Georgia 

Washington +3

Prediction: The entire Nation will be amazed or shocked while witnessing a total destruction of Penn St by an elite PAC 12 team. The PAC 12 as a conference has been a dud this bowl season. The Big 10 is undefeated at 4-0. But this is a bad match up for Penn St. Just as USC was a bad matchup for Ohio St last night. Myles Gaskin and Lavon Coleman will run the Nittany Lions of the field by the third quarter. On the other hand, Penn St running back, Barkley rushed for just 107 total yards on 35 carries combined in the two games against Michigan St and Ohio St; both losses. Washington has a similar if not better defense. Tevis Bartlett and Ben Burr-Kirven will paste him over and over and then force Penn St's QB Trace McSorley to beat them with his arm. That will never happen. The Huskies will swarm to the ball in the secondary and create interceptions or overthrows. The real star will be the rushing of Myles Gaskin. Gaskin is coming off 193 yards of rushing in the Apple Cup in which he found the end zone on four occasions. The junior racked up five other triple-digit rushing outputs this year, with his best game being a 202-yard outburst against Colorado. His running sets up the pass for Washington. Jake Browning may be the best quarterback that the east coast has never watched due to west coast games with late starting times. Washington's Dante Pettis is the nation's leading punt returner in yards (20.4 per return) and touchdowns (4) and also made All Pac-12 first team as a receiver. The Huskies are great on special teams, fantastic on  offense and has the best front seven on defense in the country. That's all you need to win in a blowout. 

Memphis -3.5

This is a home game for Memphis. They should put on a performance for their fans. Sometimes a game comes down the desire. This is certainly a downgrade in opponents for Iowa St. Additionally, momentum plays a big part in these games. The Iowa State Cyclones had a decent year overall but they did not finish all that strong as they lost four of their final five games to end the regular season. It would seem to be very difficult to get motivated for a bowl game in Memphis after playing some of the best teams in the country. Their defense is good, but is it good enough to slow down this Memphis attack? For Memphis, Riley Furguson is the bomb. The long bomb. He has had a very strong season as he hit 63% of his passes for 3971 yards with 36 TDs and just nine INTs and he is going up against the 81st ranked pass defense in the nation, so he should have a great game tonight. This offense is so tough to stop as they have too many weapons on it including an exceptional ground game with Darrell Henderson and Patrick Taylor Jr. Memphis has racked up some very good numbers on offense this year as they come in ranked 4th in the nation in total offense (548.2 ypg), 8th in passing (339.1 ypg), 31st in rushing (201.9 ypg) and 2nd in scoring at 47.7 ppg. If Iowa St can't stop them, then they need to match them point for point. But Iowa State has been a below average offensive team this year so that's not happening. The Iowa State Cyclones had a solid early part of the year but then a change in quarterback at mid-season had them at 1-4 down the homestretch. Tabulate this: The Cyclones are 81st in the nation against the pass and the Tigers are 8th in the nation in passing. Memphis will score more than 42 points and book an easy win!!

Ohio State -7.5

Usually injuries on a college team are ignored somewhat. Most teams are not that affected. But USC has a injury that impacts their entire defensive secondary. Jack Jones (ankle) is questionable. He has 31 solo tackles and four picks and would be a big loss. The Trojans need Jones to help reel in the Buckeyes’ passing attack: his absence could swing things quite a bit. His status moved to doubtful today but will be a game time decision. He even took over as their punt return man. Ankle injuries take time. Additionally, Wide receiver Velus Jones Jr. missed practice time and running back Ronald Jones II was limited. For Ohio St, JT Barrett, who led Ohio State to the Big 10 Championship Game victory, has been fully cleared to practice in the lead up to the bowl game. About his counterpart Sam Darnold, is performance this year is just above average. I think he got caught up in the NFL hype or defensive coordinators are mapping his trends, routes and patterns. Twelve interceptions in a league not know for defense is a mockery of thinking he's a first or second top pick. (He'll most likely return to USC for another year) The Trojans average under 30 points per game in a no defense conference. They did lose to Notre Dame 49-14 if one wants to compare similar teams in the Big 10. Ohio State’s just a little more tremendous, and also a bad matchup for USC. Look for a concerted all out effort with OSU's rushing attack. USC is  average to slightly above average at stopping the run, and now they’re facing an elite foe. USC has played four games this year against elite running offenses. In those, they gave up 6.5 yards per carry. I can see Urban Meyer laughing all the way to the Cotton Game trophy presentation). This in turn will set up the pass for JT Barrett which will also have us witnessing Barrett's ability to scramble. Since this is his last game and field audition, look for him to make a few dashes downfield. It's hard to think USC can do anything about Ohio State’s run game if the Trojans don’t stick eight men in the defensive box all night. If they try that, Barrett and his receivers are going to pick on them. The Buckeyes have scored 38 points or more on nine of their 13 opponents, and all of the ones to keep them under that total are a lot better at defense than USC is. Darnold’s thrown 12 picks and fumbled 10 times, and now he’s facing a defense with 12 potential NFL players. Go Buckeyes. 

Kentucky +7.5

The first rule of thumb when betting Kentucky football. You'll always get additional pointspread value with them. Not in basketball where you pay a premium but few connect the dots with Kentucky football. When placing a bet with this game, simply stating you want the "Wildcats" will get you automatically paid if dealing with a moron since both have that same team name. Kentucky leans on their running game to generate a good portion of their offense led by Benny Snell Jr. The sophomore running back had a tremendous season, accumulating 1318 rushing yards along with 18 touchdowns and averaged 5.1 yards per carry. Snell Jr. rushed for over 100 yards in four out of his last five games. Kentucky played a difficult SEC schedule and managed a 7-5 record. They know how to eat up the clock. They lost against two better teams to close out their season playing Georgia and Louisville. That only serves to gain experience for a game like this. Northwestern was rather pedestrian this season. Not great nor bad. That's the same for most of their players. Northwestern QB Clayton Thorson was inconsistent at times this season and has recorded 2809 passing yards with a 15:12 TD to INT ratio. He's improved as the season progressed. But remember that to play as a underdog is a huge difference than playing as a 7 point plus favorite. It's a completely different mindset; A different role. You're no longer the loose cannon that teams over look ahead of time. They average 29 points per game on offense. Three of the nine games that they did win were in overtime which validates no blowout wins and shows that they are able to play games score for score while keeping the outcome close to their chest. If this game goes to OT, it would be difficult to lose. I expect a Wildcat team to win and Kentucky to cover in a game that looks like 28-24. 

Virginia Tech +

Let's begin with this. Virginia Tech defends very well against immobile quarterbacks. They certainly will be tested Thursday against Oklahoma State quarterback Mason Rudolph. Clearly the momentum favors the Hokies who won their last two games including defeating their rival Virginia. On the other hand, OSU suffered two devastating losses at home to Oklahoma and Kansas St. Virginia Tech has two areas to focus. On defense, put maximum pressure on Rudolph and make him scramble. On offense it's somewhat easier. Six different Hokies have more than 200 yards on the ground this season, and those options make it difficult for opposing defensive coordinators to prepare for the up-tempo attack. One job: eat up the clock and keep OSU's passing attack on the sidelines. Their defense has been stellar this year, ranking No. 12 nationally in total defense (305.3 yards per game) and No. 17 in defensive yards per play (4.85). Virginia Tech has the talent to stop the passing attack. They went thru the ACC while giving up just 187.2 yards per game through the air. On the other side, saying Oklahoma State's defense was porous this season is an understatement. They really don't focus on defense in the Big 12. They focus on scoring. But the Hokies have the cornerbacks to stay with the receivers for the Cowboys. Additionally, the percent of red zone trips in which opponents have scored on the Hokies is the lowest in the nation( think Clemson etc ) Opponents had 24 red zone trips this year against Tech, coming away with 11 touchdowns and five field goals. On eight occasions, they scored no points. Look for Virginia Tech to control the pace and tempo of the game. This game is similar to the game OSU played against Texas. Texas did not try to match offenses and came out strong defensively and clock management which worked and limited the Cowboys to only score 13 points. Keep in mind that Virginia Tech's defense is vastly superior to that of Texas.

Army +

The Army Top Brass will be out in full force for today for the Armed Forces Bowl in Fort Worth, TX. They are NOT there to party. They are there to put in a performance worthy of Generals watching and celebrating. Defense is their Stars and Stripes. The Black Knights feature a solid defense and their pass defense has been outstanding, holding opponents to 167 rushing yards per game. Army defensive back Rhyan England (injury) is expected to suit up in this one. England has collected 30 tackles in seven games played this season. He is a difference maker on most every play as teams want to avoid him. Army ended their season with a fantastic 14-13 win against Navy to close their 2017 campaign. Look for an inspired effort from the men from West Point. 

Texas Tech +

Texas Tech defeated Texas in their final game to become bowl eligible. There's no way that they will put anything less than 100% effort into this game against South Florida. The good news for Texas Tech is their prized running back, Justin Stockton (114 attempts, 694 yards) is expected to play. Wide receiver Derrick Willes missed the last three games for disciplinary reasons and it’s unknown if he’ll be involved. The South Florida Bulls may have ended their season after suffering a disappointing loss at UCF. They had a chance to play in the AAC title game if they could beat their rivals, but UCF was able to beat them in a thrilling 49-42 game. It's very doubtful that they have much interest in playing in Birmingham, Al. There's no doubt that on paper, South Florida is a decent team. But want and desire creates effort and this is one game that the Bulls won't care about.  

The mighty have fallen. This is not a very good Temple football team. Their only claim this year is that they made a bowl game by winning their 6th game to become bowl eligible. All the hype of yesteryear stops right there. Their offense sucks. Not that it matters but the Owls have a couple of injury questions as QB Logan Marchi, WR Ventell Bryant and Isaiah Graham-Mobley are all listed as questionable. It will have no bearing anyway. They are 98th in scoring at 24ppg. Their defense has not been nearly as good as the last two years and it's below average. FIU hung 634 yards of offense against UMass in closing out their season at 8-4 in their final contest. FIU comes to this bowl game playing well and  is very motivated to win this bowl game. Temple is still not the same team that they were the last two years and they were just 3-5 in their eight games prior to that win. They have been very inconsistent, while the FIU Golden Panthers really finished the season strong winning their final two games while scoring 104 points combined in those two games. The Owls have little interest in this game. Their defense won't scare anyone and they do not score enough points to win and should not be a seven (7) point favorite

Louisiana Tech

-Oregon -

The Las Vegas Bowl. Oregon should tattoo Boise's defense for 40 points. If the over/under is set at 60, that's leaves us with a 20 point margin set by the oddsmakers to win and cover the pointspread. Mario Cristobal will coach the team on an interim basis. The players love this move so don't use the fact that their former head coach bolted for Florida St. Oregon QB Justin Herbert may just be the biggest difference position player in the nation. Without him, chalk up 17 points. With him, you get final scores that begin with forty and go up from there. The Boise Broncos don’t pile up the points to match the Ducks scoring right now. Oregon is 8th in the nation in rushing giving their offense perfect balance. Watch for Royce Freeman to have success while the Boise defense is tuned in to Herbert throwing to WR Dillon Mitchell and Charlie Nelson. Boise is very fortunate to be here as they got to play Fresno for the conference championship on their own blue carpet at home. They were behind 14-10 at the start of the fourth quarter. No Mountain West team is compatible with the upper tier of the PAC 12. Look for the favorite covering the spread with a 38-24 final score. 

Navy

Georgia +

Auburn was once an afterthought for the College Football Playoff, The Tigers lost two of their first seven games–first at Clemson and then in more unceremonious fashion at LSU on Oct. 14. But then lightning struck twice. They knocked off #1 Georgia and then #1 Alabama. The main problem with this game played today for Auburn backers is that they went from a home underdog to a road favorite. That's a huge adjustment and has certainly got the attention of Georgia. Auburn limited UGA’s vaunted rushing attack to an anemic 46 yards last game. That was an anomaly as Georgia has a never ending supply of running backs. Speaking of running backs, Auburn rushed for 237 yards including an amazing 167 yards thanks to Kerryon Johnson. But hold all tickets as this game today may have his play limited, if even allowed to play. Auburn head coach Gus Malzahn said Tuesday in his weekly media conference that the junior tailback was “day-to-day” with his shoulder injury but more than insinuated that even without practicing this week, he’ll be allowed to play and start Saturday against Georgia (3 p.m., CBS) if given full medical clearance. Their training staff is trying to work a miracle in the hope of him being active for the game Saturday. But it still comes without practice. As for this game, it is difficult to win again as Georgia will have an entirely different game plan. Head coach Kirby Smart explained. “You put it in their face and you challenge people." The Bulldogs will be ready. I love the fact that the loser of the first meeting can make it up. They know they’ve got an opportunity to go out and at least erase what they did last time. That is a strong motivation. Since that loss, they defeated Kentucky and Georgia Tech by a combined scores of 80-20. The pressure is all on Auburn as they sense that a loss today would completely wipe out a season where they defeated two number one teams. HC Kirby Smart indicated that an entirely different game plan will be in place. And without practicing this week, the Dawgs defense may have a few wrinkles in it for RB Kerryon Johnson. Look for some ole fashion college football revenge. 

TCU +

TCU looks for revenge as the game that means everything unleashes a new life for them in today's battle against the Oklahoma Sooners. The Sooners won their first game with the Horned Frogs with a 38-20 home win in the contest back on November 11. TCU is known for as a very good defensive team. They stand 8th in the nation by allowing 15.7 points per contest. On offense, they are better than most. TCU is 28th in the FBS by piling up 34.5 points a game so on both sides of the ball they excel. Playing OU is a challenge for anybody but teams that have to match their offense point per point and score for score rarely succeed. The only way to win is to shut them down offensively. This is the team strength of TCU. They need to cause chaos for Baker Mayfield and limit him by just one less touchdown. They want to keep the game played in the 30's. OU plays zero defense so TCU's balanced attack on offense has many chances to score. Darius Anderson leads the Horned Frogs with 128 carries for 768 yards and eight scores while Kyle Hicks chips in 565 yards and four scores on 125 carries. Desmon White leads the team with 33 receptions for 362 yards plus four scores and WR John Diarse adds to the equation with QB Kenny Hill and his 215 of 323 for 2,604 yards with 19 touchdowns against five interceptions while adding 215 yards plus four scores on the ground. So add revenge, the difficulty in beating the same team twice along with a very stout defense and seven points as an underdog, the Horned Frogs have everything needed to beat Oklahoma. As long as they don't get sucked into a shootout with the scoreboard. Tight defense and chew up the clock while keeping Mayfield on the sidelines will get this win. 

Stanford 

Washington -   

It's the Apple Cup in Washington today between the Cougars and the Huskies. Last season, the Huskies crushed the Cougars on the road, 45-17. We are looking for a similar outcome in today's game. Washington State's quarterback, Luke Falks, will find out what hurried passes, a heavy rush and interceptions can do to an outcome when you throw the ball more than 50 times against a top ranked team with one of the best defenses in the nation. The Huskies always play outstanding defense, allowing just 272.3 yards per game (4th), 168.4 passing yards (8th), 103.9 rushing yards (4th) and just 14.5 points per game allowed (5th). This could put Falks in offensive culture shock for the afternoon. Washington has an equally good quarterback in Jake Browning. Last week against a fairly competitive Utah team, the Huskies put up 477 total yards with no turnovers and just two penalties. Browning has 2,451 passing yards, 18 passing touchdowns, five rushing touchdowns and just five picks (69.1%). Washington has scored over 45 points in their last two Apple Cup games and not much will change today as Washington gets a solid win at home. 

Georgia Tech +

Is it possible Georgia Tech can screw it all up? All it will take is a little early success, a few big deep passes, and enough third down conversions to control the time of possession to make Georgia panic. Able to win two of the last three years, Georgia Tech will hardly be intimidated. Typically, Georgia Tech games revolve around the opposing team stopping the triple-option. That may explain why Georgia Tech is 7-0 ATS in their last seven games at home. The Georgia Bulldogs had a world of trouble with Auburn’s running game a couple weeks ago. If the Yellow Jackets get going offensively, they can control the tempo of the game and give themselves a chance to pull off the upset. Each of the last four meetings have been decided by one score and the Yellow Jackets must win to become bowl eligible for the 20th time in 21 seasons. Georgia will have their own task trying to stop the option attack. Quarterback TaQuon Marshall has rushed for 100 yards or more six times in 10 games and has 1,074 yards on the season. Running back KirVonte Benson also has surpassed 1,000 rushing yards on the season (1,009). The added challenge is that Georgia Tech chews up valuable time on the field clock. The Yellow Jackets are getting a lot of points for this type of game. The seventh-ranked Bulldogs, already assured of an SEC championship game appearance, won't lay down but won't risk or show much. 

Vanderbilt +

It's up to all bettors to break down the numbers and consider the opposition in getting to their stats. Their are teams that are impressive with a 4-0 win streak while averaging 500 yards per game in total offense. And then their are teams like Missouri that were 1-5 and then had a four game run against Idaho, UConn along with home victories against struggling Florida and Tennessee teams mixed in. So now the public sees four consecutive wins, a win over Tennessee costing Volunteers HC Butch Jones his job and outscoring their opponents 215-66 along the way. So we see the spread has Missouri favored by 8.5 on the road. This looks like a trap false pointspread favorite based on public perception and used by the oddsmakers. Vandy QB, Jake Shurmur is a good SEC quarterback that has thrown for 2200 yards and 21 touchdowns. He alone can keep the Commodores in this game with this generous pointspread. 

Mississippi +

Texas A&M needed a cupcake in their schedule last week to get back their confidence. So powerhouse New Mexico appeared and the Aggies are still celebrating a 55-14 blowout. Now onward to play Ole Miss on the road. A&M's defensive secondary better get on their running shoes as the Rebels are 6th in the country in passing offense with 350.5 yards per contest through the air. Ole Miss has won two consecutive games and will become bowl eligible with a victory today. Last week, Ole Miss scored on their first five drives and put the game away. Look for QB Jordan Ta’amu to lead the Rebels to a third straight win as they continue a late season surge. It seems strange that heading into week 12, Texas A&M is still unsure of their starting quarterback. They switched again last week which worked at home against New Mexico. Now turn it around and enter Ole Miss at Oxford. That a night and day difference. Not that history repeats in college football with graduations but it is worth noting the Rebels have won three straight contest and have a system that features a quarterback in the SEC to win games verses teams that employ rushing and strong defense. A&M conditioning methods also comes into question with this regime. Texas A&M Aggies are 3-14 ATS in their last 17 games in November. Either they lose focus from mediocre play or the players depth chart has been compromised by poor recruiting. Their brand is not as impressive as in past years. I think the Aggies are somewhat of a weaker team and with a lack of confidence on their quarterback so they are still searching for answers. They may put up the points but only because of the weak Ole Miss defense. However, it's very doubtful that they can stop Mississippi from scoring at will. Look for an Ole Miss win with a scoreboard being lit up with many points. 

Duke +  

Stop Georgia Tech's option and you win the game. Tech had lost three of four heading into the Virginia Tech game last week and it was running the ball but an 80 yard desperation pass with second remaining to get the upset. Now the oddsmakers place the pointspread today on what people watched last week and we have created value. The Jackets are laying 7 on the road. Please!  You know what they say when you lay on the road? You might get run over. Duke started the year 4-0 but has dropped six in a row since then. They lost three straight conference games by a touchdown and fell to Army by five. All close games to the end but with lessons learned with each loss. Duke runs a unique 4-2-5 defense and their HC, David Cutcliff is very familiar with the Yellow Jackets triple option. They played to a three point game last year at Tech. KirVonte Benson is the leading back in the system with 172 carries. He's the target. The other two backs have only carried the ball 30 and 22 times. Duke will put a shadow on Benson. The Blue Devils are 27th in scoring defense as they are stingy and only allow 20 points per game. Having Georgia Tech playing this game in the role of as a favorite on the road will not work out well. They might get stung by their own Yellow Jackets. Go Devils!!

-Miami, FL +. 

Look for Miami's defense to play a huge role today in their match up against Notre Dame. Last week the Hurricanes took down Virginia Tech in a convincing 28-10 decision. Their defense limited the opponent to just 299 total yards and 3-of-14 on third down conversions. Many gamblers backed Virginia Tech and were somewhat surprised to see them really play an exceptional game; especially with the Irish as the look ahead game. Against the Fighting Irish, the Hurricanes should throw a very similar game plan together as they did against Virginia Tech. Miami is 2nd in creating turnovers in the nation and play very opportunistic which with the home crowd will cause havoc for Notre Dame. For Miami, quarterback Malik Rosier has been great this season with 2,264 passing yards and a ratio of 19 touchdowns to 7 picks. Notre Dame is still platooning duel quarterbacks and so far it has worked but may be more difficult playing on the road. Laying points on the road is not an easy thing to do and playing a nighttime featured game at the Hurricanes venue is troublesome for even a top 5 team. Miami at number 7, can throw the playoff ratings into a tailspin with a victory Saturday evening. Look for Miami's front seven on defense get into the Irish backfield and take control of this game. 

Mississippi State +

This is an insult to Mississippi St. First of all, who has Alabama played? Where have they dominated? How do you give 14 points up on the road? Alabama is 2-5 ATS in its last seven against winning opponents and 3-8 ATS in its last 11 on grass. But the main point is that Bama has all kind of injuries on defense. On offense last week, Alabama generated a total of 299 yards against LSU. That lack of offensive firepower will not cover double digit spreads. The Mississippi State Bulldogs are 4-1 ATS in their last five home games and 21-5 ATS in their last 26 home games against teams with winning road records. They won't allow a lot of points so the point spread really impacts this contest in favor of Mississippi St. Crimson has lost all three of their linebackers and that should open up some productive lanes for the Bulldogs to move the football. Quarterback Nick Fitzgerald can pass and run. He ran for 135 yards and two scores last week so State's backfield is hard to defend. Bama' QB Jalen Hurts is pedestrian and won't scare too many defensive sides. Not sure if Mississippi St gets the upset but covering the point spread is there.

------

Auburn +.   

The Auburn Tigers have bounced back from their second loss of the season with victories over Arkansas and Texas A&M and have moved into the Top 10. This week marks the first time that both teams have been ranked in the top 10 going into the showdown since 2004. The Auburn home venue will be the most difficult place that Georgia plays. The match up will have Auburn throwing the ball while Georgia goes old school rushing with Nick Chubb and Sony Michel. For the Tigers, Quarterback Jarrett Stidham will look for Ryan Davis and Darius Slayton with Slayton likely to be the hookup that knocks number one Georgia from their top spot in the polls. This is just another SEC game where they beat up on each other and not that big of a home team upset win for Auburn. Georgia won 13-7 last year and this year it turns around in Auburns favor. 

UNLV

The BYU Cougars offense has struggled all season and are only averaging 15 points per game. It may even go downhill from there as their quarterback Tanner Mangum is out and will likely be missing their second-leading rusher Ula Tolutau in this contest. UNLV features a tremendous running game that is averaging 252 rushing yards per game led by Lexington Thomas who has tallied 1063 rushing yards on the season and will be up against a mediocre BYU rush defense. Hopefully QB Johnny Stanton gets the start in place of QB Armani Rogers. Since replacing Rogers, Stanton has registered 1100 passing yards in just a few games. They'll likely go with both but the freshman is much better. The Rebels offense has been solid, averaging 30 points led by their 13th ranked running game. The Cougars defense is adequate but their offense is basically non-existent. The BYU Cougars are 2-9 ATS in their last 11 games overall. BYU's top rusher is only averaging 43 yards per game. BYU is having a disastrous season with several tough injuries that have hampered their play and will be glad only three games remain. Look for UNLV to finally beat a "named" team. This is a huge rivalry with plenty of history between both schools

Eastern Michigan 

Oklahomas State -  

It's Bedlam in the Sooner State as the two Oklahoma schools meet with Oklahoma State setting up as a favorite in their battle with Oklahoma. The Cowboys are 4-1 in the Big 12, tied with Oklahoma, TCU and Iowa State for the top spot in the conference. The Cowboys enter this contest ranked 2nd in the FBS with 370.6 yards per game through the air and 35th with 198.6 yards a contest on the ground. That's a lot of offense for the Sooners defense to handle. QB Mason Rudolph is having an incredible season. He has completed 181 of 276 passes for 2,866 yards plus 22 scores against five picks while adding 62 yards and seven scores on the ground. WR James Washington is his go to target and is sensational. Baker Mayfield leads the Sooners third ranked offense and has them scoring 42 ppg. The Cowboys have the better defense which is somewhat underrated. Boone Pickens Stadium will be the most challenging place for the Sooners to try to win on the road this entire season. Oklahoma State gets revenge and their win today. 

NC State +

Clemson may not have recovered after that loss to Syracuse a few weeks ago. The wind may have been knocked out of their national title sails. Clemson got the win over Georgia Tech but they sputtered a bit offensively after having two weeks to prepare after the loss to Syracuse. NC State was shut down by Notre Dame but they are still unbeaten in conference play. This one is a showdown for the top spot in the Atlantic Division and the inside track to a berth in the ACC Championship Game. NC State Wolfpack is 4-1 ATS in their last 5 conference games and are a very live underdog. 

Michigan State +  

Penn St is coming off their biggest game having lost a heartbreaker last week at Ohio St. It had to be the hardest week ever trying to focus and regroup for today's game with Michigan State. The Spartans are 4-1 in the Big Ten tied with Penn State in the East Division, behind 5-0 Ohio State. Penn State struggled with Iowa on the road, winning by just two. Iowa has an excellent defense like Michigan State. Defense and the home crowd will see this victory for Michigan St. MSU is 7-1 ATS in their last eight home games which is a very difficult venue in which to play. Spartans QB Bran Lewerke, is the real deal and continues to set records as he hooks up with freshman sensation Cody White. Michigan St is allowing 193 yards per game, while giving up a minuscule 89.9 on the ground. This is a perfect game for Michigan St to easily win. The pointspread seems to be over inflated in favor of the Spartans. 

Utah

Iowa State +   

The TCU Horned Frogs are rolling right now, but so are the Cyclones and the winner of this game will have the upper-hand in the Big 12 race. TCU seems to get all the love of from the media with their high scoring offense. Not that this has a large baring today but looking at common opponents shows they both played Kansas. TCU won 43-0 while Iowa St won 45-0. The Cyclones have been playing very well on defense so far and can limit TCU's scoring to keep it reasonably close to their own. QB Kenny Hill has had a strong year for the Frogs as he has hit 70.2% of his passes for 1728 yards with 15 TDs and just three INTs on the year. It will not be that easy in this one against a very underrated Iowa State defense along with the crazy Iowa St home frenzied fans. They have now allowed just 15.3 ppg in league play. Last week they held high scoring Texas Tech to 13 points. For the Cyclones, David Montgomery has a strong game on the ground and will chew up yardage and the clock. Having TCU lay 6 points on the road is a blessing for the home underdog as this is a very live dog capable of shutting TCU and their undefeated season down

Northwestern +

The Michigan St Spartans are one of three teams in the Big Ten East with a perfect 4-0 conference mark along with Ohio State and Penn State. At today's end, the Spartans will have that blemish on their won/loss record. Michigan St cannot score points. Michigan State is 108th in the nation in scoring with 22 points per contest. They've only made 19 touchdowns in seven games so far. Northwestern can pass and throw the ball and a few scores are all that are needed to beat MSU. With Thorson and Jackson back from last season’s team, the Wildcats should be able to make the two critical plays necessary for the win. QB Thorson is 158 of 263 passing for 1,688 yards with eight touchdowns for Northwestern. He's a duel threat and has scored  four times running the ball. This will be a boring defensive battle with NW winning by 6 to 9 points.

Baylor +

West Virginia enters this game ranked #23 after a convincing 46-35 home win over Texas Tech. Now it's off to Waco, Texas to lay double digits at Baylor. A very daunting task. The Mountaineers defense had some trouble last week against the Texas Tech offense last week, allowing 513 total yards. The Mountaineers defense is below average, especially when trying to stop to run. Last week against Oklahoma St, Baylor had success on the ground, rushing for a team total of 219 yards, with leading rusher John Lovett rushing for 62 yards. The freshman back is off to a promising start to his career, collecting 383 rushing yards on the season. The running game will set a slow pace tempo and eat up the clock. This is not the type of game that West Virginia hasn't focused on after their big come from behind win against Texas Tech last week. 

Indiana +  

Something doesn't mesh for the normal look at the game when you observe and compare laying 7.5 to 8 points and combined with the total is set low at 45.5. After-all, Indiana did put up 20 points last week against Michigan. And Minnesota hung 27 points on Michigan St last week. This will be a competitive game throughout. Indiana took Michigan St to overtime last year scoring 21. This will be a similar type contest. This Indiana team is a live dog so no surprise if they get the outright win. One reason for the added pointspread value is that the Spartans are 4-2 ATS and the oddsmakers jacked up the line for this Michigan State home game. There's no free lunches for the public. And the public has zero interest backing Indiana. 

New Mexico

Minnesota 

It's a difficult thing to do as Michigan St upset Michigan in the Big House last week and now has to travel and play at Minnesota. This is after celebrating all week long. Coaches love wins but they hate that the following week's focus is on that upset and not on their next game. Points and yards should be at a premium in this game as both teams are very strong on the defensive side of the ball. The Gophers are allowing just 17 points per game and in a defensive slugfest, and getting more than a field goal, taking the points is the play. The Spartans do not score enough points to pull this off. This is a scheduling nightmare for MSU. 

LSU 

Two weeks ago, LSU did the unthinkable. They lost to Troy, at home, on their homecoming night and after paying Troy $1m to come the Baton Rouge to play them. They redeemed themselves on the road last week and knocked off Florida on the in the Swamp.  But they still owe their fans one big time win. It had better come tonight. Losing two in a row is not going to happen with home games. It will be against Auburn tonight. QB Danny Etling  has completed 71 of 118 passes for 1,046 yards with six touchdowns and one interception plus 103 rushing yards to lead LSU. Their defense is only surrendering 18 points per game. The Tigers look to make it two straight conference wins in this one as they deal with Auburn. Combine the low scoring with the points spread and this should be the easy cover even tho we will claim in advance a shocker upset win. 

LSU +   

You can bet the LSU coaches threw away any tape of last weeks game. The LSU Tigers are off a shocking home loss to Troy by a score of 24-21. All they can do is put on their biggest, boldest and best performance of their season and knock off Florida to set last week straight and extract revenge from last year. Maybe they were looking ahead to this week and overlooked Troy. You can bet this team will come to play their hearts out. Meanwhile, the Gators are off a 38-24 win over Vanderbilt here at home. The Gators won in Baton Rouge last year by a score of 16-10. LSU may be looking for a new coach at the end of the year, especially if the Tigers don’t turn things around soon. Luckily for LSU, the Gators have been very poor on offense so far as they come in ranked 98th in the nation. On defense, they have been rather average as they come in ranked 67th in total yards allowed so the Tigers have solid opportunities on both sides of the ball to shut down the Gators. Laying more than 4 points for Florida is a recipe for disaster.

Florida State +

An underdog at home? This is a makeup game due to effects of Hurricane Irma which caused it to be postponed. Florida St is an underdog at home and not ranked for the first time in six years. The key to this win is to completely shut down Miami with defense. On defense, FSU is giving up just 333.7 yards per game (33rd) and 126.3 rushing yards per game (36th). They are coming off a 26-19 win over Wake Forest on the road while looking good defensively. The Hurricanes have looked impressive since taking a two-week break due to the hurricane. They destroyed Toledo on Sept. 23 (52-30) and beat up on Duke last week, 31-6 on the road. Not exactly known as top tier football programs. Offensively, the Noles need to establish a strong running game. Junior running back Jacques Patrick (6-3, 231) is a big back and will get the workload. His job is to wear down the defense while winning the time of possession battle and keeping the Hurricane's offense of the field. Miami is allowing 135 rushing yards per game. Florida St gets a win here as neither team puts up 24 points.

Texas Tech + 10.5

Look for a high scoring affair in this battle. It looks like more Oklahoma St "leaks" will be exposed today. Oklahoma St was shocked at home by TCU last week and now we watch the Cowboys slipped to No. 15 from No. 6. Texas Tech improved to 3-0 with a 27-24 win at Houston. Their biggest test will take place on Saturday from Lubbock, Tx. Last year, the Cowboys edged the Red Raiders at home, 45-44 in a shootout and look for the repeat. Last week, TT quarterback Nic Shimonek had an efficient game, going 29-of-45 for 321 yards with two TDs and one pick. Running back Justin Stockton had an excellent all-around game for the Red Raiders with 10 rushes for 102 yards and two catches for 22 yards, including a 20-yard touchdown reception. Texas Tech produced 521 yards and just one turnover. This team is the real deal. Also and more importantly, the win over Houston snapped the Cougars 16 game home winning streak. Playing today at home is just what is needed for Texas Tech to keep this game very close and possibly pick up a win over Oklahoma St. 

Michigan State -4

Let's face it. Iowa is not a road warrior. This game will not be that close. The Michigan State Spartans will host the Iowa Hawkeyes in a Big Ten battle.  The Hawkeyes lost a heartbreaker 21-19 to Penn State last week, and the Spartans are coming off a 38-18 home loss to Notre Dame. The damage was done last Saturday in Iowa's home game and now these young college kids have to regroup. The Hawkeyes were one play away from a 4-0 start, however Penn State scored the game-winning touchdown on fourth and goal as time expired to take it 21-19. There's no air left in Iowa's wind so to speak. Michigan State was sloppy against Notre Dame last week. They turned the ball over three times in the first half and surrendered 28 points. So much for that game as that killed the Spartans. MSU has a good QB that can throw the ball. The Spartans now feature three players with at least 100 receiving yards through three games. Lay the small number as Michigan St rolls.

Tennessee + 8

No revenge here as Tennessee looks to outperform Georgia again. The Bulldogs come in off a strong 31-3 home win over Mississippi State, while the Volunteers are off a hard-fought 17-13 win over Massachusetts. The Volunteers won last year’s meeting in Georgia by a score of 34-31. Pay no attention to what Tennessee did last week. Taking on Massachusetts can put some SEC teams to sleep as they feel they can just show up and get the win and most of them are right, but if they have a powerful SEC team on deck, then they could be caught looking ahead and that is exactly what happened to the Vols. The Georgia Bulldogs have been below average on offense so far this year as they come in ranked 82nd in the nation in total offense (389.2 ypg), 112th in passing (166.0 ypg), 30th in rushing (223.2 ypg) and 63rd in scoring at 31.0 ppg. Tennessee should be able to match scores at every opportunity. Look for this  final to be under 4 points either way. This is certainly one of those games that the underdog might by ahead on the pointspread the entire game. 

Washington St

Air Force +  

A pair of Mountain West teams looked great last week and now attempt to beat each other. San Diego State survived a weather delay to rally in the final minute to stun #19 Stanford 20-17 Saturday night. Air Force was knocked off 29-13 on the road by #7 Michigan Saturday but looked very respectful. Air Force hung tough against Michigan’s defense but couldn’t come up with enough plays on either side of the ball to earn an upset win in the Big House. The Falcons were within a field goal late in the third quarter but fell short. Michigan kicked five field goals and scored on a 79-yard punt return and that was quite a feat all around to hold them as Air Force did. These two teams tonight tend to bring exciting action to the table as they are evenly matched. Winning on the road in this conference is never easy and winning and covering are another issue. A difficult one. The Air Force Falcons are 8th in rushing offense with 320.5 yards per contest. That's enough to control the clock and time of possession leaving San Diego breathless in the mile high air. 

Inner Circle--TCU +

A huge matchup within the Big 12 Conference this afternoon as two high powered offenses go at it. TCU comes in off a 56-36 win over SMU at home, while the Cowboys are off a 59-21 rout of the Pitt Panthers on the road. The TCU Horned Frogs are looking like they will be a tough out in the Big 12 this year but, (there's usually a but) their defense needs to step up their game. They have the talent. They have seven players back on the defensive side of the ball and have the top rated LB corps and top-rated secondary in the league. Time to take charge! The offense has back 10 starters this year and they have looked very good so far. They rolled up 619 yards against the SMU Mustangs. Passing wise, they are a difficult team to defend and cover. They have plenty of weapons as 10 players caught at least one pass that went at least 10 yards in the win over the Mustangs. All that is needed against Oklahoma States offense is to raise the level of defense a notch. They currently are ranked 15th in total yards allowed (265.0 ypg), 34th against the pass (172.7 ypg) and 19th vs the run (92.3 ypg), while allowing 14.3 ppg, which is 22nd in the nation. Getting double digit points are looking great in this kind of shootout type game. Oklahoma St is 53rd against the pass (203.3 ypg) and that may be their Achilles Hill today.