Horned Frogs ready for combat vs. Utah Utes
While a vast audience of squares iwill be tuned into ABC watching Charlie Weis waddle out on the field in Pittsburgh with his overrated Notre Dame Fighting Irish, TCU will be looking to add another feather in their BCS cap out of the camera's reach. Andy Dalton leads the fourth-ranked Horned Frogs into Ft. Worth's Amon G. Carter Stadium as 20-point favorites Saturday night when they host the Utah Utes.
This Saturday, 10 college football programs will have an unfair advantage over their opponents. According to the Friends of the Program blog, the folks at Nike will be unveiling their latest in football uniform technology, the “Pro Combat” uniform. We’re talking 37-percent lighter threads with high-tech gloves and the whole shebang.
Athletes from weightlifters to swimmers have seen real performance gains from wearing new equipment. As they say, clothes make the man.
Conveniently enough, one of the lucky 10 teams is also leading off our latest college football betting doubleheader.
No. 16 Utah at No. 4 TCU (-20, 47)
Saturday, 7:30 p.m. (ET)
The Horned Frogs (9-0 SU, 6-3 ATS) are on the verge of a BCS bowl berth – and if they get lucky, a shot at the national title. They’ll be wearing the Pro Combat unis against the Utes (8-1 SU, 3-6 ATS) at Amon G. Carter Stadium in Fort Worth, where the weather should be humid with temperatures in the high 60s at game time (7:30 p.m. ET).
As if the Frogs needed any help. They’re arguably the most dominant BCS buster we’ve seen this decade, outscoring opponents by an average score of 37-11 and sitting at No. 2 in the Fremeau efficiency rankings behind Alabama. Although TCU has enjoyed a very light schedule in the Mountain West Conference, non-con road wins over Virginia (+11) and Clemson (-2.5) carry some weight, as does that giant 38-7 thumping at BYU (+2.5) in Week 11.
Utah was last year’s cause célèbre for the anti-BCS brigade, ending the season undefeated and No. 2 in the AP rankings. But a step backward was expected for the Utes in 2009; writers had them pegged in their preseason polls to finish third in the Mountain West behind TCU and BYU. But if they manage to pull off the upset this Saturday, the Utes will be in first place in the MWC despite coming into Week 11 ranked No. 60 in overall efficiency (BYU is No. 46).
Fat chance, according to the betting odds. The Frogs opened as 17-point faves and have moved all the way to –20, encouraging sharps to load up on Utah at a 73-percent clip according to the midweek consensus reports. Expect big action to come flooding in on TCU after the whistle blows on Friday.
The Utes will be up against the wall with freshman QB Jordan Wynn making just the second start of his college career against the No. 12-ranked defense in the nation according to efficiency.
Notre Dame at No. 12 Pittsburgh (-6.5, 58.5)
Saturday, 8:00 p.m. (ET) ABC
Rightly or wrongly, this could be the beginning of the end for Charlie Weis in South Bend. The Fighting Irish (6-3 SU, 2-7 ATS) have become one of the most dominant offenses in the nation behind QB Jimmy Clausen (20 TDs, three INTs), but Weis abandoned the running game last week against Navy with tailback Armando Allen Jr (4.9 yards per carry) on the sidelines due to an ankle injury, and the Midshipmen (+12) ran away with a 23-21 victory. Allen is listed as questionable this week; tight end Kyle Rudolph (shoulder) is out for the rest of the regular season, according to Weis.
The Irish defense, which ranks No. 54 in the nation in efficiency, is also a bone of contention with the team’s long-suffering supporters. While the secondary has borne the brunt of the criticism, it’s the same run defense that was exposed by Navy that should be Notre Dame’s undoing on Saturday. Pittsburgh (8-1 SU, 6-2 ATS) has an impressive offensive line and a freshman sensation in RB Dion Lewis (5.6 yards per carry).
The line for this matchup has moved to Pittsburgh –7 at several books. Consensus reports had the Panthers drawing 59-percent support against the spread; the forecast for Heinz Field calls for another humid night (8:00 p.m. ET) with temperatures around 50 degrees. No Pro Combat unis for either side in this one, by the way.
While a vast audience of squares iwill be tuned into ABC watching Charlie Weis waddle out on the field in Pittsburgh with his overrated Notre Dame Fighting Irish, TCU will be looking to add another feather in their BCS cap out of the camera's reach. Andy Dalton leads the fourth-ranked Horned Frogs into Ft. Worth's Amon G. Carter Stadium as 20-point favorites Saturday night when they host the Utah Utes.
This Saturday, 10 college football programs will have an unfair advantage over their opponents. According to the Friends of the Program blog, the folks at Nike will be unveiling their latest in football uniform technology, the “Pro Combat” uniform. We’re talking 37-percent lighter threads with high-tech gloves and the whole shebang.
Athletes from weightlifters to swimmers have seen real performance gains from wearing new equipment. As they say, clothes make the man.
Conveniently enough, one of the lucky 10 teams is also leading off our latest college football betting doubleheader.
No. 16 Utah at No. 4 TCU (-20, 47)
Saturday, 7:30 p.m. (ET)
The Horned Frogs (9-0 SU, 6-3 ATS) are on the verge of a BCS bowl berth – and if they get lucky, a shot at the national title. They’ll be wearing the Pro Combat unis against the Utes (8-1 SU, 3-6 ATS) at Amon G. Carter Stadium in Fort Worth, where the weather should be humid with temperatures in the high 60s at game time (7:30 p.m. ET).
As if the Frogs needed any help. They’re arguably the most dominant BCS buster we’ve seen this decade, outscoring opponents by an average score of 37-11 and sitting at No. 2 in the Fremeau efficiency rankings behind Alabama. Although TCU has enjoyed a very light schedule in the Mountain West Conference, non-con road wins over Virginia (+11) and Clemson (-2.5) carry some weight, as does that giant 38-7 thumping at BYU (+2.5) in Week 11.
Utah was last year’s cause célèbre for the anti-BCS brigade, ending the season undefeated and No. 2 in the AP rankings. But a step backward was expected for the Utes in 2009; writers had them pegged in their preseason polls to finish third in the Mountain West behind TCU and BYU. But if they manage to pull off the upset this Saturday, the Utes will be in first place in the MWC despite coming into Week 11 ranked No. 60 in overall efficiency (BYU is No. 46).
Fat chance, according to the betting odds. The Frogs opened as 17-point faves and have moved all the way to –20, encouraging sharps to load up on Utah at a 73-percent clip according to the midweek consensus reports. Expect big action to come flooding in on TCU after the whistle blows on Friday.
The Utes will be up against the wall with freshman QB Jordan Wynn making just the second start of his college career against the No. 12-ranked defense in the nation according to efficiency.
Notre Dame at No. 12 Pittsburgh (-6.5, 58.5)
Saturday, 8:00 p.m. (ET) ABC
Rightly or wrongly, this could be the beginning of the end for Charlie Weis in South Bend. The Fighting Irish (6-3 SU, 2-7 ATS) have become one of the most dominant offenses in the nation behind QB Jimmy Clausen (20 TDs, three INTs), but Weis abandoned the running game last week against Navy with tailback Armando Allen Jr (4.9 yards per carry) on the sidelines due to an ankle injury, and the Midshipmen (+12) ran away with a 23-21 victory. Allen is listed as questionable this week; tight end Kyle Rudolph (shoulder) is out for the rest of the regular season, according to Weis.
The Irish defense, which ranks No. 54 in the nation in efficiency, is also a bone of contention with the team’s long-suffering supporters. While the secondary has borne the brunt of the criticism, it’s the same run defense that was exposed by Navy that should be Notre Dame’s undoing on Saturday. Pittsburgh (8-1 SU, 6-2 ATS) has an impressive offensive line and a freshman sensation in RB Dion Lewis (5.6 yards per carry).
The line for this matchup has moved to Pittsburgh –7 at several books. Consensus reports had the Panthers drawing 59-percent support against the spread; the forecast for Heinz Field calls for another humid night (8:00 p.m. ET) with temperatures around 50 degrees. No Pro Combat unis for either side in this one, by the way.
