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My selection is on the ‘over’ between Houston and Texas Tech at 4:15 pm et on Saturday.

We won with the ‘under’ in Houston’s rout of Arizona last Saturday but I won’t hesitate to switch gears and back the ‘over’ this week as the Cougars hit the road to face Texas Tech. Houston has now scored exactly 45 points in each of its first two games but let’s face it, those numbers could have easily been higher. In their opener, the Cougars were very slow out of the gates, possibly thinking the game would be a gimme against an overmatched Rice squad. However, they were able to really turn it on in the second half, scoring four unanswered touchdowns to put the game away. We saw plenty of carry-over from that second half performance last week against Arizona as Houston scored three first quarter touchdowns and never looked back in a 45-18 victory. Here, I think the Cougars know they’re going to be in for a shootout and they certainly have the personnel in place to hang around for four quarters. Texas Tech didn’t look good in a season-opening 47-27 loss to Ole Miss with an early special teams touchdown really demoralizing the team. The Red Raiders certainly ‘got right’ last week though, scoring six first half touchdowns en route to a 77-0 rout of Lamar. Texas Tech can do it all on offense and should be able to do what Arizona couldn’t do last week and take advantage of an average Houston defense. This total has been kept in check perhaps because it’s early in the season and both teams still have a lot to prove. I can’t see this one playing out any other way than a shootout on Saturday afternoon. Take the over (10*).

My selection is on the ‘under’ between South Florida and Illinois at 3:30 pm et on Saturday.

I’ll back the ‘under’ in Champaign on Saturday afternoon. South Florida is coming off a wild 49-38 victory over Georgia Tech last week. That game essentially turned on a pair of kick return touchdowns for the Bulls in the opening quarter. It’s worth noting that USF scored only one offensive touchdown in the first half of that game. It’s also notable that the Bulls didn’t give up a single score from the four-minute mark of the first quarter until nearly four minutes into the third quarter. Keep in mind, USF posted a 34-14 win over Elon in its season-opener and didn’t give up a touchdown until the final two minutes of the third quarter in that one. It will obviously face a tougher test here, although I don’t believe the Illinois offense is all that intimidating. The Illini are off to a 2-0 start, winning back-to-back home games against Kent State and Western Illinois. I will point out that they didn’t score a touchdown until nearly six minutes into the second half against Kent State and not until more than midway through the second quarter against Western Illinois. Should they get off to another slow start here I’m not sure they’ll be able to suddenly flip the switch against a more capable opponent in USF. Defensively the Illini have been ‘good enough’ so far this season but will certainly realize the importance of toughening up after the Bulls hung a crooked number on Georgia Tech last week. Simply put, I believe this number has been set too high. Take the under (10*).

My selection is on the ‘under’ between Vanderbilt and Notre Dame at 2:30 pm et on Saturday.

We won with the ‘under’ in Vanderbilt’s win over Nevada last Saturday and I won’t hesitate to go back to the well with the same play as the Commodores hit the road to face the Irish in South Bend this week. Vandy has put up a whopping 76 points in posting back-to-back wins to open the campaign. However, this will be its toughest test to date by far, facing a Notre Dame defense that has near NFL-level talent at a number of key positions. I will point out that despite putting up 41 points last Saturday, Vandy didn’t score a touchdown or points of any kind until nearly three minutes into the second quarter. The Commodores got rolling from there, but that was largely due to an inept Nevada offense that turned the football over four times. Similarly in Week 1, Vandy scored just one offensive touchdown before getting its second midway through the third quarter. Notre Dame is still working out the kinks in its own offense, having scored 24 points in each of its first two victories over Michigan and Ball State. The Irish defense has certainly made up for any offensive inefficiencies, allowing only 33 points through two games. Last week against Ball State, the Irish didn’t allow a touchdown until three minutes into the fourth quarter. Perhaps even more notable, Notre Dame didn’t give up an offensive touchdown until the final three minutes of the fourth quarter, essentially playing prevent defense at that point, against Michigan back in Week 1. Take the under (10*).

My selection is on the ‘under’ between Georgia Tech and Pittsburgh at 12:30 pm et on Saturday.

While I’m not anticipating a true defensive slugfest between these two storied programs on Saturday afternoon, I do think we’ll see enough long, extended drives to keep this one ‘under’ the inflated total. Georgia Tech has split its first two games and those two contests  couldn’t have played out much differently. After the Yellow Jackets cruised to a 41-0 victory over Alcorn State in their opener they got absolutely ripped in a 49-38 loss at South Florida last Saturday. It’s imperative that the Yellow Jackets get their defense right in this contest before facing Clemson next week and I believe this is a favorable matchup for them to do just that. Keep in mind, Georgia Tech gave up a pair of kick return touchdowns in the first quarter against South Florida last week, which really turned that game on its head early on. Pitt has also split its first two games, defeating Albany by a 33-7 score before getting blown out by Penn State 51-6 last week. The Panthers aren’t as bad defensively as that final scoreline would seem to indicate. Note that they did hold the Nittany Lions to only one touchdown  before giving up a second in the final 30 seconds of the first half. That was a 14-6 game at halftime before things got out of hand in the second half, turned by a Penn State punt return for a touchdown late in the third quarter. After that score, the Panthers wilted. I’m not expecting this game to ever get into blowout territory for either side and that should lend itself to a relatively low-scoring affair. Take the under (10*).

My selection is on the ‘under’ between Temple and Maryland at 12 noon et on Saturday.

I’ll back the ‘under’ in this early kickoff matchup on Saturday afternoon. Temple is coming off a fairly high-scoring affair against Buffalo last week, falling by a 36-29 score. Keep in mind, that was a 12-7 game at halftime before a wild second half and fourth quarter in particular. The Owls didn’t score a touchdown in that game until the final play of the first half, and that was against a middle of the road to below average Buffalo defense. The Temple defense didn’t hold up particularly well in that game but did limit the Bulls passing attack to just 26 completions on 45 attempts for 275 yards. Maryland is coming off back-to-back wins to open the campaign (we won with the Terps in Week 1 against Texas). Last week the Terps ran roughshod over Bowling Green, cruising to a 45-14 victory. I will point out, however that the Terps didn’t score a touchdown in that game until the final three minutes of the first half. On the flip side, Maryland held BGSU to only 143 passing yards and the Falcons leading rusher had just 44 yards on the ground. The Terps didn’t give up a single score in the second half of that game. This is a relatively high total but it’s unwarranted. Take the under (10*).

My selection is on Syracuse plus the points over Florida State at 12 noon et on Saturday.

The value has certainly shifted when it comes to Florida State after back-to-back relatively ugly performances against Virginia Tech and Samford. The Seminoles split those two games, getting blown out by the Hokies before posting a ho-hum 10-point win over Samford at home last Saturday. In that victory over Samford, the ‘Noles actually trailed 14-0 halfway through the first quarter and entered the fourth quarter down 23-21. In fact, with under five minutes remaining in the fourth quarter, the ‘Noles trailed by a 26-21 score and only stretched out their eventual winning margin with a pick six with 2:23 left in the game (after they had scored a touchdown to go ahead). While Florida State scuffs along, Syracuse continues to impress. The Orange are off to a 2-0 start and although there’s no reason to get too excited about wins over Western Michigan and Wagner, I believe this is a team that has a lot to build from entering this big step-up game against a perennial ACC powerhouse. I liked the tune-up Syracuse got last week as it scored five offensive touchdowns en route to a 45-point first half against Wagner. In short, the Orange did what they should against an overmatched FCS opponent. Look for Orange QB Eric Dungey to keep rolling in this matchup as the FSU defense has looked vulnerable. Take Syracuse (10*).

My selection is on the 'under' between Georgia State and Memphis at 7 pm et on Friday.

I'll back the 'under' in this Friday night matchup in Memphis. Georgia State has split its first two games, winning a close one over Kennesaw State and losing in blowout fashion against N.C. State. Note that the Panthers didn't score their first touchdown (or points) of the game until the final minute of the first half against Kennesaw State. They got off to a much faster start against N.C. State, scoring on their first drive but then didn't find the end zone again. The bottom line is I expect Georgia State to have a tough time putting points on the board against the Tigers. On the flip side, Memphis absolutely throttled Mercer by a 66-14 score in its season-opener before falling 22-21 on the road against Navy in a physical contest last week. The Tigers offense has looked outstanding at times but got a little bogged down against the Midshipmen. Here, they'll simply be looking to bounce back from that setback, not necessarily aiming for style points. Off that battle against Navy, we could see a bit of a hangover effect in a game the Tigers should win with ease. I do like the fact that Georgia State allowed N.C. State to reach the end zone only three times in the first three quarters last week, and three of the Wolfpack's four touchdowns in the game were from two yards or less out. In other words, the Panthers did do a good job of limiting the long touchdown strikes, which they'll certainly need to protect against here in Memphis (Tigers RB Henderson had two big touchdown runs in the third quarter against Navy). I simply feel both teams will need to contribute to get this one over the lofty total, and I'm not convinced we see that here. Take the under (10*).

NOTE START TIME: NCAAF ACC Total of the Year. My selection is on the 'over' between Boston College and Wake Forest at 5:30 pm et on Thursday.

I'll back the 'over' in this ACC showdown on Thursday night. The 'under' has gone a perfect 8-0 in the last eight meetings in this series but I believe that has been factored into this total. Boston College has gotten off to an incredible start having scored 117 points in rolling to back-to-back home wins over UMass and Holy Cross. Now the Eagles will face their first true test of the season on the road against conference opponent Wake Forest. In short, I expect the BC offense to keep rolling. Note that the Eagles have scored an incredible 82 points in the first half of their first two games this season. The difference is here on Thursday they likely won't be able to take their foot off the gas in the second half, and that certainly helps our cause with the 'over'. Wake Forest followed up a rather ho-hum 23-17 win over Tulane in its season-opener before scoring 51 points in a rout of Towson last Saturday. The Deacons did whatever they wanted on the ground against the Tigers in that one. They'll face more resistance here, but I still expect them to put some points on the board. Note that even in that ugly victory over Tulane, QB Sam Hartman threw for nearly 400 yards and a pair of touchdowns. The problem was a pair of key interceptions. He'll certainly need to do a better job of taking care of the football in this one, but I do believe he's capable of doing so in this step-up game. Take the over (10*).

My selection is on Arizona State plus the points over Michigan State at 10:45 pm et on Saturday.

I’ll grab the points with the Sun Devils as they host the Spartans in an intriguing late night matchup on Saturday. Michigan State stumbled its way to a 38-31 home win over Utah State last week. The Spartans didn’t score a touchdown in that game until nearly five minutes into the second quarter and that was against what is by no means an elite Aggies defense. While Michigan State didn’t give up anything on the ground in that game, the Aggies didn’t really force the issue. Arizona State on the other hand, will. The Sun Devils wasted no time shaking off the cobwebs in a 49-7 rout of Texas-San Antonio. I like the offense head coach Herm Edwards has in place and I believe the defense will only get better as the season goes on. QB Manny Wilkins didn’t have to be perfect against UTSA but still managed to throw for 237 yards and four touchdowns. As far as I’m concerned, this is a good time to be welcoming Michigan State to Tempe. While the Spartans will undoubtedly be sharper than they were a week ago, I’m not sure it will be enough to win this one by margin. Take Arizona State (10*).

My selection is on the ‘under’ between USC and Stanford at 8:30 pm et on Saturday.

While most folks would love to see a shootout between the Trojans and Cardinal in primetime on Saturday I’m not expect it to play out that way. USC may have overlooked UNLV a little in its home opener last week, as it was involved in a first half slugfest, in which it only managed one touchdown and four field goals. The Trojans didn’t score in the third quarter of that game but then exploded for 24 fourth quarter points, after they had pummeled the Rebels into submission. I don’t believe they’ll be able to wear down the Cardinal in the same way on Saturday afternoon. Similarly, Stanford only managed one first half touchdown against San Diego State last week. The Cardinal then put up a pair of third quarter touchdowns, but again, they’ll be facing a tougher challenge in the Trojans this week. I did like what I saw from the Stanford defense and feel they can carry over some of that positive momentum into this showdown. USC got torched by the UNLV ground game last Saturday but there’s no question that was a focus of emphasis during practice this week. I simply feel there are a lot of similarities between these two football teams, and that we’re in for a tightly-contested affair on Saturday night at The Farm. Take the under (10*).

My selection is on the ‘under’ between Air Force and Florida Atlantic at 2 pm et on Saturday.

I’ll back the ‘under’ in Boca Raton on Saturday afternoon. A couple of things heading into this matchup on Saturday afternoon; first the Air Force offense probably isn’t quite as good as it looked in last week’s 38-0 rout of FCS squad Stony Brook. Second, the Florida Atlantic defense probably isn’t as bad as it looked in last week’s 63-14 blowout loss against Oklahoma. I’m not counting on many explosive plays in this intriguing, under the radar affair on Saturday afternoon. The Falcons will undoubtedly be looking to chew some clock and stay within arm’s reach for four quarters while Florida Atlantic will simply be looking for a bounce-back victory – style points really don’t matter at this point, even if this is a Lane Kiffin-led football team. We’re dealing with an inflated total as I simply don’t believe we’ll see both offenses show up and fire on all cylinders in this one. Take the under (10*).

NCAAF Underdog Game of the Week. My selection is on Air Force plus the points over Florida Atlantic at 2 pm et on Saturday.

I’ll grab the generous helping of points with Air Force as it aims for its second straight victory to open the season at Florida Atlantic on Saturday afternoon. The Falcons delivered a clean 38-0 victory over FCS squad Stony Brook last week. That wasn’t exactly a statement victory although it is worth noting that Air Force was favored by just north of two touchdowns in advance of that contest. I like the fact that the Falcons came roaring out of the gates with a touchdown on their first drive of the game and did a nice job putting things away for good with a pair of fourth quarter touchdowns as well. Needless to say, their defense was on point in a shutout performance. Florida Atlantic certainly didn’t expect to roll into Norman and come away victorious against Oklahoma last Saturday but it did believe it could at least stay competitive. That wasn’t the case as the Owls were blown out of the water, falling behind 42-0 before halftime in an eventual 63-14 rout. That certainly won’t do wonders for FAU’s confidence heading into this suddenly critical matchup with a tough out in Air Force. The Owls didn’t get much from their passing game and their ground game coughed and sputtered throughout the loss to the Sooners. They’ll get a lot more breathing room against a middle of the road Falcons defense here, but can they ultimately pull away to win by margin? I’m not so sure with Air Force more than capable of dominating time of possession and chewing up precious clock. Take Air Force (10*).

My selection is on the ‘under’ between Kansas and Central Michigan at 3 pm et on Saturday.

I was initially leaning to a play on Central Michigan minus the points in this game but I think the line has moved into unplayable territory with the Chippewas. Kansas’ road woes are well-documented to be sure and I certainly feel that is now factored into this line. The Jayhawks are coming off an overtime loss, at home, against FCS squad Nicholls State last week. That game was a bit of a slugfest with just 40 total points in regulation time. The Kansas offense will remain fairly one-dimensional with RB Khalil Herbert carrying much of the load. QB Peyton Bender showed flashes of brilliance, but those were few and far between as he completed just 19-of-35 passes. Things won’t get easier against a Central Michigan squad that hung tough against Kentucky, on the road no less, last week. The Chips forced four turnovers in that game but their offense was stagnant (albeit against a good defense). Note that their 20-point performance was helped along by a defensive touchdown. QB Tony Poljan will be a work-in-progress and I don’t expect big things from him against a Power 5 conference opponent on Saturday afternoon. Take the under (10*).

My selection is on the ‘under’ between Nevada and Vanderbilt at 12 noon et on Saturday.

I love the way this play sets up on Saturday. Nevada is coming off a 72-19 rout of FCS squad Portland State. The Wolf Pack absolutely exploded over the second and third quarters of that contest but what else was to be expected? After all, they were four-touchdown favorites entering that game with a total set in the 70’s. Here, Nevada will face a much stiffer challenge. And it’s certainly worth noting that the Wolf Pack were actually held out of the end zone offensively until the second quarter last week (they did return an interception for a touchdown in the first quarter). Also worth mentioning is the fact that they added a punt return touchdown and three of their offensive touchdowns went for 47 yards or more. I certainly don’t expect Vanderbilt to give the Wolf Pack so much open field on Saturday. Vandy put up a 35-7 win over Middle Tennessee State last week – an impressive win to be sure as MTSU is a quality opponent (Vandy was favored by only three points). Much like Nevada, the Commodores were also buoyed by a defensive touchdown last week. Note that their offense put up just 14 points through the first three quarters against MTSU. Take the under (10*).

NCAAF Non-Conference Total of the Year. My selection is on the 'under' between Arizona and Houston at 12 noon et on Saturday.

I'll go the contrarian route on Saturday afternoon as Arizona heads to Houston for an early start non-conference showdown. Most are expecting a high-scoring affair but I expect a different story to unfold. Keep in mind, these two teams met last September in Arizona and totaled just 35 points in a three-point Cougars victory. Arizona is in a bit of a tough spot here, coming off an unexpected home loss to BYU to open the season last week. The Wildcats scored only 23 points in that loss, with 13 of those coming in the fourth quarter. They didn't manage to put any points on the board in the first or third quarters in that contest. Their first touchdown didn't come until the final minute of the first half. While the Arizona offense will undoubtedly improve as the season goes on, I don't see a big bounce-back performance from that unit here. Houston rolled to a 45-27 victory over Rice last week but it's worth noting that the Cougars didn't put a touchdown on the board until midway through the second quarter, and that was against a weak Owls defense. I do feel that QB D'Eriq King's three-touchdown (through the air - he added one on the ground) day had more to do with taking what Rice gave him than anything else. I expect him to face a tougher challenge against a Wildcats defense that did hold its own against BYU last week. The early start doesn't hurt our cause here as this game will kick off just after 11 am local time. Take the under (10*).

NCAAF Friday Night Total of the Month. My selection is on the 'under' between TCU and SMU at 8 pm et on Friday.

Both of these teams were involved in high-scoring affairs last week, albeit with much different outcomes as TCU rolled past Southern and SMU had its doors blown off by North Texas. It is worth noting that TCU was a 49.5-point favorite against Southern and it did take the Horned Frogs half a quarter to find the end zone. QB Shawn Robinson has taken over the reins and certainly played well, but I don't believe we'll see this offense firing on all cylinders for at least a couple of weeks. SMU didn't get on the scoreboard until the fourth quarter against a very beatable North Texas defense last week. On a positive note, the Mustangs did allow only one offensive touchdown in the entire first half against the Mean Green Eagles. They were facing a seasoned veteran QB in Mason Fine in that contest, noting that he threw for over 4,000 yards and 31 touchdowns a year ago. The Mustangs will actually be taking a step down in class in some sense as far as quarterbacks go against Robinson. Last year's matchup between these two teams ended up reaching 92 total points. However, it's worth noting that the last three matchups on this field have totaled 56 points or less with the most recent totaling only 36 points in 2016. There's no rush to play this total as we'll likely see it climb by at least a couple of points before kickoff on Friday. Take the under (10*).

My selection is on the 'under' between Virginia Tech and Florida State at 8 pm et on Monday.

I'll back the 'under' in this early season ACC showdown. I'm not sure where all of the offense is going to come from. Yes, Florida State ended last season on an offensive tear, having scored at least 38 points in each of its final four games. Keep in mind, it was favored by at least 13 points in three of those contests. The Seminoles should face a tougher challenge from the Virginia Tech defense here. Meanwhile, the Hokies had a really tough time getting anything going offensively a year ago. In stark contrast to the 'Noles, Virginia Tech scored just 107 points total over its last six games. This weekend has been all about the 'overs' but I'm anticipating a lower-scoring affair than the oddsmakers are calling for on Monday night. Take the under (10*).

My selection is on the 'under' between Michigan and Notre Dame at 7:30 pm et on Saturday.

Everyone would love to see a shootout between these two storied programs in primetime to kick off the college football season on Saturday but I believe we're in for more of a defensive slugfest. Both defenses are loaded with returning talent and should be well ahead of the offenses at this early stage of the season. We're talking near NFL-level talent on both defenses, while both offenses have plenty of question marks and holes to fill due to injuries and otherwise. The game itself looks like nothing more than a toss-up to me as it will simply come down to which team can make the big play late to seal a victory. Rather than sweat the pointspread, I'll go with the 'under' and call for two elite defenses to play like it on Saturday night in South Bend. Take the under (10*).

NCAAF TV Game of the Week. My selection is on Auburn minus the points over Washington at 3:30 pm et on Saturday.

To be completely honest, I've always felt that Washington head coach Chris Petersen was more than a little overrated. Ever since Boise State's thrilling upset win over Oklahoma in the Fiesta Bowl all those years ago, Petersen has been hailed as one of the best head coaches in college football. Maybe he is, maybe he isn't, but at least this week, I believe his Huskies are being overvalued. Both of these teams have national title aspirations but I'll gladly back the SEC team (playing in SEC country) against a Pac-12 squad that still has a lot to prove after a couple of unexpected losses away from home, not to mention a Bowl defeat against Penn State, last season. This line has fallen into clear 'play-on' range as bettors line up to back the Huskies in Atlanta. Take Auburn (10*).

NCAAF Contrarian Play of the Month. My selection is on Wyoming plus the points over Washington State at 3:30 pm et on Saturday.

We've seen a considerable shift in this line since opening, moving in favor of Wyoming, which may seem a little odd given the betting public has been backing Washington State at a near 65/35 split according to most reports. The move of course has a lot to do with Wyoming's blowout win over New Mexico State, on the road no less, last week. With that being said, I still feel that the Cowboys are undervalued as they host Washington State on Saturday afternoon. Wyoming actually has its best team in years but it's somewhat muted by the loss of Josh Allen, who has moved on to greener pastures in the NFL. While NFL scouts loved Allen's make-up, the fact is, he didn't play well at all for most of last season, essentially holding the Cowboys back. There's little reason to expect any considerable drop in production at the quarterback position this season. Wyoming barely had to break a sweat in last week's victory but will obviously have to work a little harder to get a 'W' against a hungry Cougars squad. Following the tragic passing of QB Tyler Hillinski the Cougars are anything but settled at that position which is a bit of a new experience for them. This will go down as an upset, but shouldn't really be considered one. Take Wyoming (10*).

My selection is on Maryland plus the points over Texas at 12 noon et on Saturday.

There's obviously lots of turmoil surrounding the Maryland football program and combine that with the Texas 'revenge' angle following last year's 51-41 defeat almost a year to the day and you've got yourself a truly overvalued Longhorns squad entering Saturday's showdown. Unlike last year's shootout, I believe points will be at a premium this time around, which makes grabbing two touchdowns with the Terps that much more valuable. This is no layup for the Longhorns, as the Terps will play with a chip on their shoulder and will certainly be out to prove that last year's outright win as an 18-point underdog was no fluke. Take Maryland (10*).