ES 
NFL Previews 
MLB Previews 
NBA Previews 
NHL Previews 
Soccer Previews 
I am bound and determined. At some point this reporter has to come up with a winner for his alma mater.
Miami has failed for me against Georgia Tech, and they came back and bit me in the a** when I opposed them with Virginia Tech. Yes, they make a lot of mistakes, but I’m not sure a lot of that matters this week.
Those who remember the glorious past are catching a glimpse of the future. But we’re getting ahead of ourselves.
Ohio State at Michigan Parlay Betting
Time: Saturday, November 27 – Noon ET
ATS Odds: Ohio State Buckeyes -8 (-110) vs. Michigan Wolverines +8 (-110)
The Play: OHIO STATE -8 (-110)
Michigan has a pretty good defensive unit – they are, in fact, sixth best in the nation in Total Defense when you take into account only games against FBS opponents. They allow opponents to convert on only 31.9% of third downs. And so it might seem that for a nationally-ranked school like this, getting eight points at home is an early Christmas gift.
But Ohio State looks like a freight train they aren’t going to be able to stop. At 560 yards per game, they are #1 in the country by a wide margin. They average 5.9 yards per rush. They convert 54% of third downs. And on top of that, they have the new Heisman favorite throwing the ball. CJ Stroud, a 71% passer, had 32 of 35 and 432 yards last week, and six TD passes in what, about a half of football? The Buckeyes made Michigan State, which as recently as Week 10 was the #3 team in the AP poll, look like New Mexico State, rolling up a 49-0 halftime lead.
Michigan has nice component parts, like Cade McNamara, who’s done a credible job at quarterback (14 TD’s, only two INT’s) and Hassan Haskins (1063 yards rushing). But what they have is no better than other editions of the Maize and Blue who have gotten dismissed with prejudice. OSU has won 15 of the last 16 meetings, and the natives have long been restless about John Harbaugh’s inability to win in this titanic rivalry.
Army at Liberty Parlay Betting
Army vs. Liberty Picks
Time: Saturday, November 27 – Noon ET
Totals Odds: Over 53.5 Points (-110) / Under 53.5 Points (-110)
The Play: UNDER 53.5 POINTS (-110)
Some people might be wondering whether Army is already looking ahead to Navy, and the answer is that the Cadets are probably ALWAYS looking ahead to Navy. They are second in the nation in rushing, but remember that since they rarely pass, the yards per carry is “only” 4.9. Liberty does a more-than-respectable job against the run (3.6 ypc allowed) and coach Hugh Freese has a game plan for the option – in the 2019 Cure Bowl, they faced an offense similar in style (Georgia Southern) and contained it pretty well, allowing just 154 rushing yards on 54 carries. And even in defeat lo Louisiana-Lafayette last week, the Flames were not bullied off the ball by one of college football’s best offensive lines.
Meanwhile, Liberty QB Malik Willis, an Auburn transfer who is darling of NFL scouts, or so it seems, has rushed for 100 yards or more only twice and has only one game with 20 or more completions. And his offensive line has given up 46 sacks. We could easily see defense prevailing.
Maryland at Rutgers Parlay Betting
Time: Saturday, November 27 – Noon ET
ATS Odds: Maryland Terrapins -1.5 (-110) vs. Rutgers Scarlet Knights +1.5 (-110)
The Play: RUTGERS +1.5 (-110)
Rutgers does not overwhelm anybody with its offense, as QB Noah Vedral has completed less than 60% with seven TD’s and the ground game averages just 3.5 yards per carry. Yet the only teams that have really plowed through their defense are Ohio State, Michigan State and Wisconsin. The only game they lost on an “upset” came at the hands of Northwestern.
Since its upset of West Virginia in the opener, Maryland’s defense has largely not come to the table. They have allowed at least 425 yards every week, and 450 ypg over the last eight. Rutgers will not let Tulia Tagovailoa (21 TD’s, 11 INT’s) go wild, as they have yielded less than 55% completions. The Knights should have an edge in the turnover battle as well.
Rutgers gets bowl-eligible if they win. That’s a nice step forward for Greg Schiano as he rebuilds the program. The Terrapins have dropped ten straight conference games to the number. Let’s chalk one up for “The State University of New Jersey.”
Florida International at Southern Mississippi Parlay Betting
Florida International vs. Southern Mississippi Picks
Time: Saturday, November 27 – 3 PM ET
ATS Odds: Southern Mississippi Golden Eagles -10.5 (-115) vs. Florida International Panthers +10.5 (-105)
The Play: SOUTHERN MISS -10.5 (-115)
Okay, so there’s a drama going on in Miami. No, we’re not talking about Manny Diaz. That’s below. We’re talking about Butch Davis, who was brought to FIU to bring the program to another level but really didn’t. He asked for a one-year extension but the university refused. Apparently the school had posted a job opening for head coach ONLINE back in October. Davis then fired off quotes like this:
“The administration has been sabotaging the program. Their decision to post the job has resulted in a major negative impact on the football program and our ability to recruit and retain players.”
Reportedly these guys have been using “pre-owned” equipment, among other things. FIU has lost 50-10 to Middle Tennessee and 49-7 to North Texas the last two games. Both of those teams are under .500 as of now.
Southern Miss was once dead last among all 130 FBS schools in Total Offense. And they’re still way down the list. But they have found an uptick – not to mention a lift of the spirits – lately, by taking halfback Frank Gore Jr. (yup, son of the former NFL running back) and putting him into what you might call a Wildcat or a single wing, as he is taking the snaps. And the Eagles controlled the ball enough to put a life-and-death scare into undefeated, nationally-ranked UTSA and then trampled Louisiana Tech. So there’s a big difference in terms of “direction” here.
Miami at Duke Parlay Betting
Miami vs. Duke Picks
Time: Saturday, November 27 – 12:30 PM ET
ATS Odds: Miami Hurricanes -21.5 (-110) vs. Duke Blue Devils +21.5 (-110)
The Play: MIAMI +21.5 (-110)
Years ago, I lived through a succession of Miami quarterbacks who brought this team to what some might call a “dynasty.” Of course, we’re talking about Jim Kelly, Bernie Kosar, Vinny Testaverde (Heisman winner), Gino Torretta (Heisman winner), Steve Walsh, Craig Erickson and even Ken Dorsey.
Tyler Van Dyke gives me a little hope that we could be seeing those days again. D’Eriq King’s injury may have been a blessing in disguise for the program, as Van Dyke is the guy who might even wind up saving Manny Diaz his job (if that’s at all possible). he has averaged 363 yards through the air over his last five games, and he is able to catch a Duke defense that doesn’t hardly exist, as it ranks dead last in the nation. The Blue Devils have dropped their last five games by an average of 36.4 ppg.
As long as we’re talking about “saving jobs,” it’s becoming apparent that the only thing that might save David Cutcliffe (who has mentored both Peyton and Eli Manning) would be for their nephew Arch Manning (top high school QB prospect) to commit to Duke.
