Super sportsbook Bodog takes a look at the college football picks schedule.
Saturday night’s game between No. 21 LSU and No. 18 North Carolina at the Georgia Dome in Atlanta was targeted in the offseason as a potential showdown between dark-horse national championship contenders, but now the focus is on the Heels and who they aren’t.
Because of an ongoing investigation, North Carolina’s defense, which should be one of the best in the nation and is stacked with future NFL players, is totally gutted. North Carolina has said 12 players — including stars Marvin Austin, Robert Quinn and Kendric Burney – will miss tonight’s game as the NCAA looks into agent-related benefits and potential academic misconduct involving a tutor.
Also out are the team’s best offensive player, WR Greg Little, and two top running backs, Shaun Draughn and Ryan Houston. The team did get some good news late in the week, however: linebackers Quan Sturdivant and Bruce Carter have been cleared to play after originally not taking the team flight to Atlanta. This is an unprecedented situation for the Heels (or any team), and the NCAA Football Odds
The line has jumped from an open of LSU -4 to the Tigers now as 10-point favorites.
LSU coach Les Miles, meanwhile, is on the hot seat a bit with just a 17-9 record since winning the national title three seasons ago. Jordan Jefferson returns at quarterback after passing for 2,166 yards and 17 TDs last year in his first season as the starter. However, the offense was very uneven in last season’s 9-4 campaign. LSU has won 29 consecutive non-conference games (never lost one under Miles), seven season openers in a row and is 7-1 all-time at the Georgia Dome, with six of those wins against teams ranked in the Top 15. The Tigers and Heels are meeting for the first time.
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North Carolina-LSU was supposed to be the best game of college football’s opening weekend, but with the Heels being gutted by suspensions now the best matchup looks to be No. 24 Oregon State against No. 6 TCU at Cowboys Stadium – the only other matchup in the first weekend featuring two ranked teams. The Frogs are 13-point favorites on Bodog’s NCAA odds.
If TCU wants to get back to a BCS bowl and have any national title hopes it can’t afford to lose this one because there is no other quality team on the Horned Frogs’ schedule other than Utah. The Horned Frogs return 16 starters from a one-loss team that lost in the Fiesta Bowl last season. TCU always has one of the nation’s best defenses but also has one of the underrated QBs in the nation in Andy Dalton, who will start for a fourth year in a row. He will set a school record with his next victory – it would be No. 30. Dalton threw for 2,756 yards and 23 touchdowns last season and also ran for 512 yards and three scores. TCU has won 13 of its past 16 against BCS teams.
Oregon State has two of the best offensive players in the country in brothers Jacquizz and James Rodgers. Jacquizz, a legit Heisman candidate, rushed for 1,440 yards and 21 TDs last year, while James, a receiver, had 91 receptions for 1,034 yards and nine touchdowns. They are two of eight starters back on offense – the same number returns on defense. However, the Beavers do break in a new QB in Ryan Katz, who makes his first collegiate start – he has thrown 27 career passes at this level. OSU has been a very consistent team in recent years but tends to start slow: It is 10-11 in the past five Septembers. This is the first time since 2001 the Beavers have started a season ranked.
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How many players are being either suspended or held out by their schools because of an ongoing NCAA investigation over alleged improper contact between agents and players on several teams.
And the latest player to sit is Georgia star wide receiver A.J. Green, who is out for at least Saturday’s opener against Louisiana-Lafayette – the Dawgs won’t really miss him today as they are 30.5-point favorites on Bodog’s NCAA odds. But certainly Green, the team’s best player, would be missed if he’s out next week against a South Carolina team that looked tremendous on Thursday night.
Georgia issued a release Saturday saying Green would miss Saturday’s game “pursuant to UGA Athletic Association policy and pending a ruling from the NCAA clarifying his status.” Green, an All-American candidate and likely first-round pick in next year’s NFL draft, had 53 catches for 808 yards and six touchdowns last season.
The Bulldogs, ranked 23rd in the Associated Press preseason poll, had been notified by the NCAA late last month that it had begun a review over whether one Georgia player had violated NCAA rules. All these teams are suspending players because teams can be forced to vacate victories if it later is determined they used an ineligible player. It’s not known when this NCAA investigation will conclude, so this could affect a handful of teams for weeks.
The Bulldogs now have four players suspended for the opener. Running back Washaun Ealey, receiver Tavarres King and safety Alec Ogletree were all suspended by Georgia coach Mark Richt because of arrests.