Ohio vs. Tennessee Pick
Following a nice win last weekend, can No. 15 Tennessee have an easy time with Ohio when they meet on Saturday at Noon ET?
According to oddsmakers at Bovada.lv, Tennessee is the clear favorite in this game. The Volunteers are being given odds of -27.5 points against the Bobcats. The over/under total is listed at 56.5 points. These two last met in 2009, with Tennessee picking up a 34-23 win over Ohio.
The Volunteers had a shaky opener when it took overtime to beat Appalachian State, 20-13. However, they bounced back nicely with a 45-24 win over Virginia Tech last week in front of a record crowd. Tennessee is 1-1 against the spread thus far, but the Vols still have to have some concerns about the offense. They are averaging 324.5 yards per game on offense. While the team rushed for 239 yards against Tech, Joshua Dobbs threw for just 91 yards on 10 of 19 passing. Dobbs is 26 of 48 for the season for 283 yards with four touchdowns and two interceptions. He has rushed for 102 yards as well while Jalen Hurd is the leading rusher with 209 yards.
Ohio suffered a 56-54 loss to Texas State to start the season and then bounced back last week with a 37-21 win at Kansas. The Bobcats are averaging 563 yards per game thus far on offense while allowing close to 400 yards per game. Greg Windham has thrown for 560 yards and five touchdowns this season to lead the offense while also rushing for 183 yards.
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If Tennessee is going to find a passing game, it is likely to come this week. Ohio is allowing 323 yards per game in the air. They should still be able to run the ball effectively, but the Vols need to develop Dobbs as a passer that they can count on when SEC play begins. Though Tennessee hasn’t been great on offense, their defense has still been decent. It needs to improve against the run, but they should find a way to slow down Ohio. Tennessee is giving up a lot of points, but it feels like a chance for them to validate their spot in the rankings.
COLLEGE FOOTBALL WEEK 3 PICK: TENNESSEE -27.5