College Football Cheat Sheet
By Marc Lawrence
The noose gets tighter and tighter for the six undefeated teams this Thanksgiving week. Four of then take on winning opponents that will be looking to exact revenge from losses last year. How many of the half-dozen will remain perfect? Stay tuned.
Here is a look at the teams currently ranked in the Top 25 of the current USA Today/Coaches Poll. Listed below are stats, fact and trends surrounding this weeks football card. Home team in CAPS. All results are ATS - Against The Spread - unless noted otherwise
Thursday, November 26th
(2) Texas at TEXAS A&M
Longhorns: 8-3 favs 12 > vs conf rev 5-2 after Kansas 12-5 regular season weekday games (but 1-3 last four) 1-4 Weekday RG 2-4 as conf RFs 21 > pts
Aggies: ERIES: 3-1 L4 / 4-1 L5 H 14-2-2 con HD or pick vs opp off win 6 or more points 6-2 as DD HDs 1-4-1 in 2nd of BB HG
Friday, November 27th
(3) Alabama at AUBURN
Crimson Tide: 6-1 vs conf rev 5-1 weekdays 4-1 as DD RFs 2-5 LRG
Tigers: SERIES: 3-1 L4 4-1 as DD conf dogs 15-4 SU and ATS versus undefeated SEC opposition 3-1 weekday HG 2-6 w/ conf rev revenge from 36-0 shutout loss last season - Tigers 3-2 SU and 4-1 ATS with shutout loss revenge since 1977
Illinois at (5) CINCINNATI
Fighting Illini: 7-2 as DD non-conf dogs 0-3 weekdays 1-5 away in between HG 2-5 LRG Zook: 10-10 SU and 15-5 ATS vs undefeated opposition, including 6-0 ATS as a dog of 14 or more points
Bearcats: 4-0 aft West Virg 6-0-1 weekdays 7-3 H w/ rest 1-12 SU vs Big 10 opp (0-3 ATS vs foe off loss) 1-4 as non-conf favs 8 > pts 1-3 before Pittsburgh
Nevada at (6) BOISE STATE
Wolf Pack: 4-0 as DD conf dogs 4-1 dogs w/ conf rev 5-2 Fridays 5-2 in 2nd of BB RG 1-5-1 LRG 8-0 SU L8G after starting season 0-3 SU and ATS
Broncos: SERIES: 7-1-1 L9 6-0 before New Mex St 9-1 conf HFs 17 < pts 4-1 after Utah St 8-2 in 1st of BB HG 38-0 SU and 30-8-1 ATS home vs con since 1999 - including 13-1 ATS when not laying more than 22 points
(9) Pittsburgh at WEST VIRGINIA
Panthers: 5-0 on Fridays 4-1 Game Eleven favs 4-1 vs conf rev 1-4 as RFs 5 < pts Wannstedt: 3-9 vs rested opp (1-5 SU and ATS when both teams have rest) highest ranking in the polls for Panthers since 1982
Mountaineers: SERIES: Dog 5-2 4-0 after Cincy 1-5 LHG 1-4 w/ conf rev 1-3 on Fridays WVA 38-5 SU at home, including 7-0 of a loss since 2003
(23) Nebraska at COLORADO
Cornhuskers: 16-4 A after score 17 or less points last game Huskers clinched Big 12 North with win over Kansas State last week Pelini 0-6 double-digit conference favorite
Buffaloes: 15-3-1 double-digit dog when less than .500 on the season, including 12-1-1 ATS when off a loss 14-7 con HD w/revenge vs opponent off win (10-1 ATS +9 or more points)
Saturday, November 28th
Florida State at (1) FLORIDA
Seminoles: 5-1 vs undefeated opp (Gm 8 out) 0-3 LRG 1-6 aft Maryland 1-5 as DD non-conf dogs
Gators: SERIES: 4-1 L5 / 3-1 H beat Seminoles L6 games row 10-1 in 2nd of BB HG 9-1 as non-conf favs 21 > pts 4-1 last lined HG 4-1 off non-conf SU win 35 > pts
New Mexico at (4) TCU
Lobos: 7-1 after Colo St 7-1 conf dogs 24 > pts 6-2 LRG
Horned Frogs: SERIES: 3-1 L4 / 4-1 H 5-0 conf favs 24 > pts 4-0 LHG 1-4 after Wyoming teams off nine wins-exact in Last Game of Season are 1-6 ATS if not off an ATS loss playing their 12th straight game without the benefit of rest this season
Georgia at (7) GEORGIA TECH
Bulldogs: SERIES: 3-1 L4 5-0 L5 A 5-0 as dogs > 7 pts... 4-0 off 3+ HG 4-1 w/ non-conf rev Richt: 32-6 SU away, including 6-1 SU and ATS at non con sites
Yellow Jackets: 4-0 vs non-conf rev 0-4 after Duke 0-3 off SU win 35 > pts 2-7 w/ rest
(12) Oklahoma State at OKLAHOMA
Cowboys: 3-0-1 away off BB HG 0-4 after Colorado 2-6 A w/ conf rev 2-5 as conf dogs 8 > pts 2-13-1 dog vs opp off double-digit loss
Sooners: SERIES: 4-0 L4 5-0 after Texas Tech 4-0 LHG - ave score 47-19 6-2 as HFs 13 < pts five losses for the first time since 1999 - Bob Stoops first season with OU
(14) Virginia Tech at VIRGINIA
Hokies: SERIES: 3-1 L4 5-0 LRG 6-1 as DD RF� 4-1 after NC State 2-6 favs vs conf rev Hokies have rushed for 200 or more yards in last three games (all wins)
Cavaliers: 3-0 conf HDs 8 > pts 6-1 after Clemson 12-3 H w/ conf rev 1-4 LHG 0-16 SU and 3-13 ATS in their last 16 games when allowing 200 or more rush yards Groh: 24-7-1 with revenge, including 17-4 at home
(19)Utah at (15) BYU
Utes: SERIES: 4-1 L5 6-1 as conf dogs 6 > pts 5-1 dogs vs conf rev 0-5 off SU home win 14 > pts
Cougars: 6-1 as conf favs < 10 pts 5-1 after Air Force 7-3 favs w/ conf rev 1-4 in 2nd of BB HG
(16) Clemson at SOUTH CAROLINA
Tigers: SERIES: 6-2 L8 / 3-1 A 7-1 vs non-conf rev 4-1 after Virginia 1-4 as non-conf favs 7 < pts
Gamecocks: 4-1 off SU loss but ATS win 3-1 w/ rest 1-4 w/ non-conf rev 2-6 as HDs 7 < pts Spurrier: 9-2 dog off back-to-back losses / 8-2 SU and 6-3-1 ATS home w/rest regular season
Arkansas at (17) LSU
Razorbacks: SERIES: 3-1 L4 / 3-1 A... 6-1 dogs vs conf rev 0-4 A off BB HG 2-5 LRG
Tigers: 0-5 LHG 1-12 conf HFs 21 <pts 2-6 w /conf rev (lost at Arkansas LGS, 31-30, last year) 5-12-1 home off loss with conference revenge 1-4 vs conf opp off BB SU wins Miles: 2-13-1 con HF w/Tigers
Rice at (20) HOUSTON
Owls: SERIES: 4-0-1 L5 5-0-1 LRG 8-1 vs conf rev *7-3 as conf dogs 15 > pts 3-7 A off BB HG
Cougars: 3-0 aft Memphis 7-1-1 w/ conf rev (lost 56-42 as 3-point RF to Rice in season ender last season) 4-1 as conf favs > 14 pts 1-3 last lined HG
(21) Miami Fla at SOUTH FLORIDA
Hurricanes: 5-2-1 LRG 3-15 as RFs pts
Ucla at (22) USC
Bruins: SERIES: 3-0 L3 5-1 as DD conf dogs 4-1 after Ariz St 1-5 A w/ conf rev Bruins were 33-point HDs in this matchup last year
Trojans: SERIES: 5-1 L6 H 4-0 in 2nd of 3+ HG *6-2 conf HFs 15 < pts 3-8 before Arizona
(24) North Carolina at NC STATE
Tar Heels: 0-3-1 Last Game Season Heels riding 4-0 SU and ATS streak... teams in Last Game of Season off four wins exact and four ATS covers are 8-16-1 ATS
Wolfpack: SERIES: dog 9-2 Wolfpack 5-0 H off previous home loss w/OBrien
(25) Ole Miss at MISSISSIPPI STATE
Rebels: 1-4 SU and 0-5 ATS RFs off win this decade
Bulldogs: SERIES: 1-5-1 lost 45-0 to Rebels last season, a game in which they were outstatted, 461-37
Note: (8) Ohio State, (10) Oregon, (11) Penn State, (13) Iowa and (18) Oregon State are off this week.