Category: College Football

NCAA Football Power Ratings

10/11/2022 / / 452 Comments

As of 10/11/2022

NOTE: These are power ratings, the type used to create betting lines as you would see in a Vegas-style sportsbook. It is intended to be a numerical reflection of the strength of each team at the time of this writing.

It is not intended to be a ranking, such as the Associated Press Top 25. When done correctly, rankings should tell you where a team sits by virtue of what it has already done. Power ratings tell you where they are at the moment. This information will be repeated until every human on earth understands it. Looking at you, Kirk Herbstreit.

The power rating for each team is my take on what the point spread would be on a neutral field against an average team.

Alabama and Ohio State are tied at the top, although the Tide drops significantly without a healthy quarterback Bryce Young.

Rk	Team			Power
1	Alabama			-31.5
1	Ohio State		-31.5
3	Georgia			-25.5
4	Michigan		-21.5
5	Tennessee		-20
6	Clemson			-18
7	Mississippi State	-17
7	Texas			-17
9	Penn State		-16.5
10	Mississippi		-14.5
11	USC			-14
12	Utah			-13.5
13	Oregon			-12.5
14	Cincinnati		-11.5
14	Texas A&M		-11.5
16	Arkansas		-11
16	Minnesota		-11
16	TCU			-11
19	Maryland		-10.5
19	Notre Dame		-10.5
19	Wake Forest		-10.5
19	Wisconsin		-10.5
23	Florida State		-10
24	Washington		-9.5
25	LSU			-9
25	Purdue			-9
27	Florida			-8.5
27	Kentucky		-8.5
27	Oklahoma State		-8.5
27	UCLA			-8.5
31	Baylor			-8
31	BYU			-8
31	North Carolina State	-8
31	Syracuse		-8
35	Kansas State		-7.5
35	Oklahoma		-7.5
35	Pittsburgh		-7.5
38	North Carolina		-7
39	Miami			-6
39	South Carolina		-6
41	James Madison		-5.5
41	UCF			-5.5
43	Iowa			-5
43	Louisville		-5
45	Air Force		-4.5
45	Washington State	-4.5
47	San Jose State		-4
48	Illinois		-3.5
48	Oregon State		-3.5
48	SMU			-3.5
48	West Virginia		-3.5
52	Boise State		-3
52	Iowa State		-3
52	Kansas			-3
55	Appalachian State	-2
55	California		-2
55	Marshall		-2
55	Michigan State		-2
55	Missouri		-2
55	Texas Tech		-2
55	Tulane			-2
62	Auburn			-1.5
62	UTSA			-1.5
64	Western Kentucky	-1
65	East Carolina		-0.5
65	South Alabama		-0.5
67	Houston			0
68	Memphis			0.5
68	Toledo			0.5
68	UAB			0.5
71	Coastal Carolina	1
71	Nebraska		1
73	Duke			2.5
73	Troy			2.5
75	Arizona			3
75	Liberty			3
75	Stanford		3
78	Indiana			3.5
79	Tulsa			4.5
79	Virginia		4.5
81	Navy			5
81	Rutgers			5
81	Virginia Tech		5
84	UNLV			5.5
84	Vanderbilt		5.5
86	Arizona State		6
86	Kent State		6
86	Northwestern		6
86	San Diego State		6
90	Army			6.5
91	Florida Atlantic	7
91	Louisiana		7
93	Buffalo			7.5
93	Georgia State		7.5
95	Boston College		8
95	North Texas		8
97	Georgia Southern	8.5
98	Central Michigan	9.5
98	Fresno State		9.5
100	Miami Ohio		10
100	Old Dominion		10
100	UTEP			10
100	Wyoming			10
104	Middle Tennessee	10.5
104	Rice			10.5
104	Utah State		10.5
107	Eastern Michigan	11.5
107	Georgia Tech		11.5
107	Louisiana Tech		11.5
107	Northern Illinois	11.5
107	Southern Miss		11.5
112	Arkansas State		12
112	South Florida		12
114	Ohio			13.5
115	New Mexico		14.5
115	Western Michigan	14.5
117	Ball State		16
117	Nevada			16
119	Louisiana-Monroe	16.5
120	Colorado State		17
120	Temple			17
122	Bowling Green		18
122	Colorado		18
122	Texas State		18
125	Charlotte		20.5
126	Connecticut		22.5
127	New Mexico State	24.5
128	Akron			25
129	Hawaii			26
130	Massachusetts		29.5
131	Florida International	36

NCAA Football Power Ratings

10/04/2022 / / 489 Comments

As of 10/04/2022

NOTE: These are power ratings, the type used to create betting lines as you would see in a Vegas-style sportsbook. It is intended to be a numerical reflection of the strength of each team at the time of this writing.

It is not intended to be a ranking, such as the Associated Press Top 25. When done correctly, rankings should tell you where a team sits by virtue of what it has already done. Power ratings tell you where they are at the moment. This information will be repeated until every human on earth understands it. Looking at you, Kirk Herbstreit.

The power rating for each team is my take on what the point spread would be on a neutral field against an average team.

A change at the top this week, as Alabama moves back into the top spot. For the first time, I have considered Ohio State as the best.

Regardless, with the uncertainty around the quarterback position for the Tide, and the mediocre play of Georgia for two weeks straight, there is a tightening at the top. A lot more teams can dream of a national title now.

Rk	Team			Power
1	Alabama			-29.5
2	Georgia			-27
3	Ohio State		-26
4	Michigan		-20
5	Clemson			-18.5
6	Tennessee		-16.5
7	Utah			-15
8	Penn State		-14.5
9	Texas			-13.5
10	Oklahoma		-12.5
11	Arkansas		-12
11	Cincinnati		-12
11	USC			-12
14	Mississippi		-11
14	Mississippi State	-11
14	Oregon			-11
14	Washington		-11
18	Kentucky		-10
19	Florida State		-9.5
19	LSU			-9.5
19	North Carolina State	-9.5
22	Minnesota		-9
22	Wake Forest		-9
24	Baylor			-8.5
24	Maryland		-8.5
24	Notre Dame		-8.5
24	Oklahoma State		-8.5
24	TCU			-8.5
29	Florida			-8
29	Pittsburgh		-8
29	Texas A&M		-8
29	UCLA			-8
33	Miami			-7.5
34	Iowa			-7
34	Kansas State		-7
36	Oregon State		-6
36	Wisconsin		-6
38	Louisville		-5.5
39	BYU			-5
40	Illinois		-4.5
40	North Carolina		-4.5
40	Purdue			-4.5
40	SMU			-4.5
40	Washington State	-4.5
45	Iowa State		-4
45	Michigan State		-4
45	UCF			-4
45	West Virginia		-4
49	Auburn			-3.5
49	South Carolina		-3.5
51	East Carolina		-3
51	South Alabama		-3
51	Syracuse		-3
54	Air Force		-2
54	James Madison		-2
54	Missouri		-2
54	Texas Tech		-2
58	Nebraska		-1.5
59	Boise State		-1
60	California		-0.5
60	Duke			-0.5
62	Kansas			0
62	Liberty			0
62	Tulane			0
65	Appalachian State	0.5
65	Coastal Carolina	0.5
65	Marshall		0.5
65	UTSA			0.5
69	Houston			1
69	Toledo			1
71	UAB			1.5
71	Western Kentucky	1.5
73	Fresno State		2
73	Memphis			2
75	Indiana			2.5
76	Stanford		3
76	Troy			3
76	Tulsa			3
79	Rutgers			3.5
80	Virginia Tech		4.5
81	San Jose State		5
82	Arizona State		5.5
82	UNLV			5.5
82	Virginia		5.5
85	San Diego State		6
86	Arizona			6.5
87	Northwestern		7
88	Central Michigan	7.5
88	Florida Atlantic	7.5
88	Georgia Southern	7.5
91	Army			8.5
91	Boston College		8.5
91	Navy			8.5
94	North Texas		9
94	Vanderbilt		9
96	Middle Tennessee	9.5
97	Georgia State		10
97	Kent State		10
97	Northern Illinois	10
100	Old Dominion		10.5
100	Southern Miss		10.5
100	Western Michigan	10.5
103	Arkansas State		11
103	Georgia Tech		11
103	Louisiana		11
103	Louisiana Tech		11
103	Wyoming			11
108	Buffalo			11.5
109	UTEP			12
110	Miami Ohio		12.5
110	Rice			12.5
110	South Florida		12.5
113	Utah State		14.5
114	Bowling Green		15
114	Nevada			15
116	Ohio			15.5
117	Ball State		16
118	Eastern Michigan	16.5
119	Colorado State		17
119	New Mexico		17
121	Temple			17.5
122	Colorado		19
123	Texas State		21
124	Louisiana-Monroe	22
125	Charlotte		23
126	Connecticut		24.5
126	New Mexico State	24.5
128	Akron			26.5
129	Florida International	28.5
130	Massachusetts		29
131	Hawaii			30

NCAA Football Power Ratings

09/27/2022 / / 248 Comments

Power ratings for every FBS football team (updated 9/27/2022)

NOTE: These are power ratings, the type used to create betting lines as you would see in a Vegas-style sportsbook. It is intended to be a numerical reflection of the strength of each team at the time of this writing.

It is not intended to be a ranking, such as the Associated Press Top 25. When done correctly, rankings should tell you where a team sits by virtue of what it has already done. Power ratings tell you where they are at the moment. This information will be repeated until every human on earth understands it. Looking at you, Kirk Herbstreit.

The power rating for each team is my take on what the point spread would be on a neutral field against an average team.

Rk      Team                    Power
1	Georgia			-30
2	Alabama			-29
3	Ohio State		-25.5
4	Michigan		-16
5	Clemson			-15
5	Tennessee		-15
5	Utah			-15	
8	Oklahoma		-14
9	Penn State		-13
10	USC			-12
11	Minnesota		-11.5
11	Mississippi		-11.5
13	Arkansas		-10.5
13	Mississippi State	-10.5
13	Washington		-10.5
16	Cincinnati		-10
16	Florida State		-10
16	Kentucky		-10
16	Oklahoma State		-10
20	Baylor			-9
20	LSU			-9
20	North Carolina State	-9
20	Texas A&M		-9
24	Florida			-8.5
24	Oregon			-8.5
24	Wake Forest		-8.5
27	Wisconsin		-8
28	Notre Dame		-7.5
28	TCU			-7.5
30	Iowa			-7
30	Texas			-7
32	BYU			-6.5
32	Kansas State		-6.5
32	Michigan State		-6.5
32	UCLA			-6.5	
36	Air Force		-6
36	Maryland		-6
38	Iowa State		-5.5
39	Oregon State		-5
39	Pittsburgh		-5
41	West Virginia		-4.5
42	Miami			-4
42	UCF			-4
44	South Carolina		-3.5
45	Louisville		-3
45	North Carolina		-3
45	SMU			-3
48	Auburn			-2.5
48	Boise State		-2.5
48	Nebraska		-2.5
51	Illinois		-2
51	Washington State	-2
53	Missouri		-1.5
53	Purdue			-1.5
53	Syracuse		-1.5
53	Texas Tech		-1.5
57	Coastal Carolina	-0.5
58	East Carolina		0
58	Marshall		0
58	Western Kentucky	0
61	Fresno State		0.5
61	Houston			0.5
61	UTSA			0.5
61	Virginia Tech		0.5
65	Appalachian State	1
65	Indiana			1
65	Stanford		1
65	UAB			1
69	California		1.5
69	Kansas			1.5
69	South Alabama		1.5
72	Toledo			2.5
73	Arizona State		3
73	James Madison		3
73	Liberty			3
73	Memphis			3
77	Rutgers			3.5
77	Virginia		3.5
79	Troy			4
79	Tulane			4
79	Tulsa			4
82	Boston College		5
83	Army			5.5
84	Arizona			6
84	Central Michigan	6
84	Louisiana		6
84	San Jose State		6
88	San Diego State		6.5
89	Duke			7
89	Northwestern		7
91	Northern Illinois	7.5
91	UNLV			7.5
93	Miami Ohio		8
93	Vanderbilt		8
95	Florida Atlantic	8.5
95	Georgia State		8.5
95	Old Dominion		8.5
95	Southern Miss		8.5
99	Buffalo			9
99	North Texas		9
101	Wyoming			9.5
102	Georgia Southern	10
103	South Florida		10.5
103	Western Michigan	10.5
105	Georgia Tech		11
106	Arkansas State		11.5
106	Navy			11.5
108	Eastern Michigan	12
108	Kent State		12
110	Middle Tennessee	13.5
110	UTEP			13.5
112	Louisiana Tech		14
112	Rice			14
114	Colorado State		15
114	Ohio			15
116	Nevada			15.5
117	Ball State		17
117	Colorado		17
117	New Mexico		17
117	Utah State		17
121	Bowling Green		17.5
121	Texas State		17.5
123	Temple			18
124	Louisiana-Monroe	19
125	Charlotte		22
126	Connecticut		26
127	New Mexico State	26.5
128	Akron	                28
129	Florida International	29
129	Massachusetts	        29
131	Hawaii	                30.5

The Least Understood Stat in Football

09/26/2022 / / 244 Comments

Turnovers are good, no? No.

Betting on sports can be counterintuitive in so many ways.

One of these is turnovers and how they affect handicapping a game, especially in football. Most fans think having a plus turnover ratio is a good thing.

And it is a good thing, for the games in which it has already happened. However, looking ahead from a betting perspective, the opposite is usually the case, all else being equal.

Let’s take an current example (as of this writing) in college football. Western Kentucky is at home against Troy, and currently sits as a 6-point favorite.

Both teams are 3-1 against the spread, with the lone loss coming as big favorites against lower-division teams.

It will be the high-flying offense of Western Kentucky against the tough defense of Troy. Who will prevail? I can’t say. (Depending on when you read this, you may already know the answer.)

I can tell you that, if forced to bet this game, I would take the Trojans. Why?

Because Western Kentucky sits at plus-6 in turnover margin, while Troy is at -1. Why does this stat favor Troy? For a couple of reasons.

First of all, some (not all) turnovers are just a matter of luck. Footballs can bounce in funny ways. A talented wide receiver may let a pass bounce off his hands and into the waiting arms of a defender. A fumbled snapped may bounce away from a quarterback… or right back into his gullet.

Second, teams that have been on the wrong end of turnovers are cognizant of it and spend more time working on correcting the problem in practice.

Turnovers sometimes disguise a team’s true strength, in both directions. A big edge in turnovers should be a red flag, and I don’t mean for a replay review.

By the way, the Troy-Western Kentucky game likely is a pass for me since the Trojans are coming off a big win over Marshall, the team that beat Notre Dame a week earlier.

NCAA Football Power Ratings

09/20/2022 / / 212 Comments

Power ratings for every FBS football team (updated 9/23/2022)

NOTE: These are power ratings, the type used to create betting lines as you would see in a Vegas-style sportsbook. It is intended to be a numerical reflection of the strength of each team at the time of this writing.

It is not intended to be a ranking, such as the Associated Press Top 25. When done correctly, rankings should tell you where a team sits by virtue of what it has already done. Power ratings tell you where they are at the moment. This information will be repeated until every human on earth understands it. Looking at you, Kirk Herbstreit.

The power rating for each team is my take on what the point spread would be on a neutral field against an average team.

Rk  Team                  Power
1   Georgia               -30.5
2   Alabama               -28.5
3   Ohio State            -25
4   Michigan              -18
5   Clemson               -16
6   Oklahoma              -15.5
7   Utah                  -15
8   Tennessee             -14
9   Penn State            -13
10  USC                   -12.5
11  Mississippi           -12
12  Minnesota             -11.5
13  Kentucky              -11
14  Arkansas              -10.5
14  Mississippi State     -10.5
14  Washington            -10.5
17  Oklahoma State        -10
18  Florida State         -9.5
18  North Carolina State  -9.5
18  Oregon                -9.5
18  Texas                 -9.5
22  Baylor                -9
22  Texas A&M             -9
24  Cincinnati            -8.5
24  Florida               -8.5
24  LSU                   -8.5
24  Wisconsin             -8.5
28  Michigan State        -8
28  Wake Forest           -8
30  BYU                   -7.5
30  Notre Dame            -7.5
30  TCU                   -7.5
33  Iowa                  -6.5
33  UCLA                  -6.5
35  Air Force             -6
35  Kansas State          -6
35  Maryland              -6
38  Iowa State            -5.5
38  Miami                 -5.5
40  Auburn                -4.5
40  Nebraska              -4.5
40  Oregon State          -4.5
40  Pittsburgh            -4.5
44  North Carolina        -4
44  UCF                   -4
44  West Virginia         -4
47  Boise State           -3.5
47  South Carolina        -3.5
49  SMU                   -3
50  Fresno State          -2.5
50  Louisville            -2.5
52  Appalachian State     -1.5
52  Houston               -1.5
52  Illinois              -1.5
52  Marshall              -1.5
52  Purdue                -1.5
52  Syracuse              -1.5
52  Texas Tech            -1.5
59  East Carolina         -1
59  Missouri              -1
59  Washington State      -1
62  Stanford               0.5
62  UTSA                   0.5
62  Virginia Tech          0.5
65  Arizona State          1
65  Coastal Carolina       1
65  UAB                    1
65  Western Kentucky       1
69  Indiana                1.5
69  South Alabama          1.5
71  Rutgers                2
71  Toledo                 2
73  Boston College         2.5
73  California             2.5
73  Kansas                 2.5
73  Memphis                2.5
77  Tulane                 3.5
77  Virginia               3.5
79  Liberty                4
80  Arizona                4.5
80  Louisiana              4.5
82  James Madison          5
82  Northwestern           5
82  Tulsa                  5
85  Army                   5.5
85  Troy                   5.5
87  Central Michigan       6.5
87  Georgia State          6.5
87  San Diego State        6.5
87  San Jose State         6.5
91  Duke                   7
92  Vanderbilt             8
93  Old Dominion           8.5
93  Western Michigan       8.5
95  Florida Atlantic       9
95  North Texas            9
95  Northern Illinois      9
98  UNLV                   10
99  Georgia Southern       10.5
99  South Florida          10.5
101 Buffalo                11
101 Georgia Tech           11
103 Colorado State         11.5
103 Eastern Michigan       11.5
103 Navy                   11.5
103 Wyoming                11.5
107 Arkansas State         12
108 Kent State             12.5
108 Miami Ohio             12.5
110 Louisiana Tech         13
111 UTEP                   13.5
112 Colorado               14
113 Southern Miss          14.5
114 Nevada                 15
114 Ohio                   15
116 Rice                   15.5
117 Texas State            16
118 Ball State             16.5
118 Utah State             16.5
120 Bowling Green          17.5
120 New Mexico             17.5
122 Middle Tennessee       18.5
123 Louisiana-Monroe       19
123 Temple                 19
125 Charlotte              21
126 Massachusetts          25
127 Connecticut            27
127 New Mexico State       27
129 Florida International  28
130 Hawaii                 28.5
131 Akron                  29

NCAA FBS Power Ratings

09/14/2022 / / 100 Comments

Power rankings for every FBS football team (as of 9/13/2022)

NOTE: These are power rankings, the type used to create betting lines as you would see in a Vegas-style sportsbook. It is intended to be a numerical reflection of the strength of each team at the time of this writing.

It is not intended to be a ranking, such as the Associated Press Top 25. When done correctly, rankings should tell you where a team sits by virtue of what it has already done. Power ratings tell you where they are at the moment. This information will be repeated until every human on earth understands it. Looking at you, Kirk Herbstreit.

The power rating for each team is my take on what the point spread would be on a neutral field against an average team.

Rk   Team                   Power
1    Georgia                -29.5
2    Alabama                -26.5
3    Ohio State             -24
4    Michigan               -15.5
5    Clemson                -15
6    Oklahoma               -14.5
7    Utah                   -13.5
8    Tennessee              -13
9    Michigan State         -12.5
10   USC                    -12
11   Arkansas               -11
12   Oklahoma State         -10.5
13   Mississippi            -10
13   Mississippi State      -10
13   North Carolina State   -10
13   Penn State             -10
17   Kentucky               -9.5
18   Wake Forest            -9
18   Washington             -9
20   Baylor                 -8.5
20   BYU                    -8.5
20   Florida                -8.5
20   Minnesota              -8.5
24   Cincinnati             -8
24   Florida State          -8
24   Texas                  -8
24   Texas A&M              -8
28   Kansas State           -7.5
28   Notre Dame             -7.5
30   Wisconsin              -7
31   LSU                    -6.5
32   Miami                  -6
32   Oregon                 -6
34   Air Force              -5.5
34   Oregon State           -5.5
34   UCLA                   -5.5
37   Auburn                 -5
37   Maryland               -5
37   Pittsburgh             -5
37   SMU                    -5
37   TCU                    -5
42   Appalachian State      -4.5
43   Arizona State          -4
43   Houston                -4
43   South Carolina         -4
46   Coastal Carolina       -3.5
46   Iowa State             -3.5
46   Louisville             -3.5
46   Nebraska               -3.5
46   North Carolina         -3.5
49   Purdue                 -3.5
52   Fresno State           -3
52   Iowa                   -3
52   Texas Tech             -3
55   UCF                    -2.5
55   West Virginia          -2.5
57   Boise State            -2
57   Marshall               -2
57   Washington State       -2
60   Indiana                -1.5
61   East Carolina          -1
61   Illinois               -1
61   Missouri               -1
61   UTSA                   -1
65   Virginia Tech          -0.5
66   Boston College          0
66   California              0
66   Syracuse                0
69   Louisiana               0.5
70   Liberty                 1
70   Rutgers                 1
70   UAB                     1
70   Virginia                1
74   Stanford                1.5
74   Toledo                  1.5
76   Memphis                 2.5
76   Western Kentucky        2.5
78   Duke                    3
79   Kansas                  4
79   San Diego State         4
79   Tulane                  4
79   Tulsa                   4
83   Northwestern            4.5
84   Arizona                 5.5
84   Central Michigan        5.5
86   Army                    6
86   Troy                    6
88   Vanderbilt              6.5
88   Western Michigan        6.5
90   Georgia Tech            7
90   James Madison           7
92   Florida Atlantic        7.5
92   Georgia State           7.5
94   Miami Ohio              8
94   Northern Illinois       8
94   South Alabama           8
94   UNLV                    8
98   North Texas             8.5
98   Old Dominion            8.5
100  Utah State              9
101  South Florida           9.5
102  Colorado                10
102  Georgia Southern        10
104  San Jose State          11
104  Wyoming                 11
106  Navy                    11.5
107  Buffalo                 12
108  Nevada                  12.5
109  Kent State              13.5
110  Colorado State          14
110  UTEP                    14
112  Arkansas State          14.5
113  Eastern Michigan        15
113  Louisiana Tech          15
113  New Mexico              15
113  Ohio                    15
117  Southern Miss           15.5
118  Bowling Green           16
118  Texas State             16
120  Ball State              16.5
121  Middle Tennessee        18.5
122  Rice                    19.5
123  Charlotte               20
123  Temple                  20
125  Louisiana-Monroe        22
126  New Mexico State        25.5
127  Connecticut             26
127  Florida International   26
129  Akron                   28.5
130  Hawaii                  29
131  Massachusetts           31

Football on TV (Sept. 10-12)

09/10/2022 / / 207 Comments

All times are PDT, because that’s Vegas time. Times and networks are subject to change, so don’t blame me if you miss kickoff.

College

SATURDAY

Alabama at Texas, 9 a.m., FOX
Arkansas State at Ohio State, 9 a.m., Big Ten Network
Southern Miss at Miami, 9 a.m., ACC Network
South Carolina at Arkansas, 9 a.m., ESPN
Wake Forest at Vanderbilt, 9 a.m., SEC Network
Missouri at Kansas State, 9 a.m., ESPN2
Western Illinois at Minnesota, 9 a.m., Big Ten Network
Duke at Northwestern, 9 a.m., FS1
Ohio at Penn State, 9 a.m., ABC
North Carolina at Georgia State, 9 a.m., ESPNU
UTSA at Army, 9 a.m., CBSSN
Charleston Southern at NC State, 9:30 a.m., ESPN3
South Alabama at Central Michigan, 10 a.m., ESPN+
Virginia Lynchburg at Presbyterian, 10 a.m., ESPN+
Southern Utah at Utah, 10:30 a.m., Pac-12 Network
Bucknell at VMI, 10:30 a.m., ESPN+
Lafayette at Temple, 11 a.m., ESPN+
Western Michigan at Ball State, 11 a.m., ESPN+
Dayton at Youngstown State, 11 a.m., ESPN+
Missouri S&T at Drake, 11 a.m., ESPN3
Marshall at Notre Dame, 11:30 a.m., NBC/Peacock
Morehead State at Montana State, Noon, ESPN+
Furman at Clemson, 12:30 p.m., ACC Network
Appalachian State at Texas A&M, 12:30 p.m., ESPN2
Tennessee at Pitt, 12:30 p.m., ABC
Washington State at Wisconsin, 12:30 p.m., FOX
Kennesaw State at Cincinnati, 12:30 p.m., ESPN+
Colorado at Air Force, 12:30 p.m., CBS
Memphis at Navy, 12:30 p.m., CBSSN
Maryland at Charlotte, 12:30 p.m., Stadium
South Dakota at Montana, 12:30 p.m., ESPN+
North Carolina A&T at North Dakota State, 12:30 p.m., ESPN+
UNLC at Cal, 1 p.m., Pac-12 Networks
Portland State at Washington, 1 p.m., Pac-12 Washington
Northern Colorado at Wyoming, 1 p.m., MW Network
Samford at Georgia, 1 p.m., SEC Network
Akron at Michigan State, 1 p.m., Big Ten Network
Houston at Texas Tech, 1 p.m., FS1
Iowa State at Iowa, 1 p.m., Big Ten Network
Virginia at Illinois, 1 p.m., ESPNU
Indiana State at Purdue, 1 p.m., Big Ten Network
Wagner at Rutgers, 1 p.m., Big Ten Network
Eastern Kentucky at Bowling Green, 1 p.m., ESPN3
Norfolk State at James Madison, 1 p.m., ESPN3
Mississippi Valley State at Austin Peay, 1 p.m., ESPN+
UNI at North Dakota, 1 p.m., ESPN3
East Tennessee State at The Citadel, 1 p.m., ESPN+
South Carolina State at Bethune-Cookman, 1 p.m., ESPN+
Alabama State at UCLA, 2 p.m., Pac-12 Network
San Diego at Cal Poly, 2 p.m., ESPN+
Lehigh at Georgetown, 2 p.m., ESPN+
UIW at Nevada, 2:30 p.m., MW Network
Kansas at West Virginia, 3 p.m., ESPN+
Old Dominion at East Carolina, 3 p.m., ESPN+
Holy Cross at Buffalo, 3 p.m., ESPN+
Robert Morris at Miami (the other one), 3 p.m., ESPN3
Gardner-Webb at Coastal Carolina, 3 p.m., ESPN+
SE Louisiana at Florida Atlantic, 3 p.m., ESPN3
UAB at Liberty, 3 p.m., ESPN+
Elon at Wofford, 3 p.m., ESPN3
Winston-Salem at NC Central, 3 p.m., ESPN+
Louisiana Christian at Stetson, 3 p.m., ESPN3
Sacred Heart at Central Connecticut, 3 p.m., ESPN3
Rhode Island at Bryant, 3 p.m., ESPN+
Kent State at Oklahoma, 4 p.m., ESPN+
Kentucky at Florida, 4 p.m., ESPN
Central Arkansas at Ole Miss, 4 p.m., ESPN+/SEC Network+
Syracuse at UConn, 4 p.m., CBSSN
Western Carolina at Georgia Tech, 4 p.m., ESPN+/ACCNX
UMass at Toledo, 4 p.m., ESPN+
Alcorn State at Tulane, 4 p.m., ESPN+
Lamar at SMU, 4 p.m., ESPN+
Howard at South Florida, 4 p.m., ESPN+
Northern Illinois at Tulsa, 4 p.m., ESPN+
Eastern Michigan at Louisiana, 4 p.m., NFL Network
Alabama A&M at Troy, 4 p.m., ESPN3
FIU at Texas State, 4 p.m., ESPN+
Stephen F. Austin at Louisiana Tech, 4 p.m., ESPN3
Jacksonville State at Murray State, 4 p.m., ESPN3
Northern Arizona at Sam Houston, 4 p.m., ESPN+
UC Davis at South Dakota State, 4 p.m., ESPN+
UVA Wise at North Alabama, 4 p.m., ESPN+
Lindenwood at Houston Baptist, 4 p.m., ESPN3
Texas A&M-Commerce at Tennessee Tech, 4 p.m., ESPN+
Chattanooga at Eastern Illinois, 4 p.m., ESPN+
SE Missouri State at Southern Illinois, 4 p.m., ESPN3
USC at Stanford, 4:30 p.m., ABC
Arizona State at Oklahoma State, 4:30 p.m., ESPN2
San Jose State at Auburn, 4:30 p.m., ESPNU
Southern at LSU, 4:30 p.m., SEC Network
Georgia Southern at Nebraska, 4:30 p.m., FS1
Texas Southern at North Texas, 4:30 p.m., ESPN3
McNeese at Rice, 4:30 p.m., ESPN3
Valparaiso at Illinois State, 4:30 p.m., ESPN+
Hawai’i at Michigan, 5 p.m., Big Ten Network
Tarleton at TCU, 5 p.m., ESPN+
Idaho at Indiana, 5 p.m., Big Ten Network
Boston College at Virginia Tech, 5 p.m., ACC Network
Nicholls at UL Monroe, 5 p.m., ESPN3
Prairie View A&M at Abilene Christian, 5 p.m., ESPN+
Eastern Washington at Oregon, 5:30 p.m., Pac-12 Network
New Mexico State at UTEP, 6 p.m., ESPN+
Chadron State at Utah Tech, 6 p.m., ESPN+`
Baylor at BYU, 7:12 p.m., ESPN
Oregon State at Fresno State, 7:30 p.m., CBSSN
Mississippi State at Arizona, 8 p.m., FS1

Source: NCAA.com

NFL

SUNDAY

Saints at Falcons, 10 a.m., Fox
Browns at Panthers, 10 a.m., CBS
49ers at Bears, 10 a.m., Fox
Steelers at Bengals, 10 a.m., CBS
Eagles at Lions, 10 a.m., Fox
Colts at Texans, 10 a.m., CBS
Patriots at Dolphins, 10 a.m., CBS
Ravens at Jets, 10 a.m., CBS
Jaguars at Commanders, 10 a.m., Fox
Giants at Titans, 1:25 p.m., Fox
Chiefs at Cardinals, 1:25 p.m., CBS
Raiders at Chargers, 1:25 p.m., CBS
Packers at Vikings, 1:25 p.m., Fox
Buccaneers at Cowboys, 5:20 p.m., NBC/Universe

MONDAY

Broncos at Seahawks, 5:15 p.m., ESPN/ABC/ESPN2/ESPN Deportes

Source: NFL.com

Games to watch in Week 2

09/07/2022 / / 326 Comments

I know all you lazy sports fans are preparing for a weekend of lounging on the couch, a beer and a snack always within arm’s reach. And non-stop football on the tube, of course.

This lazy sports fan will be right there with you. Here are games of note that I am paying attention to for Week 2 of the 2022 college football season.

Odds are current at the time of writing.

Louisville at UCF (-5.5) (Friday)

It’s a short turnaround with lots of travel for Louisville, playing in Orlando six days after a night game in Syracuse. Tough way to turn things around after an opening-game debacle for the Cardinals.

We may find something out about three teams in this game: the two combatants and Syracuse. Is Louisville that bad? If not, does that mean Syracuse is as good as its 31-7 drubbing of the Cards suggest?

And what of UCF? The Knights are facing their first game against teams not named South Carolina State. Is Louisville just another patsy, or will the Cards put up a fight?

North Carolina (-7.5) at Georgia State

Who is the dolt making North Carolina’s schedule? In the near future, when there are but two major football conferences remaining, both the top dog leagues may well tell the Tar Heels to pound sand for the crime of scheduling back-to-back road games against Sun Belt teams.

UNC escaped with a frantic 63-61 win over Appalachian State last week. And while Georgia State is not as good as App State, the Panthers are no pushover.

I have no idea what happens in this game and might not care as much if not for the scheduling inanity.

Duke at Northwestern (-10)

Not surprisingly, most of the money is coming in on Northwestern after its win in Ireland against Nebraska. I am unconvinced that the Wildcats are much improved since a year ago.

And I kind of think Duke is a little bit better than most folks think. I believe I made the line -6.5, so I am opening myself up to looking foolish here.

South Carolina at Arkansas (-8.5)

I really thought Arkansas got exposed in the back end of its defense by Cincinnati last week. Question is, can South Carolina take advantage of the shortcomings of the Hogs’ secondary?

Spencer Rattler did nothing to dispel the notion that he is the kind of QB that keeps both teams in the game, as Paul “Dr. Z” Zimmerman was fond of saying.

I thought both teams would be better this season than they looked last week. I am always warning you lazy fools not to place too much emphasis on one game, so I am going to play close attention here to see what’s what.

Vanderbilt at Wake Forest (-13)

Why am I looking forward to what looks like a real stinker of a game? Because I have a soft spot in my heart for Vandy, forever pulling up the rear in the meat grinder that is the SEC.

The ‘Dores have an outside shot at moving to 3-0, surpassing the win total of the entire 2021 season. And thay have been able to put points on the board, even if it has come against Hawaii and Elon.

Alabama (-20) at Texas

Aside from the two big names facing off, I am curious to see if one of my pet plays comes through for me here. The line opened at -18, which is right where I have it, but has since ballooned to -20.

Whenever I see a line move by two or more points on air, the contrarian in me shows his ugly mug. I don’t give the Longhorns much chance of winning outright, but covering the number seems doable.

Also, this is the first time the Tide have played a road game against a non-conference foe since 1911. (Editor’s note: It’s actually 2011.)

Tennessee (-6.5) at Pittsburgh

I was hoping to get a better number even than the -4.5 where this game opened. Now it has moved two points in the wrong direction, pitting one of my pet moves (see above) against what my eyes tell me.

Maybe I am too high on the Vols, but I see them outscoring most of their opponents in some wild games, maybe even knocking off one of this season’s two behemoths, Alabama and Georgia.

Pitt seemed pretty “meh” to me last week.

Iowa State at Iowa (-3.5)

The total opened at 41.5, the lowest on the board, and promptly went down to 40.5.

That tells me fans were paying attention as Iowa used two safeties and a field goal to defeat South Dakota State last Saturday.

Iowa State has a new QB and a new RB, so the low total is understandable. Therefore, this has all the markings of a 51-48 game.

Kentucky at Florida (-6)

Every season of late, I feel like Kentucky is overrated, that the Wildcats simply don’t have enough athletes to stay with the likes of Florida.

And the Wildcats consistently prove me wrong.

Kentucky was unimpressive last week against Miami (the other one), leading just 13-10 at the half before winning handily. The Wildcats had all sorts of trouble running the ball.

Still, Florida is coming off an emotional win over highly ranked Utah, and maybe the ‘Cats can catch the Gators napping.

Florida is a bit better than I originally thought, but I still feel like the Gators were mostly outplayed by the Utes.

This one could be fun.

Mississippi State (-10.5) at Arizona

The Bulldogs are traveling across country to play a game starting at 10 p.m. Central time. And they are laying 10.5 against an improved Arizona squad.

I have doubts about MSU covering that spread, which opened at -7.5. Here’s your chance to recoup the day’s losses with a late West Coast game.

Also, I cannot stand Mike Leach so caveat emptor. Always, caveat emptor.

NCAA FBS Power Ratings

09/07/2022 / / 6,957 Comments

Power rankings for every FBS football team (as of 9/5/2022)

NOTE: These are power rankings, the type used to create betting lines as you would see in a Vegas-style sportsbook. It is intended to be a numerical reflection of the strength of each team at the time of this writing.

It is not intended to be a ranking, such as the Associated Press Top 25. When done correctly, rankings should tell you where a team sits by virtue of what it has already done. Power ratings tell you where they are at the moment. This information will be repeated until every human on earth understands it. Looking at you, Kirk Herbstreit.

The power rating for each team is my take on what the point spread would be on a neutral field against an average team.

Rk  Team                   Power
1   Alabama               -30.5
2   Georgia               -28.5
3   Ohio State            -24.5
4   Michigan              -16
5   Oklahoma              -16
6   Texas A&M             -15.5
7   Clemson               -13.5
8   Notre Dame            -13.5
9   Utah                  -12.5
10  Michigan State        -12
11  Tennessee             -12
12  Wisconsin             -12
13  USC                   -11.5
14  North Carolina State  -10.5
15  Arkansas              -10
16  Florida               -10
17  Oklahoma State        -9.5
18  Texas                 -9.5
19  LSU                   -9
20  Penn State            -9
21  Baylor                -8.5
22  BYU                   -8.5
23  Mississippi           -8.5
24  Mississippi State     -8.5
25  Kentucky              -7.5
26  Auburn                -7
27  Florida State         -7
28  Maryland              -7
29  Miami                 -7
30  Minnesota             -7
31  Oregon                -7
32  UCF                   -7
33  Washington            -7
34  Cincinnati            -6.5
35  Kansas State          -6.5
36  Iowa                  -6
37  Iowa State            -6
38  UCLA                  -6
39  Nebraska              -5.5
40  SMU                   -5.5
41  TCU                   -5.5
42  Purdue                -5
43  South Carolina        -5
44  Houston               -4
45  Louisville            -4
46  North Carolina        -4
47  Oregon State          -4
48  Pittsburgh            -4
49  Texas Tech            -4
50  Wake Forest           -4
51  Appalachian State     -3.5
52  UAB                   -3.5
53  Air Force             -3
54  Fresno State          -2.5
55  West Virginia         -2.5
56  Arizona State         -2
57  Liberty               -2
58  Coastal Carolina      -1.5
59  Missouri              -1.5
60  Boise State           -1
61  Washington State      -1
62  Boston College        -0.5
63  California            -0.5
64  Illinois               0
65  Virginia               0
66  Virginia Tech          0
67  Toledo                 0.5
68  UTSA                   0.5
69  East Carolina          1
70  Syracuse               1
71  Tulane                 1
72  Louisiana              1.5
73  San Diego State        1.5
74  Stanford               1.5
75  Rutgers                2
76  Tulsa                  2
77  Marshall               2.5
78  Memphis                2.5
79  Arizona                3.5
80  Indiana                3.5
81  Northwestern           4
82  Central Michigan       5
83  Army                   5.5
84  Miami Ohio             5.5
85  Vanderbilt             5.5
86  Western Kentucky       6
87  Western Michigan       6
88  Duke                   7
89  North Texas            7
90  Utah State             7
91  Colorado               7.5
92  Georgia Tech           7.5
93  Kansas                 7.5
94  Nevada                 7.5
95  Georgia State          8
96  James Madison          8.5
97  Northern Illinois      8.5
98  South Alabama          8.5
99  Old Dominion           9
100 Florida Atlantic       9.5
101 Troy                   9.5
102 UNLV                   10
103 Buffalo                10.5
104 Wyoming                10.5
105 Navy                   11
106 San Jose State         11
107 South Florida          11
108 Colorado State         12
109 Georgia Southern       12.5
110 Kent State             13
111 Eastern Michigan       13.5
112 Louisiana Tech         13.5
113 Ball State             14.5
114 UTEP                   14.5
115 New Mexico             15
116 Texas State            15
117 Arkansas State         16
118 Southern Miss          16
119 Ohio                   16.5
120 Middle Tennessee       17
121 Bowling Green          17.5
122 Temple                 17.5
123 Louisiana-Monroe       19
124 Charlotte              19.5
125 Rice                   20
126 Akron                  24.5
127 Florida International  25
128 Connecticut            25.5
129 New Mexico State       25.5
130 Massachusetts          26.5
131 Hawaii                 29.5

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