Sports Picks & Predictions

This is a play on the MICHIGAN WOLVERINES for our CFP Championship Dominator. Michigan and Washington both survived on last second stops to make it to the CFP Championship with the Huskies getting the same amount of points as it got against Texas but has a much tougher matchup. The Huskies have not played a team this physical and that goes for both sides of the ball. The formula will be simple for Michigan on offense, run the ball and keep running the ball. The Wolverines have the best 1-2 punch in the backfield in Blake Corum and Donovan Edwards who have combined for 1,518 yards and 28 touchdowns and while Michigan finished just No. 60 in rushing offense, it has a great matchup here. The Huskies are ranked No. 129 in Rush Success Rate Allowed, No. 119 in EPA per Rush Allowed, No. 132 in Line Yards, No. 128 in Stuff Rate and No. 96 in Power Success Rate Allowed. Simply put, Washington will get overwhelmed at the line of scrimmage. Shortening the game will be in the Wolverines favor and they can do it with long, sustained drives. Washington has an explosive offense as we all know but now will face a defense it has not seen this season. Michael Penix Jr. threw for 4,218 yards and 33 touchdowns heading into the Sugar Bowl and against Texas, he was 29-38 for 430 yards and two touchdowns. He worked from a mostly clean pocket but that will not be the case here. The Wolverines are ranked No. 8 in Total Pressures and No. 2 in Pressure Rate and they were in the Alabama backfield all night. This is where Penix will find some difficulties as his Adjusted Completion Percentage drops 17 percent while throwing five touchdowns and throwing three interceptions in nearly 140 pressured snaps. As for the Michigan passing defense, it is ranked No. 3 in EPA per Pass Allowed and it held Alabama to not a single explosive play which came in with 35 completions of 20 or more yards. A clean game by not giving the ball away and staying disciplined, Michigan is No. 3 in Fewest Penalty Yards, gives the Wolverines the cover. 10* (288) Michigan Wolverines

This is a play on the WASHINGTON HUSKIES for our Sugar Bowl Annihilator. Washington proved many wrong in the Pac 12 Championship as it came in as a 10-point underdog and beat Oregon by a field goal in a game it pretty much controlled throughout. There were certainly some struggles for the Huskies as they played down to the competition a few times but that is not a worry here and stepped up in the bigger games when needed. They have a dynamic offense as they are ranked No. 5 in the country in yards per play, No. 6 in offensive EPA, No. 1 in passing yards per game, and No. 11 in scoring offense. Michael Penix, Jr. was the Heisman Trophy runner up and while his numbers speak for themselves, he counters the one big Texas strength which blitzes around 30 percent of the time. Penix gets the ball out in a hurry as he has a pressure to sack ratio of 3.2 percent and this offense will be able to pick apart the Longhorns secondary. The Longhorns have played the No. 3 ranked schedule in the country but that is a skewed ranking. They faced five backup quarterbacks this season and while the defense was very good, it was far from elite as they ranked No. 26 in yards per play and No. 13 in opponent EPA. Against the pass, they finished No. 36 in opponent yards per attempt and now faces the best quarterback it has seen all season. Texas is not a great run blocking unit and relies on explosives and it is unclear how healthy wide receiver Xavier Worthy is as he was injured in the Big 12 Championship and if he is not near 100 percent, that is huge. Quarterback Quinn Ewers is playing great but his air yards/attempt is shorter than the national average and having a big down field weapon that is not healthy makes it harder. 10* (282) Washington Huskies

This is a play on the MICHIGAN WOLVERINES for our Rose Bowl Dominator. It was a trying season for Michigan off the field but it overcame the distractions, and suspensions of head coach Jim Harbaugh, to roll through its season at 13-0 as it has been playing with a chip on its shoulder from day one. The one big hit against the Wolverines was an easy schedule that was No. 59 in the country but that is no fault of theirs and they got the job done. Eight of their 13 wins came against teams that went bowling so it was not all that bad. Michigan was terrific in the key areas as it was No. 1 in the nation in fewest penalties, No. 2 in turnover margin, No. 1 in scoring defense, No, 2 in total defense, No. 3 in turnovers lost and No. 4 in passing efficiency. That defense applies pressure and gets off the field on third down where it finished No. 13 in third down conversion percentage defensively. Alabama needs to be balanced but running the ball could be an issue as it will be facing a similar unit like it did against Texas A&M and finished with 23 yards on 26 carries. Alabama is very good on defense but not its typically great unit as the Crimson Tide are No. 21 in defensive EPA and No. 18 in yards per play allowed. Michigan is an above average rushing team but not elite yet should get a good push here and its key will be quarterback J.J. McCarthy who remains underrated despite being a former five-star recruit, a future first-round pick and a second-year starter. In the only loss for Alabama, Texas quarterback Quinn Ewers lit up the Tide and McCarthy finished the season No. 7 in passing efficiency and No. 2 in completion percentage. 10* (280) Michigan Wolverines

This is a play on the WYOMING COWBOYS for our College Football Game of the Year. Motivation is one of the biggest factors when it comes to bowl games and this looks like a one-sided affair in that regard in the Arizona Bowl. Wyoming is coming off a solid 8-4 season and has a chance to get to nine wins for the first time since 1996 and it be out to do that behind 10th year head coach Craig Bohl who announced he will retire after the Arizona Bowl. The Cowboys are down only one starter due to transfer and another because of injury but other than that, the entire rest of the roster is healthy and available to play. Wyoming has not been elite in any one aspect on either side but it does bring in top 50 ranked defense across the board against a much tougher schedule and catches a break against this Rockets offense. Motivation will be paramount here. It was another great season for Toledo as it comes in 11-2 and has not had a losing season since 2009 but it is considered a disappointment. The Rockets opened with a two-point loss against Illinois before reeling off 11 straight wins to get to the MAC Championship but the perfect conference season ended with a 23-14 loss against Miami Ohio and they failed to achieve their goal. Getting up for a game after that is not an easy task especially against an opponent that is hard to get up for. Toledo was one of only three teams to outgain every opponent this season but played a schedule ranked No. 122 which is the seventh easiest schedule of teams ranked in the top 100 and second easiest of teams ranked No. 75 or better, only behind 13-0 Liberty according to Sagarin. Now the Rockets will have to work their No. 34 ranked offense without MAC Player of the Year quarterback Dequan Finn who entered the transfer portal. It was one of only two offensive players lost to the portal but a devastating one. 10* (272) Wyoming Cowboys

This is a play on the AUBURN TIGERS for our Music City Bowl Dominator. It was not a good season for Auburn as it went 6-6 which included a four-game losing streak in September and October against a brutal stretch of games against Texas A&M, Georgia, LSU and Mississippi. Auburn went 0-5 against teams ranked in the Top 30 but 6-1 against every other team, the lone loss coming against New Mexico St. coming in a bad scheduling spot late in the season. The Tigers ended the season with a disheartening loss against Alabama but that game was well over a month ago so there has been plenty of time to recover from that. Auburn faced the No. 30 ranked schedule so the overall numbers have been affected by that but it still has the superior roster. The transfer portal has not affected the Tigers much as only five players entered, none of which were starters, and three starters on defense have opted out but only one of those was among the top eight in tackles while their best secondary player Jaylin Simpson, who accepted a Senior Bowl invite, will still play. The Terrapins opened the season 5-0 but against five teams not playing in the postseason and finished 2-5 over their last seven games with the wins coming against Nebraska and Rutgers. Maryland has taken a much bigger hit with players not participating in this game. It loses its best player for this game in quarterback Taulia Tagovailoa, the all-time Big Ten leader in passing, who entered the transfer portal and that presents a big hole to fill as the other quarterbacks have combined for 13 pass attempts. Beyond Tagovailoa, Maryland will be without its starting tight end, its best linebacker and two elite defensive backs. 10* (267) Auburn Tigers

This is a play on the MISSOURI TIGERS for our Cotton Bowl Annihilator. The future looks very bright in Missouri. The Tigers are coming off a 10-win regular season, their first since 2014, while bringing in a top 25 recruiting class according to Rivals and they have been very active in the transfer portal. Now, Missouri wants to concentrate on the present and its preparation for this bowl game is showing it is the team that wants this one much more. Missouri has nearly its whole team intact with the exception of a pair of defensive starters who are out with injuries and a backup linebacker in the transfer portal. That is it. This is a building block game for the Tigers and have a dream matchup against Ohio St. which is not at full strength but that will not diminish beating a name team such as the Buckeyes. The Tigers have a dynamic offense that surpassed 500 total yards in five of their last nine games headlined by quarterback Brady Cook, wide receiver Luther Burden III (1st Team All SEC) and running back Cody Schrader (1st Team All SEC) while the defense was a top 40 unit. Ohio St. has finished in the top 6 in each of the last nine seasons, making it to the College Football Playoff five times including three of the previous four seasons and now it has been relegated to the Cotton Bowl which is not exactly what the Buckeyes had planned. The transfer portal took quarterback Kyle McCord and starting receiver Julian Fleming along with several backups but the Buckeyes also have a massive list of opt-outs highlighted by All American receiver Marvin Harrison, Jr. This line has seen a five-point shift and for good reason and will likely still move so grab it early. 10* (263) Missouri Tigers

This is a play on the KENTUCKY WILDCATS for our Gator Bowl Enforcer. It was a disappointing season for Clemson which comes in 8-4 although it did win its final four games so there is momentum but that is offset with the players that will not be participating in the Gator Bowl. Despite the solid run at the end of the year, this is a game Clemson is not interested in which is proven by the numerous opt-outs and transfers and this is the first season since 2010 that the Tigers will not reach double-digit wins. This is not an explosive team on offense and they will be without starting receiver Beaux Collins who was second in yards and touchdowns so they will be relying on their running game. The typical stout defense was in form again this season as Clemson was No. 7 in total defense including No. 5 against the pass. This unit will not be close to the same however as the Tigers are down four starters including leading tackler and First Team All ACC linebacker Jeremiah Trotter Jr. and First Team ALL ACC cornerback Nate Wiggins. Clemson will start two true freshman on the outside at cornerback. Kentucky did not have nearly the same finish as after opening 5-0, the Wildcats went just 2-5 down the stretch but two of those were by one possession and the other three were against Alabama, Georgia and Missouri, all ranked in the top 10. Kentucky has lost starting edge Keaten Wade to in the transfer portal to Colorado but he is the lone starter that will not be playing. Second Team All SEC running back Ray Davis, who is taking off for the NFL Draft, is actually going to play which is a rarity and a big lift for the Wildcats. Big number because it is the Clemson name. 10* (258) Kentucky Wildcats

This is a play on the NC STATE WOLFPACK for our Pop-Tarts Bowl Annihilator. NC State is quietly coming off a great season at 9-3 and closed the season with five straight wins including four against bowl teams all by at least a touchdown. The ACC against the Big 12 is a mismatch on paper and name but not in this case with the transfer portal and opt-outs along with coordinator changes hurting Kansas St. and not the Wolfpack. The offense is in good position as it came alive down the stretch with great balance and a rejuvenated running game. Quarterback Brennan Armstrong sat out three games midseason and was replaced by MJ Morris who was not very good and is not in the transfer portal. Armstrong started the last three games and was exceptional with 648 yards on a 70 percent completion clip with six touchdowns and no interceptions. The Wolfpack rushed for 208.7 ypg over those final three games and they are 8-0 when rushing for more than 112 yards. Kansas St. lost four close games this season all of which were spaced out enough to never have the Wildcats in the conversation for a big season. The transfer portal and NFL Draft opt-outs hit the offense the most as quarterback Will Howard is out along with second-leading rusher Treshaun Ward, top catch receiver Phillip Brooks and leading yardage receiver tight end Ben Sinnott. Kansas St. wins with field position advantage, special teams play, cutting down mistakes and winning the turnover battle and those intangibles cannot be controlled which cannot go into a handicap especially with the personnel losses. Kansas St. has allowed 113 or more in every game but four including eight of its last nine. 10* (253) NC State Wolfpack

This is a play on the BOSTON COLLEGE EAGLES for our Fenway Bowl Dominator. This line is a big overreaction to the finishes for both teams but we have to look what each faced. Boston College opened the season 1-3 and then won five straight games before closing 0-3 and while it played in the weak ACC, it is still a power five conference. The Eagles were hit hard by injuries at the end of the season but the month-long time off will help with some of those plus extra practice time for the new players. They lost hardly anyone in the transfer portal and come in more battle tested as the Eagles played eight power five teams with mixed results but as least there were on the schedule. Boston College is playing this game right down the street from campus and while a tropical destination is always nice, playing in their backyard is a big advantage. SMU closed strong with nine straight wins including a victory over Tulane in the AAC Championship but the Green Wave were not the same team and the Mustangs overall have played the No. 155 ranked schedule. They played only two power five teams, losing both, and the AAC was bad all-around which inflated their stats, wins and scoring differentials. SMU had only three wins over bowl teams with the other two coming against Memphis and Rice which were by a combined nine points away from home. Quarterback Preston Stone was lost for the season and Kevin Jennings was below average in his only start against Tulane. Boston College will run and that is how it succeeds in this matchup as it is 6-0 when rushing for 185 yards or more, 0-6 when not while SMU is 11-0 when allowing fewer than 189 rushing yards, 0-2 when not. 10* (250) Boston College Eagles

This is a play on the OKLAHOMA ST. COWBOYS for our Texas Bowl Dominator. Texas A&M is an absolute mess right now, not even close to resembling the team it had just a month ago. The coaching staff has completely turned over although Elijah Robinson, who was hired as the Syracuse defensive coordinator, will continue as the interim head coach so that is a plus but it is jumbled after that. The Aggies have had eight starters and six backups enter the transfer portal and additionally, four starters have opted out with potentially two more that could not play. An already disappointing season that ended at 7-5 looks to have no chemistry and limited motivation heading into this game. Third string quarterback Jaylen Henderson has made three starts and has not been bad but that was with a full complement of players around him and now he is without the right side of his line and his two top receivers. Defensively, they were gashed even more with seven starters to miss this one. Oklahoma St. put together a great season at 9-3 but was overmatched against Texas in the Big 12 Championship. That being said, the Cowboys are in far better shape as they have lost only three offensive players to the transfer portal, none of which were close to team leaders. Oklahoma St. has a potent offense that can take advantage of the depleted Aggies defense and it put up 39 or more points in five of its last eight games and only struggled twice over that span against UCF which came one week after beating Oklahoma, and against the Longhorns. Texas A&M opened -4.5 and has flipped but not much despite the mass exodus so the value is still there with the Cowboys. 10* (248) Oklahoma St. Cowboys

This is a play on the USC TROJANS for our Holiday Bowl Annihilator. USC came into the season with playoff aspirations and it opened 6-0 but there were signs that this team had no chance in making that playoff run. A blowout loss at Notre Dame where they were -5 in turnovers sunk their ship and they closed the season with only one win on their last six games with the lone victory coming against California by one point. No one wants a part of this team at the betting window because of the finish and of the personnel they will be down for this game. There is still a whole lot of talent even if some of the headliners are gone highlighted by quarterback Caleb Williams as well as second leading receiver Brenden Rice and leading rusher MarShawn Lloyd but there is plenty of depth unlike other teams that could not get away with losses like those. Defensively, this team was bad and they are down only one starter and they defensive front is still strong enough to get behind the line. Louisville had its chance for a really great season but a loss to Kentucky when it was ranked No. 9 cut that short and the Cardinals were unable to get past Florida St. in the ACC Championship which relegated them to a lower than expected bowl game. They bring in a top 50 offense and a top 20 defense so they have been very solid but they played a schedule that was ranked No. 55 from a conference ranked lowest of all power conferences. While USC lost an abundance of talent, Louisville has not gone unscathed as leading receiver Jamari Thrash and leading rusher Jawhar Jordan have opted out to get ready for the NFL draft. This number is too big of an overreaction. 10* (246) USC Trojans

This is a play on the WEST VIRGINIA MOUNTAINEERS for our Duke's Mayo Bowl Enforcer. West Virginia exceeded expectations this season as it got to eight wins including a 6-3 record in the Big 12, which was good for a tie for fourth place and the Mountaineers will be ready to keep it going with momentum into next season. They lost a fair amount of players to the transfer portal but no one of real significance that helped them to the9ir 8-4 record and West Virginia has a big edge in the ground game. The Mountaineers finished No. 3 in the country in rushing with 243.3 ypg thanks to a No. 5 ranking, including first in the Big 12, in time of possession behind an excellent offensive line. They rushed for 210 or more yards in five of their last seven games and faces a defense that was awful down the stretch. North Carolina also finished with eight wins but it was an opposite effect as the Tar Heels came in with high expectations and it started great with a 6-0 start but then the wheels fell off. The Tar Heels lost to Virginia which sent them spiraling and after that, they only defeated FCS Campbell and an injury-riddled Duke team by just two points. Now they come into their bowl game down a slew of starters, nine at a minimum in total, due to transfers, injuries and opt-outs. The big win obviously is quarterback Drake May which means Conner Harrell will make the start after throwing only six passes this season. Leading receiver Tez Walker is out as are three of the other leading five pass catchers. North Carolina is down five start on defense, a unit that was No. 98 overall including No. 89 against the run. We have seen a significant line move but it is warranted. 10* (244) West Virginia Mountaineers

This is a play on the TEXAS ST. BOBCATS for our First Responder Bowl Dominator. Texas St. is coming off its first winning season since 2014 and will be playing in its first ever bowl game so there will be plenty of motivation for the Bobcats. They have an offense that can crank it up as they are No. 110 in the country in total offense and No. 17 in scoring offense and comes in with a very balanced attack, finishing No. 23 in both passing and rushing. Quarterback TJ Finley was excellent as he passed for 3,287 yards with 24 touchdowns and just eight interceptions while rushing for another five scores. They have big play ability and while their problem was giving the ball away where they are No. 119 in turnover margin at -8, they face a Rice defense that is not a ball hawking unit as it had only 12 takeaways and the Owls are No. 116 in turnover margin. The Bobcats own defense was not great but are No. 1 in the country in tackles for loss. This is not good news for Rice that had its moments on offense but struggled down the stretch behind backup quarterback AJ Padgett. The Owls need to control the tempo in this game as they are not a team that can play catchup and they will try to grind it out on the ground. They are 5-0 this season when rushing 30 times or more but just 1-5 when they do not and could be in a position to pass more than it likes to. Of the ix Rice victories, one came against an FCS team while the other five came against teams that finished with no more than four wins. The Owls were 1-6 this season when allowing more than 21 points. 10* (237) Texas St. Bobcats

This is a play on the UTAH ST. AGGIES for our Potato Bowl Dominator. It was a great start but a bad finish for Georgia St. which enters its bowl game on a five-game losing streak. The only positive from that is the fact those losses were against bowl teams but stating the obvious is this is another bowl team they face and the Panthers were blown out in five of those games. overall, they played nine straight bowl teams over the last nine games and the defense was only good in two of those games as the Panthers faced some strong offenses which they are going to see here. Georgia St. is No. 118 in total defense and allowed over 30 ppg and squares off against a Utah St. offense that finished No. 1 in total offense and No. 2 in scoring offense in the Mountain West Conference. The issue is that the Aggies are going with Levi Williams at quarterback who played only four games but led the offense to 44 points in a win over New Mexico in his only start in the season finale. The Aggies are 6-2 when coming up with 400 yards or more and are very balanced with a running game that came alive in the second half of the season. Georgia St. has the better quarterback with Darren Grainger but he will be playing with some of his key parts gone. Leading rusher Marcus Carroll, who had 1,350 yards and 13 touchdowns, transferred out to Missouri while leading receiver Robert Lewis, who had 881 yards and seven touchdowns, transferred to Auburn. Even though the Panthers are facing a below average defense, they do not have enough to keep up. 10* (228) Utah St. Aggies

This is a play on the TROY TROJANS for our Birmingham Bowl Dominator. Troy is coming off another great season and brings in a ton of momentum into its bowl game. The Trojans are coming off a 10-2 regular season and then won the Sun Belt Conference Championship over Appalachian St. and Troy is one of the hottest teams in the country going back to last season as it has gone 22-2 over its last 24 games. Tt is the defense that has been great all year as they are No. 15 overall and No. 10 in points allowed and have given up more than 17 points only three times in their last 11 games. The Trojans have solid offense which has picked up steam over the second part of the season led by quarterback Gunnar Watson who is playing very efficient right now with a 18:1 TD:INT ratio his last eight games. Troy will be without head coach Jon Sumrall who left for Tulane but it will be seamless with defensive coordinator Greg Gasparato serving as the interim head coach. Duke also lost its head coach as Mike Elko took the head job at Texas A&M but it will be a seamless transition as well as associate head coach Trooper Taylor will man the team. The problem for Duke is that it has been hit hard in the transfer portal. Quarterback Riley Leonard is gone even though he has not played since October as Grayson Loftis has started the last four games and was fine. The issue is everywhere else as the Blue Devils lost leading rusher Jordan Waters to affect the offense but the defense has been ravaged as five starters entered the portal which crushes the unit that is No. 46 in the nation in total defense. 108 (222) Troy Trojans

This is a play on the NORTHERN ILLINOIS HUSKIES for our Camellia Bowl Annihilator. Motivation is a big factor in bowl games and Northern Illinois will have plenty of it. The Huskies opened the season 1-4 but went on to win five of their last seven games with both losses coming by one possession which was the case with five of their overall six losses. So they have the momentum and the motivation comes from the fact Northern Illinois has not won a bowl game since 2011, going 0-7 in its last seven bowl games and these players want that win after missing the postseason last year. Some of those one possession losses could have gone the other way to give the Huskies a better record and that should have been the case as they outgained 10 of 12 opponents including three out of four games against bowl teams, the only exception coming against Toledo. Quarterback Rocky Lombardi did not put up big numbers but he is efficient and he posted a 9:1 TD:INT ratio over his last nine games. The Huskies will lean to their running game which is No. 41 in the country and came on really strong at the end. Arkansas St. finished 6-6 and defeated Texas St. 77-31 to become bowl eligible but there is no a more misleading score as the Red Wolves were outgained 533-475 as they had three defensive touchdowns and a kickoff return for a touchdown. They faced a fairly tame schedule and were still outgained in eight of 12 games as the defense is a liability. The Red Wolves finished No. 127 in total defense and went 0-6 this season when allowing 425 or more yards. 10* (224) Northern Illinois Huskies

This is a play on the UCF KNIGHTS for our Gasparilla Bowl Enforcer. finished 6-6 in its first season in the Big 12, including a 3-6 record in the conference, which is not what it was hoping for but of the four new entrants into the conference, the Knights are the only one that is in a bowl game. Things could have been better as three of their losses in the Big 12 were by a combined five points including Oklahoma in there and on the season, UCF outgained eight of 12 opponents. This is a great matchup as the Knights have the No. ranked rushing offense in the country, averaging 233.2 ypg and it went 6-2 when they gained 225 or more yards rushing. They face a Yellow Jackets defense that could not stop the run as it finished No. 131 in the country, allowing 225.7 ypg and they went 1-5 when they allowed that average or higher. UCF is balanced as it does have a passing game that can push it and it put up 200 yards rushing and passing in the same game seven times, and went 5-2 so that will be key. Georgia Tech is coming off a solid season under first year head coach Brent Key as it also went 6-6 and that was a fair record based on the numbers. Win the yardage and win the game and vice versa as the Yellow Jackets were 5-1 when outgaining their opponent and 1-5 when they did not, the lone win coming in the miracle against Miami. The offense finished No. 31 overall but their defense is not good enough to hold up here. 10* (219) UCF Knights

This is a play on the UTSA ROADRUNNERS for our Frisco Bowl Enforcer. This game opened at -8.5 in most places and gradually started going up and then took a big jump when it was announced that Marshall quarterback Cam Fancher will not play as he went into the transfer portal. He had a very average season with just 2,155 yards with 11 touchdowns and 11 interceptions so the line move does seem steep because of his absence but Marshall is in worse off shape. Cole Pennington will take over as the starter and he saw significant action in three games and it was not pretty as he completed just 62 percent of his passes for just 437 yards with no touchdowns and six interceptions. The Thundering Herd opened the season 4-0, three of which were by one possession, then suffered through a five-game losing streak before winning two of their final three games to get bowl eligible. UTSA got off to a slow start as senior quarterback Frank Harris missed two of its first four games but then returned to win seven straight games to open AAC play and the Roadrunners had a chance to go to the conference championship but lost to Tulane as they were -3 in turnovers. This is not the ideal bowl to be in but it is close to home and the motivation will be there for Harris so end his amazing career where he accounted for over 14,000 total yards and 120 total touchdowns with a big win and not only for himself but for the program that can win its first ever bowl game in its fifth try and fourth under Harris. 10* (215) UTSA Roadrunners

This is a play on the OLD DOMINION MONARCHS for our Famous Toastery Bowl Dominator. The Hilltoppers closed the season with a pair of wins over Sam Houston St. and Florida International to finish 7-5 but it was a very unimpressive 7-5. Western Kentucky did not register a win against a team above .500 with its best win coming against 6-6 South Florida in the season opener and its other five FBS wins were against teams that finished a combined 17-43. Now the Hilltoppers head to Charlotte down three starting offensive linemen that combined for 2,287 snaps as they went into the portal. While the quarterback situation looks stable with Austin Reed, that could change. On the other side, three starters, which were three of the top eight tacklers, are transferring so they are thin on each level. Old Dominion also closed the season with a pair of wins to become bowl eligible and the Monarchs are in much better shape from a personnel standpoint. They are down their third leading tackler and third leading receiver but other than that, the Monarchs are in fine shape. The 6-6 season could have been even better as two of the losses against Virginia Tech and undefeated Liberty were the only non-competitive defeats as the other four losses were by a combined 16 points with three of those coming against current bowl teams. Old Dominion can take advantage of the Hilltoppers depleted offensive line as it finished No. 34 in the country in tackles for loss. 10* (202) Old Dominion Monarchs

This is a play on the NEW MEXICO ST. AGGIES for our Bowl Game of the Week. Fresno St. had a late collapse as it lost three straight to close out the season. A big factor for the Bulldogs is that they will be without head coach Jeff Tedford who resigned due to a health issue and it will be Tim Skipper, the linebackers coach, to be the interim head coach in this game. Both sides of the ball can be to blame for the late struggles with a lot of that falling back on quarterback Mikey Keane who went 42-72 (58.3 percent) for 358 yards with one touchdown and two interceptions. The offense as a whole struggled a little further back as Fresno St. generated fewer than 400 total yards in four of their final five games. Defensively, the Bulldogs allowed 480 ypg on defense over the final half of the season with the rushing defense struggling all season, ranking No. 91 in the run stopping metric and No. 87 in ypc allowed. New Mexico St. had an amazing season as it finished 10-4 even though it culminated with a disappointing loss to Liberty in the C-USA Championship. The Aggies will be playing with a chip on their shoulder as they have publicly displayed their disdain when head coach Jerry Kill did not make a list of 12 finalists for the Eddie Robinson national coach of the year. This team can shred the Bulldogs defense led by quarterback Diego Pavia who led an offense that ranked top 10 in success rate while being the leading rusher with 976 yards and six touchdowns in addition to passing for 2,821 yards. 10* (207) New Mexico St. Aggies

This is a play on the APPALACHIAN ST. MOUNTAINEERS for our Cure Bowl Dominator. Miami Ohio pulled off the upset against Toledo to win the MAC Championship despite getting outgained as the RedHawks benefitted from a 2-0 turnover advantage. It was a great season led by one of the best defenses in the country but that was aided by a weak conference. The offense was horrible this season and barely got over 300 yards in the championship game and now they are even worse off. Quarterback Brett Gabbert was lost for the season and while Aveon Smith was a great game manager, he entered the transfer portal and Henry Hesson and his five career passes will get the start. Appalachian St. rode a five-game winning streak into the Sun Belt Conference Championship but Troy was too much in the 49-23 loss. The Mountaineers come in as the favorite with a higher power rating from a much stronger conference. Appalachian St. enters its bowl game with a sour taste after getting lit up by Troy on the ground with 277 yards, namely Kimani Vidal who ran for 233 yards and five touchdowns. Miami Ohio does not have the same rushing attack to take advantage as it is ranked No. 95 in rushing offense and struggled outside the weak MAC while the numbers are skewed by 466 yards against FCS Delaware. Take that game away and the game against 3-9 Massachusetts and Miami scored more than 23 points only four times. 10* (206) Appalachian St. Mountaineers

This is a play on the GEORGIA SOUTHERN EAGLES for our Myrtle Beach Bowl Annihilator. The transfer portal is going to affect many teams in bowl games this season and Ohio is near the top of the list. The Bobcats closed the regular season with three straight wins to finish 6-2 in the MAC East, which was good for second place, and 9-3 overall. Playing in a minor bowl game did not meet the expectations and Ohio has lost major pieces of its offense for Saturday. Starting quarterback Kurtis Rourke and top running backs Sieh Bangura and O'Shaan Allison all opted for the portal and with them goes 14 rushing touchdowns which happens to be every rushing touchdown for the entire season. Additionally, their top receiver has also opted out. The Bobcats only averaged 22.9 ppg and 346.8 ypg, No. 100 and No. 97 respectively in the country and are down to third string quarterback Parker Navarro who threw just 10 passes. Georgia Southern sputtered down the stretch with four straight losses and that negative momentum in typically a play against in the postseason but not in this scenario. The defense was bad this season but could not have a better setup here and the key will be for the offense to get off to a good start as Ohio will not be able to play catchup. The Eagles have a potent passing attack that finished No. 14 in the country and while they face a stout Ohio defense, the Bobcats numbers are good because of the poor offensive conference in was in. 10* (213) Georgia Southern Eagles

This is a play on the NAVY MIDSHIPMEN for our Army/Navy Annihilator. Even though both teams come in with a 5-6 record, the winner will not go to a bowl game as neither team had enough wins prior to Selection Sunday although there should have been an exemption for this game. Nonetheless, this is the biggest game of the season for both teams as they head to New England for the first time in series history. While it looks like a tossup, Navy has the edge in the all important area of rushing defense as both offenses are ranked in the top 15 in rushing. Navy comes in No. 30 in rushing defense, allowing 121.9 ypg on 3.6 ypc and has improved dramatically as after allowing 190 or more yards on the ground three times in its first five games, it has not allowed more than 137 yards in any of their last six games. Conversely, Army is No. 116 in rushing defense, allowing 180.5 ypg on 5.0 ypc and has allowed more than 200 yards in six of 11 games. The Black Knights are 1-6 this season when allowing 155 or more yards rushing. Turnovers could play a factor and that is where Navy has the edge as well. Army is No. 110 in the country in turnover margin and No. 115 in giveaways while Navy is No. 3 in turnover margin, No. 7in takeaways and No. 12 in giveaways. 10* (104) Navy Midshipmen

This is a play on the LOUISVILLE CARDINALS for our ACC Championship Winner. We played against Florida St. last week in its first game without quarterback Jordan Travis and it got away with a win against Florida. The offense definitely suffered as the Seminoles managed only 224 yards of offense and now faces a much better defense this week as it looks to stay alive in the CFP. Florida St. was knocked down to the No. 5 spot last week but moved up to the No. 4 spot this week after Ohio St. losing and a win here likely gets it in. That will he harder said than done. It has obviously been a great season for Florida St. and it can surely get by here with its defense but another non-home against a very good offense could be an issue which almost did it in last week. The offense has been solid all season but it cannot be ignored that quarterback Tate Rodemaker struggled against the Gators, going just 12-25 for 134 yards. The Cardinals bring in a defense ranked No. 19 overall including No. 12 against the run while their 20 ppg allowed are No. 25 in the nation. Louisville is coming off a tough loss against rival Kentucky as it won the yardage battle 403-289 but lost the turnover battle 3-1 and allowed a kickoff return for a touchdown. Its other loss against Pittsburgh was a similar outcome as it lost the turnover battle 3-0 so clear those miscues up and the Cardinals could be 12-0 as well. Here, we play on teams in the second half of the season rushing for 4.8 or more ypc and after allowing 100 or less rushing yards last game going up against teams averaging between 4.3 and 4.8 ypc. This situation is 77-38 ATS (67 percent) over the last 10 seasons. 10* (321) Louisville Cardinals

This is a play on the TROY TROJANS for our SBC Championship Winner. The Trojans are hosting the Sun Belt Conference for a second straight season and will be looking for a similar result when they defeated Coastal Carolina by 19 points as a 6.5-point favorite. They are coming off a 10-2 regular season and Troy is one of the hottest teams in the country going back to last season that no one is really talking about as it has gone 21-2 over its last 23 games with the losses coming against Kansas St. and 11-1 James Madison. The Trojans have an adequate offense which has picked up steam over the second part of the season and it is the defense that has been great all year as they are No. 12 overall and No. 10 in points allowed and have given up more than 17 points only twice in their last 10 games. Appalachian St. has caught fire at the right time as it comes in on a five-game winning streak yet is in this game because of an NCAA stipulation where James Madison was unable to compete for the championship. The Mountaineers did hand the Dukes their only loss and have covered four straight games which is helping with value as it the fact three of their four losses were by six points or less and the other being seven points. They posses a very good offense but are going against the tough defense and their running game was stifled against James Madison. Their own defense is below average and Troy quarterback Gunnar Watson is playing very efficient right now with a 17:1 TD:INT ratio his last seven games. These teams did not meet this season but this is a revenge game from last season that Troy wants some payback for as Appalachian St. won on a 53-yard Hail Mary with no time remaining. 10* (320) Troy Trojans

This is a play on the BOISE ST. BRONCOS for our MWC Game of the Year. A tiebreaker had to be used to determine which teams went to the Mountain West Conference Championship with Boise St., UNLV and San Jose St. all finishing with 6-2 records. Since the three teams did not all play each other, the three-way tie was broken by an average of four computer rankings, Anderson & Hester, Colley Matrix, Massey and Wolfe. UNLV arguably should not be here despite having the best overall record of the three as it finished with the lowest ranked schedule played and actually lost to San Jose St. in the season finale in a game that was closer than the final score indicated. The tiebreaker awarded UNLV being the host which is what the conference wanted and the Rebels are underdogs for a reason. Despite playing a soft slate, the Rebels were not a dominating team as they have an above average offense but the defense faltered, finishing No. 85 overall and of their nine wins, only two were against winning teams. Boise St. got here despite firing coach Andy Avalos after a 42-14 win against New Mexico earlier this month with two games left in the season and it looks to have inspired the Broncos with a pair of key victories. The offense was one of the better ones in the country as they were No. 28 overall, spurned by a strong rushing attack that finished No. 11, averaging 207.5 ypg on 5.3 ypc and faces a soft UNLV rushing defense. This is an experienced team that has been here before and while UNLV has been a feel good story after not having won more than five games since 2013 but will be overmatched here. 10* (313) Boise St. Broncos

This is a play on the MIAMI OHIO REDHAWKS for our MAC Championship Winner. Toledo was the preseason pick to win the MAC and it proved to be the best team, finishing 11-1 including 8-0 in the conference with the only loss coming in its season opener against Illinois by two points on the road so the Rockets clearly come in with a ton of momentum. This line is an overreaction however as the power rankings make this a 4.5-point number on a neutral field. Toledo beat five teams that finished .500 or better including Miami along with San Jose St., Northern Illinois, Eastern Michigan and Bowling Green with four of those coming by a combined 11 points and the win over the Eagles being the only dominating performance. They defeated the RedHawks by four points as a two-point favorite in Oxford which also correlates to roughly a 4.5-point number when switching to a neutral field. Miami lost its opener at Miami Florida and then went on to win 10 of its final 11 games and it was actually more dominating with eight of its 10 wins coming by double digits. The RedHawks have survived after losing starting quarterback Brett Gabbert in that Toledo game and the offense has suffered but the defense has made up for it. Miami is No. 23 in total defense and No. 8 in scoring defense and this has been no fluke as it came into the season with nine returning starters and have allowed nearly 50 ypg less than last season. That defense will once again lead them and keep this one close which we could see going either way. 10* (311) Miami Ohio RedHawks

This is a play on the OREGON DUCKS for our Pac 12 Championship Winner. This line stinks based on the first meeting between Oregon and Washington. The Huskies were a three-point favorite at home where they won by three points and now they are getting close to double digits on a neutral field but the power numbers do actually justify this number. The Ducks outgained Washington 541-415 but failed to send the game into overtime after missing a 43-yard field goal as time expired and since then, they have been the more dominant team. They have won six straight games since then, winning five of those by double digits and the other coming by nine points against USC and they had a statement win last week in the Civil War against a strong Oregon St. team by 24 points. It has been the complete opposite for Washington which also won out but five of the six wins were by one possession and the one exception was just a nine-point victory over 3-9 Stanford where the Huskies were outgained 499-460. The offense remains potent but the defense has struggled, coming in ranked No. 96 overall. Conversely, Oregon is the No. 2 ranked total offense and No. 2 ranked scoring offense while the defense has been sneaky good, No. 15 overall and No. 7 in points allowed. Here, we play on teams in the second half of the season rushing for 4.8 or more ypc and after allowing 100 or less rushing yards last game going up against teams averaging between 4.3 and 4.8 ypc. This situation is 77-38 ATS (67 percent) over the last 10 seasons. 10* (305) Oregon Ducks

This is a play on the COLORADO ST. RAMS for our CFB Late Powerhouse. Colorado St. has saved it season with wins over the last two week to move to 5-6 on the season and it needs the win here to become bowl eligible and with the short price, it is a great spot for it to happen. A trip to Hawaii can feel more like a vacation than a job but the Rams know what is at stake so it is all business. They are 1-4 on the road but three of those losses have come against teams either bowl eligible or on the cusp and the other against Colorado early in the season when teams had not figured them out yet. Hawaii picked up a big upset two weeks again against Air Force but other than that, it has not won another quality game and has been blown out in six of its eight losses. The Warriors were in rebuilding mode again this season with the offense hopefully taking a step up but that has not happened and the defense has not helped, sitting No. 115 in points allowed and they are getting outscored by 12 ppg. Here, we play on road favorites off a home no-cover where the team won as a favorite going up against an opponent off a road loss by 28 points or more. This situation is 44-15 ATS (74.6 percent) over the last 10 seasons. 10* (237) Colorado St. Rams

This is a play on the FLORIDA GATORS for our Nonconference Game of the Year. Florida St. took a massive blow to its National Championship hopes with quarterback Jordan Travis going down with a gruesome leg injury against North Alabama of all teams. As expected, the Seminoles were jumped by Washington in the CFP rankings as they fell to No. 5 and are in a tough spot here with Tate Rodemaker taking over. It has obviously been a great season for Florida St. and it can surely get by here with its defense but taking the game on the road against a very good offense could be an issue to win by margin. Florida is coming off a last second loss against Missouri to make it four straight losses and the Gators all of a sudden have to win here to become bowl eligible. They certainly caught an unfortunate break for their rival but the line has come down after Travis was lost for the season. Florida is No. 42 in total offense and while it struggled to score against potent defenses Utah and Georgia, those were away from home and they are averaging 34.8 ppg at home. Here, we play on home underdogs of 3.5 to 10 points after a game where they committed one or fewer turnovers going up against an opponent after two consecutive games with a turnover margin of +1 or better. This situation is 25-8 ATS over the last five seasons. 10* (154) Florida Gators

This is a play on the MARSHALL THUNDERING HERD for our SBC Game of the Month. Arkansas St. has turned its season around as after losing its first two games by a combined score of 110-3, it has won six of nine games to become bowl eligible for the first time since 2019. The Red Wolves put up 77 points against Texas St. week to gain bowl eligibility but the offense was not the catalyst as they had three defensive touchdowns as well as a kickoff return for a touchdown. Three of their wins have come against teams with at least eight losses and other against Stony Brook of the FCS. Marshall got off to a 4-0 start but it is fighting for its postseason life as it suffered through a five-game losing streak and then was shut out last week at South Alabama. The thundering Herd have scored nine or fewer points in four of their last five games but three of those were on the road and the other came at home against James Madison, one of the best defenses in the country. They are averaging 26.6 ppg at home and that success should continue against a Red Wolves defense that is No. 124 in the country and No. 105 in points allowed. Here, we play against teams where the line is +3 to -3 after four or more consecutive wins against the spread. This situation is 45-18 ATS (71.4 percent) over the last five seasons. 10* (192) Marshall Thundering Herd

This is a play on the ARIZONA ST. SUN DEVILS for our CFB Ultimate Underdog. Here is another rivalry game where the home underdog is very much alive to play the role of spoiler. Arizona has been red hot as it has won five straight games to improve to 8-3 and still has a shot at the Pac 12 Championship with a win and some help. It has been a very unexpected successful season as their three losses have all been by one possession but in the same regard, three of their wins have come by three points or less. The wildcats are laying a big road price, the second biggest of the season and the first one resulted in a one point win at Stanford. Arizona St. has had the opposite season as it is 3-8 but has been better of late as it is 2-2 in its last four games after losing six straight. The Sun Devils offense has struggled but mostly on the road where they have averaged 12.0 ppg but are averaging a touchdown more than that at home. This is their bowl game and if nothing else, they keep it close. Here, we play against road favorites averaging 6.2 or more yppl and after gaining 6.25 or more yppl in two consecutive games going up against a team allowing between 5.6 and 6.2 yppl. This situation is 84-41 ATS (67.2 percent) over the last 10 seasons. 10* (196) Arizona St. Sun Devils

This is a play on the RICE OWLS for our CFB Supreme Annihilator. Rice closes the season at home with a chance to become bowl eligible. The Owls did go to a bowl game last season but they were 5-7 and made it due to not enough 6-win teams being eligible and got in because of academics so they are going for six wins for the first time since 2013. They won at Charlotte last week to keep hope alive following a three-game losing streak against the three teams that are a combined 21-0 in the AAC and two of those were by seven points combined. Florida Atlantic was on pace to make it to a bowl game for the first time since the COVID season and now the best they can do is win five games for a fourth straight season. The Owls have lost three straight and the wind has come out of their sails with the offense scoring just 15 points over the last two games. The offense has struggled overall as they are No. 102 overall and they are not much better on defense at No. 89. Their three wins against FBS teams were against teams with losing records. Here, we play against road underdogs in the second half of the season in a game involving two rushing teams averaging between 3.5 and 4.3 ypc. This situation is 44-21 ATS (67.7 percent) over the last five seasons. 10* (190) Rice Owls

This is a play on the OHIO ST. BUCKEYES for our CFB Afternoon Dominator. A trip to the Big 10 Championship is up for grabs yet again with the chance to face Iowa. Michigan comes in as the expected favorite playing at home and it has dominated Ohio St. the last two meetings and for being a heated rivalry, it has not been close of late with the last five meetings decided by double digits, that last one possession game taking place in 2016. The Wolverines have been dominant for the most part but had a scare last week against Maryland and the game plan it had against Penn St. where they did not throw a pass in the second half will likely not work here as they will have to pass the ball. Ohio St. has a great pass rush so that could be an issue and the Michigan offense line has struggled in pass protection. The Buckeyes have been just as dominant as the offense is averaging only four points less than Michigan while both teams are allowing only nine ppg. We have not seen those defenses dominate in this series during the last five games but that easily should change here and that favors a low scoring game obviously which favors the underdog. Here, we play on road teams with a great scoring defense allowing 14 or less ppg, after allowing 14 points or less in two straight games. This situation is 39-15 ATS (72.2 percent) over the last five seasons. 10* (141) Ohio St. Buckeyes

This is a play on the OREGON DUCKS for our CFB Friday Star Attraction. There is a lot on the line for Oregon in this edition of the Civil War. A Pac-12 title game appearance and keeping alive hopes of a possible College Football Playoff berth are the two big factors and there is also revenge in play. Last season, the Ducks built what seemed like a commanding 31-10 lead with 4 minutes, 46 seconds left in the third quarter and appeared to be on their way to a spot in the Pac-12 championship game but the Beavers scored 28 of the next 31 points to pull off the comeback with a 38-34 victory. Since losing to Washington by three points, the Ducks have rolled over their last five games. Oregon St. is coming off a tough loss against Washington as it lost by two points, its third loss of the season by three points or less. This will be its biggest test on the road where it is 3-2 with the best win coming against California or San Jose St. The Beavers do a lot of things right as they have a top 25 offense and a top 30 defense and while the letter unit has been great at generating turnovers which has helped the offense, Oregon has only six giveaways the entire season with two of those coming last week against Arizona St. Here, we play against road teams in a game involving two teams averaging 34 or more ppg, after a loss by six or less points. This situation is 27-6 ATS (81.8 percent) since 1992. 10* (136) Oregon Ducks

This is a play on the ARKANSAS RAZORBACKS for our CFB Friday Ultimate Underdog. Missouri is coming off a dramatic last second win over Florida last week in its final home game to improve to 9-2 on the season and has a chance for its first 10-win season since 2014. That should provide the motivation but coming off the win over the Gators and knowing the SEC Championship is out of play, this is not an easy spot. The Tigers offense has been one of the best in the country as they are ranked No. 20 overall and No. 33 in scoring but face an above average defense that is No. 49 in the nation. Arkansas is coming off a 44-20 win over Florida International last week. The Razorbacks are 4-7 on the season with their lone SEC win coming against the Gators in overtime so they will not be going bowling but this is the Battle Line Rivalry so playing spoiler and ending the season on a high is the goal. It has been a tough season as it easily could have been better as Arkansas has a 1-5 record in one-score games so it has been close. Razorbacks quarterback KJ Jefferson has had a solid season as he has been able to keep these games within reach. Here, we play against road favorites in the second half of the season averaging 440 or more ypg and after allowing 6.25 or more yppl in their previous game going up teams allowing between 330 and 390 ypg. This situation is 56-21 ATS (72.7 percent) since 1992. 10* (128) Arkansas Razorbacks

This is a play on the TULANE GREEN WAVE for our CFB Friday Enforcer. A berth in the AAC Championship is on the line with the winner going while the loser still can make it should SMU lose to Navy on Saturday. Tulane has won nine straight games and is 10-1 overall with the only loss coming against Mississippi where quarterback Michael Pratt missed. New Year's Six stakes are also on the line, primarily for No. 23 Tulane, which controls its own destiny for a second consecutive appearance. The Green Wave have been dominant at home in its five wins and are laying a short number. The Roadrunners are also 7-0 but has done so on a different path. UTSA has had a fairly easy run to its undefeated conference record as all seven opponents the Roadrunners have faced are all below .500, so the Green Wave represent a significant step up in competition. They too have been great down the stretch after an uneven start but quarterback Frank Harris is over his injury but now faces his biggest defensive test with Tulane coming in No. 25 overall and No. 18 in scoring. Their own defense has not been nearly as good despite playing lesser teams as they are No. 59 overall and No. 56 in points allowed. Here, we play on home favorites of 3.5 to 10 points off a win by 10 points or more over a conference rival going up against an opponent off three straight wins against conference rivals. This situation is 63-28 ATS (69.2 percent) since 1992. 10* (186) Tulane Green Wave

This is a play on the MISSISSIPPI ST. BULLDOGS for our CFB Thursday Star Attraction. Mississippi St. snapped a three-game losing streak with a 21-point win over Southern Mississippi to keep its bowl hopes alive. The Bulldogs are 5-6 and need this game and in a rivalry game, anything is possible even in a game with a spread this big. The most significant change for the Bulldogs in their first game under interim head coach Greg Knox last week is that they committed to the run game more than they had all season as they rushing for 240 yards on 43 carries (5.6 ypc). The Mississippi rushing defense could be in trouble because of that as the Rebels are No. 79 in rushing defense, allowing 157 ypg. While that could be a big edge, the Bulldogs possess a solid defense as they are No. 48 overall including No. 48 against the pass and No. 49 against the run. Bulldogs quarterback Will Rogers played for the first time in more than a month against the Golden Eagles and his presence is a big one. Mississippi easily took out UL-Monroe last week 35-3 to close out its home schedule and hits the road where it is 2-2 and while those losses were against Alabama and Georgia, this will be a tougher spot than expected. While the defense will be tested, the offense does face that strong defense and the Rebels have not been as lethal on the road. Their offense averages 36.5 ppg overall, but that includes an average of 23.0 ppg away from home. 10* (110) Mississippi St. Bulldogs

This is a play on the KANSAS JAYHAWKS for our CFB Primetime Power. Kansas and Kansas St. meet in the Sunflower showdown with identical records yet the Jayhawks come in as a significant home underdog. They are coming off a three-point home loss against Texas Tech which was impacted by quarterback Jason Bean leaving the game early with a head injury and his replacement Cole Ballard was not able to supplement the running game with any sort of passing attack but Bean is probable and practiced. Kansas will rely on its strong rushing game where it is ranked No. 18 in the country. Kansas St. shook off a loss against Texas with a blowout win against Baylor last week by 34 points but it was a misleading final as the Wildcats won the turnover battle 4-0. They have been a dominant team against the lesser opponents with most of those coming as home where the Wildcats are 6-0 but they are 1-3 on the road. That win was at Texas Tech by 17 points but again, it was aided by turnovers where they won that 3-0. This is a well rounded team on both sides of the ball but one that is not in a good spot. Here, we play on home underdogs of 3.5 to 10 points after a game where they committed one or less turnovers going up against an opponent after two consecutive games with a turnover margin of +1 or better. This situation is 24-8 ATS (75 percent) over the last five seasons. 10* (364) Kansas Jayhawks

This is a play on the TEXAS TECH RED RAIDERS for our CFB Signature Enforcer. We won with UCF last week as it rolled over Oklahoma St. by 42 points and the Knights are now overvalued because of that. That was just as much of a play against the Cowboys as it was on UCF which has won two straight games after losing five games in a row. The Knights are now 5-5 and have to either win here or in their finale at home against Houston which is more likely at this point as they are 2-3 on the road with all of those losses coming in the Big 12 and while all against better teams than Texas Tech, they were thoroughly outgained in all. The Red Raiders also come in at 5-5 following a pair of wins against TCU and Kansas and this is a must win to become bowl eligible as they close the season at Texas next week. They opened the season 0-2 with a rough loss in Wyoming after blowing a 17-0 lead and the other coming against Oregon by one possession. The last two losses against Kansas St. and BYU were the result of losing the turnover battle 8-0 and that is always a factor for any team. Here, we play against teams in the second half of the season where the line is +3 to -3 averaging 230 or more rushing ypg and after outrushing opponent by 125 or more yards last game going up against teams allowing between 140 and 190 rushing ypg. This situation is 41-15 ATS (73.2 percent) since 1992. 10* (414) Texas Tech Red Raiders

This is a play on the TENNESSEE VOLUNTEERS for our CFB Ultimate Underdog. Georgia is once again in the driver's seat for a spot in the CFP as it comes in 10-0 and while it has been potent on both sides of the ball, it has not been as dominant with only three covers. Speaking of three, this is just their third road game of the season as the Bulldogs rolled over a bad Vanderbilt team and escaped Auburn with a seven-point win. They are going to be a big public play here coming off their final home game which was a rout over Mississippi by 35 points and now are laying what is perceived as a short number. We played against Tennessee last week as it went to Missouri and laid an egg, losing by 29 points as it committed a season-high three turnovers. The Volunteers may have been guilty to looking ahead to this game which they cannot be faulted for. They are 5-0 at home with a home finale against Vanderbilt to close the season. Tennessee is obviously not as strong on either side but they are not far off as they are No. 18 in total offense and No. 40 in total defense and this game is obviously their season. Here, we play against road favorites of 3.5 to 10 points averaging 34 or more ppg going against teams allowing between 16 and 21 ppg, after scoring 37 points or more last game. This situation is 30-9 ATS (76.9 percent) over the last 10 seasons. 10* (330) Tennessee Volunteers

This is a play on the NORTH CAROLINA TAR HEELS for our CFB Star Attraction. Clemson has won two straight games since the incident with Dabo Swinney and the media but that does not necessarily mean the Tigers have turned that much of a corner. They are still just 6-4 on the season and are laying a touchdown which is still based on name. To their credit, the opening loss against Duke was mostly turnover driven and the last three losses have all been by one possession so the record could be better but on the other side, they should have lost to Notre Dame and only beat Wake Forest by five points. North Carolina is so close to being undefeated as it opened 6-0 before losing two straight games against Virginia and Georgia Tech by a combined eight points with the yardage differentials landing in their favor. They are coming off a closer that expected win over Duke last week to keep the hopes of getting to 10 wins before bowl season. There is also some payback from the ACC Championship last season which Clemson won despite getting outgained but won the turnover battle 3-0. Here, we play on road underdogs of 3.5 to 10 points after gaining 525 or more total ypg over their last three games going up against an opponent after outgaining opponent by 125 or more total yards in their previous game. This situation is 25-6 ATS (80.6 percent) over the last 10 seasons. 10* (341) North Carolina Tar Heels

This is a play on the IOWA HAWKEYES for our Big 10 Game of the Year. Iowa is coming off its first shutout of the season as it defeated Rutgers 22-0 with the defense allowing just 127 total yards. This offense has taken shots all season which is justified but the Hawkeyes are 8-2 because of that defense which is ranked No. 8 in the country overall and No. 3 in scoring. That has given them the ability to overcome the offensive deficiencies but that offense did put up 402 yards last week against a top 20 Rutgers defense and now they face a defense that was one of the best in the country last season but has regressed. This is a revenge game for Iowa as well after losing a very ugly game last season 9-3 in Champaign. Illinois has won two straight games and three of its last four after opening the season 2-4 to give it a shot at bowl eligibility. The Illini host Northwestern next week in their season finale rivalry game which is certainly their better change of finding the postseason. This is a middle of the road offense that will struggle here. The defense that was one of the best is now No. 81 overall and No. 101 in scoring as they have allowed fewer than 24 points only twice while giving up a season high 45 points to Indiana last week. Here, we play against road underdogs in the second half of the season in a game involving two rushing teams averaging between 3.5 and 4.3 ypc. This situation is 42-19 ATS (68.9 percent) over the last five seasons. 10* (360) Iowa Hawkeyes

This is a play on the WEST VIRGINIA MOUNTAINEERS for our CFB Supreme Annihilator. Cincinnati snapped a seven-game losing streak with a win at Houston last week but that previous losing skid made the Bearcats ineligible for a bowl game and now they are on the road for a second straight week. It has been a huge disappointment for them in their first season in a much tougher conference and they clearly are not on the same level yet and six of those seven losses came by more than what they are getting here. The once potent defense has slipped to No. 53 overall. West Virginia had its two-game winning streak snapped last week with a blowout loss at Oklahoma by 39 points. The defense has been on a solid run but allowed 646 yards of offense and it was a horrible spot with the Sooners coming off consecutive losses. The Mountaineers are already bowl eligible so there is no pressure and they can increase their stock with two winnable games to close the season and this is their final home games of the season. They are 4-1 at home with the lone loss against Oklahoma St. that was closer than the final score showed. Here, we play on home teams after allowing 5.5 or more rushing ypc last game going up against an opponent after allowing 5.5 or more rushing ypc in in two straight games. This situation is 72-32 ATS (69.2 percent) since 1992. 10* (326) West Virginia Mountaineers

This is a play on the BYU COUGARS for our CFB Afternoon Dominator. Oklahoma shook off a pair of losses against Kansas and Oklahoma St. with a 39-point win over West Virginia last week as the offense erupted for 646 total yards but it was the defense that put together its best effort since the end of September as it allowed just 330 yards. It was a get right game for the Sooners that got knocked out of playoff contention but that victory is helping us with this number. With the exception of a game against Tulsa, this is the biggest line Oklahoma has laid all season against FBS opponents. BYU is not having the greatest season but it is still 5-5 and the big part of this number is the recent run. The Cougars have lost three straight games and they have not been close with the defeats coming by 29, 30 and 32 points. The first two were on the road at Texas and West Virginia and the most recent one against Iowa St. was aided by a -3 turnover margin. This is the biggest home game of the season for the Cougars in their first season in the Big 12 and this is the biggest line they have gotten all season. Here, we play against road favorites averaging 6.2 or more yppl and after gaining 6.25 or more yppl in two consecutive games going up against a team with a defense allowing between 5.6 and 6.2 yppl. This situation is 83-41 ATS (66.9 percent) over the last 10 seasons. 10* (372) BYU Cougars

This is a play on the MEMPHIS TIGERS for our AAC Game of the Month. This is a very questionable line with SMU favored by over a touchdown on the road against a team with a similar resume. The Mustangs are red hot as they have won six straight games but those victories have been against no one special as none of them have a winning record with only Rice being the only possible bowl team at 4-6. The only other FBS win came against 3-8 Louisiana Tech and the only team with a winning record they have faced was Oklahoma and this has correlates into a schedule that is ranked No. 121 in the country. Memphis has won four straight games to also move to 8-2 and while its resume has not been a whole lot better, it does not equate to the Tigers being a home underdog by this amount. While the SMU offense is a potent one, Memphis is right there as it is ranked No. 21 overall and No. 9 in scoring. The Tigers two losses were against Missouri on a neutral field and against Tulane at home where it lost the turnover battle 2-0 in a game where they were outgained by just 40 yards. Here, we play against road favorites after one or more consecutive straight up wins going up against an opponent after four or more consecutive straight up wins. This situation is 48-14 ATS (77.4 percent) over the last 10 seasons. 10* (398) Memphis Tigers

This is a play on the WASHINGTON ST. COUGARS for our CFB Friday Enforcer. Washington St. and Colorado are both fighting for their playoff lives as they both come in 4-6 and needing to win their last two games. The Cougars are the bigger of the two disappointments as they came into the season with higher expectations, opened the season 4-0 and moved up to No. 13 in the AP Poll but have since lost six straight games. The last two have been the toughest ones as both were by three points against California and Stanford and they return home for their final home game of the season. This is just their third home games in nearly two months with four of their last six games taking place on the road. Washington St. still has a potent offense as it is No. 42 overall and N0. 48 in scoring keyed by a passing attacked that is No. in the country led by quarterback Cameron Ward. He has thrown for 3,131 yards on a 67.1 percent completion rate with 20 touchdowns and five interceptions and has a great matchup against this Buffaloes defense. Colorado was the talk of the country when it opened 3-0 but looking back, none of those were quality wins and the Buffaloes have dropped six of their last seven. The only win was against Arizona St. by three points and we are catching a good number based on the name and the fact they have covered their last three games. The Colorado offense opened the season on fire but has tapered off as teams have been able to figure them out and the fact they have the worst rushing offense in the nation. Defensively is where the difference will be here as Colorado cannot stop anyone through the air as it is ranked No. 131, allowing 292.0 ypg. It was a fun story for a while but the much better team gets it done tonight. 10* (318) Washington St. Cougars

This is a play on the PITTSBURGH PANTHERS for our CFB Thursday Star Attraction. Boston College started the season 1-3 with the lone win coming against Holy Cross of the FCS and that was by just a field goal but then reeled off five straight games to become bowl eligible. It has been a very favorable schedule however as the Eagles have played a slate ranked No. 75 and none of the wins have come against a winning team. They defeated Syracuse and Georgia Tech which are both 5-5 but they won the turnover battle in both and by a combined 7-3. Despite the easy slate, five of the six wins have been by one possession including three by a field goal. Granted, they are playing another bad team but the line is telling the story as Boston College is four games better that Pittsburgh yet come in as the underdog. The Panthers have had a rough season as they are 2-8 which includes four straight losses. The offense has struggled as Pittsburgh is ranked No. 120 in total offense and No. 117 in scoring offense but has a decent matchup here against a defense that has taken a step back. The running game has been a big disappointment but they have not carried the ball much and that should increase here as the Eagles have allowed 209 or more yards on the ground in three of their last four games. This is the final home game of the season where they have collected both wins as opposed to going 0-4 on the road. Here, we play against road teams after allowing 5.5 or more rushing ypc in two straight games going up against an opponent after gaining 125 or less rushing yards in three straight games. This situation is 36-10 ATS (78.3 percent) since 1992. 10* (314) Pittsburgh Panthers

This is a play on the CENTRAL MICHIGAN CHIPPEWAS for our CFB Wednesday Enforcer. Ohio came through for us last week as it defeated Buffalo by 10 points on the road to improve to 7-3. The Bobcats are a public pick this week with this being their final home game with a very outside chance at winning the MAC East. They need to win out and hope that Miami Ohio loses its final two games as they are a game back but lost the tiebreaker with the head-to-head defeat two week ago to the RedHawks. They are laying a big number again this week but it is against a better opponent with a lot on the line still. This is a team that has had trouble pulling away because the offense has struggled as Ohio is scoring just 21.6 ppg on the season which is No. 107 in the country. The Bobcats defense makes up for it as they are ranked No. 5 in both total defense and points allowed but for a team that has outscored opponents by only 6.5 ppg, laying a big number is not ideal. Central Michigan s coming off a loss to Western Michigan to drop it to 5-5 so it is still a win away from bowl eligibility so there is a lot on the line. The Chippewas have Toledo on deck so it is not going to be easy but the effort will be there with their season still alive. They do not have much of a passing game as they rely on their ground game, averaging 164.8 ypg on 4.3 ypc and they will shorten the game. That being said, quarterback Jase Bauer is capable as he has five touchdowns and just one interception in his last three games. Here, we play against home teams after being beaten by the spread by 49 or more points total in their last five games, in November games. This situation is 52-21 ATS (71.2 percent) over the last five seasons. 10* (309) Central Michigan Chippewas

This is a play on the SOUTH ALABAMA JAGUARS for our CFB Supreme Annihilator. South Alabama has lost two straight games to fall to 4-5 and after coming into the season with high expectations, the Jaguars are in danger of not making the postseason although the schedule is on their side. They do have a bad loss against Central Michigan but the other four defeats have been to quality teams and these next two games at home loom large as they finish at Texas St. Despite the losing record, South Alabama is ranked No. 43 or better in overall and scoring offense and defense so it has been a bit of a deceiving record. The Jaguars are the only team in the SBC that has a losing record but a plus point differential so this number is big for a reason. Arkansas St. ha done an opposite move as it has won two straight games. After a 0-2 start, the Red Wolves have won five of seven games but one of those was against FCS Stony Brook and three others against teams that are a combined 7-21 with the other being against 5-4 Louisiana. Even with a winning record, the numbers do not correspond with it as the Red Hawks are No. 75 in total offense and No. 84 in scoring while ranking No. 125 in total defense and No. 112 in points allowed. They have taken good care of the ball with only nine giveaways but conversely, have only seven takeaways. Here, we play against teams outscored by opponents by 7.0 or more ppg, after scoring 31 points or more in two straight games. This situation is 61-25 ATS (70.9 percent0 over the last 10 seasons. 10* (222) South Alabama Jaguars

This is a play on the MISSOURI TIGERS for our SEC Game of the Year. Tennessee and Missouri both come in with identical 7-2 records yet the Volunteers come in as the road favorite. They are coming off a home blowout win over Connecticut which was their second straight win following their loss to Alabama. Tennessee is 2-2 on the road with the other loss coming against Florida while one of the wins came against a bad Virginia team on a neutral field and the other against Kentucky by just six points. Tennessee has been solid on both sides of the ball as it is in the top 25 overall and scoring on both sides of the ball. Their two worst performances came in those two road losses so the home/road splits have played a big part. Missouri Is coming off a loss at Georgia but it was a very solid effort in the nine-point loss as it was outgained by only 22 yards. The other loss was by 10 points at home against LSU but the Tigers lost the yardage battle by only six yards. In both defeats, they lost the turnover battle and were -3 in turnover margin combined. While the overall numbers are not as good as Tennessee, they are not far behind and the Tigers have played the more difficult schedule. Missouri has covered six of its last seven games and have been one of the pleasant surprises in the SEC and have a chance to win out with a favorable schedule. Here, we play against road teams averaging 4.8 or more ypc and after gaining 275 or more rushing yards last game going up against a team allowing between 3.5 and 4.3 ypc. This situation is 50-19 ATS (72.5 percent) over the last five seasons. 10* (196) Missouri Tigers

This is a play on the CENTRAL FLORIDA KNIGHTS for our CFB Signature Enforcer. Oklahoma St. has been on a roll with five straight wins and covers to improve to 7-2 overall. This includes a win last week against rival Oklahoma at home in the last installment of Bedlam for the foreseeable future and that brough out a massive celebration on the home field. Four of the five wins during this stretch have been at home with the lone road win coming at West Virginia by 14 points even though the Cowboys won the yardage battle by only 18 yards. One common theme during the winning streak has been the defense creating turnovers as they have 13 takeaways during this stretch. UCF has had a tough go of it in its inaugural season in the Big 12 as the Knights are 1-5 but are coming off their first win as they beat Cincinnati last week. Two of the losses came by three combined points that included a one point loss to Baylor at home. The other home loss was against West Virginia by 13 points yet they won the yardage battle but were -3 in turnovers. UCF is 4-5 overall so it will have to win two of its last three games to become bowl eligible and this is the first chance to avoid having to sweep the final two games. The Knights have been favored in all four home games and are now an underdog based on recent results from both sides. Here, we play against teams where the line is +3 to -3 after four or more consecutive wins against the spread. This situation is 43-16 ATS (72.9 percent) over the last five seasons. 10* (142) Central Florida Knights

This is a play on the SYRACUSE ORANGE for our ACC Game of the Month. We lost with Syracuse last Friday in what a very unfortunate break when quarterback Garrett Shrader was a late scratch and the offense suffered from that as the Orange managed only 10 points and 246 yards of offense. That was the fifth straight loss for Syracuse after opening the season 4-0 and have not covered any of it last six games. Prior to the late injury, it was three straight losses on the road and Clemson before that. The Orange have to win two of their last three games to win bowl eligibility and it starts here in this game taking place from Yankee Stadium. The offense has been non-existent of late, averaging a meager 230.6 ypg during the four-game slide but faces a below average defense. Pittsburgh lost to Florida St. last week, its third straight loss, which took away a chance at a bowl game as the Panthers are now 2-7. One win was against Wofford of the FCS and the other came against Louisville where they were outgained 444-305 but won the turnover battle 3-0. The Panthers come in No. 63 in total defense and No. 91 in scoring and the offense has been even worst as they have no running game to speak of and overall they are No. 118 and No. 112 in scoring. Here, we play against teams where the line is +3 to -3 allowing a completion percentage of 62 percent or worse, after allowing 9.0 or more passing ypa in their last game. This situation is 64-34 ATS (65.3 percent) over the last five seasons. 10* (214) Syracuse Orange

This is a play on the PENN ST. NITTANY LIONS for our CFB Star Attraction. Michigan is off to a 9-0 start but has really not been overly tested as it is 6-0 in the Big 10 and while three of those victories have come against winning teams, they are just a combined 16-11. Overall, the Wolverines have played a schedule ranked No. 71 in the country and now face their biggest test and on the road no less. They could not cover a game early in the season with Jim Harbaugh serving his suspension before running off but straight covers before coming up shot last week against Purdue as they won by 28 points as a 31-point favorite. The defense has been the real deal as Michigan is ranked No. 1 overall and in points allowed, but again, the schedule has played into that. Penn St. is 8-1 with the lone loss coming against Ohio St. on the road by eight points. The Nittany Lions did have some bad break including having a 60-yard fumble return for a touchdown called back because of a holding penalty. While they were penalized only five times, another one of those gave Ohio St. a first down at the two-yard line and eventually scored. While the Michigan defense leads the country, Penn St. is right there as it is ranked No. 2 overall and No. 3 in scoring and this has come against a more difficult schedule. Here, we play on home underdogs of 3.5 to 10 points after outgaining opponent by 175 or more total yards in their previous game. This situation is 40-11 ATS (78.4 percent) over the last five seasons. 10* (150) Penn St. Nittany Lions

This is a play on the MARYLAND TERRAPINS for our CFB Afternoon Dominator. It has been a mini freefall for Maryland as it has lost four straight games after a 5-0 start. The Terrapins have failed to cover any of those four games as they were beaten badly by Ohio St. and Penn St. while losing to Illinois and Northwestern by nine points combined as a double-digit favorite. Those two losses were bad ones and overall, the offense has struggled during this four-game stretch but did face to of the best defenses in the country and they are coming off that Penn St. game where they had only 234 yards that included -49 yards rushing. Quarterback Taulia Tagovailoa has still played well and on the season he has 2,486 yards on a 65.1 percent completion rate with 21 touchdowns and seven interceptions. Nebraska has had a good turnaround as it is 5-2 over its last seven games following a 0-2 start so it is also one win away from bowl eligibility as Matt Ruhle has done a great coaching job. Still, this offense has not been good as the Huskers are ranked No. 115 overall and No. 117 in scoring so they have relied on a stout defense that is anchored by the No. ranked rushing defense but does not set up well for the strength of the Maryland offense. Turnovers remain a problem as Nebraska has given it up 22 times, most in the country. Here, we play against home teams after four consecutive games with a turnover margin of -1 or worse. This situation is 82-37 ATS (68.9 percent) over the last 10 seasons. 10* (217) Maryland Terrapins

This is a play on the WYOMING COWBOYS for our CFB Friday Enforcer. UNLV has been one of the bigger surprises this season as it is 7-2 following a blowout win over New Mexico but the schedule overall has been on its side. The Rebels have played the No. 129 ranked schedule in the country and they have yet to beat a beat with a winning record as they have faced only two teams above .500. additionally, they have faced mostly finesse teams and have basically played only one physical game and that certainly changes here. UNLV possesses a potent offense as it ranked No. 16 in scoring and No. 42 overall but again, scheduling has played a big role in that. The Rebels are not as strong defensively, coming in No. 84 overall and No. 67 in scoring and the discrepancies from overall rank and scoring rank on both sides are because of their 20 takeaways. Wyoming snapped a two-game slide with a win over Colorado St. to get to bowl eligibility with its 6-3 record. Sitting at 3-2 in the MWC, it is unlikely to make it to the conference championship due to a loss against 5-0 Air Force but the Cowboys handed Fresno St. its only conference loss so they are not completely out of contention but will need some help over the final quarter of the season. The Cowboys have faced a much stiffer slate as they have played the No. 67 ranked schedule. Wyoming has only eight giveaways this season which is tied for No. 13 in the country. 10* (121) Wyoming Cowboys

This is a play on the LOUISIANA RAGIN' CAJUNS for our CFB Thursday Star Attraction. Louisiana fell to 2-3 in the SBC West following a loss to Arkansas St. on Saturday but the Cajuns are still not mathematically eliminated from winning the division. They have already defeated Texas St. and still have a game with Troy, which is two games up, so they will need help but can only control what they so. At 5-4, they are a win away from bowl eligibility and return home where they are 3-1, the lone loss coming against 6-3 Georgia St. by a field goal. Louisiana has a big edge in the rushing game as they are averaging 198.0 ypg on the ground which is No. 20 in the country despite being held to just 64 yards against Arkansas St. The loss of starting quarterback Zeon Chriss has brought this number down but replacement Chandler Fields is in his fifth year here and can run this offense. Southern Mississippi is coming off it first win over an FBS opponent as it took out UL-Monroe last week which was its second straight solid performance on offense. The Golden Eagles are 2-7 and eliminated from postseason consideration so give them credit for stepping up last week but now travel on a short week. The offense improved to No. 77 overall but it is still just No. 96 in scoring and the real issue is the defense as Southern Mississippi is No. 116 in total defense and No. 127 in points allowed. The bigger liability is the rushing defense that has allowed 185.4 ypg and has been lit up against the top rushing teams. 10* (118) Louisiana Ragin' Cajuns

This is a play on the AKRON ZIPS for our CFB Wednesday Enforcer. Miami is coming off a big win over Ohio which put it in first place in the MAC East by a game in the loss column following the Bobcats win on Tuesday. The RedHawks opened the season with a loss at Miami Florida and then reeled off six straight wins before a loss against Toledo, the team they are likely going to face in the MAC Championship. That being said, they are laying a huge number here with an offense that has done nothing of late. They have barely gone over 300 total yards in two of their last five games while averaging just over 311 ypg over that stretch and now are laying their biggest number over an FBS team. Akron picked up its first win over an FBS team with a four-point win over Kent St. following a six-game losing streak. The Zips lost at Kentucky by 32 points but four of the other six losses have been by one possession so they have been competitive and even being 0-5 on the road, they have been outscored by just two touchdowns and that is taking the Kentucky game into it. This is actually a really good defense that is ranked No. 41 in the country and facing an offense that cannot move the ball. Too many points. 10* (111) Akron Zips

This is a play on the OHIO BOBCATS for our CFB Tuesday Enforcer. Ohio lost last week in a swing game against Miami Ohio and now sits in second place in the MAC East, one game behind the RedHawks. The Bobcats now need to win out and get some help and this is the perfect opponent. Ohio has struggled on offense this season as they ranked No. 94 overall and No. 105 in points scored and quarterback Kurtis Rourke is back in form after an early season injury. He faces a defense that has been really good over the last four games but have benefited from 12 takeaways. The Bobcats have a defense that is one of the best in the country as they are ranked No. 4 overall and No. 7 in scoring. A lot is on the line for Buffalo as it has to win out to get to a bowl game but the resume has not been good. Two wins have come against Akron and Kent St. which are a combined 1-9 in the conference while the third, the Bulls benefitted from a 4-0 turnover margin. Buffalo is ranked No. 110 in total offense and No. 81 in total defense and while it is a must win, they cannot matchup here. Ohio has taken advantage of these spots going 8-1 ATS in its last nine games against teams allowing 5.9 or more yppl. 10* (101) Ohio Bobcats

This is a play on the FRESNO ST. BULLDOGS for our CFB Late Powerhouse. Everyone is trying to catch Air Force in the MWC including both of these teams that are 3-1 in the conference and the winner will have the inside track at going to the championship game. Fresno St. has just one loss this season which came against Wyoming on the road by five points as a rally fell short and going back to last season, the Bulldogs are 16-1 in their last 17 games. The offense lost a ton from last season including their First Team quarterback and top running back and wide receiver but the numbers are nearly the same which is also the case for the defense so it has been an outstanding transition with just 11 starters returning. Fresno St. is laying a short number here based on opponent name and the fact it has failed to cover its last four games which often creates value going against a streak like that. Boise St. is 4-4 overall with one loss coming against Washington and one win coming against North Dakota of the FCS so those cam cancel out. The other three losses came by a total of six points so there could have been more wins two of the other three wins were by one possession so those could have gone the other way as well. The Broncos are balanced on offense as they runs the ball very well but face a strong rushing defense from Fresno St. while the passing game has been suspect with two quarterbacks splitting time. The defense has been an issue as Boise St. is ranked No. 84 overall and No. 87 in scoring. 10* (426) Fresno St. Bulldogs

This is a play on the MIAMI HURRICANES for our CFB Supreme Annihilator. NC State is coming off a huge win over Clemson to improve to 2-2 in the ACC and 5-3 overall. It was a very misleading win however as the Wolfpack were outgained 364-202 and had 11 fewer first downs than the Tigers but were +2 in turnovers including an interception returned for a touchdown. The five wins have been nothing special as besides the Clemson victory, they have a win over VMI of the FCS, escaped Connecticut in their season opener, beat a bad Virginia team by only three points and were outgained by Marshall in a seven-point win. The offense remains an issue as NC State is ranked No. 107 overall including No. 107 in passing and No. 94 in rushing. It has not been a great stretch for Miami as after a 4-0 start, it had the debacle against Georgia Tech and could not recover from that in a blowout loss at North Carolina. The last two weeks have resulted in wins against Clemson and Virginia but both took overtime and the win over Cavaliers looks bad but that can be chalked up to a letdown after the Clemson victory. The Hurricanes need a get right game following this stretch and with Florida St. on deck, there will be no lookahead. This especially pertains to quarterback Tyler Van Dyke who started great, got injured, and then looked bad in his return last week with his lowest rated game. The offense is balanced as the Hurricanes are No. 33 in rushing and No. 37 in passing for an overall ranking of No. 19. 10* (325) Miami Hurricanes

This is a play on the SAN DIEGO ST. AZTECS for our MWC Game of the Month. It has been a rough season for San Diego St. as it is now 3-5 following a pretty embarrassing loss against at the time winless Nevada 6-0. The other four losses all came in September and all against very good teams including two from the Pac 12 and two at the top of the MWC. Not counting the COVID year, the Aztecs have a streak of 12 straight bowl games so they have to go 3-1 to close the season out if they want to keep that going. The offense has been inconsistent as they are averaging just 19.6 ppg which is No. 119 in the country while their total offense is No. 114 with 316.8 ypg. It has been very similar to last season when they lost to a pair of Pac 12 teams and the two best teams in the conference but went on to win three of their last four. Utah St. comes in with an identical 3-5 record which includes a 1-3 record on the road with the only win coming at 1-7 Connecticut by only one point and the Aggies are favored in this spot. Based on the power numbers, they are the false favorite and while they possess a solid offense, the defense is bad and San Diego St. can take advantage of that. Turnovers have been an issue as the Aggies have 17 giveaways and have lost the turnover battle in five of their eight games. One of the other wins was against Colorado St. where the Rams coughed it up five times and the third victory was against Idaho St. which turned it over three times. 10* (376) San Diego St. Aztecs

This is a play on the IOWA ST. CYCLONES for our Big 12 Game of the Year. Kansas defeated Oklahoma last Saturday on a last minute touchdown and it beat the Sooners for the first time since 1997 and it led to the storming of the field which typically provides a letdown spot going into the next game. it was a good spot for Kansas coming off a bye week and for Oklahoma to be coming off a hard fought two-point wins against UCF and the Jayhawks became bowl eligible for the second straight season after not going to a bowl game since 2008. Kansas improved to 5-0 at home while going just 1-2 in three road games, the only win coming against 2-6 Nevada while losing to Texas and Oklahoma St. by a combined score of 79-46. It does get any easier here especially playing revenge minded Iowa St. The Cyclones have won three straight games by double digits to get to 5-3 and the slow start was not surprising as they lost their quarterback and running back right before the season shortly after the gambling scandal. It took a while for the offense to get going but Rocco Becht has settled in nicely and they have averaged 28.2 ppg over their last five games after scoring 30 points total in their first two games against FBS teams. The usually strong Iowa St. defense is just that again as it is ranked No. 24 overall and No. 28 in points allowed as it has allowed 18 or fewer points five times. The Cyclones will be out to avenge a 14-11 loss last season. 10* (380) Iowa St. Cyclones

This is a play on the NORTHWESTERN WILDCATS for our CFB Star Attraction. Things have been so bad on offense for Iowa, it has already announced offensive coordinator Brian Ferentz will not be back next season but he will coach out the rest of the year and it is just a strange move this time of the season. The Hawkeyes are coming off a bye week following a controversial loss against Minnesota which snapped a three-game winning streak. The only other loss came at Penn St. so they have been able to survive to do 6-2 and that is because of their stout defense. Iowa is dead last in the country in total offense with only 232.4 ypg while averaging just 19.5 ppg. This is a classic scenario of fading a favorite in what is expected to be a low scoring game as this total is a comical 31. Northwestern came into the season with a new coach because of the Pat Fitzgerald controversy and things could have gone sideways from the start following a blowout loss to Rutgers to open the season but the Wildcats have been resilient to go 4-3 since then and keep their bowl hopes alive. Their own offense is nearly as bad as that of Iowa but do have the edge and while the Wildcats convert an average 40 percent on third down, that is way better than the Hawkeyes average of 26.4 percent. The defense has stepped up to keep it together and that unit will have success again here. The schedule has done then no favors as this is the third straight game facing a team off their bye but the first two results were just fine. 10* (354) Northwestern Wildcats

This is a play on the GEORGIA ST. PANTHERS for our CFB Signature Enforcer. We played against Georgia St. last Thursday and it got thumped by rival Georgia Southern 44-27 for just its second loss of the season. The Panthers are back home for the start of their third and final two-game homestand of the season and at 3-2 in the wide open SBC, they still have an outside shot at the East Division. They are 3-1 at home with their only loss to Troy which was their worst game of the season from a turnover standpoint as they were -2. Georgia St. has covered five of its seven games against FBS opponents with the two losses being when they were -1 and a pickem and while this number is not enormous, it is the biggest underdog line they have seen and justifiably so based on who they are facing. James Madison continues to roll along as it is now 8-0 following a scare from Old Dominion as it won by three points on Saturday. Give James Madison a lot of credit for being as motivated as it as this is its second season playing in the FBS with nothing to play for. The Dukes are ineligible for the SBC Championship and are not eligible for the postseason for two years after transitioning from the FCS which is a rule that makes little sense. Five of their seven FBS wins have been by only one possession. James Madison has been excellent against the run as it leads the nation by allowing just 48.9 ypg on 1.6 ypc but will be tested here against a very strong Panthers rushing attack. 10* (356) Georgia St. Panthers

This is a play on the ARMY BLACK KNIGHTS for our CFB Ultimate Underdog. This is a line that makes you take a double take as Air Force is favored by 18.5 points as of Wednesday afternoon with a total of 31.5 making the projected score of this game 25-6.5 and while it is possible, it is an unlikely outcome. Air Force has gotten off to an 8-0 start and going back to last season, it has won 13 straight games. It has not been all that pretty of late as it was outgained 329-293 last week against Colorado St. but won the turnover battle 2-0, struggled to put Navy away because the Midshipmen knows the offense and defeated Wyoming by just seven points. They have the best rushing offense and the No. 3 overall defense in the country so this team is very good but the line is inflated in this rivalry service academy game. Army has lost five straight games and at 2-6, it has to win out to make it to a bowl game but the schedule is on its side with no true road games left. This game is not being played on the Air Force grounds but in Denver on a neutral field even though the Falcons will likely have a big crown edge but it still is not the same. The Black Knights were done in by turnovers again last week as they outgained Massachusetts but were -3 and that has been a recent problem as they are -10 over the last three games. This has been a tight series decided by four ppg over the last five meetings and in the last 24 service academy games, the underdog has gone 20-4 ATS. 10* (365) Army Black Knights

This is a play on the GEORGIA TECH YELLOW JACKETS for our CFB Afternoon Dominator. Virginia looked dead and very well still could be but it has shown some life. After a 0-5 start, the Cavaliers defeated William & Mary of the FCS and then had a huge upset of North Carolina before taking Miami to overtime last week. They cannot afford another loss if they want to make it to a bowl game but we do not see that happening and coming off a pair of emotional and physical games, this is not a good spot. Virginia has covered five straight games, four as underdogs in the FBS games and now they come in as favorites which is not justified with what they bring. The Cavaliers have an anemic offense that musters just 120.4 ypg on 3.0 ypg on the ground while throwing for only 217.6 ypg and they convert a mere 37.7 percent on third down. It has been up and down for Georgia Tech as it has alternated wins and losses from the start of the season to go 4-4 and coming off a win over North Carolina last week, it will be going for its first winning streak. The offense has been surprisingly good as the Yellow Jackets are No. 18 in the country in total offense with 459.3 ypg which is 134 more ypg than they produced last season while their scoring average is two touchdowns per game better. In three of their four losses, they lost the turnover battle but that should be no issue as Virginia has only 10 takeaways this season. Defensively, they are not good but do not have much to worry about here. 10* (349) Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets

This is a play on the SYRACUSE ORANGE for our CFB Friday Enforcer. Syracuse finds itself in a very similar situation as last season where it opened the season 6-0 and then finished 0-7 while this year, it started 4-0 and has since dropped four straight games. The schedule for the Orange has not been on their side as Clemson, albeit which is having a down season, came to town after the 4-0 start and rolled to a 17-point win and then it has been three straight conference road games which all turned into blowouts. The schedule sets up well down the stretch to attain a pair of wins to become bowl eligible and it starts here where we can by Syracuse low and at certainly their lowest point. The offense has been non-existent of late, averaging a meager 226.8 ypg during the four-game slide but faces a very average defense. Additionally, they are -5 in turnovers during the losing streak. It has been close to the opposite start for Boston College as it started the season 1-3 with the lone win coming against Holy Cross of the FCS and that was by just a field goal but it has since won four straight games to move one game away from bowl eligibility. It has been a very favorable schedule however as the Eagles faced three teams that are currently a combined 5-19 along with 4-4 Georgia Tech and they won the turnover battle in that game 3-1. Despite the easy slate, four of the five wins have been by one possession. The offense has been consistently good, especially the running game where they are ranked No. 14 but the Orange are allowing just 149.1 ypg on 3.8 ypc on the ground. 10* (318) Syracuse Orange

This is a play on the SOUTH ALABAMA JAGUARS for our CFB Thursday Star Attraction. After two straight blowout wins over UL-Monroe and Southern Mississippi by a combined score of 110-10, South Alabama gave one back last week as it lost to Louisiana 33-20. The Jaguars actually outgained the Cajuns 498-349 but lost the turnover battle 5-0 and those five turnovers were one more than their previous six games combined. They fell to 2-2 in the SBC West which is just one game behind Troy so a win here gets them into a tie for first place. The offense has been cruising as South Alabama is ranked No. 20 overall and No. 31 in scoring and while the rushing game is the weakness, it is still No. 50 and that is with two bad games against Tulane and James Madison where it has 102 yards on the ground combined. Defensively, the Jaguars have been nearly as good as they are ranked No. 21 overall and No. 40 in points allowed so the 4-4 record is deceiving with two of those losses against Tulane to open the season and then last week where they had a combined 10 turnovers and the other two losses coming by just one possession. Troy has won five straight games following a 1-2 start and the Trojans have covered four straight games which is playing into this line and making them a public play coming off an advanced line where it has risen by 2.5 points. The defense has led the way as Troy has allowed only 5.8 ppg over its last four games after giving up 28 ppg through its first four games. That is a daunting task for the Jaguars but this is the best offense that the Trojans have seen over this recent four-game stretch. Offensively, they are No. 31 overall but just No. 71 in scoring because they do give the ball away a ton. Here, we play against home favorites of 3.5 to 10 points outscoring opponents by 10 or more ppg, after allowing 14 points or less in four straight games. This situation is 26-7 ATS (78.8 percent) since 1992. 10* (315) South Alabama Jaguars

This is a play on the BALL ST. CARDINALS for our CFB Wednesday Enforcer. The season is on the line for Ball St. which comes in 2-6 and has to win out for a chance to make a bowl game. The Cardinals snapped a four-game losing streak with a win over Central Michigan in its last game and it has been a tough 0-4 record on the road this season. They had to travel to Kentucky and Georgia to start the season and then lost the other two games at Western Michigan and Eastern Michigan but has arguably its best matchup here. Ball St. will use its running game to shorten this game and does have an edge in that category with one of the best offensive lines in the country. The Cardinals are ranked No. 7 in stuff rate and No. 19 in line yards and faces a weak Bowling Green defense that is ranked No. 125 in stuff rate. The Cardinals have averaged 186 ypg on the ground over their last three games which coincidentally has come when athletic quarterback Kiael Kelly took over two games back. Bowling Green has won two straight games to move to 4-4 and things are looking good for a postseason appearance but they have been a fairly fortunate team. The Falcons lead the country in takeaways with 20 and that put them in the top 40 in the Luck Ratings with Ball St. coming in at No. 94. Offensively, Bowling Green has not been very efficient as it is ranked No. 114 in EPA per play and No. 110 in success rate which is possibly higher than they should be based on their 16 giveaways. Here, we play on road teams with a winning percentage between .250 and .400 after going under the total by 21 or more points total in their last three games, a bad team. This situation is 154-86 ATS (64.2 percent) over the last 10 seasons. 10* (305) Ball St. Cardinals

This is a play on the CENTRAL MICHIGAN CHIPPEWAS for our CFB Tuesday Enforcer. The early lookahead line in this game was 2 and it has steamed up to 5.5 because of recent results which we are fading. Northen Illinois has won three straight games following a tough two-point loss to Toledo to move to 3-1 in the MAC West. Tw of the recent wins have come against two of the worst teams in conference and while there was an upset against Ohio sandwiched in there, it was not that long ago that the Huskies lost to a bad Tula team and fell to Southern Illinois of the FCS. Central Michigan is 2-2 in the MAC following a loss at Ball St. and this is an essential game to stay in the MAC West race with a game against Toledo still on the schedule. The Chippewas have gone 0-4 against the number in their last four games and that is the key streak to go contrarian with which is major reason for the move of this number. They had a bad loss at Buffalo but were -4 in turnovers in that game and the takeaways have been a problem which has put then near the top of the luck rankings. Central Michigan has accumulated only four takeaways which is tied for second fewest in the nation and they have yet to win the turnover battle in any game. Here, we play on home underdogs of 3.5 to 10 points after a game where they committed one or fewer turnovers going up against an opponent after two consecutive games with a turnover margin of +1 or better. This situation is 23-8 ATS (74.2 percent) over the last five seasons. 10* (304) Central Michigan Chippewas

This is a play on the OREGON ST. BEAVERS for our CFB Late Powerhouse. Oregon St. has won three straight games to improve to 6-1 with the only loss coming at Washington St. by a field goal. The numbers back up what the Beavers have accomplished as they are top 50 in seven of the eight major statistical categories and this is with playing the No. 40 ranked schedule. DJ Uiagalelei has not put up gaudy numbers but he has been efficient in this new system after leaving Clemson and he has a 15:4 TD:INT ratio. They have given the ball away only six times and face a defense that has only eight takeaways. Arizona is 4-3 on the season following a win over Washington St. that was an unexpected blowout. The Wildcats three losses have come by only one possession each so they have been in the mix and could have a better record at this point. The offense has picked it up over the last three games with Noah Fifita at quarterback but this will be facing the best defense he has seen to keep him off balanced. Here, we play on favorites of 3.5 to 10 points with a winning percentage of .800 or better after going over the total by 21 or more points total in their last three games, playing a team with a winning record. This situation is 27-5 ATS (84.4 percent) over the last five seasons. 10* (175) Oregon St. Beavers

This is a play on the MARSHALL THUNDERING HERD for our CFB Supreme Annihilator. After opening the season 4-0, Marshall has dropped three straight games, the last two coming against teams a combined 13-1 and this is a great get right opportunity. The Thundering Herd have won the turnover battle only once this season which has led to most of their games being close. The offense should get back on track after its worst game of the season as quarterback Cam Fancher was on a roll but faced one of the best defenses in the country last week in James Madison. Coastal Carolina has won and covered two straight games but it took a huge blow last week as All SBC quarterback Grayson McCall left the game with a concussion and will not play this week with is a massive blow to the offense. The Chanticleers are ranked No. 17 in the country in passing offense and making matters worse here, they face a Marshall team that is ranked No. 24 in passing defense while allowing just 56.1 percent completions. Here, we play on road favorites of 3.5 to 10 points after a playing a game where 29 total points or less were scored. This situation is 42-14 ATS (75 percent) over the last 10 seasons. 10* (145) Marshall Thundering Herd

This is a play on the UL-MONROE WARHAWKS for our SBC Game of the Year. UL-Monroe opened the season 2-0 but has lost five straight games including a pair of competitive losses in the last two against two of the top SBC teams, both on the road. The Warhawks have been underdogs by more than a touchdown in all of their FBS games so the fact they are favored here is telling. The rushing game was stifled against Georgia Southern last time out but the passing game got on track to carry momentum against a poor passing defense. The have forced four turnovers in three different games while Arkansas St. has a grand total of only five takeaways on the season. The Red Wolves dropped to 3-4 after a pair of losses to Troy and Coastal Carolina and all of their defeats have come against teams with winning records. However, the wins have been as bad as you can get coming against Stony Brook of the FCS along with Southern Mississippi and UMass which are a combined 2-13. They averaged 42.3 ppg in those victories but the offense put up just 5.6 ppg in the four defeats. Here, we play against teams where the line is +3 to -3 allowing a completion percentage of 62 percent or worse, after allowing 8.0 or more passing ypa last game. This situation is 89-50 ATS (64 percent) over the last five seasons. 10* (138) UL-Monroe Warhawks

This is a play on the IOWA ST. CYCLONES for our CFB Star Attraction. Iowa St. is in a favorable spot as it is coming off its bye week following a pair of wins to improve to 4-3 on the season. One of the losses came against Oklahoma with the other two coming by a combined 10 points against Iowa and Ohio. The Cyclones offense struggled in those two games but they have averaged 27.8 ppg over their last four games yet it is the defense that is once again the story of this team. They are No. 28 in total defense and have allowed 20 points or less in five of seven games and with playing the No. 15 ranked schedule. Baylor is coming off a win over Cincinnati last week by a field goal to move to 2-4 with the wins coming by a combined four points. The Bears are back home where they have lost all four games and the markets have really flipped on them as they were -26.5-point favorites against Texas St. in a loss and have now been underdogs in every game sense. Here, we play against home teams where the line is +3 to -3 outscored by seven or more ppg in the first half, after a playing a game where 60 total points or more were scored. This situation is 84-40 ATS (67.7 percent) since 1992. 10* (187) Iowa St. Cyclones

This is a play on the WESTERN MICHIGAN BRONCOS for our CFB Signature Enforcer. Western Michigan is 2-6 overall including 0-5 on the road going up against a 4-4 Eastern Michigan team that is 4-0 at home and the Broncos are favored. You know where we are going here. The five losses have come against three teams from the ACC, Big Ten and SEC while the two other losses were against Toledo and Ohio, the two best teams in the MAC. The remainer of the schedule is in their favor and Western Michigan has to start here to keep bowl eligibility alive. Eastern Michigan has remained afloat that to an easy schedule. Despite playing one of the worst schedules in the country at No. 143, the Eagles have one of the worst offenses as they are No. 115 or worse in all four stat categories. The four wins have come against one FCS teams and the other three which are a combined 4-20. Sore you can lump the Broncos into there but they have had a different road to where they are and have performed better on both sides despite the huge disparity in competition. Here, we play against teams where the line is +3 to -3 after four or more consecutive wins against the spread. This situation is 40-14 ATS (74.1 percent) over the last five seasons. 10* (149) Western Michigan Broncos

This is a play on the ARMY BLACK KNIGHTS for our CFB Afternoon Dominator. Massachusetts has lost 24 straight road games before upsetting New Mexico St. in its season opener but that was a misleading final where it won the turnover battle 3-0. The Minutemen has digressed back to their old ways and have lost seven straight games and will have to wait for next season to go to their first bowl game since 1972. Defensively they have been horrible, allowing the most points in the country and ranking No. 123 in total defense which puts Army in a great spot. The Black Knights have lost four straight games including getting shut out in their last two games but those were against Troy and LSU. While they have not put up the typical gaudy rushing yards, they have still had success and face the second worst rushing defense in the country. With only five losses, a bowl game is still possible and the schedule sets up well the rest of the way with no true road games remaining. Here, we play on home favorites of 3.5 to 10 points allowing 5.8 or more yppl, after gaining 225 or less total yards in their previous game. This situations is 27-5 ATS (84.4 percent) since 1992. 10* (124) Army Black Knights

This is a play on the GOERGIA SOUTHERN PANTHERS for our Thursday Star Attraction. Laying the short price in this rivalry with the home team. Georgia Southern is 5-2 with the two losses coming on the road at Wisconsin and James Madison and while neither game was competitive based on the final score, the Eagles were right there in the stats but the lost the runover battle by a combined 9-0. Turnovers were the difference in this meeting last season as Georgia Southern was -4 to make it three straight losses against the Panthers so revenge will add to the motivation. Georgia St. has won and covered two straight games to improve to 6-1 and that record is certainly playing a part in this number. The Eagles do not have any glaring weakness but they are middle of the road in most every statistical category and this is with playing the No. 109 ranked schedule. They run the ball well and will be facing the No. 39 ranked rushing defense and allowing just 3.7 ypc. Both teams convert 51.5 percent on third down but it is Georgia Southern that has the defensive edge, allowing just 30.8 percent compared to the Eagles that allow 45.4 percent. 10* (114) Georgia Southern Panthers

This is a play on the SAM HOUSTON ST. BEARKATS for our CFB Wednesday Enforcer. Sam Houston St. lost again last week to fall to 0-7 but is has been competitive for the most part in its first season at the FBS level. Three of the last four losses have been by one possession including the loss to Florida International last Wednesday despite outgaining the Panthers 410-331 as double overtime did the Bearkats in. A last second field goal for the Panthers tied the game in regulation so it was just another bad break. Two other losses came against Air Force and Liberty which came into this week a combined 14-0. The offense has really struggled but has improved after a dreadful start while the defense has played good enough to keep a lot of the games close. UTEP is also coming off a loss last Wednesday as it fell to New Mexico St. by 21 points while getting outgained by 135 total yards. The Miners are now 2-6 so one more loss means no bowl game so there will be motivation but the quarterback play remains a big issue. They have been down to their third and fourth stringers the last few games as original starter Gavin Hardison has not seen action since September 23 and he is again questionable. If he does get back on the field, there will have been no rhythm as he has not practiced because of tendonitis in his throwing arm. The defense has not helped the offense as UTEP has not been a takeaway machine as it has forced only five turnovers in seven games. 10* (108) Sam Houston St. Bearkats

This is a play on the WESTERN KENTUCKY HILLTOPPERS for our CFB Tuesday Enforcer. Western Kentucky is coming off a loss to Jacksonville St. which was its first conference loss to drop to 2-1 and 4-3 overall. Two of the three losses were by a field goal with the third coming against Ohio St. with all of those taking place on the road. The Hilltoppers are still in position to run the table with three of their next four games taking place at home and the two remaining road games are at UTEP and Florida International. This is the first home game in a month as they are off back-to-back road games with a bye sandwiched in-between those. Liberty remained undefeated with a win at Middle Tennessee St. last week and it is already bowl eligible at 7-0. Clearly this is one of the best teams in Conference USA where the Flames are already 5-0 but two of those wins against brand new FBS entrants Sam Houston St. and Jacksonville St. with another coming against 1-4 Florida International. They have been fortunate with takeaways as they have won the turnover battle in five of their seven games and their +9 overall turnover margin is tied for third best in the country. Here, we play on home underdogs of 3.5 to 10 points after a game where they committed 1 or less turnovers going up against an opponent after two consecutive games with a turnover margin of +1 or better. This situation is 23-7 ATS (76.7 percent) over the last five seasons. 10* (104) Western Kentucky Hilltoppers

This is a play on the ARIZONA ST. SUN DEVILS for our CFB Late Powerhouse. Washington pulled off a big win in one of the better games of the college football season against Oregon as the Ducks handed the Huskies the win with a bad coaching call and then a missed field goal by the Ducks to end it. It was one of the biggest wins in recent memory in Seattle and that showed with the storming of the field making this a great go against spot in a letdown game coupled with laying a huge number this week. The Huskies possess a top five offense but this is a go through the motions type of game while the defense is not very good as Washington is ranked No. 90 in total defense and have allowed 461.7 ypg in three Pac 12 games. Arizona St. has lost five straight games which is playing into this number as well but this is a good spot coming off a bye week as well. The Sun Devils have come to life on offense since head coach Kenny Dillingham took over the offensive play calling and they were coming off their best games of the season with 430 totals yards against California and followed that up with 392 yards against Colorado, both resulting in three-point losses. Another loss came against USC by just 14 points and while they fell to Fresno St. 29-0, eight turnovers will do that. The defense has played well enough at No. 42 in the country to slow the Huskies down a little bit and the new found offense can exploit the weakness of this Washington team. 10* (383) Arizona St. Sun Devils

This is a play on the USC TROJANS for our Pac 12 Game of the Year. USC is coming off a bad loss at Notre Dame last week as the offense could get no consistency going and it did not help that the Trojans committed five turnovers. Quarterback Caleb Williams threw three interceptions after coming into the game with a 22:1 TD/INT ratio so we can chalk that one up that he simply had a bad game. He will have something to prove this week and while he faces another strong defense, it is one that can be exploited through the air. Utah is No. 9 in total defense but that is due to a stout rushing defense as it is No. 45 in passing defense but that is skewed from allowing just 66 yards passing against Weber St. so take that away and they are allowing 240.0 ypg which would drop them all the way down to the low 100s. The Utes are coming off a win over California which was an expected bounce back following their first loss of the season to Oregon St. That was their first dominating win over an FBS opponent as the other three wins have come by an average of nine ppg and two of those were at home where they are nearly unbeatable. This was the possible week that quarterback Cam Rising was going to make his debut but that is looking unlikely as it expected he is going to apply for a medical hardship after he disclosed his knee injury was much worse than just a torn ACL. The passing game has been non-existent and will be unable to take advantage of the weakness of the USC defense. 10* (382) USC Trojans

This is a play on the MICHIGAN ST. SPARTANS for our CFB Star Attraction. Michigan is clearly the better team in this matchup but rivalry games can be different and this is one of those with these two hated teams. The Wolverines are coming off another blowout win as they rolled over Indiana last week 52-7 and they have won all seven games by more than what they are laying here. That being said, while Michigan St. falls into that no one category, this one is different. Michigan has played the No. 78 ranked schedule in the country with only Maryland having played an easier schedule of all Big Ten teams so the numbers are a bit skewed but what cannot be denied is this defense is for real. The Wolverines are No. 2 in total defense and No. 1 in scoring defense so it will be a challenge for the Spartans. Michigan St. is 2-4 that includes four straight losses including a tough three-point loss at Rutgers last week. It is pretty simple in that the Spartans have to take care of the ball as in the last three losses, they have given it up 12 times and went -6 in margin in those games. A breakeven turnover margin here is sufficient to keep it close enough to stay within margin which is our concern and not a straight up win but anything is possible. The Spartans have a solid defense of their own as they are No. 36 in the country overall and face what has been an average Michigan offense that is No. 54 in the nation. Slow the game down and the cover is well within reach. 10* (338) Michigan St. Spartans

This is a play on the OLD DOMINION MONARCHS for our CFB Ultimate Underdog. Appalachian St. has been a dominant team without a losing record since 2013 but there were concerns coming into this season with just 11 starters returning and it has showed. The Mountaineers played North Carolina very tough but have been unimpressive other than that. One of the three wins was against Gardner Webb of the FCS and the other two were against UL-Monroe and East Carolina, a combined 3-9. The rushing defense has been the big issue. The Mountaineers allowed 79 yards against East Carolina but the Pirates have one of the worst rushing offenses in the country and they have allowed an average of 223.8 ypg on the ground in their other four games against FBS opponents. Old Dominion is now 3-3 following a win at Southern Mississippi and the Monarchs are now 2-1 in the SBC and coming off a bye week. Two of their losses came against Marshall and Wake Forest by a combined nine points and while the other was by 19 points against Virginia Tech, they were -3 in turnovers. The one bad win was against Texas A&M-Commerce by only one point but five turnovers will do that in a game they clearly were not up for following that tough loss to Wake Forest. Old Dominion will utilize its running game led by Kadarius Calloway and his explosive 12.6 ypc against the weak rushing defense of the Mountaineers. 10* (354) Old Dominion Monarchs

This is a play on the UTSA ROADRUNNERS for our CFB Supreme Annihilator. We were on UTSA a decent amount early in the season and they did us no favors and overall, the Roadrunners started 0-4 against the number and 1-3 straight up. Frank Harris at quarterback was the issue as he came in as preseason First Team All AAC but was fighting an injury and finally had to give in to sit. He has been back the last two games and the offense has done a complete turnaround as after scoring 77 points in their first four games, the Roadrunners have scored 90 points in the two games since his return. Most importantly, there have been only two turnovers compared to eight prior to that. They are back to 3-3 and more importantly, 2-0 in the conference which is part of a four-way tie with a chance to knock one of those teams out here. Rolling Temple and UAB has the momentum back. Florida Atlantic is also off to a 3-3 start following a pair of wins against Tula and South Florida with the offense coming off its best performance of the season. However, that came against a Bulls defense that is one of the worst in the country at No. 126 overall and No. 127 in scoring. The Owls had their two best rushing games of the season against FBS opponents but now face a UTSA defense that has gotten its rushing defense back in line, allowing 202 yards on 64 carries (3.2 ypc) over the last two games. This is a great chance to buy UTSA low as the markets have not caught up. 10* (347) UTSA Roadrunners

This is a play on the WAKE FOREST DEMON DEACONS for our CFB Signature Enforcer. Pittsburgh picked up a possible season saving win over Louisville to avoid falling to 1-5 and while that can be a springboard, it was not a confident or dominating win as the Cardinals lost it more than Pittsburgh won it. It played out as expected as we played against Louisville which was a deceiving undefeated and coming off a huge win over Notre Dame. Pittsburgh was outgained 444-305 but benefited from three Cardinals turnovers that included an 86-yard interception return for a touchdown that turned what could have been a four-point deficit into a 10-point lead. The Panthers have been outgained in five straight games and have only won the yardage battle against Wofford of the FCS. Wake Forest opened the season 3-0 but has dropped three straight games including the last two on the road at Clemson and Virginia Tech. The Demon Deacons played well against the Tigers in the five-point loss and in the other tow losses, the second against Georgia Tech, turnovers were the difference as they were -6 in margin in those games. Pittsburgh had just four total takeaways before last week so Wake Forest should not have an issue here. The Demon Deacons have outgained all three opponents at home with Georgia Tech being the exception and they have build a solid home edge, going 22-5 over their last 27 home games and are in a good spot with a short price to snap their three-game skid. 10* (324) Wake Forest Demon Deacons

This is a play on the WEST VIRGINIA MOUNTAINEERS for our Big 12 Game of the Month. Oklahoma St. has been on a mini roll as it has won its last two games, both as underdogs, but both at home. Those big wins improved the Cowboys to 4-2 on the season. They had lost two straight games prior to that and the difference in all four of those games have been turnovers as the winner was 9-0 in positive margin. The offense has looked better over the second part of the six games but there is still a lot to be desired as they are No. 70 overall and No. 87 in scoring and on the other side, it is much of the same as Oklahoma St. is ranked No. 89 in total defense and No. 63 in scoring defense. Third down conversions have been a big issue as the Cowboys are -4.4 percent in conversion percentage. West Virginia is coming off a brutal loss against Houston last Thursday as it had the game in hand but the Cougars scored on a 49-yard Hail Mary with no time remaining to pull out the two-point win. That snapped a four-game winning streak and while that is tough to recover from, the Mountaineers have had some extra time to let it go and a return home will help. They are also 4-2 which has come against a much more difficult schedule with the numbers favoring their side. The offense is pretty similar to that of the Cowboys but the defense has played much better as they are No. 44 overall and No. 48 in scoring, allowing 22.7 ppg and in their three home games, that drops to 12.0 ppg. 10* (340) West Virginia Mountaineers

This is a play on the NAVY MIDSHIPMEN for our CFB Afternoon Dominator. Air Force has rolled to a 6-0 start but the schedule has been in its favor as it played only one true road game over those first six games. While that ended up being a 45-20 win at San Jose St., the Falcons trailed by three points at halftime with the Spartans imploding in the fourth quarter. Now they make their longest trek of the season against a team that certainly knows their style in a big rival game while laying a huge number on the road. Air Force leads the nation in rushing at 334.2 ypg but that triple option running attack has been slowed by this Navy team in recent years. The best win of the season came last week against Wyoming but it was by only seven points at home and now they are laying a similar number on the road. Navy improved to 3-3 following a pair of wins against North Texas and Charlotte, certainly not the best of competition but its has the positive momentum back. After going a combined +8 in turnover margin the last two seasons, which still pretty solid, the Midshipmen are +9 in margin so far this season which is tied for third best in the country. They are not on the same level as Air Force in rushing but are still ranked No. 5 while pushing toward 5.0 ypc. This is important in making this is possession game which slows it down to make it lower scoring as evidenced by this total of 37 and that favors the underdog. 10* (350) Navy Midshipmen

This is a play on the MARSHALL THUNDERING HERD for our CFB Thursday Star Attraction. Give James Madison a lot of credit for being as motivated as it as this is its second season playing in the FBS with nothing to play for. The Dukes are ineligible for the SBC Championship and are not eligible for the postseason for two years after transitioning from the FCS which is a rule that makes little sense. They are off to a 6-0 start including a big 41-13 win over Georgia Southern last week despite winning the yardage battle by just 16 yards as they had a +3 turnover edge. The other four FBS wins were by only one possession. James Madison has been excellent against the run as it leads the nation by allowing just 42.8 ypg on 1.5 ypc but the passing defense has been lit up as it allows 280.7 ypg through the air, tied for seventh worse in the country. Marshall opened the season 4-0 and then lost a tough game at NC State by a touchdown before losing to Georgia St. last week by 17 points despite outgaining the Panthers and going into the fourth quarter down only three points. This has turned into a big game as the Thundering Herd are coming off two straight road games with two more road games on deck. They are 3-0 at home this season with this being a big home field edge going back as they are 50-17 over their last 67 home games. While their rushing defense is not on the same level, they allow nearly 130 yards less through the air. 10* (314) Marshall Thundering Herd

This is a play on the NEW MEXICO ST. AGGIES for our CFB Wednesday Enforcer. New Mexico St. has won two straight games as it has found its rhythm on offense with 439 and 458 total yards in those two games with great balance. The Aggies have a big edge in the running game as they have rushed for at least 170 yards in every game while averaging 194.9 ypg on 5.9 ypc. They average 2.0 more ypc on the ground than UTEP, they outrush opponents by 1.9 ypc and allow 0.9 ypc less on defense than the Miners. The problem early for New Mexico St. early on was turnovers as in its first two losses against UMass and Liberty, the Aggies committed three turnovers in each game and were -5 overall but they have cleaned that up by committing only two turnovers in their last four games and UTEP has not been a takeaway machine as it has forced only five turnovers in seven games. UTEP upset Florida International last week with its third and fourth string quarterbacks as it passed for 302 yards on only 15 completions as the Panthers had no answer for wide receiver Kelly Akharaiyi who hauled in over half of those passes for 223 yards. Whether or not the Miners get one of their top two quarterbacks back in this one, there is not much rhythm with a lack of work together. UTEP averages just 3.9 ypc on offense and faces an Aggies defense that has allowed only 3.5 ypc on 267 yards combined over their last three games. 10* (309) New Mexico St. Aggies

This is a play on the MIDDLE TENNESSEE ST. BLUE RAIDERS CFB Tuesday Enforcer. Middle Tennessee St. won for us last week as a short favorite which snapped a three-game losing streak. The common theme in those defeats were turnovers as they were on the wrong end in all of those and -6 in margin combined. The Blue Raiders are now 2-5 with the other win coming against Murray St. of the FCS and to their credit, the schedule has been tough besides that which includes a game against Colorado St. and three road games against Western Kentucky, Alabama and Missouri. They actually outgained the Rams and were outgained by the Tigers by only 31 yards and the Hilltoppers by 71 yards so they have been dominated just once which was against Alabama. Liberty remained undefeated with a win at Jacksonville St. last week and it is already bowl eligible at 6-0. Clearly this is one of the best teams in Conference USA where the Flames are already 4-0 but two of those wins against brand new FBS entrants Sam Houston St. and Jacksonville St. with the other coming against 0-4 Florida International. They have been the opposite of the Blue Raiders where they have won the turnover battle in five of their six games and their +8 overall turnover margin is tied for sixth best in the country and this has to taken into account along with Middle Tennessee St. tied for No. 114. The Flames have played the No. 144 ranked schedule in the country so that has definitely played into the results as well. 10* (301) Middle Tennessee St. Blue Raiders

This is a play on the COLORADO ST. RAMS for our CFB Late Powerhouse. Boise St. comes in at 3-3 and other than a blowout loss at Washington and a blowout win at home against North Dakota of the FCS, all the other games have been one possession finals so laying over a touchdown is a bit aggressive here. The Broncos other two road games ended up being a split as they defeated San Diego St. by three points but were outgained and were fortunate to have a 2-0 turnover advantage while the other road game was a three-point loss at Memphis. They are coming off an eight-point win over San Jose St. and has their best rushing game of the season but will have their hands full as they hit the road again where they are not nearly as strong. Colorado St. got its doors blown off last week against Utah St. as it opened up a 17-0 lead but allowed the next 37 points being guilty of five turnovers that completely stifled the offense. That dropped the Rams to 2-3 with the other two losses coming against Pac 12 teams in Washington St. and Colorado. Quarterback Brayden Fowler-Nicolosi had his worst game of the season last week but is in a good bounce back spot as he was putting up prolific numbers prior to that. They need to establish the run which has been ineffective but Boise St. is allowing 4.2 ypg and has been gashed in three of its six games. Colorado St. has not forgotten the 49-10 shellacking the Broncos put on them last season. 10* (184) Colorado St. Rams

This is a play on the NORTH CAROLINA TAR HEELS for our ACC Game of the Year. We are not sure Miami can recover from its last minute debacle against Georgia Tech last week as it should be sitting at 5-0 coming into its tough portion of the schedule. That was on the coaching and the Hurricanes are at a big disadvantage in this one in that category while having to hit the road for just the second time this season. Miami did own a nice win over Texas A&M in its second game of the season but it was a lot tighter than the 15-point deficit shows as Miami benefitted from three Aggies turnovers. Back-to-back wins over Bethune Cookman and Temple by a combined 89-14 mean nothing and they come in having played the No. 107 ranked schedule in the nation. North Carolina meanwhile has played a schedule ranked No. 27 and that has not deterred it from a 5-0 start. The Tar Heels were fortunate to beat Pittsburgh on the road even though they won by 17 points as it should have been a lot closer as they only outgained the Panthers by 66 yards but were +3 in turnovers. They are coming off their best offensive performance of the season with 644 yards coupled with their best defensive performance as well as they held the Orange to just 222 yards of offense. This is the second of three straight home games with cupcake Virginia on deck and this line is in their favor in what is a sensational spot. 10* (154) North Carolina Tar Heels

This is a play on the NOTRE DAME FIGHTING IRISH for our CFB Star Attraction. Notre Dame is catching a lot of flack as it opened the season 4-0 but has not looked like the same team since then and that is actually good news here as we can buy low this week. The Irish lost to Ohio St. in a controversial defeat that they easily could have won but went down on the final play. They did not look good against Duke but that was on the road against a very strong Blue Devils team while trying to recover from the prior game. They followed that up with a 13-point loss at Louisville last week but turned the ball over five times including three uncharacteristic interceptions by Sam Hartman, his first three of the season. No worry about Notre Dame not getting up for this one. USC survived Arizona as it rallied from a 17-0 deficit and had a chance to win in regulation but has a field goal blocked yet eventually won in triple overtime on a made two-point conversion. USC was outgained 505-351 and had its third scare in as many weeks with Arizona St. and Colorado hanging until late in the game. Both of those were on the road and the Trojans hit the highway again heading to the Midwest in a tough environment behind a prolific offense led by quarterback Caleb Williams but with a defense that is ranked No. 112 overall including No. 116 in passing and No. 90 in rushing and they will get torched again while facing a top 12 defense. 10* (216) Notre Dame Fighting Irish

This is a play on the AUBURN TIGERS for our SEC Game of the Month. LSU came into the season as National Championship contenders but that ended as soon as the season started with a blowout loss against Florida St. That defeat is not looking as bad now with the Seminoles flourishing but the Tigers have not looked even close to being the preseason contender they came in as. They rolled over Grambling of the FCS and then followed that up with a beatdown of Mississippi St. which is lucky to even be 3-3. LSU was fortunate to beat both Arkansas and Missouri as it has a 4-1 turnover advantage which was sandwiched around a loss to Mississippi where they allowed over 700 yards of offense to the Rebels. The once proud defense has tailed off as it is ranked No. 124 in the country and now they are being asked to lay double-digits. Auburn has done nothing special as it opened 3-0 before losing at Texas A&M and giving Georgia all it could handle prior to its bye last week which came at a good time. The Tigers combined for only 144 yards passing in those two losses but those were against two top 25 passing defenses. Enter LSU and its horrific secondary 1,073 passing yards in its last three games while allowing 15 passing touchdowns total, tied for third most in the country. Auburn has not allowed more than 27 points this season and it is No. 25 in total defense. 10* (199) Auburn Tigers

This is a play on the PITTSBURGH PANTHERS for our CFB Ultimate Underdog. Louisville is off to a 6-0 start but it is not a very pretty undefeated record. The Cardinals opened the season by narrowly defeating Georgia Tech despite getting outgained and had two other close calls against Indiana and NC State. One of their wins came against Murray St. of the FCS where they outgained the Racers 690-166 and doubled up Boston College 56-28 but they caught the Eagles at a perfect time right off the near miss against Florida St. Last week, it looked like an impressive win over Notre Dame but Louisville was actually outgained and benefitted from five Irish turnovers. Now they come in as an inflated favorite in just their second true road game of the season. Pittsburgh does not have a good resume as it has lost four straight games following an opening game win over Wofford of the FCS. The Panthers played Cincinnati tough and nearly pulled off the comeback win and in losses to West Virginia and North Carolina, they were outgained by 11 and 66 yards respectively but were -5 in turnovers. The last defeat against Virginia Tech was a bad one considering they were slight road favorites but they have had a week off to let it go and get ready here which puts them in a good spot. Too much credit for Louisville based on the records and also noting that Pittsburgh has played the No. 29 ranked schedule in the country. 10* (146) Pittsburgh Panthers

This is a play on the BOWLING GREEN FALCONS for our CFB Signature Enforcer. We played against Buffalo last week and that certainly did not pan out as the Bulls destroyed Central Michigan 37-13 but while the scoreboard counts, it does not tell the story. Buffalo was actually outgained but won the turnover battle 4-0 that included a pair of interceptions returned for touchdowns. That win is inflating this number and it should not as this is not a good team. The only other win came against lowly Akron and prior to last week, they lost both of their games played at home, one in which was a 28-point loss to Liberty and the other against Fordham of the FCS. Buffalo lost by just seven at Louisiana but it was dominated in yardage 518-373 but kept it close because of three turnovers. Bowling Green has opened 2-4 but has played a schedule ranked twice as hard as that of the Bulls. The Falcons have road losses as Liberty and Michigan which are a combined 11-0 and one last week at Miami Ohio which is 5-1. They do own a quality win over Georgia Tech and while it was aided by a +2 turnover margin, it was an 11-point win and the yardage was close to identical. This is the start of four straight winnable games before the Falcons face Toledo and the results of last week alone have affected this line enough to give them excellent value with a legitimate shot to win it outright. 10* (165) Bowling Green Falcons

This is a play on the KANSAS JAYHAWKS for our CFB Supreme Annihilator. Oklahoma St. came through for us last Friday in its home win over Kansas St. and now it is ripe for a letdown. The Cowboys were outgained by the Wildcats but had a 3-0 turnover advantage and are now getting a touchdown less this week against a team ranked on the same level as Kansas St. That was a spot play against the Wildcats more than it was on the Cowboys with the exception of them playing for payback from a 48-0 loss last season. The Cowboys put up a good effort against Iowa St. as they were outgained by only 13 total yards but as was the case in their other loss against South Alabama, turnovers hurt them as they were on the wrong end in both games 2-0. Kansas suffered a blowout loss at Texas for its only defeat this season and it bounced back following a bye with a 29-point win over UCF last week. That was the second straight game that quarterback Jalon Daniels missed because of back tightness and the Jayhawks hope to get him back this week as he can be a game changer but Jason Bean has been a solid backup in his absence. Kansas relies heavily on its running game with Daniels not having been much of a contributor anyway and the Jayhawks are No. 6 in the country in rushing. Kansas does have Oklahoma on deck but it is not for two weeks as they have their only bye coming up. 10* (209) Kansas Jayhawks

This is a play on the PURDUE BOILERMAKERS for our CFB Afternoon Dominator. Ohio St. is rolling along as it is 5-0 but something just does not look right with the offense. Quarterback Kyle McCord ranks No. 21 in the country with a 164.01 rating and he has had trouble making decisions and is poor at scrambling for extra yards and avoiding sacks. A lot of this is partly due to an offensive line that has not been very good in helping him and has not been able to help generate a running game. It hung 63 on Western Kentucky but has been average other than that. The Buckeyes are sound defensively and that will help them here but they have a lookahead to Penn St. next week so they want to get out of here healthy while not showing too much. Purdue is 2-4 but could be much better. The Boilermakers lost a tough one to Fresno St. in its opening game and while its next two losses against Syracuse and Wisconsin were by 36 points combined, the yardage numbers were close to even in both games but they killed themselves with seven turnovers. It has been much better since then with a resounding win over Illinois and then hanging with Iowa last week as they outgained the Hawkeyes in the six-point loss. They were getting 2.5 on the road there and are now getting close to three touchdowns at home and while Iowa and Ohio St. are not on the same level, it is a massive line swing. 10* (170) Purdue Boilermakers

This is a play on the UTAH ST. AGGIES for our CFB Friday Primetime Dominator. Fresno St. jumped into the AP Poll last week after a 5-0 start and then came the talk about being in the mix for the group of five bowl team but that ended last week in a loss at Wyoming. The talk of that and even entering the top 25 was a bit aggressive considering the Bulldogs have not exactly played anyone and the wins are iffy at best. They snuck by a poor Purdue team late, defeated Eastern Washington of the FCS by only three points with the yards being nearly dead even, beat Arizona St. thanks to a 8-0 turnover advantage and the last two wins came against Kent St. and Nevada which are a combined 1-10. All of this has equated to a schedule ranked No. 114 in the country and Fresno St. still comes in a heavy road favorite here. Utah St. improved to 3-3 with a win over Colorado St. last week which was its best performance of the season. The Aggies generated 639 yards of offense as the unit has improved in most every game against FBS opposition. They opened the season with a loss at Iowa but actually outgained the Hawkeyes, played Air Force tough but lost the turnover battle 2-0 and lost to undefeated James Madison by only a touchdown while getting outgained by only 12 yards. Utah St. is not far behind in OVR despite playing a more difficult schedule and while the defense has not been as strong, the Aggies have generated 11 turnovers their last three games while their eight interceptions are tied for sixth most in the nation. 10* (180) Utah St. Aggies