Essential Week 12 betting notes for college football's top games
A Cowboys win would be the program’s 13th in a row, matching the record set from 1944-46.
Purdue Boilermakers at Iowa Hawkeyes (-23, 56.5)
* Purdue is tied for third in the conference with 19 takeaways and has forced eight of those over the last three contests.
* Iowa has posted 11 perfect seasons since Kinnick Stadium was opened in 1929, but only the 2003 team, which was 10-3, won seven home games – a mark this year’s team will try to emulate. The Hawkeyes have gone 2-4 ATS in their six home games so far this season.
(15) Michigan Wolverines at Penn State Nittany Lions (+3.5, 41.5)
* Senior quarterback Jake Rudock was named the Walter Camp Offensive Player of the Week after throwing for a career-high 440 yards and a Michigan-record six touchdown passes in the win over Indiana.
* Penn State has won four of the last five meetings (4-1 ATS) with the Wolverines, including the last three games at Beaver Stadium (3-0 ATS), and hopes to deliver a victory on Senior Day to finish with a perfect record at home for the first time since 2008.
Florida Atlantic Owls at (8) Florida Gators (-31, 46.5)
* The Owls scored 44 points in the overtime loss to Tulsa in their opener, but have scored more than 20 only twice in nine games since.
* The eighth-ranked Gators have won three straight, including a pair of close games against sub-.500 teams the last two weeks, and must take care of the Owls before a date with rival Florida State and a trip to the SEC title game.
(13) North Carolina Tar Heels at Virginia Tech Hokies (+5, 61.5)
* A North Carolina victory Saturday (or a Pittsburgh loss to Louisville) sends the Tar Heels to the ACC title game against top-ranked Clemson, and the Tar Heels come in averaging 42 points per game while not committing a turnover in their past three games.
* The Hokies have won four of the past five meetings with the Tar Heels and are 9-2 (6-5 ATS) against North Carolina since joining the ACC in 2004.
Chattanooga Mocs at Florida State Seminoles (Off, Off)
* The Mocs, ranked ninth in the FCS Coaches Poll, topped The Citadel 31-23 last weekend to win the Southern Conference crown and gain an automatic bid in the upcoming FCS playoffs.
* Florida State owns the nation's longest home winning streak at 20 games. The Seminoles are 11-9 ATS in those 20 home games.
(14) Houston Cougars at Connecticut Huskies (Off, Off)
* Kyle Postma went 21-of-33 for 236 yards and a touchdown and ran for 49 yards and another score in the 35-34 comeback win against Memphis, and will start if Greg Ward Jr. (2,176 yards, 13 passing TDs, 810 rushing yards, 16 rushing TDs) is not healthy enough to play.
* UConn won back-to-back games before its bye week and needs one win to become bowl eligible for the first time in five years. The Huskies have been inconsistent offensively and will rely on a strong defense to keep the game close.
(9) Michigan State Spartans at (2) Ohio State Buckeyes (-13.5, 53)
* If recent trends are anything to go by, this is shaping up to be a promising result for Spartans backers. The visiting team has gone 6-1 ATS in the past seven contests between these schools.
* Junior running back Ezekiel Elliott has compiled 15 consecutive 100-yard outings while etching his name among the school's best-ever backs. Elliott has rushed for 1,425 yards and 16 touchdowns this season and ranks third in school history with 3,565 yards -- he needs 204 to pass former Heisman Trophy winner Eddie George for second on Ohio State's all-time list.
(21) Northwestern Wildcats at (20) Wisconsin Badgers (-10, 40)
* Northwestern has no chance of overtaking Iowa, but remains on track to set a single-season school record for victories if it can win its final two contests and its bowl game.
* Wisconsin has given up a total of three touchdowns in six home games and is allowing only five points per game at Camp Randall this season.
(17) LSU Tigers at (25) Ole Miss Rebels (-6.5, 56)
* The Tigers will try to avoid their first three-game losing streak in 16 years when they visit Ole Miss on Saturday in the 104th edition of the rivalry. "It's a time where, as a coach, you just bury your head and you go to work and you coach like there's no tomorrow and it's time to step up," Tigers coach Les Miles said in his weekly press conference. "I think our guys understand that. They understand crisis."
* The Rebels, who are mired in a three-way tie with the Tigers and Arkansas Razorbacks for second in the SEC West, can still claim the division if they win out and Alabama loses its finale at Auburn. Ole Miss has had two weeks to ****** a 53-52 overtime loss to Arkansas at home.
Wake Forest Demon Deacons at (1) Clemson Tigers (-29, 48)
* Wake Forest is looking to snap a pair of losing streaks - a four-game skid this season and a six-game losing streak to Clemson that dates back to a 12-7 win in 2008.
* Clemson's current 13-game winning streak (7-6 ATS) is tied for the second-longest in school history. The team won 15 straight in the late 1940s.
(24) USC Trojans at (22) Oregon Ducks (-4.5, 72.5)
* USC's senior quarterback Cody Kessler is one of five finalists for the Unitas Award, has completed 213-of-310 passes (68.7 percent) for 2,715 yards, 23 touchdowns and six interceptions, and triggers an offense that is averaging 36.4 points and 465 yards per game.
* The Ducks come into this one off an impressive 38-36 victory at Stanford and lead the Pac-12 in scoring (41.8), rushing offense (297.4) and total offense (532.6).
UCLA Bruins at (18) Utah Utes (-2, 56.5)
* UCLA's freshman quarterback Josh Rosen has been solid with 2,902 yards, 18 touchdowns and seven interceptions while junior running back Paul Perkins has rushed for 1,082 yards and 10 touchdowns and his 3,230 career rushing yards rank third in school history.
* Utah's senior running back Devontae Booker underwent knee surgery to repair meniscus cartilage damage and will miss the rest of the regular season.
Charleston Southern Buccaneers at (3) Alabama Crimson Tide (Off, Off)
* Charleston Southern has rushed for at least 159 yards in every game this season and topped 200 yards seven times, while Alabama has allowed only two opponents to surpass 100 yards on the ground.
* Alabama has won seven straight – including four victories against teams ranked in the top 20 at the time of the game – to take charge of the SEC West and put itself in position for a return trip to the national semifinals.
(19) Navy Midshipmen at Tulsa Golden Hurricane (+13, 69)
* The Midshipmen have not started 9-1 since Roger Staubach was under center in 1963, and Keenan Reynolds is giving the team another standout at quarterback while playing a different style in the triple-option offense.
* The Golden Hurricane are having a hard time getting stops but the offense continues to keep the team in games. Tulsa is averaging 41.3 points in its last four games – 2-2 – and quarterback Dane Evans threw eight of his 19 touchdown passes in that span.
(25) Mississippi State Bulldogs at Arkansas Razorbacks (-4, 57.5)
* Bulldogs quarterback Dak Prescott has thrown 18 touchdown passes against two interceptions, the best ratio in the nation.
* The Razorbacks have turned their season completely around by winning four straight games (3-1 ATS), including a stunner at LSU last week.
(10) Baylor Bears at (4) Oklahoma State Cowboys (-1, 77)
* The Bears, who had been the top Big 12 team at No. 6 last week, dropped four spots the No. 10 when the latest rankings were released on Tuesday and likely will have to be content to go for another impressive one-loss campaign. “We're actually in the situation now where our vision is pretty tunnel,” Baylor coach Art Briles told reporters. “It's Stillwater this Saturday at (7:30 p.m. ET), and whatever happens from there happens, and I think we all know that it's pretty hard to predict what’s going to happen. We have to fight hard and get a win (at Oklahoma State).”
* A Cowboys win would be the program’s 13th in a row, matching the record set from 1944-46. They are 8-4 ATS over the course of their last 12.
Boston College Eagles at (5) Notre Dame Fighting Irish (-15.5, 42.5)
* The Eagles lead FBS in total defense, holding opponents to an average of 237 yards, but sit last in total offense (277).
* Notre Dame RB C.J. Prosise (concussion) is expected to return after sitting out last week.
(11) TCU Horned Frogs at (7) Oklahoma Sooners (Off, Off)
* The No. 18 Horned Frogs won't know if QB Trevone Boykin (ankle) can play until late in the week while coach Gary Patterson announced on Wednesday that WR Josh Doctson (wrist) will miss the final two games of the regular season.
* The Sooners are thriving on offense behind the standout trio of junior quarterback Baker Mayfield (3,082 yards, 31 touchdown passes), sophomore running back Samaje Perine (972 yards, 12 rushing touchdowns) and senior receiver Sterling Shepard (61 catches for 1,003 yards and nine touchdowns).
Cal Golden Bears at (15) Stanford Cardinal (-11, 64.5)
* Cal has been outscored 101-30 in the past two meetings against Stanford (0-2 ATS) but has the firepower to keep pace with the Cardinal offense Saturday.
* If the Cardinal, No. 11 in the latest playoff rankings, can record their sixth straight victory over the rival Golden Bears, they’ll clinch the Pac-12 North Division and play for the conference title at Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara on Dec. 5.
Colorado Buffaloes at (23) Washington State Cougars (-15, 62.5)
* The Buffaloes lost much more than a game Friday as quarterback Sefo Liufau suffered a Lisfranc foot injury in the second quarter and will miss the next 6-8 months of football, including spring drills. Freshman Cade Apsay filled in admirably, completing 18-of-23 passes for 128 yards and two touchdowns, but once again it wasn’t enough for Colorado.
* Four of Washington State’s wins have come via fourth-quarter comebacks, including last week’s triumph at UCLA in which Gabe Marks’ diving touchdown reception with 3 seconds to play gave the Cougars’ a 31-27 victory.
