80% IN NFL KEYS THE LAST 2 WEEKS SUNDAY NFL SIDES WENT 17-7 IN WEEKS 5 & 6

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1 THE GREEN SHEET Volume XXVII Issue 14 October 16, 2017 $ % IN NFL KEYS THE LAST 2 WEEKS SUNDAY NFL SIDES WENT 17-7 IN WEEKS 5 & 6 4th Quarter Covers NCAA Week 7 UL-Lafayette (-14) 24, Texas State 7: The Ragin Cajuns were even with the closing spread just a few minutes into game with a 14-0 advantage but there were no points for over 30 minutes of game clock before Texas State completed an 89-yard drive to stay in the game, scoring with four minutes remaining in the third quarter. Hopes of a comeback for the Bobcats ended as they fumbled on their next possession leading to a field goal for UL-Lafayette, though the margin was just 10 points heading into the fourth quarter. With 10 minutes remaining UL-Lafayette put the game away, getting the past the spread with a touchdown pass and Texas State opted to punt from just inside Ragin Cajuns territory with about six minutes remaining on its best late opportunity. Ohio (-10) 48, Bowling Green 30: The Bobcats trailed late in the third quarter before Nathan Rourke broke a 75-yard touchdown run to put Ohio in the lead heading into the fourth quarter though still sitting short of the favorite spread. The Bobcats added three fourth quarter touchdowns to pull away with a final with the help of two of the four Bowling Green turnovers in the final quarter. Army (-4) 28, Eastern Michigan 27: Army led by seven through three quarters, failing to complete a pass but dominating on the ground. Eastern Michigan tied the game early in the fourth but Army answered with a 16-play touchdown drive to go back up by seven with five minutes to go. The Eagles converted a big fourth down in their own territory on the final drive and eventually snuck into the end zone in the final minute. Down one the Eagles went for the win and failed but the late score was enough for the slight underdog to cover the spread. Virginia (-3½) 20, North Carolina 14: The Tar Heels led late in the third quarter but Virginia took the lead on an 81-yard pass play. A three-point edge was just short of the closing number but off a Tar Heels turnover the Cavaliers added a short field goal early in the fourth quarter to lead by six. The Tar Heels stayed in the game by forcing a fumble with about three minutes to go to prevent another Cavaliers score but North Carolina didn t seriously threaten needing a touchdown late, eventually sacked on 4th down just past midfield to effectively end the game. West Virginia (-5½) 46, Texas Tech 35: The Red Raiders led late in the third quarter before a stunning comeback from the hosting Mountaineers. Texas Tech still led by 11 into the fourth quarter and after a missed field goal the Red Raiders were bailed out with an interception from West Virginia. The Mountaineers climbed within three on a 32-yard touchdown run and then forced a 3-and-out on defense. A few plays later West Virginia had a lead, though that margin was short of the most of the home favorite spreads on a line that bounced around during the week from -3½ to -6. It wound up not mattering as Texas Tech went backwards and had to punt again and the Mountaineers piled on another touchdown with about three minutes remaining for a deceptive victory. NC State (-13) 35, Pittsburgh 17: NC State and Pittsburgh were tied at halftime and it took until two minutes to go in the third quarter for the Wolfpack to take the lead. Early in the fourth quarter NC State slipped past the favorite spread with a touchdown run. Pittsburgh momentarily got back within the spread hitting a field goal with eight minutes to go but NC State broke a 40 yard run with two minutes remaining while essentially trying to run out the clock, winning by 18. Michigan (-6½) 27, Indiana 20: The Wolverines led by 10 at halftime but Indiana closed to within three early in the third quarter before an exchange of eight consecutive punts, including seven 3-and-outs. Early in the fourth quarter Karan Higdon broke a 59-yard touchdown run to put Michigan back up by 10 and it looked like that might hold with both offenses struggling. Michigan allowed a 53-yard punt return however to put Indiana in the red zone and with about three minutes remaining the Hoosiers were back within three. Indiana managed to hold on defense and in the final seconds got in range for a game tying field goal. Any momentum the Hoosiers had was quickly erased as Higdon put Michigan up by seven on the first play of overtime and despite reaching 1st-and-goal from the Michigan 1-yard-line Indiana was stopped as the Wolverines escaped Bloomington with a win and a narrow cover for most on a line that did hit -7 and even briefly -7½ before falling back down and early in the week was as low as -5. Marshall (-13) 35. Old Dominion 3: Marshall was just short of the favorite spread heading into the fourth quarter but with the help of a defensive score the Thundering Herd scored three touchdowns in the first five minutes of the final frame to pull away for a more decisive final result. Florida State (-7) 17, Duke 10: This ACC game was a tie through three quarters but led by Cam Akers the Seminoles completed a 91-yard touchdown drive early in the fourth quarter to lead by seven, matching the road favorite spread. A pair of punts on each side followed but Duke was a threat to tie late reaching a new set of downs in the final 30 seconds from the Florida State 32-yard-line. The game ended with three straight incomplete passes as most wound up with a push though some early backers of the Seminoles might have found -6½. View the rest at Between the Lines... The college football schedule looked rather unappealing on the national stage last week with no head-to-head matchups between top 25 teams and most of the big TV games featuring massive spreads. College Game Day even opted to go to the FCS level for the Villanova/James Madison game. Things got off to a wild start Friday night with a pair of top 10 upsets including Syracuse upsetting #2 Clemson, the defending national champions. California delivered a blowout of Washington State to complete the Friday the 13th upset pair. Two more top 10 squads fell on Saturday with Washington and Auburn dropping division road games for a huge shake-up in the national picture and now only six undefeated power 5 teams remain. If the remaining six teams all went undefeated in the regular season the SEC and B10 championship games would bounce two of the squads as there is a current path for the College Football Playoff to feature four 13-0 major conference champions. In that scenario the Pac-12 is the odd conference out. USC has a chance to emerge as the top 12-1 squad if they win out the rest of the way with a big non-conference game with Notre Dame to boost the resume. Washington and Washington State now both have steep uphill battles to even re-join the playoff conversation with the weak non-conference slate for the Huskies and a 37-3 loss pretty hard to overlook for the Cougars. TCU can be the savior for the Big XII but the Frogs will have to win in Norman on November 11. The Big XII championship game will be in a favorable Arlington venue for TCU but they also have road games in Ames and Lubbock to also worry about plus a home date with Texas before even thinking about having to beat the #2 Big XII team for a second time in the same season. Penn State is the #2 team in the nation for the moment but it will be a major surprise if the Lions hold that ground through the upcoming gauntlet of Michigan, at Ohio State, and at Michigan State the next three weeks. Penn State has played a very weak schedule in the 6-0 start and struggled production-wise in several of those games as this very well could be the most overrated team in the nation and a team that is very unlikely to be again playing in the B10 championship. Wisconsin s resume can similarly be criticized but the Badgers look likely to be a double-digit favorite in every game until they almost certainly head to Indianapolis as the B10 West champions. Wisconsin is likely to be an underdog in that game especially if they draw Ohio State but they ll only need to deliver one big win, while obviously avoiding an upset down the stretch with some more challenging contests ahead in November. Georgia finally looks like a team that can provide the SEC East with a worthy contender for the SEC title, now 7-0. Games with Florida, Auburn, and Georgia Tech are all away from home before a potential showdown with Alabama in the SEC title game. If both teams enter that game 12-0 there is a good chance both teams will make the College Football Playoff regardless of the result as Georgia s resume with wins at Notre Dame and potentially at Georgia Tech would make for a strong overall body of work and as usual Alabama would climb to the top of the one-loss pile. Injuries were the big storyline on Sunday with three teams losing starting quarterbacks mid-game. The most significant of those injuries came to Aaron Rodgers with the Packers a team on the shortlist of Super Bowl contenders. The Packers are already 4-2 and 9-7 might be good enough to win the NFC North. The schedule ahead is reasonable as if Brett Hundley can lead.500 play and Rodgers can return in by Week 15 Green Bay could still be a threat for a great postseason run. The Vikings have their own quarterback issues and a much tougher remaining schedule as the current leader and chief contender in the division race. Two double-digit underdogs won outright in the NFL last week and blindly betting the underdog would have made you 11-2 so far in Week 6 (and on the season) heading into Monday night. Best of Luck and on to this week s slate This version of the Green Sheet is prepared exclusively for UNAUTHORIZED DUPLICATION, REPRODUCTION, TRANSFER, OR PUBLIC POSTING IS STRICTLY PROHIBITED. VIOLATORS WILL FACE AN IMMEDIATE TERMINATION OF THEIR SUBSCRIPTION.

2 COLLEGE KEY SELECTIONS ********************************************************************** RATING 5 WISCONSIN (-24) over Maryland RATING 4 WYOMING (+14) over Boise State RATING 3 TOLEDO (-14) over Akron RATING 2 GEORGIA STATE (+9½) over Troy RATING 2 CONNECTICUT (+6) over Tulsa RATING 1 DUKE (-8) over Pittsburgh RATING 1 TEMPLE (+6½) over Army ********************************************************************** ALL TIMES ARE LISTED IN CENTRAL TIME AND SUBJECT TO CHANGE Home teams listed in CAPS, all lines are obviously subject to change THURSDAY, OCTOBER 19, 2017 HOUSTON (-3) Memphis These AAC squads were on the opposite end of turnover results last week with Houston losing at Tulsa and Memphis holding on against Navy. While the top AAC contenders appear to be in the East this game could play a major role in deciding the West champion. Memphis beat Houston at home late last season with huge offensive numbers on both sides. The Cougars have scored only 24 points per game in AAC play for a big drop from last season s production while yet to play any of the projected top teams in the league. Memphis is on the road for the third time in four weeks and while Riley Ferguson is completing fewer than 60 percent of his passes the production of the Memphis offense has been more reliable. MEMPHIS BY 7 ARKANSAS STATE (-13) UL-Lafayette 7:30 PM The Red Wolves are one of three teams in the Sun Belt yet to take a loss, now 17-1 in conference games since 2015 after winning big in their homecoming test last week. The only loss in that run came in Lafayette late season, a defeat that cost the Red Wolves the outright league title. To say that was a fluky result would be an understatement with a yardage edge but an early defensive score for the Ragin Cajuns was the difference. Louisiana enters this game off back-to-back low scoring wins getting a little extra time this week with this being a second straight Thursday game. Under Mark Hudspeth the Cajuns are a as a road dog. ASU BY 10 FRIDAY, OCTOBER 20, 2017 Western Kentucky (-9½) OLD DOMINION 5:00 PM A 2-0 start for Old Dominion has been wiped out with four straight losses, all by 30 or more points. Taking on a winless Charlotte team last week Western Kentucky s offense finally resembled the high scoring units of recent years with 45 points and more than 600 yards. The Hilltoppers are 4-2 and still a threat in a wide open Conference USA this season as this game can t be overlooked. Old Dominion won 10 games last season but the Monarchs lost badly at Western Kentucky last season This year s team has faced arguably the top two Conference USA teams in the 0-2 league start. One win over one of the worst FBS teams doesn t solve the issues. WKU BY 3 Marshall (-3) MIDDLE TENNESSEE STATE The Thundering Herd are enjoying a resurgent season at 5-1 though this will be a jump in competition after facing the bottom of Conference USA in a 2-0 league start. MTSU was expected to contend in the East division this season but losing quarterback Brent Stockstill early in the season has changed that equation. The Blue Raiders have alternated wins and losses this season but they have a win at the Carrier Dome, where the defending national champions lost last week. Marshall won in this matchup last season in Huntington for one of the few bright spots in a tough 2016 season for the Herd. Ultimately this line looks out of place given that the Blue Raiders were - 8½ on the road last season and turnovers skewed the result. MTSU BY 3 Air Force (-5½) NEVADA 8:30 PM The Falcons appeared headed for a five-game slide falling behind 27-0 last week at home against UNLV. Air Force incredibly came back and won in what could be a turning point in the season. Nevada is 1-6 but also a team heading in the right direction, winning two weeks ago at home and giving one of the MWC favorites a tight game last week, losing at Colorado State. Off an emotional comeback this is the third road game in four weeks for Air Force with a much bigger game up next. AIR FORCE BY 3 Colorado State (-7) NEW MEXICO 9:15 PM The Lobos were embarrassed at Fresno State last week and the quarterback situation remains jumbled with freshman Tevaka Tuioti taking most of the snaps in the shutout loss. At 3-3 two of the toughest league games are ahead the next two weeks for Bob Davie s team. Colorado State is the lone 3-0 MWC team but there is company in the division race with Wyoming and Boise State getting big road wins last week. The Rams won at home last season and the offensive production has been strong behind Nick Stevens. The defense displayed red flags last week however. CSU BY 4 SATURDAY, OCTOBER 21, 2017 NORTHWESTERN (-1½) Iowa These teams both sit at 1-2 in Big Ten play as Wisconsin appears to be running away with the Big Ten West. Iowa was off last week following a blowout win over Illinois and the Hawkeyes lost by single scores against two of the top East teams. Northwestern was much less competitive in their big conference tests. Justin Jackson finally had a big game on the ground last week and Iowa has surprisingly struggled stopping the run so far this season. The Wildcats won in Iowa City last season and this year s situation should favor the rested Hawkeyes. IOWA BY 7 Tulsa (-6) CONNECTICUT The Huskies snapped a four-game slide with a nice win at Temple last week while Tulsa snapped a four-game slide beating Houston. Both teams are headed towards disappointing seasons but Connecticut caught some big breaks for last week s upset and isn t well suited to attack Tulsa s struggling run defense. Tulsa has faced a difficult schedule at 2-5 with no off weeks yet and in road game the Hurricane has allowed 59, 54, and 62 in three losses. This is homecoming in Storrs and this will be the first road start for freshman quarterback Luke Skipper who led a win in his debut last week but with only nine completions while providing a lesser rushing threat. UCONN BY 3 Troy (-9½) GEORGIA STATE 1:00 PM Following up a big upset can be a challenge and after a long layoff following Troy s historic win over LSU the Trojans were upset at home against South Alabama. Despite the marquee win Troy is falling short of last season s production behind senior quarterback Brandon Silvers and Georgia State is suddenly looking like a formidable foe. The Panthers have reached last season s three-win count in their past three games and last week the Panthers netted 670 total yards winning at UL-Monroe, now one of three teams undefeated in Sun Belt play. Georgia State out-gained Troy in a 10- point loss last season and this will actually be the first FBS home game of the season for the surging Panthers. GEORGIA STATE BY 3 Smu (NL) CINCINNATI Luke Fickell has been dealt a tough first half in his first season leading Cincinnati with a 2-5 start that easily could have been 1-6 with the lone win over a FCS foe. Against two of the top AAC squads the Bearcats have been blown out the past two weeks and he is now likely without QB Hayden Moore. SMU sat out last week following a tough loss at Houston. The wins in the 4-2 start for the Mustangs are not of high quality but ultimately SMU didn t look too out of place in a competitive loss at TCU either. Cincinnati is still a prominent AAC team that should draw a focused effort from SMU though road favoritism hasn t been the norm for the program. SMU BY 13 FLORIDA ATLANTIC (-3½) North Texas 4:00 PM This game didn t stand out when the Conference USA schedule was released but these are division leaders now in a key crossover game. The Mean Green have won narrowly in three conference wins but competitive non-conference results and great rushing numbers makes the encouraging start credible. It was a surprise when Lane Kiffin took this job but he inherited some returning talent and after starting 0-2 the Owls have won three of the last four even with the challenges the hurricane placed on the schedule. The Owls also have great rushing numbers as well but the defense for North Texas has allowed just 3.5 yards per rush. NORTH TEXAS BY 3 MIAMI, OH (NL) Buffalo 1:30 PM After the tough 7-overtime loss to Western Michigan the Bulls had another tough loss last week, hosting Northern Illinois and losing by a single point. The Bulls are 7-0 ATS this season however and they face a reeling Miami squad that that has lost three in a row to sit at 2-5 despite high expectations, now without QB Gus Ragland. The MAC losses the past two weeks have come against Bowling Green and Kent State squads that have greatly struggled elsewhere. Miami has been a bit snake-bitten with five nonoffensive touchdowns allowed but the Redhawks were fortunate to win in this matchup last season, getting 35 points on 309 yards. BUFFALO BY 3 TOLEDO (-14) Akron Akron s game was pushed to Sunday last week due to weather and they now draw what looks like the top MAC team on a short week. Toledo is 5-1 with the lone loss a competitive outing at still undefeated Miami, FL. The Rockets won last season at Akron and Logan Woodside has been very efficient leading the Toledo offense. Akron managed to hold off a late rally from Western Michigan for a huge win over the 2016 champion. Akron is now 3-0 in East and this could be a challenging follow-up game. TOLEDO BY 24 OHIO (-19½) Kent State 1:00 PM The Bobcats pulled away last week to move to 2-1 in MAC play looking to repeat as the East division champion. Both wins came narrowly on the road in league play as Ohio lost its MAC home opener. Kent State was a surprise winner last week holding off Miami with a second half comeback for the first FBS win of the season for the Flashes. Miami won last season hosting Kent State with neither team posting more than 262 yards. George Bollas made a few big plays last week the overall numbers since taking over at quarterback for the Flashes are pretty rough. OHIO BY 21

3 Northern Illinois (-13½) BOWLING GREEN 1:00 PM 1-6 Bowling Green has competed respectably in MAC play with a win and two competitive losses against two of the better teams in the East division. These teams met three straight years in the MAC championship before both teams fell off the map last season. The Huskies appear to be back on track to be a contender this season at 4-2 with the losses in competitive games in quality non-conference tests. The MAC wins haven t featured dominant results however, 0-2 ATS and now facing a second straight road game. The scoring offense has declined now with freshman Marcus Childers at quarterback. Bowling Green is showing improvement. NIU BY 7 Western Michigan (-4) EASTERN MICHIGAN 1:00 PM After last season s bowl breakthrough the Eagles are just 2-4 but four straight defeats have come by a total of 17 points with a seven-point loss in overtime. Back at home after three straight road games this should be a huge game for the Eagles facing their rival who won the MAC last season. Eastern Michigan doesn t run the ball well but they catch Western Michigan on a short week with the Broncos unlikely to match the success of last season. This looks like a great opportunity for a strong Eagles performance with Western coming off a tough loss on Sunday against Akron EMU BY 3 MICHIGAN STATE (-7½) Indiana Indiana is 3-3 on the season but they have competed well having to already play the three powerhouse programs in the Big Ten East. The matchup isn t any easier this week with a resurgent Spartans team off to a 3-0 start in Big Ten play. Indiana beat Michigan State early last season in overtime when the Spartans were ranked #17 nationally but this year s team has consistently had turnover issues, now -9 on the season. The Spartans have led with a great run defense and despite a run of big games in a row this week s game looks tougher on the Hoosiers who lost in overtime hosting Michigan for homecoming last weekend. Things are falling together for the Spartans ahead of the big early November tests. MICHIGAN STATE BY 17 Uab (-7) CHARLOTTE 5:30 PM After a pair of competitive showings Charlotte couldn t keep pace last week, falling to 0-7. Charlotte has struggled to produce and turnovers have taken a toll as well. UAB has been a great story this season now 4-2 in the first season back for the football program. The wins the past two weeks came against decent Conference USA competition but both games were at home and came by very slim margins. UAB is 0-2 on the road with 97 points allowed as this might be a reasonable opportunity for Charlotte but ultimately backing a Blazers team with some positive momentum is easier. UAB BY 10 ARMY (-6½) Temple Temple will have a hard time repeating as AAC champions now 1-3 in league play in a clear transition season. The Owls had massive production edges last week however despite falling to Connecticut at home. Army has won three in a row to reach 5-2 but the schedule deserves some scrutiny and the Knights barely won last week. The one-dimensional Army attack will be tested and the Knights are vulnerable defensively, particularly on the ground, allowing 5.5 yards per carry. This is a revenge game for Temple as despite a 10-win campaign the Owls lost the opener hosting Army. TEMPLE BY 3 Byu (-5½) EAST CAROLINA It has been a nightmare season in Provo with BYU now 1-6 and 0-7 ATS with the lone win coming against FCS competition. An offense reliant on quarterback play has had four signal-callers combine for 13 interceptions while the Cougars are gaining just 3.3 yards per carry. This should be a great opportunity for production as East Carolina s defensive numbers are among the worst in the nation. The Pirates have allowed more than 60 points three times this season and the rushing statistics and turnover ledger isn t much better for the Pirates. Cross country travel for BYU adds to the team s headaches but the price favorable for the Cougars. BYU BY 7 Purdue (-8) RUTGERS Rutgers snapped an 18-game Big Ten losing streak last week with a win at Illinois with junior Giovanni Rescigno leading the offense in relief with the Knights posting big rushing numbers. Purdue is 3-3 but competing well against quality competition, finding a way to stick around last week in Madison in a respectable 17-9 defeat. This should be one of the most favorable matchups of the season so far for the Boilermakers with this actually being the first meeting since Rutgers joined the conference. Purdue looks odd as a road favorite but the ceiling looks much higher on the Boilermakers with a good spot to fade the Knights. PURDUE BY 14 DUKE (-8) Pittsburgh 11:20 AM The Panthers have suffered a sharp fall with a 2-5 start to the season but the schedule has been very difficult taking on a pair of top ten teams in nonconference play. The ACC losses have all been competitive games but this will be a Duke team hungry for a win as a 4-0 start to the season has been erased with three straight losses. Duke played very competitively last week with Florida State in a big home test but fell short Pittsburgh beat Duke last season to make this a meaningful revenge date for the Blue Devils who hold a solid home record under David Cutcliffe. Duke has been much more productive on the ground in this matchup as the Panthers are more than two yards per carry worse than last season. DUKE BY 17 MIAMI, FL (-14) Syracuse The Orange delivered one of the biggest upsets of the season knocking off the defending the national champions on Friday night for a signature win for Dino Babers in his second season. Syracuse is 0-2 on the road this season though the defeats were respectable against quality teams. For the second straight week Miami needed late heroics, moving to 5-0 and starting to emerge in the national conversation. The passing game has been limited for the Hurricanes but Miami is gaining 6.1 yards per rush, though the numbers are heading downward now in ACC play. Syracuse gets some attention for the big offensive numbers behind Eric Dungey but the defense has shown marked improvement, particularly against the run. The Hurricanes have been fortunate but Syracuse will have a hard time overcoming the headline-making win from last week with another difficult draw. MIAMI BY 21 Central Michigan (-3) BALL STATE With two weeks following a third straight defeat it remains to be seen if Ball State can get some of its key players back in the lineup with great injury woes in a 2-4 start to the season. Central Michigan has lost four of the last five games to put a three-year bowl run in jeopardy. Central Michigan won last season with turnover help. This season interceptions have been a big problem with Shane Morris already picked off 11 times this season, second most nationally. Ball State was on a trajectory for a much stronger season before a nightmare final two minutes at Western Kentucky with the team blowing a late lead in that game and now blown out by combined scores of 86-6 the past two games. This series has been decided by three or fewer points three straight years as the dog might be appealing. BALL BY 3 GEORGIA TECH (-7) Wake Forest 6:30 PM Wake Forest has lost back-to-back games but they were competitive games with Florida State and Clemson. Georgia Tech is just 3-2 with blown leads in a pair of one-point losses including last week s tough loss at Miami. Georgia Tech was out-gained by 200 yards in that game with a kickoff return a huge play as this could be a good opportunity for the Demon Deacons. Wake Forest is allowing just 3.5 yards per rush this season and the bye week ahead of facing the triple-option attack is beneficial. WAKE BY 1 APPALACHIAN STATE (-25½) Coastal Carolina Coastal Carolina won its FBS debut but has now dropped five in a row including three straight Sun Belt games. After losing against Arkansas State last week the Chanticleers draw a second straight road test vs. a Sun Belt contender. Appalachian State has played presumably three of the lesser Sun Belt squads yet has endured close calls in a 3-0 conference start. The rushing numbers are down significantly compared with last season for the Mountaineers and the offense isn t likely to produce big plays or quick scoring drives as laying points is a risk. APPALACHIAN STATE BY 17 PENN STATE (-10) Michigan 6:30 PM Michigan is 5-1 on the season but it has been a battle in Big Ten play with tight road wins over Purdue and Indiana and the five-turnover loss to Michigan State. The Wolverines feature one of the nation s very best run defenses as the Nittany Lions will be tested. Now #2 in the nation this is a huge revenge game for Penn State after losing last season in Ann Arbor but the 6-0 start for the Lions deserves great scrutiny with a light competition and misleading final scores. Trace McSorley has much more potential in the passing game with the limited quarterback situation for Michigan but swinging the line four touchdowns from last season will be difficult to justify in a huge game for both sides. PENN STATE BY 4 WISCONSIN (-24) Maryland The Badgers haven t played like a top 5 team with turnover issues the past few weeks but at 6-0 with strong rushing numbers and defense Wisconsin is in great shape in the Big Ten West. The Badgers will be a heavy favorite the next two weeks before a more difficult November schedule. Maryland has pieced together two big wins this season but the depleted roster has been evident the past two weeks. Maryland lost 52-7 in the last trip to Madison in 2014 and after allowing over 500 rushing yards the past two weeks this looks like a tough matchup for the Terrapins. WISCONSIN BY 38 VIRGINIA TECH (-21½) North Carolina The Tar Heels are just 1-6 but the program got good news with little penalty in the longstanding academic fraud case against the athletic department. North Carolina has been competitive against a quality schedule but Virginia Tech has had two weeks to get ready for this homecoming game. A big edge in rush defense should aide the Hokies in this matchup though this line is likely a bit inflated with a swing of two touchdowns from last season when Virginia Tech won as just a slight favorite in Chapel Hill. VT BY 17 VIRGINIA (-7) Boston College 11:30 AM While Miami is getting national attention, Virginia is also undefeated in the ACC Coastal. The Cavaliers have won four in a row for a great turnaround season under Bronco Mendenhall, whose coaching chops are getting a boost with the disastrous season underway at BYU. Boston College picked up a nice win over Louisville as the 3-4 Eagles have had some competitive showings through one of the nation s toughest slates. Virginia hasn t played the heavyweights that Boston College has faced and while Kurt Benkert is having a great season the Eagles are tough on the pass. UVA BY 3

4 BOISE STATE (-14) Wyoming 9:15 PM Wyoming didn t compete well in September non-conference tests but the Cowboys have won three in a row and remain a Mountain West threat. Boise State shook up the conference race with a big upset last week, getting punt return and fumble return touchdowns in the first quarter in San Diego. The Broncos are riding a brutal ATS run as a home favorite but this is a big revenge spot after falling narrowly at Wyoming last season to lose a spot in the conference championship game. Wyoming is appealing getting points with the Broncos still an inconsistent group. BOISE STATE BY 3 TCU (-37½) Kansas The Jayhawks have dropped five in a row with 55 points per game allowed in Big XII play as hopes that Kansas might close the gap with the rest of the conference this season have been erased. TCU is carrying the banner for the Big XII at the moment with a 6-0 start, getting a nice win last week in Manhattan. The Frogs have bigger tests ahead in the coming weeks and Kansas has had some recent success in this series, covering in all five meetings as Big XII foes with the past three meetings decided by a combined total of just 11 points. This is homecoming for the Frogs but the team has covered once in the past five meetings when favored north of 30. TCU BY 31 TEXAS-SAN ANTONIO (-21½) Rice The Roadrunners have dropped back-to-back tight games in Conference USA play to fall well behind in a West division race they expected to be part of. This should be favorable matchup to get back on track though the wins over Rice have been tight the past two years. The 1-5 Owls haven t played all that tough of a schedule but they have mostly lost in blowouts with their quarterbacks completing just 48 percent of passes. Off a bye week there could be some growth for the offense and ultimately laying this type of price with the Roadrunners will be a tough sell. UTSA BY 17 MASSACHUSETTS (-7) Georgia Southern Massachusetts is 0-6 but every loss has come by 10 or fewer points even with a diverse schedule. The Minutemen haven t played since September as a scheduled game with South Florida last week was cancelled for the Bulls to fit in an AAC game. Georgia Southern led most of the way hosting New Mexico State last week only to allow 14 fourth quarter points, falling to 0-5. The Eagles played reasonably competitive games with Indiana and Arkansas State but this will be a difficult spot to go on the road. UMASS BY 9 Central Florida (-8) NAVY Perfect S/U and ATS UCF will face a tougher test this week with Navy s bruising ground attack. Navy lost by three at Memphis last week to spoil a 5-0 start but the Midshipmen will be an appealing underdog gaining 6.2 yards per rush. The Knights haven t been tested with every game decided by at least 28 points. This will be a second straight road game and Navy has been a giant killer in the AAC recent years, being the first team to beat then #6 Houston last season and being the first team to beat an undefeated #15 Memphis team in Getting in front of UCF is risky right now but Navy s unique attack makes them a threat in a high scoring affair. UCF BY 7 MISSOURI (-14) Idaho Idaho has had close calls in four straight games, falling short by single-digits in three of those games. Missouri is yet to win a FBS game this season in a very disappointing run but the past two weeks have been encouraging with a narrow loss at Kentucky and putting up 28 points against a highly regarded Georgia defense in a game that was competitive until halftime. Missouri s offense is capable and the ground edge should be severe for the Tigers who need a homecoming win as much as anyone. MISSOURI BY 21 MISSISSIPPI STATE (-10½) Kentucky 3:00 PM Kentucky (5-1) is coming off a bye, following close wins over Eastern Michigan and Missouri. The Wildcats used the clutch kicking of Austin MacGinnis to slip past struggling Missouri on Oct. 7. Senior QB Stephen Johnson has nine touchdown passes and two interceptions, along with more than 1,200 yards passing. The five wins for the Wildcats have come by a total of 38 points, so Kentucky has sweated through most of its close victories. Mississippi State enters Saturday s clash fresh off a thumping of BYU in Starkville. QB Nick Fitzgerald torched the Cougars with four TDs two rushing and two passing as the Bulldogs racked up more than 500 yards of total offense for the third time this season. In a revenge spot after a loss last season the Bulldogs should deliver. MSU BY 13 South Florida (-11½) TULANE South Florida, ranked No. 18 nationally, had no problem with 2-5 Cincinnati, cruising to a 33-3 win. While the schedule isn t strong, the Bulls keep taking care of business, improving to 6-0, while increasing their winning streak to 11, the longest in the country. QB Quinton Flowers continues to dazzle with his feet, surpassing 3,000 yards rushing in his career with 80 yards on 15 carries vs. the Bearcats. Tulane (3-3) continued its up-and-down season with an upset loss to Florida International last week. The Green Wave s offense struggled mightily, converting only 2 of 11 third-down attempts and totaling just 36 yards passing. RB Dontrell Hilliard provided a silver lining with 90 yards rushing on 12 carries, now over 600 on the season. Prominent games with Cincinnati and Houston are next on the schedule and South Florida s strong rush defense numbers should be tested. USF BY 10 UNLV (-4) Utah State 5:00 PM Utah State (3-4) let a big conference win fall through its grasp last week, falling to Wyoming in Logan. The Cowboys scored the final 12 points and took advantage of the Aggies five turnovers to complete the rally. Despite having nine more first downs and more total yards, Utah State s miscues thwarted a potential victory. UNLV (2-4) also fell victim to a rally as Air Force climbed out from a 27-point hole to stun the Rebels in Colorado. The Rebel defense had no answer for Air Force QB Arion Worthman who rushed for five TDs and gained 166 yards on the ground. Despite Worthman s big day, UNLV s defense did force four turnovers and the offense staked a 27-7 lead going into halftime. QB Armani Rogers accounted for nearly 300 yards rushing as the Rebels have a formidable ground attack this season with a big edge likely this week. UNLV BY 7 LOUISIANA TECH (-1½) Southern Miss After a tight win over UT San Antonio the week before, Southern Miss (4-2) eventually pulled away against winless UTEP, posting a 24-0 shutout. RB Ito Smith surpassed the 100-yard mark for the fourth-straight game, rushing for 120 yards and two TDs on 28 carries. The Golden Eagle defense stonewalled the Miners, holding their offense to 147 yards and just 17 on the ground. Louisiana Tech (3-3) was off last week following a heartbreaker in Birmingham, losing on a blocked field goal with 30 seconds remaining. After a gut-wrenching loss, last week s bye was probably good for the Bulldogs to regroup. The Bulldogs are led by QB J Mar Smith who has passed for more than 1,500 yards and nine touchdowns in six games this season. The low line in Ruston should be telling. SO MISS BY 3 UCLA (-7) Oregon The Ducks (4-3) have been outscored in losses to Washington State and Stanford, both Top 25 teams. Last week, rising Stanford powered through Oregon using Bryce Love, the nation s leading rusher. Love chalked up 147 yards and two TDs including a 67-yard burst before being pulled for the second half. The Ducks countered with an impressive night from RB Royce Freeman (143 yards rushing) but posed no threat through the air. Oregon, once known for perhaps the nation s most feared offense, scored the lowest amount of points since being blanked by UCLA almost 10 years ago. The Bruins (3-3) couldn t contain Arizona s ground game in a setback in Tucson. Wildcat QB Khalil Tate had 230 yards rushing on 15 carries with two TDs on the ground and one through the air. Meanwhile, UCLA QB Josh Rosen, the nation s leading passer, struggled with three interceptions. Returning to the Rose Bowl could aid the Bruins but the Ducks figure to enjoy a severe ground edge as a dog. UCLA BY 3 Arizona (-1) CALIFORNIA Arizona s offense has looked impressive this season. After scoring 47 points against UCLA, the 4-2 Wildcats have totaled more than 40 points in two of their wins and eclipsed 60 in the other two. QB Khalil Tate broke the FBS quarterback rushing record with 327 yards in a wild win over Colorado then followed that stellar outing with 250 yards in last week s 17-point victory over UCLA at home. After three consecutive losses, Cal secured one of last week s biggest upsets, toppling Washington State, 37-3, in Berkeley amidst the smoke. The Golden Bears defense forced seven turnovers and recorded nine sacks in the shocking win. It was Cal s first victory over a top 10 team since upsetting USC in A lot of things played out perfectly for Cal s big win last week and the Bears could be at risk this week. ARIZONA BY 7 MINNESOTA (-14½) Illinois It can t get much worse for Illinois (2-4) after falling to 2-4 Rutgers at home last Saturday. Paced by RB Gus Edwards the Scarlet Knights surpassed 400 yards of offense against a suspect Fighting Illini defense. QB Jeff George Jr. threw for 308 yards and two TDs for the Illini, but also tossed two interceptions. Illinois has lost six Big Ten contests in a row and the streak could continue this week in Minneapolis. The Golden Gophers (3-3) are still looking for their first conference win, falling to No. 21 Michigan State in Week 7. Minnesota couldn t stop L.J. Scott who rushed for 197 yards and two scores on 25 carries. The Gophers did get new life when QB Demry Croft replaced struggling Conor Rhoda and found WR Tyler Johnson for three TD passes in the fourth quarter. While it wasn t enough to complete the comeback, the Gophers still have some potential on offense to get P.J. Fleck s transition season a Big Ten win. MINNESOTA BY 21 ALABAMA (-34) Tennessee After a humiliating 41-0 loss to No. 7 Georgia on Sept. 30, Tennessee (3-3) challenged a decent South Carolina squad last week, falling The Gamecocks (5-2) used a goal-line stand to keep the Vols out of the end zone in the final seconds, preserving the win. Tennessee s inept offense hasn t scored a touchdown in 10 quarters and that could continue this week. Alabama trounced Arkansas 41-9 last week and the No. 1-ranked Crimson Tide hardly broke a sweat. RB Damien Harris had 125 yards rushing and two TDs on only nine carries as the Crimson Tide (7-0) outrushed the Razorbacks in rushing yards. Alabama s defense also stepped up, sacking QB Cole Kelley five times. While the Tide s offense sputtered at times (two turnovers) it was another dominant SEC performance from Nick Saban s team and Tennessee will get the Tide s attention. ALABAMA BY 41

5 Oklahoma State (-7½) TEXAS Oklahoma s State s Mason Rudolph continues to put up big numbers, throwing for a whopping 459 yards and three TDs in a blowout of lowly Baylor (0-6). The Cowboys broke a school record with 747 yards, totally overwhelming the Bears in Stillwater. WR James Washington hauled in six receptions for 235 yards and accounted for two scores. While the defense forced a couple turnovers, the Cowboys still allowed 387 yards to struggling Baylor. Earlier in the season, No. 10 Oklahoma State allowed 44 points in a loss to TCU and 34 in a tight win over Texas Tech. The Longhorns (3-3) nearly pulled off a rally against No. 12 Oklahoma before falling at the Cotton Bowl. After falling behind 20-0 in the first quarter and watching Sooner QB Baker Mayfield throw for 179 yards, the Texas defense settled down, allowing QB Sam Ehlinger to make plays. Playing in just his fourth game, the freshman finished with 278 yards and a touchdown, though on below 50 percent completions as keeping pace in this game will be a challenge for the Longhorns. OKLAHOMA STATE BY 10 West Virginia (-9) BAYLOR West Virginia scored an impressive win at home, knocking off No. 24 Texas Tech Down 18 points at halftime, the Mountaineers stormed back as QB Will Grier fired four TD passes in the second half. It was the first time in 10 tries West Virginia (4-2) defeated a Top 25 team, going back to the 2014 season. The Mountaineers offensive juggernaut was held to less than 500 yards for the first time this season, but still put up 46 points. The Bears (0-6) struggles continued as its defense was shredded by Oklahoma State in a loss. RB Terrance Williams provided the lone bright spot, totaling 95 yards rushing on just 10 carries. Baylor could see its futility continue but West Virginia allowed 62 in the last trip to Waco and with Oklahoma State next and coming off a pair of big games this is a tricky scheduling spot. WV BY 7 Auburn (-13) ARKANSAS 6:30 PM Auburn (5-2) was one of last week s upset victims, dropping a road game to LSU (5-2), Gus Malzahn s team watched a 20-point lead evaporate in the second half as the Tigers kept the pressure on. RB Kerryon Johnson led Auburn with 156 yards and a touchdown, but the offense lagged in the second half. The good news is, despite hitting the road for another SEC matchup, the Tigers can take their frustrations out on sputtering Arkansas (2-4, seventh in the SEC-West). The Razorbacks fell hard to top-ranked Alabama, 41-9, on Saturday. Arkansas had to play one of the nation s best defenses without starting QB Austin Allen who sat out with a shoulder injury. Redshirt freshman Cole Kelley stepped in and played respectably, completing 23 of 42 passes with a touchdown and one interception. The hot seat under Bret Bielema is steaming and avenging a 56-3 loss at Auburn from last season looks unlikely. AUBURN BY 17 FLORIDA STATE (-6) Louisville Louisville dropped to 4-3 and 1-3 in the ACC-Atlantic after a heartbreaking upset loss to Boston College (3-4). It could have been worse without the fourth quarter heroics of Heisman hopeful Lamar Jackson. The Louisville QB rallied his team from a 14-point deficit in the fourth quarter to tie the game But BC kicked a field goal as time expired to secure the upset win on the road. Jackson rushed for 180 yards and three touchdowns, while also completing 19 passes for 332 yards and two scores. The Seminoles (2-3) rebounded from a stunning loss to Miami and held on to defeat Duke, 17-10, at Durham. Freshman RB Cam Akers came through in the clutch, galloping for a long TD run to break a tie in the fourth quarter. Last Saturday s win was the fourth-straight contest Florida State has won by seven or fewer points and out-pacing an incredibly productive Cardinals offense could be a challenge. FLORIDA STATE BY 3 SOUTH ALABAMA (NL) UL-Monroe 4:00 PM UL Monroe could not keep pace, losing a shootout with Georgia State at home on Saturday. Georgia State QB Connor Manning carved up the Warhawks with four TD passes as the Panthers compiled a school record 670 yards. WR Penny Hart burned UL Monroe with 11 receptions for 190 yards and three TDs. The loss snapped a three-game winning streak for the Warhawks (3-3). QB Garrett Smith amassed 225 yards through the air with three scores. South Alabama (2-4) held on for a 19-8 upset of Troy back on Wednesday in the Battle for the Belt. South Alabama used both Dallas Davis and Cole Garvin at quarterback last week in the marquee win. Defense and special teams excel for Joey Jones. SOUTH ALABAMA BY 4 NOTRE DAME (-3½) Usc 6:30 PM The Trojans (6-1) survived a scare last Saturday, fending off Utah when the Utes failed to convert a two-point conversion with less than a minute remaining. The Trojans fell behind 21-7 at the half before rallying behind QB Sam Darnold s big day. One has to wonder how long USC can keep up this hold-your-breath pace. Saturday s win was the fifth time in seven games the Trojans entered the fourth quarter trailing or tied. Notre Dame (5-1) enjoyed a bye last week following a victory over North Carolina at Chapel Hill. While they defeated a 1-5 team, the win was still impressive considering the Irish were without starting QB Brandon Wimbush and RB Josh Adams was limited. USC has had success in this series and this game could live up to its billing. NOTRE DAME BY 1 Oklahoma (-12½) KANSAS STATE 3:00 PM One week after suffering one of the biggest upsets of the season, No. 12 Oklahoma had to fend off a furious comeback from Texas for a win. Austin native Baker Mayfield reveled in another win over his hometown team, finishing with two touchdowns and 302 yards passing. Mayfield put the icing on the cake with a 59-yard TD pass to Mark Andrews in the fourth quarter. Kansas State (3-3) couldn t control the weather or undefeated TCU, falling 26-6 at home Saturday. The game was delayed three hours due to lightning but 6-0 TCU didn t skip a beat. To make matters worse for K-State, starting QB Jesse Ertz was sidelined with an injury and backup Alex Delton couldn t grasp Bill Snyder s offense against the Horned Frogs stout defense. The Wildcats couldn t run the ball either and could face more trouble against another highly-ranked team in Week 8. OKLAHOMA BY 17 Lsu (-6½) MISSISSIPPI 6:15 PM LSU (5-2) has had some head-scratching performances this season, but the Tigers rose to the occasion, knocking off Auburn, 27-23, last Saturday. LSU roared back from a 20-point second-half deficit as the Tigers defense stifled Auburn (5-2). It was the second-straight tight win for LSU after nipping Florida in The Swamp the previous week. After suffering a lopsided loss to Mississippi State and an upset to Troy, it looks like Ed Orgeron is righting the ship in Baton Rouge. Ole Miss (3-3) had no issues with (3-4) Vanderbilt, rolling to a win in Oxford. Rebels QB Shea Patterson finished with four TD passes and 351 yards, while RB Jordan Wilkins blew past the Commodores for 113 yards rushing. Saturday s win had to feel good for Ole Miss after losing three straight, including crushing losses to Alabama (66-3) and Auburn (44-23). This could be a season-making game for a Rebels team that has had a lot of success in this series. OLE MISS BY 3 TEXAS TECH (-6) Iowa State Iowa State didn t see an emotional letdown after its shocking upset over Oklahoma in Week 6. Returning to Ames, the Cyclones (4-2) dismantled Kansas (1-5) RB David Montgomery rushed for three TDs and the Cyclone defense held the Jayhawks to just 106 yards, Iowa State s lowest total allowed since There s no doubt Texas Tech (4-2) will pose a more formidable challenge, especially coming off a wrenching loss at West Virginia. QB Nic Shimonek had four first-half touchdown passes but couldn t keep the offensive spark in the second half. The Red Raiders were hampered by penalties, committing 16 and costing them 159 yards. Texas Tech also did not have starting kicker Clayton Hatfield and missed three field goals. The Red Raiders are in a major revenge spot after losing in Ames last season but trusting the defense is challenging. TT BY 3 UTAH (-7½) Arizona State The Sun Devils (3-3) pulled off one of last week s biggest upsets, stunning then No. 5 Washington 13-7 in the desert. It was Arizona State s first win over a top five team since a 1996 victory against Nebraska. The Sun Devils were actually leading 13-0 until the Huskies finally scored late in the fourth quarter. QB Manny Wilkins completed 29 of 41 passes for 245 yards in a solid effort. Utah (4-2) could easily be 6-0 after losing another close contest for the second week in a row. After falling to Stanford 23-20, the Utes failed to upset USC in a setback on Saturday. RB Zack Moss rushed for 141 yards on 20 carries and QB Troy Williams finished with 262 yards passing on 16 completions in place of Tyler Huntley. This could be a tough emotional test for both sides and Arizona State had won 10 in a row in this series before setbacks the past two years. All three ASU losses have also been in competitive games as the points are appealing. UTAH BY 3 WASHINGTON STATE (-10½) Colorado 9:45 PM The Buffaloes (3-4) earned their first conference win on Saturday with a thrilling triumph at Oregon State (1-6). QB Steven Montez found WR Bryce Bobo for a touchdown strike late in the fourth quarter to seal the win. Bobo finished with nine receptions for 126 yards and also threw a TD pass to Montez. RB Phillip Lindsay collected 185 yards and two TDs on 28 carries and is close to surpassing 1,000 yards on the season. Washington State will look to regroup after being thumped 37-3 at Cal. It was a demoralizing loss for the Cougars, ranked No. 15 in the latest poll. No one struggled more than QB Luke Falk who was intercepted five times, was hit repeatedly by Cal s relentless defense and fumbled away another TD to pad the Golden Bears large lead. This week the Cougars return to Pullman in a big revenge game as Colorado snapped a 7-0 Pac-12 start for WSU last season. WSU BY 14 SAN DIEGO STATE (-7½) Fresno State 9:30 PM Fresno State improved to 4-2 and 3-0 in the MWC West with a convincing 38-0 win over New Mexico (3-3). The Bulldogs Marcus McMaryion completed 13 of 23 for 299 yards and three touchdown passes, including two to WR Jamire Jordan. Fresno State has won three straight after losing to Alabama and Washington, both ranked in the top 10 when they faced off. San Diego State (6-1) suffered its first setback of the season, falling to Boise State at home. The nation s #3 rusher Rashaad Penny ended the game with just 53 yards on 21 carries. With Penny held in check, the No. 19 Aztecs looked lost offensively, not even crossing midfield until the middle of the second quarter. Fresno State could be one of the most improved teams nationally and the early line drop looks justified. SDSU BY 4