#meh to Purdue

[demislover]

Na Na Na Na Hey Hey Hey-ey goodbye boilermakers.

[heavencasteel420]

You know, I think it’s a genuine problem that there are too many characters in the show, and that focus has strayed away so much from the original characters, but it does kind of crack me up what they did with the older teens. Like:

Take the original older teens (Jonathan, Nancy, and Steve).

Give them all buddies who either are gay or seem like they might be (Argyle, Robin, Eddie).

Give the little gay buddies each their own love interest to signal that they are otherwise occupied and/or possibly straight (Eden, Vickie, Chrissy).

Give two out of three LGBTs (Little Gay Buddy Tgirlfriends) THEIR own meh boyfriends (Dan, Jason).

However, I think they should have taken things even further, by:

Revealing that Eden has been exchanging sensual letters with her own meh boyfriend…Fred Benson!!! That’s why he’s so pissy about Jonathan not coming to visit; he’s actually mad that Eden won’t visit him, not understanding the extent of her family’s strictness.

Bringing it all home by revealing that all three meh boyfriends have sexual or romantic ties to the original teens! Fred is trying to get a Random Hearts thing going with Nancy; Jason’s attempts to be youth-group-nice to Jonathan in spring 1984 led to them making out to the Smiths and he repressed that shit so hard; and Steve has been regularly hooking up with Dan after meeting him at a Purdue basketball game the previous spring.

[the-max-rebo-band]

Big Ten (Primary) Fight Song Rankings

1. PSU: Hail to the Lion - Classic, never ending verses, majestic but fun 2. Iowa: Iowa Fight Song - Bouncy, almost a Christmas carol, catchy as hell 3. Purdue: Hail Purdue - Driving, punchy, T R A I N S 4: Minnesota: Minnesota Rouser - Easy to sing, lots of wacky cheering 5: MSU: Victory for MSU - chromatic, precise, builds tension well 6: Indiana: Indiana, Our Indiana - fun syncopation, very memorable 7: Wisconsin: On, Wisconsin - Iconic, performed in the oddest way possible 8. Maryland: Maryland Victory Song - pretty basic, but fun to spell Maryland 9. Nebraska: Hail Varsity - loud, unique woodwind riffs 10. Michigan: Hail to the Victors - overplayed but pretty old school 11. Rutgers: The Bells Must Ring - kinda generic but fun 12. Northwestern: Go U Northwestern - it’s On, Wisconsin but more forgettable 13. Illinois: Illinois Loyalty - Meh 14. OSU: Across the Field - forgettable and boring imho

[lensflareduggar]

Personal shit: Another Saga

Okay, I didn't want to talk about this because I didn't want to jinx it but I'm super nervous and I think it'd just be better to hear some kind words.

Here's the thing: from what I felt today, things seem to be looking up. But that doesn't mean shit because well, what it's about.

Little old me found myself thinking about doing something crazy. I decided to rush for a sorority. I go to a small school so it felt much safer to do than I initially thought (since I grew up near IU and Purdue, aka in the same state but you get it). And for a bit, it was. My college has 5 sororities. The initial rush process goes as follows:

Day 1: You visit all 5 houses

Day 2: You visit your top 4 houses

Day 3: You visit your top 2 houses and then get your final bid (sorority assignment) in the evening

Day 1 was fine because it wasn't a big deal. You just met everyone involved and saw who you meshed with. It wasn't a hard choice to decide who I didn't want to go back to. Because even if we liked each other and knew each other outside, it wouldn't matter.

I got invited to only two houses on the second day. It was fine since they were my top choices. I found myself really having a rough time trying to narrow down who I wanted to join, in the event I had to go back to both again. Meh.

TODAY I only got invited back to one and I really feel at home there. It was actually nice to have it narrowed down to that choice and meet everyone again. I was really happy and felt I truly belonged but... There's a chance I could still not get it. It's not a very high one, I don't think. But I'm a very anxious person by nature and just... Ugh. I'm supposed to keep my phone close by in case the officers call. If they call I'm out of a bid and a sorority, basically. I don't know their number, only the area code. I also don't have caller ID because I'm too lazy to install it. My current approach to this whole thing is to just leave my phone somewhere else until their official call time is over. Like the second it's over I'm probably going to log back on to either cry via Tumblr or share good news via Tumblr.

I know my personal shit gets annoying because it's seen as a "woe is me" message. I did this to myself and I need no sympathy. Just encouragement. I want to know that no matter what happens I'm not the scum of the earth at the end of the day. That's all.

And in that light, I'm not naming any sororities in this post unless I get a bid. I don't want any other young girl in our community to give Greek Life a bad name if it doesn't work out for me. It's not fair to them. I don't want to influence anyone that way. I want every young girl I teach or encounter online to do what makes them happy and go down the path that's right for them, even if that means forging a different trail.

[chemistri]

you are applying to 20+ colleges?????

yyyep son I’m doing the good ol shotgun method to all of the ivies except yale and penn + a lot more reach schools

let me list them for you (in order of my love, italics are reaches)

Cornell (love of my life, ultra reach)

UCLA (realistic dream school)

Dartmouth (I love their emphasis on the outdoors)

UC Berkeley (Good academics but meh campus)

Columbia (manhattan, gr8 engineering program for women)

Harvard (do i have to explain)

Caltech (like MIT but in california, too much stress, so small)

Princeton (great engineering, gorgeous campus)

MIT (huge reach, real life hogwarts)

Stanford (omg do i have to explain)

USC - if i get rejected from UCLA it’s the next best thing

Cooper Union - so cool but really small

Brown - seems cool but idk if i would fit in

Harvey Mudd - cool but too tiny for my liking

Carnegie Mellon - awesome for cs but also in pennsylvania :/

UC Irvine - safety but still cool, socal beaches!

UW Seattle - applying for their CS program, too rainy, pretty campus

UC Santa Barbara - safety but still pretty cool

NYU - cool school, but expensive for the meh academics

Northeastern - safety

Purdue - safety, i would love it if it wasn’t in the midwest

Case Western - safety, same as purdue

UC San Diego - safety, just didn’t really like the campus 

[mistye-dawne]

creme brulee, berry trifle, andddddd... tapioca pudding?

Crème Brulee: Describe your style

The best way to describe my style is comfortable and minimalistic. When I’m out and about I’ll wear a t-shirt or blouse, depending on what I’m doing, and comfortable pants or shorts. I’m a bigger girl so I really like wearing slacks because I always buy them to compliment my figure. At home I’m always wearing shorts and a t-shirt. If I get cold, I’ll throw a sweater on but I don’t believe in pants when I’m at home. I don’t wear a lot of makeup if any at all because I have super sensitive skin but I do love my jewelry. I always wear a necklace that my dad bought me a couple years back and I love wearing earrings even though you never see them cause my hair is long and always down.

Berry Trifle: First and last concert you went to?

The first concert I went to was a Daughtry concert like 8 or 9 years ago I think. Not that I follow college basketball, but it was an event leading into the final four weekend hosted in Indianapolis that year. The last one I went to was in April 2016. It was at Panic! at the Disco at Purdue University. It might have been 2015 though cause I think I was still in school there. I suck a remembering things, especially things that are just meh to me. I love live performances just the concert scene is really for me. I prefer the orchestra or opera.

Tapioca Pudding: Favorite animated characters?

This one is hard because there are a lot so I’m gonna define favorite as one that I relate to the most and that would be Mei Tachibana from ‘Say I Love You.’ She’s a plain high school girl with no friends, average grades, and a single mother. At first she appears to be the type of person who doesn’t need or want friends because all they do is hurt you. I was that girl growing up because I was hurt by the one person I thought would always protect me and love me. My mother left my father and needless to say I never spoke to him again. However, I’ve gotten much better since my mother remarried now almost 12 years ago. I do still have trouble getting out on my own and because I have very few people my age to hang out with and those I do know and am close to live nowhere near me.

Other favorites of mine from various things are: Yang, Neo and Roman from RWBY. From Fairy Tail I love the Raijinshu, Cobra, and Angel (don’t ask why but she just speaks to my soul), and from Mushishi really the one person to love in the main character Ginko. There are lots and I could go forever but I’m not.

[flauntpage]

Sweet 16 Odds: Lines, Predictions, Betting Analysis

Michigan State vs. LSU Odds

No. 3 seed LSU knows a thing or two about overcoming adversity. The Tigers impressively brushed aside the late-season indefinite suspension of head coach Will Wade and an embarrassing stumble to underdog Florida in the SEC Tournament to win a pair of games last weekend. They will likely need to tap into that resiliency in order to get past No. 2 seed Michigan State tonight. Currently, Michigan State is -6 and the over/under is 152 at DraftKings Sportsbook– get your first bet matched up to $500 and insurance on Sweet 16 games. You can also bet on the game with one of many NJ online sports betting options.

Michigan State has shot an efficient 48.6% from the floor this season while limiting opponents to only 37.7% shooting, the third-lowest percentage in the country. The Spartans heavily rely on star guard Cassius Winston, who is averaging 18.9 points per game, for its offense. It was Winston who led the way in the Spartans’ 70-50 second round dismantling of Big Ten rival Minnesota, and it will be on him to do it again against LSU’s deep rotation.

As for the Tigers, they’re an efficient bunch from inside the arc, shooting 53.1%, but are poor from beyond it. Their 32% mark from deep is 295th in the nation. Like Winston, guard Tremont Waters has the ability to take over a game, but LSU does have four regular who average double-figures and eight players averaging at least 15 minutes per game. Every bit of that depth will be needed to knock off Michigan State.

Will LSU continue its unexpected march through the tournament under interim head coach Tony Benford, or will Tom Izzo’s team get back to the Elite Eight for the first time since 2015? Let’s take a look at what to expect when these two teams take the floor at Capital One Arena in Washington D.C. tonight.

Trends

Michigan State has been one of the nation’s top ATS teams this season. The Spartans are 25-11 ATS overall, 23-9 ATS as a favorite, and 1-1 ATS thus far in the NCAA Tournament. Michigan State is also 6-2 ATS when favored between four and eight points and an amazing 16-1 ATS (!!!) against teams with a .650 or better winning percentage. Absurd. Tom Izzo’s squad is also an excellent 7-1 straight up in neutral court games this season. Meanwhile, big picture history is also working in Michigan State’s favor. When higher-seeded teams are also favored in Sweet 16 contests, they have gone an impressive 74-29 straight up since 2005. While all of this information presents a pretty compelling argument in the Spartans’ favor, a deeper dive unearths some data that gives LSU backers a reason to believe.

The 74-29 SU record mentioned above comes with a caveat found in last night’s action: Texas Tech and Purdue each bucked this trend with upset wins as lower-seeded teams, albeit both games featured much shorter spreads than this one. To that end, No. 3 seeds are 9-11 SU against No. 2 seeds in Sweet 16 games dating back to 2005, but are 2-0 SU this year.

Perhaps equally important is that lower-seeded teams which are underdogs of three to six points are 5-2 ATS in Sweet 16 games since 2005 and 9-5 ATS when that number is stretched between two and nine points. The thesis here is that while Michigan State should win the game, history suggests that laying this many points in games with closely seeded teams hasn’t been a good bet in recent Sweet 16 action.

There, too, are some impressive LSU SU and ATS trends to consider here. The Tigers are 7-1 SU with four or more days rest. What really jumps out is LSU’s 6-2 SU and 6-1-1 ATS record as an underdog as its shown itself to be an excellent team when counted out this season. It’s not all good for Benford’s team, however, as it is only 2-8-2 ATS against teams allowing less than 67 points per game. LSU has really struggled to gain separation against the number when playing more defensive-minded teams, relevant because the Spartans are limiting opponents to only 65.1 points per contest.

Prediction

This is a tough, tough game. Michigan State is so good against the number when playing elite competition, while LSU excels as an underdog. I’m going to do something I rarely ever do this late in the tournament, and, frankly, I don’t believe this is sound advice, but I’ll take Michigan State to win the game and LSU to cover the six-point spread. History has shown that similar matchups between closely seeded teams in this round at this number have profiled favorably for the underdog. I’ll take the six, maybe buy it up to 6.5, and hold my breath.

Other Sweet 16 Picks and Predictions

Houston (+3) over Kentucky

The uncertainty of P.J. Washington’s status is a red flag, and if I’m being honest, I think Houston may just be the flat-out better team. Houston is 4-1 ATS as an underdog, 12-4 ATS in road or neutral site games, 13-5 ATS against teams that win more than 65% percent of their games, and 16-6-1 ATS when they have at least four days of rest. True, they’re playing an American Athletic Conference schedule, but I’m not in love with Kentucky either.

UNC (-5.5) over Auburn

No. 1s that are at least four seeds higher than their opponents are 13-3 SU, but only 8-8 ATS in Sweet 16 action since 2005. Meh, whatever. Nice season by Auburn, but it ends here, and I suspect it’s not all that close.

Duke (-7) over Virginia Tech

This is a total no-play for me. Sorry. Can’t like ‘em all. Virginia Tech took down Duke earlier this season when the Blue Devils didn’t have Zion Williamson. Obviously, they’ll have his services this time around, but the Hokies will have back the school’s all-time assists leader in senior guard Justin Robinson, who also missed that February meeting. Virginia Tech has beaten Duke in three of the past four meetings, so this wouldn’t be a shocker by any stretch. Still, I suspect we’re heading for UNC-Duke Part IV and the Blue Devils to rebound with a convincing performance after their narrow escape Sunday against UCF.

  The post Sweet 16 Odds: Lines, Predictions, Betting Analysis appeared first on Crossing Broad.

Sweet 16 Odds: Lines, Predictions, Betting Analysis published first on https://footballhighlightseurope.tumblr.com/

[junker-town]

S&P+ spread picks for every Week 11 college football game

With GameDay watching, can BC impede a pre-ordained Clemson CFP run? Picks for that and every other FBS game here.

Clemson’s got four remaining hurdles to get to the College Football Playoff, and the Tigers are likely to clear all of them. S&P+ gives them a 75 percent chance of winning their final three regular season games (they’re at least an 18-point favorite in each) and would deem them a 29-point favorite against Pitt in the ACC title game, a 27-point favorite against Virginia Tech, or a 25-point favorite against Virginia.

The next few games feel like they’re as much about staying healthy as conquering challenges, but if one game still has even slight uncertainty, it’s this battle with Boston College.

Clemson will probably win. But BC has proved a tricky out this season. The Eagles are 7-2 with a top-30 defense and an offense that alternates between constant explosions and steady implosions. They can make big plays from any situation but might not make any; they’re horrible on third-and-long but don’t face any. Opponents avoid their run defense, passing constantly, but they defend the pass better than the run.

With the way Clemson’s been playing of late, though, it might not matter. Since the Tigers narrowly survived Syracuse with their freshman backup quarterback (as opposed to their freshman starting quarterback), they’ve been as dominant as ever.

They beat Wake Forest, NC State, Florida State, and Louisville by an average of 60-9 (!!). On offense they’re in the top 10 in both Rushing S&P+ and Passing Downs S&P+, and their defense is dominant in all but a select few categories. They have for the last month dominated at an Alabama level, and they are only a little bit behind the Tide in overall S&P+. This is a machine, and if the Tigers survive strangeness in Chestnut Hill, they’re just about to the finish line.

Below are FBS picks and projections using the S&P+ projections, listed in full for all 130 FBS teams here.

See the bottom of the post for more detail about these.

The spread (listed in parentheses) is shown next to S&P+’s pick for each game. The team in bold is projected to beat the spread. (At most books, there is no listed spread for FCS games.) When S&P+ predicts a tie or a push (a tie with Vegas, basically), I list the pick on the side S&P+ would pick if teams could score in decimals.

This document breaks games (and S&P+’s season performance to date) out into their decimal glory. This year, I am including and monitoring total (over/under) picks as well.

Weeknight games

Photo by Brett Carlsen/Getty Images

Syracuse’s Alton Robinson

No. 13 Syracuse 38, Louisville (+21.5) 22 (Nov. 09, 7:00 PM ET, ESPN2)

No. 14 NC State 38, Wake Forest (+17.5) 24 (Nov. 08, 7:30 PM ET, ESPN)

No. 23 Fresno State (-3) 33, Boise State 24 (Nov. 09, 10:15 PM ET, ESPN2)

Buffalo (-20.5) 41, Kent State 17 — Buffalo won by 34 (W)

Northern Illinois 27, Toledo (+3) 27 — NIU won by 23 (L)

Ohio 33, Miami (Ohio) (+3.5) 32 — Miami won by 2 (W)

After drubbing Louisville appropriately, Syracuse gets a shot at Notre Dame next week in a strangely big game, one that could determine the Irish’s spot in the Playoff or the Orange’s spot in a New Year’s Six bowl.

Ranked vs. ranked

Vasha Hunt-USA TODAY Sports

Mississippi State’s Nick Fitzgerald

No. 1 Alabama 37, No. 16 Mississippi State (+24) 19 (Nov. 10, 3:30 PM ET, CBS)

No. 2 Clemson 35, No. 17 Boston College (+20.5) 17 (Nov. 10, 8:00 PM ET, ABC)

No. 5 Georgia 33, No. 24 Auburn (+14.5) 20 (Nov. 10, 7:00 PM ET, ESPN)

No. 10 Ohio State (-3.5) 30, No. 18 Michigan State 25 (Nov. 10, 12:00 PM ET, Fox)

I’m curious how long Mississippi State can make Alabama uncomfortable on Saturday. Going by S&P+, MSU is the best team the Crimson Tide have faced this season. They defend about as well as LSU, and they can run the ball as well as LSU wishes it could.

The Bulldogs could make things interesting if quarterback Nick Fitzgerald can hit a couple of deep shots, but, well, it is putting it kindly to say that Fitzgerald has struggled to hit the deep shots — the MSU offense is third in Rushing S&P+ but 87th in Passing S&P+. Maybe he’s been saving up all his good passes for this moment?

Other ranked teams in action

Jake Roth-USA TODAY Sports

Notre Dame’s Jerry Tillery

No. 3 Notre Dame (-18) 36, Florida State 13 (Nov. 10, 7:30 PM ET, NBC)

No. 4 Michigan (-39.5) 44, Rutgers 2 (Nov. 10, 3:30 PM ET, BTN)

No. 6 Oklahoma 45, Oklahoma State (+20.5) 29 (Nov. 10, 3:30 PM ET, ABC)

No. 7 LSU 32, Arkansas (+14) 22 (Nov. 10, 7:30 PM ET, SECN)

No. 8 Washington State (-6.5) 36, Colorado 25 (Nov. 10, 3:30 PM ET, ESPN)

No. 9 West Virginia 34, TCU (+12) 24 (Nov. 10, 12:00 PM ET, FS1)

No. 11 Kentucky (-6.5) 29, Tennessee 22 (Nov. 10, 3:30 PM ET, SECN)

No. 12 UCF (-25.5) 50, Navy 17 (Nov. 10, 12:00 PM ET, ESPN2)

No. 15 Florida (-6) 34, South Carolina 25 (Nov. 10, 12:00 PM ET, ESPN)

Texas Tech (+2) 35, No. 19 Texas 31 (Nov. 10, 7:30 PM ET, Fox)

No. 20 Penn State 31, Wisconsin (+9) 28 (Nov. 10, 12:00 PM ET, ABC)

No. 21 Iowa (-10.5) 30, Northwestern 18 (Nov. 10, 3:30 PM ET, Fox)

No. 22 Iowa State 36, Baylor (+14.5) 23 (Nov. 10, 3:30 PM ET, FS1)

Florida State’s still got a decent defense (it’s been downgraded from “good” after a couple of bad weeks) and certainly has the athletes to scare Notre Dame, but any thoughts you have about an upset disappear when you think about Jerry Tillery, Julian Okwara, Khalid Kareem, and the disruptive Notre Dame front taking on the sieve that is the FSU offensive line. That could be ugly.

Power 5 vs. Power 5

Geoff Burke-USA TODAY Sports

Pitt’s Darrin Hall

Arizona State 37, UCLA (+13.5) 24 (Nov. 10, 2:00 PM ET, Pac-12)

Duke (-10) 36, North Carolina 20 (Nov. 10, 12:20 PM ET, ACCN)

Kansas State (-10.5) 33, Kansas 22 (Nov. 10, 12:00 PM ET, FSN)

Maryland (+1) 26, Indiana 26 (Nov. 10, 12:00 PM ET, BTN)

Miami (+3.5) 33, Georgia Tech 26 (Nov. 10, 7:00 PM ET, ESPN2)

Missouri 38, Vanderbilt (+17) 22 (Nov. 10, 12:00 PM ET, SECN)

Purdue 34, Minnesota (+12.5) 26 (Nov. 10, 3:30 PM ET, ESPN2)

Stanford (-24) 47, Oregon State 20 (Nov. 10, 9:00 PM ET, Pac-12)

Texas A&M 37, Ole Miss (+11.5) 30 (Nov. 10, 12:00 PM ET, CBS)

USC (-5.5) 28, California 20 (Nov. 10, 10:30 PM ET, ESPN)

Utah (-4) 35, Oregon 24 (Nov. 10, 5:30 PM ET, Pac-12)

Virginia (+3) Tech 31, Pittsburgh 31 (Nov. 10, 3:30 PM ET, ESPNU) (Actual projected score: VT 31.3, Pitt 31.0)

Pitt vs. Virginia Tech in a tossup game for potential control of the ACC Coastal division. That sounds exciting, at least until you think about the teams’ combined 9-8 record.

FBS vs. FBS

Jeff Hanisch-USA TODAY Sports

Illinois’ Reggie Corbin

Air Force 33, New Mexico (+13.5) 25 (Nov. 10, 3:30 PM ET, CBSSN)

Appalachian State (-21) 34, Texas State 13 (Nov. 10, 4:00 PM ET, ESPN3) (Actual projected score: App State 34.3, TXST 12.9)

Arkansas State (-6.5) 38, Coastal Carolina 28 (Nov. 10, 5:00 PM ET, ESPN+)

BYU 33, Massachusetts (+14) 26 (Nov. 10, 12:00 PM ET, ELVN)

Central Michigan (-7.5) 32, Bowling Green 24 (Nov. 10, 3:00 PM ET, ESPN+)

Cincinnati 31, USF (+14) 23 (Nov. 10, 7:00 PM ET, ESPNU)

Eastern Michigan (-12.5) 33, Akron 17 (Nov. 10, 12:00 PM ET, ESPN3)

Florida Atlantic 37, Western Kentucky (+20.5) 18 (Nov. 10, 5:00 PM ET, Facebook)

Florida International (-10.5) 32, UTSA 21 (Nov. 10, 7:00 PM ET, ESPN+)

Houston 32, Temple (+4.5) 29 (Nov. 10, 7:00 PM ET, CBSSN)

Louisiana Tech 40, Rice (+24.5) 17 (Nov. 10, 7:00 PM ET, ESPN+)

Marshall (-14.5) 32, Charlotte 10 (Nov. 10, 2:30 PM ET, ESPN+)

Memphis (-15.5) 39, Tulsa 23 (Nov. 10, 12:00 PM ET, ESPNU)

Middle Tennessee 32, UTEP (+13.5) 19 (Nov. 10, 3:00 PM ET, ESPN+)

Nebraska 40, Illinois (+17) 24 (Nov. 10, 12:00 PM ET, BTN)

Nevada (-14) 39, Colorado State 24 (Nov. 10, 10:30 PM ET, ESPNU)

North Texas (-14.5) 42, Old Dominion 21 (Nov. 10, 2:00 PM ET, ESPN3)

San Diego State (-22.5) 39, UNLV 15 (Nov. 10, 10:30 PM ET, ESPN2)

SMU (-19.5) 42, Connecticut 23 (Nov. 10, 12:00 PM ET, ESPN3) (actual projected score: SMU 42.2, UConn 22.7)

Troy (-1) 31, Georgia Southern 29 (Nov. 10, 1:00 PM ET, ESPN+)

Tulane 31, East Carolina (+14) 19 (Nov. 10, 4:00 PM ET, ESPNN)

UAB 28, Southern Miss (+12) 16 (Nov. 10, 7:30 PM ET, beIN) (actual projected score: UAB 28.0, USM 16.1)

UL-Lafayette 42, Georgia State (+14) 30 (Nov. 10, 5:00 PM ET, ESPN+)

UL-Monroe 34, South Alabama (+6.5) 30 (Nov. 10, 5:00 PM ET, ESPN+)

Utah State (-31) 46, San Jose State 10 (Nov. 10, 4:00 PM ET, Facebook)

Virginia 41, Liberty (+23.5) 21 (Nov. 10, 3:00 PM ET, ACCN)

I can’t believe these words are leaving my keyboard, but you should try to watch some of the Nebraska-Illinois game. It will be much more fun than you expect. Nebraska has scored at least 31 points for four straight games and is up to 44th in Off. S&P+ after a tough start. Meanwhile, Illinois — Illinois! — has one of the most enjoyable run games in the country. The Illini are sixth in Rushing S&P+ and rushed for more than 400 yards against Minnesota last week. Granted, they fall apart as soon as they have to rely on anything other than the ground game, but it’s something!

At 4-5, the Illini still have, per S&P+, a 10 percent chance of reaching bowl eligibility. Those odds would improve to at least 35 percent with a win in Lincoln.

FBS vs. FCS

Danny Wild-USA TODAY Sports

Army’s looking to move to 9-2.

Army 30, Lafayette 1 (Nov. 10, 12:00 PM ET, CBSSN)

I would pay a lot of money to see a team win by a 30-1 score.

Each year, I post weekly S&P+ picks as a way of affirming the ratings’ validity. I use my S&P+ system as a complement to most of my analysis, and the picks are a way of showing it generally knows what it’s talking about.

S&P+ tends to hit between 50 (meh) and 54 percent (great) against the spread from year to year. It isn’t always the single best performer, but it holds its own.

Beyond picks, though, it goes deeper than any other set of college football analytics on the market. You can go into granular detail regarding team strengths and weaknesses in a way that no other set of ratings allows. (See the annual team statistical profiles as proof.)

[usatrendingsports]

Re-seeding the Candy 16: Kentucky not prime 10 amongst 2018 NCAA Match survivors

1

Precise seed: No. 1 within the East Regional. Not a lot an argument in opposition to the 32-Four Wildcats. They’re one in all two No. 1 seeds left within the discipline. They rank as the highest crew in within the discipline in each mainstream metric. Their offensive effectivity is first in school basketball. They’ve 4 future NBA gamers, not less than, and are loaded with veterans. That is the very best crew within the sport nonetheless eligible to win the 2018 nationwide title. It additionally has the best ground of any of the 16 groups. You’ll have to beat Villanova as a result of it is not going to beat itself. It flicked away Radford after which made putty of Alabama within the first weekend. 2

Precise seed: No. 2 within the Midwest Regional. The Blue Devils (28-7) performed in Pittsburgh the primary weekend, proper there with Villanova, and appeared simply nearly as good. The Blue Devils need to be No. 2 in seed at this level. Their zone protection is paying dividends a lot as a rule. The bigs (Marvin Bagley III and Wendell Carter) are in a groove. Grayson Allen’s not enjoying persistently effectively however he’s nonetheless doing much more than what we noticed early within the season. Trevon Duval confronted a guard-heavy URI crew and had just one turnover. Rams coach Dan Hurley mentioned Duke seems to be prefer it has 5 first spherical picks. It is not as reliable as Villanova, nevertheless it’s equally as harmful. Three

Precise seed: No. 1 within the Midwest Regional. The Jayhawks obtained previous Penn, 76-60, then held off Seton Corridor, 73-69. The Penn sport was shut for 3 quarters of it. KU at No. Three is a season-long view of this crew. It is 29-7 and has crushed plenty of good golf equipment. It is nonetheless one of the crucial flawed Kansas groups of the previous 10 years, but the resume is just too good to drop KU decrease than third at this level. Devonte’ Graham is beneath Participant of the Yr consideration right here at CBS Sports activities. Malik Newman’s efficiency vs. Seton Corridor was precisely what the Jayhawks must make it to San Antonio. Udoka Azubuike combating via damage was additionally spectacular. Four

Precise seed: No. 2 within the East Regional. The Boilermakers could be third if not for the elbow problem with Isaac Haas. Purdue (30-6) stays my nationwide champion choose; I believe it is obtained the shooters to go all the way in which. Matt Painter’s crew is the No. 2 Three-point taking pictures crew and No. 2 offense in school basketball. Matt Haarms is studying on the job, although. The wavy-haired freshman performed a season-high 29 minutes vs. Purdue on Sunday. That Butler sport was shut nevertheless it by no means appeared like Purdue was in bother. Vincent Edwards is due for a giant second this Friday vs. Texas Tech, I believe. 5

Precise seed: No. Three within the East Regional. This crew is stuffed with veteran athletic expertise. And it is obtained a freshman in Zhaire Smith who is likely one of the finest dunkers within the sport. The East is clearly the strongest area at this level. Three of the highest 5 groups are enjoying in Boston this weekend. The Purple Raiders are 26-9 and have sprung again after dropping 4 of their last 5 common season video games. TTU has wins over 4 Candy 16 groups: Kansas, Kansas State, West Virginia and Nevada. It is obtained the No. Four-ranked per possession offense. Chris Beard’s guys are higher than individuals are giving them credit score for, nonetheless, and might completely head dwelling to Texas for the Closing 4. 6

Precise seed: No. Four within the West Regional. Now at 32-Four, the Bulldogs are poised to make back-to-back Closing Fours due to a West Regional that is damaged their means. To suppose, this was going to be a down 12 months for the Zags. Hardly. They’ve validated their No. 6 slot not on with the win complete and victories this season over match groups Ohio State, Texas and Creighton, but additionally as a result of their tight wins over UNC Greensboro and Ohio State introduced out why this program is sweet 12 months after 12 months. Zach Norvell Jr. had 28 in opposition to the Buckeyes — a season-high. It photographs 59 % from 2 and is not turnover-prone. The favourite in Los Angeles to get to San Antonio. 7

Precise seed: No. Three within the West Regional. If the Zags do not win the West, Michigan most likely will. The Wolverines are fortunate to be right here; they’d no enterprise profitable that sport vs. Houston on Saturday. However right here they’re. The highest-ranked protection left within the discipline is driving excessive after Jordan Poole’s tournament-saving shot. Watch it once more. That will get higher each time. When it initially occurred I did not suppose it was a top-20 buzzer beater in match historical past. I believe I’ve modified my thoughts on that. Total, Michigan’s gained 11 straight. The protection is the explanation. From a resume perspective, owns wins over match groups Texas, Michigan State, Purdue, Ohio State and UCLA. eight

Precise seed: No. 5 within the East Regional. The very fact I’ve the Mountaineers eighth has me doubting myself. WVU was a half-trendy upset choose in opposition to Murray State. It gained 85-68. Then some questioned if Marshall might loopy it up in opposition to the Mountaineers. The ultimate: 94-71. Whereas “Press Virginia” will get plenty of chatter for its protection, the reality is that this crew has been higher with the ball than with out it this season. It beat Virginia this season, one in all solely three groups to take action. It’s within the prime half of the remaining 16 groups. Senior level guard Jevon Carter is just not going out quietly. 9

Precise seed: No. 11 within the South Regional. At 30-5 with wins over Florida, Miami and Tennessee, the Ramblers are rapidly shifting from Cinderella story to bona fide Closing 4 consideration. Porter Moser’s crew ranks within the prime 15 in 2-point and Three-point discipline aim share. Clayton Custer is the proper level guard for this method. You’ll be able to’t actually phony your option to 30 wins when you come from the Missouri Valley. Sister Jean is the most important story with the Ramblers, however I believe there’s extra to return with this crew. Custer hit a winner and so did Donte Ingram. Who’s subsequent up? Junior guard Marques Townes, your quantity might be subsequent. 10

Precise seed: No. 7 within the South Regional. No crew had a nuttier opening weekend the Nevada, which did not miss a discipline aim in OT in opposition to Texas, a sport it most likely should not have gained, after which rallied from 22 right down to beat Cincinnati. The 29-7 Wolf Pack have common season wins over tourney groups Radford, Rhode Island, San Diego State and Davidson. Caleb and Cody Martin transferred from NC State and have clearly made the correct selection. Nevada’s achieved this with out level guard Lindsey Drew. Spectacular run. This was the very best crew within the Mountain West. 11

Precise seed: No. 5 within the South Regional. Suppose UK is just too low? For reference, it ranks because the 10th finest crew of the 16 left at KenPom. The 26-10 Wildcats being 11th right here speaks to how tight this discipline is between No. Four and No. 12. Kentucky obtained a scare from Davidson after which ran away from Buffalo. John Calipari’s squad has been capable of win all however one sport previously month as a result of its Three-point protection is the very best of any crew within the discipline. UK holds foes to 29.eight % taking pictures from past the arc. Common season wins over match groups: Virginia Tech, Texas A&M, West Virginia, Alabama, Arkansas, Missouri, Tennessee. 12

Precise seed: No. 5 within the Midwest Regional. Tigers followers, I’ve obtained your crew this low due to the damage to Donte Grantham. By 19 video games Clemson was 16-Three. Since then it is 9-6. A good rating. However I’ll give credit score to how effectively Clemson appeared over the weekend. I believed New Mexico State would win with some consolation in opposition to the Tigers. Nah. Clemson took it 79-68. Then it destroyed — I imply, burned and buried — Auburn, 84-53. Wins over the sphere embrace Ohio State, Florida, Miami and North Carolina. 13

Precise seed: No. 7 within the West Regional. From preseason SEC favourite to mid-season letdown to probably the most spectacular crew within the first weekend of the match. Contemplating the opponents, the Aggies come out on prime for me. Now at 22-12, Billy Kennedy’s crew will face Michigan within the midst of its strongest stretch of the season. West Virginia, Buffalo, Missouri, Arkansas, Auburn, Kentucky and Alabama all fell to this crew this season. However there are 12 losses too. 14

Precise seed: No. 9 within the West Regional: Properly, let’s tackle this:

Shouts to anybody who really picks Florida State to win an NCAA Match sport. Seminoles— dangerous non-con slate and all—most likely make the sphere even with a tough L right here. For me, that crew is as meh because it will get for major-conference at-large filler.

— Matt Norlander (@MattNorlander) March 7, 2018

I tweeted that after FSU fell within the ACC match however was nonetheless going to make it into the NCAAs. To me, the Seminoles did not look geared up to win a sport, actually not two. Yeah, besides now that is simply what they’ve achieved. At 22-11, FSU obtained by No.1 Xavier due to a 12-point comeback within the last 10 minutes. But I am nonetheless not bought on this crew all that a lot. Nothing private. It is not top-30 in offensive or defensive effectivity. It gained at Florida, however apart from that, did not beat a match crew in non-con play. However it does have two wins vs. groups nonetheless within the discipline. FSU wanted three complete overtimes to beat Syracuse and Clemson at dwelling.

15

Precise seed: No. 9 within the South Regional. This is the place we hit the drop-off. I am rating Ok-State 15 as an alternative of 16 as a result of Dean Wade mentioned he expects to play in Thursday’s sport in opposition to Kentucky in Atlanta. Bruce Weber is within the fourth Candy 16 of his life. The final time he was there was with Illinois in 2005, en path to the nationwide title sport. This is why Ok-State cannot be ranked greater: It did not beat one crew in non-conference play that made the NCAAs. Within the Large 12, it went Zero-7 in opposition to the three finest groups, that are all nonetheless alive: Kansas, West Virginia and Texas Tech. 16

Precise seed: No. 11 within the Midwest Regional. At 23-13, the Orange are the straightforward choose to convey up the caboose. They have probably the most losses of any crew within the Candy 16. They have been the ultimate crew within the discipline on Choice Sunday. Jim Boeheim has mentioned this crew is not nice. However that zone is befuddling and could be a hex on sure groups within the match. The Orange held off Arizona State 60-56 within the First 4. Then they quietly ended sixth-seeded TCU’s season 57-52. Towards Michigan State, SU appeared prefer it had a spell on Sparty. A hideous 55-53 win. The way you make a Candy 16 averaging 57 factors, and scoring fewer factors with every opponent being harder than the final, is a thriller. Buffalo, Virginia Tech, Miami and Clemson are this crew’s common season wins over match competitors. Now comes Duke, which held the Orange to a season-low 44 factors in February.

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[auburnfamilynews]

Some little teams won and a big team lost, so there’s some big movement on this hallowed War Blogle Rankings… and YOU’LL NEVER GUESS WHERE I HAVE AUBURN.

1. Alabama (3-0)

The Tide gave up 23 points to Colorado State? Do you even want the top spot in the War Blogle rankings?!

Last week: #1, beat Colorado State 41-23

2. Georgia (2-0)

The Bulldogs beat the Bulldogs. They are here by default right now.

Last week: #2, beat Samford 42-14

3. Auburn (2-1)

Much like Georgia, the Tigers are this high because of a few others losses. Top of a heap of cow manure is still the top. They are Top 3 in the SEC. Have they played like it? Not yet, really.

Last week: #4, beat Mercer 24-10

4. Mississippi State (3-0)

I don’t think the Bulldogs are 37-7 over LSU good, but they definitely surprised some folks. What will surprise folks later is how bad LSU is going to end up.

Last week: #8, beat LSU 37-7

5. Florida (1-1)

There is not a more “meh” team in the SEC, but they play in the East.

Last week: #5, beat Tennessee 26-20

6. LSU (2-1)

This is probably the highest LSU will be ranked the rest of the season unless something major happens.

Last week: #3, lost at Mississippi State 37-7

7. Texas A&M (2-1)

It’s like Texas A&M doesn’t even want to be here. You have literally everything at your disposal, and this is what you field?

Last week: #9, beat Louisiana-Lafayette 45-21

8. Kentucky (3-0)

Let’s pump the brakes on the Wildcats. They are 3-0 with a TD win over Southern Miss, they were losing in the 4th quarter to Eastern Kentucky. They beat South Carolina, but we don’t know what that means at this point.

Last week: #14, beat South Carolina 23-13

9. South Carolina (2-1)

Maybe the Gamecocks aren’t that good? Maybe they are just South Carolina. Yep, that’s probably it.

Last week: #6, lost to Kentucky 23-13

10. Vanderbilt (3-0)

Let’s pump the brakes on the Commodores. They are 3-0 with a win over Middle Tennessee, they beat Alabama A&M, and somewhat surprising beat Kansas State. Slow down.

Last week: #12, beat Kansas State 14-7

11. Arkansas (1-1)

I don’t know what the Hawgs are yet. How you gonna have a bye week this early? Whooped Florida A&M, got beat by TCU. So they are mediocre-ish?

Last week: #11, Bye Week

12. Tennessee (2-1)

Has there been a more under-performing team in the football in the last decade. Think about it. They’ve had like two big wins since Fulmer was fired. It’s like when the Red Sox traded Babe Ruth.

Last week: #7, lost at Florida 26-20

13. Ole Miss (2-1)

Cal doesn’t care about much more than protesting and then they can beat Ole Miss in football? This is the end of the Rebs for a while.

Last week: #13, lost at Cal 27-16

14. Missouri (1-2)

A Big Ten scored 35 points on you? In your empty stadium? Get out. Seriously, get out.

Last week: #10, lost to Purdue 35-3

from WarBlogle.com http://bit.ly/2hiWpM7

[the-max-rebo-band]

Big 10 Football / Band Rankings

From the POV of a marching band member

1. PSU - WE ARE

2. IOWA - Excellent Fight Song, beat OSU last year

3. Purdue - Beat OSU this year, the TRAINS

4. Wisconsin - Keg In the Closet, Keg in the Closet...

5. Northwestern - Had a good season and was chill about it

6. Rutgers - Has a cannon, marching band swords, needs all the love they can get

7. Maryland - Great flag makes for cool uniforms

8. Minnesota - Golden Gophers are unique I guess

9. Illinois - the colors are cool

10. MSU - absolutely 0 football consistency, band seems chill and has good memes

11. Indiana - Meh

12. Nebraska - Bad Corn

13. Michigan - it’s 12:23am and Michigan still sucks, big house is below ground

14. tOSU - Script Ohio takes too long, pretentious, What’s a Buckeye?

[madpicks]

New Post has been published on https://www.madpicks.com/sports-betting/predicting-winner-every-week-1-college-football-game/

Predicting the winner of every Week 1 college football game

After last week’s brief walkthrough, it’s time for the actual start of the 2017 college football season. Thanks to the pervasiveness of early-season tune-ups against FCS opponents, there are a whopping 86 games on the FBS schedule. Let’s predict all of them.

Below are picks and projections using 2017 S&P+ projections. See the bottom of the post for more detail about these.

The spread (listed in parentheses) is shown next to S&P+’s pick for each game. When S&P+ predicts a push (a tie with Vegas, basically), I’m listing the pick on the side that S&P+ would’ve picked, if teams could score in decimals. This document breaks games out into their decimal glory.

Ranked vs. ranked

No. 1 Alabama 30 (-7), No. 3 Florida State 23 (Saturday, 8:00 PM ET, ABC)

No. 11 Michigan 24, No. 17 Florida (+5.5) 22 (Saturday, 3:30 PM ET, ABC)

No. 21 Virginia Tech (-4) 32, No. 22 West Virginia 22 (Sunday, 7:30 PM ET, ABC)

Here’s a good time to mention that S&P+ is intentionally obtuse. There are no adjustments for suspensions, injuries, etc., from week to week. It does account for preseason dismissals, but brief suspensions are out of its realm. So while it projects Florida to stay slightly closer to Michigan than the line would suggest, it hasn’t taken into account the suspensions that have shaken up the Gators’ two-deep.

The Florida-Michigan line has also jumped by about two points in 24 hours.

Running back Lamical Perine is poised to start for Florida due to Jordan Scarlett’s suspension.

Other ranked teams in action

No spread picks for FBS vs. FCS games, which typically don’t have lines.

No. 2 Ohio State 34, Indiana (+20.5) 17 (Thursday, 8:00 PM ET, ESPN)

No. 4 USC 42, Western Michigan (+27) 15 (Saturday, 5:15 PM ET, Pac-12)

No. 5 Clemson (-39.5) 46, Kent State 6 (Saturday, 12:00 PM ET, ESPN)

No. 6 Penn State (-30.5) 51, Akron 12 (Saturday, 12:00 PM ET, ABC)

No. 7 Oklahoma 55, UTEP (+43) 13 (Saturday, 3:30 PM ET, Fox)

No. 8 Washington 38, Rutgers (+27.5) 14 (Friday, 8:00 PM ET, FS1)

No. 9 Wisconsin 38, Utah State (+28.5) 14 (Friday, 9:00 PM ET, ESPN)

No. 10 Oklahoma State 42 (-18), Tulsa 23 (Thursday, 7:30 PM ET, FS1)

No. 12 Auburn 43, Georgia Southern (+34.5) 11 (Saturday, 7:30 PM ET, SECN)

No. 13 LSU 36 (-16.5), BYU 17 (Saturday, 9:30 PM ET, ESPN)

No. 15 Georgia 33, Appalachian State (+14.5) 20 (Saturday, 6:15 PM ET, ESPN)

No. 16 Louisville (-25) 42, Purdue 16 (Saturday, 7:30 PM ET, Fox)

No. 18 Miami-FL 48, Bethune-Cookman 7 (Saturday, 12:30 PM ET, ACCN)

No. 19 South Florida 46, Stony Brook 21 (Saturday, 4:00 PM ET, ESPN3)

No. 20 Kansas State 43, Central Arkansas 18 (Saturday, 7:30 PM ET, ESPN3)

No. 23 Texas 38, Maryland (+18.5) 20 (Saturday, 12:00 PM ET, FS1)

No. 24 Washington State 45, Montana State 18 (Saturday, 10:30 PM ET, FS1)

No. 25 Tennessee 31, Georgia Tech (+3) 29 (Monday, 8:00 PM ET, ESPN)

For the most part, S&P+ takes the underdog’s side when the lines are huge. You never know where the line will be drawn in a blowout, when the winning team will call off the dogs, and how much the winning team will keep scoring afterward.

There are some challenging lines here, by the way. S&P+ and Vegas almost completely agree on USC-WMU, Clemson-Kent State, OU-UTEP, OSU-Tulsa, Louisville-Purdue, Texas-Maryland, and Tennessee-Georgia Tech.

Sam Darnold and USC should win comfortably against WMU.

Power 5 vs. Power 5

North Carolina 35, California (+11.5) 28 (Saturday, 12:20 PM ET, ACCN)

NC State 29, South Carolina (+5) 25 (Saturday, 3:00 PM ET, ESPN)

Texas A&M (+3.5) 30, UCLA 27 (Sunday, 7:30 PM ET, Fox)

S&P+ also doesn’t take body clocks into account. Having Cal kick off at 9 a.m. California time might be worth a couple of extra points for UNC.

Demetris Robertson and Cal will have their #bodyclocks tested.

FBS vs. FBS

UCF 34, Florida International (+17) 23 (Thursday, 6:00 PM ET, CBSSN)

Minnesota 37, Buffalo (+26) 12 (Thursday, 7:00 PM ET, BTN)

Memphis 44, UL-Monroe (+26) 23 (Thursday, 9:00 PM ET, CBSSN)

Arizona State 44, New Mexico State (+22.5) 25 (Thursday, 10:30 PM ET, Pac-12)

Eastern Michigan (-14) 39, Charlotte 24 (Friday, 6:30 PM ET, ESPN3)

Colorado State (+5.5) 33, Colorado 33 (Friday, 8:00 PM ET, Pac-12)

Navy 36, Florida Atlantic (+9.5) 33 (Friday, 8:00 PM ET, ESPNU)

Northern Illinois 26 (+2.5), Boston College 25 (Friday, 9:30 PM ET, CBSSN)

Illinois 32, Ball State (+6.5) 26 (Saturday, 12:00 PM ET, BTN)

Iowa 31, Wyoming (+11.5) 22 (Saturday, 12:00 PM ET, BTN)

Michigan State 36, Bowling Green (+17) 22 (Saturday, 12:00 PM ET, ESPNU)

Northwestern 39, Nevada (+24.5) 17 (Saturday, 3:30 PM ET, BTN)

Notre Dame 35, Temple (+18.5) 19 (Saturday, 3:30 PM ET, NBC)

Boise State (-11) 37, Troy 25 (Saturday, 3:45 PM ET, ESPNU)

Kentucky 35, Southern Miss (+10) 27 (Saturday, 4:00 PM ET, CBSSN)

Marshall 28, Miami (Ohio) (+2.5) 27 (Saturday, 6:30 PM ET, Stadium)

Coastal Carolina (+2.5) 32, Massachusetts 29 (Saturday, 7:00 PM ET, ESPN3)

Ole Miss 44 (-24), South Alabama 17 (Saturday, 7:30 PM ET, ESPNU)

Nebraska 33, Arkansas State (+16) 18 (Saturday, 8:00 PM ET, BTN)

Vanderbilt (-3) 36, Middle Tennessee 29 (Saturday, 8:00 PM ET, CBSSN)

There are no significant differences between S&P+ and Vegas here, but one game stands out. Defending Pac-12 South champion Colorado obliterated in-state rival CSU last year on the way to its first 10-win season in 15 years.

This year, the line is within a touchdown, and S&P+ thinks it’s a virtual tossup. Can the Rams follow up on last week’s easy win over Oregon State and move to 2-0 in the Pac-12 with a revenge victory?

Michael Gallup and the CSU offense might be among the best Colorado faces this year.

FBS vs. FCS

Wake Forest 41, Presbyterian 13 (Thursday, 6:30 PM ET, ACCN)

Cincinnati 45, Austin Peay 11 (Thursday, 7:00 PM ET, ESPN3)

Central Michigan 38, Rhode Island 21 (Thursday, 7:00 PM ET, ESPN3)

Georgia State 33, Tennessee State 21 (Thursday, 7:00 PM ET, ESPN3)

Toledo 48, Elon 19 (Thursday, 7:00 PM ET, ESPN3)

Connecticut 32, Holy Cross 23 (Thursday, 7:30 PM ET, ESPN3)

Utah 42, North Dakota 18 (Thursday, 7:30 PM ET, Pac-12)

Arkansas 51, Florida A&M 10 (Thursday, 8:00 PM ET, SECN)

Idaho 38, Sacramento State 25 (Thursday, 9:00 PM ET, ESPN3)

Army 33, Fordham 23 (Friday, 6:00 PM ET, CBSSN)

Syracuse 45, Central Connecticut 16 (Friday, 7:00 PM ET, ACCN)

Missouri 45, Missouri State 20 (Saturday, 12:00 PM ET, SECN)

Pittsburgh 45, Youngstown State 20 (Saturday, 1:00 PM ET, ACCN)

Oregon State 41, Portland State 17 (Saturday, 2:00 PM ET, Pac-12)

Air Force 39, VMI 27 (Saturday, 2:00 PM ET, ESPN3)

UAB 31, Alabama A&M 25 (Saturday, 3:30 PM ET, Stadium)

Virginia 39, William & Mary 18 (Saturday, 3:30 PM ET, ACCN)

Mississippi State 45, Charleston S’ern 19 (Saturday, 4:00 PM ET, SECN)

Texas Tech 44, Eastern Washington 26 (Saturday, 4:00 PM ET, FSN affiliates)

Old Dominion 35, Albany 24 (Saturday, 6:00 PM ET, ESPN3)

East Carolina 35, James Madison 26 (Saturday, 6:00 PM ET, ESPN3)

Duke 42, NC Central 18 (Saturday, 6:00 PM ET, ACCN)

Western Kentucky 46, Eastern Kentucky 16 (Saturday, 7:00 PM ET, $FloTV)

Ohio 34, Hampton 19 (Saturday, 7:00 PM ET, ESPN3)

Texas State 30, Houston Baptist 28 (Saturday, 7:00 PM ET, ESPN3)

North Texas 33, Lamar 23 (Saturday, 7:00 PM ET, ESPN3)

Baylor 44, Liberty 16 (Saturday, 7:00 PM ET, FS2)

Louisiana Tech 44, Northwestern State 22 (Saturday, 7:00 PM ET, ESPN3)

Kansas 34, SE Missouri State 25 (Saturday, 7:00 PM ET, ESPN3)

UL-Lafayette 31, SE Louisiana 22 (Saturday, 7:00 PM ET, ESPN3)

SMU 40, Stephen F. Austin 22 (Saturday, 7:00 PM ET, ESPN3)

San Jose State 33, Cal Poly 25 (Saturday, 7:30 PM ET)

New Mexico 42, Abilene Christian 28 (Saturday, 8:00 PM ET)

Tulane 32, Grambling 21 (Saturday, 8:00 PM ET, ESPN3)

TCU 54, Jackson State 7 (Saturday, 8:00 PM ET, FSN affiliates)

Iowa State 42, Northern Iowa 22 (Saturday, 8:00 PM ET, Cyclones.tv)

Oregon 46, Southern Utah 19 (Saturday, 8:15 PM ET, Pac-12)

San Diego State 42, UC Davis 16 (Saturday, 8:30 PM ET, Stadium)

UNLV 43, Howard 22 (Saturday, 9:00 PM ET, MWC Video)

Fresno State 36, Incarnate Word 22 (Saturday, 10:00 PM ET)

Arizona 41, Northern Arizona 21 (Saturday, 11:00 PM ET, Pac-12)

Hawaii 38, Western Carolina 25 (Saturday, midnight ET, MWC Video)

Your best FCS upset opportunities: Houston Baptist is projected to have a 45 percent chance of beating a rebuilding Texas State, Alabama A&M has a 35 percent chance against the unprojectable UAB Blazers, Cal Poly has a 32 percent chance against San Jose State, SEMO has a 30 percent chance against Kansas, and Southeastern Louisiana has a 29 percent chance against UL-Lafayette.

Former MSU quarterback Damian Williams hopes to guide Texas State to a better 2017 campaign.

Each year at Football Study Hall, I have posted weekly S&P+ picks as a way of affirming the ratings’ validity. I use my S&P+ system as a complement to most of my analysis, and the picks are a way of showing it generally knows what it’s talking about.

S&P+ tends to hit between 50 (meh) and 54 percent (great) against the spread from year to year. It isn’t always the single best performer, but it holds its own. And beyond picks, it goes deeper than any other set of college football analytics on the market. You can go into granular detail regarding team strengths and weaknesses in a way that no other set of ratings allows. (See the annual team statistical profiles as proof.)

This year, I will be posting the weekly S&P+ picks at SB Nation instead of FSH.

Because I like to experiment, however, I won’t just be posting the official S&P+ picks. Go to this Google doc, and you will find three sets of picks: S&P+, F/+ (combined ratings from S&P+ and Brian Fremeau’s FEI), and what I’m calling an adjusted S&P+ pick, in which I attempt to account for two additional factors: week of play and type of game.

Week of play: I’m finding that there are cycles to scoring averages throughout a given season. Week 1 typically falls below the season scoring average, while the final weeks of the season tend to perk up in the scoring department. This adjusted projection will take this into account.

Game type: It shouldn’t be surprising to learn that the standard deviation of possible results in a game against FCS competition, for instance, is different than that of a conference game. This projection will also adjust for different types of games. This will mean some pretty extreme projections (Arkansas by 63 over FAMU, for example), but we’ll see how it performs.

In the abbreviated Week 0.5 action last week, all three sets of picks performed well, but the adjusted picks performed far better. We’ll see if that remains the case with this week’s ridiculously large set of games.