Five Things You Need to Know for Sat., Sept. 29
Atssportsline.com
Want to start your day off right? Looking for the most interesting events of the day and a few games to lay action on? This day is all about college football. Let's take a look at the top five matchups of the day.
1)#7 Baylor (3-0) at #7 West Virginia (3-0), 12pmET at Mountaineer Field, Morgantown
This is West Virginia’s first Big 12 game and they take on a tough #25 Baylor squad. Baylor is averaging 51.3 points per game, while West Virginia is putting up 47.3. West Virginia did not look great in their 31-21 win over a young Maryland team at home last Saturday (27-point fave). Baylor struggled on the road last Friday, edging underrated UL Monroe, 47-42 on the road. Senior QB Nick Florence has thrown for at least 300 yards and three touchdowns in each of Baylor’s first three games. West Virginia is 6-14-1 ATS L21 conf. home games. West Virginia is an 11-point favorite with a total of 82.5.
2)Tennessee (3-1) at #5 Georgia (3-0), 3:30pmET, Sanford Stadium, Athens, Ga
Last year: Georgia (-2’) over TENNESSEE, 20-12. Georgia has won their first 4 games including last Saturday’s rout of Vandy 48-3. The offense has been very balanced thus far as QB Aaron Murray and freshman running backs Todd Gurley and Keith Marshall have been stellar. Tennessee beat Akron last week, 47-26, but they fell in their SEC home opener to Florida, 37-20. Their inability to stop big plays (4 plays of over 30 yards in final 18.5 minutes) has been costly. Tennessee is 0-6 ATS L6 as a dog. Georgia is a 14-point favorite with a total of 58.
3)Ohio State (4-0) at #18 Michigan State (3-1), Spartan Stadium, East Lansing, Mich
Last year: Michigan State (+3) over OHIO STATE, 10-7. Ohio State was flat last week in a 29-15 win over an awful UAB team. Michigan State wasn’t much better in a 23-7 win over Eastern Michigan. OSU head coach Urban Meyer called his team "passive". Ohio State’s star is quarterback Braxton Miller, who is tied for 16th in the nation with 110.3 yards per game game rushing. Michigan State is led by RB Le’Veon Bell and DL William Gholston. Ohio State is 6-1 ATS L7 on the road in series. Michigan State is a 2.5-point favorite with a total of 42.
4)#23 Wisconsin (3-1) at #20 Nebraska (3-1), Memorial Stadium, Lincoln, Neb
Last year: WISCONSIN (-10) over Nebraska, 48-17. The Badgers hope to have star RB Montee Ball, who is coming off a concussion. Their offense has been disappointing thus far though they did put up 37 points in last week's 11-point win over UTEP. Nebraska is led by speedy QB Taylor Martinez and RB Rex Burkhead. The Huskers are seeking revenge after last year's loss. But in their only test, they were beaten by UCLA on Sept. 8, 36-30 on the road. Wisconsin: 0-6 ATS away playing on artificial turf. Nebraska is an 11.5-point favorite with a total of 50.
5)#10 Texas (3-0) at #22 Oklahoma State (2-1), Boone Pickens Stadium, Stillwater, Ok
Last year: Oklahoma State (-7') downed Texas on the road, 38-26. Oklahoma State is 2-1 after defeating UL Lafayette, 65-24, while Texas is 3-0 after defeating Ole Miss on the road, 66-31. Texas is just 6-11 SU in the Big 12 over the last two seasons. The Cowboys have not announced whether starter Wes Lunt will be able to play after injuring his leg. J.W. Walsh replaced him and led the Cowboys to a school-record 742 yards of total offense. Texas has an explosive offense led by QB David Ash. Texas is 4-10 ATS L14 conference games. Texas is a 2.5-point favorite with a total of 65.6.