The first Associated Press Top 25 of the new season has been released and there aren’t really any surprises in College Football. The defending SEC champion Alabama Crimson Tide received 52 first-place votes from the AP voters, easily pulling away from No. 2 Ohio State and No. 3 Florida State. Both the Buckeyes and Seminoles received first-place votes, as did No. 4 USC. But none of those schools received more than four first-place votes from the voters. Here’s an analysis on two NCAA football betting lines for games where I’d lean the under in Week 1.
The Oregon State Beavers went 4-8 last season, with a 3-6 mark in Pac-12 play. Oregon State won its last two games of the season, beating Arizona 42-17 and coming from behind to beat Oregon 34-24.The Beavers return leading rusher Ryan Nall, who nearly reached the 1,000-yard plateau last season (951 yards, 13 TDs, 6.5 ypc). His 13 TDs ranked 18th nationally. Overall, the Beavers ranked 49th in the NCAA in rushing (191.7 yards per game). Oregon State ranked 44th in the nation in passing yards allowed a year ago (211.2).Defensively, the Beavers allowed 218.0 rushing yards per game and recorded 18 sacks in 2016. The defensive line returns nearly every contributor from last season and should get a boost from highly touted junior college transfer Craig Evans, a 330-pound tackle.
Analyzing the College Football Week 1 Betting Totals Under Picks
No. 25 Tennessee vs. Georgia Tech
When: Monday, Sept. 4, 8 PM ETWhere: Mercedes-Benz Stadium, AtlantaTV: ESPNStream: Watch ESPNRadio: Tunein.comOpening College Football Lines: UT -4 (58)Vols Missing Key WR
It’s SEC vs. ACC in the final game of Week 1 and Tennessee, which lost a ton of talent off last year’s team, will be without senior receiver Josh Smith due to a collarbone injury. Smith’s injury is the latest blow to UT’s receiving corps. Coach Butch Jones said last week that freshman Jacquez Jones is out for the season after suffering a knee injury.Smith has been affected by injuries throughout his UT career. He received a medical redshirt in 2014 after suffering a season-ending ankle injury against Oklahoma on Sept. 13 of that season. He missed spring practice this year after undergoing hernia surgery. The 6-foot-1, 206-pound Smith has played in 25 games the last two season with 13 starts. Last season, he had 13 receptions for 97 yards and a touchdown. It’s likely that Smith misses 4-8 weeks.5 Fearless NCAAF Betting Predictions 2017 Big 10
Georgia Tech Also Missing Starter
Yellow Jackets coach Paul Johnson has kicked sophomore running back Dedrick Mills off the team due to violating athletic department rules. Mills was arguably Georgia Tech’s most important player after posting a team-best 771 yards and 12 touchdowns in 2016. He was named to the 2017 All-ACC preseason first team.Mills was also suspended twice last season, once in September for one game and then again in November for two games. Both times he was suspended for violating Georgia Tech policy. With Mills gone, the top returning rusher is A-Back Clinton Lynch. J.J. Green and Qua Searcy will also be heavily relied upon to carry the option offense as well. Johnson insisted that losing Mills would not change his expectations for a team coming off a nine-win season that included six victories in the final seven games.Series History
Tennessee and Georgia Tech have met 43 times, with the Volunteers holding a 24-17-2 series lead over the Yellow Jackets. One-time SEC rivals, this year’s meeting will mark the first between the programs in 30 years, when Tennessee defeated Georgia Tech 29-15 in Knoxville during the 1987 season.TENNESSEE VOLUNTEERS TEAM STATISTICS
Offensive total yards 443.69Current Offensive rush yards 205.23Offensive passing yards 238.46Average Score For 36.38Defensive total yards 449.23Current Defensive rush yards 220.77Defensive passing yards 228.46Average Score Against 28.85GEORGIA TECH YELLOW JACKETS TEAM STATISTICS
Offensive total yards 387.38Current Offensive rush yards 255.15Offensive passing yards 132.23Average Score For 28.23Defensive total yards 404.08Current Defensive rush yards 172.23Defensive passing yards 231.85Average Score Against 24.46Oregon State at Colorado State
When: Saturday, Aug. 26, 2:30 PM ETWhere: CSU Stadium, Fort CollinsTV: CBS Sports NetworkStream: CBSSports.comRadio: Tunein.comOpening College Football Lines: CSU -3 (59)GAMETIME WEATHERPartly Cloudy27°C/81°FHumidity 31%Precipitation % 15%Cloud Cover 48%Wind 7 mph NStadium Type OpenWhat To Know About OSU
For the second consecutive year, OSU begins its season on the road. This game was moved from Sept. 23 to the earliest opener in school history, in order for Colorado State to open its new on-campus stadium against a Power 5 opponent and for the Beavers to get two bye weeks (Sept. 23 and Oct. 21).The Oregon State Beavers went 4-8 last season, with a 3-6 mark in Pac-12 play. Oregon State won its last two games of the season, beating Arizona 42-17 and coming from behind to beat Oregon 34-24.The Beavers return leading rusher Ryan Nall, who nearly reached the 1,000-yard plateau last season (951 yards, 13 TDs, 6.5 ypc). His 13 TDs ranked 18th nationally. Overall, the Beavers ranked 49th in the NCAA in rushing (191.7 yards per game). Oregon State ranked 44th in the nation in passing yards allowed a year ago (211.2).Defensively, the Beavers allowed 218.0 rushing yards per game and recorded 18 sacks in 2016. The defensive line returns nearly every contributor from last season and should get a boost from highly touted junior college transfer Craig Evans, a 330-pound tackle.
