College Football News and Notes Week 7

Concussion may keep Steffy out for a month

Terps QB to undergo more tests tomorrow

Maryland quarterback Jordan Steffy, who suffered the second concussion of his career Sept. 29 at Rutgers, could be out as long as a month and will undergo more tests tomorrow, coach Ralph Friedgen said yesterday.

"It could be awhile with Jordan," Friedgen said. "You don't know on the concussions. ... He's shown some improvement on the tests, but they're going to need a lot more to be clear."

The injury-laden Terps got positive news on offensive lineman Andrew Crummey, who underwent surgery for a fractured fibula and was upgraded from a season-ending injury to possibly being able to play in the season finale.

Friedgen also gave updates on the following injuries:

• Linebacker Rick Costa (neck) is out two to three weeks.

• Defensive tackle Travis Ivey (torn right MCL) is out four to six weeks if no operation is necessary.

• Linebacker Dave Philistin (shoulder) practiced and should play Oct. 20 against Virginia.

• Offensive tackle Scott Burley (elbow) didn't practice but should play against Virginia.

• Cornerback Kevin Barnes (neck) practiced in a non-contact jersey and should play against Virginia.

• Wide receiver Danny Oquendo (ankle) practiced and should play against Virginia.

• Linebacker Erin Henderson (knee) is questionable.

www.baltsun.com

USC's Mark Sanchez appears likely to get start

John David Booty tested his broken finger by throwing passes Tuesday, but Mark Sanchez appears on track to start at quarterback for USC on Saturday against Arizona.

Sanchez, a third-year sophomore, spent part of the afternoon fielding dozens of questions from reporters after Coach Pete Carroll's weekly news conference.

"I need to be conservative and play well and play smart," Sanchez said, describing his possible role as "taking the keys to this awesome sports car we have here and not crashing."

Sanchez continued to get comfortable with the controls by taking all of the snaps with the first-team offense.

Meanwhile, Booty threw passes for the first time since Saturday, when he had four passes intercepted against Stanford.

Booty, who broke a bone in the middle finger of his right hand during the first half, threw about 50 balls.

"It felt better than I expected, it's just my accuracy is not where I quite want it to be," Booty said, adding, "I'm not going to go out there if I don't think I can play the way I'm capable of playing."

Booty said that he would continue to ice the finger with hopes that the swelling would subside.

Carroll, however, sounded as if he was leaning toward playing Sanchez and allowing Booty to fully recover.

During the news conference, Carroll said: "It could turn out that if John is OK, that we hold him in reserve and go with Mark through the preparation. . . . If we needed him in an emergency, maybe we could do that."

After the practice, Carroll said, "If we give him a break, maybe he can come back strong and be ready to finish the season. I don't know that, we're just kind of guessing, but we'll try and wait to see how it responds."

Sanchez said his father, Nick, a fire captain in Orange County, eased any nervousness by leaving him a funny voice mail after a brief conversation Monday night.

"He said, 'Hey Mark, it's your dad. One of the guys at the fire station said they have some tickets for Disneyland. We're going Saturday if you're not doing anything around 12, so call me back,' " Sanchez recalled.

USC's game against Arizona begins at 12:30 p.m.

Sanchez, asked to describe the post-Stanford mood on campus, said: "I don't think I've gotten through a single class without somebody mentioning something. . . . One of the teachers said, 'Am I going to be disappointed if I go to the game this week?'

"He wasn't directly talking to me, but I'm sure he knew I was in the class."

Center Matt Spanos did not practice again because of cuts on his right pinkie and ring finger, but he said he would play against Arizona regardless of whether "it opens or closes, if it's infected or not. I could care less what it looks like." . . . Tailback Stafon Johnson (foot) did some running and said, "if I'm 90%, I'm playing." . . . Linebacker Thomas Williams (ankle) did not practice. Clay Matthews appears on track to start at strong-side linebacker. . . . Tailback Joe McKnight sat out much of practice because of illness, Carroll said.

www.latimes.com

Ferringo Examines Early Line Moves
by Robert Ferringo

It's time once again for that weekly waltz that occurs between our friends over at the Las Vegas Sports Consultants and the sharp gamblers that pry apart the early college football spreads. Essentially, the LVSC recommends the lines to their clients, the sportsbooks, each week and the books respond by posting a suitable opening number. The sharps then come along like ravenous wolves encircling a wounded animal, ready to pounce on any number that they feel displays weakness or vulnerability. The result is an early week steam move on those seemingly weak lines, and that helps set the number that a majority of bettors in the general public will then have to wager on.

Just as there is a science and an art to setting the lines, it also requires a certain amount of skill to be able to red these opening line movements. Like stockbrokers, handicappers and bettors can learn a lot about a game by the way the early line moves break. To this point, sharp action has gone 18-17 against the spread in college movements and 14-8 ATS in the NFL movements. That's 32-25 ATS (56.1 percent) overall. Here are some of the most noticeable and significant early steam movements in both the college and pro football opening lines:

COLLEGE FOOTBALL

Florida State at Wake Forest (8 p.m., Thursday, Oct. 11)
Open: Florida State -3.5.
Current: Florida State -6.0.

The luster has clearly worn off the Deacons. Wake Forest is now a home underdog after their less-than-impressive win over lowly Duke last Saturday. However, FSU wasn't exactly stellar while holding of N.C. State. Wake Forest won 30-0 in Tallahassee last season and it was their first win over the Seminoles since 1973. Looks like the books are expecting revenge, but can you really trust Xavier Lee laying points on the road?

Cincinnati over Louisville (7 p.m., Saturday, Oct. 13)
Open: Cincinnati -7.5.
Current: Cincinnati -10.0.

The Bearcats have been the best bet in college football this season, posting a 5-0 ATS record. Conversely, the Cardinals have been one of the most disappointing teams in the nation, losing four of out of five against the number and three out of five overall. I guess it's safe to say that the players haven't taken to Steve Kragthorpe. The defense can't stop anyone but the Cards are 7-2 ATS against the Bearcats.

Oklahoma State at Nebraska (12:30 p.m., Saturday, Oct. 13)
Open: Nebraska -7.0.
Current: Nebraska -4.0.

Good ol' Bill Callahan. The man never met a Big Game that he couldn't have his team unprepared for - with last weekend's 41-6 whitewashing in Missouri as the latest example. Now Bill gets to come home to an angry fan base and try to take on an OSU team that they are 1-4 ATS against over the last five seasons. Nebraska hasn't played well since early September, and the Big 12 South still owns this conference, so laying any points in this one could be dicey.

Connecticut at Virginia (3:30 p.m., Saturday, Oct. 13)
Open: Virginia -6.5.
Current: Virginia -3.5.

My friend Nolan has a firm rule when betting any college sport - always take a Big East team over an ACC team, in any sport. I don't have any solid numbers for you but I can say without question it's been one of the most profitable systems I've ever played. Clearly I'm not the only one.

Indiana at Michigan State (9:15 p.m., Saturday, Oct. 13)
Open: Michigan State -7.5.
Current: Michigan State -5.0.

The Hoosiers have been playing inspired ball all season and have been one of the best stories in college football. They've also been one of the best bets in the business, and are facing a team they put a 25-point beat down on last year. However, the Spartans have won eight of 10 in this series and are 4-1 ATS recently.

Central Florida at South Florida (Noon, Saturday, Oct. 13)
Open: South Florida -14.0.
Current: South Florida -11.5.

This is a lot of points for what is becoming a heated rivalry. The Bulls are 2-0 straight up and ATS over the past two meetings and the Knights are a horrendous against the Big East, posting a 1-10 ATS mark. These are two very physical squads and I'm looking for a grinder here. Also, USF has a crucial Thursday game at Rutgers lurking so their heads may not be 100 percent in this game. That is, until central Florida punches them in the face.

www.docsports.com

ASA: Big Ten report
October 10, 2007

Illinois looks to hold down its spot in the top 25 against Iowa. Michigan State aims to avoid another midseason swoon. Michigan attempts to continue its domination over Purdue. Northwestern looks to capitalize on Minnesota’s secondary woes. And Wisconsin tries to rebound from its first loss of the season against Penn State.

Here’s a look forward to the week that will be in the Big Ten.

Illinois

The Illini joined the top 25 for the first time since the 2001 season when they ended Wisconsin’s 14-game winning streak with a 36-21 victory last weekend. A national ranking automatically puts a bulls-eye on Illinois with Iowa getting the first crack at sending the Illini back out of the top 25. Illinois, which is riding its first five-game winning streak since that 2001 season, will be 3.5-point road favorites.

The Illinois offense was unable to get anything going in last year’s meeting with Iowa with Juice Williams throwing three interceptions and the running game averaging just 3.5 yards per carry in a 24-7 home loss. The Illini are currently fifth in the country with 261.2 rushing yards per game and will need a bettor effort this time around if they are to take out an Iowa team desperate for a win.

Illinois has dropped four straight decisions to Iowa but has covered two of the last three meetings. This is rarely ventured territory for the Illini, though, as they’ve been favorites at Iowa just three times since 1982. They have won the last two occurrences but those games came in 1989 and 1999. The favorite is 7-2 ATS in the last nine meetings between the programs, though, which bodes well for Illinois.

Indiana

The Hoosiers matched last season’s win total when they improved to 5-1 SU and 4-1 ATS on the season last week following their 40-20 win over Minnesota. Indiana will try to reach six wins for the first time since 1993 when it travels to Michigan State as 5-point dogs.

Indiana snapped a four-game losing streak to Michigan State last year with a convincing 46-21 win over the Spartans. The Hoosiers fell behind 7-0 in that game but then proceeded to run off 46 straight points behind five Kellen Lewis touchdown passes, four of which went to James Hardy.

Last year’s 25-point win as 7-point dogs marked the first ATS win for Indiana over Michigan State since 2001. The Hoosiers are just 6-18 SU and 9-15 ATS versus the Spartans since 1981 but are 4-1 ATS in their last five games overall. Indiana has been underdogs in East Lansing in every meeting since 1981 but the five-point spread in this game marks the fewest amount of points it has ever received.

Iowa

Iowa’s struggles continued when it lost 27-7 to Penn State, marking its eighth straight Big Ten contest. The Hawkeyes’ overall losing streak is now at four and they’ll look to snap it this weekend when they host 18th-ranked Illinois as 3.5-point underdogs.

The Hawkeyes took out Illinois last year 24-7 in their conference opener but this is a very different Illini team. They’ll need to get their defense, which has allowed 65 points the last two games, back on track after it allowed just 35 points in their first four games. Iowa will have to especially tighten up its rush defense, which surrendered 256 rushing yards to Penn State last week and now must face Illinois’s fifth-ranked rushing attack.

Iowa has won its last two home games against the Illini by an average of 29.5 points, easily covering both contests. The home team is 5-0 ATS in the last five meetings overall and the Hawkeyes will attempt to keep that record perfect. Iowa put together a home record of 23-3 SU and 22-4 ATS from 2002 to 2005 but have gone just 3-6 ATS since.

Michigan

The Wolverines once again got a scare from a far inferior team but this time pulled away in picking up a 33-22 win over Mid-American Conference foe Eastern Michigan. Their win improved their SU record to 4-2 and extended their winning streak to four straight. They’ll look to make if five straight this weekend when they host Purdue as 5.5-point favorites.

This year’s meeting marks the first time Michigan has played Purdue since the 2004 season. The Wolverines won that contest to extend their winning streak within the series to four games. They have dominated their series with the Boilermakers, going 18-3 SU since 1981 and 5-1 ATS in the last six meetings.

Within those games, Michigan is 9-1 ATS when Purdue owns a record of .500 or better and 11-0 SU and 8-3 ATS at home. And the Wolverines haven’t just beaten the Boilermakers at home, they have dominated them. Those 11 straight home wins have come by an average of 25.5 points per game with only one coming by single digits.

Michigan State

The Spartans did not rebound from their loss to Wisconsin the way head coach Mark Dantonio had hoped, falling 48-41 at home to Northwestern last week. The loss evoked flashbacks of the John L. Smith regime as Michigan State again started a season strong only to flounder once the leaves started to turn. The Spartans will look to reverse that trend Saturday when they host Indiana as 5-point favorites.

Michigan State lost an embarrassing 46-21 decision to the Hoosiers last week and will look to exact some revenge this year. Its running attack will have to play a large role if that revenge is to be exacted. Indiana has proven susceptible to a strong running game so the 14th-ranked Spartans running game, which tallied 287 yards on just 32 carries last week, should find some holes.

Prior to last season’s loss to Indiana, the Spartans had owned the Hoosiers. Overall, Michigan State is 9-2 SU in the last 11 meetings and 7-3 ATS in the last 10 games and 18-6 SU and 15-9 ATS in the last 24. The Spartans have struggled mightily at home, though, going just 3-13 ATS in their last 16 homes contests.

Minnesota

Minnesota allowed at least 30 points for the sixth time in six games in losing 40-20 to Indiana to extend its losing streak to four straight. The Gophers currently sit at the bottom of the Big Ten standings with an 0-3 conference record and a 1-5 (1-4-1 ATS) mark overall. Minnesota will try to stop the bleeding on the road at Northwestern this weekend as a touchdown underdog.

Pass defense has been a problem for the Gophers all season and their secondary will receive yet another test this weekend from the Wildcats. Minnesota is last in the country with 345.8 passing yards allowed per game and must take on a Northwestern passing game that has climbed to 18th in the nation following a 520-yard showing last week.

The Gophers have won three straight games over the Wildcats but haven’t faced them since the 2004 campaign. Minnesota is 5-2 ATS in its last seven games with Northwestern and is a perfect 4-0 ATS in the last four meetings in Evanston. But the Gophers have been plagued by poor coverage and an awful turnover ratio, two key ingredients to a losing recipe.

Northwestern

The Wildcats snapped their three-game slide and climbed back to .500 with their 48-41 overtime win at Michigan State Saturday. Northwestern has a chance to move over .500 when it hosts Big Ten cellar-dweller Minnesota this weekend as 7-point favorites.

A big part of Northwestern’s success last week was quarterback C.J. Bacher limited mistakes. Bacher has a solid year in his first full season as the starter but has been plagued by inconsistency, throwing four touchdowns and no interceptions in the first two games and zero touchdowns and seven interceptions in his next three. He responded this week with five touchdowns and no interceptions to go along with 520 passing yards.

Bacher has a great chance to build on that performance against a Minnesota defense that can neither stop the pass nor force turnovers. A win would snap Northwestern’s three-game losing streak to the Gophers but the Wildcats haven’t fared well as the favorite in this series and overall. They have been favored just four times against Minnesota since 1980 and is just 1-3 ATS in those games and are just 7-21 ATS in their last 28 games as a home favorite overall.

Ohio State

The Buckeyes continued their ascent up the rankings with another dominating defensive performance in their 23-7 win over previously unbeaten Purdue. The win extended Ohio State’s regular-season winning streak to 24 and its conference winning streak to 17. The Buckeyes can extend their regular-season streak this weekend when they host Kent State as 30-point favorites.

Ohio State is now in the top 3 in four major defensive statistical categories: first in scoring defense, second in rushing and total defense and third in pass efficiency defense. That doesn’t bode well for a Kent State team that is 77th in the country in scoring offense. If the Buckeyes can hold Purdue’s previously eighth-ranked offense to just seven points, the Golden Flashes will have little chance of moving the ball.

The Buckeyes are a perfect 13-0 SU against MAC schools since 1992 but are just 4-7 ATS in those contests, including an earlier ATS loss this season to Akron. Ohio State was favored by 30 or more points in three of those games and went 1-2 ATS. It has been favored by 30 or more points 22 times since 1980 and has gone 12-10 ATS in those contests.

Penn State

Penn State rebounded from its 0-2 road trip with a 27-7 home win over Iowa Saturday for its first win in conference action. It was a dominating performance by the Nittany Lions as they outgained the Hawkeyes by nearly 300 yards. They are now 4-0 at home this year and will look to keep that record unblemished when they host Wisconsin this weekend as 6.5-point favorites.

The Lions dropped an ugly 13-3 decision in their battle with the Badgers last year, totaling just 36 rushing yards on less than two yards per carry. This year could be a different story. Penn State tallied 256 rushing yards on 50 carries last week and are facing a Wisconsin stop unit that has struggled to stop the run this year.

Penn State is just 3-7 ATS versus the Badgers since joining the Big Ten in 1995. The Lions haven’t fared well against good competition this year, going 0-2 against Michigan and Illinois but 4-0 against teams with a combined record of 5-19 SU. The favorite in this series is 4-0 ATS in the last four meetings, though, while Penn State is 11-5 ATS in its last 16 home games.

Purdue

The Boilermakers faced their first true test Saturday and failed miserably, getting completely dominated in a 23-7 home loss to Ohio State. They’ll look to get back on track this weekend but it won’t come easy against a rejuvenated Michigan team at home and riding a four-game winning streak.

Purdue started the 2006 campaign with four straight wins only to lose four of its next five games. It started this season with five straight wins and will look to avoid the same fate it suffered a year ago. Another similarity could be the production of the offense. The Boilermakers’ offense was among the nation’s best through four games last year but averaged just 15.8 points per game over a six-game stretch in conference action. They proved last week that their offense couldn’t hang with Ohio State’s defense and must face an improving Michigan defense this week.

The Boilermakers have historically struggled against the Wolverines, going just 3-18 SU and 9-12 ATS since 1980. Additionally, they have lost three straight games ATS in Ann Arbor and are 1-4-1 ATS in the last six meetings overall.

Wisconsin

Wisconsin’s first loss was bound to happen eventually as it was flirting with disaster for weeks. It finally came in a 31-26 road loss to Illinois in which Wisconsin couldn’t stop the Illini running attack. The Badgers will continue their road trip this weekend when they travel to Penn State as 6.5-point dogs.

The Badgers won last year’s battle with the Lions 13-3 by controlling the clock with their dominating running attack and stout run defense. P.J. Hill churned out 148 yards on the ground in giving Wisconsin a plus-15 minute time of possession advantage. The Badgers will need another workmanlike effort from Hill in this meeting in order to keep a suddenly struggling Wisconsin defense off the field.

Wisconsin is 7-3 ATS in its last 10 meetings with Penn State, including a 3-2 mark in Happy Valley. This has traditionally been a good spot for the Badgers as they are 7-2-1 ATS in their last 10 road games and 19-7-2 ATS in their last 28 games as the underdog. This year has been a little different, though, as they have dropped four straight contests ATS.

News and Notes - Week 7
Northcoast Sports

Week 7

Despite playing their 3rd game in 11 days, Memphis had a 245-125 yd edge at the half but settled for 3 short FG's and only led 9-7. They still managed to lead 24-14 in the 4Q and held on for a 24-21 win at home...

Kansas got its first road win over a ranked team since 1995 and started the season 5-0 for just the 3rd time in 39 years when they upset KSU in Manhattan for the first time since 1989...

C Michigan had an impressive game in the battle for the MAC West Title as they had 32-20 FD and 658-369 yd edges at Ball St, a team that basically outplayed Nebraska on the road earlier in the season...

Indiana needs just 1 more win to become bowl eligible and has not played in the post season since 1993...

W Virginia had a DL score a TD for the first time since 1981 when a deflected pass was int'd by Keilen Dykes who returned it 19 yds for a TD. WV rolled to a 55-14 lead with a 486-222 yd edge delivering as the NC Sportsline Comp College Play...

Buffalo got a TD early 4Q to lead Ohio 24-10 and then OU was int'd in the EZ for a TB, SOD at the UB 2 and 28 with 2:14 left. UB got a 72 yd TD run by Starks on the next play who extended the lead to 31-10...

Wisconsin came in with the nation's longest win streak at 14 but Illinois ended it. The Illini led 17-0 mid-2Q and 31-19 with 5:28 left before allowing UW a TD. Illinois rec'd the onside kick and went for it on 4th & 1 at the UW 36 and converted and ran out the clock...

Kent St had 25-16 FD and 463-411 yd edges but they settled for a couple of short FG's and at the end of the game, QB Edelman, on 4th & goal at the13 took off for the EZ and was tkl'd at the 1 and Miami, Oh prevailed 20-13...

Ohio St made a case to be the #2 team in the country. The Bucks dominated Purdue even more than the 23-7 score would indicate. It was 23-0 and OSU had a 381-184 yd edge before PU took over with 2:56 left and went on an 88/13pl drive getting a garbage TD with :10 left...

Ole Miss beat Louisiana Tech 24-0 but LT had a 301-232 yd edge and LT, trailing 17-0 had a 1st & goal at the 6 late in the game but settled for a 26 yd FG which Ole Miss not only blk'd but ret'd 55 yds for a TD...

Texas Tech led Iowa St 42-3 when they pulled their starters with 9:24 left in the 4Q. ISU made it respectable by going on 2 long drives for garbage TD's which came in the final 4:32. ISU did not cross midfield on its first 8 poss...

Penn St's offense, which was marred by TO's and redzone mistakes the previous weeks, rolled up 489 yds vs a top-notch Iowa D in their 27-7 win. PSU had a 26-8 FD edge and allowed the Hawkeyes just 194 yds, 132 of those yards came in the 4Q with the game out of reach...

Despite losing 31-14 to AF, UNLV had a 471-432 yd edge...

LSU trailed 24-14 in the 4Q but converted on five 4th downs during the game including 2 on their final drive. Trailing by 3, they took a huge risk and went for it on 4th & 1 at the Florida 6, but converted and got a TD with 1:09 left for the win...

UTEP and Tulsa combined for well over 1,200 yards offense with Tulsa having a 672-595 yd edge. Tulsa trailing in the 4Q, got a TD with 4:34 left but UTEP drove for a 14 yd TD pass with :58 left to pull out the 48-47 win...

Virginia had a 374-308 yd edge but needed a 34 yd FG with :08 left to pull out a 23-21 road win at Middle Tenn...

When Colorado's players gathered on Sunday to watch game film of their upset vs Oklahoma they were instead shown film of their 3 OT loss to Baylor the previous year. That possibly helped CU avoid a letdown and they led BU 43-16 before allowing a garbage TD in the final minutes winning comfortably on the road...

Tennessee was coming off a bye and simply dominated Georgia allowing just 2 FD's in the 1H while rolling up 401 yds offense for the game...

Alabama was cruising with a 23-0 lead after 1Q vs Houston and appeared on their way to a rout. It was 23-7 at half and 30-10 after 3Q's but UH rallied back for a couple of TD's then got an int with 2:48 left and actually drove to the Tide 15 yd line when on 4th & 3 trailing by just 6 their pass was int'd by Castille...

Oklahoma St's D came in allowing 443 ypg but held A&M to just 132 in the 1H and OSU led 17-0. A&M controlled the 2H and took a 24-20 lead with 8:04 left. OSU settled for a 24 yd FG with 3:11 left but then roughed the P with 1:57 left and A&M ran out the clock...

Michigan led E Michigan 33-14 before allowing a TD with :47 left on an 81 yd garbage drive. EM then rec'd the onside kick and got to the UM 41 but was int'd in the EZ on a Hail Mary on the game's final play...

Oregon St was dominating Arizona leading 31-3 and driving for another score when they allowed a 60 yd IR TD with just :25 left 1H. The Beavers dominated and won 31-16 surviving that huge momentum swing...

Northwestern QB CJ Bacher threw for a school record 520 yards...

Oklahoma outrushed Texas 170-61 and DeMarco Murray raced 65 yds for a TD in the 3Q. Colt McCoy threw for 324 yds but rFr Sam Bradford was equally impressive hitting 21-32 for 244.

WHO NEEDS OFFENSE?

Looking at the score, it appears VT's offense was potent as they rolled up 41 points vs a solid Clemson D. Looking a little closer, we see CU had a 380-219 yd edge with VT managing just 9 FD's. VT scored on a 32 yd IR TD, an 82 yd PR TD and a 100 yd KR TD in the 1H. VT's TD drives both started on CU's side of the field.

FINAL PLAY FG'S THAT WERE MISSED

TCU only led 7-6 at the half vs Wyoming but WY pulled ahead 21-6 after 3Q's and went on a 94 yd drive for a 23 yd FG with 8:25 left, 24-6. TCU got a TD then tackled the P at the WY 15 with 6:30 left to set up another TD to pull within 24-21. They got the ball back with 1:17 left and drove to the WY 31. With the wind at their backs, a 48 yd FG was missed wide right as it hit the upright on the final play of the game and WY won by 3...

Chris Turner, in his first start for MD threw for 255 yards and the Terps led 21-10 at the half. GT rolled up 484 yds and crossed midfield on every poss except its first. GT scored 9 pts in the 4Q including a TD with 8:21 left and forced a MD punt with 6:44 left. GT went on a 39/12pl drive but holding forced a 4th & 20 and they missed a 52 yd FG with :54 left and lost 28-26...

Arizona St got a 37 yd FG with :50 left to give the Sun Devils a 23-20 lead but WSU drove 51/7pl. Their game tying 46 yd FG with :12 left was wide left and despite leading most of the game they lost to #18 Arizona St. Alex Brink hit 27-50 for 369 yds and became WSU's career passing leader topping Jason Gesser (8,830).

BIGGEST UPSET IN COLLEGE FOOTBALL HISTORY???

The Gold Sheet, which has logs in college football dating back to 1950 ruled that Syracuse's upset of Louisville at +37 was the biggest upset in college football since 1950 topping the 1985 Oregon St (+36) upset over Washington in Seattle. Stanford topped that as they were a 41 point underdog vs USC. Jim Harbaugh had gotten into some verbal banter with Pete Carroll during the offseason so USC was well motivated and SU was also without their starting QB. Tavita Pritchard who got his first ever start hit just 11-30 for 149 yds but SU converted twice on 4th down on their final drive and despite being outgained 459-235, the Cardinal ended USC's 35 game winning streak at The Coliseum in perhaps the biggest upset of all-time. Keep in mind, that SU had been outscored 141-51 in their first 3 Pac-10 games.

KEY PLAYS OF THE GAME

A key play in the SM/Rice game happened when SM hit a 50 yd pass across midfield which was clearly a catch. Amazingly the replay officials ruled it hit the ground although the ball had bounced off the opposing player. Two plays later SM committed one of their 7 TO's setting up a TD for a 28-7 lead...

N Illinois led Temple 6-0 with 2:54 left 1H and was at the Temple 19 when they fmbl'd and it was ret'd 66 yds for a TD giving Temple a 7-6 lead, a huge turnaround in the game. NI still led 15-13 but TU took over with 3:47 left and drove 56/12pl for a 39 yd FG with :09 left to pull out the win...

While Florida St did miss a pair of FG's and settled for a short FG in the 1H, four key plays doomed the Wolfpack. They were int'd at the FSU 7 with :32 left in the half. After getting 2 FD's to open the 3Q they were int'd & ret'd 46 yds for a TD and FSU led 17-10. FSU punted early 4Q but roughing the P gave them a FD and on the next play FSU got a 40 yd TD pass, 24-10. NCSt then fmbl'd the KO and FSU added a 28 yd FG with 10:50 left. NCSt was int'd at the 16 with 6:08 left and each team finished with 19 FD's although FSU did have a 381-268 yd edge.

HAIL MARY PRAYERS ANSWERED

Tulane appeared to have pulled out the win vs Army leading 17-10 but with :04 left Army threw a Hail Mary pass that went 36 yds for a TD as WR Wright was ruled inbounds on a diving tipped catch in the back of the EZ. Army settled for a FG to start OT but Tulane missed a 34 yd FG wide left and Army got the win. Tulane RB Forté rushed for 202 yds on 32 carries. As a frosh in 2004 Forté had rushed for 216 yds and 4 TD's vs Army. Army won consecutive games for the first time since 2005...

W Michigan had the game vs Akron locked up. They led 38-31 with :15 left and Coach Cubit opted to have WR Simmons run out of the EZ on 4th down for a designed safety setting up a free kick for the last play of the game. Amazingly, the ball headed towards the left sideline where Alphonso Owen scooped it up, tossed to Andre Jones and he followed a blocking wedge for an amazing 89 yd KR TD with no time left on the clock. Akron had scored a 51 yd TD pass with 10:06 left trailing 38-24 in their miracle win.

TURNOVERS MAKE A DIFFERENCE

At the half, Boston College only had a 251-193 yd edge vs Bowling Green and in fact, BG got a TD with 8:55 left in the half to make it 14-10. Amazingly in the final 6:00 of the 1H BG would have 4 int's including 2 which BC ret'd for TD's and the Eagles led 38-10 at the half. In the 2H BG went on 13, 7, 13 and 5 pl drives but was int'd in the EZ twice. After the game, however, BG Coach Brandon said that BC is arguably the best team he's played since he's coached there and last year they lost to #1 Ohio St 35-7...

Cincinnati continues to live on TO's forcing 4 more vs Rutgers and have now forced 25 TO's this season. UC has opened up 6-0, their best start since 1954. Leading 28-23 they got an int with 1:19 left to seal the victory...

E Carolina trailed UCF 28-17 at the half but UCF imploded in the 3Q with 5 TO's and also allowed a 96 yd KR TD. UCF had 29-16 FD and 495-370 yd edges but EC had 52 points for the first time since 2002 and RB Johnson set a single game school record for all-purpose yards with 372 for the Pirates...

UCLA starting QB Ben Olson was inj'd and with Patrick Cowan also out, 3rd stringer McLeod Bethel-Thompson played the final 3Q's of the game vs Notre Dame. The walk-on had 4 int's and a fumble which was ret'd 34 yds for a TD and was a key factor in the Irish 20 points. UCLA had a 280-140 yd edge but 7 TO's.

MISLEADING FINALS, FRONTDOOR AND BACKDOOR COVERS

Indy should have been up by more vs Minnesota but settled for 32 & 47 yd FG's in the 1H after key dropped passes cost them TD's and they led 27-14 at the half. Indy settled for 25 and 43 yd FG's to open the 3Q and was only up by 19 after 3Q's. UM got a TD with 6:51 left for the apparent backdoor cover, 33-20. They forced a punt but with 4:29 left where not only int'd but ret'd 47 yds to the 5 and Indy got a TD on the next play for the frontdoor cover with 1:23 left. UM threatened the backdoor getting to the Indy 22 but their 4th & 10 pass was incomplete...

Wake led 24-9 at the half vs Duke and got an 18 yd FG after an int and then got a 30 yd IR TD and led 34-9. Duke would battle back with 3 consecutive drives for TD's to get an apparent backdoor cover, 34-29 with 11:05 left. The next 3 poss were punts then Duke was SOD at the WF 47. WF got a 53 yd TD run with 2:18 left for the frontdoor cover but Duke went 67/10pl and got a 3rd & 19 TD pass with 1:05 left for the backdoor cover...

Troy led Florida Int'l 34-10 in the 4Q but FIU got a 9 yd TD pass with :29 left for the backdoor cover.

INJURIES OF NOTE

SM starting QB Jeremy Young was out and backup QB Stephen Reaves was inj'd in practice so 3rd stringer Martevious Young started vs Rice. He was inj'd and lost for the season on the 3rd play so Reaves gutted it out and played the entire game. Seven TO's doomed SM as they had 21-14 FD & 322-236 yd edges but did trail 31-7 after 3Q's rallying for 3 TD's including one with 2:46 left. They missed a 2 pt conversion and trailed by 2 and after forcing a punt, lost their 7th TO of the game with 1:08 left...

Auburn was missing 4 starting defensive players including star DE Quentin Groves but still was able to put pressure on Vandy's QB's. Auburn did get back RB Brad Lester who missed the first four games to suspension and he rushed for 77 yards on 13 carries...

Indiana put up 40 pts vs Minnesota but did suffer some key injuries as RB's Thigpen and Sears were both inj'd in the 1H and Thigpen's backup, McCray was ruled out prior to the game. Also starting C Ben Wyss was inj'd in the 1H and did not return...

WV QB Pat White missed most of the 2H with thigh and shoulder inj's...

NC State lost RB Andre Brown to a fractured foot, its 2nd top RB to go down this season. Jamelle Eugene filled in and rushed 14 times for 101 yards...

Missouri's leading rusher Tony Temple sprained an ankle in the 1H and had just 3 carries for -2 yards but Missouri still plastered Nebraska 41-6 with a 606-297 yd edge...

Idaho starting QB Nathan Enderle missed last week's game vs San Jose St and Brian Nooy, in his first career start led ID to 141 yards in the 1Q and the team held on to the ball for nearly 10:00 but trailed 7-3. ID had just 110 yds the rest of the game. SJSt led 28-6 in the 4Q before allowing a couple of late ID TD's but Idaho did have a chance to tie it getting the ball back with 2:00 left before Nooy was int'd...

Due to inj's Toledo was down to 3rd string QB DJ Lenehan and he hit 19 of 23 for 226 yds. UT had a 293-282 yd edge but needed a TD and xp with 3:47 left to pull out the win...

Virginia RB Cedric Peerman, the ACC's leading rusher, left the Middle Tenn game in the 2Q with a leg inj and his status for this week is questionable. He had just for 19 yds on 5 carries prior to the injury...

Hawaii QB Colt Brennan was inj'd once again, this time in the 2Q vs Utah St with the team up 24-14 and he played just one series in the 2H before leaving due to injury again. Brennan hit 19 of 25 for 219 and Tyler Graunke hit 9 of 11 for 246 in his place and winless Utah St trailed 52-27 before getting a couple of scores including a 15 yd TD pass with :27 left...

Zac Robinson, the starting QB for OSU was inj'd in the 3Q and Bobby Reid, the starter at the beginning of the year filled in well hitting 6 of 9 passes for 72 yards...

Maryland's #1 tackler Erin Henderson who had a bad knee, did not play vs Georgia Tech nor did starting QB Jordan Steffy...

Fresno St did lead Nevada 28-17 at the half but UN lost starting QB Nick Graziano in the 2Q to injury and he may be lost for the season. Colin Kaepernick replaced and hit 23-36 for 384 yds but much of that was late, after the game had been decided. In fact, UN scored 3 TD's in the final 6:42 including 2 in the final :29 of the game. That made the statistics misleading as UN piled up 702 yards offense to FSU's 475. They had 231 yds on their final 3 drives...

Northwestern RB Tyrell Sutton missed his 4th consecutive game.

Georgia LB Miller doubtful after injuring calf during agility drills
October 10, 2007

Associated Press

ATHENS, Ga. (AP) -- Georgia linebacker Brandon Miller is doubtful for Saturday's game's against Vanderbilt because of a calf injury.

Miller hurt his calf during agility drills this week, coach Mark Richt said after Wednesday's practice.

If Miller can't play, the 24th-ranked Bulldogs will likely start redshirt freshman Akeem Dent at strongside linebacker, with Dannell Ellerbe in the middle and either Darius Dewberry or freshman Rennie Curran at the weakside spot.

Dent has made one start, in a win over Western Carolina when he tied for the team lead with six tackles. Curran earned a shot at more playing time by making seven tackles in a loss to Tennessee last weekend.

Who's Alabama's starting tailback? Who knows?
October 10, 2007

Associated Press

TUSCALOOSA, Ala. (AP) -- Glen Coffee knows how quickly the playing rotation can change for Alabama's tailbacks.

At the top one moment, a benchwarmer the next. It's why Coffee isn't taking anything for granted leading up to Saturday's game at Mississippi even after his first 100-yard game for the Crimson Tide.

"I'm grateful. But with us, I could get five carries next week," said Coffee, who gained 121 yards on 30 attempts against Houston. "That's just what they felt like needed to happen for us to win the game. Our carries can change dramatically week to week and we're cool with that."

Just ask Terry Grant. He was the Southeastern Conference freshman of the week following each of the first three games, but had only three carries against Houston.

Coach Nick Saban said that's not a knock on Grant, either.

"Terry's not having any troubles," Saban said. "You guys (reporters) have it in your mind that one guy has to do bad for another guy to do good, and that's not the case.

"It's a case of somebody's doing good so he gets some opportunites and he takes advantage of them."

Who will start against Ole Miss? Who knows?

Coffee said he wasn't informed he would make his first career start last weekend until pre-game warmups.

He said that he, Grant and Roy Upchurch don't have any problem with the ever-evolving pecking order.

"It's definitely positive," Coffee said. "It pushes us to the max every practice, every play. Competition is great for everybody. The only bad competition is when you have selfish players and none of us are selfish. It's good."

He said Grant is handling the situation well.

"He's not selfish, so he's fine with it," said Coffee, who said the three tailbacks are good friends. "You can tell when somebody is thinking about something or something is getting somebody down. But Terry, we're all too cool to even have any bit of jealousy. He's fine."

ON THE LINE: For the second straight week, family concerns could force a shuffling of the offensive line.

Left guard Justin Britt missed practice the last three days because his mother was in the hospital after an accident over the weekend.

Right guard Marlon Davis sat out the Houston game after missing two days of practice because of a death in the family.

In his absence, backup center Evan Cardwell started while Antoine Caldwell replaced Davis.

It's a combination Saban said the Tide could use again if needed. It could be needed this week.

"It's an option for us in the future because (Cardwell) did a pretty good job in the game," Saban said. "Antoine did a good job at guard, too."

Cardwell had extra motivation not to be caught unprepared if pressed into a starting role. He was a freshman when center JB Closner broke his leg late in the 2005 season, and with him out the Tide allowed 11 sacks against Auburn.

"We all had to move up, and some of the guys weren't ready to move up," Cardwell said. "I learned a good lesson on that, just be prepared always."

WALLACE'S SACKS: Defensive end Wallace Gilberry has been talking two or three times a week to former Tennessee and NFL lineman Chuck Smith.

Smith's advice was helpful when Gilberry went the first five games without a sack.

"He has been telling me that you can't really go out and look for the big games, it's going to happen," Gilberry said. "Sacks come in bunches, and I am a firm believer in that."

Especially now that he picked up his first and second of the season against Houston.

"I need to try to get more," Gilberry said.

Gamecocks' CB out after injury in practice
October 10, 2007

Associated Press

COLUMBIA, S.C. (AP) -- Coach Steve Spurrier says South Carolina starting cornerback Carlos Thomas probably won't play against North Carolina this week after experiencing some numbness after he got "bonked on the head" at practice.

Spurrier says Thomas was taken to a hospital and had some numbness in his arms at practice Tuesday.

Spurrier says Thomas has been released but is wearing a neck brace.

With Thomas out, Spurrier says the seventh-ranked Gamecocks would go with reserves Brandon Isaac, Addison Williams and Chris Hail.

Thomas is a junior from College Park, Georgia.

He has started five of South Carolina's six games this season and leads the Gamecocks with five pass break ups.

Miami LB McCarthy to miss GT game
October 11, 2007

Associated Press

CORAL GABLES, Fla. (AP) -- Miami linebacker Colin McCarthy will miss the Hurricanes' game Saturday against Georgia Tech with a concussion.

McCarthy, the Hurricanes' third-leading tackler, was injured last week at North Carolina. Darryl Sharpton will move to middle linebacker and Tavares Gooden will fill McCarthy's spot in Miami's starting lineup.

UK RB Little still questionable for LSU game
October 11, 2007

Associated Press

LEXINGTON, Ky. (AP) -- Kentucky running back Rafael Little has shown little progress in recovering from a deep thigh bruise and his status for Saturday's game against No. 1 Louisiana State remains undetermined, Kentucky coach Rich Brooks said Thursday.

"He's still very questionable," Brooks said, placing Little in the same category as starting outside linebacker Johnny Williams. "We've got 48 hours. We'll just have to wait and see if they make any significant progress."

Brooks said Little's injury is particularly nagging to a running back.

"With a thigh bruise you get bleeding, you get swelling and it restricts your movement with your knee," Brooks said. "That's a problem. He does not have full function of the knee at this point."

With Little's status up in the air, Brooks said wide receivers Keenan Burton, Dicky Lyons Jr. and DeMoreo Ford likely will return kick-offs and punts.

College Football Power Rankings: The Ferringo 15
by Robert Ferringo

Polls and rankings can be a gambler's best friend when it comes to wagering on large groups of vicious and volatile college students, the type that paint their faces, don high density polyurethane shells, and assemble each week to thrash each other on the gridiron. Polls and rankings set the general consensus on how strong a certain team is, regardless of Truth, and that makes them a tool for exploiting a misinformed betting public.

But this ranking system is going to work a little differently. We have enough rampant conjecture across the nation in regards to college football so I have set out to provide my faithful readers with some info that should enrich their gambling lives. The result: the Ferringo 15.

The Ferringo 15 is my Profit-Power Rankings, a ladder or hierarchy based on which teams are the most profitable on the field. I'm not trying to give you some other convoluted, random, speculative power rankings based on my own biases. So instead of Ohio State moving up or down the polls on the basis of how badly they blew out Northwestern the previous Saturday I'm going to rank each team based on past, present, and projected future achievement against the spread.

Below I've listed teams that have been and hopefully will continue to be the most profitable teams for bettors this season. It's still early in the season so there will likely be a lot of fluctuation from week to week. But after we've had some time to get the lay of the land these rankings will be buttressed by solid, visceral performance.

If you only count Notre Dame's upset over UCLA as one strike against it, the Ferringo 15 posted a 7-6 mark last week to run its record to 35-22 ATS on the season. Considering that these teams are posted independent of matchups, that's a pretty solid 61.4-percent clip on the year. I'll take it! So without further ado, here is our Week 7 version of the Ferringo 15:

1) Cincinnati (5-0) - The word on our boys is out. The Bearcats outmuscle an overrated Rutgers team last week and now the bandwagon may be full. I mean, if I told you at the beginning of the year that Cincy would be laying double digits to Louisville when the Cardinals came to town you would have thought I was higher than Travis Henry. Be wary of this game: a lot of people are sleeping on what is still a decent UL squad.

2) South Florida (3-1) - It's not a coincidence that our top two teams are both from the Big East given that it has been the most underrated conference in the country over the past few years at the expense of duds like the ACC and Big Ten. This week they have a big one against a sneaky good Central Florida squad and don't want to be caught looking ahead to a key revenge game next Thursday against Rutgers.

3) South Carolina (4-1) - It's tough to claim that a Top 10 team is underrated. But if this team had Auburn, Georgia, or Alabama on its chest it would be mentioned in national title contention. I mean, for most of this week they've been laying less than a touchdown against a pathetic North Carolina team. The Gamecocks are 6-2 ATS in nonconference games since the start of 2005.

4) Illinois (4-1) - Speed kills. Especially in the Big Ten. The Illini scored a monster victory, cashing in on as our top play last week as well as Doc's College Football Game of the Year. Good times. But after three straight decisive conference wins, and with a home game against Michigan on deck, this weekend's trip to Iowa City is a potential landmine. Illinois has lost four straight in this series by an average of 22 points. Red flags, anyone?

5) Kansas (4-0) - Rock, chalk, Jayhawk. Kansas has officially thrown its hat into the ring for the Big 12 crown. But can they sustain the momentum? They've never finished in the top half of the North and their best conference record was just 3-5, but suddenly they're 25-point favorites at home to Baylor. Don't know if I'm buying that. Especially in a series where four of the last five meetings have been decided by a TD or less.

6) Missouri (4-0) - We were in a similar situation with South Florida last week. After dominating Nebraska 41-6 in one of the Tigers' biggest wins in recent memory their value has never been higher. Therefore, it's likely time to sell. You all know about my Chase Daniels man-crush, but the Sooners controlled him last year and I think they are set to do it again this season.

7) Arizona State (5-1) - Remember all the uproar from Dennis Erickson bailing on Idaho? Well, I know a group of people that aren't disappointed by the move: everyone that's been cleaning up on the Sun Devils. ASU has won and covered in three straight against the Huskies but I'd be very wary about laying double digits to a Washington team that's already faced, and played tough against, two Top 5 teams.

8) Anyone Playing Notre Dame (4-2) - Uh-oh. Our bet-against-the-Irish-at-all-cost system is losing steam. Well, kind of. They had a fluky backdoor cover against Purdue, followed by a stunning win as a huge dog against UCLA, courtesy of seven turnovers. So is Notre Dame back? Negative. They are 1-3 ATS in their last four against Boston College and I think that the Eagles will make a statement.

9) Boston College (4-1) - Oh, speaking of which, nice to see the Eagles actually do have a team. After two weeks off - well, they slept through wins over Army and UMass - they bombed Bowling Green to show that they haven't lost the killer instinct. Now all I need to be convinced that this is a true BCS dark horse is a convincing win in South Bend.

10) Oregon (4-1) - The Ducks have had two weeks to stew about their blown opportunity against Cal, so their psyche coming out of a bye week is crucial. They're taking on a Wazzou team they should bomb, but they are 1-3 ATS against the Cougars lately and the visitor has won five of seven in this series.

11) Duke (5-1) - Don't break up the Blue Devils!!! Their offense continues to be one of the surprises in the ACC, scoring just enough to sneak in the back door while managing to lose. It's a beautiful combo. The public sees another pathetic 1-5 Duke team while I see a cash cow. Don't question it - just go with it!

12) Oklahoma (4-2) - Two disappointing performances in the past two weeks can be erased with a blowout win over Missouri, which may be set up for a fall after their blowout win over Nebraska. OU smacked the Tigers, 26-10, last year in Columbia. This is a better Sooners team and a weaker Tigers defense, and Oklahoma has lost exactly two games against the B12 North in the last eight years. Seems like an easy call to me.

13) Kentucky (4-1) - Exposed. That's exactly what happened to the Wildcats last Thursday. The trouble is, I don't know how much value is left here. They are extremely soft up front and with the SEC heavyweights on deck I don't know if they can get the stops to beat any of them. But the public loves offense, so they'll continue to back.

14) Purdue (3-2 ATS) - I'm giving the Boilermakers one more week to hang around in the Ferringo 15 (and when I say that the teams usually bomb ATS the following Saturday) because I think they have a chance to beat Michigan in the Big House. Purdue runs the same spread offense that's torn up the Wolverines twice this year. The trouble is that they've lost 16 straight in Ann Arbor and haven't won there since before Woodstock. Other than that I think they're all set.

15) UTEP (4-1) - Let me preface this by saying that the Miners are the most garbage team in the country. Seriously, they are awful. Yet, they find ways to win and to cover. They were outgained by nearly 200 yards in a win over New Mexico. They overcame a 21-point deficit at SMU to win in overtime. And they scored with less than a minute to play to top Tulsa. Unreal. But they continue to cash and have a big "STAY AWAY" sign on them from this capper.

Others receiving votes: Indiana (4-1), Central Florida (3-2), Troy (4-2), Ball State (4-2), Connecticut (2-1), Colorado (4-2).

Dropped out: UCLA (3-2).

www.docsports.com

College Trap Game Report
by T.O. Whenham

There may be nothing more frustrating than the trap game. By simple definition, a trap game is one where a team is looking past their current opponent towards the one they will be playing the next week. In those cases, the team may not be as prepared or as focused as they should be, and they may not cover like they should. It's frustrating as a football handicapper to come to a conclusion that a team is a legitimate bet, and then to have them fail to cover not because of what the other team did, but what they failed to do. It only makes sense, then, that it's good for the bottom line if we can identify trap games and avoid them (or at least consider how we are going to deal with them).

How big of a problem are trap games? One study I found online, though not perfect, was very revealing. The study looked at the 2004-2006 NFL seasons. It identified trap games as one in which the line in the middle game of a three game set was at least seven points higher than the other two games. Say that a team had lines in three games of -4, -13, and -2. Looking back we could identify that middle game as a trap game because the team was clearly facing an inferior opponent that they would expect to beat easily. This isn't useful as a handicapping technique because you need the benefit of hindsight, but the results are nonetheless fascinating. The favorites in those trap games had a straight up record of 84-43. Against the spread they were disastrous - 53-72-2. That means the teams covered just 42.5 percent of the trap games they played. Betting on them in those cases would be a quick route to bankruptcy. By itself this study tells us little because of the impossibility of applying the criteria to current games, but it does indicate that there is something to the theory of trap games.

On a practical level, the perfect example of a trap game happened this past Monday night. Dallas, by far the class of the NFC, was in Buffalo playing a team near the bottom of the league in both offense and defense. Six days after that game loomed New England, likely the best team in the league. Dallas was favored by 10.5 points, but they sure didn't play like it. They needed one of the most bizarre finishes in recent football history to pull off a one-point miracle win, and they obviously didn't come close to covering. The public heavily backed Dallas, which left a lot of unhappy, and poorer, bettors.

With that in mind, let's set out to find ourselves some trap games this week. Finding the games is an imprecise science that requires as much feel as it does statistics, but here are the games that strike me as potential problems:

Baylor (+26) at Kansas (Saturday, Oct. 13, 12:30 p.m.) - After a big win over Kansas State the Jayhawks are undefeated and suddenly relevant. Nebraska has faltered, so the Big 12 North is wide open. There are three teams that are undefeated in conference play. Kansas plays Missouri to end the season, and plays the surprising Colorado Buffaloes next week. Before they get there, though, they have to play the lackluster Baylor Bears. A team that is unaccustomed to success, as Kansas is, is a prime candidate to look past this easy game.

Central Florida (+11.5) at South Florida (Saturday, Oct. 13, 12:00 p.m.) - South Florida has been thrust onto the national stage much faster than most people expected. A disastrous season by Louisville, a loss by Rutgers, and their victory over West Virginia has suddenly put South Florida in the driver's seat for the Big East Championship. Beyond Central Florida lies Rutgers, and a win could put South Florida closer to the title, and further into the public conscience. This game doesn't purely fit the definition of a trap game because they played Florida Atlantic last week after West Virginia the week before, but the potential for a letdown here is still strong. Central Florida showed what they can do to an unfocused team when they almost upset Texas.

Washington (+11.5) at Arizona State (Saturday, Oct. 13, 10:15 p.m.) - Dennis Erickson has the hapless Sun Devils suddenly believing that they know how to play. Everyone knew that Erickson would bring the team around, since he usually does, but this is sooner than most expected. A win here would bring Arizona State undefeated at 7-0 into a huge matchup at home against No. 2-ranked Cal, and a win there would make Arizona State very relevant nationally, and in the forefront of the Pac-10 title race. Washington is slumping and one-dimensional on offense around Jake Locker, so Arizona State could easily be thinking about 7-0 when they are still one win away.

www.docsports.com

Inside the Boxscores - Part I
By Matt Fargo
VegasInsider.com

Inside the Boxscores is a weekly feature from Matt Fargo that has been widely recognized as one of the best summations in college football. He takes an in-depth look at each game and pulls out the most pertinent information that will help you handicap games in the future. College football is filled with quirky plays, misleading scores and surprise endings. Fargo takes you inside the action.

MEMPHIS 24 Marshall 21

The Marshall defense was able to hold the Tigers to three field goals on their three scores in the first half but the offense was too mistake prone in the second half to take advantage. The Herd scored a touchdown on their opening possession of the half but fumbled at the Memphis 23-yard line and then turned it over on downs at the Memphis 16-yard line in their next two possessions. A late touchdown provided the push.

Rice 31 SOUTHERN MISS 29

Rice jumped ahead to a big early lead but had to hang on after a Southern Mississippi 4th quarter rally. The Golden Eagles trailed by 24 points heading into the final quarter and put up three touchdowns but missed the final two-point conversion that would have tied it. Turnovers did Southern Mississippi in early as it had seven in total, leading to 24 Owls points and the easy cover by 22.5 points. The Golden Eagles outgained Rice 422-236.

(7) SO CAROLINA 38 (17) Kentucky 23

Kentucky outgained the Gamecocks 384-342 but two of South Carolina’s first three touchdowns came on fumble returns as it built a 14-point lead that the Wildcats could not recover from. In total Kentucky had four turnovers and the lone interception killed a scoring drive as well. Kentucky’s defense held the Gamecocks to 86 yards rushing on 36 carries (2.4 ypc) but it mattered none as South Carolina easily covered the number.

Utah 44 LOUISVILLE 35

Utah outgained the Cardinals 582-493 as it jumped out to a 21-0 lead but still had to hold off Louisville. The Cardinals pulled to within six points late in the fourth quarter after back-to-back touchdowns but Utah recovered the onsides kick and tacked on the clinching field goal. Louisville punted on six of its first seven drives and a turnover on downs at the start of the fourth quarter at the Utes eight-yard line was costly.

(20) Kansas 30 KANSAS STATE 24

Kansas threw an interception in its first play of the game and then another interception midway through the fourth quarter provided the Wildcats with a short field for their go ahead score. However, the Jayhawks scored a touchdown on their next possession and then intercepted Kansas St. on its final two possessions of the day. Kansas held the Wildcats to 53 yards rushing on 21 carries (2.5 ypc) as it grabbed the outright cover.

(18) ILLINOIS 31 (19) Wisconsin 26

Wisconsin outgained the Illini 519-410 but two costly interceptions in the fourth quarter did the Badgers in. Wisconsin got into Illinois territory in five of its first six possessions but came away with only six points basically wasting 236 yards of offense. All four of the Illini’s touchdown drives were of 71 yards or more as they finished with 289 yards rushing on 44 carries (6.6 ypc) and covered the spread by 2.5 points.

Northwestern 48 MICHIGAN STATE 41

It took overtime to decide this wild game and it was Northwestern who almost blew a chance to pull out the win. The Wildcats drove 63 yards in less than two minutes but missed a field goal at the end of regulation. They got the ball first in overtime and scored on two plays while the defense forced four incomplete passes by the Spartans to end it. Northwestern finished with 611 yards of offense including 520 yards through the air.

INDIANA 40 Minnesota 20

Indiana broke open a tie game at the end of the first quarter by scoring 19 unanswered points to pull away. The Hoosiers scored on their first seven possessions but the final four of those were field goals as the game could have been more out of reach. Indiana used a balanced attack of 228 yards rushing and 235 yards passing as it won TOP battle by over 10 minutes. A late touchdown provided an eight-point cover for the Hoosiers.

(8) West Virginia 55 SYRACUSE 14

West Virginia held the Orange to 202 total yards while the offense put up 486 yards and cruised to an easy win. The Mountaineers grabbed an interception on the third play of the game and turned it into a touchdown. Syracuse responded to tie the game but West Virginia scored the next 34 points and then put up two scores in the fourth quarter to provide the two-touchdown cover. The Mountaineers were 7-7 inside the redzone.

(4) BOSTON COLLEGE 55 Bowling Green 24

Bowling Green struck first with a field goal and then pulled to within four points midway through the second quarter before it all fell apart. The Falcons threw interception on their next five possessions including four in a span of 11 plays and the Eagles capitalized with 24 points off those turnovers including two returns for scores. Bowling Green was only outgained by six total yards but missed the cover by 12 points.

MARYLAND 28 Georgia Tech 26

Maryland looked to be in control as it jumped ahead 21-3 but the Yellow Jackets scored on four straight second half possessions and had a chance to win on the fifth but missed a long field goal with under a minute remaining. Georgia Tech outgained the Terrapins 484-343 and was in Maryland territory in its last nine possessions but a fumble at the Maryland 28-yard line along with another missed field goal ended up costly.

NORTH CAROLINA 33 Miami-Florida 27

North Carolina jumped ahead 27-0 at halftime but had to hold off a ferocious Hurricanes rally to pull out the win. Miami scored 20 points in the third quarter and it was poised to pull within six early in the fourth quarter, but the Tar Heels picked off a pass at their own eight-yard line, the last of four interceptions on the day. Miami scored late but could not recover the onsides kick as North Carolina hung on and covered as a home dog.

Central Michigan 58 BALL STATE 38

Central Michigan racked up 658 yards of offense and never trailed. The Chippewas jumped ahead 14-0 but the Cardinals returned the ensuing kickoff for a touchdown, the closest it would get on the day. Ball St. scored touchdowns on three of its last four possessions but by then the game was well decided. The Cardinals had only 165 total yards up to that point as Central Michigan covered by 32 points.

MICHIGAN 33 Eastern Michigan 22

Despite getting outgained 459-304, Eastern Michigan covered by 17 points and was in this game for the majority until the Wolverines scored the final 17 points of the third quarter for some breathing room. The Eagles finished with four turnovers which led to 10 points and they got into Michigan territory on only three of their first 13 possessions. Michigan’s average starting field position was its own 41-yard line.

(22) AUBURN 35 Vanderbilt 7

Auburn outgained the Commodores 404-221 as the offense scored touchdowns on its first three possessions while the defense forced Vanderbilt to punt on its first six possessions. Over half of the Commodores total yards came in their final two drives, one which went for their lone touchdown. The Tigers easily covered the touchdown spread and their only blemish was committing 11 penalties on the day.

BUFFALO 31 Ohio U 10

This game was still up in the air in the fourth quarter but the Bobcats threw an interception at the Buffalo 27 yard-line and then turned it over on downs on their next three possessions. The Bulls outgained Ohio 397-276 including 251 yards rushing compared to 90 yards on the ground for the Bobcats. Buffalo has six drives of eight plays or more while covering the spread by 25 points.

Wake Forest 41 DUKE 36

Duke jumped ahead 9-0 before the Demon Deacons ran off 34 consecutive points in what looked like a Wake Forest rout. However, the Blue Devils did not give up as they scored the next 20 points to pull within five early in the fourth quarter. Duke was driving again to take the lead but was stopped on fourth down and Wake Forest tacked on another score. The Blue Devils scored late for the backdoor cover.

TEMPLE 16 Northern Ill 15

Temple outgained the Huskies 352-259 but needed a field goal with nine seconds remaining to pull out its first win of the season. The Owls went ahead by a touchdown in the third quarter before Northern Illinois retook the lead but missed an extra point which ended up being the difference. Temple covered as three-point home dogs and won despite committing 12 penalties for 127 yards.

OLE MISS 24 Louisiana Tech 0

Mississippi shut out the Bulldogs despite getting outgained 301-232. The Rebels scored their first touchdown off a fumble two plays into the game and scored their final touchdown on a blocked field goal return. Louisiana Tech also committed 13 penalties for 117 yards and it was inside the Mississippi 40-yard line seven times but came away with no points. Mississippi doubled up the spread in its first shutout since 2003.

WYOMING 24 T-C-U 21

Wyoming did its best to blow a 24-6 lead and ended up with a push. The Cowboys botched a fourth down play to set up a late touchdown for the Horned Frogs. Wyoming then went three and out giving TCU another chance which it almost converted but a 48-yard field goal was missed as time expired. The Horned Frogs were in Wyoming territory in five of their first six possessions but came away with only three points.

MISS STATE 30 U-A-B 13

UAB took a lead into the fourth quarter but Mississippi St. scored three touchdowns in the final period to pull out the win but missed the cover by a half-point. The Bulldogs took a 10-point lead with back-to-back touchdowns and then sealed the deal by returning an interception for a touchdown on the very next play from scrimmage. UAB finished with only 11 first downs as it committed 10 penalties.

Miami-Ohio 20 KENT STATE 13

Kent outgained Miami 463-411 but it fumbled once at the RedHawks 24-yard line and then was stopped on fourth down at the one-yard line on its final possession that could have tied the game. The Golden Flashes also committed 10 penalties for 110 yards. Miami was held to 16 first downs and 101 yards rushing but went 4-4 inside the redzone and covered outright as eight-point underdogs.

ALABAMA 30 Houston 24

Alabama scored 23 first quarter points as it gained 231 yards but had only 116 total yards the rest of the way. The Cougars pulled to within six points with two fourth quarter touchdowns but threw interceptions on their final two possessions including a pick in the Alabama endzone as time expired. Houston won the yardage battle 404-347 but the turnovers were the difference despite covering by 4.5 points.

(6) Oklahoma 28 (23) TEXAS 21

Oklahoma forced two critical turnovers including a fumble at the four-yard line by the Longhorns in the first possession of the second half which would have given them the lead. After forcing a punt on the next drive, Oklahoma scored on the next play with a 65-yard touchdown run. Texas finished with 61 yards rushing on 29 carries (2.1 ypc) but still managed to cover the game by five points.

PENN STATE 27 Iowa 7

Penn St. dominated from start to finish as it held the Hawkeyes to just 194 total yards and eight first downs. 86 of those yards came on the lone Iowa touchdown drive as the Hawkeye’s longest drive in 10 possessions prior to that was 18 yards, all resulting in punts. Penn St. did miss a field goal and turned it over three times in Iowa territory as the scoring margin and cover could have been much more.

(25) TENNESSEE 35 (24) Georgia 14

Tennessee scored touchdowns on four of its first five possessions and the defense forced the Bulldogs to punt on each of their seven first half possessions. Georgia gained only 42 total yards in the first half and finished the game with just 69 yards rushing on 25 carries (2.8 ypc). The Bulldogs did score on its first second half possession but Tennessee responded with another score and easily covered as a one-point home dog.

(21) FLORIDA STATE 27 NC State 10

Florida St. broke a 10-10 tie by returning an interception for a touchdown in the third quarter and shutout out the Wolfpack in the second half. The Seminoles outgained NC State 381-268 but they missed two field goals in the first half that killed 98 yards of offense. The Wolfpack finished with only 83 yards in the second half but were still able to cover the number by a point.

Inside the Boxscores - Part 2
By Matt Fargo
VegasInsider.com

Inside the Boxscores is a weekly feature from Matt Fargo that has been widely recognized as one of the best summations in college football. He takes an in-depth look at each game and pulls out the most pertinent information that will help you handicap games in the future. College football is filled with quirky plays, misleading scores and surprise endings. Fargo takes you inside the action.

(5) South Florida 35 FLA ATLANTIC 23

South Florida had four turnovers but only one of those led to points for the Owls. Florida Atlantic missed out on several opportunities as it got inside the Bulls 30-yard line four times in the first half but missed three field goals and turned it over on downs once. The Owls were down by five late with the ball but were stopped on fourth down at their own 21-yard line setting up the Bulls last touchdown. They still covered by five points.

OREGON STATE 31 Arizona 16

Oregon St. jumped out to a 31-3 lead and never looked back. The Beavers held Arizona to 231 total yards including nine yards rushing on 27 carries (0.3 ypc) while the defense also returned an interception for a touchdown. The Wildcats lone touchdown also came on an interception return. Oregon St. did not cross midfield in the second half but by then the game was well decided as it covered by 12 points.

(14) Arizona State 23 WASHINGTON ST 20

Washington St. outgained the Sun Devils 451-296 and had a chance to tie the game but missed a 46-yard field goal with 12 seconds remaining. Washington St. was up by seven points midway through the third quarter and driving but Arizona St. picked off a pass and returned it 69 yards for a touchdown. The Cougars also turned it over on downs at the Sun Devils 23-yard line late in the third quarter but still managed to cover by six points.

SAN JOSE ST 28 Idaho 20

San Jose St. outgained the Vandals 436-251 but needed two late turnovers to secure the win and half-point cover. The Spartans had a 22-point lead early in the fourth quarter but Idaho was able to block a punt in the endzone for a touchdown and then got the ball back to score again to pull within eight points. The Vandals got possession two more times but threw interceptions both times on the first play of the drive.

Fresno State 49 NEVADA 41

Nevada outgained the Bulldogs 702-475 but had two costly fumbles. The Wolf Pack fumbled in the Fresno St. endzone that resulted in a touchback and also fumbled at their own 17-yard line. Fresno St. scored on a punt return and also blocked a field goal and ran it back for a touchdown. Nevada trailed by 29 points heading into the fourth quarter but put up three touchdowns however the Bulldogs still covered as three-point dogs.

San Diego St 24 COLORADO STATE 20

San Diego St. rallied three times including scoring the game-winning touchdown with just 43 seconds remaining. The Rams grabbed the lead prior to that thanks to an 86-yard touchdown drive but the Aztecs responded with an 80-yard drive of their own. Colorado St. had one last shot and drove down to the San Diego St. 42-yard line as time expired. The Aztecs covered outright at 12.5-point underdogs.

(12) Virginia Tech 41 CLEMSON 23

This was a very misleading final score as Clemson outgained the Hokies 380-219. Virginia Tech’s first three touchdowns came on an interception return, a punt return and a kickoff return. The Hokies accumulated 100 of those 219 yards on their final two drives of the game. Clemson was held to eight yards rushing on 23 carries (0.3 ypc) as Virginia Tech covered the number by 23.5 points.

TEXAS TECH 42 Iowa State 17

The Red Raiders outgained Iowa St. 489-287 and the game was not even as close as the score indicates. The Cyclones picked up 112 of those yards on their final two drives of the game in garbage time. Texas Tech fumbled at the Iowa St. eight-yard line in the first half and also turned it over on downs at the Cyclones two-yard line in its first possession of the second half. Nonetheless, the Red Raiders covered by a point.

Stanford 24 (10) U-S-C 23

This was the biggest upset since 1960 as the Cardinal covered and won outright as 39-point underdogs. USC outgained Stanford 459-235 but the Cardinal forced five turnovers that led to 14 points including an interception that was returned for a touchdown. Another interception set up the final game-winning drive as well. It was improbable considering Stanford punted on its first eight offensive possessions.

Akron 39 WESTERN MICH 38

Akron outgained the Broncos 501-491 and won this game in dramatic fashion. The Zips trailed by 15 points midway through the fourth quarter but scored once to pull within a touchdown but were stopped on fourth down at the Broncos four-yard line. The defense forced a three and out and Western Michigan took a safety with 15 seconds left and then the Zips returned the free kick for the winning score. Akron covered by 10.5 points.

Virginia 23 MIDDLE TENNESSEE 21

Despite getting outgained 374-308, Middle Tennessee was in good shape to pull off the upset but the Cavaliers forced a punt with 1:26 remaining to set up the game-winning drive on a field goal with eight seconds remaining. The Blue Raiders trailed by six points but picked off a pass that set up a one-yard scoring drive to take the lead. Middle Tennessee missed an early field goal but still covered as 10-point underdogs.

ARMY 20 Tulane 17

The Green Wave outgained Army 401-240 but could not finish. Tulane had a 10-point lead with just 1:40 remaining but Army kicked a field goal, forced a punt and then scored the game-tying touchdown by going 80 yards in just 29 seconds. The Black Knights got the ball first in overtime and took their first lead of the game with a field goal and then Tulane missed its 34-yard attempt. Tulane still managed the cover by 2.5 points.

UL-MONROE 30 Arkansas State 13

Arkansas St. jumped ahead 13-0 before the Warhawks ended the game by scoring the final 30 points in the rout. The Indians scored on their first three possessions but missed field goals in their next two possessions inside La-Monroe territory. After starting the game with three punts, the Warhawks scored on six of their final eight possessions as they covered the number as three-point home underdogs.

UL LAFAYETTE 38 North Texas 29

North Texas actually outgained the Cajuns 527-414 but could not overcome four turnovers, three of which came within its first four possessions. La-Lafayette rushed for 300 yards on 36 carries (8.3 ypc) but despite this, the Mean Green controlled the clock for over 21 more minutes as it ran 41 more plays from scrimmage. North Texas went just 3-8 on fourth down but still covered the number by a half-point.

Troy 34 FLORIDA INTL 16

Troy outgained the Golden Panthers 494-329 and also used a punt return for a touchdown. Florida International scored a garbage touchdown with 29 seconds remaining to pull out the one-point backdoor cover. The Trojans held the Golden Panthers to just 81 yards rushing on 34 carries (2.4 ypc) while they put up 299 yards on 39 carries (7.7 ypc). Florida International got into Troy territory only once in its first 13 possessions.

Colorado 43 BAYLOR 23

Baylor actually outgained the Buffaloes 465-450 but most of this came late in the game when it was well decided. 255 of the Bears yards came on their final four possessions where they managed two touchdowns but were stopped once on fourth down at the 15-yard line and ended the game at the Colorado four-yard line. Those two missed opportunities led to the 12-point cover for Colorado.

TEXAS A&M 24 Oklahoma State 23

Oklahoma St. dropped a tough one as it outgained the Aggies 459-368 and could not hold on to an early 17-0 lead. After Texas A&M scored on four straight possessions, the Cowboys took the ball down to the Texas A&M seven-yard line with 3:11 remaining but were forced to kick a field goal to pull within a point. The Aggies were able to run out the final 3:11 and not give the ball back but failed to cover as a seven-point chalk.

EAST CAROLINA 52 U-C-F 38

East Carolina was outgained 495-370 but took advantage of five turnovers, four of which led to the final 28 points for the Pirates. Central Florida led by as many as 14 points and after taking a seven-point lead early in the third quarter, East Carolina ran off 28 straight points before the Golden Knights scored one late touchdown. All five of Central Florida’s turnovers came on five straight possessions, enabling the Pirates to cover outright.

(3) Ohio State 23 PURDUE 7

Ohio St. outgained the Boilermakers 381-272 and had a shutout going until Purdue drove 88 yards and scored with just 10 seconds remaining. The Buckeyes scored touchdowns on their first two possessions and could have gotten more but they tossed three picks and were stopped on downs at the Purdue 28-yard line. Ohio St. held Purdue to four yards rushing on 17 carries (0.2 ypc) as it easily covered the seven-point spread.

(15) Cincinnati 28 RUTGERS 23

Rutgers outgained the Bearcats 432-407 but four turnovers did the Scarlet Knights in. Three of those occurred in Cincinnati territory including the first one which was a fumble at the 29-yard line and the final one, an interception at the Bearcats 17-yard line with 1:19 remaining. Rutgers was past midfield on six of its final seven possessions but managed just six points as it failed to cover the 3.5-point line.

Notre Dame 20 U-C-L-A 6

Notre Dame picked up its first win on the season despite getting outgained 282-140. The Bruins defense held the Irish to just 46 yards rushing on 38 carries (1.2 ypc) and 15 first downs but the offense committed seven turnovers which led to 17 points for Notre Dame including a fumble that was returned for a touchdown. UCLA turned the ball over on six of its final seven possessions as it never came close to covering the 21-point line.

(1) L-S-U 28 (13) Florida 24

Florida had the lead from the start as it jumped out to a 10-point led and regained that lead late in the third quarter until LSU came back. The Tigers grabbed an interception deep in Florida territory which led to a touchdown and then the defense forced a punt and the offense drove 60 yards for the winning score. The Gators ran 22 fewer plays and lost the TOP by 12 minutes but still covered as eight-point underdogs.

AIR FORCE 31 U-N-L-V 14

UNLV actually outgained Air Force 471-432 but the Rebels turned it over on down three times including once at the one-yard line, missed a field goal and fumbled at the Falcons 44-yard line. Air Force finished with 309 yards rushing on 42 carries (7.4 ypc) but did have two fumbles inside the UNLV 40-yard line. The Rebels ran 30 more plays from scrimmage but missed the cover by 11.5 points.

TEXAS-EL PASO 48 Tulsa 47

UTEP scored 48 or more points for the third straight game as it nearly blew an early lead. Tulsa took its first lead right before halftime and held it until the midway through the fourth quarter when UTEP scored on back-to-back possessions. The Golden Hurricane struck back with a touchdown but the Miners scored the game-winning touchdown with 50 seconds remaining to get the win and cover despite getting outgained 648-570.

(11) MISSOURI 41 Nebraska 6

Missouri dominated from start to finish as the Tigers outgained Nebraska 606-297. The defense held the Huskers to just two field goals while the offense scored on seven of its first eight possessions with six of those scoring drives totaling 64 or more yards. Missouri finished 10-15 on third down and went a perfect 6-6 inside the redzone as it had the 6.5-point spread covered by the first quarter.

(16) HAWAII 52 Utah State 37

Hawaii outgained the Aggies 512-370 and had a 25-point lead late in the fourth quarter but Utah St. tacked on 10 garbage points in getting the cover by 10 points. Both teams scored touchdowns on kickoff returns, the first which came by the Aggies as they built a 10-7 lead. Hawaii then ran off 24 of the next 27 points to pull away. Utah St. won the TOP by 10 minutes but was outgained by an average of 4.1 yppl.

BOISE STATE 58 New Mexico St 0

The potent New Mexico St. offense was completely shut down as it was held to just 89 total yards while the Broncos piled up 604 yards of offense and covered by 33 points. The Aggies had only one drive that was longer than 11 yards while Boise St. had five drives of 65 yards or longer. The Broncos scored on five of their first six possessions with the lone non-score coming on a fourth down stop at the five-yard line.

Look Ahead and Let Down -- Week 7
By Judd Hall
VegasInsider.com

Another week in college football is over with and it wasn’t without its share of Top 10 upsets. Sure, Southern California choked like Mama Cass on a ham sandwich, but that wasn’t the big shock. Nor was it Wisconsin getting controlled by the Illini last Saturday either. The big surprise was how the Gators went into Baton Rouge and almost came away with the outright win. Even more shocking was how Urban Meyer mismanaged the clock after losing the lead late in the fourth quarter.

That’s enough of a mini rant out of me for right now. Let’s look at which teams could be looking ahead, have a hang over and are ready to bounce back.

A collapse in the commonwealth…

LSU escaped with its national championship hopes intact at home last week against the Gators. Now the Tigers have to go into a raucous Commonwealth Stadium where No. 18 Kentucky is waiting and feeling pretty good about itself. The Wildcats may have just lost their first game of the season at South Carolina, but home cooking helps cure what ails anyone.

Kentucky has a legitimate candidate for the Heisman Trophy in Andre Woodson under center. He’ll be getting to face a defense that is emotionally and physically spent after playing a full 60 minutes against Florida last week. And the Wildcats have played Louisiana State pretty close when they come to Lexington, covering the spread in four of their last five games at home.

Given the ‘Cats are currently 9 ½-point home ‘dogs, they’re poised to cover that number.

California Dreaming…

You have to like it when you don’t do anything, but still get promoted. California got that golden ticket last week thanks to the Cardinal pulling off a Goliath sized upset over the Trojans. Now the Golden Bears enter their game against Oregon State as the No. 2 team in the land, their highest ranking in 50 years. And that might ultimately be part of their downfall this Saturday against the Beavers.

Now Cal has had a week off after going to Eugene and beating the Ducks on Sept. 29. But something that Jeff Tedford might want to be a little wary of is how his team has slowly gained fewer and fewer yards as the season progressed. Outside of their game against Colorado State, the Golden Bears have gained 471, 447, 421 and 400 yards on offense as the season progressed.

Add in that the Golden Bears will be thinking about playing UCLA on Oct. 20, completing neglecting Oregon State this week. And that won’t be a good thing when you consider the Beavers have a very physical defense that yields just 43.3 YPG rushing this season. Also, OSU has won its last three games at Berkeley outright, dating back to 2000.

Don’t be surprised if another Top Five team falls this week.

Big 12 bounce back…

The Cornhuskers are going to pretend that last week’s game at Missouri never happened. Nope, never took place. Nebraska’s 41-6 loss to the Tigers was just a bad memory. With that being said, the ‘Huskers are ready to take their anger out on Oklahoma State.

Don’t think that Nebraska is going to be thinking solely about its 41-29 loss in Stillwater from a year ago. Although, it will be in the back of Bill Callahan’s mind. Rather it is purely based on skill between themselves and the Cowboys. The Cornhuskers have an offense (293.2 YPG passing, 146.2 YPG rushing) that should have no problems against a porous Oklahoma State defense (321.8 YPG Def passing, 108.5 YPG Def rushing).

The ‘Huskers are favored by just 4 ½-points, but they’ll win by a much bigger margin.