Week 1 of the college football season had plenty of surprises in store for gamblers. I’m sure nobody thought the Gators would struggle as much on the attack as they did against Miami (OH). Meanwhile, ECU and Jacksonville State snatched victory from the jaws of defeat. Here’s a look at this week’s key contests.

 

Saturday - Miami, FL at Ohio State (ESPN, 3:30 p.m.) Matchup Skinny Gambling Notes at The ACC opened up on a high note with a 10-2 mark in the opening weekend of the season. Now the league can get a leg up on a possible national title contender with the Hurricanes coming into Columbus to face Ohio State. While fans still remember the '03 Fiesta Bowl, the current players were still awkwardly going through middle school. The 'Canes were able to rip apart Florida A&M 45-0. That score could have been worse had Randy Shannon not called off the dogs after a 35-0 halftime lead. Jacory Harris was sharp, connecting on 12 of his 15 pass attempts for 210 yards and 3 TDs. Ohio State didn't have any problems in rolling over the Thundering Herd with a 45-7 triumph at the 'Shoe. Terrelle Pryor showed off his skills with 247 passing yards and three scores through the air. But the Buckeyes had no problem keeping Marhsall down with 199 total yards on offense. Making that number more impressive is the Herd only made it into red zone once, and that drive ended in a fumble. Most everyone remembers the last time these two teams, when the Bucks won a controversial national title at the 2003 Fiesta Bowl. But Randy Shannon's tenure has been a lousy one when it comes taking on teams from other BCS conferences. Any doubts you have about that can be squashed by the fact that the Hurricanes are 2-4 SU and 3-3 ATS with the 'under' going 4-2. Ohio State has shown over the last five years as a home favorite against non-conference foes, evidenced by a 13-1 SU and 7-7 ATS. Pare that down to the BCS clubs and you'll see the Buckeyes are 1-2 SU and 2-1 ATS.

 

 

Saturday - Michigan at Notre Dame (NBC, 3:30 p.m.) Matchup Skinny Gambling Notes at Rich Rodriguez's hot seat is a little cooler in Ann Arbor right now after the Wolverines dominated Connecticut 30-10 to start the year. Denard Robinson proved his coach knew what he was doing by making him the starting quarterback. All Robinson did was set a school record for rushing yards by a QB (197 yds, 1 TD) and completed 19-of-22 passes for 186 yards and 1 TD. The Brian Kelly Era started strong for the Fighting Irish with a 23-12 win over Purdue on South Bend. Notre Dame came away with a strong running game with Armando Allen picking up 93 yards and a score against the Boilermakers. This rivalry might have the name recognition, but the games haven't been all that close. Four of the last seven meetings have been decided by double-digits. If last year's game is any indication of what we can expect, then both teams will be moving up and down the field. These two schools compiled 920 total yards on offense as the Wolverines won 38-34. As strong as the Wolverines might seem in this game, we have to remember they haven't won in the land of Touchdown Jesus since 2006...that was Chad Henne's last year in the winged helmet.

 

 

Saturday - Florida State at Oklahoma (ABC, 3:30 p.m.) Matchup Skinny Gambling Notes vs. While a lot of people are watching what is going on in Columbus, there should be just as much attention to the drama unfolding in Norman. Florida State started off on a high note with Jimbo Fisher running the show as they ripped Samford a new hole in a 59-6 romp. Christian Ponder lit up the Bulldogs for 4 touchdowns, while throwing for 167 yards in short work. The Seminoles did convert just three of four third-downs last weekend, but that'll happen when you rack up 27 first downs. The Sooners come into this contest after getting more than they bargained for in a 31-24 home win over Utah State. Oklahoma had six three-and-outs against the Aggies as Landry Jones struggled to gain 217 yards through the air. DeMarco Murray looked awful impressive on Saturday, gaining 218 yards and two touchdowns on 35 carries. Florida State comes into this game as a 9 ½-point road pup, which isn't such a bad thing for bettors. The Seminoles have gone 8-7 SU and 8-6-1 ATS over the last five years in this role. Being home favorites against BCS schools is nothing new for the Sooners. Oklahoma is 7-0 SU and 4-2-1 ATS its games as a home "chalk" against teams from AQ conferences. A win in this game for the 'Noles gives them a very tough let down spot next week at home against BYU. After all, the Cougars will tend to remember a 54-28 loss at home last season.

 

 

Other Games to Watch Matchup Skinny at The SEC may have went 10-2, but the quality was lacking in many of those victories. That wasn't the case for the Crimson Tide as they begun their title defense with a 48-3 thrashing of San Jose State. Mark Ingram is "doubtful" for Saturday's tilt. Will that help Penn State as they put Robert Bolden into one of the roughest venues to play as a visitor, let alone as a true freshman quarterback. vs. The Ducks didn't show mercy to New Mexico as they rolled to a 72-0 win to start the year. Derek Dooley started his time in Knoxville with a quality 50-0 win over UT-Martin. While some are against Oregon in this game as a 13-point road favorite, remember that they have gone 5-1 ATS in its last six road games against BCS schools. at These two teams have played some close games over the past few years, with none of them being decided by more than seven points in the last three games. Georgia has won two straight, but the Gamecocks were impressive in dismantling Souther Miss on Sept. 2. But South Carolina hasn't beaten the Bulldogs at home since 2000.

 

You can reach Judd Hall via e-mail at judd@vegasinsider.com