Booty and USC out to romp past California Bears
Friday, November 9, 2007 08:38 AM ET
John David Booty returned under center for Southern Cal last week, and the Trojans pivot will try to guide his squad past rivals California in a crucial PAC-10 contest. In the Big Ten, Michigan looks to keep their conference and BCS hopes alive as small favorites on the road in Madison versus the Wisconsin Badgers.
There will be some hotly contested rivalry games, and the opportunity for a couple of upsets this weekend as college football moves closer to the bowl season. Let’s take a closer look at the action on tap.
No. 13 Michigan at Wisconsin (+2½, 46½)
Saturday, Nov 10, 12:00 p.m. (ET) ESPN
Michigan (8-2) has played itself into a chance to play for the Big Ten title.
After losses to Appalachian State and Oregon, Michigan has picked itself off the turf with eight straight wins. If the Wolverines keep winning, they’ll be set up for a date with Ohio State for the Big Ten crown.
Michigan is battling injuries heading into Saturday’s tilt against Wisconsin (7-3). Quarterback Chad Henne has been hampered by an injury to his right shoulder while running back Mike Hart has been ailing with a high right ankle sprain. Both are expected to be in the lineup.
The Badgers are struggling with injuries themselves. Star runner P.J. Hill is questionable with a bone bruise in his lower left leg.
No. 18 Auburn at No. 10 Georgia (-2, 44½)
Saturday, Nov 10, 3:30 p.m. (ET) CBS
Auburn (7-3) and Georgia (7-2) both head into Saturday on hot streaks, with the Tigers having won six of their last seven and the Bulldogs three straight.
Taking Georgia at home might seem like the easy pick, but bettors should beware of Auburn’s recent defensive play. The Tigers have kept opponents to seven points or fewer in four of their last five games, with the glitch coming in their 30-24 loss to LSU on October 20.
The key will be whether Auburn’s pass defense, ranked 10th in the country, will be able to stop Georgia’s pass offense led by quarterback Matt Stafford. Stafford has 1728 yards passing on the season to go along with 15 touchdowns.
Texas Tech at No. 15 Texas (-6½, 65)
Saturday, Nov 10, 3:30 p.m. (ET) ABC
Texas (8-2) had better bring its ‘A’ game to the party against Texas Tech (7-3), because if they wait until the fourth quarter to win the game, it’ll be over.
Last week against Oklahoma State, Texas scored three touchdowns in the fourth quarter to get a 38-35 win. This came a week after the Longhorns did the same thing in a 28-25 win over Nebraska. They’ll need more than that if they show up with the same attitude against the Red Raiders.
Red Raiders wide receiver Michael Crabtree, who has 18 touchdowns and over 1500 yards receiving on the season, leads one of the best offenses in the nation. Texas Tech averages 42.4 points per game, so the Texas defense will need to show up.
Show up they haven’t the past two weeks, evidenced by the 1,134 yards they’ve surrendered. From a betting perspective, this makes the Red Raiders a pretty attractive underdog in the matchup of rivals.
No. 12 USC at No. 24 California (+4, 51½)
Saturday, Nov 10, 8:00 p.m. (ET) ABC
The good news for both USC (7-2) and California (6-3) heading into this weekend is that no matter how much each squad disappoints, someone has to win the game.
Both former BCS Bowl contenders, the Trojans and Bears have struggled with injuries at quarterback this season. John David Booty returned last week in USC’s 24-3 win over Oregon State after missing three games with a broken middle finger on his throwing hand. Cal QB Nate Longshore has been playing through an ankle sprain during the Bears’ recent three-game losing streak, although he’s been ineffective having thrown six picks during the skid.
Totals bettors might want to look at the Trojans’ over/under record heading into this one. USC is 1-8 O/U so far this season, and with books setting the total at 51½ for Saturday, the Under looks promising again.
Fresno State at No. 14 Hawaii (-17½, 72 ½)
Saturday, Nov 10, 11:00 p.m. (ET) ESPN2
You get the feeling that the biggest challenge for Hawaii (8-0) Saturday will be to not look past Fresno State (6-3).
Hawaii is currently 16th in the BCS standings, so it stands to reason that it will need to run the table to get to the top 12 and to a BCS Bowl. The quest will rest on the shoulders of quarterback Colt Brennan, who is still in Heisman Trophy contention this season after a slow start. Brennan has thrown for 2,820 yards this season to go along with 26 touchdown passes – 10 in his last two games.
Fresno State has the potential to upset Hawaii ATS, having rushed for 200 yards on five different occasions. If anything, the Bulldogs have enough of a running game to slow down the clock and keep Brennan off the field – the key to a cover for Fresno State backers.