NCAAF News and Notes Saturday 10/17

News and Notes - Week 7
By Phil Steele
Northcoast Sports

NEWS AND NOTES

In case you didn't stay up late on Thursday night, the Nebraska/Missouri game changed in a matter of 5:00. The heavy rain was dominant early and thanks to a gutsy 4th & 1 Missouri TD with no time-outs right before the half, the Tigers led 12-0 after 3Q's as the Huskers had not threatened to score. On 3rd & 8 NU got a 56 yd TD pass with 13:56 left. They got 2 int's on Missouri's next 4 plays and they were returned to the 18 and 10 yard lines setting up TD's and the Huskers scored 20 points in a span of 3:22. MO was SOD at the NU32 with 5:24 left and the Huskers tacked on a TD with :56 left scoring twenty-seven 4Q points...

Nevada's Chris Ault became just the 35th coach to win 200 games at the same school. Louisiana Tech opened their Friday night contest with an 84 yd KR and scored on a 15 yd TD run 2pl later to lead 7-0. Nevada punted on their first poss but scored on the next 3 and took control of the game. They led 17-7 at the half and finished with 25-10 FD and 511?256 yd edges in their 37-14 home win...

Boston College and the road do not mix. In their first road game, BC travelled to Clemson and had 2 yards offense with 5:00 to go in the 3Q. They travelled to Virginia Tech and while they trailed 34-0 at the half, they were outgained 293-2 and had zero FD's. They got their first FD on the 1st drive of the 2H. VT led 48-7 with 6:40 to go and BC put together an 80/15pl drive getting a garbage TD on 4th & 1 with :33 left...

Syracuse's Greg Paulus had a great start to the season but last week vs West Virginia, after hitting 5 of 9 passes for 30 yards and with WV leading 27-0 early 3Q he was replaced by Ryan Nassib. Nassib hit a 50 yd TD pass on his 2nd drive but WV still easily prevailed 34-13 with a 385-222 yd edge...

Michigan St/Illinois both opted to switch QB's for their game. IU's McGee had a horrible performance hitting 2 of 11 passes for 31 yards and was pulled early in the 3Q. Juice Williams led IU to 2 TD drives and nearly had another 80 yd TD pass. MSU gave Keith Nichol the start for an inj'd Kirk Cousins and he hit 13 of 25 for 179. The Spartans did lead 24-0 after the 44 yd IR TD off of McGee and had a 281-60 yd edge at the half. Nichol (elbow) was inj'd late and Cousins came in to hand the ball off...

Army had a 152-101 yd edge at the half and led 3-0. They led 13-10 when Vanderbilt had a 3rd & goal from the 3 but had a TD called back for offensive pass interference. On 4th & 23 Vandy got a 41 yd FG off the upright to send it to OT. Vandy was driving for the EZ but Norman fumbled and it was rec'd in the EZ for a TB and on 4th & 10 Army got a 42 yd FG off the upright to give us a Big Dog Play of the Week upset...

Auburn had scored in every quarter on the year but Arkansas's D which had shown plenty of holes this season held them scoreless in the 1Q and in fact Arkansas not only led 27-3 at the half, they extended it to 34-3. Hogs fans had to start getting some deja vu about the Georgia game, where Arkansas led 21-10 but ended up losing by 11. With a 34-3 lead, they allowed 3 straight TD's by Auburn to make it 34-23 but the Hogs had a 65 yd KR and drove 30/7pl for a TD with 11:22 left to ice it...

E Michigan had beaten C Michigan in 4 of the last 5 including the last 2 in Mount Pleasant. In the 1Q, EM had 26 yards offense while CM went 96/8, 48/5pl and 68/11pl all for TD's and led 21-0. They led 49-0 after 3Q's before EM pieced together a drive for a garbage TD...

Houston did not lead Mississippi St until they got a TD with 6:23 left in the game to go up 24-17. That drive was set up when MSU was int'd at the 2 yd line with 9:33 left. MSU's next drive got a 17 yd TD run by Dixon but was called back on a hold and on the next play they fumbled and UH got a 58 yd pass followed by an 18 yd TD pass to go up 31-17 with 4:14 left. MSU went 62 yards for a TD with 1:22 left and UH recovered the onside kick...

Virginia came into the Indiana game #117 in the NCAA in total offense averaging just 272 ypg. They topped that at the half with a 337-124 yd edge and led 30-0 and for the first time since 2004, they topped 500 yards offense finishing with a 536-272 yard edge for the game...

Nothing fluky about Navy's win over Rice. While Rice missed a FG on their first poss, Navy scored TD's on their first 5 poss of the game to lead 35-0. It was 56-7 in the 4Q before Rice went 83/5pl for a TD. In fact, Navy had a 295-62 yd edge prior to a Rice drive for a TD late in the 1H...

The big game of the week was #1 Florida vs #4 LSU and all of the speculation around if Tim Tebow would play. An amazing streak was ended as LSU had won 32 consecutive home night games on Saturday and the crowd was loud but UF actually left some opportunities off the board and had 22-12 FD and 327-162 yd edges. The Gators had drives of 82/15pl, 45/10pl result in a 28 yd FG and an SOD. The Gators would also have a 76/13pl drive for a missed 25 yd FG at the start of the 3Q. UF ended the game at the LSU42. In the last 20 years there have been five #1 teams that have travelled to face an undefeated team on the road at 5-0 or better and Florida was the first of those #1 teams to escape with a win...

Last week N Carolina had 9 FD's against a previously winless Virginia team. They had 7 in their opening drive vs Georgia Southern but despite their 25 FD's and 42 offensive points, UNC only had 289 total yards. NC had TD drives of 16 and 22 yards after TO's and also had 49 yd FR and 41 yd IR TD's. They did have 232 of their 289 yards at the half with Yates playing just 2 series in the 2H and backup QB's Blue and Hanson both seeing action...

Duke ended their 11 game losing streak to NC State and got their first league road win in almost 6 years. The first six poss of the Duke/NCState game were all long drives for TD's and it was 21-21. In the 2H NCSt had 2 punts bounce off of a PR and Duke rec'd one at the 11 setting up a TD for a 42-28 lead and then rec'd one in the EZ for a TD with 3:07 left to put them up by 21. Carter-Finley Stadium was almost empty in the final 5:00 of the Wolfpack's 21 pt loss to Duke...

Sam Bradford returned to the lineup and the Sooners rolled up a 586-268 yd edge. It was surprising that BU did have 268 yards as 3rd string QB Nick Florence hit 22-41-220 yds. OU's yardage production did not translate into more points because they settled for FG's from the 18, 8, 4 and 6 yd lines in the 2H...

Florida St Coach Bobby Bowden was under a lot of pressure from boosters to step aside during the week and it was a tumultuous week for the Seminoles. Their offense looked great in the 1H vs GT but the D could not get GT off the field. FSU led 35-28 at the half with 403 yards offense but blew some opportunities in the 2H and came up 5 points short. FSU's 2-4 start is the worst in Bowden's career since his first season at FSU...

Louisville had not beaten an FBS team in nearly a year but got a 32 yd FG with :30 left to get past Southern Miss. UL had trailed 16-7 at the half. SM gave Martevious Young his first start and he was impressive hitting 22-30 for 229 yards and both Damion Fletcher and DeAndre Brown ret'd to the lineup for the Eagles with both leading the team in their respective rushing and receiving categories...

N Texas led Louisiana 34-24 going into the 4Q but UL got a 4 yd TD pass with :27 left to pull out a 38-34 win at home...

Arizona had 26-14 FD and 461-256 yd edges but blew numerous opportunities. A pass bounced off the foot of WR Dean and was int'd by Washington and they ret'd it for a TD with 2:37 left and UW pulled the home upset...

Washington St managed just 181 yards offense vs ASU and 99 of them came early 4Q on a school record 99 yard TD pass when they trailed 27-7. WSU had -54 yards rushing.

POINTS LEFT OFF THE BOARD

Pitt was in control vs Connecticut yardage-wise with a 489-303 yd edge. The yards could have been much worse as Pitt missed 2 wide open TD passes, the first on their opening drive when Lewis had the ball hit him in the hands in the EZ and he dropped it on a 43 yd pass and they punted. On their 2nd poss there was a man wide open in the secondary but QB Stull underthrew him and the pass was batted away at the last second and they settled for a FG. Instead of leading 14-0 it was just 3-0. Pitt had a 1st & gl at the 3 but was int'd in the EZ leaving another TD off the board. UC took over at their own 21 with 2:36 left 1H and got a 79 yd TD pass and stunningly led 7-3 at the half despite being outplayed. CT got a 20 yd IR TD for a TD to open the 3Q to make it 14-3. Pitt went 80/9pl and had a 1st & gl but once again on 3rd & gl from the 2, fired incomplete and settled for a short FG, 14-6. UC got their only long scoring drive of the game, 61/8pl to lead 21-6. Pitt would then go 71/8pl, 68/10pl for TD's while CT went 3 & out twice. Pitt took over at their 25 with 6:14 left and went 74/11pl and could easily have won by a TD. They had a 1st & gl at the 5 but on 3rd & gl from the 1 came up a foot short and settled for an 18 yd FG...

For the 2nd straight year Iowa St ALMOST upset Kansas. It was a game of blown opportunities for the Cyclones. K Mahoney had a streak of 47 straight xp's end on a blk vs Kansas St last week and actually missed his first 2 xp's in this game which had them going on 4th down late in the game. ISU also went on a 59/9pl drive settling for a 26 yd FG but mishandled the snap and did not score. ISU led 23-20 and 30-27. Trailing 41-36 they took over with 2:36 left and got to the KU31. On 4th&4 Arnaud scrambled and bought some time and his receiver was wide open at the 5 with no defender around him. The pass missed by inches and had it been just a hair more accurate, they would have had the go-ahead TD with 1:00 left. ISU had 512 yards offense while KU had 551.

SNOW ON THE SIDELINES

It was 25 degrees at KO for Utah/Colorado St. The game was tied at 3 at the half with Utah being SOD at the CSU46 and 26 and CSU being SOD at the Utah35. Thanks to a Utah fmbl early 3Q, CSU drove 79 and 61 yds after a fmbl for TD's and had a commanding 17-3 lead. Utah battled back to tie with 9:29 left and CSU was int'd at the Utah 25 and the Utah 29 (12:20) on their final 2 poss. Utah got a game winning TD pass with 3:40 left for a 24-17 win and did have 22-17 FD and 457-334 yd edges.

TOTAL DOMINATION

Georgia was dominated for the 2nd straight week in league play. This time, Tennessee had 24-14 FD and 472-241 yd edges. They stayed in the game thanks to a 100 yd KR TD and 28 yd IR TD and after the latter, only trailed 24-19 but UT drove 80 and 62 yards for TD's on their next 2 poss to lead 38-19 after 3Q's...

Prior to the game vs Kansas St, Leach speculated that K-St had not faced a pass attack like his and thought they would have success. 66-14 does not sum up the game. In the 1H Texas Tech scored on all 6 poss and although they did settle for a FG on one drive, they led 38-0 with a 427-55 yd edge. K-St got an IR TD stopping TT's scoring streak but TT responded with drives of 85, 55 and 95 yards to lead 59-7 and brought in their backup QB Doege with 10:37 left. Leach had never started a backup QB in his 10 year history at TT and Sheffield hit 33-41 for 490 yards and 7 TD's in a little over 3Q's of work!

TOUGH 4:00

It was a tough 4:00 to open the 3Q for UCLA and they also had a couple plays go against them in the 1H. The Bruins had a 1st & gl at the 2 late 1Q but on 4th & gl from the 1 were SOD. They appeared to tackle RB James in the EZ for a safety 2pl later but he broke through and raced to the 50 yd line changing the field position. After a Oregon punt, UCLA were pinned at the 1. UCLA would still lead 3-0 at the half after a 52 yd FG. The first 4:00 of the 3Q for UCLA was a disaster. UO got a 102 yd KR TD and on the next play a 32 yd IR TD before QB Prince fmbl'd at the 50 two plays later. Eight plays later the Ducks had a 20 yd TD pass on 3rd & 5 to go up 21-3 scoring 3 TD's in 3:54 on 50 total offensive yards to start the 3Q. The Ducks only had a 15-14 FD edge but were playing without QB Masoli. UCLA QB Craft who started the last 2 games, was demoted to 3rd string and after Prince's 2 TO's, they went to true frosh Brehaut for a couple of series in the 4Q.

MISLEADING FINALS

It appears Minnesota had an easy win over Purdue 35-20 but the Boilermakers actually had 23-14 FD and 402-281 yard edges. PU led 10-0 after 1Q. UM got a 2Q, 2 yd drive for a TD after an int and opening the 3Q, PU had a 7 yd punt, fmbl'd the KO and UM got 30 and 31 yd TD drives. PU went on a 10pl drive but a 38 yd FG was blk'd and ret'd for a TD by UM and stunningly the Gophers led 34-13 with only 1 drive over 31 yards...

Ohio St was fortunate to win by 18 vs Wisconsin. The game was dominated statistically by the Badgers who had 22-8 FD and 368-164 yd edges. OSU amazingly got the cover as UW blew some scoring opportunities as well. OSU had 36 yds total offense on their first 5 drives but an 89 yd IR TD put them up 7-0. UW led 10-7 after a FG with 1:53 left 1H but on 3rd & 15 OSU got a 32 yd TD pass, 14-10. UW missed a 57 yd FG and then OSU got another IR TD to lead 21-10. After a UW FG, OSU got a 96 yd KR TD, 28-13. UW went on a 16pl drive but missed a 33 yd FG and OSU got a 37 yd FG (12:32). UW got a 1st & gl at the OSU8 but on 4th & 18 fired incomplete with 4:59 left and got to midfield but was SOD on their final drive...

Much like Ohio St, Texas had three return TD's in one game. At least they had 21-11 FD and 313-127 yd edges. Unlike OSU, UT actually trailed this one 14-3 late 2Q. They got a 39 yd TD pass with :46 left in the half to pull within 14-10. Fans actually booed UT after they went 3 & out on their first two 3Q poss but UT blk'd a punt for a TD mid 3Q. UT got a 14 pt swing with Colorado having a 3rd & 5 at the UT12 as they got a 92 yd IR TD, 24-14. UT added a 74 yd PR TD with 12:29 left to get some breathing room, 31-14 and got a 50/6pl drive for a TD with 6:12 left for the final margin.

INJURIES OF NOTE

Ohio was on their 3rd straight road game and Akron was off a bye but the Bobcats did catch a few breaks. OU was at the Zips' 19 when they were int'd in the EZ in the 1Q but Akron missed a 39 yd FG. The key play of the game happened late 1H with Akron having a 1st & goal at the OU4. QB Matt Rodgers, who was already replacing their susp (OFY) starter was tkl'd on the 3 and fmbl'd and OU rec'd in the EZ for a TB. Rodgers (ACL) would not take another snap and true frosh Patrick Nicely (PS#80) QB'd the rest of the game. OU blk'd a punt for a TD to lead 10-0 but the Zips rec'd a fmbl'd punt at the OU30 which led to a TD. UA then went on an 11pl drive and missed the tying 43 yd FG (2:41 3Q). OU added a FG & then a 33/5pl TD drive after a fmbl'd KO to lead 19-3. UA's last gasp was at the OU14 where Nicely threw incomplete...

Kentucky lost starting QB Mike Hartline to a knee injury early 3Q after he had given UK a 17-14 halftime lead. Backup QB Will Fidler hit just 2-8-16 yards and the Cats went to the Wildcat with WR Cobb at QB. UK still had a chance but failed on the 2 pt conversion with 4:34 left.

GARBAGE YARDS

Temple was in control a good portion of the game vs Ball St jumping out to a 10-0 lead in the 1Q and it was 10-0 at the half. BS got 2 big plays in a 2:00 span. On 3rd & 14 they got a 50 yd TD pass and then BS got a FR TD in the EZ and stunningly led 13-10. TU got a TD, missed a 47 yd FG and added another TD to lead 24-13 iwth 3:29 left. TU had the ball at the BS44 with 1:30 left in the game. After purposely losing 11 yards to try to run the clock, the P fmbl'd the snap and then kicked the ball and BS took over at the 12 with :12 left and got a TD on the final play and did not even attempt the xp.

Games to Watch - Week 7
By Chris David

Wednesday - Boise State at Tulsa (ESPN, 8:00 p.m.)

Will we have another midweek upset on tap? Fifth-ranked Boise State (5-0 straight up, 4-0 against the spread) will face a tough test when it travels to Tulsa (4-1 SU, 2-1 ATS) for a non-conference showdown this Wednesday. The Golden Hurricane is hoping to put itself on the national map like the Broncos did, by winning these types of primetime games. Last year, Tulsa opened with eight straight wins before being humbled against a top-tier team in Arkansas (30-23). This season, the school had a chance to make some noise against a banged-up Oklahoma team in Week 3 but was blanked 45-0. The oddsmakers have made the Broncos 10-point road favorites and Chris Petersen's team has had no trouble covering outside of Boise lately (6-1 ATS run). The two schools have met four times and BSU won all four (2-2 ATS), with the last meeting coming in 2004. It could be a longshot folks but you might want to look at BCS future odds for Boise State, especially if you're catching 15/1 or higher.

Thursday - Cincinnati at South Florida (ESPN, 7:45 p.m.)

The Big East, Big 12 and SEC are the only three conferences in the country that have two unbeaten teams left standing. That number will definitely change this weekend, as Cincinnati (5-0 SU, 2-2 ATS) visits South Florida (5-0 SU, 2-1 ATS) for a conference clash. This series has been owned by the Bearcats, who are 4-1 SU and 5-0 ATS in the last five meetings. Last year, Cincinnati QB Tony Pike lit up the Bulls for 281 yards and two scores. South Florida's defense is just as good this year and its offense has gotten a recent jolt from freshman QB B.J. Daniels. Since filling in for the injured Matt Grothe, he's tossed six touchdowns and run for over 291 yards (3 TDs). Thursday night games on ESPN have been known to produce upsets but there has only been one (S. Car over Miss) that stands out through the first six weeks. If Brian Kelly and the 'Cats win this road game, look out folks. Cincinnati will be favored in its next five games, which appear to be very winnable. The last test will come on Dec. 5 at Pittsburgh. Perhaps another team to put on your midseason future wish list!

Saturday - Iowa at Wisconsin (ESPN, 12:00 p.m.)

Is Iowa (6-0 SU, 3-2 ATS) as good as its perfect record? If you answered yes, then why are the Hawkeyes catching points at Madison this week in a battle against Wisconsin (5-1, 2-3 ATS)? The Badgers were exposed last week when they were stifled by Ohio State 31-13 in Columbus. In 2008, Wisconsin lost to the Buckeyes after starting 4-0 and the proceeded to lose two more in a row, one setback coming to the Hawkeyes (38-16). Should we expect a similar outcome this week or will Bret Bielema's troops bounce back? Including last year's loss, Iowa has gone 5-2 SU and 6-1 ATS in the previous seven meetings with two of the wins coming at Madison. After this game, Iowa heads to Michigan State for its second straight road test. Then, Ferentz has a pair of winnable games (IU, NW) on deck before a huge game against Ohio State, which could be for the conference title if both keep winning.

Saturday - Oklahoma vs. Texas from Dallas (ABC, 12:00 p.m.)

The Red River Shootout between Oklahoma (3-2 SU, 1-3 ATS) and Texas (5-0 SU, 1-4 ATS) doesn't have that much luster this year due to the pair of early losses suffered by the Sooners. The Longhorns are still poised to make a run at the national title but a setback here would more than likely crush their chances. Texas has won three of the last four (4-0 ATS) against Oklahoma and the three victories came by double digits. Both the Longhorns and the Sooners have burned gamblers this year with a combined ATS record of 2-7. If Texas wants to win this game on Saturday, it will need to run the football better and that's not easy considering Oklahoma (53 YPG) is ranked third in the country. Texas isn't too shabby either, ranked first (46 YPG) against the run. Considering the defensive units on the field, a low-scoring affair could be produced and the 'under' has gone 3-2 in the last five encounters. The Longhorns opened as 3 ½-point favorites for this contest at the Cotton Bowl in Dallas and while OU has two losses, both came by one-point to BYU (14-13) and Miami, Fl. (21-20).

Saturday - USC at Notre Dame (NBC, 3:30 p.m.)

Don't look now folks but Notre Dame (4-1 SU, 1-4 ATS) could be making some national noise with a win over USC (4-1 SU, 2-3 ATS) in South Bend on Saturday. A win over the Trojans is much easier said than done, especially when you look at the past history. Pete Carroll and Southern California have won seven straight (6-1 ATS) against the Fighting Irish and six of the wins came by double digits too. The last two meetings have been outright embarrassing for head coach Charlie Weis and Notre Dame, who have been outscored 76-3. Fortunately for the Irish, their quarterback Jimmy Clausen (1,544 yards, 12 TDs) has been outstanding this year but that can't be said for the defense. Since the unit shut out Nevada 35-0 in Week 1, they've given up 29.8 PPG in the last four. USC's offense isn't exactly a powerhouse this year but they do have playmakers in the backfield. Even though the Trojans defense lost a ton of starters to the NFL, they're ranked sixth in yards (238 YPG) and fourth in scoring (8.6). The front seven has accounted for 21 sacks but they've only forced eight turnovers. Carroll and the Trojans used to be golden as road favorites yet they're just 3-6 ATS in their last nine spots, including 1-2 this year. ND is just 3-3 ATS as a home underdog under Weis.

Saturday - Arkansas at Florida (CBS, 3:30 p.m.)

Is top-ranked Florida (5-0 SU, 2-1 ATS) in for a letdown against Arkansas (3-2 SU, 2-2 ATS) this Saturday at Gainesville? With or without QB Tim Tebow, the history doesn't side with the Razorbacks at all in this series. UF has won and covered seven in a row against Arkansas and it's handled some hefty numbers as well during this stretch. Last year, the Gators needed a late burst but they still dismantled Arkansas 38-7 as 26 ½-point road favorites. Head coach Urban Meyer won a national championship last year behind a great offense. This season, the Gators own the best defense (202 YPG, 6.4 PPG) and it's hard to imagine anybody putting up points on this unit. If there is a team that can explode, then look no further than Arkansas (451 YPG, 37 PPG). This matchup will be a nice measuring stick for the Gators' D considering Alabama held Arkansas to 7 at home on Sept. 26. Florida is 11-3 ATS as home favorites in the last three seasons.

Saturday - Virginia Tech at Georgia Tech (ESPN2, 6:00 p.m.)

We're still in October but this week's ACC showdown in Atlanta between No. 4 Virginia Tech (5-1 SU, 3-3 ATS) and No. 19 Georgia Tech (5-1 SU, 3-2 ATS) is huge contest for the Coastal Division. If the Hokies win on the road Saturday, the schedule is set up perfectly for a trip to the ACC Championship. A loss for the Yellow Jackets would all but eliminate the team from the title game, since they lost to Miami (33-17) on Sept. 17. Since that loss to the Hurricanes, G-Tech has ripped off three straight wins both SU and ATS behind some offensive fireworks as well. The attack has posted 38.3 PPG during this span. V-Tech has been suspected against the run (123 YPG) this year and GT is averaging a league-best 277 YPG on the ground. Last year, the Yellow Jackets outgained (387-247) the Hokies but lost the turnover battle (3-0), which led to a 20-17 setback. Frank Beamer and his troops are 4-1 SU and 3-2 ATS in their last five battles against GT, and that includes a pair of double-digit victories in Atlanta too. The Yellow Jackets are 4-2 ATS as underdogs under head coach Paul Johnson.

Saturday - South Carolina at Alabama (ESPN, 7:45 p.m.)

Steve Spurrier owns a 2-0 record in his only two battles against Nick Saban, which might give South Carolina (5-1 SU, 4-1 ATS) much needed confidence when it meets second-ranked Alabama (6-0 SU, 5-1 ATS) in Tuscaloosa. The Crimson Tide's defense is scary good and it showed in last week's 22-3 road win against Ole Miss. Alabama dominated from start to finish and it's fair to say that it hasn't been challenged by anybody all year. The Gamecocks are a tough team to gauge, since they've been up and down all year. The lone loss came by four points (41-37) to Georgia and three of their victories against quality opponents were by 4, 6 and 2. The first year (7-6 SU, 3-8-1 ATS) at Alabama under Saban wasn't great for gamblers but since then he owns an 18-2 SU and 14-6 ATS mark. The total in this game has been low in recent meetings (36, 38, 42) and the 'over' has gone 2-1 during this span. South Carolina is 2-1 SU and 3-0 ATS as an underdog this year. All six of Alabama's wins have come by double-digits and the lone ATS setback came in a 26-point victory (40-14) against Florida International in Week 2.

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Saturday's Top Games

Texas won three of last four games vs Oklahoma, holding Sooners to 48 rushing yards in 45-35 win LY. Longhorns are 5-0 with average win by 47-15- they've run kick/punt back for TD in last three games, but they did trail Colorado 14-10 at half last week. Sooners are 7-4 as an underdog this decade. Bradford is back under center, but is his shoulder close to 100% Underdogs are 5-2 vs spread in Big 12 games so far this season.

Boston College got crushed in both its road games, but is 3-0 at home vs I-A opponents, winning by 27-3-7 points. Eagles won three of four vs NC State, winning games here by 20 points each; State coach O'Brien was BC's coach for first two of those games. NC State covered 10 of last 13 as an underdog, but they allowed 110 points in their last three games.

Iowa won five of last seven games vs Wisconsin, winning two of its last three visits to Madison. Hawkeyes are 6-0, with three wins by three or less points- they held Badgers to 17 or less points in four of the last five meetings. Badgers outgained Ohio State 368-184 last week, held OSU to eight first downs, but still lost 31-13. Three of last four Wisconsin games went over the total.

Wake Forest lost last four visits to Clemson by 34-7-8-48 points, but Deacons are 4-2 this year, with both losses by FG; they scored 30-42 in last two games. Deacons are 18-8-1 as road dog under Grobe. Clemson lost three of last four games, scoring total of 17 second half points in last three. Tigers are 12-15 as a home favorite since 2004. Dogs are 11-5 vs spread in ACC games this season, 6-5 on road.

Minnesota is 6-2 as road dog under Brewster; they won both road games this year (Syracuse/Northwestern). Penn State is 0-4 as a home favorite this year, winning home games by 24-21-25 points. Underdogs covered last three series games, with Gophers surprising 4-2 SU in last six- weird thing is Minnesota was favored in four of last five series games. Big 11 favorites are just 5-9 this season, 5-5 at home.

Alabama outscored last four opponents 81-6 in first half, covering all of them; Tide is 6-4 in last 10 games as home favorite. South Carolina won last four games; their only loss was 41-37 at Georgia. Carolina is 10-4-1 as road dog under Spurrier, 2-0 this year. Gamecocks outscored their last four opponents 73-23 in second half. SEC home favorites are 3-8 vs the spread in conference games, with four SU upsets.

USC treated Notre Dame like a pinata the last seven years, scoring 34+ points in all seven, covering six of them, with only one of the wins by less than 20 points, but feeling is Trojans are more vulnerable now, with freshman QB. Notre Dame won last four games by combined total of 13 points. Trojan defense allowed 10 ppg in last four games; they're 3-6 in last nine games as road favorite. Irish is 5-6 as home dog since 2002.

Home side won last nine Cal-UCLA games; Bears lost last four visits to Rose Bowl by 9-7-3-39 points. Long bye week for Cal Bears after 42-3/ 30-3 losses to Oregon/USC that ruined Cal's season. Question is how do they bounce back? UCLA lost last two games by 8-14 points; Bruins are 11-3 in last 14 games as home dog, but they gave up three TDs early in third quarter vs Oregon last week, losing 24-10 after leading 3-0 at half.

Texas Tech won last three games vs Nebraska, 70-10/34-31/37-31; Tech is 3-5 in last eight games as road dog- they're 0-2 on road this year with a new QB, losing 34-24 at Texas, 29-28 at Houston. Big 12 home faves are 1-3 vs spread. Huskers won their three home games by combined score of 142-12; they're 6-4 as home favorite under Pelini. Average total in last four series games is 76.3.

Georgia Tech won three games in row since losing at Miami; they scored 91 points in last two games, running ball for 401 yards in 49-44 win last week at Florida State. Jackets ran ball for 278 yards LY vs Virginia Tech but lost 20-17 (+6.5) in Blacksburg. Hokies are 5-0 since losing opener 34-24 to Alabama on neutral field; they scored 31-34-48 points in ACC wins, and even passed ball for 217-206 yards the last two weeks.

Missouri, Oklahoma State are both 4-1; four of their last six series games were outright upsets. Cowboys are 17-8 as home fave since '02. Mizzou blew 12-0 4th quarter lead at home in rain to Nebraska last week- they're 6-4 as road dog since 2004. OSU receiver Bryant had NCAA hearing on Tuesday- they scored 36 points at Texas A&M without him. All four of Missouri's games this year went under; last three OSU games went over.

Stanford won five of last six meetings with Arizona, despite being dog in last four series games. Wildcats scored 37-33 points in Foles' first two college starts, both on road. Cardinal won three of last four games; they are 4-8 as road dogs under Harbaugh. Arizona is 4-2 in last six games as home favorite, after covering just three of their previous 17 in that role. Pac-10 home favorites are 4-3 vs spread this year.

Washington is 4-1 vs spread as underdog this year; they're 2-8 vs spread in last ten games as road underdog. Huskies lost last five games to ASU, with only one of the five losses by less than 11 points. Arizona State is 8-5 as home favorite under Erickson. U-dub's defense is getting tired; in last three games, they've allowed 34-37-33 points. If not for screwup by Arizona coaches last week, Washington would've lost last three games.

Other games

-- Ohio State won five of last six games vs Purdue, taking last two 16-3/ 23-7, but Buckeyes split last four visits here. State is 4-0 vs spread since the USC loss. Purdue lost last five games (1-3 vs spread in last four).

-- Ball State is 0-6 but covered three of last four games. Bowling Green allowed 42.7 ppg in last three games, but won 36-35 last week, thanks to 22 catches for 270+ receiving yards by Barnes. BG is 0-3 as a favorite.

-- Visitor won six of last eight Northwestern-Michigan State games, with Wildcats scoring 48-49 points in winning last two visits here. Spartans are 14-25 as home fave since '01. Wildcats covered last four as road dog.

-- Underdog covered last four Maryland-Virginia games; Cavaliers won last two meetings, 18-17/31-0. Virginia won last two games 16-3/47-7, after dreadful 0-3 start that included a loss to a I-AA team.

-- Iowa State scored 59 points in last two games but lost both by total of six points; Cyclones are 16-9 as home favorite this decade. Baylor has a freshman 3rd-string QB playing; they're 5-2 in last seven as road dog.

-- Ole Miss got roughed up by Alabama last week, tries UAB this week; Rebels are 5-2 in last seven tries as home favorite, but scored total of 36 points last three games. UAB covered three of last nine as a road dog.

-- Georgia won its last six visits to Vanderbilt by average score of 29-14, covering four of the six. Dawgs are just 3-3, gaining 274-241 yards last two weeks. Vandy lost to Army last week, is 7-11 as a home dog.

-- Kentucky is 0-3 in SEC, allowing 35.7 ppg, losing by 34-18-2 points. Auburn lost its first game last week, but has allowed average of 178 yds on ground last five games. Wildcats are 4-2 in last six as a road dog.

-- Temple won its last three games, scoring 28.3 ppg with a +9 turnover ratio. MAC favorites are 1-8 vs spread in non-league games, 0-4 at home Army upset Vanderbilt last week, is 5-2 in last seven as road dog.

-- Central Michigan won last five games, scoring 41.3 ppg in last three; they're 1-5-1 as road favorite under Jones. Western Michigan is 1-3 vs spread as dog this season; they're 2-10-1 as home dog since 2001.

-- Wyoming won last three games, scoring 32.3 ppg, converting 24-50 on third down; they're 4-11 as road dog since 2006. Air Force lost by three points each to Navy, TCU last two weeks; they're 4-1 as road favorite.

-- Miami OH is 0-6, with no losses by less than 10 points; they're 4-6 in last 10 games as road dog. Ohio scored a special teams TD in each of last three games; Bobcats are 4-2 as home favorites since 2006.

-- Nevada ran ball for 904 yards in winning its last two games after 0-3 start; they're 2-6 in last eight games as road favorite. Utah State is 3-1 as underdog this season; they're 8-11 in last 19 games as home dogs.

-- Marshall is 7-16 as road dog under Snyder, but they're improved 4-2 team so far this year, winning last two road games (Memphis/Tulane). West Virginia is 18-8-1 as a road favorite since 2002.

-- Houston won, covered last six games vs Tulane, winning last three in Superdome by 24-21-3 points; they're 0-3 as home dog this year, losing by 24-51-21 points. Dogs are 4-0 vs spread in Houston games this year.

-- Texas A&M allowed 47-36 points in losing last two games; this is the first true road game in '09 for Aggies, who are 3-0 as road faves since '06. Kansas State is 0-4 as a home underdog the last 2+ seasons.

-- East Carolina is 8-5 as home favorite since 2006. Rice is 0-6 this year, 1-5 vs spread, with every loss by 17+ points; they gave up 471 rushing yards in hideous 63-14 loss to Navy last week.

-- Buffalo is 1-4 vs D-I teams; they're 2-4 in last six games as favorite at home. Akron is 0-4 vs I-A teams this year, losing by 17-17-27-12 pts; they're 13-12-1 as a road underdog under Brookhart.

-- TCU is 5-0, has big game with BYU on deck after hard-fought win at Air Force last week. Horned Frogs won last five games vs Colorado St. by average score of 26-8. State is 0-4 as a road dog under Fairchild.

-- New Mexico State lost three of four to Louisiana Tech, losing last two visits to Ruston, 22-21/34-14. Aggies are 10-18 as road dog since 2004. Bulldogs are 2-3 as home favorites under Dooley.

-- Eastern Michigan is 0-5, with only one loss by less than 12 pts; they were outscored 114-26 in first half this year, are 3-7 as a home dog since 2006. Kent State is 1-4 vs D-I teams, beating only winless Miami, O.

-- 5-1 Idaho becomes bowl eligible with win here; Vandals won last four games, scoring 32 ppg, but this is first time they're favored in '09. Idaho is 0-5 vs Hawai'i, and hasn't come within 24 points of the Warriors.

-- BYU is 10-7 as road favorite under Mendenhall; they've won seven of last eight vs San Diego State, covering four of their last five visits here. Aztecs are 9-6 vs spread in last 15 games as home dog.

-- Illinois has major QB issues, completing 44-94 passes last three games all losses, by 30-18-10 points. Indiana was down 30-0 to Virginia at half last week. Illini are 3-6 as a road favorite since 2002.

-- Memphis won four of last five games vs Southern Miss, with all four wins by six or less points. Southern Miss lost last three games, allowing 30 ppg, and is dealing with death of walk-on punter who died in hunting accident last week.

-- Average total in Toledo's five games (other than the Ohio State game) this year is 79.6. Northern Illinois covered both its road games, winning 28-21 at Purdue (+12), losing 28-20 at Wisconsin (+16).

-- Louisville lost three of last four games, allowing 29.8 ppg; Cardinals have only two takeaways in last three games, allowed last three foes to gain 400+ yards. UConn is 14-9-1 in last 24 games as home favorite.

-- Colorado led 14-10 at half in Austin last week, lost 38-14, then coach benched his QB, who is also his son. Buffs are 5-7 in last 12 games as a home dog. Kansas is 5-0, but allowed 28-36 points last two games.

-- Central Florida covered its last four games, beating Buffalo, Memphis at home, but this is major step up in competition, vs Miami team that has Clemson on deck. C-USA home dogs are 2-5 against the spread.

-- Expect to see backup QB Brantley some as Florida tries to get Tebow past concussion issues; Gators have given up just 9.8 ppg in four games vs I-A foes. Arkansas scored 41+ in three of its four I-A games.

-- Classic pass/run matchup; Navy racked up 471 rushing yards in 63-14 win at Rice last week; only teams to beat 4-2 Middies are Ohio St/Pitt. Improved SMU is 3-2, but allowed 405 rushing yards in last two games.

-- UNLV shows signs of tanking, allowing 122 points, 850 yards on the ground last two games; they were outscored 77-21 in second half. Utah is 7-9 as road favorite under Whittingham, 0-2 this season.

-- Fresno State is 11-1 in last dozen games vs San Jose State; favorites covered last six in series. Spartans are 0-4 vs I-A teams this year, losing by 53-10-25-4 points. Bulldogs lost three of four vs I-A opponents.

-- UL-Lafayette needed four takeaways to beat North Texas 38-34 last week; Cauns covered three of last four as road favorite. WKU is 0-5 this year, losing 35-13 to South Florida (+24), 37-20 to FIU (+5) at home.

-- Troy had ESPN win last week, now hits road to face FIU squad that scored 31-35-37 points last three games, but is still just 1-4. Troy beat FIU the last four years by 5-13-18-10 points (1-3 vs spread).

-- North Texas lost last four games, allowing 39.8 ppg, with all four tilts going over total. Florida Atlantic is 0-4, losing its last two games by two points each. Sun Belt home teams are 3-5 against the spread this year.

-- Mississippi State lost non-SEC games to Ga Tech/Houston last two weeks, now visits Middle Tennessee squad that won three of last four games, including win at Maryland. SEC road favorites are 4-2 vs spread in non-conference games.

Public Enemies - Week 7
By Kevin Rogers

Conference races are heating up around college football, as many teams' identities are getting figured out. Several teams that made headlines last week are road underdogs this week. Will these clubs cash, or fall apart after a strong performance?

Louisville at Connecticut (-13) - 12:00 PM EST

The Cardinals pulled off their first win over an FBS opponent last week by upending Southern Miss, 25-23. Louisville, despite a 2-3 record, has played only one conference game so far, falling to Pittsburgh. UConn has covered all five of their games, but come in 3-2 SU. In the Huskies' two losses, they have been outgained in total yards. In UConn's three victories, they have outgained the opposition.

The Huskies blew a late 21-6 lead in last week's 24-21 at Pitt, and VI capper Joe Nelson feels there could be a carryover effect this week. "Connecticut is still a perfect ATS team, but the schedule has been fairly weak and Louisville has been reasonably competitive in most games this year. Connecticut struggled with tackling the big backs for Pittsburgh last week and coming off a tough loss could take a toll here," says Nelson.

UConn sophomore QB Cody Endres has stepped up for the injured Zack Fraser. Endres has thrown three touchdowns in three starts for the Huskies, while completing at least 72% of his passes the last two games.

Adam Froman's numbers haven't compared to the stats Endres is putting up, but the Louisville backup QB did lead the Cardinals to a game-winning field goal in the final minute over Southern Miss.

The Cardinals are 0-6 ATS their last six games against Big East opponents, while going 1-4 ATS the last five meetings against UConn.

Iowa at Wisconsin (-2 ½, 48) - 12:00 PM EST

The Hawkeyes continue to win, after holding off Michigan last week, 30-28. Iowa is unbeaten at 6-0, while Wisconsin is coming off its first loss of the season at Ohio State.

The Badgers outgained the Buckeyes 368-184, while picking up 14 more first downs than Ohio State. Nelson says, "Sharp money appears to be on the Badgers this week and Wisconsin certainly deserved better in last week's loss to Ohio State as they moved the ball very effectively and dominated the time of possession. Iowa is the lone undefeated hope for the Big Ten but there have been a lot of breaks going Iowa's way this season."

Iowa has won at Penn State already this season, but the Hawkeyes did cause four Nittany Lion turnovers in a 21-10 victory. Kirk Ferentz's team has owned this matchup recently, covering six of the last seven meetings, including five SU wins. Nelson believes that Ricky Stanzi and Iowa have the advantage, "The experience edge at QB lies with the Hawkeyes and Iowa has also proven to be a much better fourth quarter team as Wisconsin has given up a lot of late points and could struggle to close out the win. Both teams are probably overrated, but Wisconsin is much less attractive in this match-up now that they are favorites."

Arkansas at Florida (-25) - 3:30 PM EST

It's homecoming in Gainesville, as the top-ranked Gators are fresh off a 13-3 victory at Baton Rouge over LSU. The Razorbacks are making people notice them after their drilling of Auburn last week. Arkansas possesses the best offense to face Florida this season. The Hogs tallied nearly 500 yards in the win over the Tigers, while forcing three turnovers.

Except for a 31-point first quarter at Kentucky, the Gators have scored 46 points in 11 quarters against conference opponents this season. Arkansas' two losses have come against Georgia and Alabama, allowing 87 points in those games. However, the Hogs have eclipsed the 40-point mark in four of five games.

Nelson notes UF's susceptibility to the home upset, "Florida has lost a home game each of the last two years and with some of the recent distractions and the homecoming attention this could be problematic situation. Still, Florida is 11-3 as a home favorite the last three years and the Arkansas defense has some clear liabilities in a match-up like this."

The Razorbacks have no doubt been impressive offensively, as Nelson feels this is a good spot for Arkansas to become relevant again, "Bobby Petrino will relish an opportunity back on the national stage and his offense posted 361 yards against the national champions last year. QB Ryan Mallet has nearly double the yards and touchdowns that Tim Tebow has, so Arkansas is likely to score some points and could be an underdog worth a look."

The Gators have won each of the last seven meetings with the Razorbacks dating back to 1995, while covering each game.

vegasinsider.com

College Football Top 25 Cheat Sheet: Week 7
By MATT SEVERANCE

Arkansas at No. 1 Florida (-24.5, 56.5)

Will the Hogs catch Florida in a letdown from the big LSU win? UF coach Urban Meyer has said that Arkansas is playing better than LSU right now. Indeed, the Razorbacks are No. 1 in the SEC in passing and average more yards through the air than LSU does overall.

Can Florida and Tim Tebow take advantage of a Hogs’ pass defense, ranked last in the SEC? Florida’s pass game hasn’t been a strength. Meyer has warned his players this isn’t the same Arkansas team that the Gators beat 38-7 last season.

No. 18 Oklahoma vs. No. 2 Texas (-3, 51)

It appears that Sooners WR Ryan Broyles will return this week after sitting out most of the past two weeks with a fractured shoulder blade. The OU receivers struggled without Broyles against Baylor last week, combining for 11 dropped passes, including three in the Baylor end zone.

The Longhorns would seem to have the edge in special teams. D.J. Monroe has returned two kickoffs for TDs, while Jordan Shipley has returned two punts for scores. OU hasn’t given up a return TD yet, however. Horns RBs Tre' Newton (mild concussion) and Vondrell McGee (left shoulder) are in question.

No. 22 South Carolina at No. 3 Alabama (-17, 46.5)

Good news for Gamecocks: They have not allowed an opposing back to rush for 100 yards this season. Bad news: South Carolina State put up 170 on the ground two weeks ago and Kentucky added 205 last week. USC has only won once at Alabama in its history.

Alabama’s ground game is among the best in the country, with tailback Mark Ingram averaging 156 yards in the past two games. He is one of three backs nationally with a rushing average of 100 yards or more and at least 10 touchdowns.

No. 4 Virginia Tech at No. 20 Georgia Tech (+3, 51.5)

Virginia Tech has won four of its last six road games when the home team is ranked in the AP Top 25 and is 17-4 in road games all-time. The Hokies are 4-1 vs. Georgia Tech since they joined the ACC.

The Jackets’ option might open up big-play possibilities through the air. Virginia Tech's defense has been susceptible to long gains, allowing 22 plays of 20 yards or more. Jackets WR Demaryius Thomas has 11 receptions for 20 yards or more this season, including four for 50 yards or more

No. 5 Southern Cal at No. 25 Notre Dame (+10, 49)

One of USC’s issues has been a weak group of receivers outside of Damian Williams, who has 24 catches. The other three receivers who have seen time have 14 total catches. Thus, the return of starting WR Ronald Johnson from a broken collarbone could be huge for Matt Barkley.

The Irish are due, having lost seven straight to USC, six of those by 20 or more points. For the first time in years, Notre Dame has the edge at QB in the series with Jimmy Clausen (179.3 rating, 12 TDs). The Irish are the smallest underdogs they have been against USC with Charlie Weis as coach.

No. 7 Ohio State at Purdue (+13.5, 48)

The Buckeyes go for a Big Ten record-tying 17th straight conference road win. Purdue, which has lost 19 straight to ranked opponents, might be the perfect tonic for a struggling OSU offense as the Boilermakers allow more than 30 points per game.

Purdue gets a shorthanded Buckeye team as both starting RB Dan Herron and DT Dexter Larimore are out for OSU. Look for the Boilermakers make Terrelle Pryor beat them through the air, as Ohio State ranks 108th in the nation in passing.

Colorado State at No. 8 Texas Christian (-22, 49.5)

The Rams haven’t won at a ranked team since 1998. But they did lose just 13-7 at home to TCU last year, which included two dropped TD passes for CSU. Air Force ran for 229 yards last week against TCU, giving Colorado State hope it can find gaps in that defense with Leonard Mason.

TCU is one of the most dominant home teams in the land. In their last 17 home games, the Frogs have outscored their opponents 643-160 (an average margin of 38-9). In their two home games this season, the Frogs have allowed a total of 14 yards rushing on 42 attempts.

No. 11 Miami at Central Florida (+14, 47)

The Canes will be shorthanded for this one. Starting end Eric Moncur won’t play Saturday, and he’s just the latest of several players out on the D-Line. In addition, UM safety Randy Phillips is likely out.

UCF had a bye week to prepare and hung close with Miami last year, losing 20-14. But the Knights are 0-19 against Top 25 foes since joining I-A and just 2-40 against teams from BCS conferences.

No. 12 Iowa at Wisconsin (-2.5, 48)

The Hawkeye offense is near the bottom of the Big Ten, but the defense leads the conference with 20 takeaways including 12 interceptions. Iowa is living dangerously, winning three of its six games by a total of six points.

Badgers coach Bret Bielema's record against ranked teams is 3-7, including 1-6 in Big Ten play. But if the UW defense plays like it did in limiting Ohio State to eight first downs last week, Wisconsin, which is 34-3 in its past 37 at home, will be in great shape.

Minnesota at No. 13 Penn State (-17.5, 50)

Hard to figure how the Gophers are 2-1 in the Big Ten, as they are last in the conference in offense and ninth in defense. Here’s why: The Gophers are the only Big Ten team ranking in the top four in every major special-teams category (kick and punt returns and coverage).

Penn State has the Big Ten’s best offense (by yards) and the defense, which is Top 10 nationally, should have its best player back as well, as LB Sean Lee practiced this week after missing the past three games with a sprained left knee.

No. 24 Missouri at No. 14 Oklahoma State (-7, 57)

Mizzou had a few extra days to prepare off that loss in the rain against Nebraska Thursday night when the Tigers gave up 27 fourth-quarter points. That weather made it tough to determine how good the Tigers are on both sides of the ball. Missouri has won its past four in Stillwater.

It looks like the Cowboys, who won in Missouri last year, will be without two of their biggest stars on offense with WR Dez Bryant still suspended indefinitely and RB Kendall Hunter still hobbled with an injury. Hunter had a big game in the 28-23 win over the Tigers in 2008.

No. 15 Kansas at Colorado (+10, 56.5)

This could be a trap game for the Jayhawks with Oklahoma visiting Lawrence next week. KU has won four in a row in the series and QB Todd Reesing (315.8 passing ypg) should do well against a CU defense that’s second to last in the Big 12.

The 1-4 Buffs are making a change at QB. Out is three-year starter Cody Hawkins, the coach’s son, and in is sophomore Tyler Hansen, who is a bigger threat to run than Hawkins. The Buffs figure to pound the ball against a suspect KU run defense.

Texas Tech at No. 17 Nebraska (-10.5, 61.5)

Who will the high-flying Red Raiders start at QB? As of this writing, coach Mike Leach hadn’t decided between Taylor Potts, who led the nation in passing the first four weeks but then got hurt, or Steven Sheffield, who threw seven TDs last week and is completing better than 75 percent of this throws. TTU hasn’t lost to the Huskers since 2001.

The Nebraska defense should be tested, but that unit ranks No. 2 nationally in scoring defense, No. 13 in total defense and No. 1 in the Big 12 in passing defense. No opponent has scored on Nebraska this season following a Husker turnover.

No. 19 BYU at San Diego State (+17, 55.5)

The Cougars are rolling again, putting up a season-high 59 points last week. Under coach Bronco Mendenhall, BYU is 37-4 when leading at halftime and 35-1 when taking a lead into the fourth quarter. A win Saturday would be the 500th in the program’s history.

SDSU has dropped 21 in a row against ranked opponents. The Aztecs have lost seven of eight in this series and in the losses, SDSU has given up an average of 46 points.

No. 23 Houston at Tulane (+17, 65.5)

The Cougars have won six in a row in this series by an average of 22.5 points. Houston leads the nation in total offense, while Tulane’s total defense is ranked at 89th in the country and allowing nearly 400 yards a game.

The Green Wave defense, while ranking low overall, has been solid against the pass. Tulane is the only C-USA team allowing fewer than 200 yards per game through the air. Coach Bob Toledo plans to run the ball and keep it away from Houston’s offense.

CFB Streaks & Notes
By SportsPic

Texas vs. Oklahoma

The Red River Rivalry one of the nation's oldest and most recognized rivalries promises to be a brawl with two of the Nations top defenses on the field.

Sooners are surrendering just 8.4 PPG on 256.0 total yards while Longhorn give up 233.0 yards and 15.0 points. Drawing headlines on the offensive end, the third matchup between Sam Bradford and Colt McCoy.

Bradford returned to action last week looking sharp leading Oklahoma to a 33-7 pounding of Baylor. Bradford was 28-of-39 for 387 yards, 5 TD's, 2 Picks in last years 45-35 loss to the Longhorns, 21-of-32 for 244 yards, 3 TD in Sooners 28-21 2007 victory.

McCoy leading the nation with a 73.4% completion rate, 10 TD's is off a 32-of-39 showing leading his squad past Colorado 38-14. The previous matchups saw McCoy go 28-of-35 for 277 yards, 1 TD in 2008, 19-of-26 for 324 yards 2 TD, 1 Pick in the '07 loss.

Spread-wise, the teams have split the cash the past 10 meetings but it is well to note Longhorn backers have grabbed the loot in each of the past four encounters.

Sooners have not faired well the past five on neutral sites going 1-4 ATS while Longhorns are 7-2 ATS it's last nine at a neutral venue. Longhorns pegged as 3.5 point favorites are 5-2 ATS laying four or less points, Sooners 9-3 ATS taking four or less.

Ohio State at Purdue

Boilermakers off a 35-20 loss at Minnesota, they're 5th in-a-row (2-3 ATS) look to be headed for a 6th defeat. Boilermakers struggling on the offensive end managing 20.7 PPG L3 will be hard pressed against Buckeyes 'D' surrendering 12.0 PPG on the season and a miniscule 9.0 L3 on the field. Boilermakers 1-5 L6 meetings scoring >14 only once over the span won't keep it close enough to cover. Consider these trends: Buckeyes are 9-1 ATS as a road favorite, 25-8 ATS within conference, 8-1 ATS in road games against conference foes, 10-3 ATS in October.

Texas Tech at Nebraska

Nebraska has dropped three straight to Red Raiders after winning six of the previous encounters. Nebraska's improved 'D' (162.2 PY, 110.4 RY, 8.0 PPG) will be tested. Red Raiders QB Steven Sheffield taking over for Taylor Potts has been rock solid going 49-of-64 for 728 yds 10 TD's 2 Pick. However Husker's have the ability to turn up the heat on opposing QB's and should do a number against Red Raiders make-shift offensive line. Dropping a stunner in Lubbock last year (37-31 OT) and getting humiliated 70-10 at Texas Tech back in '04 the Husker's return the favor. Nebraska is a profitable 5-0 ATS TY, 18-3-1 ATS vs a winning team at home

Alabama hosts Gamecocks
By AllStar.com

Last season Alabama was ranked number one for a good portion of the college football season but fell short in their bid for a National Championship, losing to eventual champion Florida in the SEC Championship game.

This season Alabama is ranked No. 2, but again on a collision course to face the Florida Gators in the SEC Championship game. Head Coach Nick Saban won’t waste time talking about the future and instead insists Alabama needs to take care of business one day at a time.

The next test for the second-ranked Crimson Tide is Saturday night’s matchup against visiting No. 22 South Carolina. Alabama (6-0, 3-0 SEC) is coming off a big road win against Mississippi, in which the Crimson Tide crushed the Rebels 22-3. Alabama forced Ole Miss Quarterback Jevan Snead to throw four interceptions and held Ole Miss to 72 rushing yards.

On the offensive side sophomore running back Mark Ingram, had a career-best 172 yards and scored the game’s only touchdown on a 36-yard run with 55 seconds left before halftime. Leigh Tiffin added a career-high five field goals. This was the most complete win we’ve had all year, in a difficult situation,” Coach Nick Saban said. “It’s like climbing a mountain. The higher you go the more treacherous it gets.”

With the win over Ole Miss and LSU’s loss to Florida and Auburn’s loss to Arkansas, Alabama took sole possession of the SEC West. Alabama is now where they had hoped they would be, setting up for the conference championship game Dec. 5 in Atlanta with a BCS title bid on the line.

Last season, Saban led the Crimson Tide to their first undefeated regular season since 1994. Heading into the SEC title game with the No. 1 ranking, the Tide fell 31-20 to then-No. 2 Florida as the Gators went on to claim the national title.

Alabama followed with a 31-17 loss to undefeated Utah in the Sugar Bowl.

“Can we stay focused on doing the things that we need to do to improve, to be as good as we can be?” Saban asked. “We cannot get complacent because that is the key to the drill. The passion to want to do it, the passion to stay with it, the passion to continue to go through the grind, and there are numerous teams every week that have a difficult time with that and don’t play well.”

Speaking of Florida, one of the most hated men in the history of Alabama’s football program as far as the fans are concerned is former Gator’s coach Steve Spurrier. Spurrier remembers the days when he used to stir the pot, but that was when he had the talent to match up against the Crimson Tide.

This Saturday Alabama is the heavy favorite and will have to stop a South Carolina team that’s searching for its fifth straight victory, which would tie the longest single-season run in Steve Spurrier’s four-plus seasons at the school.

Spurrier has faced the Crimson Tide once with South Carolina, a 37-14 home loss on Sept. 17, 2005. Alabama leads the series 11-2, including an 8-1 mark in its home state. The Gamecocks’ only win in Alabama was 20-3, on Oct. 2, 2004.

“We’re certainly not going to be favored at Alabama,” Spurrier said. “But we’ll have a plan in place.”

South Carolina has played the spoiler in the past. They knocked of #4 Ole Miss 16-10 on Sept. 24, which snapped a 28-year drought against Top 5 teams.

The key to South Carolina’s win over Mississippi was their defense. The Gamecocks held the Rebels to three points in the first 45 minutes while their offense scored 10 in the third quarter to help them pull away.

“We’re a team that hopes we get it in a close game,” Spurrier said. “It seems like every one of our games has been very close, at halftime anyway. And then we’ve played pretty decently the second half of most of them. So we’ll hope that game follows that script right there.”

South Carolina will face Alabama’s 17th-ranked offense (444.7 yards per game). The Crimson Tide also has the nation’s No. 2 defense (220.5 yards) and are eighth nationally in allowing 12.5 points per game.

“I think they’re just going to come play their defense and come have a go at us and see what we can do,” Spurrier said.

Betting Trends:
South Carolina is 13-6 ATS in their last 19 road games
Alabama is 7-1 ATS in their last eight SEC games
Alabama is 4-0 ATS in their last four games
The OVER is 4-1 in Alabama’s last five home games

NCAA Rivalry Games

Does any sports do “rivalry” games better than college football…the Red Sox and Yankees might have a say, and Duke-North Carolina in college hoops…but there is something magical about these big rivalry games in the fall that, to me, anyway, supersede the others.

A prime example is on display this weekend at the Cotton Bowl in Dallas, when the 2009 edition of the Red River Rivalry kicks off.

The No. 3 Texas Longhorns take on the No. 20 Oklahoma Sooners this Saturday in what is still a game with National Title implications.

Online sportsbooks have installed the ‘Horns as field goal favorites, with the Over/Under set at 51.5.

These two have been at it forever, with Texas boasting 58-40-5 edge overall, and they are 45-36-4 since 1914 when the game venue switched to Dallas.

Betting Trends:

The two are much more evenly matched in the last 13 games however with Texas going 6-7 SU and 7-6 ATS.

In the Longhorns’ last eight games when favored by 4-points or less, they are 6-2 SU and 5-2-1 ATS and in their nine with the same range, they have produced 7 Overs and 2 Unders.

Oklahoma has thrived when +4 or less going 8-3 SU and 8-3 ATS in their last 11 in that situation

And here’s another interesting stat: Since 2000, the winner of the Red River Rivalry game has gone on to participate in the BCS championship game four times (2000, 2003, 2004 and 2005).

And last year, Texas won the rivalry game but Oklahoma went on to play in the BCS title game.

Sportsbook SPORTSBETTING.com currently has the Longhorns are listed at +400 to win this year’s national championship.

Another rivalry game this weekend, although certainly not on the historical scale of the Red River, is between the Notre Dame Fighting Irish and the USC Trojans. After a cooling off period due to the Trojans dominance, this year’s matchup has some real heat around it.

The two meet in South Bend on Saturday and the Trojans are 10-point faves with an Over/Under of 48.5.

While ND leads the all-time series 42-33-5, it is the Trojans who have the edge recently, going 7-1 SU and 6-2 ATS in the last eight meetings between the two.

In the last 11 games as an underdog of 8-points or more, the Irish have not been lucky at all going 1-10 SU and 3-8 ATS.

But this year, the anticipation on campus in South Bend is off the charts, as Jimmy Clausen and the Irish have a legitimate shot at the upset win.

Should be a great weekend of college betting action.

Bettors like Texas, USC
By Sportsbook.com

Bettors like Longhorns in rivalry

Longstanding rivalries top the schedule but none are bigger than the Red River Rivalry between Texas and Oklahoma.

With the winner again taking command of the Big 12 South and each team looking to earn a BCS bid, the meeting at the Cotton Bowl is always classic.

The #2 Texas Longhorns are the favorite on Saturday, but by only 3-points. Bettors don’t think that’s enough, as 80% of them at Sportsbook.com have been willing to lay the points at last check.

For Oklahoma (3-2, 2-3 ATS), it has been a tough go in 2009. Having to play without its Heisman Trophy quarterback for most of the season, potential All-American tight end and recently losing its best receiver.

Despite the problems, the Sooners still control their own destiny with a win over archrival Texas. Like most coaches, Bob Stoops doesn’t worry about whose not there, instead trying to get the most out of who is.

Quarterback Sam Bradford played last week in Baylor, a 33-7 win. He is having to play without TE Jermaine Gresham for the season and WR Ryan Broyles is questionable.

Another factor in this equation is a defense lacking in big stops. In spite of nine starters returning and No.9 ranking, the Oklahoma defense did not make an important shutdown in their losses to BYU or Miami. The Sooners are 1-3 in the last four meetings vs. Texas and haven’t covered since 2004.

As Texas (5-0, 1-4 ATS) found out last season, beating Oklahoma isn’t enough to make the BCS Championship and they have to keep focused with road games at Missouri and Oklahoma State up next.

QB Colt McCoy hasn’t been quite the quarterback he was a season ago, but is still having a very good 2009 campaign. He’s been helped by a running back by committee this season, as coach Mack Brown has gone with the hot hand and kept feeding the ball to that back.

What might make the difference for the Longhorns this season is the defense (No.4 overall). The defensive line was hit by graduation, nonetheless defensive coordinator Will Muschamp has pleaded with his team about the importance of seizing the momentum with key stops and turnovers and its paid dividends. Texas is 5-12 ATS vs. ranked teams on neutral fields.

The underdog is 14-7 ATS since 1988, with the margin of victory 10 or more points in 10 of last 11 battles. The Longhorns are 6-18 ATS away from home after five or more consecutive straight up wins. The Sooners are 8-1 ATS after a game with a turnover margin of +2 or better over the last two seasons. Oklahoma is 6-2 ATS as road underdog under coach Stoops. Is there upset in the making?

Trojans to continue dominance?

There is a long and rich history in the head-to-head series between Notre Dame & USC, and it will renew on Saturday in South Bend.

It is a huge game for the Irish, who have a chance to post the biggest signature win in the Charlie Weis era.

Snapping their winless bowl skid last December, is this the time they finally make themselves relevant again on the national football stage? Oddsmakers at Sportsbook.com don’t seem to think so, setting up USC as the 11-point road favorite.

Forget all the come-from-behind wins, forget the 4-1 record and forget Jimmy Clausen Heisman talk. For Notre Dame followers and detractors, this is the benchmark game of the season; the Fighting Irish have a BCS bowl offense and an International Bowl defense.

Notre Dame (1-4 ATS) has lost seven in a row to USC (1-6 ATS) and six of those games, the Trojans margin of victory has been an eye-opening 31 points per game. Charley Weis and his team feel this team is different, having a potential All-American quarterback and an offense that keeps overcoming the defenses’ flaws.

The two biggest factors for Notre Dame will be keeping Clausen in vertical position and the ability of Irish defenders to keep USC out of the end zone. Notre Dame is 11-27 ATS having won four out of their last five games.

If the California game is precursor of USC’s true abilities, watch out. The Trojans (4-1, 2-3 ATS) defense tamed the Bears like a zoo keeper and now has similar numbers to last year’s unbelievable group.

USC QB Matt Barkley was productive against Cal and won’t be intimidated at South Bend, having played at Columbus and at Berkeley already. Pete Carroll is pleased to report injured players like wide receiver Ronald Johnson should be back, which can open up the Trojan playbook. The Men of Troy are 39-7 and 29-17 ATS in non-conference action.

The Trojans are 14-3 ATS with two or more weeks of preparation and figure to be in good shape wanting to continue domination. 58% of bettors agree that is the right side of the game to be on, according to the Betting Trends page at Sportsbook.com.

Game of the day: Oklahoma vs. Texas
By Marc Lawrence

College football’s marquee kicks off at 12:00 p.m. ET in Dallas when No. 2 Texas (5-0, 2-0) tackles No. 18 Oklahoma (3-2, 1-0) at the Cotton Bowl in Dallas.

The Longhorns opened a 1-point favorite and have been bet up to -3 with the total at 52 points.

Weather update

Warm temperatures in the mid to upper 60’s, under partly cloudy skies, are expected at kickoff. Northeast winds around 5 mph with a 10 percent chance of rain.

Setting the table

The series dates back to the turn of the 20th century, though the Red River Rivalry officially began in 1929, the first year the game was played at the Cotton Bowl in Dallas. Staged at the Cotton Bowl as part of the Texas State Fair, the showdown splits the seating equally and is one of college football's greatest traditions.

Last year’s 45-35 come-from-behind win by Texas wasn’t enough to earn the Longhorns a spot in the Big 12 championship game, despite finishing in a three-way tie for the top-spot with Oklahoma and Texas Tech in the Big 12 South Division.

A controversy sent the Sooners to the title game. The three-way tie was decided by the BCS standings, with the Sooners holding a slight lead. An eventual win by Oklahoma over Missouri in the championship game sent the Sooners to the BCS title game, leaving the Longhorns anxious to atone for the decision rendered by the Big 12 brass.

Hence, while the revenge is Oklahoma’s, the incentive Texas brings to the game is strong.

Tale of the tape

Led by 2008 Heisman runner-up QB Colt McCoy, the Longhorns lead the nation in scoring averaging 47.2 PPG. They have scored 34 or more points in every game this season, and 30 or more in 19 of their last 20 regular season contests.

In addition the Texas rush defense ranks No. 2 in the land, surrendering 46 RYPG.

McCoy has tossed for 11,142 yards and 95 touchdowns in his career with Texas, good for a passer rating of 149.15.

Injured tailbacks Vondrell McGee and Tre Newton are expected to be game time decisions. The ailments to Texas’ top backs could leave the Longhorns to turn to Fozzy Whittaker and Cody Johnson.

The Sooners welcomed QB Sam Bradford back to the lineup last week, after missing time with a shoulder injury. Last year’s Heisman winner lit up the Baylor secondary with 389 passing yards and a TD en route to a 33-7 victory.

Bradford owns 8,326 passing yards and 88 touchdowns, with a 133.87 passer rating, with Oklahoma.

In a disappointing two-loss season (both defeats by one point each), Oklahoma’s strength has been its defense. It ranks No. 8 overall, allowing 256 YPG and No. 2 in scoring, surrendering 8.4 PPG. The Sooners defense is anchored by its stop-unit, allowing 54 YYPG.

Defense could win this matchup, especially since the Longhorns and Sooners rank 1-2 in the Big 12 in that category.

Why Texas wins this game

Incentive from being dissed by Big 12 and BCS officials last season finds this game circled in red ink on Mack Brown’s schedule.

UT’s only loss in its last 19 games was perhaps the most-watched game of the 2008 season, the dramatic last-minute defeat at Texas Tech.

Brown is 71-16 SU and 52-33-2 ATS in his head coaching career against sub-.666 opposition, including 3-0 SU and ATS on neutral fields.

Why Oklahoma wins this game

Urgency tends to bring the best out of good teams and the Sooners are a team that cannot afford another loss if they hope to secure a seventh BCS-bowl berth in the last eight years.

"Everyone makes such a big deal about just this game, but in the end, the objective is to win championships, so that's what matters. If we win this game, but won't win the Big 12 championship game, there isn't anyone patting us on the back,” commented OU coach Bob Stoops, on the importance winning out.

Stoops is 16-3 SU in his career at OU when his team owns a win percentage of less than .666 on the season.

With Bradford back in the lineup he will be anxious to atone for last year’s loss to the Longhorns. If WR Ryan Broyles is able to return from a shoulder injury, he gives Bradford a big target. Broyles was able to practice early this week.

Historically speaking

The higher ranked team has lost only 14 of last 61 games in this series.

OU leads the rivalry 7-6 since the formation of the Big 12 in 1996. Stoops is 6-4 against Brown, winning five straight from 2000 to 2004. Texas has won three of the last four contests.

Brown is 101-18 SU and 64-54-1 ATS as a conference favorite. Stoops is 7-5 SU and 8-4 ATS as a conference dog.

What Bettors Need to Know: USC at Notre Dame
By DAVID JONES

It is one of college football's greatest rivalries but there has been very little competition in the series since Pete Carroll rebuilt the USC program. A Southern California native could help the Irish finally get back into the victory column against the Trojans Saturday.

USC

The Trojans (4-1, 2-3 ATS) have regained their swagger after dismantling California two weeks ago. The offense is still a work in progress with freshman QB Matt Barkley directing the attack.

The Trojans did open up the passing game against Cal as Barkley passed for a career-high 283 yards.

"I think (the coaches) have had that faith the whole time, but they've decided to open up the playbook now," said Barkley. "I'm confident that the coaches believe in me, and they do. We'll open up the playbook when we need to."

Junior running back Joe McKnight (7.1 yards per carry, 6 TD runs) will be counted on take some of the pressure off of Barkley.

Despite some significant personnel losses from last season, the USC defense hasn't suffered any drop-off. The Trojans are in the top 6 nationally in total, scoring and rushing defense. With an NCAA best 4.2 sacks per game, USC will seek to disrupt the potent Notre Dame air attack.

Notre Dame

The Irish (4-1, 1-4 ATS) haven't reached the end zone against USC since 2006 and have been outscored 76-3 in the last two years. Embattled Notre Dame head coach Charlie Weis feels that his club has a lot more confidence in 2009.

"I'd say this is probably the first time since I've been here where the players really believe they're going to win," Weis said. "They might be in the minority but they certainly believe that."

The offensive dry spell should end Saturday. Junior quarterback Jimmy Clausen is leading the nation in passing efficiency heading into the matchup. The Southern California native has been eagerly awaiting another chance to face the Trojans after being humbled in his homecoming to Los Angeles a year ago.

Clausen completed 11-of-22 passes for just 41 yards with a pair of interceptions in last season's 38-3 defeat. Wideout Golden Tate is Clausen's favorite target but homerun threat Michael Floyd (5 TD receptions) will miss his third straight game due to a collar bone injury.

The main difference between the two squads is on the defensive side of the football. Notre Dame's stop unit is 100th in the country in total defense and is 110th in passing defense. Senior safety Kyle McCarthy is a big play specialist for the Irish defense. He leads the unit in interceptions and tackles.

Trends

USC has won the last seven meetings in the series. Five of the victories have been by more than 30 points. Notre Dame leads the all-time series with a record 42-33-5 (23-12-1 in South Bend). The Trojans are 21-7-1 to the under in their last 29 games.

Weather

The forecast calls for partly cloudy skies with a high of 49 degrees in South Bend, IN.

Game of the Night: South Carolina at Alabama
By Nick Parsons

Line movement

Alabama opened up as a 17-point favorite. That line went as high as 18.5 but seems to have settled on 17.5. The O/U line opened at 44.5 and went as high as 46 and has since settled back down at 44.5.

Weather update

Temperatures will hold around 45 for most of the day. Mostly sunny with some clouds with 10 to 15 MPH winds from the northwest. Cloudy in the evening with temperatures around 40. Winds will be 10 MPH from the northwest.

The Gamecocks

South Carolina's secondary is its backbone. It’s allowing an average of only 151 yards through the air per game. To have a shot at winning this game outright, South Carolina will have to limit Alabama to FG's once it’s inside the redzone.

Stephen Garcia has given his team stability at the QB position(9 TDs, 3 INTs, 61.2% CP). In fact, Garcia is the most mobile QB Alabama has faced since VT’s Tyrod Taylor.

The offensive line has improved but it’s still given up 15 sacks (2.5 per – 93rd in nation).

The Crimson Tide

Alabama has struggled offensively of late. The Tide had five trips inside the Ole Miss 20-yard line last week and failed every time to punch it in for a touchdown. The Tide ranks 10th in the SEC in red zone touchdown rankings with a success rate of 45.45 percent (15-of-33).

LB Jerrell Harris is back from suspension so Alabama's defense, which allowed Ole Miss only 19 yards and one first down in the first half, is going to get even better.

Kickoff coverage has been suspect for the Tide, which ranks ninth in the SEC in kickoff coverage with a 39.3-yard net average.

Notable Quotes and Facts

Alabama coach Nick Saban says the Gamecocks are vastly underrated.

“They’d be ranked much higher if it wasn’t for that four-point loss at Georgia,” said Saban.

Steve Spurrier is 6-4 all-time vs. Alabama.

South Carolina has an excellent defense that’s allowing 18.3 PPG.

SC has a higher percentage of redzone TDs than Alabama (52 percent to 44 percent).

“He is one of the best recruiters in the country. That’s why he’s one of the best coaches. I’d put him in the top four or five coaches in the country. He and his staff do very well. They’re very sound,” said Steve Spurrier of Alabama coach Nick Saban.

Nick Saban is 2-0 all-time vs. South Carolina.

Alabama leads the all-time series 11-2 (7-1 in Tuscaloosa).

The Tide’s defense is fourth in the nation in third down conversion rate (24.05 percent).

The last time these teams met was a 37-14 win for Alabama in Columbia in 2005 (Spurrier’s only game vs. UA at SC).

Significant ATS Trends

South Carolina is 5-1 SU its last six and 13-5-1 ATS its last 19 on the road while the total has gone over the posted number in five of its last six on the road.

Alabama is 5-1 ATS its last six overall, 5-0 SU its last five, 6-2 ATS its last eight at home while the total has gone over the posted number in four of its last five at home.

(20) Oklahoma (3-2, 1-3 ATS) vs. (3) Texas (5-0, 1-4 ATS) (at Dallas)

Sam Bradford and the Sooners look to knock archrival Texas from the ranks of the unbeaten as well as the national championship picture as these Big 12 foes clash for the 81st consecutive year in the Red River Rivalry at the Cotton Bowl in Dallas.

After missing 3½ games with a serious shoulder injury, Bradford returned last week and went 27-for-49 for 389 yards with one TD and no INTs as Oklahoma rolled Baylor 33-7. The Sooners had a 586-268 edge in total offense, but had to settle for four field goals of 35 yards or less, costing them a cover as a 27½-point home favorite. In its three victories, Oklahoma has outscored its opponents 142-7.

The Longhorns ran their winning streak to nine in a row with last Saturday’s 38-14 victory over Colorado, though they never threatened to cover as a 33-point home favorite. Texas actually trailed the lowly Buffaloes 14-3 in the final minute of the first half before ripping off five unanswered touchdowns to finish the game. The Longhorns had just 313 total yards (46 rushing), but the defense allowed just 127 total yards and senior QB Colt McCoy was solid, going 32-for-39 for 265 yards with one TD and one INT. Texas has won all five games this year by double digits.

Oklahoma jumped out to leads of 14-3 and 21-10 in last year’s Red River Rivalry, and also led 35-30 midway through the fourth quarter. However, Texas got two rushing TDs from Cody Johnson to rally for a 45-35 victory as a seven-point underdog, the 10th time in the last 11 years that this battle was decided by double digits. The teams were even statistically – the Longhorns had a mere 438-435 edge in total offense – but the Sooners had five turnovers compared with two for Texas. Bradford went 28-for-39 for 387 yards, five TDs and two INTs, while McCoy was 28-for-35 for 277 yards with one TD and no picks, and he also rushed for 31 yards.

The Sooners started this decade with a five-game SU and ATS winning streak in this rivalry, but since 2005, Texas is 3-1 SU and 4-0 ATS against Oklahoma, cashing the last three years as an underdog. The SU winner is 9-1 ATS in the last 10 meetings since 1999, and the underdog is 14-7 ATS in the last 21.

Even without Bradford (58.7 percent completion rate, 485 yards, two TDs, no INTs) for much of the season, the Sooners have still managed to average 35 points and 457 total yards per game (187.8 rushing ypg, 4.4 yards per carry). The defense, though, has been the big key, allowing a total of six touchdowns (8.4 ppg) while yielding just 256 total yards per contest, including 53.6 rushing ypg (1.8 ypc).

Texas is putting up 47.2 points and 479.4 total yards per game (174.8 rushing ypg, 4.5 ypc). McCoy has thrown six interceptions this year, but he’s still completing 73.4 percent of his throws for 282 ypg with 10 TDs. Defensively, the Longhorns are surrendering 15 points and 233 yards per outing (46.6 rushing ypg, 1.6 ypc).

Oklahoma has followed up a 10-2 ATS runs by failing to cover in four of its last five lined outings going back to last year’s BCS Championship Game loss to Florida. The Sooners are also 1-4 ATS both in their last five neutral-site contests and their last five in October. Otherwise, though, Bob Stoops’ squad is on positive pointspread surges of 6-1 in Big 12 play, 8-2 as an underdog and 11-3 after a SU win.

Texas went 9-3 ATS in the 2008 regular season, but since failing to cover against Ohio State in last year’s Fiesta Bowl, the Longhorns are 1-5 ATS (all as a favorite). They’ve also failed to cash in five of their last seven Big 12 contests and 11 of their last 15 when favored by 3½ to 10 points. However, Mack Brown’s team is 7-2 ATS in its last nine neutral-site outings.

The Sooners have stayed under the total in five straight lined games going back to last year’s BCS Championship Game, and the under is 4-1 in their last five as an underdog. However, nine of the team’s last 10 conference contests have topped the total. Texas carries “under” trends of 6-2 overall and 4-0 in Big 12 play. Finally, last year’s game soared over the 57-point total after the previous two meetings stayed low.

ATS ADVANTAGE: TEXAS

(6) Southern Cal (4-1, 2-3 ATS) at (25) Notre Dame (4-1, 1-4 ATS)

Notre Dame will attempt to defeat Southern Cal for the first time since 2001 when it welcomes the sixth-ranked Trojans to South Bend, Ind., for this traditional non-conference matchup.

Both teams come into this game off a bye. Two weeks ago, USC went to Cal and hammered the Bears 30-3 as a four-point road favorite, piling up 174 rushing yards and 283 passing yards, while the defense permitted just 255 yards and forced two turnovers. The Trojans have given up just two touchdowns and a total of 43 points in five games, and going back to the beginning of last season, USC has surrendered 10 points or less in 13 of 18 games, yielding a field goal or less eight times.

The Irish are coming off a 37-30 overtime victory over Washington, failing to cover as an 11½-point home favorite. QB Jimmy Clausen had another huge game, going 23-for-31 for 422 yards with two TDs and one INT, but the defense yielded 457 total yards (176 rushing).

USC has won seven straight meetings in this rivalry (6-1 ATS, all as a favorite) by an average of 27 points per game, including five wins of 31 points or more. The last two years, the Trojans have outscored Notre Dame 76-3 and outgained them by a combined 911-256 margin, surrendering just 98 rushing yards and 15 first downs in the two contests. Going back to 1996, USC has cashed in 10 of the last 13 meetings.

The Trojans’ stout defense (8.6 ppg, 238.6 total ypg allowed) is buoyed by an offense that’s averaging 28.8 points and 430.8 total yards per game, including 208.2 rushing ypg (5.5 per carry). Freshman QB Matt Barkley in four games is connecting on 59 percent of his throws for 958 yards with three TDs and two INTs. However, in its first two roadies at Ohio State and Washington, USC’s offense produced just 18 and 13 points, respectively.

Clausen has passed for 1,544 yards (67.6 completion rate) with a 12-2 TD-to-INT ratio, and the junior guides an offense that’s putting up 32.6 points and 470 total yards per game. However, the defense continues to leak. Since a 35-0 rout of Nevada in the season opener, the Irish have allowed an average of 29.8 points and 427.3 total yards per contest.

USC carries positive ATS trends of 21-6 in non-conference play, 14-4 in non-conference roadies, 15-6 against winning teams, 16-5 when laying between 3½ and 10 points and 9-1 when laying that price on the road. On the negative end, the Trojans are in pointspread funks of 1-5 on the road (all as a favorite), 5-12 in October and 0-6 after a spread-cover.

Notre Dame is 8-3 ATS in its last 11 after a bye and 19-7 ATS in its last 26 in October, but the Irish’s ATS trends turn south from there, including 0-4 overall, 1-4 at home, 6-11 as an underdog, 4-9 as a home ‘dog, 2-8 when catching between 3½ and 10 points and 4-15 at home against opponents with a winning road record.

The Trojans are on “under” streaks of 21-7-1 overall, 4-0 on the road, 15-5-1 in October, 7-1 versus winning teams and 22-6 after a spread-cover. Similarly, the under is 5-2 in Notre Dame’s last seven against Pac-10 opponents, 12-4 in its last 16 as an underdog and 10-3-1 in its last 14 after a bye, but the over is 6-1-1 in the Irish’s last eight in South Bend.

Finally, the under is 4-1 in the last five meetings in this rivalry (2-0 at Notre Dame).

ATS ADVANTAGE: USC and UNDER

(4) Virginia Tech (5-1, 3-3 ATS) at (19) Georgia Tech (5-1, 3-2 ATS)

Virginia Tech, which has climbed back into the national championship picture after ripping off five straight impressive wins, figures to face a stiff challenge in this ACC matchup with the Yellow Jackets at Bobby Dodd Stadium in Atlanta.

The Hokies throttled Boston College 48-14 as a 13½-point home favorite last Saturday, improving to 3-0 (2-1 ATS) in ACC play. By halftime against the Eagles, Virginia Tech had a 34-0 lead and 293 total yards to just 3 total yards for B.C., and it finished with a 441-163 yardage advantage (235-29 rushing) while the defense forced three turnovers. Since a season-opening 34-24 neutral-site loss to Alabama in Atlanta’s Georgia Dome, the Hokies have won five games by margins of 42, 1, 24, 8 and 34 points.

Georgia Tech outlasted Florida State in a shootout last Saturday, winning 49-44 as a three-point road underdog. QB Josh Nesbitt (140 rushing yards, 131 passing yards, four total TDs) had a huge game, but the defense squandered 539 yards while the offense lost three fumbles. The Yellow Jackets have won and covered three in a row since a 33-17 ACC loss at Miami, and they’re averaging 36.4 in their five wins.

The Hokies edged Georgia Tech 20-17 last season, but came up short as a 6½-point home favorite. Virginia Tech is 4-1 (3-2 ATS) in five meetings this decade, including a 27-3 rout as a three-point ‘dog in its last trip to Georgia Tech in 2007. The road team (and underdog) has cashed in the last three clashes (two outright upsets).

Virginia Tech has won 15 of its last 20 ACC road games SU and is on ATS runs of 23-11 on the highway, 29-12 in conference play, 11-4 as a road chalk and 7-1 against teams with a winning record. However, Frank Beamer’s squad has dropped five of six October games against the number.

The Yellow Jackets are on pointspread runs of 10-5 overall, 5-2 at home, 6-2 after a spread-cover, 5-1-1 in October, 7-3-1 as an underdog, 13-3-1 when catching three points or less and 6-0 when getting three points or less at home.

The over is 5-2 in the Hokies’ last seven road games, 5-1 in their last six as a road chalk, 4-0 in their last four in October and 5-2 in Georgia Tech’s last seven games on grass. However, the Yellow Jackets are 18-6-2 “under” in their last 26 October outings and 8-1 “under” in their last nine as an underdog of three points or less.

ATS ADVANTAGE: VIRGINIA TECH

(11) Iowa (6-0, 3-2 ATS) at Wisconsin (5-1, 2-3 ATS)

Off to its best start in 24 years, Iowa will try to keep its Big Ten championship and BCS Bowl hopes alive when it treks to Camp Randall Stadium to battle the Badgers.

The Hawkeyes followed up a lackluster 24-21 home win over Arkansas State with last week’s narrow 30-28 Big Ten win over Michigan, falling short as an eight-point home chalk despite forcing five Wolverine turnovers. Iowa is 6-0 for the first time since 1985 and has won 10 in a row going back to last year – its longest such streak since 1923. However, Kirk Ferentz’s squad has failed to cash in the last two after going 5-0 ATS in the previous five. Also, five of the team’s victories during the win streak have come by a total of 12 points.

Wisconsin tasted defeat for the first time in 2009 last Saturday, falling 31-13 at Ohio State as a 16-point road underdog. The Badgers actually dominated the Buckeyes from a statistical standpoint, finishing with a 368 total yards and 22 first downs and allowing just 184 yards and eight first downs, but QB Scott Tolzien had two interceptions (one returned for a touchdown), and Wisconsin also allowed a kickoff return for a score.

The Hawkeyes crushed Wisconsin 38-16 as a 5½-point home favorite last season, improving to 5-2 SU and 6-1 ATS in the last seven meetings. Iowa has cashed in three straight trips to Camp Randall.

Despite failing to get the money the last two weeks, Iowa remains on positive ATS runs of 4-0 on the road, 6-1 as an underdog (4-1 as a road ‘dog) and 10-3 when playing on artificial turf. The Badgers have covered in five straight games as a favorite of three points or fewer and are 5-2 ATS in their last seven Big Ten contests, but they’re just 3-6 ATS in their last nine in Madison and 1-4 ATS in their last five against opponents with a winning record.

The over is 5-2-1 in Iowa’s last eight in Big Ten play and 3-0-1 in its last four October contests, but otherwise the Hawkeyes are on “under” stretches of 19-9-2 overall, 20-5-1 on the highway, 9-2-1 as an underdog and 18-7-1 as a road pup. However, it’s been all “overs” for Wisconsin lately, including 3-1 overall, 3-1 at home, 5-1 as a favorite (all at home) and 4-1 in Big Ten action.

ATS ADVANTAGE: NONE

(7) Ohio State (5-1 SU and ATS) at Purdue (1-5, 3-3 ATS)

The Buckeyes will try to hand Purdue a sixth straight loss when these two Big Ten rivals square off at Ross Ade Stadium.

Ohio State has won four straight in comfortable fashion, with last week’s 31-13 win at home over Wisconsin as a 14½-point chalk being the Buckeyes closest game since a Week 2 home loss to USC. The defense returned two interceptions for touchdowns and they benefited from a 96-yard kickoff return to beat the Badgers, despite getting outgained 368-184 and managing just eight first downs.

The Buckeyes offense is putting up 29.7 points a game and it has scored between 30 and 38 points in all but one game this season (the 18-15 loss to USC). QB Terrelle Pryor has been shaky all season from a passing standpoint, though, throwing for just 941 yards with nine touchdowns and six interceptions. Pryor has rushed for 334 yards (5.1 per carry) and three TDs.

Purdue opened the season with a 52-31 romp over Toledo, cashing as a 10-point home chalk, but nothing has gone well since then, losing five straight (2-3 ATS). That includes last week’s 35-20 setback at Minnesota as a three-point pup, with the Boilermakers finishing with edges of 402-281 in total yards and 23-14 in first downs, but they had three turnovers and had a blocked punt returned for a score. Purdue, which has lost 19 straight games to ranked opponents, has managed just 21, 21, 21 and 20 points in its last four contests, even though QB Joey Elliott is having a fine senior season (1,575 yards, 12 TDs, nine INTs).

Ohio State has won five of the last six head-to-head meetings and eight of the last 10, but Purdue has cashed a ticket in four of the last five, including last year when the Buckeyes won 16-3 as an 18½ point home favorite. The last time this game was at Purdue, Ohio State scored a 23-7 win and cashed as a seven-point favorite, and the chalk has cashed in seven of the last 10.

The Buckeyes are on ATS runs of 35-17 overall, 25-8 in Big Ten action, 10-3 in October, 10-2 on the road, 20-6 on the road in conference (8-0 last eight), 17-4 as a road favorite and 7-0 following an ATS win. Meanwhile, Purdue is on nothing but negative pointspread trends, including 6-19-1 in October, 11-24-1 against winning teams and 10-22-1 after a straight-up loss, but the Boilers have covered in both games as an underdog this season.

The “under” has been the play recently for Ohio State, including, 4-0-1 overall, 4-1-1 in October, 4-0-1 after a spread-cover and 9-2 against teams with losing records. Purdue is also on several “under” streaks, including 33-16-2 at home, 38-17 in Big Ten contests, 10-0-1 as a home underdog, 20-7 in October and 25-10 following a SU loss. Also, the “under” is a perfect 5-0 the last five years in this series.

ATS ADVANTAGE: UNDER

Minnesota (4-2, 3-3 ATS) at (14) Penn State (5-1, 1-4 ATS)

The Gophers bring the Big Ten’s lowest-rated offense into Happy Valley for a matchup with Penn State and the conference’s top-ranked defense.

Minnesota has alternated SU and ATS wins and losses in its last five contests, but the Gophers are coming off a 35-20 win over Purdue, easily cashing as a three-point home favorite despite producing just 281 total yards and 14 first downs. In its lone conference road test this season, Minnesota beat Northwestern 35-24 as a one-point ‘dog on Sept. 26. Even though the Gophers have topped the 20-point mark in every game, they have trailed in every game this season and have been outgained in every contest except the opener at Syracuse. In fact, Purdue, Wisconsin and Cal all outgained the Gophers by more than 120 yards.

The Nittany Lions have the eighth-ranked defense in the country and tops in the conference, allowing just 10.2 points and 255.7 yards per contest. Four of their six opponents have failed to get more than seven points, and they are coming off last week’s 52-3 dismantling of Division I-AA Eastern Illinois in an unlined contest. However, in Penn State’s lone conference home game, it fell 21-10 to Iowa as a 9½-point underdog.

These teams last met in 2006 and played an overtime thriller in Minnesota, with the Nittany Lions getting the 28-27 win, pushing as a one-point chalk. They Lions have won two straight in this series (1-0-1 ATS) after dropping the previous four (1-3 ATS) dating back to 1999. The Golden Gophers are 5-2-1 ATS, all as an underdog, in the last eight meetings, including outright upsets in Happy Valley in 1999 (24-23) and 2003 (20-14).

Minnesota is on ATS slides of 2-5 against winning teams and 0-4 following a spread-cover, but it is on positive pointspread streaks of 7-2 on the road, 9-4 in Big Ten games, 4-1 in October, 6-1 as a road ‘dog and 4-0 as a road ‘dog of more than 10 points. Penn State has gotten the cash in five of six October contests, but the Lions are 1-5 ATS in their last six lined contests overall and 0-4 ATS at home this season (all as a favorite).

The Gophers are on several “over” runs, including 40-17-1 against winning teams, 5-1 as a road ‘dog, 5-0 in conference play, 5-0 as a ‘dog and 4-1 as a ‘dog of more than 10 points, and Penn State has stayed below the total in all four home games this season. The “over” was the play when Penn State won the last two clashes in this series, but the “under” cashed in the previous three, all Minnesota SU wins.

ATS ADVANTAGE: MINNESOTA

(22) South Carolina (5-1, 4-1 ATS) at (2) Alabama (6-0, 5-1 ATS)

The Gamecocks are looking for their fifth straight victory, but it’ll be a tough chore as they travel to Bryant-Denny Stadium in Tuscaloosa to face undefeated Alabama, the nation’s second-ranked team, in an SEC clash.

South Carolina survived a scare at home last week, edging Kentucky 28-26 but failing to cash as a nine-point favorite. After struggling to score in a 7-3 season-opening victory at N.C. State, the Gamecocks have scored 28 points or more in four of their last five (4-1 SU, 3-2 ATS). Leading the offensive surge has been QB Stephen Garcia, who is finally living up to his hype, having completed 61 percent of his throws for 1,268 yards, nine touchdowns and three interceptions.

Alabama moved ahead of Texas in the latest rankings after a dominating 22-3 road win over Mississippi last week as a 4½-point favorite, intercepting Jevan Snead four times and holding the Rebels to 72 yards on the ground. The nation’s second-ranked defense has held all but one of its last four opponents to seven points or less (4-0 ATS), and the Crimson Tide have produced 22 points or more in every game this season.

These teams haven’t met since 2005 when Alabama went to South Carolina and scored a 37-14 win as a two-point chalk. The teams have split the four meetings this decade with the Crimson Tide holding the 3-1 ATS edge.

The ‘Cocks are just 2-6 ATS in October and 1-4 ATS against winning teams, but they are on positive pointspread streaks of 13-6 on the road, 3-0 as an underdog this season, 4-1 as a ‘dog of more than 10 points and 9-4 as a road pup. On the other side, it’s a plethora of positive ATS streaks for Alabama, including 6-2 at home, 7-1 in SEC contests, 7-2 following a spread-cover, 6-2 as a home favorite and 8-1 on grass.

South Carolina has gone “over” the posted total in four of five overall, six of eight on the road, five of six as a road ‘dog and four of five October contests. The Crimson Tide have gone “over” the total in four of five at home and five of seven overall, but they are on “under” streaks of 5-2 after a spread-cover, 4-1 in October and 5-1 in SEC battles. In the four meetings between these two this decade, the “over” is 3-1.

ATS ADVANTAGE: ALABAMA and OVER

California (3-2, 2-2 ATS) at UCLA (3-2 SU and ATS)

Both the Golden Bears and Bruins come into this Pac-10 matchup in Pasadena, Calif., looking to snap two-game losing streaks and regain the offensive firepower that has eluded them the last two games.

California has had a couple weeks off since USC went to Berkeley and rolled to a 30-3 win as 4½-point favorites. After scoring 146 points in the first three games of the season (2-0 ATS), Cal has managed just two field goals in getting outscored 72-6 in its last two, including a 42-3 blowout loss at Oregon as a 5½-point road favorite.

UCLA gave up three touchdowns in the first four minutes of the second half last week against Oregon, falling 24-10 as a 3½-point home underdog. The Bruins have been outscored 48-26 in the last two games and have failed to reach 20 points in three of their five contests this year. Freshman starting QB Kevin Prince returned to the UCLA lineup last week, but was ineffective, throwing for just 85 yards with no touchdowns, one interception that was returned for a touchdown followed immediately by a lost fumble that led to another score. The Bruins, who also allowed a 100-yard kickoff return for a TD to start the second half, had just 211 total yards against Oregon.

The home team has won nine straight in this rivalry with UCLA holding the 5-3-1 ATS edge during this stretch, including cashing in four of the last five as an underdog. Last year in Berkeley, Cal scored a 41-20 victory, narrowly cashing as an 18-point favorite. The Bears have lost three straight at the Rose Bowl and are 0-3-1 ATS in their last four trips to Pasadena, and the underdog is 10-2-1 ATS in the last 13 series meetings.

Cal is 12-6 ATS in its last 18 overall and 6-2 in its last eight as a favorite, but it is on several negative ATS trends, including 4-11 on the road, 2-8 as a road chalk, 2-6 in October and 1-4 against winning teams. UCLA is just 2-5 ATS in its last seven Pac-10 games and 2-5 ATS in its last seven as an underdog, but the Bruins are on positive pointspread runs of 25-9-1 at home since 2004, 21-9 as an underdog, 17-6 as a home ‘dog (10-3 last 13 as a home pup), 20-7 after a SU defeat, 15-6 after a non-cover, 16-6 against winning teams, 12-1 at home against teams with a winning road record and 7-0 at home following a double-digit home loss.

The Golden Bears are on “over” streaks of 5-2 on the road, 5-2 as a favorite and 4-1 on grass. UCLA is on a bevy of “under” runs that include 18-7-1 overall, 18-6 at home, 21-7-1 in Pac-10 contests, 10-1 after a SU loss, 7-1-1 in October games and 15-5-1 as an underdog. Conversely, the over has been the play in four of the last five years in this rivalry.

ATS ADVANTAGE: UCLA

Texas Tech (4-2, 3-2 ATS) at (15) Nebraska (4-1, 5-0 ATS)

Texas Tech shoots for its third straight win overall and its fourth consecutive win over the Cornhuskers when it invades Memorial Stadium for a Big 12 battle.

The Red Raiders rebounded from consecutive narrow road losses at Texas (34-24) and Houston (29-28) with a pair of home blowouts the last two weeks. First, Texas Tech drubbed New Mexico 48-28, falling short as a 34-point chalk, then pummeled Kansas State last week 66-14 as a 16½-point favorite. Against the Wildcats, Texas Tech jumped out to a 38-0 halftime lead and finished with 739 total yards while surrendering just 284. QB Steve Sheffield, making his first-ever start in place of Taylor Potts, went 33-for-41 for 490 yards with seven TD passes and one INT.

Sheffield is expected to start today as Potts remains questionable with an injury.

Nebraska woke up just in time at rain-soaked Missouri 10 days ago, scoring 27 points in the fourth quarter to overcome a 12-0 deficit and win 27-12 as a 3½-point road favorite. The Cornhuskers are 8-1 SU and ATS in their last nine games (4-0 SU, 3-1 ATS in Big 12 play) and they’ve outgained all nine squads, including six by more than 110 yards. The only SU defeat during this nine-game stretch came at Virginia Tech on Sept. 19, when Nebraska allowed an 83-yard, four-play drive in the final 90 seconds to turn a 15-10 win into a 16-15 defeat.

The Red Raiders have had Nebraska’s number in the last three meetings, winning 70-10 in 2004, 34-31 in 2005 and 37-31 in overtime last year. However, the Huskers got the cash in the last two clashes, including covering easily as a 20½-point road underdog in last season’s overtime contest, in which Nebraska had a 471-421 yardage edge and held the ball for more than 40 of the 60 minutes. The underdog is on a 5-2 ATS run in this rivalry.

Texas Tech is on ATS upticks of 6-2 after a SU win, 5-2 in Big 12 play and 4-1 as a road underdog of more than 10 points. However, it is 2-6 ATS in its last eight as a road pup of any price and 4-9 ATS in its last 13 after a spread-cover. Meanwhile, Nebraska carries ATS trends of 6-0 overall, 4-0 at home, 4-0 as a favorite, 5-0 against winning teams and 18-3-1 at home against opponents with a winning road mark.

The high-scoring Red Raiders are on “over” runs of 9-3 overall, 6-2 in conference, 4-0 in October, 35-16 after a SU win and 27-10 after a spread-cover. The over is also 4-1 in Nebraska’s last five league contests, but otherwise the Huskers are on “under” stretches of 5-1 overall, 4-0 in October and 5-2 as a double-digit favorite.

ATS ADVANTAGE: NEBRASKA

Missouri (4-1, 2-2 ATS) at (16) Oklahoma State (4-1, 1-2-1 ATS)

Oklahoma State will take the field without suspended star WR Dez Bryant for the second straight week when it hosts the Tigers in a Big 12 battle.

Missouri entered the fourth quarter with a 12-0 lead over Nebraska last Thursday, then everything fell apart as turnovers and defensive mistakes led to 27 unanswered points by the Huskers, with the Tigers suffering their first defeat of the season and failing to cover as a 3½-point home favorite. Missouri, which entered the contest averaging 36.8 points and 453 yards per game, managed just 225 total yards on a rain-soaked field. Also, QB Blaine Gabbard (17-for-43, 134 yards, no TDs, two INTs) injured his leg early but stayed in the game and threw his first two picks of the season after passing for 1,161 yards and 11 TDs in the first four games.

With Bryant sitting out after lying to NCAA investigators, the Cowboys struggled to a 36-31 win over Texas A&M last week, pushing as a five-point road favorite. QB Zac Robinson (14-for-25, 279 yards, two TDs, one INT) had a strong game as Oklahoma State piled up 448 yards (169 rushing) while the defense yielded 382 yards (109 rushing). The Cowboys have won three in a row (0-1-1 ATS) since a shocking 45-35 loss to Houston as a 15½-point home favorite on Sept. 12.

Oklahoma State went to Columbia last October and scored a surprising 28-23 win as a 14-point road underdog. The visitor is 4-0 SU and ATS in the last four battles between these schools since 2001, and the ‘dog has cashed in six of the last nine meetings (not including one pick-em contest). Despite last year’s upset loss, the Tigers are still 8-4 SU and ATS in the past 12 against Oklahoma State, with the four losses being by a combined 14 points.

Mizzou is 11-3 ATS in its last 14 road games, 16-7 ATS in its last 23 after a non-cover and 10-4-1 ATS in its last 15 after a double-digit home loss. On the downside, the Tigers are in ATS funks of 1-4 as an underdog, 1-5 in Big 12 play and 0-5 against winning teams.

Oklahoma State is 9-2 SU and 8-3 ATS in its last 11 home games and is on ATS upticks of 33-16-2 as a favorite, 7-2 as a home chalk and 4-0-1 in October. However, the Pokes are just 1-6-1 ATS in their last eight overall, 1-4 ATS in their last five at home and 0-3-1 ATS in their last four Big 12 contests.

The Tigers’ last five lined games have stayed under the total, but otherwise they’re on “over” surges of 10-4 on the road, 11-5 as an underdog and 9-3 as a road pup. It’s been all “overs” lately for OSU, including 35-16 at home, 18-7 as a home favorite, 4-1 in league action and 5-0 after a SU win.

ATS ADVANTAGE: OVER

Arkansas (4-1, 2-2 ATS) at (1) Florida (5-0, 3-1 ATS)

Fresh off a huge SEC road win at LSU, Florida returns to The Swamp looking to extend the nation’s longest winning streak while also continuing its dominance of Arkansas.

The Razorbacks dealt Auburn its first loss of the season last week, rolling to a 44-23 win as a 2½-point home underdog, which came on the heels of a 47-19 rout at Texas A&M as a two-point favorite. Against 17th-ranked Auburn, Arkansas raced out to a 34-3 lead midway through the third quarter and finished with 495 yards while holding the Tigers to 375. QB Ryan Mallet (24-for-37, 274, 2 TDs, 1 INT) continued his stellar season and has now thrown for 1,422 yards on the season with a 13-3 TD-to-INT ratio.

Tim Tebow returned from a concussion and helped lead the Gators to a 13-3 win at LSU last week, barely covering as a 9½-point road favorite. Tebow was rather pedestrian statistically (11-for-16, 134 yards, one TD, one INT, 38 rushing yards on 17 carries), but he did account for the game’s only touchdown and guided a ball-control offense that had possession for 36½ minutes. The defense continued to shine, holding LSU to a field goal, 162 total yards, 11 first downs and 1-for-9 on third downs.

Florida has now won 15 in a row, all by double digits, and it is 12-1 ATS in lined action during this stretch. Also, the Gators’ defense has surrendered just 32 points and two touchdowns – both meaningless second-half scores – this season. Going back to last year’s 24-14 national championship game victory over Oklahoma, Florida has given up 14, 3, 6, 13, 7 and 3 points in its last six games.

The Gators went to Arkansas last season and crushed the Razorbacks 38-7, scoring three TDs in the final 12 minutes to cover the 26½-point number. Florida has won and covered seven consecutive meetings with Arkansas in SEC play – going 6-0 ATS as a favorite – with four of the seven victories by 31 points or more.

The Razorbacks are on ATS runs of 6-2 as an underdog, 10-3 as a road pup in SEC games, 5-0 in October and 4-1 after a spread-cover, but they’re 2-5 ATS in their last seven after a SU win and 1-4 ATS in their last five when catching double digits.

In addition to cashing in 12 of its last 13 lined contests, Florida is on a slew of positive pointspread rolls, including 25-6 overall, 5-1 at home, 16-5 in SEC action, 11-4 as a double-digit chalk (7-1 last eight when laying 10 or more), 4-0 in October and 9-1 when coming off a victory of 20 points or more.

The under is 9-4 in Arkansas’ last 13 October contests, but otherwise the team is on “over” runs of 5-2 overall, 5-1 in conference and 5-1 after a SU win. The over is also 13-5 in Florida’s last 18 in The Swamp, but the Gators also carry “under” trends of 5-1 overall (all as a favorite), 4-0 in the SEC and 4-0 against winning teams.

ATS ADVANTAGE: FLORIDA

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