Week 9 Rewind, Part I
By Brian Edwards
Week 9 started Tuesday night on the smurf turf where Boise St. beat up on La. Tech by a 49-20 count, but the Bulldogs took the cash as 38-point road underdogs. Kellen Moore threw for 298 yards and a pair of touchdowns, while Doug Martin rushed 21 times for 150 yards and a pair of TDs. The 69 combined points went ‘over’ the 64 ½-point total.
On Thursday, North Carolina State took control of the ACC’s Atlantic Division by rallying behind Russell Wilson to knock off Florida St., 28-24. Wilson had three rushing touchdowns and then on fourth and goal with 2:44 remaining with his team trailing 24-21, he found George Bryan for a one-yard TD pass.
FSU drove into the red zone in the final minute, only to see Christian Ponder cough up a fumble when he and his running back collided on a play-action fake. N.C. St. senior LB Nate Irving pounced on the fumble recovery to give the Wolfpack the win as a four-point home underdog. N.C. St. hooked up money-line backers – like me – with a tasty plus-160 payout (paid $160 on $100 wagers).
UConn remained perfect at home and stayed alive in the Big East race by winning a 16-13 decision over West Va. in overtime. The Huskies cashed tickets as six-point home underdogs, while money-line backers brought home a plus-200 return (paid $200 on $100 wagers).
With two straight losses from the ‘chalk’ role, you have to wonder how loud the critics will be in Morgantown when it comes to third-year head coach Bill Stewart. The Mountaineers are now 5-3 with a pair of Big East losses.
South Carolina improved to 4-2 in the SEC with its 38-24 win over Tennessee at Williams-Brice Stadium in Columbia. However, the Volunteers covered the number as 17 ½-point underdogs.
UT actually tied the game at 24-24 early in the fourth quarter, but the Gamecocks answered when Stephen Garcia found Alshon Jeffrey for a 70-yard scoring strike. They added a late score on a QB sneak by Garcia from one yard out.
Steve Spurrier’s team will play host to Arkansas next week.
Florida has now won 18 of the last 21 head-to-head meetings against Georgia, crushing the hearts of the UGA faithful in Jacksonville once again. Chas Henry buried a 37-yard field goal in overtime to lift UF to a 34-31 win over Georgia. The Gators were 2 ½-point underdogs for most of the week, but heavy UF action on Saturday caused most books to close at pick ‘em.
The 65 combined points obliterated the 49-point total in the first OT game of this bitter rivalry. Florida safety Will ‘Thrill’ Hill put his team in position to win when he intercepted Aaron Murray on UGA’s first possession of the extra session. Hill nearly ended the game himself by returning his pick just one stride from the end zone.
The SEC East will now come down to South Carolina and Florida, who will meet at The Swamp on Nov. 13.
Let’s remove Missouri and Michigan State from the unbeaten ranks and list of national-title contenders. The Spartans got thumped 37-6 at Iowa as 6 ½-point road underdogs, while Missouri went down by a 31-17 score at Nebraska.
Miami lost 24-19 at Virginia and may have lost its staring QB Jacory Harris for an extended period of time. Harris took a vicious, albeit clean, shot from a UVA defender and left the game for good. UM wouldn’t confirm whether or not Harris had a concussion, but it would seem likely. He might also have injuries to his sternum and chest areas.
My favorite play of the week came through with flying colors, as Oregon State crushed Cal early and often. When the Beavers were done delivering this pimpslap, the scoreboard read 35-7 in favor of the 2 ½-point favorites. They remain in the thick of the Pac-10 hunt and actually control their own destiny to get to the Rose Bowl.
My second-favorite pick, however, was a dog with fleas. I called for Ole Miss to beat Auburn outright. Instead, the Tigers rolled to a 51-24 win as seven-point road favorites.
We’ll touch more on Auburn, the national-title picture and the results of the prime time and late-night games in Part II of the Week 9 Rewind that I’ll have posted Sunday afternoon.
**B.E.’s Bonus Nuggets**
Coach of the Year Candidates
1-Jim Harbaugh (Stanford)
2-Art Briles (Baylor)
3-Dan Mullen (Mississippi State)
4-Gene Chizik (Auburn)
5-Doug Marrone (Syracuse)
After losing a nail-biter at Mississippi State last week, UAB won a 50-49 double-overtime thriller Saturday at So. Miss. The Blazers won outright as 10-point underdogs, hooking up money-line backers with a plus-300 return (paid $300 on $100 bets).
Boston College loves to spoil Clemson parties. With the Tigers back in the ACC Atlantic picture thanks to N.C. State’s win over FSU, they lost 16-10 at BC as seven-point road favorites.
Coaches Flirting with the Hot Seat
1-Bill Stewart (West Virginia)
2-Mark Richt (Georgia)
3-Dabo Swinney (Clemson)
4-Randy Shannon (Miami)
5-Rick Neuheisel (UCLA)
Coaches Getting off the Hot Seat
1-Ron Zook (Illinois)
2-Greg McMackin (Hawaii)
3-George O’Leary (UCF)
4-Ralph Friedgen (Maryland)
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Week 9 Rewind, Part II
By Brian Edwards
Ok, now I’m a believer in Auburn. It’s taken me until November to get it, but now I’ve got it. Cam Newton is the best player in America and yes, he’s good enough to overcome a tough SEC schedule and a shaky secondary that give up points in bunches.
For weeks, I’ve thought the schedule or the defense would lead to Auburn’s undoing. Ted Roach’s unit still might eventually lead to the Tigers’ demise, but I’m now convinced that the Tigers can simply outscore their opponents – all of ‘em.
And that’s because of Newton, who is clearly the most dominant college football player in 2010. He led Auburn to 572 yards of total offense in Saturday’s 51-31 sprint past Ole Miss as a seven-point road favorite.
Gene Chizik’s team can rest up this weekend when it hosts Chattanooga. Next, the Tigers welcome Georgia to the Loveliest Village before an open date precedes the Iron Bowl showdown in Tuscaloosa.
Oregon was also a seven-point road favorite Saturday, at USC in its case. Like Auburn, the Ducks took the cash and cruised to victory in a 53-32 romp at The Coliseum. The 85 combined points went ‘over’ the 72-point total.
LaMichael James produced brilliant numbers once again, rushing 36 times for 239 yards and three touchdowns. Darron Thomas had 330 yards of total offense and four TD passes. Oregon finishes the regular season with these four games: vs. Washington, at California, vs. Arizona (on a Friday after an open date) and at Oregon State.
Oklahoma bounced back from its only loss of the year by trashing Colorado 43-10 as a 25 ½-point home favorite. The Sooners can sneak back into the national-title picture if they can win out. However, that daunting stretch includes three road games in four weeks. They finish up at Texas A&M, vs. Texas Tech, at Baylor and at Oklahoma St.
As of early Monday morning, most books had OU as a four-point favorite for its trip to College Station.
TCU took care of business once again in Week 9, trouncing UNLV 48-6 at Sam Boyd Stadium as a 34 ½-point road favorite. The Horned Frogs go on the road Saturday to face unbeaten Utah. Most spots had Gary Patterson’s team as a 5 ½-point ‘chalk’ early Monday morning.
Forget Michigan’s 5-0 start because it has dropped three in a row. Penn St. took the honors Saturday night, beating the Wolverines 41-31 as a three-point home underdog. The critics will be out in force for Rich Rodriguez in Ann Arbor after what appears to be another late-season nosedive. Also, ‘under’ backers (like me) for Michigan’s season win total (7) might be back in business.
Baylor is on its way to a bowl game for the first time since 1994 and Art Briles has to be on everyone’s short list for Coach of the Year honors. The Bears won a 30-22 decision at Texas on Saturday as 7 ½-point road underdogs. Robert Griffin threw two TD passes and ran for another, as the Longhorns lost their third home game of the season.
Stanford improved to 7-1 by dealing out cream-cheese treatment in a 41-0 win at Washington as a seven-point road favorite. Andrew Luck threw for 192 yards and one TD, in addition to rushing for 92 yards and one TD. The Cardinal can bolster its resume with a home win this weekend against Arizona.
Ryan Mallett had a monster game in Arkansas’ 49-14 home win over Vandy as a 20-point home ‘chalk.’ Mallett threw for 409 yards and four touchdowns without being intercepted. Knile Davis added 82 rushing yards and a pair of scores.
Mississippi St. has won six in a row after capturing a 24-17 win over Kentucky as a six-point home favorite. The Bulldogs, like everybody else, now get an open date before facing Alabama at Bryant-Denny Stadium on Nov. 13. They then finish with a home game against Arkansas and a trip to Oxford for The Egg Bowl against Ole Miss.
In the latest game on the Week 9 card, Hawaii won its sixth straight game and covered for the fifth straight week in a 45-10 win over Idaho as a 15-point home favorite. The Warriors take their winning streak to the smurf turf this week to face Boise St., which has been installed as a 22 ½-point favorite.
**B.E.’s Bonus Nuggets**
Best Week 10 Games: (lines as of early Monday morning)
1-Alabama (-6.5) at LSU
2-TCU (-5.5) at Utah
3-Arizona at Stanford (-8)
4-Arkansas at South Carolina (-3)
5-Baylor at Oklahoma State (-7)
6-Hawaii at Boise State (-22.5)
7-Ga. Tech at Va. Tech (-14, Thursday game)
8-North Carolina at FSU (-10)
9-North Carolina St. at Clemson (-2.5)
10-Nebraska (-19) at Iowa St.
Texas A&M had a new starting QB in its 45-27 home win over Texas Tech. Mike Sherman went to Ryan Tannehill for his first career start and he did not disappoint. Tannehill threw for a school-record 449 yards and four TDs. Jerrod Johnson had started the 28 previous games for the Aggies, who are 5-3 going into this week's game vs. Oklahoma.
The ‘under’ has cashed in five straight TCU games.
South Carolina senior safety and special-teams ace Chris Culliver is “questionable” for Saturday’s game vs. Arkansas with a bicep injury.
Wisconsin’s remaining slate isn’t a murderer’s row by any means: at Purdue, vs. Indiana, at Michigan and vs. Northwestern.
Duke jumped out to a 24-0 halftime lead at Navy as a 12 1/2-point road underdog. The Blue Devils held on for a 34-31 win over the Midshipmen thanks to a stellar performance from QB Sean Renfree, who completed 28-of-30 passes for 314 yards and one touchdown without committing a turnover. Renfree also had a pair of rushing touchdowns.
Notre Dame sophomore QB Dayne Crist had season-ending surgery Sunday to repair a ruptured patella tendon. He sustained the injury in the first half of the Irish's 28-27 home loss to Tulsa as a nine-point home favorite. With a 4-5 record, Brian Kelly's team will be the underdog in two of its last three games (vs. Utah, vs. Army in the Bronx and at USC).
UCF has covered the number in six consecutive games. George O'Leary's squad is 6-2 straight up with its only losses coming vs. North Carolina St. (28-21) and at Kansas St. (17-13). The Knights, who are off a 49-35 home win over East Carolina, play at Houston this Friday. Most books have UCF as a 3 1/2-point road favorite.
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NCAAF Week 9 Betting: Injuries Galore
By: Stephen Nover
It doesn’t matter if it’s Charlie Weis or Brian Kelly. Notre Dame still keeps losing when favored.
The Irish did it again this past Saturday falling to Tulsa, 28-27, as 10-point home favorites. The Irish are now 2-11-3 ATS the past 16 times they’ve been ‘chalk.’ Tulsa snapped a 19-game losing streak against BCS teams with the victory.
Notre Dame has failed to cover during its past 10 home contests, including going 0-3-3 this year in South Bend. The Irish have covered only two of their first nine games under Kelly. Last year, the Irish were 4-8 ATS with Weis at the helm.
Irish quarterback Dayne Crist suffered a severe knee injury and is likely done for the season as is the team’s leading rusher, Armando Allen. He has a hip injury.
Miami also lost a game and its star quarterback, Jacory Harris. He was knocked out in the second quarter of a 24-19 loss to Virginia, which had dropped 19 consecutive ACC contests. Harris may have suffered a concussion and/or chest injury. The Hurricanes were 14-point favorites.
Louisiana-Lafayette fared better when its quarterback, Chris Masson, left after sustaining a knee injury against Ohio. Backup quarterback Brad McGuire came on to throw for 384 yards and two touchdowns. The Ragin’ Cajuns lost 38-31, but covered as 17-point road underdogs.
Arizona quarterback Nick Foles (knee) didn’t play in the Wildcats’ 29-21 victory against UCLA. The Wildcats failed to cover as 8 ½-point road favorites.
Kentucky didn’t have star running back Derrick Locke (shoulder injury) again in its 24-17 road loss to Mississippi State.
The NFL doesn’t have anything on the Big Ten when it comes to parity. Iowa saw to that by destroying Michigan State, 37-6, as 6 ½-point home favorites. It was the Spartans’ first loss of the season. Nearly 70 percent of the early money was on Michigan State, which earlier had beaten Wisconsin. The Badgers had defeated Ohio State and Iowa in consecutive weeks following that loss.
College football bettors also didn’t do well fading Oklahoma State. The Cowboys were bet down from six-point favorites to four against Kansas State due to the suspension of Justin Blackmon, one of the top wide receivers in the country with 14 touchdowns and 1,112 receiving yards. Oklahoma State, though, won 24-14.
Not to kick additional sand on Texas and Mack Brown, but the Longhorns are 2-8 ATS in their last 10 home games following a 30-22 loss to Baylor as 7 ½-point favorites. The Bears have covered 12 of their last 14 with Robert Griffin at quarterback.
Turning to the Mid-American Conference, Akron dropped to 0-9 with a 30-0 loss to Temple. The Zips just missed covering as 29 ½-point underdogs when the Owls scored a touchdown with less than three minutes left. Akron is 5-18 ATS in its last 23 games.
Congratulations on those brave enough to lay points with SMU, which covered a 9 ½-point spread against Tulane. The Mustangs were 1-13 ATS the previous 14 times when favored.
The flip side is North Carolina State under Tom O’Brien. The Wolfpack are 20-11 ATS as ‘dogs since O’Brien became coach in 2007 following their 28-24 home win this past Thursday against Florida State as 4 ½-point underdogs.
TCU moved its record to 9-0 with a 48-6 win against UNLV. The Horned Frogs covered as 34-point road favorites. The win sets up a showdown this Saturday between TCU and undefeated Utah in Salt Lake City with the Mountain West Conference lead at stake.
If the Utes were to win, they could vault into the top four nationally if Alabama were to lose at LSU.