Here are today's late games
Rose Bowl – USC -7.5 vs Penn State [Pick 1 - 9] [Pick 2 - USC 31] - The USC Trojans are facing their third power conference champion of the season, with the season opening against SEC champion Alabama, facing off with Pac-12 champion Washington in Seattle and now a bowl bash with Big Ten champion Penn State.
At the end of September a Rose Bowl matchup featuring these two would have seemed preposterous. USC limped out to a demoralizing 1-3 start, while Penn State was only slightly stiffer starting out 2-2.
USC’s turnaround this season started when they made a change at quarterback. Sam Darnold took the reins of the Trojans’ offense in the fourth game of the season, and things took off. The true freshman finished the regular season with the second-highest passer rating in the Pac-12, trailing only Washington’s Jake Browning.
Penn State is led by a youngster at QB too. Sophomore Trace McSorley led Div 1A in yards per completion (16.3), topped the Big Ten and finished 14th nationally in passer rating (156.6), and completed 39-of-54 passes for 760 yards with eight TDs and no interceptions in victories over Michigan State and Wisconsin to wrap of the Big Ten title. He’ll get some yards. The USC secondary got hit hard all season long, everyone threw for 200 yards or more except for Arizona and Stanford.
McSorley is joined in the backfield by another sophomore - RB Saquon Barkley, Barkley ran for 1,302 yards and scored a total of 19 touchdowns - tops in the Big Ten. He’s already on the short list for the 2017 Heisman and may be the first running back off the NFL draft board in 2018. McSorley has some decent hands catching 23 passes for 347 yards and 3 TDs.
If this one plays to form – USC will jump to a first half lead and Penn State will come storming back. USC has developed a trend of jumping on opponents in the first half, but Penn State has the same trend of digging out of a first-half hole and overcoming a sluggish start.
Taking USC and Penn State in the second half of the season was like an open ATM at the betting windows. The Trojans are on a 5-0 ATS streak while the Nits are 8-0-1 ATS.
I need USC in my pool so I’ll take Penn State for a Mini Mega to cover.
Rose Bowl – USC -7.5 vs Penn State [Pick 1 - 9] [Pick 2 - USC 31] - The USC Trojans are facing their third power conference champion of the season, with the season opening against SEC champion Alabama, facing off with Pac-12 champion Washington in Seattle and now a bowl bash with Big Ten champion Penn State.
At the end of September a Rose Bowl matchup featuring these two would have seemed preposterous. USC limped out to a demoralizing 1-3 start, while Penn State was only slightly stiffer starting out 2-2.
USC’s turnaround this season started when they made a change at quarterback. Sam Darnold took the reins of the Trojans’ offense in the fourth game of the season, and things took off. The true freshman finished the regular season with the second-highest passer rating in the Pac-12, trailing only Washington’s Jake Browning.
Penn State is led by a youngster at QB too. Sophomore Trace McSorley led Div 1A in yards per completion (16.3), topped the Big Ten and finished 14th nationally in passer rating (156.6), and completed 39-of-54 passes for 760 yards with eight TDs and no interceptions in victories over Michigan State and Wisconsin to wrap of the Big Ten title. He’ll get some yards. The USC secondary got hit hard all season long, everyone threw for 200 yards or more except for Arizona and Stanford.
McSorley is joined in the backfield by another sophomore - RB Saquon Barkley, Barkley ran for 1,302 yards and scored a total of 19 touchdowns - tops in the Big Ten. He’s already on the short list for the 2017 Heisman and may be the first running back off the NFL draft board in 2018. McSorley has some decent hands catching 23 passes for 347 yards and 3 TDs.
If this one plays to form – USC will jump to a first half lead and Penn State will come storming back. USC has developed a trend of jumping on opponents in the first half, but Penn State has the same trend of digging out of a first-half hole and overcoming a sluggish start.
Taking USC and Penn State in the second half of the season was like an open ATM at the betting windows. The Trojans are on a 5-0 ATS streak while the Nits are 8-0-1 ATS.
I need USC in my pool so I’ll take Penn State for a Mini Mega to cover.
Sugar Bowl – Oklahoma -2.5 vs Auburn [Pick 1 – OK 8] [Pick 2 - OK 28] – For Auburn it all started on Sept 24. They had suffered a close loss to Clemson to start the season and another to Texas A&M to start the season 1-2. They faced an equally disappointing LSU. The loser would likely lose their head coach. That would be LSU as Auburn won 18-13. Les Miles was gone the next day. That win kicked off a six game winning streak (which Saxy Lady likes to point ended with a loss to Georgia).
It’s all about the run for Auburn. They average 278.5 yards per game on the ground – 6th overall. The passing offense was 112th.
QB Sean White missed the last two games with a shoulder injury but is reported fine. Leading rusher Kamryn Pettway also missed the two games late in the season but will be ready to go to. A month off heals many wounds.
Auburn will rack up the yards as the Okie run defense leaks more than a full pull up. Baylor, West Virginia and Oklahoma State combined for 817 yards and over 7 yards per carry on the ground.
Oklahoma also started off 1-2 losing to Houston and Ohio State early on. But once they got into the Big 12 everything was fine as the rolled 9-0 in the league.
While their records may be similar the offenses couldn’t be farther apart. Oklahoma. The Sooners love to bomb away averaging 320 yards per game. Overall they had the 3rd best offense. Also 3rd was QB Baker Mayfield in the Heisman voting. He had 38 TDs against only 8 picks.
Auburn’s time off allowed them to heal. Oklahoma’s was a huge distraction as a tape of RB Joe Mixon going all Ray Rice on his girl friend was released. He got off with a misdemeanor assault charge – groooan.
Auburn has been hot down the stretch going 7-2 ATS and they are 4-1 ATS in bowl games. Oklahoma went 6-6 ATS this year and Stoops in bowl games going 3-7 ATS.
I need Oklahoma in my pool and I'll be rooting for Auburn so I’ll pick the Sooners to cover and I’ll take the over 67.0 too. I’ll put a quatloo on each.
It’s all about the run for Auburn. They average 278.5 yards per game on the ground – 6th overall. The passing offense was 112th.
QB Sean White missed the last two games with a shoulder injury but is reported fine. Leading rusher Kamryn Pettway also missed the two games late in the season but will be ready to go to. A month off heals many wounds.
Auburn will rack up the yards as the Okie run defense leaks more than a full pull up. Baylor, West Virginia and Oklahoma State combined for 817 yards and over 7 yards per carry on the ground.
Oklahoma also started off 1-2 losing to Houston and Ohio State early on. But once they got into the Big 12 everything was fine as the rolled 9-0 in the league.
While their records may be similar the offenses couldn’t be farther apart. Oklahoma. The Sooners love to bomb away averaging 320 yards per game. Overall they had the 3rd best offense. Also 3rd was QB Baker Mayfield in the Heisman voting. He had 38 TDs against only 8 picks.
Auburn’s time off allowed them to heal. Oklahoma’s was a huge distraction as a tape of RB Joe Mixon going all Ray Rice on his girl friend was released. He got off with a misdemeanor assault charge – groooan.
Auburn has been hot down the stretch going 7-2 ATS and they are 4-1 ATS in bowl games. Oklahoma went 6-6 ATS this year and Stoops in bowl games going 3-7 ATS.
I need Oklahoma in my pool and I'll be rooting for Auburn so I’ll pick the Sooners to cover and I’ll take the over 67.0 too. I’ll put a quatloo on each.