Posts Tagged ‘Vanderbilt Commodores’

March 4th, 2011 By Andrew "Mr. Multi-Task" Ryan - Cappersinfo Contributor

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Matchup: Missouri Tigers @ Kansas Jayhawks
Date: Saturday, March 5th, 12:00 ET
Location: Mizzou Arena, Columbia, MO
Game Line: OTB
Over/Under OTB

If the Jayhawks think that they are going to be a No. 1 seed in the NCAA Tournament, they badly need to collect this win on the road. That would take a lot of pressure off for winning the Big XII Tournament, as there are a ton of teams that are going to be gunning for that crown that need wins in big time ways over teams like these. Mizzou really hasn’t played spectacular ball of late, and it really could use a boost just to get some momentum going and to avoid falling into that seemingly inevitably dreaded 8/9 matchup in the first round of the NCAA Tournament. Kansas is a far superior team in terms of talent, and it really showed the first time around when these two met at Allen Fieldhouse. Sure, the intensity really kicks up a notch when you’re playing on the road, especially in a game that is this big, but the Jayhawks should be able to handle themselves. The oddsmakers will give too much respect to the Tigers, and KU will get the job done and lock up the regular season conference crown and the No. 1 seed in the Big 12 Tournament.

Free College Basketball Picks: Kansas Jayhawks

Matchup: Notre Dame Fighting Irish @ Connecticut Huskies
Date: Saturday, March 5th, 2:00 ET
Location: XL Center, Storrs, CT
Game Line: OTB
Over/Under OTB

The Fighting Irish have to feel like they have a legitimate chance of being a No. 1 seed in the NCAA Tournament, but they are going to need to win the Big East and probably beat the Pitt Panthers to do it. There’s a chance to draw level for the Big East regular season crown as well, and that’s a coveted thing for any team to have on its resume for a top seed in the dance. Connecticut really just needs to feel like it has to ability to win it all in what will be the last home game for Kemba Walker before he heads to the NBA. Walker can take this game over like none other, and though the Irish will inevitably throw everything they can at him including the kitchen sink, it isn’t going to be enough. Notre Dame will get rocked on the that day is designed for Walker to shine.

Free NCAA Basketball Picks: Connecticut Huskies

Matchup: Villanova Wildcats @ Pittsburgh Panthers
Date: Saturday, March 5th, 4:00 ET
Location: Petersen Events Center, Pittsburgh, PA
Game Line: OTB
Over/Under OTB

Villanova is in a world of hurt right now, as it is really playing poor ball at a poor time of year to be doing so. The Cats have dropped three in a row going into this, the final, and arguably most difficult game of the entire season. They’ve also lost seven out of 11 and don’t look anything like a team that even belongs in March Madness, let alone belongs there as a respectable seed. Pittsburgh’s defense is just downright nasty, as it hasn’t allowed more than 66 points in a game in almost two full months, including a 57-54 win over Nova in the City of Brotherly Love four weeks ago. Ashton Gibbs, Brad Wanamaker, Gilbert Brown… it’s all just too much for the Wildcats to handle right now. They just don’t stand a chance of going into the Steel City and doing any damage, and it’ll show in another lopsided defeat.

College Basketball Free Picks: Pittsburgh Panthers

Matchup: Florida Gators @ Vanderbilt Commodores
Date: Saturday, March 5th, 6:00 ET
Location: Memorial Gym, Nashville, TN
Game Line: OTB
Over/Under OTB

This is a tough one, because both the Gators and the Dores are fantastic at what they do. Believe it or not, Florida already has eight wins on the road this season, which is a ton for a team that really didn’t do much in the way of scheduling out of conference on the road this year (though there are wins against Xavier and Florida State to speak of). Vandy has those 14 wins at home though, and they’re going to be hard to overlook. Chandler Parsons and the crew are very thin, yet they are very talented as well. UF is really hoping to get up onto the No. 3 line or so for the NCAA Tournament, and a win like this would go a long way to ensuring that. We just don’t buy into Vandy though, as there are a lot of fluff wins that just don’t look all that great when push comes to shove. The 21 wins for the regular season is nice, but knowing that the oddsmakers are going to treat this home court advantage worth a whole slew of points, we have to back the blue and orange.

NCAA Basketball Free Picks: Florida Gators

Matchup: Duke Blue Devils @ North Carolina Tar Heels
Date: Saturday, March 5th, 8:00 ET
Location: Dean E. Smith Center, Chapel Hill, NC
Game Line: OTB
Over/Under OTB


First place in the ACC and the No. 1 seed in the upcoming conference tournament are on the line in Chapel Hill on Saturday, and the oddsmakers are really going to have to take a close look at just how good they think that UNC really is. The Tar Heels are certainly flying through everyone in the ACC right now, and they were able to do something this past week that Duke wasn’t able to do: Beat Florida State on the road. Granted, the Noles didn’t have Chris Singleton, but it was UNC’s second win against the garnet and gold this year, and the first time around, Singleton was playing, and the game was a blowout from the get go. This challenge against the Dookies the first time around was a solid one, as North Carolina challenged the whole way and blew a huge lead. This time, it will make amends and make things right. The Carolina Blue clad nation will be out and in full force in a game that is going to feel like the Super Bowl on Tobacco Road. Coach K knows that there are bigger and more important battles to fight than this one, and though the Blue Devils will end up losing this battle, their goal is to win the war and to defend their NCAA Championship.

College Basketball Expert Picks: Duke Blue Devils

Matchup: Texas Longhorns @ Baylor Bears
Date: Saturday, March 5th, 9:00 ET
Location: Ferrell Center, Waco, TX
Game Line: OTB
Over/Under OTB

We know that this isn’t a Top 25 battle, but this is arguably the most meaningful game of the entire day. For the Longhorns, they’re hoping to snap out of this two game funk and to get back on track for a potential No. 1 seed in the NCAA Tournament. Winning this one and winning the Big XII would still inevitably get the job done. However, a loss and an early exit from the Big XII Tourney could result in a disastrous No. 4 seed, which could make the first round of the dance very, very interesting. Jordan Hamilton, Tristan Thompson and company have the talent to beat anyone in America, but thanks to how inexperienced this club really is, nothing is a guarantee. For Baylor, it really needs this signature win to pad its resume for the NCAA Tournament. A loss will likely leave it with a lot of work to do to get into March Madness. A win will almost certainly get the job done with just one win in the Big XII Tournament (and even that might not be necessary). There’s too much on the line here for Baylor to get beaten, and we tend to believe that it will get the job done once and for all and make its case to go dancing.

NCAA Basketball Free Picks: Baylor Bears

 
February 11th, 2011 By Andrew "Mr. Multi-Task" Ryan - Cappersinfo Contributor

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Matchup: Syracuse Orange @ Louisville Cardinals
Date: Saturday, February 11th, 12:00 ET
Location: KFC Yum! Arena, Louisville, KY

The Redbirds have a real chance here to make a statement at home against a Syracuse team that has underachieved in recent weeks. Head Coach Jim Boeheim knows that he is up against it in this one, especially on the road where his team has already lost to the Marquette Golden Eagles and the Pitt Panthers over the course of the last month. Louisville is coming off of that crushing loss at the Notre Dame Fighting Irish, but things are definitely looking up. This is a team that generally plays remarkable defense, and that 'D' should really shine on Saturday. The home team is 5-2-1 ATS in the last eight clashes in this series, while Syracuse is just 5-12 ATS in its last 17 games played on Saturday. The Cards have also won and six in a row in this series and are 5-0-1 ATS in those meetings. Back Louisville.

Free College Basketball Picks: Louisville Cardinals

Matchup: Kentucky Wildcats @ Vanderbilt Commodores
Date: Saturday, February 11th, 1:00 ET
Location: Memorial Arena, Nashville, TN

This is a mighty interesting clash for the Wildcats, who really haven't played all that well on the road this year. Perhaps a different program with less of a history wouldn't even have a ranking right now at 17-6, just like this Vanderbilt team is just barely hanging on to the Top 25. The Cats, believe it or not, only have one win on the road in the SEC this year, and if they lose this one, there is a good chance that they will only end up beating one SEC East team on the road. Head Coach John Calipari has a talented bunch, but these youngsters just haven't figured out how to consistently put it together on the road. The 'Dores, on the other hand, are 13-1 at home on the campaign, and they do have some wins against some very quality foes here. Don't be shocked if the big men for Vandy, while are far more experienced, end up outworking the Wildcats in the Music City.

Free NCAA Basketball Picks: Vanderbilt Commodores

Matchup: Ohio State Buckeyes @ Wisconsin Badgers
Date: Saturday, February 11th, 2:00 ET
Location: Kohl Center, Madison, WI

Seemingly everyone and their brother is going to be backing the Badgers in this one, and the college basketball odds might even have the hosts as short favorites over the undisputed No. 1 team in the country. The problem is perception. No one really believes that OSU is that good of a team this year. Sure, Jared Sullinger is amazing, but the rest of this cast really doesn't look like a Final Four team, does it? Then again, does Wisconsin look like a Final Four team either? If Head Coach Thad Motta can figure out how to take the ball out of the hands of Jon Leuer and Jordan Taylor, Wisconsin is in a ton of trouble in this one. The Buckeyes have some big time mojo on their side, and there is a reason that they have withstood the first 24 challenges this year. They'll survive and get win No. 25, which should start the talks about a perfect season in a hurry.

College Basketball Free Picks: Ohio State Buckeyes

Matchup: Baylor Bears @ Texas Longhorns
Date: Saturday, February 11th, 4:00 ET
Location: Frank Erwin Special Events Center, Austin, TX

Texas needs to be particularly careful in this one, as the Bears are a dangerous club. There is a point that the No. 3 team in the country is overrated. We know that Texas is good, and that there is a good chance that this will be at least an Elite 8 team, if not more. However, the point of desperation is going to be kicking in at some point for the Bears, and this is a bit of a bipolar bunch of Longhorns that we are dealing with. Remember, this is a beatable team here in Austin; UConn proved that, and it did so with a big time game from Kemba Walker. Though there is no one quite like Walker in the country, Baylor does have some legit stars like LaceDarius Dunn to rely on. He's capable of going off for 30 in any game that he plays, and he has enough help around him to be able to take down some of the best and brightest in the country. Still, Baylor has struggled and has limped to a marginal record in conference and a terrible record against the NCAA basketball odds. The Bears might be good enough to stick inside of what is sure to be a hefty number, though.

NCAA Basketball Free Picks: Baylor Bears

Matchup: Pitt Panthers @ Villanova Wildcats
Date: Saturday, February 11th, 9:00 ET
Location: The Palestra, Philadelphia, PA

The Wildcats are going to be inevitably be getting very little respect from the oddsmakers thanks to the fact that they were upset in horrifying fashion by the Rutgers Scarlet Knights earlier this week at home as tremendous chalks. Many will think that this is the start of another one of these patented Villanova swoons, just like the team went on a few weeks ago, and just like the one that the squad had just before the NCAA Tournament last year. However, that was clearly a look ahead game, and it was a game in which the Cats were just flat the whole way through because they knew that there were bigger and better on the horizon. U-Pitt is a great team, but even the best and brightest in the Big East end up getting picked off in roadies like this one eventually. If this is anywhere even close to a pick 'em like we are thinking, we have no choice but to go with the hosts.

College Basketball Expert Picks: Villanova Wildcats

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

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Matchup: Wisconsin Badgers @ Purdue Boilermakers
Date: Saturday, November 6th, 12:00 ET
Location: Ross Ade Stadium, West Lafayette, IN
Game Line: Purdue +20
Over/Under 51.5

The Boilermakers have just been an offensive train wreck this year, and for good reason. QB Robert Marve was supposed to be the savior of the team, but he has since been knocked out for the season. Now, without a running game (RB Ralph Bolden has been out for the whole season as well) or a passing game, it's a miracle how Purdue scores anything. Wisconsin has had a bye week to get its feet back on the ground after taking care of the Ohio State Buckeyes and Iowa Hawkeyes in back to back weeks. There's no reason that a red hot bunch of Badgers should be winning this game by anything less than three TDs.

Free College Football Picks: Wisconsin -20
Prediction: Wisconsin 34 – Purdue 10

Matchup: Iowa Hawkeyes @ Indiana Hoosiers
Date: Saturday, November 6th, 12:00 ET
Location: Memorial Stadium, Bloomington, IN
Game Line: Indiana +17.5
Over/Under 54

Last season, the Hoosiers were really in a prime position to knock off the Hawkeyes with an outright upset before the wheels fell off at Kinnick Stadium and Iowa ended up finding a way to cover a very similar point spread. We aren't so sure that that will be the case again this season. Yes, the Hawkeyes have a significantly better team than do the Hoosiers, but IU has always been a real thorn in the side to Iowa. As long as QB Ben Chappell proves to be healthy enough to give it a go in this one (and that's in doubt, so be sure to check the injury report before unloading), the Hoosiers have a real chance at pulling off the upset. We don't think that it will happen, but we aren't ready to take QB Ricky Stanzi on the road and laying over two TDs against a team that is good enough to be a bowl squad this year in a conference tussle.

Free College Football Picks: Indiana +17.5
Prediction: Iowa 28 – Indiana 20

Matchup: Minnesota Golden Gophers @ Michigan State Spartans
Date: Saturday, November 6th, 12:00 ET
Location: Spartan Stadium, East Lansing, MI
Game Line: Michigan State -24.5
Over/Under 57.5

The Spartans have to be angry after losing last week to the Iowa Hawkeyes in a bad way, and we tend to believe that this is a game in which they can exact some revenge. Sure, we know that these two teams don't like each other and that the Golden Gophers theoretically shouldn't just be taking a dive in a game like this even though they are 1-8 on the season, but what other result is really possible? QB Adam Weber needs to have a tremendous game to avoid Minnesota suffering what should be an absolutely brutal defeat. It will be a great bounce back game for QB Kirk Cousins, RB Le'Veon Bell, and RB Edwin Baker, all of which were absolutely shut down last week by Iowa.

Free College Football Picks: Michigan State -24.5
Prediction: Michigan State 41 – Minnesota 14

Matchup: North Carolina State Wolfpack @ Clemson Tigers
Date: Saturday, November 6th, 12:00 ET
Location: Memorial Stadium, Clemson, SC
Game Line: Clemson -4
Over/Under 50.5

This could largely be considered the game of the year for the Wolfpack. If they win this one, the coast could be relatively clear towards the ACC Championship Game. They got some great news last week as well when Clemson was knocked off by the Boston College Eagles in Chestnut Hill. Depending on your belief, it could be that the Tigers just aren't that good, or that they were already looking forward to that duel against NC State. We're hoping that it's the latter. Death Valley is always a major pain to go into, and especially off of that tremendous win over the Florida State Seminoles, we can't help but wonder if the Wolfpack are going to crash back to earth in a game that is do or die for the Tigers if they have any hopes of bowling this season.

Free College Football Picks: Clemson -4
Prediction: Clemson 31 – NC State 24

Matchup: Baylor Bears @ Oklahoma State Cowboys
Date: Saturday, November 6th, 12:30 ET
Location: Boone Pickens Stadium, Stillwater, OK
Game Line: Oklahoma State -8
Over/Under 72.5

There certainly isn't going to be any shortage of offense in this one, as both the Bears and Pokes have high octane offenses that can run up and down the field in a hurry. QB Robert Griffin and QB Brandon Weeden are two of the best signal callers in a great conference, and they should both be putting on a show on Saturday. Baylor is a sneaky team right now and is coming off of the big "upset" at the Texas Longhorns last week. Things just don't look quite as right for the Cowboys, and we aren't so sure how WR Justin Blackmon is going to come back to the lineup after his one game suspension. This is a big, big game in the Big XII South, and we tend to think that the Bears are going to be able to leave Stillwater with their magical season still intact.

Free College Football Picks: Baylor +8
Prediction: Baylor 41 – Oklahoma State 35

Matchup: Illinois Fighting Illini @ Michigan Wolverines
Date: Saturday, November 6th, 12:00 ET
Location: Michigan Stadium, Ann Arbor, MI
Game Line: Michigan -3
Over/Under 57.5

Uh-oh Michigan… Does this look familiar? The men in maize and blue got off to a fantastic start last season and ended up tanking last year, and this is an eerily familiar setting. The Wolverines have absolutely no defense right now to speak of, which really plays into the hands of an Illinois offense that is getting better and better every single week. This isn't exactly a bowl elimination game, as both teams theoretically should get there… but we can already see the noose getting tighter around HC Rich Rodriguez's neck. If he loses this one, the only thing that might save his job would be a win over the Ohio State Buckeyes in the biggest game of the season. Don't kid yourself about Illinois. This is a team that can ball. It did something a few weeks ago that Michigan couldn't do last week: Beat the Penn State Nittany Lions in Happy Valley.

Free College Football Picks: Illinois +3
Prediction: Illinois 33 – Michigan 30

Matchup: Louisville Cardinals @ Syracuse Orange
Date: Saturday, November 6th, 12:00 ET
Location: Carrier Dome, Syracuse, NY
Game Line: Syracuse -6
Over/Under 44

College football betting action in the Big East hasn't exactly been sexy this year, but the Orange can win this one, they can lock down their bowl bid for the first time in years! We're not totally sure whether QB Adam Froman is going to be a go or not for the Cards, but we aren't as worried about him as we are about Syracuse's chances of stopping RB Bilal Powell, one of the few 1,000 yard rushers so far on the season. However, the Orange just keep finding ways to win games, and we tend to believe that this is going to be no exception. This is the first time that they have been favored in a game against the Cards since 2003, and the dog has covered every single time that these teams have met since 1985, but we aren't worried. The 'Cuse have covered five straight in this series and even have a pair of outright upsets (including once in Louisville as a 37 point dog!). Get your bowling shoes on Syracuse fans!

Free College Football Picks: Syracuse -6
Prediction: Syracuse 23 – Louisville 14

Matchup: Maryland Terrapins @ Miami Hurricanes
Date: Saturday, November 6th, 12:00 ET
Location: Sun Life Stadium, Miami, FL
Game Line: Miami -7.5
Over/Under 46

Simply put, the wrong team in favored in this game. The Terps are coming off of an absolute offensive explosion against the Wake Forest Demon Deacons, and they are still the forgotten team that is in the driver's seat in the ACC Atlantic Division. The Canes looked like they just gave up last week at the Virginia Cavaliers, and they are clearly playing to the level of their opponents right now. QB Jacory Harris is out of the lineup, and that just might be the death sentence for HC Randy Shannon. We're amazed that Shannon kept his job after two years ago when the Virginia Cavaliers came into South Beach and shut out Miami and its last ever game at the Orange Bowl. Don't be shocked if the outcome is awfully similar on Saturday.

Free College Football Picks: Maryland +7.5
Prediction: Maryland 17 – Miami 6

Matchup: Florida Gators @ Vanderbilt Commodores
Date: Saturday, November 6th, 12:20 ET
Location: Vanderbilt Stadium, Nashville, TN
Game Line: Vanderbilt +14
Over/Under 46

Sandwich game alert! The Gators are coming off of their emotional overtime win over the Georgia Bulldogs, and unless they lose this week and the South Carolina Gamecocks beat the Arkansas Razorbacks, next week's duel against the Cocks at home is for the SEC East title. Vanderbilt has been struggling all season long, but we wonder how much the Gators really want to show this week against a lowly bunch of 'Dores with the Ol' Ball Coach coming back to Gainesville next weekend. Will QB Trey Burton see more snaps? If he does, we tend to think that Florida will beat this line. But if he doesn't, we aren't even totally sure that the blue and orange escape the Music City with a victory. The Commodores always seem to play Florida tough, and this year will be no exception in what should be a real defensive struggle.

Free College Football Picks: Vanderbilt +14
Prediction: Florida 16 – Vanderbilt 10

 
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