW at 11 mph across the field.

LINE: Cal opened as a 14.5-point home dog and that line is currently +15.5. The total is currently 65.

TRENDS:

* The Buckeyes are 8-2-1 ATS in their last 11 versus the Pac-12.
* The Golden Bears are 0-7 ATS in their last 7 games overall.
* The over is 5-0 in the Golden Bears last five versus the Big Ten.

Kent State Golden Flashes at Louisiana State Tigers (-37, 55)

The Golden Flashes averaged 33.1 points in 2012 en route to an 11-3 record and were led by a dominant rushing attack that piled up an average of more than 225 yards. That ground game has yet to find its footing in 2013 without starter Dri Archer, who was hurt three carries into the season opener against Liberty and is day-to-day with an ankle injury. Archer piled up 1990 yards from scrimmage in 2012 and averaged nine yards per carry.

The Tigers opened things up in the passing game under new offensive coordinator Cam Cameron and quarterback Zach Mettenberger. The senior set a school record with five touchdown passes in a 56-17 demolition of Alabama-Birmingham last week thanks in part to a strong connection with junior wide receivers Odell Beckham Jr. and Jarvis Landry. Beckham is averaging 251.5 all-purpose yards and had 331 last week - the eighth-best mark in SEC history.

WEATHER: There is a 20 percent chance of thunderstorms in the forecast for Baton Rouge. Skies will be cloudy and temperatures will be in the mid-80s.

LINE: The Tigers opened as 37.5-point home faves and have moved to -37. The total is 55.

TRENDS:

* The Golden Flashes are 0-4 ATS in their last four versus the SEC.
* The over is 5-1 in Tigers last six home games.
* The over is 4-1 in Golden Flashes last five games in September.

Lamar Cardinals at Oklahoma State Cowboys (-46, 61.5)

Oklahoma State will try to return to making news on the field Saturday when the No. 11 Cowboys host Lamar in their home opener. Oklahoma State is the subject of an ongoing series in Sports Illustrated that alleges numerous NCAA violations from 2001-11, including payments to players. “We're all committed to playing by the rules and doing things the right way,” said athletic director Mike Holder, adding that “for people to say that is not what's happening is very disturbing.”

Lamar WR Jordan Edwards has stepped up with seven catches for 164 yards and three touchdowns through the first two games, giving quarterback Caleb Berry two deep threats against Oklahoma State. Size could be a problem on defense, however, as Lamar's leading tackler is 5-8, 175-pound defensive back Tyrus McGlothen.

WEATHER: Forecasts are calling for partly cloudy skies and temperatures in the high-70s. Wind will blow from SE across the field at 6 mph.

LINE: Oklahoma State opened as a 46.6-point favorite and is currently -46. The total opened at 60.5 and is up to 61.5.

Mississippi Rebels at Texas Longhorns (-3, 65.5)

Mississippi will try to avenge an embarrassing loss from last season when the 25th-ranked Rebels visit reeling Texas on Saturday. Texas whipped Ole Miss 66-31 on the Rebels' home field last year, but the Longhorns enter this contest in disarray. Texas gave up 550 rushing yards in a 40-21 loss at Brigham Young last week, prompting coach Mack Brown to replace defensive coordinator Manny Diaz with Greg Robinson. Starting QB David Ash (head) did not practice Tuesday and the Longhorns could call on backup Case McCoy get the start.

The Rebels will pose a stiff test for Robinson as they are averaging 35 points behind quarterback Bo Wallace (471 passing yards, 2 TDs) and running back Jeff Scott (10.4 yards per carry). This is Ole Miss’ first trip to Austin since 1925 and it marks the start of a three-game road swing, with visits to Alabama and Auburn next. With a win over Texas, Ole Miss will improve to 3-0 for the first time since 1989.

WEATHER: Temperatures will be in the low-90s with partly cloudy skies. Wind will blow from the east across the field at 6 mph.

LINE: The Longhorns opened as 2.5-point home favorites and have since been bet up to -3. The total is 65.5.

TRENDS:

* The Rebels are 5-1 ATS in their last six road games.
* The Longhorns are 4-1 ATS in their last five non-conference games.
* The over is 4-0 in Longhorns last four games overall.

Notre Dame Fighting Irish at Purdue Boilermakers (+20.5, 49)

This year's Notre Dame defense isn't as good as the one that propelled the Fighting Irish into last year's BCS National Championship game. But the 41-30 loss at Michigan won't force Irish coach Brian Kelly to make drastic changes before the No. 21 Irish travel to Purdue on Saturday. "We're not a finished product," Kelly said during an early-week press conference. "We got some work to do."

The Boilermakers are ranked 116th out of 123 FBS teams in total offense (255 yards) and tied for 113th in points (13.5) and have just four scores (two touchdowns and two field goals) in seven red-zone trips. Purdue lost junior safety Landon Feichter to a broken leg and sophomore Anthony Brown will likely take his place. The Boilermakers' schedule doesn't get any easier with three ranked teams in the next five games (No. 18 Wisconsin, No. 15 Nebraska and No. 3 Ohio State) after Notre Dame.

WEATHER: Forecasts are calling for clear skies and temperatures in the low-60s.

LINE: Notre Dame opened as a 20.5-point road fave. The total opened at 50 and has moved to 49.

TRENDS:

* The Boilermakers are 1-5 ATS in their last six home games.
* The under is 3-0-1 in the last four meetings.
* The Fighting Irish are 5-2 ATS in their last seven meetings in Purdue.

Western Michigan Broncos at Northwestern Wildcats (-30.5, 59)

No. 16 Northwestern goes for its 15th straight non-conference home win when it hosts Western Michigan on Saturday in the teams’ first-ever meeting. The Wildcats averaged 46 points and 544.5 total yards in beating California and Syracuse with quarterbacks Kain Colter and Trevor Siemian both playing at a high level. Kolter, who suffered a concussion in the opener, is listed as questionable but expected to suit up again like he did last week.

The Broncos are staggering after a 27-23 home loss to FCS opponent Nicholls State. First-year coach P.J. Fleck knew he was in for a rebuilding job as the team returned just 10 starters, two on offense. Senior quarterback Tyler Van Tubbergen has thrown four interceptions without a touchdown pass.

WEATHER: Temperatures will be in the mid-60s with wind blowing from the south towards the north endzone at 6 mph.

LINE: The Wildcats opened as 31.5-point home favorites and are currently -30.5. The total opened at 59.5 and has since moved to 59.

TRENDS:

* The Broncos are 2-8 ATS in their last 10 versus the Big Ten.
* The Wildcats are 9-0 ATS in their last nine home games.
* The under is 4-0 in the Broncos last four games overall.

Wisconsin Badgers at Arizona State Sun Devils (-5.5, 54.5)

Arizona State will host its first ranked opponent of the season in No. 18 Wisconsin on Saturday. The Badgers are coming off two blowout road victories against Massachusetts and Tennessee Tech and are preparing for their first true test of the season in the Sun Devils. Arizona State lost a heartbreaker to then-ranked No. 11 Wisconsin in 2010 - the last time these teams met - after a blocked extra point resulted in a 20-19 win at Camp Randall Stadium.

Defense will play a pivotal role in this matchup as the teams rank first and second nationally in yards allowed with Wisconsin giving up just 162.5 and Arizona State only 167. The Sun Devils will need that second-ranked defense to stop a trio of running backs in James White, Melvin Gordon and Corey Clement, who have rushed for more than 100 yards apiece in each of the last two games for the Badgers. Saturday's matchup will also feature two quarterbacks that have thrown for more than 300 yards and five touchdowns in Arizona State junior Taylor Kelly and Wisconsin sophomore Joel Stave.

WEATHER: Temperatures will be in the mid-90s with clear skies. Wind will blow from the west across the field at 5 mph.

LINE: The Sun Devils opened as 5.5-poin home faves. The total opened at 52.5 and has moved to 54.5.

TRENDS:

* Sun Devils are 4-0 ATS in their last four games overall.
* Badgers are 1-4 ATS in their last five versus the Pac-12.
* The over is 11-4 in the Sun Devils last 15 home games.

Line Moves - Week 3
By Chris David
VegasInsider.com

Week 2 Recap

Favorites: 5-3
Underdogs: 2-3
Totals: 3-5

Week 3 Line Moves

Last week, we used opening numbers from The Wynn in Las Vegas because they were the first sportsbook to release. This past Sunday, the oddsmakers at the offshore sportsbook CRIS decided to test their skills by releasing opening numbers for Week 3 at 12: 30 p.m. ET, perhaps to catch some bettors off-guard. Below are all of the major moves of "Four Points" or more off the opening line from CRIS.

Favorites

Louisville at Kentucky
Open: Cardinals -7
Friday: Cardinals -13 ½

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Oregon vs. Tennessee
Open: Ducks -20
Friday: Ducks -27 1/2

Northern Illinois at Idaho
Open: Huskies -24
Friday: Huskies -28 1/2

Middle Tennessee State vs. Memphis
Open: Blue Raiders -3 1/2
Friday: Blue Raiders -7 1/2

Rice vs. Kansas
Open: Pick ‘em
Friday: Owls -6

Toledo vs. Eastern Washington (Extra Games)
Open: Rockets - 3
Friday: Rockets - 7 1/2

Underdogs

Eastern Michigan at Rutgers
Open: Eagles +34
Friday: Eagles +28

Boston College at USC
Open: Eagles +17 1/2
Friday: Eagles +13 1/2

Tulsa at Oklahoma
Open: Golden Hurricane +28
Friday: Golden Hurricane +24

Western Michigan at Northwestern
Open: Broncos +35
Friday: Broncos +30

Central Michigan at UNLV
Open: Chippewas +16
Friday: Chippewas +7 1/2

Week 3 Total Moves

CRIS opened their ‘over/under’ numbers on Monday afternoon. Below are all of the total moves of “Three Points” or more off the opening line.

Louisville at Kentucky
Open: 56 1/2
Friday: 59 1/2

Louisiana-Monroe at Wake Forest
Open: 53 1/2
Friday: 50 1/2

Ohio State at California
Open: 61
Friday: 65 ½

Note – This game opened Wednesday due to the status of Ohio State QB Braxton Miller, who is now listed as ‘probable’ for Saturday.

Central Michigan at UNLV
Open: 58
Friday: 54

CFB: Streaks, Tips, Notes
Sportspic.com

Tennessee at Oregon

Quack Attack which had little trouble dismantling Nicholls State in the opener racking up 772 total yards in it's 66-3 victory as 59 point favorite followed it up with a 557 total yards performance in destroying Virginia 59-10 this past weekend easily covering the 26.5 point spot. Now, Ducks return to Autzen Stadium to host Volunteers who had their way with Austin Peay (45-0) in the opener but failed at the cash window as 49 point favorite. Then, Tennessee handled Western Kentucky Hilltoppers (52-20) cashing as 14 point favorite in a game that saw Vols set a school record with seven turnovers, five interceptions and two fumbles. Vols have too be giddy with their defensive performance but they haven't faced an offense anywhere close to Oregon's point-a-minute attack which is gaining an amazing 9.5 yards per play. Laying heavy lumber vs an SEC squad can be a dangerous proposition, but the high-scoring Duck offense on a solid 27-2 run in the Quack-Cage (15-11-3 ATS) won't disappoint facing a Vols squad not known for gaining traction on the road as double digit underdogs (0-17, 7-7-3 ATS) including 2-4 ATS taking 17 or more points. Stick with Ducks ridding a 6-1 ATS streak laying 20 or more points, 4-0 ATS in that range at Autzen Stadium.

Notre Dame at Purdue

Fighting Irish taking it on the chin in The Big House Saturday getting beat 41-30 have an easy assignment when they travel to Purdue to take on Boilermakers who were shellacked by Cincinnati (42-7) last week. Fighting Irish on a 7-1 SU stretch vs Boilermakers will win this game but covering the massive 20.5 points may prove difficult. For one thing, Notre Dame is just 4-7 ATS it's last eleven when it comes to covering double digit numbers, 5-11 ATS in September games. Keep in mind, Boilermakers made this a field goal game last season covering as 14 point road underdogs and that Boilermakers have been a covering machine when hosting Fighting Irish in the first month of college football cashing 5-of-6 tickets.

Alabama vs. Texas A&M

Top-Ranked Alabama Crimson Tide hit the road to face the 6th-ranked Texas A&M Aggies in one of the most anticipated games of the 2013 season. Aggies handed Crimson Tide it's lone loss of the season last year and just it's second defeat in two years (26-2, 16-11 ATS). Even more surprising, Aggies did it in Tuscaloosa one of only three losses Crimson Tide have suffered at Bryant-Denny Stadium over the past five years (32-3, 18-17 ATS). Nick Saban is playing down the pay-back theory saying it's never a part of the game. Then, how does he explain his record in grudge matches. His Alabama and LSU teams are 15-2 in avenging losses the following season or later in the same season. At Alabama, Saban has seven pay-back wins in eight tries cashing 7-of-8 tickets. The lone loss was 9-6 in overtime to LSU but Saban made amends with a 21-0 knockout punch of LSU that same season in the national title game. The betting market has Crimson Tide laying 7.5 to 8 in this grudge match. Alabama has done well laying 8 or less posting a 12-6 ATS mark while Aggies are 5-13-2 ATS in the same range including 3-6-2 ATS as a host team.

Essential Betting Tidbits for Week 3 of College Football
By Covers.com

We dug up these vital betting tidbits for Saturday's early college football action that will help you make the right call before kickoff.

Some big line moves for the 12 p.m. ET games as of late Friday morning: Tulsa-Oklahoma -27 to -24.5, Stanford-Army +27.5 to +30, UCLA -Nebraska -7.5 to -3.5, Georgia State-West Virginia -37 to -40, Louisville-Kentucky +10 to +14, Akron-Michigan -35.5 to 37.

More special teams gaffes from Tulsa last week. Fumble on a punt return, two missed field goals from short range (a problem going back to last season), and a punt return TD against. This has become a key betting factor for Tulsa games. +24.5 at Oklahoma.

Virginia Tech easily beat FCS Western Carolina last week but QB Logan Thomas had 5 pass progression errors in the game. Not good considering Thomas, who loves to run, has had his had his running plays limited this season. -7.5 at ECU

Blake Bell will start at QB in place of the injured Trevor Knight. This could actually be a good thing for the Sooners after Knight struggled with passing accuracy against West Virginia (10-of-20).

The average weight of Stanford's offensive line outweighs Army's defensive line by 70 pounds. The defensive line outweighs the Black Knights' O-line by 40 pounds on average. Stanford +30 at Army.

Stanford has 25 straight games with at least one takeway, longest streak in the nation.

Keep in mind it could feel like 9 a.m. (Pacific Time) to the Cardinal when they play Army Saturday at noon ET at West Point.

Seven players on Nebraska's front seven have made their college debuts over the past two weeks. They're in tough against a UCLA team that put up 653 yards on the Huskers last year. Nebraska -3.5

UCLA has the No. 3 offense in the country so far with 647 yards per game.

Kentucky freshman wide receiver Ryan Timmons told Kentucky.com he expects a high-scoring game against Louisville on Saturday. The total was at 60 late Friday afternoon.

Brady Hoke has doughnuts coming for the first 5,000 students to go to the game vs. Akron on Saturday. He calls noon games "doughnut games" because he used to buy a doughnut before he played football at that time as a youth player. He says the Wolverines love these games. Michigan is -37.

Bowling Green is one of 18 FBS teams who have started the year at 2-0 ATS. +3 at Indiana.

You might want to look at first half wagers for Oregon this season. "Oregon has an FBS-high 60 TD drives that lasted 2 minutes or less since the start of last season. 40 of those 60 came in the first half" according to ESPN's stats & info.