This is a 10* play on the Cincinnati Bearcats.

The Houston Cougars are flying high after upsetting Oklahoma in Week 1, and following that up with a blowout win over lowly Lamar. The Cougars look like the real deal, but I think all the hype as resulted in an inflated line as they get set to face a division rival on the road. Remember the Bearcats are also 2-0, and sophomore quarterback Hayden Moore has thrown for 510 yards and accounted for seven TDs in those wins. Last year the Bearcats went into Houston, and gave the Cougars a scare in a 33-30 thriller.

Cincinnati was 5-1 at home last year, and they played some quality opponents during that span. They beat Miami 34-23, and Hayden Moore threw for 279 yards and a pair of TDs, also scoring a rushing TD in just his second start. While Cinci is in good shape with a confident sophomore quarterback, the Cougars are concerned about a shoulder injury that is bothering starter Greg Ward Jr, who was unable to go last Saturday against Lamar. He's expected to play through pain tonight, but it's hard to imagine that he'll be at 100 percent just four days after sitting out a game. I don't think the Bearcats are going to roll over at home in such a big game, it should be close.

Take CIN.

GL,

Jesse Schule

This is a 10* play on the Boise State Broncos.

The Broncos offense was firing on all cylinders in a 45-10 win at Louisiana Lafayette in Week 1. Brett Rypien threw for 347 yards and a pair of TDs on 22-of-33 passing. He'll face a Washington State defense in Week 2 that struggled against the pass last week, allowing Eastern Washington to throw for almost 500 yards and five TDs. The Broncos have covered the spread in four straight non-conference games, and they are 8-3 ATS in their last 11 games during the month of September. Boise State's defense has held opponents to 14 points or less in eight of their last 14 games. They've won nine of their last 12 games, and all nine of those victories came by a double-digit margin. We should see another blowout on the Blue Turf Saturday night.

Take BSU.

GL,

Jesse Schule

This is a 10* play on the South Florida Bulls.

South Florida won seven of it's final eight games of the 2015 season, and all four home games during that span. That impressive run included a 44-23 win over the #22 ranked Temple Owls, and a 65-27 win over Cincinnati. They host the Northern Illinois Huskies this Saturday, and NIU has dropped off quite a bit since winning the MAC Championship in 2014. They lost 55-7 to Boise State in the Poinsettia Bowl last December. Their defense was shredded for 243 rushing yards and three rushing TDs in a loss to Wyoming last week. These teams haven't played since 2010, but the Bulls have out-scored the Huskies 64-9 in the last two meetings dating back to 2002. South Florida has bee very tough at home, going 6-1-1 ATS in their last eight. The Huskies have only covered the spread in two of their last eight non-conference games. I expect this game to be a blowout from start to finish.

Take USF.

GL,

Jesse Schule

This is a 10* play on UCF@MICH to go UNDER the total.

The Wolverines took full advantage of a travel weary Hawaii team last Saturday, beating the Warriors by a score of 63-3. I expect them to face a slightly tougher challenge here at home against a UCF team that pitched a shutout in Week 1. The Knights were 0-12 last season, but I expect them to be far more competitive here in 2016. This program is only two years removed from a 9-4 season and an AAC Championship. As impressive as Michigan's offense looked last week, their passing game wasn't exactly what you would call explosive. Wilton Speight was picked off on his first pass attempt, and finished with 145 yards and three TDs on 10-of-13 passing. The Knights have played five straight non-conference games without going over the total, and the under is 20-5-1 in their last 26 games during the month of September. Weather conditions in Ann Arbor are expected to be less than ideal, with rain and wind in the forecast.

Take UNDER.

GL,

Jesse Schule

This is a 5* play on the Syracuse Orange.

A lot of people have Louisville as their dark horse to win it all this year, and there is certainly plenty to be excited about for Cardinals fans. They certainly didn't disappoint in Week 1, laying a whuppin' on Charlotte, winning 70-14. Lamar Jackson threw for 286 yards and six TDs on 17-of-23 passing in that game. They come into Syracuse on Friday night as a double-digit road favorite, which makes enough sense when you consider that the Orange lost eight of their final nine games last season. When you dig a little deeper though, you will see that four of those eight losses came to ranked teams, including home losses to #1 ranked Clemson and #8 ranked LSU. Neither of those games were decided by two touchdowns, though. In fact, the Orange played three ranked teams at home last season, and scored an average of 24 points in those games. They lost all three, but by an average margin of less than eight points. The Orange are 5-0 ATS in their last five home games, and the underdog is 8-3 in the last 11 meetings in this series. Lamar Jackson isn't the only quarterback to keep an eye on tonight, Wesley Dungey completed 34-of-40 passes for 355 yards and a pair of TDs in a win over Colgate in Week 1.

Take SYR.

GL,

Jesse Schule

This is a 10* play on Ole Miss.

The Rebels are coming off a 10-win season that saw them upset Alabama for the second straight year. They have a stud at quarterback, with Chad Kelly who led the SEC in passing last season, and he threw a conference best 31 TD passes. They open the season as a significant underdog versus Florida State, and while the Seminoles are loaded with talent, I still think they are vastly overrated.

FSU plays a much softer schedule in the ACC, and while they've won 23 games in the last two seasons, they haven't seen many teams as strong as Ole Miss. The Rebels beat LSU at home last November, holding Leonard Fournette to just 108 yards on 25 carries, keeping him out of the endzone. The Seminoles rely heavily on a power running game, with Dalvin Cook running all over softer defenses. If the Rebels can take that away, it will put a ton of pressure on a freshman quarterback.

Playing FSU in their backyard isn't going to be easy, but keep in mind ... this team went into Tuscaloosa and whupped the national champions last season. I'll take the points thank you very much.

Take MISS.

GL,

Jesse Schule

10*

10* analysis before game time

This is a 10* play on WMU@NW

The Wildcats had one of the nation's top defenses last year, resulting in 12 of their 13 games combining for fewer that 52 points. They open the 2016 season at home versus Western Michigan, and the Broncos should be over-matched here. Western Michigan had success against opponents in the MAC last season, but didn't fare to well in non-conference games against Power Five teams. They scored an average of just 17.6 points per game in losses to Michigan State, Georgia State and Ohio State. Unlike the aforementioned teams, Northwestern doesn't have an explosive offense to run up the score. The Wildcats opened up last season with a 16-9 loss to Stanford, and they've gone under in nine straight games in the month of September. The under is 24-8 in the Wildcats last 32 home games, and Northwestern has failed to reach the total in 16 of their last 21 non-conference games.

Take UNDER.

GL,

Jesse Schule

This is a 10* play on CLEM@BAMA to go OVER the total. 

I watched Alabama shutout the Spartans, but I think their defense is getting far too much credit for that performance. They face an entirely different monster here in the championship game, facing a Clemson team with a full bag of tricks on offense. DeSean Watson threw for 3,699 yards and 31 TDs this season, and he ran for over 1000 yards with a dozen rushing touchdowns. They have a talented running back in Wayne Gallman, who ran for 150 yards and a pair of TDs against Oklahoma. The Tigers defense though has given up plenty of points lately. Clemson gave up an average of more than 27 points in it's final four games of the regular season, and they gave up 37 points in a win over North Carolina in the ACC Championship game. While Derrick Henry gets all the press, Atlanta's underrated quarterback has done most of the damage in recent games. He completed 25-of-30 passes for 286 yards and two TDs in the win over Michigan State. He's thrown seven TD passes and no picks over his last four starts. I think we'll see both teams score their fair share of points tonight. 

Take OVER. 

GL, 

Jesse Schule

This is a 10* play on the Oregon Ducks. 

The TCU Horned Frogs opened the season winning their first eight games. None of those wins came against ranked teams, and their wins over Texas Tech and Kansas State were both decided in the final minute. They scored a touchdown with 23 seconds left on the clock to come from behind and beat the Red Raiders 55-52, and it was a 55 yard TD in the final minute of a tie game that put them ahead of the Wildcats. Star wide receiver Josh Doctson caught 26 passes for 422 yards and five TDs in those two games, and he's not going to pay in the Alamo Bowl due to a sore wrist. 

The Horned Frogs lost two of their three games against Top 25 teams, and the one win came against Baylor, and the Bears were starting their third string quarterback in that game. I expect them to struggle against an Oregon team that closed out the season winning six straight, including a home win over #24 ranked USC, and an upset of #7 ranked Stanford on the road. 

Oregon's quarterback Vernon Adams Jr. threw 24 TD passes and just four INTs during that six game win streak. He missed three games with a broken finger, and the Ducks lost two of those games. Had he of been healthy, this team might have been playing in a playoff game. This is a tough matchup for TCU, and I don't like Trevone Boykin's chances of keeping up with the Ducks without his top target. 

Take OREGON. 

GL, 

Jesse Schule

This is an 8* play on the Stanford Cardinal. 

The Iowa Hawkeyes and the Stanford Cardinal both came so close to playing in the College Football Playoffs, but they've have to settle for the Rose Bowl in Pasadena. There's no doubt that the Hawkeyes are going to take this game seriously, as it's not every year that they get to play in a major bowl game. That's not true for Stanford, a team that has been a powerhouse in the PAC12 over the last decade. The Cardinal haven't shown any indication that they treat these games anything less than a must win, and they have covered the spread in five of their last six bowl games. There's no doubt that Stanford has more talent, with Kevin Hogan at quarterback and a running back that owns the all time single season total yards record. If their defense can just slow the Hawkeyes, I don't think Iowa will be able to keep up. If you look at Iowa's schedule, they only played one team that could even compare to Stanford, and that was Michigan State, who defeated them in the BIG10 Championship game. 

Take STAN. 

GL, 

Jesse Schule

This is a 10* play on the Ohio State Buckeyes. 

Ohio State came into the season as defending champions, and while it won it's first 10 games, it wasn't until the season finale that we saw the Buckeyes look like the team that beat Oregon in last year's final. Ezekiel Elliot ran for 214 yards and two TDs in a 42-13 win over the Wolverines in Michigan. They will face the Notre Dame Irish in the Fiesta Bowl, and I expect to see a similar performance here. 

The Buckeyes offense was far more efficient in the second half of the season, once Urban Meyer decided to hand the starting job to J.T. Barrett, who was unbelievable in the win over Michigan. He ran for 139 yards and three TDs in that game. Notre Dame only played two teams that appeared in the Top 25 rankings at the end of the season, and they lost both those games. The loss to Stanford was a particularly painful one, surrendering a game winning Field Goal just 45 seconds after scoring the go-ahead TD. The Buckeyes have covered the spread in four straight neutral site games, while the Irish have only covered once in their last six versus BIG10 teams. 

Take OSU. 

GL, 

Jesse Schule

This is an 8* play on the Michigan Wolverines. 

The Florida Gators fell apart at the end of the season, just squeaking by FAU, and then losing 27-2 at home to Florida State. They needed overtime to get past Florida Atlantic, and their offense looked just brutal in that game. Treon Harris threw for 134 yards on 19-of-38 passing, failing to get into the endzone. He's facing a daunting task here in the Buffalo Wild Wings Bowl, going up against an elite Michigan Defense. 

The Wolverines looked like a playoff team until a fumbled punt was returned for a TD on the final play of a 27-23 home loss to the Spartans. They bounced right back winning four straight before getting crushed by the Buckeyes in their season finale. Senior quarterback Jake Ruddock really came on at the end of the season, passing for an average of 324 yards over his last four games. He threw 11 touchdown passes and just two interceptions in those games. 

Michigan has plenty of weapons on offense, and I think we'll see the Wolverines find the endzone plenty today. So far this bowl season, we've seen a lot more offense than defense, even when teams with good defenses have played. Florida has a lot of talent on it's defense, but I wouldn't expect it to be at it's best here today. 

Take MICH. 

GL, 

Jesse Schule

This is an 8* play on MICH@FLA to go OVER the total. 

The Florida Gators fell apart at the end of the season, just squeaking by FAU, and then losing 27-2 at home to Florida State. They needed overtime to get past Florida Atlantic, and their offense looked just brutal in that game. Treon Harris threw for 134 yards on 19-of-38 passing, failing to get into the endzone. He's facing a daunting task here in the Buffalo Wild Wings Bowl, going up against an elite Michigan Defense. 

The Wolverines looked like a playoff team until a fumbled punt was returned for a TD on the final play of a 27-23 home loss to the Spartans. They bounced right back winning four straight before getting crushed by the Buckeyes in their season finale. Senior quarterback Jake Ruddock really came on at the end of the season, passing for an average of 324 yards over his last four games. He threw 11 touchdown passes and just two interceptions in those games. 

Michigan has plenty of weapons on offense, and I think we'll see the Wolverines find the endzone plenty today. So far this bowl season, we've seen a lot more offense than defense, even when teams with good defenses have played. Florida has a lot of talent on it's defense, but I wouldn't expect it to be at it's best here today. 

Take OVER.  

GL, 

Jesse Schule

This is a 10* play on the Michigan State Spartans. 

For the second straight season, the Alabama Crimson Tide enter the playoffs as a double digit favorite against a BIG10 team. We all know what happened last year, as the eventual champions Ohio State took Bama behind the wood shed. This time they face the Michigan State Spartans, who just happened to have beaten that same Ohio State team on their home turf just a few weeks ago. 

Over the last decade, we've been conditioned to believe that the SEC reigns supreme as by far the most powerful conference in college football. People are starting to challenge that idea though, and nobody is more vocal on the subject than Colin Cowerd. The Fox Radio host has delivered several long rants on how bad the quarterback play is in the SEC, and while I don't agree with everything the guy says, I think he hit the nail on the head on this subject. 

The quarterback matchup in this game is very one sided in favor of the Spartans, as Connor Cook comes in with just shy of 3,000 yards, 24 TDs and just 5 INTs. Here is what I had to say about Cook prior to the Spartans win over Iowa: 

"The way I see it, Michigan State is battle tested, led by a money quarterback with a reputation for playing his best in the big games. Connor Cook threw for 248 yards and three TDs on 19-of-28 passing in last week's win over Penn State. He led the Spartans to a win over Ohio State in the BIG10 Championship game in 2013, and followed that up with a big win over Stanford in the Rose Bowl. Last season the Spartans trailed Baylor by 20 points in the fourth quarter in the Cotton Bowl, and Cook rallied them back to score the game winning TD with 17 seconds on the clock. He threw for over 300 yards and at least two TDs in all three of those games."

The Spartans have covered the spread in seven straight games at a neutral site, while Alabama has only covered the spread twice in it's last 13 non-conference games. The Tide are coming off convincing wins over Florida and Auburn, but neither of those teams stack up to Michigan State. I think this number looks way too high. 

Take MSU. 

GL, 

Jesse Schule

This is an 8* play on the Oklahoma Sooners. 

The Clemson Tigers are the #1 ranked team in the country, yet they are an underdog here in the Cotton Bowl against the Oklahoma Sooners. I've been backing Clemson all year long, and they were my pick to win the ACC before the season started. As much as I struggle with the fact that they are an undefeated #1 ranked team getting points, I still can't ignore the "gut check". My gut is telling me that Oklahoma has looked more dominant down down the stretch, blowing out Kansas State, Texas Tech, Baylor, Oklahoma State and West Virginia. DeSean Watson had a heck of a season, but I think Baker Mayfield appears to have just a little more poise under pressure. He completed better than 68 percent of his passes, with 35 TDs and just five picks this season. Clemson sent three players home after failed drug tests just days before the big game, and one of those players was their #2 wide receiver Deon Cain. I think the Sooners will also have an edge in the ground game, with a dominant offense line in front of workhorse Samaje Perine. 

Take OKLA. 

GL, 

Jesse Schule

This is a 10* play on the Florida State Seminoles. 

The Houston Cougars emerged as champions of a much better than expected AAC Conference, but I wasn't all that impressed with what I saw from this season during the season. In Week 12 they hosted the Memphis Tigers, and they trailed that game by a score of 34-14 heading into the fourth quarter. They rallied to score 21 points unanswered points to come back and win by one. Here is what I had to say about the Cougars after they started the season 7-0: 

"The Cougars are having their way with the minnows of their conference, but let’s face it, their schedule is a bit of a joke. Last week they cruised to 59-10 win over Central Florida, a team that is now 0-7 on the season. It wasn’t their first win against a team with a losing record, in fact all seven of Houston’s wins have come against teams that are currently below .500. They are 4-0 against AAC teams, but those four opponents have a combined conference record of 1-13. They gave up a combined 52 points in their wins over SMU and Tulsa, who are both 0-3 in conference play. Their schedule will get a whole lot tougher real quick, facing Vanderbilt, Cincinnati and Memphis over the next three weeks. I wouldn’t be at all surprised if they drop at least two of those three games."

They will meet Florida State in the Peach Bowl, and I don't like their chances of stopping Dalvin Cook and the Seminoles offense. Florida State only lost two games all year long, and one of those was a close game against #1 ranked Clemson. The other was on a blocked FG returned for a TD in a 22-16 defeat at Georgia Tech. The Seminoles boast the nation's #5 ranked defense, holding opponents to an average of 15.8 points per game. They looked particularly good in their final game of the season, beating the Gators by a score of 27-2 in Gainesville. 

Take FSU. 

GL, 

Jesse Schule

This is an 8* play on the Mississippi State Bulldogs. 

Dak Prescott will play his final game for Mississippi State in the Belk Bowl, and he's likely to have a big game against a pretty average North Carolina State team. Prescott put up big numbers again this year, and the Bulldogs went 8-4 with their only losses coming against Top 25 teams. The Wolfpack lost three of their final five games of the season, and all three of those losses came by a double digit margin. The gave up 56 points in a home loss to Clemson, and DeSean Watson threw for 383 yards and five TDs in that game. North Carolina State hasn't beaten an SEC team since 1999, and they are 0-4 ATS in their last four versus the SEC. This looks like quite the mismatch, and I think we'll see the Bulldogs win in a Blowout in the Belk Bowl. 

Take MISST. 

GL, 

Jesse Schule

This is a 10* play on MEM@AUB to go OVER the total. 

The Memphis Tigers won't be intimidated facing an SEC team in the Birmingham Bowl, as they beat on a much better SEC team when they won at home by a score of 37-24 against Ole Miss in October. I think they'll score their fair share of points against Auburn here, but it might not matter if they can't stop the Tigers from scoring. Memphis ranked 113th nationally allowing opponents to average over 269 passing yards per game during the regular season. Auburn's quarterback Jeremy Johnson had a disappointing season, but he looked pretty solid scoring four TDs in a 56-34 win over Idaho in Week 14. Allowing the Vanals to score 34 points in that game doesn't say a lot for their defense. So far we haven't seen a lot of defense in these bowl games, and I expect that trend to continue here today.

Take OVER. 

GL,

Jesse Schule

This is a 10* play on the Texas Tech Red Raiders. 

The LSU Tigers have a history of not showing up for bowl games, losing three of their last four, and failing to cover the spread in all of those games. That's not the case for the Red Raiders, who have won four straight, and nine of their last 11. Kliff Kingsbury's high octane, pass heavy offense is perhaps more suited to bowl games, while LSU's power running game isn't quite as effective. 

Texas Tech ranked second nationally scoring an average of 46.6 points while averaging just shy of 600 yards per game. The Tigers closed out the season with an uninspiring win over Texas A&M, but had lost it's previous three. The Red Raiders scored 107 points in wins over Kansas State and Texas in it's final two games of the season. Texas Tech has a huge advantage at quarterback, with Patrick Mahomes who threw for 756 yards and four TDs in his last two starts. Brandon Harris threw five picks in his last four games for LSU. 

Take TTU. 

GL, 

Jesse Schule

This is a 10* play on the North Carolina Tar Heels. 

Baylor has a history of coming out flat in bowl games. They opened up a big lead on Michigan State in last year's Cotton Bowl, but the Spartans rallied to win by a score of 42-41. The previous year they were upset by the UCF Knights, losing 52-42 in the Fiesta Bowl. Baylor comes into the Russell Athletic Bowl with it's third string wide receiver, and without leading rusher Shock Linwood and leading receiver Corey Coleman. 

The Bears looked awful losing their final two games of the season, with backup quarterback Jarret Stidham sitting out with a sore ankle, and Chris Johnson filling in at quarterback. They face a high flying Tar Heels team that had won 11 straight before losing 45-37 to #1 ranked Clemson in the ACC Championship Game. A win in this game would be huge for North Carolina, a team that came into the season with little expectation. Not so much for Baylor though, and the Bears aren't likely to treat this game very seriously. 

Take UNC. 

GL, 

Jesse Schule

This is a 10* play on PIT@NAVY to go OVER the total. 

The Navy Midshipmen will play the Pittsburgh Panthers at home in the Military Bowl, and I expect to see both these teams score their share of points. The total opened at 56, but has since been bet down a few points. Navy won 10 games during the season, and it's Triple-Option Offense was very successful. Pittsburgh managed to beat Georgia Tech earlier this season, but the Yellow Jackets who run a similar offense ran all over them, totaling 376 yards and three rushing TDs in a 31-28 loss. They lost to Notre Dame, and the Irish ran for 175 yards, winning 42-30. Pittsburgh has gone over in four of it's last five non-conference games, and Navy has gone over in nine of it's last 13 games on artificial turf. 

Take OVER. 

GL, 

Jesse Schule

This is a 10* play on the Washington State Cougars. 

The Cougars will have starting quarterback Luke Faulk under center when they take on Miami in the Hyundai Sun Bowl. They will also have PAC12 Coach of the Year Mike Leach, while the Hurricanes have an interim coach on their sideline. 

Faulk averaged an FBS best 387 passing yards per game this season, helping the Cougars win eight of his 11 starts. He missed the season finale with a concussion, but he's had five weeks to recover, and comes into today's game 100% healthy. 

Miami won eight games this season, but lost three of four games against ranked opponents. They should have lost all four of those games, but the officials committed a series of errors allowing them to upset Duke on a controversial kick return for the game winning TD. 

Washington State's resume includes impressive road wins at Oregon and UCLA, and I expect them to score at will against the Hurricanes 83rd ranked defense. 

Take WSU. 

GL, 

Jesse Schule

This is an 8* play on the Western Michigan Broncos. 

The Broncos looked very strong in their final game of the season, knocking the Rockets out of contention for the Conference Championship, winning 35-30 at Toledo. They finished the season with a record of 7-5, but played the likes of Ohio State, Michigan State and Georgia Southern. The Middle Tennessee Blue Raiders finished the season winning four in a row, but those wins came against cupcakes. 

Western Michigan's junior quarterback Zack Terrel had a solid season, throwing for 3,225 yards and 27 TDs. He was very good in conference play, throwing 17 TD passes and just two INTs while winning six of eight games. Western Michigan ranks second among all FBS teams in time of possession. The Broncos are controlling the ball for 34.5 minutes per game.

Take WMU. 

GL, 

Jesse Schule

This is an 8* play on the Bowling Green Falcons.

The Georgia Southern Eagles led the nation in rushing during the season, but their impressive stats came against some of the countries weakest teams in the Sun Belt Conference. They didn't look great in their final game of the season, losing to Georgia State by a score of 34-7. Nick Arbuckle torched the Eagles secondary for 346 yards and three TDs.

Tonight they are facing one of the nation's best quarterbacks in Matt Johnson, who was second in the country with 4,700 passing yards and 43 TDs. Georgia Southern did not fare well on the rare occasions when facing good quarterbacks, losing to West Virginia 44-0. and to Appalachian State 31-13.

As good as their running game is, they are totally one-dimensional, with no passing game to speak of. The Falcons have had plenty of time to prepare for this, and I like their chances of stuffing their persistent attempts to run. Bowling Green's defense held Northern Illinois to just 14 points in the MAC Championship game, and the Falcons ran for 266 yards and three scores winning 34-14.

I like Matt Johnson to put on a show here, leading the Falcons to a big win in the Go Daddy Bowl.

Take BGRN.

GL,

Jesse Schule

This is a 10* play on the Utah Utes. 

The Utes won their first six games of the season, but they lost 42-24 at USC, and they finished the season winning three of their final five games. They will face a BYU team that finished the regular season with an identical 9-3 record. The Cougars had a much softer schedule though, and they were steamrolled in a 31-0 loss to Michigan. The Utes beat the Wolverines 24-27 at home in their season opener. The Utes are 8-2 ATS in their last 10 Bowl games, and they come into this game with plenty to prove. I think the Cougars are in over their heads, facing a battle tested PAC-12 team. The Cougars are 1-4 ATS in their last five meetings in Utah.

Take UTAH. 

GL, 

Jesse Schule

This is a Free #NCAAF play on the Clemson #Tigers.

Clemson is well deserving of it's #1 ranking, with a perfect 12-0 record that includes signature wins over Notre Dame and Florida State. They will meet North Carolina in the ACC Championship game, and most experts agree that even if the Tar Heels get the upset win, it won't be enough to put them into the College Football Playoffs. In fact, a North Carolina win would be a nightmare scenario for the selection committee. I don't see it happening though, and I think this line looks a little too low. 

There are plenty of warning signs regarding North Carolina's 11-1 record. Two of their wins came against FCS teams, and they surrendered an average of over 28 points in their final four games of the season. They only have one win over a ranked team, and that was a 26-19 win at Pittsburgh. They've been out-scored 109-73 while losing to the Tigers in each of the last two seasons.

Deshaun Watson threw for 435 yards and six TDs in last year's 50-35 home win over the Tar Heels. He's a threat with his arm, throwing for 3,223 yards and 27 TDs this season, and his legs, running for 100+ yards in three of his last four starts. 

The Tigers have won seven of their last nine versus North Carolina, covering the spread in five of those seven wins. They are also 4-0 ATS in their last four neutral site games. There's no doubt in my mind that Clemson is the better team, and they should probably be favored by at least a touchdown. 

Take CLEM. 

GL, 

Jesse Schule

This is a 10* play on the Michigan State Spartans. 

The Iowa Hawkeyes cruised through the regular season unscathed, and their perfect 12-0 record has them sitting #4 in the rankings. There is no doubt that this team is for real, and well deserving of that ranking, but the fact remains, they have yet to face a team of the caliber of Michigan State. The only blemish on the Spartans resume came in a loss at Nebraska, in a game that saw a double-digit lead erased in the final minute. 

The Spartans though have a big non-conference win over Oregon, as well as road wins at Michigan and Ohio State. The way I see it, Michigan State is battle tested, led by a money quarterback with a reputation for playing his best in the big games. Connor Cook threw for 248 yards and three TDs on 19-of-28 passing in last week's win over Penn State. He led the Spartans to a win over Ohio State in the BIG10 Championship game in 2013, and followed that up with a big win over Stanford in the Rose Bowl. Last season the Spartans trailed Baylor by 20 points in the fourth quarter in the Cotton Bowl, and Cook rallied them back to score the game winning TD with 17 seconds on the clock. He threw for over 300 yards and at least two TDs in all three of those games. 

The Hawkeyes quarterback has played well in his own right, but hasn't really proved that he can move the ball against top level defenses. In one of Iowa's signature wins, he threw for just 77 yards with one TD and an INT on 9-of-21 passing in a 10-6 win at Wisconsin. He threw for just 97 yards and just one TD on 9-of-16 passing in last week's win at Nebraska. This will be by far the biggest game of his career, and we'll see how he handles it. 

I think the Spartans big game experience and superior quarterback play should prove to be too much for Iowa. 

Take MSU. 

GL, 

Jesse Schule

This is an 8* play on the Stanford Cardinal. 

The Trojans will represent the PAC12 South in the Conference Championship game, despite a record of 8-4. The Trojans won last week by a score of 40-1 over UCLA, but I wasn't very impressed with USC in that game. The Bruins turned the ball over three times, and freshman quarterback Josh Rosen threw a pair of INTs. Cody Kessler threw for just 175 yards and a pair of TDs on 15-of-26 passing. That's not likely going to cut it here in Santa Clara against the Cardinal, who have been lighting up the scoreboard all season long. Stanford won 41-31 at Pasadena earlier this year, running for 195 yards and three TDs in the victory. That was against a much healthier Trojans defense, not the banged up squad that gave up 48 points in a loss at Oregon two weeks ago. The Cardinal have covered the spread in five of it's last six versus USC, and it is also 5-1 ATS in it's last six games played at a neutral site. 

Take STAN. 

GL, 

Jesse Schule

This is an 8* play on the Temple Owls. 

The Houston Cougars are a big favorite in the AAC Championship Game, but I've been very unimpressed with their overall body of work. They finished the season with a record of 11-1, but they didn't face a team with a winning record until November 7th versus Cincinnati. They just barely hung on for a 33-30 home win in that game, and then they needed to come back from a 20 point deficit in the fourth quarter the following week in a 35-34 win over Memphis. Temple on the other hand beat both those two teams convincingly, even winning on the road at Cincinnati. The Owls suffered their first at home by a score of 24-20 versus Notre Dame. They played a far tougher schedule, and have proved that they can compete with the nation's best teams. The same can't be said for the Cougars, who for the most part put up big numbers against the minnows of the AAC, and then were extremely fortunate to have escaped with wins when they played tougher competition. Temple ranks in the Top 20 nationally allowing opponents to average just over 18 points per game, and they held the Connecticut Huskies to just three points last week - (The Cougars lost to the Huskies). 

Take Temple. 

GL, 

Jesse Schule

This is an 8* play on the Oklahoma Sooners. 

The Sooners face a must win game here against rivals Oklahoma State, and their playoff situation is simple.. "win and you're in". Oklahoma came into last Saturday's game as winners of five straight, all of those by double digits. They scored an average of 55 points in those games, and quarterback Baker Mayfield appeared to a Heisman frontrunner. 

Things went according to plan for the Sooners in the first half of last week's game versus TCU, taking a 16 point lead to the locker room at the half. Things started to fall apart though when Trevor Knight came in to replace Baker Mayfield, who suffered a concussion. Semaje Perine ran for 188 yards last week, and he should get plenty of work here against an Oklahoma State defense that gave up 304 rushing yards and three rushing TDs in a home loss to Baylor last week. 

Mayfield has been cleared to play, and that's great news for Oklahoma. The Sooners have covered the spread in four of their last five visits to Stillwater, and they are 8-2 ATS in their last 10 road games versus a team with a winning home record. They looked really sharp in a road win at Baylor, and if they play anything like that here tonight, they should cruise to a comfortable win over rivals Oklahoma State. 

Take OKLA. 

GL, 

Jesse Schule

This is a 10* play on the Stanford Cardinal. 

Most people believe that the Irish have a better chance to make the College Football Playoffs than Stanford does, but I don't think that's the case. First of all, beating Stanford on the road is a daunting task at the best of times, and without C.J. Prosise, it's even tougher. 

The Cardinal may have two losses, but they still can still emerge as the PAC12 champs, and there's some real possibilities that some of the other Power 5 conferences could have a two loss champ. On their own, most of these possibilities seem like a longshot, but Stanford only need one of these to play out. 

Let's start with the BIG12. Now Oklahoma is sitting in third, but a loss to Oklahoma State would drop them out of the playoffs. If both Oklahoma and Baylor were to lose, it's unlikely a one loss Cowboys team would rank in he Top 4. 

In the SEC, it will be Florida versus Alabama in the championship game, and if either team loses this week and then wins the conference, we would have a two loss SEC champ. It's the same story in the BIG10, as Iowa or Michigan State could lose this week, and still go on to become the conference champ. Then in the ACC, North Carolina could shake things up by knocking off Clemson in the championship game. 

So, if you were counting on the Irish being the more motivated team, I think you can throw that thought out the window. Notre Dame wasn't very impressive last week, barely hanging on to beat Boston College by three points. The Eagles ran for over 200 yards in that game, and Notre Dame's defense comes in ranked 68th nationally against the run, allowing opponents to average 168 yards per game. 

That likely doesn't bode well as they will be facing Christian McCaffrey, who is second in the country with 1546 rushing yards, just 36 yards fewer than Leonard Fournette. He ran for 192 yards on 29 carries last week, and he also ran back a 98 yard kick return for a touchdown.

The Cardinal have won their last three home meetings with Notre Dame, and all three of those victories came by a margin of at least seven points. 

Take STAN. 

GL, 

Jesse Schule

This is a Free #NCAAF play on the Ohio State #Buckeyes.

I bet against the Buckeyes last week, and here is what I had to say prior to their loss to the Spartans: "The Ohio State Buckeyes are the defending champs, and they come into this Saturday's game against rivals Michigan State with a perfect 10-0 record. So why should we doubt the Buckeyes? Well, they still haven't have played anybody, and their results against inferior opposition haven't been all that encouraging. Their last home game was a 28-14 win over Minnesota, and yet they are being asked to cover an even greater number here against the 9-1 Spartans."

I'm not ready to write the Buckeyes off just yet though, and I think the bookmakers have overreacted by making them an underdog here in Michigan. Keep in mind that this team beat Wisconsin 59-0 in last year's BIG10 Championship Game, and then went on to lay a beating on Alabama and Oregon to win the national championship.  

Ezekiel Elliot only carried the ball 12 times last week, and as it turns out that was probably an error in judgement on the part of Urban Meyer. The Heisman candidate was openly critical of his coach after the game, but Meyer has since defused the situation by agreeing with Elliot's sentiment. The Buckeyes will likely put more emphasis on establishing the run here this week in Ann Arbor. 

The Buckeyes have won nine of the last 10 meetings between these two rivals, and they've covered the spread in seven of those games. Michigan has been impressive winning nine of their 11 games so far, but only three of those 11 opponents are currently ranked, and they lost two of those games. While I wouldn't be surprised to see a close game, I just don't think Michigan has any business being favored. 

Take OSU. 

GL, 

Jesse Schule

This is a 10* play on the Baylor Bears. 

The Bears will be on the road at TCU, and they'll have a third string quarterback under center. I don't think this is going to be that big of a concern for Baylor though, as they did just fine running the ball against Oklahoma State last week. Jarrett Stidham threw for 258 yards and one TD on 12-of-21 passing, but he was replaced by third stringer Chris Johnson. The sophomore did just fine, throwing for 138 yards and two TDs with one INT. 

He was also involved in the run game, with 42 rushing yards and one rushing TD. The Bears ran for over 300 yards and three scores against the Cowboys, and they should have much trouble this week against a soft TCU defense. TCU ranks 75th nationally, allowing opponents to average 174 rushing yards per game. 

The Horned Frogs will be missing the nation's leading receiver Josh Doctson, who suffered a season ending wrist injury a few weeks ago. Quarterback Trevone Boykin is also banged up, expected to try to play on a sprained ankle.  

At a first glance, you might think TCU did well last week losing a close game to Oklahoma. The final score was a little misleading though, as the Sooners were leading by 16 points at halftime, but Baker Mayfield missed the second half with a concussion. Trevor Knight was terrible in relief, which allowed the Horned Frogs to claw their way back into the game. 

The way they lost that game was heart-breaking, and I think that will make it even that much tougher to bounce back here against Baylor. 

Take Baylor. 

GL, 

Jesse Schule

This is a 10* play on the Iowa Hawkeyes. 

Even after winning 11 straight games, the Hawkeyes still don't get much respect from bookmakers. They are just a slight favorite on the road at Nebraska Friday, and the Cornhuskers haven't been very impressive at all this season. 

Nebraska's defense has been dreadful, especially against the pass. The Huskers rank 124th nationally, allowing opponents to average 305.5 passing yards per game. Iowa quarterback C.J. Beathard might not be the flashiest quarterback in the BIG10, but he has been one of the most efficient. He's thrown for 2,257 yards with 13 TDs and just three INTs. He is coming off a big game against Purdue, throwing for 213 yards and three TDs in a 40-20 win. Nebraska lost to Purdue 55-45 just a few weeks earlier. 

Some might point towards Nebraska's upset win over Michigan State, as if that is evidence that they can compete with ranked teams at home. I would be quick to point out that Michigan State held a double digit lead in the final two minutes of that game, and it took a near miracle for Nebraska to come back and score two quick TDs. I think the more accurate examples of how Nebraska fares against quality opponents would be their home losses to Wisconsin, Northwestern and BYU. 

Iowa has proven to be more disciplined, taking care of the football and committing fewer turnovers. If they play the way they have played their first 11 games of the season, they should cruise to a comfortable victory here over a sloppy Nebraska team. 

Take IOWA. 

GL, 

Jesse Schule

This is a 10* play on the Texas Tech Red Raiders. 

Cliff Kingsbury's team hasn't had much success in previous games versus rivals Texas, but I think they have a good chance to upset the Longhorns here in this year's meeting. Texas is decimated by injuries to it's top two running backs, and a key member of it's offensive line. Texas head coach Charlie Strong didn't sound very optimistic about the injuries: "The (Foreman) injury is going to hurt us," Strong said. "We've got other guys who have got to step in and play."

Strong has insisted that he isn't going anywhere, but after another brutal season at Texas, his name has been mentioned as a possible replacement for Al Golden in Miami, or Les Miles at LSU. 

Despite the fact that he claims to be committed to Texas, he can't be happy with another disastrous season. He's also well aware that he'll take much of the blame: "A lot of times when you're in the position you're in, it's because of what you did to yourself," said Strong. "We didn't do a good job of coaching. If we did a better job of coaching, we wouldn't be in this position."

Starting as many as eight freshman, and trying to defend Patrick Mahomes with an inexperienced secondary is likely to prove a daunting task for the Longhorns. 

Take TTU. 

GL, 

Jesse Schule

This is a Free #NCAAF play on the Oklahoma #Sooners.

Oklahoma appears to be in the driver's seat as far as the college football playoffs are concerned. Most experts believe that if the Sooners win out, here at home against TCU, and on the road in the final week at Oklahoma State, they'll punch their ticket into the playoffs. Standing in their way is a TCU team that still has the slimmest of hopes themselves, but comes in off a pair of disappointing results. 

The Horned Frogs nearly lost to a winless Kansas team at home last week, with starting quarterback Trevone Boykin on the bench after suffering an ankle injury in the first half. Boykin is nowhere near 100% heading into this Saturday's game, and if he plays there's no guarantee he will be able to stay in the game. He also won't be much of a dual threat if he's hobbling around on a sprained ankle. 

In addition to their problems at quarterback, the Horned Frogs will also be without the nation's top wide receiver Josh Doctson who suffered a season ending injury. He had 79 catches for 1337 yards and 14 TDs. Even at full strength, this TCU team has struggled on the road, just barely beating the likes of Texas Tech and Minnesota. I've had them pegged as overrated since Week 1, and here is what I had to say prior to their game against the K-State Wildcats in Week 6 : 

"The Horned Frogs are coming off a 50-7 win over Texas, but despite all the hype, that game might say a lot more about Texas than it does about TCU. The fact remains that they've played two road games, both against mediocre teams, and they didn't look good in either of those games. They head out on the road again this week to face a Kansas State team with a strong defense, and once again they are a heavy favorite. They've failed to cover the spread in four of their last five road games, and they lost their last visit to Manhattan back in 2013 by a score of 33-31. If you're betting on TCU as a double-digit favorite on the road, you're going to go broke in a hurry."

Oklahoma has won five straight, all of those by double digits. They've scored an average of 55 points in those games, and quarterback Baker Mayfield has emerged as a Heisman candidate. Don't be fooled by this big point spread, I don't think the books can make this number high enough, as this game is destined to be a BLOWOUT of EPIC PROPORTIONS! 

Take OKLA. 

GL, 

Jesse Schule

This is a 10* play on the Oklahoma State Cowboys. 

The Bears are coming off their first loss of the seasons, losing by double-digits at home to the Sooners. The result came as no surprise to me, as I had a huge bet on Oklahoma. Here is what I said prior to the game: 

"Critics have said that Baylor hasn't played anybody, and last week's 31-24 win at Kansas State didn't silence any of the doubters. That same Kansas State team lost 55-0 at home to Oklahoma two weeks previously, and the Bears host the Sooners this week. The Sooners aren't out of the playoff race yet. They have won four straight by an average margin of 45.5 points since their loss to Texas in the Red River Rivalry game."

"The Bears glaring weakness is on the defensive side of the ball, as they've given up a ton of points despite a soft schedule. Baylor ranks 60th nationally, allowing an average of 25 points per game. Bears fans should be pretty concerned about the fact that their team has given up 20+ points to the likes of Lamar, SMU and Iowa State."

It's not going to get any easier on the road at Oklahoma State this week. The Bears haven't won in Stillwater since 1939, and they come in with a banged up backup quarterback filling in for Seth Russell. Baylor struggles on the road at the best of times, and they are facing a Cowboy's team that crushed TCU a few weeks ago. Oklahoma State ranks 5th nationally in quarterback sacks. This line appears to be based not on how these teams have played in recent weeks, or even in this season, but rather Baylor's star power and name recognition seems to be playing a big role. They should be about a 7-point dog on the road in this spot. 

Take OKST 

GL, 

Jesse Schule

This is an 8* play on the Arkansas Razorbacks. 

Despite struggling early in the season, Brett Bielema has the Hogs playing damn good football in November. They come into this week's home game versus Mississippi State as winners of five of their last six, and the only loss came at Tuscaloosa in a very close game that saw them nearly upset Alabama. They beat the Vols in Tennessee, Mississippi in Oxford, and LSU in The Swamp. 

Arkansas hosts Mississippi State this week, and the Bulldogs are coming off a 31-6 thrashing at home in loss to Alabama. This team hasn't been able to rise to the occasion against the top teams in the conference, losing at home to LSU, and getting blown out by Bama and Texas A&M. 

Derrick Henry ran for 204 yards and a pair of TDs against this Bulldogs defense last week, and they face a Hogs team that averages over 200 rushing yards per game. They ran all over LSU last week, rushing for 299 yards and three scores. 

The Bulldogs have failed to cover in five of their last six visits to Arkansas, while the Razorbacks are 13-4 ATS in their last 17 home games versus a team with a winning record. 

Take ARK. 

GL, 

Jesse Schule

This is a 10* play on the Ole Miss Rebels. 

The LSU Tigers are no longer in the hunt for the playoffs after taking a beating in a home loss to Arkansas last week. It was their second loss of the season, and I think it's fair to say that the Tigers have been exposed. During their 7-0 run, they racked up a lot of wins against inferior opponents. They beat Florida at home, scoring on a trick play late in the game to escape with a 35-28 victory. 

Heisman hopeful Leonard Fournette has failed to run for 100 yards in both games against Alabama and Arkansas, and quarterback Brandon Harris threw as many picks (2) as TDs in the two games. The Tigers are on the road at Ole Miss this week, and this Rebels defense is at least as good as either of it's previous two opponents. Ole Miss is coming off a bye week, and they've won 11 of their last 13 home games. During that span they have beaten a pair of Top 5 teams (#3 Alabama & #4 Mississippi State). The two games that they lost were decided under extremely extraordinary circumstances. 

Last year's loss to #3 Auburn saw star wideout Laquan Treadwell suffer a broken leg on a play that appeared to be the go-ahead score late in the fourth quarter. Treadwell fumbled the ball after the injury occurred, and after video review the TD came off the board. Then two weeks ago the Razorbacks executed a desperation play that involved a controversial lateral on 4th and 25 that lead to a 53-52 Arkansas victory. 

"If you can't refocus after a bye week and get amped up for the next game then you're playing the wrong sport," Rebels quarterback Chad Kelly said. "I know our guys are ready to get back and ready to hit somebody." 

Kelly is the SEC's leading passer, with 3,224 yards and 23 TDs. I think Mississippi is going to be highly motivated and well rested, which should spell trouble for an LSU team that is rumored to be on the verge of firing Les Miles. 

Take MISS. 

GL, 

Jesse Schule

This is a 10* play on the Oregon Ducks. 

The USC Trojans hardly impressed with a come from behind win on the road over PAC12 bottom feeders Colorado last week. They are on the road at Eugene this week, taking on a Ducks team that seems to be back on track. The Ducks really struggled with quarterback Vernon Adams sidelined by a broken finger. Now that he's healthy, the offense looks almost as prolific as it did in previous seasons with Marcus Mariota at quarterback. 

Adams has played well during Oregon's four game win streak, with 10 TD passes and just three INTs. He's getting plenty of help from the PAC12's leading rusher Royce Freeman, who is averaging 139 rushing yards per game. 

The Trojans are coming in without their own stud running back Tre Madden, and starting safety Leon McQuay. This USC defense was lit up by Kevin Hogan in a home loss to Stanford, and Christian McCaffrey ran for 115 yards on 26 carries in that game. I don't like their chances of slowing down the mighty Ducks. 

The Ducks have won three of the last four meetings between the two teams, and all thee of those wins came by a double digit margin. The one loss came on the road at Pasadena. The Trojans are 4-10 ATS in their last 14 road games versus a team with a winning record. 

Take ORE. 

GL, 

Jesse Schule

This is a 10* play on the Michigan State Spartans. 

The Ohio State Buckeyes are the defending champs, and they come into this Saturday's game against rivals Michigan State with a perfect 10-0 record. So why should we doubt the Buckeyes? Well, they still haven't have played anybody, and their results against inferior opposition haven't been all that encouraging. Their last home game was a 28-14 win over Minnesota, and yet they are being asked to cover an even greater number here against the 9-1 Spartans. 

These teams have split the last four meetings, with each team winning twice. All four of those games were close, decided by a margin less than the number in today's game. The Spartans have an advantage at quarterback with Connor Cook, who seems to elevate his play in the big games. Cook threw for 358 yards and a pair of TDs in last year's loss to the Buckeyes, and in 2013 he threw for 304 yards and four TDs in a 34-24 upset win over Ohio State. He followed that up with big game in the Rose Bowl upsetting Stanford. 

The Spartans are 18-7-1 ATS in their last 26 road games, and the road team is 6-1 ATS in the last seven meetings in this series. 

Take MSU.

GL, 

Jesse Schule

This is a 10* play on BALL@OHIO to go UNDER the total. 

The Ohio Bob-Kittens will host Ball State in a Tuesday night game in the MAC. I'm calling them the the Bob-Kittens because their offense hasn't been all that ferocious lately. That being said, their defense did pitch a shutout in a 27-0 win over Kent State last week. I think we should see a similar score here tonight. Ball State has been one of the worst teams in the country this season, and they only managed 152 yards of total offense in a loss to Western Michigan last week. They gave up 54 points in that game, but Western Michigan's offense is a helluva lot better than this "Bob-Kittens" offfense. 

Ohio only attempted 14 passes last week, and Derrius Vick threw for just 73 yards. The Cardinal likely won't be able to contend with Ohio's running game, so there is really no need to ask Vick to air it out here either. Ohio is only averaging 25 points per game, ranking 91st nationally. Eight of the last 10 of the Bobcats home games has gone under, and the Under is 10-4 in Bobcats last 14 conference games.

Take UNDER. 

GL, 

Jesse Schule

This is a Free #NCAAF play on the Bowling Green #Falcons.

The 8-1 Toledo Rockets come into Bowling Green as a 7-point dog in this prime time Tuesday night game between two of the bog boys in the MAC. The Rockets will have their hands full tonight, facing a Falcons team that is 8-2 overall and still undefeated in conference play. The Falcons have the nation's leading passer in Matt Johnson, who has 36 TD passes and just four INTs so far. His home/away splits are even more impressive, with 18 TDs and just one pick. He's facing a Rockets defense that looks sound statistically, but has struggled against mediocre quarterbacks the last two weeks. They gave up 277 passing yards in a loss to Northern Illinois two weeks ago, and then surrendered 349 yards in the air in a close game against Central Michigan last week. 

I don't like Toledo's chances of hanging with the Falcons tonight. Bowling Green is 5-0 ATS in it's last five home games, and the home team is 12-3-1 in the last 16 meetings between these two conference rivals. 

Take BG. 

GL, 

Jesse Schule

This is a 10* play on the Washington State Cougars.

The Washington State Cougars will be a double digit dog at UCLA tonight, but I am not sure how you can justify that line based on how the two teams have played so far this season. Perhaps the name "UCLA" comes with a big reputation, but I wouldn't feel to comfortable with a team asked to cover a bunch of points based on what it did in years, rather that how it is playing in the current season.

These teams are both 4-2 withing the conference, and they have a few common opponents. The Cougars are coming off a win over Arizona State, a team that upset the Bruins in Los Angeles. They both loss to Stanford, but UCLA was crushed by 20 points, while Washington State lost on a field goal inside two minutes remaining in the fourth quarter. The Cougars did lose on the road at Cal, but only by a margin of six points. In fact all three of their losses this season have come in close games.

History certainly favors Washington State as an underdog to UCLA, as the Cougars are 8-2 ATS in the last 10 meetings. The Bruins will have their hands full trying to stop Luke Faulk, who ranks second in the FBS in passing yards, and first in yards per game. He's averaged over 500 yards and five TDs in the Cougars last five wins.

Take WSU.

GL,

Jesse Schule

This is a 10* play on the Oklahoma Sooners. 

Critics have said that Baylor hasn't played anybody, and last week's 31-24 win at Kansas State didn't silence any of the doubters. That same Kansas State team lost 55-0 at home to Oklahoma two weeks previously, and the Bears host the Sooners this week. The Sooners aren't out of the playoff race yet. They have won four straight by an average margin of 45.5 points since their loss to Texas in the Red River Rivalry game.

Baker Mayfield is putting up huge numbers in his first season at quarterback for Oklahoma, with 2812 passing yards, 28 TDs and just four INTs. He's thrown 14 TD passes and just one INT in his last four games. Baylor has beaten the Sooners by a combined 63 points in the last two meetings, largely because the Sooners were unable to keep up offensively with Trevor Knight at quarterback. 

I expect it to be a different story here this weekend, as you have to give Oklahoma the edge at quarterback with Baylor turning to freshman Jarrett Stidham who makes just his second career start. He's looked great so far, but has yet to face a defense of the caliber of Oklahoma. The Sooners boast one of the nation's top defenses, allowing opponents to average just over 18 points per game. That's pretty impressive when you consider some of the teams they've played: (Tennessee, Texas Tech, Texas, West Virginia, K-State). 

The Bears glaring weakness is on the defensive side of the ball, as they've given up a ton of points despite a soft schedule. Baylor ranks 60th nationally, allowing an average of 25 points per game. Bears fans should be pretty concerned about the fact that their team has given up 20+ points to the likes of Lamar, SMU and Iowa State. 

Take Oklahoma. 

GL, 

Jesse Schule

This is a 10* play on the Memphis Tigers.

The Tigers suffered a shocking upset at home to Navy last week, but perhaps that result shouldn't be all that surprising. Navy is a lot better than some people realize. After all, the Midshipmen are 7-1, and their only loss came on the road at Notre Dame, and they weren't really out-classed in the loss to the Nation's 4th ranked team.

Memphis will need to pick up the pieces and try to get back on track this week at Houston, facing an undefeated Cougars team. I've been saying for a while that the Cougars are overrated, and this is what I said prior to last week's game versus Cincinnati:

"The Cougars are having their way with the minnows of their conference, but let’s face it, their schedule is a bit of a joke. Last week they cruised to 59-10 win over Central Florida, a team that is now 0-7 on the season. It wasn’t their first win against a team with a losing record, in fact all seven of Houston’s wins have come against teams that are currently below .500. They are 4-0 against AAC teams, but those four opponents have a combined conference record of 1-13. They gave up a combined 52 points in their wins over SMU and Tulsa, who are both 0-3 in conference play. Their schedule will get a whole lot tougher real quick, facing Vanderbilt, Cincinnati and Memphis over the next three weeks. I wouldn’t be at all surprised if they drop at least two of those three games."

They did beat Cincinnati, but it was a close game decided by just a field goal. I think Memphis will be a lot tougher than the Bearcats, and I am not convinced that Houston deserves to be favored at all, let alone by as many as seven points.

Take Memphis.

GL,

Jesse Schule

This is a 10* play on the Arizona State Sun Devils.

It's been a brutal season so far for the Sun Devils, who have failed to live up to expectations. They come into tonight's game off three straight losses, but those were games against the top three teams in the PAC12 North. They probably deserved better in an overtime loss to Oregon at home, and the way the Cougars have played there's no shame in losing a close game on the road at Washington State.

They return home for a huge game here against the Washington Huskies, needing a win to remain on track to qualify for a bowl game. The Huskies are a scrappy team, and they are more than capable of covering a big spread as a road underdog. They don't often win outright on the road in spots like this though, and I think the bookmakers are not giving Arizona State enough credit. After all, the Sun Devils are 9-0 straight up, and 9-0 ATS in the last nine meetings.

Take ARZST.

GL,

Jesse Schule

This is a 10* play on the Virginia Tech Hokies. 

One might wonder what this season could have been like for the Hokies if their starting quarterback wasn't lost on opening night. Michael Brewer threw for 156 yards and a pair of TDs on 11-of-16 passing Virginia Tech's opening night game against the Buckeyes. The Hokies led 17-14 at the half, and the offense was moving the ball well until Brewer suffered a serious shoulder injury that forced him out of the game early in the second half. He missed the next five games, and didn't make his next start until October 24th versus Duke. He threw for 270 yards and three TDs in that game, but the Hokies lost in overtime. 

Georgia Tech has also failed to live up to expectations, losing six of their last seven games. Injuries have taken their toll on this team, and we could see as many as eight freshman start tonight's game. They will be without starting WR Michael Summers, who abruptly quit without providing an explanation last week. This could make life even more difficult for the Yellow Jackets struggling quarterback. Justin Thomas is completing just 43% of his pass attempts this season, and he's also been less effective running the ball. 

The Hokies have won four of their last five versus Georgia Tech, and the one loss came by a score of 27-24. They still have plenty to play for as they need two more wins to become bowl eligible, and I like their chances of winning outright here. 

Take VT. 

GL,

Jesse Schule

This is a 10* play on the Oregon Ducks. 

The Ducks came into the season as the favorite to win the PAC12, and a legitimate playoff contender. They suffered a tough loss on the road at East Lansing, falling to Michigan State by a score of 31-28. Starting quarterback Vernon Adams played with a broken finger in that game, and he threw for 309 yards with a TD and two INTs on 22-of-39 passing. He would sit out the Ducks next game, a win over minnows Georgia State. 

Things began to get ugly for the Ducks the following week, when they lost at home to Utah by a whopping 42 points. Adams re-injured his finger in that game, only attempting seven passes before giving way to Jeff Lockie. He sat out the next two games, and didn't return until October 17th in a win on the road at Washington. He threw for 272 yards and a pair of TDs in a 26-20 victory. Last week he went off for 315 yards and four TDs with one INT in a thrilling 61-55 win over Arizona State. 

California on the other hand is coming off three straight losses, after starting the season 5-0. Starting quarterback Jared Goff has thrown as many INTs (7) as touchdowns during that span. The Bears have lost six straight to Oregon since 2007, and they've failed to cover in the last four of those games. Oregon was favored by a minimum of three scores in each contest, but they averaged well over 50 points and won in a blowout on all four occasions. 

The Bears rank 63rd nationally allowing opponents to average over 163 rushing yards per game, and they are likely to struggle to stop Oregon's elite running game. When these teams met in California last year, the Ducks ran for 264 yards and a pair of TDs. We should expect a similar result here in Eugene. 

Take ORE. 

GL, 

Jesse Schule

This is an 8* play on MSU straightup.

The Spartans didn’t get any respect from the Playoff Committee, ranking in the 7th slot behind Baylor. They might not have the strongest schedule of the Playoff contenders, but their two signature wins over Oregon and Michigan are better than any game Ohio State has played so far. At the time they played the Spartans, Oregon was ranked 7th, and Michigan was ranked 12th. The Buckeyes have yet to face a Top 25 team. TCU is also ranked ahead of Michigan State, without a single win against a ranked team. Spartans fans don’t have to worry though, they were always going to have to run the table to make the playoffs, and if they knock off Ohio State they’ll be a sure bet to be in the Top 4.

They are on the road at Nebraska this week, again getting very little respect from the bookmakers. The Cornhuskers have been downright awful this year, losing four of their five games in conference play. Their only win came against Minnesota, when the Gophers had so many injuries they could barely field a team. After watching them give up 55 points to Purdue last week, I am not sure how anyone could think they could hang with the Spartans.

Take MSU.

GL,

Jesse Schule

This is a 10* play on the Cincinnati Bearcats.

When Houston hosts Cincinnati this weekend, it will be the first time this season they face a team with a winning record. Despite the fact that they have been padding their stats against weak teams, they are still a big favorite in this game. I've been saying for weeks that Houston is overrated, and this is what I had to say about them before last Saturday:

"The Cougars are having their way with the minnows of their conference, but let’s face it, their schedule is a bit of a joke. Last week they cruised to 59-10 win over Central Florida, a team that is now 0-7 on the season. It wasn’t their first win against a team with a losing record, in fact all seven of Houston’s wins have come against teams that are currently below .500. They are 4-0 against AAC teams, but those four opponents have a combined conference record of 1-13. They gave up a combined 52 points in their wins over SMU and Tulsa, who are both 0-3 in conference play. Their schedule will get a whole lot tougher real quick, facing Vanderbilt, Cincinnati and Memphis over the next three weeks. I wouldn’t be at all surprised if they drop at least two of those three games."

The Bearcats have won five straight versus Houston since 1999, and they were the favorite in four of those five games. This is a different caliber of opponent for the Cougars, and I really think the bookmakers have the wrong team favored here.

Take CINCI.

GL,

Jesse Schule

This is a 10* play on the Pittsburgh Panthers.

The College Football Playoff Committee came out with their first Top 10 Ranking this week, and the results were a little shocking. They have the Irish ranked above undefeated BIG12 teams Baylor and TCU in the #5 slot. Notre Dame just barely escaped from Philly with a 24-20 win over Temple on Saturday, in a game that they trailed for most of the fourth quarter. Clemson somehow ended up in the #1 slot, and perhaps that also works in favor of the Irish, who’s only loss was on the road versus the Tigers. That game was nowhere near as close as the 24-22 score would indicate, as the Irish trailed 21-3 heading into the fourth quarter, but rallied to score 19 points. They’ve only played three games on the road so far, and both of their wins were of the “come from behind” variety. They still have two more tough road games at Pittsburgh and Stanford, and it seems highly unlikely that they’ll be able to run the table with that schedule.

Take PIT. 

GL,

Jesse Schule

This is a Free #NCAAF play on the K-State #Wildcats.

The College Football Playoff Committee didn't show any love to BIG12 teams in their first edition of this season's rankings. Despite the fact that Baylor, Oklahoma State and TCU remain undefeated, Oklahoma State didn't crack the Top 10, while Baylor and TCU were ranked outside the Top 5 behind Alabama and Notre Dame who each have one loss. 

Strength of schedule was one of the concerns the committee saw with Baylor, and that's a fair point when you consider it's opponents have a combined 2-17 record in conference play. The fact that Baylor has played so many inferior teams, and for the most part at home, makes it even more concerning that it ranks 59th nationally in scoring defense allowing over 25 points per game. 

They head into Manhattan as an enormous road favorite against a bitter conference rival who has given them tough games in recent years. Since 2011 these teams have played four times, with the home team covering each game. The Wildcats won at home by a score of 36-35 four years ago, and lost at home by 10 points two years later. Last year they played at Waco and the Bears won by a score of 38-27. K-State has played some competitive games against the other two undefeated teams in the conference, with losses to Oklahoma State and TCU both coming in games decided by single digits. 

So there's ample evidence to suggest that Baylor is overvalued here, even before we touch on the fact that they just lost the nation's top rated quarterback. Seth Russell is out for the season after having surgery to repair an injured neck, and that means freshman Jarrett Stidham will be making his first career start. Now he's put up impressive numbers while mopping up games this year, but you can't read much into how he's played in games that were already over. He's facing a ton of pressure on the road in a hostile environment, and it wouldn't be a surprise to see him face some growing pains. 

Take K-State. 

GL, 

Jesse Schule

This is a 10* play on the Vanderbilt Commodores. 

The Cougars are having their way with the minnows of their conference, but let’s face it, their schedule is a bit of a joke. Last week they cruised to 59-10 win over Central Florida, a team that is now 0-8 on the season. It wasn’t their first win against a team with a losing record, in fact all seven of Houston’s wins have come against teams that are currently below .500. They are 4-0 against AAC teams, but those four opponents have a combined conference record of 1-13. They gave up a combined 52 points in their wins over SMU and Tulsa, who are both 0-3 in conference play. Their schedule will get a whole lot tougher real quick, facing Vanderbilt, Cincinnati and Memphis over the next three weeks. I wouldn’t be at all surprised if they drop at least two of those three games.

Vanderbilt is just 3-4, but the Commodores have played a far tougher schedule, losing to Georgia, Ole Miss and South Carolina. They did beat Missouri at home last week by a score of 10-3. The last time these two teams met was in the Compass Bowl in 2014, and the Commodores won by a score of 41-24. 

Houston has run all over weaker teams, ranking sixth nationally averaging almost 300 yards rushing per game. They aren't likely to have as much success against an SEC defense that ranks 12th nationally against the run, allowing opponents to average just 109.9 rushing yards per game. When you factor in the strength of schedule, things look even more favorable for Vanderbilt. 

Take the points. 

GL, 

Jesse Schule

This is a 10* play on the Oklahoma State Cowboys.

The Cowboys will travel to Lubbock to take on the Texas Tech Red Raiders, who have a prolific offense and score a heck of a lot of points. They weren't all that prolific last week against Oklahoma though, losing by a score of 63-27. In fact Texas Tech ranks among the worst in the nation on defense, allowing over 40 points per game this season. The Cowboys on the other hand rank near the top of the country allowing fewer than 20 points per game so far. These teams face each other every year, and the Cowboys have dominated the series by winning six straight. They covered the spread in in five of those six games, and they are 5-1 ATS in their last 6 conference games.. The Red Raiders are 48-19 in their last 67 home games, but they are just 1-14 against the top six teams in the BIG12 over the last three years.

Take OKST.

GL,

Jesse Schule

This is a 10* play on the Florida Gators. 

The Gators will take on the Georgia Bulldogs in Jacksonville on Saturday, and Florida is just a small favorite here. The Bulldogs are struggling, coming in as losers of two of their last three, and barely beating Missouri by a score of 9-6 at home last week. Junior quarterback Greyson Lambert has not been very impressive during that span, completing just 54 percent of his passes, with two TDs and a pair of INTs. 

The Gators have only one loss, and that came on the road in Baton Rouge, with LSU scoring the game winning TD on a trick play late in the fourth quarter. They lost their starting quarterback Will Grier who was suspended for using PEDs, but Treon Harris came in and looked very sharp against LSU. He threw for 271 yards and a pair of TDs in a losing effort, and he has thrown four TDs with no picks so far this season. 

The Bulldogs would match up a lot better with Florida if Nick Chubb was healthy, but since his gruesome injury against Tennessee, they haven't scored a rushing TD. Backup Sonny Michel ran for 87 yards on 27 carries at home against the Tigers last week. He's facing a Florida defense that has had plenty of success stuffing the run, so I don't expect him to have much success in Jacksonville. 

Take FLA. 

GL, 

Jesse Schule

This is Free #NCAAF play on the Central Florida #Knights.

Anytime time you have a team like Cincinnati facing an opponent that is 0-8, you know which way the money is going to go. Of course everyone is lining up to bet the Bearcats as an enormous favorite at home this week. I think it's pretty naive to write off this Knights team though, and I think they can make a game of it.

They have played some tough teams during their 0-8 start, and for the most part they have managed to avoid blowout losses. Last week they they were blown out at home by the undefeated Houston Cougars, but prior to that they lost a close game to Temple, blowing a late lead.

The Bearcats can score points, but their defense ranks last in the AAC in sacks as well as takeaways. It was turnovers that killed the Knights last week, as they drove the length of the field on their opening possession, looked like they would score, but a UCF fumble was returned for a TD the other way. They finished the game with a -4 turnover ratio.

The Knights have a new coach as assistant Danny Barrett will take over after George O'Leary stepped down following the loss to Houston. His mission will be to find a way to win at least one of the team's four remaining games, which isn't likely to happen hear in Cincinnati. I expect the Knights to come to play though, and they should be able to cover a grossly inflated number.

Take UCF.

GL,

Jesse Schule

This is a 10* play on NEB@PUR to go UNDER the total. 

Paying close attention to the weather is just one of many tools at a handicapper's disposal, and this week it looks like several college football games will be effected by inclement weather. I won't bet on a game based on weather alone, so I am looking for games where several factors combine to give me a significant edge versus the bookmaker. 

One of those games will feature the Cornhuskers versus the Boilermakers in Indiana. Here are a few things that caught my attention about this game: 

- The weather forecast calls for an 70% chance of rain, with winds as high as 24 km/h.

- Tommy Armstrong has been the Huskers biggest weapon on offense, both with his arm as well as his legs. He's thrown for over 2000 yards and 16 TDs this season, but he will not suit up here against Purdue as he's sidelined by a foot injury. - The under is 20-9 in Cornhuskers last 29 games on grass.

Take UNDER. 

GL, 

Jesse Schule

This is a 10* play on the TCU Horned Frogs. 

The Horned Frogs host West Virginia on Thursday night, and they are 2-touchdown favorite. I'm not a big fan of TCU as a playoff contender, and I don't think they deserve to be ranked as highly as they are. That being said, their weakness is on the road, and they don't seem to have any problem at all blowing out inferior opponents at home. West Virginia hasn't shown any ability to keep up with the elite teams in the BIG12, especially on the road. 

The Mountaineers lost by 20 points at Oklahoma, and 24 points at Baylor. There has been a history of close games between the two schools, with two of the last three being decided by a single point, and the other an overtime win for WVU by a score of 30-27. Those were different Mountaineers teams though, and two of those games were at Morgantown. 

The Horned Frogs are 11-1 ATS in their last 12 home games, and they've out-scored opponents 176-51 in their three home wins this year. Trevone Boykin is among the favorites for the Heisman, and he threw for 332 yards and five TDs in a 50-7 win over Texas in his last start at home. The Mountaineers are 2-10 ATS in their last 12 games in October.

Take TCU. 

GL, 

Jesse Schule

This is a free #NCAAF play on the Pittsburgh #Panthers.

The Panthers sit in first place in the ACC Coastal with a 6-1 overall record and a conference mark of 4-0. Their only defeat came by just a three point margin on the road at Iowa, against a Hawkeyes team that remains undefeated at 7-0. The bookmakers don’t appear to be impressed with Pittsburgh’s 6-1 record, as they are listed a three-point dog at home to North Carolina on Thursday night. Both teams have the same overall record, and they have played several common opponents with similar results. The one thing that stands out to me though is that Pittsburgh has played five of it’s seven games on the road, while North Carolina has played six of it’s seven games at home.

Previous games between the two teams have been close, with the Tar Heels winning three of four dating back to 2009. All four of those games were decided by seven points or less, and two of the three meetings in Pittsburgh were decided by three points or less. The Tar Heels are the sexy pick here because they've scored more points, winning games by a wider margin. The Panthers though have played tougher games, and are more battle tested. 

Take the points. 

GL, 

Jesse Schule

This is a 10* play on the Ole Miss Rebels. 

The Texas A&M Aggies started last season by going 5-0, but they fell apart when the schedule got a little tougher, losing five of their final seven games. They opened this season with five straight wins as well, but they came crashing down to earth last week in a 41-23 home loss to Alabama. Last year they played their second game of October at home against Ole Miss, and they lost that game by a score of 35-20. This year they travel to Oxford, where the Rebels are even tougher. 

This will be the Aggies first true road game, and they have failed to cover in five of their last seven on the road. The Rebels are as tough a team as any to play on their own field, just ask Alabama. The Crimson Tide have dropped consecutive games to Ole Miss, including a loss at Oxford last year. That same Alabama team terrorized the Aggies quarterbacks last week, forcing Kyler Murray and Kyle Allen to throw four interceptions while completing just half of their passes. 

The Rebels defense isn't going to be any easier, in fact Mississippi finished first in the country in total defense last season. So far this year they have allowed an average of 11.5 points per game at home. They picked off Alabama's quarterbacks three times in the win at Tuscaloosa, and Rebels quarterback Chad Kelly threw for 341 yards and three TDs without an INT in that game. Kelly has thrown for more yards, more touchdowns, with a higher completion percentage than his counterpart Kyle Allen. 

Laremy Tunsil returns from suspension this week, shoring up the Rebels offensive line. His return could be key as they try to contain superstar pass rusher Myles Garrett. Both teams come into this game needing to win to keep their season alive, but I think the Aggies are going to come up short in Oxford. 

Take MISS. 

GL, 

Jesse Schule

This is a 10* play on UCONN@CIN to go UNDER the total. 

Paying close attention to the weather is just one of many tools at a handicapper's disposal, and this week it looks like several college football games will be effected by inclement weather. I won't bet on a game based on weather alone, so I am looking for games where several factors combine to give me a significant edge versus the bookmaker. 

One of those games will feature the Huskies versus the Bearcats in Cincinnati. Here are a few things that caught my attention about this game: 

- The weather forecast calls for an 80% chance of rain, with winds as high as 24 km/h.

- The total for Saturday's game is far higher than it was in any of the previous 10 meetings between these two teams. 

- Cincinnati has played six straight unders versus teams with a losing record. 


Take UNDER. 

GL, 

Jesse Schule

This is a 5* play on Wisconsin

Paying close attention to the weather is just one of many tools at a handicapper's disposal, and this week it looks like several college football games will be effected by inclement weather. I won't bet on a game based on weather alone, so I am looking for games where several factors combine to give me a significant edge versus the bookmaker. 

One of those games will feature the Badgers versus the Illini in Champaigne Illinois. Here are a few things that caught my attention about this game: 

- While there is just a 20% chance of rain, the forecast calls for high winds of up to 31 km/h. 

- Wisconsin ranks 12th nationally in total defense, and has held opponents to an average of 10.9 points per game. 

- Taking the passing game away from Illinois will only favor the Badgers, who have a superior defense and should dominante in a game of field position.

Take Wisky. 

GL, 

Jesse Schule

This is a 10* play on IND@MSU to go UNDER the total. 

Paying close attention to the weather is just one of many tools at a handicapper's disposal, and this week it looks like several college football games will be effected by inclement weather. I won't bet on a game based on weather alone, so I am looking for games where several factors combine to give me a significant edge versus the bookmaker. 

One of those games will feature the Hoosiers versus the Spartans in East Lansing. Here are a few things that caught my attention about this game: 

- The weather forecast calls for an 60% chance of rain, with winds as high as 29 km/h.

- Michigan State ranks 70th nationally rushing for an average of 156 yards per game. They rely heavily on Connor Cook's arm, which could be neutralized by the wind here today.

- The Under is 4-1 in Spartans last 5 home games. 

Take UNDER. 

GL, 

Jesse Schule

This is a 9* play on OHIO@BUFF to go UNDER the total. 

Paying close attention to the weather is just one of many tools at a handicapper's disposal, and this week it looks like several college football games will be effected by inclement weather. I won't bet on a game based on weather alone, so I am looking for games where several factors combine to give me a significant edge versus the bookmaker. 

One of those games will feature the Bobcats versus the Bulls in Buffalo. Here are a few things that caught my attention about this game: 

- The weather forecast calls for an 70% chance of rain, with winds as high as 34 km/h.

- The Under is 15-7-1 in Bobcats last 23 road games.

- The Under is 4-1 in Bulls last 5 games overall.

Take UNDER. 

GL, 

Jesse Schule

This is a 10* play on WISC@ILL to go UNDER the total. 

Paying close attention to the weather is just one of many tools at a handicapper's disposal, and this week it looks like several college football games will be effected by inclement weather. I won't bet on a game based on weather alone, so I am looking for games where several factors combine to give me a significant edge versus the bookmaker. 

One of those games will feature the Badgers versus the Illini in Champaigne Illinois. Here are a few things that caught my attention about this game: 

- While there is just a 20% chance of rain, the forecast calls for high winds of up to 31 km/h. 

- Wisconsin ranks 12th nationally in total defense, and has held opponents to an average of 10.9 points per game. 

- The Badgers have played five straight unders, and Illinois has gone under in six of it's last seven home games. 

Take UNDER. 

GL, 

Jesse Schule

This is a 5* play on M-OH@WMU to go UNDER the total. 

Paying close attention to the weather is just one of many tools at a handicapper's disposal, and this week it looks like several college football games will be effected by inclement weather. I won't bet on a game based on weather alone, so I am looking for games where several factors combine to give me a significant edge versus the bookmaker. 

One of those games will feature the Red Birds versus the Broncos in Kalamazoo. Here are a few things that caught my attention about this game: 

- The weather forecast calls for an 80% chance of rain, with winds as high as 31 km/h.

- The Under is 30-13 in Redhawks last 43 games in October.

- Miami-OH ranks 125th nationally in total offense.

Take UNDER. 

GL, 

Jesse Schule

This is a 10* play on BGSU@KENT to go UNDER the total. 

Paying close attention to the weather is just one of many tools at a handicapper's disposal, and this week it looks like several college football games will be effected by inclement weather. I won't bet on a game based on weather alone, so I am looking for games where several factors combine to give me a significant edge versus the bookmaker. 

One of those games will feature the Falcons versus the Golden Flashes in Kent. Here are a few things that caught my attention about this game: 

- The weather forecast calls for an 70% chance of rain, with winds as high as 24 km/h.

- Falcons quarterback Matt Johnson has thrown for 10 TDs the last two weeks, but that was at home. He had thrown just two TD passes in his last two road games.

- The Under is 13-3-1 in Golden Flashes last 17 conference games.

Take UNDER. 

GL, 

Jesse Schule

This is 10* play on the Central Florida Knights.

Anytime time you have an undefeated Top 25 team facing an opponent that is 0-7, you know which way the money is going to go. Of course everyone is lining up to bet the Houston Cougars as an enormous favorite on the road this week. I think it's pretty naive to write off this Knights team though, and I think they can make a game of it.

They have played some tough teams during their 0-7 start, and for the most part they have managed to avoid blowout losses. Last week they went on the road at Temple, and held a lead at halftime.

Houston on the other hand has been beating up on inferior opponents, in fact their last three wins came against teams with just one conference win between them. They did blow out Tulane, but the margin of victory in wins over SMU and Tulsa wasn't as great as the number for this game.

In order to win on the road by four scores, you need to be pretty efficient on both sides of the ball. That's going to be a challenge for the Cougars with so many injuries on both their offensive and defensive lines. After losing three starters for the remainder of the season, the Cougars are holding walk-on tryouts for offensive and defensive linemen this week to plug the holes.

Cougars head coach Tom Herman knows he can't take this team lightly, and here is what he was saying earlier in the week: "This is a team that's two years removed from winning the Fiesta Bowl last I checked. They done an excellent job of recruiting throughout the years, have an excellent staff and excellent head coach. "I don't know why they're 0-7. That's not for me to figure out. They also went into (Temple) and had a lead against one of the best teams in our conference."

Take UCF.

GL,

Jesse Schule

This is a 10* play on NW@NEB to go UNDER the total. 

Paying close attention to the weather is just one of many tools at a handicapper's disposal, and this week it looks like several college football games will be effected by inclement weather. I won't bet on a game based on weather alone, so I am looking for games where several factors combine to give me a significant edge versus the bookmaker. 

One of those games will feature the Wildcats versus the Cornhuskers in Lincoln Nebraska. Here are a few things that caught my attention about this game: 

- The Wildcats have scored a grand total of 10 points in their last two games, and they rank outside the Top 100 in passing yards as well as points scored. 

- Nebraska ranks in the Top 10 nationally in run defense, allowing opponents to average fewer than 100 yards per game on the ground. 

- The wind is likely to put a damper on the passing game, as the forecast calls for winds up to 24 km/h. 

Take UNDER. 

GL, 

Jesse Schule

This is a 10* play on the California Golden Bears.

The Bears come into tonight's game off a bye week, giving them extra time to rest and prepare coming off an ugly loss to Utah. Jared Goff had the worst game of his career in the loss to the Utes, throwing five picks. They were still right in that game though, trailing by just three points heading into the fourth quarter, eventually losing 30-24.

The Bruins on the other hand were blown off the field in Stanford, losing by a score of 56-35 last Thursday night. They are really banged up on defense, with tackle Eddie Vanderdoes, linebacker Myles Jack and cornerback Fabian Moreau all sidelined by injury.

When these teams played last year, the Bruins won on a late field goal by a score of 36-34. While that was a home game for Cal, it was also Brett Hundley at quarterback for UCLA, and not freshman Josh Rosen. After impressing in his debut, Rosen has really struggled since. He's thrown more interceptions (4) than TDs (3) in his last two home games.

One of those was a 38-23 loss to Arizona State, and the other a 24-23 win over BYU. The Bears have beaten a couple tough opponents on the road already this season, winning at Texas and at Washington. I see the Cal as a team that is healthier, well rested, with a far better quarterback, and I'll take the Bears getting points against a struggling Bruins team.

Take CAL.

GL,

Jesse Schule

This is a 5* play on the Utah Utes. 

The Utah Utes have done what no other team in the country have come anywhere close to doing, and that is beating Michigan. At the time it didn't seem very significant, but at this point it's a signature win that could put them in the playoff picture. They host conference rivals Arizona State on Saturday night, in a game that has revenge written all over it. The Utes lost last season at Arizona State by a score of 19-16 in overtime. 

With windy and rainy conditions on the forecast for Saturday night in Salt Lake City, we could see another defensive battle here this time around. That would seem to play into the hands of the home team, who have one of the top running backs in the country. Devontae Booker ran for 222 yards and two TDs at home versus California last week. 

Utah also picked off California's stud quarterback Jared Goff five times, giving them 12 interceptions total this season, tied for second in the country. The Sun Devils are 0-9 all time on the road versus Top 5 teams, and they've gone under in five of their last six overall. 

Take UTAH. 

GL, 

Jesse Schule

This is a 10* play on AZST@UTAH to go UNDER the total. 

The Utah Utes have done what no other team in the country have come anywhere close to doing, and that is beating Michigan. At the time it didn't seem very significant, but at this point it's a signature win that could put them in the playoff picture. They host conference rivals Arizona State on Saturday night, in a game that has revenge written all over it. The Utes lost last season at Arizona State by a score of 19-16 in overtime. 

With windy and rainy conditions on the forecast for Saturday night in Salt Lake City, we could see another defensive battle here this time around. That would seem to play into the hands of the home team, who have one of the top running backs in the country. Devontae Booker ran for 222 yards and two TDs at home versus California last week. 

Utah also picked off California's stud quarterback Jared Goff five times, giving them 12 interceptions total this season, tied for second in the country. The Sun Devils are 0-9 all time on the road versus Top 5 teams, and they've gone under in five of their last six overall. 

Take UNDER. 

GL, 

Jesse Schule

This is a 10* play on the USC Trojans. 

The Trojans are in a familiar spot heading into this week's game at South Bend, with an interim head coach replacing Steve Sarkasian. They fired Lane Kiffin after a 3-2 start in 2013, and then went on to win six of their next seven games. The one loss during that span came at Notre Dame by a score of 14-10. With public money fading the Trojans after the Sarkasian firing, I think there is value on the dog here. 

Notre Dame has already lost several key players to injury, most notably starting quarterback Malik Zaire. They lost 49-14 at USC last year, and the Trojans piled up 577 total yards in the victory. Cody Kessler threw six TD passes in that game, and he's been pretty darn good so far this season, throwing for just shy of 1500 yards with 15 TDs and three picks in five games. 

Sark was an alcoholic, who wasn't doing his job to the best of his abilities. It's highly likely that cutting him loose will only help this team that came into the season as the favorite to win the PAC12. I think the Irish will be lucky to win this game outright, never mind cover a bunch of points. 

Take USC. 

GL, 

Jesse Schule

This is a 10* play on the Florida Gators. 

The Gators are a big underdog on the road at Baton Rouge this week, and I think there has been a bit of an overreaction to the suspension of starting quarterback Will Grier. There is no doubt that Grier was having a fantastic season, and he will be missed. It's not like they are handing the ball to an inexperienced quarterback though, as Treon Harris threw for 225 yards and a pair of TDs in a victory in Week 1, and he threw for over 1000 yards with nine TDs and four INTs as a starter last year. He's likely the better of the two quarterbacks who share the same last name, as Brandon Harris has just four TD passes this season for LSU. 

The glaring fact that stands out to me... is that the Tigers haven't played anybody. They've beaten South Carolina, Auburn and Mississippi State, and those teams have a combined record of 2-8 in conference play. Leonard Fournette has been running wild, but we'll see how he fares against an elite defense in this game. The Gators have only allowed three rushing TDs all year, holding the opposition to an SEC best 3.1 yards per carry. 

The Gators have covered the spread in five of their last seven trips to Baton Rouge, and I think LSU is going to struggle to cover this inflated number. 

Take FLA. 

GL, 

Jesse Schule

This is a 10* play on the Michigan State Spartans. 

The Wolverines are coming off three straight shutout wins, out-scoring opponents 97-0 in those games. Due to their recent success, they come into this Saturday's home game versus the Spartans as a big favorite. Michigan State has won six of the last seven meetings between the two teams, and they covered the spread in all seven of those games. 

The visitors have a huge edge when it comes to the quarterback position, with senior Connor Cook who has thrown for 1334 yards and a dozen TDs with just two picks. Michigan's quarterback Jake Rudock has been picked off six times while throwing just five TD passes this season. 

The Wolverines will likely lean on their running game, but their leading rusher DeV'eon Smith only ran for 59 yards on eight carries last week, playing with an ankle injury. Smith struggled in last year's loss to the Spartans, managing just 39 yards on 11 carries. 

Coming off a string of uninspiring wins over inferior opponents, the Spartans feel they have something to prove here in this game: "Really doesn't take much to have a chip on our shoulder," Cook said. "Doesn't matter if we're the favorite, if we're the underdog, if we're favored by three touchdowns or we're underestimated by three touchdowns."

Take MSU. 

GL, 

Jesse Schule

This is a 10* play on the Texas A&M Aggies. 

The undefeated Aggies are a home dog to Alabama on Saturday, and this looks like a very dangerous spot for Nick Saban's squad. The Crimson Tide secondary was already exposed in a home loss to Ole Miss, allowing Chad Kelly to throw for 341 yards and three TDs. 

The other glaring weakness for Alabama is at quarterback, where Jake Coker has really struggled. He threw a pair of interceptions in a 27-14 home win over Arkansas last week, and he's going to be under fire all day here at College Station. 

The Aggies have the SEC's best pass rush, with 19 sacks in just five games. They also lead the SEC in total offense averaging over 480 yards per game. Kevin Sumlin has the advantage of coming off a bye week, giving him extra time to prepare for what could be the game that makes or break the Aggies season. 

Alabama really struggled on offense last week against the Razorbacks, scoring just three points in the first half. Kicker Adam Griffith missed a pair of chip shot field goals, and he's only converted on 6-of-12 attempts this season. 

The Aggies look great getting points at home. 

Take TAM. 

GL, 

Jesse Schule

This is a 5* play on the Stanford Cardinal.

The UCLA Bruins are in pretty rough shape coming into this road game versus Stanford, with a struggling freshman quarterback and their star linebacker sidelined for the remainder of the season. Josh Rosen impressed in his season debut, throwing for 351 yards and three TDs in a win over Virginia. He's since thrown six touchdown passes and five interceptions while averaging 223 yards over his next four starts. This will be by far his toughest test, on the road against one of the PAC12's toughest defenses, against a team that UCLA has lost seven in a row against since 2009. The Cardinal have been dominant in wins over Oregon State, Arizona and USC, winning those games by an average margin of 22 points. It's been nine years since UCLA last won at Stanford, and I don't like their chances tonight.

Take STAN.

GL,

Jesse Schule

This is a 6* play on FSU 1st Half.

The Seminoles host a struggling Miami Hurricanes team this Saturday, and Florida State is only asked to cover a seven point spread. While these teams are bitter rivals, I just don't see Miami coming away with a positive result on the road against a superior team with a solid defense.

The Canes are coming off a double digit loss at Cincinnati, and they nearly blew a big lead at home against a pretty average Nebraska team. They've lost five straight against Florida State, and they were a double digit dog in each of their last two visits to Talahassee.

Everett Golson has thrown for a modest 786 yards during a 4-0 start, but he has thrown for seven touchdowns and hasn't turned the ball over once. If he can continue to protect the football, the Noles will be in good shape at home against the Canes.

Take FSU.

GL,

Jesse Schule

This is an 8* play on the Florida Gators. 

The Gators didn't just beat Ole Miss last week, they dominated the Rebels holding them to just three points in the first three quarters in a 38-10 win in The Swamp. They are on the road at Missouri this Saturday, taking on a Tigers team that hasn't impressed during a 4-1 start. The Tigers lost to Kentucky, and wins over Arkansas State and Connecticut came by a combined 10 points. They will try to slow down the red hot Will Grier, who had his coming out party last week throwing for 271 yards and four TDs against the SEC's best defense. The Tigers benched starting quarterback Maty Mauk at home against South Carolina last week, but freshman Drew Lock had a decent game throwing for a modest 136 yards and two TDs. He's going to be under a considerable amount of pressure against this Florida defense, and I wouldn't want to have my money the Tigers with a freshman quarterback under center. The Gators are 5-0 ATS in their last five road games, and I like Florida to edge out a pretty average Missouri team here. 

Take FLA. 

GL, 

Jesse Schule

This is a Free #NCAAF play on the Oklahoma State #Cowboys.

The Cowboys are sitting at the top of the BIG12 Conference with a 5-0 record, coming off back to back wins over Kansas State and Texas. They still don’t get a lot of respect, coming into this week’s game at West Virginia as a seven point dog. Quarterback Mason Rudolph threw for a season high 437 yards with three TDs in the win over Kansas State, and he should get some help with a couple of key players returning to the lineup this week. Junior running backs Chris Carson and Rennie Childs didn’t play last week against the Wildcats, and they were missed, as the Cowboys ran for only 49 yards. They are both ready to return for this week’s game at Morgantown. 

West Virginia's unbeaten run came to an end in Oklahoma, and quarterback Skyler Howard had a rough game, throwing for 171 yards with one TD and three INTs on 17-of-32 passing. They might be expected to bounce back at home, but I am not convinced they should be asked to cover a seven point spread against an opponent that currently owns the top defense in the BIG12 Conference. Historically they have been a bad bet at home against tough opposition, going 5-18 ATS in their last 23 home games vs. a team with a winning road record.

Take OKST. 

GL, 

Jesse Schule

This is an 8* play on the Alabama Crimson Tide. 

Alabama shocked the home favorite Georgia in Athens last week, beating the Bulldogs by a score of 38-10. They return home to host the Arkansas Razorbacks this Saturday, and having already been beaten at home this season, I expect to see no complacency from the Tide here this week. If either team is to suffer a let down, I would suggest that it's the visitors who are the more likely of the two. The Razorbacks upset the Vols in Tennessee last week, ending a three game losing streak. They ran for 275 yards and a pair of TDs against Tennessee, but it's unlikely they'll be able to run the ball with the same success in Tuscaloosa. The Razorbacks were shutout, losing 52-0 in their last game at Alabama, and they've been out-scored 118-13 while losing their last three versus the Tide. 

Take BAMA. 

GL, 

Jesse Schule

This is an 8* play on the Georgia Bulldogs. 

The Bulldogs appeared to be on the fast track to an SEC title, all they had to do was beat Alabama at home last Saturday. It proved to be too much to ask, and that game was over before it even got started. They try to bounce back this week on the road against Tennessee, and I like their chances against a young team that has been a big bust in 2015. While Georgia is still a contender, the Vols have already lost three games, two of those defeats coming at home. The Razorbacks ripped through the Tennessee defense, running for 275 yards and a pair of TDs. The Vols will have their hands full trying to contain Nick Chubb this week. The Heisman candidate has run for 745 yards and seven TDs so far this season, and he still managed to pick up a respectable 146 yards an a TD in a losing effort versus Alabama last week. The Bulldogs have won five straight versus Tennessee since 2010, and the Volunteers are 5-18-1 ATS in their last 24 home games vs. a team with a winning road record.

Take UGA. 

GL, 

Jesse Schule

This is a 5* play on the Clemson Tigers. 

The 24-22 win over Notre Dame was far more impressive that it looks at first glance. The Tigers shut down the Irish through the first three quarters, and they held running back C.J. Prosise to 50 yards on 15 carries. They eventually stopped the Irish on a two-point conversion try that ended a furious 4th quarter rally. 

Clemson will host the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets this week, and coming off a big win over the Irish, some might think this is a let down spot. I don't think we'll see any such thing from Clemson though, as they've had this game circled on the calendar since the pre-season. The Yellow Jackets beat them badly last year, setting up an opportunity for a bit of revenge this time around. 

With Deshaun Watson battling injury, it was Cole Stoudt that started at quarterback in last year's loss, and he completed just 3-of-11 attempts, throwing three picks. Watson is healthy this time around, and he's had a solid season so far, throwing for 738 yards and nine TDs. He also poses a dual threat in the running game, and he ran in a touchdown in last week's game against the Irish. 

Clemson finished last season with the top ranked defense in the country, and they aren't far off so far this year. I don't like the Yellow Jackets chances of running their Triple-Option on the road here in Clemson. They didn't have a single rushing TD in last year's game, and half of their points came on INT returns. Clemson has won and covered three straight at home versus Georgia Tech. 

Take CLEM. 

GL, 

Jesse Schule

This is a 10* play on the Wisconsin Badgers. 

It's easy to be down on the Badgers after they lost at home to Iowa last week, and Joel Stave is taking a lot of heat after a terrible performance. The Badgers senior quarterback had his worst game of the season, throwing a pair of interceptions and failing to throw a TD pass for the first time this season. He had played pretty well this season before he ran into the Hawkeyes stingy defense that ranks 15th nationally in points allowed. He should be able to bounce back this week against a Nebraska defense that has the worst pass defense in the FBS, allowing 354 yards per game. 

The Cornhuskers are coming off another brutal last second loss at Illinois, as they gave up a last second Hail Mary touchdown for the second time this season. The Badgers have won three of four versus Nebraska since 2011, and all of those victories were blowouts. Nebraska has played three Power 5 teams, losing all three of those games. Two of those losses came at home, and they looked pretty bad in all three games. Wisconsin's two losses came to opponents with a combined record of 9-1. 

Take WISC. 

GL, 

Jesse Schule.

This is a 10* play on the Iowa State Cyclones. 

The Texas Tech Red Raiders nearly shocked the country with an upset win over the TCU Horned Frogs two weeks ago, but a last minute touchdown allowed TCU to escape with the victory. They were blown out by Baylor last week, and now they return home to host conference rivals Iowa State. 

I don't think Texas Tech has any business being a double-digit favorite here, even though they can score points in a hurry. Their defense is brutal, and they are likely going to struggle to stop the Cyclones from scoring. 

The Red Raiders have won three straight meetings in this series, but the average margin of victory in those games was just seven points. That includes a home win by a score of 42-35 back in 2013. 

The Cyclones have an experienced senior quarterback in Sam Richardson, and Kliff Kingsbury knows it will be a challenge to contain him: "Anytime you have a senior quarterback that's played a lot, that's going to give you problems," the third-year coach said. "He can run well, he throws well, so it'll be a good challenge for us."

Richardson has thrown for over 1000 yards with seven TDs and three picks while going 2-2 to start the season. Their two losses came against teams with a combined record of 9-0 (Toldedo and Iowa). 

Take ISU. 

GL, 

Jesse Schule

This is a 10* play on the Northwestern Wildcats. 

There is a ton of hype surrounding Jim Harbaugh's Michigan Wolverines, and to their credit they are coming off back to back shutouts, and they have won four straight. I still think you would have to be certifiable to take them as a double-digit dog against an undefeated Northwestern team this week, especially after they lost their best player on defense (Mario Ojemudia). 

This game features the two top scoring defenses in the country, and the total for this game is going to be one of the lowest we will see all year. In a game that's expected to see such few points scored, I think Michigan's backers are a little over optimistic that it's going to be their team doing the scoring. After all, if they can score on these Wildcats, they would be doing what the likes of Stanford, Duke and Minnesota all failed to do, as those teams scored a combined 16 points in losses to Northwestern. 

The Wolverines have won four straight in this series since 2011, but last year's game was decided by a single point, with Michigan winning 10-9 at Evanston. It really wouldn't surprise anyone to see a similar score in today's game. 

Take NW. 

GL, 

Jesse Schule

This is a 10* play on the Clemson Tigers. 

The Irish have managed to remain undefeated and stay ranked in the Top 10 despite losing their starting quarterback Malik Zaire and running back Tarean Folston. This will be their toughest test by far, and I can't seem them hanging with the Tigers at Death Valley. 

After finishing first in the country in total defense in 2014, the Tigers are currently ranked 4th in yards allowed this season. Clemson has the advantage of additional rest coming off a Thursday night game last week at Louisville. The Tigers should be well rested and well prepared for this "must win" game for both teams. The winner will be a playoff contender, while the loser will likely drop out of the playoff picture. 

Notre Dame is 2-5 on the road versus ranked opponents during the Brian Kelly era, and they narrowly avoided suffering a sixth straight road loss at Virginia two weeks ago. The Tigers are 41-6 at home in seven seasons under Dabo Swinney, winning 11 straight. Deshaun Watson has completed 77 percent of his passes for 442 yards with five TDs and just one pick in two home games this year. The Irish have been doing a lot of talking on Twitter ahead of this game, and Clemson safety Jaron Kearse took exception: "They obviously don't know what we do down here in Death Valley," Kearse said. 

Take CLEM. 

GL, 

Jesse Schule

This is a 10* play on ND@CLEM to go UNDER the total. 

The Irish have managed to remain undefeated and stay ranked in the Top 10 despite losing their starting quarterback Malik Zaire and running back Tarean Folston. This will be their toughest test by far, and it won't be easy hanging with the Tigers at Death Valley. 

After finishing first in the country in total defense in 2014, the Tigers are currently ranked 4th in yards allowed this season. Clemson has the advantage of additional rest coming off a Thursday night game last week at Louisville. The Tigers should be well rested and well prepared for this "must win" game for both teams. The winner will be a playoff contender, while the loser will likely drop out of the playoff picture. 

The weather conditions could play a role in this game, as the forecast is for heavy rain and wind in Clemson on Saturday night. That will limit both teams in the passing game, forcing them to lean on the run. 

Take UNDER. 

GL, 

Jesse Schule

This is a 5* play on the Texas A&M Aggies. 

The Aggies are 4-0, and they host the 3-1 Mississippi State Bulldogs at College Station on Saturday. The Bulldogs are likely going to struggle against the SEC's toughest pass rush, and I expect to see the Aggies avenge last year's loss at Mississippi State. Kyle Allen is playing well at quarterback for A&M, and Christian Kirk is leading the SEC with 442 receiving yards and four TDs so far. He's also dangerous on special teams, and the Bulldogs are going to have a tough time containing him. While the Bulldogs managed to win on the road at Auburn last week, a second consecutive road win versus a conference rival seems extremely unlikely here against much stiffer competition. 

Take A&M. 

GL, 

Jesse Schule

This is a 5* play on the Tennessee Volunteers. 

The Vols are 2-2, and they've made some costly errors blowing leads in each of their two losses. Let's be realistic though, both teams they lost two are undefeated, and ranked in the Top 25. They led Oklahoma by a score of 17-0 at halftime, before Baker Mayfield led an impressive comeback for the Sooners. The Arkansas Razorbacks aren't in the same league as Florida and Oklahoma, and Brando Allen isn't likely to engineer any game winning drives on the road in conference play. The home team has covered the spread in five of the last six meetings between these two teams, and I expect that trend to continue here on Saturday. 

Take TENN. 

GL, 

Jesse Schule

This is an 8* play on BGRN@BUFF to go UNDER the total. 

The 2-2 Buffalo Bulls will be a big underdog at home to Bowling Green this Saturday, mostly because the Falcons quarterback leads the nation in passing with 1760 yards. Matt Johnson may not be able to air it out as often this week, with the weather forecast in Buffalo calling for heavy rain and wind during the game. The Falcons have won four straight versus Buffalo, but the last three of those game fell well short of the total. Neither of these two teams have played a lot of high scoring games in October, with the Falcons going under in 14 of 17, and the Bulls falling short of the number in seven of their last 10 in October. 

Take UNDER. 

GL, 

Jesse Schule.

This is a 10* play on the Georgia Bulldogs. 

Greyson Lambert had himself a day in the win over South Carolina two weeks ago, completing 24-of-25 passes for 330 yards and three TDs. His 96 percent completion percentage set a new NCAA single game record. He followed that up by completing 90 percent of his passes for 146 yards and two TDs last week. 

The Bulldogs had an easy game this week against the Southern Jaguars, before a marquee clash at home with Alabama this Saturday. Georgia is still outside of the playoff picture in all the polls, but a win at home over Alabama could propel them all the way to the top. If they can get past the Tide, the rest of their schedule looks very manageable. 

Alabama has looked vulnerable, with a couple of struggling quarterbacks and a secondary that has been exposed. Wisconsin quarterback Joel Stave threw for 228 yards and a pair of TDs in a loss at Tuscaloosa in Week 1, more than he totaled in wins over Troy and Hawaii the last two weeks. Chad Kelly lit up the Alabama secondary for 341 yards and three TDs. 

Jake Coker has had trouble protecting the football, throwing a pair of INTs in the loss to Ole Miss, and four over the last three weeks. Playing on the road at Georgia is no easy task, and the Tide have failed to cover in four of their last five against the Bulldogs. 

The last time these teams met was the SEC Championship Game in 2012, and Alabama rallied to score a late TD to come from behind and win 32-28. That was a much better Alabama team with a much better quarterback. I don't like Jake Coker's chances of engineering a game winning drive on the road in Athens. 

Take UGA. 

GL, 

Jesse Schule

This is a 10* play on TTU@BAY to go UNDER the total. 

The bookmakers are expecting a shootout in Texas this Saturday, as the total in the Texas Tech versus Baylor game is said to be the highest in college football history. Both these teams play a fast pace offensive style, and they have a history of playing high scoring games. Each of the last five meetings have gone over the total, with both teams scoring a ridiculous amount of points. That has caused the bookmakers to open with a total of 85.5, which the public has already bet up significantly. The last time I saw a total with this much hype was when Baylor played Oklahoma State in December of 2012, and that game ended with Baylor winning 41-34 (well below the expected total). 

In order for these teams to combine to score 90+ points, we need a lot of things to go right for both of these offenses. It doesn't take much to slow the pace down. It could be penalties, injuries, turnovers, and all of a sudden 10-15 minutes has gone by and there haven't been any points scored. The Red Raiders starting quarterback Pat Mahomes was injured in the loss to TCU, and he wore a brace on his knee while finishing that game. The injury limited his mobility, and the Red Raiders were forced into running the ball a little more than they usually do. The word on the street is that Mahomes will be able to play, but if he's not able to do everything he normally does, that has the potential to slow the pace of the Texas Tech offense. 

Take UNDER. 

GL, 

Jesse Schule

This is an 8* play on the Ohio Bobcats. 

The 3-1 Bobcats will be on the road at 2-2 Akron, and I like the visitors to bounce back after a tough road loss to Minnesota. They lost last week's game in the finale minute when the Gophers scored a TD with 30 seconds left on the clock to go ahead 27-24. Derrius Vick threw for 194 yards and a pair of TDs in the loss, and A.J. Oullette ran for 59 yards and a TD on just 12 carries. Ohio has won seven straight versus the Zips, covering the spread in six of those seven games. The Bobcats are 4-0-1 ATS in their last 5 games overall, while the Zips are 0-5 ATS in their last 5 games following a ATS win.

Take Ohio. 

GL, 

Jesse Schule

This is an 8* play on the Texas Longhorns. 

I've been saying it since Week 1 ... "TCU is a Fraud!" - The Horned Frogs narrowly escaped with a 55-52 win over Texas Tech last week, needing a miraculous TD catch on a tipped pass with 23 seconds left on the clock. A week earlier they beat the SMU Mustangs by a score of 56-37 at home. Their defense is in complete disarray with several starters sidelined. In fact they don't have a single player left from the defense they fielded in last year's Bowl Game win over Ole Miss. 

Texas hasn't exactly impressed either, losing back to back games to California and Oklahoma State. The margin of victory in those games was slim though, only a combined four points. The Longhorns have showed the ability to put points on the board, with freshman quarterback Jerrod Heard running the offense. He ran for 163 yards and three TDs, and threw for 364 yards in the loss to Cal. 

The Longhorns haven't likely forgotten that TCU handed them a 48-10 loss at home last year, and they'll relish this opportunity to get a little revenge on a more vulnerable Horned Frogs team here this Saturday. 

Take TEX. 

GL, 

Jesse Schule

5*

This is a 5* play on the Memphis Tigers.

Memphis is 4-0 with impressive victories over Bowling Green, Cincinnati and Kansas. They will be on the road in South Florida tonight, and they should prove to be too much to handle for the 1-2 bulls. Memphis quarterback Paxton Lynch threw for 412 yards and two TDs in a home win over Cinci last week, and he's thrown for over 1200 yards with eight TDs and not a single pick during a 4-0 start.

As impressive as those stats are, the Tigers real strenght is in the running game, with an average of 227 yards per game and 16 rushing TDs. The Bulls rank dead last in the conference in red zone defense, and that's likely to spell trouble against the Tigers. Memphis has won the last two meetings in this series by a comined 24 points, and the Tigers won 23-10 in their last visit to Florida.

Take MEM.

GL,

Jesse Schule