College Football Week 4 Betting News and Notes

SEC News and Notes Week 3
By Alatex Sports
Sportsmemo.com

It wouldn’t have mattered if Tyler Wilson had played for Arkansas this week against Alabama, as the Crimson Tide overwhelmed the Razorbacks, 52-0. Wilson might have kept the goose egg off the scoreboard, but that’s about it. Arkansas now faces questions about whether or not it quit at the end of the game and the beleaguered defense has allowed 1,300 yards in three games. Alabama gave up just 137 yards and pitched its second straight shutout.

Also impressing this week was the Florida Gators, earning their first win over a ranked team in the Will Muschamp era. Florida piled up 555 yards and outscored Tennessee 27-6 in the second half en route to a 37-20 win. Jeff Driskel played his best game as a Gator and appears to be settling into the job. It will be interesting to see if the Gators build on this offensive performance. They still ran the ball 68% of the time and have attempted only 58 passes in three games.

South Carolina and Georgia remained unbeaten and the Gators’ principle competition in the SEC East. Carolina hammered UAB, 49-6, with Connor Shaw and Dylan Thompson splitting time at quarterback. Georgia pasted Florida Atlantic, 56-20, and piled up 713 yards of total offense.

LSU also had an easy win, beating Idaho 63-14. The Tigers scored twice on defense with interception returns and blew open a 28-14 game with 35 unanswered points in the second half. Seven different Tigers scored touchdowns.

On the other end of the spectrum were Ole Miss, Auburn and Kentucky. Auburn did manage to pull out an overtime win against UL-Monroe, but the Tigers were once again shaky on defense and and in the passing game. Auburn allowed 410 yards and 27 first downs to the Warhawks and did not force a turnover. Quarterback Keihl Frazier was better than he had been his first two games, but still had pedestrian numbers with a 10-of-18, 130-yard performance with one touchdown and an interception.

Not as fortunate in overtime were the Kentucky Wildcats. UK trailed Western Kentucky the entire game before forcing overtime, but gave up a two-point conversion to lose, 32-31. Joker Phillips is feeling the heat, as attendance lags and the Wildcats must now win four SEC games to get to a bowl. Fans and bloggers are already calling for Kentucky to give Phillips the axe and start the search for a new head man.
Ole Miss was completely overmatched by the Texas Longhorns in Oxford, losing 66-31. The Rebels were unable to stop Texas on the ground or through the air as Texas piled up 676 yards of offense and averaged 13.6 yards per pass and 6.5 yards per rush. Ole Miss showed some talent on offense with some big plays, but also had three turnovers.

Finally, Mississippi State survived a scare at Troy, beating the Trojans, 30-23. State had a 23-7 halftime lead, but Troy cut it to 23-21 early in the 4th quarter. Mississippi State’s defense gave up 572 total yards, looking nothing like the team that shut down Auburn the week before. Fortunately for the Bulldogs, they were able to force four Troy turnovers and preserve the win.

Week 4 Betting System
By Marc Lawrence
VegasInsider.com

Game Four On The Floor

Our powerful database tells us that Game Four is a critical turning point for most college football teams, especially if they're playing off their first loss of the season.

From a handicapping perspective, the venue goes a long way in determining Game Four ATS (Against the Spread) results as well.

Check out the situations of teams in Game Four, off their initial loss of the season, since 1980…

BAD HOMERS

Teams playing at HOME in this role tend to perform poorly as evidenced by a 90-109-3 ATS overall mark since 1980.

Home teams in that role this week include:

Arizona State vs. Utah
Michigan State vs. Eastern Michigan
Tennessee vs. Akron
USC vs. California
Virginia Tech vs. Bowling Green
Wake Forest vs. Army

Louisiana Lafayette (next week vs. FIU)

If these teams are allowing more than 27 points per game on the season (Wake Forest and Louisiana Lafayette) they dip to 6-19-2 ATS. To top it off, if they are allowing more than 27 points per game on the season and are facing a foe that is not off a spread win of 35 or more points in its last game these bummed-out hosts sink to 3-19-2 ATS. Wake Forest finds itself in this precarious role this week.

GOOD VISITORS

Teams playing AWAY in this role somehow find point-spread success, nearly reversing their home counterparts by going 101-78-2-1 ATS dating back to 1980.

Away teams in that role this week include:

BYU at Boise State
Maryland at West Virginia
Mississippi at Tulane
South Florida at Ball State
Utah State at Colorado State
Virginia at TCU

These teams are taking to the road this week after having their dreams of a perfect season ruined last week. (Note: Indiana will journey out in this role next week at Northwestern.) When these teams are also off an ATS loss, they improve to 89-56-1 ATS in these 'Game Four On The Floor' situations, with all of the above teams, except Utah State, in this role week.

And if these teams off a spread loss are facing an opponent that is off a SU and ATS loss they ratchet up to 28-11 ATS, including 17-4 ATS if the won 7 or fewer games last season. That would put Ole Miss in this desirable role this week.

There you have it… a critical Game Four theory that will likely 'floor' a team or two this week!

Week 3 Rewind
By Brian Edwards
VegasInsider.com

Editor's note: Brian Edwards is off to a blazing start in college football, compiling a 19-6 record (76%, +1252) for No. 1 on VI in money and winning percentage. Brian already has mid-week games posted, including this pay-if-it-wins-only selection!

On a Saturday when storied programs like Florida, Notre Dame, Texas and Alabama went on the road and posted dominant victories, the biggest development took place in Palo Alto, where Stanford knocked off Southern Cal 21-14 thanks to stellar performances from senior running back Stepfan Taylor and a defense that forced Matt Barkley into a rough night.

Taylor rushed for 153 yards and one touchdown and also scored on a 23-yard catch from Josh Nunes, who hit Zach Ertz with a 37-yard scoring strike for the game-winning points in the final stanza.

Stanford’s defense pitched a shutout in the second half, limiting the Trojans to 26 rushing yards on 28 attempts and intercepted Barkley twice.

The Cardinal, which has covered the spread in six consecutive games as a home underdog, has an open date before playing next Thursday at Washington. USC will play host to California in Week 4.

Alabama has dealt out cream-cheese treatment in back-to-back weeks after demolishing Arkansas by a 52-0 count as a 20-point road favorite. Of course, the Razorbacks were at a major disadvantage with QB Tyler Wilson unable to go after suffering a concussion the previous week in an overtime loss to ULM.

John L. Smith’s team hasn’t scored a point without Wilson over the last six quarters. A disgusted Wilson expressed his frustration with his teammates to the media after the game, noting that many of them quit in the blowout loss to the Crimson Tide.

While many of the national media have been critical of Wilson for doing so, this space applauds the leader who has seen his senior season run into the ditch by his former head coach and seen it made into a clown show by his interim head coach.

With his teammates needing a boost and a voice to follow, Wilson’s words were a last-ditch effort to save this squad. The Hogs better be ready when a Rutgers team comes to Fayetteville with extra rest on Saturday.

Nick Saban’s team will face FAU and Ole Miss at home over the next two weeks. Then ‘Bama will have a week off before consecutive road games at Missouri and at Tennessee.

Speaking of the Volunteers, they blew a 20-13 lead and lost for the eighth straight time to Florida. The Gators’ previously-pedestrian offense exploded for 555 yards of total offense thanks to excellent efforts from QB Jeff Driskel, FB Trey Burton, TE Jordan Reed and RB Mike Gillislee.

Will Muschamp’s team scored 24 unanswered points to capture a 37-20 win as a three-point underdog. UF will take on Kentucky at The Swamp and then it gets an open date to prepare for LSU in Gainesville on Oct. 6.

The Vols face Terry Bowden’s Akron Zips before going on the road to take on Georgia with their SEC East hopes on the line.

Notre Dame made a huge statement Saturday night in East Lansing, cruising to a 20-3 win over Michigan St. as a 4 1/2-point underdog. Everett Golson threw a touchdown pass and ran for another score without committing a turnover. The Irish limited the Spartans to 237 yards of total offense and held RB Le’Veon Bell to 77 rushing yards on 19 carries.

I must admit that I’ve been hesitant to come around on Brian Kelly’s team, but it certainly has my attention now. The Irish host Michigan in South Bend this week and a victory will give it a 4-0 record going into its open date.

Texas is another team I’ve thought of as overrated, mostly because of a lack of confidence in its quarterback play. And, to be clear, a blowout win at Ole Miss doesn’t completely eradicate those concerns, but the Longhorns clearly have momentum after trouncing the Rebels, 66-31.

And look at Jim Mora Jr., whose initial foray in college football at UCLA has been a rousing success to date. The Bruins, who went 21-30 during Rick Neuheisel’s four-year tenure, are 3-0 both straight up and against the spread. They get Oregon St. at home this week.

FSU still hasn’t played anyone of note, but it is certainly dealing out ruthless pimpslaps. Wake Forest was this past Saturday’s victim, taking a 52-0 shellacking that will perhaps help the Garnet & Gold faithful put the 30-0 bagel given to them by Riley Skinner and the Demon Deacons in 2006 behind them.

The Seminoles finally play a school of significance when they collide with Clemson and Mister Sammy Watkins this Saturday at Doak Campbell Stadium in Tallahassee.

Boise St. returned to normalcy on the smurf turf by producing 599 yards of total offense in a 39-12 win over Miami (OH.). The Broncos are 7½-point home favorites Thursday vs. BYU.

Going all the way back to 1998, Boise St. has been a single-digit home favorite only 10 times. In those spots, the Broncos are an incredible 10-0 ATS.

BYU will be in bounce-back mode following its 24-21 loss at Utah in which the Cougars had several fortunate opportunities to send the game into overtime but failed nonetheless.

In Week 3, ranked teams like LSU, Oregon, West Va., South Carolina, Georgia, TCU and Michigan cruised to victory against cupcake opponents.

Louisville stayed undefeated and avenged a 14-7 loss at North Carolina last year, but it gave its backers anxiety galore when it nearly allowed a 36-7 lead midway through the third quarter to get away. The Tar Heels erupted for 27 points and had a two-point conversion try that would’ve pulled them to within three at 39-36 with more than four minutes left.

However, the conversion attempt failed but U of L fumbled the ensuing kick-off. UNC was in the red zone with a chance to win outright in the final two minutes, only to run out of downs, giving the Cardinals a 3-0 record and a 39-34 triumph as 3½ point home favorites.

Charlie Strong’s team will play its next three games on the road in a four-week stretch. I believe Teddy Bridgewater and Co. have the team to beat in the Big East, but it must play its regular-season finale in frigid conditions at Rutgers on a Thursday on a short week of preparation.

As for the Scarlet Knights, they were extremely sloppy with penalties and special-teams blunders in the first half Thursday at South Florida. The Bulls didn’t really take advantage, though, and RU took over in the second half and won a 23-13 decision as a 7½-point underdog. Again, Arkansas better be on upset alert Saturday when Kyle Flood’s team brings its act to the Deep South.

Ohio St. got another tester at The ‘Shoe and survived – barely. The Buckeyes captured a 35-28 win over California, but the Bears easily took the cash as 17-point underdogs. Jeff Tedford’s squad stays on the road Saturday at USC.

What’s wrong with Wisconsin? I don’t have the answer but the Badgers clearly miss QB Russell Wilson, as they’re averaging only 16.3 points per game. Utah St. QB Chuckie Keeton nearly led the Aggies to back-to-back upset wins but a last-second field goal missed and Wisconsin won 16-14 at Camp Randall.

Pitt went into its home game against unbeaten Va. Tech with a pair of embarrassing performances on its resume. Now the Hokies have the ugly blemish on their record after taking a 35-17 shellacking at Heinz Field in a game that was never in doubt. Pitt won by 18 as a 10-point home underdog.

B.E.’s Bonus Nuggets

Texas A&M got Kevin Sumlin his first win with a 48-3 clubbing of SMU in Dallas. Redshirt freshman QB Johnny Manziel had a sensational performance, completing 20-of-36 throws for 294 yards and four TDs without an interception. Manziel also rushed 13 times for 124 yards and two TDs. The Aggies will most likely be favored in their next four games (vs. South Carolina St., vs. Arkansas, at Ole Miss and at La. Tech) and could be 5-1 when LSU comes to College Station on Oct. 20.

Unless Kentucky pulls some major upsets in the next month or so, third-year head coach Joker Phillips most likely saw his fate sealed in Saturday’s 32-31 overtime loss to Western Ky. at home. Max Smith, who had thrown six TD passes compared to zero interceptions in UK’s first two games, was picked off four times by the Hilltoppers, who won on a double pass back to the QB for a successful two-point conversion. Props to Western Ky. head coach Willie Taggart on the huge victory for his Sun Belt program.

Another Sun Belt school, Troy, gave Mississippi St. fits before falling 30-24. We should note, however, that the Trojans covered the number as double-digit home ‘dogs and tallied 572 yards of total offense.

Dan Mullen’s Mississippi St. team has a legit shot at starting 7-0 and bringing that unbeaten record to Tuscaloosa on Oct. 27. The 3-0 Bulldogs have these four contests looming before playing at Alabama: vs. South Alabama, at Kentucky, vs. Tennessee and vs. Middle Tennessee.

Auburn needed overtime to win for the first time in 2012, beating ULM 31-28 in overtime. The War Hawks face another BCS foe Friday when they host Baylor.

Penn St. got its first victory under Bill O’Brien by spanking Navy 34-7 as a seven-point favorite. Senior QB Matt McGloin threw for 231 yards and four TDs without an interception. The ‘under’ is 3-0 in PSU games this year.

By my estimations, there could be a number of SEC jobs open in December. It’s a given that Arkansas and Kentucky will be looking for new leaders. After losing to Florida, there’s no telling which way Tennessee’s season will go, so the job in Knoxville could be available. Let’s watch two other situations carefully – Auburn and Georgia. The Bulldogs are 3-0 and the favorites to win the SEC East and that’s exactly my point. If things go bad in Athens, Mark Richt will be right back on the hot seat. As for Auburn, we know how fast this fan base can turn on a head coach and I won’t be shocked if this team finishes 6-6 or possibly 5-7. Finally, there’s an outside shot that Steve Spurrier could retire if the Gamecocks win the SEC, as you know he’d love to go out in style like that, and, Vandy’s James Franklin could draw interest from any of the other SEC openings.

CFB: Streaks, Tips, Notes
Sportspic.com

Clemson at Florida State

A pair of Top-10 and undefeated ACC squads take center stage Saturday night when Florida State Seminoles host Clemson Tigers at Doak Campbell Stadium. Seminoles (3-0, 1-2 ATS) effective both in the air behind EJ Manual (525 yds, 6 TD, 1 Int) and on the ground with duo Chris Thompson (254 yds, 3TD), James Wilder Jr. (220 yds, 4 TD) have run over their first three opponents by a combined score of 176-3 in defeating Murray St, Savannah St and most recently ACC rival Wake Forest. Meanwhile, Tigers (3-0, 2-1 ATS) with their own balanced attack lead by QB Tajh Boyd (747 yds, 6 TD, 1 Int) and ground crew anchored by Andre Ellington (331 yds, 4 TD) opened the campaign defeating Auburn 26-19 on the road as 2 point faves but could not cover as 27-point chalk at home in Wk-2 against Ball State (52-27) or last week as 39.5 point faves hosting Furman (41-7). Clemson has the firepower to test the FSU defense, however Tigers own play on the defensive side is suspect having given up 368.7 yds/game split between 188 passing, 180.7 rushing yards/game. Edge goes to FSU with it's impressive defense and power ground game. The betting market has FSU 14.5 point favorite a dicey spot as Seminoles are just 1-4 ATS in their last 5 September games, 5-17 ATS after scoring more than 40 points the previous game and just 1-6 ATS last 7 encounters with Clemson.

Florida Atlantic at Alabama

Nick Saban's troops didn’t just obliterate Michigan 41-14 to kick off the season the defending champions trampled West Kentucky 35-0 then went into Arkansas Saturday afternoon and sent a message with a 52-0 win over the Razorbacks. There seems no stopping Tide with it's impenetrable defense (210 YPG, 4.7 PPG), balanced offense lead by A.J. McCarron with 607 passing yards (7 TD) and ground game spreaheaded by T.J. Yeldon (191 RY, 2TD), Eddie Lacy (125 RY, 4 TD) and Kenyan Drake (91 RY, 2 TD). Alabama looking untouchable now get to host Florida Atlantic Owls who will receive a $1 million dollar payout just to get beaten by top-ranked Bama at Bryant-Denny Stadium. Sportsbooks aren't giving Florida Atlantic much of a chance as they've opened Owls a ridiculous plus 50. Thinking of laying the outrageous number, here's food for thought. Saban's troops will no doubt win this one but taking such a huge drop in class the BAMA Boys will be less motivated than against Hogs this past week making the -50 spot dangerous betting territory as Tide are just 4-5 against-the-number last nine laying 30 or more points including 1-3 ATS when handing opponents 40 plus points.

Arizona at Oregon Preview
Sportspic.com

The new Pac-12 Conference season is shifting into high gear, and that's not just an empty cliche. Rich Rodriguez, the coach of the Arizona Wildcats, wants his offense to live in the fast lane.

Arizona Wildcats @ Oregon Ducks – Saturday, September 22
College football betting line: Oregon -23.5

Why Arizona Will Win

Even an online horse betting guru would love this particular college football matchup. Fast racing is exactly what Arizona head coach Rich Rodriguez wants from his spread offense, its zone-read runs, and its passing concepts. Rodriguez, whose tenure as the head coach at Michigan did not work out, spent the 2011 season away from the sport, gaining a new perspective and refreshing his mind. He jumped on the Arizona job when it came open last fall, and now he is trying to put his imprint on the Wildcats.

Rodriguez's offenses – dating back to his days with Tulane as a coordinator and then with West Virginia as a head coach – are built on speed… not just recruiting fast players, but on moving at a brisk pace.

The centrality of tempo in an Arizona offense is desired to tire out a defense. Arizona, under the Rodriguez model, will try to get a lot of snaps in this game and maximize its offensive productivity. Oregon's defense is missing safety John Boyett. The Ducks have a number of issues in terms of depth (which is to say, they don't have much of it), so Arizona will have a chance to win this game if it's a high-scoring shootout. The consistency and reliability of the Wildcats' passing game is the ultimate key in this contest; if Arizona can throw with success, especially on downfield routes, it will have an entirely legitimate chance to win this game, not merely cover the spread.

Why Oregon Will Win

When a winning poker hand exists, you don't need to worry about outside influences or factors. You just play the hand. Oregon has that set of cards in this contest. Quarterback Marcus Mariota has led the Ducks with distinction in the first three weeks of the season. The Oregon offense – predicated on speed and tempo just as much as Arizona's offense is under Rodriguez – has flowed rather easily through its first few games.

The statistics lie a little bit because Oregon has put away games before the third quarter has ended. The Ducks have not needed to push very hard over the final 20 minutes of regulation. If they play with all-out energy and display marked efficiency for 60 full minutes, they can put up some particularly insane video-game numbers… against Arizona, and against every other defense in the Pac-12, including Stanford's and USC's units. Arizona might score a decent amount of points in this contest, but Oregon should be able to top at least 50 points if not more. The Ducks are going to steamroll Arizona by flourishing on offense.

Who Will Win

It’s possible that Arizona could stay in the ring for two and a half quarters, but Oregon's offense is so lethal that the Ducks will be able to win and win big, covering the number.

Pick: Oregon

Michigan at Notre Dame Preview
Sportspic.com

The Notre Dame Fighting Irish are beginning to pick up momentum this season. If they can get by the Michigan Wolverines this weekend, they will be able to contend for a BCS bowl bid.

Michigan Wolverines @ Notre Dame Fighting Irish
Betting Line: Notre Dame -6

Why Michigan Will Win

Legal online sports betting analysts don't have to tell you this, but they probably will, anyway: The Michigan Wolverines have beaten the Notre Dame Fighting Irish in each of the last three meetings between the schools, with Michigan quarterback Denard Robinson acquiring a prominent role in each of the last two clashes between these traditional powers in college football.

Robinson is not a great pure passer, but he has been able to make clutch plays in the final minutes of regulation with his legs and his arm in recent years against the Irish, foiling Notre Dame's hopes of shifting the balance of power in this storied series. Robinson is now a senior, and while Notre Dame has been extremely good at stopping the traditional power running game so far, the Irish will receive a change of pace with Robinson, a slippery runner who is very hard to bring down in the open field. If Robinson gets by the first point of attack and can create even a small degree of space, he will rip off a big gain and give Notre Dame problems.

The other reason why Michigan will win is that Notre Dame's offense is anything but proven. Scoring 20 points in two straight games does not offer cause for excessive confidence; it's Notre Dame's defense which is winning games for the Irish. Quarterback Everett Golson still has a lot of lessons to learn, and Michigan's defense – guided by coordinator Greg Mattison – should be able to hold Golson in check. As long as Robinson makes his fair share of plays and can eliminate interceptions from his stat line, Michigan will have a very good chance on Saturday night in South Bend, Ind.

Why Notre Dame Will Win

When NCAA Football Betting gurus put aside other work and evaluate this particular matchup, they're going to give Notre Dame favorable odds for one reason: Denard Robinson can't throw well. Robinson surprises experts with a good throw here and there, but as a senior, Michigan's coaching staff hoped he would be a much more polished pocket passer at this point in time, and he's clearly not there. Robinson was nonexistent against an Alabama team that dared him to throw while accounting for his running ability. Robinson presided over an up-and-down effort against Air Force, and last week's game against Massachusetts should not be seen as any kind of harbinger of future (breakout) performances. Robinson has to win this game with his arm, because Notre Dame's defense – which dominated Michigan State a week ago – is good enough to make sure that Robinson does not win this game with his legs.

Who Will Win

It’s going to be a close game, which means that Michigan will cover the number. However, Notre Dame's defense is playing at such a high level right now. The Irish will win by a field goal.

Pick: Michigan

Around the Nation - Week 3
By The SportsBoss
VegasInsider.com

As we head towards the commencement of conference play in the next week or two, thru three weeks of action, let's do another conference round-up. I am not going to get too in depth, but at a high level look at the conference's top ranked team, how many teams are ranked, and discuss performance and what to look for as the league games get kick-started as the calendar turns to October.

( ) Parenthesis notes teams ranked in current Power Poll

ACC (2)
Top Ranked Team: #2 FLORIDA STATE
Other Ranked Teams: #6 CLEMSON
Quick Thoughts: Only two undefeated teams remain (the Big 12 for example has 8 of their 10 teams still undefeated), but does have a pair of top 6 teams - who happen to clash this weekend in the ABC Showcase game on Saturday night. #6 Clemson at #2 Florida State will likely not only decide the Atlantic Division, but also the ACC Championship as the Coastal Division looks subpar currently. This is FSU's time to step up, and show they are ready to be taken seriously as a National Title contender - will they grasp it?

BIG 12 (6)
Top Ranked Team: #8 OKLAHOMA
Other Ranked Teams: #9 K-ST, #10 WVU, #12 TEXAS, #22 TCU, #23 BAYLOR, ISU "NEXT FIVE"
Quick Thoughts: Similar to the ACC, the Big 12 features a pair of Top 10 teams squaring off this weekend for a chance to get a leg up in the conference race - keep in mind this season the Big 12 is playing a round robin format - 9 conference games with no championship game. It's all about the regular season to earn that coveted BCS berth - and there figures to be at least four teams heavily involved in the mix once November arrives. This race should be extremely exciting, as the final weekend of the season will feature #12 Texas @ #9 KSU and #8 Oklahoma @ #22 TCU.

BIG 10 (5)
Top Ranked Team: #14 OHIO STATE
Other Ranked Teams: #19 MICHIGAN, #20 PURDUE, #21 MICHIGAN ST, #25 NORTHWESTERN
Quick Thoughts: Although the B10 has five teams ranked, there is clearly no true challenger to the BCS Championship amongst the group. #19 Michigan was thought to be that team heading into the season, but following a blowout loss to #1 Alabama and a narrow home win over Air Force, the sizzle has faded. The Wolverines could grab some headlines this week if they can wrestle away another win from #11 Notre Dame in South Bend on Saturday night. I projected #20 Purdue to win the Leaders division and still feel very solid about that selection. At the end of the day I still believe Michigan finds itself in the Rose Bowl.

BIG EAST (1)
Top Ranked Team: #17 LOUISVILLE
Other Ranked Teams: NONE
Quick Thoughts: For years the Big East has easily been the weakest of the automatic qualifier conferences, and once again in 2012 the same story applies. Since the preseason I have I felt #17 Louisville could be a Top 15 team by season's end, and that has not changed one bit following three weeks of action. Their sophomore QB Teddy Bridgewater is the real deal, and HC Charlie Strong has done a phenomenal job of upgrading the talent across the roster, especially on the defensive side of the football. Although Rutgers and Cincinnati remain unbeaten they are not close to being part of my Power Poll, and USF was a huge disappointment on Thursday night losing to Rutgers at home. This race will be wide open all season long with just about every team outside Temple and possible UConn being capable of beating the others on any given night. But, the Cardinals will be the most consistent bunch, and win the hardware.

CUSA (0)
Top Ranked Team: NONE
Other Ranked Teams: NONE
Quick Thoughts: This conference continues to be one of the worst in the country as they have not bounced back at all from a 2-10 opening weekend - the entire league sits at an aggregate 10-23 with no undefeated teams and only three (East Carolina, UCF, Tulsa) above .500. I was bullish on UCF heading into this season, believing they could be the best non-BCS team in the country - that could still be the case, albeit unlikely following their loss at Ohio State in Wk2. Tulsa has a decent squad, but the loss of their leader and All CUSA QB GJ Kinne will not help. The league is wide open, full of mediocrity - from the East I see three teams with a shot (ECU, UCF, Marshall), while the West appears to be Tulsa's to lose, however 0-3 Houston could still wind up making some noise in conference play. It is highly unlikely any of the teams in this conference appear in the Power Poll moving forward.

INDEPENDENTS (1)
Top Ranked Team: #11 NOTRE DAME
Other Ranked Teams: NONE
Quick Thoughts: The Independents are once again led by #11 Notre Dame - and this Irish team is legit, as I mentioned in my preseason column. I was not surprised one bit by their easy win @ #21 Michigan State last week, but look for a tighter game this Saturday night in South Bend when they host #19 Michigan. ND has a schedule packed with top quality opponents, so a run to a BCS championship is not going to happen - although a rare appearance in a BCS bowl remains very possible. BYU looked very strong in their first two games, but struggled badly in Wk3, which was their first road game at chief rival Utah. That loss was surprising on many levels, considering BYU had massive revenge in mind after suffering a Utes beat down at home last year, and Utah lost its leader and QB Jordan Wynn the week before. Navy and Army both are down a notch from past editions and will not make headlines this season.

MAC (0)
Top Ranked Team: NONE
Other Ranked Teams: NONE
Quick Thoughts: Although none of its teams have cracked my Power Poll, the MAC remains one of the better non-AQ conferences in the country - and as talked about in my Wk1 column, has shown well in many spots against top level BCS competition this year. Ohio is the only undefeated team, and they have to be considered the favorite to win the league behind All MAC QB Tyler Tettleton. Also from the East, Bowling Green and Miami, Ohio have outside shots at making some noise. The West is wide open with each of the six teams having a legit shot at winning the division. As of now I peg the favorite to be Toledo, but Ball State, UNI and CMU will all have their chances. Keep an eye on the schedule - both the home/road splits, and especially the inter-conference matchups with the East - as that could very well wind being the aspect that determines the winner of the West.

MWC (0)
Top Ranked Team: NONE
Other Ranked Teams: NONE, but FRESNO STATE & NEVADA are in "NEXT FIVE"
Quick Thoughts: The MWC has a few teams that are very strong this season, with Fresno State & Nevada leading the way. I have touted how strong a club I believed Fresno had this season, and they haven't disappointed me yet behind the solid QB/RB duo of Derek Carr/Robbie Rouse. Even the Bulldogs loss was a respectable one, 42-25 at #5 Oregon. If it wasn't for a late comeback by USF, Nevada would be sitting at 3-0 and ranked in the high teens of my PP. The Pack beat Cal in Berkeley to open the season, and have a potent offense behind their Pistol packages. Lastly, Boise State needs to be mentioned as a candidate for a conference title no matter what conference they are playing in. The Broncos will continue getting better as the season progresses, following the loss of 15 starters from LY's team (#122 in FBS). Their season will come down to October 13th when they host Fresno, and December 1st when they travel to Reno to face Nevada. I believe Fresno State is the best team, but the schedule does them no favors as they have to travel to both Nevada and Boise, hence opening the door to what should be a thrilling finish - and certain must see TV when those three teams play their round robin.

PAC 12 (4)
Top Ranked Team: #5 OREGON
Other Ranked Teams: #15 STANFORD, #16 USC, #18 UCLA, ARIZONA "NEXT FIVE"
Quick Thoughts: In my final preseason poll I had three Pac 12 teams: #3 USC, #6 Oregon, #23 Utah. Now, through 3 weeks of action, I have four teams ranked, another in the "next five", and the four currently ranked does not include Utah from the original poll. There is no question through the early out-of-conference portion of the schedule the Pac 12 has performed well, and has many looking forward to conference play. Prior to the season I don't know anyone who expected anything other than a #16 USC vs. #5 Oregon Pac 12 Championship Game - now, many other schools believe they have a shot. #15 Stanford has to top that list, following their 4th straight win over the Trojans last week in Palo Alto. I have been very hard on Stanford, especially their HC David Shaw - but now must give credit where credit is due following their 3-0 start. Kudos to Shaw and Stanford - let's see if they can keep it going. #18 UCLA and Arizona have made national noise following 3-0 starts, but it will be interesting to see how things shake out for the two programs that are led by new coaches once conference play begins. To me, UCLA is a legit, solid squad behind new playmaking QB Brett Hundley and RB Jonathan Franklin - they may have staying power. Arizona will struggle some in my opinion once the calendar turns to October and beyond, but so far it's hard to argue with the success of new HC Rich Rodriguez. When it's all said and done I am sticking with a USC vs. Oregon Pac 12 Championship Game, but I think Oregon is now the team to beat.

SEC (6)
Top Ranked Team: #1 ALABAMA
Other Ranked Teams: #3 GEORGIA, #4 LSU, #7 S CAROLINA, #13 FLORIDA, #24 TENNESSEE
Quick Thoughts: Once again, the SEC has shown the rest of the country it is the premier college football conference, with no end to the domination in sight. I currently have six teams (4 from the East, 2 from the West) in my PP, which is down from the eight I had in my preseason edition. The two teams that fell out of the rankings are Arkansas & Auburn, both of whom I had #19 or lower in my final preseason PP. The Crimson Tide once again appear to be the class of college football, and they also have the luxury of not facing a team in my current PP until a 10/20 trip to Knoxville vs. #24 Tennessee. In addition to that, 'Bama still has road trips to Missouri & #4 LSU - so it is far from certain they will go unbeaten during the regular season, but is sure appears very possible, especially considering their weak home slate that doesn't feature a game where the line is likely to be below at least two touchdowns. The East will be extremely exciting each and every week as four teams have a legitimate chance at hoisting the crown, with #3 UGA and #7 USC being my two most likely champs. I have been more bullish on the Bulldogs than just about anyone else all season long, and haven't seen anything through three games that makes me want to drop them from the #3 spot in the rankings. Similar to the MAC, the schedule will play a critical role in the eventual East division winner - I will break down these schedules in a coming column once conference play really gets going as September comes to an end.

SUN BELT (0)
Top Ranked Team: NONE
Other Ranked Teams: NONE
Quick Thoughts: For being the Sun Belt and having no teams even on the radar of being ranked in my PP, boy have these schools played some impressive games so far this year, even against the big bad SEC. Western Kentucky took down Kentucky in Lexington last week; UL-Monroe beat Arkansas in Fayetteville two weeks ago, and nearly beat Auburn on the Plains last week falling in OT; North Texas covered a pair of road games vs. Top 9 teams (LSU, Kansas State); and Troy fell to Mississippi State last week 30-24. Not too shabby at all for a conference that is typically the worst in FBS football. The conference championship will likely come down to UL-Monroe, Troy and Western Kentucky - and I give the edge to UL-Monroe currently.

WAC (0)
Top Ranked Team: NONE
Other Ranked Teams: NONE, but UTAH STATE is in "NEXT FIVE"
Quick Thoughts: This conference features a pair of undefeated teams in UTSA (who led FBS this season with 21 returning starters) and Louisiana Tech, along with a pair of 2-1 squads in San Jose State and Utah State - very solid start to the season for all four of these teams. Outside UTSA, the remaining three are very good teams, as Louisiana Tech has scored 56 points in both of their games so far; SJSU only lost by 3 @ #15 Stanford in Wk1; and Utah State beat Utah & had Wisconsin beat in Madison before missing a late FG attempt. Although this conference has been raided recently and lost many of its bigger name schools, the football at the top of the remaining conference is solid. I still give the edge to La Tech as I have concerns about consistent QB play with Utah State and the offense in general at SJ State, but none of the three would shock me if they hoisted the trophy come November 24.

Week 3 Power Poll

(ranking, team, record, last week's PP ranking, next game vs. Power Poll team)

1) Alabama Crimson Tide (3-0, #1): 10/20 @ #24 TENNESSEE
2) Florida State Seminoles (3-0, #2): 09/22 VS #6 CLEMSON
3) Georgia Bulldogs (3-0, #3): 09/29 VS #24 TENNESSEE
4) LSU Tigers (3-0, #4): 10/06 @ #13 FLORIDA
5) Oregon Ducks (3-0, #5): 11/03 @ #16 USC
6) Clemson Tigers (3-0, #7): 09/22 @ #2 FLORIDA STATE
7) South Carolina Gamecocks (3-0, #10): 10/06 VS #3 GEORGIA
8) Oklahoma Sooners (2-0, #9): 09/22 VS #9 KANSAS STATE
9) Kansas State Wildcats (3-0, #11): 09/22 @ #8 OKLAHOMA
10) West Virginia Mountaineers (2-0, #12): 09/29 VS #23 BAYLOR
11) Notre Dame Fighting Irish (3-0, #13): 09/22 VS #19 MICHIGAN
12) Texas Longhorns (3-0, #15): 10/06 VS #10 WEST VIRGINIA
13) Florida Gators (3-0, #17): 10/06 VS #4 LSU
14) Ohio State Buckeyes (3-0, #8): 09/29 @ #16 MICHIGAN STATE
15) Stanford Cardinal (3-0, N5): 10/13 @ #11 NOTRE DAME
16) USC Trojans (2-1, #6): 11/03 VS #5 OREGON
17) Louisville Cardinals (3-0, #21): no more games versus current Power Poll teams
18) UCLA Bruins (3-0, #19): 11/17 VS #16 USC
19) Michigan Wolverines (2-1, #22): 09/22 @ #11 NOTRE DAME
20) Purdue Boilermakers (2-1, N5): 10/06 VS #19 MICHIGAN
21) Michigan State Spartans (2-1, #16): 09/29 VS #14 OHIO STATE
22) TCU Horned Frogs (2-0, #24): 10/13 @ #23 BAYLOR
23) Baylor Bears (2-0, #25): 09/29 @ #10 WEST VIRGINIA
24) Tennessee Volunteers (2-1, #14): 09/29 @ #3 GEORGIA
25) Northwestern Wildcats (3-0, NR): 11/10 @ #19 MICHIGAN

Dropped out of Power Poll:

18) South Florida
20) Virginia Tech
23) BYU

Next Five to keep eye on, in alphabetical order only....

A) Arizona Wildcats: NR
B) Fresno State Bulldogs: NR
C) Iowa State Cyclones: NR
D) Nevada Wolfpack: #24
E) Utah State Aggies: NR

This week we have a pair of Top 10 Power Poll matchups, and one of the best rivalries in CFB:

(6) Clemson at (2) Florida State
(9) Kansas State at (8) Oklahoma
(19) Michigan at (11) Notre Dame

College Football Top 25 Betting Cheat Sheet: Week 4
By Covers.com

If you're looking to get some action down but only have a few minutes to handicap, let our Top-25 cheat sheet help you out. We grabbed some quick-hitting betting info on each of the Top 25 matchups with odds available in Week 4 of the season:

Kentucky at (14) Florida (-24, 52)

Florida is in the midst of a 25-game winning streak against the Wildcats, the longest active streak in the nation for a team against a conference opponent.
Kentucky is 0-5 ATS in its last five meetings with Florida.

Texas El Paso at (24) Wisconsin (-18, 48)

Wisconsin puts its 18-game home winning streak on the line, which is currently the second-longest active home win streak in the nation behind LSU (20). The Miners are 0-16 all-time in road games versus BCS conference teams, but keep in mind the Badgers are 0-5 ATS in their last five contests overall.

Maryland at (7) West Virginia (-27, 62)

The seventh-ranked Mountaineers have put up 111 points in their first two games of 2012. Senior quarterback Geno Smith has completed 88 percent of his passes in victories over Marshall and James Madison, throwing for 734 yards. The Terrapins are 0-5 ATS in their last five meetings.

Virginia at (16) TCU (-17, 53)

No. 16 TCU puts its nation-longest 10-game winning streak on the line Saturday against Virginia. The Horned Frogs were dealt a blow when leading rusher Waymon James was ruled out for the season Wednesday due to a left knee injury. He had 168 rushing yards on 9.9 per carry.

Eastern Michigan at (20) Michigan State (-33, 47)

The Eagles have been outscored 122-56 in their three games and have dropped five in a row dating back to last season. They’re 0-8 against Michigan State, with seven of the meetings coming in East Lansing. The Spartans have won the last five matchups - all at home - by a combined score of 248-44.

Oregon State at (19) UCLA (-7.5, 52)

After racking up 85 points and 1,299 yards of offense in its first two games, No. 19 UCLA showed off its cunning defense by forcing six turnovers in a 37-6 rout of Houston last week. The Bruins are just one of two FBS teams (Oklahoma State is the other) averaging 300 yards rushing and 300 yards passing. The Beavers are 1-8 ATS in their last nine meetings.

Idaho State at (22) Nebraska- odds N/A

The Cornhuskers’ rushing attack is putting up 295 yards per game and will receive an additional boost when tailback Rex Burkhead returns from injury this week. Ameer Abdullah has been a monster on the ground in Burkhead’s absence, averaging 122.3 yards per game and six yards per carry. The over is 4-0 in the Bengals’ last four non-conference games.

Missouri at (8) South Carolina (-10, 49)

Gamecocks head coach Steve Spurrier has named Connor Shaw his starting QB Saturday despite his banged up throwing shoulder. The Tigers also have issues under center. James Franklin sat out Missouri’s 24-20 victory over Arizona State last week with a shoulder ailment, but is “90 percent sure” he’ll play in the club’s first ever SEC road game. South Carolina is 4-0 ATS in its last four games as a home favorite.

Florida Atlantic at (1) Alabama (-49, 57)

The Tide has posted back-to-back shutout wins over Western Kentucky (35-0) and Arkansas (52-0), marking the first time they've accomplished the feat since 1980. Alabama has outscored its opponents by an incredible 167-14 margin in its last 17 quarters dating back to last season.

California at (12) Southern California (-16.5, 58.5)

USC was stunned by Stanford last week, failing to score over the final 40-plus minutes. Cal has scored 10 or fewer points five times and hasn’t scored more than 17 during its current eight-game losing streak to the Trojans. USC was favored in all eight of those games and went 6-2 ATS while the under went 7-1.

(18) Louisville at Florida International (13.5, 57.5)

Louisville QB Teddy Bridgewater has completed 81.8 percent of his pass attempts this season and now faces a Golden Panthers' defense that has surrendered 39 points per game and more than 291 passing yards per contest. Florida International is 4-0 ATS in its last four games as a home underdog of 10.5 or greater.

(2) LSU at Auburn (20.5, 49)

The Tigers have posted routs in all three of their games so far over North Texas (41-14), Washington (41-3) and most recently, Idaho (63-14). They are 2-1 ATS in those games. LSU is 6-0 ATS in its last six games as a road favorite. Auburn is 0-3 against the spread and needed overtime to earn its first win of the season against Louisiana-Munroe last week.

South Alabama at (23) Mississippi State (-34, 49.5)

The 23rd-ranked Bulldogs seek their first 4-0 start since 1999 on Saturday. The Jaguars have been held below 10 points in their last two games and the under is 4-0 in Mississippi State’s last four September contests.

(17) Michigan at (15) Notre Dame (-4.5, 50.5)

The Wolverines have broken the hearts of the Irish with four-point victories in each of the last three seasons and Michigan QB Denard Robinson has accounted for 948 yards of offense in his two starts against Notre Dame. The Irish will be without safety Jamoris Slaughter, who recently tore his left Achilles tendon. The underdog is 4-0 ATS in their last four meetings.

Vanderbilt at (6) Georgia (-16.5, 54)

The Bulldogs amassed a school-record 713 yards of total offense in a rout of overmatched Florida Atlantic last week to help increase their scoring total to 47.3 points per game this season. Vanderbilt ranks 16th in the nation in scoring defense (13.3 points) and is 5-0 ATS in its last five games as a dog.

(13) Kansas State at (5) Oklahoma (-14, 58.5)

The Sooners are 13-0 in Big 12 openers under Bob Stoops, outscoring the opposition by an average of 22.6 points in the process. Oklahoma owns a commanding 71-17-4 lead in the all-time series with Kansas State and the Sooners are 8-1 against the Wildcats during Stoops' tenure. The over is 4-0 in the last four meetings.

(9) Clemson at (4) Florida State (-14.5, 57)

Florida State is 3-0, outscoring its three opponents 176-3. Defensive end Bjoern Werner has seven sacks and is anchoring a defense that has allowed less than two yards per play. The home team has taken each of the last five and nine of the last 10 in the series.

(21) Arizona at (3) Oregon (-23, 77.5)

The Ducks are coming off a season-high 63-point effort over Tennessee Tech. Arizona also has a potent offense, averaging a hefty 604.7 yards of total offense per game. Oregon is 0-6-2 ATS in its last eight games as a home favorite of 10.5 or greater.

ACC Report - Week 4
By Joe Williams
VegasInsider.com

Clemson at Florida State

The Florida State Seminoles played nobody in the first two weeks. Everyone said that Wake Forest, their first FBS opponent of the season, would give them a much better game. Well, FSU went on to roll Wake 52-0, taking care of the over by themselves, by the way. After that, well, everyone is saying it was just Wake. Wait until Clemson comes to town, with their vaunted offense, led by QB Tajh Boyd, RB Andre Ellington, WR Sammy Watkins and WR DeAndre Hopkins. I tend to believe that, too. I think Clemson will be able to score much more than FSU has been allowing on defense. By the way, FSU has pitched back-to-back shutouts, and they are allowing 1.0 ppg through their first three scrimmages. These Tigers are coming to play. The public has been generally split on the 14.5-point spread, and rightly so. FSU clobbered a four-TD dog last weekend, and Clemson is 1-2 ATS this season. However, this is prime time, and when Clemson was in the national spotlight last time against Auburn in Atlanta, they shined in a 26-19 win. Of course, looking back, was that as impressive as it seemed at the time? Hmm.

Miami at Georgia Tech

Check out Ga. Tech getting love from Vegas after flattening Virginia last weekend. The 14-point number also might have something to do with UM going out to Manhattan, Kansas a couple of weeks ago and getting steamrolled by K-State. Still, both teams find themselves at 2-1, and the Hurricanes are 5-1 ATS in their past six road games, save for that Kansas State debacle. Meanwhile, the Yellow Jackets are 1-4-1 ATS in their past six games following a straight-up win. So it appears the scales are tipped in the favor of bettors taking the Canes. Well, as ESPN's Lee Corso says, "not so fast, my friend." The favorite is a perfect 4-0 ATS in the past four meetings in this series. This is a confusing game for those looking at the total, too. The under has cashed in four of the past five meetings in the series. However, the under is just 1-9 in Ga. Tech's past 10 games in the month of September, and 2-5 in Miami's past seven road trips. This one screams, stay away! It should be a good game, however.

East Carolina at North Carolina

I live in the state of North Carolina, and you would think that there would be a lot of pre-game hype leading up to this one. Two in-state rivals clashing on the gridiron, separated by roughly 100 miles or so. However, they are having some down times at ECU, and UNC is coming off a pair of disappointing defeats, albeit in different ways getting there. The number stands at, or around, 17 points, which might be a bit much considering how Carolina's defense has played lately. However, the Pirates are a perfect, or imperfect, 0-5 ATS in their past five meetings with their big brother from Chapel Hill. The Tar Heels are 4-0 ATS in their past four meetings against Conference USA foes, and UNC boss Larry Fedora knows ol' Ruffin McNeill and the Pirates well from his days in C-USA with the Southern Miss Golden Eagles. The last nugget, the Pirates are 2-8 ATS against the ACC in their past 10 meetings. If I were to lean one way, I'd take Carolina. However, it would really be nice to know whether or not RB Giovani Bernard is playing first. He has missed the past two games due to injury.

Virginia at Texas Christian

After being demolished in Atlanta last weekend, the Virginia Cavaliers step back out of conference to take on a Top 20 opponent in Fort Worth. The Horned Frogs were methodical, yet not that impressive, in taking down Kansas in their first Big 12 conference game last weekend in Lawrence. An 18-point line seems a bit much based on what we saw from TCU's offense last weekend. Then again, from what we saw from UVA last week, it might very well be warranted. The Froggies are 0-4 ATS in their past four meetings at home against team's with winning records, although UVA is 0-5-1 ATS in their past six non-conference games, and 0-4-1 ATS in their past five games overall. The under (o/u - 54) might be the astute play here. First off, it will kick at 11 am local time. There very well could be a sluggish start by both sides. The under is also 12-2 in Virginia's past 14 games on grass.

Memphis at Duke

Let's give the Dukies of the gridiron some love, shall we? They opened with a solid offensive effort against FIU, but then were torched by QB Josh Nunes and Stanford in Week 2. However, after the Cardinal took down USC last weekend, that isn't looking so bad for the Blue Devils. They came home and handily took care of cross-town rival North Carolina Central, 54-17. In fact, in two games at Wallace Wade Stadium this season, Duke has averaged 50.0 ppg. Memphis opened with a home loss to FCS opponent Tennessee-Martin, and they have dropped games against Sun Belt foes Middle Tennessee and Arkansas State. The Tigers are 1-2 ATS, and things are in total disarray overall. It's odd to see Duke favored, let alone by so much, but the way QB Sean Renfree and WR Conner Vernon have been clicking on offense, that line is awfully tempting.

Army at Wake Forest

Wake Forest has been extremely hard to figure this season. They barely scraped by Liberty in their opener, they pulled a surprise against UNC despite being a double-digit dog, and then they were thoroughly embarrassed in Tallahassee last weekend. Who is going to show up? Well, the homestanding Deacs are favored by just 7 points, and perhaps 6.5 depending on your book. That makes Wake an interesting play. While the Black Knights are 3-1-1 in their past five games agianst ACC opponents, they are 5-11 ATS in their past 16 meetings against a team with a winning record. Meanwhile, Wake is 4-1 ATS in their past five against team's with a losing record.

Maryland at West Virginia

This used to be an entertaining matchup back in the day. Now, Maryland is a doormat, and West Virginia is high-flying. The Terps haven't had a lot of success in College Park, but they are really bad on the road lately. Maryland is 1-4 ATS in their past five road trips, 1-5 ATS in their past six non-conference games, and 2-12 ATS in their past 14 games overall. In addition, they are 0-9 ATS in their past nine games following a straight-up loss. Meanwhile, Maryland does have a winning record, and West Virginia is 12-5 ATS in their past 17 meetings with a team with a winning record. The favorite is 4-0 ATS in the past four meetings in this series, and Maryland is 0-5 ATS in their past five shots against West Virginia. In addition, they are 2-5 ATS in their past seven trips to Morgantown. The over looks like the play with more overwhelming evidence. The over is 7-1 ATS in Maryland's past eight games overall, and 4-1 in their past five road trips. For West Virginia, the over has cashed in six of its past seven home games, and it has hit in four of the past five meetings between these two sides.

CFB: Streaks, Tips, Notes
Sportspic.com

Kansas State at Oklahoma

Kansas State opening with blowout wins over Missouri State (51-9), Miami (52-13) were almost saddled with an embarrassing defeat last week against North Texas. But, a 96-yard kickoff return by Tyler Locket, a pair of passing TD's and a rushing major by QB Collin Klein the Wildcats eventually eke out a 35-21 victory over a scrappy Mean Green squad to remain undefeated (3-0, 2-1 ATS). Meanwhile, OU (2-0, 1-1 ATS) idle last weekend looked shaky in defeating UTEP 24-7 in it's opener then had a dominant performance racking up 662 total yards in thumping Florida A&M 69-13. Landry Jones and Sooners spanking Collins and Wildcats 58-17 last year have won five straight (3-2 ATS) in the series and eight of the past nine encounters (5-4 ATS) with the only loss being in the 2003 Big 12 championship game. Rested Sooners a perfect 13-0 (6-7 ATS) in their first home conference game of a season, on a 17-1 (11-6-1 ATS) stretch overall in September games have been pegged 14.0 point favorites. A lot of lumber vs a K-State squad with it's solid air attack (203 PYG), bruising run game (251.7 RYG) and defense allowing just 14.3 PPG. No upset likely in Norman but taking two TD's has merit as K-State is ridding a 3-0 SU/ATS streak in Big-12 openers, 8-1 ATS streak it's last nine as road dogs.

Pac-12 Report - Week 4
By Joe Williams
VegasInsider.com

Oregon State at UCLA

Oregon State was scheduled to have just two games to this point, but one of them was wiped out when Nicholls State, their opening game FCS opponent, could not make it from Louisiana thanks to Hurricane Isaac. So the Beavers have just one game, a big win over Wisconsin, under their belts, while UCLA has three. That could be looked at one of two ways. The Beavers are fresh and healthy, while the Bruins have some nicks, bumps and bruises. Or, the Bruins have valuable experience, while the Beavers are still prone to early-game mistakes. More importantly, the Beavers are just 1-8 ATS in the past nine matchups, and the Bruins are 5-0 ATS in their past five home games. The Beavers covered their last time out, but are 1-4-1 ATS in their past six games after an ATS win in their previous game. All signs appear to point to UCLA, who is just a seven- or eight-point favorite depending on your book. Of course, you'll have to ignore that the underdog is 4-1 ATS in the past five meetings, and the road team is 4-1 ATS in the past five meetings in the series.

Arizona at Oregon

Do you have the nerve to take the over (o/u - 78.5)? Oregon can rack up points very quickly, but Arizona isn't Arkansas State, Tennessee Tech or even Fresno State. The Wildcats actually held a high-powered Oklahoma State offense to 38 points, which was pretty respectable. Oh yeah, they won that game, too, in convincing fashion. The Wildcats are certainly no slouch, although they come into the game as a three-touchdown dog. They have covered their past two games after a sluggish opener against Toledo. Will we get the Wildcats team that covered a double-digit number at home against OK State, or the one which failed to cover as a double-digit fave against Toledo? Well, believe it or not, Arizona actually has averaged more yards per game (604.7) than Oregon in the early going (596.3). I hope the scoreboard operator at Autzen Stadium pounds down a Monster and pops a Five-Hour Energy or two.

California at Southern California

The Golden Bears enter this game after a near-miss in the Horseshoe last weekend, falling 35-28 at Ohio State. This week, they enter as an identical 17-point dog, although circumstances are certainly different. Ohio State was not nearly as salty as USC is going to be after suffering a setback at Stanford last week. The cover for Cal last weekend was their first in three games. Last season's game in the Coliseum resulted in a 30-9 Trojans victory. If that score came through, the Trojans would cover. That would be cause for bettors to have a parade, as USC is 0-3 ATS so far this season. Cal is 4-0 ATS in their past four Pac-12 games, although they are just 3-8 ATS in their past 11 road contests. However, they did cover the number on the road last week, as mentioned. USC is 4-1 ATS in their past five conference contests, but last week's setback is that loss. Looking at recent trends, one might lean slightly toward Cal. The Golden Bears are 6-2 ATS in their past eight trips to SoCal, and the road team is 4-1 ATS in the past five meetings. However, California is just 1-6 ATS in the past seven meetings overall. The better play might be under, which has cashed seven times in the past eight games in the series. In addition, the under is 7-2 for Cal in their past nine Pac-12 games, and 9-3 in their past 12 overall. For USC, the under is 14-5-1 in their past 20 home games against team's with losing records. The under is 2-1 for USC so far this season, including last week.

Utah at Arizona State

Utah has been a difficult team to figure. They pounded Northern Colorado in their opener, as they should. Then, they not only lost at rival Utah State, but they also saw QB Jordan Wynn suffer a career-ending shoulder injury. In stepped senior Jon Hays, and the Utes pulled off a dramatic win against their other in-state rival, Brigham Young. The BYU game was the only one Utah has covered to date. AZ State is coming off a bitter road loss at Missouri, losing 24-20. For bettors, they likely pushed, or suffered a gut-wrenching loss with a +3.5 number. Picking AZ State this week might be a tough pill to swallow. However, they covered their first two games rather handily. Know this, though. The Sun Devils are just 2-6 ATS in their past eight games, and 0-4 ATS in their past four Pac-12 games. Utah isn't much better, going 2-5 ATS in their past seven road games against teams with a winning record.

Colorado at Washington State

Colorado hasn't just been bad to start this season, they have been heinous. When they lost to Colorado State, it was excusable since that is an in-state rivalry game. However, they allowed FCS foe Sacramento State to roll into Boulder and win 30-28, and then they had Fresno State hang 69 points on them last weekend. The Buffs are looking for something, anything, to go right this weekend. They might have the only conference opponent they can handle, and even that is debatable. Head coach Mike Leach's offense finally appeared to awaken from their slumber last Friday at UNLV, scoring a 35-27 win. WaZu is 0-2-1 ATS through their first three games, so a 20-point number looks pretty tough to cover. However, Colorado is 0-3 ATS. The teams met on the Palouse last season, with State coming up with a 31-27 win.

College Football Gambling Preview: Clemson at Florida St
By Ian Cameron
Sportsmemo.com

Clemson at Florida State

The biggest game of the week takes place at Doak Campbell Stadium in Tallahassee between ACC title contenders Clemson and Florida State. Clemson won last year’s meeting 35-30 at home and have notched wins against Auburn, Ball State, and Furman. It’s more than fair to say that Florida State hasn’t been tested at all so far. They routed a pair of FCS teams, Savannah State and Murray State, followed by a 52-0 shutout over powerless Wake Forest.

This will be the first true test of the season for the Seminoles as the Clemson offense features a great quarterback and multiple skill position weapons. Tajh Boyd has thrown for 747 yards, with 6 TDs and just 1 INT. They have two great receivers in Sammy Watkins and De’Andre Hopkins who already has 26 receptions for 319 yards and 4 TDs already. Running back Andre Ellington has gained 109 yards per game on the ground and 6.2 yards per rush to go along with 4 TDs. The battle involving Ellington and Clemson’s offensive line vs. an ultra special FSU defensive line should be a great battle to watch.

Florida State’s offense is led by its potent running game with Chris Thompson leading the way. He posted absolutely monster numbers last week against Wake carrying the ball nine times for 197 yards and 2 TDs. Clemson’s defense has major questions about its toughness up front and whether or not they’ll be able to contain FSU’s ground attack. Keep in mind, Clemson allowed nearly 5 yards per rush against a struggling Auburn team, Ball State and Furman – not exactly the most daunting trifecta of teams. Quarterback EJ Manuel still has some questions to answer about his production in the passing game. He has targets like Kenny Shaw and Kelvin Benjamin but the offensive line has yet to prove they are as good at pass blocking as they are at creating lanes in the run game. The good news is they face a Clemson squad that has had problems generating a consistent pass rush against some weak competition (three sacks in three games).

There is a sizable difference in the defensive class of these teams. Clemson’s defense is allowing 5.5 yards per play while Florida State is allowing just 1.9 yards per play albeit against weak foes. I expect Florida State to approach 35 points if not more in this game and they should be able to overwhelm Clemson’s still suspect stop unit. There is too much speed and strength up front for Florida State to expect all that much resistance from a Clemson defense that is still adjusting to new defensive coordinator Brent Venables’ system.

Clemson should be able to have some success offensively as well. For all the hype FSU has received with its defense, there is something to be said about not having been tested against a quality offense yet. Clemson will make Savannah State, Murray State and even Wake Forest (a very one-dimensional offense) look like JV squads in comparison.

FSU has a tremendous defense but Clemson still managed to put up 35 points last season. In my mind, there are too many weapons for Clemson to expect Florida State to be able to shut them down for a full 60 minutes. Clemson likely will not match the success they had last year but I think the Tigers will find the end zone enough to help us eclipse the current total. Play it over.

College Football Gambling Preview: Michigan at Notre Dame
By Rob Veno
Sportsmemo.com

Michigan at Notre Dame

Through three games this season, Notre Dame has incrementally begun to reestablish themselves among public opinion as a legitimate top 25 team. Their upgraded defensive performance in every area has been pointed to by most as the number one difference between this Irish team and previous versions over the past five seasons. While it seems apparent that Notre Dame is vastly improved on defense, this Saturday’s game versus Michigan figures to let everyone know just how much better they are.

Analyzing Notre Dame’s first three opponents you can find reasons to not fully buy into major defensive improvement. Now that Navy’s option attack has been completely grounded by Penn State, you can safely say they’re just not very good this season. You can poke a hole in their defensive performance against Purdue since the Boilermakers shifted from red hot Week 1 quarterback Robert Marve to preseason projected starter Caleb TerBush. TerBush looked extremely rusty and was ineffective in that contest and when head coach Danny Hope pulled him in favor of Marve, Purdue instantly became a more functional offense. Last week, Notre Dame played one dimensional Michigan State with rookie quarterback Andrew Maxwell who struggled in the season opener versus Boise State. Focusing solely on stopping running back Laveon Bell and having the front seven to do so, Notre Dame stifled MSU all night long. This week’s game is the first time they’ll face a diverse offense with a game breaking running threat under center. The other side of that coin is that Michigan has not faced a real defense since being overwhelmed by Alabama in its season opener. My sense is that this week’s results lie somewhere in between. The same likely holds true for the Irish offense in this contest which after pouring 50 points on Navy has been held to 20 by the top flight defenses of Purdue and Michigan State.

It’s interesting to watch head coach Brian Kelly evolve this year as his defense is now the team strength and gone is his desire to push tempo with a freshman starting quarterback. His offense is averaging a modest 70 plays per game at this point but expect him to take the wraps off week by week as his freshman qaurterback becomes more comfortable in the system.

The situational aspect of this week’s game points squarely toward Michigan. UM has had a pair of walkthroughs leading into this while Notre Dame isn’t likely to match the intensity of last week’s effort against Michigan State. However, the Wolverines haven’t yet shown the ability to handle a defense the caliber of Notre Dame’s and they have not been good defensively either. Look for the Notre Dame to take advantage of that and record their best offensive output in three weeks. Figure Michigan to have learned a bit from playing Alabama’s defense and put up better numbers here against Notre Dame. While I’m not overly excited about taking a side in this game, I do think there are some indicators which suggest OVER to be worth playing.

College Football Betting Preview: Maryland at West Virginia
By Andrew Lange
Sportsmemo.com

Maryland at West Virginia

A few weeks back, my clients and I cashed in on a nice winner with Maryland +10 at Temple. The Terps won the game outright but it was more of a play against the Owls laying double-digits. Maryland has played against UConn, Temple, and William & Mary. Right now Temple and UConn rank near the bottom nationally in offensive production and W&M has scored a total of 37 points in its three games. So right there we can throw Maryland's "impressive" defensive numbers out the window. Then we look at the Terps' offensive production in those three contests: 2.7 yards per rush, 4.1 yards per play, and an NCAA-worst 10 turnovers. Stepping up in class doesn't even begin to describe this weekend's game in Morgantown.

In last year's meeting, West Virginia at one point led 34-10 before Maryland rallied back only to lose 37-31. Since that time, we've seen the Mountaineers continue to get better as a program while Maryland is for the most part in rebuilding mode.

In Week 1, West Virginia went out and completely dominated a Marshall squad that in my opinion would be favored over Maryland on a neutral field. The difference is that Marshall has a much more capable offense thanks in part to quarterback Rakeem Cato. The Herd finished with 545 yards of total offense and STILL lost the game by 34. Maryland doesn't have nearly the same ability on offense and that is what will likely be needed for a pointspread cover – multiple second half touchdowns when West Virginia takes its foot off the pedal.

Some are going to point to the incredible pointspread adjustment that has taken place over that last calendar year – West Virginia was a 1-point favorite. To me, it is well warranted. I see better plays on the card but less than four touchdowns seems like a cheap price.