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January 6th, 2011 By Andrew "Mr. Multi-Task" Ryan - Cappersinfo Contributor

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The Cotton Bowl is one of the oldest bowl games that we, the college football betting nation, has a chance to catch on an annual basis. This year, two old division rivals meet up in Arlington, as the LSU Tigers try to tame the Texas A&M Aggies.

Cotton Bowl Matchup: Texas A&M Aggies vs. LSU Tigers
Date: Friday, January 6th, 8:00 ET
Location: Dallas Cowboys Stadium, Arlington, TX
Cotton Bowl Line: LSU -2
Over/Under 49

Aggies Notes: This season really changed on the heels of arguably the most important decision of the entire NCAA football betting campaign. Head Coach Mike Sherman decided that he was going to bench the man that was a Heisman Trophy candidate once upon a time in QB Jerrod Johnson. All of a sudden when QB Ryan Tannehill took over, A&M went on a tear, covering the college football odds in its last six games, all of which ended in Aggies' outright victories. Tannehill, a junior, is going to be ready to lead this team to bigger and better next year. He threw for 1,434 yards and 11 TDs against just three picks. He doesn't quite have the legs that Johnson had, but RB Cyrus Gray made up for that. Gray rumbled for 1,033 yards and a dozen scores on the campaign. What we have to remember is that this team lost RB Christine Michael relatively early in the year after he rushed for 631 yards. Watch out for WR Jeff Fuller and WR Ryan Swope in this one. Fuller had 65 catches for 983 yards on the year with a dozen TDs, while Swope had 67 catches for 780 yards and four scores. Defensively, Sherman's bunch really came on strong as well at the end of the year. The team ultimately only allowed 356.8 yards and 20.3 yards per game.

Tigers Notes: The Bayou Bengals have a lot of work to do in the locker room right now. Head Coach Les Miles is being connected in the media to the job available with the Michigan Wolverines, and though he is denying any interest right now, it is clearly going to be causing a distraction in Arlington on Friday night. RB Stevan Ridley, the heart and soul of this offense, was listed as "out" for this game just two weeks ago, but now, he is considered "probably eligible" for the game. Assuming that he gets his academics in order before this one kicks off, Ridley is going to be the man to watch out for when LSU is on offense. He carried the ball 225 times this year for 1,043 yards and 14 scores this year, and he is capable of being a huge force in this one against A&M. If he either can't go or isn't effective, there is a major problem under center that must be worked out. QB Jordan Jefferson and QB Jarrett Lee only threw for a combined 1,826 yards and just six scores against 10 picks between them. It's amazing that LSU won as many games as it did this year, but when you look at its defense, you can see why the Tigers have been so dangerous. The Bayou Bengals held teams to just 297.2 yards and 17.8 points per game this year, numbers which are absolutely remarkable considering how difficult the SEC West turned out to be this year.

The Final Word: The Aggies know that they are in great shape in this game, especially if there is really some inner turmoil with the Tigers. The reps from the Big XII are going to want to pick up a huge win, and if the offenses start to get going, this is going to be a big problem for LSU. The defense is the key to the game for the Bayou Bengals, and if A&M finds a way to keep the ball moving up the field, regardless of whether or not it is scoring all that many points, we could be in line for an upset, especially with the slight home field advantage coming for the Aggies.

Cotton Bowl Free Pick: Texas A&M +2.5
Cotton Bowl Prediction: Texas A&M 26 – LSU 24

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November 26th, 2010 By Andrew "Mr. Multi-Task" Ryan - Cappersinfo Contributor

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Matchup: Virginia Cavaliers @ Virginia Tech Hokies
Date: Saturday, November 27th, 12:00 ET
Location: Lane Stadium, Blacksburg, VA
Game Line: Virginia Tech Hokies -23.5
Over/Under 57.5

The rivalry in the state of Virginia this year doesn't have all that much meaning to it, as the Hokies are already going to the ACC Championship Game next week, while the Cavaliers can't make it to a bowl game one way or the other. Both of these teams are solid ATS squads as well, as they are a combined 14-8 in that department. The Hokies have dominated this series, going 6-0 SU and 5-1 ATS since 2003, and there is little reason to believe that that won't continue. The Hoos are trying out a bunch of new things this year, and unless QB Marc Verica plans on getting to the 3,000 yard mark this year (which requires 369 passing yards), we don't see how UVA is sticking around with the red hot Hokies, who just want to keep their mojo going into the conference title game.

Free College Football Picks: Virginia Tech -23.5
Prediction: Virginia Tech 38 – Virginia 10

Matchup: Michigan State Spartans @ Penn State Nittany Lions
Date: Saturday, November 27th, 12:00 ET
Location: Beaver Stadium, University Park, PA
Game Line: Michigan State -1.5
Over/Under 51

This is the game that will essentially lock up the Big Ten for the Wisconsin Badgers. The Spartans are just barely hanging on by a thread this season, as they have already had to post major comebacks against both the Northwestern Wildcats and the Purdue Boilermakers to hold on for victories. If those games went the other way and nothing else changed, we know that Penn State would be favored by close to a TD in this one. The bottom line here is that we've had this game circled for quite some time. The Spartans have killed off a number of National Championship hopes for the Nittany Lions over the years, and now Penn State can return the favor and end the Rose Bowl dreams of Michigan State. You know that Joe Pa's crew isn't going to want to pass up on that opportunity.

Free College Football Picks: Penn State +1.5
Prediction: Penn State 23 – Michigan State 17

Matchup: Michigan Wolverines @ Ohio State Buckeyes
Date: Saturday, November 27th, 12:00 ET
Location: Ohio Stadium, Columbus, OH
Game Line: Ohio State -16.5
Over/Under 63.5

Ohio State has a chance to finish off an 11 win season if it can continue dominance over the Wolverines. Previous Michigan HC Lloyd Carr was canned because he couldn't beat the Buckeyes, and though we know that HC Rich Rodriguez is safe this year after winning seven games and taking Big Blue to a bowl game, eventually, a win over OSU is going to be required for him to keep his job. QB Denard Robinson is going to have to go wild against one of the top defenses in the country to pull off this upset, but with what we've seen thus far with the Buckeyes at home, where they are 7-0 SU and 7-0 ATS, the NCAA football odds aren't looking so good for the visitors.

Free College Football Picks: Ohio State -16.5
Prediction: Ohio State 41 – Michigan 21

Matchup: BYU Cougars @ Utah Utes
Date: Saturday, November 27th, 3:30 ET
Location: Rice Eccles Stadium, Salt Lake City, UT
Game Line: Utah -8.5
Over/Under 50

This is going to be one of the most interesting Holy Wars in years. The Utes are really slumping right now, as they only stopped a brutal two game skid in which they scored a total of just nine points last week. BYU, on the other hand, really has its offense in high gear right now, and it has salvaged a bowl bid in a year in which looked like it was going to be a disaster. This is the last meeting of these two teams as members of the MWC. The Cougs will be going independent next year, while Utah is headed to the Pac-10. QB Jake Heaps has really figured it out of late, as he is up to 1,824 yards and ten TDs on the campaign, while his counterpart in this one, QB Jordan Wynn, really hasn't gotten it together this year for the Utes to the fullest capability. Last year's game was an epic 26-23 overtime win for BYU in Provo, and this year's encounter should be every bit as entertaining. We think that Rice Eccles Stadium will claim another foe, but that the Cougs are going to find a way to get out of Salt Lake City with another cover.

Free College Football Picks: BYU +8.5
Prediction: Utah 27 – BYU 21

Matchup: Northwestern Wildcats @ Wisconsin Badgers
Date: Saturday, November 27th, 3:30 ET
Location: Camp Randall Stadium, Madison, WI
Game Line: Wisconsin -23.5
Over/Under 57

As long as nothing else screwy happens in the Big Ten over the course of the day, this is going to be the farewell song for the Badgers at home this year, as they head to Pasadena for the Rose Bowl or to Glendale for the BCS Championship Game. The equation in this one is painfully simply. The Wildcats gave up 360 rushing yards last week to Illinois' RB Mikel LeShoure. Last week, Wisconsin's RB Montee Ball and RB James White both rumbled for at least 170 yards apiece. Now, RB John Clay is going to be back in the fold this week as well. At this pace, all three of them could end up with 150 on the ground, especially since the Northwestern offense has totally fallen apart with QB Dan Persa out of the lineup with an Achilles tear. RB Jacob Schmidt and RB Mike Trumpy probably aren't playing either, and if this is the case, QB Evan Watkins is going to be looking like a deer in headlights. Camp Randall will be Jumpin' Around on Saturday afternoon, as their Badgers will have roses between their teeth when this one is over with.

Free College Football Picks: Wisconsin -23.5
Prediction: Wisconsin 63 – Northwestern 17

Matchup: NC State Wolfpack @ Maryland Terrapins
Date: Saturday, November 27th, 3:30 ET
Location: Byrd Stadium, College Park, MD
Game Line: NC State -1.5
Over/Under 52

The Wolfpack haven't played all that well on the road this year, but they knew coming into last week's clash with the North Carolina Tar Heels that they needed to win twice in order to lock up the ACC Atlantic Division to go to their first ACC Championship Game. The equation is simple. An NCSU win sends the Wolfpack to the game. A loss puts the Florida State Seminoles there for the second time in school history. QB Russell Wilson has all of the pressure on his shoulders to try to take down a team that has played incredibly well at home this year. The Terps don't have anything to really play for except positioning in bowl games, but you can bet that after a great season, Maryland doesn't want to see it all come crashing down with a pair of home losses. Back the hosts, which will send FSU to the league title game.

Free College Football Picks: Maryland Terrapins +1.5
Prediction: Maryland 21 – NC State 20

Matchup: Florida Gators @ Florida State Seminoles
Date: Saturday, November 27th, 3:30 ET
Location: Bobby Bowden Field at Doak Campbell Stadium, Tallahassee, FL
Game Line: Florida State -2
Over/Under 51

The truth of the matter is that this game really doesn't mean much to either one of these teams from the perspective of where they are going to go to a bowl game. Odds have it, Florida's fate will be in the hands of the Outback Bowl, which may or may not take it. If not, there will be a lot of bowl games that surpass the Gators before they land one way or the other. The Noles though, are probably going to be the No. 2 or No. 3 team in the conference, which means that they will either be in the Gator Bowl or the Champs Sports Bowl unless they win the ACC. You know that there will be plenty of scoreboard watching in Tallahassee, win or lose against UF. The Maryland Terrapins will be rooted on just as hard as the Noles will at the Doak on Saturday. A win for the team that FSU disposed of last week will send it to the ACC Championship Game. Still, this game takes top priority for the men on the field, as the Seminoles haven't beaten the Gators in six tries. Florida just doesn't look like it has the oomph right now, particularly offensively, to be able to take down the men in garnet and gold. Florida State will get the job done, and there will be a ton of celebrating on the streets of Tallahassee for the first time in years.

Free College Football Picks: Florida State -2
Prediction: Florida State 30 – Florida 21

Matchup: LSU Tigers @ Arkansas Razorbacks
Date: Saturday, November 27th, 3:30 ET
Location: War Memorial Stadium, Little Rock, AR
Game Line: Arkansas -3
Over/Under 54

These two teams really hate each other, as the battle for the Golden Boot is always one of the most brutal battles to watch on the collegiate gridiron all season long. Depending on what happens with the Iron Bowl on Friday afternoon, Arkansas might think that it has a great chance of playing for a BCS bowl game, as a second team from the SEC is likely going to find its way to a major bowl game. LSU knows that a spot in the BCS is guaranteed with a win, as a one loss SEC team is not going to be passed upon under any circumstance. The chance is still there for the Mad Hatter, HC Les Miles and company to go the National Championship Game, especially if they are impressive in this one on the road. We know that statistically speaking, all signs point to Arkansas winning this game, but we're not so sure. LSU just has this knack of winning games like this one, while the Hogs have had the nature to lose them. That parlayed with the fact that the Bayou Bengals have been the dominant team in this series over the years has us waving around purple and gold flags in college football betting action.

Free College Football Picks: LSU +3
Prediction: LSU 23 – Arkansas 20

Matchup: Mississippi State Bulldogs @ Mississippi Rebels
Date: Saturday, November 27th, 7:00 ET
Location: Vaught Hemingway Stadium, Oxford, MS
Game Line: Mississippi State -2.5
Over/Under 54

The annual Egg Bowl is usually a very close run thing, and this year is probably going to be no exception whatsoever. The Bulldogs have lost a pair of games in a row, but no one is blaming them after having a fantastic first nine games of the year. Ole Miss has been disappointing, losing close game after close game. HC Houston Nutt needs something to bring into next season, but we tend to think that the combination of QB Jeremiah Masoli and RB Brandon Bolden are going to get stuffed up. MSU has no fear about going on the road and winning games like this one. Just ask the Florida Gators. The Bulldogs are going to find a way to sneak out of Oxford with a big time win to hopefully snare a bid in a strong bowl like they deserve after a great regular season.

Free College Football Picks: Mississippi State -2.5
Prediction: Mississippi State 27 – Mississippi 20

Matchup: South Carolina Gamecocks @ Clemson Tigers
Date: Saturday, November 27th, 3:30 ET
Location: Clemson Memorial Stadium, Clemson, SC
Game Line: South Carolina -2.5
Over/Under 45

Winning in Death Valley is never an easy thing to do, but the Tigers just haven't looked like a team all season long that can beat a team the quality of the Gamecocks. South Carolina didn't take its foot off of the gas pedal last week in the demolition of the Troy Trojans, and we don't see it doing anything of the sorts again this week even though the SEC Championship Game is on deck. The Gamecocks are a legitimate team, and they are going to give Auburn fits for the second time this year inevitably. But before any of that takes place, RB Marcus Lattimore is once again going to prove that he is the best freshman in the entire country, as he leads Cocky over the Tigers in Death Valley on the road.

Free College Football Picks: South Carolina -2.5
Prediction: South Carolina 26 – Clemson 17

Matchup: Oregon State Beavers @ Stanford Cardinal
Date: Saturday, November 27th, 7:30 ET
Location: Stanford Stadium, Stanford, CA
Game Line: Stanford -13
Over/Under 57

HC Mike Riley has his work cut out for him for his Beavers, as they need to beat either the Cardinal or the Oregon Ducks to go to a bowl game this year. The problem that the Beavs have is that they just can't win games on the road. They've had too many close calls to deal with and have just consistently found ways to drop. Stanford knows that this could be a play in game for the BCS, and maybe even for the BCS Championship if enough you know what breaks loose. The Cardinal are going to be locked in this dog fight with teams like the TCU Horned Frogs, LSU Tigers, and Ohio State Buckeyes for the last at large bowl bids to the BCS, and an impressive victory here against a former Top 25 team would go a long, long way. The offense for Stanford is just too strong, as it has put at least 42 on the board in three of the last four. The Cardinal are 3-0-1 ATS in those four games, and there is no reason that we can see that they would do anything less than come away with a three score victory against Oregon State.

Free College Football Picks: Stanford -13
Prediction: Stanford 38 – Oregon State 21

Matchup: Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets @ Georgia Bulldogs
Date: Saturday, November 27th, 7:45 ET
Location: Bulldog Stadium, Athens, GA
Game Line: Georgia -13.5
Over/Under 58.5

The winner of this game is certainly going bowling, while the loser might be in a bit of trouble. We already know that Georgia is playing for its bowl life, something that the Texas Longhorns failed at on Thanksgiving night. One of the most proud programs in the SEC posting a losing season would be fatal for the career of HC Mark Richt, as he will almost certainly be fired by the end of the weekend if the Dawgs don't come out on top in this one. QB Josh Nesbitt has been out of the lineup for the Ramblin' Wreck though, and he isn't going to be back in the fold for the rest of the year. Even though Georgia Tech already has the six wins required to be eligible for a bowl game, there is still a huge question as to whether or not anyone would take the Yellow Jackets if there are more bowl eligible teams than there are tie ins to these bowl games in the ACC. Some weird results have happened in this rivalry game, just like last year when UGA pulled off the upset in Atlanta in a game in which no one really gave the Bulldogs a shot. Don't be overly surprised if HC Paul Johnson has something in store for the Georgia offense that it hasn't seen this year. Take all the points you can get, as un upset might be in the cards.

Free College Football Picks: Georgia Tech +13.5
Prediction: Georgia Tech 21 – Georgia 17

Matchup: Notre Dame Fighting Irish @ USC Trojans
Date: Saturday, November 27th, 8:00 ET
Location: Los Angeles Coliseum, Los Angeles, CA
Game Line: USC -4.5
Over/Under 49.5

We're not so sure what in the heck the Fighting Irish have been doing in recent weeks, but even without five of their offensive stars, they just keep continuing to find ways to win games. The Golden Domers fortunately locked up their bowl berth before this game kicked off. But now that that has happened, does USC really have much in the way of motivation to finish off this year? The Trojans slumped down the end of the season last year, and that was with a bowl game coming up. Now, they don't even have one of those to look forward to. These are two of the most bi-polar teams in the entire country that we're dealing with, and as long as that remains the case, we'll take the hotter team with the points and pull for the Irish.

Free College Football Picks: Notre Dame +4.5
Prediction: Notre Dame 20 – USC 13

Matchup: Oklahoma Sooners @ Oklahoma State Cowboys
Date: Saturday, November 27th, 8:00 ET
Location: Boone Pickens Stadium, Stillwater, OK
Game Line: Oklahoma State -2.5
Over/Under 67.5

Unless the BCS rankings have some tricks up their sleeves that we don't see coming, the winner of this game is going to be taking down the Big XII South and heading to the Big XII Championship Game, where they will be facing with the Nebraska Cornhuskers or Missouri Tigers. This is the first time that Okie State has been favored in this series in well over a decade, and for good reason. The men from Norman have won Bedlam 80 times in 104 meetings and have beaten up the Pokes seven times in a row. That all changes this year, though. This offense for Okie State is just downright scary, as QB Brandon Weeden, WR Justin Blackmon, and RB Kendall Hunter are all capable of putting up absolutely bananas numbers on a regular basis against anyone in the country. Though things have gotten better for Oklahoma, they still aren't where they should be. This defense is still certainly down from what we were expecting at the outset of the season. The team that deserves to win the Big XII South is Oklahoma State, and that's exactly how it is going to be playing out at Boone Pickens Stadium on Saturday night, as the goalposts are coming down in Stillwater.

Free College Football Picks: Oklahoma State -2.5
Prediction: Oklahoma State 37 – Oklahoma 31

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November 5th, 2010 By Andrew "Mr. Multi-Task" Ryan - Cappersinfo Contributor

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Matchup: Washington Huskies @ Oregon Ducks
Date: Saturday, November 6th, 3:30 ET
Location: Autzen Stadium, Eugene, OR
Game Line: Oregon -34.5
Over/Under 67.5

Simply put, without QB Jake Locker in the lineup, the Huskies don't even remotely have a chance of hanging around in this game. Locker is the heart and soul of this team, and he has basically accounted for all of the offense this year. Now, QB Keith White is going to thrown into the mix having thrown just nine passes in his entire career. The true frosh won't last against an Oregon offense that has dropped 42 or more points on everyone it has faced this year and is averaging over 575 yards per game. This could be a real showcase for RB LaMichael James, who is gunning for his third 200+ yard rushing game this year, a feat which could certainly be had against a defense that was just run over last week to the tune of 41 points against the Stanford Cardinal. All you'll be hearing atop the BCS rankings for another week is Quack! Quack!

Free College Football Picks: Oregon -34.5
Prediction: Oregon 52 – Washington 10

Matchup: Alabama Crimson Tide @ LSU Tigers
Date: Saturday, November 6th, 3:30 ET
Location: Tiger Stadium, Baton Rouge, LA
Game Line: LSU +6.5
Over/Under 44

We've already talked quite a bit about this big time tussle in the Bayou, and we think that we have already made our point clear that we love the Bayou Bengals. This is a rough scheduling spot for the Tide even though they are off of their bye week, as it was also a bye for LSU. Giving two weeks for HC Les Miles to draw up more tricks seems to be a little unfair. The question is going to be whether the offense for LSU can really get enough going to keep the Alabama offense out of sync. If the Tide get this game into the high 20s, there is no chance for LSU to survive. However, we've seen the "Mad Hatter" pull off stranger things, and we think the Tigers are going to roar loudly on Saturday.

Free College Football Picks: LSU +6.5
Prediction: LSU 20 – Alabama 16

Matchup: Hawaii Warriors @ Boise State Broncos
Date: Saturday, November 6th, 3:30 ET
Location: Bronco Stadium, Boise, ID
Game Line: Boise State -21
Over/Under 66

One would think that the only hope the Warriors have in this one is to try to make it a shootout. Their defense just isn't good enough to compete with Boise State, and the Broncos have one of the most high octane offenses in the land as well. This isn't a test like that of the Virginia Tech Hokies earlier in the season. This is a legitimate home game against a long time rival, and it isn't an opportunity that Boise State figures to pass on in its showcase season. QB Bryant Moniz is going to be in for his biggest test of the season, even bigger than when the USC Trojans paid a visit to the Big Island. Hawaii has the longest ATS winning streak in the nation coming into this week at six games, but that all comes to a close as QB Kellen Moore and the gang put the Warriors down and move one step closer to the BCS.

Free College Football Picks: Boise State -21
Prediction: Boise State 41 – Hawaii 17

Matchup: TCU Horned Frogs @ Utah Utes
Date: Saturday, November 6th, 3:30 ET
Location: Rice Eccles Stadium, Salt Lake City, UT
Game Line: Utah +4.5
Over/Under 51.5

Is this really the game of the year? The Horned Frogs know that the reward for winning this game on the road would probably be the coveted No. 2 ranking in the BCS next week, as they will probably hop over the Auburn Tigers, who are taking on an FCS opponent. TCU has a lot of great things going for it, including a defense that ranks No. 1 in the nation in three major statistical categories. HC Gary Patterson lives for games like this one, and he knows that QB Andy Dalton is the man that can get the job done by going on the road and taking care of the Utes. Don't think for one minute that the combination of QB Jordan Wynn, RB Eddie Wide, and RB Matt Asiata are just rolling over and dying, though. Rice Eccles Stadium is one of the more hellacious places to go play in the MWC. Here's the thing, though. Utah has struggled just a bit against some of the better teams on its schedule. Against better teams than that, the Horned Frogs just keep continuing to roll and really haven't had a close call this year. They might get challenged on Saturday afternoon, but when push really comes to shove, TCU is winning this game by two scores.

Free College Football Picks: TCU -4.5
Prediction: TCU 24 – Utah 13

Matchup: North Carolina Tar Heels @ Florida State Seminoles
Date: Saturday, November 6th, 3:30 ET
Location: Bobby Bowden Field at Doak Campbell Stadium, Tallahassee, FL
Game Line: Florida State -10.5
Over/Under 49

If you really believe that the garnet and gold have the best team on their half of the ACC Atlantic Division, this is the game for you. Florida State is coming home for what should be an emotion tie just a week after getting beaten at the gun in a crushing defeat by the NC State Wolfpack at Carter Finley Stadium on national TV. QB Christian Ponder is going to want to make amends for fumbling on the final drive of the game that could've won it, and the defense is certainly going to want to make up for its three second half touchdowns allowed to the Wolfpack. The Noles haven't even given up that many points in a full game this year at home. North Carolina is a mess right now, and it was lucky to survive against lowly William & Mary last weekend. The Heels are well on their way to another disappointing defeat in the Sunshine State after getting blown away by the Miami Hurricanes two weeks ago.

Free College Football Picks: Florida State -10.5
Prediction: Florida State 31 – North Carolina 16

Matchup: Northwestern Wildcats @ Penn State Nittany Lions
Date: Saturday, November 6th, 3:30 ET
Location: Beaver Stadium, University Park, PA
Game Line: Penn State -6
Over/Under 48

Don't be overly shocked if this turns out to be a fantastic game in Happy Valley. The Nittany Lions and Wildcats are both looking to improve their bowl positioning this year and they are both rock solid clubs. Northwestern has really slipped against the NCAA football odds of late, dropping five in a row. However, the Wildcats still have one of the most consistent dual threat quarterbacks in the Big Ten in QB Dan Persa, and he is figuring out on the job how he can win games in a very tough conference. The Nittany Lions are getting back QB Robert Bolden after his one week absence, and this is going to be one of the more difficult games for the youngster to deal with this year. It feels like every single season, Northwestern has this way of playing really, really tight games against Big Ten teams in games that maybe aren't of the utmost importance, and this sort of feels like one of those games. Fortunately, unlike last week against the Indiana Hoosiers, we don't have to pick a winner. We just need the Cats to stay close to stick in front of the number.

Free College Football Picks: Northwestern +6
Prediction: Penn State 28 – Northwestern 24

Matchup: Nebraska Cornhuskers @ Iowa State Cyclones
Date: Saturday, November 6th, 3:30 ET
Location: Jack Trice Stadium, Ames, IA
Game Line: Iowa State +17.5
Over/Under 57.5

Here's the million dollar question in this NCAA football betting affair: Which Iowa State team is going to show up? Is the one going to take the field that was absolutely blown to bits by both the Utah Utes and Oklahoma Sooners in back to back weeks, or will the ISU that went on the road and beat the Texas Longhorns and smashed both the Kansas Jayhawks and Texas Tech Red Raiders be on the gridiron? It's not totally inconceivable to think that the Cyclones could still win the Big XII North, but obviously, this is a must win game. The Huskers are probably in no mood to screw around after finally making themselves the only team in this conference that really controlled their own destiny last week when they beat the Missouri Tigers. Still, we know that RB Roy Helu isn't rushing for 300 yards again this week, and we aren't so sure how healthy QB Taylor Martinez really is. On top of that, this is a ton of points to be giving a home team in a conference tussle, especially one that has the caliber enough to go bowling this year.

Free College Football Picks: Iowa State +17.5
Prediction: Nebraska 31 – Iowa State 20

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November 3rd, 2010 By Andrew "Mr. Multi-Task" Ryan - Cappersinfo Contributor

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Matchup: Alabama Crimson Tide @ LSU Tigers
Date: Saturday, November 6th, 3:30 ET
Location: Tiger Stadium, Baton Rouge, LA
Game Line: LSU +6.5
Over/Under 44.5

When Alabama has the ball… We aren't so sure that the Crimson Tide know what it's like to face a defense that is this good. Yes, the South Carolina Gamecocks and Arkansas Razorbacks both have units to be reckoned with, but none are as good as that of LSU. The Tigers are only allowing 11.2 points and 220.2 yards per game this year when playing at home, including just 2.9 yards per rush and 4.6 yards per pass. The Bayou Bengals have only allowed a grand total of six TDs this year at home, and it only took a superhuman effort by QB Cam Newton to put just 24 points on the board against them two weeks ago in a 24-17 win at Jordan Hare Stadium. Now, we know that this offense has some talent for the Tide, though. RB Mark Ingram might not be the Heisman Trophy candidate he was a year ago, but he has done a nice job this season, rushing for 544 yards and eight scores. RB Trent Richardson might actually be the better back of the two. He is averaging 7.0 yards per carry and has 606 yards on the season. QB Greg McElroy has only lost one game in his collegiate career, and he isn't quite ready to make this one No. 2 yet. He is averaging 9.2 yards per pass play on the season, is completing 70.6 percent of his passes, and has a TD/INT ratio of 11/3. Still, we aren't so sure, even with all of this talent (and we haven't even mentioned that of WR Julio Jones!) that Alabama is really matching up all that well with the LSU 'D', especially on the road.

Final Grades
Alabama Crimson Tide: B
LSU Tigers: A+

When LSU has the ball… This probably isn't the side of the ball in which either team can really win this game, but it surely is the side for both that can lose it. If the LSU offense doesn't get going, the defense is going to be good enough to pick up the slack, but turnovers can be killers and destroy any chance of winning the game. We already know that QB Jordan Jefferson is pick prone, as he has eight already this season against just two touchdown passes. The same could be said about Alabama here. The Tide don't have the same type of dominant defense this year as they did last season, though they still rank No. 2 in the country in scoring. Some turnovers and can win this game, but the offense is going to have to do its share. However, if the 'D' falls victim to some big plays, the Crimson Tide just don't have a chance, as the only team in the nation that might be able to win a shootout in the Bayou is the Oregon Ducks, and we aren't even so sure that they can do that either. HC Les Miles knows that punting the ball is quite alright. Drives which string together two first downs and end with a punt are perfectly fine. RB Steven Ridley is going to be the catalyst to this offense. He has rushed for 724 yards this year and six TDs. Still, the offense only ranks No. 101 in the land in total offense at 317.9 yards per game and is No. 25 in scoring at 25.5 points per game. It's definitely an edge to Alabama, and it's a big one, but this isn't the crucial factor in any LSU game.

Final Grades
Alabama Crimson Tide: B+
LSU Tigers: C-

Intangibles…. It goes without saying that this is very much so at the advantage of the Tigers. Alabama knows that it can win games like this, as it proved that it could win in the Bayou two years ago when it did so in overtime on the march to the SEC Championship Game. However, Baton Rouge might be the hardest place to play football in the country, especially when those shadows start getting a bit longer and the day turns to night. It is also critical to note that there has been two weeks for both of these teams to prepare. HC Nick Saban is the better coach, but there isn't a man in the country that we want calling the big shot in a big game like this than the Mad Hatter himself, HC Les Miles. Miles was the man that called the fake field goal that ultimately beat the Florida Gators in the Swamp, and we know that he has tricks like that one up his sleeve every single week. The bad news for Miles is that he has to do that to get his offense going at times. The good news is that there is no better in the game at it.

Final Grades
Alabama Crimson Tide: B-
LSU Tigers: A+

The Final Report Card… We just can't give the upper hand here to the visitors. This is a tough, tough game. Alabama's only real big edge in this one comes on its defense, and there is only so much one unit can do to make a game. The offense is going to be in charge of taking this crowd out of the equation, and if it can't do that, this is a scary situation. LSU is a team that has been disrespected by everyone all season long, but we certainly aren't issuing any sort of disrespect here on Saturday afternoon. These two teams are about as level as they could be, but we're giving the ever so slight nod to the hosts.

Final Overall Grades
Alabama Crimson Tide: A-
LSU Tigers: A

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October 22nd, 2010 By Andrew "Mr. Multi-Task" Ryan - Cappersinfo Contributor

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Matchup: Notre Dame Fighting Irish @ Navy Midshipmen
Date: Saturday, October 23rd, 12:00 ET
Location: New Meadowlands Stadium, East Rutherford, NJ
Game Line: Notre Dame -6.5
Over/Under 49.5

The Middies are still struggling, though they're finding ways to scratch wins together of late. The Irish, on the other hand, have been dominating games lately, going 1-0-2 ATS and 3-0 SU in their L/3. QB Dayne Crist hasn't missed a beat without TE Kyle Rudolph in the lineup, and the offense blew up last week for 44 points in spite of the fact that WR Theo Riddick was largely missing in action. WR Michael Floyd is going to be the most dangerous weapon on the field for the Middies to try to defend. This is a game that is historically owned by the Fighting Irish, though Navy has taken the L/2 meetings in South Bend. You have to go back five decades to find the last victory that didn't occur in front of the watchful eyes of Touchdown Jesus, though. This will be a legitimate neutral site game, which probably favors the Fighting Irish just a tad. Go with the Golden Domers to take care of this one on the "road," as it appears as though HC Brian Kelly finally has enough going to get a real winning streak in the works.

Free College Football Picks: Notre Dame -6.5
Prediction: Notre Dame 27 – Navy 19

Matchup: Syracuse Orange @ West Virginia Mountaineers
Date: Saturday, October 23rd, 12:00 ET
Location: Mountaineer Field, Morgantown, WV
Game Line: West Virginia -13.5
Over/Under 43.5

Don't let the 4-2 mark beside the name "Syracuse" fool you. Instead, remember that this program is still just that… "Syracuse." The Orange probably aren't going bowling this year, though in the pathetic Big East, you never really know what's going to happen from Saturday to Saturday. However, one thing that we do know is that West Virginia is the only team in this conference that would stand a chance of even remotely competing in the other divisions in college football. WVU is clearly head and shoulders the better team here, and QB Geno Smith and one of the best defenses in the country is probably going to prove it. The 'Neers are 7-2 ATS in their L/9 against the Orange, and in spite of the fact that those two duds came in the L/2 meetings in Morgantown, we aren't afraid of just a two score NCAA football spread.

Free College Football Picks: West Virginia -13.5
Prediction: West Virginia 31 – Syracuse 10

Matchup: Purdue Boilermakers @ Ohio State Buckeyes
Date: Saturday, October 23rd, 12:00 ET
Location: Ohio Stadium, Columbus, OH
Game Line: Ohio State -24
Over/Under 47.5

The Buckeyes have quite a lot to be angry about in this game. They lost last week to the Wisconsin Badgers in a game in which they were totally dominated until about halftime when they decided to finally wake up and play some football. HC Jim Tressel can also point to the fact that this is one of the last Big Ten teams standing without a conference loss. Oh yes, this was also the same Purdue team that spoiled any hopes of OSU winning the National Championship last year… You think this one is going to be ugly? The Boilers have just had the Buckeyes' numbers in recent years, as they have pulled some upsets and done a lot of good work against the college football odds as well. However, this one just won't be the same. Without QB Robert Marve and RB Ralph Bolden in the fold, Purdue is just dead in the water. There's no semblance of an offense that can do any sort of damage against this potent 'D' that has to still be angry about the huge number that Wisky dropped on the board last weekend in Camp Randall. In the end, too much QB Terrelle Pryor, too much OSU defense, and not nearly enough Purdue offense. This should be a laugher.

Free College Football Picks: Ohio State -24
Prediction: Ohio State 41 – Purdue 6

Matchup: Michigan State Spartans @ Northwestern Wildcats
Date: Saturday, October 23rd, 12:00 ET
Location: Ryan Field, Evanston, IN
Game Line: Michigan State -6
Over/Under 53

Northwestern was upset by the Purdue Boilermakers last week at home in what clearly amounted to be the worst game of the season. The Cats were scratched in a big way, but they are clearly rabid right now. Remember that this was the same team that ended the perfect campaign of the Iowa Hawkeyes last season. Michigan State needs to watch out and watch out in a big time way. The rush defense for the Wildcats is going to be tested by RBs Edwin Baker and Le'Veon Bell. We're not so sure that QB Dan Persa really has what it takes to beat this team, but this is a passing attack that ranks No. 20 in the nation against one of the country's worst secondaries. At some point, Sparty is going to get picked off, and it might get picked off a few times. This could just be the beginning of the end.

Free College Football Picks: Northwestern +6
Prediction: Northwestern 26 – Michigan State 24

Matchup: Mississippi Rebels @ Arkansas Razorbacks
Date: Saturday, October 23rd, 12:20 ET
Location: Razorback Stadium, Fayetteville, AR
Game Line: Arkansas -9.5
Over/Under 58

Last week, we warned that this Ole Miss team was good enough to pull some big time upsets, even in the SEC West this year, and we at least got a close game against the Alabama Crimson Tide to show for it. QB Jeremiah Masoli has all the talent in the world, and if the defense for the Rebs can start to show up like it has in recent weeks, this could be a very interesting ball game. Who knows how much QB Ryan Mallett is going to be affected by that concussion he suffered last weekend? One thing we do know is that the running quarterback, QB Cameron Newton, absolutely destroyed this defense for the Hogs. Masoli is built in the exact same mold, and he just had to be loving watching that game tape this week. Arkansas can be had. This is a team that might just be poised to fall flat. If the Rebs want to go bowling this year, this is the type of game that they are going to have to win at some point. There's no better time that the present to pick of a wounded Arkansas team that has played in three straight very tight ball games against good teams and could really use a breather. They're not getting one.

Free College Football Picks: Ole Miss +9.5
Prediction: Mississippi 41 – Arkansas 31

Matchup: Wisconsin Badgers @ Iowa Hawkeyes
Date: Saturday, October 23rd, 3:30 ET
Location: Kinnick Stadium, Iowa City, IA
Game Line: Iowa -6
Over/Under 48

If you look up the definition of an awful scheduling spot, you're going to see Bucky the Badger's face plastered right there in the dictionary. Wisconsin is just in so much trouble in this game, it's not even funny. This team is clearly high on life after beating the Ohio State Buckeyes last week at home. Fantastic. Now, the test is certainly more difficult. The Hawkeyes might not only be just as good, if not better than the Buckeyes, but they are also going to be playing at home as well. Iowa has absolutely owned the Badgers in recent years, and we don't expect that to change any. HC Kirk Ferentz really used last year's win at Camp Randall as the boosting point for the fantastic season that ended with an Orange Bowl victory. This could be the start of a National Championship run if the Hawkeyes get some lucky bounces from other teams along the way. There's too much on the line for Iowa to get beaten at home. This game will look a lot like the game against the hapless Penn State Nittany Lions for Iowa.

Free College Football Picks: Iowa -6
Prediction: Iowa 30 – Wisconsin 10

Matchup: Kansas State Wildcats @ Baylor Bears
Date: Saturday, October 23rd, 3:30 ET
Location: Floyd Casey Stadium, Waco, TX
Game Line: Baylor -6.5
Over/Under 56.5

Would you even imagine that Baylor would be favored over Kansas State by basically a full touchdown in a game? All of a sudden the Bears, the program that became the whipping boy for so many other teams in the Big XII over the years, have figured out how to make the most out of their QB Robert Griffin. This offense is absolutely tearing through teams this season. K-State is a very one dimensional team, as it is RB Daniel Thomas or bust. If that doesn't work, its defense is going to be in a ton of trouble. You'd better believe that this game is the equivalent of the Super Bowl in Waco, as a win for the Bears would ensure a bowl game for the first time in eons. Remember, this team has won games this year 34-3, 34-6, and 55-7 at home and hasn't played any other games there… Yet, it is still 5-2 on the season. You'd better believe that the crowd will be out in full force. The Wildcats won't know what hit them in this one, as this could be on the more entertaining displays to watch on Saturday.

Free College Football Picks: Baylor -6.5
Prediction: Baylor 34 – Kansas State 17

Matchup: Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets @ Clemson Tigers
Date: Saturday, October 23rd, 3:30 ET
Location: Clemson Memorial Stadium, Clemson, SC
Game Line: Clemson -5.5
Over/Under 52

Death Valley is a horrifying place for opponents to go into, as it is one of the loudest venues in the nation. However, we still just aren't so sold on QB Kyle Parker and the men in orange. Georgia Tech hasn't really had much in the way of success defensively this season, but that doesn't mean that it can't muster up just a tad in this one. QB Josh Nesbitt's triple option attack absolutely blew up this Clemson defense last year twice, and if Nesbitt can get out in some open space, he can really hush the crowd in Death Valley once, and potentially for all. The Ramblin' Wreck have something to prove with the ACC Coastal Division title once again within reach. Winning out will take care of that. For Clemson, the only goal is a bowl game. The wrong team is favored in this one.

Free College Football Picks: Georgia Tech +5.5
Prediction: Georgia Tech 28 – Clemson 20

Matchup: LSU Tigers @ Auburn Tigers
Date: Saturday, October 23rd, 3:30 ET
Location: Jordan Hare Stadium, Auburn, AL
Game Line: Auburn -5.5
Over/Under 51.5

We've already discussed this game just a tad, and we are going dig just a bit deeper right now. The Bayou Bengals have all of the tools that it takes to stop this Auburn offense, so the only question in our mind on this side of the ball is whether the combined rushing force of RB Michael Dyer, RB Onterio McCalebb, and QB Cam Newton is going to be able to do enough to penetrate this defense. So far, no one has really been tremendously successful. If you take away one bad quarter, the LSU defense has looked phenomenal, even on the road against the Florida Gators. Last week, know that Auburn's secondary got exposed by a backup quarterback, and if that's the case, perhaps the combination of QB Jarret Lee and QB Jordon Jefferson actually has a chance of making some headway. We'll say this… If the LSU offense can get anywhere near the 30 point barrier, this game is as good as over. HC Les Miles and his team know what it takes to win big games like this one. HC Gene Chizik and his Tigers aren't anywhere near that level yet. One of these teams is a legitimate contender for the National Championship. The other one, we believe to be fool's gold.

Free College Football Picks: LSU +5.5
Prediction: LSU 27 – Auburn 21

Matchup: Nebraska Cornhuskers @ Oklahoma State Cowboys
Date: Saturday, October 23rd, 3:30 ET
Location: Boone Pickens Stadium, Stillwater, OK
Game Line: Nebraska -6
Over/Under 60

If the Pokes find a way to really start torching the Nebraska defense, this could be one heck of a rodeo in Stillwater. Nebraska has the offensive weapons to get through a defense that really hasn't had much success stopping anyone this year. You can bet that QB Taylor Martinez is going to want to make amends for failing last week against the Texas Longhorns. This is also a very, very dangerous game for the Huskers because a second loss in Big XII play parlayed with a win by the Missouri Tigers over the Oklahoma Sooners later that night takes the Big XII North race out of their hands. They'll need the 'Zou to come back to the pack to be able to head back to the Big XII Championship for another go around. The matchup to watch is the hookup of QB Brandon Weeden to WR Justin Blackmon against the Nebraska defense. Blackmon might be the best receiver in college football, and he certainly has the stats that back that claim up. If he gets going, watch out! This should be a great one, but we tend to think that there's too much defense for Big Red to get beaten here even though Stillwater is one hellacious place to go place college football.

Free College Football Picks: Oklahoma State +6
Prediction: Nebraska 34 – Oklahoma State 31

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October 21st, 2010 By Andrew "Mr. Multi-Task" Ryan - Cappersinfo Contributor
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Here at Cappers Info, we are taking a weekly look at the teams that could be ones ripe to pull off some major upsets! Check out the potentially ugly dogs that could come up and bite you in the butt in you aren't careful for the Week 8 of college football betting action!

Underdog Pick #1: North Carolina Tar Heels (+210 at Diamond Sportsbook) @ Miami Hurricanes, Saturday, 7:30 ET: Miami needs to be very, very careful in this game, or it will get picked off and be finished in the ACC Coastal Division this year. The Canes have never really had much success against North Carolina, going just 2-4 SU and 0-5-1 ATS in six tries since joining the ACC. The Tar Heels are very quietly one of the best ATS teams in the nation this year, and all of a sudden, four straight foes, some of which have relatively potent offensive units, have been kept in the teens in scoring. In those games, North Carolina is 4-0 SU and ATS. Miami really slacked off last week against the Duke Blue Devils, which is the only game that we have to work with after the debilitating loss against the Florida State Seminoles two weeks ago. This is a bad, bad spot for "The U," even at home, and with HC Randy Shannon not really having much in the way of a reputation for getting his team up after it has been eliminated from National Championship contention, we think that this is an absolutely fantastic price on the men from Tobacco Road.

Underdog Pick #2: Kansas Jayhawks (+400 at Diamond Sportsbook) vs. Texas A&M Aggies, Saturday 7:00 ET: We tend to think that the Aggies are a train wreck waiting to happen right now. QB Jerrod Johnson has had some iffy game over the last few weeks, and we tend to believe that he might be in for a disastrous outing in this one. This looks way too much like the game against the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets, when the Jayhawks came out of nowhere to pull off an outright upset. This is historically a relatively close series, and HC Turner Gill has a crew that badly needs to get back in the saddle after losing 59-7 and 55-7 in their last two games. A&M hasn't won in four tries, and this could potentially be a disaster waiting to happen. Go big or go home, right? We'll take Rock Chalk to make matters worse for HC Mike Sherman and company on Saturday.

Underdog Pick #3: Washington Huskies (+210 at Diamond Sportsbook) @ Arizona Wildcats, Saturday, 10:15 ET: Arizona is going to be debuting a new QB this week in either Matt Scott or Bryson Beirne, and both are likely to take snaps against the Huskies. U-Dub knows who its quarterback is, and QB Jake Locker is still on the rebound from that awful game he had against the Nebraska Cornhuskers. Don't kid yourself: The Huskies are legit. This is a team that can be the Oregon Ducks and win the Pac-10 this year if given the opportunity and the chips fall properly. We aren't so sure that this line is right even if QB Nick Foles didn't injure he knee. With Foles not in the fold, we tend to believe that the Huskies should be favored. You betcha we're backing them to win this game at least one out of three times!

Underdog Pick #4: Tennessee Volunteers (+500 at Diamond Sportsbook) vs. Alabama Crimson Tide, Saturday, 7:00 ET: Remember when we backed Tennessee playing in the Bayou against the LSU Tigers and came up that one play short of a very similar upset? The Tide need to be very careful once again, as we think they are absolute in the danger zone to get knocked out of the BCS National Championship picture. This is the third straight week in which Alabama is taking on a foe coming off of a bye week, and the last time that it played a game like that on the road, the South Carolina Gamecocks picked it off. This isn't quite the same team, but it isn't quite the same setting either. Rocky Top at night is a horror to go play at for the opposition. Yes, the Vols were blown out at night by the Oregon Ducks, but this is a totally different scenario in a conference battle. Tennessee fell just short last year, winning 12-10 in Tuscaloosa, and we absolutely think that it is taking this tussle at least one out of five times, especially knowing how horrendously tired the Crimson Tide must be of playing tough teams.

Underdog Pick #5: LSU Tigers (+180 at Diamond Sportsbook) @ Auburn Tigers, Saturday, 3:30 ET: The marquee game of the day is going to be one of the big upsets of the weekend as well. The Bayou Bengals just have a fantastic setup in this one. Their defense is speedy enough to take care of the X-Factor with QB Cam Newton, something that the defense of the Arkansas Razorbacks didn't have. Their offense has the right tools with the short passing game and hardnosed running game to really frustrate the Auburn defense. The scheduling spot is just perfect as well. LSU had its letdown game from when it beat the Florida Gators already, as it struggled with McNeese State at times. Auburn is just coming off the biggest win of the year, and it came in a game that was significantly closer and significantly tougher than the final score suggests. These Tigers have had a ton of lives this year already, squeaking out wins against the Clemson Tigers, South Carolina Gamecocks, Kentucky Wildcats, and now the Hogs as well. At some point, luck is going to run out at Jordan Hare Stadium. That luck runs out on Saturday.

Underdog Pick #6: Utah State Aggies (+140 at Diamond Sportsbook) vs. Hawaii Warriors, Saturday, 5:00 ET: We were just going to leave it at five underdog plays this week, but this one might be the best spot of the bunch. The Aggies are in a perfect spot, just like LSU is in this weekend. They are coming off of a bye week and are welcoming in Hawaii, which just came off of its biggest win of the season against the Nevada Wolf Pack. Yes, this offense can sling the ball all over the field, and yes, it will get its scores, but if you remember properly, this was also an offense that was really screwed up by the Colorado Buffaloes' defense on the road earlier this season. We've said it time and time again. Hawaii just isn't cut out to play games away from the Big Island. Utah State knows that this is the last gasp if a bowl game is in its future, and we thoroughly expect, just like we saw against the BYU Cougars in primetime football a few weeks ago, that the Aggies are going to come out firing on all cylinders and take down a very unsuspecting bunch of Warriors.

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October 1st, 2010 By Andrew "Mr. Multi-Task" Ryan - Cappersinfo Contributor

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Matchup: Ohio State Buckeyes @ Illinois Fighting Illini
Date: Saturday, October 2nd, 12:00 ET
Location: Memorial Stadium, Champaign, IL
Game Line: Illinois +17
Over/Under 50.5

This game has the makings to be a very interesting one. The 2010 Buckeyes have never seen what it's like to play on the road, while the 2010 Illini have never felt what it is like to go up against a defense on this caliber. Here's what we do know. QB Terrelle Pryor is going to get his yards and his points, and there's nothing that Illinois can do about it. Pryor is just that good. There's a reason that he leads this team in rushing and is starting to put up passing numbers that can rival anyone in the nation. Pryor is completing 66.4 percent of his passes, is averaging right around 235 passing yards per game, and a 10/2 TD/INT ratio. Here's what else we know. The Buckeyes have an amazing defense. The 'D' did look relatively mortal last week, allowing three TDs to the Eastern Michigan Eagles, the lowliest team on the schedule, but prior to that, the unit had only allowed three TDs all season. The other three scores came via special teams blunders. For Illinois, RB Mikel LeShoure is going to have to take the pressure off of freshman QB Nathan Scheelhaase. If Scheelhaase is forced into trying to make things happen, he is going to be in for an incredibly long day. The frosh is only completing 54.4 percent of his passes, and he is just barely over 120 yards per game on average. However, the Fighting Illini had two weeks to prepare for this game, and the Buckeyes might be caught napping just a tad. This could be closer than the experts think.

Free College Football Picks: Illinois +17
Prediction: Ohio State 31 – Illinois 20

Matchup: Louisiana Monroe Warhawks @ Auburn Tigers
Date: Saturday, October 2nd, 12:00 ET
Location: Jordan Hare Stadium, Auburn, AL
Game Line: Auburn -35
Over/Under 54

The Warhawks might be coming into this battle at 1-2, but they are clearly going to be outmatched by a very strong Auburn team. Perception on the Tigers is awfully high right now after they took out both the South Carolina teams, the South Carolina Gamecocks and Clemson Tigers in close calls at home in the L/2 weeks. QB Cam Newton is still in the discussion for the Heisman Trophy, and for good reason. It's not what Newton is doing with his arm that is so dangerous. It's what his legs are accomplishing. Newton has rushed for 485 yards and five TDs, and he has directly accounted for all but three scores for Auburn all season long. Newton parlayed with RBs Michael Dyer and Onterio McCalebb creates a backfield that cannot be stopped by a team from the Sun Belt. The three are the majority of the Tigers' seventh ranked rushing attack in the land. The defense has been shoddy at times, but when push comes to shove, Auburn knows how to buckle down and get three and outs and turnovers when need be. The same just can't be said about ULM. The Warhawks are averaging just 16.0 points per game offensively and are conceding 413.0 yards per game in total, a number that is significantly higher against FBS foes. This will be a blowout from the start.

Free College Football Picks: Auburn -35
Prediction: Auburn 41 – Louisiana Monroe 3

Matchup: Miami Hurricanes @ Clemson Tigers
Date: Saturday, October 2nd, 12:00 ET
Location: Clemson Memorial Stadium, Clemson, SC
Game Line: Clemson +3
Over/Under 50.5

These two ACC foes have only locked horns three times in their existence, and all three games have been classics won by the road team in overtime. Clemson is already 2-1 SU and 3-0 ATS against Miami all-time. However, the Tigers have some real problems right now. QB Kyle Parker was supposed to be the savior this year, but that just hasn't been the case since he decided to come back and play another year at quarterback for Clemson instead of pursuing a baseball career. Though Parker's 6:1 TD/INT ratio is rock solid, he is only completing 58.3 percent of his passes and has just 504 yards through the air in three games. The defense has been even more questionable, allowing 388.3 yards per game and 19.3 points per game. Those numbers might not all seem that bad, but the game against the Auburn Tigers was the only game of substance on the schedule. For the Canes, they took care of the Pitt Panthers last week in resounding fashion with a 31-3 victory on primetime football on Thursday night. The victory more than atoned for the 36-24 defeat at the Horseshoe back on September 11th. QB Jacory Harris has an outside shot at winning the Heisman Trophy this year, but the defense is going to have to carry this team. This unit has only allowed 131.7 passing yards per game, a number that Parker had better test for the Tigers to have a shot at victory in this one. Don't be shocked if Miami jumps out to another quick start in this one and runs away with it in the second half.

Free College Football Picks: Miami -3
Prediction: Miami 27 – Clemson 13

Matchup: Northwestern Wildcats @ Minnesota Golden Gophers
Date: Saturday, October 2nd, 12:00 ET
Location: Mall of America Field, Minneapolis, MN
Game Line: Minnesota +5.5
Over/Under 53.5

There's something fishy that's bothering us about this game. The Wildcats are 4-0 this year, and even though they haven't looked all that great in doing so, there's a great chance for them to crack into the Top 25 with wins in these next few weeks. QB Dan Persa has been one of the most efficient signal callers in the entire land, as he has accounted for 1,221 yards of offense and ten total scores against just one pick on the year. His 80.2 completion percentage is also the tops that the country has to offer for QBs with at least 100 attempts. The Northwestern defense also ranks 22nd in the nation in scoring defense at 15.5 points per game and hasn't allowed more than 25 all season long to a foe. Meanwhile, Minnesota is a mess. The Gophers have lost three straight, all at home, and they haven't covered any of the three games. The offense has totally lost its identity after rumbling all over the Middle Tennessee State Blue Raiders on opening night on the ground. As for the defense, is it ever a good thing to give up 41 points to South Dakota? 32 to USC was remotely acceptable, but 34 to Northern Illinois really wasn't either. So why on earth are the Wildcats only short favorites? Logic tells you that at some point, the Golden Gophers are winning a game at home, and with the only home dates left after this one coming against Penn State, Ohio State, and Iowa, there is certainly a desperation to avoid a winless season at home. Don't be shocked if this one ends with the mild upset.

Free College Football Picks: Minnesota +5.5
Prediction: Minnesota 37 – Northwestern 31

Matchup: Navy Midshipmen @ Air Force Falcons
Date: Saturday, October 2nd, 2:30 ET
Location: Falcon Stadium, Colorado Springs, CO
Game Line: Air Force -10
Over/Under 49.5

If you like the triple option, this is the game for you! The Middies and Falcons clearly do it as well as anyone in the country, and they'll do it down after down after down regardless of what the situation is. The bottom line here is that these offenses are both stellar and both know exactly what the other defense is up to. For Navy, it's QB Ricky Dobbs that is going to be leading the way one year after he led the nation in rushing TDs. For Air Force, QB Tim Jefferson has the ability to throw some as well as running the option to a high level of success. The question that is going to separate these two teams is whether either can really stop the other or not. So far this year, no team is holding foes to fewer passing yards per game than the Naval Academy at 99.3, while the defense ranks in the Top 25 in both total 'D' (262.0 YPG, 12th) and scoring 'D' (15.7 PPG, 24th). For Air Force, the unit has been a little bit more modest at 306.8 yards per game and 19.0 points per game. The difference that we must consider though, is strength of schedule. The Falcons have already taken on BYU, Oklahoma, and Wyoming this year, a far cry from Louisiana Tech and Maryland Terrapins for Navy. This is a lot of points, but we are going to trust the hosts to sink the Middies in what could be a big statement game towards the Commander in Chief Trophy.

Free College Football Picks: Air Force -10
Prediction: Air Force 45 – Navy 28

Matchup: Texas Longhorns vs. Oklahoma Sooners
Date: Saturday, October 2nd, 3:30 ET
Location: Cotton Bowl, Dallas, TX
Game Line: Oklahoma -3
Over/Under 45

Speaking of games that look a little fishy… Ok, we'll be the first to admit that the two combatants in the Red River Rivalry this year haven't played up to par, especially last week when the 'Horns were trashed at home by the UCLA Bruins 34-12. Oklahoma hasn't played well either, except when good competition comes calling. The Florida State Seminoles were dumped 47-17. Aside from that, the Sooners haven't beaten anyone by more than a TD this year. Still, we tend to think that DC Will Muschamp is going to be the difference maker in this game. We aren't quite sure how he does it game in and game out, but Muschamp always finds a way to frustrate opposing quarterbacks and come up with great game plans. He got a great look at QB Landry Jones last year and knows what the sophomore is up to. Now, it will be up to the likes of DE Sam Acho to get to Jones and pressure the OU offense into some dumb decisions. The season is on the line for the Longhorns, who absolutely will not be able to recover from defeat. We tend to believe that Texas got its wake up call last weekend and will be able to shake it off. Oklahoma has had some close calls, but has yet to be defeated. If the Sooners just try to coast by in this one, they'll get beaten and potentially beaten bad. We love the Longhorns on Saturday afternoon.

Free College Football Picks: Texas +3
Prediction: Texas 27 – Oklahoma 16

Matchup: Wisconsin Badgers @ Michigan State Spartans
Date: Saturday, October 2nd, 3:30 ET
Location: Spartan Stadium, East Lansing, MI
Game Line: Michigan State +2
Over/Under 50.5

Will the real Wisconsin Badgers please stand up? The Badgers have had three very questionable games and one totally dominating one this year, but that doesn't instill a lot of confidence in us that this is a squad that is really ready for Big Ten play this year. We know what we're getting out of Michigan State, a team that we are convinced is incredibly overrated. Without that "Little Giants" play, the Spartans are 3-1 right now and are probably 5-6 point underdogs against the Badgers, particularly off of their 70-3 romp over Austin Peay last week. We tend to believe that we've seen as good as it gets out of HC Mark Dantonio's men. We know that we haven't seen the best from Wisconsin yet. There's a reason that this is a Top 10 team in the nation. The combination of a massive, veteran offensive line, a second year quarterback that many think is a pro prospect (QB Scott Tolzein), a Heisman Trophy caliber running back (RB John Clay), and a defense that is historically stifling should be too tough to tame. If the Badgers can give this one everything that they have, they'll pick up a monstrous win in Big Ten play to start off their march towards the Rose Bowl this year.

Free College Football Picks: Wisconsin -2
Prediction: Wisconsin 34 – Michigan State 16

Matchup: Tennessee Volunteers @ LSU Tigers
Date: Saturday, October 2nd, 3:30 ET
Location: Tigers Stadium, Baton Rouge, LA
Game Line: LSU -16.5
Over/Under 42.5

Perception is certainly down right now on HC Derek Dooley's team, especially after needing OT to just narrowly knock off a bad UAB Blazers squad last week. However, this is a team that finds ways to scrap and claw in games and just stick around to be a thorn in the opposition's side, something that the Bayou Bengals will be finding out on Saturday afternoon. We still have absolutely zero confidence in QB Jordon Jefferson's abilities to run this offense. The Tigers rank 116th in the nation in passing 'O' at 110.0 yards per game and just 102nd overall at 299.8 yards per game. The toughest part of this schedule hasn't even gotten started yet. In order to cover 16.5 points in NCAA football betting action, you have to find a way to score at least 17 points. Though this is a team that has scored at least 20 in all four of its games, it is also one that has not scored more than 30 against anyone either. Meanwhile in Rocky Top, QB Matt Simms is starting to round into his own, and it could get scary for the opposition as this season wears on. Simms has a 6/3 TD/INT ratio and has thrown for 836 yards in four games. No, he's not better than his departed brethren QB Jonathan Crompton, but he is doing the little things to make this work. The Vols were victorious here in 2005, so they know that beating the Bayou is possible. We might be a little adventurous to be calling for the outright upset, but this is certain a ton of points that we are catching regardless.

Free College Football Picks: Tennessee +16.5
Prediction: Tennessee 17 – LSU 14

Matchup: Michigan Wolverines @ Indiana Hoosiers
Date: Saturday, October 2nd, 3:30 ET
Location: Memorial Stadium, Bloomington, IN
Game Line: Indiana +10.5
Over/Under 65

Last year, it was a 36-33 win by the Michigan Wolverines in this series that really started the downward spiral for Big Blue, as things never really got better from there. The Hoosiers have to be beaming with confidence right now from the standpoint that they are 3-0, albeit against lousy competition, but that they have a legitimate chance to go bowling, especially if they can pull off this upset. QB Ben Chappell, again, against bad competition, has been stellar this year and is really learning how to take care of the football. He is completing 72.4 percent of his passes for 890 yards and nine scores without an INT. Meanwhile, all eyes are going to be fixated on Heisman Trophy favorite QB Denard Robinson. All of a sudden, Robinson went from being the second best signal caller on his team to one of the best in the country. He still leads the nation in rushing with 688 yards, and his six rushing scores leads the team. Michigan ranks second in the country in rushing offense at 331.2 yards per game and is tops overall at 562.8 yards per game. An experienced Indiana offense which returns the majority of the players from last year's team that also went into Ann Arbor at 3-0 should be able to move the ball against the offense. The key last year was keeping QB Tate Forcier, and eventually Robinson in the pocket. The two quarterbacks only combined for 21 carries, 39 yards, and a TD. If that's all that Robinson comes up with on Saturday on the road, the Wolverines are in a boatload of trouble. There could be an upset brewing in the Big Ten, but we tend to believe that Big Blue will find a way to narrow survive, just like last year.

Free College Football Picks: Indiana +10.5
Prediction: Michigan 42 – Indiana 38

Matchup: Virginia Tech Hokies @ NC State Wolfpack
Date: Saturday, October 2nd, 3:30 ET
Location: Carter Finley Stadium, Raleigh, NC
Game Line: NC State +3.5
Over/Under 53

When are the oddsmakers going to learn that the Wolfpack are for real? HC Tom O'Brien has a winning team that gained all sorts of momentum from last year's narrow escape at home against the North Carolina Tar Heels to end the year. Since that point, the Wolfpack are 5-0 SU and ATS. QB Russell Wilson is largely to thank for that. The third year starter has thrown for 1,112 yards and 11 TDs against just one INT this year. Many probably don't realize it, but NC State is averaging 434.2 yards per game against a respectable schedule that includes games against C-USA favorites, the UCF Knights, a team that went undefeated last year in the regular season, the Cincinnati Bearcats, and last year's ACC champs, the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets. Though it is fairly clear that this Virginia Tech team is significantly better than your average unranked 2-2 team, we still don't quite buy in yet. RB Ryan Williams is out once again from this game, which really leaves some big question marks at running back. QB Tyrod Taylor is the only man averaging more than 45 rushing yards per game on the season. If NCSU can lock down Taylor in the pocket and keep him from finding deep threats WR Jarrett Boykin and WR Danny Coale, this game will be relatively easy. Time for some R-E-S-P-E-C-T for the Wolfpack in a game in which the wrong team is favored by the oddsmakers.

Free College Football Picks: NC State +3.5
Prediction: NC State 31 – Virginia Tech 20

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September 24th, 2010 By Andrew "Mr. Multi-Task" Ryan - Cappersinfo Contributor

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Oklahoma Sooners (-13.5) @ Cincinnati Bearcats
Saturday, September 25th
6:00 ET, Paul Brown Stadium, Cincinnati, OH

The Sooners are simply the better team in this game, but that doesn't always mean a cover against the college football spreads. The Bearcats have been brutal this season and they have been incredibly unlucky as well. Losing WR Vidal Hazelton to injury is something that just won't be overcome easily. QB Zach Collaros can put points on the board in bunches when he has the help, but he just doesn't have that help anymore. Oklahoma has been playing at the level of its opponents all season long, as demonstrated by the close calls against Air Force and Utah State and the domination of Florida State. Will this defense be able to pick up the intensity in the team's first road game of the year? HC Bob Stoops had better hope so. We look for good things from QB Landry Jones, WR Ryan Broyles, and RB DeMarco Murray on Saturday night, which should lead to an NCAA football betting victory by a comfortable margin.

Prediction: Oklahoma 38 – Cincinnati 13
Nevada Wolfpack (-4.5) @ BYU Cougars
Saturday, September 25th
6:00 ET, Lavell Edwards Family Stadium, Provo, UT

If BYU is legitimately one of the best mid-major programs in the country, this game should be a snap at home against one of the other best mid-major programs in the country. However, we're not so sold on the Cougs yet. True freshman QB Jake Heaps might be phenomenal in the future, but he isn't now. He is only completing 50.0 percent of his passes and really has yet to have a truly good game. There's a reason that BYU is only averaging 15.7 points per game this year. As for Nevada, it is averaging somewhere around 15.7 points per QUARTER. There is no stopping this team right now, as the Pistol attack is putting together well over 500 yards per game of offense and has averaged over 50 points per game. QB Colin Kaepernick showed the whole world last week that he was a stud in a nationally televised duel against Cal at home. Now, he'll prove that he's that much better than the Cougs are in a romp in Provo.

Prediction: Nevada 48 – BYU 20
Kentucky Wildcats @ Florida Gators (-14)
Saturday, September 25th
7:00 ET, Florida Field at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium, Gainesville, FL

The Gators have never really had any trouble disposing of the Wildcats, so we're trying to figure out why the oddsmakers are wondering whether they're going to have some issues at home on Saturday night. Kentucky might be a 3-0 team, but playing teams like Western Kentucky and Akron aren't going to win over many votes in the polls. This is the big leagues now that the Wildcats are about to enter into. UF fought off a stingy Tennessee team last weekend in a win that was a lot better than we probably give it credit for. The Gators might not look their best yet, but they are only going to get better and have surprisingly covered back to back games. QB Jeff Brantley is familiar with this UK squad, as this was the team he ran up against last year when QB Tim Tebow was injured. That was on the road and he did just fine. At Florida Field, this won't be an issue.

Prediction: Florida 41 – Kentucky 14
South Carolina Gamecocks (+3) @ Auburn Tigers
Saturday, September 25th
7:45 ET, Jordan Hare Stadium, Auburn, AL

The Gamecocks badly need to prove that they are legitimate contenders in the SEC East, and this game could be the absolutely perfect way to do just that. They are going to be going on the road to try to take out an Auburn team that is red hot as well and looking to make a statement of its own. However, we tend to like the Ol' Ball Coach in this one, as HC Steve Spurrier knows exactly how the game of QB Cam Newton works; after all, he coached up his brother, Syvelle for four years in Columbia. This was the recruit that South Carolina missed out on, and the Gamecocks would love nothing more than to punish Newton and wreck his Heisman Trophy campaign in one swoop. The oddsmakers know that this game is going to be a close call, which is why SC is only a pup by three points. We don't think the Cocks need it. They'll take this one outright against a bunch of Tigers that are due to be tamed after playing a very weak schedule to start the year.

Prediction: South Carolina 24 – Auburn 21
Oregon State Beavers @ Boise State Broncos (-18)
Saturday, September 25th
8:00 ET, Bronco Stadium, Boise, ID

The Broncos have simply demolished opponents that dare step foot on the Smurf Turf. Oregon State has done in three times, and three times, it has left with its tails between its legs .This version of the Broncos is better than any other that that OSU team has ever seen, and at least so far this year, we aren't certain that this is the best bunch of Beavers we've ever laid eyes upon. The Rodgers brothers, Jacquizz and James, just haven't produced enough offense this year, and a lot of that is probably due to the fact that QB Andy Katz just hasn't really produced at the same level of QB Sean Canfield from years past. This isn't a good time to be asking questions, now is it? The Broncos know exactly what they are doing, and they're coming off of a big time beat down on the road of a Wyoming Cowboys team that is still probably going to be good enough to go bowling this year. It just means more to Boise to win this game and win it with a statement than it does for Oregon State, and the end result is going to be exactly what we expect. It's going to be any blue field beat down.

Prediction: Boise State 52 – Oregon State 27
West Virginia Mountaineers (+10) @ LSU Tigers
Saturday, September 25th
9:00 ET, Tigers Stadium, Baton Rouge, LA

We must be out of our minds to think that the Mountaineers can play their first major road game of the year in the Bayou at night and tame the Tigers, right? We just don't believe in LSU this year. QB Jordon Jefferson should be a backup at a middle of the road FBS conference school, not a starter here in big boy college football, and the rest of this offense, save RB Steven Ridley, is questionable at best. The defense is strong for HC Les Miles, but games against a depleted North Carolina Tar Heels squad and two of the worst teams in the SEC (Mississippi State Bulldogs and Vanderbilt Commodores) just doesn't say anything to us. What does speak to us is the fact that the 'Neers have shown some grit this year. The Maryland Terrapins were at the top of their game when they came to Morgantown last week, and WVU sent them packing. The Marshall Thundering Herd gave everything to the blue and gold they had, but that ultimately wasn't enough either. This is a team that just finds ways to win games. QB Geno Smith could surprise everyone in the nation, and maybe some of his teammates as well, by proving that he is good enough to go out and win this game outright. This is going to be the most unlikely upset of the day in the NCAA football betting world.

Prediction: West Virginia 26 – LSU Tigers 20
California Golden Bears (+6.5) @ Arizona Wildcats
Saturday, September 25th
10:00 ET, Arizona Stadium, Tucson, AZ

It's all about perception, my friends. If the Wildcats don't get that last touchdown against the Iowa Hawkeyes last week, they probably lose that game and are favored by just 3-4 points instead of 6.5 in this one. If the California Golden Bears go into Reno and take out a very underrated Nevada Wolfpack team last week, there is probably also a 2-3 point swing in the NCAA football lines. However, nothing has really changed with these squads. Arizona is still very good, while Cal is still a legitimate contender for the Pac-10 title as well. This is a winnable fixture for the Golden Bears. QB Kevin Riley has played well this year and has thrown for 732 yards. He's going to be able to bring over some magic to the desert on Saturday night and help lead Cal to what maybe should be a relatively predictable upset over an Arizona team that has to be full of itself after last week's triumph. The Cats get caught napping and get nipped for the first time on Saturday.

Prediction: California 34 – Arizona 28
Oregon Ducks (-11.5) @ Arizona State Sun Devils
Saturday, September 25th
10:30 ET, Sun Devil Stadium, Tempe, AZ

There is some more perception here that could be implied incorrectly. Arizona State is getting a lot of respect after nearly going into Camp Randall and upsetting the Wisconsin Badgers last week. Wisky hasn't looked that great this year though, and we still can't base what ASU has accomplished off of a pair of FCS wins and one close call against an opponent that very well could be overrated. What we do know in this game is that the Ducks are as good as it gets in the country. Sure, there are going to be games where the U of O could get challenged and perhaps even picked off. However, this isn't one of those games. This is the first time that HC Chip Kelly gets to bring the Quack Attack on the road this year, and with the running of RB LaMichael James, QB Steven Threet and company just won't be able to keep up. It might be interesting for a little while, but when push comes to shove, these two teams don't belong on the same field.

Prediction: Oregon 44 – Arizona State 20

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September 17th, 2010 By Andrew "Mr. Multi-Task" Ryan - Cappersinfo Contributor

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Baylor Bears @ TCU Horned Frogs (-21.5)
Saturday, September 18th
4:30 ET, Amon Carter Stadium, Waco, TX

The Horned Frogs have absolutely beat the living heck out of the Bears, winning 27-0 at home in 2007 and 17-7 in Waco in 2006. TCU has won three straight in this series ATS dating back to 1995. On the field itself, the winningest QB in the history of the program, QB Andy Dalton is going to hopefully have a showcase game, which would be his first big outing of the year. However, Dalton has a pair of fantastic running backs in Matthew Tucker and Ed Wesley, both of which have the ability of going for 100+ yards against anyone in the nation. The Bears really only have one man that can take over a game. The good news is that he plays the quarterback position. QB Robert Griffin is absolutely going to have to have one of those games where he throws for 300+ yards and probably runs for near another 100 and accounts for four scores. The bad news? TCU hasn't given up more than 28 points in a game at home since 2006. Without scoring at least 24 or so, the Bears don't have a chance of sticking in front of this number.

Prediction: TCU 41 – Baylor 17
Mississippi State Bulldogs (+7.5) @ LSU Tigers
Saturday, September 18th
7:00 ET, Tiger Stadium, Baton Rouge, LA

Could the Bulldogs be ready to pull off a big time upset of the Tigers in the Bayou? Mississippi State has played the role of a very strong side so far this year, and the 17-14 loss to Auburn last week really could have gone either way. The play of QB Chris Relf is improving, the QB Tyler Russell could get into the act as well after playing a strong game against Memphis in Week 1. As for the Tigers… We're not sold yet. The Bayou Bengals barely hung on against a depleted North Carolina side in Week 1 and really hasn't done anything even remotely impressive since that point. LSU might not even win this game, let alone beat the TD+ spread. However, this is LSU, and this is a team that just keeps finding ways to win games. And just as we said last week when it was Vanderbilt playing against the Bayou Bengals, Mississippi State usually just finds ways to lose.

Prediction: LSU 20 – Mississippi State 17
Clemson Tigers @ Auburn Tigers (-7)
Saturday, September 18th
7:00 ET, Jordan Hare Stadium, Auburn, AL

This tussle of the Tigers is going to be a rematch of bowl games of the past. However, just as always seems to be the case when these two teams lock horns, there is a little twist in the plot. QB Cameron Newton has played like a Heisman Trophy candidate so far this season, and his brother, Syvelle already spent a number of years tearing apart Clemson when he was at South Carolina. As for the purple and orange Tigers, head coach Dabo Swinney has his work cut out for him. QB Kyle Parker seems to be the only real offensive threat, as guys like Ford, Spiller, etc. are all gone from the program. Clemson's offense doesn't seem to be able to quite keep up with Auburn's. Both of these teams have played relatively well this year, but we think that we'll be yelling "War Eagle!" at the end of the night.

Prediction: Auburn 28 – Clemson 17
Texas Longhorns @ Texas Tech Red Raiders (+3.5)
Saturday, September 18th
8:00 ET, Jones AT&T Stadium, Lubbock, TX

The Longhorns return to the scene of the crime where their 2008 National Championship hopes were dashed by the Red Raiders the night after Halloween on an absolutely amazing play by WR Michael Crabtree. It was one of the games of the year, if not one of the games of the decade, as HC Mack Brown's team narrowly fell short to a Texas Tech squad that nearly found itself playing for the National Championship as well. Now, both of these teams have new looks. The Red Raiders are at least running the ball a tad more with new HC Tommy Tuberville in charge, while Texas appears to have some problems both at the running back position and at quarterback. The starting running back job has changed hands already, while QB Garrett Gilbert, who many thought was a Heisman Trophy candidate at the start of the season, just hasn't played up to his expectations thus far. Texas is ripe for the picking in this one if it isn't careful. Don't be shocked if the guns are up once again in this NCAA football betting affair in the Lone Star State.

Prediction: Texas Tech 37 – Texas 34
Notre Dame Fighting Irish (+3.5) @ Michigan State Spartans
Saturday, September 18th
8:00 ET, Spartan Stadium, East Lansing, MI

Very simply put, the Fighting Irish seem like a team that is going to fight through the entire season, and it only seems like a matter of time until the Spartans collapse. HC Mark Dantonio just doesn't have a good history, and that history seems to kick in right around this time every single season. QB Dayne Crist and the Irish are on their way to something special, as they put up a great fight last week against a Michigan team that might be contending for the Rose Bowl this year. Sparty has covered three straight in this series, but the road team had won seven straight outright from 2001 to 2007. These games are always close, as eight of the L/10 clashes have been decided by a TD or less. This one won't be an exception.

Prediction: Notre Dame 27 – Michigan State 24
Fresno State Bulldogs @ Utah State Aggies (+4)
Saturday, September 18th
8:00 ET, Romney Stadium, Logan, UT

The Aggies are really on the verge of something special in the WAC. No, they're not going to be contending with Boise State, and no, they probably aren't going to be able to score with Nevada, but this is a winnable fixture that could ultimately end up sending them to a bowl game if they can pull it off. Utah State has done just about as well this year as it ever could have imagined, as it nearly pulled off the upset in Norman and took care of Idaho State without any real hassles. The Bulldogs have only played one game this year, and though we tend to believe that a 28-14 win over the Cincinnati Bearcats was relatively impressive, the more win watch the U of C, we aren't so sure that's the case. This is going to be a great test for both of these teams, but we think that USU is being severely underrated. This game should be a heck of a lot closer to a pick 'em, and if that's the case, we'll take the points in hopes for the Aggies to, at bare minimum, keep this one close.

Prediction: Utah State 34 – Fresno State 33
Iowa Hawkeyes (+1.5) @ Arizona Wildcats
Saturday, September 18th
10:30 ET, Arizona Stadium, Tucson, AZ

This is the game of the day without a doubt. College football betting fans have gone back and forth with this one throughout the week, and with good reason. This is the same Arizona squad that nearly beat the mighty Oregon Ducks last year at home that would've won the Pac-10 and sent the Wildcats to the Rose Bowl. Unfortunately, this is also the same Arizona team that marched into Kinnick Stadium last year and left with its tails tucked between its legs in a bad defeat. What tends to be forgotten is that this Iowa bunch hasn't lost a game that QB Ricky Stanzi has both started and finished in his career. The Hawkeyes found ways to win last year at Penn State and at Wisconsin. This is a long, long roadie, but there aren't many coaches that we'd rather have in our corner in this situation than HC Kirk Ferentz. Iowa has always been good. This is a chance to make it great. Go with the Hawkeyes in what should be a very, very tough game.

Prediction: Iowa 16 – Arizona 14
Houston Cougars @ UCLA Bruins (+3.5)
Saturday, September 18th
10:30 ET, Rose Bowl, Pasadena, CA

Be very, very careful, oddsmakers. We were taught a long, long time ago that NCAA football betting and NCAA basketball betting both have one thing in common. If it looks like a fish and it smells like a fish, something is probably really, really fishy. The Bruins were shutout last week by Stanford at home in one of the most embarrassing losses the team has suffered this year. The Cougs avenged last year's loss to UTEP in a big way, crushing the Miners to improve to 2-0. However, this is the first time that QB Kevin Prince and the UCLA offense has seen a beatable defense. Houston flat out stinks defensively. We think that this is also the first time that QB Case Keenum is going to be facing a defense with a ton of great athletes on it. Regardless of how banged up the Bruins are on that side of the ball, these are still great recruits, largely from a very talented base in California. This looks to be a very, very sharp play for us, as UCLA could be the team to end the Heisman Trophy dreams of Keenum and the BCS busting dreams of these Cougs.

Prediction: UCLA 31 – Houston 26
Wake Forest Demon Deacons @ Stanford Cardinal (-17.5)
Saturday, September 18th
11:15 ET, Stanford Stadium, Stanford, CA

Last season, the Cardinal flew all the way East to tango with the Demon Deacons and left town with their heads held high in spite of the fact that they lost 24-17. In short: It's payback time. Basically that entire Wake Forest team has turned over, and it is clear that the defense, which allows a whopping 325.0 yards per game this year through the air, doesn't have the goods to keep up with the Stanford offense. With QB Ted Stachitas already not that great, his injured thumb is going to force HC Jim Grobe's hand. Needless to say, this isn't Presbyterian or Duke anymore that the Demon Deacons are going up against, and this is one heck of a road trip to get to Stanford. The Cardinal should be able to get a ton of yards from QB Andrew Luck in a game that should be all one way traffic. Wake Forest will get exposed as a fraud on Saturday night in the final game of the day.

Prediction: Stanford 48 – Wake Forest 13

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September 10th, 2010 By Andrew "Mr. Multi-Task" Ryan - Cappersinfo Contributor

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Penn State Nittany Lions @ Alabama Crimson Tide (-12)
Saturday, September 11th
7:00 ET, Bryant-Denny Stadium, Tuscaloosa, AL

This might be the best game of the entire day on the college football betting slate on paper, but that doesn't mean that it is going to live up to its hype. The Nittany Lions are going to be bringing a true freshman quarterback into one of the most hostile territories in the country against arguably the nation's best team. This isn't a good combination. Yes, Penn State does have a history of playing teams like this tough, particularly in the regular season, but if the Tide can keep their relatively newly formed defense together and put enough pressure on QB Robert Bolden, the offense is going to be able to do enough to put away the Nittany Lions, potentially very early. Most think that this is going to be a lower scoring game, and though the possibility is definitely there for that, we tend to believe that Alabama is going to press the issue and force the scores up just a tad. The Crimson Tide could have a very big number on the board by the end of the day.

Prediction: Alabama 38 – Penn State 20
Oregon Ducks @ Tennessee Volunteers (+12)
Saturday, September 11th
7:00 ET, Neyland Stadium, Knoxville, TN

It still feels weird to see the Volunteers as double digit underdogs at home. We totally buy into the hype of the Ducks, as we think that even without QB Jeremiah Masoli, they have one of the best teams in the country. Is it capable of coming halfway across the country and beating the snot out of UT? Sure. But let's be realistic here for a second. If you were looking to bet on Oregon this week, you have to be kicking yourself after watching the Ducks drop 72 and 720 yards on the Lobos last week. Perception of this team literally could not be any higher than it is right now. We tend to forget that the Vols just smacked a probably relatively comparable Tennessee-Martin team 50-0 as well. Tennessee is not the better team in this game, thus probably won't win it. But we have to imagine that HC Derek Dooley is going to have his crew as high as a kite. This is an undercard game for sure on the day, but is one that could be very interesting if the screws get tightened by the UT 'D'.

Prediction: Oregon 31 – Tennessee 27
LSU Tigers @ Vanderbilt Commodores (+10)
Saturday, September 11th
7:00 ET, Vanderbilt Stadium, Nashville, TN

Just across the way from Rocky Top, the 'Dores are going to be looking for their first win of the season and their first 'W' since September 26th of last season. New HC Robbie Caldwell knows that his team let one slip away last week against Northwestern, while LSU HC Les Miles knows that his team got away lucky against North Carolina. Bottom line: The Tigers aren't as good as their record indicates, and the Commodores probably aren't as bad. This is historically a series with a bunch of slugfests that end up being ridiculously low scoring games. The 'Dores can hang in this game, especially since it isn't in Baton Rouge. If some of the sloppiness gets cleaned up from last week's defeat against the Wildcats, this is going to prove to be a winnable fixture for Vandy. However, in typical LSU fashion, the Tigers will find a way to win, just like in typical Vanderbilt fashion, the Commodores will find a way to lose. This is still a great spot to pick up a cover in a very close game.

Prediction: LSU 22 – Vanderbilt 20
Mississippi Rebels (-20.5) @ Tulane Green Wave
Saturday, September 11th
9:00 ET, Louisiana Superdome, New Orleans, LA

The whole world is ready to jump ship on the Rebels after they were beaten by the lowly Jacksonville State Gamecocks in double overtime last week. Had they won that game in regulation by eight points, the margin that they were ahead before the dying seconds, this spread would be significantly higher. But instead, perception has gotten the better of the oddsmakers and several bettors, as Tulane is getting a lot of action in this one. However, we aren't ready to write off Ole Miss quite yet. HC Houston Nutt is still one of the best in the country, and though his team has been decimated by graduation and early departures over the past two years, he picked up a real gem in QB Jeremiah Masoli. Now that Masoli has had a full week of practice with his new team, he is inevitably going to be ready to shine. There is still a whole season in front of the Rebs, and as long as they don't dwell too hard on the past, they should be able to march into the Bayou and beat the snot out of a Tulane team which narrowly avoided the same sort of embarrassing fate of losing to an FCS team last week.

Prediction: Ole Miss 56 – Tulane 10
Stanford Cardinal @ UCLA Bruins (+6)
Saturday, September 11th
10:30 ET, Rose Bowl, Pasadena, CA

Once again, perception is the key to this game. UCLA went into Manhattan last week against a game Kansas State squad and was beaten 31-22. A nine point loss looks terrible, right? Imagine if UCLA had converted on that two point conversion try with 1:19 to play… or had Daniel Thomas not ripped off that 35 yard TD run with a minute to play… The Bruins would've ended up posting either a win or a loss that was a lot more indicative of how the game went. UCLA proved that it still has some mojo about it after last year's Eagle Bank Bowl victory over Tulane. We still have some questions about Stanford, though. We love HC Jim Harbaugh and think that he has done an amazing job down on the farm, but QB Andrew Luck has never played a road game like this before without the services of RB Toby Gerhart behind him. Yes, Luck threw for 316 yards versus Sacramento State last week, but we all know what that's worth. The Bruins should provide a significantly different challenge. This was a series that the gold and baby blue dominated for a number of years before losing 24-16 last year. The Bruins might be able to score the big upset, which would be a much needed win for HC Rick Neuheisel.

Prediction: UCLA 31 – Stanford 23
Colorado State Rams @ Nevada Wolfpack (-23.5)
Saturday, September 11th
10:30 ET, MacKay Stadium, Reno, NV

Welcome to MacKay Stadium, where the Wolfpack beat the living crap out of their opponents! Last week, the challenge against Eastern Washington was to stop Bo Levi Mitchell, the QB transfer out of SMU that learned under June Jones. The mission wasn't totally accomplished, but there is no shame in a 49-24 victory against one of the potentially better teams of the FCS this year. Colorado State proved last week that it has no business being on a field with even remotely good teams. The Colorado Buffaloes steamrolled these guys 24-3 in a game that really was a complete butt whipping. If the Rams only have 245 yards of total offense again this week, the Wolfpack are going to be winning by 50. It was a fairly ho hum 553 yard day for the Nevada offense last week. This is going to be a very one-sided romp in a game that might set some personal records if the Wolfpack want to see them broken. Watch for QB Colin Kaepernick to go absolutely crazy.

Prediction: Nevada 58 – Colorado State 17

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