Alex Smart
Georgia vs. South Carolina
Play: South Carolina +6
South Carolina enters this game as a home dog, and getting very little respect from lines-makers,something that hasn't happened since 2010 when their hosting an opponent. Coincidently they won that game against Alabama by a 35-21 count. After the loss to Texas A&M in week one, at home, Spurrier's side has lost some of it's luster, especially as far as the public is concerned. But in that opening game key offensive cog RB Mike Davis was not 100%, but now hes said to operating at full throttle, as was evident against East Carolina, which is bad news for opponents. South Carolina has won 35 of their last 39 home games and must not be underestimated in this spot. Im also not ready to admit that South Carolina can't generate a pass rush or slow Georgia RB Gurley like the media is telling us. With some injuries becoming noticeable among the Bulldogs wise receiver corps, reading the Georgia offense might be easier than many might expect. It must be noted that Georgia has scored 18 points in just one of its last nine visits to South Carolina, including six during coach Mark Richt's tenure.
Bulldogs are 1-5 ATS in their last 6 road games. Gamecocks are 5-1 ATS vs. a team with a winning record. Dating back to last season Georgia has failed to cover 9 of their L/12 overall.
Bill Biles
Wyoming vs. Oregon
Play: Oregon -43
Oregon had a huge win vs Michigan State last week and proved to everyone they are legit Title contenders. they now play a Wyoming team that struggles to score points. Look for this one to get ugly fast, and Mariota adds to his numbers for the Heisman trophy.
DAVE COKIN
WESTERN MICHIGAN AT IDAHO
PLAY: IDAHO -3
The 21st century has not been kind to Idaho football, and that’s putting it mildly. The Vandals have enjoyed just one winning season since 1999, and their record over the past three seasons was a pathetic 4-32. So on the surface, it might seem silly to even consider laying any points at all with this football team.
But things are looking up for this long downtrodden program. Not that the Vandals are suddenly about to turn into a powerhouse, but the pre-season reports on this team were positive, and I was impressed with their effort last week at UL-Monroe. Paul Petrino doesn’t have the resume of his more high profile brother, but he seems to have already upgraded the talent and the Vandals could have a star in the making in redshirt freshman QB Matt Linehan.
Western Michigan will provide the opposition here, and the Broncos have their own problems. They won only once last season, and that was a 31-30 decision over a hapless UMass entry. WMU put up a good fight in its opener against Purdue and might well have won the game had it not been for some, let’s just say, peculiar play calling in the second quarter of that game. The Broncos have their own freshman sensation in RB Jarvion Franklin, and I thought soph QB Zach Terrell was decent in that opener once he settled in.
The bad news for WMU is that whatever positive impressions might have been made in the loss at Purdue were somewhat diminished by the horrendous Boilermakers showing last week. On the other hand, I thought Idaho performed admirably in what was its season debut at ULM, as the scheduled opener at Florida fell victim to some bad weather. It was still a second straight lengthy trip for the Vandals, and they ended up just missing overtime when the home team scored the game winner in the waning seconds.
I’ve got a decent info pipeline and I’m hearing some good things about Idaho’s preparation for this game. They aren’t hungover from the tough loss to open the season, and they seem to be very excited about this home opener and a legit chance to get a win. I’m also really iffy on the Western Michigan coaching. PJ Fleck has tremendous energy, and I can see why he’s recruiting at what looks to be a high level for a MAC team. But off what I’ve seen last season and in the opener with Purdue, I’m not sold on the game planning and the ability to adjust in-game.
This is probably a close game, but I see the situation favoring Idaho and I’m also inclined to believe this Vandals squad might be more improved than most thought they might be. They’re going to win some Sun Belt games this season and this is a great chance to rev up the locals with a home opening victory. As long as this is a FG or less, which is the case right now, Idaho is the play.
EZWINNERS
South Carolina Gamecocks +6.5
I think their is a lot of value in South Carolina in this game. The Gamecocks were hammered by Texas A&M in week one and got by East Carolina last week. Georgia knocked off Clemson in week one and had a bye last week giving them a scheduling edge with two week to prepare, but knee jerk reactions has swung this line nine points. South Carolina was a three point favorite in this game before the season started and is now almost a full touchdown home underdog. Granted I don't believe that the Gamecocks are as good as their top ten pre season rank, but Texas A&M is also much better than the experts expected them to be. Georgia got a big win in week one, but Clemson is not the team that they were last year and still managed to give the Bulldogs a game well into the fourth quarter. I'll take the Old Ball Coach as a conference home dog in this spot as Spurrier is 13-7 against the spread in his last twenty games as an underdog. Take the points.
UCLA Bruins -7
I went against the steam last week thinking the Longhorns still had enough talent to pull off the home win against BYU but that was not the case. This match up against UCLA is going to be very difficult for the Longhorns. UCLA has the talent to compete for a nation championship but the Bruins are yet to play a complete game. The offense was MIA in game one at Virginia, but I do contribute much of that to the long travel and early kick off time. Last week the offense got going but the defense gave up more points than expected against Memphis. I look for a complete effort this week against a very offensively challenged Texas team with sophomore quarterback Tyrone Swoops under center. The Longhorn defense has some talent, but if they are going to be on the field the whole game it will be just a matter of time before UCLA quarterback Brett Hundley and company start rolling. Lay the points.
Arkansas Razorbacks +1
Texas Tech has a pretty good home field advantage, but I don't expect it to phase an Arkansas team that plays in some of the toughest SEC venues. The Red Raiders have a high powered passing offense, but I think Arkansas defense while not a great group, can get enough stops to win this game. Arkansas has a huge advantage when they have the football. The Hogs have one of the best offensive lines in the nation and should be able to run the ball can control the clock against a Red Raider defense that has all kinds of problems stopping the run. Tech allowed over 200 rushing yards per game last season and UTEP rolled up 277 yards on the ground last week in their 26-30 loss to the Red Raiders. The Red Raiders struggled in the home favorite roll last season posting just a 1-3 record against the spread. Also Big 12 favorites of three or less points are 2-6 straight up and against the spread when facing SEC opponents. Take the Hogs.
Tom Stryker
Kansas at Duke
Pick: Duke
Duke head coach David Cutcliffe is doing some magical things on the football field in Durahm. Quietly, the Blue Devils have posted an eye-opening 10-2 SU and 8-3 ATS record in their last 12 games and they should have no trouble picking up the win and cover in this non-conference battle.
One area where Coach Cutcliffe and the boys have played well is against teams outside of the powerful ACC Conference. In fact, in the regular season tackling a non-conference foe, Duke sports a solid 11-1 SU and 6-3 ATS record including a prosperous 8-0 SU and 4-1 ATS inside Wallace Wade Stadium. Please note: Those eight wins have come by an average of 27.6 points per game. Equally impressive, in their last 15 tries as a favorite, the Blue Devils have registered a strong 10-4-1 ATS mark including a juicy 7-1-1 ATS in this situation checking in off a straight up win.
We've got some pretty good home versus road dichotomy surrounding this game too. Kansas is one of the worst road teams in college football. The Jayhawks are a pitiful 17-73 SU and 33-56 ATS in their alst 90 games on foreign soil including a disturbing 11-29 ATS priced as a hefty dog of +15 or more. Also, in its last 17 road openers, KU holds a weak 3-14 SU and 7-10 ATS record including a stiff 2-9 SU and 4-7 ATS fighting without rest.
Blue Devils starting quarterback Anthony Boone improved to 12-0 SU in regular-season contests after knocking off Troy last Saturday. With recognition starting to trickle in both the AP and USA Today/Coaches polls, Boone and the boys know they can continue to climb with another impressive performance over the poor-traveling Jayhawks.
Marc Lawrence
East Carolina at Virginia Tech
Prediction: East Carolina
Edges - Pirates: 6-0 ATS last six away games; and 3-0 ATS after facing Gamecocks. Hokies: 1-6 ATS Game Three of the season; and 1-4-1 ATS last six games in this series. With Frank Beamer's boys in off the huge win at Ohio State last Saturday night and looking dead ahead to a conference opening clash with Georgia Tech next week, look for Va Tech to fall to 1-12 ATS in games off a double-digit win in which they held an opponent to 21 or less points. we recommend a 1-unit play on East Carolina.
Brandon Shively
Indiana vs. Bowling Green
Play: Indiana -8
I like Indiana in this game, B-I-G. The Hoosiers hold all of the advantages in this game. The only thing that Bowling Green has going for them is that they are playing at home, but let me first tell more about this Bowling Green team that is regressing quickly in 2014.
Bowling Green brought in a new HC that is looking to install a up-tempo offense and this plays right into Indiana's hands this afternoon. It appears he does not have a grasp on this team and is certainly nowhere the caliber of former HC Dave Clawson. Bowling Green faced Western Kentucky in Week 1 and got torched 59-31 as Western Kentucky shredded the inexperienced secondary (lost 3 starters from last year) for 569 yards on 46-56 passing. Now, if Western Kentucky did this, there is no doubt that QB Nate Sudfeld who has NFL potential and perhaps the best arm in the BIG 10 can annihilate this Bowling Green defense as well. Bowling Green only returns 5 starters on the defensive side this year, and now 1st Team MAC selection DJ Lynch is out for this game. Also out is Zach Covin who is a starter on the defensive line. Also for Bowling Green, their starting quarterback Matt Johnson is out for the season and he threw for 25 TD's last year. I am expecting for the offense to struggle in this game as they simply do not have enough firepower to contain the Indiana Hoosiers.
Indiana returns 130 career starts on the offensive line and QB Sudfeld will have time to dissect the Bowling Green defense, while Tevin Coleman is a breakaway running back that had 8 runs of 40+ yards last season and already had a 73 yard touchdown run this year. While the Hoosiers defense was their Achilles in 2013, they do return 9 starters and there is only room for improvement. Maybe Bowling Green scores a maximum of 27 points in this game, but that won't be near enough for the 40+ that the Hoosiers will lay.
Indiana is nice and rested coming off a bye week and I am looking for them to win by 2+ touchdowns. College Football teams coming off a win, a week of rest, and playing on the road in Game 2 are 19-6 ATS (75%) when playing a defense that allows 27+ points on the season.
Will Rogers
UCLA vs. Texas
Play: UCLA -7
It hasn't been easy for head coach Charlie Strong in his first season at Texas. The Longhorns had a terrible off-season, and they are coming off a 34 point blowout loss at home to then unranked BYU last week. Texas will host UCLA this Saturday, and while the Bruins are 2-0, they were absolutely unimpressive in both of those victories.
Here are my keys to the game:
1. Injuries - Texas will turn to backup quarterback Tyrone Swoopes, as David Ash is sidelined with a concussion that may be career threatening. Swoopes threw for 176 yards with one TD and an INT in the loss to BYU. They will also likely be without top receiver Jaxon Shipley, starting center Dominic Espinosa, and suspended receiver Daje Johnson.
2. Texas Defense - The Longhorns were unable to stop dual threat QB Taysom Hill, who ran for 99 yards and three TDs, as well as passing for 181 yards and a TD. Bruins QB Brett Hundley could have a field day in Texas.
3. X-Factor - The Bruins defense picked up the slack for a poor performance by the offense in their Week 1 win at Virginia. It was vice versa against Memphis last Saturday, but if they can put it together and play well on both sides of the ball, it should be a blowout in Texas.
Freddy Wills
Georgia Southern vs. Georgia Tech
Play: Georgia Southern +17
I got Georgia Tech peeking to head towards their match up with Virginia Tech next week especially after Virginia Tech just got done defeating Ohio State on the road. Georgia Southern comes into this game they got 39 players going back to their hometown this you have a lot of people in the stands cheering. Georgia Southern is already a team that's proven they can play with the big boys and one at Florida at the end of last year and they only lost by one point at NC State earlier this year.
Georgia Tech runs the triple option which is always difficult to defend and practice for however Georgia Southern's office in previous years has been running the same offense. Now that they are running us different spread offense of players are practicing for that however many of the defenders are aware and know how to play against the triple option offense since they saw him practice so many times in years previous. They also would face offered and sit to Dell twice a year also run the triple option. Georgia Tech at the end of the day only returns while Georgia Southern will return 14 I'll take the points in this game.
BIG AL
Georgia at South Carolina
Pick: Georgia
The Georgia Bulldogs travel to South Carolina to take on Steve Spurrier's Gamecocks, and a win here could propel Georgia into position to land in one of the four spots of College Football's first playoff. Georgia already won its first game of the season -- two weeks ago -- at home vs. Clemson. And the Bulldogs were extremely impressive in the 4th quarter of that game, as they outscored Clemson 21-0 en route to a 45-21 victory. In contrast, South Carolina was awful in its first game, as a supposedly rebuilding Texas A&M team destroyed it by 24 points, 52-28. Some may be tantalized by this big pointspread, and take the home underdog Gamecocks, especially given that South Carolina's won the last two meetings vs. Georgia in Columbia by double-digits. But Georgia has a huge scheduling advantage in this game, and it's that it has had an extra week to rest and prepare. And teams with a week of rest after winning their season opener are a super 115-75 ATS since 1980, 61 percent. I won't fade those numbers.
Jeff Clement
Georgia vs. South Carolina
Play: Georgia -6.5
The #6 ranked Bulldogs have not had much success in at S.Carolina and against Coach Steve Spurrier but with the improved defense led by linebacker Jordan Jenkins the Gamecocks might be in trouble since they have not run the ball well as Mike Davis only has 116 yards in 2 games this season. The Bulldog s running game is off to a great starts with Todd Gurley looking like a early Heisman candidate with 198 yards with 4 TD's in a 45-21 win over Clemson. The Gamecocks defense has struggled after the loss of Deveon Clowney to the NFL allowing 37.5 point per game so far in 2014. Georgia beat S.Carolina last year 41-30 and S.Carolina is 0-4 ATS last 4 September games. The Favorite is 4-0 ATS last 4 meetings and I expect the Bulldogs to win this game by double digits.
Wunderdog
Indiana vs. Bowling Green
Pick: Bowling Green +8.5
Last season the Indiana Hoosiers were big offensively. They went against a very solid Bowling Green defense and lit them up for 600 yards in a 42-10 early-season win. Bowling Green went on to win the MAC and had a great season. Indiana had their moments, but faded down the stretch. This season it will be time for Bowling Green to revenge that loss. Despite an 18-point win vs. Indiana State, Indiana was a lot less impressive, and this is a tough situation for the Hoosiers who have a date with Missouri next week. The Falcons are always tough here as they are 10-2 in their last 12 at home. And when they are playing with revenge as a home dog, they have put up an impressive resume which reads 13-4-1 ATS in their last 18. We have one motivated revenging team here, with the visitor perhaps a bit flat in eyeing their own revenge against a big opponent in their next contest. Take the points and play on Bowling Green in this one.
Tony George
Southern Cal -17
BC has little chance here. Yes USC off a huge win, and yes they travel cross country. But this is a national TV Saturday Night so no early morning game for a West Coast team and how is BC going to score against this defense and or trade punches on the scoreboard. USC is tough in the middle on defense and that plays into USC's strength. PAC 12 wanting national exposure, and USC's coaches will not call off the dogs here as they want to impress. BC gave up 303 yards rushing to Pitt last week and their QB transfer supposed to be stuf Murphy, only managed 10 out of 28 through the air. USC Better in all areas, and although depth for USC an issue in some areas, they can handle BC by 3 TD's.
Michael Alexander
Tennessee vs. Oklahoma
Play: Oklahoma -20.5
Tennessee is off to their 4th straight 2-0 start, but finished below .500 the first 3 times that they did that. Currently they rank 90th in run offense and still have to face Oklahoma, Florida, and Georgia. The Sooners come into this one perfectly balanced, with the Knight-to-Shepard combo nearly unstoppable. Oklahoma has a 267-119 point edge in their last 6 lined games.
Joe Gavazzi
Iowa State vs. Iowa
Play: Iowa St. +10
Isolating underdogs in NCAAF requires numerous factors in our favor. Often it is the rivalry aspect of the game. Occasionally, there is a revenge motive involved. The weekly situation is a factor as well, involving letdowns by the favorite or momentum by the underdog. Finally, the all-important fundamental edges, as reflected in the statistics, must be evaluated. The UNDERDOG OF THE WEEK is 2-0 ATS this season! In week 1, California won outright 31-24 at Northwestern as double-digit dog. Last week, I followed it up with VA Tech. All the Hokies did was cruise into Columbus and come away with a 35-21 victory again as a double digit dog. This week, I go for my 3rd consecutive double-digit dog upset.
Iowa St. has a strong history in this series. The Cyclones are 7-3 ATS vs. Iowa and have gone 7-1 ATS on this field of late. That works with recent results for Iowa St. that have seen the Cyclones cover 4/5 non-con road games. With Iowa on a 4-11 ATS slide as home favorite, the technicals give confirmation of this selection. The last 3 in this series have been decided by 3, 3, and 6 points. In addition, road teams are now 11-2 ATS in recent Iowa games.
YTD results have left the respective backers of these teams less than inspired. For Iowa St., perennial lower division champion, N. Dakota St., pulled a 34-14 “upset” in week 1. Last week, Iowa St. lost 32-28 to Kansas St., as they allowed the Wildcats to run and pass for 233 or more yards. The Cyclones actually had that game in hand before 19 unanswered Kansas St. points led to their demise. This will leave them hungry for today’s rivalry game.
The results for Iowa have been a bit mystifying. The Hawkeyes achieved victory against N. Iowa and Ball St. on this field, as 18 point favorites. But the respective 8 and 4 point victories, resulted in a 0-2 ATS mark. In last week’s victory against Ball St., Iowa held a commanding 456-219 yardage edge but needed to score twice in the final 3 minutes to get the victory.
The bottom line of this contest is that Iowa simply does not deserve this level of favoritism based on their early returns. The strong underdog series history and the hunger that Iowa St. will bring to this game means that our 3rd consecutive outright double-digit underdog victory will not be a surprise to this bureau.