Look Ahead and Let Down -- Week 8
By Judd Hall
VegasInsider.com
I think it’s safe to say that we have no grasp on how this college football season is going to end. One week you think the Trojans are going to run the table, then they lose at home to the Cardinal. The following week LSU gets the No. 1 spot in the land. And how do they handle that honor? They lose on the road to Kentucky in triple overtime. It makes you wonder how long Ohio State will hold onto that “kiss of death.”
At least there is one thing we can get a handle on this year and that is teams playing into particular traps. The Wildcats and Tigers are both come into specific spots this week, albeit on opposite sides of the spectrum.
Bluegrass Collapse…
Rich Brooks took a lot of grief over the past few years at Kentucky. Those times seem to be forgotten now after his Wildcats took down LSU as 10-point home ‘dogs, 43-37, in triple overtime. The game really hinged on how well quarterback Andre Woodson would play and he didn’t disappoint. The senior gunslinger completed 21 of 38 passes for 250 yards and three touchdowns. And don’t get me started on the hit that wide out Dicky Lyons Jr. had on Tigers safety Craig Steltz.
As great as things appear in Lexington right now, all could be lost this week when the Gators come to Commonwealth Stadium as seven-point road favorites. Florida itself is coming off of a loss to the aforementioned “Bayou Bengals” in a 28-24 slugfest on Oct. 6. Now UF comes to town knowing that they haven’t lost to Kentucky since 1986. And the Gators average margin of victory over UK is 23 in that time frame.
Adding more fuel to the fire is the fact that Florida coach Urban Meyer is 21-2 SU when he has at least a week to prepare for his next opponent.
Looking towards Happy Valley…
Ohio State received its No. 1 ranking this week by default after crushing its seventh straight unimportant opponent, this time it was Kent State, as a 30-point “chalk,” 48-3 on Oct. 13. The Buckeyes saw Todd Boeckman continue to grow into his role as the starting QB, completing 81.3 percent (13 of 16) of his passes for 184 yard and a pair of scores. It also helps when your defense outscores the Golden Flashes’ offense for the entire game all by itself.
Now the Buckeyes play host to Michigan State this Saturday as 17-point home favorites. Should be a relatively easy win for Ohio State, but Beanie Wells and company might be looking ahead to next week. The reason being is the Bucks travel to Penn State on Oct. 27 in what will be the team’s toughest battle of the year before the finale at Michigan.
The Spartans have been known to cause disturb the apple cart in Columbus. Ohio State was a 27 ½-point home favorite back against MSU back in 1998, then coached by Nick Saban. Michigan State went on to win that game against the No. 1 Bucks, 28-24. This year, the Spartans are coached by Mark Dantonio, who used to be the defensive coordinator of Ohio State.
It’s not like Michigan State can win the game, but they’ll definitely keep this game close.
Regardless of the final score, the Tigers are going to win…
You kind of figured that Louisiana State’s nine lives were going to run out sooner or later after surviving the Gators two weeks ago. And sure enough, the Tigers were dispatched by Kentucky last Saturday night.
You could say that it was Colt David’s fault for the loss after missing a 57-yard field goal by about two yards to the left as regulation expired, or Matt Flynn getting picked off midway through the fourth quarter to set up UK’s game-tying field goal. But the real reason for the defeat was running four straight times in the third and final overtime.
Now LSU will be back in the friendly confines of Tiger Stadium to play host to Auburn, the other Tigers in the Southeastern Conference as an 11-point home favorite. One thing we’re sure to see is a defensive struggle: Louisiana State (14.1 PPG Def) and Auburn (15.6 PPG Def) are ranked first and second in scoring defense in the SEC.
Despite the salty defensive units will see, the edge goes to the boys from “Death Valley” on offense. Auburn barely escaped Arkansas last week with a 9-7 as its offense was never able to click. You can bet that will stay the same this Saturday when the face LSU’s defense in front of the purple and gold faithful.
Outside the Top 25: This week’s hidden gems
Covers.com
I love it when a plan comes together.
If you tuned into Outside The Top 25 last week, you would have known that the bookies were wrong to give three touchdowns to Rice against Houston – a game which looked like it could get ugly in the early going. But the Owls showed some huge cojones and went punch-for-punch with the Cougars in a classic shootout.
You also would have heard that only a fool would back Wyoming as a favorite over New Mexico and that Josh Freeman would be the key to a big Kansas State win over Colorado.
What’s that you say? K-State won because of tough defense and a strong running game from James Johnson?
Well hey, nobody’s perfect. Just collect you’re winnings and keep on reading. We’re on a roll here.
Utah at TCU (-3 ½)
TCU is a team that was supposed to be hot stuff this year, but it just hasn’t turned out that way. Its defense has been almost as good as advertised, but the problems have all been on offense. Only once this year have the Frogs put more than three touchdowns on the board. While the 38-point performance against Stanford last week was an improvement, let’s not forget what kind of team Stanford is (2-4 to be precise).
Utah has talent at almost every position and the ability to not just hang around with TCU, but win by a significant margin. The biggest thing going for Utah is that Brian Johnson is leading the offense again. In all three games he’s played a full 60 minutes, the Utes have won.
Central Michigan at Clemson (-17)
Sometimes it takes a little longer than normal for a team to kick it into gear. Before the season started, experts were pointing to Central Michigan as the team to watch and one that could potentially make a lot of money for bettors. After the Chippewas dropped a few early contests, including a blowout loss to North Dakota State, a lot of those experts were kicking themselves. But by all accounts, Central Michigan is back on track with three straight wins by at least 20 points.
And Clemson? Their vaunted running game produced a grand total of nine yards in their last outing, mainly because Virginia Tech built a big lead against them and didn’t let up. But Dan LeFevour and the Chippewas offense can also put up points against any team from any conference. Clemson is a tough team at home (especially after a week off) but this is still too many points.
Wake Forest at Navy (+3)
It’s amazing that these gimmicky, one-dimensional offensive strategies still survive in college football today. It’s a bit like a brontosaurus wandering through the streets of Annapolis. How does a team run the ball more than 60 times a game and throw just 11 times and still the opposition can’t shut them down?
The simple answer is that when that team eventually comes up against a defense it can’t push around, that big old dinosaur is going down. It happened when Navy faced Rutgers earlier this year and was held to fewer than 300 yards of total offense – and it will happen against Wake Forest on Sunday because the Deacons allow only 99 yards per game on the ground.
Nevada at Utah State (+7)
I can just imagine the Utah State coaches as they watch film of Colin Kaepernick running all over the Boise State defense. The Nevada quarterback was thrown into the fire in Nevada’s biggest game of the year and he proved to be more than a handful for the Broncos. The freshman finished the game with 243 yards: three touchdowns through the air and an amazing 177 yards and two touchdowns on the ground. Not a bad debut for the kid making his first college start.
The game ended up going four overtime periods against the best defense in the WAC. Just imagine what Kaepernick will do against the worst defense in the conference.
Miami at Florida State (-5 ½)
Is there any team more disappointing than Miami? How is it possible that this program, with a defense that only a few short years ago contributed six first-round picks to the NFL, could be so undeniably awful this year? The Miami area is, after all, the center of the football recruiting universe.
Whatever the reason, I wouldn’t expect much improvement from this band of overblown underachievers – even against a young and battered FSU offensive line this week. This rivalry has traditionally yielded low-scoring, tightly contested games in which the favorite hasn’t won since 2001, but something tells me this game could be different.
Kansas State at Oklahoma State (-3)
Oddsmakers aren’t making this one easy on us. This game is a tough one to call and this tight pointspread doesn’t make it any easier. Personally, I think K-State is the better team, but with OSU rolling and coming off a big win over Nebraska, confidence will be high in Stillwater. The Cowboys are also dangerous because, with an average offensive output of 39 points over their last four games, it looks like they are a team reaching its peak.
One cause for concern is that K-State offensive coordinator James Franklin won’t be on the sideline as he attends his mother’s funeral in Philadelphia. Head coach Ron Price will be calling the plays, something he has experience with from his days as O.C. at Virginia, but has never done for the Wildcats. I’m on the underdog, but only cautiously optimistic about it.
Colorado State at UNLV (-2 ½)
Call this one the Rosie O’Donnell Bowl because it’s going to be ugly. The Rebels have been losing like a tourist at the blackjack table, mainly because their offense hasn’t been able to get off the ground. They’re scoring fewer than 18 points per game. Even though their freshman quarterback has performed better than expected, they don’t trust him in the red zone and their running game isn’t good enough to overpower anyone.
It’s a similar story for Colorado State. Unlike UNLV, however, the Rams have played nothing but top-flight teams thus far. Their stats are a little deceiving because of games against tough squads like Colorado, Cal, Houston and TCU. Last weekend’s loss against Air Force was the first time a game got away from CSU, so expect them to have a good week of practice, tighten the defense, ratchet up the offense and arrive in Las Vegas ready to play.
Early NCAAF line movements: Week 8
OK, now we can call it a consistent trend. The early week steam moves in college football have gone just 10-16 against the spread over the past four weeks. That’s a 62.5-percent clip if you had been fading the “sharp” early action. Of course, this trend is by no means an absolute when you consider it in the context of a Monday-to-Friday movement (the Kansas line moved almost a touchdown and they still won by about 92 points) but if you had simply played against the steepest initial line movements over the past month you would have secured a tidy profit.
Having said that, now watch the early movements go about 5-1 ATS this week. But just for consistencies sake, here are the spreads that have seen the most early week variance:
South Florida at Rutgers (7:30 p.m., Thursday, Oct. 18)
Open: Pick
Current: South Florida (-3)
Unfortunately, it looks like the squares are catching up with the South Florida Bulls. The Bulls are now a solid road favorite in a primetime spot against a team that knows a little something about chopping down Goliath. Thursday’s game could be yet another venue for USF to show that it's for real in front of a suddenly curious national audience. This is also a rematch of one of the best games in the Big East last year - a tough-to-swallow 22-20 Rutgers win. I think this line gets over 4.0 by kickoff, and don’t discount the Scarlet Knights’ experience in these spots.
Louisville at Connecticut (8 p.m., Friday, Oct. 19)
Open: Pick
Current: Louisville -3.5
Is that a letdown I smell? The Cardinals finally showed a pulse, disrupting the Cincinnati Killing Machine last week with a big rivalry win. Now the same U of L squad that couldn’t stop Middle Tennessee, Syracuse, or Utah is matched up with a UConn team that likes to sling the ball around. You can’t blame everyone for backing the Cardinals, given that they allegedly have Top 10 talent and have won their last three against the Huskies by an average of 20 points, but Louisville didn’t cover in its last trip to Storrs and I don’t know if its defensive issues have really been fixed.
Ball State at Western Michigan (2 p.m., Saturday, Oct. 20)
Open: Western Michigan -1.5
Current: Ball State -1.5
From a gambling perspective, the Western Michigan Broncos have to be one of the more disappointing teams in the country. They're just 1-5 ATS this year after squeaking by a horrid Northern Illinois squad. Now they're home dogs to a team that’s covered four of its last five lined games and is coming off a tune-up win over a D-II school. Ball State is just 2-5 ATS as a road favorite, but WMU is just 3-10 ATS as a home dog.
Texas Tech at Missouri (3:30 p.m., Saturday, Oct. 20)
Open: Missouri -6.0
Current: Missouri -3.5
The last three meetings between these two schools have seen an average of 80 points per game, so three or four points certainly don’t seem like that much. These are two of the most explosive offenses in the country and this game should come down to whichever team can limit the turnovers. The Red Raiders are 0-2 in their only two trips to Columbia, having been outscored 48-19 in their previous games there. Also, Tech is just 4-7 SU following its rivalry game with A&M.
Florida at Kentucky (3:30 p.m., Saturday, Oct. 20)
Open: Florida -4.5
Current: Florida -7.0
The Wildcats managed to stun the No. 1 team in the country last week…but can they pull off two monumental upsets in one eight-day stretch? Apparently the early action doesn’t think so. The Gators had the benefit of a week off after cracking skulls with LSU and now catch UK in a prime letdown situation. Florida has won 20 straight games in this series and Urban Meyer’s clubs are 21-2 SU with more than a week to prepare.
Ohio at Toledo (7 p.m., Saturday, Oct. 20)
Open: Ohio -3.0
Current: Pick
You don’t come into the Glass Bowl and lay points. You just don’t. Toledo is 40-6 straight up in its last 46 home games and is 6-1 ATS as a home dog since 2000. Also, the Rockets have owned this series lately, winning 10 straight. In fact, the Bobcats haven’t won in Toledo since 1967 (0-15). So, as poorly as the Rockets have played they still aren’t bad enough to be getting points at home.
www.docsports.com
Stanford tight end out for season
October 16th, 2007
Stanford, CA (Sports Network) - Stanford tight end Jim Dray will be sidelined the remainder of the season after suffering a torn ACL in his left knee.
The injury occurred on October 13 in a game against TCU.
"I'm extremely disappointed," said Dray. "It's an unfortunate situation, but I chose to play football and know the risks. It happened, and now I will work harder to come back and be stronger."
In six games this season, Dray had nine receptions for 116 yards and a touchdown.
Baylor QB's uncertain for Texas because of concussion
October 16, 2007
Associated Press
WACO, Texas (AP) -- Baylor quarterback Blake Szymanski is questionable for Saturday's game against 19th-ranked Texas because of a mild concussion apparently sustained in the last game.
Szymanski, who has thrown for 1,934 yards and 15 touchdowns this season, was at practice Tuesday but didn't take snaps during team drills. He was limited even after a CAT scan was negative.
"He's still got some headaches," coach Guy Morriss said after practice Tuesday.
It wasn't clear when Szymanski sustained the concussion in Saturday's 58-10 loss at No. 15 Kansas.
"When we looked at the film, we didn't see him get dinged, so I don't know," Morriss said.
"It was news to me (Monday) about the concussion," offensive coordinator Lee Hays said.
Morriss said Szymanski, a sophomore who has started 10 straight games for Baylor, might practice Wednesday. A decision on if Szymanski plays won't be made until later in the week.
John David Weed and Michael Machen took all the snaps during team drills Tuesday. Machen's only pass attempt this season was intercepted and Weed hasn't thrown a pass.
The school said junior offensive tackle Jason Smith is questionable for Saturday's game with a knee injury. Junior receivers Eddy Newton (separated shoulder) and Mikail Baker (collarbone) are both out.
LOOKING FOR AN ANGLE
South Florida at RUTGERS (Thursday)...Highly-ranked USF out to settle a score following narrow 24-22 home loss vs. Rutgers LY (Bulls’ only defeat in Tampa in ‘06). Then-frosh QB Grothe hit 16-yd. TD pass with :15 on clock, but USF missed 2-pt. conversion. Bull defense out for redemption after allowing season-worst 226 YR (203 by Knight RB Rice).
Utah at TCU (Friday)...TCU out to atone for ugly 20-7 loss at Utah LY (ties for worst Frog offensive showing since 10-6 loss vs. SMU in ‘98). But ideal technical spot for Utes, who are an eye-poppin’ 22-5 as a dog since 1997.
Wyoming at AIR FORCE...Wyo had covered 5 straight in series until 31-24 home loss vs. AF LY. Cowboys couldn’t cope with Falcon option, which amassed 327 YR in 70 carries. Wyo QB Doss, who was soon replaced by now-starting Sween, had just169 YP.
Kansas at COLORADO...KU starting QB Reesing had heroic performance in relief in come-from behind 20-15 victory in Lawrence LY. With Jayhawks trailing 9-0, Reesing came off bench to engineer all 3 KU scoring drives, while accounting for 186 yds.
San Jose State at FRESNO STATE...Rejuvenated FSU in major revenge mode following 24-14 loss at SJS LY, which snapped Bulldogs 11-game series win streak. Spartans scored on 1st play of game on 85-yd. TD pass, then scored a few minutes later following an int. of QB Brandstater, who tossed a season-high 4 "picks."
Texas A&M at NEBRASKA...Replaying LY’s game film was more like a "horror movie" for A&M. Aggies were ready to extend 27-21 lead, but had 42-yd. FG attempt blocked with 1:52 to play. Nebraska then marched 75 yds. in 11 plays, scoring the winning TD on 9-yd. TD pass with :20 left. We would have liked to have read Dennis Franchione’s pricey pay-for-information newsletter after that one. A&M is 4-1 SU on Big XII trail last 1+Ys.
Cincinnati at PITTBURGH...High-flyin’ Cincy in nasty mood following nationally-televised 33-15 series defeat at home vs. Panthers early LY. Pitt scored 2 TDs on 80-yd. & 55-yd TD strikes thrown by departed Palko (now with New Orleans), and Panthers scored final TD on 57-yd int. return by DB Revis (now starting for Jets). Bearcats now 12-2-1 vs. spread last 15 reg.- season tilts, and 1st-year HC Kelly now 22-6-3 vs. spread last 2+Ys at CMU & Cincy.
Ball State at WESTERN MICHIGAN...Payback game for BSU, which suffered worst defeat of year in 41-27 home loss vs. WMU in ‘06. Cards normally-careful QB N. Davis (18 TDs, just 3 ints. TY) on personal vendetta after uncharacteristically tossing 3 ints. in 1st 11 pass attempts (one returned for Bronco TD) before getting pulled. BSU 10-1 vs. spread last 11 as visitor.
Mississippi State at WEST VIRGINIA...Rested WV was also coming off a bye week in LY’s 42-14 romp at MSU. Mountaineers wore down Bulldogs by rushing 44 times (only 10 pass attempts) for 314 yds., while MSU mustered a mere 56 YR. Bulldogs are 5-1-1 as road dog last 1+Ys, with only loss coming in earlier come-from-ahead 38-21 setback at South Carolina.
www.goldsheet.com
BULLIES, ALL SHAPES AND SIZES...
A week ago, at about the same time we were putting the finishing touches on TGS No. 7, Boise State was taking what appeared to be unabashed glee in wiping the field with outmanned New Mexico State in Sunday night ESPN action. Indeed, it seemed a little out of character for the gentlemanly Bronco coach, Chris Petersen, to so blatently run up a score against an overmatched opponent, his offense continuing to fire deep passes out of shotgun formations when holding a 51-0 lead. When the carnage was complete, Boise State was a 58-0 winner.
But if there’s one thing we have learned over the years, it’s that even the most mild mannered of mentors can have a ruthless streak. Outwardly, we can’t recall of a more passive sideline character than Nebraska’s Tom Osborne. Yet, in modern times, there wasn’t a more bloodthirsty coach in the game, for Osborne’s Cornhuskers were notorious for running up scores while bludgeoning opponents into submission. And the list of merciless mentors is indeed long and distinguished. The likes of Woody Hayes, Bo Schembechler, and Bear Bryant routinely took no prisoners. Sources have said that even “Saint Joe” Paterno gave up the mercy approach when his Penn State team was leapfrogged by Nebraska for the top spot in the ‘94 polls after allowing a suspect Indiana to score a few meaningless TDs in the final moments of a 35-29 win. ‘Ol “Shades” stopped playing the nice guy afterwards, and has been a solid pointspread winner as heavy favorite ever since.
Although perhaps the most notorious gridiron masochist of them all was Francis “Show ‘em No Mercy” Schmidt (right), a colorful mad scientist whose TCU and Ohio State teams in the ‘30s not only took joy in running up the score and dismembering outmanned opposition whenever possible, but made no bones about it. Yet Schmidt, who also invented the I” formation and coined the infamous phrase “They (Michigan) put their pants on one leg at a time, just like us,” was also proof of the downside of bullyism, because once the deck was no longer stacked in his favor, foes took great pleasure in rubbing the faces of Schmidt’s teams into the turf. Michigan, in particular, showed no mercy when finally gaining the upper hand on Schmidt’s Buckeye teams, and went full-throttle in the 1940 game that effectively ended Schmidt’s career in Columbus, Tom Harmon running for 3 TDs and passing for two more in a 40-0 triumph.
We bring up these bullies from the past because a lot of attention has been focused on big favorites actually losing games outright this season. The tenor was set on opening weekend when Appalachian State stunned Michigan in Ann Arbor, and the 2007 shock–fest has continued almost unabated since, with the two biggest upsets in TGS annals (37-point dog Syrasuse winning at Louisville, and 40 1/2-point dog Stanford pulling out the rug from under Southern Cal) taking place before the campaign reached the halfway point.
It’s still rare for such monumental upsets to take place. But, practically speaking, dealing with “big” pointspread games are almost unavoidable for the modern-day handicapper. And to give themselves the maximum number of wagering opportunities per weekend, shrewd ‘cappers are going to have to consider games with multiple-TD spreads.
Interestingly, several college football teams and/or coaches have developed easily identifiable trends and patterns in these bigger pointspread games, both as favorites and underdogs. Following are some of the best (and worst) of those trends to note.
Alabama...Significant underachiever, just 8-19 laying double digits (DDs) since ‘02 (6-16 in role as host). Arizona State...Excellent bully numbers lately, especially at home in Tempe, where Sun Devils stand 15-3 this decade laying DDs (including 4-1 for new HC Dennis Erickson this season). Arkansas...11-3 as DD dog under HC Houston Nutt. Auburn...Just 3-11 its last 14 laying DDs for HC Tommy Tuberville (left). Baylor...No covers last 7 as DD dog since midway last season. Boise State...Solid extended big chalk numbers, especially on home “blue carpet, where Broncs are 22-12 laying DDs since ‘99 . BYU...Reliable big favorite since HC Bronco Mendenhall arrived in ‘05, covering 7 of 9 as DD chalk since. Cal...Notorious underachiever in bigger-spread games lately, reflected in poor 3-14-1 mark last 18 laying DDs. Colorado State...Downturn in Ram fortunes underlined by 1-7 mark in once-profitable DD dog role since ‘02. Florida...Just 4-9-1 laying DDs since HC Urban Meyer arrived in ‘05. Florida State...Not overpowering foes as they used too, Noles now 7-14 their last 21 laying 10 or more.
Houston...High-powered Cougs just 4-9 laying DDs since HC Art Briles arrived in ‘03. Idaho...Although Vandals covered first two as DD dog for new HC Robb Akey in September, they’ve dropped two in role since and now just 7-15 getting 10 or more since ‘04. Iowa...A reliable bully not long ago, Hawkeyes now 4-9-1 laying 10 or more since ‘04. Louisville...Cards had been potent big chalk past few years (21-9 laying DDs ‘04-06, including 13-2 in role at Papa John’s), but no covers first 3 laying 10 or more under new HC Steve Kragthorpe in ‘07. Miami-Florida...Canes just 14-26 as DD chalk since national title year of ‘01. Michigan State...4-9 laying 10 or more since ‘04, including just 10-3 for new HC Mark Dantonio in ‘07. Nevada...Wolf Pack 6-0 as DD chalk since HC Chris Ault returned to sidelines in ‘04. New Mexico...Lobos 10-4 their last 14 getting 10 or more. North Texas...Mean Green just 2-10 as DD dog since ‘04. Ohio State...Solid bully numbers lately for HC Jim Treseel (17-8 as DD chalk since ‘04; 12-4 last 16 in role at big horseshoe). Oklahoma State...15-3 laying 10 or more since ‘02 (5-1 for Mike Gundy since ‘05). Oregon...13-4 laying DDs at Eugene since ‘03. Penn State...Aforementioned “Shades” (right) 17-9 laying 10 or more since ‘02. Pitt...HC Dave Wannstetdt surprising 6-1 as DD chalk since ‘05. Texas Tech...15-5 last 20 laying DDs at Lubbock. Southern Cal...Trojans just 2-10 their last 12, and 6-16 their last 22, laying 10 or more. Texas Tech...15-5 last 20 laying DDs at Lubbock. Vanderbilt...Dores 9-4 as DD dog since ‘04. Virginia...HC Al Groh 10-4 as DD home chalk since ‘01. Wake Forest...Deacs uncomfortable 2-8 laying DDs since ‘02. Washington State...Cougs 5-12 as DD chalk since ‘02. West Virginia...Mounties 5-0 laying 10 or more in ‘07, 12-4-1 since ‘05.
www.goldsheet.com
Sun Devils lose top RB for season
October 17, 2007
TEMPE, Ariz. (AP) -- Arizona State rushing leader Ryan Torain will miss the rest of the season because of a toe injury.
Sun Devils coach Dennis Erickson said Wednesday that the senior back has either a dislocated or broken big toe, possibly both. Torain was hurt in the first quarter of the No. 12 Sun Devils' victory over Washington on Saturday.
Torain had started six of the seven games for the unbeaten Sun Devils, rushing for 553 yards and five touchdowns. He also caught seven passes for 100 yards and two scores.
The injury leaves the starting running back spot to junior Keegan Herring, who has run for 480 yards.
Arizona State (7-0) is off this week. The Sun Devils' next game is Oct. 27 at home against No. 10 California.
News and Notes - Week 8
By Phil Steele
Northcoast Sports
In the Pitt/Navy game neither team's D was able to get the other team's offense off the field as you can tell by the 48-45 final. Pitt did take their first lead since the 2nd game of the season when they got a TD in the 3Q to go up 28-21. In the first OT Pitt took a 35 yd FG off the board due to an offsides penalty and got a TD 2 plays later but Navy got a 25 yd TD pass. Navy got a 29 yd FG in the 2nd OT but Pitt went for it on 4th & 2 instead of tying the game with a FG and their pass was incomplete...
Last year Boise St survived a couple of scares but finished unbeaten and got to a BCS bowl. UH survived its 2nd scare of the season. They had the game in hand leading 14-0 but within a matter of 1:38, San Jose St got an 84 yd PR TD and a 24 yd IR TD to stunningly make it 14-14. SJSt did lead 35-21 but UH got a 97/8pl drive for a TD with 3:53 left and after SJSt lost its first fumble of the entire season, UH drove 45/8pl for a TD with :31 left to force OT where they won it. SJSt was also one of Boise's close wins last year as SJSt blew an 8 point lead in that game...
It was a tale of 2H's in the Miami, Fl/GT game. UM controlled the 1H and led 7-0 but in the 2H GT went to Tashard Choice who rushed for a career high 204 yds. Surprisingly UM was unable to stop the run and GT had a 344-79 yd edge in the 2H...
Texas ended its longest conf losing streak (4 games) in 51 years handing Iowa St its biggest loss since 1997 (56-3). They even ended a streak of 12 straight Q's without a takeaway when they got a 40 yd IR TD in the 3Q...
Kansas got another blowout victory but was not quite as dominant as the final score would indicate. Baylor trailed Kansas 10-3 after 1Q and was int'd in the EZ and KU would score 2 TD's in the final 1:30 of the half including a 3rd & 8 15 yd TD run after an int with :43 left. They led 44-10 and got a TD with 2:38 left and then got an int and on 3rd & 8 with just :04 left added a 22 yd TD run...
New Mexico dominated Wyoming early with a pair of long drives but settled for a 39 yd FG and went for it on 4th & goal from the 4 early 2Q and was SOD. The game was delayed for nearly 2 hours due to lightning and when they ret'd NM drove 74/4pl for a TD to lead 10-3 and the because of the delay the 2H started 3:00 later and NM rolled to a 20-3 win and were even SOD on 4th & goal from the 1 with 1:29 left...
Nebraska had their worst home loss since 1960...
Auburn K Wes Byrum kicked his 2nd game winning FG in 3 weeks, this one from 20 yards with :21 left and Auburn got past Arkansas, 9-7...
Texas A&M led 7-0 after 1Q but missed 41 & 34 yd FG's in the 1H, the latter with 1:21 left trailing 14-7. Tech would get a TD with :25 left to lead 21-7. A&M bobbled an int that could have gone for a TD but it turned into a 3rd & 12 FD conversion and Tech rolled to a 35-7 win...
S Carolina led N Carolina 21-3 and were up comfortably late in the game, 21-9 when NC got a TD with 3:03 left. The onside kick went OOB but SC's clinching FG with :41 left bounced off the upright. NC managed to get to the SC 31 where 2 passes in the EZ fell incomplete in a 6 point loss for the Heels...
Alabama settled for a 27 yd FG, missed a 35 yarder, fmbl'd at the Ole Miss 3, had a punt blocked setting up an Ole Miss TD which came on 3rd & 17 and was int'd at the 28. They trailed 24-17 early 4Q but a 53 yd PR set up a TD and after a 30 yd IR, Bama was at the UM 5 but settled for a 24 yd FG, 27-24 (5:14). Bama lined up for a 26 yd FG with just 3:05 left and faked it but lost 7 yards. UM converted on 4th & 16 and 3rd & 11 on their final drive and on 4th & 20 got a 41 yd pass to the 4 yd line where Hodge ripped the ball out of the DB's hands for the catch but after a 5:00 review it was ruled Hodge had stepped OOB prior to making the catch, giving the Tide the ball and the win...
Michigan dominated Purdue. PU had 2 TD's in the final minute to make the final semi-respectable. RB Mike Hart rushed for 102 yards in the 1H but sprained his ankle and sat out the 2H with the score 31-7. PU had been as high as #23 in the polls 2 weeks ago but was blown out for the 2nd straight week. PU has not won at Michigan Stadium since 1966...
Indiana needs just 1 more win to become bowl eligible (has not been to a bowl since '93) but were manhandled by Michigan St. The Spartans had a 28-9 FD edge and 558-193 yd edge jumping out to a 45-13 lead in the 3Q en rout to their 52-27 win...
Arkansas St QB Corey Leonard set a school record with 5 TD passes hitting 17 of 23 for 275 yards and rushing for 84 in just 3Q's vs ULL in their 52-21 win. Arkansas St set a school record with 681 yards offense and Reggie Arnold rushed for 225...
Tulane had a 504-372 yd edge vs UAB and a 24-15 FD edge but UAB was able to end their 7 game conference losing streak thanks in part to a 92 yd KO return for a TD. Tulane, trailing by 5, had a 4th down pass fall incomplete inside the 10 and UAB ran out the clock...
Tulsa had 578 yards offense in their win over Marshall. TU was up by 14 and running out the clock when they fumbled with 3:16 left and MU went 73 yds for a TD with 1:18 left but TU rec'd the onside kick...
Boston College led the Irish 20-0 but ND got 2 TD's in 1:35 including a 25 yd IR TD and despite being outgained 459-222 the Irish got the cover. ND's final 3 poss did end on a 41 yd missed FG, a 4th & 10 incomplete pass at the BC 22 and a 4th & 10 pass at their own 23...
James Starks became the first Buffalo RB to top 200 yards rushing in 11 years. Toeldo had 518-435 yd edge and 31-16 FD edges but still lost 43-33...
Iowa knocked off a ranked opponent for the first time since 2005. IL came in avg 30 ppg but was held to 6 and Rashard Mendenhall was held to 67 yards rushing on 15 carries. IL did have an 83 yd TD pass called back for ineligible receiver and they were playing as a ranked team for the first time since 2001. At the end of the game IL got down to the Iowa 35 but was int'd in the EZ and ret'd to the 9 with 1:12 left...
Ohio led EM 28-0 but powered by an 80 yd FR TD, EM kept within distance the remainder of the game. OU led 45-35 early 4Q but settled for a 38 yd FG and EM got a TD with 1:07 left to pull within 6 but OU rec'd the onside kick...
Utah QB's Brian Johnson and Corbin Louks both saw action and the Utes piled up 514-211 yd and 27-12 FD edges in their 23-7 win over San Diego St.
BIG COMEBACKS
Temple trailed Akron 20-3 after 3Q's but rallied in the 4Q including a 19 yard TD pass with :27 left which allowed them to pull out a 24-20 win. QB Adam DiMichele hit 23-34 for 242 yards...
Minnesota led 35-14 in the 3Q vs Northwestern but Northwestern rallied and a 4 yd TD pass with :08 left forced OT. In the 2OT UM, after scoring an apparent tying TD, opted to go for the win and their 2 pt conversion was incomplete. It was the Gophers 5th straight loss. NW QB CJ Bacher who had a school record 520 yards vs Mich St the previous week, hit 41-58 for 470 yards and 4 TD's. A key play happened when UM missed a 44 yd FG with 1:59 left which might have clinched it. The Gophers had also been stopped on 4th & inches at the NW goal line in the 1Q...
Despite playing with a backup QB, New Mexico St appeared to have their game vs LT in hand. JJ McDermott hit 29-40 for 319 yards and 2 TD's and Chris Williams hauled in 11 rec for 170 yards. NMSt led 21-9 when a 3rd down pass was batted around in the EZ before LT hauled it in for a TD with just 6:55 left. After forcing a punt, LT drove 68/7pl and a 30 yd TD pass and missed 2 pt conv with 1:52 left gave them the 1 point win...
While not really a comeback game, Syracuse did lead Rutgers 14-0 in the 1Q before RU came back and pounded the Orange 38-14. RU had a 538-270 yd edge...
Rice actually led Houston 48-35 in the 3Q but Houston, who had 5 TO's including a fumble at the Rice 1 in the final seconds on the 1H rallied to score the game's final 3 TD's in an 8 point win. The last 2 TD's were on 33 and 50 yd runs by RB Alridge...
Vanderbilt led 17-7 in the 2Q but Georgia had rallied to tie it on a 30 yd FG with 6:12 left. VU was driving for the winning score when they fumbled at the UGA 8 with just 2:53 left and UGA went 73/10pl and got a 37 yd FG with no time left to pull out the win. While VU was at home, UGA fans outnumbered them in VU stadium in a rare sellout crowd...
One week after Stanford pulled their huge upset of USC, they appeared poised to knock off TCU. Stanford led 31-17 with 3:54 left in the 3Q. Even after TCU tied the game, SU got a FG with 7:22 left for the lead but TCU got a TD pass with 4:13 left to lead 38-34. SU was SOD on 4th & 10 at the TCU 18 and TCU took an intentional safety with :02 left. KEY PLAYS - USC trailed Arizona 13-10 when Joe McKnight got a 45 yd PR. On the next play USC got a 25 yd TD pass and a suddenly energized USC D did not allow another FD the rest of the game. USC settled for a 23 yd FG with :57 left to make the final 20-13. AZ P Keenyn Crier had not had a punt ret'd more than 12 yards all season prior to that and also had an 83 yd punt earlier in the game. USC, with backup QB Sanchez at the helm, had just 12 yards of offense in the 2Q and 50 in the 3Q...
In the first 3Q's UConn scored 13 points. UVA was driving when they were int'd deep in UC territory and the Huskies got a FG then UVA fmbl'd on their own 13 setting up another 22 yd FG on a drive UC did not get a FD. UVA led 14-6 at the half but was int'd at their own 6 in the 3Q. Two plays later UC got their only TD of the game to trail just 14-13 (3 TO's=13 points). UVA led 17-16 with :51 left and lined up for a 35 yd FG and Chris Gould who was one of the top K's in the country missed it wide left with :27 left costing the Cav's the cover.
INJURIES OF NOTE
VT lost starting QB Tyrod Taylor to an ankle injury but Sean Glennon, who was benched after the 2nd game, hit 16 of 21 for 258 yards in his place guiding the romp. Duke had failed to score in their last 2 meetings vs VT losing 81-0 with a combined 174 yds offense but had 199 yards and even had a 1Q TD. Their 2nd TD was early in the 4Q when they trailed 43-7...
Memphis QB Martin Hankins missed the Middle Tenn game last week. Will Hudgens who threw for 346 yards vs Marshall 11 days earlier had a horrible night hitting just 13-35 for 134 yards missing 10 of his last 12 throws...
Arizona St star RB Ryan Torain inj'd his left leg early in the 1H and watched the 2H on crutches vs Washington...
Wisconsin RB PJ Hill, who suffered a groin injury last week, had just 75 yards on 19 carries which was 50 below his season average. A key play happened early on with Penn St leading 10-7 and Wisconsin driving WR Gilreath who was receiving more time due to a banged up Badger receiving corps, bobbled a pass that would have been a FD and DB Sargeant picked it off for an int and 3 plays later PSU got a TD turning the tide of the game and PSU dominated from there leading 31-7 after the first drive of the 3Q.
COACH ON THE HOT SEAT
SMU HC Bennett said at the start of the year that expectations should be high and if they did not reach a bowl he would understand if they let him go. Last week SMU trailed S Miss 28-0 avoiding their first shutout in the 3 years with a TD with 6:46 left and Bennett may not see the end of the season as the HC.
THIRD STRAIGHT WEEK OF HUGE UPSETS
California came in #2 and knew that #1 LSU had lost and only needed a win to take home the #1 spot. They were playing without QB Nate Longshore but Kevin Riley hit 20-34 for 294 yards. Cal trailed by 10 but got a TD and forced a punt and drove down to the OSU 12 with :14 left and no time-outs. Riley amazingly ran for a 2 yd gain and the clock ran out so the FG unit could come out on to the field and another high ranked team bit the dust.
TURNOVERS CAN MAKE A DIFFERENCE
Army had a 22-20 FD and a 428-397 yd edge but the Knights imploded with 7 TO's. CM had TD "drives" of 28, 38 and 25 yds in the 2Q, all after TO's and in the 2H Army was SOD at the 20 and CM got a 15 yd IR TD with 4:20 left to win by 24...
N Texas came into the ULM game with just 1 int on the season but their first 3 TD's came on a 20 yd IR TD and then a 14 point swing happened with a 75 yard IR TD. NT also got a 99 yd TD pass (just the 16th ever in NCAA history) when WR Fitzgerald caught a short pass, shook off the CB and raced the distance. ULM had a 22-17 FD edge and lost their starting QB Kinsmon Lancaster to injury in the 2Q...
The Bearcats' 6-0 record heading into this past weekend was turnover fueled as they had huge TO edges in most games and led the nation in TO margin. Luck ran out on them vs L'ville as they had a -4 TO margin and lost a big game at home despite having a 460-447 edge.
HOW THE MIGHTY HAVE FALLEN
It was a record breaking day for Nebraska as Oklahoma St had lost 20 straight games in Lincoln since 1960 but pulled out the win and NU has now given up 40 or more points four times in the season for the first time in their 118 year history. It was also OSU's 2nd most lopsided Big 12 win and OSU had a 257-101 yd edge at the half scoring on all 6 of their 1H poss before taking a knee and leading 38-0 with NU fans filing out of the stadium in the 2H...
Colorado St used to be the premier team of the MWC but played in front of a half empty stadium vs Air Force coming into the game at 0-5 and the game was delayed 45:00 due to lightning that knocked out power to parts of the stadium. Only about 8,000 (attendance announced at 25,150) fans were on hand at the start and many were heading to the parking lot at halftime. CSU's losing streak has now reached 13 straight games and they were blown out 45-21 despite only being outgained 437-380...
Two weeks ago LSU became #1 in the AP poll for the first time since 1959 during the regular season and at one point appeared poised to put the Kentucky game away. The key play of the game happened on 3rd & 8 with LSU at the UK 13 leading 24-14 mid-3Q. Tiger QB Flynn scrambled and had a wide open TE Zinger in the EZ for a TD that would have put them up by 3 scores but he dropped it. That left UK in the game and they ended up prevailing in OT with LSU missing a 57 yd FG on the final play of regulation.
MISLEADING FINALS, FRONTDOOR AND BACKDOOR COVERS
Ohio St did whip Kent St as expected but their 35-0 lead at the half was misleading. OSU only had a 206-162 yd edge but got a school record 90 yd PR TD by Hartline, a 50 yd drive for a TD after a 15 yd punt, a 72 yd IR TD and then with Kent running the clock with 1:00 left in the half, they fumbled and the Buckeyes added a TD 3 plays later to lead 35-0. Both teams then made wholesale replacements in the 3Q...
W Kentucky had a 411-363 yd edge over Ball St. In fact, at the half they had a 191-146 yd edge but trailed 14-12. In the 2H WK went on a 62/13pl drive but missed a FG then an 84/16pl drive was SOD on 4th & goal at the 1. Ball St, after a late int, added a TD with 2:15 left 35-12 in a game that was much closer than the final score...
BYU outgained UNLV 441-217 and had 11 more FD's and UNLV actually did most of its damage on their drive for the backdoor cover. BYU had the game firmly in hand, 24-6 when UNLV not only got a TD with 1:11 left, they also got the crucial 2 pt conversion for the cover...
UTEP had the game in control vs E Carolina after getting a TD with just :34 left on a 31 yd run by Thomas. EC was pinned deep in its own territory but got a couple of plays down to the UTEP 34 and had just :02 left on the clock a Hail Mary prayer was answered on a 34 yd TD pass on the last play of regulation. EC ended up winning in OT...
For the 4th time in 7 games, Arizona St overcame a DD deficit or trailed in the 2H. This time they were down 17-13 to Washington but rolled to the win and had 23-13 FD and 533-288 yd edges clinging to a 37-20 lead they got a 35 yd IR TD with 4:12 left to clinch the spread win...
Colorado/Kansas St were trading score for score when Colorado, down 20-13 was SOD at the K-St 47 with :16 left in the half and the Wildcats got a 52 yard FG. CU was SOD at the K-St 42 and then trailing 33-20 late 3Q had a punt blk'd and rec'd for a TD. CU had a 4-0 TO deficit and was SOD a third time with 7:54 left. K-St got a 68 yd TD run with 3:23 left after an int and CU had a 22-20 FD edge in a game that was more competitive than 47-20 would indicate...
Oklahoma was in danger of being another ranked team to fall and did lead Missouri 17-7 but MO battled back for a 24-23 lead in the 3Q. OU got a TD then a FR for a TD and increased the margin to 41-24 on a 17 yd TD run with 2:39 left. The xp was blk'd. MO went 80/10pl and with :12 left Daniel hit Rucker inside at the 4 and it looked like he was short of the goal line and the clock would have run out but it was ruled a TD and MO got the backdoor cover.
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 football 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.
We had our first losing weekend for the Ferringo 15 as our top teams went 5-6 ATS, not counting the two games (B.C.-ND, Missouri-Oklahoma) that F15 teams were playing against one another. Regardless, these top earners are still 40-28 (58.8 percent) on the season. I'll take it! So without further ado, here is our Week 8 version of the Ferringo 15:
1) South Florida (4-1) - I know that people may not recognize the name, but this team is THAT good. The key is that they are fourth in the country in turnovers forced (21). Their defense swarms, and that's helped a relatively conservative offense. USF was a failed two-point conversion from overtime against Rutgers last year, and is clearly the better team going into this Thursday's game. However, the Scarlet Knights haven't lost three straight at home since 2003 and are 9-3 ATS as a home dog.
2) Kentucky (5-1) - Wow. They just keep getting it done. I thought the egg was cracked at South Carolina, but this team is no joke. I still think they're undervalued against an immature Florida team, but you always have to wonder how a team will respond after such an emotionally draining upset. Also, there's more bad news. Florida has won 20 straight over UK and Urban Meyer teams are 21-2 SU with extra prep time.
3) Kansas (5-0) - Yeah, so, I guess there wasn't a letdown out of the Jayhawks against Baylor, eh? Kansas continues to dominate its foes, but now finds itself in the unenviable positions of a road conference favorite against a team with a better defense. The Buffaloes have won five of the last six in this series and this will be the Jayhawks' first trip out of their state. The home team has won eight of 10 in this series and I think that if KU does pull this one off you have to start thinking this is a charmed season.
4) Missouri (5-0) - Even a garbage cover is a cover. Missouri should not have cashed in Oklahoma, but they continue to be an ATM machine for backers this season. This week they get a red hot Texas Tech club in Columbia, where they've beaten the Red Raiders by an average score of 48-19 in their past two meetings. The Tigers are 4-1 ATS against Texas Tech and 9-1 ATS at home. Look for another highflying affair, but look for yet another Mizzou victory.
5) Cincinnati (5-1) - After a wild three-game stretch I kind of don't blame the Bearcats for their loss to Louisville. After all, the Cardinals do have Top 20 talent. I will say it's a tall order to ask Cincy to bounce back as a double-digit favorite on the road against Pitt. The Bearcats are clearly the better team, but with South Florida waiting in the wings this could be a tough spot.
6) South Carolina (4-2) - Ryan Succop's late field goal cracked the upright last Saturday, stifling what should have been USC's fifth cash of the season. The Gamecocks are not flashy; they are just a solid football team. They are 8-1-1 ATS against Vanderbilt at home and their No. 1 pass defense should force Chris Nickson into some bad decisions. The question remains as to whether or not this team can score enough to consistently cover double-digit shackles.
7) Arizona State (6-1) - OK, now I'm a believer. It's not as if their schedule has been eye-popping, but the Sun Devils have dominated inferior foes, posting a 22.7 average margin of victory. But amazingly, this team has covered six games despite being one of the worst first half teams in the country. They are 1-5 ATS against the first half line in their last six games and have been losing at the break in three of their last four games.
8) Illinois (4-2) - Last weekend was the perfect storm for a letdown. But now the Illini head home to take on a resurgent Michigan team in a crucial Big Ten showdown. Let me end the suspense: Mike is going to play. But Illinois has been solid against the run (No. 26). The question is whether they can contain Chad Henne and the Michigan wideouts. The home team is 4-1 ATS in this series and Michigan is 12-25 ATS as a road favorite. Look for Illinois' speed to confound the Wolverines in what should be a one-possession game either way.
9) Oregon (5-1) - Now that Jeremiah Johnson and Jason Williams have joined Brian Paysinger on the shelf, the Ducks will be without three players that have scored 32 percent of all of their offensive touchdowns this year. No current Oregon player has ever played in Husky Stadium and OU's last win in Seattle was in 1997. However, they have won three straight in the series. But with USC on deck this is a potential landmine for one of the top teams in the nation.
10) Boston College (4-2) - The Eagles struggled to put away a suddenly game Notre Dame team but I don't really hold that against them. That series is known for its shockingly close finishes. But now we're going to find out the true ability of Jeff Jagodzinski as he takes two weeks to prep for a critical trip to Blacksburg.
11) Duke (5-2) - THUD! Last week's 43-14 loss at the hands of Virginia Tech may have looked like the end of the road for the Blue Devil gravy train. I'm not so sure. They get Florida State and Georgia Tech in letdown spots before a rivalry game against North Carolina to end the season. Throw in the fact that dogs have been outstanding in the ACC this year and I think we have two or three paydays left in this squad.
12) Air Force (4-2) - The Falcons are a force in the Mountain West. I read an interesting article that let me know that I was screwed on my Colorado State bet last week. The article was about how Air Force established a new position on the football team - a strength conditioning coach. Most teams have them, but AF didn't. Well, now their players have been raving about how much stronger they are this season and how much more quickly they recover after games. They say it's night and day. I found it interesting.
13) UAB (4-1 ATS) - Who? Yeah, I know what you're thinking. But here's another team that's just good enough to keep games close but just bad enough to keep losing games. Their three underdog covers were by an average of 14 points and now they're two-touchdown home dogs to Houston. UAB is 7-1-1 ATS as a home underdog and the home team has won four straight in this series. We may be getting in at a decent time with this club.
14) Miami, OH (5-2) - The Redhawks have a trap game at suddenly hard-hitting Temple this week. But this has been a hot team lately, winning three straight games, including a pair of huge wins over MAC rivals Kent State and Bowling Green. That makes this a prime letdown spot.
15) UTEP (4-2) - Jesus, didn't see that coming. Weird. For the first weekend this year we don't bet against UTEP - AND THEY LOSE AGAINST THE SPREAD. It's times like these that I not only hate football, but I hate God as well. But this team stays in mainly because they've been breaking my balls all season.
Others receiving votes: Indiana (4-2), Central Florida (3-3), Troy (4-2), Ball State (4-2), Connecticut (3-1), Colorado (4-3).
Dropped out: Anyone Playing Notre Dame (4-3), Oklahoma (4-3), Purdue (3-3).
www.docsports.com
Baylor assistant resigns after bar incident
October 18, 2007
WACO, Texas (AP) -- The Baylor assistant football coach cited for public urination resigned Thursday.
Offensive line coach Eric Schnupp was suspended indefinitely by the university this week after being cited for urinating on the bar at a tavern. His resignation was effective immediately.
Schnupp was in his first season at Baylor, the world's largest Baptist university. He spent the previous three seasons coaching the offensive line at West Texas A&M.
Head coach Guy Morriss and offensive coordinator Lee Hays will oversee the offensive line. Morriss had doubled as offensive line coach before hiring Schnupp during the offseason.
Schnupp wasn't arrested, but issued a citation early Sunday for disorderly conduct-reckless exposure at Scruffy Murphy's, police said. The citation is a Class C misdemeanor carrying a $258 fine, according to Waco Municipal Court.
Bartender Danny Severe said an employee saw Schnupp urinating on the bar, and a manager told police officers who were there on an unrelated matter, the Waco Tribune-Herald reported Tuesday.
The incident occurred several hours after the team had returned from Lawrence, Kan., where the Bears lost to Kansas 58-10 Saturday.
Baylor plays No. 19 Texas at home Saturday.
Pac-10 Notebook
By Brad Young
VegasInsider.com
There are three conference games scheduled for Pac-10 teams this weekend along with the annual rivalry game between Southern Cal and Notre Dame. All the state schools in the conference (Arizona State, Oregon State and Washington State) have bye weeks.
Arizona State is 7-0 straight up and 5-2 against the spread after roughing up Washington last weekend as a 12-point home ‘chalk,’ 44-20. The Sun Devils have climbed up to 12th in the latest Associated Press top-25 rankings, but not everything is bright and shiny in Tempe.
Starting running back Ryan Torain is ‘out’ for the rest of the season due to a toe injury that will seriously decimate Arizona State’s rushing attack. The Sun Devils now face the toughest part of their schedule by hosting California before traveling to Oregon and UCLA followed by a Nov. 22 matchup with Southern Cal.
Oregon State (4-3 SU, 3-3 ATS) has an extra week to savor its victory over then second-ranked Cal last weekend as a 14 ½-point road underdog, 31-28. The Beavers host Stanford next weekend before traveling to Southern Cal. Oregon State had an identical record last season before winning eight of its final nine games that included a Sun Bowl victory over Missouri.
Washington State (2-5 SU, 2-4 ATS) is currently mired in a four-game SU losing streak, so the bye week couldn’t have occurred at a better time. The Cougars are currently in the conference basement with a 0-4 record, while rival Washington is 0-3.
**California at UCLA**
-There is no line or total on this contest due to numerous key injuries for both teams. ABC Sports will provide coverage of this game at 3:30 p.m. ET.
-California quarterback Nathan Longshore (ankle) and strong safety Marcus Ezeff (quad) are ‘questionable’ versus the Bruins, while wide receiver DeSean Jackson (leg) is ‘probable.’
-UCLA quarterbacks Ben Olson (knee) is ‘out,’ while second-string signal caller Pat Cowan (knee) is ‘questionable’ versus the Golden Bears. Running back Kahlil Bell (shoulder), linebacker John Hale (concussion) and linebacker Reggie Carter (knee) are ‘probable.’ Defensive tackle Chane Moline (neck), running back Chris Markey (toe) and wide receiver Dominique Johnson (ankle) are ‘questionable,’ while linebacker Shawn Oatis (concussion) is ‘doubtful.’
-Normally this would be the marquee matchup in the Pac-10 with Cal ranked 10th and UCLA sporting a 3-0 conference record.
-Cal (5-1 SU, 3-3 ATS) suffered its first setback of the season against Oregon State last weekend as a 14-point home ‘chalk,’ 31-28. The combined 59 points slithered past the 57 ½-point closing total, helping the ‘over’ improve to 4-1.
-Quarterback Kevin Riley was 20-of-34 passing for 294 yards with two touchdowns and an interception. However, the Golden Bears missed out on a chance to tie the game when he was sacked to end the game. Running back Justin Forsett had 28 carries for 150 yards with a score.
-UCLA (4-2 SU and ATS) is coming off its bye week after falling to lowly Notre Dame as a decided 22-point home favorite, 20-6. There was no total on that matchup, but the ‘over’ is 4-1 this season for the Bruins.
-Third-string quarterback McLeod Bethel-Thompson completed 12-of-28 passes for 139 yards with four interceptions. UCLA was unable to overcome its seven turnovers, helping the Fighting Irish score 17 points in the third quarter.
-The home team has won the past four meetings in the UCLA-Cal series, with the Bruins covering each time. The Golden Bears prevailed last year as an 18-point home favorite, 38-24, while the combined 62 points went ‘over’ the 51 ½-point closing total. The ‘over’ has cashed the last three games in this series.
**Southern Cal at Notre Dame**
-Caesars Palace lists Southern Cal as a 17 ½-point road ‘chalk’ over Notre Dame, with no total listed. NBC Sports will start its coverage of this contest at 3:30 p.m. ET.
-Southern Cal (5-1 SU, 2-4 ATS) slipped past Arizona last weekend as a 21-point home favorite, 20-13. That marked the third consecutive contest that the Trojans failed to cover.
-Signal caller Mark Sanchez was 19-of-31 passing for 130 yards with a touchdown and two interceptions. Chauncey Washington paced the ground game with 17 carries for 54 yards and freshman Joe McKnight added 75 yards on 13 carries.
-Notre Dame (1-6 SU, 3-4 ATS) followed up its upset win over UCLA by losing to Boston College as a 13 ½-point home underdog, 27-14, while the combined 41 points went ‘under’ the 47 ½-point closing total. The ‘under’ is now 4-1 for the Fighting Irish. Notre Dame has covered its last three games.
-Quarterback Evan Sharpley was 11-of-29 passing for 135 yards with a touchdown, while Robby Parris caught four passes for 94 yards with a score. The ground game could only manage 28 yards on 20 carries.
-USC is 4-0 SU and 3-1 ATS the past four meetings with Notre Dame after prevailing last season as an 8 ½-point home ‘chalk,’ 44-24. This marks the Trojans’ first visit to South Bend since winning that 2005 classic on the last play, 34-31.
-USC quarterback John Booty (finger) is expected to miss this matchup with the Fighting Irish, while running back Stafon Johnson (foot) is ‘questionable.’ Offensive lineman Sam Baker (thigh) is ‘probable,’ while cornerback Shareece Wright (hamstring), defensive end Kyle Moore (knee), linebacker Brian Cushing (ankle), offensive tackle Charles Brown (ankle) and safety Kevin Ellison (nose) are ‘questionable.’ Offensive lineman Chilo Rachal (knee) and linebacker Rey Maualuga (hip) are ‘doubtful.’
-Notre Dame is expected to start quarterback Evan Sharpley, while running back James Aldridge (leg) is ‘doubtful’ versus the Trojans. Wide receiver David Grimes (ankle), offensive tackle Chris Stewart (undisclosed) and linebacker Maurice Crum (leg) are ‘questionable.’
**Oregon at Washington**
-Caesars Palace opened Oregon as an 11 ½-point road favorite over Washington, with the total listed at 66. FOX Sports Net begins its coverage of this matchup at 7:30 p.m. ET.
-Oregon (5-1 SU and ATS) routed Washington State last weekend as a 20-point home ‘chalk,’ 53-7. The combined 60 points failed to topple the 69-point closing total, helping the ‘under’ cash the second game in a row.
-The Ducks had 40 points at halftime, and quarterback Dennis Dixon finished the game by completing 21-of-28 passes for 287 yards with three touchdowns. Jonathan Stewart had 13 carries for 66 yards, while Jaison Williams caught four passes for 108 yards with a score.
-Washington (2-4 SU, 3-3 ATS) is mired in a four-game SU losing skid after opening the season with impressive victories over Syracuse and Boise State. The Huskies were roughed up by Arizona State last weekend as an 11 ½-point road underdog, 44-20. The combined 64 points toppled the 54-point closing total, enabling the ‘over’ to improve to 4-1.
-Quarterback Jake Locker was 10-of-28 passing for 142 yards with a touchdown and an interception, while running 12 times for 48 yards and a score. Louis Rankin paced the ground game with 80 yards on 11 carries.
-Oregon has won the last three games against Washington SU and ATS, but all three outings occurred in Eugene. The Ducks prevailed last season as a 16 ½-point home ‘chalk,’ 34-14, while the combined 48 points went ‘under’ the 50-point closing total.
-Oregon wide receiver Brian Paysinger (knee), wide receiver Cameron Colvin (ankle) and running back Jeremiah Johnson (ACL) are ‘out’ for the rest of the season.
-Washington left tackle Ben Ossai (ankle) is ‘probable’ against the Ducks, while free safety Jason Wells (knee) and wide receiver Quintin Daniels (knee) are ‘out.’
**Stanford at Arizona**
-Caesars Palace installed Arizona as an 11 ½-point home ‘chalk’ over Stanford, with the total set at 54 ½. FOX Sports Net will provide coverage of this contest at 7:00 p.m. ET.
-Stanford (2-4 SU, 3-3 ATS) followed its colossal upset of Southern Cal by falling to Texas Christian last weekend as a six-point home underdog, 38-36. The Cardinal have covered their last two matchups.
-Signal caller Tavita Pritchard was 12-of-27 passing for 171 yards with two touchdowns, while Anthony Kimble had 19 carries for 109 yards and two scores. Wideout Richard Sherman caught four passes for 112 yards and a touchdown.
-Arizona (2-5 SU, 2-4 ATS) has dropped back-to-back games SU after falling to Southern Cal last weekend as a 21-point road underdog, 20-13. That marked the first road game all season that the Wildcats covered.
-Quarterback Willie Tuitama completed 30-of-43 passes for 233 yards, and his favorite target was Mike Thomas who caught 12 passes for 83 yards. The ground game only managed 22 yards on 16 carries, with Chris Jennings rushing seven times for 16 yards.
-The road team has won the last two games SU and ATS in the Stanford-Arizona series the last two years. The Cardinal triumphed two years ago as a 5 ½-point road underdog, 20-16, while the Wildcats prevailed last season as a 3 ½-point road ‘chalk,’ 20-7.
-Stanford running back Jeremy Stewart (shoulder), running back Toby Gerhart (knee), linebacker Pat Maynor (undisclosed) and running back Anthony Kimble (shoulder) are ‘questionable’ against the Wildcats.
-Arizona linebacker Adrian McCovy (back) is ‘out’ for this contest.
USC will start Sanchez at QB versus Irish
October 19th, 2007
Los Angeles, CA (Sports Network) - University of Southern California head football coach Pete Carroll confirmed on Friday that starting quarterback John David Booty will not start when the Trojans play at Notre Dame on Saturday.
Carroll decided to go with Mark Sanchez over Booty, who is recovering from a broken finger on his throwing hand.
It will be the second start for Sanchez, a highly touted recruit from Mission Viejo, Ca., who completed 19-of-31 passes for 130 yards and a touchdown in USC's 20-13 win over Arizona at the Coliseum last Saturday.
Sanchez threw two interceptions in the first half, but rebounded to throw the game-winning touchdown pass in the fourth quarter to tight end Fred Davis.