David Banks
Rutgers + pts.
Ga Tech - pts.
Miami - pts.
Cal. - pts.
USC -pts.
Tex. - pts
NBA
NY Knicks
Portland
LA Clippers
MLB
Yankees
TIM TRUSHEL
20* ACC GAME OF THE YEAR - WAKE FOREST
10* WISCY - NC ST - UTEP - GEORGIA - COLORADO - OKLAHOMA ST - SOUTH CAROLINA - WYOMING
Savannah Sports
Best Bet - Florida -14.5
4* Oklahoma -27.5
3* Troy St -14
Eric Degarde
3* Syracuse +16
3* NC State +10
Bankers Sportswire
400 UConn
NORTHCOAST
4'* TEXAS TECH
4* TOLEDO -5
3* FLA ATL -2.5 - OHIO - 6
2* ARKANSAS -36
TOTALS
3* OVER NOTRE DAME 60.5 - UNDER RUTGERS 45.5 - UNDER CAL 51.5
2* UNDER NEBRASKA 46 - UNDER GEORGIA TECH 47.5 - OVER NORTH CAROLINA 64
TV MARQUEE - USC
MAC MARQUEE - TOLEDO
INSIDE INFO MARQUEE - UNLV
900 POD MARQUEE - NEVADA
Larry Ness
25* Idaho, Texas A&M
Mike Lineback
4* Vandy Under
4* Fla Int
Special K
20 UConn
Seabass
200* SanDiego St, Miss
100* Rutgers,USC Under, So.Carolina,Kansas
50* Nebraska , Geo.Tech,Cent.Mich
30* Fla.Atlantic,Houston
Ben Burns
9* Mac GOM - Akron
8* Syracuse, Rutgers
Real Animal
5* Colorado
Thanks for the help ruddog I took out some dupes we had. 8)
The Boooj
20 units on Boston College (-5.5) over Central Michigan
20 units on Northern Illinois (-12) over Akron
10 units on Georgia (+15) over Florida
25 units on Texas (-9.5) over Oklahoma State
50 units on Notre Dame (-27.5) over Washington State
15 units on Oregon (+3) over USC
SEABASS
100* NYY/Phillies Over
LARRY NESS
My Las Vegas Insider is on Wisconsin at 12:00 ET. Wisconsin opened the '09 season 5-0 but then lost 31-13 at Ohio State and then 20-10 at home vs Iowa. The Ohio State score is very deceiving, as the Buckeyes were held to eight FDs and 184 total yards (Wisconsin had 22 and 368) but they returned two INTs for TDs (89 and 32 yards) plus returned a KO 96-yards for a TD. In the Iowa game, Wisconsin led 10-3 at the half but was held scoreless after that. Still, let's note that the Badgers D held the Hawkeyes to just 283 yards. Purdue opened the 2009 season with a 52-31 win over Toledo but then dropped five consecutive games while allowing 30.4 PPG. However, Purdue is off back-to-back wins, a 26-18 home upset of Ohio State (two-TD underdog) and a 24-14 home win over hapless Illinois. The Boilermakers own a balanced offensive attack which has allowed Purdue to average a decent 27.6 PPG. The ground game is averaging 146.4 YPG (4.5 YPC), led by Ralph Bolden (720 YR / 4.7 YPC / 5 TDs). QB Joey Elliott has chipped in with 220 rushing yards and three TDs while completing 60.6 percent of his throws for 2,022 yards with 14 TDs (note he has 10 INTs). Running the ball vs Wisconsin will not be easy, as in the team's back-to-back losses to top-10 opponents Ohio State (at the time) and Iowa, the Wisky rush D allowed an average of just 81.0 YPG and 2.5 YPC. Wisconsin runs the ball very effectively (184.4 YPG / 4.4 YPC / 15 TDs) led by Clay (716 YR / 4.7 YPC), who is not 100 percent (ankle) but is expected to play and be fine. QB Scott Tolzien really hurt the team vs Ohio St and Iowa with five INTs (zero TDs), after posting a 9-3 ratio in Wisconsin's 5-0 start. However, I expect him to be just fine here vs a Purdue team which doesn't do a good job vs the run (ranks 81st while allowing 156.2 YPG and 18 TDs), which should open up the passing game. Note that this is just Purdue's third road game (at Oregon and at Minnesota were the others) and the Boilermakers have allowed 36.5 PPG in those games, while allowing 200.0 YPG on the ground (4.7 YPC) with seven rushing TDs! Bye weeks are not "in vogue" in the Big 10, as NINE of the conferences 11 teams play 12 straight weekends (Purdue included, which is playing on its ninth straight Saturday). However, Wisconsin is off a bye and has another one November 28 before going to Hawaii on December 5. The schools haven't met since 2006, when Wisconsin won 24-3 at West Lafayette, holding the Boilermakers to the lowest series point total since 1955. Wisconsin is a physical and methodical team and doesn't win with 'flash.' The Badgers look to control the line of scrimmage and they are again playing solid run defense while running the ball effectively on offense. The matchups are just right against the Boilermakers for a convincing Wisconsin win. Las Vegas Insider 15* Wisconsin.
My 20* PERFECT STORM is on Houston at 1:00 ET. Houston hosts Southern Miss on Saturday. The Cougars are ranked 15th in the AP and 18th in the latest BCS standings but are in a four-way first-place tie (2-1) in C-USA's West division. The Cougars have already lost at UTEP (one of those 2-1 teams) and still must visit Tulsa (also 2-1) next Saturday. Southern Miss is 5-3 overall and 3-1 in C-USA's East division (tied with Marshall) and a half-game behind 4-1 East Carolina. Winning is nothing new at Southern Miss, as Jeff Bower spent 17 years as the team's head coach (was forced out prior to the team's bowl game in 2007), leading the Golden Eagles to 10 bowls in his final 11 seasons. Larry Fedora led Southern Miss to a 6-6 regular season in 2008 (his first season as a head coach) and then a 30-27 New Orleans Bowl win over Troy. Southern Miss' three losses this year have all come on the road, in a three-game road trip from 9/26-10/10. Losing 35-28 at Kansas was no shame but losses at 2-5 UAB and 2-5 Louisville (the Cards first win over a FBS school in NINE games!) were somewhat embarrassing. RB Damion Fletcher entered this season with three straight seasons of at least 1,300-plus yards but after eight games in 2009 has gained a modest 598 yards. Starting QB Austin Davis (3,134 YP / 23-8 ratio LY) is out for the season with an ankle injury, after completing 69.2% TY while averaging 233 YPG with ratio of 10-2. Martevious Young (13-of-15 for 127 yards with two TDs and 0 INTs) is off his best game last Saturday vs Tulane but how can he possible match up with Houston's Case Keenum. Keenum saw his run of 18 consecutive 300-yard passing games in the regular season end last Saturday (he's topped 300 yards in 19 of his last 21 games) but he did extend his school record to 23 straight games with a TD pass. Keenum's 78 career TD passes ranks third on Houston’s all-time list. He's completed 241-of-344 passes (70.1 percent) for 2,734 yards with 20 TDs and four INTs (has added three rush TDs). The Cougars are averaging 40.4 PPG (tied for 3rd in the nation) and their 536.6 YPG leads the nation in total offense. A visit to Tulsa is up next and something tells me the Golden Hurricane just may remember that the Cougars beat them LY 70-30. The Cougars HAVE to win here and why shouldn't they? Houston is 20-2 SU at home since the beginning of the 2006 season with 18 of those 20 wins coming by at least a TD. PERFECT STORM 20* Houston.
My 25* WAC Game of teh Year is on Idaho at 5:00 ET. Derek Dooley led the Bulldogs to a bowl game last year (beat Northern Illinois 17-10 in the Independence Bowl) and an 8-5 record in his second season at Ruston (5-7 in '07). Idaho joined Div I-A back in 1996 but entered this season without a winning season this decade (23-82, .219 since 2000). Head coach Robb Akey was 3-21 in two seasons at Moscow and when his team opened the 2009 season with a 21-6 win at New Mexico St, it ended the school's 14-game road losing streak. Heading into last Saturday's game in Reno, Idaho was 6-1 SU and 7-0 ATS overall while sitting at 3-0 in WAC play. Everything is different in Idaho this year. Last year's team averaged just 19.6 PPG but this year's team is averaging 31.5 PPG. The running game (led by WSU transfer Woolridge who has 544 YR / 5.6 YPC / 12 TDs) is averaging 152.1 YPG (445 YPC), up from 133 YPG in 2008 (3.8 YPC). QB Enderele is also greatly improved, completing 63.6 percent and averaging 259.6 YPG, up from 54.3 percent and 173.1 YPG last season. The defense is hardly of the "shut-down" variety but after allowing 42.8 PPG and almost 475 YPG in 2008, the team had allowed averages of 25.1 PPG and 364.0 YPG prior to facing the Wolf Pack. That all changed in Reno last Saturday, as Nevada won 70-45, gaining 662 yards, including 484 on the ground. But wait, the Wolf Pack have won four straight games while averaging 51.3 PPG. They've averaged 662.0 YPG in that span, including 425.3 YPG on the ground. Don't hold last week's games against Idaho. QB Enderele was 15-of-26 for 342 yards (4 TDs / 1 INT) and the team scored a season-high 45 points! Let's note that La Tech is 0-4 SU on the road in 2009, losing 23-21 last week at Utah State, a school whose lone 2009 win prior to that game was over Southern Utah. The Bulldogs are allowing 32.3 PPG on the road, while rushing for an average of just 88.0 YPG (2.8 YPC). That compares to their home average of 284.0 YPG (5.6 YPC) in three games (3-0), as the Bulldogs are averaging 40.0 PPG in Ruston and 15.5 PPG on the road. Note that before running into (or away from!) Nevada last Saturday, Idaho's rush D was allowing 95.6 YPG (3.4 YPC) in its first seven games. Those numbers compare very favorably to La Tech's average of 88.0 YPG on the ground in four away games. The Kibbie Dome holds just 17,000 people and "the house should be rocking" on Homecoming, as the Vandals look for a 7th win to the 2009 season. Schools only need six wins to be bowl-eligible but Idaho is very well aware that the Vandals are "far under the radar," so seven or even eight wins may be needed to get just the school's second bowl bid in history (beat Southern Miss 35-28 in the 1998 Humanitarian Bowl). WAC Game of the Year 25* Idaho.
My Weekend Wipeout Winner is on Kentucky at 7:00 ET. Rich Brooks has led Kentucky to bowl games in each of the last three seasons (going 3-0, by the way!) and at 4-3, opens a three-game stretch this Saturday in which the Wildcats could easily pick up three wins (would give them seven). It's Homecoming this Saturday vs Miss St, then it's a home game vs Eastern Kentucky, followed by a visit to Nashville to take on disappointing Vandy (currently 2-6 and hosting No. 11 Ga Tech this weekend!). Kentucky's starting QB Hartline was lost for the season with a knee injury against South Carolina (I guess he could return by late Nov?) but the Wildcats have "not missed a beat" in winning at Auburn on Oct 17 and 36-13 last Saturday at home to UL-Monroe. Fidler, Newton and the all-purpose Cobb have all lined up at that position but what'smost noteworthy is that the Wildcats have run fro 233.5 YPG (5.8 YPC) the last two weeks. RB Derrick Locke and Randall Cobb both have knee injuries but BOTH are expected to play vs the Bulldogs. Miss St lost 29-19 to Florida last week with both of its TDs coming on INT returns (one was over 100 yards!). First-year head coach Dan Mullen has spent the week complaining about the officials. However, he ought to look at his offense which produced just 13 FDs and 237 total yards vs the Gators or his defense, which has allowed 33 PPG in four losses over the team's last five games (lone win was over MTSU). Anthony Dixon (749 YR / 5.o YPC / 7TDs) is a quality RB and the Bulldogs average 203.1 YPG on the ground (4.5 YPC / 13 TDs) but QB Lee averages less than 150 yards through the air and owns a ratio of 3-9. Kentucky plays at Georgia and then home to Tennessee (has lost 24 straight to the Vols) after its Miss St, Eastern Ky and Vandy 'stretch,' meaning each game rates "MUST-WIN" status. The Wildcats won't miss out on this opportunity, giving Mullen another chance to "blame the officials" for his team's shortcomings. Weekend Wipeout Winner 15* Kentucky.
My 25* Big 12 GOY is on Texas A&M at 3:30 ET. Gene Chizik left Ames for Auburn after the conclusion of last year with a 5-19 two-year mark. Paul Rhoads took over (first head coaching job) and inherited a program with a 10-game overall losing streak and a 17-game road losing streak. Iowa St opened the 2009 season by beating North Dakota St 34-17 to end the team's 10-game losing skid. After getting hammered at home by Iowa 35-3 on September 12, the Cyclones won 34-14 at Kent St, ending that 17-game road losing streak. Paul Rhoads' team didn't stop there in ending long losing streaks. The Cyclones beat Baylor 24-10 in Ames on October 17, ending an 11-game Big 12 losing streak and last Saturday in Lincoln, ended a 15-game road losing streak in the Big 12 with a 9-7 win over the Cornhuskers. ISU played that game without starting QB Arnaud (held out with a hand injury) and the Big 12's leading rusher Alexander Robinson (737 YR / 5.7 YPC). While ISU had just 11 FDs and 239 yards, the Cyclones forced (or Nebraska coughed-up) EIGHT turnovers, while not making a miscue themselves! Both Arnaud (56.8% / 178 YPG passing / 9-5 ratio / 434 yards rushing) and Robinson are expected back on Saturday but can ISU really "keep this up?' I think not. Mike Sherman (former Green Bay head coach) is in his second season at Texas A&M (4-8 last year) and has seen his team lose 62-14 at Kansas St on October 17 and the win 52-30 at Texas Tech last Saturday. The Aggies have also lost 47-19 in Arlington to Arkansas this year while beating UAB 56-19. Which A&M team shows up here? The defensive edge sure goes to the Cyclones (19.8 PPG), as the Aggies are allowing 32.9 PPG. However, after rushing for 321 yards vs Tech, the Aggies are averaging 180.3 YPG (4.2 YPC) on the ground with 16 TDs while ranking third in the nation in total offense (489 YPG) and eighth in scoring (35.9 PPG). QB Jerrod Johnson (2,131 yards with a 17-3 ratio) is better and healthier than his counterpart at QB (Arnaud) and A&M's running game offers great balance. The Aggies are 8-1 SU all-time in this series (6-3 ATS) and with games at Oklahoma and home to Texas still left on the schedule, the 4-3 Aggies really need a win here in an effort to become bowl-eligible. The Cyclones, off back-to-back wins (which BOTH ended long losing streaks), the less than 100% healthy Cyclones are the perfect foil. Big 12 Game of the Year 25* Texas A&M.