College Recap: Week 3 - College Football News And Picks

College Recap: Week 3
By Tom Hanson
Posted: 3:30 am PDT 2006-09-19

It was billed as "Separation Saturday." With the most ranked teams going head-to-in 13 years, college football's third week was supposed to distinguish the men from the boys.

It worked. But the same could be said about the bettors.

Hail to the oddsmakers.

On one of the toughest weeks to come up with a number because of the competitive nature of the games, the guys who decide the lines were right on the number much of the day.

Did the pencil stick you with a loser? The pencil is that dreaded extra half point. Or was it even more painful? Did you lose a bet due to the moving pencil?

In the Ohio State/Cincinnati game, the Buckeyes opened as a 30-point favorite. During the week, the line at WagerWeb.com fell to 29 1/2. Ohio State wins 37-7.

If you're like me and called Cincinnati, a four-touchdown dog, as your lock of the week, you can only hope you got that bet at WagerWeb.com in early. Then you'd have a push instead of loser. Either way, it stings.

Then you could have had USC covering at home against Nebraska. USC opened as a 18 1/2 favorite and somehow, maybe because USC was coming off an off week, the gamblers loved the Cornhuskers. The line at WagerWeb.com fell a point to 17 1/2. And what happens? USC wins by 18, 28-10 -- a middler's dream.

A middler is someone who bets both sides of the line when there is major movement. In the case of USC/Nebraska, the pro gamblers wouldn't dare middle a game with so many points and so little line movement.

The pencil move cost me a push in my lock pick, Cincinnati. But once again I rode the Auburn Tigers to another "lock" payday, running my locks of the week record to 4-1-0. For the record, the Tigers giving 3 1/2 scared me at first because of the number. I hate giving 3 and a pencil. I normally stay away from any game at that number unless I like the underdog. But Auburn has covered three straight, and sometimes you have to roll with the hot team.

For the week, I went 10-6-1 on Top-25 games -- running the totals to 30-21-1 for the year.

DUCK, DUCK, GOOSED: This is how Oklahoma must be feeling after blowing a 13-point lead to Oregon with 72 seconds remaining in the game.

This is how Oklahoma head coach Bob Stoops must be feeling after watching the replay of the officials' botched call on the onside kick at the end of the game.

A Duck definitely touched the ball before it went the needed 10 yards.

But Oklahoma, and its once dominating defense, should have never given up two TDs so late. Plus, Oklahoma had a shot to win with a final field goal.

But it was blocked, and Stoops has to be kicking himself. How could he run the ball on the final play? He said he was trying to get the ball in the middle of the field for the angle on the kick. Stoops should have been looking to get a few more yards to help the trajectory of the kick.

SOUTH BEND SHOCKER: Michigan beating Notre Dame isn't normally a major upset. But the Wolverines won in South Bend, and they won big.

The 47 points scored by Michigan is the second-most ever scored on Notre Dame at home.

Michigan battered Irish QB Brady Quinn and his Heisman trophy dreams. Quinn threw three picks and had a crucial fumble.

Irish head coach Charlie Weis explained it as "that team just came and whupped us pretty good."

Michigan jumped to No. 6 in the AP poll. And the Ohio State/Michigan matchup on Nov. 18 is looking like a BCS championship first-round playoff game.

KICKING HIMSELF: After watching Clemson kicker Jad Dean have three straight kicks blocked (dating back to the Boston College block of the extra point to win in overtime), head coach Tommy Bowden decided he wasn't going to try to kick anymore Saturday in Tallahassee.

Florida State blocked two kicks early, resulting in 8 points (a touchdown and a rare 2-point reversal when the Seminoles returned an extra-point attempt).

On Clemson's next two TDs, Bowden opted for 2-point conversions. The first one was successful. The second one failed and didn't make sense. By going for two, the
Tigers only led the Seminoles by 8 points. Was this a case of son trying to be nice to dear ol' dad?

Well, fortunately for Tommy Bowden's job status, Clemson pulled out the win, but not before FSU tied the game.

COKER COUNTDOWN: Talking about coaches on the chopping block, place Miami's Larry Coker head at the front of the line.

The headline in the Miami Herald said it all: "Code Red"

Coker has to be on life support after the embarrassing 31-7 loss to Louisville. It was the first time under Coker that the Canes were beat straight up as an underdog.

The Hurricanes have now lost four of their last six games, and Miami athletic director Paul Dee has to be wondering why he gave Coker a three-year contract extension last season. It's the first time Miami has started the season 1-2 since 1997.

The Miami Herald reports that a fan was screaming and complaining about Coker's deal to Dee as he left Papa John Stadium on Saturday.

Dee later said, "Keep the faith. We have a lot of games to win. We can still win the ACC and go to a BCS bowl."

Yeah, but who is going to be the coach?

CARDINALS RULE: Louisville lost quarterback Brian Brohm to injury and still pulled out the victory against Miami. Brohm will be out for at least the month with a sprained thumb that will require surgery.

The Cardinals are now without their best two players: Brohm and Michael Bush (broken leg).

How will they survive?

First, remember the Cardinals play in the Big East, or as we like to say the Big Least. Brohm's injury comes at a good time, if there is a good time for an injury. Louisville's toughest opponent in the next five weeks is Syracuse, and they have a week off.
Cards fans are hoping Brohm will be back for the Nov. 2 matchup against West Virginia.

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