this Temple team is a very solid football team. The defense has been great holding opponents to just 296 total yards per game (13th in FBS). In fact it is the defense’s success that has played a large role in their impressive start. The Owls have allowed just 29 points combined in the last 3 games and their defensive play will be an important factor this Thursday. 5*

ASU quarterback Mike Bercovici has thrown 7 touchdowns in his past two games. ALso DJ Foster is peeling off big runs, with Bercovici adding off some key plays, as well. Receiver Tim White was fantastic last week, with 144 yards and a pair of TD catches. ASU is playing some good ball right now and this is a good undedog spot here on Saturday night. With the way ASU is playing the last couple weeks, it’s not hard to imagine them hanging in there with Utah, with a chance to even win the game. After all, Cal only lost by 6 points to the Utes last week and that was with 6 Cal turnovers in the game. Look for the Sun Devils to pull the upset here.  5*

This is a major revenge game as Texas A&M was down last year 45-0 at halftime against Bama and ended up losing 59-0. They had this game circled here all season long. The Aggies are 5-0 home dogs in Game 6, playing with revenge and I like them in this spot on Saturday afternoon!  5*

Northwestern comes off a brutal beating last week as they got blasted 38-0. Their QB were a pathetic 15-33 with one INT. They only rushed for 38 yards on 25 carries and their special teams were bad. Not only will Northwestern want to erase last weekend's blowout loss, 38-0, but also last year in Iowa the Hawkeyes beat Northwestern 48-7 so they have some major revenge on their minds. Northwestern has had some big home wins already this year, beating Minnesota 27-0 and in their first game this year they beat Stanford 16-6 and Saturday look for Northwestern defense to bring home another defensive win. I see Northwestern coming out at home with a chip on their shoulder. Northwestern is 6-1 ATS following a SU loss of 20 points or more, and the Cats are 7-3 ATS in their last 10 games. The home team in this series is a perfect 5-0 ATS, and I expect a huge all out effort here at home on Saturday afternoon and NW to get the WIN!  10*

I like CAL in this game on Saturday night. They have probably the best QB in the nation right now with Jared Goff. He is a beast having thrown for 15 TD's and 1630 passing yards. Cal's defense leads the nation in creating turnovers and is the Pac 12's number 1 team in sacks. This CAL team is very good all around and coming off a poor showing last week despite the win. These two teams are the only undefeated teams in the PAC 12 so the winner will have steam to get into the College Football Playoffs. Look for Jared Goff to come up HUGE and raise his 1st round NFL stock by leaps and bounds. Look for Goff to hit WR Kenny Lawler time after time for big yardage. Goff can also hand it to Daniel Lasco as he is fully recovered from his injuryand CAL was a perfect 5-0 ATS last year as underdogs on the road. TAKE CALIFORNIA  10*

Florida could have a letdown after defeating Tennessee and Ole Miss in back to back weekends in the tough SEC. Missouri is #2 in the nation in tackles for a loss so getting inside the Gators backfield can stop many drives and keep the crowd in the game. Pay special attention to Tigers Walter Brady as he will live in Florida's backfield and is a monster. Defensive home dog supreme with a situational advantage against the Florida team laying an inflated after two 2 wins for Florida spells letdown with travel to Mizzu on Saturday night.  5*

Michigan just continues to play better each week. Their offensive line is playing great and I think they'll keep NW in check. Northwestern has a solid defense but their offense is not good. Michigan also has a great D, but its more of timely great defense. They have been amazing vs 3rd down conversions. Keeping drives short, if the Wolverines defense can stop them on 3rd downs, and at home Michigan will be rocking. This is only NWestern's 2nd road game and I think they are in trouble. NW is ranked#13 and getting 7.5 pts. The oddsmakers are begging out to take them but we aren't biting. Michigan pulls away in a defensive battle. 27-10

Georgia comes into this game beat up physically and demoralized after losing to Alabama last week. The Vols come into this game only 2-3 on the season. They have had a double digit lead in all three of their losses, so this is a team that could very well be a perfect 5-0. They have 18 returning starters from last season. This TENN team is very good and despite their record this team has talent.

Georgia was +16 in turnover margin last year. It is hard to duplicate such success 2 years in a row.

Look for a motivated Tennessee team to come out on fire here on Saturday afternoon. The Volunteers:are 7-2 ATS in this series, including 3-0 the last three. Georgia is 0-6 ATS in SEC games off a loss. I am looking for TENN to get the outright win. 5*

UCLA always has a history of losing a game at home to a team they shouldn't be losing to and this game screams trap game. They are sandwiched between a nationally televised primetime game and a team who Jim Mora hasn't beaten yet ( Stanford ). I expect Arizona St to have a crazy pass rush and all out blitzing of the Arizona St Sun Devils. At best, Josh Rosen will be forced to throw short passes as going deep will be remove from the offense tonight. The key to the upset is the Sun Devil's potent pass rush. The top 3 tacklers for a loss in the Pac 12 are all on the Sun Devils side. The Devils can run the ball which bodes well against the Bruins main weakness as they have little in the form of a run defense. This is a major revenge game as ARZ St lost by 38 last year against UCLA. Look for a letdown after just destroying Arizona on the road last week opening up their conference play action. This is too many points to give a solid defensive team.  10*

Florida have definitely played some very solid defense as well against Kentucky and squeaking by Tennessee. This Florida team is young but very athletic and fast. Look for a tight game throughout and the Gators to pull the upset late at home. 5*

My biggest problem with Arkansas however is its defense. There are some alarming red flag-type numbers to be aware of. Three weeks ago, Toledo hit them up for 237 yards through the air which while not horrible, was a precursor of things to come. Both Texas Tech and Texas A&M had no trouble against UA's secondary with 673 yards combined at well over 10 yards per pass. Tennessee's passing numbers don't look all that impressive but it's had more to do with the in-game situations rather than their capabilities. The Vols stuck to the ground with big leads against Bowling Green and Western Carolina and were wise not to test Florida's elite level secondary. Tennessee has weapons at the receiver position and will assuredly unleash them against Arkansas' soft secondary. Tenn already has 2 losses and they need to run the table and win every game big and it starts today! Play the VOLS!  5*

This annual SEC matchup again takes place at the home of the Dallas Cowboys in Arlington, Texas. Last year Texas A&M won this contest 35-28, but in so doing, they were outrushed by Arkansas 285-137 so I am looking for a similiar outcome this year. I expect HC Bielema is rebuilding this Arkansas program in that same mold as he did with Wisconsin. Arkansas does, however, have one of the largest OLs in the country. My what I have heard Bielema is going to return to the ground game on Saturday and just keep pounding it and controling the ball in an effort to control the clock and the flow of the game.

With the Hogs off two horrendous performances, we are now getting 2 TDs more from where this line would have been opening week. Although Arkansas (1-2) needs to work on its leaky pass defense, its power offense should find some success against a vulnerable Aggies run defense. Lost amid the glossy offensive numbers Texas A&M (3-0) has posted thus far is a shaky run defense that gave up 393 combined rushing yards to Ball State and Nevada. The Razorbacks are capable of pounding the ball downfield and shortening the game with their offense. They gained 285 rushing yards on Texas A&M last year. Look for a close game throughout and Arkansas to pull the upset catching 7.5 points at home.  10*

For East Carolina, WR Jones will be an extremely valuable asset in this game, Isaiah Jones has shown excellent concentration especially in his receiving routes. EC has a strong home field, where in the last 3 years under 6th year HC McNeill, they are 16-3 SU with only losses to UCF by 2, VA Tech by 5 (last time here in 2013) and Navy which they struggled to prepare for their option. With extra value in the line, look for the Pirates to bounce back in a game they can take to the wire as QB Kemp has admirably replaced 4 year starter Carden in putting up 300 PYPG. Look for another close game here in EC.  5*

ACC Football takes over this Thursday night as the Louisville Cardinals host the no. 11 Clemson Tigers inside Papa John’s Stadium. Louisville has suffered two straight close losses to start the season including a tough match to open the season against no. 6 Auburn. This week the Cardinals continue the search for that first win with their 3rd straight home contest. Meanwhile the Clemson Tigers have got off to a quick 2-0 start as the 11th ranked team in the land. However, the Tigers have beaten the likes of Wofford and Appalachian State meaning this week’s Thursday night battle on the road in Louisville will be their first true test of the year. Everyone knew that Louisville coach Bobby Petrino was going to have his hands full this year after losing the most starters in the ACC and the 3rd most starters in all of college football from last year’s team. Louisville will be too much to handle in this game on both sides of the ball as a 7 pr home dog. This is a nice rebound spot for the Cardinals and they win big on Thursday night.  5*

This is a very good Pitt team and one that no ones talks about. Akron did an outstanding job of slowing down the Sooners rushing attack, but struggled in the air. That got battered and bruised up good in that game. Look for the Pittsburgh Panthers to roll here and cover this double-digit line easily.  5*

The Wolverines had to deal with all the first game pressures and played a tough Utah team on the road. Now with the extra rest and time to prepare for this game and play a much weaker Oregon State team who has a new coach this year and will be playing it's first road game of the season and doing do so with a true freshman quarterback. Oregon State doesn't move the ball well in the air. I expect Michigan QB Jake Rudock to adjust and not make the mistakes he made throwing 3 picks like he did against Utah. WR Amara Darboh will be tough to handle. Lastly, Oregon State is also playing what amounts to a start time of 9 a.m. PST here in this one here on the road very start on Saturday. Look for Michigan to come out strong and not look back as they have the better offense, defense and special teams in this battle.  10*

If Texas A&M wins its season opener for the third year in a row Saturday night, they'll need to control the ball. The Sun Devils may be out of their element in Texas versus a team that will be highly motivated to reverse course from last year. The Aggies dropped five of eight down the stretch, wasting a 5-0 start. Gone from A&M is quarterback Kenny Hill, who broke Johnny Manziel's single-game passing record in his very first start with 511 yards against South Carolina. His replacement, Kyle Allen, took over after the losing streak and ended up winning Liberty Bowl MVP honors as a true freshman. In that game, A&M beat West Virginia 45-37 as a 3.5-point underdog. Allen was actually a higher-rated recruit than Hill coming out of high school. I think Allen will torch the Sun Devils as Texas A&M has a ton of weapons on offense and the fans to back them in this game. Aggies by 10 here on ESPN Saturday night.

This is the first year in this conference for Charlotte U. They are undersized and are coming into this game with last minute changes to their QB position. Their team is built of inexperienced sophomores and Juniors. Georgia St. defensive line is stronger, and their backfield is loaded with depth. I expect Geo St to keep the ball on the ground and pounding which will open up the passing game and they should win by double digits here on Friday afternoon.  5*

I know Harbaugh will turn the Wolverines around but it will take time for players to learn his system and also for him to get the right guys there. I think Kyle Whittingham is one of the best coaches in CFB that no one outside of Utah talks about. Best special teams in the country and they are tough at home. The Utes are a rugged and fast team, and have steadily advanced in the Pac-12. Last season, their fourth in the conference, they posted their first winning record in Pac-12 play with a 5-4 mark. They ended up 9-4 overall, topping their season with a 45-10 rout of Colorado State in the Las Vegas Bowl. Utah returns an excellent dual-threat quarterback in Travis Wilson, and one of the best running backs in the country in Devontae Booker. Last season, the Utes went to the Big House and clobbered a listless Michigan team 26-10. Utah has a solid defense and a very tough pass rusher in Hunter Dimick. Altitude won't even need to be a factor but it will be. Utes rolled last year at Big House 26-10. I see more of the same here on Thursday night. UTAH by 17.  10* OPENING BLAST

On New Year’s Day, the Ducks pounded FSU 59-20 with one of their most complete performances of the year.

At halftime, Oregon held just a slim 18-13 lead. However the Ducks offense, which is built for speed, quickly turned the game into a blowout in the 3rd quarter by scoring 27 points in the first 13 minutes of the 2nd half. Osu better be ready to run on Monday because, those FSU linemen were totally gassed 3 plays into the 3rd quarter.

The Ducks offense consistently blew away Florida State’s talented defense with 639 total yards and 301 yards on the ground. The Ducks offense has been clicking and posted incredible numbers against opponents. In fact, the Ducks have scored a minimum of 42 points in each of their last 9 games while covering the spread in each of their last 9 games as well.

Oregon quarterback Marcus Mariota threw for 338 yards with two scores against Florida State while he ran for 62 yards with another touchdown. Mariota is the heart of this Oregon offense and Ohio State must do a good job of getting pressure on him as they did against Blake Sims. Otherwise, it is going to be a long night.

The difference in this year’s Oregon team is not on the offensive side of the ball, but rather their defense has been really good. I think the Ducks defense is the difference in this game as I think they'll hold Ohio St to FG's and not TD's and the Ducks will pull away in the 2nd half as 10 days is not enough time for Ohio St to prep for this explosive Ducks team.

Oregon wins by 14-22 points in a high scoring game! 5* BEST BET CHAMPIONSHIP WINNER!

Kansas State lost 3 games this season, all to teams who were ranked no lower than 6th. In other words, only elite teams have been able to subdue the Wildcats this season. Kansas State's Jake Waters looks to continue the strong finish to his college career, having completed 73.9 percent of his passes for an average of 331.3 yards in his last three games. The dual-threat quarterback has thrown for 3,163 yards and 20 touchdowns with six interceptions while rushing for 471 yards and eight scores. Kansas State’s offesnse relies heavily on the pass, not that they can’t run the ball, as Charles Jones and DeMarcus Robinson have been productive in spots. Jones has 13 TD runs on just 521 yards rushing. Waters himself has run it in 8 times. But at under 4 yards per run team-wide, their strength is the aerial attack, with dynamic Tyler Lockett and Curry Sexton. Lockett has 1351 yards on 91 catches, while Sexton has 955 yards receiving. Both players are top-notch and very dependable. Defensively, Kansas State is pretty tough. They allowed only an average of 21.8 points per game, while being particularly stout against the run, allowing an average of 124 yards per game. When averaging 36 points per game offensively, I like them as a small dog here. Kansas St is well coached by Synder.K-State is just as physical as Stanford. This is NOT a good matchup for the Bruins. K-State does not beat itself They have committed just 11 turnovers this season, tied for second-fewest in the FBS. The Wildcats have allowed 32 points off turnovers, eight-fewest in the FBS. Kansas State has committed 11 defensive penalties this season, second-fewest in the FBS. If K State controls the ball it is lights out for the Bruins. Head Coach Bill Synder is a guy who can coach a team. Very disciplined. His only losses are to Auburn and he should have won that and Baylor and TCU on the road. Bill Snyder will have his team ready for this bowl game this evening.  10*

Oregon is 12-1 on the year with their only loss coming from inner division play. Florida State has been a top notch team, obviously as their record indicates. But they also have 7 games that could have ruined the undefeated season. Jameis Winston has taken a step back since last year, his big play ability moving the ball downfield has declined greatly and has shown a lack of leadership at times. Granted, FSU has a shockingly fast defense, and have a massive O Line. Biggest thing here will be turnovers, FSU simply can't afford the typical mistakes it's made all season.

Oregon has been nothing short of awesome, all year. Obviously with Heisman winner Marcus Mariota and his awesome season are the huge headline here. But don't overlook the importance of Royce Freeman hitting the ground for 1299 yds, and 16 tds. They will continue to put pressure on Jameis and stop the offense of FSU. Even with a tight thrower like Mariota, they actually are a run heavy team with a huge RB in Freeman, who will wear them down in the trenches. Both teams have had a long time to prepare, Oregon will win this game, by 10 or more i beleive. Florida State is 1-4 ATS in its last 5 games OREGON ROLLS THEM!  10* College Bowl BURIAL!

This should be a very good game. Boise State is looking to prove they belong with the big boys again, that they aren't your average mid-major. And I truly believe they aren't. They've recovered from the loss of a great coach and are back. Arizona might be feeling some letdown with the way the season ended. They were right on the cusp, on the verge of big things if they could beat a team in Oregon they had beaten in their last two games. To go from that to facing Boise is a bit of a come-down.

Boise State is the highest-ranked team not from one of the big five conferences. Coming off an 11-win season, they earned a major bowl berth on the heels of a great season. First-year coach Bryan Harsin has whipped this Boise State team back close to its glory years of several seasons ago. Gunning for their 12th win, they are a heck of a team--they can run and throw the ball well and even play some defense. In their last game before this bowl game on December 6, they beat Fresno State, 28-14, to win the Mountain West Conference championship. The Broncos need to run the ball, which they usually don’t have much trouble doing with RB Jay Ajayi. Once he gets rolling, QB Grant Hedrick can open up with the passing attack with some little trick plays thrown into the mix. Senior quarterback Grant Hedrick has been solid this season. His accuracy is excellent, as he has completed 71% of his throws, along with 22 TD throws and 8 on the ground. It’s good enough for an average of 40 points per game and I love them this afternoon as Boise Wins this bowl game today.  10*

Monday, December 29th, tune into ESPN at 5:30pm to watch the Russell Athletic Bowl.

I will take Bob Stoops with over 3 weeks to prepare for this ranked Clemson team and also an underdog for a reason.

Clemson is going with their second string QB here for the Tigers as Watson is gone with an ACL surgery.

While the Sooners' offense is getting healthy, the defense has been tough on the road this year.

The Clemson Tigers could have trouble moving the ball on the ground considering Oklahoma is 10th against the run at 109.6 yards per game.

The Sooners, who were No. 4 in the preseason poll but went 0-3 against Top 25 teams, were 10th in the FBS in scoring at 38.9 points per game and eighth in rushing, averaging 268.6 yards.

The Sooners have plenty to prove here and their offense is averaging 39 PPG..They clearly have the offense to do it, behind what figures to be a now healthy QB Knight.Oklahoma averaged 39 PPG with a ground game that averaged 269/6.1, leading an offense to 481 YPG on 6.6 YP play.

The DL and OL will be the difference in this game and catching OKL off a loss in their last game as Stoops should have them focused in Orlando Florida Monday afternoon.

I look for OKLAHOMA to jump out early in this game and not look back. 10*

The Trojans face Nebraska tonight in the Holiday Bowl and come into the contest with a 9-2 ATS record in their last 11 games against Big Ten opponents. Nebraska obviously is led by one of the best backs I have seen play, in Ameer Abdullah, he can make plays happen all day. Nebraska, though, ever since the Wisconsin game, have been not themselves, after that 59-24 drubbing, they went into a nasty spiral, and they haven't looked the same since. Nebraska has had problems playing ranked opponents, we have seen them struggle with that all season. Their coached was fired and a new staff is coming in.

 USC and Cody Kessler will be more than ready in this game. Kessler and his 36 tds are going to looking at that pass defense that has given up only 196 a game, and will be ready for the challenge. USC simply has more talent than Nebraska, they have a team that is definitely heading back in the right direction. USC has had a feeling for what the Pac-12 offers, when they play Nebraska, it's going to look a little bit better than what they saw playing in the Pac-12.

Nebraska is 1-3-1 ATS in its last 5 games and I like USC big here on Saturday night! 5*

The BC Eagles run the ball over 70% of the time, logging the 8th most rushing attempt per game and rank 11th in time of possession. :Penn has the defense and LB's to stop the run. Now they will face the #1 ranked rush defense of Penn State and the Lions have held the opposition to 84 yards per game on the ground. Linebacker Brandon Bell is slated to return for PSU after missing the final two games of the regular season, further improving that stout run defense. Christian Hackenberg makes the PSU offense go and his inconsistencies have largely led to the 6-6 record. With an extra month of practice I beleive that will really benefit Hackenberg with more time with WR's. Penn St also has Akeel Lynch and Bill Belton are serviceable runners DaeSean Hamilton has been a stud at receiver, grabbing 75 passes for 848 yards but has managed just one trip to the endzone and is about the only dependable option in the passing game. Penn St also has a very good kicker which may factor into this game. Take Penn State plus the 3 points here on Saturday evening. 10*

NC is off a terrible game their last time out getting pounded by NC St. Their QB play was poor, RB, penalties, turnovers, offensive line stunk! Now they've had some very tough practices the past 4 weeks and will be ready to unload on Rutgers. NC was so bad that they only had 30 rushing yards in that game. Look for NC QB Marquise Williams to have a big day and move the ball. THey also have a standout WR with Quinshad Davis. Favored by just 3, North Carolina is looking to finish the 2014 season with a win and an overall winning record. The Tarheels have come a long and improves as the season continued. Winning four of their last six games is what saved the season and allowed UNC to even make it to a bowl game. Rutgers came out early in the season and were winners of five of their first six games. Since that time, they have dropped four of six and find themselves as underdogs to UNC. Statistically, Rutgers is not really impressive in any area and I like NC to come up big here on Friday afternoon. 10*

I like Rice by 7-13 points. Played at Aloha Stadium in Honolulu Starting Time: 8pm EST on ESPN Sunny. Winds northwest at 1-5 m.p.h (Honolulu, HI) Game-time temperature: Around 75.

Rice had a good season and though they came up monumentally short on the road against Marshall and Louisiana Tech, they had been in really good form. For Rice to win 6 games in a row with none of them being close is quite a feat for this Owls’ program. But their best win may be their November 21 win over UTEP, another bowl-bound team. In that 6-game winning streak, they beat teams who are a combined record of 23-50. So let’s call a spade a spade. Against teams over .500, the Owls are 1-4 while being outscored 203-77 in their 4 losses. Rice’s offense has some good balance, led by junior QB Driphus Jackson, who has thrown for over 2500 yards and 21 touchdowns, similar stats to Burrell’s, just with half the picks at 8. The run game is led by Jowan Davis and Darik Dillard--a capable explosive duo. Their best receiver is Jordan Taylor, while Mario Hull is an ultra-dangerous playmaker, with a quarter of his touches going for touchdowns. I like Rice laying a small number against a Fresno State team that really struggles defensively. The Bulldogs rank 111th in the nation in total defense with 455.8 ypg allowed. Rice has the more reliable defense, one that ranks 66th nationally with 396.8 ypg allowed. Lastly the Rice Owls are 11-3 ATS under Bailiff when getting more than a week to prepare for the opposition.

5* Best Bet Play o the Day! Merry Christmas and have a great day!

Navy comes into this matchup with their usual big time triple option running game, behind Keenan Reynolds and his 21 tds.  This Navy squad definitely also comes in with a massive chip on their shoulder. Navy has always been looked at as a team that should be beaten by major schools, but we can look back and ask ND that. San Diego State has a poor passing game, no question, which has been nothing more than scraping by through the season throwing the ball.

The U.S. Navy has there is a huge Naval base in San Diego and their will be plenty of support for the military in this game tonight. SD ST is a bit lacking on the offensive side of the ball. QB Kaehler is far from dramatic with 56% completions and only a 9/10 ratio.
 THis Navy team is very good  behind dynamic QB Reynolds, the Middies were the No. 1 rushing team in America this season at 345/6.2. With nearly 2 weeks to prepare for Long’s unique defense, expect Navy HC Niumatalolo to devise an attack which will succeed. Navy has always did well when an underdog as they have gone 19-9 ATS of late.  10* College Bowl Gem.

Memphis finished the season very strong and Monday afternoon they go for their 7th straight win. First Bowl since 2008 for Memphis, who turned it around for HC Fuente. The Tigers went 9-3 SU, as they enter today on a 6-game win streak. That 9-3 SU mark followed a 12-48 SU streak the previous 5 years. QB Lynch operates behind an OL that allows just 15 sacks. Memphis is also on a 6-1 ATS run vs. Non-conference foes. Memphis has a very good defensive team especially vs pass coverage. And have been also scoring like crazy recently, putting up 38 or more in 4 of their last 6 games and playing in the warm weather of Florida will only help them with their team speed. And their QB is an excellent athlete, can make plays with his feet, picking up 10 tds in his out of pocket plays. Coach Fuente has done an amazing job in making Memphis believe and in turning this school around.
BYU is 5-11-1 ATS in its last 17 games
Memphis wins here on Monday afternoon.5*

Utah played 6 ranked opponents this year in a very tough schedule while Colorado State played ZERO ranked teams. Utah is very good when they have more than 2 weeks to prepare for their opponent.

Utah is facing a team that gives up 187 yards rushing per game. Utah needs to run the ball, and will, without question. QB Travis Wilson is going to be the X-factor simply because, if Utah is forced to rely on Wilson to throw the ball efficiently, he needs to find Kaelin Clay, it makes them that more dangerous to stop.  10*

The Utah defense is very very good with one of the best defensive fronts in all of college football. UTah had 52 defensive sacks, a number that leads the nation and will make life miserable for QB Grayson.

The Utes recorded 5 road wins.A negative is a 0-5 ATS record as road or neutral favorite.But, under HC Whittingham, this team is 8-2 ATS in Bowls, indicating his ability to motivate his team for these games and make them a priority. Utah St's coach left and I don't expect the team to be the same. UTAH ROLLS!

The Ohio St offense overall has been great and playing indoors in the dome will only make them better with their team speed. Ohio State might get into some interesting looks this weekend in order to give Jones some help in deciphering the defense. Wildcat or max-protect packages should slow the defensive pressure and if nothing else, Jones can use his big body to go right up the gut and earn yardage against a solid but small-ish defensive front seven. Ezekial Elliott sits at 1,182 yards and 10 touchdowns entering the week. Urban Meyer will use Elliott to carry the mail but look for play-action off of that as Jones can certainly use his deep-ball prowess to find Devin Smith, averaging 25.5 yards per catch. I was very surprised to see the Badgers as a 4-point favorite. They are a solid team overall but the general lack of consistency at QB makes them very shaky favorites to even win the game straight-up, much less cover the spread. I like Ohio St st plus the points.  10*

Alabama comes into the SEC Championship game this weekend as the top ranked team in the nation, boasting a 11-1 record, going and going 7-1 in the conference ranked #1. Laying this many points is a recipe for disaster. Missouri heads into the game with the identical 7-1 mark in the conference and are 10-2 overall. Mizzu is very good on the turf and has a ton of speed. The Tigers have put together six straight victories and are coming off a 21-14 win over Arkansas last weekend. Quarterback Maty Mauk has taken every snap for the Tigers this season, going 193-361 for a total of 2,279 yards through the air. The Tigers are giving up less than 20 points per game, and ranked 13th in the nation in points allowed. While Mizzu might not win this game 14.5 points is a lot for these two tough teams and I like the underdog and the points. Mizzu is 16-5 ATS in their last 21 conference games and will be pumped playing the #1 team in the Nation here this afternoon.

East Carolina can play some football. These guys are ranked 14th in the nation in scoring at 37.8 points per game scored. Much of the Pirates offensive success can be credited to the passing game led by quarterback, Shane Carden. This season, Carden has thrown for nearly 4,000 yards and 25 touchdowns which has the Pirates ranked 3rd in FBS in passing. Not only does Carden throw for a lot of yards, he also does a good job of protecting the ball. With those 25 TD passes, he has only thrown six interceptions.

EC is very good offensively and they don't turn the ball over.  UCF has struggled when it hasn't been able to run the football. We've seen that in each of its losses. The Knights average only 3.1 rushing yards per game and don't figure to get anything easy against an ECU defense that has held opponents to 3.2 yards per carry on the season.  A great stat I have in conference play is you want to fade teams that average just 3.0 to 3.5 yards per carry when they are up against a team that holds its opponents to 3.0 to 3.5 yards per carry.  Doing so has produced a 52-12 ATS mark the last five seasons.

I like East Carolina a lot in this game, and should get the job done here. 5*

This game will be full of emotions for the Boise State Broncos as it is senior night and these guys will want to go out in style. Obviously the blue turf is a hard place to get a win, add to that a group of seniors who have won 40 games or more throughout their career and it gets that much harder. Boise State is ridiculously good here at home! The Broncos balanced offensive attack is too much for the Aggies to handle. Boise State, the complete opposite, they have an offense that is strong. Hanging 34 or more in 9 of 11 games this year. The QB play of Grant Hedrick has been up and down. Jay Ajayi on the ground has been nothing short of phenominal. BSU leads the series over the Aggies 14-4 and has won the last 11 meetings. A bad Bronco team went into Logan last year and beat the Aggies by 11 points, and this game will be even worse. Boise State is 7-2 ATS in their last 9 home games against teams with a winning road record.  5*

CAL QB Jared Goff is very good with 31 TD passes and just 6 INT"s.  California is playing at home  and I expect him to light up the BYU defense. This team should have beat UCLA and Arizona and is a very athletic team.
BYU just clobbered Savannah State 64-0 and have actually played 3 cupcakes the past 3 weeks.
That was no great feat. BYU is still without Taysom Hill and Jamaal
Williams, but the schedule got softer.
Cal is 4th in passing offense. Nothing like taking someone's strength and matching it to BYU's weakness.
CAL needs to win to get their 6th win.
The Cougars already know
 Their bowl fate.
BYU is headed to the Miami Beach Bowl.
 Cal is 5-6. This is their final chance to become bowl-eligible and I think they do it in a big way on Saturday afternoon.
The best QB that BYU has faced this year, Boise State’s Grant Hedrick, riddled the Cougars for
410 passing yards.

BYU U has been playing down in class for three straight blowout wins. They finish The Season Up In Class On The Pac 12 Road, With Plenty Of Injuries and a defense that allowed 55 and 42 points the last two times They played real o?enses on Boise State and Nevada. Cal is 5-6, needs a Win for bowl eligibility in coach Dykes’ Year Two. They’ve handled North-Western on the road, Northwestern has beaten Wisconsin and Notre Dame, and the winning teams they’ve lost to in the Pac 12 are all pretty Darned Good. Cal Stat-sheeted Stanford just ?NE In The 31-17 Loss, Until You come to the 12-4, 113-has been playing down in class for three straight blowout wins. They  finish  the  season  up in  class  on  the  Pac  12  road, with plenty  of injuries and a defense that allowed 55 and 42 points the last two times they played real offenses on Boise State and Nevada. Cal is 5-6, needs a win for bowl eligibility in coach Dykes’  second Year. They’ve handled Northwestern on the road, Northwestern has beaten Wisconsin and Notre Dame, and the winning teams they’ve lost to in the Pac 12 are all pretty darned good. Cal is just a far more superior team in my eyes and their speed will be there difference here.  10* COLLEGE GAME OF THE YEAR!

The Stanford Cardinals are 6-5 on the season and looking to escape the year by staying above .500. Stanford will look to continue playing top notch defense. The Cardinals are only allowing 16.5 points per game to opposing teams and UCLA is off that huge primetime game where they pretty much played a perfect game.
This Stanford team is very physical and a dominating style and will keep this game close.
Stanford is 5-1 ATS in their last 6 meetings so lets back the underdog here in this one. 5*

Texas has been coming around lately. They beat TCU last season by 23 and I like them again on Thanksgiving night. The Longhorns are playing rugged, tuff and well discipline football. Charlie Strong has not only changed the culture, but he has already kicked off nine players. He is cleaning house in a major way. The Texas defense is ranked 24th in the country in points allowed. If Texas can slow down the TCU offense, they may have a shot to keep this thing close. The Longhorns average 212 passing yards per game and 154 rushing yards per game. While Texas only scores 24 points per game every time out they have proven themselves to be stout on the defensive side of the ball. Slow, low scoring games sort of set the mark for what to expect out of a Texas match.

I truly believe this game will come down to the final moments, and I like Texas to show up and try to pull the major upset. TCU can score, but the Texas defense has played pretty stout all season long and should keep them in check here. I look for a 3-4 point tight game throughout so we are backing the underdog Texas team. Hook'em Horns!  10*

Big letdown spot for the Hurricanes here after their narrow loss against the Seminoles last week making foplay on Virginia tonight. The Hurricanes are 1-4 ATS in their last 5 road games. Cavaliers are 5-0-1 ATS in their last 6 games following a ATS win. Cavaliers are 6-1 ATS in their last 7 games following a BYE week. Cavaliers are 5-1-1 ATS in their last 7 home games. All four of Virginia's victories have come here at home where they are outscoring foes by 11 ppg. Miami is just 1-3 on the road with all three of those losses coming by double-digits (Louisville, Nebraska, and Georgia Tech), and away from home the Hurricanes scoring drops a full 9 ppg down from their season average Virginia battling to get bowl eligible, Miami battling to get into a better bowl game. Miami hangover from Florida State loss will keep the Cavaliers around. Field goal game here. 5*

Wisky is off a 35 pt win against Nebraska last weekend. I expect this game to be much closer. he Hawkeyes are very strong up front, with tackles Carl Davis and Louis Trinca-Pasat and end Drew Ott in consideration for All-Big Ten honors. Iowa did look much better stopping the run in last week's win at Illinois. I love playing against teams that are coming off their most impressive wins on season and then having to travel away from home in next outing and play a tough conference opponent. Wisconsin has heard for a week now how great they were last week and that can only mean one thing; let down spot this week.Don't expect a ton of scoring as defense is name of game in this one and I'll gladly take the points with this IOWA team. 10*

This Arizona team is not that good. They are winning with smoke and mirrors and it seems this Wildcat has 9 lives. The Wildcats used another one of their lives, when they were outrushed 245-133 by Washington, outgained 504-375, yet still came away with a 27-26 win. Now they are on the road in high altitude in Utah and probably looking ahead to Arizona St's showdown next weekend with a potential shot at the divisional crown next week. It is here they will meet a sneaky good Utah team who has recorded a mark of 7-3 SU, 8-2 ATS. They do it with a defense that allows 3.6 YPR and has recorded a nation high, 47 sacks. Along with outstanding special teams, this well coached team makes the most of each opportunity. They have no questions of their scoring ability, they can score with Arizona. And it's likely thei defense is a little better as well. They are a good team with Devontae Booker doihng the damage. Utah gets my call here and wins by 10.

If Miami can feed Johnson the ball and keep the chains moving while pounding the running game it will accomplish two important things to help out the Hurricanes defense. It will chew up the clock and limit Florida State’s chances on offense. Both of those obstacles will be vital towards keeping the Seminoles off the scoreboard often this Saturday night. Just like Miami, the Seminoles offense has played exceptionally well during the latter part of the season. The ‘Noles’ offense has scored at least 31 points in 6 straight games since Jameis Winston served his 1 game suspension against Clemson. Winston has struggled with the interceptions, 11 to be exact, have been somewhat concerning this year. In the last 3 games, Winston has tossed 6 picks and that is something that he must avoid this Saturday. The Hurricanes have an underrated defense that does not get the credit they deserve. Miami has held opponents to just 21.9 points per game this year as the 27th best scoring defense in college football. If Winston turns the ball over and gives the Miami defense confidence, the Seminoles will be in a tough predicament for 60 minutes this Saturday. Miami is good enough on both sides of the ball to pull the upset and I'll take the home underdog here tonight!  10* GAME OF THE WEEK

It's not very often you see the #1 team in the nation getting 8 pts as an underdog. Alabama has their stout defense as usual, playing great in particular vs the run. And they definitely want revenge vs the entire state of Miss, being that that is their only loss on the season thus far to to Ole Miss back on 10.4.2014. QB Blake Sims has been leading them all year with making smart plays and not turning the ball over.

This is their only chance to make it to the college football playoff because with Auburn's loss, this team really has nomore chances to prove itself worthy with so many other teams in the mix. If Alabama is able to rout this team at home, and theoretically the #1 team in thecountry it makes for a great statement here.

We like Alabama to play a complete game of Football here as note with State barely by multipleteams they likely finally get exposed here by Alabama as Mullen hasconsistently struggled against scoring against Saban's defense as the National Championship Offensive Coordinator has had his issues against Saban. Look for Alabama to be as well prepared as you can possibly be and his team come out fired up and WIN this one by double-digits here on Saturday afternoon.

Nebraska right now, has the best RB in the game with Ameer Abdullah. They have a very steady offense and defense, with DE Randy Gregory on the outside.

Nebraska enters as the 10th best rushing team in the nation, averaging 280 yards per contest. Obviously, they are better with Abdullah toting the rock but will be okay with back-up combo of Imani Cross and Terrell Newby. That duo has accounted for 603 yards and 9 touchdowns to this point and we haven’t talked yet about the running production from the quarterback. Tommy Armstrong is the second leading rusher on the team with 571 yards and four touchdowns. He averages 203 pass yards per contest. Look for very tight game here with the winner pulling it out by just a FG. Take the points with the Nebraska Cornhuskers here on Saturday early afternoon. 5*

Bowling Green has covered the spread in 7 of the last 8 games when playing in the month of November and they have covered the spread in 12 of the last 16 games coming off a win by 17 points or more in their last game. This is a rare TV Primetime appearance for them and they'll want to shine with their huge offensive attack, Kent is just a very bad team. The Golden Flashes are 1-8 straight up and 3-6 against the spread in all games this season. They have been atrocious offensively, averaging just 14.8 points and 303.6 yards per game to rank 120th in total offense out of 128 teams. They haven’t been much better on the other side of the ball, surrendering 29.4 points and 425.8 yards per game this season. Bowling Green should roll big time in this game tonight!  5*

The Rockets' offense is led by sophomore running back Kareem Hunt, who has rushed for at least 100 yards in all six games he has played this season. Hunt missed three games earlier this year with an ankle injury, but has returned with vigor - rumbling for 339 yards and a touchdown on 44 carries in victories over Massachusetts and Kent State. Quarterback Logan Woodside suffered a leg injury against the Golden Flashes and will likely be a game-time decision. Toledo has a ton of weapons and I think they use their strong rushing attack to stay undefeated in the MAC Conference. N Illinois tends to play sloppy with turnovers and penaltys and it will cost them tonight.
The Rockets head to Northern Illinois tonight where they are 5-2-1 ATS in their last 8 games against the Huskies. N Illinois is 1-6 their last 7 ATS at home. PLAY TOLEDO

Ohio State leans on J.T. Barrett to be a do-it-all QB and he had performed well, throwing for 1,856 yards and 23 touchdowns while adding 496 yards and six scores on the ground. There aren’t many teams that spread it around like OSU. Seven different receivers have at least 10 catches on the year and nine different pass catchers have at least one touchdown. Both teams have leaders, are well coached and have plenty of playmakers so I like the underdog in this one. Ohio State is 7-1, keeping them in the running for a championship bid. But they need a marquee win like this if they want to impress the selection committee. The road team is 5-1 ATS in their last 6 meetings. The underdog is 4-1 ATS in their last 5 meetings. The Buckeyes are 4-1 ATS in their last 5 meetings in Michigan State. The Buckeyes are 5-1 ATS in their last 6 games overall. Don't worry about OSU's freshman QB. He has Urban Meyer at his side along with a bunch of playmakers.
10* UPSET SPECIAL.

5*

The growth of QB Clint Trickett has been a big part of the West Virginia resurgence. He has thrown for nearly 3000 yards and his value goes beyond stats, as he is a leader and a positive and energizing presence on the field. Wendell Smallwood and Rushel Shell are a nice combo at running back. RB Dreamius Smith is also a dependable playmaker. He also has a ton of speed at the WR positions. While the image is that West Virginia is by far at their best at home this season, they are actually unbeaten on the road in 2014. Oklahoma State was the best of that bunch, a game they dominated, 34-10. In other words, this Mountaineers team can travel and facing a Texas team with a lot of issues and injuries. I’m licking my chops on this spread and betting on the West Virginia Mountaineers minus 3 points.  10* Blowout Game of the Week

 UCLA has done well against Arizona the last two years, winning by scores of 31-26 and 66-10 overall winning as both -2.5 chalk and +1.5 underdog.
The last time UCLA dropped three straight home games, it was 43 years ago at the Los Angeles Coliseum. Avoiding a repeat of that scenario would provide it with a crucial win in the tight race for the Pac-12 South Division lead. Brett Hundley and the 25th-ranked Bruins are in fifth place but one game out of first, and they can leapfrog one of the teams they're chasing when they face No. 14 Arizona at the Rose Bowl on Saturday night.
What's interesting is after destroying Arizona two years ago and being an underdog last year to an Arizona team that had massive revenge, this team still found it within them to win that contest, which says a lot about the character of the UCLA coaching staff to have their players ready for that trap game. UCLA matches up very well against Arizona and they are very familiar with the system that Arizona runs. Note, UCLA is not that much different in makeup to USC, and with the Trojans beating this team earlier this year 28-26, look for UCLA to do a step better here as if Arizona had their troubles against Cal and Nevada, they are going to have their hands full against UCLA. The public is all over Arizona, but I think UCLA is the better team and playing at home I have them winning by 14 points here late Saturday night!
10* College Game of the Month!

The majority of the Rebels offensive success this season has relied on the arm of senior quarterback Bo Wallace. If Wallace can just mimic a portion of South Carolina’s success against Auburn in the passing game, then the Rebels will be in great shape when you factor in their scoring defense into the equation.

Auburn is a one dimensional offense ranked 84th in pass and 10th in the run and same goes for their defense they can’t seem to stop the pass, but they are solid vs. the run. Ole Miss strengths fit nice here and they have a solid balanced defense that is one of the best in the nation ranking top 25 in pass and run defense. LSU wasn’t supposed to beat Ole Miss and the offense looked horrible and now we get a spread that’s at least 2 points in our advantage.

Ole Miss leans on Bo Wallace to play a good game to win, and I have never trusted him on the road so I wasn’t surprised to see him looking lost at LSU at night with all the noise in a tough place to play.

Auburn’s two struggles this year have been against Miss State 13th passing the ball, and Kansas State 24th. Now they face Ole Miss who has the passing game and a better defense than both. This is basically an elimination game and I’ll take Ole Miss to bounce back and get the win at home. 10*

Red Hot Duke (6-1) visits the Pitt Panthers (4-4) who last week were thrashed at home by Georgia Tech 56-28. Tech led 28-0 in the “first quarter” and glided the rest of the way for the blowout. Pitt was physically beat up in that game with GTech's rushing attack. The Blue Devils show in a more positive state of mind after a bye and back-to-back conference wins over Georgia Tech and Virginia. One of the overlooked strengths for Duke this season has been their -5 TOs versus +13 in the takeaway category. Add that to an improved defense (15.1) and an overall balanced offense it’s easy to see they have a legit shot at returning to the ACC Championship game.
Techs have the Blue Devils covering 4 straight in the month of November, while on a very high note 10-2-1 ATS record on grass surfaces. Pitt, on the other hand, has been bad at home and 1-4-1 ATS L6 overall. Take Duke here in the Saturday early kickoff. The Line is dropping as sharp money is coming in on Duke. 5*

Cincinnati will travel to New Orleans and take on the Green Wave in Yulman Stadium with a 4-3 record and need to win 2 more to become Bowl eligble. The Bearcats allowed just 20 points in wins of 34 and 17 including early game competition that resulted in wins of 24 vs. Toledo and 7 vs. Miami, OH. It means the Bearcats are 4-3 SU with victories against every team they should beat. Whether it’s QB Kiel at the helm or former starter QB Legaux, look for a resurgent Bearcat team to continue their success against lower echelon teams and win big here on Friday night.  5*

The LVille Cardinals defense has the talent to contend with Florida State. First year Coach Bobby Petrino is known for his offensive mind but he inherited a great defensive team whose foundation was laid back Charlie Strong. The Cardinals scoring defense ranks 4th in the FBS holding opponents to just 14.6 points per game. The Cardinals defense has not given up more than 23 points all season. I am not a believer in Florida State being a national power and their 1-6 mark ATS supports my theory. Louisville’s defense should be the most talented group the Seminoles have faced all season. If you look at the only two decent defenses (Clemson and Notre Dame) that Florida State has played, they have not looked very impressive and slow to the ball. They were outgained 470-323 against Notre Dame and 407-313 against Clemson. I like the home underdog with Louisville on Thursday night ESPN action.  5*

Arizona State might be looking ahead to Utah and ND coming up, so this is a look ahead spot. The Sun Devils are 15-33-3 ATS in their last 51 road games vs. a team with a winning home record. They are at Washington and this Arizona State defense is not that good, giving up 27.8 ppg (ranked 78th in the nation). Washington has only two losses and they were to No. 16 Stanford (20-13) and No. 9 Oregon the last game, a blowout loss, but the Huskies are 12-5 ATS after a loss of more than 20 points. Washington has a strong offense with 183 yards rushing yards per game while averaging 32.7 ppg. Take the home underdog here Saturday night on the last game on the board.  5*

Ole Miss is off to a great 7-0 start and they are also 7-0 against the spread! LSU is improving, but they are still a very young team led by a freshmen quarterback who will be facing a Rebels defense that is one of the best in the nation. It is rare to see LSU as a rare home underdog in a night game in Baton Rouge and is too good to pass up. LSU lost 27-24 last season at Ole Miss and the Tigers are a perfect 9-0 against the spread as an underdog seeking revenge. Tigers head coach Les Miles will find a way with this young LSU team with a ton of speed and talent to keep this one tight. 10* Upset Special

The Mountaineers are coming off of a huge home underdog win over the #4 ranked Baylor Bears last week. The hosting Oklahoma State Cowboys are in a pissed off mode as they were drilled last week in Fort Worth by TCU. I look for the roles to be reversed in this game. Oklahoma State has a strong scoring team, and can also move the ball in the air, with Daxx Garman, on occasion. But, they are coming off a beat down to TCU 42-9, in which they looked awful and I expect a major bounce back at home here on Saturday! This Mountaineer defense that has allowed an average of over 35 points per game in their two road games at Texas Tech and Maryland. The Cowboys have scored 37 or more points in all four of their home games this season and I love them at home in an angry mood Saturday afternoon! 10*

Boston College is significantly better in the power rankings here than Wake Forrest and we like the fact this is an afternoon game. BC comes off a tough loss to Clemson at home by 4 points and now this team is set as nearly a two touchdown favorite over Wake on the road. BC has played the 50th toughest schedule this year, held a potent Clemson offense to just 17 points, and should have no problem disposing of an awful Wake Forest team.  5*

Virginia Tech’s defense has kept them in games this year as the 19th best scoring defense in the country. However it is fairly obvious that the offense is going to have to do much better to start winning football games. The Hokies will get their chance against a subpar Miami defense this week as they look to right the ship. The Hurricanes defense has been rather average at best so this team has to score points to win. The Hurricanes are just 1-7 ATS in their last 8 road trips and playing on a short week. However, I like the fact that Virginia Tech is 10-3 in their last 13 meetings against the Canes. This is one of those really important games for Virginia Tech and I expect to see some urgency out of this team on Thursday and at home in chilly Blacksburg VA. 5*

Missouri is certainly not as bad as it showed last week in their 34-0 loss to Georgia as MIssouri turned the ball over 5 times. They had only turned the ball over 4 times before that game. I Look for them to bounce back here as they are 13-3 ATS in their last 16 following an ATS loss and 10-2 ATS following a SU loss. Gary Pinkel is a much better coach than Will Muschamp who is 4-11 ATS following a SU loss. I Florida's offense is just terrible led by Jeff Driskel who has a 102 QB Rating. Missouri is just a bit better in red zone offense and defense and that will be the difference in my opinion. Lets back Mizzu as a 10* Underdog BEST BET

Arkansas is a desperate team here looking for a win in the SEC for the first time in 16 games. They keep inching closer and closer and really out played Alabama at home last week, but an extra point miss kept them from winning this game or forcing OT. Georgia have been winners of 4 in a row, but how long can they stay strong without Gurley? Arkansas has a very efficient ground game themselves, with Alex Collins and Jonathan Williams. The team overall, has been a monster on the field, pounding it for 279/game. They are coming off 2 very tough losses, where they had their chances in both games.

Arkansas arguably the best balanced offense that Georgia has faced all year. Yes, Arkansas will run the ball 62% of the time and try to shorten the game, but Brandon Allen is healthy and has 10 TD and just 2 interceptions and they utilize their TE's who very hard to guard very well. Georgia isn't as good as their record indicates and Arkansas continues to be under rated. I think this is the perfect spot for Arkansas to pull off the upset over Georgia this week. Missouri really played an awful game last week which may have given the Bulldogs a bit of a false sense of security. 10* College Game of the Week!

The Razorbacks are a much-improved team, but I do not feel they are ready to battle to cream of the crop in the SEC. The last two matchups have been won in a blowout by the same score of 52-0 the past two meetings. This is actually a great matchup for Alabama as they do not have to worry about the spread offense in this game as the Razorbacks line up in a traditional formation and run the ball. Alabama has covered the spread in 5 of the last 6 matchups and I expect Nick Saban to come out strong in a big way here on Saturday evening. Look for the Alabama defense is come out strong and shutdown Arkansas. 10* BURIAL PLAY

TCU, which knocked off Oklahoma 37-33 over the weekend, could contend for the Big 12 title for the first time. The Horned Frogs were just 6-12 in their first two years of Big 12 play.

The Bears have a 12-game home winning streak since losing to TCU at their old stadium in October 2012.

At Texas last Saturday, reigning Big 12 offensive player of the year Petty was 7-of-22 passing for 111 yards, though he did throw for two touchdowns after halftime.Shock Linwoodran 28 times for 148 yards with a 1-yard TD in the fourth quarter.

One of Petty's worst games last season came at TCU, going 19 of 38 for 206 yards with two TDs and one interception, but the No. 9 Bears held on for a 41-38 win.

Overall I think Baylor has too much speed on both sides of the ball along with home field and the crowd behind them to get a big double digit win here. There has been few teams as dominant at home as Baylor. In the Bears last 22 home games, the team is 21-1 straight up and 19-2 against the spread.

Baylor has one of the best offenses in football and should win here handily with their first home game in over a month. 10*

Mississippi are getting all the hype so far this season in the SEC and deservingly so.  Their defense is very good and I like them to upset Bama here on Saturday!
Alabama has been led by Blake Sims arm and his accurate and smart play this season. But they come into the game with their 1st road game on the year, and playing in Mississippi will not be easy. Alabama has to slow down Jaylen Walton to have any chance to stop this team, and they won't. Ole Miss has a stifling defense, that has shut down every opponent to under 15 pts this season. Ole Miss obviously feels very confident and strong about their team, relayed by their safety Cody Prewitt's comments, stating "We don't really think Bama is as good as they have been" and we will see. Bama is good, but I like Ole Miss in this game at home.

Mississippi is 5-0 ATS in its last 5 games

10* GAME OF THE WEEK

I love the home underdog in this one. These are two option teams. And these are two big rivals from the service academies. Air Force has lost to Navy the last two years and they will want to turn that around. This has been a very even series the past five years with Navy winning three times and Air Force winning twice. AF is tough at home and the public is loving Navy in this one, but not us. AIR FORCE wins this one outright! 5*

If UCF can establish consistently solid O-line protection for 4 quarters the Knights should roll on to a victory. UCF has a very good defense and it wont be a good opportunity for Houston to do much on offense. Maybe some other time. The Houston defense is bad and with 2 weeks for UCF to gameplan here I expect a huge effort and a very close game. Take the points with the road underodog and UCF on Thursday night. 5*

Notre Dame produces a very good defense and has not allowed a rushing TD yet this year, and they can stop the pass and the run very good. And NDs defense should be more than enough to stop the Orange on offense. Syracuse obviously lacks a passing game, with Terrel Hunt only hitting less than 59% of his passes this season and he is very inconsistant and with this game being played at Metlife stadium in NJ I think he'll struggle outdoors. The Irish coming off a bye week and 2 weeks to prepare for this one. Everett Golson has passed for 780 yards with 7 TD's and 0 INT's for Notre Dame. Receiver Williams Fuller has 19 receptions for 225 yards and 3 TD's for the Irish The Irish is 3rd ranked only allowing 10.3 points per game and shut out Michigan 31-0. The defense leads the nation with a +8 turnover margin. Look for the defense to key on stopping Hunt and NOTRE DAME to pull away big in the 2nd half here. 10*

Missouri heading out to South Carolina is a rough game to expect a win. Especially after losing to an inferior team like Indiana at home. Not a confidence builder for any team that is supposed to be a solid competitor. Last year S.Carolina won 27-24 and I expect another tight game on Saturday night. Missouri is 6-1 ATS last 7 road games and 8-2 ATS last 10 games against teams with winning records. Missouri is a well coached team that is 12-3 ATS in their last 15 following in ATS loss. I don't think South Carolina's offense is good enough to score and cover the spread here on Saturday night.  10* UNDERDOG GAME OF THE MONTH

Kentucky is a massive favorite in this one. It’s a little disorienting, in fact. But Mark Stoops has this team playing well, and they have had two weeks to prepare for this revenge game against the Commodores. Kentucky has lost three straight in this series – all by double-digits – and they were embarrassed 40-0 on this very field just two seasons ago. It is payback time this year. Vanderbilt is a train wreck. They are on the road for the first time this year after a 1-3 homestand that saw them get demolished by Temple (37-7) and Ole Miss (41-3). South Carolina was in a letdown spot and did everything they could to give Vandy that game last week, and the Commodores still lost by 14. Kentucky has a ton of talent on this team and I beleive they are at least 24 points better. 5*

The Bruins have not looked like the on the rise team everybody was expecting to start the season but now they get a big Thursday night primetime game to showcase their talent. They've had plenty of injuries to slow them down with QB Brett Hundley being the main one. However, they play an Arizona State team tonight who does not have the defensive personnel to slow down UCLAs run game. The Bruins will man handle ASUs offensive line and create turnovers. Look for UCLA to show up big as they have too many athletes and too much speed in this one. UCLA rolls!  5*

Arizona is in the top 25 in rushing and passing and are very good at home. They've had a fairly easy schedule but so has Cal. Arz QB Solomon is only a freshman but he is a smart QB. He doesn't turn the ball over and makes very good decision and now playing in his 4th game of the season. He also has a great core of receivers improving rapidly as well, and perhaps the second coming of Carey in Wilson, that line looks pretty good. The defense is fast and you have to like the Arizona trademark linebacker play. California has definitely struggled at times against the RBs they have faced this season so far, giving up 108 and 118 in their games thus far. Can't see Cal scoring more than 20 here and this Wildcat offense is very explosive.  10*

North Carolina getting no love at on the road this time around, as ECU is coming off a big and emotional road win at Blacksburg, upsetting Virginia Tech last Saturday. Tar Heels lost by 24 points last season at home to the Pirates, but it was the first non-cover for UNC in the series since 2001! ECU is 3-13 ATS vs. teams with winning records AND 3-13 ATS in last 16 home games following consecutive non-conference games. North Carolina coming off BYE with extra time to prepare and playing in Revenge mode and ECU walking into a let-down game! Take NC here.  5*

In last weeks loss, Maryland's defense was overmatched by the up-tempo WVU attack. The Terps allowed 694 total yards and 33 first downs, including 511 passing yards and 4 pass TD to WVU QB Trickett. You best beleive the focus at practice this week was DEFENSE! Look for a letdown from the Orange after that big win as they take on a Maryland team that will not only be in a bad mood following last week’s crushing loss to West Virginia, but is also playing with revenge following a 20-3 loss to Syracuse last year.  5*

This weekend the Hawkeyes travel to Pittsburgh to take on the Panthers at Heinz Field. Pitt is 3-0 on the young season after defeating FIU 42-25. Pittsburgh’s potent offense is putting up an average of about 45 points per game and is 5th in the country in rushing, averaging 344 yards on the ground per contest. Pitt is led by James Conner who has already amassed 544 yards on the ground this season and a very solid and accurate QB. This is Iowa's first true road game of the season. The Hawkeyes have been abysmal on offense this year averaging just 21.7 ppg. Not sure Iowa even gets their average as Pitt is a very talented defense and has athletes on both sides on the ball. Panthers offense will wear down Iowa and late in this game Pitt offense does whatever they want in easy win for ACC. Panthers by double digits!
10*

Rutgers home fans have had this game circled all year. Rutgers have a strong rushing and passing attack and will take advantage at home against Penn St. I like them to win this one outright. Rutgers QB is very consistent and understands defenses. ? ? Rutgers Senior QB Gary Nova makes smart decisions with the ball and Rutgers had big WR's to take advantage down field. . When Rutgers gets a good rushing attack to help make that downeld passing work even better. Penn St has a very poor offensive line and their running game isn't working with the new offense they are implementing. The public is all over Penn St and 90% of the bets are on PSU but this game is sold out and the stadium will be rocking. I like Rutgers here by a touchdown 30-23.

10* GAME OF THE MONTH

SC's Todd Gurley has been nothing short of amazing in what we have seen so far, and seriously can make a run at the Heisman this year. The strength, beyond their excellent RB is their defense which is looking to prove that they can shut the run down when need be. South Carolina, on the other hand has a D that has looked very vulnerable at times but I think the Ole ball coach will have his boys ready at home here. Lets back the home dog with SC on Saturday afternoon. 5*

TCU needs a statement game, and this team has been playing better dating back to last year. Minnesota is 2-0, make no mistake that they have not played anybody, and this is a Minnesota team that faces their toughest contest, and in particular one of the toughest offenses they will face all year compared to Big 10 competition. If this team gives up 44 points in their last two games to no-names, imagine what is going too happen to TCU here between the Horned Frogs tough offense and defense. This just might be very well a blowout in the making this evening. You have a TCU team that is absolutely hungry for a statement win, and you have a Minnesota team that might not know what hit them by the time the time the third quarter rolls around. TCU will be more than prepared for MN considering they have a by-week while MN plays MTSU. TCU plays a no-nonsense game and they should win by at least 20. BIG 10* Offshore Steam Play!

Both of these squads looked great last week in their respective wins. LA Tech completely dismantled LA Lafayette who many consider the head and shoulders favorite to win the Sun Belt and even more impressively they picked up the win on the road. LA Tech is coming off a big win over UL-Lafayette, while North Texas is coming off a blowout win over SMU. North Texas is getting too much credit in this game because of their big win over SMU but SMU gave up five turnovers which the Mean Green aren't going to catch from LA Tech. N Texas had a tough defense but very one dimensional on offense and cannot pass the ball to save their asses. LA Tech is 16-6 ATS in their last 22 road games and has a balanced attack and tough defense. Take the small dog with LOU TECH on Thursday night.

BYU is loaded on both sides of the ball and the team is 4-0 ATS in their last 4 vs. the Big 12 The Cougars pounded Texas last season in Provo and the Horns have numerous injuries heading into this week. Texas has a new coach with a new system and is still young. BYU QB Taysom Hill was once again the catalyst for the Cougars as he had a hand in all 5 of the Cougars touchdowns. Hill threw for 302-years and 3 touchdowns, in addition to running for 97-yards and 2-scores. BYU had over 150 penalty yards in that game so they could have won by a lot more and they will be much more dicipline on Saturday.

Texas was an easy 38-7 home winner over North Texas in head coach Charlie Strong's debut. The Longhorns have a huge game on deck against highly rated UCLA. That game will be played at the Dallas Cowboys home Stadium in Arlington. It certainly raises a red flag in regards to this game being overlooked by the Longhorns. I like the BYU Cougars to make it two wins in two years over the Texas Longhorns. BYU returns a handful of suspended players this week, including RB Jamaal Williams, who carried the ball 30 times for 182 yards in last season's 40-21 BYU win.  10*

The Wildcats beat Stephen F. Austin 55-16 with quarterback Jake Waters having a great game with 223 yards passing with 2 TD's and although receiver Tyler Lockett only had 1 catch it was still a easy victory. Lockett should be a big factor in this meeting. Iowa State lost receiver Quenton Bundarge for the season with a torn ACL and the defense allowed 506 yards in a embarrassing loss to N.Dakota St. 34-14. KSTATE won last year 41-7 and Waters will have another huge game on Saturday against the Cyclones. Iowa State has dropped 32 of its last 36 matchups with ranked opponents, including seven straight. Kansas State has won the last six meetings overall after last season's 41-7 win. When ranked, the Wildcats have defeated the Cyclones in 10 straight dating to 1994. Look for Kansas St to win big heading into their BYE week.  10*

The Pitt Panthers looked pretty good in Week 1, defeating a upcake Delaware by a score of 62-0. Of course we can't get too excited about a blowout win against a small school. The Panthers face a much tougher test this week, taking on the Boston College Eagles on the road. The BC defense is tough and I expect Pitt to have trouble moving the ball in this one.

 Tyler Murphy BC's Senior QB comes over from the Florida Gators, and he's wasted no time making an impact. Murphy completed 70% of his passes for 174 yards and a TD, while picking up another 118 yards and a TD on the ground. He'll give the Eagles a dual threat weapon, and Pittsburgh should have it's hands full trying to contain him.

Boston College ran the ball 61 times for 338 yards in their opener, dominating time of possession holding the ball for 42 minutes.
Getting the Eagles as a home dog of more than three points is excellent value, especially when you consider that Pitt was 1-4 ATS on the road last year.
I'll take the home team getting 5 points on Friday night.  5*

Georgia knows that Clemsons defense is good, but the Dogs also play SEC defenses every year, which means they know fast defense, and Clemson lost way too much from their team. Clemson wont be able to go score for score with this Georgia team, and the Dogs will pound the ball and score a lot of points. Georgia comes in with a punch you in the mouth defense as well, especially behind the great linebacker corps that Georgia has this year. The big edge in terms of returning starters it would go Georgia as they return most of their defense. However, it's important to point out that it wasn't a great defense a year ago as their final yards per point number of 12.9 shows. They'll be better this year but they gave up on average 29 points per game a year ago. Look for Georgia to lockdown Clemson with their defense and forcing turnovers here in the opening week and grab a double digit win.  10*

Marshall might go undefeated this season and if they want to get some respect in the poll, not only do they have to win, but they need to blow teams out. It starts on Saturday with a blowout here. . They are very good on both sides of the ball. Marshall is coming off a 10-4 season with quarterback Sr. Rakeem Cato who had a monster year with 3,916 yards passing and 39 TD's and could be a contender for the Heisman this season. His favorite target at receiver is Sr. Tommy Shuler who had 106 receptions, 1,165 yards and 10 TD's. On the flip-side Miami -Ohio was 0-12 last year and things don't look much better this season. THey cant get out of their own way and I have them at 130 in my college power rankings. Marshall is 7-1 ATS last 8 meetings with Miami-Ohio and 8-1 ATS last 9 game as a favorite. Miami-Ohio is 1-7 ATS last 8 non-conference games and lost to Marshall last year 52-14. Marshall in a major BLOWOUT here in this one. 10*

For Purdue, they’re looking to be better this season as their futures win total is 3.5 wins. For Western Michigan it’s looking like another bad season as they have only 13 returning starters coming back. The Sportsbooks opened the Boilermakers as 13-point favorites. But that proved to be a bad number as the line was steamed down to 8.5-points. Despite the big move the money is split on the game. It’s tough to lay 10-points with a Purdue team that averaged only 15 points last season. But they have QB Etling and RB Hunt back and they have the experience and home field in this one to get the win and cover for us.  5*

Uconn hosts BYU in the opener for both teams on Friday, August 29th in Connecticut. The Huskies are off a 3-9 season while BYU was 8-5 and appeared in the Fight Hunger Bowl, losing to Washington. . These two programs are night and day in terms of talent. BYU is a well coached program built to win now and compete with the top 30 teams in the nation while Uconn has very little talent and is in the process of rebuilding. Hiring Paul Pasqualoni was a mistake. He wasn't the right guy at the right time for Uconn. It set the program back. Bob Diaco takes over and really has his work cut out for him. BYU figures to have major edges across the board in this game, including coaching and QB. QB Taysom Hill is an extremely talented player and could start for many top programs. Uconn doesn't figure to have an answer for Hill and this fast paced offense, especially right out of the gate in week 1 with good weather tonight.I like BYU to cruise to a comfortable win.  5*

This SC team is very good. They have a huge offensive line and a great running game and going against Texas A&M who couldn't stop anyone last year as they outscored everyone behind Johnny Football. Their defense is tough as well. South Carolina has been a staple in the mighty SEC for the last 4 seasons, I don't see a huge drop off this year either. They need to make sure they commit themselves to stopping the scoring outburst of the pass happy offense of Aggies with a young QB which I think will take A&M some time and for him to gain experience. South Carolina wins big! 5*