JIMMY THE GREEK SAYS

jimmythegreek

The opening odds start here
(24) Houston -32 over Connecticut:
The Cougars (10-1 8-0) remained unbeaten in the AAC by virtue of a 31-13 win over Memphis (5-6 2-5) last week at TDECU Stadium. Alton McCaskill (9-58 6.4 1 TD) got the Cougars rolling early with a 36 yard scoring run. Clayton Tune (13-59 4.5 1 TD) scored on a 20 yard run, and Tune (20/34 264 1 TD 2 INT) also completed a 19 yard scoring pass to Nathaniel Dell (7-100 1 TD) as Houston led Memphis 21-3 at half after a scoreless first quarter. Ta'Zhawn Henry (13-73 5.6 1 TD) capped off the balanced rushing attack with a 4 yard run late in the 4th. Jeremy Singleton caught 5 passes for 80 yards, but it wasn't Tune's best day throwing the ball as Marcus Jones picked him off twice and the Cougars committed 3 turnovers. However, the Tigers committed the same amount of miscues and could not take advantage surrounding a tenacious Houston defense. Seth Hanigan (21/45 208 1 TD 2 INT) was ineffective throwing the ball and provided Memphis' only TD with a 5 yard scoring pass to Asa Martin (4-11 1 TD). Calvin Austin III caught 5 passes for 103 yards but was kept out of the end zone, and the Cougars held Memphis to just 106 rushing yards and were outgained 461-322 overall. David Kemp hit 2 chip shot field goals, but in the end wasn't nearly enough for the Tigers, who held the ball for only 25:00. Meanwhile, Johnny Richardson (14-147 10.5 1 TD) led a Knights rushing offense that ran for 4 scores overall and gained 280 yards on the ground as UCF crushed Connecticut (1-10 0-6) 49-17 last week at Addition Arena. Richardson opened the scoring with a 9 yard TD run followed by Mikey Keene (4-33 8.3 1 TD) with a 30 yard keeper, Mark-Antony Richards (10-31 3.1 1 TD) from 8 yards out, and finally Parker Navarro (3-41 13.7 1 TD) on a 5 yard run to start the fourth quarter. Keene also completed 23/29 for 208 yards and 3 scores, a 17 yard scoring pass to Richardson for his only catch that gave the Knights a 28-0 second quarter lead, and a 3 yard TD pass later to Amari Johnson (3-11 1 TD). O Keefe also received a halfback option and fired a 49 yard scoring strike to Brandon Johnson (7-125 1 TD) extending the carnage. UCF (7-4 6-0) outgained U Conn 537-311 and forced 4 Huskies turnovers, It was a nightmarish performance for Steven Krajewski (18/42 174 3 INT), though he did score a on a one yard run just before halftime and ran 10 times for as many yards (1.0. However, the only other TD the Huskies could muster was a Nathan Carter one yard run (13-78 6.0 1 TD) to finally get U Conn on the board nearly 20:00 unto the contest. Krajewski was also sacked 6 times by the UCF defense with the only other scoring by the Huskies being a 42 yard field goal by Joe McFadden late.

Tune (223/325 2712 22 TD 8 INT) despite not hitting the right notes last time out has been sharp and solid all season. What's dynamic about Tune is that he can be a dual force and is agile both in the pocket and if he gets time to throw in the open field. Dell (65-965 9 TD) has been his primary lone workhorse target all season, while Jeremy Singleton (21-370 4 TD) and TE Christian Trahan (33-363 2 TD) are viable second options underneath and in short yardage situations. Bu where this offense lies most dangerous is in the running game led by McCaskill (153-790 5.2 15 TD) among the leaders in rushing scores in the country, and Henry (97-471 4.9 7 TD). Their offense features a nice mix of a solid ground game and efficient aerial attack to the tune (no pun intended) of 38 points and 418 ypg. Once they get started, Dana Holgorsen will not stop taking his foot off the gas pedal, until they kill clock with the contest well in hand. Connecticut has been vulnerable all season on defense, rated well near the bottom in the country. They yield the same 38 ppg Houston average and 450 total yards per game. Jackson Mitchell does have a team leading 105 tackles for the Huskies, but has only 2 sacks despite 2 INT. Travis Jones leads the Huskies with 5 of their team's 13 sacks, while Tre Wortham and Jeremy Lucien also have recorded 2 picks of Connecticut's 10 overall. Where the disadvantage lies is the disparity in size and speed against the more efficient opposition, so the run defense will be vital when it comes to even containing, much less stopping McCaskill and Henry on numerous touches and opportunities.

You have to give Krajewski (113/212 1138 6 TD 10 INT) credit for taking chances, but at the same time the passing game seems to be just a shell of itself, given U Conn is always playing from behind and his arm strength is limiting him from going downfield at a consistent clip. Other than Keelan Marion (24-434 5 TD) being a mild threat in the receiving core, the depth and limitations in personnel cloud the future of how the U Conn offense operates. Nathan Carter (122-565 4.6 2 TD) is the team's one long bright spot but even he doesn't lead his squad in rushing TD. The Huskies aren't an up tempo team like Houston, and either need to use all their downs or wind up punting nearly 4 times more than they score, again due to disparity and talent and lack of personnel. The Huskies average a shade under 14 ppg and 268 total yards, among the least in Div 1-A. Houston has a top 35 run defense giving up only 3.1 yards per carry, averaging a shade under 100 yards overall and they yield overall about 296 net yards and 20 points per contest. Donovan Mutin leads the Cougars with 66 tackles and has recorded 3 sacks and is tied with D'Anthony Jones with 4 forced fumbles. Logan Hall and Derek Parish each have a team leading 5 sacks, and Houston has recorded 35, top 5 in the country. Marcus Jones has 45 tackles and a team leading 6 of his team's 16 INT. So you can see there is lots of balance and diversity both against the run and pass, so Connecticut will have to force turnovers of their own to endure short fields, and mostly win the TOP battle. Easier said than done.

With all the misfortune surrounding Connecticut, and the tenure of Lou Spanos weighing as thin as potentially losing his job by season's end, at least Houston still has plenty to play for when it comes to the bowl selection. The Huskies have not been able to stop the run or pass, and yield a ton of points lacking players who cannot gain penetration on the outside, and fail to flourish whether it comes to either the rushing or passing game. Tune will be striking all the right notes on Saturday, and given his ability to run and throw a decent deep ball against a shell of a secondary, this could get ugly especially if you have a dual headed monster in the backfield.
 

jimmythegreek

The opening odds start here
(1) Georgia -35 over Georgia Tech:
The top ranked Bulldogs (11-0 8-0) have successfully met every challenge, whether it be within the SEC or outside, and have run the table going 11 for 11 not looking ahead to the SEC Championship Saturday, they take on their in-state rivals Georgia Tech (3-8 2-6) from the ACC in what will be a likely tune up on the verge in qualifying for the National Championship Playoffs at the end of next month. Last week at Samford Stadium, Zamir White (4-83 20.8 1 TD) ran for a 40 yard TD pass and led three other Bulldogs who found the end zone as Georgia rushed for 233 yards in a 56-7 rout of Charleston Southern. James Cook (6-57 9.5 1 TD) scored on a 3 yard run early in the second quarter to give Georgia a 35-0 lead, Dajun Edwards (6-21 3.5 1 TD) ran it in from 6 yards out and Jordan Davis scored a one yard TD run. The Bulldogs also used 3 quarterbacks under center against the Buccaneers. Stetson Bennett (8/14 105 2 TD 1 INT) completed scoring passes to Kenny McIntosh (2-36 1 TD) for 32 yards, and later another to Brock Bowers (4-36 2 TD) from 4 yards. Bowers also caught a 7 yard scoring pass from JT Daniels (7/12 73 1 TD) in mop up duty. Carson Beck (5/10 77 1 TD 1 INT) also got his shot and fired a 0 yard TD pass to Brett Seither (2-39 1 TF) with the game well in hand. The Bulldogs outgained the Buccaneers 488-126 and sacked Jack Chambers (11/30 55 1 INT) 6 times and forced 2 turnovers, Georgia wound up playing the game relatively sloppily despite the 49 point win, committing 4 turnovers. The only GSU TD was a 65 yard fumble return to paydirt by Garris Schwarting midway through the 4th quarter. Meanwhile, Jack Coan (15/20 285 2 TD) had one of his better games of the season and Kyren Williams (11-56 5.12 TD) ran for scores of 9 and one yard as 8th ranked Notre Dame (10-1) pitched a 55-0 shutout over the Yellow Jackets (3-8 2-7) at South Bend. The defense also scored a couple of times, thanks to a 43 yard INT return for Jack Kiser, and a 70 yard fumble return to the house by Myron Tagliovailoa-Amosa. Coan, formerly of Wisconsin, completed a 52 yard TS pass to Michael Mayer (3-86 1 TD) just before halftime for a 24-0 lead. Coan then hooked up with Logan Diggs for a 30 yard score, his only reception of the game. Diggs also added a 5 yard TD run to complete the scoring. Jordan Yates (14/28 96 1 INT) was sacked 7 times and lost a fumble as Notre Dame forced 3 turnovers. Notre Dame outgained GT 514-224 and produced only 11 first downs.

What makes Bennett (105/163 1730 17 TD 5 INT) so diverse is that he is extremely efficient under pressure and keeps the play going thanks to his durability out of the pocket. Taking over for JT Daniels (68/94 722 7 TD 3 INT) due to injury, Bennett has a dual threat in the receiving core led by Bowers (34-552 8 TD) ,Ladd McConkey (24-376 3 TD), and Jermaine Burton (19-351 3 TD). They also have a dual threat in the backfield led by White (122-657 5.4 10 TD) and James Cook (82-544 6.6 7 TD). Georgia is not what many call a dominating, hurry up type defense, but they can beat you in so many ways using different formations. Kirby Smart is not shy when it comes to calling different types of run and pass plays, with audibles called at the line of scrimmage. The Bulldogs average 44 points and 440 yards per game, which is 50th in the country. Tech has been vulnerable all season on defense, yielding an average of 34 points and 438 yards per contest. Quez Jackson leads the Jackets with 98 tackles and 3 sacks, tied in sacks with Jordan Domineck and Charlie Thomas. GT haas 20 sacks overall this season, but only 3 INT for their defense. Up front their presence at the line does not compare with Georgia's sped and physicality.

The dual threat QB at GT between Jeff Sims (113/188 1468 12 TD 7 INT) and Jordan Yates (83/137 835 6 TD 3 INT) has looked efficient at times and others overshadowed by their ground game. Malachi Carter (38-494 2 TD) leads the Yellow Jackets in receiving, but there is good balance in the receiving core like Jamhyr Gibbs (34-469 2 TD) and Kyric McGowan (37-467 7 TD) who leads GT in receiving TD. Gibbs is also the primary alternate leader in the rushing attack (141-745 5.3 4 TD) Sims (70-372 5.3 4 TD) and Dontae Smith (57-319 5.6 4 TD) lead the Jackets in rushing scores. GT is able to hang with their ACC conference foes that are in the lower tier of their conference in defense. However this is the # 1 team in the country and a totally different situation leading the smack out of the SEC. Georgia leads the nation allowing only 7.5 ppg and offenses average just 238 yards overall including 78 against in the running game good for #15 in the country overall, the 17 by Tennessee the most anybody has scored on their schedule. Channing Tindall and Nakobe Dean are 1-2 in tackles with 56 and 50 respectably. Those two and Adam Anderson each have 5 sacks of their team's 39 overall. Dean, Derion Kendrick, and Christopher Smith each have 3 picks of their team's 13. The quickness and agility of this unit is so versatile and cover lots of ground, that GT's offensive scheme against the run is easily going to be tested. In order for GT to stay within arm's length, they are going to have to utilize their bag of tricks in the option game as well as take chances down the field if they are going to be productive. Georgia does gain yards in bunches and then loves to wear you down late when they are up big killing clock in the middle of the 3rd quarter on.

Last season the Bulldogs also won convincingly 43-20, and after showing a goose egg against Notre Dame, we don't give GT much of a chance similarly as they close out the campaign missing a bowl game. The Dawgs certainly aren't going to need style points, but they might as well while they are taking care of business locked into the top spot. Other than area, this isn't going to be much of a rivalry game. Georgia has the personnel, running game, special teams, and defense to overwhelm their interstate rivals. It may not be as ugly as that 55 point shutout last week for the Jackets, but because Georgia has the versatility and balance at the helm, it's just going to be another day at the office, and you can bet UGA will not be looking ahead come the SEC Championship game.

Best of luck however you play!
YTD 9-15 .375 -8.10
 
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