NCAAF News and Notes - Week 6

Games to Watch - Week 6
By Chris David

While we never like to look ahead, especially with some great games on tap this week, gamblers should circle Week 7 on their calendar. The action starts on Wednesday with a Boise State-Tulsa matchup and picks up the pace the very next night with a Big East battle between unbeaten foes Cincinnati and South Florida. Then on Saturday, you have the Red River Shootout between the Longhorns and Sooners, USC-Notre Dame and plenty of other must-see matchups.

Enough teasing, let's get back to this weekend and the "Battle at Baton Rouge" on Saturday.

Week 6

Saturday - Florida at LSU

Top-ranked Florida (4-0 SU, 2-1 ATS) and No. 4 LSU (5-0 SU, 2-2 ATS) knock heads on Saturday from Baton Rouge in what's easily the biggest game of the college football season. The winner of this matchup has won the past three BCS national championships and a fourth could be just around the corner. All the focus for this week's tilt is on Gators quarterback Tim Tebow, whose status is still up in the air but most believe he'll play. Tebow and UF own the second-best scoring offense (45 PPG) in the nation and they should be tested against LSU's aggressive defense (14 PPG). Florida has had two weeks to prepare for this battle, while the Tigers are coming off an emotional 20-13 road victory against Georgia last Saturday. It was the second straight week that LSU needed to make big plays down the stretch and Les Miles team answered with emphatic finishes. Last week, the offense rattled off a game-winning touchdown against the Bulldogs and two weeks prior it was the LSU defense that rose to the occasion with a goal line stand against Mississippi State (30-26). UGA is a decent team but still probably the fourth or fifth best team in the conference, which makes you wonder if the Tigers are ripe for a beating? LSU defeated Washington 31-23 in its road opener, but are the Huskies any good or just a lucky squad that caught USC in a letdown spot? Those questions will be answered this week and the individual that can make a statement for LSU is QB Jordan Jefferson (920 yards, 7 TDS). The Tigers attack is ranked dead-last (321 YPG) in the SEC and it really doesn't have an identity despite having playmakers in the backfield and on the outside. This unit will be tested on every down against Florida, who is ranked first nationally in defensive yards (212.8) and second in points (7.3) allowed.

GAMBLING NOTES

The Gators have been made favorites (-8) again and not surprisingly, they'll more than likely be for the remainder of their games too. Except for a possible road trap against South Carolina on Nov. 14, this is arguably the last test for Urban Meyer's team before a possible SEC Championship and eventually the BCS title game. You don't crown champions on paper and it's easy to see why you would need a perfect game to beat Florida. One factor that LSU has on its side is turnovers. LSU has only given the ball up four times, opposed to eight mistakes from Florida. The Gators lead 29-23-3 in the all-time series with LSU with the home team winning four straight. Florida has covered four in a row despite going 2-2 SU. The total has gone 2-2. Last year, the Gators blasted the Tigers 51-21 as seven-point favorites in wire-to-wire fashion. Les Miles has only been tabbed a home underdog once in his tenure at LSU and he's 0-1 both SU and ATS, losing last year to top-ranked Alabama 27-21 in overtime. Even if LSU pulls off the upset, Florida still has the easier path to avenge a loss in the SEC title game, which could be against the Tigers or Alabama.

Other Games to Watch

Thurday - Nebraska at Missouri (ESPN, 9:00 p.m.)

The six schools that make up the North Division in the Big 12 haven't received much respect in recent years, and deservingly so too. The conference has been owned by the South, in particular Oklahoma and Texas. Not many pundits believe Nebraska (3-1 SU, 4-0 ATS) or Missouri (4-0 SU, 2-1 ATS) can knock off the Sooners or Longhorns, but one of the two will gain more confidence after this week's head-to-head battle from Columbia. Both schools are listed in the Top 25 but neither owns a signature win. Nebraska's three victories have come against Sun Belt opponents and the lone loss was at Virginia Tech (16-15), who might be a tad overrated as well. Missouri shouldn't get much credit either, considering its four wins have come against teams with a combined record of 6-12. Nebraska's defense is ranked third nationally in scoring defense (7 PPG) and 23rd in total yards (285 YPG). Missouri did lose QB Chase Daniels to graduation but sophomore Blaine Gabbert (1,161 yards, 11 TDs) has proven to be a solid predecessor behind center. Missouri is catching points in this primetime showdown and gamblers should note that it has won and covered three of the last four against the Cornhuskers, plus all three wins came by double digits.

Saturday - Auburn at Arkansas (ESPN, 12:00 p.m.)

Auburn (5-0 SU, 4-1 ATS) was coming off a brutal campaign in 2008 and the hiring of new coach Gene Chizik was met rudely. Sure enough, Chizik has turned things around rather quickly on The Plains. A lot of his success can be attributed to the hiring of offensive coordinator Guz Malzahn, who has the Tigers' offense (41 PPG, 512 YPG) ranked fifth nationally in points and yards. Malzahn could have this week's game against Arkansas (2-2 SU, 1-2 ATS) circled since he's from the area and he left the program after a brief stint. The Razorbacks and head coach Bobby Petrino have some fire power as well, and they showed it last Saturday by dropping 47 points on Texas A&M, who was also unbeaten at the time. QB Ryan Mallett (11 TDs), a Michigan transfer, has looked sharp and he spreads the ball around to his backs and receivers. Arkansas upset Auburn 25-20 last year as a heavy 16.5-point road underdog, which shouldn't come as a surprise since the visitor has won and covered four in a row. Will the Tigers get revenge and keep the road trend going? The 'under' has gone 3-1 during this span but the oddsmakers don't believe we're going to see a slugfest on Saturday, listing the total at 66.

Saturday - Boston College at Virginia Tech (Gameplan, 12:00 p.m.)

Nobody expected Boston College (4-1 SU, 3-1 ATS) to be a contender in the ACC this year but the school has put itself in contention with a back-to-back home wins over Wake Forest (27-24) and Florida State (28-21). The Eagles will face a tougher test this Saturday when meet No. 6 Virginia Tech (4-1 SU, 2-3 ATS) in Blacksburg. The Hokies looked flat in their 34-26 win at Duke last Saturday, yet that was expected after knocking off Miami 31-7 two weeks prior. Unknown for the passing game, V-Tech saw QB Tyrod Taylor put up 327 yards and two scores against the Blue Devils. Boston College has won the last two regular season battles in this series, but Virginia Tech has gotten revenge each time by winning the rematch in the ACC Championship. The total has gone 2-2 during this stretch. Little bit of a look-ahead here as VT heads to Atlanta for a key ACC Coastal battle against Georgia Tech. Things don't get easier for BC, who's next three include N.C. State, Notre Dame and Central Michigan.

Saturday - Alabama at Mississippi (CBS, 3:30 p.m.)

Even though the UF-LSU battle is the Game of the Week, this SEC matchup could've been just as big if Mississippi (3-1 SU, 2-1 ATS) was unbeaten? The Rebels are still ranked but they haven't played a solid game all year, even looking sluggish in their 23-7 win over Vanderbilt last Saturday. Third-ranked Alabama (5-0 SU, 3-1 ATS) comes to town with its ground-and-pound attack and most would argue that Ole Miss will be overmatched in a 60-minute contest. The one thing we do know about this game is that this series has been real tight. The Crimson Tide have won four in a row but they failed to cover the number in all four games, plus all four during this stretch have been decided by four points or less. Most sportsbooks have Alabama listed as a six-point road 'chalk' for Saturday. The Rebels haven't been catching points yet this year, but the team did go 5-0 ATS as underdogs last year and that included outright wins against highly ranked schools in Florida, LSU and Texas Tech. Does history repeat itself in Oxford?

Saturday - Wisconsin at Ohio State (ABC-Regional, 3:30 p.m.)

Wisconsin (5-0 SU, 2-2 ATS) is one of 13 schools that remain unbeaten in college football and it's fair to say that the school is a product of its inferior competition. The Badgers will find out how good they are in the next two weeks, when it meets Ohio State (4-1 SU, 4-1 ATS) this Saturday in Columbus before playing Iowa at home on Oct. 17. The Buckeyes are laying two touchdowns at most sportsbooks and it's hard to argue against the home team in this spot. After giving up 45 points and going 1-1 in the first two games, Ohio State's defense posted back-to-back shutouts before stifling Indiana to 14 points last Saturday. Wisconsin's offense leads the Big 10 in scoring (35 PPG), and it has a workhorse that can move the ball in running back John Clay (582 yards, 7 TDs). Plus, quarterback Scott Tolzien (65.6%, 1,043 yards, 9 TDs) has proven that he can make plays too albeit against weaker opponents. The Buckeyes edged the Badgers 20-17 last year on a game-winning scamper by quarterback Terrelle Pryor. Gamblers should note that Wisconsin is 2-1 both SU and ATS in its last three trips to Columbus.

Saturday - Michigan at Iowa (ABC, 8:00 p.m.)

Michigan (4-1 SU, 3-2 ATS) and Iowa (5-0 SU, 3-1 ATS) don't play every year due to the conference scheduling and that's probably a good thing for the Hawkeyes. The Wolverines have won three straight and 10 of the previous 12 meetings, with the last encounter happening in 2005. These two squads meeting this Saturday are hard to gauge just because of whom they played but we do know the winner will gain confidence heading into the final six matches. Iowa earned its signature win two weeks ago at Penn State (21-10) but struggled against lower-tier opponents (Northern Iowa, Arkansas State) this year. Michigan has been playing with fire all year too and was finally was burned last Saturday in a 26-20 overtime loss to intrastate rival Michigan State. The Wolverines' offense against the Hawkeyes' defense looks like a wash but Iowa could have its way against a Wolverines' defense has been suspect this year, giving up 392 YPG. Head coach Kirk Ferentz is just 5-10 ATS as a home favorite in the last 15 spots at Iowa and his team is favored by 7-8 points at most books.

Three More to Keep an Eye on

Oregon vs. UCLA

Don't look now but Oregon (4-1 SU, 3-2 ATS) has quietly rung up four straight wins and a victory over UCLA (3-1 SU, 3-1 ATS) will help the school through a tough stretch. After this game, the Ducks travel to Washington before a home showdown versus USC. If that upset happens, then look out for the Nov. 7 game against Stanford. The home team has won three in a row and the 'under' has cashed in all three of those games.

TCU vs. Air Force

The table for TCU (4-0 SU, 2-1 ATS) is all set for a serious BCS run and it starts this weekend at Air Force (3-2 SU, 1-3 ATS). The Horned Frogs play four on the road and four at home in their Mountain West Conference schedule and this meeting is probably one of the two games that could be traps, the other being two weeks later in Provo against Brigham Young. TCU's defense is one of the best in the country but covering close to double digits on the road is never easy in conference play.

Georgia Tech vs. Florida State

Is Bobby Bowden's historic career done at Florida State (2-3 SU, 1-3 ATS)? Just when you count the Seminoles out, they'll usually come back and bite you in the ass and Georgia Tech (4-1 SU, 2-2 ATS) is ripe this Saturday. People forget that FSU's three losses have come by a combined 18 points against teams with a combined record of 12-2. And, you can't expect to win games when you constantly make mistakes. If FSU plays perfect, it can rip anybody. Just ask BYU…

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Look Aheads and Let Downs - Week 6
By Judd Hall

There were some close finishes and questionable calls in college football last week, but nothing that really was out of the ordinary.

What I took out of Week 5 of the season is that Sam Bradford would have made a difference for the Sooners in Miami and “BCS Buster” squads like the Cougars appear to be more susceptible to traps.

We’ve got a hat trick of games that appear to be traps for us to pounce upon. Let’s take a look at them.

Tunneling underground…

Houston was starting to get the attention from the media after taking down a pair of Big XII foes. Needless to say, the Cougars weren’t really up to face off with UTEP as 14 ½-point road faves. The Miners parlayed Donald Buckram’s 262 yards and four touchdowns to a 58-41 upset of then No. 12 Houston.

Will the Miners win their second straight this weekend against Memphis? The betting shops are leaning that way by making them three-point road favorites.

It’s not a stretch to think that the Tigers will fall over for UTEP here. This is a team that has yet to beat a FBS level club this year in four chances, failing to cover the spread in any of them.

Why should you back Memphis in this spot? They have won and covered both games they have played against the Miners. One of those wins snapped a nine-game skid and the other came after Memphis had lost two of its first three games.

Trapped Sooners…

Oklahoma definitely could have used Bradford under center last Saturday in South Florida against the ‘Canes. His backup, Landry Jones, moved the chains just once out of the 10 times that he threw the ball on third down.

The plus side is that it sounds like Bradford will be back this week against Baylor. The Sooners are currently listed as 25-point home favorites.

What could prove problematic for OU against the Bears is the lack of offensive pop. Sure, you still have DeMarco Murray in the backfield. But they are without All-American tight end Jermaine Gresham for the season and wide receiver Ryan Broyles is now out for the year with a fractured shoulder blade. That eliminates a lot of options on the attack.

Another thing to keep in mind is this isn’t the same old Baylor squad that was a perennial doormat. They’re 3-1 straight up and 1-2 against the spread this season, which is the Bears’ best start since 2007. But they will be starting freshman QB Nick Florence, who replaced Robert Griffin after going down for the season with a torn right ACL.

The Sooners will also be preparing for their annual showdown with Texas the following weekend, which could help Baylor out on occasion. Plus, the Bears are 5-3 ATS in their last eight meetings with Oklahoma.

Spartan Hangover…

It almost looked like Michigan State was going to come up on the short end of the stick once again when Tate Forcier helped the Wolverines force overtime with two seconds left. Larry Caper made sure the Spartans walked away a 26-20 winner with a 24 yard scamper in the extra session.

The betting shops like the Spartans as they’ve made them four-point road faves against Illinois.

Does it make sense to make Michigan State the “chalk” for this game? When you consider the Illini have been manhandled in all three of their games against FBS schools, then yes.

What people should remember is that Illinois beat the Spartans in East Lansing in 2006 as a huge 25-point road underdog. Plus, MSU is just 2-3 SU and 1-4 ATS in its last five games following the meeting with the Wolverines.

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Big Time Favorites
By Judd Hall

The marquee matchup on Saturday is happening in Baton Rouge, but there are some other games that are worth watching. There are two games this weekend that will go a long way towards deciding where the conference titles will go through. It just so happens that both tilts feature double-digit home favorites.

Boston College at Virginia Tech – 12:00 p.m. EDT

Boston College and Virginia Tech have met in the last two ACC Championship Games with Frank Beamer’s boys walking away with the BCS berth. While the Hokies were expected to have another shot at the conference title game, BC was supposed to be in a slump.

The Eagles weren’t given much of a chance to do anything in Frank Spaziani’s first year at the helm. Boston College was starting over with no clear cut choice under center and losing linebacker Mark Herzlich for the year as he battled with bone cancer.

All Boston College has done this season is field a defense that is second in the ACC in scoring defense (15.4 points per game) and the third-best scoring offense (30.0 PPG) in the league. The Eagles saw their defense bend but not break in a 28-21 win over Florida State as four-point home underdogs last Saturday. BC gave up 411 yards and held the Seminoles to four third-down conversions in 11 chances.

Virginia Tech had its hands full against the Blue Devils last weekend in its 34-26 win as a 17-point road “chalk.” Tyrod Taylor completed 17 of 22 passes for a career-high 327 yards and two touchdowns. The Hokies helped keep Duke in this game by being called for 12 penalties that gobbled up 105 total yards.

Most sportsbooks have posted the Hokies as 13 ½-point home favorites with a total of 44 ½. That line has held true for much of the week, with just one quick instance of Virginia Tech going up to 14-points for a brief period.

This series has been pretty even recently with each team going 3-3 straight up and against the spread. The ‘under’ has been a solid wager with a 4-2 mark.

Boston College is 5-2 ATS in its last seven ACC matchups. The ‘over’ is 5-2 in that stretch as well.

Virginia Tech is 13-0 SU, but just 5-8 ATS in its last 13 games where they were listed as double-digit favorites.

Wisconsin at Ohio State – 3:30 p.m. EDT

The Badgers might be one of the quieter teams to start a season 5-0 SU in a while. It’s not hard to understand why they’ve slipped under the radar this year when you consider that they’re 3-2 ATS, winning four of their games by eight points or less.

Wisconsin was able to stay perfect thanks to John Clay running for 184 yards and three touchdowns in its 31-28 win over the Golden Gophers as a three-point road pup 31-28. It wasn’t the cleanest win for the Badgers, fumbling the ball away twice and Scott Tolzien threw one pick.

Tolzien has done a great job for the Badgers in his first season as the starting quarterback. He’s completing 65.6 percent of his passes for 1,043 yards and has nine touchdowns to just three interceptions. He’s a big reason why Wisky leads the Big Ten in scoring with 35.0 PPG.

Ohio State has been a team on a mission since its heartbreaking defeat to the Trojans in Week 2 of the season. The Buckeyes have outscored their last three opponents 101-14…that includes shutout wins over Toledo and Illinois. A lot of that offensive success has to do with Terrelle Pryor being under center. Pryor has completed 60 percent of his passes for 12.3 yards per completion in his last three starts with seven touchdowns. And he’s also averaged 5.6 yards per carry during this streak.

The betting shops aren’t buying into Wisky right now as they’ve listed the Bucks as heavy 16-point home favorites with a total of 47 ½.

Wisconsin has fared quite well in Columbus in recent memory, going 3-1 SU and ATS in its last four trips. The ‘over’ is 3-1 in that time frame.

As dominant as the Badgers may appear to be at Ohio Stadium, just consider that the Buckeyes are 15-1 SU and 11-4-1 ATS when they’re listed as double-digit home favorites in Big Ten affairs.

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SEC Showdowns
By Brian Edwards

The main event for the SEC in Week 6 will be at Tiger Stadium where LSU will put its 31-game home winning streak (at night, that is) on the line against the top-ranked Florida Gators. The last time UF came to Baton Rouge, it was the Tigers who were No. 1.

On that night, the Gators blew three separate double-digit leads and Urban Meyer inexplicably left a timeout in his pocket (Orien-Greene style for hardcore UF fans), as LSU converted five-of-five fourth-down opportunities to pull out a 28-24 victory. Florida did take the cash, however, as a seven-point underdog.

The last time the Gators came to Baton Rouge as the No. 1 team in the country was in 1997. (Chris Berman voice) We know because we were there.

On that night, Steve Spurrier stubbornly didn’t give Fred Taylor enough touches, instead asking sophomore QB Doug Johnson to attempt 50-plus passes. Herb Tyler and Kevin Faulk went off for LSU and the home team pulled out a 28-21 upset, prompting fans to rush the field and tear down the goal posts.

Meyer has come up short in both of his trips to Tiger Stadium since taking over for Ron Zook at UF. In 2005, JaMarcus Russell tried to give the game to Florida with turnovers galore. Nevertheless, LSU captured a 21-17 victory but the Gators again hooked up their backers as six-point underdogs.

The biggest story for this week obviously centers around the health status of Florida senior QB Tim Tebow, who sustained the first concussion of his career two weeks ago in a 41-7 win at Kentucky as a 20 ½-point road favorite.

During UF’s bye week, Tebow didn’t participate in any team activities while recovering and undergoing a series of post-concussion tests with the school’s medical staff. He returned to the practice field for the first time Tuesday, albeit on a limited basis. Tebow wore a non-contact jersey.

He also practiced Wednesday without contact. According to Meyer, Tebow will be a game-time decision and no announcement on his status will be made until the “foot hits the ball.”

Las Vegas Sports Consultants opened Florida (4-0 straight up, 2-1 against the spread) as a nine-point favorite. The number was nine Monday but by Tuesday morning, it had been reduced to 7 ½ at most books. That’s where it remained early Thursday afternoon. The total is 45 and the home team is plus-240 on the money line (risk $100 to win $240).

LSU (5-0 SU, 2-2-1 ATS) returns home after a stirring 20-13 win at Georgia to avenge last year’s 52-38 home loss to the Dawgs. This space ripped Les Miles last week for not getting the ball to Charles Scott, who had just six carries in a 30-26 win at Mississippi St. two weeks ago.

Perhaps The Mad Hatter was listening? Scott rushed 19 times for 95 yards and a pair of touchdowns, including the game winner from 33 yards out with 46 seconds remaining. The Hat’s squad won outright as a 3 ½-point road underdog, hooking up money-line backers with a plus-150 return.

During Miles’ tenure, LSU has only been a home underdog once. That situation came last year when Nick Saban made his return to Tiger Stadium and led Alabama to a 27-21 overtime win as a three-point favorite. As a road favorite under Meyer, the Gators are 7-8 ATS. However, they have covered the number in seven straight such spots.

CBS will have the telecast Saturday at 8:00 p.m. Eastern.

Ole Miss and Alabama won’t be in the prime-time slot this week, but both schools will have plenty at stake when they collide in Oxford at 3:30 p.m. Eastern on CBS. This past summer when books made early lines for “Games of the Year,” the Rebels were tabbed as three-point favorites over the Tide.

That was then and this is now. And now ‘Bama is favored by five. The Tide is coming off a 38-20 win at Kentucky as a 16-point road favorite. Junior QB Greg McElroy threw a pair of touchdown passes without being intercepted to improve his TD-INT ratio to 9/1.

Ole Miss (3-1 SU, 2-1 ATS) was in Music City last week, capturing a 23-7 win at Vanderbilt as a 10-point road ‘chalk.’ Jevan Snead threw three touchdown passes but was also intercepted three times. Shay Hodge had eight receptions for 122 yards, including a pair of TD grabs from Snead.

The Rebels will be in their first spot as home underdogs on Houston Nutt’s watch. However, we should mention that Ole Miss took the cash in all five games as an underdog in Nutt’s first season, winning outright three times over Florida, LSU and Texas Tech.

Alabama owns a 5-2 spread record as a road favorite during Saban’s three seasons in Tuscaloosa. When these teams met at Bryant-Denny Stadium last season, the Tide jumped all over the Rebels early and took a 24-3 lead to intermission.

But Nutt’s team wouldn’t die. After driving the ball down the length of the field to start the second half, ‘Bama’s defense stiffened and forced Ole Miss into a short field-goal attempt. That’s when Nutt reached into his bag of tricks and the Rebels executed a fake field goal to perfection for a touchdown.

Ole Miss would pull to within 24-20 and had the ball with a chance to win in the final minutes. But Snead and Co. ran out of downs just inside ‘Bama territory. Nevertheless, they covered the number as 11-point underdogs.

Gamblers can take the Rebels to win outright for a plus-180 return (risk $100 to win $180). The total was 45 ½ on the send-out from LVSC.

South Carolina (4-1 SU, 4-0 ATS) will play host to Kentucky in a 12:30 p.m. Eastern kick Saturday. LVSC opened the Gamecocks as 13-point home favorites. As of early Thursday morning, that number was adjusted down to 10 with the total at 46. Kentucky (2-2 SU, 1-3 ATS) is plus-280 on the money line (risk $100 to win $280).

Steve Spurrier’s squad is coming off a 38-14 home win over South Carolina St. in a non-lined matchup. Stephen Garcia ran for a touchdown and threw a pair of scoring strikes to Moe Brown.

Garcia will go against a banged-up Kentucky secondary. In fact, UK’s All-American cornerback Trevard Lindley, who is perhaps the nation’s premier cover corner, has been ruled “out” after spraining his ankle in last week’s loss to Alabama. Also, starting CB Paul Warford is “out” with a quad injury.

South Carolina will be without starting tight end Weslye Saunders, who caught the game-winning TD pass to beat UK (24-17) last season. Saunders is "out" with a sprained ankle. He has been one of Garcia's favorite targets, hauling in 14 catches for 156 yards.

Kick-off at Williams-Brice Stadium is slated for 12:30 p.m. Eastern.

Georgia (3-2 SU, 1-4 ATS) will be in bounce-back mode when it goes to Neyland Stadium to face Tennessee at 12:20 p.m. Eastern on the SEC Network. The Volunteers are one-point home favorites at most spots, while the total is 46 ½.

Tennessee (2-3 SU, 2-3 ATS) also lost last week at home, dropping a 26-22 decision against Auburn as a two-point ‘chalk.’ Lane Kiffin’s team is now 1-3 ATS at home.

UGA out-yarded UT 458-209 last year but won by just a 26-14 count, allowing the Vols to cash tickets as 12 ½-point underdogs. The Dawgs have won six of the last nine head-to-head meetings between these SEC East rivals. They own a 31-5 SU record in true road games during Mark Richt’s tenure.

Auburn (5-0 SU, 4-1 ATS) will play its second road game in as many weeks when it takes on Arkansas. Most books have the Tigers as two-point favorites with a total of 66.

The Razorbacks snapped a two-game losing streak last week when they went to Cowboys Stadium and spanked Texas A&M, 47-19. The Hogs covered the number easily as short favorites. Ryan Mallett threw for 271 yards and three touchdowns.

Bobby Petrino’s team won 25-22 at Auburn last year as a 16 ½-point road underdog. The Hogs out-yarded the Tigers 416-193 and RB Michael Smith rushed for 176 yards.

ESPN will have the telecast at noon Eastern.

**B.E.’s Bonus Nuggets**

--You ready for a stat that Steve Spurrier loves to see? Stephen Garcia has not thrown an interception in 115 consecutive attempts dating back to the first half of a 41-37 Week 2 loss at Georgia.

--South Carolina CB Akeem Auguste will serve the second game of a three-game suspension Saturday vs. Kentucky. Auguste was disciplined for violating unspecified team and university rules.

--South Carolina has won nine in a row against Kentucky. Spurrier has never lost to UK in 16 games as a head coach (12 at UF).

--Vanderbilt is a 10 ½-point road favorite Saturday at Army. The total is 38 ½ at most books. ESPN Classic will have the telecast at noon Eastern.

--Mallett has an 11/2 touchdown-interception ratio for the Razorbacks.

Brian Edwards can be reached at [email protected]

Public Enemies - Week 6
By Kevin Rogers

Another week of college football to look forward to, giving us another opportunity to see who the public may overvalue this week after a strong performance last week. This week, we'll investigate a pair of ACC contests, as well as two underrated SEC clubs.

Auburn (-2½) at Arkansas - 12:00 PM EST

Two SEC West teams that didn't get the early-season love Alabama, Ole Miss, and LSU received are suddenly getting recognized. Auburn has run the ball extremely well through its first five victories, while Arkansas is slinging the ball around at a solid clip.

The Tigers have scored at least 37 points in four of their five games, while being held to just 26 points at Tennessee last week. This is the second straight SEC road contest for Auburn, and their first opportunity as a road favorite.

Bobby Petrino's squad returns home after two straight road contests, falling at Alabama, before blasting Texas A&M in Arlington. It was obvious that the Hogs would improve offensively under Petrino, but quarterback Ryan Mallett has stepped up, throwing 11 touchdowns and just two interceptions.

Six of the last seven meetings have been won by the home team in this series, as VI capper Joe Nelson sees a nice advantage with Arkansas. "Auburn appears to have impressive rushing numbers this season, but much of that average was built in the first two weeks and that advantage will not be as significant as it appears in the stats. Arkansas is 0-2 in SEC play and this will be a critical game, while Auburn is playing a second straight road game coming off a huge win at Tennessee last week. The situation greatly favors Arkansas and the price is excellent as the home team probably should be a slight favorite," Nelson says.

Boston College at Virginia Tech (-13½) - 12:00PM EST

Suddenly, the Boston College Eagles have become the biggest surprise in the ACC through the first five weeks. BC is coming off consecutive strong home performances against Wake Forest and Florida State, while starting conference play at 2-1. The Eagles were limited to seven points at Clemson, but BC has tallied 55 points the last two weeks.

Virginia Tech continues to motor forward after its opening week loss to Alabama. The Hokies have two solid victories on their ledger at home, beating Nebraska and Miami. Frank Beamer's team had problems putting away Duke last week, beating the Blue Devils, 34-26. A potential letdown should have been expected after the prior two victories, but Virginia Tech still outgained Duke, 477-397.

Nelson says there is a chance for a BC letdown this week. "The quarterback situation is a bit more settled with David Shinskie playing mistake-free ball last week, but this looks like a bad situation for BC coming off the 'Gameday' win last week. That said, Virginia Tech will face a steep line and the Hokies have looked vulnerable against the pass this season," Nelson states. However, as Nelson notes, the Eagles aren't afraid of the Hokies, "BC has had the recent series edge covering in seven of the last ten meetings and Virginia Tech has not been great in the home favorite role."

Maryland at Wake Forest (-11) - 6:30 PM EST

Both these ACC clubs are coming off home victories last week, but it was a bigger deal for Maryland, who picked up its first conference win of the season. The Terps knocked off Clemson as nearly two-touchdown underdogs, 24-21. Wake Forest rebounded from an overtime loss at Boston College to beat N.C. State, 30-24. The Deacons did pick off Russell Wilson twice, the Wolfpack quarterback's first two interceptions of the season.

Since the opening week win over Baylor, Jim Grobe's Deacons have outgained the opposition in each of the last four games. Riley Skinner has completed 68% of his passes, while tossing 11 touchdowns. Maryland has owned this series from an ATS standpoint, covering eight of the last ten meetings, including last season's 26-0 shutout in College Park.

The Terps, who have been snakebitten on many facets, will be without leading rusher Da'Rel Scott for the rest of the season with a broken wrist.

Nelson points to Maryland as a potential play this week, as Wake has struggled to cover huge lines at home, "Since 2002, Wake Forest is 9-18 ATS as home favorites and discounting a lopsided win over Elon, all of Wake's games have been decided by a touchdown or less making a double-digit spread look a bit steep."

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CFB Streaks & Notes
bY SportsPic

Georgia Tech at Florida State

Seminoles have lost consecutive games and have also started 0-2 in the ACC. Still, they're spotting Yellow Jackets 2.5 points. Little wonder, Seminoles have won eight of last nine meetings (4-5 ATS) including 4-0 (2-2 ATS) in Tallahassee. Jackets face a big challenge especially playing into revenge having whipped Noles 31-28 last season. Still, can't sell Jackets short, QB Josh Nesbitt spearheading a solid ground game (712 PY, 363 RY) with the likes of Jonathan Dwyer (409 RY, 3 TD), Anthony Allen (227 RY, 3TD) could do serious damage vs Noles 'D' surrendering a whopping 407.4 total yards including 127.0 on the ground. Spread-wise Jackets are 12-3-1 as an underdog of 0.5-3.0, 3-1-2 ATS last 6 meetings. rs 52-38 on this turf last season marking three consecutive victories.

Colorado at Texas

Teams laying a boat load of lumber aren't usually good bets. But Longhorns looking to stay in the undefeated ranks and scoring 49.5 PPG should have little trouble crushing a Colorado squad the've defeated by a 35 PPG average the past four encounters. Besides, Buffaloes simply don't respond on the highway losing it's last seven (2-5 ATS) and thirteen of the past eighteen traveling (5-13 ATS). The rested Texas team on a 13-0 run at home won't dissappoint. Longhorns are 6-0 ATS home laying 26 to 39 points, Buffaloes are 1-12 ATS as dogs playing with revenge and enter 0-6 ATS before knocking heads with Kansas.

Arizona at Washington

It would be easy to dismiss Washington knowing they've managed just six wins the past twenty-nine on the field (10-19 ATS) and only 3 of it's last 20 in Pac-10 action (4-16 ATS). However, Huskies have a shot vs visiting Wildcats. Winning on the road has been tough at the best of times for Wildcats (4-9 SU & ATS) and it's a tall order in conference play (4-6 SU & ATS). Keep in mind QB Locker torched Arizona on this field in 2007, passing for 336 yards (2 TD) and rushing 157 yards (2TD) in a game the Wildcats eventually won 48-41. Locker throwing for 1,287 yards 7 TD's and rushing for 107 yards 3 TD's this season could easy shred Stoops Troops who've given up 745 total yards in it's two games away from Tucson and who are 2-6 ATS it's last eight games. Gut feel Huskies get over their experience at Notre Dame and come out strong.

College Football Cheat Sheet
By:Playbook.com

Let’s examine some of the top factors and handicapping trends on teams in the USA TODAY Coaches’ Top 25 Poll on this week’s college football card in games versus lined opponents.

Top 25 ranking in (parenthesis). All results are ATS - Against The Spread - unless noted otherwise…

(1) Florida at (4) LSU
Gators: SERIES: 4-0 L4 / 5-0 A… 5-1 w/ rest… 13-3 vs conf rev… 2-8 Game Five… 3-7 aft Kentucky… allowing 176 YPG vs lined opp this season (best in country)…Meyer: 16-2 SU and 15-3 ATS w/rest, including 5-0 SU and ATS vs greater than .750 opp / 11-3 SU and 11-2-1 ATS vs undefeated opp (but just 3-3 SU and 4-2 ATS away)… word of warning: in its 102 years, the UF football program has never has an undefeated season

Tigers: 9-3 conf dogs > 7 pts... were 0-7 ATS home LY but 1-0-1 TY… Miles: 3-1 SU and 4-0 ATS home off con vs undefeated opp… last time Tiger hosted Gators (in 2007) Miles was 5-for-5 on 4th down attempts… Just in case you wondered: 5-0 HD’s in Game Six are 13-8-1 ATS, including 5-1 ATS when taking more than 7 points

Colorado at (2) TEXAS
Buffaloes: 8-1 conf dogs 25 > pts… Hawkins: 7-1 dog 16 or more

Longhorns: 0-4 H bef Oklahoma… 1-5-1 vs conf rev… 2-6 Game Five

(3) Alabama at (16) MISSISSIPPI
Crimson Tide: 1-8 aft Kentucky… 1-7 Game Six… 1-4 before So Carolina… 5-0 conf RF’s are 10-30-1 in Game Six since 1997

Rebels: SERIES: 4-0 L4 / 4-0 H… 6-2 H w/ conf rev… Nutt: 6-0 HD vs .825 or greater opp

Boston College at (5) VIRGINIA TECH
Eagles: SERIES: 7-3 L10 / 5-1 here… 7-1 RD off BB SU and ATS wins, last as dog

Hokies: 1-6 aft Duke… 1-5 H vs con rev… 1-4 H in between RG… double-digit favorites in homecoming games are long-term spread losers

(25) Wisconsin at (8) OHIO STATE
Badgers: SERIES: 15-8-2… 4-10 Game Six

Buckeyes: 3-0 aft Indiana… 6-1 bef Purdue… 10-4 as DD Conf favs… Buckeyes recent surge due to improved play from defense - have held last 4 foes to season low yards

(9) TCU at AIR FORCE
Horned Frogs: SERIES: 5-1… 9-3 vs conf rev

Falcons: 6-1 aft Navy… 4-1 H Game Six… 4-1 as conf HD’s 7 > pts… 4-1 H w/ conf rev

(13) Oklahoma State at TEXAS A&M
Cowboys: SERIES: 3-0 here of BB wins… 5-1 A off BB HG… star WR Dez Bryant (hamstring) expected back

Aggies: 1-4 H bef BB RG… 2-7 Game Five… 2-5 in 1st conf gm… Sherman: 1-8 in SU losses

(16) Michigan at (16) IOWA
Wolverines: SERIES: Dog 8-1… 7-1 in 2nd of BB RG… 8-2 conf RD’s 7 < Pts… OT losers are winners when on the road against opponents off back-to-back wins, going 28-18-1 since the inception of college overtime

Hawkeyes: SERIES: 3-13-1 SU L17G – favored once: lost SU… 2-5 in 2nd of BB HG

(17) Oregon at UCLA
Ducks: 1-4 conf RF’s < 6 pts… 1st road game since season opener at Boise State on 9/3

Bruins: 10-1 conf dogs 7 < pts… 10-1 H w/ conf rev… 21-6 HD’s, including 12-1 vs opp off SU and ATS win… Neuheisel in preferred puppy role

(19) Auburn at ARKANSAS
Tigers: 1-7 vs .500 or less SEC opp… SMART BOX fade: 5-0 FAT CAT… Tigers have scored one-point less this season than they did all last year…

Razorbacks: 9-1 HD vs opp w/revenge… upended Tigers in Auburn as 16.5-point dogs last year

(20) BYU at UNLV
Cougars: SERIES: 4-8… Cougars travel well and will have as many fans here as the Rebels…

Rebels: Sanford: 13-22 of a loss… outscored 35-0 last quarter-plus against Nevada last week…

Baylor at (21) OKLAHOMA
Bears: 1-5 A off 3+ HG… 4-11 DD dogs w/ conf rev

Sooners: 4-0 SU and 3-0 ATS L3Y after scoring 20 or less points… Stoops: 10-3 off loss vs con, including 6-0 SU and ATS vs foe he beat in most recent meeting / suffered two 1-point losses w/Sooners: won the following games 64-0 and 59-0

(23) Georgia Tech at FLORIDA STATE
Yellow Jackets: 5-0 dogs in 2nd of BB RG… Johnson: 14-4 SU and 15-3 ATS away vs opp off loss, including 14-0 ATS as a dog or favorite of 10.5 or less

Seminoles: Bowden: 13-4 SU and 12-2-1 ATS off back-to-back losses w/Seminoles (10-0 pick or fav / 6-0 vs con)… 5-1 w/ conf rev… major concern is FSU’s 0-4 SU and ATS mark in L4 lined home games

Other ranked teams:
(7) USC, (2) Texas, (10) Cincinnati, and (24) South Florida off this week. (6) Boise State, (11) Miami Florida and (12) Penn State playing non-lined opponents this week.

Foreign Soil Failure
By: Tom Stryker

It doesn’t take a rocket scientist to determine that college football teams are more comfortable playing at home than they are on the road. Practicing in their own backyard, sleeping in their own beds and being able to relax with their teammates and friends goes a long way. Of course, like some things in life, too much good can lead to trouble.

When I started researching this week’s card, I was looking to see how well teams performed during a series of consecutive home games. After hours of countless searches, I didn’t really find much. I looked at how well home teams did in back-to-back home games coming off a straight up loss, how they performed at home off a pair of SU and ATS home wins and how successful they were as a host coming off back-to-back straight up home losses. There were a few areas that showed profit but nothing that really kept my interest.

Then, by accident, I stumbled across a technical situation that was rare but extremely effective. Since 1980, this specific set of parameters only delivered 35 plays – an average of 1.2 selections per year. Even though there may be only one play per season, the reward was significant. Take a look at this technical gem.

Since 1980, PLAY AGAINST any college football road team provided they check in off a string of three (or more) home favorite straight up wins and covers.

29 Year ATS Record = 24-11 ATS for 68.6 percent!

This Week’s Play = OREGON STATE

Winning three games at home is a tremendous accomplishment for any college football team. Winning and covering those three games all priced as a favorite make the feat even more incredible. There is one team on Saturday’s card that had done exactly that. Stanford is on quite a roll right now and enters Saturday’s game at Oregon State off a nifty 3-0 SU and ATS home favorite run. The Cardinal steamrolled San Jose State (-17’ WON 42-17), smashed Washington (-9’ WON 34-14) and drilled UCLA (-5 WON 24-16) all in the comforts of Stanford Stadium. Needless to say, this is going to be a tough encore for Jim Harbaugh’s troops.

There are a couple of ways to tighten up this system that squeezes out even more profit. If our guest checks in off an emotional conference battle, this situation crashes to a stiff 4-16 ATS. Stanford faced UCLA in its last game and the Cardinal applies.

That tightener is noteworthy but this next parameter really makes this investment pop. With our 4-16 ATS in hand, this system dips to a stunning 0-12 ATS provided our “play on” host battled on the road in their last contest. Oregon State tackled Arizona State in the desert last week and that means the Beavers apply to this perfect situation!

Stanford fits the bill as our Foreign Soil Failure this week and the Cardinal is in trouble. Good luck with Oregon State on Saturday men!

Top Saturday Games
By Brobury Sports

The SEC and Big Ten conferences highlight another great Saturday of college football action.

Bet at BroburySports on Fridays and get Reduced Juice on most college and NFL games. You can’t beat that!

Florida (-7.5) at LSU – 8 pm ET

The monumental clash between the top-ranked Florida Gators and the No. 4 LSU Tigers has a giant cloud hanging over it. That’s because Gators’ quarterback Tim Tebow will be a game-time decision with a concussion.

Sophomore John Brantley will get the call if Tebow can’t go, and oddsmakers don’t seem too scared about that prospect with Florida over a touchdown road favorite.

Florida, the defending nation champion, has a 14-game winning streak right now. They’re also 11-1 ATS in their last 12 road games and have covered the last four meetings with LSU.

LSU is 5-0 straight-up, but just 2-3 ATS. They were able to survive last week at Georgia 20-13, but the offense is only ranked 99th in the country. The Tigers have won 32 consecutive Saturday night home games, but are only 3-12-1 ATS in their last 16 home games overall.

Alabama (-5) at Mississippi – 3:30 pm ET

Alabama (5-0 SU, 4-1 ATS) is ranked 3rd in the country and even got five first-place votes ahead of Florida. The Tide have the nation’s second-ranked defense in total yards, and the offense has been a pleasant surprise at 14th nationally.

No. 20 Mississippi (3-1 SU, 3-1 ATS) was ranked 4th in the country two weeks ago until a poor performance at South Carolina left them with a 16-10 loss. That was a nationally televised Thursday game. Quarterback Jevan Snead had a really poor effort and he needs to step it up big here.

This is just the Rebels second home game of the season. The first was a 52-6 win over lightly regarded Southeastern Louisiana. Mississippi has covered its last four home games and the home team is 7-2 ATS in the last nine meetings between the schools.

The Crimson Tide have trends in their favor with a 9-2 ATS mark in their last 11 games as a favorite. They’re 6-1 ATS in their last seven road games.

Michigan (+8) at Iowa – 8 pm ET

Iowa (5-0 SU, 3-1 ATS) has quietly moved up to No. 12 in the AP Poll. The Hawkeyes gained a lot of believers with their Saturday night win at Penn State two weeks ago, and they’ll try to make an equal impression at home this time around.

Michigan (4-1 SU, 3-2 ATS) has only played one road game so far. That was a 26-20 overtime loss last week to Michigan State. Quarterback Tate Forcier is mature beyond his years, but Iowa City is a very tough environment for visitors.

Note that Michigan covered the last two meetings between the teams, but Iowa covered the previous eight.

There is also another great game in the Big Ten with Wisconsin (+16) at Ohio State. The Badgers are 5-0, but this is their biggest test by far. Still, this seems like a very large spread.

Iowa hopes to stay unbeaten
By AllStar.com

Off to its best start in 14 years, Iowa hosts one-loss Michigan on Saturday night in the ABC primetime game bringing Brent Musberger and Kirk Herbstreet to Iowa City to call the game. The Hawkeyes haven't won their first six contests since going 7-0 in 1985. That was also the last time Iowa was ranked higher than Michigan heading into their game. The then-top-ranked Hawkeyes beat the No. 2 Wolverines 12-10. Michigan has won six of its last seven games at Iowa City.

Iowa (5-0, 1-0) has won nine straight dating to last season, and is undefeated through five games for the first time since 1995. The Hawkeyes have been powered by a tough defense that stifled the Penn State at College Station. The Hawkeyes haven’t had this kind of start to a football season since Hayden Fry was head coach in 1985. That was also the last time Iowa was ranked higher than Michigan (4-1, 1-1) heading into their game.

Ranked 22nd last week, Michigan dropped out of the Top 25 after falling 26-20 in overtime at Michigan State last Saturday. The Wolverines have won the last three meetings with Iowa, but this will be the first match up since 2006. The Hawkeyes last beat Michigan 30-27 on Oct. 4, 2003.

Quarterbacks: Michigan's athletic freshman quarterback Tate Forcier's scrambling abilities are similar to Northern Iowa's Pat Grace and Arkansas State's Corey Leonard the two signal callers who've had success against Iowa this season. Forcier is third in the Big Ten with a 142.69 passer rating and has rushed for 154 yards. The true Freshman QB from San Diego was 17 of 32 for 223 yards last week, rallied his team with two fourth-quarter touchdowns before throwing a key interception in overtime against the Spartans. Forcier has led the Wolverines to comeback victories over Notre Dame and Indiana. Wolverines are second in the conference averaging 34.0 points per contest.

Iowa is ninth in total offense in the Big Ten in 2009 averaging 24.8 points per game and 1811 yards of total offense. Iowa quarterback Rick Stanzi threw for a season-high 296 yards and three touchdowns against Arkansas St. Stanzi threw no touchdowns passes against Penn State or Arizona whose defenses are more indicative of the Michigan Wolverines.

Running backs: The Wolverines were held to 28 yards rushing at Michigan State. Carlos Brown is the primary Michigan tailback this season. Brown has three TD’s and 336 yards rushing. Brandon Minor has 179 yards rushing and 2 Td’s. Denard Robinson has three TD’s and 170 yards rushing. Tate Forcier has two rushing TD’s. The Rich Rodriquez “spread offense” has the Wolverines relaying on a freshman QB throwing the ball and their not running the ball enough which will be difficult to maintain when the weather cools off in November.

The Hawkeyes are averaging 139.6 yards a game on the ground which is seventh in the Big Ten. Adam Robinson has rushed for 359 yards on 78 carries with 4 TD’s this season. Brandon Wegher has 269 Yards and 2 TD’s year to date and the Hawkeyes rushed for 124 yards 15 yards below their season average against Arkansas St.

Wide Receivers: Stanzi has connected for 1113 yards and 8 TD’s through the air in 2009 with Trey Stross, Derrell Johnson-Kouilianos and Marvin McNutt all averaging over 15 yards per catch. Stanzi has hit seven different Hawkeyes for Touchdown passes in 2009. McNutt is the only Hawkeye with more than one touchdown (2) including a 42 yarder against Arkansas St.

Forcier has hit seven different Wolverines for touchdown passes in 2009. The freshman is averaging 190 yards a game in the air. Junior Hemingway has two touchdowns and 10-139 yards, Kevin Koger has 9-147 and two TD’s. Freshman speed burner Martavious Odom is the go to guy with 14 receptions for 137 yards and a touchdown.

Defense: The Hawkeyes' defense has been strong enough to keep them undefeated. The unit ranks third in the league allowing 13.4 points and is second in the Big Ten with 14 forced turnovers. Iowa has not allowed a rushing touchdown in 33 quarters dating to last season. After forcing four turnovers and holding the Nittany Lions to 307 total yards, the Hawkeyes almost squandered a 14-point fourth-quarter lead against Arkansas State. The Red Wolves returned an interception for a touchdown late and scored the most points allowed by the Hawkeyes this season.

Michigan’s defense has allowed opposing QB’s a rating of 118.2 and a 59.8% completion percentage which mean they are not getting a tremendous amount of pressure on the QB. The Wolverines allow 153 yards per game on the ground and have allowed 239 yards per game passing in 2009. The Wolverines only have six quarterback sacks in 2009. They are going to have to pressure Stanzi on Saturday or it will be a long day in Iowa City.

Special Teams: Michigan holds the distinct advantage in the Special Teams having returned a kickoff for a 94 yard touchdown. The Wolverines Jason Olesnavage is 21-21 in XPM and 5 of 6 in Field Goals. Iowa’s Daniel Murray is 14-14 in XPM but has missed 3 field goals and is 6-9 in 200 and the Hawkeyes have had no real threats in the return game this season.

Betting Trends:

Michigan is 5-12 ATS in their last 17 games
Michigan is 2-6 ATS in their last 8 games against Iowa
Iowa is 5-1 ATS in their last 6 games
The UNDERDOG is 7-1 ATS in the last 8 games between the two teams
The OVER is 7-2 in Michigan’s last 9 road games

Saturday's SEC Action
By AllStar.com

#3 ALABAMA (5-0) At #20 MISSISSIPPI (3-1)

The best conference in college football, the SEC places #3 Alabama against #20 Mississippi in one of the toughest games of the day in front of a nationally televised contest on CBS. The Crimson Tide has their eyes on a National Championship, while the upstart Rebels will try and pin a loss on their conference rivals.

As impressive as Nick Saban’s team is, the Crimson Tide face a hard road test against a very good Rebel club. Ole Miss provides a tough match up for Alabama but in reality their last true road test until the Crimson Tide faces Auburn in the Iron Bowl. Mississippi had hoped to be undefeated when these two teams matched up in Oxford but a loss to South Carolina spoiled a game of unbeatens. Before the loss to the Game Cocks the Rebels were ranked as high as #4.

No. 3 Alabama, meanwhile, will look to extend their red hot start and a five-game winning streak against Ole Miss, as its defense tries to bounce back from a poor performance against Kentucky.

For the Rebels to win Quarterback Jevan Snead will have to play better than he did against South Carolina when he was 7 of 21 for 107 yards in a 16-10 on September 24th. Mississippi didn’t let the loss put them in a slump, as they bounced back with a 23-7 win at Vanderbilt last Saturday. Jevan Snead’s problems continued though, as he threw three interceptions along with his three touchdowns.

“I think he would be the first to tell you that we can’t have some of those mistakes that he made in the second half,” Ole Miss coach Houston Nutt said. “We were executing the offense very well to start, then we started forcing things and he needs to either drop it off to the back or throw it away.”

The Rebels (3-1, 1-1 SEC) still have high hopes in the crowded SEC West, but any chances of reaching the conference title game would almost certainly require a win over Alabama this Saturday.

Speaking of the SEC Championship game, Alabama made it there last season, when they took an undefeated record and a number one ranking against eventual NCAA Champion Florida. This year the Crimson Tide have their eye on the National Championship and know they’ll have to take care of business this weekend against the Rebels if they want to reach their goal.

“(Mississippi) is probably the best team we have played to this point, all the way around,” said Alabama coach Nick Saban, whose team has already beaten then-No. 7 Virginia Tech.

The one thing the Crimson Tide can’t afford is a lack-luster performance, like the one they had last week against Kentucky. “Even though it’s a win and we’ll take the win, we’re not really satisfied with it,” star linebacker Rolando McClain said. “We know we could have played a lot better.”

The Tide’s offense averages more than (228.2) on the ground, led by running back Mark Ingram. The sophomore has 290 rushing yards and four total touchdowns in Alabama’s two road games.

“A lot of teams come out and play on emotion,” Ingram said. “The more we hit them in the mouth, it wears them down.”

If Alabama can get in front, they will stay with the running game. Even though Alabama has one of the most dangerous weapons in sophomore wide receiver Julio Jones, the Tide can eliminate mistakes and control the clock with the ground game. Jones nearly racked up 1,000 receiving yards as a freshman last season, but he has 133 in four games this fall, including just two catches for 13 yards against Kentucky.

Alabama’s junior quarterback Greg McElroy has thrown 89 passes without an interception in the last four games, with eight touchdown passes.

“Their defensive team is very highly ranked,” Saban added. “They’ve got a very good front, a couple of dominant up front guys and couple of good pass rushers and play well in the secondary.”

The Tide can’t cruise into Oxford as the Rebels are known for big upsets. In his first season as head coach, Huston Nutt went 1-1 against top-five opponents, beating eventual national champion Florida 31-30 before losing to then-No. 2 Alabama 24-20 on Oct. 18.

Nutt has experience beating Saban. Nutt’s Arkansas teams won two of five meetings with LSU while Saban was in Baton Rouge from 2000-04.

Betting Trends:

Alabama is 6-1 ATS in their last 7 SEC games
Alabama is 9-2 ATS in their last 11 games as a favorite
Ole Miss is 8-0 ATS in their last 8 games as an UNDERDOG
The UNDERDOG is 4-0 ATS in the last 4 games between the two teams
The OVER is 5-1 in Alabama’s last 6 games

No. 17 Auburn Tigers (5-0) at Arkansas Razorbacks (2-2)

The Auburn Tigers look for the school’s first 6-0 start in five years when they visit SEC rival Arkansas on Saturday. With a 5-0 start to his head coaching tenure at Auburn, Gene Chizik has now been a part of 20 consecutive victories as a member of the Auburn coaching staff (dating back to his D.C. days). Chizik, who has seen 12 straight wins at Jordan-Hare Stadium, is just the third coach in Auburn history to win his first five games as head coach. Charles Barkley, how do you like the hire today?

Bobby Pettrino is head coach at Arkansas after the disaster with the Atlanta Falcons. Pettrino is an offense genius who made his reputation by mixing the new-fangled spread offense with traditional power-I football, he has been able to churn out both highly efficient passers and bruising running backs. He doesn’t quite have the horses in only his second year at Arkansas but he does have a hell of a quarterback in Sophomore Ryan Mallet. Arkansas finally got back on the winning track with a win over Texas A&M, but now the Razorbacks need to focus on getting some conference victories.

Quarterbacks: Ryan Mallet came through with flying colors in a must-win game, carving up the Texas A&M defense and leading Arkansas to the easy win. He'll need to be decisive with the ball against Auburn, which wants to get to him and force bad throws. Ryan Mallett is going to feel the heat of an Auburn defense that sacked opponents 10 times in five games. He needs to be able to find a receiver and get rid of the ball before absorbing hits from the hard-hitting Tiger defenders. Mallets numbers for the season are a very solid (67-123-1148) with 11TD’s and a 159.1 passer rating. Pettrino has Mallet airing it out in Fayetteville.

Auburn Senior QB Chris Todd is off to a blazing start this season. He has established a career high in passing yards three times already this year, first with 255 yards against Louisiana Tech, then 284 yards against West Virginia, then with 287 yards against Ball State. He also threw for what was then a career-best four scores against the Mountaineers, before tying the school record with five the next week against Ball State. Todd is the first Auburn quarterback in history to throw at least four touchdown passes in consecutive games, and his nine TD passes in a two-week span were two more than Auburn had as a team during the entire 2008 season. Todd ranks seventh in the nation in yards per completion (15.19) and eighth nationally in passing efficiency (160.81). His 12 touchdown passes are tied for seventh most in the NCAA.

Running backs: Arkansas’ running game was boosted by Ronnie Wingo Jr.'s team-high 86 yards on just four carries, including a 62-yard touchdown run against A&M. RB Michael Smith showed his versatility against Texas A&M, leading the Razorbacks with five receptions for 65 yards and a touchdown. But Smith needs more than the 17 rushing yards he got against the Aggies in order to keep Auburn's defensive linemen from just rushing up field and going after Ryan Mallett.

Auburn ranks fifth nationally in rushing offense, averaging 253.8 yards per game. The Tigers collected 301 yards rushing against Louisiana Tech in the season opener before running for 390 yards against Mississippi State the following week. The last time Auburn had back-to-back games with at least 300 yards rushing was in 1985, when Auburn had three straight games with more than 300 yards rushing (Ole Miss, 438; Florida State, 413; Georgia Tech, 377).

Wide Receivers: RB Michael Smith showed his versatility against Texas A&M, leading the Razorbacks with five receptions for 65 yards and a touchdown. Joe Adams (16-316 yds. 2td’s), Jarious Wright (13-297-2) and Greg Childs (16-260-3) are Mallets go to WR’s all three average over 16 yards per catch. Mallet has hit 12 different Razorbacks for passes this season.

Sophomore Darvin Adams and junior Terrell Zachary was a pair of unknown wideouts prior to the season, but both have had breakout seasons. Adams leads the team in catches (22), receiving yards (363) and touchdown receptions (five), while Zachery has 13 grabs for 304 yards (23.4 ypc) and four touchdowns. Adams caught three touchdown passes against West Virginia. Zachery's four TD receptions have averaged 53 yards.

Defense: Arkansas’ defensive line was excellent against Texas A&M, putting pressure on QB Jerrod Johnson, either sacking him or forcing him to throw the ball away or rush his throws. The defensive ends were able to keep Johnson in the pocket and not allow him to use his legs to get yardage. The defensive backfield was also solid, forcing Johnson to hold the ball long enough for the pressure to get to him. Turnovers were a big plus as well, something the defense can't completely count on against Auburn, which has just five giveaways this season CB Andru Stewart made his first start of the season against Texas A&M and didn't disappoint, making four tackles in the game. Although LB Jerry Franklin gets a lot of the headlines, its LB Wendell Davis who leads the team with 30 tackles. Davis has led the team in tackles in three of four games this season and is considered by many coaches as the most reliable of the Razorbacks linebackers.

Auburn ranks tied for seventh in the nation with eight interceptions and 13 total turnovers forced. Last year, Auburn had just 11 interceptions during the entire season and forced 18 turnovers in 12 games. The Tigers have spread the wealth, with eight different players grabbing one interception each. Auburn picked off five passes against West Virginia. Antonio Coleman and Josh Coleman have both collected interceptions and recovered fumbles this season. Antonio Coleman, 19 tackles including 4.5 tackles for loss, 2.5 sacks. Junior linebackers Josh Bynes and Craig Stevens share the team lead with 43 tackles each, ranking tied for sixth in the SEC. Both players have also recorded interceptions, while Stevens leads the team with 5.0 tackles for loss and Bynes recorded a safety against Ball State.

Series History:

Auburn leads Arkansas 10-7-1 (last meeting, 2008, 25-22 Arkansas).
Arkansas has scored 40 or more points in three of its first four games.
Auburn has won 53 consecutive games when scoring 30 or more points.
In the last 10 seasons, Auburn is 76-8 (.905) when scoring 20 or more points in a game.
Auburn has had to come from behind in four of its five victories, including a fourth-quarter comeback to defeat West Virginia Sept. 19.

Betting Trends:

Auburn is 1-5 ATS in their last 6 road games
Arkansas is 1-4 ATS in their last 5 SEC Games
The UNDER is 4-1 in Auburn’s last 5 SEC Games
The UNDERDOG is 7-2 ATS in the last 9 games between the two teams

College Football Top 25 Cheat Sheet: Week 6
By MATT SEVERANCE

No. 1 Florida at No. 4 LSU (+7.5, 45)

Supposedly there’s some injury concern with Florida, some Tebow guy. It appears the former Heisman winner will be a game-time decision, with some reports saying Tebow may play but not start. Backup John Brantley might actually be a better pocket passer but doesn’t run.

LSU better solve its defensive problems against UF, which is No. 1 in the nation in rushing, No. 2 in scoring offense and No. 3 in total yards. The Tigers are No. 81 in rush defense and No. 88 in total yards allowed. QB Jordan Jefferson has been sacked 12 times.

Colorado at No. 2 Texas (-32, 62)

Colorado must win the turnover battle because its defense has allowed 11 gains of 40 or more yards and ranks No. 101 in the nation overall.

The Horns have won their four games so far by an average of 34.3 points and have won four in a row against the Buffaloes by an average of 35 points. It is a potential look-ahead game for the Horns, with the Red River Rivalry on tap next weekend.

No. 3 Alabama at No. 16 Mississippi (+4.5, 46)

The Tide have the better defense and the better QB right now, with the latter being the surprise. Greg McElroy has completed 65.5 percent of his passes for 1,086 yards and nine touchdowns with just one interception. The Tide have scored at least 34 points in every game.

The Rebels will keep it close if history is an indication. The past four in this series have been decided in the final minute. But Alabama has won 19 of the last 22 against Ole Miss and five in a row. Maybe QB Jevan Snead snaps out of his early-season funk Saturday. He had three picks last week.

Boston College at No. 5 Virginia Tech (-13.5, 44.5)

BC is one of the surprise teams out there, coming off back-to-back home wins against Wake Forest and Florida State. But in the Eagles’ lone road game so far, they were dominated at Clemson, totaling just 54 yards. That’s the sign of a young team. BC has beaten Tech in the past three regular seasons.

Good news for Hokies: Tyrod Taylor showed he could win a game with his arm last week, passing for a career-high 327 yards against Duke. Bad news: Blue Devils QB Thaddeus Lewis threw for 359 yards. Tech has won 11 in a row at home.

No. 25 Wisconsin at No. 8 Ohio State (-16.5, 47)

Wisconsin will bring the best rushing offense the Buckeyes have seen, with the Badgers ranking No. 14 in the country with an average of 217.2 rushing yards per game. John Clay leads the Big Ten in rushing. UW nearly beat OSU last year but has lost two in a row in the series.

The Buckeyes’ run defense is allowing just 37.6 yards per game in the past three and hasn’t allowed a 100-yard individual rusher in 15 games. On offense, OSU gets back running back Dan Herron from an injury.

No. 9 TCU at Air Force (+10, 43.5)

The Horned Frogs had no trouble with Air Force in last season’s finale, 44-10. But they did lose the last time they visited Colorado Springs (2007) and are just 1-2 there all time.

The Falcons are No. 2 in the nation in rushing (they can’t pass at all) but have lost 11 consecutive games to ranked teams dating to 2002. Air Force lost to Navy last week for the seventh time in a row. The previous six seasons, AFU won its next game.

No. 13 Oklahoma State at Texas A&M (+5.5, 61.5)

Obviously, the big news for the Cowboys is the ineligibility of All-America WR Dez Bryant this week. He had 17 catches for 323 yards and four TDs in three games. That will allow teams to focus more on stopping Kendall Hunter (assuming he plays) and the running game.

These are not the Aggies you are used to. They now play at a fast pace, averaging 88 plays, 545 total yards and 334 passing yards per game to rank No. 2 in the nation in total offense. And if OSU’s Hunter is also out (day-to-day), A&M could well win straight up.

Michigan at No. 14 Iowa (-8, 47.5)

Michigan has won six of its last seven games at Iowa City, but these teams haven’t met since 2006. The Wolverines’ offense didn’t look good for most of last week’s game at Michigan State (just 28 yards rushing), UM’s only other road game so far.

The Hawkeyes defense should be the best Michigan has seen so far. It is third in the Big Ten in total defense and points allowed and that unit hasn’t allowed a rushing touchdown in more than eight games.

Iowa State at No. 15 Kansas (-19.5, 56.5)

The only way the Cyclones win this one is if KU looks past them. They did lead KU 20-0 at the half last year, but lost 35-33, so it’s unlikely the Jayhawks take them for granted.

KU has won nine in a row at home against Big 12 North foes, while Iowa State has dropped 34 consecutive regular-season road games against Top 25 opponents. The Jayhawks have won four in a row in the series.

No. 17 Oregon at UCLA (+3.5, 45.5)

Will the Ducks have QB Jeremiah Masoli? He has practiced on a very limited basis so far after leaving last week’s win against Washington State. The Duck defense, meanwhile, has held back-to-back Pac-10 opponents to less than 10 points for the first time since 1992.

The Bruins welcome back starting QB Kevin Prince. He had been out since breaking his jaw against Tennessee Sept. 12. UCLA has lost six of its past nine home games against ranked teams.

No. 19 Auburn at Arkansas (+2.5, 66)

This one should be a shootout between the two top passing teams in the SEC. Auburn ranks fifth in the nation in yards per game and second in points scored with 207 under offensive coordinator Gus Malzahn, who used to hold the same job at Arkansas. Auburn has won three in a row at Fayetteville.

Two trends bode well for the Razorbacks: The last time Auburn was 5-0, it lost to Arkansas in 2006 and the last time Auburn was ranked, it lost to Arkansas in 2008. In fact, the Hogs have five wins over ranked Auburn teams in this series’ history.

No. 20 BYU at UNLV (+17, 62.5)

Cougars QB Max Hall leads the Mountain West Conference in average yards passing per game, at 280.6. The Rebels have allowed 7.9 yards per attempt, second-worst in the MWC, and are last in the conference in total defense and rushing defense. That unit gave up 63 points last time out.

UNLV did hang tough last year with BYU in Provo, losing 42-35. But the Rebels have lost four in a row in this series and are 0-7 all-time in Vegas against BYU.

Baylor at No. 21 Oklahoma (-26, 54)

Baylor is due in many facets: It has lost 18 consecutive games against Top 25 foes and has never won a Big 12 opener on the road. The Bears’ best chance to hang close is to hope that OU starts game-planning for Texas in the middle of this one.

Oklahoma has totally owned this series, winning each of the first 18 meetings. The Sooners' margin of victory has been less than 10 points only three times, the last coming in 2005. Sam Bradford remains questionable to return.

No. 23 Georgia Tech at Florida State (-3, 53.5)

The Yellow Jackets were able to rush for 288 yards in last year’s 31-28 win over FSU, and that Seminole rush defense is average this year. FSU is one of the nation’s worst teams defending the pass, and Tech QB Josh Nesbitt is coming off a career game.

The Seminoles are 6-0 all-time at home against the Yellow Jackets, and if the players were ever going to rally to save beleaguered coach Bobby Bowden it’s probably now or never. The Noles still can’t run, so they will need a big day from QB Christian Ponder, who leads the ACC in passing yards.