Week 5: The Picks are In! Clemson not getting any respect? Is Boise that good?

The picks are in, The picks are in...

It's been a busy week outside of TNG for the staff. One has been traveling all over the country, while the other has been preparing for a new job and new place of residence. At any rate, here are our picks against the spread for Week 5. Marcus is really into the underdog and Kyle is into the chalk. Best of luck at the window and now on to the picks...



Marcus says...



Wisconsin -10 vs. Nebraska
The money continue to come in on the Badgers at home as the line moves to 10.  Wiscy has been impressive so far, but Nebraska has QB Taylor Martinez and an option attack.  Expect a good game in Madison and take Nebraska and the points.



Western Michigan +2.5 @ Connecticut
The line moved in favor of the Broncos from the initial posting.  This is not a surprise given the national respect given to Carder and White.  The Bronco defense must find a way to stop the UConn running attack in order to win this game.  I like WMU to win the game outright.



Ohio St -3.5 vs. Michigan St
This game will define the season for Sparty as a loss will hurt their chances of the B1G title.  The MSU offense can control the ball with Bell, Caper and Baker.  Look for Captain Kirk to bounce back and the defense to contain Braxton Miller.  I’m taking MSU and the points.



Virginia Tech -7 vs. Clemson
The line has stayed put on Va Tech and Clemson has the Hokies are getting respect at home.  Clemson comes in with all of the momentum as Tajh Boyd has been the real deal.  The Va Tech defense has been tough, but they haven’t seen an offense like the Tigers.  I’m taking Clemson and the points.



Kyle says...



‘Bama -4.5 @ Florida
Defense and ball control will rule the day in the Swamp Saturday. ‘Bama continues to march toward a national title appearance on the back of the best defense in the nation. Florida may keep it somewhat interesting, but the Tide showed last week that it has no problem squashing a flashy offensive attack. ‘Bama covers.



Texas A&M -3 vs. Arkansas
The Aggies and Hogs are coming off of tough losses in gut check games last weekend. The Arkansas defense, though, isn’t ready for the Aggs offensive attack in Arlington. A&M covers.



Washington @ Utah -7.5
The Huskies take their high octane attack (how many descriptions are there?) into Utah to face the Utes’ defense, which has been stingy in Pac 12 play. Look for the Utes to cover on the strength of their D.



Nevada @ Boise State -27.5
Boise State hasn’t missed a beat in the passing game despite the loss of two major receivers to the NFL last year. Nevada is rebuilding on both sides of the ball, and cruising for a bruising after ruining the Broncos’ BCS title hopes after the miracle in Reno last season. It’s a big number to cover, but Boise will get all of it.




Season Standings:



Kyle - 9-6-1
Marcus - 8-8-0

Week 5: SEC/ ACC, TNG previews a heavyweight battle in Blacksburg and a Showdown in the Swamp

Happy Friday and welcome to our Week 5 previews for the SEC and ACC games. Next week we'll be back to a regular posting schedule, but things have been crazy with a move to Nevada this weekend for half of our staff. Here's to great coaches:

ACC-

Boston College +2.5 vs. Wake Forest
Maryland OFF vs. Towson
NC State +9.5 vs. Georgia Tech
Virginia -16.5 vs. Idaho
Miami (FL) OFF vs. Bethune-Cookman
Virginia Tech -7 vs. Clemson
East Carolina +6 vs. North Carolina

Marcus Says...

Virginia Tech -7 vs. Clemson
Two ACC heavyweights collide in Blacksburg, VA on Saturday night. Both teams enter the game 4-0 and Clemson is riding high coming off wins against Auburn and Florida State. Clemson QB Tajh Boyd has been impressive, having thrown 13 TD passes and rushed for 2 more while only throwing 1 interception. The Hokies have put in work on the ground led by RB David Wilson and his 516 rushing yards, but the Virginia Tech defense is the strength of the team allowing only 10 points per game (albeit against weaker competition). The Tigers are trying to avoid a repeat of 2006 when Clemson came to Blacksburg on a winning streak just to get embarrassed by the Hokies. Virginia Tech is tough at home and will be ready to step up against Clemson. However 7 points seems like a big number, my early feeling is Clemson and the points in an overall Va Tech W.


SEC-

Miss. St. @ Georgia -7
Texas A&M -3 @ Arkansas
Kentucky @ LSU -30.5
Buffalo @ Tennessee -28.5
Auburn @ S. Carolina -10
Alabama -4.5 @ Florida
Ole Miss @ Fresno State -4


Kyle Says...

Auburn @ S. Carolina -10
The line seems steep at first glance. Auburn has had no problem putting points on the board this season, and despite his youth, first year QB Barrett Trotter has looked solid for the Tigers. It’s their defense that’s the trouble, and you’d better believe the ole’ ball coach knows it. Look for a heaping helping of Marcus Lattimore, enough even to allow a confirmed idiot like Stephen Garcia enough easy shots down the field. The ‘Cocks are rushing for 214 yards per game, and the Tigers are near the bottom of the D1 defense barrel. Look for S. Carolina to cover.

Alabama -4.5 @ Florida
A lot of people are looking at this as a statement game for the Gators. They are a finely tuned machine on offense and have quietly amassed one of the more effective defenses- giving up the fourth-fewest points in D1 football- in the SEC. There’s a big but here though, and not Charlie Weis’. ‘Bama does it in big games. They stomped out in Happy Valley and dismantled a high-flying Arkansas attack last week. The Tide’s defense is probably the best in the nation, giving up just 8 points per game. Add in an effective, two-headed running game, and the Tide covers easily in the Swamp.

Week 5: Big 12 hosts the showdown in Arlington, Boise looks for revenge on the SmurfTurf

Good morning Nitty Griddy readers and welcome to Week 5 in the Big 12, Pac 12, WAC, MWAC and Independents. Sorry for the lack of a Tuesday post- half of our blogging contingent is gearing up for a big move to Nevada, where life is a little more friendly to a blog like this. Onto the picks!

BIG12
Texas A&M -3 vs. Arkansas
Texas -9.5 @ Iowa St.
Baylor -4 @ Kansas State
Texas Tech -7 @ Kansas
Ball St. @ Oklahoma -37.5

PAC12
Arizona @ USC -14
Wash. St. @ Colorado -3
Wash. @ Utah -7.5
OSU @ Arizona State -18
UCLA @ Stanford -20.5

WAC
Utah St. @ BYU -8
Nevada @ Boise St. -27.5
Idaho @ UVA -17
San Jose State @ Colo. St. -3
Hawaii @ La. Tech. -3.5
NMSU -2.5 @ New Mexico
Ole Miss @ Fresno State -3.5

MWAC
Air Force @ Navy -3
SMU @ TCU -11.5

Independents
Notre Dame -13 @ Purdue

Kyle says...

Texas A&M -3 vs. Arkansas (Neutral site: Arlington, Texas)
The Aggies and Hogs are both smarting from poor play in losses that went incredibly badly for the future SEC West foes. Arkansas looked hapless in Tuscaloosa against a very solid Alabama squad, while A&M's nightmare of a loss to Oklahoma State was a study in how very different two halves can be. Look for Ryan Tannehill to pick on Arkansas' secondary, which gave up a lot in the intermediate passing game last week against the Tide. The Aggies defense gets back to the top-flight performance they showed in the first half last week, and A&M covers.

Texas -9.5 @ Iowa St.
Texas is a superpower still trying to find its groove. Iowa State is an exciting young upstart led by a transfer quarterback in Steele Jantz (from Nevada Union High School in Grass Valley, Calif.) who has been one of the Big 12's most exciting athletes this season. Watch for the Horns balanced rushing game and defense to come out big and help to avenge last season's loss in Austin. The Cyclones haven't been able to muster much a rushing game (at 145.3 ypg, they're among the worst in the conference) and will have a hard time keeping Texas off the field. I'm picking UT to cover, but barely. Expect some of that Cyclone magic to keep this game around two scores.

Arizona @ USC -14
I would have picked this game a lot differently a month ago, before the evidence of a brutal schedule smacked Arizona in the face. The Cats look to be a team in disarray, losing their last four by a combined 130 points. QB Nick Foles just does not have the pieces around him to be successful, and the defense has looked horrid against three consecutive top-10 foes. USC has looked wildly inconsistent, and downright bad in a loss last week at Arizona State. Look for USC QB Matt Barkley to cut down on his turnovers and Marc Tyler to get a few more carries in a Trojans win, but I don't like them with the points. Arizona beats the spread.

Washington @ Utah -7.5
U-Dub takes its high-flying scoring attack, led by QB Kevin Price, who hung three TDs on Cal in a win last week, into Rice Eccles Stadium in Utah to face a Utes team that has been relatively stingy on defense. Utah handled BYU in a Week 3 54-10 romp, and is 15th in the nation in yards allowed. For all their offensive charm, the Huskies have had a tough time of it in the defensive backfield this year, and that's where Utah will do its damage. Look for the Utes to cover.

Nevada @ Boise State -27.5
WTF is The Nitty Griddy doing previewing this game, you might ask? The answer is that this is all about context. Last year the Wolfpack, led by senior QB Colin Kaepernick, ripped Boise's heart out of its fancy Nike jersey in a barn-burner in Reno. Nevada put a stop to Boise's national title hopes in the program's biggest-ever win. Things will turn out differently this season. Nevada, despite a still-effective rushing game, is a shell of itself in the passing game, averaging less than 200 yards and about a touchdown in its first three games. Boise, led by QB Kellen Moore, will pick apart the Pack and the Broncos' defense will give UNR fits all day. This game is going to be about revenge and Boise's quest to win and wait for Oklahoma, LSU or Alabama to slip up on their way to the BCS title game. Look for an ugly score on the Smurf Turf, with Boise covering.

Week 5: Getting the week started with Big Ten, Big East, and MAC previews. Welcome to Big Ten play Nebraska and South Florida sure is getting a lot of love as the only undefeated team in the Big (L)East.

Week 5 is here and TNG is feeling much better after a 7-1 showing in Week 4.  Some good games on tap as conference play starts to take shape.  Which Sparty team will show up?  Who isn't excited for Nebraska and Wisconsin under the lights?  and can South Florida continue their run?  We prime the pump for Week 5 in the Big Ten, Big East, and MAC.



B1G-

Indiana +16.5 vs. Penn St
Michigan -20 vs. Minnesota
Illinois -6.5 vs. Northwestern
Ohio St -3 vs. Michigan St
Wisconsin -9.5 vs. Nebraska




BIG EAST-

Pitt +3 vs. South Florida
Syracuse -3 vs. Rutgers
Cincinnati -14 @ Miami (OH)
Louisville -10.5 vs. Marshall
West Virginia -20.5 vs. Bowling Green



MAC-

Temple -7 vs. Toledo
Buffalo +28.5 @ Tennessee
Eastern Michigan -8.5 vs. Akron
Ohio -15.5 vs. Kent St
Western Michigan +3 @ Connecticut
Northern Illinois -9.5 @ Central Michigan





SUN BELT-

Arkansas St -12.5 @ Western Kentucky
North Texas +22 @ Tulsa
LA - Lafayette +9.5 vs. FAU
FIU OFF vs. Duke
Middle Tennessee St -22.5 vs. Memphis
Troy OFF vs. UAB




Marcus says...



Ohio St -3 vs. Michigan St
Sparty put a beat down on the hapless Central Michigan Chippewas last weekend to improve to 3-1.  That’s the upside.  The downside is that QB Kirk Cousins did not impress against a weak CMU defense and needs to improve, quickly, for MSU to compete for the Big Ten title.  The Buckeyes improved to 3-1 with a win over Colorado behind a gritty performance by the true freshmen QB Braxton Miller.  37 year old Joe Bauserman played poorly against Miami, so poorly that Coach Fickell decided to go with the athletic Miller.  As we said earlier in the year, the cupboard is not bare in Columbus and if Miller can captain the ship, they will be a factor in the conference race (well until the inevitable NCAA sanctions that is).  I don’t feel good about Sparty on the road given their performance at ND.  MSU only wins if the 3 headed monster at RB explodes and Sparty controls the ball.  Early feeling is OSU covers.



Wisconsin -9.5 vs. Nebraska
Wisconsin hosts Nebraska under the lights at Camp Randall on Saturday as the Huskers play their first Big Ten conference game.  Both teams are 4-0, but Vegas clearly likes the Badgers with a 9.5 point opening number.  Nebraska’s ground attack led by QB Taylor Martinez, continued to roll as they outlasted Washington last week in a shoot out.  Coach Pelini has to know his defense must play better to beat Wisconsin on the road.  The Badgers also continued to put points up on the board, overpowering South Dakota.  Russell Wilson has been a man among boys this season, completing over 75% of his passes and throwing for 11 TDs through 4 games.  Madison is embracing the transfer as if he was a Barry Alvarez recruit all along.  At the end of the day, 9.5 points is a big number to cover against the Husker option attack.  We’re leaning Nebraska and the points.



Pitt +3 vs. South Florida
The Panthers are getting little respect as home underdogs after two straight losses.  Pitt lost an ugly game against Notre Dame last week, watching a 4th quarter lead disappear.  QB Tino Sunseri talked about learning to finish games as they welcome in the 4-0 Bulls of South Florida.  USF beat ND in Week 1 and have been scoring in bunches, averaging 45.5 points per game.  QB BJ Daniels continues to be the real deal, albeit against fairly weak competition.  Pitt will be the Bulls toughest opponent to date, but will find a way to cover.



Western Michigan +3 @ Connecticut
The Broncos played well in Champaign-Urbana last weekend, but came up short in a loss to Illinois.  Two missed FGs and an inability to get a ground game going did the Broncos in.  On the other side of the ball, the Bronco run defense was atrocious as the Illini rushed for just under 300 yards.  Carder and White delivered another stellar performance, but had to watch from the sidelines as Illinois controlled the ball to seal the victory, dropping the Broncos to 2-2.  UConn hosts WMU sporting a 2-2 record as well.  The Huskies went on the road and knocked off Buffalo last week, as their defense held the Bulls to 3 points. Given Western’s run defense issues, UConn RB Lyle McCombs could be the key to the game.  If the Broncos can keep the Huskies off the field and allow Carder and White to put up points, they’ll get the W.  Gut feeling is WMU and the points.

Week 4: The picks are in, and we'd better get a hell of a lot better at making them.

So, you can tell from the headline, no pressure here or anything.

Relationships are the name of the game here. This week we're picking in matchups of familiarities (UM-SDSU), grudges ('Bama- Arkansas), and soon-to-be breakups (OSU- A&M). As always, our mantra is "Good Coaches Win, Great Coaches Cover."

The picks are in, The picks are in...

Marcus says...

Michigan -10.5 vs. San Diego State
The Wolverines have their swagger and Denard Robinson won’t need to beat the Aztecs with his arm. SDSU will put up a fight but Michigan covers here.

Western Michigan +13 @ Illinois
The line has moved slightly as money as people are tempted to bet WMU. The Broncos have to sustain drives to keep their defense off the field, otherwise Illinois’ depth will take over. I’m taking the Broncos and the points, but wouldn’t be surprised to see an Illini win.

FIU -17 vs. LA-Lafayette
FIU has lived up to their pre-season hype and will continue to roll against the Ragin’ Cajuns. The Panther defense will stand up and T.Y. Hilton will get loose. FIU covers.

Georgia Tech -6.5 vs. North Carolina
This is a huge conference game for both teams. Tevin Washington and the Jackets have the #1 offense in the country and the Heels have lost 11 of the last 13 meetings. Brynn Renner has a good game, but the Tech option offense is just too much. Georgia Tech covers.


Kyle says...

Arkansas @ Alabama -11
The line is tightening up a little bit as money came in on the Hogs all week long. ‘Bama still has about the best defense in the country and a running-oriented offense that can control the ball for long stretches. Look for the Tide to cover.

Oklahoma State @ Texas A&M -4.5
Okie Lite comes in with a heavy, tested offense, and while A&M has had no problem putting up points, Brandon Weeden (the last guy older than me in college football) gets the experience nod over Ryan Tannehill and the Aggies attack. Look for Ok. St. to cover and extend its win streak over the Aggies at Kyle Field.

Cal @ Washington -1
It’s supposed to be sunny and warm for the battle in Seattle, an odd sight for some, and it would seem the rays would benefit Cal and its offense, which favors the pass. The Huskies, though, have been no slouch this season in the air game, and they prevail with the purple and gold nation cheering them on. U-Dub covers and you cash in on the arm of Huskies QB Keith Price.

LSU -6.5 @ W. Virginia
This line didn’t move for a reason. LSU may be the most balance team in the nation, and W.Va can’t muster any sort of running game despite a dazzling pass attack. The most tested team in the nation covers against another ranked opponent. Put your money on the Tigers to cover.

Season Standings:

Kyle - 5-6-1
Marcus - 5-7-0

Week 4: Hitting the Links with TNG

We suck at golf so when it comes to hitting the links, we're talking site links.  We prime the pump for the big weekend ahead in college football.  Enjoy!

Mega-conference talk:  The Big East and Big 12, survive, for now says Forbes.

CMU Coach Dan Enos has Spartan ties, but his focus is on the Chips says Rexrode of the Lansing State Journal.

The Aztecs downplaying the emotion of facing their former coach Saturday writes Mark Anderson of the Las Vegas Review Journal.

USF confident heading into the week, but would like to know who will start at QB for UTEP writes Adam Adkins of The Tampa Tribune.

Beat Writer Banter headed into this weekend's WMU/Illinois match-up.

QB Tannehill is the key for Texas A&M writes Andrew Kulha. 

Cal will be looking to avenge last years loss to UW that has haunted them all offseason writes Jonathan Okanes of the Oakland Tribune.

Can the Irish put a winning streak together?  They better not look past Pitt.

UCF and BYU are meeting for the first time and both are trying to rebound from tough losses.

Tech's option attack has the 'Heels concerned?

HUGE game in Morgantown this weekend, better haul away the trash.  You know the Mountaineer faithful like to burn stuff.

The Hogs look to finish the game against the 'Tide this year writes Chris Low.

Week 4: ACC, SEC throw down. The Hogs go to 'Bama and the Noles battle Clemson for ACC supremacy

Welcome back to Week 4 here at The Nitty Griddy, where, like Larry Scott, we're going to wait to expand until someone backs up a truck of cash into our living room. Onto the picks!

ACC-
Georgia Tech -6.5 vs. North Carolina
Maryland -9 vs. Temple
Boston College OFF vs. UMASS
Duke -10 vs. Tulane
Clemson -2.5 vs. Florida State
Virginia -3 vs. Southern Miss.
VA Tech -20.5 @ Marshall
Miami (FL) -14 vs. Kansas St.


Marcus Says...

Georgia Tech -6.5 vs. North Carolina
The Yellow Jackets and Tar Heels come into the game both 3-0 and with their sights set on an ACC Coastal Division crown. NC QB Bryn Renner comes into the game completing 81.7% of his passes, but also with 4 interceptions. RB Giovani Bernard has been a nice surprise as a true freshmen, scoring 4 TDs so far this year. Carolinas defense has been stout, giving up a modest 16.7 per contest, but they’ll be tested against a Georgia Tech offense that has put up just under 60 points a game. Now I’d love to gush about QB Tevin Washington and the Jackets here, but let’s face it, they haven’t exactly been playing the toughest competition. Along with Washington, GT rolls out a trio of backs who all have gotten it done. If Carolina can protect the ball, I like their chances against the spread.

Clemson -2.5 vs. Florida State
The Tigers and Noles come into this one after having very different weekends in Week 3. Coach Dabo Swinney and his Clemson Tigers are riding high after knocking off defending champ Auburn and ending their 17 game winning streak. QB Tajh Boyd looked good, carving up the Tiger D for 386 yards and 4 TDs. FSU hosted #1 Oklahoma last week and fought hard even after losing QB E.J. Manuel to a shoulder injury in the 3rd quarter. The Noles fought hard but came up short against the Sooners, who certainly didn’t have their best day. Word out of Tallahassee is that Manuel sat our practice again today so Freshman Clint Trickett may need to be ready. Trickett played well in relief against OU. Clemson has all the momentum coming into this one and are playing at home. The Tigers cover here.


SEC-
Georgia -10 @ Ole Miss
Arkansas @ Alabama -12
FAU @ Auburn -33.5
Florida -20 @ Kentucky
La. Tech @ Miss. St. -20
Vanderbilt @ South Carolina -16
LSU -6.5 @ West Virginia



Kyle Says...

Arkansas @ Alabama -12
Arkansas brings its loaded offense into Tuscaloosa for a tussle Saturday. The Hogs put up gaudy numbers in their first three wins of the year, and the duo of QB Tyler Wilson and RB Ronnie Wingo, Jr., have over 1,000 yards of offense between them in three weeks spent primarily sitting by some point in the third quarter. That said, they haven’t seen anything like this Tide defense. Through three games they’ve allowed 18 points and ended half of all opposing drives in three and outs. Tide RB Trent Richardson is averaging 6.3 yards per carry and is being spelled effectively by Eddie Lacy. It almost doesn’t matter what Saban gets out of the passing game. Look for the Tide to roll in Tuscaloosa and cover, even on a large spread.

LSU -6.5 @ W. Virginia
Jarrett Lee has been holding his own as LSU’s quarterback, but the pressure this week will be on the Tigers’ defensive backfield against a Mountaineer passing game averaging 350-plus yards per game. They’ll get plenty of help from the front seven, though, as W. Va. has put up a nonexistent rushing game against some pretty inferior competition this season. Meanwhile, LSU’s offensive line has been busting big holes for a balanced rushing attack led by RBs Spencer Ware and Michael Ford, who each have 200-plus rushing yards and a handful of touchdowns between them. West Virginia is going to have a tough time keeping their defense off the field if they can’t get a run game going, and will struggle to keep up with Les Miles’ stable attack. Look for LSU to cover.

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Week 4 - Big Ten, Big East, Big 12, Pac 12 Previews

WEEK 4 - SEP 22-25

Welcome to Week 4 TNG Nation!  We're looking at the Big Ten, Big East, Big 12, and Pac 12 among others.  MSU will try to bounce back from a beat down at the hands of ND and speaking of the Irish, they hit the road to take on the Pitt Panthers.  Can WMU knock off Illinois in Champaign?  How about the Aggies chances against Oklahoma State?  Let's get to the picks...

B1G-

Michigan State -24 vs. Central Michigan
Michigan -10 vs. San Diego State
Penn State -28 vs. Eastern Michigan
Iowa -17 vs. LA-Monroe
Ohio State -14.5 vs. Colorado
Wisconsin OFF vs. South Dakota
Minnesota OFF vs. North Dakota State
Indiana -6.5 @ North Texas
Nebraska -23.5 @ Wyoming

BIG EAST-

Cincinnati -8 vs. NC State
Syracuse -2 vs. Toledo
Rutgers -4 vs. Ohio
UConn -9.5 @ Buffalo
South Florida -29.5 vs. UTEP

MAC-

Western Michigan +13.5 @ Illinois
Miami (OH) -6 vs. Bowling Green
Akron OFF vs. VMI
Ball St +4 vs. Army
Kent St OFF vs. South Alabama
Northern Illinois OFF vs. Cal Poly

SUN BELT-

Troy -12 vs. Middle Tennessee St
FIU -17 vs. LA-Lafayette
Arkansas St OFF vs. Central Arkansas

Marcus says...

Michigan State -24 vs. Central Michigan
Sparty was dominated by Notre Dame last week.  ND showed they were far better than their 0-2 record and stifled MSU’s ground game holding them to 29 total rushing yards.  QB Kirk Cousins had decent passing statistics, but this was largely a product of the Spartans playing from behind the majority of the game.  The good news for the Spartans is that they are playing a Chippewa team that is having a down year in the MAC.  The Chips were blown out by Western Michigan and won’t fair any better against Michigan State.  Early feeling is that MSU covers here.

Michigan -10 vs. San Diego State
The Wolverines are 3-0 and back in the Top 25.  UM struggled early with Eastern Michigan before pulling away in the 2nd half and winning 31-3.  QB Denard ‘Shoelace’ Robinson continued to dazzle on the ground with 198 rushing yards, but left much to be desired in the passing game.  Although gaining 376 yards on the ground will win a lot of ballgames.  San Diego State comes into the game at 3-0 and poises a threat to the Wolverines.  The Aztecs knocked off Washington State last week, scoring 28 unanswered points to close the game.  SDSU is balanced on offense led by QB Ryan Lindley and RB Ronnie Hillman.  The Wolverines last hosted San Diego State in 2004, where they narrowly won by a FG.  I expect a Michigan win here, but am still contemplating the play against the spread.  Gut says Robinson will have a big day and the Wolverines cover.

South Florida -29.5 vs. UTEP
USF continued to roll against Florida A&M last week and improved to 3-0.  QB B.J. Daniels and the offense has been tough to stop and the defense has stepped up.  This game is the last one before conference play begins and the Bulls are tested.  UTEP is 2-1 and is coming off a win at New Mexico State, but the Miners have been shaky to start the year.  They needed OT to get by Stony Brook and then lost to SMU.  UTEP will look to RBs Joe Banyard and Leilyon Myers to grind it out on the ground and control the clock.  Keeping the scoring low and containing Daniels will be their only shot.  USF wins, but I’m leaning towards UTEP and the 29.5 points.

Western Michigan +13.5 @ Illinois
Coach Bill Cubit and his Broncos dominated their bitter rival Central Michigan last week in what was a must-win for the WMU coach.  QB Alex Carder and WR Jordan White produced at a high level once again and the defense frustrated Central Michigan and their normally prolific running game.  Now the Broncos travel to Champaign-Urbana to take on an Illinois team that suffered a loss to WMU at Ford Field in 2008.  Illinois comes into the game at 3-0 and has allowed an average of 10.7 points per game.  Sophomore QB Nathan Scheelchase has been efficient through the air and been a threat on the ground.  The key will be WMU’s ability to score on the Illini defense.  Gut feeling is the Broncos and the 13.5 points.

FIU -17 vs. LA-Lafayette
Florida International is 3-0 after knocking off UCF in a battle for relevance in the state of Florida.  FIU won the game by protecting the football while forcing 2 turnovers, returning 1 fumble for a TD.  The Ragin’ Cajuns of Louisiana-Lafayette are 2-1 and are coming off a win against FCS Nicholls State.  Lafayette is scoring 30.7 points per game and hopes to put up some points against the Panthers.  FIU has a strong conference opener here and covers against Lafayette.

BIG 12 -
Ok. St. @ Texas A&M -4
Kansas St. @ Miami -13
Rice @ Baylor -21
Nevada @ Texas Tech -20
Missouri @ Oklahoma -22

PAC 12 -
UCLA @ Oregon St. -4.5
Cal @ Washington -1.5
USC -3 @ Arizona St.
Oregon -16 @ Arizona


WAC-
NMSU @ San Jose State -9
Fresno -3.5 @ Idaho
La. Tech @ Mississippi St. -20.5
Colorado St. @ Utah St. -9.5
UC Davis @ Hawaii OFF


MWAC-
Portland St. @ TCU OFF
Tenn. St. @ Air Force OFF
Sam Houston @ New Mexico OFF
Tulsa @ Boise -32
S. Utah @ UNLV OFF

Independent-
Notre Dame -7 @ Pitt.
UCF @ BYU -3

Kyle says...

UCF @ BYU -3
Many  facets of this game do not bode well for UCF, or their ability to cover. A) They  are coming off a home loss at Florida International. B) They scored 10 points in that game, and C) BYU runs a ball-control offense. Knights QB Jeff Godfrey and his line looked terrible in the loss, as neither of them could buy time for a running game that could be OK, except opposing defenses know what’s coming. The Y similiarly looked terrible as Utah annihilated them  in last week’s Holy War, but they need to keep in mind that they are a better class of football team and will be home in Provo, where they haven’t lost back-to-back home games since ‘03. Look for a balanced, conservative attack led by QB Jake Heaps to win the time of possession battle and cover.

Notre Dame -7 @ Pitt
Fresh off their resounding victory over MSU, the Irish hit the road reinvigorated, especially their defensive backfield, which finally seemed to figure things out behind a stifiling run defense last week. Pitt’s been stout at home though, and has had no problem putting up points this season, even in last week’s 31-27 loss to Iowa. The D breaks more than it bends, though, and the Irish and RB Cierre Wood cover.

Colorado State @ Utah State -9.5
The Aggies come into this week’s game after a bye week and a heartening, close defeat at the hands of Auburn in week 1 and a resounding victory over Weber St. in week 2. Look for Utah State’s offense, behind an experienced line, to be fine-tuned. Colorado State’s offense looks anemic this season and won’t be able to keep up. Aggies cover.


Cal @ Washington -1.5
Two young quarterbacks are going to do battle in Seattle Saturday when the Bears take on the Dogs. Cal QB Zach Maynard looked stellar in a defeat of Presbyterian College, to which we say we'd hope so. The Huskies looked terrible against the pass in all three of their games so far, including a beatdown at the hands of Nebraska last week. But, they've been hanging points like nobody's business. Coach Sark finds a way to win a shootout this weekend, and the Huskies cover.

Oklahoma St. @ Texas A&M -4
Cowboys QB Brandon Weeden and WR Justin Blackmon take their overpowering offense in to a battle with a top-10 defense at Kyle Field (what a nice name) this weekend in what's sure to be a marquee showdown. Oklahoma State, though, has the No. 1 offense in the nation and has tested it against real competition. A&M has sailed smoothly to this point and is in for a rude awakening when the Boys from Stillwater come to town. OSU beats the spread.