By Nevada Sharpshooter
The 10-2 Golden Hurricane of Tulsa will host the 8-4 East Carolina Pirates in the Conference USA Championship game. Tulsa’s high powered offense features QB David Johnson who has thrown an amazing 42 TD passes compared to just 13 interceptions. His main targets are possession reciever Damaris Johnson with 44 receptions and 9 TDs and deep threat Brennan Marion, 39 catches and 8 TDs. On the ground the Hurricane rely on RB Tarrion Adams who has almost 1200 yards rushing while averaging 6 yards per carry. Adams has also crossed the goal line 9 times. Defensively though Tulsa has struggled giving up over 30 points 5 times this season.
By Nevada Sharpshooter
In a battle for first place in the Big East, the 7-2 Pitt Panthers travel to Cincinnati to take on the 8-2 Bearcats. Pittsburgh will rely on its strong ground game, led by RB LeSean McCoy who has over 1000 yards rushing while averaging 5 yards per carry. When the Panthers need to throw it QB Bill Stull and WRs Derek Kinder and Jonathon Baldwin. Kinder works underneath while Baldwin is the deep threat.
By Mike Wynn Sports
The task for California is simple, win out and they play in the Rose Bowl on New Years Day. But obviously that’s easier said than done when you have back-to-back road trips to USC and Oregon St. Cal Bears start the first half of that twin bill with the game at USC Saturday. California is 6-2 this season and 4-1 in Pac-10 play, and they’re fresh off a big win over Oregon Saturday. California may have played their best defensive game of the season allowing just 290 total yards to Oregon and they’ll have to have another huge effort to knock off USC Saturday. Trojans 7-1 this season and 5-1 in conference are currently sitting at seventh in the latest BCS rankings and they’re definitely sitting on the outside looking in. A BCS Championship game is not impossible for USC but they’ll need a lot of help and they’ll need to be perfect from here on out. So let’s take a closer look at both these teams Saturday and we’ll start with the visiting California Bears.
The Georgia Bulldogs travel to LSU to face off against the Tigers. LSU is coming off a hard fought win over South Carolina. This was a game that saw the LSU running game wear out the Gamecocks late leading to a come from behind 24-17 win. Look for running backs Keiland Williams and Charles Scott share the load on the ground. The game plan will be similiar in this matchup vs the Bulldogs. Keep the game close and take control late with the power running game.
Georgia on the other hand will use a much more balanced attack. QB Matthew Stafford will be in charge of the offense with help from WR A. J. Green, while running back Knowshon Moreno will carry the load on the ground. The Bulldogs have been dominating in the stats but not on the scoreboard. They had over 400 yards of offense vs both Tennessee and Vanderbilt. While they won both games they couldn’t get to 30 points in either.
I like Georgia’s balanced attack and a defense that gave up only 1 yard rushing to Tennessee to come away with a road win. Take Georgia +2 over LSU.
Once thought to be one of the better conferences in the country, the Pac-10 finds itself with only USC ranked in the top 25 heading into this weekends action. Oregon and Arizona St were both expected to be top 25 main stays this season, but neither team has lived up to expectations this season. The Sun Devils were ranked as high as number 15 this season after starting 2-0, but have since dropped 4 straight and will be hoping to get bowl eligible with a strong finish. Oregon also started out the season fast at 3-0 and were ranked number 16 in the country at one point, but QB injuries and loses to Boise St and USC have them sitting on the outside looking in. Ducks at 5-2 overall and 3-1 in conference are certainly in good position to get a bowl bid, and they would prefer it be one playing on New Years Day. So let’s take a look at these two teams a little closer and we’ll start with the visitors from Oregon.As I mentioned earlier the Oregon squad has been hit by the injury bug losing their projected starting QB Costa before the season started, their opening game starter Roper has missed time with a concussion and a knee injury, their third stringer Masoli missed the second half of the Boise St loss, but has since come back and has started the last 3 games. Roper has returned to practice but will likely back up Masoli Saturday when they face Arizona St. Masoli nearly broke the Oregon single game rushing record last week against UCLA as he totaled 170 yards on 24 carries and finished just 3 yards short of putting his name in the record books. In the backfield Masoli is joined by running backs Blount and Johnson who both have over 500 yards rushing this season and average 7.2 and 5.8 yards per carry respectively. At WR the ducks are a balanced group with 4 guys catching 23 balls or more this season, and that group is led by senior Jaison Williams who’s closing in on Sammy Parker’s records for receptions and yards receiving. Give a lot of credit for Oregon’s ability to overcome injuries to offensive coordinator Chip Kelly. Since Kelley has taken over prior to 2007 the Ducks offense has scored 30 or more points in 15 of 20 games. Defensively the Ducks are OK allowing 25.6 points per game this season. The Ducks allowing 103 yards per game on the ground and 371 yards passing per contest this season could certainly use improvement. Defense is led by DE Nick Reed who leads the Pac-10 and ranks nationally in sacks and tackles for loss per game this season. Senior Pat Chung also ranks seventh in career tackles at Oregon with 338 playing the rover position in the Oregon defense. For Arizona St the problems are a little deeper than just having injuries, though their starting QB Rudy Carpenter has been nursing a sprained left ankle. Arizona St is off a bye week so Carpenter, who answered the call against USC, should be ready to go in this one Saturday. Carpenter is a solid QB for Dennis Erickson’s Sun Devils completing 65% off his passes, but his 8 to 5 touchdown to interception ratio is a big concern. Most of the problem for Carpenter is a lack of a running game on offense. Their best RB Keegan Herring has missed time for Arizona St, but even his return against Cal and USC did little to bolster the rushing attack. Sun Devils only mustered 71 yards on the ground against Cal and 75 against USC. Arizona St should get healthier here off the bye week and some how they’re going to have to get some balance on offense, and that means getting productive yardage on the ground. The receiving corps is led by Michael Jones and his 30 catches this season, but again with teams playing the pass against ASU they haven’t had a lot of big play opportunities. Defensively the Sun Devils are allowing 22 points per game and their led by junior DE Dexter Davis and his 5 QB sacks and 7 tackles for a loss this season. Arizona St defense will certainly be tested by the Oregon offense that’s balanced and averaging 39.7 points per contest. Checking some of the history and trends here we find that ASU is 16-12 all-time versus Oregon including 8-6 at Sun Devil Stadium, but Oregon has won 3 straight. Oregon is off a bye week and Mike Belotti’s Ducks are 13-2 straight up on Saturdays off a bye during the regular season. Arizona St also off a bye is just 1-4 straight up the last 5 and 2-3 ATS, but they’re a perfect 8-0 ATS at home off a bye since 1992. Sun Devils are poor in the underdog role with a 1-10 straight up and 2-9 ATS mark when getting points the last 3 seasons while Oregon a big 60-37 ATS coming off a home game since 1992, but 15-31 ATS as a favorite of 3½-10 points over the same span. Mike Belotti’s squad has more momentum heading into this one, but Arizona St will be as healthy as they’ve been since week 1 and they’ll be playing with desperation in this one. Rudy Carpenter’s last shot to beat Oregon in his tenure at Arizona St will add extra incentive and we’ll recommend taking the points with the home dog Arizona St Saturday.
By Tom Hatfield of Razor Sharp Sports
So the Texas Longhorns (3-0 7-0) have passed their first two big tests with flying colors. First they took care of Oklahoma, then they jumped on Missouri. The tests aren’t done yet. As a matter of fact, they really have just begun for the #1 team in the first BCS rankings of the season. They still have 3 more ranked teams on their schedule and more than likely a fourth waiting at the Big-12 Championship game. This week the test is the offensive attack of the Oklahoma St Cowboys (3-0 7-0). The Cowboys are currently #6 in the BCS and sport a dangerous double threat offense. Lets take a look at both teams closer.
By The Vegas Steamline
For anyone who has ever played poker, you know how it feels when you get a bad beat. This weekend we experienced the ultimate in bad beats in college football. I guess as hot as we have been all football season long ( 90-46-2 since Sept. 1st), we were due to take a bad one. We were on the Michigan Wolverines +24½ against Penn St. In case you didn’t actually see the game and just saw the end result, let me tell you a bit about what happened. Michigan actually lead 17-7 in the 2nd quarter and it was 17-14 at halftime. After that the wheels fell off. Still when you are getting more than 3 TDs, you have to still feel pretty good. Penn St took the lead, and started to stretch it out, but still the clock was on our side. Finally we were down to the final 5 minutes of the game and Michigan has the ball trailing by 22. The Wolverines had to punt, but it put Penn St back to their own 20. Penn St then trotted out many of their second stringers. They run the ball up the middle for gains of 2 & 3, plus they have a 5 yard penalty, so they are sitting at 3rd and 10 and running the clock. They run a middle screen play that goes for 80 yards and the dagger in my heart! For you poker players it is kind of like this. You are sitting with pocket Aces, the flop comes Ace of clubs, 10 of heart and 7 of clubs. You bet with your 4 aces and get one caller. The turn comes and shows a 4 of clubs. You bet more and get the call. The final card is the 2 of clubs. You go all in and the caller flips over the 3 and 5 of clubs for his straight flush, beating your quad Aces. It is just sick. The only worse beat I can recall in college football was a game about 6 to 8 years ago in the Pac-10. Actually I was on the lucky side of this one. I had a favorite of 10 points or so. All I know was it was more than a TD. The game went to OT. My team scored and got the extra point. The other team then threw a pass that was intercepted by my team and taken back for the TD to win by 13 and get the cover. That would be a tough loss to swallow, but that was kind of a fluky play. The Michigan/Penn St game was truly a lack of heart by Michigan. That team totally gave up once they fell behind.
By Platinum Plays
New Michigan head coach Rich Rodgriguez and this year’s football program making a name for themselves in the history of Wolverine football. Unfortunately, this team is being recognized for it’s futility and the task of restoring Michigan to a premier football program in the Big Ten and nationally is not going to get any easier this weekend whent they travel to University Park Pennsylvania to take on the #3 ranked Nittany Lions. The (2-4) Wolverines are off to their worst start since 1967 and lost last Saturday for the first time ever to a team from the MAC (10-13) when K.C. Lopata missed a game tying 26 yard field goal with :04 seconds remaining in the game.
By Nevada Sharpshooter
The South Carolina Gamecocks travel to Kentucky to square off against the Wildcats. South Carolina will rely on QB Chris Smelley, who had 327 yards passing and 3 TDs at a good Mississippi team last week. The win was the first in conference for the Gamecocks and brings there SEC record to 1-2. The Gamecock defense is also playing well and was ranked #1 in the country going into last weeks game vs Miss.
By Mike Wynn Sports
For the tenth time since 1950 the Oklahoma Sooners and Texas Longhorns are both ranked in the top 5 heading into the Red River Rivalry in Dallas. Both teams have been very impressive offensively and both teams have yet to be tested seriously. Sooners and Longhorns are both averaging about 36 points margin per victory this season and this game has national implications written all over it. So let’s take a look at both these squads and we’ll start the Oklahoma Sooners.
By Razor Sharp Sports
How often can you say that a batle between #4 & #11 isn’t the top match-up of the weekend? Well, this week the Red River Rivalry between #1 Oklahoma and #5 Texas may take the top billing, but when #4 LSU heads to Gainville to take #11 Florida there will be plenty of eyes watching. Lucky for us, the TV networks were wise enough to put the Big-12 battle during the day and the SEC tilt at night so we won’t have to wear out out jump button on the remote. Here we are going to look at the night battle in the SEC. We may be looking at a rematch later this season for the Conference Championship, sorry Vandy and Bama, I don’t mean to count you out. We have a battle of the last 2 National Champions.
By Platinum Plays
The PAC 10 bashers have had their fair share of ammunition to rip the strength of this conference and now with conference play underway, we’ll see how it shakes out for Arizona State and Cal in the pecking order of PAC 10 power. I’d bet Oregon State’s upset of USC is not the only shocker of the year in the PAC 10 and both of these teams will have a shot at the conference title and this game will keep one of these teams undefeated in the PAC 10 and diminish the chances of the loser. Both these teams have incurred a bad loss(es) this season with Cal getting trounced by Maryland on September 13 in a game which Cal undoubtedly was the more talented team and heavily favored. Arizona State lost at home in overtime to UNLV on September 13 which many excused as looking ahead to next weeks game against Georgia. However, the Bulldogs came into Tempe the following week and completely dominated the Sun Devils (27-10) and left many wondering if Dennis Erickson’s team can compete for a PAC 10 title. The task ahead for Erickson and the Sun Devils doesn’t get any easier with Saturday’s trip into Berkeley to take on Jeff Tedford’s Golden Bears.
By Nevada Sharpshooter
The 23rd ranked Horned Frogs of TCU travel to Norman to square off against the 2nd ranked Sooners of Oklahoma. TCU will rely on a strong defense and powerful running game. The rushing attack is led by RB Ryan Christian and QB Andy Dalton who each are averaging about 4.5 yards per carry. When Dalton does throw the ball the target usually is WR Jimmy Young who has 20 catches for 237 yards. Defensively the Horned Frogs have been holding opponents to about 8 points a game.
By Mike Wynn Sports
After taking the North Carolina job at the end of the 2006 season Butch Davis makes his first trip back to Miami to face his old club the Hurricanes. Last year Davis’s Tar Heels got the better of it in Chapel Hill winning 33-27. This year things have changed as the Hurricanes seem to be back on the rise after a couple down years and N Carolina will be going it with an inexperience QB as starter Yates is out for 6 weeks with an ankle injury. So let’s take a look at both teams here and well start with the visiting N Carolina Tar Heels.
By Dr. Vegas
This game kicks off at 3:33pm Eastern on September 13, 2008 in Provo, Utah. BYU is favored by 8 after an opening line of 10.5. The total is 46 after an opening line of 45.
UCLA opened the season on Sept. 1 as a 7.5-point dog with a strong outright win over then-18th-ranked Tennessee, 27-24. They had last weekend off.
BYU is playing in its third game of the season, though the blowout opener against Northern Iowa was more of a practice. Their last game was a nail-biter 1-point win in a game they were favored to win by 8 points over Washington.