The Magnificent Seven: Week V

We endured our second consecutive losing week. I suppose that is what I get for picking seven underdogs. However, to be fair, three of the underdogs we picked correctly also won outright. So yeah. Anyway, the overall record is now 14-14, which is a little below the percentage we need to make a profit. There is a lot of season left. Let's get to it in Week Five. As always, home teams in BOLD.

Last Week: 3-4
Overall: 14-14

Arizona State +4.5 UCLA
UCLA has opened the 2014 season 3-0, which is great, unless you happened to bet on them in each of their first three games, as you are likely cursing Jim Mora Jr. and Brett Hundley for your missed mortgage payments as they are 0-3 ATS. Now the Bruins head to Tempe where they are once again favored to win. However, one has to think that if Taylor Kelly were suiting up for the Sun Devils this spread might be reversed. Even without Kelly, the Sun Devils are a quality team, especially at home, where they have won eleven of fourteen games under Todd Graham. The Sun Devils will be in a rare position Thursday night as they have been a home underdog just once since 2011. In that game, Oregon jumped out to an early lead and easily covered as an eight-point favorite. UCLA may have gotten the preseason hype, but they are nowhere near the caliber of team of Oregon from 2012. Look for the Sun Devils to keep this one tight and perhaps get an early leg up on the Pac-12 South race.

Purdue +10 Iowa
Last week Iowa may have turned the burner underneath head coach Kirk Ferentz down a notch with their upset win at Pitt. The win came one week after the Hawkeyes lost at home as a large favorite to in-state rival Iowa State. Now the Hawkeyes open Big 10 play against Purdue, hoping to justify their lofty (schedule-induced) preseason expectations. Meanwhile, Purdue is looking to win consecutive games for the first time under Darrell Hazell, and triple last season's win total. Purdue is an also-ran (at best) that will struggle to win games in the Big 10, but I think they are a good play here for several reasons. For starters, this game is at home. Secondly, Iowa is coming off a big win. The Hawkeyes have also performed poorly in the role of double-digit road favorite recently, going just 1-4 ATS since 2010 (with the lone cover coming last season against Purdue). Finally, check Iowa's schedule. I'll wait. Each of their first four games have been decided by eight points or less. The Hawkeyes don't possess an offense explosive enough to bury overmatched foes (see Ball State and Northern Iowa) in the early going. I think this will be a vintage Big 10 game played in the teens or low twenties and decided by about a touchdown.

Tulane +11.5 Rutgers
Under Kyle Flood, Rutgers is the kind of team you want to back as an underdog, but fade as a favorite. Under the antediluvian coach, the Knights are 8-2 ATS as an underdog (with five outright wins), and just 6-9 ATS as a favorite. Fresh off a win against Navy, the Knights are in the dreaded sandwich spot with a visit from Michigan and (presumably) Brady Hoke on deck. The Knights are halfway to bowl eligibility, but have shown both a proclivity for turnovers (committing eight through four games) and an indifference to defense, allowing over six yards per play. They have been particularly susceptible to the pass, where even Navy threw for over 200 yards on them last week. Tulane has had turnover issues of their own, committing the most in the nation (13) through four games. Those turnovers are the primary reason this line is inflated ever so slightly. Two of their interceptions were returned for touchdowns last week against Duke, making the final score of 47-13 a bit misleading. Tulane has already faced a pair of Power Five schools this season (Georgia Tech and Duke), so heading to New Jersey should not pose any significant intangible effect on this game. I like the Green Wave to keep this one close with Rutgers a little more concerned with next week's maize than this week's green.

Bowling Green -4.5 Massachusetts
This spread has been falling like Alicia Keyes with vertigo on black ice. The line opened near two touchdowns and has steadily dropped to its current state under a single touchdown. Perhaps bettors were scarred off by Bowling Green's beatdown at the hands of Wisconsin last week. Remember though, the Badgers regularly bludgeon lesser foes and have much more trouble when they pick on someone their own size. Massachusetts is markedly better under new old coach Mark Whipple, but Bowling Green has been money in the bank against the MAC the past three seasons, going 17-7 ATS, 9-3 ATS on the road, and 5-1 ATS as a road favorite. And before you overreact to their loss to Wisconsin, remember they beat Indiana (who would go on to beat Missouri) just two weeks ago. I would never have taken the Falcons when they were giving close to two touchdowns, but at this small number, they are a solid play.

Missouri +5.5 South Carolina
Was Missouri looking ahead to their SEC opener last week? Perhaps, but that is good news for you Mr. (or Mrs.) Degenerate. The loss to the Hoosiers likely earned you a few extra points on this betting line. The Tigers did struggle to stop the Hoosiers running attack as Tevin Coleman gained 132 yards on nearly seven yards per attempt. With Mike Davis up this week, Tiger fans could be forgiven for being a little worried. However, South Carolina tends to run from typical pro-style or power formations instead of out of spread concepts, so the Tigers could be better suited to contain Davis. Plus, I can pretty much guarantee you Missouri will be able to move the ball against the Gamecocks. Lorenzo Ward defenders will point out that 14 of the 34 points the Gamecocks surrendered to the Commodores last week came via kickoff returns. They would be right, but Vanderbilt also averaged a healthy 6.89 yards per play. The Commodores entered the game having averaged under five yards per play in each of their first three contests which included noted football powers Temple and Massachusetts. Every team South Carolina has faced has averaged north of six and a half yards per play against the suddenly porous Gamecock defense. Expect Missouri to do the same in a game that is much closer to a toss-up than a touchdown spread.

Syracuse +12 Vs Notre Dame (@ East Rutherford)
The last time these two school squared off, Syracuse scored the final 14 points of the game to beat the Irish in the shadow of Touchdown Jesus. Was it the worst loss of the Charlie Weis era? Some would say yes. Others would like to forget the final three years of the Charlie Weis era ever happened. Enough with the history lesson. What can we expect from this game? I think Syracuse is a value play here. The Orange lost at home to Maryland last week, but averaged a robust 7.46 yards per play and outgained the Terrapins by over 200 yards, but threw an interception that was returned for a touchdown, lost a fumble, and had a punt blocked. Meanwhile, Notre Dame has had a week to relish their closer than expected win over Purdue in Indianapolis. That line with the Boilermakers was inflated thanks to their throttling of Michigan. Any shutout is impressive, but the Wolverines have shown their offensive struggles from 2013 have not dissipated. This line should be closer to a touchdown instead of double-digits. Plus, the Irish have Stanford on deck next weekend. They may not be as focused on Syracuse as Brian Kelly would hope. Take the Orange to hang with the Irish.

Oregon State +9 Southern Cal
So Southern Cal is back eh? Let's see, what have they done so far in 2014? They crushed a Fresno State team that was subsequently crushed by Utah and Nebraska by similar scores. They beat Stanford in a throwback game after the Cardinal Clemsoned almost as bad as Clemson. Then they took their show to the east coast and lost to a Boston College team that had just lost by two scores to Pitt. So naturally, they are a healthy favorites against a competent Oregon State team. Oregon State has been solid as an underdog away from home, going 13-5 in the role since 2010 (remember, the Beavers had down seasons in 2010 and 2011). This spread should probably be about a field goal lower. Take the Beavers to cover here.

The Magnificent Seven: Week IV

Well, it finally happened, we struggled, and I mean struggled. I went just 2-5 picking games which drops the overall mark to 11-10. As some degenerates may know, that is exactly the percentage you need to break even. Hopefully we can do better this week and get back to our winning ways. Before we get to the picks, I want to give Michigan State some dap. While the Spartans did not play this past weekend, three of their quarterbacks won games in the NFL on Sunday. Kirk Cousins replaced RG3 and led the R*dskins to an easy win over the Jaguars. Brian Hoyer held off Johnny Manziel for another week and got the Cleveland Browns just their second win in a home opener since returning to the league. Finally, Drew Stanton got the start in place of an injured Carson Palmer as the Cardinals won in New York against the Giants. On to the picks. I think you will see a general trend as you peruse them. As always, home teams in BOLD.

Last Week: 2-5
Overall: 11-10

Georgia Tech +9 Virginia Tech
Last week was not a good one for the ACC, and it could have been even worse. While Virginia Tech lost at home as a large favorite to East Carolina, and Wake Forest lost on the road to Utah State (their second loss to a group of five opponent), Georgia Tech nearly lost at home to Paul Johnson's former charges, Georgia Southern. While the Yellow Jackets have been as leaky as ever on defense, their offense has remained potent, averaging nearly 40 points per game and nearly seven yards per play. Suffice it to say they won't reach those numbers against the Hokies, but they may not have to. Excluding their exhibition with William and Mary, the Hokies have averaged just 4.3 yards per play. Quarterback Michael Brewer has averaged under six yards per pass and thrown four interceptions against Ohio State and East Carolina. Virginia Tech appears to be exactly the same as they were last season: A strong defensive team (though East Carolina proved they can be beat through the air) that will have trouble being relevant nationally thanks to a shaky offense. No matter the venue, this game has usually been close since Paul Johnson arrived. While Georgia Tech has lost five of six to the Hokies under Johnson, five of the six games have been decided by seven points or fewer. I think after Saturday, it will be six for seven. Before we move on, just a comment on how unpredictable the ACC Coastal Division race should be this season. You could make a cogent argument for any of the seven schools (Duke, Georgia Tech, Miami, North Carolina, Pitt, Virginia, or Virginia Tech) serving as a sacrificial lamb to Florida State in the ACC Championship Game. Enjoy.

Utah State +2.5 Arkansas State
Why is Arkansas State favored in this game you ask? Because Chuckie Keeton, starting quarterback for Utah State, will miss it. While the oft injured Keeton has been a fine quarterback for the Aggies, and may go down as the best in school history, he hasn't really played all that well this season. After throwing just 13 interceptions in 777 pass attempts in his first three years on campus, Keeton has already tossed four in just 92 pass attempts this season, including an ugly Garo Yepremian-esque throw against Wake Forest (I couldn't find the video to share, but trust me, it was bad). Alas, I expected big things from Utah State this season, and it is clear they are not nearly as strong as they have been the past two seasons. Still, catching points against a solid, but hardly dominating Sun Belt team makes them a solid play this week.

Central Michigan +3.5 Kansas
Kansas fans, make sure to enjoy the days leading up to this game as it is truly a rare occasion. For just the fourth time since their program went off the rails following the 2009 season, the Jayhawks are favored against a IA team. Who were the other three teams that were bad enough to be underdogs to Kansas? New Mexico State in 2010, Rice in 2012, and Louisiana Tech last season. Kansas did win two of those three games (New Mexico State and Louisiana Tech), but only covered in one. Both teams here are looking to rebound from poor performances last week. The Jayhawks and Chippewas both lost by nearly identical scores, as Kansas fell to Duke 41-3 and Central Michigan lost to Syracuse 40-3. The Chippewas already own one victory over a Power 5 opponent, beating Purdue (who is still considered a Big 10 team by some) by three touchdowns two weeks ago. The win was the second for the Chippewas under Dan Enos, who while not nearly as successful as his predecessors Butch Jones and Brian Kelly, can surpass them in terms of victories of Power Five (formerly BCS) conference teams. Central Michigan is not quite as bad as they looked last week, and Kansas is much closer to Purdue in quality than they are to Syracuse. Look for the Chippewas to leave with an outright win.

North Carolina +2.5 East Carolina
East Carolina has certainly looked like one of the stronger teams from the Group of Five over the past two weeks. They fell on the road to South Carolina by ten, but slightly outgained the Gamecocks and averaged about a yard more per play. They followed that up by beating Virginia Tech for the first time since 2008. Now the Pirates return home to face another ACC team, and one they bludgeoned in Chapel Hill last season (double nickel sighting). Despite the home crowd, I think the Pirates are due for a letdown against a Tar Heel team that has been quite disjointed in the early going. The Tar Heels let Liberty (Valance) hang around until the second half, and should have lost to San Diego State if not for some huge turnovers by the Aztecs. Still, the Tar Heels have had a week to prepare, are in a revenge spot, and until last season, had won six of the previous seven meetings with the Pirates. If the line were reversed, I would seriously contemplate jumping on the Pirates, but as it is, the Tar Heels are the play.

Rutgers +6 Navy
Yikes, another road underdog. I can understand if you have some trepidation about taking yet another road team. Hear me out though. While Gary Nova did his best Gary Nova impersonation last week in the Scarlet Knights' Big 10 debut against Penn State, throwing five interceptions, the defense held Penn State in check until a late touchdown allowed the Nittany Lions to escape with a victory. Now Rutgers travels to Annapolis to take on a Navy team that has won two straight after hanging with Ohio State in the Horseshoe on the season's first Saturday. The Knights first traveled to Annapolis to take on the Midsheipmen back in 1891 when the great Benjamin Harrison was in charge of the country. The schools played once more in the 19th century, but wouldn't play again until after Woodstock. After playing just ten times in the 19th and 20th century, this will mark the tenth meeting in the new millennium. Rutgers has won seven of the first nine played since 2000, and has been a pretty solid road underdog under Kyle Flood, posting a 6-2 ATS mark with four outright wins. Meanwhile, Navy is just 6-11-1 ATS as a home favorite since 2009. I like the Knights to salvage a bit of the Big 10's reputation by covering and potentially winning outright against the Naval Academy.

Indiana +13 Missouri
The rebuild in Indiana continues. While Kevin Wilson has done an admirable job in a very difficult situation in Bloomington, improving his win total each season, non-conference losses may once again limit Indiana's postseason chances. In Wilson's first season, 2011, his Hoosiers lost to mid-majors Ball State and North Texas (the Hoosiers were favored by by five to six points in both games). In 2012, the Hoosiers lost non-conference games to mid-majors Ball State and Navy, To be fair, the Hoosiers were slight underdogs to Navy, but it continued a disturbing trend of the Hoosiers failing to start conference play with some margin for error. Last season, the Hoosiers once again lost to Navy. This time, they were a double-digit favorite. They also lost to Missouri, but that loss was understandable. As you may have heard, the Hoosiers lost last week to Bowling Green to put a damper on their bowl hopes in 2014. Now they travel to Columbia, Missouri to face an undefeated team that beat them by 17 in Bloomington last season. So why in the name of Bill Mallory, should you take the Hoosiers to cover this week? For starters, Indiana is a shade under-valued after last week. They lost to Bowling Green, but averaged nearly two and a half more yards per play than the Falcons. The defense has, is, and will likely continue to be an issue under Wilson, but the offense has been quite explosive from 2012 on. The Hoosiers will be able to move the ball on the Tigers. The question will be, can they finish drives? Even if the Hoosiers don't make this game ultra-competitive, the possibility is certainly there for a backdoor cover. Take the Hoosiers to keep this once close.

Northern Illinois +14.5 Arkansas
Arkansas appears to be much improved from their dreadful 3-9 campaign last season. However, with the general robustness of the SEC West, they may not improve a great deal on their 0-8 conference record. As such, the Razorbacks will need to win all the non-conference games they can if they have designs on breaking a two year bowl drought. The Razorbacks welcome mid-major darling Northern Illinois and hope to avoid the embarrassment of losing to a MAC team. Arkansas has absolutely wrecked teams on the ground in the early going, averaging nearly eight yards per carry. After nearly fielding two 1000-yard rushers last season, the Razorbacks on pace to accomplish that with ease in 2014. Outside of their opener against Auburn, the defense has also played better, limiting Texas Tech to just 5.6 yards per pass last week. However, before we go heralding Arkansas as a worthy contender/spoiler in the SEC West, remember, Texas Tech won their first two games against Central Arkansas and UTEP by seven and four points respectively. Meanwhile, Northern Illinois has already won a pair of road games, including a win at Northwestern. Since 2009, the Huskies have beaten six teams from power conferences, with five of the wins coming on the road. In addition, as an underdog against power conference teams away from home in the regular season, the Huskies are 10-2 ATS. Joe Novak, Jerry Kill, Dave Doeren, and Rod Carey have crafted quite a mid-major power in DeKalb. The Huskies might not beat the Hogs, but I expect this game to be close.

The Magnificent Seven: Week III

First off, let me apologize for the Eastern Michigan debacle. The Eagles were catching 38 points from the Gators and very nearly covered, losing by just 65. If you took my advice and the Eagles cost you your parlay card this week, I am truly sorry. However, I did manage another winning week (4-3) to move the yearly mark to 9-5. Let's see if we can keep the momentum going. As always, home teams in BOLD.

Last Week: 4-3
Overall: 9-5

Kansas +15.5 Duke
What difference a half decade makes. The last time these two teams met, Kansas was coming off two consecutive bowl appearances, ranked 22nd in the AP Poll, and favored by more than three touchdowns. Meanwhile, Duke was in the midst of a bowl drought that extended to the first term of President Clinton. Since beating Duke on that September day in 2009, Kansas has won just twelve more times, with only eight coming against IA opponents. On the other hand, Duke is the defending Coastal Division champion in the ACC, and seeking their third consecutive bowl bid. About the only thing that hasn't changed for Kansas is the relative heft of their head coach. Yep, I made a fat joke. Take the low hanging fruit when you can. Kansas comes into this game fresh off a tight 34-28 win over IA Southeast Missouri State. While the final score is close, it is a little deceiving. Kansas actually led 34-7 in the fourth quarter before a late surge by the Redhawks made the game close (their final touchdown came with a minute and a half to go). The misleading final score is artificially inflating this line for a Duke team that had a tough time dispatching Troy last week. Kansas will not win this game, but they will do enough to keep the final margin within two touchdowns.

Iowa State +10 Iowa
With an 0-2 start, Iowa State is in real danger of posting their fifth consecutive losing season. Granted, two of those seasons included bowl appearances, but its all in how you phrase things. The Cyclones have had a rough early schedule, losing at home to IAA power (and IA killer) North Dakota State and blowing a fourth quarter lead to lose Farmageddon to Kansas State. The Cyclones now travel to Iowa City, hoping to avoid on 0-3 start. Not to be outdone, Iowa is having some issues of their own, narrowly edging both Northern Iowa of IAA and Ball State in the season's first two weeks. Neither win elicited feelings of great satisfaction from the Hawkeye faithful. The Cyclones and Hawkeyes have split the fourteen games played this century, so this game will prove to be the rubber match, assuming the world ends before next year's game. The last three in this series have been decided six points or less. Look for this one to be close throughout as well.

Western Kentucky +1.5 Middle Tennessee State
Both these Conference USA squads (and former Sun Belt members), nearly made life even more miserable for the Big 10 last week. Western Kentucky lost a back-and-forth affair at Illinois 42-34 while Middle Tennessee State fell behind 28-0, but staged a somewhat furious rally (in that in made Minnesota backer's furious as the Blue Raiders went right in the back door for a cover) in losing 35-24. As both teams were bowl eligible in 2013, their early returns suggest another solid campaign for each. This game will likely serve as an eliminator of sorts in the East division of Conference USA. Both programs are expected to finish behind Marshall, and the loser will have an arduous task ahead of them to rebound and take the division. This game should feature plenty of points as both teams enter averaging more than 40 per game. Western Kentucky has been a little more impressive in the early going, as one of their games includes a shelling of Bowling Green, while Middle Tennessee State has padded their stats with a dismantling of IAA Savannah State. A two-game sample is not much, but Western Kentucky has posted better numbers against superior competition and should be favored here.

UNLV +10 Northern Illinois
Last week, Northern Illinois beat a Big 10 team on the road for the third time in a little over one season (their two victims last year were Iowa and Purdue). The win did not provide much cache for them however, as they did not receive a single vote in this week's AP Poll. Now the Huskies are in the dreaded sandwich spot, traveling to Sin City to take on UNLV immediately before a road trip to Arkansas. A victory over the Hogs, would perhaps give the Huskies more legitimacy, as they play in the rugged SEC West (though not very well I might add). Could the Huskies potentially sleepwalk through this game with the Rebels, a team that struggled to put away IAA Northern Colorado last week? I think so. UNLV has been a bonefide whiz as a home underdog under head coach Bobby Hauck. Since taking over in 2010, the Rebels are 12-5-1 ATS in the roll, with five outright upsets. I think the Rebels keep this one close, especially with no Jordan Lynch to contend with.

Texas State +10 Navy
After finishing bowl eligible last season, Texas State is looking earn their first bowl invite as a IA team. We didn't learn much from Dennis Franchione's team in their first game, as they bludgeoned IAA Arkansas Pine-Bluff 65-0. However, the schedule makers did them a huge favor by granting them a bye week between that game and their showdown with the Naval Academy. Navy is 1-1 after hanging with Ohio State for three quarters and holding off a pesky Temple team. Navy is one of college football's best stories year in and year out (a service academy with ten bowl appearances in the last eleven seasons). However, they have not been a good bet when they are favored. particularly away from Annapolis. When favored in either road or neutral games since 2009, the Midshipmen are just 5-10 ATS. Texas State is a quality opponent, has had an extra week to prepare for Navy's unique offense, and is catching double-digits at home. Take them cover here.

UCLA -7.5 Vs Texas (@ Arlington)
After poor performances (relative to expectations) last week, these two teams square off for the third time in the past five seasons. In their previous meetings in 2010 and 2011, the road team won handily each time. While both teams performed worse than expected last week, UCLA at least manged to stay unbeaten. The Bruins struggled with Memphis in a 42-35 win, but Texas was annihilated by BYU 41-7. The Texas offense has continued its drunken staggering since Colt McCoy departed, managing just 5.6 yards per pass attempt (excluding sacks) in the early going. The defense has remained (somewhat) stalwart, and is the only hope the Longhorns have of winning this game. The Longhorns have ten sacks in just two games and the UCLA offensive line has done a poor job protecting Brett Hundley, allowing eight combined sacks to Virginia and Memphis. UCLA was miscast as a national championship contender in the preseason, but they are good enough to beat a depleted Texas team by more than a touchdown at a neutral site.

Nebraska -10 Fresno State
Abdullah the Butcher prevented Nebraska from facing a potential sphincter-tightening overtime against McNeese State last week. His phenomenal catch and run broke a fourth quarter tie and provided the winning margin for the Huskers as well as visual evidence as to why you should 'bring your arms' when trying to tackle (I'm looking at you #21). While the game was close, Nebraska actually outgained the Cowboys by 99 yards and averaged almost two more yards per play. The big reason McNeese State was in the game was a long interception return when the Huskers were deep in McNeese State territory in the second quarter. Now the Huskers head west to take on a Fresno State team that is adjusting (poorly) to life without Derek Carr and Davante Adams. After winning 20 games in Tim DeRuyter's first two seasons in Fresno, the Bulldogs have lost their first two games by 39 and 32 points respectively. Southern Cal and Utah have moved the ball with ease against the Bulldogs, and there is no reason to believe Nebraska will not do the same. This spread is low thanks to Nebraska's close shave last week, but the Huskers should roll here.

BYU: The Mid-Majors Last Hope

Well, we are just two weeks into the 2014 season, and any hopes of an interloper infiltrating the initial College Football Playoff appear to be almost null. Consider the following: In the American Conference, the only remaining unbeaten team is Cincinnati...who has yet to play a game. The Sun Belt has three unbeaten teams, but Louisiana-Monroe, New Mexico State, and South Alabama are hardly college football royalty (and each also has at least one SEC team left on its schedule). Nevada and Wyoming are unbeaten in the Mountain West, but both play difficult Pac-12 teams this weekend and are unlikely to run the table. Central Michigan and Northern Illinois are unbeaten in the MAC, but Central Michigan has lost at least six games for the past four seasons, and Northern Illinois must win an SEC road game (Arkansas) and then navigate an improving MAC with an unblemished record. Marshall is unbeaten in Conference USA, but their schedule is one of the softest in the nation, and a group of Roadrunners may be waiting for them in the Conference USA Championship Game. But take heart underdog lovers everywhere, there is still a glimmer of hope, and it is in the form of a group of latter day saints.

On Saturday night, BYU throttled Texas for the second straight season, this time in Austin, by a score of 41-7. The win moves the Cougars to 2-0, and perhaps more importantly potentially sets the stage for an undefeated campaign. The Cougars still have ten games to play, but after their performance against Texas, no game appears unwinnable. Let's peruse their schedule starting with the home games.

Houston
Virginia
Utah State
Nevada
UNLV
Savannah State

The Cougars have yet to play a home game, so they still have six left on the slate. On paper, the toughest test is probably Utah State out of the Mountain West. Houston, Nevada, and Virginia could also present some challenges, while UNLV and especially Savannah State are likely romps.

And here are their four remaining road games.

@ UCF
@ Boise State
@ Middle Tennessee State
@ Cal

The road schedule is a little dicier with UCF and Boise ranking among the premiere mid-major teams over the past few seasons. However, the Cougars nearly won at Boise two seasons ago in a 7-6 slugfest, and UCF is missing a few pieces from its Fiesta Bowl winning team of 2013.

So that is BYU's schedule. Now, let's go ahead and make the (grandiose) assumption they win out. Could they make the four-team playoff? I think so. Here is why. Their schedule is perfect. A few years ago, Luke Win wrote a Sports Illustrated article about gaming the RPI. While their is no RPI in football, the Cougars have done a great job of challenging themselves with their schedule, but not too much. There are three schools from Power 5 Conferences on the 2014 schedule (Texas, Virginia, and Cal). While none of the three project to be great, Texas will likely win seven or eight games (and more importantly has a great deal of name recognition), while early returns on Virginia and Cal make them appear improved over their ghastly 2013 iterations. The Cougars also did a great job of scheduling mid-majors. Boise State, Houston, Middle Tennessee, UCF, UNLV, and Utah State all played in bowl games last season. Plus, while Nevada missed a bowl last season, they played in eight straight from 2005-2012. This means their are no real anchors on BYU's schedule. Their lone guarantee game is Savannah State (which based on their first two forays against IA opponents should be very ugly).

Now what sort of help does BYU need to make the playoff assuming they win out? For starters, it would be nice for them if UCF beat Missouri this weekend. Having Boise State and Utah State dominate the Mountain West would also be big. Having their (assumed) Power 5 scalps do their some damage in their respective conferences would also be help. If Texas could upset either Baylor, Kansas State, or Oklahoma, that would bolster BYU's profile. In addition, having either Virginia or Cal get to bowl eligibility (with maybe a quality win or two along the way) would also strengthen public perception.

Of course, BYU also needs a little help from the Power 5 conferences as a whole. Well, the Big 10 has already done them a huge favor. Not only did the league's three marquee programs all lose by at least fourteen points in non-conference action over the weekend (Michigan, Michigan State, and Ohio State), but a pair of teams also went down to MAC foes (Northwestern and Purdue), and a few more narrowly escaped against lesser opponents (Iowa and Nebraska), further hurting the league's reputation. Barring an unbeaten season by Nebraska, the Big 10 champion will probably miss the playoff. What about the other major conferences? Well, the SEC champion is probably in unless they have three losses. Thus, BYU needs to hope SEC teams cannibalize each other enough so that every team except the champion has two losses. In the ACC, a loss by Florida State would do wonders for their playoff hopes (maybe at Louisville?). The Pac-12 champion, particularly if it is Oregon, Southern Cal, or Stanford is probably in with a loss, so again BYU needs some cannibalization, particularly an upset or two by upstarts such as Arizona or Utah. Finally, it would be nice for the Cougar's hopes if the eventual Big 12 champion also has a pair of losses.

To sum things up, assuming they get to the end of the season unbeaten, BYU needs at least three (and possibly four) of the following things to happen to get into the four-team playoff:

ACC champ has one loss
Big 12 champ has two losses
Big 10 champ has one loss
Only one SEC team has fewer than two losses
Pac-12 champ has two losses
Notre Dame has more than one loss

Does this mean I think BYU is one of the four best college football teams in 2014? No. Do I think they could navigate the SEC West with less than two losses? Again, no. However, there are pros and cons to every situation. Playing in the SEC gives you access to the best players in the nation. However, it also means you must navigate a tougher schedule. While BYU does not have as brutal a schedule, they do have systemic disadvantages when it comes to recruiting the nation's best players (some of course self-imposed by their religious affiliation and others a natural occurrence of not being associated with a major conference). Consequently, engaging in theoretical thought experiments such as 'If they played LSU's schedule', are not the point of this post anymore than 'If they had LSU's players' is. BYU will play BYU's schedule in 2014, and it is within the realm of possibility that if they finish unbeaten, they make the four-team playoff.

The Magnificent Seven: Week II

Week I went rather swimmingly for your humble narrator. A 5-2 start will hopefully serve as a springboard to even better things as the calendar turns to September. There are a lot of big games for the second weekend of the college football season (Michigan State/Oregon, Virginia Tech/Ohio State, and Southern Cal/Stanford to name a few), but thanks to cowardice and no general read on those games, my picks will be more under the radar fare. In fact, a few of my picks involve the MAC, a conference with a great chance to beat a few Power 5 schools this weekend. Toledo hosts Missouri, Central Michigan travels to Purdue, Northern Illinois visits Northwestern, Ball State treks to Iowa, and Ohio is at Kentucky. There are others as well, but these five strike me as upset possibilities. Missouri, Central Michigan, and Northern Illinois are all underdogs of less than a touchdown, while Ball State and Ohio have beaten a few Power 5 teams under their current coaches. Sit back and enjoy the second week of college football. As always, home teams in BOLD.

Last Week: 5-2
Overall: 5-2

Georgia State Pick Em' New Mexico State
At long last, the Georgia State Panthers are winners once again. Losers of 16 straight, the Panthers kicked a last second field goal to beat Abilene Christian in the season's first game (on Wednesday of last week). The win was their first as a IA team, and now they will seek to win their first game against a IA team (baby steps). This game also marks the first time in their history Georgia State is not a betting underdog (again, baby steps) against a fellow IA opponent (they were a small favorite last week). New Mexico State also won their opener against a IAA opponent, although the Aggies did not have to sweat it out, winning 28-10 against Cal Poly. A win would make the Aggies 2-0 for the first time since 1999! Alas, I don't think the Aggies will get it done. They are just 2-8-1 ATS on the road the past two seasons. While this figures to be a competitive affair, Georgia State is playing at home, giving no points, and showed some polish on offense last week. Look for the Panthers to earn their second win as a IA program and move into first place for the time being in the Sun Belt.

Central Michigan +3.5 Purdue
As you may or may not know, Purdue head coach Darrell Hazell was once the top guy at Kent State. In 2012, he led the Golden Flashes to a school-record eleven wins. However, his tenure at Purdue may prove that 2012 was a (Golden) flash in the pan. Last week's win over Western Michigan marked the first for Purdue over a IA team under Hazell. While the victory was nice, it was anything but resounding as the Broncos actually outgained the Boilermakers and averaged more yards per play. Now the Boilermakers take on another directional Michigan school that could potentially be the last game they are favored in all year (excluding their clash with IAA Southern Illinois). Central Michigan also struggled last week, falling behind IAA Chattanooga 16-0 before rallying to win 20-16. I like the Chippewas here, as their opponent last week, Chattanooga, may actually be a better team than Western Michigan despite being a lower-level football program. Look for the Chippewas to keep this one close and perhaps leave West Lafayette with an outright upset.

South Alabama -3 Kent State
Kent State opened the 2014 season by losing on a last second field goal to Ohio. Just nine months earlier, the Golden Flashes pounded Ohio into oblivion 44-13. Despite the narrow loss, Kent State was actually very lucky to be in the game at all. Ohio outgained Kent State by nearly 150 yards and averaged nearly two more yards per play. However, thanks to four fumbles (all recovered by Kent State), the game was tied in the closing moments. If the Golden Flashes have any designs on a bowl game, they must win this game as the next three are at Ohio State, at Virginia, and at Northern Illinois. An 0-5 start will be very difficult to overcome. South Alabama beat Kent State by 17 in Mobile (one) last season. The Jaguars, in just their sixth season of football, and third at the IA level, are though of as one of the top teams in the Sun Belt. Last season, they were one of the more statistically dominant Sun Belt teams, but suffered three losses by a single point, as well as a two-point loss, and a seven-point loss on their way to a 6-6 campaign. Despite this being the season opener for the Jaguars, I like them to cover this small number and open the year with a victory.

South Florida +12.5 Maryland
South Florida did not get off to the best start last week, edging IAA Western Carolina 36-31. However, it certainly beat the heck out of their start last season when they lost by 32 to IAA McNeese State. In fact, the six-point margin against the Catamounts was a bit misleading. South Florida averaged over eight yards per play to the Catamounts 4.7. Freshman running back Marlon Mack was the star of the show, rushing for 275 yards on just 24 attempts and scoring four touchdowns on the ground. Last season, the feeble South Florida offense managed four rushing touchdowns on the season! Mack and Co. Are catching double-digits at home against a Maryland team that took care of business against their IAA opponent, James Madison. Playing the role of Stephon, I mean William Marbury, the Terrapins racked up 52 points against the Dukes, their highest point total since hanging 62 on my Demon Deacons in 2010. Maryland is a little over-valued here, and the Bulls are under-valued, particularly playing at home. The offense is light years beyond last year's low-wattage unit, and should do enough to keep this game within single digits. If you are feeling very industrious, might I suggest a South Florida play on the moneyline.

Wyoming +2.5 Air Force
It wasn't easy, but the Cowboys won the debut of head coach Craig Bohl. Bohl, as you may or may not know, won the last three IAA national championships at North Dakota State. It wasn't the most aesthetically pleasing game, but the Cowboys won their opener for the first time since 2011. Now the Cowboys turn their focus to a conference opponent in the Air Force Falcons. Air Force ended a three-game skid that dated back to last season's win over Army in dispatching (Kid) Nicholls State. Now the Falcons look to end an even uglier skid that has seen them lose nine consecutive games in the Mountain West Conference. Befitting a team that has not won a conference game in over a year, the Falcons have been putrid on the road as a favorite, going 0-3 ATS in the role since 2012. They have also not covered against Wyoming since 2008. In my humble opinion, the wrong team is favored here. I expect this game to be close, and since they are catching nearly a field goal, Wyoming is the play here.

Eastern Michigan +38 Florida
The debut of Chris Creighton at Eastern Michigan began rather inauspiciously, with his charges taking longer than expected to knock down a wall with sledgehammers. The end result was quality though, with the wall (sort of) tumbling down, though Joshua would have been disappointed, and the Eagles edging Morgan State 31-28. Before moving forward, let me be clear about one thing: Eastern Michigan has no shot (almost no shot) at winning this game outright. However, covering is another issue. The Florida Gators under Will Muschamp do set offensive records and dazzle with their passing acumen. They win games (less here as of late) with great defense. Eastern Michigan will have a hard time scoring and may in fact be shut out. However, expecting the Gators to score more than five touchdowns may not be the most logical assumption. Consider the following: As a double-digit home favorite under Muschamp, the Gators are just 4-7 ATS and lest you think those lack of covers come against SEC teams, they are also 2-3 ATS at home against non-BCS opponents. Despite the fact that they have been one of the worst IA teams in recent years, the Eagles are actually 4-2 ATS against BCS conference opponents the past three seasons. This has all the makings of a 31-3 Florida win.

Texas Tech -21 UTEP
How do you win a road game where you allow nearly eight yards per play? Allow Paydirt Pete to show you how. First, while you give up a lot of big plays, you don't allow many third down conversions (3 of 11). Second, don't allow them to convert on fourth down (1 of 3). Third, force turnovers (two fumble recoveries and an interception). Fourth, score some points of your own (31). That, dear friends, is how UTEP won at New Mexico despite showing very clear evidence that they are still not very good at football. While UTEP was winning in Albuquerque, Texas Tech was having a tougher than expected time putting away Central Arkansas. The Red Raiders averaged nearly three more yards per play than the Bears, yet only won by seven thanks to some red zone failures (just four scores in six opportunities) and turnovers (two interceptions). Of course, that all bodes well for you this week. This spread should be much closer to four touchdowns despite the fact that is is being played in the west Texas town of El Paso. The Red Raiders have played a non-BCS opponent on the road each of the past four seasons, and have covered each time with the average margin of victory clocking in at nearly 37 points. This one should get out of hand very quickly.