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There may be a little bit of the luster taken off of ABC’s primetime showdowns this Saturday after some embarrassing defeats last weekend. Despite the losses, we’re going to be treated to a tilt with Pac-10 title implications. Meanwhile, the Hurricanes go out to prove that they’re on the way back to respectability by hosting Oklahoma.
Oklahoma at Miami – 8:00 p.m. EDT
The Sooners were supposed to be firmly ensconced in the national title picture by the time this game rolled around. Those plans were derailed immediately with a loss to BYU in the season opener, where Sam Bradford injured his right shoulder.
Oklahoma (2-1 straight up, 1-1 against the spread) has made due without its Heisman Trophy winner under center. Landry Jones has given fans a taste of the future and it looks bright as he’s connected on 60.5 percent of his passes for 673 yards and nine touchdowns.
Jones helped guide the Sooners to an impressive 45-0 victory over Tulsa as 18-point home favorites last weekend. He kept the offense moving all game long by converting 11 of their 17 third downs.
While the offense did a stellar job, Oklahoma’s defense came through with a fantastic effort against the Golden Hurricane. Tulsa had five “three-and-outs” last Saturday and only two trips to the red zone. The Sooners’ stopping unit clamped down on those drives with an interception and a fumble on a sack.
Miami (2-1 SU, ATS) had become the darlings of ESPN after surviving a late drive in Tallahassee and having its way at home against the Yellow Jackets. Those two wins helped push the Hurricanes into the Top 10 last week.
The biggest star for the media during this surge has been quarterback Jacory Harris. The sophomore signal caller completed 65 percent of his passes for 656 yards and five scores.
The ‘Canes fell back to Earth last Saturday by losing 31-7 in a monsoon against Virginia Tech as 2 ½-point road favorites. Harris connected on just nine of his 25 attempts for 150 yards and a pick. Miami couldn’t rely on it running game in bad weather as they gained just 59 yards on the ground. And the Hurricanes converted just one of their 11 third downs in Blacksburg.
Las Vegas Sports Consultants installed the Sooners as seven-point road favorites with the total coming in at 49. That line has since moved to 7 ½ with the same total.
Randy Scott, sportsbook manager for betED, mentioned that the line would go from 7 ½ to nine if Bradford was confirmed as the starter. Not hard to figure that logic since he threw five touchdown passes the last time he saw the Hurricanes in 2007.
Something that has surprised me about the Hurricanes in this spot is that they have never been home pups since Randy Shannon took over as head coach in 2007.
Miami has done well against Big XII squads recently with a 3-1 SU and ATS record in its last four games. The Hurricanes’ lone defeat came in Norman as 11-point road underdogs in 2007, 51-13.
The Sooners will be looking to exorcise some demons of their own as they’ve lost their last two games at Landshark Stadium – both national championship games. However, Oklahoma has won and covered in its last two games against ACC clubs.
Southern California at California – 8:00 p.m. EDT
A lot of folks thought these two teams would be undefeated by the time they faced one another this year. Yet surprising losses by both teams have turned what could have been a possible battle between national title contenders into a game where the loser is no longer relevant for the Pac-10 crown.
One of the things that we’ve seen from the Trojans this season is that their offense isn’t what it has been in the past. Last year, USC averaged 37.5 points per game to finish second in Pac-10 scoring. Through the first four games of 2009, the Trojans have scored 28.5 PPG.
So why is Southern California (3-1 SU, 2-2 ATS) struggling like they are on offense? Best spot to look is the man who is under center. Matt Barkley has looked good for a true freshman running the offense with a 3:1 touchdown to interception ratio. Yet he’s been nursing a shoulder injury since the win over Ohio State. And, truth be told, he’s being charged with managing the game, not winning them. It kind of makes you understand why Pete Carroll had a hissy fit when Mark Sanchez declared for the NFL Draft.
The Golden Bears looked like they might finally have a chance at crashing the BCS party this season. Yet California (3-1 SU, 2-1 ATS) went belly up last weekend as a six-point road “chalk” against the Ducks, 42-3.
Cal had no rhythm on offense against the Ducks, picking up 207 total yards. Jahvid Best had 412 yards and scored eight touchdowns in his first three games of the season. Last week against Oregon, Best gained 55 yards on 16 carries.
The betting shops have sided with the Trojans by making them 4 ½-point road favorites with 47 ½.
The Bears haven’t had much luck against USC since beating them in overtime 34-31 during the 2003 campaign. Since that win, the Trojans have won five straight contests, covering in three of them.
While you’d like to take Southern Cal to cover the spread, you have to know that they are 13-3 SU and 4-12 ATS in its last 16 October games.
California hasn’t helped bettors out too much when tabbed as a home pup in Pac-10 recently, as evidenced by a 2-7 SU and 3-6 ATS record.
You can reach Judd Hall via e-mail at judd@vegasinsider.com
