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108 Purdue +3
Same old story for Minnesota. When they establish the run, they're terrific. When they don't, they're very ordinary. Purdue has some serious defensive shortcomings, but they're primarily in the secondary, where they're really inexperienced. But they seem to be fair at defending the run, and should improve now that their MLB is back. I like the Purdue attack, and feel as though they should have no trouble moving the ball on the Gophers. Minnesota actually gave Kent State a bunch of yards in the first half of their opener, and had the Golden Flashes not bungled a couple of scoring opportunities that game could have been more competitive. Minnesota got run over by Cal, and the shutout vs. Temple means nothing. As for the series, Tiller has pretty much owned Mason. The Gophers finally broke through last season with a wild 2OT win, but the Boilermakers had won and covered each of the prior six meetings. There are a couple of situational angles that favor the hosts here, and I'm taking Purdue as a home dog.
175 Utah -5'
I got burned taking Utah at UCLA, but I still really like this team. I picked them to win the MWC and while TCU is sure making me wonder about that prediction, my opinion on the Utes remains the same. This is a purely fundamental play on a fairly short favorite that should own the line of scrimmage. San Diego State's offense is prone to errors, and RB Hamilton simply isn't the threat he was prior to all his injuries. The 14-0 loss to Wisconsin Saturday was misleading, as it shouldn't have been that close. SD State gave up a ton of yards on the ground and generated almost nothing themselves. I see this game pretty much the same way, as Utah should be able to move the ball pretty well on the ground and that will create passing lanes for them as the game progresses. I'm pleased that Utah showed some killer instinct in their last two games. Revenge motive here, as the Utes were stunned at home by this team a year ago. Basically, I don't think SD State is any good, and they'll have to prove me wrong. Utah minus the spot.
180 Michigan State +4
Michigan State was 4-0 out of the gate last year before taking an OT loss to Michigan and then blowing a double digit lead and losing to Ohio State. Those were two brutal losses, the coaching staff didn't respond well, and the team basically tanked the rest of the season. New year, new attitude. The Spartans weren't sharp beating Idaho, but the last two games have been ultra-sharp performances. The offense looks scary, and if Stanton and company maintain their edge, Notre Dame is going to have its hands full. I'm pretty confident that MSU will be able to run the ball on the Irish, and I believe Notre Dame may have trouble returning the favor on the Spartans. If the ground game tendencies of these two teams hold up, the underdog Spartans are going to win. I have a great deal of respect for the Notre Dame staff, moreso than John L Smith and the Michigan State brain trust. But right at the moment, I think the Spartans are right there with an overrated Notre Dame squad, and feel as though they have an excellent chance to win this game. So I'm taking the points with Michigan State.
Same old story for Minnesota. When they establish the run, they're terrific. When they don't, they're very ordinary. Purdue has some serious defensive shortcomings, but they're primarily in the secondary, where they're really inexperienced. But they seem to be fair at defending the run, and should improve now that their MLB is back. I like the Purdue attack, and feel as though they should have no trouble moving the ball on the Gophers. Minnesota actually gave Kent State a bunch of yards in the first half of their opener, and had the Golden Flashes not bungled a couple of scoring opportunities that game could have been more competitive. Minnesota got run over by Cal, and the shutout vs. Temple means nothing. As for the series, Tiller has pretty much owned Mason. The Gophers finally broke through last season with a wild 2OT win, but the Boilermakers had won and covered each of the prior six meetings. There are a couple of situational angles that favor the hosts here, and I'm taking Purdue as a home dog.
175 Utah -5'
I got burned taking Utah at UCLA, but I still really like this team. I picked them to win the MWC and while TCU is sure making me wonder about that prediction, my opinion on the Utes remains the same. This is a purely fundamental play on a fairly short favorite that should own the line of scrimmage. San Diego State's offense is prone to errors, and RB Hamilton simply isn't the threat he was prior to all his injuries. The 14-0 loss to Wisconsin Saturday was misleading, as it shouldn't have been that close. SD State gave up a ton of yards on the ground and generated almost nothing themselves. I see this game pretty much the same way, as Utah should be able to move the ball pretty well on the ground and that will create passing lanes for them as the game progresses. I'm pleased that Utah showed some killer instinct in their last two games. Revenge motive here, as the Utes were stunned at home by this team a year ago. Basically, I don't think SD State is any good, and they'll have to prove me wrong. Utah minus the spot.
180 Michigan State +4
Michigan State was 4-0 out of the gate last year before taking an OT loss to Michigan and then blowing a double digit lead and losing to Ohio State. Those were two brutal losses, the coaching staff didn't respond well, and the team basically tanked the rest of the season. New year, new attitude. The Spartans weren't sharp beating Idaho, but the last two games have been ultra-sharp performances. The offense looks scary, and if Stanton and company maintain their edge, Notre Dame is going to have its hands full. I'm pretty confident that MSU will be able to run the ball on the Irish, and I believe Notre Dame may have trouble returning the favor on the Spartans. If the ground game tendencies of these two teams hold up, the underdog Spartans are going to win. I have a great deal of respect for the Notre Dame staff, moreso than John L Smith and the Michigan State brain trust. But right at the moment, I think the Spartans are right there with an overrated Notre Dame squad, and feel as though they have an excellent chance to win this game. So I'm taking the points with Michigan State.
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