College Football Betting News and Notes Week 2

Weekly Wrap – College football postmortems and early picks
By: Brian Edwards
Sportingnews.com

Clemson officially announced its candidacy as a legitimate national-title contender by beating Georgia, 38-35, as a 2.5-point home underdog Saturday night at Death Valley. The Tigers have now won back-to-back games over two of the SEC’s premier programs in UGA and LSU.

Senior quarterback Tajh Boyd stole the show by throwing for three touchdowns and running for two more. Sammy Watkins hauled in six receptions for 127 yards and turned a short pass into a 77-yard touchdown.

With 1:19 remaining, Georgia pulled to within three on Aaron Murray’s one-yard TD run. The score crushed the hearts of UNDER backers, as it sent the 73 combined points OVER the 71-point total.

Alabama hooked up its backers in a 35-10 win over Virginia Tech as a 21-point chalk at the Georgia Dome in Atlanta. The Crimson Tide got two TDs from special teams and one from the defense, but an anemic performance offensively certainly didn’t please Nick Saban.

Christion Jones scored three times. He got into the end zone for the first time on a 72-yard punt return and found paydirt again on a 94-yard kick return right when momentum appeared to be swinging toward the Hokies. Jones also had 38-yard touchdown catch from A.J. McCarron.

Alabama led, 28-10, at halftime and gamblers on the OVER appeared to be in great shape. But Jones’ TD grab in the third quarter was the only scoring in the second half. The 45 combined points fell UNDER the 45.5-point total that was available for most of the week. Some bettors might have pushed since the total closed at 45, but others on the OVER actually won because the number touched 44.5 at some spots around lunch in the Eastern time zone.

It was clear that Alabama’s offensive line isn’t anywhere near as good as the 2012 unit. The Tide managed only 206 yards of total offense, topped by Va. Tech’s 212. With an open date looming, the two-time defending national champs have two weeks to get the offense corrected for crucial revenge game at Texas A&M.

I’ve been saying all summer that the demise of LSU is being greatly exaggerated. That notion appeared true after the Tigers took down TCU, 37-27, as 4.5-point favorites at Cowboys Stadium. The 64 combined points soared OVER the 47.5-point total.

Zach Mettenberger found Jarvis Landry for a 20-yard scoring strike to get LSU ahead of the number on the final score of the game with 6:09 remaining. Terrence Magee rushed for a team-high 95 yards and two TDs on just 13 carries for the Tigers.

Ole Miss and Vanderbilt might have waged the best game of Week 1, as the Rebels rallied late for a 39-35 win in Thursday’s SEC showdown in Nashville. Jeff Scott’s 75-yard TD run lifted his team to the cover as a 3-point road favorite.

The win was bittersweet for the Rebels, however, because they lost leading returning tackler Denzel Nkemdiche for 4-6 weeks with an injury. Also, Hugh Freeze’s squad lost its best offensive lineman (Aaron Morris) for the season.

Heisman watch

There were notable Heisman-like performances from several candidates like Louisville’s Teddy Bridgewater, Fresno State’s Derek Carr, Baylor’s Lache Seastrunk and UCLA’s Brett Hundley. Other Heisman hopefuls like South Carolina’s Jadeveon Clowney and Alabama’s A.J. McCarron had disappointing outings.

For my money, the leader has to be Clemson’s Boyd at this point. He had a part in every one of the Tigers’ touchdowns in leading his team to a pivotal win over a top-10 opponent.

Quick hitters

Georgia junior WR Malcolm Mitchell is out for the season after tearing his ACL during an end-zone celebration. Mitchell was the Bulldogs’ leading returning receiver after making 40 catches for 572 yards and four TDs last season.

Even though BYU won the turnover battle, 2-1, and had more yardage (362-223), it lost a 19-16 decision at Virginia as a 2.5-point road favorite. Cougars’ All-American wide receiver Cody Hoffman didn’t play due to a strained hamstring. Hoffman’s status is considered questionable for Saturday’s home game against Texas.

Other injuries to keep an eye on in Week 2: Northwestern QB/WR Kain Colter (doubtful vs. Syracuse), Middle Tennessee QB Logan Kilgore (questionable at North Carolina) and Kent State RB Dri Archer (questionable vs. Bowling Green).

Stanford star LB Shayne Skov is out vs. San Jose St. due to a one-game suspension.

Hawaii produced the wildest backdoor cover of Week 1. Trailing, 30-5, with 30 seconds remaining, the Warriors got a 60-yard touchdown pass to make their 30-13 loss to USC a cover for their backers as 23.5-point home underdogs.

Early Week 2 picks

I made Florida a 6.5-point road favorite for Saturday’s game at Miami. As of early Monday morning, most books had the Gators favored by only 3. UF’s defense looked dominant against a quality Toledo offense in a 24-6 win and that was with three of its best players – LB Antonio Morrison, CB Loucheiz Purifoy and DT Darious Cummings – out serving one-game suspensions. I like Florida laying the small number against the Hurricanes.

I made South Carolina a 2.5-point road favorite at Georgia, but most books have the Bulldogs favored by 3. The Gamecocks, who are 14-9-1 ATS as road underdogs during Steve Spurrier’s tenure, have won three in a row over UGA. South Carolina had to mount a goal-line stand to prevent North Carolina from posting a backdoor cover in the final minute of Thursday’s 27-10 win as an 11-point home favorite. QB Connor Shaw improved to 18-3 in 21 career starts. I like that number to improve to 19-3 when the ‘Cocks win outright in Athens this week.

Games to Watch
By Brian Edwards
VegasInsider.com

Florida at Miami – The Hurricanes are 3-0 ATS as home underdogs during Al Golden’s tenure, while UF is 2-1 ATS as a road favorite on Will Muschamp’s watch. The Gators were missing three defensive starters when they blanked a quality Toledo offense in a 24-6 win. All three of those guys (LB Antonio Morrison, CB Loucheiz Purifoy and DT Darious Cummings) will return this week. Also, starting RB Matt Jones is expected to return (‘probable’). Miami will be without last year’s second-leading WR Rashawn Scott (shoulder). The key for Florida will be containing Miami star RB Duke Johnson. Heat will be a major factor for this noon Eastern kick on ESPN. Most spots have UF favored by three as of Monday afternoon.

Texas at BYU – These teams met in Austin two years ago with Texas winning a 17-16 decision, but BYU took the cash as a seven-point underdog. Most spots have the Longhorns favored by seven. BYU had more offensive yardage (362-223) and won the turnover battle (2-1), but it still dropped a 19-16 decision at Virginia as a 2.5-point ‘chalk.’ The Cougars were missing their best player, WR Cody Hoffman, who remains ‘questionable’ for Texas due to a strained hamstring. BYU has been a home underdog just five times during Bronco Mendenhall’s nine-year tenure, going 2-3 ATS. Since 2008, Texas has compiled an 11-6 spread record as a road favorite.

Oregon at Virginia – These schools are meeting for the first time. On Monday, most spots had Oregon installed as an expensive 21.5-point favorite. UVA now owns a 3-6 ATS record in nine previous home underdog situations under Mike London. The Cavs will be facing a much more dynamic offense that the one they held in check (BYU) last weekend. The Ducks have playmakers galore in QB Marcus Mariota and RB De’Anthony Thomas. They have covered the number in eight consecutive games as road favorites.

Notre Dame at Michigan – Most books have Michigan as the 3.5-point ‘chalk.’ The Wolverines blasted Central Michigan 59-9 in their opener. Meanwhile, Notre Dame failed to cover in a 28-6 home win over Temple. The Irish won 13-6 as a six-point home favorite when they squared off in South Bend last year. In the last encounter at The Big House in 2011, Denard Robinson rallied the Wolverines to a 35-31 win as a 3.5-point home underdog. As a home favorite on Brady Hoke’s watch, Michigan owns an 8-5 spread record. Notre Dame is 4-1 ATS as a road ‘dog during Brian Kelly’s tenure.

San Jose St. at Stanford – When these schools met in Palo Alto last season, San Jose St. nearly pulled an upset in a 20-17 loss as a 24.5-point underdog. The Spartans had more total offense (287-280) than the Cardinal. San Jose St. beat Sacramento St. by a 24-0 count in its opener. The Spartans, who finished 2012 with an 11-2 record both SU and ATS, have one of the nation’s best QBs in David Fales, who threw for 4,193 yards and 33 TDs last season. Stanford star LB Shayne Skov won’t play due to a one-game suspension. The Cardinal didn’t play in Week 1. Most books have David Shaw’s squad favored by 26.5.

ACC Report - Week 2
By Joe Williams
VegasInsider.com

The Atlantic Coast Conference risked tremendous embarrassment in the first week, as a Clemson loss against Southeastern Conference rival Georgia would have been a real black eye for the league. However, Clemson outlasted UGA 38-35 in a track meet, making up for Virginia Tech's slaughter at the hands of Alabama in Atlanta.

Pittsburgh and Syracuse officially joined the ACC ranks, and both started their regular seasons with losses. The Orange were on the short end of a 23-17 score against Penn State, although they were able to cover. Pittsburgh looked overmatched against Florida State and QB Jameis Winston, getting pounded at home 41-13 in their initial league game.

Overall, the league went 10-4 straight-up and 8-6 ATS. Home teams went 9-3 SU and 7-5 ATS, while road teams went 1-1 straight-up and 1-1 ATS. The 'under' went 5-8-1 in Week 1, with the 'under' going 4-7-1 at home.

Wake Forest at Boston College

Both of these teams were very sluggish in their regular season openers. Wake Forest eventually pulled away from FCS opponent Presbyterian last week for a 31-7 win, but there is much work to be done if they're going to hit the road and beat a league opponent. Boston College snuck by their FCS opponent, Villanova, by a 24-14 score. They were even less impressive, but at least they're back in Chestnut Hill. The Demon Deacons are 8-17 ATS in their past 25 road games, and 2-12 ATS in their past 14 road games against a team wit ha winning home record. They're also 0-6 ATS in their past six games against a winning team overall. BC is just 3-8 ATS in their past 11 games, and 2-6 ATS in their past eight conference tilts. However, in this series, the favorite is 5-1 ATS in the past six meetings. The 'over' has also cashed in four of the past five meetings in Chestnut Hill.

Florida at Miami, Fl.

Neither team covered in their initial games of the 2013 season. Florida had an excuse, as they played without six key players due to suspension in their opener against Toledo. The defense was fairly stout against a solid Rockets offense. The Gators will certainly have their hands full with Hurricanes RB Duke Johnson. Miami held Conference USA opponent Florida Atlantic to just six points in their win last Friday. The Gators are 5-1 ATS in their past six road games, but just 1-5 ATS in their past six non-conference games. Miami is 5-1 ATS in their past six home games, and 6-1 ATS in their past seven overall. However, they are 1-4 ATS in their past five non-conference battles. The 'under' might actually be the play here. The 'under' is 7-2 in Florida's past nine non-conference battles, including last week, while the 'under' is 37-14 in Miami's past 51 non-conference affairs. The 'under' is also 43-19-1 in Miami's past 63 home games. A noon kick might also help keep the point totals down in the sweltering South Florida heat.

Oregon at Virginia

Oregon has few problems last week in their tune-up against an overmatched FCS opponent from Nicholls State. The Ducks will travel cross-country to Charlottesville, getting a little bit more of a test. Virginia knocked off Brigham Young by a 19-16 score, covering at home for the first time in nine games (1-7-1 ATS) at Scott Stadium. Oregon is 6-0 ATS in their past six road games against a team with a winning home record, and 8-0 ATS in their past eight games on grass. The Ducks are also 8-1 ATS in their past nine games overall. The total trends are rather contrasted, as the 'over' is 5-2 in Oregon's past seven road games, but the 'under' is 11-3 in UVA's past 14 home contests.

Duke at Memphis

Duke opened with a convincing 45-0 win against North Carolina Central in the Bull City Classic, an annual battle between the Durham colleges. The Blue Devils saw solid play from QBs Brandon Connette and Anthony Boone, with each finding the end zone once apiece with their feet. The key in this one will be getting WR Jamison Crowder more involved in the offense. Memphis will be playing their regular season opener, but find themselves as a six-point dog at home. Duke hasn't had a ton of instances over the past couple of decades as a road favorite. And they are just 1-7 ATS in their past eight games on the road. Memphis, on the other hand, is 4-0 ATS in their past four home games, and 13-4 ATS in their past 17 home games against a team with a winning road record. It will be interesting to see if Duke can pick up a road win and show that they are for real.

Syracuse at Northwestern

The Orange face a Big Ten opponent for the second straight week, and this time they get a Top 25 opponent. Syracuse fell 23-17 to Penn State in the Meadowlands, while Northwestern hit the road and scored an impressive 44-30 win at California. These two clubs met in a thriller last season, with the Wildcats prevailing 42-41 in the Carrier Dome Sept. 1, 2012. There are a few things to watch in this one. First off, QB Kain Colter (concussion) came out of last week's game after only two plays due to concussion and he never returned. If he cannot start, QB Trevor Seimian would get the nod. RB Venric Mark (lower body) suffered an undisclosed lower-body ailment at Cal. He was limited, but able to finish the game. If Mark cannot play, RB Treyvon Green would look to add to his totals after going for 129 rushing yards and two scores. CB Daniel Jones (knee) also was nicked and is done for the season.

Other Games
South Carolina State at Clemson (12:30 p.m. ET)
Middle Tennessee at North Carolina (12:30 p.m. ET)
Western Carolina at Virginia Tech (1:30 p.m. ET)
Old Dominion at Maryland (ESPNews, 4:00 p.m. ET)
Richmond at North Carolina State (6:00 p.m. ET)

Byes
Florida State, Georgia Tech, Pittsburgh

Pac-12 Report - Week 2
By Joe Williams
VegasInsider.com

It was an interesting opening week in the Pac-12 last weekend. The big shocker came in Corvallis, as Oregon State was stunned by FCS opponent Eastern Washington in a shootout. It might have also been a mild surprise when Washington easily dispatched then-Top 20 opponent Boise State by a 38-6 score. The Huskies can savor that victory for at least one more week, as they and UCLA are two Pac-12 teams with a bye already.

We'll get our first looks of the season at Arizona State and Stanford. Neither figure to lose their games straight-up, but it might be a stretch to cover big numbers at home given that their opponents each already have one game under their belts.

Last weekend, the league went 7-3 straight up and 6-4 ATS. The home teams were 5-2 straight up and ATS, while road teams were 2-1 straight up and ATS. The 'over' went 6-4 in Week 1, with the 'over' going 5-2 for the home teams.

Oregon at Virginia

Oregon has few problems last week in their tune-up against an overmatched FCS opponent from Nicholls State. The Ducks will travel cross-country to Charlottesville, getting a little bit more of a test. Virginia knocked off Brigham Young by a 19-16 score, covering at home for the first time in nine games (1-7-1 ATS) at Scott Stadium. Oregon is 6-0 ATS in their past six road games against a team with a winning home record, and 8-0 ATS in their past eight games on grass. The Ducks are also 8-1 ATS in their past nine games overall. The total trends are rather contrasted, as the 'over' is 5-2 in Oregon's past seven road games, but the 'under' is 11-3 in UVA's past 14 home contests.

Hawaii at Oregon State

The Warriors hit the mainland for a battle between two teams looking for their first wins of the season. Hawaii kept it surprisingly close in a 30-13 home setback against Southern California. Meanwhile, Oregon State was shocked by FCS opponent Eastern Washington in a 49-46 setback. The Beavers showed off an impressive offense, led by QB Sean Mannion and WR Brandin Cooks, but their defense couldn't stop anyone. The Beavers are a nearly four-touchdown favorite, so the Warriors are likely to be a popular pick. Hawaii is 5-1 ATS in their past six games against Pac-12 opponents, including Week 1. They're also 8-3 ATS i ntheir past 11 road games against a team with a losing home record. The Beavers are 22-10-1 ATS in their past 33 games against a team with a losing record, but just 8-18-1 ATS in their past 27 games in the month of September.

Washington State at Southern California

The Cougars hit the road for a second straight week. Last week, they had a cross-country trek to Auburn, falling 31-24, but covering in an entertaining game. USC is back on the mainland after sleepwalking through a 30-13 win at Hawaii in the opener. The offense struggled at times, and WR Marqise Lee seemed to have trouble concentrating at times. USC is a little more than a two-touchdown favorite in this one, looking to snap a four-game ATS losing streak. USC is 2-5 ATS in their past seven conference games. Washington State is 5-0 ATS in their past five games against teams with a winning record, but just 1-3-1 ATS in their past five games in September.

San Jose State at Stanford

San Jose State opened their season with a 24-0 win against Sacramento State, but now they'll get a true measuring stick game against a Top 5 opponent. The one thing the Spartans have as an advantage over the Cardinal is having one game in tow. Stanford will be playing their first game of the season, so it might take them a little while to get their sea legs, while the Spartans have already worked together for 60 minutes in game conditions. San Jose State might be a popular selection considering they are 13-3 ATS in their past 16 road games, and 22-6 ATS in their past 28 games overall. They're also 19-7 ATS in their past 26 non-conference battles. However, Stanford is 8-2 ATS in the past 10 meetings in this series, and San Jose State has covered just once in the past eight trips to Palo Alto. The favorite is 8-2 ATS in the past 10 meetings in this series, with the home team covering eight of the past nine. That bodes well for Stanford, even as a near four-touchdown favorite.

Other Games
Sacramento State at Arizona State (*Thu., 10:00 p.m. ET )
Weber State at Utah (Pac-12 Network, 2:00 p.m. ET )
Portland State at California (Pac-12 Network, 5:00 p.m. ET)
Central Arkansas at Colorado (8:00 p.m. ET)
Arizona at UNLV (CBS SN, 10:30 p.m. ET)

Byes
UCLA, Washington

Big Ten Report - Week 2
By ASAWins.com

In Week 1, the 12 schools in the Big Ten went 10-2 straight up in non-conference action. Unfortunately for their backers, the group was just 5-7 against the spread. The conference isn't normally known for shootouts, yet the 'over' produced an 8-4 mark (67%) in Week 1. Eight teams scored over 40 points and three eclipsed the 50-point barrier.

Illinois (+8, 54) vs. Cincinnati

The good news is that Illinois QB Nathan Scheelhaase looked much more comfortable in Bill Cubit's offense. He threw for a career-high 416 yards (78%) and two touchdowns against FCS Southern Illinois and led the Illini to 42 total points (Illinois averaged just 16.7 PPG last season). The bad news is that the Illini almost blew a 22-point lead at home against a FCS opponent. They allowed the Salukis to gain 407 total yards and score 34 points. SIU QB Faulkner completed 25-of-40 passes for 312 yards with three touchdowns and no picks. The Illini defense has to get better or Cincinnati will run up points in a hurry. Cincinnati looked strong on both sides of the ball in a 42-7 win over Purdue. The Bearcats passed for 204 yards and rushed for another 221. The defense held the Boilermakers to just 226 total yards and 12 first downs. The Illini have dropped 10 straight games against FBS opponents, and nine of those losses were by 14 points or more. Cincy has now won and covered four straight games dating back to last season.

Iowa (-24.5, 48) vs. FCS Missouri State

Despite the loss, Iowa looked like an improved team from last year’s version that finished 4-8. The Hawkeyes outgained and had more first downs than Northern Illinois (who went to the Orange Bowl last year). New QB Jake Rudock had 256 passing yards with one passing touchdown and one rushing touchdown, but had a costly interception late in the game that led to NIU’s game-winning field goal. The good news is that they get to regroup here against FCS Missouri State. Missouri State finished 3-8 a year ago with losses against Kansas State (42 points) and Louisville (28 points). The Hawkeyes are 47-5 all-time against FCS opponents and all of those losses came prior to 1939.

Michigan State (-23.5, 44) vs. South Florida

As dominant as the Spartan defense was against Western Michigan, the concerns that doomed an anemic offense in 2012 were still apparent. QB’s Andrew Maxwell and Connor Cook combined to complete just 17-of-36 passes for 116 yards with no touchdowns (the offense scored just one touchwon the entire game). The receivers didn’t help the cause either with six dropped passes. Defensively the Spartans remained stout. This unit allowed just 204 total yards and 14 first downs. WMU had just 11 rushing yards on 27 carries and their quarterbacks completed just 38% of their passes with three interceptions. South Florida was surprised by FCS McNeese State last week in a 53-21 home loss. The Bulls had three costly turnovers (one which was turned 76 yards for a TD) and had a 33-7 deficit at halftime. They played better in the 2nd half after inserting QB Bobby Eveld (137 yards and two touchdowns) but the defense has a long way to go. MSU is 0-7 as a home chalk the last seven opportunities. The Spartans are also just 2-6 ATS their last eight at home against non-conference opponents.

Penn State (-24, 48.5) vs. Eastern Michigan

Penn State fought through some adversity to notch a quality win over a major-conference team away from its home stadium. True freshman QB Christian Hackenberg had his ups and downs, but overall finished with a good day (278 yards, 2 TD, 2 INT). He did not to a good job on third down (1-of-15) and too often the Nittany Lions were forced to punt. PSU also only had 57 rushing yards on 38 carries – a stat that must improve as the season goes on. The Nittany Lions are a heavy 24 point favorite as they debut at home this week against Eastern Michigan. They recently played EMU in 2011 at home and won by 28 points. The Eagles beat FCS Howard last week by 10 points, but they are 0-31 against the Big Ten. They’ve lost to four Big Ten teams the last two years by an average of 28 points per game.

Purdue (-17, 58) vs. FCS Indiana State

HC Darrell Hazell should get an easy win here after an embarrassing debut as Purdue’s head coach. Purdue generated just 226 yards of offense, 12 first downs, and seven points against Cincinnati last week. QB Henry threw two interceptions and the offense lost two more fumbles. Defensively the Boilers allowed 425 yards and 42 points as Cincy was able to move the ball with ease. Purdue has an opportunity to get right against an FCS opponent before a home battle with Notre Dame next week. Indiana State allowed 632 yards and 73 points in a trip to Indiana last week. Purdue isn’t nearly as dynamic as Indiana, but it bodes well for the Boilermakers offense. Purdue has won nine straight home openers with the average score 46-17. The Boilers are 3-0 against Indiana State, winning last in 2006 by 35 points. They finished 7-4 last year with a seven-point loss to Indiana.

Wisconsin (-45, 59) vs. FCS Tennessee Tech

It was just UMass, but Wisconsin and new head coach Gary Anderson put on a good show in the opener. The Badgers racked up 598 yards of offense, including 393 rushing yards where three players finished over 100 yards. Anderson’s new 3-4 defense also looked strong, allowing just 212 yards and 13 first downs. Again, it was just UMass, and the competition doesn’t get any stronger this week as the Badgers take on FCS Tennessee Tech. TTU went 3-8 last year with a 49 point loss at Oregon. Wisconsin is 5-0 against FCS opponents over the last five years – winning by an average of 30.4 PPG.

Ohio State (-28, 54) vs. San Diego State

The competition level steps up a bit for the Buckeyes after their home opening win against Buffalo. They’ll host San Diego State this week before traveling to Cal next week. The Buckeyes had a flawless record in 2012, but they were a flawed team. They still have their issues as they weren’t able to pull away from Buffalo until the 4th quarter last week. QB Braxton Miller completed 15-of-22 passes for 178 yards and two scores, but had a costly interception that Buffalo returned for a touchdown. OSU’s running game racked up 261 yards (5.8 YPC). San Diego State’s upset loss against Eastern Illinois last week inflated this line a bit as this team is not as bad as that loss indicates. This will be the Aztec’s fourth trip to the Horseshoe since 2001. They are 0-3 so far but only losing by 13 PPG. San Diego State has traveled to Washington, Missouri, and Michigan over the last three years and only losing by 11 PPG and outgained by 13 YPG. OSU is 1-4 ATS its last five when laying double digits.

Indiana (-13, 67) vs. Navy

The Hoosiers offense set a Memorial Stadium record with 73 points against Indiana State while notching 632 total yards of offense. Indiana now has multiple weapons at quarterback, running back and wide receiver. Still, the defense must improve. The Hoosiers allowed 306 yards and 21 points to Indiana State (ISU scored two defensive touchdowns leading to 35 total points). They also notched 131 rushing yards against this Indiana defense. Navy represents a much more difficult test as the Midshipmen bring in a tricky triple-option offense. The Hoosiers will be hungry for revenge after blowing a double-digit lead last year and surrendering the game-winning touchdown with 2:00 to play. Indiana has been a double-digit favorite just nine times in non-conference play over the past 10 years and is 6-3 ATS in those games. Navy is 6-2 ATS in its last eight road games as an underdog.

Nebraska (-28.5, 59.5) vs. Southern Miss

The concerns about Nebraska's young defense were confirmed in week one against Wyoming. Nebraska surrendered 35 first downs and 602 yards at home to the Cowboys. Dating back to last season, the Huskers have now allowed 610 YPG (307 rush YPG, 303 pass YPG) and 49.6 PPG to the last three opponents. They are heavy 28.5 point favorites against Southern Miss as oddsmakers are apparently assuming the defense will step up a bit more this week. Southern Miss lost at home to Texas State last week 15-22. That final is a bit misleading considering SM had +193 yards and more first downs. The Golden Eagles had SIX turnovers, dooming them in the end. The Huskers beat Southern Miss by 29 points in the season opener last season and have won 12 straight at home against non-conference opponents by an average of 32 points per game.

Northwestern (-12, 57) vs. Syracuse

The Wildcats had one of the most impressive performances in the Big Ten in week one. They played a night game at Cal and had to play the majority of the game without their two top players, QB Kain Colter and RB Venric Mark; both of whom left the game in the first half with injuries. Northwestern was still able to rack up 508 yards and 22 first downs and two interception returns for touchdowns certainly helped the Wildcats’ cause. The defense struggled, however, allowing 548 total yards and 30 first downs to Cal’s high-octane offense. They won’t face another offensive scheme like that all year long, but Syracuse still represents a tough challenge. NU won at Syracuse last season, 42-41 with the game-winning touchdown scored with 44 seconds remaining. Syracuse lost a lot of firepower from last year’s squad, including head coach Doug Marrone. ‘Cuse lost at home to Penn State last week and had a shaky start for QB Allen, who completed just 16-of-37 passes with two interceptions. NU has covered 13 of its last 14 games and has won six straight home openers by 24 points per game.

Michigan (-3.5, 52) vs. Notre Dame

The Wolverines host the Fighting Irish in Ann Arbor as a 3.5 point favorite. The ESPN Gameday crew will be on location as this is the final meeting between these two rivals in Ann Arbor scheduled. Michigan had a thoroughly dominating performance against Central Michigan in week one. QB Gardner accounted for three touchdowns but did have two interceptions that should be worrisome. Michigan had +253 yards and +10 first downs, but that was rather easy after CMU lost its starting QB & RB. The defense kept the Chippewas out of the end zone and held them to nine total points. The competition steps up considerably this week as Michigan will take on one of the top defenses in the nation in 2012. Notre Dame also received strong play from QB Rees last week, who threw for 346 yards and three scores. The underdog has covered 14 of the last 17 meetings between these two. Notre Dame is also 6-1 ATS in its last seven as a road underdog.

Minnesota (-16.5, 51) @ New Mexico State

It was a big win, but the 51-23 score masked some of the issues Jerry Kill's team must address before the competition level improves. Three of Minnesota’s seven touchdowns against UNLV were non-offensive (Kickoff return, blocked field goal return, and interception return). The Gophers had -99 yards and -5 first downs. We might not get a good gauge on Minnesota this week as they take on another bottom feeder. New Mexico State surrendered 715 yards to Texas last week. The Aggies are just 4-12 ATS the last 16 games and have dropped four of the last five home openers by 17 points per game.

Week 1 Winners & Losers
By Bruce Marshall
VegasInsider.com

A quick look back at the winners and losers in Week One College FB action...

WINNER: ACC...It's been a while since the ACC was really relevant on the national stage. Chalk that up to none of the flagship programs (Florida State, Miami, Clemson, Virginia Tech) being serious national title contenders for several years. But Clemson's win over Georgia in Death Valley is just the sort of statement game the loop needed, and since it is on the heels of the Tigers' Chick-fil-A Bowl win over LSU on New Year's Eve, for the first time ina good while the ACC is regaining a little prestige at the expense of the SEC.

Coupled with the dramatic emergence of RS frosh QB Jameis Winston at Florida State, and the making of the true regular-season ACC titanic when the Noles visit Death Valley on October 19 is now looming over the horizon. The next statement game from the ACC comes this weekend when Miami hosts the Florida Gators. If the Hurricanes can pull the minor upset, it triggers a true national storm warning from the conferences. And if so, we can safely say that after an extended absence on the gridiron, the ACC looks to be back in the national title discussion.

LOSER: MOUNTAIN WEST...No conference was as collectively underwhelming as the Mountain in opening-week action, with a combined 3-9 SU record between the league members. The only win over FBS opposition was by the skin of the teeth, too, as Fresno State needed to stop a game-deciding 2-point conversion try by visiting Rutgers to escape in OT at the Dog House. The other top contenders had a miserable go of it, especially Mountain-half favorite Boise State, drilled 38-6 at Washington in the worst loss for a Chris Petersen Bronco team and the biggest margin of defeat for a Boise contingent in almost a decade. All of the blame cannot be placed upon QB Joe Southwick, although by now it is apparent he is a modest talent at best and not up to the standards that Kellen Moore set at the position in recent years.

More humbling might have been West co-favorite San Diego State being whipped (at Qualcomm Stadium, no less) by FCS Eastern Illinois, 40-19. Although the Panthers are a lower-division force, they shouldn't be able to go on the road and beat any FBS team by 21 points, much less a supposed bowl contender. The Aztecs looked dangerously (and uncharacteristically) imbalanced on offense and now must face a test at Ohio State this week. The embarrassments piled up elsewhere last weekend in the conference, too, with the likes of Nevada, Colorado State, UNLV, and New Mexico the victim of ugly defeats vs. a cross-section of opponents. About the only bright spot for the Mountain came in defeat, as Wyoming and QB Brett Smith put a mighty scare into Nebraska. Still, it looks like we can safely eliminate the Mountain from providing a candidate for any BCS Buster discussions this season.

WINNER: PAC-12...We're still not convinced there are any legitimate national contenders in the Pac besides Oregon and Stanford. But top-to-bottom, the conference looks as if it could be significantly stronger than it was a year ago. That's mostly because the bottom half of the loop (in both divisions) looks as if it could be a lot more formidable than a year ago. Colorado's days as a pushover might be over thanks to the arrival of new HC Mike MacIntyre; sources say "Coach Mac"? was astounded at how poorly prepared the Buffs were a year ago under Jon Embree. And though we're only talking about one game, the 41-27 opening win over rival CSU (another black eye for the Mountain west) was a positive indicator. Keeping oft-injured WR Paul Richardson (two long TD catches vs. the Rams) on the field is obviously going to be a plus in Boulder. Meanwhile, Washington State confirmed reports of its upgrades in a close loss (but easy spread cover) at Auburn. Sources point out that 2nd-year HC Mike Leach is apparently beyond some of last season's internal strife that was partly associated with the change in coaching regimes and some of the difficulties in relating to the many holdovers recruited by predecessor Paul Wulff.

In addition, there might be a Cal renaissance under new HC Sonny Dykes. Although the Golden Bers would end up 44-30 losers to formidable Northwestern, Cal was in the game for much of the night, only to be victimized by a pair of interception TDs by Cat LB Collin Ellis. For most of the night, new Bear QB Jared Goff did not look like a true freshman, suggesting that Cal has a trigger-man for Dykes' uptempo spread. Finally, lots of encouragement at Utah as well, as the Ute offense looked to be a much better-oiled machine in the opener vs. Utah State than it was a year ago. Perhaps Dennis Erickson is going to make more of a positive impact as co-offensive coordinator than we first envisioned. Certainly, soph QB Travis Wilson certainly looked new and improved against the Utags, completing 17 of 28 passes for 302 yards and a pair of TDs in the 30-26 win over USU. The Utah infantry also suggested it could compensate for the departure of the leading rusher in 2011 & 2012, John White, gaining 144 YR vs. a stout Utah defense.

How about the Washington Huskies? They'll get their own special mention in just a moment.

LOSER: BIG TEN...We don't want to overreact to some pointspread losses in winning efforts. But for the most parts we were various degrees of underwhelmed by most of the Big Ten last week. Starting at the top with Ohio State, which was having a lot more trouble with undervalued Buffalo in the opener than the TV announcers would have you believe. (Sort of like watching Howard Cosell describing Muhammad Ali's first fight in 1973 with Joe Bugner, who was making it a hard night for Ali while Cosell described the proceedings as if they were a sparring match for "The Greatest,"? then acting surprised when the judges announced a closer scoring verdict than Cosell and the Ali sycophants had expected.) Some sloppiness and leaks in the Buckeye operation were exposed in the opener, giving Urban Meyer lots to work on before this week's game vs. San Diego.

Meanwhile, the likes of Michigan State, Nebraska, and Illinois were less than impressive in victory, and we don't want to overreact to Michigan's 59-9 romp over a Central Michigan outfit that saw its starting QB (Cody Kater) and top RB (Zurlon Tipton) KO'd during the game. And Purdue was downright awful in Darrell Hazell's head coaching debut in a 42-7 loss at Cincinnati. We continue, however, to be impressed with Pat Fitzgerald's Northwestern side that again demonstrated its resourcefulness in that aforementioned 44-30 win at rejuvenated Cal. The Cats' 2-headed QB monster was reduced to one head early in the game when Kain Colter was KO'd, but Trevor Siemian did well enough in a solo flight the rest of the night to help NU over what was looking to be a tricky hump in Berkeley. Wisconsin also made new HC Gary Andersen's debut a successes with a 45-0 romp past U Mass, although the Badgers are going to face a more challenging We also might keep our eyes on Indiana, which confirmed reports of a new hyper-speed offense for third-year HC Kevin Wilson in a 73-35 track meet against Indiana State. Eventually the Hoosiers are going to be tested by upgraded opposition, but 73 points against anyone is hard to ignore, and not what we have been used to seeing in Bloomington (also a school single-game scoring record).

WINNER: FCS...With six wins by FCS foes over BCS entries last weekend, some major conference entries might want to think twice before scheduling capable lower-division opposition, and instead look for more Sun Belt, MAC, or CUSA lightweights. For the first time in memory, there were also some real whippings posted by the FCS winners, led by McNeese State's 53-21 blowout of South Florida in Tampa, ruining HC Willie Taggart's debut with the Bulls. More startling might have been San Diego State, a bowl rep last season and one of the favorites in the expanded Mountain West, getting hammered at home (as mentioned earlier) vs. Eastern Illinois. And then there was Towson turning up the heat several degrees under Paul Pasqualoni's hot seat at UConn with a 33-18 romp over the Huskies. But the biggest scalps of the week might have been claimed by the Big Sky's Eastern Washington, which took down a well-regarded Oregon State squad by a 49-46 count in Corvallis, and North Dakota State, which shocked a BCS rep from last season, Kansas State, by a 24-21 count in the opener at Manhattan. Elsewhere, Northern Iowa (28-20 over Iowa State) was a winner, as were Southern Utah (22-21 over South Alabama, which technically counts as another win over an FBS side) Samford (which was favored by a TD before beating FBS newbie Georgia State by a 31-27 count) also recording wins for the FCS vs. FBS entries.

LOSER: OHIO U...We had a feeling we were on the wrong side of this game after about five minutes of action, when it became apparent that Frank Solich's Bobcats were completely intimidated by the trash-talking Louisville Cardinals, who took advantage and completely bullied the Bobcats, who looked as intimidated as Floyd Patterson once did in the ring vs. Sonny Liston. It was not only a blow for the MAC, but also a warning shot from the 'Ville, whose schedule does not figure to present many challenges. We suspect that it is going to take an entry with some urban toughs on the roster (think Rutgers or Cincinnati), or perhaps UCF, to slow down the Louisville train and QB Teddy Bridgewater, who served notice that he is going to be a serious player in the Heisman race.

WINNER: Washington...It was a glorious day on the shores of Lake Washington, as a refurbished and glistening Husky Stadium reopened and the U-Dub football team completed the celebration with that aforementioned 38-6 romp over Boise State. We've already noted the blow this struck to the Broncos' national hopes, but it could also be a warning shot from Seattle that the Pac-12 North migth become a three-team race this fall and a clear indicator that Steve Sarkisian has rebuilt the Huskies into a force for the first time in over a decade. Much is expected of this upperclass-laden roster, especially sr. QB Keith Price, who regressed in a disappointing 2012 but looked on the mark as the Huskies piled up 592 yards of offense vs. what has been a stout Boise defense in recent seasons. There is a long way to go this season, but last Saturday's effort indicates that Sarkisian's critics, who have tired of the strong of mediocre results at Montlake, might be silenced this fall.

LOSERS: Coaches on the hot seat...The temperature has risen beneath several under-fire coaches after first-week results. Those would include the aforementioned Paul Pasqualoni at UConn; Kirk Ferentz at Iowa; Don Treadwell at Miami-Ohio; Lane Kiffin at Southern Cal (an unimpressive win such s the Trojans success at Hawaii can also put the heat on a coach); and Bobby Hauck at UNLV.

WINNERS: Coaches who moved a bit off the hot seat...Still early to claim that some of the following have moved on to safer ground. But, for one week, at least, the likes of Virginia's Mike London (important Cav win over BYU), Buffalo's Jeff Quinn (the Bulls much more competitive than expected vs. Ohio State), Marshall's Doc Holliday (after a slow start, the Thundering Herd routed Miami-oho, 52-14), Maryland's Randy Edsall (a 43-10 romp for his Terps over FIU) qualify as moving a bit further away from potential trouble.