College Football Betting News And Notes Saturday, September 19

Saturday College Football - Early Movers
By Dave Essler

Wake Forest-Army: Game opened at Wake -3.5 and fairly quickly (overnight and into the next morning) went to the Deacons -6. Once it went through/to -4.5 it was destined to hit -6, as they all do, with "5" being a dead number. I'n not sure I agree (yet) since Wake beat Army last season (24-21 at home) for one of their three wins. They (last season) did beat V-Tech 6-3 at home - but what can we really conclude from that - nothing. I do know Army is not the team that had Doc Blanchard, but only losing by 5 at UConn is enough for me to consider the points here. Wake doesn't deserve to be road "chalk", IMO.

Temple-UMass: We've got a betting darling all Summer (Temple, bringing back everyone from last season) against a team people thought might be much improved. Some early money (it takes less money to move a line early) on the Owls and then the UMass love finds it about where it opened, -10.5 give or take. I doubt it goes below the magic number of 10, or above the next magic number of 13, so if you like Temple, sooner, and if you like UMass I'd expect the public to force the number back up. Temple had a great road win, holding off Cincinnati, while the Minutemen come back from Colorado after getting drilled in a game people thought they could win. However, it was UMass' first game, and the biggest improvements are from week one to week two.

Ball State-Eastern Michigan: The Cardinals opened as a -7 road favorite, and really almost like clockwork people scalped the home dog down to +5.5 (see a pattern here with "5") and now that dead number bought back to -6. My issue with taking Ball State as a road favorite is that they allowed 36 points to VMI (not their basketball team) in the first week. Yes, they scored against Texas A & M - but how much of that is a letdown by the Aggies. EMU lost a tough one to ODU in week one - and although Wyoming sucks, winning at Wyoming (brutal place to travel) isn't always that easy - so I just cannot take Ball State here - totals are out as I type, but this will (should) be a high scoring game.

Illinois-North Carolina: No doubt this will be a high scoring game as well, since both offenses like to go fast. Well it'll be an inflated total at least - whether it gets there remains to be seen. Early bettors were in love with the Tar Heels, who opened at -6 and it's been pushed beyond -10 (some buy back at -10) so the value is/was gone quickly on the Heels. Heels tough to figure - you'd normally not take the SC loss too bad, but as bad as SC is that could preclude me from laying those points. NC is clearly the better team, but they haven't shown it yet. They could, with zero look-ahead next week, but I won't lay -10 when I could have laid much less. Although Illinois hasn't played anyone yet, they've looked very good.

Syracuse-Central Michigan: CMU played Oklahoma State tough at home and held them to only 24 points. Central Michigan has Michigan State next week, which is a game they're used to playing (they usually play the Spartans or Michigan) while Syracuse gets the LSU Tigers coming in. That alone might be enough to look hard at CMU, especially now that it's +7 in most places after opening at -5 (there it is again) which I do think is a bit more realistic. I do expect this to be a low scoring game which would give more value to the points.

Duke-Northwestern: Duke opens -3 and now it's -3.5 which is "somewhat" telling in that they'll buy the -3 that quickly. One would think that after beating Stanford that Northwestern would get a little more respect, but this is their first road game, but no look-ahead next week. Duke beat the tar out of Tulane in a game many (including me) thought would be much closer - then mauled NC Central (Central has a good CBB team BTW) - but this is the Blue Devils first real test, and they've got G-Tech (conference game) at home next week so I am inclined to take those points.

Rice-North Texas: I've been one to bet the Mean Green at home ever since Dan McCarney came to town. Especially geting points. Yes, they lost at SMU in their first game, but SMU is somewhat improved IMO - and Rice won this game at home last year (losing in Denton two years ago). Rice's 14 point loss to Texas perhaps wasn't as close as the score indicated since Rice won the 4th quarter 14-0, which is very typical of Charlie Strong's teams when they've got a lead, especially early in the season. They've pushed this from -6 to -7.5, and if it were later in the line's life, that'd be a bigger deal that perhaps early, so IMO the value is on the home dog, at least now.

La Tech-K-State: At some point in time Snyder and the Wildcats will be over valued, and my knee jerk reaction says it might be right here. K-State has played South Dakota and hammered UTSA in a game where the Roadrunners were a trendy pick, which might give La Tech a little more value. K-State opened at -10 and bettors jumped right on that, pushing it to (and beyond in places) to -12 and of course then the pros/sharps grabbed all the La Tech they could as it's now under -10. The one thing in the Wildcats favor is that they've got next week off before a brutal stretch. La Tech we beaten worse than the score (41-38) indicated by a very good Western Kentucky team - but still, at +10 or more I'd consider the points.

East Carolina-Navy: The Pirates beat a very good, albeit FCS, Towson team. People expected that game to be close, and they played the Gators very tough in Gainsville so we'd expect them to get some betting attention at some point in this game/cycle. Navy has had two weeks off after beating Colgate, so it's tough to read them. Tough for me to fade Keenan Reynolds, but tough not to think that after ECU's game at Florida that Navy might be a less physical challenge. However, the heat and 60 minutes in the Swamp my take it's toll as well. Within minutes of the game opening Navy -3 they grabbed that, then grabbed the +4/+3.5 with ECU, likely looking for merely value. A big total (opened at 60, down to 59) and perhaps too big - both teams play similar styles to they should know how to defend it.

Auburn-LSU: I cannot fathom Auburn playing badly enough to head to OT against J'ville State, and their win over L'ville and L'ville's subsequent loss to Houston makes that Auburn win worth a lot less, IMO. It's tough to win on the road in any conference, but the SEC is (seemingly, no stats) one of the tougher "road" wins there is. But, only opening at -7 (now clearly lost value at -7.5) was seemingly a gift, or is that what they want you to think. This is LSU's first home game and only their second game (does Auburn playing two already give them an advantage). The good thing for the Tigers (the Auburn ones) is that it's not a night game. LSU let Mississippi State almost come in the back door, but actually dominated the 1H of that game worse than the score might indicate. Now, add to that the fact that Auburn beat LSU 41-7 last season, and that makes it tougher to take the points, and easier to find value in the total.

Miami-Nebraska: I think the oddsmakers through a -3 out there to simply let the market decide what the number ought to be, essentially saying these teams are even and giving the Canes the -3 for the HFA. Miami has looked good against weak competition, although FAU appears to be "better" than they've been in the past, so in reality Miami hasn't been tested. I have always like Brad Kaaya (Miami's QB) so it's tough to fade him now that he's getting the experience, and they lost 41-31 at Nebraska last season. 'Huskers first road game - beat BYU in the season opener, at home, obviously. In that game Armstrong actually threw the ball 41 times - so in contrast to what we've come to know from Nebraska. That led me to think "over" here, and the early bettors agreed, buying 56.5 to 57.5 - but remember, it doesn't take a lot to move a virgin line. I do like the Canes here, if for no other reason than the humidity in South Florida and the fact that it's a day game.

G-Tech-Notre Dame: So, lose a quarterback and perhaps lose a TD in the line, open at -1.5 and now a home underdog. That could easily be the classic over reaction, as the Jackets just don't have a defense and the game was probably going to come down to whether or not the Irish could stop the G-Tech running/option game, period. But, because the Irish lose the QB there might be some value in the over because, again, perhaps an over reaction. The total opened at 59 and came down a couple of points which is exactly what I expected. I won't fade Notre Dame at home as an under dog. Now, had Willingham or someone else been the coach, yes, but not Kelly.

Utah State-Washington: Washington opens at -5.5 and bet to -6 right away. See the pattern here. The Huskies lost a lot off of what was an elite defense last season - but it's still very good. Typically the issue with them is how they're going to score, and that was clearly the case in the first game when Boise State shut them out the first half. That game wasn't quite as close as the final score - but they covered - which is all we are looking for. My instinct tells me that it's just hard to lay -6 without an elite offense, and hope that Utah State doesn't have a letdown after the Utah game. We figure this to be a low scoring game, which is clearly another reason to take points, which are worth much more in games that are not pinball machines.

Southern Miss-Texas State: I would like to think the S-Miss has to be much improved over last season, and even that Mississippi State cover wasn't the total fluke. They did go out and take Austin Peay to the woodshed, so at the very least the did what they were supposed to. Texas State opens -1.5 and quickly bet up to the key number of 3, but in a game that's already seen the total go from 60 to 64, the points are just not as valuable. If Texas State gives up 59 to the 'Noles, a team that doesn't run it up like they once did, then allows ANY (let alone 24) to Prairie View, I don't know how they stop So Miss here.

Texas Tech-Arkansas: I am very surprised that after losing to Toledo as a three touchdown favorite (the sharp money and our late Saturday client update had some on this) that the Hogs got a fair bit of early money, pushing this from the opener of 9.5 up to -11.5 (after some early Tech money thrown in for good measure). This is Tech's first road game, with TCU and Baylor in the coming weeks - so I suppose Arkansas could wake up. I do find some value in the total even at 65 (over) and the tipping point for me is that IF the Hogs can score 50 they just might to give themselves a shot in the arm for SEC play, and it's not like they'll worry about annual revenge from Tech.

Colorado-Colorado State: Buffalo's open as -3.5 point favorites - which is about what you'd expect. What is interesting is that over the years it's been customary to take the dog in all these in-state rivalries, and the books clearly know that and still don't seem to account for it as much as they should, IMO. I do worry about Colorado's trip to Hawaii and subsequently not being tested by UMass, and obviously CSU gave the Gophers more than they wanted, but how much of THAT was the Gophers' letdown after the huge TCU game? These two seem to alternate years, and most are reasonably close games,but with such a high scoring game expected (60) the points may be less consequential than they otherwise might.

Maryland-South Florida: The Terps open -8.5 and very quickly the Bulls love forces books to bring this well below the key number of 7 - to a solid -6.5. Maryland beat a good Richmond team but appears to be getting very disrespected for the Bowling Green loss. I might not be that quick to dismiss the Terps, because BGSU had a great showing at Tennessee. Yes, South Florida played the 'Noles tough, but they usually do and FSU always struggles against those in-state/non power conference teams. But, that total sitting at 52 is quite tempting to take the over, knowing what happened in Knoxville and seeing that Maryland hasn't stopped anyone yet. However, the Bulls offense is fairly anemic, so again, let's not dismiss Maryland quite so fast.

Missouri-UConn: We had the Red Wolves over the Tigers last week, and again, knowing how Missouri has inexperienced skill position players on offense, a QB that's often on the hot seat, and no Hansborough, it's just not possible for me to lay three scores here. I do know that the Huskies have always struggled to score, but with Mizzou having a road conference game at improving Kentucky next week, it's got to be UConn or nothing. Clearly better games (for me) - but with that total opening at 45 and quickly being bet down to 42, if they want to give me half the expected points in the game before it starts, then simple math wins this one.

Western Kentucky-Indiana: The Hilltopper love lives on as the Hoosiers opened at -2, goes to -3, and now it's back down to Indiana -1. Indiana hasn't been tested but in their two "non tests" they did give up a ton of points, to Southern Illinois and FIU - two schools that just shouldn't score that many. Western Kentucky beat a couple of "decent" teams (by their standards) in Vanderbilt (a comeback win) and La Tech (a game that wasn't as close as the score looked) - so this could be the Hilltoppers game to lose.

Cal-Texas: They certainly love their Bears. The game opened at -3 and went all the way up to -7.5 (remember it doesn't take a ton that early) and settled back down at -6. Cal has looked good and came into the season as someone we'd want to bet on - but San Diego State is not Texas, and Charlie Strong will make them better every week. Texas was obviously tested and played a big game at South Bend, this is in Austin - so I have to think that the Longhorns at +7 or better are the play here. My basis is that until Cal actually DOES, I can't bet that they WILL.

Oregon State-San Jose State: Tough spot here for the Beavers from a travel standpoint, having to play the Wovlerines first Harbuagh home game in the Eastern Time Zone and travel back. The Spartans (not the ones from Lansing) actually played Air Force better than the final indicated - giving up 20 fourth quarter points. That's going to happen to a lot of teams in that rare air in Colorado, actually, so I am not overly surprised. So, THEY have something to physically recover from as well, That usually mean sloppy and/or less effort on defense, so there's perhaps a case to be made for the over here. Oregon State opened at -9 and I'm not sure they need to by -9 to too many teams, and the early bettors agreed, bringing it down to -7.5, but no further.

NCAAF Week 3 Mid-Major Teams to Watch
By SPS Investors
Covers.com

Team to watch: Bowling Green Falcons

This week: +3 at home vs Memphis

The Bowling Green Falcons come into this contest off a big win at Maryland in Week 2. The Falcons looked extremely impressive on the road against a Big 10 team and gave the Tennessee Volunteers, and SEC team, all they could handle in Week 1. This team is already battle tested just 2 weeks into the season and their offense has certainly looking impressive to start the year.

They showed no issue with being on the road and now that they are heading back home, they should be able to keep their momentum going. There is always a concern of a potential letdown spot after such a big win and while their defense certainly leaves something to be desired, getting points at home with such a dynamic offense is tough to pass up.

Team to beware of: Army Black Knights

This week: +6 at home vs Wake Forrest

On paper, this is simply a bad matchup for the Black Knights. Army has been absolutely shredded through the air in their first two contests, surrendering 322 & 270 passing yards to both Fordham and Connecticut, two teams who are not typically known for their dynamic passing attacks.

This week Army will be going up against a Demon Deacon team who has averaged 380 yards through the air in their two games this season with the most recent being a 373 yard performance on the road at Syracuse in the Carrier Dome. Throw in the fact that WF is 5-2 ATS and 7-0 SU against the Black Knights and this game could get ugly early.

Total team to watch: Eastern Michigan Eagles

This week: 63.5 at home vs Ball State

While Eastern Michigan hasn't exactly been lighting up the scoreboard against top notch competition, their re-tooled offense this season has seen increased production and they have become very balanced on both sides of the ball. They should have no issues moving the ball up and down the field on the Cardinals who have been giving up an average of 525 yards per game on defense.

Defense was a big problem for the Eagles last season as they were the worst defensive team in the country. They certainly have taken a step up this year; however they still have a long way to go. Their offense will put up points, but their defense has shown their ability to give them all back. In some cases, the best defense is offense and this could likely be one of those cases. Plenty of points should be scored here.

Saturday's SEC Showdowns
By Brian Edwards
VegasInsider.com

Ole Miss at Alabama

I pay zero attention to the Associated Press's Top 25 rankings so until I started doing some homework for this preview, I had no idea the AP was so off on its ranking of Ole Miss going into Week 3. The Rebels are No. 15 in the AP, while they are No. 6 in my latest Power Rankings. Hugh Freeze's bunch is tied for seventh in the ESPN Chalk Rankings, which are compiled by votes from myself, Phil Steele and Bruce Marshall.

With this in mind, bettors shouldn't be surprised to see Alabama as a rare single-digit home favorite. As of early Wednesday morning, most books had Alabama (2-0 straight up, 1-1 against the spread) listed as a seven-point favorite with a total of 51. There were plenty of 6.5's still on the board, however. The Westgate opened the number at six on Monday. Gamblers can take the Rebels to win outright for a +215 payout (risk $100 to win $215).

Alabama will be seeking revenge here after seeing its 10-game winning streak over Ole Miss snapped last season. Nick Saban's team hasn't lost in back-to-back seasons to an SEC rival since LSU turned the trick in 2010 and 2011.

Ole Miss (2-0 SU, 2-0 ATS) has obliterated its first two opponents by a combined score of 149-24. In its lid-lifter, Freeze's team crushed UT-Martin by a 76-3 count as a 39-point home favorite. Chad Kelly, the junior quarterback who began his career at Clemson, made his Rebels debut by throwing for 211 yards and a pair of touchdowns.

Laquon Treadwell, a junior WR returning from a broken leg sustained in a narrow home loss to Auburn last year, recorded four receptions for 44 yards. Robert Nkemdiche, an All-SEC defensive end, was given playing time on offense and caught a 31-yard TD pass from back-up QB Ryan Buchanan early in the second quarter.

Jaylen Walton ran for a pair of TDs and 65 yards on just three carries, while Eugene Brazley rushed six times for 88 yards and one TD.

Ole Miss smashed Fresno St. 73-21 in Week 2 to easily take the cash as a 31.5-point home favorite. The 94 combined points soared 'over' the 56-point total. Kelly was spectacular against the Bulldogs, throwing for 346 yards and four TDs without an interception. Chad, who is the nephew of Jim Kelly, the Hall of Famer who played at Miami during his collegiate career before guiding the Buffalo Bills to four Super Bowls, also ran for a TD.

Nkemdiche found paydirt again vs. Fresno St. This time around, he got into the end zone on a one-yard rushing plunge. Treadwell caught five balls for 73 yards, while Quincy Adeboyejo had five receptions for 120 yards and three TDs.

Alabama opened the season by beating Wisconsin 35-17 as a 13-point favorite at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, TX. The 52 combined points jumped 'over' the 44.5-point total. The Crimson Tide rode the legs of Derrick Henry to victory against the Badgers, who had no answers for the junior RB.

Henry put Alabama on the board first when he burst through the line untouched for a 37-yard scoring scamper midway through the first quarter. He would add TD runs of 56 and two yards in the second half en route to an 147-yard effort on just 13 carries. The Alabama defense held UW to 268 yards of total offense, while its offense produced 502 yards.

Going into the game, Saban about who his starting QB would be. The nod went to FSU transfer Jacob Coker, a senior who couldn't break into the lineup last season due to the emergence of Blake Sims. Coker was sharp against the Badgers, completing 15-of-21 passes for 213 yards and one TD without an interception. Robert Foster had four receptions for 50 yards and one TD.

Saban's squad never got ahead of the number in last week's 37-10 win over Middle Tennessee as a 34.5-point home 'chalk.' The 47 combined points fell 'under' the 56.5-point tally.

After leading 23-3 at halftime, the Tide got a TD from Kenyan Drake on a 14-yard pass from Cooper Bateman. Then with 1:33 remaining in the third quarter, Henry busted loose for his third TD run of the day to put his team up 37-3. At this point, 'Bama backers had to be feeling good with more than a quarter of action remaining.

But the Blue Raiders held Alabama scoreless in the final stanza. They pulled to within 37-10 midway through the quarter on a 15-yard TD pass from Austin Grammer to Rod Ducksworth.

Henry finished with 96 rushing yards on 18 totes. Drake rushed six times for 40 yards and also had five receptions for 91 yards. For the season, Drake is second in the SEC and 12th in the country with 355 all-purpose yards. Henry is tied for tops in the nation in rushing TDs (six) and he's second in the SEC in rushing yards (243).

The competition has been weak, but Ole Miss is leading the country in scoring at a 74.5 points-per-game clip. The Rebels are third in total offense, averaging 634.5 yard per contest.

Since Freeze took over in 2012, Ole Miss has been a road underdog seven times, producing a 5-2 spread record. The Rebels have won two of those games outright, including at Arkansas in '12 and at Texas A&M last season.

This will be the third time Freeze has brought Ole Miss to Bryant-Denny Stadium. Due to the addition of Texas A&M and Missouri to the SEC in 2012, the scheduling changes forced the Rebels to travel to Tuscaloosa in '12 and '13. The first meeting was closer than the 33-14 final score indicated. Ole Miss covered the spread as a 31-point underdog and limited the Tide to 305 yards of total offense. 'Bama took advantage of a kickoff return for a TD and a plus-two margin in the turnover department.

Two seasons ago, Alabama produced another misleading score in a 25-0 triumph as a 14-point home 'chalk.' The Tide was ahead just 9-0 at intermission and Ole Miss had chances galore to get on the scoreboard. But the Rebels passed on field goals and failed three times on fourth-down plays in Alabama territory during the second half.

Ole Miss would take advantage of its chances at last year's meeting in Oxford. The Rebels trailed 14-3 at halftime and 17-10 midway through the fourth quarter. With 5:29 remaining, Bo Wallace hit Vince Sanders for a 34-yard scoring strike to pull even.

Then on the ensuing kickoff, Alabama fumbled and Ole Miss recovered with great field position. A few plays later with 2:54 left, Wallace threw his third TD pass of the day to Jaylen Walton to put the Rebels in front. However, they missed the extra point and led by just a 23-17 score.

Alabama drove into Ole Miss territory, but its opportunity to prevail was thwarted when Senquez Golson intercepted Sims in the back of the end zone in the final minute.

Ole Miss has only one win in 27 all-time trips to Tuscaloosa, capturing that victory in 1988 by a 22-12 count. Alabama has won 23 consecutive SEC openers, including all eight on Saban's watch. Since Saban took over in 2007, the Tide has gone 27-27 ATS as a home favorite.

The 'under' has cashed in three straight head-to-head meetings between these SEC West rivals and six of the last seven encounters.

Ole Miss won't have senior DT Issac Gross due to a neck injury that will keep him out for the rest of the season. Gross started six games in 2014, making 37 tackles to go with one sack and seven tackles for loss. The Rebels' biggest concern, however, is the status of All-American OT Laremy Tunsil.

The true junior has been held out of the first two games for "precautionary reasons" due to an NCAA investigation. Tunsil, who is projected by NFL Draft experts to be a top-five pick this spring, was involved in an incident this past summer in which he allegedly punched his step father. The step father alleged that he was simply trying to prevent Tunsil from hanging out with an agent.

Whatever the case, Tunsil isn't guilty of violating NCAA rules as long as he didn't accept any benefits from any agent. Ole Miss has wisely chosen to sit him out in the first two games, but it desperately needs Tunsil in the lineup Saturday night against Alabama's vaunted defensive front. Also, Ole Miss DB Tee Shepard, a four-star juco signee who originally signed with Notre Dame coming out of high school, will miss the first half after getting ejected for targeting in the third quarter of last week's win over Fresno St.

Alabama could be without starting MLB Rueben Foster, who is listed as 'questionable' with a shoulder injury. Also, reserve senior safety Jabriel Washington is out for the next 2-4 weeks with a knee injury.

Kickoff is scheduled for 9:15 p.m. Eastern on ESPN.

Auburn at LSU

As of early Wednesday, most spots had LSU (1-0 SU, 0-1 ATS) installed as a seven-point favorite with a total of 49.5 points. The Westgate opened the Bayou Bengals as 7.5-point home 'chalk,' only to adjust to seven late Tuesday afternoon and then to 6.5 merely 30 minutes later. Gamblers can back AU on the money line for a +215 return (risk $100 to win $215).

This is a huge revenge game for Les Miles's club, which took a 41-7 clubbing as a 7.5-point road underdog on The Plains last season. It was the first career start for then-true-freshman QB Brandon Harris, who was more successful in his second start last week in Starkville.

LSU escaped Davis Wade Stadium with a 21-19 victory last Saturday night, but it immensely disappointed its backers by allowing Mississippi St. to outscore it 13-0 in the fourth quarter. This gave the Bulldogs the backdoor cover as 3.5-point home underdogs.

The cover was the least of Miles's concerns in the waning moments. Dak Prescott drove his team into field-goal range in the final minute to give it a chance at the outright win. Miles, never known for shrewd clock-management moves at crunch time, committed what I've always considered a knucklehead move by coaches.

Look, I get it if a coach wants to ice a kicker. However, this trend that began about a decade ago of calling the timeout just a fraction of a second before the kick is beyond perplexing. What good does it do? If the kicker misses, just as Mississippi St.'s did last week, he gets another chance. If he makes it and it doesn't count, I guess it looks like a sharp move by the coach, but doesn't it give the kicker more confidence going into the boot that will really matter?

Anyway, in this instance, the Mississippi St. kicker missed the first try (when Miles got the timeout moments before the snap) and then missed again when it counted. The 40 combined points stayed 'under' the 52-point total.

LSU raced out to a 21-6 lead behind three TD runs from Leonard Fournette, the star sophomore RB who rushed 28 times for 159 yards. Prescott would counter with 14:45 remaining, pulling MSU into a one-possession game with a one-yard TD run. Then with 4:00 left, Prescott hit De'Runnya Wilson for a five-yard scoring strike.

On the two-point conversion attempt for the tie, Prescott threw a little behind his fullback but the pass still hit him in the hands. He was unable to come it with it, though. If the two-point try would've been converted, 'over' backers would've suddenly had life with overtime possibly looming.

Harris ran five times for 48 yards. Miles didn't ask him to do much through the air, as he connected on 9-of-14 throws for 71 yards. Harris has a pair of elite WRs in Malachi Dupre and Travin Duval, both of whom have outstanding speed and need more touches.

Auburn (2-0 SU, 0-2 ATS) opened the season with a 31-24 win over Louisville at the Ga. Dome in Atlanta. Like LSU last week, AU gave up a backdoor cover to the Cardinals, who trailed 31-10 with less than seven minutes left. Nevertheless, U of L scored a pair of late TDs to take the cash as a 10-point underdog. The 55 combined points hit right on the total for a push.

I have to plead guilty to drinking the Kool-Aid of Auburn quarterback Jeremy Johnson throughout the offseason. Johnson has great size and a cannon for an arm, but his decision-making through two games has been nothing short of horrendous. He completed 11-of-21 passes for 137 yards with a 1/3 touchdown-to-interception ratio against Louisville.

Then last week, Johnson's woes nearly resulted in one of the biggest upsets in recent college football history. Jacksonville St., an FCS school located in Alabama near Talladega, was ahead 20-13 and had the ball with less than three minutes remaining.

However, much like it did in 2011 when Utah St. and Chuckie Keeton were threatening to pull an upset at Jordan-Hare Stadium, AU found a way to rally. The War Eagles got a stop and then Jacksonville St.'s punter shanked the ball and gave AU to the ball on the enemy 31.

On third and seven with 39 ticks left, Johnson found Melvin Ray for a 10-yard scoring strike to tie the game.

On the ensuing kick, AU inexplicably booted the ball out of bounds to give Jacksonville St. quality field position at its own 35. But for some reason (and I first-guessed this on twitter, so I'm not second-guessing in hindsight) coach John Grass elected to kneel on it and play for overtime.

Sophomore RB Peyton Barber scored on a four-yard TD run to start the extra session. Then when Jacksonville St. was stopped on fourth down, Auburn was able to escape the game upset bid.

Barber finished with 125 rushing yards on 23 totes. Johnson connected on 21-of-32 passes for 236 yards with two TD passes and a pair of interceptions. Ricardo Louis had 10 catches for 76 yards.

Perhaps most disconcerting for Malzahn has been the lack of production from WR Duke Williams, who was recently tabbed by NFL Draft guru Mel Kiper as the best WR in the upcoming draft. Williams had only two receptions for 22 yards just one week after getting completely blanked by U of L.

As we noted above, Harris struggled mightily in the loss at AU last season. He completed just 3-of-14 throws for 58 yards. Fournette rushed 10 times for only 42 yards. Auburn outgained LSU 566-280 in the yardage department and the game was basically over at intermission when AU led 31-7.

LSU has won six of the last eight head-to-head meetings between these bitter rivals, including a 35-21 triumph at Tiger Stadium two seasons ago. However, Auburn took the cash as a 17-point underdog in that matchup. In fact, AU is 7-3 ATS in the last 10 encounters.

As a road 'dog on Malzahn's watch, Auburn owns a 3-2 spread record. LSU has struggled as a home favorite during Miles's 11-year tenure, limping to a 25-36-1 spread record. However, we should note that LSU went 4-1 ATS in five such spots last season.

CBS will have the broadcast at 3:30 p.m. Eastern.

Big Ten Report - Week 3
By ASAWins.com

UNLV at Michigan

Opening Line: Wolverines (-34)

No opener on this game as UNLV’s starting QB Decker is questionable with a hamstring injury. Decker was injured late in the 1st quarter of last week’s game vs UCLA and didn’t play the final 3 quarters. Once he went out, the Rebels went on to pass for only 4 yards over the final 3 quarters in their 37-3 loss to the Bruins as his back up Kurt Palandech is more of a runner than a drop back passer. Last week was a disappointment for UNLV as they looked for some progress after a solid week 1 performance at Northern Illinois where despite the 38-30 loss, the Rebs had more first downs and were only -52 yards for the game. If Decker can’t play UNLV will probably be running the ball a lot as Palandech is not a great passer and they face a Michigan team that allowed Oregon State to pass for only 79 yards last week on 20 attempts.

UNLV is coached by first year head man Tony Sanchez who had been a high school coach for the previous 16 years, including the last 6 at Nevada power Bishop Gorman H.S. in Las Vegas. He led Bishop Gorman to an 85-5 record and won the state title all 6 years he was there. Michigan rolled to a 35-7 win and dominated the stats as well rolling up 405 yards while limiting the Beavers to only 138. OSU averaged a terrible 2.6 yards per play in that game. Michigan QB Jake Rudock threw another interception last Saturday giving him 4 in his first 2 starts for Michigan. That after throwing just 5 all last season as the Iowa starter. The Wolverines are fairly healthy entering this game with only starting CB Lewis and FB Kerridge questionable. Michigan plays BYU next some coming off their home opener last week, this could be a tough spot to play at their emotional & physical peak. However, if UNLV QB Decker can’t play, we don’t see them doing much of anything offensively. Last time UNLV beat a Big Ten team was in 2003 vs Wisconsin. They are 0-6 SU since then.

Kent State at Minnesota

Opening Line: Gophers (-23)

The Gophs come home after a big OT win at Colorado State last week. Minnesota looked a little out of sorts in that game which was to be expected after playing TCU to the wire at home in their first game of the season. Minny did dominate the stats with 9 more first downs and +100 total yards. However they ran 86 plays to pick up 413 yards which only equates to 4.8 yards per play. Minnesota started the game in an offensive rut not able to get a first down on their first 6 drives. After that they went up-tempo with their “new” no-huddle offense and things improved drastically. Head coach Jerry Kill said they may go with the no-huddle more often this week. The Gophers are banged up on the offensive line coming out of that game. Starting guard Jon Christenson will be out a month or so with a knee injury. Two other starting offensive linemen (Lauer & Campion) were held out of practice early in the week for injuries and their status is up in the air. Also starting WR KJ Maye who has 10 receptions for 127 yards was in a “green” non-contact jersey for much of this week in practice (chest injury). He hopes to be ready by Saturday.

Kent has already played one Big Ten team getting destroyed 52-3 at Illinois. The Illini only had 100 more total yards in that game but Kent was done in by 4 turnovers which led to Illinois TD drives of just 5, 6, and 7 yards! On the bright side for Kent, at least they scored. In their previous 3 games vs Big Ten teams the Flashes were outscored 124-0! Since 2005, Kent has faced 6 Big Ten teams and been outscored 268-6!

Troy at Wisconsin

Opening Line: Badgers (-35)

Last week we had a big line move on the Miami OH – Wisconsin game as they Badgers opened -34 and were bet all the way down to -31. The move was dead wrong as the Badgers had the spread covered at halftime (37-0) and went on to win 58-0. Starting RB Corey Clement sat out with a pulled groin. He hasn’t been practicing this week as of this writing (Tuesday) and unless he’s 100% ready to roll, they won’t play him. Our word is it is very, very doubtful he will play this Saturday. Clement’s back up, Dare Ogunbowale (a former walk on), rolled up 112 yards on just 16 carries. The Badger offensive line is not anywhere near the level they are used to at Wisconsin. They actually had trouble getting a big push early on vs the Miami OH defensive line which is concerning. They improved as the game went on but with 3 new starters and a number of injuries up front, this offense will not be able to just pound good teams as they have become accustomed to doing.

QB Joel Stave has made huge improvements under new head coach and great offensive mind Paul Chryst. After just 2 games he’s thrown for 464 yards (on pace for 2,800) with 5 TD’s (he had just 9 last year) and a completion percentage of 65% (up from 53% last year). He’s already attempted 69 passes in 2 games and Wisconsin is no longer a “non-threat” to throw the ball. However, they may not have to throw the ball much this Saturday against a Troy team that has been gashed for 251 yards rushing (NC State) and 263 on the ground (Charleston Southern) the last 2 weeks. The Trojans were whipped 49-21 in week 1 by NC State & despite beating Charleston Southern 44-16 last week, the yardage was dead even at 374 apiece.

Illinois at North Carolina

Opening Line: Tar Heels (-9)

We had a feeling the Illini might be affected in a positive way by the Tim Beckman firing and it looks like we might be correct. New head coach & offensive coordinator Bill Cubit was very well respected by the players and they seem to love playing for him. He’s much more “positive” than Beckman was and with the losing culture and “fragile psyche” of the Illini players (because of losing), it just wasn’t a good fit. Illinois has had two easy wins vs Kent and Western Illinois outscoring the two 96-3. We’ll find out how far the Illini have advanced this week against a decent North Carolina team. The Heels are 1-1 after losing to South Carolina the first week and then crushing NC A&T last Saturday. In their loss to the Gamecocks, UNC actually dominated the stat book racking up 440 yards on 7 yards per play (just 5.3 YPP for South Carolina). The problem was the Heels turned it over 3 times to 0 for SC. Not only that, two of their turnovers were interceptions in the endzone making the close loss (17-13) a tough one in a game they should have won.

Can the Illini turn the corner this year? Some say they may have done so last year with a 6-6 regular season record and a bowl appearance. However, the fact is, they lost all 7 games last year by double digits and 5 of their 6 wins required 4th quarter come from behind rallies. Illinois has been a horrendous road team winning only 3 of their last 21 SU away from home! They are just 3-12 ATS their last 15 away and as a road dog for a TD or more, they are just 3-10 ATS.

Northern Illinois at Ohio State

Opening Line: Buckeyes (-33.5)

The Bucks were favored by 41 points last week at home vs Hawaii and fell just short winning 38-0. OSU was lethargic to start the game taking just a 14-0 lead into halftime. That was not a huge surprise as they played their massively hyped season opener at Virginia Tech on Monday and then had a short week to get ready for a “ho-hum” opponent. The Hawaii defense was very good holding the Buckeyes to 363 yards on 83 plays for just 4.3 YPP. However the Rainbows could only muster 2.7 YPP for the game and were held under 90 yards both rushing and passing.

NIU struggled in week 1 getting by UNLV 38-30 as a 23-point favorite. The Huskies only outgained the Rebels by 53 yards in that game. Last week against an overmatched Murray State team NIU rolled 57-26 on 636 total yards. The look to be very solid again offensively and that’s the norm for this team. They have now averaged more than 31 PPG and more than 440 YPG in each of the last 5 seasons. The Huskies have become the top program in the MAC making it to 5 straight conference title games, winning 3 of them. This NIU team has won 37 of their last 40 games (excluding bowls) and they won’t be intimidated in this venue. They’ve actually won their last 3 contests vs Big Ten teams at Northwestern last year & at Purdue and at Iowa the year before. The Huskies have not been an underdog of this magnitude since the 1998 season. OSU is obviously has vastly superior talent, however they better come to play on Saturday if they expect to cover this huge number. After a lack luster effort last week, we’re guessing Urban Meyer has this team ready to play on Saturday.

Northwestern at Duke

Opening Line: Blue Devils (-3)

Don’t sleep on this NW defense which might just be one of the top few stop units in the Big Ten. They were solid on that side of the ball last year but simply ran out of gas down the stretch. They held 5 of their first 6 opponents last year to 24 points or less including Wisconsin & Minnesota. They held 4 of their Big Ten opponents to 14 points or fewer last year. The Cats bring back 8 starters on that side of the ball including their entire D Line. They have yet to give up a TD this year. They opened the year by upsetting Stanford 16-6 limiting the Cardinal to just 240 yards for the game on only 3.8 YPP. Last week they shutout Eastern Illinois 41-0 and gave up only 138 total yards. EIU only moved the ball inside the NW 40 yard line twice and never got inside the 30.

Duke has yet to be tested rolling over 2 weak opponents. They topped Tulane 37-7 to open the season and followed that up with a 55-0 win over NC Central. NCCU is an FCS team and Tulane has lost their two games 37-7 and 65-10. Because of their cupcake schedule so far, NW coach Pat Fitzgerald said the tape hasn’t helped them much as Duke has been fairly vanilla on offense. Expect a number of new wrinkles and formations this weekend as Devil HC David Cutcliffe is a fantastic offensive mind. One might expect these two top academic schools to simply keep quiet and play the game however that hasn’t been the case. Northwestern DL Ifeadi Odenigbo spoke early this week of pitching a shutout when they travel to Duke this Saturday. A few Devil players have taken offense to that and taken their thought to the twitter verse. It should make for an interesting game on Sunday.

Virginia Tech at Purdue

Opening Line: Hokies (-5.5)

The Hokies take on their 2nd Big Ten opponent this season when they travel to Purdue on Saturday. After losing in the much hyped home opener vs #1 Ohio State, Va Tech had a “breather” last week hosting Furman. They took care of business rolling to a 42-3 win that included 299 rushing yards on 7.3 YPC. Not much can be taken from the game as Furman is a weak FCS opponent that has only 1 win in their last 12 games. Head coach Frank Beamer may have created a bit of a QB controversy. His starter, Michael Brewer, was injured in the Ohio State game and will be out for at least a month and probably longer. His replacement Brenden Motley did little to nothing against Ohio State completing just 44% of his passes for 36 yards in one half of work. Motley got the start vs Furman but Beamer decided to pull the redshirt off highly touted true frosh Dwayne Lawson on just the 3rd play of the game. Motley went onto have a solid game but Lawson did as well so expect to see both again on Saturday.

We felt Purdue would be much improved this year and it looks like we were on target. The Boilers had Marshall beat on the road in week 1, but 2 pick 6’s by QB Appleby (4 interceptions thrown in the game) cost them the game. Last week they dominated Indiana State in a game they could have been flat in after their tough loss the Sunday before. They return QB Appleby and all 5 starting offensive lineman as their offense is much improved putting up 34.5 PPG so far after averaging just 23 PPG a year ago. VT has been a very solid road team winning 8 of their last 11 games away from home. Purdue on the other hand has only won 5 of their last 20 home games. The Boilers are improved and VT will be playing with unproven QB’s in their first ever road action. An upset?

Nebraska at Miami (FL)

Opening Line: Hurricanes (-3.5)

These two met last year in Lincoln and the Huskers won 41-31 as an 8-point favorite. The total yardage was very close (Nebraska was +21 total yards) with the Huskers controlling the ground game (343 to 76) while the Canes took to the air (359 to 113). Nebraska led by 17 late and Miami came up with a TD with just 18 seconds remaining in the game to cut the final margin to 10. The Canes come in at 2-0 beating Bethune Cookman & Florida Atlantic. There most recent game last Friday night at FAU was much closer than the final score of 44-20 would indicate. The game was tied at 20 apiece in the 3rd quarter. FAU lost their starting QB Jaquez Johnson early in the first quarter and his replacement, Jason Driskel threw 2 ints in his first collegiate action. The Owls had 5 turnovers in all and the Canes didn’t turn the ball over once.

The Huskers bounced back after their heartbreaking hail-mary loss to BYU and whipped South Alabama last week. The Nebraska defense has been shaky vs the pass this year allowing 379 & 313 yards through the air the first 2 games. Big plays have been a big problem as the Huskers have already allowed pass plays of 55, 53, 42, 38, 37, 33, 24, and 21 yards this year. Last year when they faced Miami, then freshman QB Brad Kaaya threw for 359 yards and completed 13 passes of 15 yards or more. Kaaya is a year older and much better than he was at the point when they played Nebraska last year so the Husker defensive coaches have been stressing and stopping big plays has been brought up often at practice this week. The Canes are off to a good start, however this is a team that has won more than 7 games only once since 2009. Since 2010, they have just a 36-28 overall record. Miami will be without starting LB Darrion Owens who was lost for the season last week. However, starting WR’s Berrios will return and Coley might be back after both missed last week.

Western Kentucky at Indiana

Opening Line: Hoosiers -2.5

While IU’s defense was better last week than in their first week debacle, they weren’t great. FIU put up over 400 yards in the 36-22 Indiana win. However, the game was closer than the final score and one key play really turned the tide. Down 29-22 driving for the tying score with under 4:00 remaining the game, FIU QB Alex McGough drove the Panthers down to the IU 2-yard line on the doorstep of a tie game. Instead he threw an interception that was returned 96-yards for a TD to give IU the clinching TD. Back to the defense…In two games the Hoosier defense has given up almost 1,100 yards. They did get a number of key players back on the defensive side of the ball last week after being suspended in week one, most important being DL Darius Latham.

Western Kentucky is obviously a team that can shred a poor defense. The Hilltoppers averaged 44 PPG on 535 YPG a year ago. They struggled offensively at Vandy in their first game but bounced back in a big way last week against a very solid La Tech defense scoring 41 points and rolling up 589 yards. The problem is, their defense allowed 38 points and 580 yards to the Bulldogs. So while WKY might have their way with Indiana’s defense, the same can be said about the Hoosiers offense. Indiana scored 29 points offensively last week but it should have been much more. On their first 6 drives of the game, the Hoosiers crossed the 50 yard line 5 times and pushed inside the FIU 30 yard line on 4 of those, yet only came away with 13 points. Head coach Kevin Wilson acknowledged he made some very poor offensive calls and didn’t take advantage of field position. This one could be a shootout.

Rutgers at Penn State

Opening Line: Nittany Lions (-8.5)

It was definitely another tough week for the Rutgers football program. Not only did they lose a home game to Washington State, their star WR Leonte Carroo, all Big Ten last year, was arrested after the game for assaulting a woman he was involved with. He is now suspended. That is the SEVENTH Rutgers player that has been arrested this month alone! All of the off the field noise has to have a negative effect on not only the players, but the coaches focus on preparation. It has quickly put head coach Kyle Flood on the hot seat which has to be a distraction and now Flood has been suspended three games by the school. Back to the Washington State loss which wasn’t nearly as close at the 37-34 final score indicated. WSU had a big edge yardage wise (+157) and Rutgers needed 2 return TD’s (one punt & one kickoff) just to stay close. They also had a punt return for a TD the week before in their blowout win over Norfolk State.

Penn State’s offense has been under a microscope since the end of last season when they averaged only 20 PPG overall and topped 20 points only ONCE the entire Big Ten season. The offensive line was supposed to be drastically improved, after a horrendous 2014. Well after 2 games it doesn’t look like that has happened. The PSU offense is averaging just 18 PPG – actually down from last year – and just 255 YPG on offense. QB Hackenberg was sacked 10 times in their opener vs Temple after 44 times last season. He has thrown for only 231 yards in two games combined and this from a QB that is supposed to be a potential high NFL draft choice. The offense still isn’t good. Last year PSU went into Rutgers and escaped with a hard fought 13-10 win and the Nits were +4 in turnovers in that game. We’re probably looking at another “grinder” on Saturday.

Pittsburgh at Iowa

Opening Line: Hawkeyes -5

The Hawkeyes went into Pitt last year as a 6.5 point dog and pulled off the mild upset winning 24-20. The Panthers held a semi comfortable 17-7 lead at half and had a +130 yardage edge at the break. The final stats also had Pitt with a +7 edge in first downs and +120 in total yardage. The Panthers also had 20 more offensive snaps and still lost by 4. Iowa has impressed so far this year. They definitely look like an improved football team. After rolling over a very good FCS team in week 1 (Illinois St) and Hawks got by state rival Iowa State in Ames by a final score of 31-17. It was close most of the way with Iowa scoring two TD’s in the final 3:00 minutes to pull away. However, Iowa dominated in the trenches with a 260-63 rushing edge and a 6.8 to 5.0 YPP advantage.

Lots has changed on the Pitt side since then including a new coaching staff led by head man Pat Narduzzi. Narduzzi is very familiar with the Iowa offense from his days defending it as the DC at Michigan State. In Narduzzi most recent meeting with Iowa in 2013, his MSU defense held the Hawks to 14 points on just 264 total yards (only 23 yards rushing). The more concerning issue for Narduzzi and Pitt is at the key position on the field, QB. Last year’s starter Chad Voytik has been under center to start the first two games but was replaced last week in the 2nd quarter by Tennessee transfer Nathan Peterman who was 12 of 17 for 148 yards. Voytik did not re-enter the game after being pulled in a tie game in the 2nd quarter and Narduzzi has not announced a starter as of this writing. Pitt won both games but they weren’t easy. They struggled to a 7-point home win over Youngstown St to open the season and then led only 10-7 last week at Akron before extending to a 24-7 win. Pitt has a bye after this game while Iowa hosts North Texas.

Air Force at Michigan State

Opening Line: Spartans (-27)

This could be a dangerous game for Sparty. It’s going to be awfully tough for this team to get up emotionally for this game as a huge favorite. They had been waiting for a full year for another crack at Oregon and the overwhelming thought was, if they can get by the Ducks, this MSU team would run the table until their match up at Ohio State on November 21st. They got the win and it was a tight one that was undecided with only a few seconds remaining. Now they have only a week to “come down” from that win and prepare for an Air Force offense they almost never see.

The Falcons, who had a 10-3 record last year, rarely pass the ball and lead the nation in rushing attempts per game at 69. They did lose starting QB Romine last week to a knee injury and he is gone for the season. His replacement, Karson Roberts, came in last week with Air Force leading San Jose State by just 7 and led them to 2 TD’s in the 37-16 win. Roberts also started 3 games in 2013 so he has some experience. The knock on him is he doesn’t pass the ball as well as Romine but when you attempt only 11 passes per game as a team that weakness isn’t quite as pronounced. It is rare for a disciplined, smart Air Force team to be getting this type of number. Since 1980, the Falcons have been an underdog of 21 points or more just 11 times. They are 8-3 ATS in those games winning 2 of them outright. Michigan State will obviously have a big edge on both sides of the ball if they show up and play. The question is will they and if not can they cover this big number?

ACC Report - Week 3
By Joe Williams
VegasInsider.com

Clemson at Louisville

The line on this game started at five and quickly jumped to seven. The Clemson Tigers roll into Papa John's looking to hang an 0-3 record on Louisville, who has suddenly gone from ACC contender to has-been in the matter of two disappointing games. A loss to Auburn in their kickoff game was nothing to be ashamed of, but last week in their home opener they were dropped 34-31 by Houston with their defense getting trampled in the process. Louisville might be starting a third different quarterback in as many games with Kyle Bolin likely to get the nod. Reggie Bonnafon started the first game, Lamar Jackson was in there last week. Clemson has no such issues with DeShaun Watson, and the stability of the Tigers will be why they win this one and send Louisville to their first 0-3 start since 1984.

Florida State at Boston College

Florida State started off sluggish against South Florida before pulling away for a 34-14 victory. Perhaps the 11:30am ET kickoff did not agree with them, as it was 7-7 at halftime and took a while for the Seminoles to wake up. Boston College had no trouble getting started against FCS Howard, posting 41 points in the first quarter alone, 62 at halftime and ending with a 76-0 victory. It was graded a 'no play' because the teams agreed to 10 minute quarters in both the third and fourth, so at least 55 minutes is required for action. Florida State is favored by just 7 1/2 points in this one, and the underdog is 7-2 ATS in the past nine meetings. The Seminoles are also 2-5 ATS in the past seven in this series. Still, is BC ready for prime time yet? They snuck by FCS Maine 24-3, and romped Howard, but can they hang with the No. 6 team in the nation? FSU's schedule hasn't been full of killers, but at least they have faced two FBS teams. The line appears to be a little low, especially given the fact the road team is 7-3 ATS in the past 10 meetings.

Illinois at North Carolina

I'll be in attendance at this game, and it could be a high-scoring affair. The total opened at 63 points. Illinois has averaged 48.5 points per game, while yielding a total of just three. UNC was dropped in a neutral-site game in Charlotte against South Carolina before rebounding last weekend against North Carolina A&T, an FCS school. QB Marquise Williams made poor decisions in that game against South Carolina, but righted the ship against the FCS foe. QB Wes Lunt has been hot for Illinois, throwing for five touchdowns in two games. The Illini have covered each of their games to date, while both teams have split 1-1 on totals.

Wake Forest at Army

Wake Forest heads to Michie Stadium looking to avoid going 0-2 in the state of New York in back-to-back weeks. The Demon Deacons opened ACC play with a 30-17 setback at Syracuse last week. Army has struggled in their two games, losing 37-35 to FCS Fordham in their opener Sept. 4, and following it up with an ugly 22-17 setback against Connecticut. It's hard to gauge where Army's offense is, since they split totals 1-1. Their offense was terrible against UConn in an easy under. These two sides met in Winston-Salem last season with the Deacs winning 24-21. This time around might not be as close, as QB John Wolford is the best player on the field in this game.

Central Michigan at Syracuse

Central Michigan heads to Syracuse looking to avenge a 40-3 shellacking in Mount Pleasant last season. CMU looked decent in their opener against Oklahoma State Sept. 3, holding the Cowboys to a 24-13 win while easily covering a 21-point number. The role was flipped last weekend, as the Chips were favored by three touchdowns over Monmouth (NJ). They won 31-10, a push for some and a win for others on a 20 1/2-point spread. Both of CMU's games have hit under. 'Cuse rolled to a 30-17 win over Wake Forest in their ACC opener last week, playing its first game without QB Terrel Hunt (Achilles'), who suffered a season-ending injury in the opener against FCS Rhode Island. Central enters this game as a seven-point road dog. They're 4-0 ATS in their past four road games, but 0-6 ATS in their past six against the ACC. 'Cuse is a rousing 14-2-1 ATS in their past 17 against MAC teams, 10-4 ATS in their past 14 against non-conference teams and 4-1 ATS in their past five after a straight-up win. The under might be the better play, since it is 9-3-1 in Syracuse's past 13 and 8-3 in their past 11 against the MAC.

Northwestern at Duke

Northwestern puts its Top 25 ranking on the line at Duke Saturday in an underrated matchup. Many might look to Georgia Tech-Notre Dame or Nebraska-Miami as the marquee game of the weekend in the ACC, but the Wildcats and Blue Devils should put on a show. Northwestern looked solid on defense in a 16-6 win against Stanford, following that up with a 41-0 spanking of FCS Eastern Illinois. Duke has also had success, pounding Tulane 37-7 on the road in their opener before settling in for a 55-0 drumming of FCS North Carolina Central last week. Dual-threat QB Thomas Sirk has been impressive for the Blue Devils, passing for 604 yards while running for 154 more. The Wildcats are 7-3 ATS in their past 10 against the ACC, but 4-12 ATS in their past 16 against teams with a winning overall record. Duke has covered 10 of their past 11 against teams with winning marks, and they're 19-7-1 ATS in their past 27 at home and 15-5-1 ATS in their past 21 against non-conference foes.

Georgia Tech at Notre Dame

The Yellow Jackets roll into South Bend and they catch the Irish at a good time. Notre Dame is awfully banged up with QB Malik Zaire, RB Tarean Folston and TE Durham Smythe each done for the year, while DT Jarron Jones and CB Shaun Crawford are also out for the season on the defensive side of the ball. That's bad news against a Georgia Tech team averaging 67.0 points per game while yielding just 8.0 per outing. The Jackets have covered nine straight dating back to last season, and they're 5-1 ATS in their past six away from Atlanta. Notre Dame is just 2-6 ATS in their past eight overall, although they covered in their only home game this season against Texas in the opener.

Nebraska at Miami-Fla.

Nebraska and Miami getting together sends most older college football fans back to the 1980's, when Hurricanes football was at its pinnacle. You either loved them or hated them, and they were unbeatable in the old Orange Bowl. This one is at the more stale Sun Life Stadium, although it should still be a very entertaining tilt. The last time these two teams hooked up, the Huskers came away with a 41-31 win in Lincoln Sept. 20, 2014. Nebraska has covered eight of their past nine games on the road, and they find themselves as slight favorites in this one. They're also 7-3 ATS in their past 10 aginst teams with a winning overall mark. Miami has had an extra day to rest after pulling away from Florida Atlantic on the road last Friday. They're 5-2 ATS in their past seven at home, and confidence is key after a blowout. They're 11-2 ATS in their past 13 following a victory greater than 20 points.

Virginia Tech at Purdue

Virginia Tech plays its second Big Ten opponent of the season this time traveling to Ross-Ade Stadium in West Lafayette after losing to defending national champ Ohio State in their opener on Labor Day. The Hokies piled up plenty of points last week in a 42-3 win against FCS Furman, giving new QB Brenden Motley a full game to get comfortable. He replaced the injured QB Michael Brewer (collarbone), who was injured against the Buckeyes. Motley will start again, but faces a much bigger test on the road against a Big Ten defense. Purdue shut down a very good FCS Indiana State team, blowing their doors off in a 38-14 game. I-State has a strong defense, but it was no match for QB Austin Appleby, who gains confidence by the day. Purdue hung tough with Marshall on the road in their first game before losing 41-31. They failed to cover, but it was only because of a late pick-six.

North Carolina State at Old Dominion

N.C. State hits the road for the first time this season, but it's a quick jaunt up to the Tidewater for a date with ODU. The Wolfpack have socked around Troy and Eastern Kentucky, posting impressive offensive totals along the way. However, their first road test against an opponent from Conference USA has the spread down to just 17. QB Jacoby Brissett is one of the more impressive signal callers in the ACC, and the two-headed running back monster of Matt Dayes and Shadrach Thornton will be hard for ODU to contain. They have allowed 22.0 PPG through their first two outings at Eastern Michigan and at home against FCS Norfolk State, failing to cover the spread in either outing. They covered in a 46-34 loss in Raleigh Sept. 6, 2014, but that was also with QB Taylor Heinicke, who is now playing for the Minnesota Vikings. If NC State is to cover, they'll need to corral RB Ray Lawry, who is tied for best in the nation with six rushing touchdowns.

Pittsburgh at Iowa

Pittsburgh won on the road last week against Iowa, now they face an even bigger test at Kinnick Stadium in Iowa City. The Panthers won 24-7 in Akron, one week after losing 2014 ACC Player of the Year RB James Conner to a torn ACL. It wasn't all rosy in the win, though, as QB Chad Voytik was replaced by Nate Peterman, who took over in the second quarter. Iowa pounded rival Iowa State 31-17, and is still favored by less than a touchdown in this one. The Hawkeyes look to move to 3-0 for the first time since 2009. The Hawkeyes won 24-20 in Pittsburgh last season, and the winner of this one takes a 4-3 all-time series lead. Pitt is 1-4 ATS in their past five against the Big Ten, and 1-5 ATS in their past six non-conference games (although they covered last week). The Hawkeyes are 4-1 ATS in their past five at Kinnick, including 3-0-1 ATS in their past four against a team with a winning home record.

Other ACC teams in action

William & Mary at Virginia

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

New Mexico at Arizona State

It has been a very trying season for Arizona State already, as they have disappointed early on. They had their doors blown off in a neutral-site game against Texas A&M, and they barely squeaked by FCS Cal Poly last week, tied 21-21 into the fourth quarter. These teams faced each other last season at UNM, with the Sun Devils leaving with a 58-23 win. But this is a different ASU team that isn't hitting on all cylinders - yet. New Mexico is 4-1 ATS in their past five road games, but just 8-18 ATS in the past 26 non-conference tilts. That includes a home loss last weekend to Tulsa. ASU is 0-4 ATS in their past four, and 2-7 ATS in the past nine non-conference games. Arizona State has the offensive firepower to cover a 28-point number against the Lobos, they just haven't shown it yet.

Utah State at Washington

Hard-nosed Utah State pays a visit to the Pacific Northwest Saturday, bringing a stout defense and vanilla offense. The Aggies scratched out a 12-9 win over FCS Southern Utah in their opener, and fell 24-14 to in-state rival Utah last weekend. Washington struggled offensively in their opener at Boise State, but righted the ship against FCS Sacramento State last weekend. Still, facing the USU defense is no joke, and a third straight under to start the season might be in order for the Huskies despite what appears on the surface to be a low number at 44 1/2.

Colorado at Colorado State

The Buffaloes and Rams will clash at Sports Authority Field at Mile High in Denver for their annual battle of Colorado. The Buffaloes have split a pair of games, losing at Hawaii in their opener before taking out their aggressions on UMass in a 48-14 romp in Boulder. The Rams throttled FCS Savannah State 65-13 in their opener before falling to a good Minnesota team 23-20 in overtime last weekend. Through two games Colorado State has covered each time. The Buffaloes are surprisingly favored by 3 1/2 in this one, perhaps because of the dynamic pass-catch combo of QB Sefo Liufau and WR Nelson Spruce, one of the best in the nation. The underdog has cashed in 14 of the past 19 meetings in this series.

California at Texas

It has been a tumultuous week in Austin. The athletic director has been fired, and Longhorn Nation is at a crossroads. Will the football team respond favorably and rally around each other, or will Cal come in and blow their doors off? It will be interesting to watch. The Bears are no slouch anymore after a couple of down seasons. They're actually favored by nearly a touchdown in this one. How many people had Cal being the last remaining unbeaten in the Pac-12 North through two games? Cal has covered four of their past five non-conference games, and they're 5-0 ATS in their past five on the road. Texas has covered four of the past five against Pac-12 teams, but they're 1-5 ATS in their past six at home and 0-4 ATS in their past four overall. The Longhorns have never lost in five meetings with the Golden Bears, but Texas football also has never been this low.

Stanford at Southern California

USC has coasted to wins against Arkansas State and Idaho, but now they face their first real test in the conference opener against a wounded, yet still dangerous Stanford squad. The line opened at 9 1/2 and is up to double digits, as bettors have shown little faith in the Cardinal. Stanford is just 2-6 ATS in the past eight on the road, while USC is 10-4 ATS in the past 14 at home. The under is worth watching, hitting in 13 of the past 16 conference games for Stanford, and 18 of the past 23 overall. The under is also 19-7 in Stanford's past 26 on the road. For USC, the under is 4-0 in four straight conference tilts, and 8-3 in their past 11 in the month of September. The over has been the trend in this series, though, going 7-3 in the past 10 meetings at the Coliseum, and 13-6 in the past 19 overall. In this series, Stanford is 4-1 ATS in the past five trips to USC, the road team is 7-3 ATS in the past 10 and the dog has hit in seven of the past eight. Can Stanford continue those trends?

San Jose State at Oregon State

A pair of mediocre 1-1 teams lock horns in Corvallis Saturday night. San Jose State was trampled by the triple-option of Air Force last Saturday, while the Beavers are the trivia answer to the question 'Who did Jim Harbaugh earn his first win as head coach of Michigan?'. Neither team has looked very good to date. Even in a win in their opener, OSU struggled with FCS Weber State. San Jose State was a little more impressive in their opener, spanking a good New Hampshire team 43-13. Neither team is very good against the number, with San Jose going 1-7 ATS in their past eight (their only cover during the span vs. UNH this season). Oregon State is 2-8 ATS in their past 10 non-conference games, 0-2 ATS this season and 1-5 ATS in their past six at home.

Wyoming at Washington State

Washington State is a hard team to figure. They fell at home 24-17 to FCS Portland State in their opener, looking listless. Then, they go cross-country and steal a win from Rutgers in the closing seconds, 34-31, and their offense is prolific again. Wyoming hasn't been so inconsistent. In fact, they have just been consistently bad. After a pair of bad home losses to FCS North Dakota and usual MAC doormat Eastern Michigan, there are a million questions and no answers in Laramie. They lost two games straight up as double-digit favorites, so their first game on the road does not look promising for Wyoming.

Brigham Young at UCLA

BYU heads to UCLA and the Bruins should be awfully careful not to let the game come down to the final moments. In each of the first two weeks the Cougars have snatched victory from the jaws of defeat with a pair of Hail Mary touchdown grabs, sending Nebraska and Boise State fans home scratching their heads. Will the Bruins be next? Not if UCLA QB Josh Rosen has anything to say about it. The Bruins are averaging 35.5 points per game, and their defense has been stout, allowing just 9.5 PPG to Virginia and UNLV. BYU's defense has been gouged for a total of 53 points to date, and that's an area they need to tighten up to avoid needing last-second miracles. Plenty of people will be on BYU plus-17 because of the highlights on social media and the sports networks, so expect the points to head toward the two-touchdown mark. Keep in mind, though, UCLA is 9-4-1 ATS in their past 14 non-conference games, and 3-1-1 ATS in the past five at home.

Utah at Fresno State

Utah heads to the Valley to battle Fresno State, a team licking its wounds after an ugly 73-21 shredding from Mississippi last week in Oxford. Utah is battle tested, withstanding charges from Michigan and in-state rival Utah State early on. The under has hit in each of Utah's past two, although the over could be in play if Fresno State's defense look like turnstiles again. The Utes are 6-1 ATS in their past seven on the road, and 38-18-2 ATS in their past 58 non-conference games while going 10-4 ATS in their past 14 against the Mountain West. Fresno is 3-9 ATS in their past 12 non-conference tilts, including 2-8 ATS in their past 10 against Pac-12 opponents. The Utes have also covered in four of their past five against the Bulldogs, although the home team has hit in five straight in this series.

Other ACC teams in action

Georgia State at Oregon
Northern Arizona at Arizona

College Football Week 3

Top 13 games

Duke/Northwestern both beat I-AA stiffs last week; Wildcats won five of last six series games, with underdogs covering last four. Northwestern is 16-8 as a road dog since '08. Duke is 12-3 as home favorite last three years; they open ACC play next week. Both teams have new starting QBs this season. ACC non-divisional home favorites are 4-2 vs spread.

South Carolina allowed 415 rushing yards in splitting first two games vs UNC/Kentucky, but they've won four of last five games with Georgia, splitting last four visits between hedges. Gamecocks are 5-3 as road dogs since '12; they scored 30+ points in last four series games. Average total in last four series is 68.3. Georgia is 17-14 as home favorite since '10.

Auburn (-7.5) waxed LSU 41-7 LY, running ball for 298 yards in a game they led 31-7 at half, their second win in last eight series games. Auburn lost last seven visits to LSU (3-4 vs spread); they're 7-14 as road dogs since 2008. LSU covered five of last seven as home favorites; they had tough win last week at Miss State last week, while Auburn was trailing a I-AA team in last minute last week, before winning in OT.

Ole Miss (+4.5) upset Alabama 23-17 LY, its first win in last 11 games with Crimson Tide; Rebels are 7-3 vs spread in last 10 series games, 4-1 in last five at Alabama, though they lost all five. Tide is 9-6 vs spread as home faves since '13; they ran ball for 229 ypg, scored 36 ppg in winning its first two games. Ole Miss is 5-2 as road underdogs under Freeze.

Nebraska (-8) beat Miami 41-31 LY, running ball for 343 yards in game that was 17-14 at half. Miami threw for 359 yards that day. Huskers are 4-1 in last five games as road underdogs- they gave up 692 passing yards in splitting first two games. Miami is 11-11 as home faves under Golden (4-2 last six). ACC non-conference home favorites are 4-2 vs spread. Hurricanes gave up 223 rushing yards in 44-20 win at FAU last week.

Georgia Tech has 915 rushing yards in its first two games; their option attack is tough to prep for in one week. Notre Dame needed last-minute TD to escape Virginia last week and lost QB Zaire in process-- this will be first start for redshirt frosh QB Kizer. Notre Dame is 2-2 as a home dog under Kelly. Tech is 10-4-2 as road favorites under Johnson, 4-0-1 last 3+ years. ACC non-conference road favorites are 3-0 vs spread.

Washington is 10-6 as home favorite since '11 (2-2 under Stevens); they are playing freshman QB, and hammered a I-AA team LW after losing 16-13 at Boise in opener (outgained 337-179). Utah State (+13) lost at Utah 24-14 LW; they had -3 turnover ratio. Aggies are 4-5 vs spread as road underdog, after being 14-2 in four years under Anderson before that. Pac-12 teams are 4-2 vs Mountain West squads this year, 3-2 as faves.

Bowling Green scored 78 points, gained 1,279 yards in splitting first two games vs Power 5 conference teams; they scored 42 points in 2nd half at Maryland last week. Falcons are 4-1 as home dog since '11, have a +22 turnover ratio in last 30 games. Memphis gained 651 yards in 55-23 win at Kansas LW, despite a -3 TO ratio; they're 4-2 as road faves since '13. MAC non-conference home underdogs are 4-1 against the spread.

Underdogs won last three Colorado-Colo State games SU, are 13-6 vs spread in last 19; teams split last six series games SU. Buffs are 9-23 vs spread in last 32 games away from Boulder, losing last five SU. Pac-12 teams are 4-2 vs Mountain West squads this year, 3-2 as faves. Rams are 10-5 vs spread in last 15 road games; they lost to Minnesota at home in OT last week, turning ball over four times, getting outgained 413-314.

Florida won its last 18 games with Kentucky, covering seven of last eight meetings; Gators won last nine visits here, covering last four. Florida ran ball for 200+ yards in last four series games. Gators are 14-6 as favorites on road since '07; they gave up 346 passing yards in 31-24 win vs ECU last week. Kentucky is 1-5-2 as home underdog under Stoops, but they upset South Carolina 26-22 last week, running ball for 207 yards. New coach, new QB, first road game here for Florida.

Cal hasn't been road favorite since 2012; they're AF here vs Texas squad that changed playcallers, fired its AD in two weeks since season started- they also yanked their QB in 42-28 win over Rice LW, when Longhorns scored two defensive TDs but were outgained 462-277 by Owls. Texas is 5-11 vs spread as a dog since '10. Cal is 4-13 as road favorite since '07; they were 5-0 vs spread on road LY (all as dog), with four of five games decided by 8 or less points.

USC beat Stanford 13-10/20-17 last two years; they're 3-6 in last nine vs Cardinal, in series where dogs covered nine of last 12 games, six of nine in Coliseum. Trojans are 16-8 as home favorites since '11; they won first two games this year 55-6/59-9, throwing for 773 yards behind senor QB Kessler. Stanford is 3-1-1 as road underdog under Shaw; they've lost four of last six road tilts, getting upset 16-6 at Northwestern in opener (-12).

Iowa (+6.5) won 24-20 at Pitt LY, despite being outgained 435-311 in a game Hawkeyes led 17-7 at half. Iowa ran for 260 yards in rivalry win vs Iowa State last week; they're 4-12 as home favorites last three seasons. Panthers are 1-4 as road dogs last two years; they they held Akron to 117 yards last week in 24-7 win, after escaping I-AA Youngstown 45-37 week before. Big 14 non-conference home favorites are 5-6 vs spread.

Rest of the card.

-- Wake Forest won last five games with Army (4-1 vs spread); since '07, Wake is 14-28 vs spread on road (0-1 AF since '12). Army is 8-5 as a home underdog since 2011.
-- Temple won SU as dogs at Penn State/Cincy, since '09, Owls are 9-5 as road favorites. UMass gave up 390 rushing yards last week in 48-14 loss at Colorado; they're 6-7 as home underdogs.
-- Michigan held Oregon State to 138 TY in Harbaugh's home debut last week; Wolverines are 15-11 as home faves since '11. UNLV QB Decker got hurt last week; if he can't go, soph backup is in over his head.
-- Underdogs covered five of last seven Ball State-Eastern Michigan tilts; Ball won nine of last ten series games, winning last five here (4-1 against spread). Cardinals beat EMU 51-20/45-0 last two years.

-- Charlotte won its I-A debut 23-20 at Georgia State. Middle Tennessee was outgained 532-275 at Alabama LW but they covered, losing 37-10 as 37-point dogs. Blue Raiders are 6-5-1 as home faves since 2012.
-- Minnesota is 9-3 as home favorite since '12; their first two games this year were decided by total of 9 poiuts. Kent State is 10-15 as road dog; they lost 52-3 at Illinois in previous road game this year.
-- FAU allowed 623 rushing yards, 91 points in losing first two games vs Toledo/Miami, but they also gained 1,052 TY. Buffalo was outgained only 328-274 in 27-14 loss at Penn State last week.
-- Wisconsin is 18-11 as home favorite since 2011; Big 14 home faves are 5-6 vs spread. Troy is 7-6-2 as road underdog since 2013; they gave up 263 rushing yards in 44-16 win over a I-AA team last week.

-- North Carolina is 10-7 as home favorite since '12; they beat I-AA team LW, play another one next. Illinois is 3-10 as road dog last three seasons; they've hammered two stiffs so far, are playing under interim coach.
-- Ohio State is 12-11 as home favorite last 3+ years. No. Illinois allowed 866 TY, 56 points in pair of wins over stiffs; Huskies are 17-8 as a road underdog last decade, 3-1 under Carey.
-- Over last decade, NC State is 1-9 as road favorite; they gained 893 TY in routing couple stiffs this year. Old Dominion gave up 252 rushing yds in 38-34 win at Eastern Michigan in its only I-A game this year.
-- Over last decade, Oklahoma is 18-9 vs spread after loss; Sooners won last eight games vs Tulsa, covering last five. Tulsa scored 87 points and won first two games, despite giving up 524 RY to FAU, New Mexico.

-- Syracuse hammered Central Michigan 40-3 LY; they're 4-3 as a home fave under Shafer, but LSU visits next week, could be looking ahead to that. Since 2011, Chippewas are 6-12 as road underdogs.
-- Texas A&M scored 94 points in winning first two games by 21-35 but they open SEC play vs Arkansas next; Aggies are 8-10 as home favorite under Sumlin. Nevada is 4-5 as road underdog under Polian.
-- Oregon lost at Michigan State last week; they're 4-2 spread in game following last six losses. Ducks can name score vs Georgia St. squad that losr at home to I-A newbie Charlotte. Oregon plays Utah next week.
-- North Texas lost three of last four games with Rice, outgained by 103 ypg in last two meetings. Owls were 3-0 as road faves LY; they lost at Texas last week but outgained Horns 462-277- they were -4 in TOs.

-- Louisiana Tech gained 1,167 TY in first two games but lost 41-38 at WKU LW, giving up 441 PY. Tech is 11-4 as road since '11. Kansas St. is 14-6 as HF last three years; they open Big X play next week.
-- Underdogs covered last four East Carolina-Navy games, with average total of 79.9. ECU's spit last two visits here (38-35/23-28). Pirates were outgained 373-333 in 31-24 loss at Florida; they're 8-10 as road dogs.
-- Virginia Tech is 1-7 as road favorite last 3+ years; their backup QB is making first road start. Purdue is 3-8 as home underdog since '12. Both teams beat up on I-AA opponent last week; hard to tell much from that.
-- Oklahoma State beat UTSA last two seasons, 56-35/43-13, covering both; OSU is 25-11 as home favoes since 2008- they open Big X play vs Texas next. UTSA covered five of six games as a road underdog.

-- Washington is starting freshman QB; they're 10-6 as home faves since '11- they open Pac-12 play next week. Utah State starts 6th-year QB; they're 4-5 as road dog under Wells, losing 24-14 at Utah last week.
-- Texas State (+8) was +5 in turnovers, won 22-15 at Southern Miss in last meeting ('13), despite being outgained 400-207. USM is 7-12 as dog on road since '12. Bobcats are 1-5 as home favorites last two years.
-- Cincinnati won last nine games with Miami OH (6-3 vs spread); they are 5-0 as series favorite of less than 20 points. Bearcats won last two visits here, 14-0/27-0. Cincy is 10-5 as road favorite since 2010.
-- Iowa State gave up 260 rushing yards last week in 31-17 rivalry loss to Iowa; Cyclones are 15-12 as road dogs under Rhoads. Toledo won at Arkansas LW, despite being outgained 515-318; this is home opener.

-- Arkansas ran for 438 yards in 49-28 win last time they played Texas Tech; Hogs got upset at home by Toledo LW- they gained 1,005 yards in first games but were -4 in TOs LW. Tech is 2-6 as road dog since '12.
-- Over last decade, South Florida is 21-10 as road dogs. Maryland gave up 42 second half points in loss to Bowling Green last week; they're 7-10 as HFs under Edsall. USF was outgained 441-274 at Florida St LW
-- Missouri is 14-11 as home faves since '11; Tigers open SEC play next week. UConn is 4-12 as road underdog since '11; they're 2-0 with pair of 5-point wins this year, over I-AA team and Army (415-265 TY).
-- Western Kentucky won its first two games by combined 5 points vs Vandy/LaTech; WKU is 14-7 as road dogs since '10. Indiana scored 84 points in winning first two games, but allowed 248 YR to a I-AA team.

-- Oregon State gained only 138 TY in loss at Michigan LW; Beavers are 8-15 as home faves as '08. Pac-12 home faves are 7-2 vs spread out of conference. San Jose State gave up 428 YR in loss at Air Force LW.
-- TCU is 13-2 in last 15 games with SMU, winning 56-17/48-17 in last two games; SMU covered four of last six visits here. Horned Frogs open Big X play next week. Mustangs gave up 723 TY in loss to Baylor.
-- UTEP won last six games with New Mexico State (5-0-1 vs spread); they won last three visits here by 21-6-26, gained 470+ TY in last three series games. Aggies are 17-26-1 as home underdog the last decade.
-- Rutgers coach Flood is suspended for three games- Knights are a mess; they lost 13-10 to Penn State LW, outgained 373-294. Lions are 11-7 as home fave since '12. Rutgers is 22-11 as road underdog the last decade.

-- San Diego State is 11-11 as home favorite under Long; they got waxed 35-7 at Cal LW, visit Penn State next week. South Alabama is 0-5 in last five as road dog; they lost 48-9 at Nebraska LW, giving up 258 YR.
-- Michigan State is off Oregon win; they allowed 52 points in first two games. Air Force is 3-7 as road dog last three years; they ran ball for 822 yards in first two games. Spartans are 6-2 last eight games as home fave..
-- Washington State lost to I-AA team, then won at Rutgers LW; Coogs are 4-4 as home favorites under Leach. Wyoming gave up 438 rushing yards to a bad EMU squad, after losing to I-AA team the week before.
-- BYU beat Boise LW in backup QB's first start; Cougars are 8-3 as dog on road since 2011- they won opener at Nebraska. UCLA opened year with routs of Virginia/UNLV; they're 9-6 as home fave under Mora.
-- Utah ran for 258 yards in 59-27 (-13) win over Fresno State last year; Utes are at Oregon next week, could be looking ahead- they're 1-5 as road faves since 2011. Fresno gave up 607 yards in 73-21 loss at Ole Miss.

Armadillosports.com

Injury News & Notes - Week 3
By Brian Edwards
VegasInsider.com

Notre Dame quarterback Malik Zaire will miss the rest of the season with a broken ankle sustained in last week's win at Virginia. Therefore, redshirt freshman DeShone Kizer will become the starting signal caller. Kizer's Hail Mary pass for a TD late in the fourth quarter lifted the Irish past UVA last week, 34-27. RB Tarean Folston went down with a season-ending knee injury in Week 1. Folston rushed for a team-best 889 yards and six TDs last year, averaging 5.1 yards per carry. Also, starting TE Durham Smythe is done for the year due to a shoulder injury, and starting DT Jarron Jones was lost for all of 2015 back in August with a knee injury. Jones had 40 tackles, 1.5 sacks and seven QB hurries in 2014.

Toledo pulled the biggest stunner of Week 2 with its improbable 16-12 win at Arkansas as a 22.5-point underdog. What makes the Rockets' victory even more impressive is that it was done without the services of RB Kareem Hunt and DE Allen Covington. Hunt led the MAC with 1,631 rushing yards and 16 TDs while averaging 8.0 YPC in 2014. Covington was a second-team All-MAC selection last year. Both players were serving two-game suspensions and will return for Saturday's home game vs. Iowa St. at The Glass Bowl.

Tennessee has been dealing with personnel issues galore all season and things got worse on that front after this past week's gut-wrenching overtime loss to Oklahoma. Senior LB Curt Maggitt sustained a hip injury and will be out for an indefinite period of time. Maggitt had a team-high 11 sacks in 2014 when he garnered second-team All-SEC honors. Starting DT Danny O'Brien will remain suspended for Saturday's home game vs. Western Carolina. On the bright side, senior safety LaDarrell McNeil could return this week despite suffering a neck injury earlier this month that was expected to keep him out for an extended period of time. The Volunteers will go to Florida in Week 4 in hopes of snapping a 10-game losing streak against the Gators.

Florida starting safety Keanu Neal is expected to start Saturday at Kentucky after missing the first two games with a strained hamstring. Neal had 45 tackles, three interceptions and a fumble recovery returned for a TD last season. All-SEC CB Vernon Hargreaves missed the first game of his career in last week's 31-24 home win over East Carolina. Hargreaves injured his hamstring at last Thursday's practice. Hargreaves practiced at full speed Wednesday and will play at UK. Also, freshman OT Martez Ivey has practiced all week and will make his collegiate debut in Lexington. Ivey, a five-star recruit, had his knee scoped in late August and missed the first two games. Starting LB Alex Anzalone (shoulder) will not play against the 'Cats.

South Carolina QB Connor Mitch is out for the next 4-6 weeks due to a shoulder injury and an infection in his hip. Perry Orth will get the starting nod Saturday at Georgia. Other than a late interception on a potential game-winning drive, Orth was better than decent in South Carolina's 26-22 home loss to Kentucky. He led four scoring drives in the second half after the Gamecocks were down 24-7 at halftime. Unfortunately for Steve Spurrier's squad, three of those scoring drives ended with Elliot Fry making short field goals from 21, 27 and 29 yards out. Orth completed 13-of-20 passes for 179 yards and one TD. The 'Cocks, who were 16.5-point underdogs as of Thursday, have compiled an 8-2 spread record in 10 games as double-digit underdogs during Spurrier's 11-year tenure.

Arkansas WR Keon Hatcher is expected to miss the next 6-8 weeks with a foot injury. Hatcher was the Hogs' best wideout in 2014 when he made 43 catches for 558 yards and six TDs. In the first two games this year, Hatcher hauled in 13 receptions for 198 yards and a pair of TDs.

Missouri RB Russell Hansbrough is 'out' Saturday vs. UConn. Hansbrough, who rushed for 1,084 yards and 10 TDs in 2014, was injured in the first quarter of his team's season-opening win over SE Missouri St. After being limited at practice all of last week, Hansbrough gave it a go in last week's 27-20 non-covering road win at Arkansas St. However, the senior RB only gained 15 yards on five carries. Making matters worse for Gary Pinkel at the RB position, three other backs are 'questionable,' including Ish Witter (concussion), Morgan Steward (hip) and Tyler Hunt (groin).

FAU QB Jaquez Johnson sprained his ankle in last week's 44-20 home loss to Miami. Johnson is a question mark for Saturday's game vs. Buffalo.

UCF QB Justin Holman is out for 2-4 weeks with a hand injury. Even worse, starting center Joey Grant is done for the season after suffering another shoulder injury. George O'Leary is going to give true freshman QB Bo Schneider the starting nod at QB vs. Furman.

Western Kentucky RB Leon Allen sustained a grotesque leg/knee injury in last Thursday's 41-38 home win over La. Tech. Allen, who rushed for 1,542 yards and 13 TDs in 2014, will miss the rest of the 2015 campaign.

Arkansas State QB Fredi Knighten is 'out' for Saturday's game vs. Missouri St. due to a groin injury. James Tabary will get the starting nod under center in his absence.

Air Force QB Nate Romine (knee) is 'out' Saturday at Michigan State. In fact, Romine is out indefinitely for the Falcons.

California star RB Daniel Lasco is 'questionable' for Saturday's game at Texas due to a knee injury.

Utah QB Travis Wilson has been downgraded to 'doubtful' for Saturday's game at Fresno St.

Total Notes - Week 3
By James Manos
VegasInsider.com

Another solid job last week, as we accurately predicted the middling of the total in the East Carolina-Florida game and suggested avoiding our usual policy of fading the public movement game of the week.

I've received some great feedback this season, so hopefully everyone who enjoys these articles is cashing some tickets.

On to this week...

1) Correct sharp movement: Utah State/Washington UNDER

Sharps have moved the total in the Utah State-Washington game from the opener of 47 down to 44 and I expect this one to close slightly lower. This is one instance where actually "watching" the games has helped gamblers divine a wager. This number would likely have been bet down simply based on the way these two teams have played to open the season, however, having some visual recognition of certain events has driven the line further.

Utah State QB Keeton has missed the better parts of two seasons with knee injuries and in the games he's played surrounding those injuries, he's not resembled the dynamic player we saw in 2012-13. Those who watched him play last week at Utah saw him struggle in the passing game (2 INTs) and take a hit to his knee that left him limping towards the end of the game. Also, viewing bettors have seen Utah State face Utah (38 combined points) and Washington face Boise State (29 combined pts) and expect a similarly styled matchup here. Utah State must rely on it's defense to win and with Huskies head coach Chris Peterson showing a willingness to play conservatively, sharps have pounced on a soft opening number.

2) Incorrect sharp movement: Wake Forest/Army OVER

Sharps betting the Wake Forest-Army game OVER will have their work cut out for them. This Army offense could be very bad and Wake Forest enters off mustering 46 yards rushing on 1.4 yards per carry vs UConn. These two teams are very familiar with one another (meeting for 4th consecutive year) and over the last two seasons have averaged just 40.5 points per game. The pace of this game should be slow and if we get some FG's after long Army drives, this number will be hard to reach.

3) Public movement: Memphis/Bowling Green OVER

Once again, the public is backing the OVER in a Bowling Green game. I believe this will be a running theme until something drastic occurs, the public is simply going to bet OVER in Bowling Green games regardless of the number. This game has been bet up 10 points from the opener (69) and I don't think it's done moving.

Just like last week, I don't expect any buyback on this number, but unlike last week, I am willing to fade this number at it's peak…..which I believe will be 81.5. Both of these teams are OVER squads, and the opener was a poor offering, but even after sharps bet this game into place the public has continued to push it along. Books likely couldn't have opened this game high enough to avoid taking OVER money so at what point is all the value gone?

4) Market manipulation: East Carolina/Navy UNDER

Market manipulators doing a solid job of holding this total in the high 50's (58) for now, but I expect that to change on game day and for this number to close above the opener of 60. I think this is one of the more obvious head-fakes that we've seen so far this season and I expect a fairly high scoring game here. These two teams have met three times in the last five years and those game resulted in game totals of 111, 73, and 84. Normally, you might discount some of those past results but several factors have me believing that they'll hold true here as well.

Navy has consistency in it's option attack and at the head coach position with Ken Niumatalolo and ECU, as I mentioned last week, has been adept at finding offense despite personnel losses. Both of these offenses are better than the defenses they'll face and bring styles that the other will struggle to contain. Navy's option is tough on a Pirates defense that isn't physical at the point of attack while ECU's passing offense is tough on a an undersized Navy secondary that lacks athleticism.

This formula has worked in past year's to produce high scoring contests and I see no reason to expect that to change. Throw in the fact that the Pirates defensive line is off a physical game vs an SEC opponent and now facing a Navy option attack that's off a bye and has been prepping for this game for a month and I like Navy's chances to rush for 280+ yards which, should push this game OVER the total.

Saturday's College Football Top 25 Betting Cheat Sheet
By Covers.com

Tulsa Golden Hurricane at (17) Oklahoma Sooners (-31, 71.5)

Tulsa has averaged 43.5 points and 609 total yards (sixth nationally) while winning their first two games (1-1 ATS) under first-year coach Philip Montgomery, the former offensive coordinator at Baylor.

Oklahoma leads the series 19-7-1 and has won the last eight meetings. The Sooners have gone 6-1-1 against the spread in those previous eight meetings.

Connecticut Huskies at (20) Missouri Tigers (-21.5, 41.5)

UConn has not won on the road since a victory at Temple on Nov. 23, 2013. The Huskies are 0-5 straight up and 1-4 against the spread away from home during that time (including one neutral site game).

The Tigers have leaned on a defense that leads the SEC in total defense (209 yards per game) and scoring defense (11.5 points per game). Reigning SEC Defensive Player of the Week Kentrell Brothers has anchored Missouri’s defense thus far, racking up 32 tackles, a blocked punt and two fourth-quarter interceptions that helped the Tigers limit Arkansas State to 37 total yards in the second half last week.

Nevada Wolf Pack at (18) Texas A&M Aggies (-34, 65)

The Wolf Pack, who opened the season with a 31-17 victory over FCS school UC Davis have struggled offensively and rank 90th nationally in scoring (25.5) and 99th in total offense (361 yards per game). Junior quarterback Tyler Stewart is completing just 59.6 percent of his passes and has thrown for just 322 yards and three touchdowns in two games.

Texas A&M has won 18 straight nonconference games -- longest streak in the FBS -- dating back to a 42-38 loss in 2011 to then nonconference foe Arkansas. They are 12-6 against the spread in those games.

Air Force Falcons at (4) Michigan State Spartans (-26, 55)

The Falcons must make a change at quarterback after starter Nate Romine was lost for the season with a knee injury in last week’s game. They now turn to senior quarterback Karson Roberts, who attempted 41 passes and rushed for 253 yards in 2013 before playing sparingly last season.

Michigan State has scored 68 points in its first two games and at least 30 in a school-record 10 straight, led by Heisman Trophy candidate quarterback Connor Cook. The Over has gone 7-3 over the course of those 10 games.

(24) Northwestern Wildcats at Duke Blue Devils (-3.5, 48)

Northwestern followed up its Week 1 win over Stanford with a 41-0 victory over Eastern Illinois, prompting some confident comments from the players. “We expect to have a shutout next week (against Duke),” defensive lineman Ifeadi Odenigbo told the Chicago Tribune.

Duke quarterback Thomas Sirk piled up 604 yards passing and 154 more on the ground with a total of six touchdowns in the first two games and has yet to commit a turnover. “We have a scoring mentality on every play,” Sirk told reporters. “We’re trying to get the ball down the field. It doesn’t matter what it is, we’re just trying to get it in the end zone.”

Georgia State Panthers at (13) Oregon Ducks (-44.5, 72)

One week after a 2,600-mile round trip to New Mexico State, the Panthers will make a 4,200-mile round trip to play the Ducks.

Thanks to a Vernon Adams' broken index finger on his throwing hand, Oregon may choose to play backup quarterback Jeff Lockie in advance of the team’s Pac-12 opener next week against Utah. Regardless of which Ducks signal-caller is taking the snaps, the challenge should not be anywhere near as difficult this week against the Panthers, who outlasted New Mexico State 34-32 for their first victory against a FBS school.

Troy Trojans at (23) Wisconsin Badgers (-34.5, 58)

Troy, which has never faced Wisconsin, is winless in seven games against Big Ten teams and 1-20 against ranked opponents since becoming an FBS program in 2001.

Wisconsin has never had a season in which it has thrown more often than run since the post-World War II era of college football began in 1946, but this edition of the Badgers has done exactly that through their first two games, attempting 75 passes versus 66 runs. The move to a more balanced offense has Wisconsin averaging 245.5 passing yards through two games, just over 11 yards ahead of the school-record pace set by the Russell Wilson-led Badgers four years ago.

Texas-San Antonio Roadrunners at (25) Oklahoma State Cowboys (-24.5, 55.5)

UTSA's young defense is allowing an average of 36 points and 5.5 plays that go for at least 20 yards through two games.

No. 25 Oklahoma State has a list of things to work on when the Cowboys host winless UTSA on Saturday to make an explosive offensive even more potent before Big 12 Conference play begins. Cowboy coaches keep track of rush yards per carry, explosive plays, turnovers and negative plays for each game - and there is room for improvement despite a 2-0 start.

(15) Auburn Tigers at (14) LSU Tigers (-6.5, 48)

Auburn will have three freshmen, a sophomore and a pair of transfers in the rotation of defensive backs on Saturday. “We're always talking to our team about the next man up, about that No. 2 or No. 3 guy,” Auburn coach Gus Malzahn told reporters. “You've got to be prepared when you're called upon, and we're going to be counting on some young guys. The positive with that is you've got a chance to grow and get better.”

LSU ran for a total of 266 yards in the win against Mississippi State last weekend while holding the Bulldogs to 43 on the ground. Heisman candidate Leonard Fournette was not so explosive at Auburn last season, when he was held to 42 yards on 10 carries in a game LSU lost 41-7.

Northern Illinois Huskies at (1) Ohio State Buckeyes (-34.5, 66.5)

Northern Illinois has won its last three games against Big Ten schools, defeating Northwestern, Purdue and Iowa, and has won 11 or more games in each of the past five seasons. The Huskies are 3-0 ATS in those games versus the Big Ten.

Junior Cardale Jones will be the starting quarterback for the third straight game but Buckeyes coach Urban Meyer wasn't thrilled with the play of Jones or sophomore J.T. Barrett in the 38-0 trouncing of Hawaii last Saturday. "I think we have two excellent quarterbacks and I expect them to play very well," Meyer said at a press conference. "Neither of them played very well. Disappointment - I don't like that word. We've just got to better prepare them."

(16) Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets at (10) Notre Dame Fighting Irish (+2.5, 55)

The Yellow Jackets average the fewest penalty yards (12) in the nation through the first two weeks.

DeShone Kizer came on in relief of Zaire (fractured ankle) last week and tossed a pair of touchdown passes, including the game-winner with 12 seconds left in a 34-27 victory at Virginia. “I think DeShone will do quite well,” Notre Dame coach Brian Kelly told reporters. “We'll just feature some of the things that he does a little bit better than maybe - or that are considered his strengths as a quarterback and feature those.”

South Carolina Gamecocks at (8) Georgia Bulldogs (-16.5, 52)

South Carolina lost Connor Mitch to a sprained right shoulder during last week’s 26-22 upset loss to Kentucky, thrusting Perry Orth into the first significant game action of the junior’s career.

Georgia running back Nick Chubb is off to a dazzling start to his sophomore season, averaging 8.8 yards per carry while accumulating 309 yards through two games.

Southern Methodist Mustangs at (3) TCU Horned Frogs (-37.5, 66)

The Mustangs allowed 723 total yards in a 56-21 loss to Baylor to open the season but forced four turnovers and held North Texas to 240 yards in last week's win.

Third-ranked TCU will continue to piece together a defense when it hosts SMU on Saturday after scrambling to fill openings during the season's first two weeks. Coach Gary Patterson told the media Wednesday that starting defensive tackle Davion Pierson would miss his third straight game after giving Pierson's return from an undisclosed injury a chance Monday.

Stanford Cardinal at (7) USC Trojans (-9.5, 50)

Stanford’s young secondary could struggle against the Trojans’ wide receivers, but linebackers Blake Martinez, Peter Kalambayi and Kevin Anderson should help limit the damage. Stanford has held USC to 68.3 rushing yards per game and 2.3 yards per carry in the last three games between the teams.

USC rolled past Arkansas State and Idaho by a combined score of 114-15 as senior quarterback Cody Kessler launched his Heisman Trophy campaign by throwing seven touchdowns with no interceptions. The Trojans are 2-0 ATS to begin the season.

(11) Ole Miss Rebels at (2) Alabama Crimson Tide (-6.5, 53.5)

The Rebels returned most of the key parts from last year’s outstanding defense, but the offense was something of a question. Quarterback Chad Kelly (557 yards, 6 TDs, 1 INT) has provided a resounding answer, and the Rebels have surrounded him with numerous weapons.

Alabama has scored in the first half of 105 consecutive games, the longest active streak in the nation, and has gone 185 consecutive games without being shut out.

(22) BYU Cougars at (12) UCLA Bruins (-16.5, 60)

The Cougars have attracted UCLA’s attention with their physical style of play and, at times, below-the-belt methods. Defensive lineman Ului Lapuaho will be allowed to play against the Bruins despite being caught punching a Boise State player in the groin last weekend. Also last week, safety Kai Nacua returned from a one-game suspension as a result of a brawl at the end of the Miami Beach Bowl last December and made three interceptions to earn National Defensive Player of the Week honors.

The Bruins' offensive line received good news this week when center Jake Brendel - who missed the second half against UNLV with a bruised foot - was given the go-ahead to play this week, but fellow offensive lineman Tevita Halalilo broke a bone in his leg late in the game and will miss three months.

(21) Utah Utes at Fresno State Bulldogs (+14, 54)

Utah’s offense has scored on all seven of its red-zone opportunities this season, scoring five touchdowns and making two field goals.

The Bulldogs are 18-2 at home under coach Tim DeRuyter but haven’t hosted many teams as talented as the Utes, who have won eight straight non-conference games - including a 24-17 season-opening victory over Michigan.

Northern Arizona Lumberjacks at (19) Arizona Wildcats (Off, Off)

The Lumberjacks, who opened the season with a 34-28 win at Stephen F. Austin, cracked the FCS Top 25 for the first time this season after defeating New Mexico Highlands, 41-5, at home, coming in at No. 24 in both the FCS Coaches' poll and STATS Top 25 poll.

The Wildcats, who cruised to a 44-20 victory at Nevada last week and open conference play next week against 12th-ranked UCLA, have one pretty simple goal for this one: stay healthy. Arizona has been hit hard by the injury bug, especially at middle linebacker where All-American and reigning Pac-12 Defensive Player of the Year Scooby Wright will miss his second straight game following surgery to repair torn meniscus in his left knee.

Game of the Day: Ole Miss at Alabama
By Covers.com

Ole Miss Rebels at Alabama Crimson Tide (-7, 53)

Ole Miss is putting up eye-popping offensive numbers through two games, but the 11th-ranked Rebels will face a stiffer test when they travel to No. 2 Alabama for an SEC West showdown on Saturday. The Crimson Tide have never lost back-to-back games in the series and are 25-1 at home against the Rebels.

Last year’s 23-17 home win over top-ranked Alabama marked Ole Miss’ first in the long-running series since 2003. A repeat performance would validate the Rebels’ red-hot start – they’ve outscored their first two opponents 149-24 – and perhaps make them the favorites in the SEC West. Alabama quietly dispatched Wisconsin 35-17 in its opener before cruising to a 37-10 win over Middle Tennessee last week and will have a raucous home crowd fueled by the hype of hosting ESPN’s College GameDay. The Crimson Tide have won 17 consecutive home games, tied with Baylor for the longest active streak in the nation.

LINE HISTORY: Books opened Alabama -6.5, but that has moved since moved to -7. The total opened at 49 and has gone up four points to 53.

INJURY REPORT: Ole Miss - DB C.J. Hampton (Probable, suspension), DB Tee Shepard (Probable, suspension). Alabama - DB Jabriel Washington (Mid October, knee).

WEATHER: Temperatures will be in the mid-70s under clear skies. Wind will be minimal, blowing toward the south end zone at around two miles per hour.

WHAT CAPPERS SAY: "The Rebels have scored 70+ points in each of their first two games of the season, but they face a much tougher test on the road in Tuscaloosa this week. Remember they upset Alabama in a 23-17 home win last year. Derrick Henry has 243 yards and six TDs in just two games so far, and the Crimson Tide defense has looked as good as ever. There is still a question mark at quarterback though, as neither Jake Coker or Cooper Bateman have played particularly well." Covers Expert Jesse Schule.

WHAT BOOKS SAY: "Sharp money on the dog and under. We've taken a higher volume of wagers on the over and 'Bama but as far as handle, we are very even because the wiseguys are on the dog and under. John Lester, BookMaker.eu.

ABOUT OLE MISS (2-0 SU, 2-0 ATS, 2-0 O/U): The Rebels returned most of the key parts from last year’s outstanding defense, but the offense was something of a question. Quarterback Chad Kelly (557 yards, 6 TDs, 1 INT) has provided a resounding answer, and the Rebels have surrounded him with numerous weapons. The outrageous offensive output has overshadowed the defense, which has lived up to expectations thus far by holding opponents to 303 yards per game even with reserves getting plenty of playing time during mop-up duty.

ABOUT ALABAMA (2-0 SU, 1-1 ATS, 1-1 O/U): The Crimson Tide have held their first two opponents under 300 total yards and have been especially stingy against the run, allowing 63 yards per game on the ground. Alabama has enjoyed the luxury of being rather one-dimensional on offense with Derrick Henry (243 yards, 6 TDs) and Kenyan Drake (117 yards, 1 TD) carrying the load. Quarterback Jake Coker (427 yards, 2 TDs, 1 INT) might be asked to do more in order to keep pace with Ole Miss’ high-powered attack.

TRENDS:

* Under is 4-0 in the last four meetings in Alabama.
* Rebels are 7-3 ATS in their last 10 meetings.
* Under is 9-1 in Rebels last 10 conference games.
* Over is 4-1 in Crimson Tide last 5 games overall.

CONSENSUS: Fifty-six percent of Covers users are backing the Crimson Tide.

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

Tulsa at Oklahoma

The Golden Hurricane face their biggest test of the season, by far, when they head to Memorial Stadium in Norman to battle the Sooners. Oklahoma has won each of the past eight meetings in this series, including 52-7 last season in Tulsa. The Golden Hurricane have the tools to keep up with the Sooners, posting at least 600 yards in total offense in each of their first two games to kick off the season. QB Dane Evans has a cadre of quality receivers in WRs Keevan Lucas, Keyarris Garrett and Joshua Atkinson. RBs Zack Langer and D'Angelo Brewer have also proven to be dependable, with Langer posting four rushing scores and Brewer averaging 6.3 yards per carry. The Sooners are coming off an impressive comeback and double-overtime win at Tennessee. Will they carry over the momentum or will they have a bit of a hangover after such an impressive road victory?

Louisiana Tech at Kansas State

Kansas State used former walk-on QB Joe Hubener for the start at Texas-San Antonio last week, and he replaced injured QB Jesse Ertz admirably. The Wildcats didn't skip a beat in the 30-3 win over the Roadrunners. Now, they'll be matched up against the high-octane offense of Skip Holtz's Bulldogs. So far La. Tech has posted 100 total points, splitting their two games straight-up. They have the kind of offense to give K-State fits, but the Wildcats showed last week they have plenty of depth to withstand a big loss. La. Tech has covered 17 of their past 21 road games against a team with a winning home record, and they're 6-1 ATS in their past seven on fieldturf. However, they're only 2-6 ATS in their past eight against Big 12 foes. The Wildcats have covered six of their past seven at Bill Snyder Family Stadium, and they're 35-17-1 ATS in their past 53 overall.

Texas-San Antonio at Oklahoma State

UTSA meets their second straight Big 12 opponent, and hope this one goes better than last week. They were humbled 30-3 against K-State at home after putting on a good show at Arizona in their opener. Texas-San Antonio also needs to clean up the penalties if they hope to stay close in this one, as they're the fourth-most penalized team in FBS. OK State is 2-0 SU, but they have failed to cover in a road game at Central Michigan and a hope game against Central Arkansas. The Cowboys have just looked off on the offensive wide of the ball, averaging just 28.0 PPG. However, their defense has been stout and that will be the difference in this one. OK State punished UTSA 43-13 last Sept. 13, and a similar score can be expected here.

Texas Tech at Arkansas

The Red Raiders head to Fayetteville to battle a Razorbacks team which is coming off a disappointing 16-12 setback to Toledo. Now, they'll face a high-octane offense from Lubbock looking to add to Arkansas' misery. The Razorbacks are favored by 11 1/2 currently, and many are flocking to TTU, who are 1-0-1 ATS this season while averaging 64.0 PPG. The Red Raiders are 4-0-1 ATS in their past five games overall, but just 2-5 ATS in their past seven against SEC foes and 2-6 ATS in their past eight on the road. Despite the shocking loss last week, Arkansas is still 11-3 ATS in their past 14, and 10-2 ATS in the past 12 against a team with a winning record. They're also a perfect 6-0 ATS in their past six against Big 12 foes.

California at Texas

It has been a tumultuous week in Austin. The athletic director has been fired, and Longhorn Nation is at a crossroads. Will the football team respond favorably and rally around each other, or will Cal come in and blow their doors off? It will be interesting to watch. The Bears are no slouch anymore after a couple of down seasons. They're actually favored by nearly a touchdown in this one. How many people had Cal being the last remaining unbeaten in the Pac-12 North through two games? Cal has covered four of their past five non-conference games, and they're 5-0 ATS in their past five on the road. Texas has covered four of the past five against Pac-12 teams, but they're 1-5 ATS in their past six at home and 0-4 ATS in their past four overall. The Longhorns have never lost in five meetings with the Golden Bears, but Texas football also has never been this low.

Southern Methodist at Texas Christian

SMU gets another measuring stick game to see how well they're progressing. They hung nicely with Baylor in their opener before the Bears pulled away from Chad Morris' group. Now, they face another national power in their home. The Horned Frogs will be without DT Davion Pierson, while S Kenny Iloka was nicked up last week. DE James McFarland (toe surgery) and LB Sammy Douglas (knee surgery) are also down, so the Frogs will need to rely on depth to see them through. TCU is working on a couple of impressive streaks. They have at least one takeaway in 27 in a row, and QB Trevone Boykin has tossed at least one TD in 17 in a row. SMU has the offense to make things interesting into the third quarter, but look for separation in the second half. A spread of 38 might be a bit much if SMU's offense is clicking.

Iowa State at Toledo

Iowa State will be awfully ornery after getting pushed around by their rivals Iowa last week, 31-17. The Rockets of Toledo were flying high after a 16-12 upset at Arkansas, but have to erase that from memory going into their game in the Glass Bowl against another top-notch opponent. The Rockets, who are favored by seven in this one, have never defeated two Power 5 Conference teams in the same season, so if they're to cover they will be making history at the same time. I-State's defense has been on point, posting nine sacks and 20 tackles for loss. Iowa State is 4-0 ATS in the past four against MAC teams, although they're just 1-6 ATS in their past seven overall. Toledo is 1-3-1 ATS in their past five at home.

Saturday's Top Action
By Sportsbook.ag

AUBURN TIGERS (2-0) at LSU TIGERS (1-0)

Sportsbook.ag Line: LSU -6.5, Total: 49.5

Two ranked teams try to stay unbeaten on Saturday when No. 18 Auburn visits No. 13 LSU in a battle of Tigers.

Although neither team has lost SU (3-0) this season, the schools have a combined 0-3 ATS record in those victories. Auburn survived a major scare last week, as the team needed a last-minute touchdown in regulation and an overtime score to prevail over FCS opponent Jacksonville State, a 39-point underdog. LSU also had a tight matchup last Saturday with then-No. 25 Mississippi State, eking out a 21-19 win thanks to a poorly managed final drive by the Bulldogs. While LSU has had the advantage in this series recently with a 6-2 SU mark (but 3-5 ATS) in the past eight meetings, one of those defeats was last October when Auburn jumped out to a 31-7 halftime lead and cruised to a 41-7 victory. But the stars of that game were Nick Marshall (326 total yards, 4 TD) and Cameron Artis-Payne (161 total yards) who are no longer in college.

Auburn benefits from the fact that road underdogs of 3.5 to 10 points, in the first month of the season after closing out the previous winning campaign with 2+ straight losses, are 35-8 ATS (81%) since 1992. But bettors can also point to LSU's stellar 20-8 ATS mark under Les Miles after a game where the team committed zero turnovers. Auburn's defense could be missing some key components with DB Joshua Holsey (knee) doubtful and LB Justin Garrett (quad) questionable to take the field on Saturday. The good news is that both DL Carl Lawson (hip) and DB Tray Matthews (shoulder) were upgraded to probable. For LSU, both DT Mickey Johnson and OL Chidi Valentine-Okeke are out for the season while DE Isaiah Washington (arm) is listed as questionable for this matchup.

Auburn's offense needs to pick up some serious steam after gaining just 401 total yards in an overtime game against FCS Jacksonville State last week. These Tigers have turned the ball over three times in both contests, and when they last visited Baton Rouge in 2013 (a 35-21 loss), they also had three giveaways. Junior QB Jeremy Johnson has thrown five picks already, but he was much more accurate last week (66% completions) than in the season opener (52% completions). Because Johnson does not have the running skills like departed QB Nick Marshall, he'll have to make quicker decisions and safer throws to move the chains against an excellent LSU secondary that led the SEC in passing yards allowed last year (164 YPG). Johnson also needs to find another target besides star WR Ricardo Louis who has 130 of his team's 373 receiving yards.

Auburn's running game hasn't been great either with 355 yards on 4.5 YPC, but top RB Peyton Barber has proven capable of a large workload, rushing 47 times for 240 yards (5.1 YPC) and 1 TD this season. Defensively, the blue and orange Tigers have already allowed 55 first downs, which has led to the lengthy 33:07 time of possession. They are allowing 5.0 yards per play and need to be more opportunistic after a game where they forced only one turnover.

LSU didn't get to play an opening week tune-up when its scheduled game with McNeese State was postponed due to weather after just five minutes of action. But instead of looking sluggish in the new season opener versus Mississippi State, the Tigers came out strong and scored a pair of Leonard Fournette TD runs in the game's first 14 minutes to take a 14-0 lead. But the offense fizzled after that, scoring just seven points (a third Fournette TD run) in the final three quarters. Fournette finished with 159 rushing yards (5.7 YPC) against MSU, while the rest of the team gained only 178 yards.

QB Brandon Harris connected on 9-of-14 passes, but totaled just 71 yards (5.1 YPA) on those conservative throws. Harris was much worse in last year's blowout loss in Auburn, completing only 3-of-14 passes for 58 yards. Fournette wasn't too effective against the blue and orange Tigers with 42 yards on 10 carries. LSU's rushing defense was incredibly stingy in the win versus Mississippi State, allowing only 43 yards on 26 carries, but the pass defense was exposed. Bulldogs QB Dak Prescott threw for 335 yards (6.4 YPA) with 1 TD and 0 INT, and LSU failed to generate any takeaways. Saturday will be a great opportunity to make plays on the ball with Auburn.

SOUTH CAROLINA GAMECOCKS (1-1) at GEORGIA BULLDOGS (2-0)

Sportsbook.ag Line: Georgia -16.5, Total: 53.5

South Carolina tries to bounce back quickly from a disappointing loss when it visits No. 7 Georgia on Saturday night. The Gamecocks were not supposed to lose to 7-point underdog Kentucky in their home opener last week, but they allowed 399 total yards and fell 26-22. They also lost starting QB Connor Mitch (shoulder) indefinitely in that loss. The Bulldogs surrendered 400 total yards in their SEC opener last week in Vanderbilt, but still prevailed 31-14. These division foes have played a lot of close games recently, as the past six matchups have been decided by a total of 60 points (including 28 in one game), with the home team winning five of those meetings. Last year's matchup was a thrilling 38-35 victory by South Carolina, as the teams combined for 855 yards of offense. While Georgia holds the 7-4 SU advantage at home in this series since 1993, the club is just 5-6 ATS in these recent Athens meetings.

Bettors should consider head coach Steve Spurrier's 25-9 ATS record following a contest where his Gamecocks gained 6.75+ yards per play, but favorites of 10.5 to 21 points that averaged at least 5.25 yards per carry last year are a hefty 43-16 ATS (73%) over the past 10 seasons. In addition to Mitch, South Carolina has several injury concerns with TE Connor Redmond (back), LB Sherrod Pittman (leg) and DBs Antoine Wilder (ankle), Shannon James (wrist) and Chris Lammons (ribs) all listed as questionable. The Bulldogs are in great shape for this matchup, as star RB Nick Chubb, who suffered an ankle injury last game, has been upgraded to probable.

South Carolina will start junior QB Perry Orth on Saturday after he did a fine job replacing injured Connor Mitch last week, finishing 13-of-20 for 179 yards, 1 TD and 1 INT. Orth will certainly lean heavily on superstar WR Pharoh Cooper who has 12 of his team's 29 catches and 145 of South Carolina's 362 receiving yards this year. Cooper also scored a touchdown in the win versus Georgia last season, but caught just three passes for 27 yards. His targets will have to increase greatly for the Gamecocks to hang in. South Carolina will also have to run the football as well as they did last year against Georgia when they gained 176 yards (4.2 YPC) and 2 TD. Top RB Brandon Wilds had 93 of those yards on 14 carries (6.6 YPC) and a touchdown, and Wilds is off to a flying start to the 2015 season with 157 yards on 30 carries (5.2 YPC).

The big problem for South Carolina's defense has been the inability to stop the run, as the team is allowing 207 YPG on the ground on 5.9 YPC. The pass defense hasn't been much better with 212 YPG allowed (7.1 YPA) on a whopping 67% completion rate. The Gamecocks cannot expect turnovers to occur, as the Bulldogs have zero giveaways this season.

Georgia's offense has been clicking on all cylinders so far, especially against conference foe Vanderbilt when it gained 423 total yards. This included 281 yards on 6.9 YPC on the ground thanks in large part to RB Nick Chubb. The sophomore ran for 189 yards (9.9 YPC) last Saturday to give him 309 rushing yards (8.8 YPC) for the season. He got just four carries against the Gamecocks last year, gaining 34 yards (8.5 YPC), but expect him to get about 25 touches this time around, especially with South Carolina's poor run defense so far.

With opponents having to key on Chubb, QB Greyson Lambert has not seen a lot of pressure. The 6-foot-5 junior has taken only one sack, but he'll need to be more accurate than his 52% completions last week. Most of his targets are going to WRs Sony Michel and Malcolm Mitchell who have combined for 197 of the team's 333 receiving yards. Defensively, Georgia has been stingy against the run in holding opponents to a meager 75 YPG on 2.3 YPC. But the pass defense has been shaky with surrendering 250 YPG on 6.3 YPA and 60% completions.

STANFORD CARDINAL (1-1) at USC TROJANS (2-0)

Sportsbook.ag Line: USC –9.5, Total: 51

No. 7 USC gets its first real test of the season on Saturday night when Stanford pays a visit to Los Angeles.

The Cardinal did not start the 2015 season on a high note, losing 16-6 at Northwestern, but were able to bounce back strong last week with a 31-7 home drubbing of UCF. The Trojans have demolished two soft opponents to open 2015, crushing 27-point underdog Arkansas State 55-6 before taking down 44.5-point favorite Idaho by a 59-9 score.

This series between Pac-12 foes was once dominated by USC, but has been quite competitive recently with all five matchups this decade being decided by eight points or less. The Trojans have won two straight meetings by a field goal each time, prevailing 13-10 at Stanford last season when Andre Heidari connected from 53 yards out to break the tie with 2:30 left on the clock. Since 1999, these programs have met eight times in L.A. with the Cardinal holding the surprising 5-3 SU advantage (5-2-1 ATS).

Stanford benefits from the betting trend that road underdogs after allowing single-digit points in their previous game facing an opponent allowing three points or less in the first half of its previous game are a hefty 31-8 ATS (80%) in the past five seasons. However, USC is 18-4 ATS (82%) at home coming off 2+ straight ATS wins since 1992.

Each team has a pair of significant ailments, as the Cardinal lost DL Harrison Phillips to a season-ending knee injury and LB Noor Davis (leg) is questionable for Saturday. USC has two key players questionable for this matchup in LB Lamar Dawson (ribs) and OL Damien Mama (knee).

Stanford has not been able to rush the football to the level of its usually high standards, gaining just 108 YPG on 3.2 YPC. Sophomore Christian McCaffrey has carried the football 32 times for only 124 yards (3.9 YPC), which is a far cry from his 7.1 YPC average in 2014. Last week, McCaffrey gained only 2.9 YPC on his 20 totes. Senior RB Remound Wright has just 10 carries for 39 yards this year, but he might get a bigger workload considering his 60 yards on 11 rushes (5.5 YPC) in the loss to USC last year.

Despite the Cardinal producing only 10 points against the Trojans in 2014, QB Kevin Hogan had an excellent day with 285 passing yards on 9.5 YPA. He's been solid this season as well with 496 passing yards on 7.8 YPA with 3 TD and 1 INT. McCaffrey has been a great dump-off option with a team-high nine catches, while the speedy RB Bryce Love already has a 93-yard TD reception. Top WR Michael Rector has a gaudy 19.2 average on his five grabs.

If these big plays continue to happen, Stanford will be in great shape because of a defense that has looked stellar so far. The unit is allowing 127 rushing YPG on a mere 3.1 YPC and 128 passing YPG on 4.2 YPA and a 42.6% completion rate. However, the Trojans offense is absolutely electric with their elite signal caller at the helm.

USC QB Cody Kessler has led his team to 57.0 PPG and 623 total YPG in this young season. The 6-foot-1 senior has completed 79% of his passes for 650 yards (11.4 YPA), 7 TD and 0 INT. Three receivers are averaging more than 20 yards per reception, including go-to sophomore WR JuJu Smith-Schuster who already has 14 catches for 281 yards and 3 TD. The next highest totals for USC are six catches (WR Steven Mitchell Jr.) and 66 yards (WR Isaac Whitney), which shows just how valuable Smith-Schuster has been. The only negative for the offense is that Kessler has been sacked five times, and he was frequently pressured at Stanford last season when he threw for only 135 yards on 6.1 YPA.

The Trojans' ground game has also been spectacular this year with 469 yards on 6.8 YPC with eight touchdowns. Both RBs Ronald Jones II (169 rush yds, 12.1 YPC, 2 TD) and Tre Madden (142 rush yds, 7.5 YPC, 3 TD) have been finding all kinds of holes to run through. USC's defense is allowing 356 total YPG, which is actually pretty low considering its gaudy 34:57 defensive time of possession.

Opponents have gained only 3.4 YPC and 5.3 YPA, and the unit has four takeaways this season, all against Arkansas State. Turnovers are always a big story in football, and in the past 14 meetings of this series with uneven takeaway numbers, the team that has won the turnover battle has a stellar 13-1 SU record.

OLE MISS REBELS (2-0) at ALABAMA CRIMSON TIDE (2-0)

Sportsbook.ag Line: Alabama -6.5, Total: 49

No. 2 Alabama looks to avenge last year's loss to No. 15 Ole Miss when the SEC foes open up conference play on Saturday night in Tuscaloosa.

The Rebels have been unstoppable on offense this season with 149 points and 1,269 total yards in two games versus UT-Martin (76-3 win) and Fresno State (73-21 win). The Crimson Tide have scored at least 35 points with at least 500 yards of offense in both of their victories over Wisconsin (35-17) and Middle Tennessee (37-10). Ole Miss was the only team to hand Alabama a regular-season loss last season by scoring 20 of the 23 second-half points to win 23-17. That marked the first Rebels win in this series since 2003, as the Tide had won the previous 10 matchups by an average of 15.5 PPG. Hugh Freeze has been a stellar bet in the first half of the season as the Ole Miss head coach, going 17-4 ATS, including a 10-2 ATS mark in August/September. But home teams coming off two straight wins by 17+ points facing an opponent coming off back-to-back games scoring 42+ points are 36-11 ATS (77%) since 1992.

The Rebels could be a little thin up front with OLs Robert Conyers (knee) and Laremy Tunsil (eligibility) both questionable to suit up on Saturday, and they could also be without DB C.J. Hampton (suspension). The Tide also have a couple of injury concerns with LB Reuben Foster (shoulder) questionable for this matchup and DB Jabriel Washington out 2-to-4 weeks with a knee injury. Ole Miss QB Chad Kelly has been even better than advertised, completing 73% of his passes for 557 yards on 13.9 YPA with six touchdowns and only one interception. But the junior will see much better competition than he ever has on Saturday and won't likely go the entire game without being sacked like he's done twice this season. Junior WR Quincy Adeboyejo already has four touchdown grabs and 153 receiving yards, while senior WR Cody Core has a team-high 176 yards on a 22.0 average. Top WR Laquon Treadwell looks fully recovered from the broken leg he suffered late last season, and hopes to produce even more than the 55 yards and one touchdown he had against Alabama last year. TE Evan Engram has only one reception this season, but will be a key to this game having gained a team-high 71 receiving yards on just three catches in last year's upset of the Tide.

The Rebels running game has also been outstanding in 2015 with 553 yards on 7.8 YPC with nine touchdowns. Four ball carriers (Jaylen Walton, Eugene Brazley, D.K. Buford and DeVante Kincade) are all averaging more than 10 yards per rush in 2015, but running on Alabama is never easy and Ole Miss has been limited to 80 rushing yards or less in four straight meetings in this series. Because the offense has been scoring so quickly, the Rebels defense has been on the field for an average of 35:25 this season. But the unit has held its opponents to 4.2 yards per play and 3.1 yards per carry, while forcing five turnovers, including four last Saturday versus Fresno State. Takeaways are always a huge factor in any football game, especially in this series where the school with the better turnover margin has won seven straight meetings.

Alabama senior QB Jake Coker has been excellent this season in completing 64% of his throws for 427 yards (9.1 YPA), but has only 2 TD and 1 INT. Five different receivers already have at least seven receptions led by sophomore WR ArDarius Stewart's 10 grabs. RB Kenyan Drake has a team-high 139 yards while sophomore WR Robert Foster has caught two of the team's three touchdowns through the air. But for Alabama to win this matchup, it will have to run the football much better than the pedestrian 168 yards and 3.8 YPC it had in the loss at Oxford last year. Top RB Derrick Henry already has 243 yards (7.8 YPC) and six touchdowns this season, but found very little running room against the outstanding front four of Ole Miss in 2014, as he managed just 37 yards on 17 carries (2.2 YPC).

Alabama's defense has not given up much this year, especially on the ground where it held an excellent Wisconsin rushing offense to 40 yards on 21 carries before limiting Middle Tennessee to 86 yards on 31 carries. But the secondary hasn't been all that special, allowing 208 passing YPG on a 60% completion rate. Turnovers have been a big factor though, as just like Rebels, Alabama has five takeaways already, including four last week. Another factor in this game could be special teams, as Tide kicker Adam Griffith is a miserable 0-for-4 on field goal attempts in the early season.

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