Cnotes 2014-15 Bowl Betting Results - Trends -Stats- Best Bets Bowl Season Thread !

[CNOTES]

2014-15 Bowl Betting Results


December 8, 2014




BOWL CONFERENCE STANDINGS


Conference Straight Up (SU) Against the Spread (ATS)




ACC - -


American (AAC) - -


Big 10 - -


Big 12 - -


CUSA - -


Independent - -


Mid-American - -


Mountain West - -


Pac-12 - -


SEC - -


Sun Belt - -




OVERALL GAME RESULTS
Wager SU Win SU Loss ATS Win ATS Loss
Favorite 0 0 0 0
Underdog 0 0 0 0
Over Under
0 0




2014-15 BOWL SCHEDULE - RESULTS


Date Bowl Matchup Line, Total Score ATS


Saturday, Dec. 20 New Orleans Bowl Nevada vs Louisiana-Lafayette - - -


Saturday, Dec. 20 New Mexico Bowl Utah State vs Texas-El Paso - - -


Saturday, Dec. 20 Las Vegas Bowl Utah vs Colorado State - - -


Saturday, Dec. 20 Idaho Potato Bowl Western Michigan vs Air Force - - -


Saturday, Dec. 20 Camellia Bowl South Alabama vs Bowling Green - - -


Monday, Dec. 22 Miami Beach Bowl Brigham Young vs Memphis - - -


Tuesday, Dec. 23 Boca Raton Bowl Marshall vs Northern Illinois - - -


Tuesday, Dec. 23 Poinsettia Bowl Navy vs San Diego State - - -


Wednesday, Dec. 24 Bahamas Bowl Central Michigan vs Western Kentucky - - -


Wednesday, Dec. 24 Hawai'i Bowl Fresno State vs Rice - - -


Friday, Dec. 26 Heart of Dallas Bowl Illinois vs Louisiana Tech - - -


Friday, Dec. 26 Quick Lane Bowl Rutgers vs North Carolina - - -


Friday, Dec. 26 St. Petersburg Bowl North Carolina State vs UCF - - -


Saturday, Dec. 27 Military Bowl Cincinnati vs Virginia Tech - - -


Saturday, Dec. 27 Sun Bowl Duke vs Arizona State - - -


Saturday, Dec. 27 Independence Bowl Miami-Fla. vs South Carolina - - -


Saturday, Dec. 27 Pinstripe Bowl Boston College vs Penn State - - -


Saturday, Dec. 27 Holiday Bowl Nebraska vs Southern California - - -


Monday, Dec. 29 Liberty Bowl Texas A&M vs West Virginia - - -


Monday, Dec. 29 Russell Athletic Bowl Oklahoma vs Clemson - - -


Monday, Dec. 29 Texas Bowl Arkansas vs Texas - - -


Tuesday, Dec. 30 Music City Bowl Notre Dame vs Louisiana State - - -


Tuesday, Dec. 30 Belk Bowl Georgia vs Louisville - - -


Tuesday, Dec. 30 Foster Farms Bowl Maryland vs Stanford - - -


Wednesday, Dec. 31 Peach Bowl Mississippi vs Texas Christian - - -


Wednesday, Dec. 31 Fiesta Bowl Boise State vs Arizona - - -


Wednesday, Dec. 31 Orange Bowl Mississippi State vs Georgia Tech - - -


Thursday, Jan. 1 Outback Bowl Auburn vs Wisconsin - - -


Thursday, Jan. 1 Cotton Bowl Michigan State vs Baylor - - -


Thursday, Jan. 1 Citrus Bowl Missouri vs Minnesota - - -


Thursday, Jan. 1 Rose Bowl - National Semifinal Oregon vs Florida State - - -


Thursday, Jan. 1 Sugar Bowl - National Semifinal Alabama vs Ohio State - - -


Friday, Jan. 2 Armed Forces Bowl Houston vs Pittsburgh - - -


Friday, Jan. 2 Taxslayer Bowl Iowa vs Tennessee - - -


Friday, Jan. 2 Alamo Bowl Kansas State vs UCLA - - -


Friday, Jan. 2 Cactus Bowl Washington vs Oklahoma State - - -


Saturday, Jan. 3 Birmingham Bowl East Carolina vs Florida - - -


Sunday, Jan. 4 Godaddy Bowl Toledo vs Arkansas State - - -


Monday, Jan. 12 National Championship Game TBD vs TBD - - -

 

[CNOTES]

QB stars when FSU meets Oregon


December 8, 2014


PASADENA, Calif. (AP) - Jameis Winston won the last Heisman Trophy. It looks as if Marcus Mariota is going to win the award this year.

And on New Year's Day, the two most decorated quarterbacks in college football will go head-to-head in the Granddaddy of Them All.


Defending national champion Florida State (13-0) will face West Coast king Oregon (12-1) in the 101st edition of the Rose Bowl. The tantalizing matchup was determined by the College Football Playoff committee on Sunday.


''You have two of the greatest of all time at their position,'' Oregon coach Mark Helfrich said.


The schools will meet for the first time in a playoff semifinal that could be a showcase for Winston and Mariota, who both finished up their regular seasons by leading their teams to victories in their conferences' championship games.


Winston threw for 309 yards and three touchdowns in the Seminoles' 37-35 win over Georgia Tech in the ACC game, and Mariota threw two TD passes and ran for three more in the Ducks' 51-13 rout of Arizona in the Pac-12 final.


''You have two of the greatest college football players right now,'' Florida State coach Jimbo Fisher said. ''It makes for great TV and great competition.''


The Seminoles have never played in a Rose Bowl, but they were in Pasadena just last January, beating Auburn in the BCS national title game on the same hallowed turf in Arroyo Seco. Winston capped one of the greatest freshman seasons by a quarterback in the sport's history by throwing the winning TD pass to Kelvin Benjamin with 13 seconds left in Florida State's 34-31 victory, capping a 79-yard drive.


Oregon will be in the traditional postseason destination for the Pac-12 champion for the third time in six years, and the stands will be filled with green-clad faithful. The Ducks lost to Terrelle Pryor and Ohio State in 2010, but outlasted Wisconsin 45-38 in a thriller in 2012 for Oregon's first Rose Bowl win in 95 years.


Mariota hasn't won a national title or played in a Rose Bowl yet, but the junior from Hawaii has done nearly everything else during three incredible seasons as the Ducks' starter. He has thrown a touchdown pass in all 39 games of his college career while throwing just 12 interceptions - the same number Winston has thrown in his last six games.


Mariota is highly likely to pick up the Heisman in New York later this month before focusing on ending Florida State's 29-game winning streak.


''Everything starts with him at Oregon,'' Fisher said. ''He's a tremendous football player, and he can affect you in so many ways. Not with just the arm and the feet, but with his mind and his intangibles.''


Here are more things to know about that annual football postscript to the Tournament of Roses Parade:


SEEDS OF DOUBT: Oregon is the second seed in the playoff, ranked higher than the unbeaten defending champs likely on the Pac-12's strength and the Ducks winning their last eight games by an average of 26 points. Florida State, which ended up seeded third despite its perfect record, appeared to work much harder down the stretch, yet remained unbeaten for the second straight regular season. ''Wherever you're ranked right now, I don't think matters that much,'' Fisher said. ''Because every team in this playoff is going to be a great team.''


NOLES CAN'T LOSE: It's not always pretty, but Winston and his Florida State teammates keep winning each week - 29 straight after outlasting Georgia Tech for their third straight ACC title. The Seminoles make defensive mistakes, and Winston has thrown 17 interceptions, but they execute well near both goal lines, ranking among the nation's best in red-zone defense and offense. ''When you get to 29, that's just extremely, extremely impressive,'' Helfrich said.


CALIFORNIA LOVE: Oregon should have a decided home-field advantage in Pasadena, given the comparatively easy travel time from the Pacific Northwest to Southern California - along with a local base. When the Ducks beat UCLA here in October, the stands were filled with alumni and fans of the school jokingly known as the University of California at Eugene for its large percentage of Golden State students.


BANQUET CIRCUIT: Defenses have rarely slowed Mariota during his three years as Oregon's starter, yet the Heisman Trophy ceremony and the surrounding hoopla might have an effect. Winston and Fisher candidly acknowledge the grind of postseason banquets and recognition before the bowl games even arrive, and Mariota is likely to be feted repeatedly during the holidays before the teams get to Disneyland on the day after Christmas.


OFFENSIVE IDEAS: While the quarterback matchup is unparalleled, these teams' offenses have little in common. Florida State runs a pro-style offense designed to take advantage of Winston's arm and legs, while Oregon runs Helfrich's version of Chip Kelly's spread offense.

 

[CNOTES]

SBPI - Final Rankings


December 8, 2014




Listed below are my Top 25 Rankings through Saturday December 6 and will be my final numbers for the 2014-15 college football season.


The columns OFF/DEF/TOTAL represent where each team checks in statistically in each for Offense, Defense and Total.


I also include the AP Poll, Coaches Poll, ESPN’s Football Power Index & Jeff Sagarin’s rankings which can all be used as a solid comparison tool followed by each team’s Strength of Schedule (SOS) adjusted RATING and RANK:


FINAL TOP 25 RATINGS
Category Raw Unit Ratings Rankings Strength of Schedule SU
Team Off Def Total AP COA FPI SAG Adjusted Rating Rank Record
Alabama 1 14 3 1 1 2 1 313.3 1 12-1
Michigan State 3 3 1 7 7 11 10 286.5 2 10-2
Ohio State 4 8 2 5 4 3 5 273.8 3 12-1
TCU 6 13 4 6 6 5 2 269.5 4 11-1
Georgia 6 32 7 13 13 6 8 267.5 5 9-3
Auburn 6 60 18 19 19 8 9 266.2 6 8-4
Mississippi 46 8 13 9 12 4 4 262.7 7 9-3
Mississippi State 9 30 9 8 8 9 6 257.5 8 10-2
Baylor 1 35 6 4 5 7 7 248.8 9 11-1
LSU 65 15 27 22 23 14 11 247.5 10 8-4
Arkansas 28 45 34 $ $ 17 13 245.4 11 6-6
USC 15 41 14 24 $ 13 19 240.1 12 8-4
Louisville 59 2 8 20 20 $ 28 239.6 13 9-3
Stanford 67 5 15 $ $ 16 22 238.6 14 7-5
West Virginia 33 34 23 $ $ $ 26 236.3 15 7-5
Oregon 5 64 15 3 3 1 3 234.5 16 12-1
Boise State 9 16 5 21 21 $ 33 232.1 17 11-2
Clemson 62 4 11 18 18 24 23 231.6 18 9-3
Miami, Fl. 36 29 22 $ $ $ 39 225.0 19 6-6
Florida 86 7 38 $ $ 20 21 224.4 20 6-5
Oklahoma 39 39 37 $ 24 12 14 220.3 21 8-4
Kansas State 25 52 34 11 10 18 12 219.9 22 9-3
Wisconsin 62 11 20 17 17 21 24 218.8 23 10-3
UCLA 23 76 50 14 15 15 17 211.6 24 9-3
Missouri 74 25 46 16 14 $ 16 209.6 25 10-3




Remember the #1 or #2 SBPI rated team has won National Championship four of the five years I have done this analysis. If you believe that will once again hold true I would look for the winner of Alabama vs. Ohio State to beat the winner of Florida State vs. Oregon in the CFB Playoff Championship Game. Alabama currently has the best grade of any team over the last six seasons (including this year obviously) and would no question remain #1 with a win over Ohio State; conversely if Ohio State was to beat Alabama it would likely jump into the #2 spot.


Here are an additional few teams of note that did not make the SBPI Top 25:


#26 Nebraska
#29 Georgia Tech
#30 Arizona State
#50 Florida State
#56 Arizona
#57 Utah


Final Conference Breakdown


AAC: 0
ACC: 3
Big 10: 3
Big 12: 5
CUSA: 0
IND: 0
MAC: 0
MWC: 1
Pac-12: 4
SEC: 9
SUN: 0


Strength of each conference taking average ranking of ALL TEAMS:


SEC: 28.36
Pac-12: 44.00
Big 12: 46.79
ACC: 49.40
Big 10: 55.21
IND: 72.50
MWC: 76.83
CUSA: 83.08
AAC: 84.91
SUN: 89.45
MAC: 92.23

 

[CNOTES]

NCAAF opening line report: 'Bama nearing double-digit chalk in Sugar Bowl

The regular season in the Football Bowl Subdivision has come to a close. Well, almost anyway. We still have the traditional Army-Navy game next weekend, but all eyes are much more firmly focused on the first-ever four-team playoff in the FBS.

Those two games – and the other four that the selection committee was charged with determining – should be roof-raisers. So let’s get right to it as John Lester, senior lines manager at bookmaker.eu, takes us through the matchups.

SUGAR BOWL (semifinal playoff game)
Ohio State Buckeyes vs. Alabama Crimson Tide (-9.5)

Nick Saban and Urban Meyer meet again. The Crimson Tide (12-1 SU, 5-8 ATS) capped the regular season with a 55-44 shootout win over archrival Auburn giving 9.5 points at home, then hammered Missouri 42-13 Saturday in the SEC championship game as a 14.5-point chalk.

Ohio State (12-1 SU, 8-5 ATS) is somewhat of a surprise here. The Buckeyes lost starting QB Braxton Miller in the preseason, and backup J.T. Barrett suffered a broken ankle two weekends ago in a win over Michigan. But third-stringer Cardale Jones helped orchestrate a 59-0 beatdown of Wisconsin in Saturday’s Big 10 title game, with the Buckeyes rolling despite being a 4-point underdog.

“Bettors don’t forget all the big games the Buckeyes have been in over the last handful of years, and how they were utterly embarrassed in most of them,” Lester said. “Ohio State certainly has its share of fans and supporters, which is part of the reason it’s in the playoff, but I expect we’ll be dealing a double-digit spread when this one closes. Alabama teasers will be aplenty.”

ROSE BOWL (semifinal playoff game)
Florida State Seminoles vs. Oregon Ducks (-8)

Florida State (13-0 SU, 3-10 ATS) hasn’t lost a game SU in more than two years, winning 29 in a row. That includes Saturday’s ACC championship game, a 37-35 victory over Georgia Tech, though again the Seminoles failed to cover as 3.5-point faves. The ‘Noles are nearly at rock-bottom against the oddsmakers, sitting 127th out of 128 teams.

Oregon (12-1 SU, 9-4 ATS) is arguably the hottest team in the country, having won eight in a row SU and ATS, all by double digits and seven by 18 points or more. In Friday’s Pac-12 title game, the Ducks avenged their only loss this season, whitewashing Arizona 51-13 laying 14.5 points.

“The Ducks come into a stadium where they are very comfortable playing, and they should have the majority of the crowd support,” Lester said. “The weaknesses of Florida State are well documented, and the ‘Noles haven’t seen an offense like this since last year’s title game. Oregon should be able to name its score. Again, players will be lining up to tease an Alabama-Oregon national championship.”

Peach Bowl
Mississippi Rebels vs. Texas Christian Horned Frogs

TCU (11-1 SU, 10-2 ATS) felt like it was robbed of a spot in the four-team playoff, dropping from No. 3 to No. 6 after capping the season with routs of 48-10 at Texas as a 4.5-point fave and 55-3 over Iowa State on Saturday as a 34.5-point home chalk. The Horned Frogs finished the year tied with Western Michigan for the best spread-covering mark in the nation.

Ole Miss (9-3 SU, 7-4-1 ATS) had its season derailed by a late-season three-game SEC skid (with a meaningless win over Presbyterian sandwiched in there). But the Rebels ended the year by dumping archrival Mississippi State 31-17 as a 2.5-point home underdog.

“As it is every bowl season, time to get that motivation model out,” Lester said. “Will TCU be eager to show the world they deserved to be in the playoff, or will they go through the motions because they egregiously got left out? I see this playing out as more of a defensive battle, because we’ve got two pretty salty ones on tap.”

Cotton Bowl
Michigan State Spartans vs. Baylor Bears

Like TCU, Baylor believed it was snubbed by the selection committee in being kept out of the playoff games. The Bears (11-1 SU, 7-4-1 ATS) ended the regular season on a 5-0 SU run (4-1 ATS), including Saturday’s 38-27 home win over Kansas State giving 7 points.

Michigan State (10-2 SU, 8-4 ATS) bounced back from a loss to Ohio State to win its last three SU and ATS. The Spartans bested Penn State 34-10 giving 10 points on the road in their Nov. 29 regular-season finale.

“It’s a long trip for the Spartan contingent, while Baylor is very close to home,” Lester said, noting the game is at AT&T Stadium. “We’ve seen Michigan State give up some big numbers to quality passing teams, and its secondary may not be able to keep up with the Bears’ big-bodied receivers. That said, the Sparties always seem to muster some extra motivation for the postseason.”

Orange Bowl
Mississippi State Bulldogs vs. Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets

Mississippi State (10-2 SU, 7-5 ATS) was on track for a spot in the four-team playoff, but dumped two of its last three games, falling at Alabama 25-20 as a 10-point underdog and ending the season with a 31-17 loss laying 2.5 points at Mississippi.

Georgia Tech (10-3 SU, 9-4 ATS) has been on fire at the betting window, cashing six in a row while winning five of those contests outright. The lone SU loss was in Saturday’s ACC final, a 37-35 setback catching 3.5 points.

“This is somewhat of a surprise matchup, but it is intriguing from a gambling standpoint,” Lester said. “The Bulldogs probably lucked out a bit not having to see TCU or Baylor, because those teams are more adept defending the run than the pass. Time is what you need to prepare for Tech coach Paul Johnson’s triple-option attack, and Mississippi State’s Dan Mullen will have three weeks to get his kids ready.”

Fiesta Bowl
Boise State Broncos vs. Arizona Wildcats

Boise State (11-2 SU, 7-6 ATS) got its berth by virtue of being the highest-ranked conference champion from the five minor FBS leagues. The Mountain West champion Broncos have won eight in a row SU (4-4 ATS), including a 28-14 victory over Fresno State giving 22.5 points in Saturday’s conference title game.

Arizona (10-3 SU, 5-8 ATS) found its way into one of the big six bowls despite getting boatraced in Saturday’s Pac-12 championship game, losing to Oregon 51-13 as a 14.5-point pup.

“You obviously have to factor in a huge home-field edge for the Wildcats. And we expect they’ll have quarterback Anu Solomon close to 100 percent after the layoff,” Lester said. “The Broncos should be extremely motivated to play well, but I don’t think Arizona is going to look past them. This one could be a quandary for a lot of handicappers.”

 

[CNOTES]

Baylor opens as slight faves over MSU in Cotton Bowl


Baylor opened as slight 2.5-point favorites in their Cotton Bowl matchup with Michigan State.


The Bears have already been bet to -3 for the bowl game to be played on New Year's Day at AT&T Stadium in Dallas.


Baylor went 7-4-1 against the spread, while Michigan State was 8-4 ATS.


------------------------------------------


Mississippi State favored by a TD in Orange Bowl


The betting line for the Orange Bowl opened with Mississippi State favored over Georgia Tech by a converted touchdown.


Mississippi State went 10-2 straight up and 7-5 against the spread this season, while Georgia Tech went 10-3 SU and 9-4 ATS.


The Orange Bowl will be held Dec. 31 at Sun Life Stadium in Miami Florida.


-------------------------------------------------------------------


Oddsmakers give Arizona the edge in Fiesta Bowl


Arizona has opened as -4 faves for the Fiesta Bowl against Boise State.


Since opening, that number has been bet down to -3.5. The Wildcats finished the season 5-8 against the spread, while the Broncos fared better at 7-6 ATS.


The total for the contest is sitting at 69.


-------------------------------------------------------------


TCU open as faves in Peach Bowl matchup vs. Ole Miss


TCU opened as 3-point favories Peach Bowl matchup with Ole Miss on Dec. 31 at the Georgia Dome in Atlanta, Georgia.


TCU went 11-1 straight up and 10-2 against the spread this season, while Ole Miss went 9-3 SU and 7-4-1 ATS.

 

[CNOTES]

Embarrassed Badgers look to regroup against Auburn


The No. 17 Badgers have time to regroup, recover and reflect for their Jan. 1 Outback Bowl game against No. 19 Auburn on what went wrong in an embarrassing 59-0 loss to Ohio State in the Big Ten Championship game on Dec. 6.


Coming into the game, based on Wisconsin's improved defense and Melvin Gordon's running, the Badgers were favorites against the Buckeyes. Despite Ohio State's lofty No. 5 ranking, the then-No. 13 Badgers had the odds on their sides with Ohio State down to its third-string quarterback following a season-ending injury to J.T. Barrett the week before. Cardale Jones led the Buckeyes on an impressive game-opening drive en route to 12-of-17 passing for 257 yards and three touchdowns.


For the Badgers, the bowl game represents a fresh start. Gordon was held to 76 yards on 26 carries, and Joel Stave threw three interceptions. The Buckeyes gashed one of the best defenses in the country, at least statistical-wise in the first 12 games, to the tune of 558 yards, including scoring 38 points in the first quarter.


"We hurt," Wisconsin coach Gary Andersen said after the loss to Ohio State. "If you want to get back in this game then we better figure out what went wrong tonight because this league is getting nothing but better and better."


The Badgers (10-3) had won their previous two Big Ten title games and had their seven-game winning streak snapped. The Badgers are making their fifth straight bowl appearance in January. The Tigers (8-4, 4-4 SEC) and the Badgers are hooking up in a bowl game for the third time since 2003. Wisconsin defeated the No. 7 Tigers 24-10 in the Capital One Bowl in Barry Alvarez's final game on Jan. 1, 2006.


"It's a tremendous honor to be selected to play in the Outback Bowl and a great reward for our players and the terrific season they have had," Andersen said."


The Tampa Bay-based bowl is a battle between two of the top rushing teams in the country. Gordon is the nation's leading rusher with 2,336 yards and 26 rushing touchdown. The Badgers rank fourth in the country in rushing, averaging 314 yards per game, including a whopping 6.9 yards per rush. The Tigers are 12th in the country with an average of 258.5 yards.


Unlike the Badgers, the Tigers have a number of quality runners. Cameron Artis-Payne leads the Tigers with 1,482 yards and 11 rushing touchdowns, while quarterback Nick Marshall has rushed for 780 yards and Corey Grant (334 yards) and Roc Thomas (214) are capable runners.


Wisconsin's no-name defense, like coach Andersen likes to call them, had been one of the best units in the country until the Ohio State game. Marshall is one of the best running and throwing quarterbacks in the country. He will test Wisconsin's leaky secondary with his arm, completing 60.1 percent of his passes for 2,315 yards and 18 touchdowns.


Wisconsin's offensive line has come together this season to help Gordon and Corey Clement churn out big gains. The Tigers defense is formidable and battle-tested after playing in the rugged SEC. The Tigers allow 26.1 points and 388.7 yards per game this season.


The Badgers haven't played an elite schedule, and that showed against Ohio State. Wisconsin's soft schedule and recent bowl history are indicators of another possible blowout loss. Wisconsin is 0-3 in the Outback Bowl against SEC teams, and it lost four straight bowl games. LSU is the main common opponent between the two teams, with Auburn crushing LSU 41-7 and Wisconsin losing 28-24 to LSU on Aug. 30.


ROSTER REPORT


--C Dan Voltz aggravated a left-ankle injury on Wisconsin's second drive in the Ohio State loss.


--S Michael Caputo is suffering from an injured shoulder.


--LB Derek Landisch is expected to play in the bowl game despite an injured elbow and shoulder.


--G Kyle Costigan is nursing a sore foot injury.


--DL Konrad Zagzebski is most likely out for the bowl game with an injured knee.

 

[CNOTES]

FSU in foreign territory as underdog versus Oregon


The Florida State Seminoles have opened as 8.5-point underdogs versus Oregon in the Rose Bowl, making it the first time since Sept. 24, 2011 that the Noles will be dogs - a streak of 50 games. FSU closed as a 2.5-point road dog at the Clemson Tigers, the last time the Noles were getting points.


Florida State is still unbeaten at 13-0 straight up, but is a paltry 3-10 against the spread this season. That mark makes them the second-worst bet in the Nation, only behind UConn's 2-10 ATS clip.

 

[CNOTES]

College Playoff Outlook


December 8, 2014


Whether it's football or basketball, every Selection Sunday leaves a few teams disappointed in their fate. In the first College Football Playoff, the snubs include Baylor and TCU from out of the Big 12 Conference.


The Horned Frogs blasted Iowa St. 55-3 as 35-point home favorite in their regular-season finale this past weekend. Nevertheless, they fell from third to sixth in the committee's rankings.


Gary Patterson's team finished the regular season with an 11-1 straight-up record. TCU's only loss came by three at Baylor in a game it led by 21 early in the fourth quarter. Since then, the Frogs have won seven in a row and their quality resume wins include scalps of Minnesota (30-7), Oklahoma (37-33), West Va. (31-30) and Kansas St. (41-20), not to mention a 48-10 win at Texas.


Baylor, ranked sixth last week, climbed one spot to fifth after beating Kansas St. 37-28 in Waco. The Bears also finish 11-1 with their lone defeat coming at West Va. They had quality wins vs. TCU (61-58), at Oklahoma (48-10) and vs. K-St. Yes, Art Briles's team played an extremely weak non-conference slate, but its loss at West Virginia isn't nearly as bad as Ohio State's home loss to Virginia Tech (at home, by double digits).


But it's hard to argue against Ohio State getting 'in' with the fourth seed after finishing so strong. I mean, with their third-string quarterback making his first career start, the Buckeyes smashed a quality Wisconsin team 59-0 at the Big Ten Championship Game. Since the loss to the Hokies, Urban Meyer's squad has won 11 in a row, including a 49-37 win at Michigan St.


Ohio State will take on top-seeded Alabama on New Year's Day at the Superdome in New Orleans. Most books opened the Crimson Tide as a 10-point 'chalk.' As of Monday afternoon, the number for the side was 9.5 and the total was 58.


Nick Saban's team took care of business in Atlanta, coasting to a 42-13 win over Missouri as a 14.5-point favorite in the SEC Championship Game. The Tide has been No. 1 since beating previously-unbeaten Mississippi St. three weeks ago.


Saban hasn't faced Meyer since 'Bama trounced Florida 31-6 in 2010 at Bryant-Denny Stadium. In the previous meeting, the Tide thumped the Gators 32-13 at the Ga. Dome in Atlanta. Hours later, Meyer was rushed to the hospital after a fainting spell.


Although Meyer won't acknowledge anything of the sort, you can make a strong case that Saban ran him out of the SEC. So there's that storyline on top of all that's already at stake in the first CFP.


The 2/3 game will take place at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena. This contest will pit second-seeded Oregon against third-seeded and unbeaten Florida State Most spots have the Ducks favored by nine with a total of 71.


The Seminoles will be underdogs for the first time since early in the 2011 campaign when they lost 35-30 at Clemson as 2.5-point 'dogs. Jimbo Fisher's team hasn't tasted defeat since a 2012 home loss to arch-rival Florida.


Since then, FSU has won 29 consecutive games, including last week's 37-35 non-covering win over Georgia Tech at the ACC Championship Game. The 'Noles failed to cover the number as four-point 'chalk' due to a late TD that gave the Yellow Jackets a backdoor cover. They went 3-10 ATS this year and are mired in a 3-11 ATS slump dating back to a non-cover vs. Auburn to win it all last season.


The next set of significant bowl games include Mississippi State vs. Georgia Tech (Orange Bowl), Ole Miss vs. TCU (Chick-Fil-A Peach Bowl), Baylor vs. Michigan State (Cotton Bowl) and Boise State vs. Arizona (Fiesta).


The Bulldogs are favored by seven over the Yellow Jackets, while the Rebels are three-point underdogs to the Horned Frogs. Baylor is a three-point favorite vs. the Spartans, while the Wildcats are four-point 'chalk' to the Broncos, who have a pair of Fiesta Bowl wins over TCU and Oklahoma over the last decade.


5Dimes has posted lines for the potential matchups in the CFP finals in Arlington at Jerry World. FSU is a three-point favorite over Ohio State, but the 'Noles are 10-point underdogs vs. Alabama.


Oregon is favored by 9.5 (with a -125 price) vs. Ohio State (+9.5, -105), while the Ducks are 3.5-point underdogs to 'Bama.


You can wager on these games at those lines right now. If the matchups don't materialize, then the wagers are refunded. The three games excluding Oregon-Ohio State have prices of -115 either way.

 

[CNOTES]

TOP POWER LINES


Users of our matchup reports are familiar with our Power Line ratings, calculated using both teams' ratings and home field advantage. The Top Power Lines tool offers a way to view and compare current Power Lines in one simple report, as well as the Power Line Edge, where the Power Line differs significantly from the current line.




CFB > (203) UTEP @ (204) UTAH ST | 12/20/2014 - 02:20 PM
Line: UTAH ST -10 StatFox PowerLine: UTAH ST -20
Edge On: UTAH ST (10)


CFB > (209) S ALABAMA @ (210) BOWLING GREEN | 12/20/2014 - 09:15 PM
Line: BOWLING GREEN 2.5 StatFox PowerLine: BOWLING GREEN -5
Edge On: BOWLING GREEN (7.5)


CFB > (217) C MICHIGAN @ (218) W KENTUCKY | 12/24/2014 - 12:00 PM
Line: W KENTUCKY -3 StatFox PowerLine: W KENTUCKY -13
Edge On: W KENTUCKY (10)


CFB > (225) NC STATE @ (226) UCF | 12/26/2014 - 08:00 PM
Line: UCF -1.5 StatFox PowerLine: UCF -9
Edge On: UCF (7.5)


CFB > (231) MIAMI @ (232) S CAROLINA | 12/27/2014 - 03:30 PM
Line: S CAROLINA 1.5 StatFox PowerLine: S CAROLINA -7
Edge On: S CAROLINA (8.5)


CFB > (233) PENN ST @ (234) BOSTON COLLEGE | 12/27/2014 - 04:30 PM
Line: BOSTON COLLEGE -2.5 StatFox PowerLine: BOSTON COLLEGE -10
Edge On: BOSTON COLLEGE (7.5)


CFB > (241) TEXAS @ (242) ARKANSAS | 12/29/2014 - 09:00 PM
Line: ARKANSAS -5.5 StatFox PowerLine: ARKANSAS -13
Edge On: ARKANSAS (7.5)


CFB > (247) MARYLAND @ (248) STANFORD | 12/30/2014 - 10:00 PM
Line: STANFORD -14.5 StatFox PowerLine: STANFORD -22
Edge On: STANFORD (7.5)


CFB > (249) OLE MISS @ (250) TCU | 12/31/2014 - 12:30 PM
Line: TCU -3 StatFox PowerLine: TCU -12

 

[CNOTES]

BOWL GAMES12/20/2014 - 01/12/2015Injuries | Reports | Trends | Matchups




2014-12-20 FBC
Team Open Line Movements Current Moneyline Halftime Scores
11:00 AM EST
201 NEVADA -3 -05 -105
202 UL - LAFAYETTE PK / PK +13 / PK +15 -1 -15 -115
LAF-WR-Jamal Robinson-OUT | TV: ESPN, DTV: 206. R+L Carriers New Orleans Bowl
FREE MATCH UPFREE TRIALTOP POWER LINESVEGAS ODDSFREE PICKSBOX SCORERECAPBUY TICKETSBET NOW




2:20 PM EST
203 UTEP +321
204 UTAH STATE -10.5 -10.5 -10 -380
UST-QB-Craig Harrison-OUT | UST-QB-Darell Garretson-OUT | UST-QB-Chuckie Keeton-OUT | TV: ESPN, DTV: 206. Gildan New Mexico Bowl
FREE MATCH UPFREE TRIALTOP POWER LINESVEGAS ODDSFREE PICKSBOX SCORERECAPBUY TICKETSBET NOW




3:30 PM EST
205 UTAH -4.5 -4.5 / -4 / -4 -07 -4 -05 -175
206 COLORADO STATE +155
UTA-WR-Dres Anderson-OUT | TV: ABC. Royal Purple Las Vegas Bowl
FREE MATCH UPFREE TRIALTOP POWER LINESVEGAS ODDSFREE PICKSBOX SCORERECAPBUY TICKETSBET NOW




5:45 PM EST
207 WESTERN MICHIGAN -2 -1 / -1.5 / -1.5 -07 -1.5 -05
208 AIR FORCE
Afa-QB-Kale Pearson-Probable | Afa-RB-Jacobi Owens-OUT | TV: ESPN, DTV: 206. Famous Idaho Potato Bowl
FREE MATCH UPFREE TRIALTOP POWER LINESVEGAS ODDSFREE PICKSBOX SCORERECAPBUY TICKETSBET NOW




9:15 PM EST
209 SOUTH ALABAMA -1.5 -2.5 / -2.5 -13 / -2.5 -15 -2.5 -19
210 BOWLING GREEN
Sal-RB-Jay Jones-OUT | BGN-QB-Matt Johnson-OUT | TV: ESPN, DTV: 206. Raycom Media Camellia Bowl
FREE MATCH UPFREE TRIALTOP POWER LINESVEGAS ODDSFREE PICKSBOX SCORERECAPBUY TICKETSBET NOW




2014-12-22 FBC
Team Open Line Movements Current Moneyline Halftime Scores
2:00 PM EST
211 BYU
212 MEMPHIS PK PK / -1 -05 -1 -04
BYU-RB-Jamaal Williams-OUT | BYU-QB-Taysom Hill-OUT | TV: ESPN, DTV: 206. Miami Beach Bowl
FREE MATCH UPFREE TRIALTOP POWER LINESVEGAS ODDSFREE PICKSBOX SCORERECAPBUY TICKETSBET NOW




2014-12-23 FBC
Team Open Line Movements Current Moneyline Halftime Scores
6:00 PM EST
213 NORTHERN ILLINOIS +344
214 MARSHALL -10.5 -10.5 -10.5 -15 -410
NIL-WR-Tommylee Lewis-OUT | MRS-RB-Devon Johnson-Probable | TV: ESPN, DTV: 206. Boca Raton Bowl
FREE MATCH UPFREE TRIALTOP POWER LINESVEGAS ODDSFREE PICKSBOX SCORERECAPBUY TICKETSBET NOW




9:30 PM EST
215 NAVY
216 SAN DIEGO STATE
TV: ESPN, DTV: 206
FREE MATCH UPFREE TRIALTOP POWER LINESVEGAS ODDSFREE PICKSBOX SCORERECAPBUY TICKETSBET NOW




2014-12-24 FBC
Team Open Line Movements Current Moneyline Halftime Scores
12:00 PM EST
217 CENTRAL MICHIGAN
218 WESTERN KENTUCKY -2.5 -15 -2.5 -15 / -3 / -3 -08 -3 -05
TV: ESPN, DTV: 206
FREE MATCH UPFREE TRIALTOP POWER LINESVEGAS ODDSFREE PICKSBOX SCORERECAPBUY TICKETSBET NOW




8:00 PM EST
219 FRESNO STATE -1.5 -1 -05 / -1 -06 / -1 -05 -1 -09
220 RICE
TV: ESPN, DTV: 206
FREE MATCH UPFREE TRIALTOP POWER LINESVEGAS ODDSFREE PICKSBOX SCORERECAPBUY TICKETSBET NOW




2014-12-26 FBC
Team Open Line Movements Current Moneyline Halftime Scores
1:00 PM EST
221 ILLINOIS +184
222 LOUISIANA TECH -5 -5 / -5.5 -15 / -5.5 -18 -6 -05 -210
TV: ESPN, DTV: 206
FREE MATCH UPFREE TRIALTOP POWER LINESVEGAS ODDSFREE PICKSBOX SCORERECAPBUY TICKETSBET NOW




4:30 PM EST
223 RUTGERS
224 NORTH CAROLINA -3.5 -05 -3.5 -05 -3 -15
RUT-RB-Paul James-OUT | TV: ESPN, DTV: 206
FREE MATCH UPFREE TRIALTOP POWER LINESVEGAS ODDSFREE PICKSBOX SCORERECAPBUY TICKETSBET NOW




8:00 PM EST
225 NORTH CAROLINA STATE
226 CENTRAL FLORIDA -1 -1 / -1.5 -1.5 -14
TV: ESPN, DTV: 206
FREE MATCH UPFREE TRIALTOP POWER LINESVEGAS ODDSFREE PICKSBOX SCORERECAPBUY TICKETSBET NOW




2014-12-27 FBC
Team Open Line Movements Current Moneyline Halftime Scores
1:00 PM EST
227 VIRGINIA TECH
228 CINCINNATI -3.5 -3.5 / -3 -15 -3 -05
TV: ESPN, DTV: 206
FREE MATCH UPFREE TRIALTOP POWER LINESVEGAS ODDSFREE PICKSBOX SCORERECAPBUY TICKETSBET NOW




2:00 PM EST
229 DUKE +238
230 ARIZONA STATE -8 -8 -7.5 -275
TV: CBS
FREE MATCH UPFREE TRIALTOP POWER LINESVEGAS ODDSFREE PICKSBOX SCORERECAPBUY TICKETSBET NOW




3:30 PM EST
231 MIAMI FLORIDA PK -1.5 / -1.5 -09 / -1.5 -05 -1.5 -15
232 SOUTH CAROLINA
TV: ESPN2, DTV: 209
FREE MATCH UPFREE TRIALTOP POWER LINESVEGAS ODDSFREE PICKSBOX SCORERECAPBUY TICKETSBET NOW




4:30 PM EST
233 PENN STATE
234 BOSTON COLLEGE -2.5 -2.5 / -3 -05 -2.5 -15
TV: ESPN, DTV: 206
FREE MATCH UPFREE TRIALTOP POWER LINESVEGAS ODDSFREE PICKSBOX SCORERECAPBUY TICKETSBET NOW




8:00 PM EST
235 NEBRASKA +189
236 USC -5.5 -5.5 / -6 -15 / -6 -6 -15 -215
TV: ESPN, DTV: 206
FREE MATCH UPFREE TRIALTOP POWER LINESVEGAS ODDSFREE PICKSBOX SCORERECAPBUY TICKETSBET NOW




2014-12-29 FBC
Team Open Line Movements Current Moneyline Halftime Scores
2:00 PM EST
237 WEST VIRGINIA -3.5 -3.5 / -4 -4 -05 -170
238 TEXAS AM +150
WVU-QB-Clint Trickett-? | TV: ESPN, DTV: 206
FREE MATCH UPFREE TRIALTOP POWER LINESVEGAS ODDSFREE PICKSBOX SCORERECAPBUY TICKETSBET NOW




5:30 PM EST
239 CLEMSON
240 OKLAHOMA
CLM-QB-Deshaun Watson-? | OKL-RB-Samaje Perine-? | OKL-QB-Trevor Knight-? | TV: ESPN, DTV: 206
FREE MATCH UPFREE TRIALTOP POWER LINESVEGAS ODDSFREE PICKSBOX SCORERECAPBUY TICKETSBET NOW




9:00 PM EST
241 TEXAS +184
242 ARKANSAS -5 -5 -5.5 -15 -210
TEX-QB-David Ash-OUT | TV: ESPN, DTV: 206
FREE MATCH UPFREE TRIALTOP POWER LINESVEGAS ODDSFREE PICKSBOX SCORERECAPBUY TICKETSBET NOW
2014-12-30 FBC
Team Open Line Movements Current Moneyline Halftime Scores
3:00 PM EST
243 NOTRE DAME
244 LSU -8 -8 -7.5
TV: ESPN, DTV: 206
FREE MATCH UPFREE TRIALTOP POWER LINESVEGAS ODDSFREE PICKSBOX SCORERECAPBUY TICKETSBET NOW




6:30 PM EST
245 LOUISVILLE
246 GEORGIA
LOU-QB-Will Gardner-OUT | GEO-RB-Todd Gurley-OUT | TV: ESPN, DTV: 206
FREE MATCH UPFREE TRIALTOP POWER LINESVEGAS ODDSFREE PICKSBOX SCORERECAPBUY TICKETSBET NOW




10:00 PM EST
247 MARYLAND
248 STANFORD -13.5 -13.5 -14.5
TV: ESPN, DTV: 206
FREE MATCH UPFREE TRIALTOP POWER LINESVEGAS ODDSFREE PICKSBOX SCORERECAPBUY TICKETSBET NOW




2014-12-31 FBC
Team Open Line Movements Current Moneyline Halftime Scores
12:30 PM EST
249 MISSISSIPPI +137
250 TCU -3 -05 -3 -15 / -3 -05 / -3 -13 -3 -15 -155
MIS-WR-Laquon Treadwell-OUT | TV: ESPN, DTV: 206
FREE MATCH UPFREE TRIALTOP POWER LINESVEGAS ODDSFREE PICKSBOX SCORERECAPBUY TICKETSBET NOW




4:00 PM EST
251 BOISE STATE +140
252 ARIZONA -4 -05 -2.5 -16 / -2.5 -15 / -3 -05 -3 -158
BOI-WR-Matt Miller-OUT | TV: ESPN, DTV: 206
FREE MATCH UPFREE TRIALTOP POWER LINESVEGAS ODDSFREE PICKSBOX SCORERECAPBUY TICKETSBET NOW




8:00 PM EST
253 GEORGIA TECH +226
254 MISSISSIPPI STATE -7 -15 -7 -15 / -7 / -6.5 -15 -7 -260
TV: ESPN, DTV: 206
FREE MATCH UPFREE TRIALTOP POWER LINESVEGAS ODDSFREE PICKSBOX SCORERECAPBUY TICKETSBET NOW




2015-01-01 FBC
Team Open Line Movements Current Moneyline Halftime Scores
12:00 PM EST
255 WISCONSIN
256 AUBURN -4.5 -11 -4.5 -11 -5.5
TV: ESPN2, DTV: 209
FREE MATCH UPFREE TRIALTOP POWER LINESVEGAS ODDSFREE PICKSBOX SCORERECAPBUY TICKETSBET NOW




12:30 PM EST
257 MICHIGAN STATE +133
258 BAYLOR -2 -3 -05 / -3 -20 / -3 -22 -3 -150
TV: ESPN, DTV: 206
FREE MATCH UPFREE TRIALTOP POWER LINESVEGAS ODDSFREE PICKSBOX SCORERECAPBUY TICKETSBET NOW




1:00 PM EST
259 MINNESOTA
260 MISSOURI -5.5 -5.5
TV: ABC
FREE MATCH UPFREE TRIALTOP POWER LINESVEGAS ODDSFREE PICKSBOX SCORERECAPBUY TICKETSBET NOW




5:00 PM EST
261 FLORIDA STATE 71 71 71.5 +290
262 OREGON -7.5 -02 -10 -15 / -10 -05 / -10 -01 -9.5 -340
TV: ESPN, DTV: 206
FREE MATCH UPFREE TRIALTOP POWER LINESVEGAS ODDSFREE PICKSBOX SCORERECAPBUY TICKETSBET NOW




8:30 PM EST
263 OHIO STATE 58 58 +321
264 ALABAMA -10 -06 -9.5 -11 / -9.5 -05 / -10 -05 -9.5 -15 -380
OHS-QB-J.T. Barrett-OUT | OHS-QB-Braxton Miller-OUT | TV: ESPN, DTV: 206
FREE MATCH UPFREE TRIALTOP POWER LINESVEGAS ODDSFREE PICKSBOX SCORERECAPBUY TICKETSBET NOW




2015-01-02 FBC
Team Open Line Movements Current Moneyline Halftime Scores
12:00 PM EST
265 PITTSBURGH -2.5 -2.5 / -2.5 -15 / -3 -05 -3 -15
266 HOUSTON U
TV: ESPN, DTV: 206
FREE MATCH UPFREE TRIALTOP POWER LINESVEGAS ODDSFREE PICKSBOX SCORERECAPBUY TICKETSBET NOW




3:20 PM EST
267 IOWA
268 TENNESSEE U -2.5 -15 -2.5 -15 / -3 -05 -3.5
TEN-QB-Justin Worley-OUT | TV: ESPN, DTV: 206
FREE MATCH UPFREE TRIALTOP POWER LINESVEGAS ODDSFREE PICKSBOX SCORERECAPBUY TICKETSBET NOW




6:45 PM EST
269 UCLA
270 KANSAS STATE -1.5 -1.5 / -1 -05 / -1 -15 -1.5
TV: ESPN, DTV: 206
FREE MATCH UPFREE TRIALTOP POWER LINESVEGAS ODDSFREE PICKSBOX SCORERECAPBUY TICKETSBET NOW




10:15 PM EST
271 OKLAHOMA STATE
272 WASHINGTON -5 -4.5 -05 / -4.5 +03 / -4 -4 -12
OKS-QB-J.W. Walsh-OUT | TV: ESPN, DTV: 206
FREE MATCH UPFREE TRIALTOP POWER LINESVEGAS ODDSFREE PICKSBOX SCORERECAPBUY TICKETSBET NOW




2015-01-03 FBC
Team Open Line Movements Current Moneyline Halftime Scores
12:00 PM EST
273 EAST CAROLINA
274 FLORIDA -7.5 -09 -7.5 -09 / -7.5 -7
Time-change to 12:00pm EST | TV: ESPN2, DTV: 209
FREE MATCH UPFREE TRIALTOP POWER LINESVEGAS ODDSFREE PICKSBOX SCORERECAPBUY TICKETSBET NOW




2015-01-04 FBC


Team Open Line Movements Current Moneyline Halftime Scores


9:00 PM EST
275 TOLEDO -2 -2.5 / -2.5 -11 / -2.5 -2.5 -19
276 ARKANSAS STATE
TOL-QB-Phillip Ely-OUT | TV: ESPN, DTV: 206
FREE MATCH UPFREE TRIALTOP POWER LINESVEGAS ODDSFREE PICKSBOX SCORERECAPBUY TICKETSBET NOW

 

[CNOTES]

Sugar Bowl presents a classic matchup


December 7, 2014


Nick Saban vs. Urban Meyer.


Sure, players win games. But the coaches will be center stage at the Sugar Bowl in college football's inaugural playoff.


Saban's top-seeded Alabama Crimson Tide (12-1) faces Meyer's fourth-seeded Ohio State Buckeyes (12-1) on New Year's Day, a semifinal matchup between two of the nation's most storied programs.


Saban has established himself as perhaps the greatest coach of this generation, winning three national titles at Alabama after taking a BCS title during his time at LSU.


Meyer captured a pair of national titles at Florida, and now he's two wins away from landing another with the Buckeyes.


These two are hardly strangers, their history framed by a pair of classic Southeastern Conference championship games.


''I probably can't remember my address or my phone number, but I can tell you every play in those two games,'' Meyer said Sunday.


In 2008, Saban guided Alabama to a 12-0 record and No. 1 ranking during the regular season. The Tide led heading to the fourth quarter, but Tim Tebow led No. 2 Florida to a pair of touchdowns and a 31-20 victory. The Gators went on to beat Oklahoma in the BCS championship game.


''One of the greatest games in college football history,'' Meyer called it. ''Very evenly matched teams going back and forth, back and forth.''


The roles were reversed the following year, another 1-2 matchup with Florida on top. The game was a reversal, too, as No. 2 Alabama blew open a close game at halftime for a 32-13 victory that left Tebow in tears. The Tide defeated Texas for the first national title of the Saban era.


It wouldn't be the last.


''They handled us pretty good,'' Meyer recalled.


Alabama won back-to-back titles after the 2011 and 2012 seasons. This year, the Tide overcame a loss at Ole Miss, won the brutal SEC West, and routed Missouri 42-13 in the conference championship game.


Saban described this as one of his favorite teams because of the progress they made from the start of the season.


''We were not a very good team. We ended up being SEC champs,'' he said. ''That's a real tribute to team chemistry, hard work and perseverance.''


Meyer's bunch persevered, too. The Buckeyes lost star quarterback Braxton Miller before the season began and were stunned at home by Virginia Tech, which struggled to a 6-6 record this season.


But Miller's replacement, redshirt freshman J.T. Barrett, led the Buckeyes to a perfect record in the Big Ten. Then, in the regular-season finale against Michigan, he went down with a season-ending broken ankle.


Enter the third QB, sophomore Cardale Jones. In his first college start, the Buckeyes romped to a stunning 59-0 victory over Wisconsin in the Big Ten title game, vaulting Ohio State into the four-team playoff.


''Ohio State demonstrated they were a total team,'' said Jeff Long, head of the selection committee.


Some things to watch for when the Crimson Tide takes on the Buckeyes:


QUARTERBACK DUEL: Alabama has plenty of experience at this crucial position, though fifth-year senior Blake Sims had to wait until his final year to start. The Buckeyes, of course, will be sending out Jones for his second start on an even bigger stage than he faced Saturday night. On the other hand, Jones has a lot more time to prepare for this start than he did the first one.


DYNAMIC COOPER: The most dangerous player on either team is Alabama receiver Amari Cooper. A leading contender for the Heisman Trophy, he has 115 catches for 1,656 yards and 14 touchdowns. He will surely face double coverage, but Tide offensive coordinator Lane Kiffin showed in the SEC championship game that he still knows how to get Cooper the ball. Hauling in a variety of screens and short passes, he set a title game record with 12 receptions.


SEC VS BIG TEN: The SEC has won seven of the last eight national titles, and Alabama undoubtedly endured a tougher road to the title game than the Buckeyes. When Meyer took over at Ohio State, he acknowledged a talent gap had to be bridged between the leagues. It will be interesting to see how much progress the Big Ten has made since Meyer brought his spread offense to Columbus. For now, Ohio State is 0-9 against the SEC in bowls, its lone victory in the 2011 Sugar Bowl against Arkansas vacated by NCAA rules violations.


BUCKEYES D: The Buckeyes surrendered more than 24 points a game in the Big Ten during the regular season. But they turned in their best performance of the season in the conference championship, shutting out Wisconsin and shutting down the nation's leading rusher. Melvin Gordon was held to 76 yards on 26 carries.


CHASING THE BEAR: Saban is moving into Bear Bryant territory. If Alabama wins two more games, the coach will be match the five Associated Press titles that the man in the houndstooth hat won during his long career with the Tide.

 

[CNOTES]

Penn State takes next step with bowl game


December 9, 2014


NEW YORK (AP) - Penn State athletic director Sandy Barbour views an invitation to the Pinstripe Bowl as a necessary next step in the healing process for the school.

For Boston College coach Steve Addazio, it's an opportunity to eat a ''meaningful meatball.''


To each his own.


Penn State and Boston College were introduced Tuesday as the participating programs for the Dec. 27 Pinstripe Bowl at Yankee Stadium.


''Where is there a better place to be than New York City at Christmastime?'' Yankees President Randy Levine said. ''This year's game is an incredible, incredible game. This is a dream matchup for us. I don't think it can ever get better than that.''


The bowl is Penn State's first since the NCAA in September rescinded a postseason ban levied in 2012 in the aftermath of the Jerry Sandusky sex abuse scandal. Former Senate Majority Leader George Mitchell recommended the move.


Mitchell, who serves as the school's athletics integrity monitor, wrote the program ''remains on track and Penn State's commitment to complete these projects is apparent,'' in a 58-page report he submitted to the NCAA. The report prompted the NCAA to lift the ban and allows Penn State to have a complete allotment of scholarships in 2015.


''This is a unique situation,'' Barbour said. ''We (didn't believe we would have an opportunity to participate) in a bowl because of the sanctions. It's a step. It's a really proud community. It's a step in our healing.''


''It's a huge step for so many different reasons,'' said Penn State coach James Franklin, whose team finished the season 6-6. ''I think it's a part of us getting back to where we belong in college football. This 2014 football team will never be together again. We couldn't be more excited. It's going to be a great experience for all of us.''


While the game will not hold the same emotional significance for Boston College (7-5), Addazio left no doubt about his excitement for the bowl berth.


''It means the world to Boston College to be here,'' Addazio said. ''When you have respect, when there are relationships'' between the programs it is a positive thing.


''They want to beat us, we want to beat them.


''Our kids wanted to be here more than anything in the world. We're (a) northeastern program, like Penn State. That's a northeast event. It's going to be a heck of a Dec. 27. I want to go right now. I want to get here, get practicing, get rolling. We're looking forward to it.''


Now in its fifth year, this incarnation of the bowl game will mark the first time Big 10 and ACC teams compete.


''It was the natural next step,'' said Pinstripe Bowl executive director Mark Holtzman, who noted other programs he did not identify had presented proposals to play in the game. ''Both conferences are a northeast footprint. It made sense with the footprints to be a partner of (the Big 10 and ACC).''


Along with Levine, Barbour, Holtzman, Franklin and Addazio, dignitaries in attendance included Yankees COO Lonn Trost, Boston College athletic director Brad Bates and New Era vice president Bill Adams.

 

[CNOTES]

Ohio State's Herman wins Broyles Award


December 9, 2014


LITTLE ROCK, Ark. (AP) - Ohio State offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach Tom Herman was named the winner of the Broyles Award on Tuesday, after the Buckeyes made the College Football Playoff despite losing two starting quarterbacks to season-ending injuries.


The Buckeyes went 12-1 this season, averaged more than 45 points per game and beat Wisconsin 59-0 in the Big Ten championship game despite using their third starter of the year.


''It's the hand we were dealt and we played it,'' Herman said.


Other finalists included offensive coordinators Lane Kiffin at Alabama, Scott Frost for Oregon and Doug Meacham at TCU and Missouri defensive coordinator Dave Steckel.


Ohio State plays Alabama in the Sugar Bowl in a national semifinal Jan. 1. Oregon will play Florida State in the Rose Bowl in the other semifinal, and the national championship is Jan. 12 in Arlington, Texas.


Cardale Jones, Ohio State's third QB, completed 12 of 17 passes for 257 yards in the Big Ten title game.


''We told him, ''Don't go out there and lose the game,'' Herman said.


Jones was playing because J.T. Barrett broke his right ankle in the last regular-season game and preseason Heisman hopeful Braxton Miller injured his right shoulder in August.


The Broyles Award, presented by the Rotary Club of Little Rock and Delta Dental, is named for former Arkansas athletic director and football coach Frank Broyles, who had a number of assistants go on to successful careers in college and professional football. Those included Joe Gibbs, Hayden Fry, Jimmy Johnson, Johnny Majors, Jackie Sherrill and Barry Switzer.


Fry, Majors and Switzer are on the award's selection committee, along with Broyles and former coaches Bobby Bowden of Florida State, Mack Brown of Texas, Vince Dooley of Georgia and LaVell Edwards of BYU.

 

[CNOTES]

TCU's Patterson is Big 12 Coach of Year


December 9, 2014


FORT WORTH, Texas (AP) - Defensive-minded coach Gary Patterson knew he was going to make changes after TCU's first two seasons in the Big 12 Conference. What a difference they made in year three.


The Horned Frogs last year had a 4-8 record filled with close losses before Patterson hired new co_offensive coordinators to install a more spread, up-tempo scheme. They were still one of the league's top defenses this season, but outscored opponents by 26 1/2 points a game while going 11-1 and sharing the Big 12 title.


Patterson was named Tuesday as The Associated Press Big 12 coach of the year after getting 17 of 20 votes in balloting by media members who cover the league on a regular basis. The other three votes went to Baylor's Art Briles, who last season was the unanimous pick by AP voters as the league's top coach. The Bears, the only team to beat TCU this year, claimed a share of their second consecutive Big 12 title.


Sixth-ranked TCU plays No. 9 Mississippi in the Peach Bowl on Dec. 31 after the Horned Frogs were left out of the four-team playoff. They dropped from third to sixth in the final College Football Playoff rankings even coming off a 52-point win over Iowa State.


While disappointed about missing the playoff, Patterson feels better than he did the end of the 2013 season when ''changing jobs and changing offenses and all the things that we had go through a year ago to get where we we're getting to right now.''


Patterson is TCU's winningest coach, with a 131-45 record in 14 seasons. He was the Frogs' defensive coordinator for three years under coach Dennis Franchione before that.


Led by quarterback Trevone Boykin, a unanimous pick Monday as the AP Big 12 offensive player of the year, the Frogs had 542 total yards and 47 points a game in their new offense. They scored at least 30 points in every game, including a Big 12 record for a conference game with 82 against Texas Tech.


''He's a great guy and he's our leader,'' Boykin said of Patterson. ''We follow him, he's a winner.''


Before moving to the Big 12 in 2012, Patterson and the Frogs won or shared seven titles in the Western Athletic Conference, Conference USA and the Mountain West. TCU left the MWC after three consecutive championships without losing a conference game, including a 13-0 record in 2010 capped by a Rose Bowl victory and a No. 2 ranking in the final AP poll.


The Frogs went 7-6 in their inaugural Big 12 season, finishing with a 17-16 bowl loss to Michigan State. They then had four conference losses by three points or less in 2013, three of those in the final month of the season.


''People told me you'd never play in the Rose Bowl, and we played in the Rose Bowl, and we won it,'' Patterson said. ''We're new on the scene, really, as far as us doing it in this conference. We've got to show that we can do it on a year-to-year basis.''

 

[CNOTES]

Alvarez to coach Wisconsin in bowl game


December 11, 2014


A University of Wisconsin official tells The Associated Press that athletic director Barry Alvarez will coach the Badgers in the Outback Bowl against Auburn on Jan. 1.


The move was confirmed by the official who spoke on condition of anonymity Thursday because he was not authorized to release the information.


Alvarez is replacing Gary Andersen, who abruptly accepted the job as Oregon State coach on Wednesday. Alvarez coached the Badgers for 16 years before taking the athletic director's job. He retired following a 24-10 victory against Auburn in the 2006 Capital One Bowl.


Alvarez also was pressed back into service to coach the Badgers in a loss to Stanford in the 2013 Rose Bowl after Bret Bielema left for the Arkansas coaching job.

 

[CNOTES]

K-State building toward Alamo Bowl


December 11, 2014


MANHATTAN, Kan. (AP) - Once again, bowl practices at Kansas State are being accompanied by the sounds of breaking concrete echoing throughout Bill Snyder Family Stadium.


Two years ago, it was the west side of the stadium that was under renovation, a modest press box getting replaced by a $90 million bank of suites. These days it's the north end zone, where the old football complex is giving way to new locker rooms, offices and team spaces.


In many ways, it is a reflection of the football program under Snyder, the 75-year-old coach who turned the once-moribund school into a perennial contender. The No. 11 Wildcats were fighting for a share of the Big 12 title into the final week of this season, and despite a loss to Baylor, still finished 9-3 and earned a date with UCLA in the Alamo Bowl.


Yet in Snyder's mind, the work is hardly complete. The Wildcats are still building.


''It's a great opportunity to have those extra periods of practice that our young people can benefit from,'' he said of the lead-up to the bowl game. ''We get 15 opportunities to do that and a lot of teams do, so it's kind of staying up with the Jones's, but there are a number of teams who don't have those opportunities as well.''


Those extra practices will certainly come in handy this year.


The Wildcats are poised to lose record-setting wide receiver Tyler Lockett, running mate Curry Sexton and quarterback Jake Waters to graduation. They will also lose veteran center B.J. Finney and a handful of other contributors from both sides of the ball.


In other words, there will be plenty of chances in the run-up to the Alamo Bowl for young players to make names for themselves heading into next season.


Guys like Joe Hubener, the sophomore quarterback who played mostly mop-up duty. Or wide receiver Judah Jones and tight end Cody Small, who played sparingly as freshmen. Or Kaleb Prewett, a freshman who might start on Jan. 2 after an injury to safety Dylan Schellenberg.


''There are a lot of opportunities for them to experience new things,'' Snyder said.


Then there's the bowl game itself.


''Having the opportunity to play against UCLA and a Jim Mora-coached football team is a great challenge for us,'' Snyder said, ''one I'm sure our youngsters will be excited to get invested in.''


The Bruins are in many ways the exact opposite of Kansas State. They have only a handful of seniors on their roster, though junior quarterback Brett Hundley is likely headed to the NFL, and that means far fewer holes to plug as they turn their attention to next season.


''It's a very challenging preparation for us,'' Snyder said. ''They only have six seniors that they will lose out of their two-deep, so they certainly ... have a great future.''


Meanwhile, Kansas State continues to build for its own future.


Snyder had given no indication he plans to step away anytime soon, especially after another winning season. But the feverish pace of stadium construction is a sign that the administration knows it will someday have to hire a replacement. What better proof to potential coaches of its dedication to the program than $150 million in recent renovations?


''It's ahead of schedule, I would say,'' Kansas State athletic director John Currie said of the construction, which began in earnest the day after the regular-season finale.


Kansas State has moved its locker rooms, offices and weight rooms to temporary quarters while the construction is going on, creating some minor inconveniences. But the new digs, due to be ready for the start of next season, will include state-of-the-art medical spaces, improved locker rooms, better academic support and more polished fan amenities.


''I walked through there a bit ago with some of our partners. It's a little quiet, a little eerie,'' Currie said. ''I'm told it will take a couple of weeks to completely demolish the building to get to the point where they can start pouring footings for the new structure.''


Once that happens, workers can begin building on a solid foundation. After all, whether it is on the field or off, building toward the future is seemingly non-stop at Kansas State.

 

[CNOTES]

Clemson QB Watson to have surgery


December 10, 2014


COLUMBIA, S.C. (AP) - Clemson coach Dabo Swinney says freshman quarterback Deshaun Watson will have surgery Friday and miss the Tigers' upcoming bowl game.


Watson played with a torn knee ligament in Clemson's 35-17 victory over rival South Carolina on Nov. 29. Swimney said then Watson would be available for the postseason.


The coach changed that stance Sunday, saying Watson could get a jump on the rehabilitation process if he had surgery before the Russell Athletic Bowl on Dec. 29.


This will be Watson's second operation this season. He broke a bone in his throwing hand against Louisville in October and missed his next three starts. He returned against Georgia Tech in November, but played less than a quarter before injuring his knee.


The 18th ranked Tigers (9-3) face Oklahoma (8-4) in the bowl.

 

[CNOTES]

Where the action is: College football bowl season's biggest line moves

Boca Raton Bowl: Marshall Thundering Herd vs. Northern Illinois Huskies – Open: +11, Move: +10

All the action has been on the underdog for the first annual Boca Raton Bowl, being played at FAU Stadium on Dec. 23. Marshall opened as an 11-point favorite but has been bet down to the key number of -10 with bettors souring on the Herd’s weak finish to the regular season.

“Marshall was a very, very popular bet on team this season, but their last three games have been non covers and the betting market has turned on them, now looking to fade them in their Bowl game versus Northern Illinois,” Childs tells Covers. “Meanwhile, Northern Illinois comes in off of three straight covers and they look like they’ll be a popular bet this bowl season.”

Sun Bowl: Duke Blue Devils vs. Arizona State Sun Devils – Open: 62, Move: 67

The total for this ACC-versus-Pac-12 bowl game has jumped five points, according to Childs. The Blue Devils were one of the better Under plays this season, going 3-8 O/U, but that doesn’t seem to matter against the Sun Devils, who ranked 18th in scoring (37 ppg) and 75th in scoring defense (27.7 ppg).

Needless to say, books are having a “devil” of a time trying to figure out this number, with sharps pounding the Over at the opening number and every stop along the way – 64 and 66 – before setting at 67 points for this Dec. 27 bowl in El Paso, Texas.

“We eventually settled on 67 and no question, our opener here was bad,” admits Childs. “Way too low considering these two offenses. And most weeks this year, we took on Duke Over money. Mistake by us and sharps took advantage, but we’ll live to see another day.”

Cotton Bowl: Michigan State Spartans vs. Baylor Bears – Open: -1, Move: -3

We looked at the movement on this huge bowl matchup earlier in the week, when the early action on Baylor moved the spread to BU -2.5. Since then, more money has come in on the Bears and forced a move to a field goal (Baylor -115). It seems the market is expecting BU to play with a chip on its shoulder after getting snubbed by the College Football Playoff selection committee.

“You have to question Baylor’s mindset here. After playing all season trying to get into the four-team playoff, they have to feel beyond disappointed playing in this game,” says Childs. “That said, if they do bring their A-game, it’s no question they can cover this short price of three points. Very, very interesting game and I can’t wait to see how it plays out.”

Rose Bowl: Oregon Ducks vs. Florida State Seminoles – Open: +8, Move: +9.5

College football bettors have been fading Florida State all season and showed little respect for the defending national champs in the Rose Bowl – a semifinal matchup for the College Football Playoff. Wiseguy action on the Ducks has driven this line up 1.5 points, just sitting under the key number of 10 where public money has shown up and bought back the Seminoles at the fatter spread.

“Looks like a classic Joes versus Pros, as the public is on one side while sharp money is playing the other side,” notes Childs. “The only difference this time, the sharps are on the favorite and the public is on the dog.”

Despite the sharp money on Oregon and three weeks to go before this New Year’s Day kickoff – plenty of time for FSU to get in more off-field issues - Childs doesn’t expect this spread to go any higher. Or at least he hopes it doesn’t have to go to the key number of 10.

“Should be a great game for us to book and I doubt we’ll get to 10 so that leaves this game in what I like to call the ‘dead zone’,” he says. “The spread between seven and 10 and all numbers in between – eight and nine - are dead numbers.”

 

[CNOTES]

Bowl Breakdown - Part 1


December 15, 2014




1 · 2 · 3 · 4 · 5 · 6 Below is a quick look at the first six bowl games of the postseason from Saturday Dec. 20 through Monday Dec. 22.

New Orleans Bowl - Nevada vs. Louisiana Lafayette
Saturday, Dec. 20, 11:00 a.m. ET
New Orleans Bowl Betting Line: Louisiana Lafayette -1

The Cajuns are 5-1 ATS in their last six bowl games, and that should definitely come into play in this one. ULL had a fantastic season in the Sun Belt, though there was a troubling loss to Appalachian State at the end of the campaign as well. A 34-9 loss at Boise State could be a concern, knowing that Nevada nearly beat the Broncos in Reno on October 4th.

New Mexico Bowl - Utah State vs. UTEP
Saturday, Dec. 20, 2:20 p.m. ET
New Mexico Bowl Betting Line: Utah State -10.5

Utah State is down nine starters from the beginning of the season, and it fought through four different quarterbacks to make it to the New Mexico Bowl. Darrel Garretson could be back for this game though, and that would be a huge boost for the Aggies. UTEP was very unimpressive down the stretch of the season, and it didn't beat a team this year with a winning record.

Las Vegas Bowl - Utah vs. Colorado State
Saturday, Dec. 20, 3:30 p.m. ET
Las Vegas Bowl Betting Line: Utah -4

The Utes have huge wins this year over UCLA, USC, and Stanford, but they fizzled out down the stretch. Colorado State at least would have been up for consideration for a spot in a New Year's Six bowl game had it not lost to Air Force in the final week of the season. Remember that this is the first game without Jim McElwain on the sidelines for the Rams.

Famous Idaho Potato Bowl - Western Michigan vs. Air Force
Saturday, Dec. 20, 5:45 p.m. ET
Famous Idaho Potato Bowl Betting Line: Western Michigan -1

If Kale Pearson can't play in this one for the Falcons, they could be in a lot of trouble. They've got a hungry foe on the other side of the field in Western Michigan, and the Broncos are looking to take advantage of their huge offensive weapons. There isn't a team in America which has a 3,000-yard passer, a 1,500-yard rusher and two 1,000-yard receivers, but Western Michigan could be there by the time this game is over with. The Broncos are searching for their first ever bowl victory.

Raycom Media Camellia Bowl - South Alabama vs. Bowling Green
Saturday, Dec. 20, 9:15 p.m. ET
Raycom Media Camellia Bowl Betting Line: South Alabama -2.5

South Alabama is playing in its first bowl game in school history, and it is going to look to take advantage of a Bowling Green team which has had major problems on the defensive side of the ball all year long. The Jaguars weren't great at 6-6 though, and this figures to be one of the worst bowl games of the year.

Miami Beach Bowl - BYU vs. Memphis
Monday, Dec. 22, 2:00 p.m. ET
Miami Beach Bowl Betting Line: BYU -1

The Cougars and the Tigers make for interesting foes in the first ever Miami Beach Bowl at Marlins Park. The Cougs watched their season go down in flames when Taysom Hill was lost for the season, but they did rally for wins in each of their last four games. Memphis was a shocking 9-3 this year on the back of a defense which allowed more than 24 points just twice all season long. The Tigers haven't been in a bowl game since 2008.

 

[CNOTES]

Bowl Breakdown - Part 2


December 15, 2014




1 · 2 · 3 · 4 · 5 · 6 Below is a quick look at the seven bowl games of the postseason scheduled from Wednesday Dec. 23 through Friday Dec. 26.

Boca Raton Bowl - Marshall vs. Northern Illinois
Tuesday, Dec. 23, 6:00 p.m. ET
Boca Raton Bowl Betting Line: Marshall -10

The Thundering Herd were one win shy of playing in a New Year's Six bowl, and it will be interesting to see how motivated they are going to be to play in this game. This isn't nearly as good of a Northern Illinois team as we are used to seeing, but it is a team which won a much underrated MAC this year.

Poinsettia Bowl - Navy vs. San Diego State
Tuesday, Dec. 23, 9:30 p.m. ET
Poinsettia Bowl Betting Line: San Diego State -2

Donnel Pumphrey is the star of the show for the Aztecs, and it will be interesting to see whether he or Keenan Reynolds does more for his team on the ground. The Aztecs clearly have the better of the two defenses in this game, and they have home field advantage on their side as well.

Bahamas Bowl - Central Michigan vs. Western Kentucky
Wednesday, Dec. 24, 12:00 p.m. ET
Bahamas Bowl Betting Line: Western Kentucky -3

The Hilltoppers were awesome to watch this year, as they flew up and down the field and really had the ability to stop no one on the other side of the ball. Brandon Doughty is one of the better statistical quarterbacks in th nation, and he could shine in this one. Central Michigan's 7-5 record is a complete farce outside of its win on the road against Northern Illinois.

Hawaii Bowl - Fresno State vs. Rice
Wednesday, Dec. 24, 8:00 p.m. ET
Hawaii Bowl Betting Line: Rice -1.5

Fresno State has no defense whatsoever, and this could be a huge problem in this game against a Rice offense which really has the ability to light it up. The last time we saw the Owls, they had 76 points dropped on them by Louisiana Tech. Driphus Jackson will have to have the game of his life for Rice in this one.

Heart of Dallas Bowl - Illinois vs. Louisiana Tech
Friday, Dec. 26, 1:00 p.m. ET
Heart of Dallas Bowl Betting Line: Louisiana Tech -6

Illinois feels like a weird team in a bowl game this year. The Illini went 6-6, but they only just squeaked into a bowl game because of the weaknesses of the rest of the Big Ten. La Tech was just short of the MAC title, but this might be an even better game for it to try to prove itself against one of the power conference teams in the nation.

Quick Lane Bowl - BYU vs. Memphis
Friday, Dec. 26, 4:30 p.m. ET
Quick Lane Bowl Betting Line: North Carolina -3

Expect to see a lot of offense in this one, as these two defenses both struggled quite a bit this year. Marquise Williams and Gary Nova don't look anything like one another, but they both hold the keys to their teams' success in this game at Ford Field.

St. Petersburg Bowl - NC State vs. UCF
Friday, Dec. 26, 8:00 p.m. ET
St. Petersburg Bowl Betting Line: UCF -2

The Knights are taking a big step backwards from last year's game against Baylor in the Fiesta Bowl, but this is still a big game for them after getting a share of the AAC crown this year. NC State ended up being a rather average team in the ACC, and it doesn't really have any signature wins which suggest to us that it can win this game.