Articles

NFL Wildcard Weekend Player Props

by ASA, Inc.

Thursday, Jan 09, 2025

Bills - RB James Cook Over 57.5 Rushing Yards (-115)Cook, somewhat quietly, had a monster year in Buffalo amassing 1K yards while punching in a league-most 16 touchdowns. Derrick Henry and Jahmyr Gibbs also tied that touchdown number but seem to get more notoriety than Cook. Of the ten running backs to amas 1K yards and have double digit touchdowns, Cook saw the least amount of carries, speaking for his efficiency and nose for the end zone. Sunday’s noon matchup against Denver has the Bills as heavy favorites (-9) which bodes well for a run heavy game script. Cook plays on average 48% of the offensive snap while averaging 63 ypg on the ground. During playoff time, expect Cook to be on the field more than usual and the Bills to lean on him to close the game. Eagles - WR AJ Brown Over 84.5 Receiving Yards (-115)Arthur Juan Brown was nagged by a hamstring issue to start the year but since managed to get to 1K yards with seven touchdowns in just 13 games. He ranked fifth in receiving yards per game with 83. A physical specimen and one of the best big body pass catchers in the game, he is in store for lots of volume this week. The Packers are without Jaire Alexander, leaving a thin secondary to try and contain both Brown and DeVonta Smith. Green Bay also has to worry about stopping Saquon Barkley and getting pressure against one of the best offensive lines in football. Brown had 119 yards on 5 catches in their week 1 matchup against the Pack in Brazil. He has the chance to do similar damage in the Wild Card round. Commanders - WR Terry McLaurin Over 59.5 Receiving Yards (-115) Scary Terry has surpassed this current yardage total in 10 of his last 15 games. McLaurin had nearly 1,100 yards and 13 touchdowns in a major bounce back year with rookie Jayden Daniels. Keep in mind, there were also numerous occasions Daniels missed McLaurin for big plays, highlighting the elite wide receiver that he is. The matchup at Tampa Bay is the highest point total of the weekend (50.5), and for good reason, as both defenses have major issues. Tampa ranked 29th in passing yards allowed with Washington ranking 30th in rushing yards allowed. In the warm Tampa weather, points will be flowing in this one, which is fantastic news for Terry’s yardage total. 

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Big Al's Daily Angle: NCAAF, NBA, NHL and NCAAB Previews and Odds - 01/09/2025

by Big Al Staff

Thursday, Jan 09, 2025

The Thursday sports card features NCAAF, NBA, NHL, and NCAAB action.The college football postseason continues with the first semifinal game of the college football playoffs on ESPN and ESPN2. Notre Dame challenges Penn State in the Orange Bowl at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens, Florida, at 7:30 p.m. ET. The Fighting Irish are on a 12-game winning streak after their 23-10 victory against Georgia as a 1-point favorite in the quarterfinals last Thursday. The Nittany Lions won for the sixth time in their last seven games in a 31-14 victory against Boise State as an 11.5-point favorite on New Year’s Eve last Tuesday. Notre Dame is a 1.5-point favorite with the total set at 45.5 (all odds from DraftKings).The National Basketball Association has eight games on its docket. Three NBA games tip off at 7:10 p.m. ET. Three NBA games tip off at 7:10 p.m. ET. The Cleveland Cavaliers host the Toronto Raptors as a 15.5-point favorite with an over/under of 233.5. The Minnesota Timberwolves travel to Orlando to play the Magic as a 4.5-point road favorite with a total of 205.5. The Detroit Pistons play at home against the Golden State Warriors as a 3-point favorite with an over/under of 219.5. The Houston Rockets play at Memphis against the Grizzlies at 8:10 p.m. ET as a 2.5-point road favorite with a total of 232. The Dallas Mavericks are home against the Portland Trail Blazers at 8:40 p.m. ET as a 7.5-point favorite with an over/under of 219. Two NBA games start at 9:10 p.m. ET. The Miami Heat are in Utah to play the Jazz as a 5.5-point road favorite with a total of 222.5. The Phoenix Suns host the Atlanta Hawks as a 6.5-point favorite with an over/under of 238. The Los Angeles Lakers play at home against the Charlotte Hornets at 10:40 p.m. ET as an 8.5-point favorite with a total of 220.5. The National Hockey League has ten games on its slate. Six NHL games from the puck at 7:07 p.m. ET. The Dallas Stars visit Philadelphia to play the Flyers as a -166 money-line road favorite with an over/under of 6.5. The Edmonton Oilers play in Pittsburgh against the Penguins as a -205 money-line road favorite with a total of 6.5. The Tampa Bay Lightning are home against the Boston Bruins as a -166 money-line favorite with an over/under of 5.5. The Ottawa Senators host the Buffalo Sabres as a -155 money-line favorite with a total of 5.5. The Seattle Kraken are in Columbus to play the Blue Jackets as a -118 money-line road favorite with an over/under of 6.5. The New Jersey Devils travel to New York to play the Rangers as a -180 money-line road favorite with a total of 6.5. The Carolina Hurricanes play at home against the Toronto Maple Leafs at 7:37 p.m. ET as a -170 money-line favorite with an over/under of 5.5. Two more NHL games begin at 8:07 p.m. ET. The St. Louis Blues are home against the Anaheim Ducks as a -192 money-line favorite with a total of 5.5. The Colorado Avalanche play in Minnesota against the Wild as a -130 money-line road favorite with an over/under of 5.5. The Vegas Golden Knights host the New York Islanders at 10:07 p.m. ET as a -180 money-line favorite with a total of 6.5. The NCAAB college basketball schedule has 55 games between Division I opponents. Four NCAAB games are on major national television. Chattanooga plays at home against UNC-Greensboro on the CBS Sports Network at 5:00 p.m. ET as a 4-point favorite with an over/under of 143. Purdue is at Rutgers on FS1 at 6:00 p.m. ET as a 1.5-point road favorite with a total of 149. William & Mary is home against Elon University on the CBS Sports Network at 7:00 p.m. ET as a 1.5-point favorite with an over/under of 153.5. Liberty travels to Sam Houston on the CBS Sports Network at 9:00 p.m. ET as a 3.5-point road favorite with a total of 143.5. 

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Big Al's Daily Angle: NBA, NHL and NCAAB Previews and Odds - 01/08/2025

by Big Al Staff

Wednesday, Jan 08, 2025

The Wednesday sports card features NBA, NHL, and NCAAB action.The National Basketball Association has eight games on its docket. Three NBA games tip off at 7:10 p.m. ET. The Cleveland Cavaliers host the Oklahoma City Thunder on ESPN as a 3-point favorite with the total set at 229 (all odds from DraftKings). The Philadelphia 76ers play at home against the Washington Wizards as an 11-point favorite with an over/under of 220. The Indiana Pavers are home against the Chicago Bulls as a 5.5-point favorite with a total of 241. Two NBA games start at 7:40 p.m. ET. The New York Knicks host the Toronto Raptors as an 11.5-point favorite with an over/under of 231.5. The Detroit Pistons travel to Brooklyn to play the Nets as an 8-point road favorite with a total of 213. The New Orleans Pelicans play at home against the Portland Trail Blazers at 8:10 p.m. ET as a 2.5-point favorite with an over/under of 226.5. The Los Angeles Clippers play in Denver against the Nuggets at 9:10 p.m. ET as a 2.5-point road favorite with a total of 228. The Milwaukee Bucks are home against the San Antonio Spurs on ESPN at 9:40 p.m. ET as a 5.5-point favorite with an over/under of 223.The National Hockey League has four games on its slate. Two NHL  games drop the puck at 7:37 p.m. ET. The Colorado Avalanche are in Chicago to play the Blackhawks on TNT as a -265 money-line road favorite with a total of 6.5. The Washington Capitals host the Vancouver Canucks as a -175 money-line favorite with an over/under of 5.5. The Florida Panthers visit Utah to play the Hockey Club on TNT at 10:07 p.m. ET as a -135 money-line road favorite with a total of 5.5. The Los Angeles Kings play at home against the Calgary Flames at 10:37 p.m. ET as a -238 money-line favorite with an over/under of 5.5.The NCAAB college basketball schedule has 50 games between Division I opponents. Nine NCAAB games are on major national television. UConn plays at Villanova on FS1 at 6:30 p.m. ET as a 1-point road favorite with a total of 147. Three NCAAB games tip-off on major national television at 7:00 p.m. ET. Bradley is at home against Drake on the CBS Sports Network as a 2.5-point favorite with an over/under of 126. Arkansas hosts Mississippi on ESPN2 as a 3.5-point favorite with a total of 148. North Carolina State plays at home against Notre Dame on ESPNU as a 2-point favorite with an over/under of 138.5. Three major nationally televised NCAAB games begin at 9:00 p.m. ET. Kansas City is at Nebraska-Omaha on the CBS Sports Network as a 1.5-point road favorite with a total of 139.5. Kansas is at home against Arizona State on ESPN2 as a 13.5-point favorite with an over/under of 143.5. North Texas hosts Rice on ESPNU as an 11.5-point favorite with a total of 125.5. San Diego State plays at home against Air Force on FS1 at 10:30 p.m. ET as a 21.5-point favorite with an over/under of 131.5. California is home against Virginia on ESPNU at 11:00 p.m. ET as a 4.5-point favorite with a total of 132.

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College Football’s Final Four Storyline

by Wayne Root

Tuesday, Jan 07, 2025

In the first round of the College Football Playoff, the teams seeded 5-8 all won. In the second round, they all won again.The moral of this story: who knows, other than something doesn't totally add up when not a single one of the top four teams, all of which received the advantage of a first-round bye, advances into college football's final four. No conference championship? No problem. None of the schools won a conference title or earned a first-round bye in the playoffs, but each features a coach who has never won a national championship before. The semifinals are set: Next Thursday in the Orange Bowl, it will be No. 6 Penn State vs. No. 7 Notre Dame. Then, Friday in the Cotton Bowl, it will be No. 5 Texas vs. No. 8 Ohio State.What’s with the SEC?Texas is the highest remaining seed. There's no way Ohio State should be seeded eighth. Suddenly, seventh-seeded Notre Dame seems like the bracket's cuddly underdog. That's one way to look at it. Here's another: The SEC is on the clock. If Texas loses the Cotton Bowl to Ohio State, the SEC will be out of the championship game for the second consecutive season. One thing this expanded tournament could still use: a well-played, truly great football game. Other than the two-overtime win by Texas over Arizona State on Wednesday, all these playoff games have been double-digit snoozefests.Who’s Hot?Ohio State is the hottest team in the field but still is internalizing its own special angst of not being able to win the big one on the heels of a fourth straight loss to rival Michigan to close the regular season. Hottest? Hang on because Notre Dame may want to have a word. The Irish have shed themselves of the torment from the Northern Illinois loss. The 12-game winning streak since then is the longest in the country.Will defense win this?If defense wins championships, then Marcus Freeman has this thing figured out. The 62.5 rushing yards per game is the best in the playoff. Defensive coordinator Al Golden has allowed the two playoff opponents -- Indiana and Georgia -- only 61 plays each. The Irish have held the ball 56% of the time (67 out of 120 minutes). PENN ST vs NOTRE DAME (-2.5)No. 7 Notre Dame (13-1) The Story: When the Irish lost 16-14 at home to Northern Illinois on Sept. 7, Notre Dame's odds of winning the national title ballooned to 100-1. Twelve wins later, including two by double digits in the playoffs, and they are listed at 7-1.We shall see if quarterback Riley Leonard can be the difference offensively. Against Georgia, he passed for less than 100 yards but led the Irish in rushing. No. 6 Penn State (13-2) The Story: After a loss to Oregon in the Big Ten title game, Franklin's record against teams in the AP Top 10 dropped to 3-19. Oregon isn't playing anymore, Ohio State is and Franklin's record against the Buckeyes is 1-10.Penn State has the most explosive running game in the playoff (more than 200 yards per game). Kaytron Allen and Nick Singleton are the first pair of 1,000-yard rushers for the Nittany Lions in the same season. Quarterback Drew Allar just completed his eighth career game with at least three touchdown passes and no interceptions. But Allar always seems to miss one or two wide open receivers per game. He's either still developing or that is an ongoing flaw in his game. That's not a good combination with ND leading the country allowing only 51% of opponent passes to be completed. PSU's All-American tight end Tyler Warren can go off at any time. In the playoff, he has 17 touches receiving, rushing and throwing for 102 yards and two touchdowns.Hidden stat: Penn State lives in the opponent's backfield. Only two other Power Four programs have more tackles for loss. Penn State has 20 TFLs in 148 opponents' snaps in the postseason. TEXAS vs OHIO ST (-6)No. 5 Texas (13-2) The Story: The Longhorns are 0-2 against Georgia and don't have to worry about the Dawgs anymore. They are 13-0 against the rest of the country.Quinn Ewers returns to his "roots" against Ohio State. It seems like a decade ago, but Texas' quarterback started with the Buckeyes after reclassifying to get out of high school a year early. He basically did it for an NIL bag. Ewers took only four snaps that freshman season. Now, he has become the face of Texas with an NFL-quality arm backed by an elite defense. Because of its lack of attention to detail, Texas allowed Arizona State to rally late to tie in Peach Bowl quarterfinal. The Longhorns arguably should have lost after a targeting penalty against Michael Taaffe wasn't called.No. 8 Ohio State (12-2) The Story: After punctuating a fourth straight loss to Michigan by standing on the field looking lost while the Wolverines triggered a melee by planting the team flag at the 50-yard line, there was good reason to think coach Ryan Day could only keep his job by somehow rallying to win a national title that felt unlikely.Hidden stat: Ohio State is one win away from becoming the fourth team ever with four wins against top-five ranked teams in a season. The others are Notre Dame (1943), USC (1967) and LSU (2019). 

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Big Al's Daily Angle: NBA, NHL, and NCAAB Previews and Odds - 1/7/2025

by Big Al Staff

Tuesday, Jan 07, 2025

The Tuesday sports card features NBA, NHL, and NCAAB action.The National Basketball Association has seven games on its docket. Two NBA games tip off at 7:10 p.m. ET. The Houston Rockets travel to Washington to play the Wizards as an 11.5-point road favorite with the total set at 226 (all odds from DraftKings). The Phoenix Suns play in Charlotte against the Hornets as a 4-point road favorite with an over/under of 222. The Los Angeles Lakers are in Dallas to face the Mavericks on TNT at 7:40 p.m. ET as a 6.5-point road favorite with a total of 218.5. The Minnesota Timberwolves visit New Orleans to play the Pelicans at 8:10 p.m. ET as a 4.5-point road favorite with an over/under of 220. The Atlanta Hawks play in Utah against the Jazz at 9:10 p.m. ET as a 6.5-point road favorite with a total of 235.5. Two games conclude the NBA card at 10:10 p.m. ET. The Golden State Warriors host the Miami Heat as a 9-point favorite with an over/under of 218. The Boston Celtics are in Denver to battle the Nuggets on TNT as a 5-point road favorite with a total of 236. The National Hockey League has 10 games on its slate. Five NHL games drop the puck at 7:07 p.m. ET. The Carolina Hurricanes travel to Tampa Bay to play the Lightning as a -112 money-line road favorite with an over/under of 6.5. The Dallas Stars play in New York against the Rangers as a -162 money-line road favorite with a total of 6.5. The Ottawa Senators are in Detroit to play the Red Wings as a -120 money-line road favorite with an over/under of 5.5. The Edmonton Oilers visit Detroit to play the Red Wings as a -142 money-line road favorite with a total of 5.5. The Pittsburgh Penguins play at home against the Columbus Blue Jackets as a -142 money-line favorite with an over/under of 6.5. The Toronto Maple Leafs play in Philadelphia against the Flyers at 7:37 p.m. ET as a -142 money-line road favorite with a total of 6.5. Two more NHL games begin at 8:07 p.m. ET. The Minnesota Wild are home against the St.Louis Blues as a -148 money-line favorite with an over/under of 5.5. The Winnipeg Jets host the Nashville Predators as a -155 money-line favorite with a total of 5.5.The Calgary Flames are in Anaheim to play the Ducks at 10:07 p.m. ET as a -135 money-line road favorite with an over/under of 6.5. The Vegas Golden Knights travel to San Jose to play the Sharks at 10:37 p.m. ET as a -258 money-line road favorite with a total of 6.5. The NCAAB college basketball schedule has 34 games between Division I opponents. Twelve NCAAB games are on major national television. St. John’s plays at Xavier on FS1 at 6:30 p.m. ET as a 1.5-point road favorite with an over/under of 151.5. Three NCAAB games are on major national television at 7:00 p.m. ET. Florida plays at home against Tennessee on ESPN2 as a 2.5-point favorite with a total of 148.5. Louisville is at home against Clemson on ESPNU as a 3.5-point favorite with an over/under of 143.5. Duke hosts Pittsburgh on ESPN as a 14.5-point favorite with a total of 143.5.Two major nationally televised NCAAB games tip off at 8:00 p.m. ET.  Marquette plays at home against Georgetown on the CBS Sports Network as a 12.5-point favorite with an over/under of 145.5. Iowa is home against Nebraska on Peacock as a 3.5-point favorite with a total of 159. Two NCAAB games are on major national television at 9:00 p.m. ET. Auburn is at Texas on ESPN2 as a 10.5-point road favorite with an over/under of 152.5. Mississippi State visits Vanderbilt on ESPNU as a 1.5-point road favorite with a total of 154.5.  Two major nationally televised NCAAB games start at 10:00 p.m. ET. New Mexico plays at Wyoming on the CBS Sports Network as a 7-point road favorite with an over/under of 147. UCLA hosts Michigan on Peacock as a 3.5-point favorite with a total of 141. Boise State plays at home against UNLV on FS1 at 10:30 p.m. ET as a 7-point favorite with an over/under of 140. Saint Mary’s is home against Loyola-Marymount on ESPN2 at 11:00 p.m. ET as a 14.5-point favorite with a total of 135.

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Big Al's Daily Angle: NBA, NHL, NCAAB and EPL Previews and Odds - 1/6/2025

by Big Al Staff

Monday, Jan 06, 2025

The Monday sports card features NBA, NHL, NCAAB, and EPL action.The National Basketball Association has nine games on its docket. The NBA games tip off at 7:10 p.m. ET. The Philadelphia 76ers host the Phoenix Suns as a 3.5-point favorite, with the total set at 222.5. The Detroit Pistons play at home against the Portland Trail Blazers as a 6.5-point favorite with an over/under of 225.5. Three NBA games start at 7:40 p.m. ET. The Indiana Pacers travel to Brooklyn to play the Nets as a 9.5-point road favorite with a total of 222.5. The New York Knicks are home against the Orlando Magic as an 11-point favorite with an over/under of 209.5. The Milwaukee Bucks play in Toronto against the Raptors as a 7-point road favorite with a total of 230.5. Three NBA games begin at 8:10 p.m. ET. The San Antonio Spurs are in Chicago to play the Blackhawks as a 3-point road favorite with an over/under of 237. The Memphis Grizzlies host the Dallas Mavericks as a 5.5-point favorite with a total of 232.5. The Minnesota Timberwolves play at home against the Los Angeles Clippers as a 3-point favorite with an over/under of 215. The National Hockey League has four games on its slate. The Washington Capitals visit Buffalo to play the Sabres at 7:10 p.m. ET as a -148 money-line road favorite with a total of 6.5. The Vancouver Canucks play in Montreal against the Canadiens at 7:40 p.m. ET as a -135 money-line road favorite with an over/under of 5.5. The Colorado Avalanche are home against the Florida Panthers at 9:10 p.m. ET as a -125 money-line favorite with a total of 6.5. The New Jersey Devils are in Seattle to play the Kraken at 10:10 p.m. ET as a -185 money-line road favorite with an over/under of 5.5. The NCAAB college basketball schedule has 17 games between Division I opponents. Five NCAAB games are on major national television. Two of these NCAAB games on major national television tip off at 7:00 p.m. ET. Wisconsin travels to Rutgers on FSI as a 1.5-point road favorite with an over/under of 156.5. Wichita State hosts South Florida on ESPN2. The Shockers had won two games in a row before their 91-85 loss at Temple as a 1-point underdog on Friday. The Bulls have won three straight games after their 75-69 victory against East Carolina as a 1.5-point favorite on Tuesday. Wichita State is an 8.5-point favorite with a total of 154.5. Three more NCAAB games on major national television start at 9:00 p.m. ET. Ohio State plays at Minnesota on FS1 as a 5-point road favorite with an over/under of 137. Texas Southern plays at home against Grambling State on ESPNU as a 3.5-point favorite with a total of 136.5. Houston is at home against TCU on ESPN2. The Cougars have won 11 games in a row after their 89-55 victory against West Virginia as a 19.5-point favorite on Saturday. The Horned Frogs won for the third time in their last four games after their 63-62 victory against Kansas State as a 3.5-point favorite on Saturday. TCU is an 18.5-point favorite with an over/under of 128.5. Matchweek 20 in the English Premier League concludes with one match. Nottingham Forest is at Wolverhampton on the USA Network at 3:00 p.m. ET as a -0.5 goal-line road favorite with a total of 2.5.

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Big Al's Daily Angle: NFL, NBA, NCAAB, NHL and EPL Previews and Odds - 1/5/2025

by Big Al Staff

Sunday, Jan 05, 2025

The Sunday sports card features NFL, NBA, NHL, NCAAB, and EPL action.Week 18 in the NFL concludes with 14 games. Eight NFL games kick off at 1:00 p.m. ET. The Indianapolis Colts host the Jacksonville Jaguars as a 3-point favorite with the total set at 44.5 (all odds from DraftKings). The Buffalo Bills travel to New England to play the Patriots as a 3.5-point road favorite with an over/under of 366.5. The Washington Commanders play in Dallas against the Cowboys as a 7-point road favorite with a total of 43.5. The Philadelphia Eagles play at home against the New York Giants as a 1.5-point favorite with an over/under of 36.5. The Green Bay Packers are home against the Chicago Bears as a 9.5-point favorite with a total of 41.5.  The Atlanta Falcons host the Carolina Panthers as a 7.5-point favorite with an over/under of 48.5. The Tennessee Titans play at home against the Houston Texans as a 1.5-point favorite with a total of 36.5. The Tampa Bay Buccaneers are home against the New Orleans Saints as a 14-point favorite with an over/under of 45.5. ]Five more NFL games start at 4:25 p.m. ET. The Arizona Cardinals host the San Francisco 49ers as a 4.5-point favorite with a total of 42.5. The Seattle Seahawks are in Los Angeles against the Rams as a 7-point road favorite with an over/under of 38.5. The New York Jets play at home against the Miami Dolphins as a -0.5 point favorite with a total of 38.5. The Los Angeles Chargers visit Las Vegas to play the Raiders as a 7-point road favorite with an over/under of 42.5. The Denver Broncos play at home against the Kansas City Chiefs as an 11.5-point favorite with a total of 40.5.Sunday Night Football on NBC has the Detroit Lions at home against the Minnesota Vikings at 8:20 p.m. ET. The Lions are a 3-point favorite with an over/under of 56.5.The National Basketball Association has six games on its docket. The Oklahoma City Thunder host the Boston Celtics at 3:40 p.m. ET as a 2-point favorite with a total of 222. Two more NBA tip-off at 6:10 p.m. ET. The New Orleans Pelicans play in Washington against the Wizards as a 4.5-point road favorite with an over/under of 235.5. The Cleveland Cavaliers play at home against the Charlotte Hornets as a 15-point favorite with a total of 222. The Orlando Magic are home against the Utah Jazz at 6:40 p.m. ET as a 6.5-point favorite with an over/under of 212. The Houston Rockets host the Los Angeles Lakers at 7:10 p.m. ET as a 5-point favorite with a total of 218.5. The Golden State Warriors play at home against the Sacramento Kings at 8:40 p.m. ET as a 3-point favorite with an over/under of 226.5. The National Hockey League has five games on its slate. The New York Rangers are in Chicago to play the Blackhawks on ABC at 3:07 p.m. ET as a -148 money-line road favorite with a total of 6.5. Two more NHL games drop the puck at 6:07 p.m. ET. The Boston Bruins are home against the New York Islanders as a -118 money-line favorite with an over/under of 5.5. The Carolina Hurricanes host the Pittsburgh Penguins as a -218 money-line favorite with a total of 6.5. The Toronto Maples Leafs play at home against the Philadelphia Flyers at 7:07 p.m. ET as a -185 money-line favorite with an over/under of 6.5. The Tampa Bay Lightning travel to Anaheim to play the Ducks at 8:07 p.m. ET as a -192 money-line road favorite with a total of 6.5. The NCAAB college basketball schedule has 24 games between Division I opponents. Five NCAAB games are on major national television. Florida Atlantic plays at Eastern Carolina on ESPN2 at 1:00 p.m. ET as a 2.5-point road favorite with an over/under of 150. UConn is at home against Providence on NBC at 2:00 p.m. ET as a 15-point favorite with a total of 137. Drake is at home against Murray State on ESPN2 as a 9.5-point favorite with an over/under of 127. Oregon hosts Maryland on Peacock at 4:00 p.m. ET as a 4.5-point favorite with a total of 150. Memphis plays at home against North Texas as a 9-point favorite with an over/under of 136.5. Matchweek 20 in the English Premier League continues with two matches. Fulham is at home against Ipswich Town as a -1.5 goal-line favorite with a total of 2.5. Liverpool hosts Manchester United on NBC at 11:30 a.m. ET as a -1.5 goal-line favorite with an over/under of 3.5.

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Big Al's Daily Angle: EPL, NFL, NBA, NHL, NCAAF and NCAAB Previews and Odds - 1/4/2025

by Big Al Staff

Saturday, Jan 04, 2025

The Saturday sports card features NFL, NCAAF, NBA, NHL, NCAAB, and EPL action.Week 18 in the NFL kicks off with two games on ABC and ESPN. The Baltimore Ravens host the Cleveland Browns at 4:30 p.m. ET as a 19.5-point favorite with the total set at 41.5 (all odds from DraftKings). The Cincinnati Bengals travel to Pittsburgh to play the Steelers at 8:00 p.m. ET as a 2.5-point road favorite with an over/under of 48.5. The college football postseason continues with one bowl game. Buffalo plays Liberty in the Bahamas Bowl at the Thomas Robinson Stadium in Nassau, Bahamas. The Bulls are a 4-point favorite with a total of 50.5. The National Basketball Association has nine games on its docket. The Philadelphia 76ers play in Brooklyn against the Nets at 6:10 p.m. ET as a 7-point road favorite with an over/under of 215.5. Two more NBA games tip off at 7:10 p.m. ET. The Indiana Pacers play at home against the Phoenix Suns as a 1.5-point favorite with a total of 235. The Minnesota Timberwolves are at Detroit to play the Pistons as a 6-point road favorite with an over/under of 218.5. Four NBA games start at  8:10 p.m. ET. The Milwaukee Bucks are home against the Portland Trail Blazers as a 12-point favorite with a total of 228. The Denver Nuggets visit San Antonio to play the Spurs as a 2-point road favorite with an over/under of 238.5. The Miami Heat host the Utah Jazz as an 8-point favorite with a total of 224. The New York Knicks play in Chicago against the Bulls as a 5.5-point road favorite with an over/under of 235. The Golden State Warriors play at home against the Memphis Grizzlies at 8:40 p.m. ET as a 2.5-point favorite with a total of 234.5. The Los Angeles Clippers are home against the Atlanta Hawks at 10:40 p.m. ET as a 6-point favorite with an over/under of 228.5.The National Hockey League has 12 games on its slate. The Washington Capitals host the New York Rangers at 12:07 p.m. ET as a -162 money-line favorite with a total of 6.5. The New Jersey Devils are in San Jose to play the Sharks at 4:07 p.m. ET as a -305 money-line road favorite with an over/under of 6.5. Five NHL games drop the puck at 7:07 p.m. ET. The Winnipeg Jets play at home against the Detroit Red Wings as a -205 money-line favorite with a total of 5.5. The Toronto Maple Leafs are home against the Boston Bruins as a -142 money-line favorite with an over/under of 5.5. The Carolina Hurricanes host the Minnesota Wild as a -290 money-line favorite with a total of 6.5. The Columbus Blue Jackets play at home against the St. Louis Blues as a -125 money-line favorite with an over/under of 6.5. The Dallas Stars are home against the Utah Hockey Club at 8:07 p.m. ET as a -185 money-line favorite with a total of 6.5. The Los Angeles Kings host the Tampa Bay Lightning at 9:07 p.m. ET as a -122 money-line favorite with an over/under of 5.5. Three games conclude the NHL card at 10:07 p.m. ET. The Nashville Predators travel to Calgary to play the Flames as a -115 money-line road favorite with a total of 7.5. The Edmonton Oilers play in Seattle against the Kraken as a -162 money-line road favorite with an over/under of 6.5. The Vegas Golden Knights play at home against the Buffalo Sabres as a -198 money-line favorite with a total of 6.5.The NCAAB college basketball schedule has 137 games between Division I opponents. Seven NCAAB games are on major national television. Kentucky is home against Florida on ESPN at 11:00 a.m. ET as a 3-point favorite with an over/under of 166.5. North Carolina is at Notre Dame on CBS at noon ET as a 4.5-point road favorite with a total of 156. Tennessee is home against Arkansas on ESPN at 1:00 p.m. ET as a 12-point favorite with an over/under of 144. Two NCAAB games on major national television tip-off at 2:00 p.m. ET. Iowa State hosts Baylor on CBS as an 8.5-point favorite with a total of 152. Nebraska plays at home against UCLA on Fox as a 1-point favorite with an over/under of 134. Boise State is home against San Diego State on CBS at 4:00 p.m. ET as a 4.5-point favorite with a total of 137.5. Michigan travels to USC on Fox at 8:00 p.m. ET as a 5-point road favorite with an over/under of 151. Matchweek 20 in the English Premier League begins with five matches. Newcastle United plays at Tottenham on the USA Network at 7:30 a.m. ET as a -0.5 goal-line road favorite with an over/under of 3.5. Four more EPL matches start at 10:00 a.m. ET. Aston Villa hosts Leicester City as a -1.5 goal-line favorite with a total of  3.5. Bournemouth plays at home against Everton on the USA Network as a -0.5 goal-line favorite with an over/under of 2.5. Chelsea is at Crystal Palace as a -0.5 goal-line road favorite with a total of 2.5. Manchester City is home against West Ham United as a -1.5 goal—line favorite with an over/under of 3.5. Brentford visits Southampton as a -0.5 goal-line road favorite with a total of 2.5. Arsenal plays at Brighton and Hove Albion on NBC at 12:30 p.m. ET as a -0.5 goal-line road favorite with an over/under of 2.5. 

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Big Al's Daily Angle: NBA, NHL, NCAAB and NCAAF Previews and Odds - 1/3/2025

by Big Al Staff

Friday, Jan 03, 2025

The Friday sports card features NCAAF, NBA, NHL, and NCAAB action. The college football postseason continues with two bowl games on ESPN. Texas State battles North Texas in the First Responder Bowl at the Gerald Ford Stadium in Dallas, Texas, at 4:00 p.m. ET. The Bobcats won for the third time in their last four games in a 45-38 victory at South Alabama as a 2.5-point favorite on November 29th. The Mean Green ended a five-game winning streak with a 24-17 victory at Temple as an 11.5-point favorite on November 30th. Texas State is a 14-point favorite with the total set at 64 (all odds from DraftKings). Minnesota plays Virginia Tech in the Duke’s Mayo Bowl at the Bank of America Stadium in Charlotte, North Carolina, at 7:30 p.m. ET. The Golden Gophers ended a two-game losing streak with a 24-7 victory at Wisconsin as a 2-point favorite on November 29th. The Hokies had lost three games in a row before a 37-17 win against Virginia as a 5-point favorite on November 30th. Minnesota is a 9.5-point favorite with an over/under of 42.5. The National Basketball Association has nine games on its docket. The Detroit Pistons host the Charlotte Hornets at 7:10 p.m. ET as a 5.5-point favorite with a total of 216.5. The Orlando Magic travel to Toronto to face the Raptors at 7:40 p.m. ET as a 1.5-point road favorite with an over/under of 215.5. Three NBA games tip off at 8:10 p.m. ET. The New Orleans Pelicans play at home against the Washington Wizards as a 7-point favorite with a total of 232.5. The Oklahoma City Thunder are home against the New York Knicks as a 5-point favorite with an over/under of 221.5. The Boston Celtics play at Houston against the Rockets as a 2.5-point road favorite with a total of 221. The Cleveland Cavaliers are in Dallas to play the Mavericks at 8:40 p.m. ET as a 7-point road favorite with an over/under of 231.The Denver Nuggets host the San Antonio Spurs at 9:10 p.m. ET as a 7-point favorite with a total of 236. The Sacramento Kings play at home against the Memphis Grizzlies at 10:10 p.m. ET as a 4-point favorite with an over/under of 238.5. The Los Angeles Lakers are at home against the Atlanta Hawks at 10:40 p.m. ET as a 3.5-point favorite with a total of 231.The National Hockey League has five games on its slate. The Florida Panthers host the Pittsburgh Penguins at 7:07 p.m. ET as a -205 money-line favorite with an over/under of 6.5. Two more NHL games drop the puck at 8:07 p.m. ET. The Montreal Canadiens visit Chicago to play the Blackhawks as a -122 money-line road favorite with a total of 6.5. The St. Louis Blues play at home against the Ottawa Senators as a -112 money-line favorite with an over/under of 5.5. The Edmonton Oilers are home against the Anaheim Ducks at 9:07 p.m. ET as a -455 money-line favorite with a total of 6.5. The Nashville Predators play in Vancouver against the Canucks at 10:07 p.m. ET as a -125 money-line road favorite with an over/under of 5.5.The NCAAB college basketball schedule has 16 games between Division I opponents. Eight NCAAB games are on major national television. Akron is at Bowling Green on the CBS Sports Network at 6:00 p.m. ET as a 5.5-point road favorite with a total of 154.5. Two NCAAB games on major national television tip-off at 7:00 p.m. ET. Wisconsin hosts Iowa on FS1 as a 5.5-point favorite with an over/under of 162.5. Temple plays at home against Wichita State on ESPN2 as a 1.5-point favorite with a total of 153. Two NCAAB games start at 8:00 p.m. ET. Ohio State is home against Michigan State on Fox as a 1.5-point favorite with an over/under of 149. Georgetown hosts Xavier on the CBS Sports Network as a 1-point favorite with a total of 148.5. Two NCAAB games begin at 9:00 p.m. ET. Saint Louis plays at home against Saint Joseph’s on ESPN2 as a 2-point favorite with an over/under of 152. Marquette is at home against Creighton on FS1 as a 9.5-point favorite with a total of 147.5. New Mexico hosts Nevada on FS1 at 11:00 p.m. ET as a 6-point favorite with an over/under of 150.5.

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Big Al's Daily Angle: NBA, NHL, NCAAB and NCAAF Previews and Odds - 1/2/2025

by Big Al Staff

Thursday, Jan 02, 2025

The Thursday New Year’s Day sports card features NCAAF, NBA, NHL, and NCAAB action. The college football postseason continues with the two bowl games on ESPN. Notre Dame plays Georgia in the rescheduled Sugar Bowl at the Caesars Superdome in New Orleans, Louisiana, in the final game in the college football playoff quarterfinals on ESPN at 4:00 p.m. ET. The Fighting Irish are on an 11-game winning streak after their 27-17 victory against Indiana as a 6.5-point favorite in the first round of the college football playoffs on December 20th. The Bulldogs are on a four-game winning streak after a 22-19 upset victory against Texas as a 3-point underdog in the SEC championship game on December 7th. Notre Dame is a 1-point favorite with the total set at 45.5 (all odds from DraftKings). Mississippi battles Duke in the Gator Bowl at EverBank Stadium in Jacksonville, Florida, on ESPN at 7:30 p.m. ET. The Rebels won for the fourth time in their last five games with a 26-14 victory against Mississippi State as a 26-point favorite on November 29th. The Blue Devils are on a three-game winning streak after a 23-17 victory at Wake Forest as a 3.5-point favorite on November 30th. Ole Miss is a 17-point favorite with an over/under of 51.5.The National Basketball Association has six games on its docket. Two NBA games tip off at 7:40 p.m. ET. The Boston Celtics travel to Minnesota to play the Timberwolves on TNT as a 4-point road favorite with a total of 219.5. The Miami Heat host the Indiana Pacers as a 1.5-point favorite with a total of 224. Two NBA games start at 8:10 p.m. ET. The Milwaukee Bucks play at home against the Brooklyn Nets as a 14-point favorite with an over/under of 219. The Oklahoma City Thunder are at home against the Los Angeles Clippers as a 9.5-point favorite with a total of 219. The Golden State Warriors host the Philadelphia 76ers on TNT at 10:10 p.m. ET as a 2.5-point favorite with an over/under of 218. The Los Angeles Lakers host the Portland Trail Blazers at 10:40 p.m. ET as an 8.5-point favorite with a total of 225. The National Hockey League has 12 games on its slate. Four NHL games drop the puck at 7:07 p.m. ET. The Columbus Blue Jackets play at home against the Detroit Red Wings as a -118 money-line favorite with an over/under of 6.5. The Florida Panthers are at home against the Calgary Flames as a -125 money-line favorite with a total of 6.5. The Boston Bruins play in New York against the Rangers as a -118 money-line road favorite with an over/under of 5.5. The Washington Capitals host the Minnesota Wild as a -148 money-line favorite with a total of 5.5. The Toronto Maple Leafs are in New York against the Islanders at 7:37 p.m. ET as a -115 money-line road favorite with an over/under of 5.5.Two NHL games start at 8:07 p.m. ET. The Winnipeg Jets play at home against the Anaheim Ducks as a -290 money-line favorite with a total of 5.5. The Dallas Stars are at home against the Ottawa Senators as a -198 money-line favorite with an over/under of 5.5. Two more NHL games begin at 9:07 p.m. ET. The Columbus Blue Jackets host the Buffalo Sabres as a -225 money-line favorite with a total of 6.5. The Calgary Flames play at home against the Utah Hockey Club as a -115 money-line favorite with an over/under of 5.5. Two NHL games begin at 10:07 p.m. ET. The Seattle Kraken are home against the Vancouver Canucks as a -125 money-line favorite with a total of 5.5. The Vegas Golden Knights host the Philadelphia Flyers as a -205 money-line favorite with an over/under of 6.5. The Tampa Bay Lightning visit the San Jose Sharks at 10:37 p.m. ET as a -270 money-line road favorite with a total of 6.5.The NCAAB college basketball schedule has 66 games between Division I opponents. Three NCAAB games are on major national television. Memphis plays at Florida Atlantic on ESPN2 at 7:00 p.m. ET as a 3.5-point road favorite with an over/under of 160. Purdue is at Minnesota on FS1 at 8:00 p.m. ET as a 6.5-point road favorite with a total of 136.5. Oregon plays at home against Illinois on FS1 at 10:00 p.m. ET as a 4.5-point favorite with an over/under of 156.5. 

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Big Al's Daily Angle: NCAAF, NBA, NHL, NCAAB and EPL Previews and Odds 1/1/2025

by Big Al Staff

Wednesday, Jan 01, 2025

The Wednesday New Year’s Day sports card features NCAAF, NBA, NHL, NCAAB, and EPL action. The college football postseason continues with the three remaining quarterfinal games of the college football playoffs on ESPN and ESPN2. Texas battles Arizona State in the Peach Bowl at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta, Georgia, at 1:00 p.m. ET. The Longhorns won for the sixth time in their last seven games with their 38-24 victory against Clemson as a 13.5-point favorite in the first round of the college football playoffs on December 21st. The Sun Devils are on a six-game winning streak after their 45-19 upset victory as a 1.5-point underdog against Iowa State in the Big 12 championship game on December 7th. Texas is a 13-point favorite with the total set at 51.5 (all odds from DraftKings). Ohio State plays Oregon in the Rose Bowl at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, California, at 5:00 p.m. ET. The Buckeyes won for the sixth time in their last seven games with their 42-17 victory against Tennessee as a 7-point favorite in the first round of the playoffs on December 21st. The Ducks continued their unbeaten season with their 45-37 win against Penn State as a 3-point favorite in the Big Ten championship game as a 3-point favorite on December 7th. Ohio State is a 2.5-point favorite with an over/under of 55.5. Georgia challenges Notre Dame in the Sugar Bowl at the Caesars Superdome in New Orleans, Louisiana, at 8:30 p.m. ET. The Bulldogs are on a four-game winning streak after their 22-19 upset victory as a 3-point underdog against Texas in the SEC championship game on December 7th. The Fighting Irish are on an 11-game winning streak after their 27-17 victory against Indiana as a 6.5-point favorite in the opening round of the playoffs on December 20th. Georgia is a 1-point favorite with a total of 45.5. The National Basketball Association has eight games on its docket. Two NBA games tip off at 7:10 p.m. ET. The Detroit Pistons host the Orlando Magic as a 1.5-point favorite with an over/under of 211.5. The Chicago Bulls travels to Washington to play the Wizards as a 5.5-point road favorite with a total of 237.5. Three NBA games start at 7:40 p.m. ET. The Miami Heat play at home against the New Orleans Pelicans as a 9-point favorite with an over/under of 222. The New York Knicks are home against the Utah Jazz as a 13-point favorite with a total of 231. The Brooklyn Nets play in Toronto against the Raptors as a 1-point road favorite with an over/under of 222. The Houston Rockets host the Dallas Mavericks at 8:10 p.m. ET as a 5.5-point favorite with a total of 221.5. The Denver Nuggets play at home against the Atlanta Hawks as a 5-point favorite with an over/under of 246. The Sacramento Kings are home against the Philadelphia 76ers at 10:10 p.m. ET as a 7-point favorite with a total of 224.The National Hockey League has one game on its slate. The Los Angeles Kings host the New Jersey Devils at 6:07 p.m. ET as a -118 money-line favorite with an over/under of 5.5.The NCAAB college basketball schedule has 20 games between Division I opponents. Three NCAAB games are on major national television. Wofford plays at home against UNC-Greensboro on the CBS Sports Network at noon ET as a 1.5-point favorite with a total of 138. UConn is at DePaul on the CBS Sports Network at 2:00 p.m. ET as a 12-point road favorite with an over/under of 146.5. Villanova visits Butler on FS1 at 6:30 p.m. ET as a 2.5-point road favorite with a total of 146. Matchweek 19 in the English Premier League concludes with one match. Arsenal plays at Brentford on the USA Network at 12:30 p.m. ET as a -1.5 goal-line road favorite with an over/under of 3.5.

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College Football 2024-25 Preview, Part 5 -- 134 Questions and Thoughts for 134 FBS Teams

by Hollywood Sports

Tuesday, Dec 31, 2024

For the 14th straight summer, I invested time researching each FBS college football team to serve as the foundation for my college football handicapping in the fall and winter. What initially began as basic note-taking on some fundamental details for each team has become an arduous and detailed process for each team that derives from reading and studying multiple sources. Each FBS team now takes about 45 minutes to an hour of preparation time. To help document this work while crystallizing my thoughts for each team, I am providing a summary of each team highlighted by a critical question that will go a long way in their success or failure.AKRON: Third-year head coach Joe Moorhead has overseen a 4-20 mark in his first two seasons with the Zips — and two of those four victories were against teams below the FBS level. Akron was more competitive last year with five of their losses decided by one scoring possession — and three of their losses were in overtime. Despite a 1-7 record in the Mid-American Conference, they outgained those opponents by +31 net Yards-Per-Game. A -10 net turnover margin did not help matters — nor did a Week Five season-ending injury to starting quarterback D.J. Irons. Just two starters are back on offense — but Moorhead did attack the transfer portal to bring in junior quarterback Ben Finley who has starting experience at Cal and North Carolina State. The defense returns six starters from a unit that ranked 31st in the FBS by holding their opponents to 335.0 Yards-Per-Game.  APPALACHIAN STATE: After seeing their seven-season run of at least nine victories snapped with their 6-6 campaign in 2022, my biggest question last season regarding the Mountaineers was whether that was a bump in the road or the first signs indicating a decline in the program. Things looked bleak after a 3-4 start last year, but Appalachian State then finished the season by winning six of their final seven games including a 13-9 victory against Miami (OH) in the Cure Bowl. Their only loss in that stretch was a 49-23 loss at Troy in the Sun Belt Conference championship game. Their other four losses were decided by one scoring possession. Losing 30 fumbles and only recovering 15 fumbles did not help matters. But the Mountaineers did outgain their conference rivals by +71 net Yards-Per-Game. In hindsight, head coach Shawn Clark got this program pointed in the right direction last year by reshuffling his coaching staff with a new offensive and defensive coordinator. Five starters are back on offense headlined by senior quarterback Joey Aguilar who was the breakout start for that unit. The former junior college transfer passed for 3757 yards and 33 touchdown passes — and he completed 67.1% of his passes in his final nine starts. His top six targets are back — but the offensive line will be the biggest question with only one starter back from that group. A young defense returns 15 of the 21 players who logged in at least 200 snaps. ARKANSAS STATE: Things hit rock bottom for head coach Butch Jones early last season when they got crushed by Oklahoma by a 73-0 score before losing to Memphis by a 37-3 score. The Red Wolves entered the season with an 11-26 record since Jones took over — so the former Tennessee head coach was already on the hot season coming into his fourth season with the program. But things changed after the season-ending injury to senior quarterback J.T. Shrout which created the opportunity for freshman Jaylen Raynor who would then average 231 passing Yards-Per-Game with 17 touchdown passes and seven interceptions with an 8.9 Yards-Per-Attempt average. The Red Wolves would become bowl-eligible the rest of the way before losing to Northern Illinois in the Camellia Bowl by a 21-19 score. Now 16 starters return this season as Jones looks to take this program to the next level after three straight top recruiting classes in the Sun Belt Conference. Arkansas State averaged 45.8 Points-Per-Game in their six wins by only 11.0 PPG in their seven losses. They need to get their defense playing better after ranking 102nd and 124th in the nation by allowing 30.4 PPG and 443.6 total Yards-Per-Game. They only held one opponent to less than 21 points. Six starters return on that side of the ball — and Jones added nine players in the transfer portal to improve the talent level on defense.  BALL STATE: It continues to appear that the Cardinals’Mid-American Conference championship in 2020 was simply an aberration in the unusual COVID-impacted season? Under head coach Mike Neu, Ball State had six straight losing seasons before that breakout campaign — but they have not had a winning season since with an 15-22 record overall and a 10-14 conference mark in the last three years. The Cardinals were 4-8 last year but did end the season winning three of their final six games. And despite a 3-5 record in the MAC, they outgained their conference opponents by +37 net Yards-Per-Game. The defense was the strength of the unit as they ranked 17th in the nation by holding their opponents total 315.8 total YPG — but defensive coordinator Tyler Stockton left to take the same role at Boise State and only one starter returns from that unit. With just three of the 16 players who took at least 200 snaps back from last year, Neu brought in eight transfer to help with that group this season. The offense has four starters back including freshman quarterback Kadin Semonza who started the first four games before redshirting for the rest of the season. He completed 61% of his passes and threw for 458 yards and offers the team more balance on offense than the second half of last year. BOISE STATE: The Broncos season turned around last year after third-year head coach Andy Avalos got fired on November 12th with the team underachieving expectations. Defensive coordinator Andy Avalos took over as interim head coach and led the team to three straight wins including a dominant 44-20 win at UNLV to take the Mountain West Conference championship that eluded them the previous season despite a perfect 8-0 regular season mark. After a 35-22 loss against UCLA in the LA Bowl, Boise State finished with an 8-6 record. Seventeen starters are back from that group — and Danielson added some impactful transfers. The offense is led by junior running back Ashton Jeanty who rushed for 1347 yards en route to winning the Mountain West Conference Offensive Player of the Year Award. The defense has 11 starters back along with 16 of the 19 players who logged-in at least 200 snaps. But while that unit was young last season, they ranked 100th in the nation by allowing 6.1 Yards-Per-Play and ranked 71st in Opponent Expected Points Added per play Allowed.  BOWLING GREEN: The Bowling Green administration was finally rewarded with their patience in head coach Scott Loeffler as the team seemed to have made a breakthrough in the second half of last season. The Falcons won five of their last six games before losing to Minnesota by a 30-24 score in the Quick Lane Bowl. Loeffler’s teams only posted a 7-22 record in his first three seasons — and the 0-5 campaign in the 2020 COVID year in his second season may have significantly derailed the rebuilding effort he had planned. But Bowling Green went to their first bowl game since 2015 two years which gave Loeffler the benefit of an extra few weeks of practice. Now 15 starters return from last year’s 7-6 squad — and Loeffler added seven transfers on the defensive side of the football. Five of their six losses came against teams who combined to produce a 59-10 record including the national champion Michigan Wolverines who Loeffler conceded really beat them up physically early in the season. Sixth-year senior Connor Bazelak returns at quarterback after making big strides in the second half of the season. The former Indiana and Missouri quarterback improved after trusting his offensive system more and limiting his turnovers. The defense was aggressive and opportunistic — they led the nation in forced turnovers and ranked 16th in sack rate. BUFFALO: After a 3-9 season last year, third-year head coach Maurice Linguist bailed the program to become the co-defensive coordinator at Alabama. Pete Lembo comes in as the new head coach with 15 years of head coaching experience at Lehigh, Elon, and then Ball State for five seasons where he compiled a 33-29 record. Since leaving the Cardinals, he has been an in-demand special teams coordinator. He inherits ten starters and added at least a dozen players in the transfer portal. The defense should be in decent shape after the Bulls ranked 53rd in the nation by allowing 367.1 total Yards-Per-Game. But the offense only scored 20.9 Points-Per-Game and 318.8 total YPG, ranking 109th and 113th, and only three starters return. CALIFORNIA: The Golden Bears rallied when their record fell to 3-6 by winning three straight games to become bowl-eligible before losing to Texas Tech in the Independence Bowl by a 34-14 score. Head coach Justin Wilcox has 15 starters back from that team as they begin their inaugural season in the ACC. California was outgained by -82 net Yards-Per-Game in the last season of the Pac-12. For the second-straight season, the defense did not play up to Wilcox’s expectations as they rank 111th and 102nd in the nation by surrendering 32.8 Points-Per-Game and 414.1 YPG. The offense will have their fourth new offensive coordinator in Wilcox’s eight seasons with offensive line coach and run game coordinator Mike Bloesch taking over for Jake Spavital who took the same job at Baylor. Sophomore Fernando Mendoza returns at quarterback after taking the starting job after the first month of the season — but he will be challenged by senior North Texas transfer Chandler Rogers who passed for 3382 yards with 29 touchdown passes and only five interceptions last season. Running back Jaydn Ott is an All-American candidate after rushing for 1305 yards and 12 touchdowns in his sophomore season. Wilcox has gotten more aggressive in the transfer portal with an Admissions Office that has been more cooperative regarding their rigorous academic standards. Despite being a West Coast team playing many of their games on the East Coast, Wilcox reeled in his best recruiting class in four years. CENTRAL MICHIGAN: The Chippewas seem to be headed in the wrong direction under head coach Jim McElwain. After overseeing a 20-13 record in his first three seasons (including the shortened 2020 campaign), they have a 9-15 record in the last two seasons after losing their last three games a year ago to drop to 5-7 in 2023. Compounding matters is that Central Michigan has a 7-3 record games decided by one scoring possession — so their two-year record could be even worse. The biggest problem is the defense that ranked 104th in the nation by allowing 31.1 Points-Per-Game. The unit struggled stopping the run and the pass. They ranked 83rd in the nation by giving up 159.4 rushing Yards-Per-Game and they ranked 102nd by surrendering 247.3 passing YPG. The defense is not doing themselves any favors either as they forced only eight turnovers despite making that area a priority in the offseason after generating just ten takeaways. The defense lacks playmakers and McElwain was not very active in the transfer portal either as linebacker Nolan Ziegler coming over from Notre Dame looks to be the only immediate help. The plan seems to be to develop the group internally with six starters back. The offense has six starters back as well including quarterback Bert Emanuel, Jr. who missed most of the season to injury — but Iowa transfer Joe Labas could challenge him for the starting job. CHARLOTTE: In his first year as the 49ers’ head coach last year, Bill Poggi brought more than 40 players, including 15 players from Power-Five conferences. Charlotte once again finished with a 3-9 record overall and a 2-6 mark in conference play — but they were playing in the more competitive American Athletic Conference last year after their move from Conference USA. Once again, Poggi was very active in the transfer portal bringing in at least 35 new faces including 21 players from Power-Four conference which makes them the roster with the most former Power Four conference players on scholarship in the AAC. Charlotte did lose 19 players in the transfer portal — so team chemistry and culture remain question marks. The offense returns four starters and added at least 15 more players in the transfer portal headlined by former Florida quarterback Max Brown. The defense returns three starters and brings in at least 20 players in the portal.  CLEMSON: Head coach Dabo Swinney continues to “get off my lawn” regarding the transfer portal with him bringing only two backup quarterbacks in the last six seasons. Clemson has a solid NIL program but it is dedicated to retaining rather than adding players. Perhaps Swinney is crazy like a fox in the positive impact this has on the culture within his program. On the other hand, the Tigers lost 12 in the transfer portal in the offseason and bypassed taking advantage of the selective targeting of specific positional needs that other potential playoff contenders engage in. Swinney is banking on his recruiting, nurturing, and coaching up, which will put his collective roster in a position to compete for a national championship when the playoffs arrive — and he just has to make sure his team is still in the tournament. But the defense lost five players to the NFL in the meantime and only returned five starters. Junior quarterback Cade Klubnik completed 64% of his passes for 2844 yards last season — but he threw nine interceptions and failed to close the deal in the fourth quarter in losses to Florida State, Miami (FL), and North Carolina State. On one hand, perhaps the Tigers are the ultimate “buy-low” stock according to Swinney after his team won the first down battle by a combined 94-60 margin in their four losses last season. Or perhaps the fumbles and missed Red Zone field goal attempts in those games were just a harbinger of things to come for this program. Klubnik only ranked 80th in Quarterback Rating -- so he is either going to break out this season or fail to fulfill the promise of his five-star rating coming out of high school. EAST CAROLINA: After six straight losing seasons, the Pirates had a 15-10 record over a two-year stretch — but they hit bottom last year by only going 2-10. They were one of the most inexperienced teams in the nation with just 10 starters back -- and they simply could not move the ball on offense where they ranked 127th in the nation by generating just 277.2 total Yards-Per-Game. They scored only 17.3 Points-Per-Game which ranked 124th in the FBS — and they played five games where they did not score more than 10 points. Their offense ranked last in the nation in Success Rate. Sixth-year head coach Mike Houston brought in former Ole Miss co-offensive coordinator John David Baxter to install a new up-tempo Air Raid offense. Houston also added former four-star recruits Jake Garcia from Missouri and Katin Houser from Michigan State to compete for the starting quarterback job. Garcia had eight starts for Miami (FL) two years ago and Houser started five times for the Spartans last year. Seven starters are back on that side of the ball. The East Carolina defense was good — they ranked 37th in both holding their opponents to 22.4 PPG and limiting these foes to 341.3 YPG. They ranked second in the nation in Opponent Rush Success Rate Allowed. The biggest problem with the group was their lack of big plays as they only had 18 sacks and just five interceptions. Seven starters are back from that unit. Houston brought in 13 players in the transfer portal — but they lost 21 players to other programs in the offseason. It seems like a make-or-break year for Houston who is clearly on the hot seat. FLORIDA: Head coach Billy Napier is on the hot seat after two straight losing campaigns that have resulted in an 11-14 record with the Gators. In their five-game losing streak to close last season, they gave up 38.2 Points-Per-Game. Fourteen starters return including senior quarterback Graham Mertz who bypassed the transfer portal after his first year in Gainesville — but he may be challenged by fellow former five-star recruit D.J. Lagway entering the program. Before getting too aggressive about fading Florida, remember the size that still exists on both sides of the line of scrimmage. Three starters return on the defensive line. The top seven returnees on the offensive line have an average size of 6’6 and weigh 326 pounds. FRESNO STATE: Jeff Tedford stepped down as head coach of this program in mid-June due to ongoing health issues. Tedford is a fantastic head coach who led the Bulldogs to a Mountain West Conference championship in his third season here in 2019 before stepping down in the offseason because of health reasons. He was rehired for the 2022 season. He did not coach the New Mexico Bowl last year because of health issues. Assistant head coach and linebackers coach Tim Skipper was the interim head coach in Fresno State’s 37-10 win against New Mexico State — and he has been tapped as the interim head for this season. Thirteen starters return from that group headlined by junior Mikey Keene who won the MVP award for that bowl game by completing 31 of 39 passes for 390 yards with three touchdowns in the air and another on the ground. In their four losses, they failed to score at least 20 points — so this is an area of concern. The defense has taken a step back as well after the 23.5 Points-Per-Game they allowed were the most they surrendered since 2017. The Bulldogs’ defense fell to 79th in ESPN’s Bill Connelly’s SP+ rankings. They gave up 30 points six times — and they ranked 97th in the nation by giving up 166.2 rushing Yards-Per-Game. The players responded and played great for Skipper in the bowl game — but changing head coaches in June is far from ideal.GEORGIA: The Bulldogs’ 27-24 upset loss to Alabama in the SEC Championship kept them from attempting to become the first college football team to pull off a three-peat since Minnesota in the 1930s. Since November of 2020, Georgia has a 46-2 record — and both those two losses were against the Crimson Tide. Sixteen starters return led by senior quarterback Carson Beck who ranked fourth in the nation by completing 72.4% of his passes and ranked third with 3941 passing yards. Beck must find new favorite targets with tight end Brock Bowers and wide receiver Ladd McConkey off to the NFL — but head coach Kirby Smart brought in three transfers to compete with an already talented if younger wide receiver and tight end rooms. Four starters return on the offensive for a group that might be the best in the country. Seven starters return on defense including eight of the 12 players in the front seven who logged-in at least 200 snaps. As usual, this side of the football has to replace players who are now playing on Sundays — but considering that only four are gone to the NFL with none of them getting drafted in the first round indicates this group could be quite good. Smart did lose three starters in the secondary to the NFL — but what this unit lacks in experience it makes up for in young blue-chip talent waiting for their opportunity. GEORGIA SOUTHERN: The Eagles return 13 starters from a team that lost their final five games of the season after a 41-21 loss to Ohio in the Myrtle Beach Bowl. After two straight 6-7 seasons, there is unrest with this program entering the third-year with former USC head coach Clay Helton leading the program. The transition from a spread triple-option offense to an Air Raid passing attack has gone about as well as possible — although their 31 turnovers last season were tied with Nebraska for most in the nation. But the other side of the ball continues to be the concern after Georgia Southern surrendered 30.5 Points-Per-Game last season after giving up 31.6 and 31.4 PPG in the prior two years. HAWAI’I: Third-year head coach Timmy Chang will continue to embrace his Run-and-Shoot roots when he was the quarterback for the Rainbow Warriors from 2000 to 2004 by bringing back his old quarterbacks coach Dan Morrison to coach his quarterbacks' room. Hawai’i has 15 starters back from the team that finished 5-8 last year which was a two-win improvement his rookie season as the team’s head coach. The offense is led by senior quarterback Brayden Schafer, who passed for 3542 yards last year with 26 touchdown passes but 14 interceptions. This will be his third year as their starting quarterback — and he gets his top six receivers back from last season. New defensive coordinator Dennis Thurman has seven starters back and nine of the top 11 tacklers from last year. The nine-year NFL veteran who served for four seasons as Rex Ryan’s defensive coordinator for the New York Jets and the Buffalo Bills will bring a multi-look aggressive blitzing attack to the unit. The Rainbow Warriors allowed 41.4 Points-Per-Game in their eight losses. INDIANA: Tom Allen was relieved of his head coaching duties after seven seasons since the Hoosiers compiled just a 10-26 record in the last three years after their surprising 6-2 mark in the COVID 2020 campaign. They have lost 24 of their last 27 games against Big Ten rivals. In comes in new head coach Curt Cignetti who may be trying to transform Indiana into James Madison West with 13 players joining him. The Dukes posted a 52-9 record in his tenure there including a 19-4 mark the last two seasons. In all, Cignetti brought in 30 transfers to join nine returning starters. The defense lost 14 players including five starters to the transfer portal but Cignetti brought six players on that side of the ball from James Madison including four who were All-Sun Belt Conference award winners. On offense, Cignetti’s initial priority was improving the speed and athleticism of that group — and he added eight players in the transfer portal at the skill positions. The wide receiver room has the potential to be one of the most dynamic groups in the nation for former Ohio quarterback Kurtis Rourke. The three-year starter for the Bobcats looks to rebound from a down season last year — but he won the Mid-American Conference Offensive Player of the Year two years ago. He has a 21-11 career record as a starter. With so many new players in Bloomington, establishing a winning culture is a concern. But Cignetti has never had a losing season in his 13 years as a head coach — and as he tells recruits: “It’s pretty simple. I win. Google me.” KANSAS STATE: After overseeing a 12-11 mark in his first two seasons, head coach Chris Klieman enters his sixth year with the Wildcats with a 27-13 record in the last three seasons to firmly establish them as one of the teams to beat in the Big 12 conference. Kansas State finished 9-4 last season after their 28-19 victory against North Carolina State in the Pop-Tarts Bowl. Only 12 starters return from that group. The defense should continue to be good with eight starters back from a unit that ranked 26th in the nation by holding their opponents to 21.0 Points-Per-Game. Five of the top six tacklers are back as well as 13 of the 18 players who logged in at least 300 snaps. The offense experienced some turnover in the offseason with offensive coordinator Collin Klein taking the same job at Texas A&M and quarterback Will Howard transferring to Ohio State. Klieman hired former Texas Tech and Utah State head coach Matt Wells and elevated offensive line coach Conor Riley to serve as co-offensive coordinators. And don’t tell Buckeye Nation that sophomore quarterback Avery Johnson was probably going to beat Howard out for the starting quarterback job anyway. Johnson is one of the most prized recruits in the history of the program with his dual-threat skills and should bring more of a passing threat to this offense than Howard or even when Klein when quarterbacking this team over a decade ago. A looming problem could be their inexperienced offensive line that lost three multi-year starters from last year’s team.  MIAMI (OH): The RedHawks endured yet another season-ending injury to quarterback Brett Gabbert in their eighth game by turning to redshirt sophomore Aveon Smith again who led them to a 23-14 victory against Toledo in the Mid-American Conference championship game before losing to Appalachian State in the Cure Bowl by a 13-9 score. With Gabbert returning as a sixth-year senior, Smith transferred to Alabama A&M. Six starters are back on offense and another six on defense from last year’s 11-3 squad who went 7-1 in conference play — but they only outgained their MAC opponents by +10 Yards-Per-Game. The defense ranked eighth in the nation by holding their opponents to 15.9 Points-Per-Game — but the offense ranked 108th by only generating 323.5 total YPG. MISSISSIPPI: After a 10-3 season two years ago, the Rebels took a step back to an 8-5 record in head coach Lane Kiffin’s fourth season with the program. Such are the swings when a program becomes so dependent on the transfer portal. But Kiffin was able to build off a team with 14 returning starters and use the portal again last offseason to build a roster that would produce the first 11-win season in program history last year. Ole Miss finished with an 11-2 record after a statement victory and offensive explosion against a good Penn State defense in their 38-25 win in the Peach Bowl. Yet a 52-17 loss to Georgia in a game where the Bulldogs rushed for over 300 yards demonstrated to Kiffin that there remains a significant talent deficit in their program. The “Portal King” used the 11-win season to get aggressive in the transfer portal once again. Another large group of incoming players including eight who were former 4 or 5-star players coming out of high school was enough for it to be graded the number one transfer class in the nation. Kiffin’s top goal was to get bigger, stronger, and more athletic on his front seven after the Georgia debacle. Five of the five and four-star transfers were for the defense — and the Rebels will likely have six transfers in their starting defense to complement the six returning starters that are back. The offense lost two-time first-team All-SEC running back Quinshon Judkins who transferred to Ohio State — but Kiffin added multiple running backs, wide receivers, and offensive linemen to upgrade the talent on the roster. Senior quarterback Jaxson Dart bypassed the NFL to return after passing for 3364 yards and adding 381 rushing yards. Entering his third year as the starter, the former USC transfer threw 23 touchdown passes and lowered his interception count from 11 to just five last season. The problem with bringing in so many new players year after year is that building a culture is not a given and can be volatile. But culture is not enough to beat Georgia and compete for a national championship. Both lines look significantly better on paper. Kiffin is a quarterback whisperer. Defensive coordinator Pete Golding is one of the best in the business — and he will be tasked to see that if building an elite front seven is too difficult at a place like Ole Miss, can one be rented?NORTH TEXAS: The Mean Green met even the wildest of expectations on the offensive side of the ball under first-year head coach Eric Morris. The Mike Leach disciple and former head coach at Incarnate Work oversaw an offense that ranked sixth in the nation by generating 495.8 total Yards-Per-Game. Morris deploys a run-first philosophy in an Air Raid scheme — North Texas was second in the FBS by averaging 191.2 rushing YPG. But the other side of the ball was a nightmare as they ranked 128th and 130th in the country by surrendering 37.1 Points-Per-Game and 476.4 total YPG. Nine starters return from the 5-7 team that failed to qualify for a bowl game. The Mean Green were then ravaged in the transfer portal with more than two dozen players exiting the program including most of their productive players on offense. Rogers responded by bringing in more than 40 players including 20 from Power Four conferences with an emphasis on improving the overall size of the team. The defense should be better under second-year defensive coordinator Matt Caponi since things cannot get worse. Morris lost starting quarterback Chandler Rogers who transferred to California. He brought in junior Chandler Morris from TCU to compete for the job this year. The skill position rooms have depth — but the offensive line needs to improve which is why Morris brought in five transfers.  NORTHERN ILLINOIS: The Huskies stumbled out of the gate last season with four losses in their first five games, but they won six of their last eight games culminating in their 21-19 win against Arkansas State in the Camellia Bowl. Head coach Thomas Hammock lost 18 players in the transfer portal — but 16 starters return to lead an experienced roster featuring 30 seniors. Hammock has created a physical identity for his team with a run-first offense that often deploys either two tight ends (12) or two running back (21) personnel. Replacing quarterback Rocky Lombardi will be a challenge — the former Michigan State transfer led them to their MAC championship in 2021 — but he only completed 58.9% of his passes in his Northern Illinois career so there is room for the passing game to improve. The defense returns eight starters from a group that ranked 23rd in the nation by giving up only 319.5 total Yards-Per-Game. Hammock oversees a program that does a great job of overseeing the high school talent they recruit — so the losses in the transfer portal are not lethal. The Huskies were just 5-3 in conference play last year but they outgained these opponents by +79 YPG.  OHIO: The Bobcats enjoyed their second-straight ten-win season after finishing 10-3 last year with their 41-21 victory against Georgia Southern in the Myrtle Beach Bowl. But perhaps no other team has lost more players. Fourth-year head coach Tim Albin lost 34 players either to graduation or the transfer portal. Even more demoralizing for the Ohio faithful is that they have lost 21 players either to the NFL or via transfer to a bigger college football conference. Albin responded by adding 17 transfer players — but nine of these players were from the FCS level or lower so it is fair to say that they are losing this war of predators. The defense replaces nine of their top 12 tacklers and eight of the 13 players who logged-in at least 300 snaps. But Albin does return six players from that unit who got at least one start as a sophomore last season. The other side of the ball may be trickier to replace after losing their top six receivers, running back Sieh Bangura in the transfer portal to Minnesota and quarterback Kurtis Rourke in the transfer portal to Indiana. Rourke was a three-year starter who won the Mid-American Conference Offensive Player of the Year in 2022. If that was not enough, Albin also has new coordinators with Brian Smith running the offense and John Hauser overseeing the defense.OHIO STATE: The Buckeyes are going all-in this season to win the National Championship. Four players on defense bypassed the NFL to return for the chance to not only hoist a trophy but to also beat Michigan for the first time in their careers. Head coach Ryan Day also brought in four of the biggest prizes in the transfer portal. The defense gets even more talent with sophomore and second-team All-American Caleb Downs coming over from Alabama. He joins a unit that returns nine starters and ten of the 14 players who logged in 200 to more snaps that ranked second and third in the nation by only giving up 11.2 Points-Per-Game and 265.4 total Yards-Per-Game. First-team All-Big Ten running back TreVeyon Henderson is joined by Quinshon Judkins who was a two-time first-team All-SEC running back from Ole Miss. The offensive line was a weak link last season in both run blocking and pass protection. Senior center Seth McLaughlin comes in from Alabama. But the most important transfer will be dual-threat quarterback Will Howard who was a four-year starter at Kansas State. Day is also relinquishing the play-calling duties with his former mentor and NFL head coach Chip Kelly leaving UCLA and the headaches of running a college program to simply coach football and run an offense. Twenty players are on the roster with at least 12 collegiate starts in their career. But pressure comes with the sky-high expectations. The offensive line remains a concern — and so too is the quarterback. Howard was losing reps to Avery Johnson at Kansas State last year and he struggled with his deep passes in spring practice with the Buckeyes. He only completed 61% of his passes last season while throwing 10 interceptions. With Kyle McCord transferring to Syracuse, he has become the scapegoat for the loss at Michigan — but there is a good argument to be had that he is the better quarterback over Howard. He completed 65.5% of his passes with only six interceptions last season. McCord ranked seventh in the nation in Total Quarterback Rating while Howard ranked 23rd in that metric. PENN STATE: Another year for head coach James Franklin in Happy Valley and another ten-win campaign for the Nittany Lions for the fifth time in the last seven non-COVID seasons. But once again, Penn State fell short against Michigan and Ohio State — and then they lost to Ole Miss in the Peach Bowl by a 35-28 score. The number one reason why the Nittany Lions cannot crash through this ceiling is their lack of elite future NFL talent at the skill positions. They only had 47 gains of more than 20 yards last season, ranking 97th in the nation. They only averaged 1.5 plays per game of 30 or more yards, ranking 110th in the nation. This lack of explosiveness on offense is simply putting too much pressure on the quarterback. Former five-star recruit Drew Allar threw 25 touchdown passes and just two interceptions last season — but against the Wolverines and Buckeyes, he completed only 28 of 64 passes for a mere 261 passing yards while appearing gun-shy to throw the ball down the field to attack the opposing defense. The wide receiver room continues to lack play-makers who can separate. In theory, the running back room is dynamic behind the one-two punch off juniors Nick Singleton and Kaytron Allen — but those two rushers went from generating 6.0 Yards-Per-Carry as freshmen to 4.8 YPC in their sophomore seasons last year. The offensive line replaces three starters to the NFL. Franklin did attempt to address the explosiveness problem in the offseason by poaching Kansas offensive coordinator Andy Kotelnicki to run the offense. The defense should remain outstanding with seven starters back from the unit that ranked third and second in the nation by allowing only 13.5 Points-Per-Game and 247.6 total Yards-Per-Game. Former Indiana head coach Tom Allen takes over as defensive coordinator for Manny Diaz who took the Duke head coaching job. PITTSBURGH: In my preseason preview of the Panthers last season, I wondered if head coach Pat Narduzzi had raised the ceiling of expectations for this program after posting 20 victories in the previous two seasons — or was this a football team that will take a step or two back this season? After suffering their most losses since the 1998 season with a 3-9 mark last year, the answer is clear. The offense hit rock bottom by scoring only 20.4 Points-Per-Game and averaging just 317.9 total Yards-Per-Game, ranking 114th in the nation in both categories. The defense ranked 73rd in the nation by giving up 27.3 PPG — and their SP+ defensive ranking of 59th was their lowest in five seasons using the metrics from ESPN’s Bill Connelly. Narduzzi addressed the offense by hiring 31-year-old Western Carolina offensive coordinator Kade Bell to run the offense. Bell will deploy a fast-tempo system with spread principles. It remains to be seen if Narduzzi will give Bell the freedom to implement his intended system or if his defensive principles will demand that some of those tactics get reined in. Up-tempo schemes tend to put additional pressure on their own defense since these offenses tend not to be on the field as much. Only two starters return on defense after two leaders from that unit left the program for the transfer portal in spring practice. That is not a ringing endorsement regarding where the program is headed. Narduzzi brought in nine transfer players to the defense including five on the defensive line — but with the secondary losing three NFL-caliber players to graduation, it is difficult not to see that this program is taking two steps back for every step forward.  RUTGERS: After overseeing just a 12-22 record in his first three seasons back as the Scarlet Knights head coach, Greg Schiano’s team broke out with a 7-6 record after a 31-24 win against Miami (FL) in the Pinstripe Bowl to register their first winning season since 2014. There were concerns about Schiano’s culture a season ago at this time, but a year later sees him finally beginning to re-establish the roster depth he fostered in his first 11-year stint with the program — and recruiting is starting to take off. Rutgers brings a defense-first mentality to their games — they ranked 16th in the nation by allowing only 313.5 total Yards-Per-Game. The Scarlet Knights return four of the five starters in their secondary that helped them rank 10th in the nation by holding their opponents to just 176.3 passing YPG — and they ranked 17th in Opponent Yards per Dropback Allowed. That group does lose cornerback Max Melton who got drafted in the second round of the NFL draft. But while the run defense ranked 41st by giving up 137.8 rushing YPG, the deeper metrics exposed them as ranking 101st in Opponent Rush Success Rate Allowed. They also ranked 101st in Sack Rate. The defensive front is undersized but one of the most experienced units in the nation. The front seven features three fifth-year seniors and one sixth-year senior. Eight starters return on defense — and another eight starters are back on offense including three starters on the offensive line. That line has four seniors this season and returns 48 of the 65 starts from their 13 games last season. Under offensive coordinator Kirk Ciarocca, Rutgers ran the ball 61.9% of the time which was the eighth-highest amount in the FBS. While this physical run-first approach allowed them to be flat-track bullies against lesser competition, the Scarlet Knights only managed to score 8.4 Points-Per-Game in their five games against Michigan, Ohio State, Penn State, Iowa, and Wisconsin. Schiano addressed the problems in the passing game by bringing in senior quarterback Athan Kaliakmanis who previously played for Ciarocca at Minnesota. The “Greek Rifle” has 17 career starts after starting in 12 games for the Golden Gophers last season. SAN JOSE STATE: The new head coach is Ken Niumatalolo who previously served as the head coach at Navy for 15 seasons. He replaces Brent Brennan who took the head coaching job at Arizona. This Spartans team lost 12 starters to graduation and then another six starters in the transfer portal — so things are all but starting over at San Jose State. While Niumatalolo’s Navy teams deployed the spread triple option rushing attack, that will not be the offense the Spartans operate. Instead, Niumatalolo hired Texas State passing coordinator Chris Stutzmann as his offensive coordinator. The former Hawai’i wide receiver will install an offense based on Run-and-Shot and Air Raid principles. Niumatalolo was able to retain defensive coordinator Derrick Odum who returns for his seventh season with the program. After surrendering 39.8 Points-Per-Game in their first six games, San Jose State held their final six Mountain West Conference opponents to just 17.8 PPG. They finished with a 7-6 record after a 24-14 loss to Coastal Carolina in the Hawai’i Bowl.SOUTH FLORIDA: The Bulls experienced an instant and incredible turnaround last season in the first year under new head coach Alex Golesh by posting a 7-6 record that culminated in a triumphant 45-0 blowout victory against Syracuse in the Boca Raton Bowl. They also played Alabama close in a 17-3 loss. Golesh inherited a program that went just 4-29 in the three seasons under previous head coach Jeff Scott and who had lost 33 of their last 34 games against FBS opponents since 2019. The former Tennessee offensive coordinator installed a simple but effective up-tempo offense that ranked 17th in the nation by generating 451.6 Yards-Per-Game. The South Florida offense led the nation in total plays per game and ranked fourth in total drives per game. One of Golesh’s first good decisions was to name redshirt freshman Byrum Brown as his starting quarterback. Brown responded by completing 64.9% of his passes for 3292 yards and adding another 809 yards on the ground. If he can improve his down-the-field accuracy, he will become one of the most complete quarterbacks in the nation. Eighteen starters return to what will be one of the most experienced teams in the FBS. Eight starters are back on defense along with 10 of their 14 players who logged in at least 300 snaps. That unit needs to improve after ranking 115th in the nation by surrendering 432.5 total YPG — but shutting out the Orange and holding the Crimson Tide to 17 points demonstrates their potential. SOUTHERN MISSISSIPPI:  After winning only six games in his first two seasons for a 6-16 overall record, head coach Will Hall oversaw the Golden Eagles earning their first bowl victory since 2016 with a 38-24 win against Rice in the Lending Tree Bowl two years ago. My biggest question regarding the program was whether or not that 7-6 campaign was a momentary blip on the radar — or will this be the new normal for this team under Hall? The former Tulsa offensive coordinator built consistent winners at the Division II level with West Georgia and West Alabama last decade — so he has a track record of success. But his team was outgained by -38 net YPG in Sun Belt Conference play despite their 4-4 record. Fifteen starters were back from last season led by running back Frank Gore, Jr. — but solving the quarterback issue has remained a problem with Hall resorting to using Gore in the wildcat formation and even as an occasional passer in the past. After losing seven of their first eight games and finishing the season with a 3-9 record last year, it looks like the bowl run in 2022 was an aberration. Injuries played a role — but Group of Five programs in this new era lack the luxury of assuming they will simply stay healthy. The biggest program was on defense where the Golden Eagles ranked 125th and 109th in the nation by surrendering 35.8 Points-Per-Game and 420.9 total Yards-Per-Game. Six starters are back from that group — and the offense has four starters back along with Florida State transfer Tate Rodemaker at quarterback. Hall did bring in the top recruiting class in the Sun Belt conference — but if he does get back to a bowl game in his fourth year with the program, the hot seat he presides on may end up precluding him from getting to see the fruition of that freshman class. TENNESSEE: The Volunteers' defense took a big step in the right direction last season by holding their opponents to 335.2 total Yards-Per-Game which ranked 32nd in the nation and represented a -70.1 net YPG improvement to what they surrendered the previous season. While the pass defense ranked in the middle of the pack by ranking 64th in the nation by giving up 221.5 passing, that was still a significant improvement from the previous season when they ranked 126th by giving up 289.5 passing YPG. But fourth-year defensive coordinator Tim Banks faces a big challenge after losing 11 players from the secondary either to the NFL or the transfer portal. But Banks claims he may have the best defensive line in the nation — and with a rotation that goes ten deep, he might be right. James Pearce, Jr. anchors the unit — and the first-team All-SEC defensive end may be one of the top ten picks in the next NFL draft. The ability and the willingness to rotate these defensive linemen should give Tennessee a big edge late in games. Freshman Nico Iamaleava is probably an upgrade at quarterback over Joe Milton. The former five-star recruit was the MVP in the Citrus Bowl after accounting for four touchdowns. But the question remains if this program can take the next step by staying competitive with the best teams in the country. They lost all three of their games last year against teams that finished in ESPN’s Bill Connelly’s SP+ rankings system — and the average loss in those three games was by -24 Points-Per-Game. TEXAS: The Longhorns return 15 starters from the team that won the Big 12 Championship and reached the College Football Playoffs where they lost to Washington by a 37-31 score in the Semifinals. Head coach Steve Sarkisian brought in another 25 new plays to this group with the sky-high expectation that they play for the National Championship this season. Quarterback Quinn Ewers bypassed the NFL to return for his junior season and third year as the starter — but sophomore Arch Manning looms behind him. Ewers completed 69.0% of his passes for 3479 yards. While he is very accurate with intermediate routes, he is not as much of a threat in the vertical passing game down the field. He also struggles with timing routes and does not throw his targets open. Six other starters are back on offense including four offensive linemen in what could be the best offensive line in the nation. Eight starters are back on defense — but their pass defense must improve. Texas ranked 113th by surrendering 254.4 passing Yards-Per-Game — and six of their opponents passed for at least 300 yards against them. Only one starter is back in the secondary with Sarkisian hitting the transfer portal to improve the talent. I do worry about Sarkisian’s temperament to lead a team to a national title. He has always been anointed as the Chosen One regarding the next wunderkind offensive mind and head coach — and he always gets another chance to fulfill this perception of potential. The team motto he installed for this team was “obsessed” — and I’m just not sure that is the healthiest of mindsets to prepare a team to handle adversity. The fact that he is a recovering alcoholic makes it even worse. Yo, “obsession” is not a healthy characteristic! Players and coaches can commit to the work ethic necessary to put the team in a position to win a national championship without it becoming (and glorifying it) an obsession. Does the zeal to become “obsessed” indirectly put too much pressure on this team? TOLEDO: The Rockets return eight starters from the group that went undefeated in the Mid-American Conference regular season before getting upset in the MAC Championship Game by a 23-14 score to Miami (OH). Head coach Jason Candle’s team won the MAC Championship the year before — and they did finish 11-3 last year despite then losing to Wyoming Bowl in the Arizona Bowl by a 16-15 score with a depleted roster. Candle is doing a great job after eight seasons with the program — and the Rockets have not had a losing season since 2009. His ability to identify high school talent and then develop it in his program has been his calling card. This skill will be challenged this season with only eight starters back from his 11-3 club. He lost starting quarterback DeQuan Finn and running back Peny Boone in the transfer portal — and the offensive line must be completely rebuilt after losing all five starters from last season. The secondary also lost cornerbacks Quinton Mitchell and Chris McDonald with both graduating — Mitchell was drafted in the first round of the NFL draft and McDonald was an All-MAC awardee. TULANE: After the Green Wave went 23-5 in the last two seasons including a victory against USC in the Cotton Bowl two years ago, Willie Fritz took the head coaching job at Houston. But Tulane managed to bring in another excellent head coach in Jon Sumrall who posted a 23-4 record in his two seasons at Troy. He inherits 15 starters — and he was aggressive in the transfer portal by adding 11 additional players on offense and another 10 players on defense. Of particular note are the three blue-chippers he brought in offense. Quarterback Ty Thompson was a former five-star recruit at Oregon who played behind Bo Nix last season. Two dynamic wide receivers join him: Mario Williams from USC and Shazz Preston from Alabama. Because former Troy offensive coordinator Jordan Craddock likes to deploy two-tight end 12 personnel, tight end Alex Bauman bypassed the transfer window to return to Tulane for his junior season. UTSA: The Frank Harris era finally comes to a close for the Roadrunners after the quarterback graduated after being in the program for seven seasons to become the best football player in school history. Injuries and the COVID hardship year account for the seven-year career — he led UTSA to 32 victories in the last three seasons, including two Conference USA Championship Game wins. The Roadrunners finished 9-4 last year after their 35-17 victory against Marshall. Fourteen starters return. Head coach Jeff Traylor did lose some important players in the transfer portal, but he was aggressive in filling those holes, including several former blue-chip recruits from Power Four conferences. This could be his deepest roster yet in his five seasons with the program. VIRGINIA TECH: The Hokies return 19 starters from the team that finished with five wins in their last seven games to end with a 7-6 record. They bear Tulane by a 41-20 score in the Military Bowl. Enthusiasm is high, with junior quarterback Kyron Drones returning after igniting the team in the second half of the season when he was inserted into the starting lineup. Virginia Tech outgained their ACC opponents by +107 Yards-Per-Game. In their final seven games with Drones under center, they scored 34.7 Points-Per-Game. The defense returns eight starters from a group that ranked fourth in sacks per dropback rate and fourth by holding their opponents to 168.8 passing Yards-Per-Game. WEST VIRGINIA: Neal Brown was on the hot seat last year going into his fifth season as the head coach of the Mountaineers. West Virginia had a 22-25 record in his first four seasons. With his fourth offensive coordinator in his tenure, he took responsibility for that side of the ball by taking over the play-calling. Armed with the knowledge that his team was 18-4 if they ran for at least 100 yards (3-21 if they failed to reach 100 rushing yards), Brown committed to a ground-and-pound identity with a Thunder and Lightning duo at running back. C.J. Donaldson and Jaheim White combined to rush for 1570 yards and 24 touchdowns. The Mountaineers won five of their final six games, including a 30-10 victory against North Carolina in the Duke’s Mayo Bowl to finish 9-4. Brown was given a multi-year extension. Eight starters are back on offense including both those running backs and senior dual-threat quarterback. Brown has struggled with how he has handled the transfer portal in the past — and he changed his tactics by focusing more on player retention and using the portal to address specific problems. His attention was on the secondary in the offseason as he brought in six transfers including five cornerbacks to bolster his pass defense. They join five returning starters on that side of the ball. The roster looks better but the Big 12 schedule is brutal. WESTERN KENTUCKY: Head coach Tyson Helton returns 14 starters from last year’s team that finished 8-5 after rallying from 28 points down to beat Old Dominion in overtime in the Famous Tastery Bowl. Nine starters are back on offense but that unit moves on from two-year starter Austin Reed who got drafted into the NFL. Helton brought in junior T.J. Finley from Texas State to compete for the starting quarterback job. The former Auburn signal-caller passed for 3439 yards with 24 touchdown passes and eight interceptions for the Bobcats last season. But he will have to beat out redshirt sophomore Caden Veltkamp who threw for 383 yards and five touchdown passes in the bowl game. The other side of the beak continues to be the problem for the Hilltoppers after they ranked 108th in the nation by giving up 419.7 total Yards-Per-Game. That unit lost nine of the 16 players who logged in at least 350 snaps last year. Helton hit the transfer portal by bringing in another five players to try to improve the talent level on defense. Helton has been very reliant on using the transfer portal but he perhaps has become too dependent on short-term one-year fixes. After leading Conference USA with a  +136 net YPG mark, they only outgained conference rivals by +13 net YPG last season. Best of luck  -- Frank.

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