Like many college football fans, I still can’t believe the UCLA Bruins ended the PAC 12 regular season with a 50-0 blowout loss to rival USC, and still somehow miraculously ended up representing the south division in the inaugural PAC 12 Conference Championship Game this Friday at the No. 7 Oregon Ducks.
Each week, Dave B will compile a list of Hot and Not Hot players based on their past performances and future matchups.
Troy was the dominant team in the Sun Belt over the last few years. Larry Blakeney’s team isn’t dominant at all this year; in fact they are just 3-8 in 2011.
Arkansas State has been a huge surprise under first-year head coach Hugh Freeze. The Red Wolves are 7-0 in the Sun Belt, and they can wrap up the conference title with a win this weekend.
ASU Stadium
Saturday December 3, 12:00 PM EST
NCAA Football Odds from BetOnline
Moneyline: Off
College Football Spread: Arkansas State -17.5 (-110) Troy +17.5 (-110)
Over/Under: 57
Troy’s offense has dropped off a lot this year, and that is largely because the team has virtually no running game. Corey Robinson has thrown for 3,100 yards and 19 touchdowns, but Troy averages just 91 yards per game on the ground. Turnovers have been a big problem for the Trojans as well. Robinson has thrown 13 interceptions, and the team has turned the ball over in the red zone far too many times. Eric Thomas is a play maker on the outside for this team. Thomas has 56 catches and nine touchdown receptions in 2011. Troy averages just 23 points per game this year.
The Trojans defense was solid the last few years, but this season they are bad. Troy is 113th out of 120 teams in the nation in total defense. The front seven has been dominated on a weekly basis this season. Troy’s opponents are averaging 210 yards per game on the ground. Opponents have averaged 463 yards of total offense. The Trojans are giving up 33 points per game. The defense must contain Ryan Aplin if they hope to be competitive in this one.
Arkansas State was a disappointment the last couple years, but Hugh Freeze has come into Jonesboro and immediately turn this team into a league leader. It cannot be overstated just how much Freeze has done for this program in his first year. The Red Wolves are 9-2 overall this year, and they are also 9-2 ATS. [soliloquy id=”82219″]
Ryan Aplin is the star quarterback for Arkansas State. He is the team’s leading rusher and the team’s leading passer. Aplin is completing 65% of his passes, and he has thrown 15 touchdowns. He also averages 4.2 yards per carry, and he has ten touchdown carries. Dwayne Frampton has had a breakout season at the wide receiver spot for Arkansas State. Frampton has caught 80 passes so far this year. Arkansas State averages 32.5 points per game.
The Red Wolves defense has been the best in the Sun Belt this season. Arkansas State is 18th in the nation in total defense. Daryl Feemster leads an opportunistic secondary with four interceptions this year.
The front seven is strong against the run. Opponents are averaging just 111 yards per game on the ground. The front four do a great job pressuring the quarterback, which allows Arkansas State to keep more men back in coverage.
The cold December weather won’t make it any easier for the offenses in this one. Arkansas State should be able to slow down the Troy offense nicely.
The number is set quite high here, and I like the under.
Free College Football Pick: Under 57
Score Prediction: Arkansas State 35 Troy 17
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The Ohio Bobcats have enjoyed a nice season and enter the MAC Championship game on a 5 game winning streak.
Week 12 in the NFL is in the books. The Weisguy takes over for Matt and offers up these recaps for your NFL viewing pleasure.
The Connecticut Huskies will look to play the role of spoiler this Saturday afternoon when they face the Cincinnati Bearcats at Paul Brown Stadium in this Big East conference clash.
Syracuse has been getting media coverage for all the wrong reasons lately. Assistant coach Bernie Fine was fired Sunday, and the investigation continues into the alleged sexual crimes.
The Big Ten/ACC Challenge gets underway tonight. The ACC had dominated this event for years, but the Big Ten has won the matchup in each of the last two seasons.
The Michigan Wolverines take-on the Virginia Cavaliers at John Paul Jones Arena in a Big Ten/ACC clash between a couple of one-loss teams this Tuesday night.
The Big Ten’s Illinois Fighting Illini will look to remain undefeated on the year when they clash with the Maryland Terrapins, out of the ACC this Tuesday night in College Park.
The Syracuse Orange will look to add a crucial sixth victory to their 2011 resume when they travel to Heinz Field this Saturday for a Big East regular season finale against the Pittsburgh Panthers.
The West Virginia Mountaineers will look to keep their Big East title hopes alive when they travel to Tampa this Thursday night to tangle with the South Florida Bulls in the regular season finale for both teams. The kick-off is slated for 8 p.m. and the game will be broadcast nationally on ESPN.
For some of you it is the first week of your fantasy playoffs. For others, the regular season is coming to an end. It is time to bolster your lineups folks – time to build on what you already have.
Each week, the CappersPicks.com fantasy football guru Dave B brings you players you need to be paying attention to – Remember – fantasy football championships are often won by those who live eat and breath fantasy football.
After all of the weekly games are finished be sure to check our waiver wire column, cheatsheets, a who’s hot, and who’s not report plus more in our fantasy football guide.
In what promises to be a less-than-thrilling NFC West encounter, the Arizona Cardinals head to St. Louis to determine who really is the worst of the West. The Cards had been playing OK before last week and the Rams … well – they looked like the Rams of 2009!
The Battle for the Palmetto State will be a spicy one this year, as both of the state’s FBS representative have fielded excellent squads.
