By Marc Lawrence
Let's examine some of the top factors and handicapping trends on teams in the USA TODAY Coaches' Top 25 Poll on this week's college football card in games versus lined opponents.
Top 25 ranking in (parenthesis). All results are ATS - Against The Spread - unless noted otherwise...
Saturday, October 10th
(1) Florida at (4) LSU
Gators: SERIES: 4-0 L4 / 5-0 A... 5-1 w/ rest... 13-3 vs conf rev... 2-8 Game Five... 3-7 aft Kentucky... allowing 176 YPG vs lined opp this season (best in country)...Meyer: 16-2 SU and 15-3 ATS w/rest, including 5-0 SU and ATS vs greater than .750 opp / 11-3 SU and 11-2-1 ATS vs undefeated opp (but just 3-3 SU and 4-2 ATS away)... word of warning: in its 102 years, the UF football program has never has an undefeated season
Tigers: 9-3 conf dogs > 7 pts... were 0-7 ATS home LY but 1-0-1 TY... Miles: 3-1 SU and 4-0 ATS home off con vs undefeated opp... last time Tiger hosted Gators (in 2007) Miles was 5-for-5 on 4th down attempts... Just in case you wondered: 5-0 HD's in Game Six are 13-8-1 ATS, including 5-1 ATS when taking more than 7 points
Colorado at (2) TEXAS
Buffaloes: 8-1 conf dogs 25 > pts... Hawkins: 7-1 dog 16 or more
Longhorns: 0-4 H bef Oklahoma... 1-5-1 vs conf rev... 2-6 Game Five
(3) Alabama at (16) MISSISSIPPI
Crimson Tide: 1-8 aft Kentucky... 1-7 Game Six... 1-4 before So Carolina... 5-0 conf RF's are 10-30-1 in Game Six since 1997
Rebels: SERIES: 4-0 L4 / 4-0 H... 6-2 H w/ conf rev... Nutt: 6-0 HD vs .825 or greater opp
Boston College at (5) VIRGINIA TECH
Eagles: SERIES: 7-3 L10 / 5-1 here... 7-1 RD off BB SU and ATS wins, last as dog
Hokies: 1-6 aft Duke... 1-5 H vs con rev... 1-4 H in between RG... double-digit favorites in homecoming games are long-term spread losers
(25) Wisconsin at (8) OHIO STATE
Badgers: SERIES: 15-8-2... 4-10 Game Six
Buckeyes: 3-0 aft Indiana... 6-1 bef Purdue... 10-4 as DD Conf favs... Buckeyes recent surge due to improved play from defense - have held last 4 foes to season low yards
(9) TCU at AIR FORCE
Horned Frogs: SERIES: 5-1... 9-3 vs conf rev
Falcons: 6-1 aft Navy... 4-1 H Game Six... 4-1 as conf HD's 7 > pts... 4-1 H w/ conf rev
(13) Oklahoma State at TEXAS A&M
Cowboys: SERIES: 3-0 here of BB wins... 5-1 A off BB HG... star WR Dez Bryant (hamstring) expected back
Aggies: 1-4 H bef BB RG... 2-7 Game Five... 2-5 in 1st conf gm... Sherman: 1-8 in SU losses
(16) Michigan at (14) IOWA
Wolverines: SERIES: Dog 8-1... 7-1 in 2nd of BB RG... 8-2 conf RD's 7 < Pts... OT losers are winners when on the road against opponents off back-to-back wins, going 28-18-1 since the inception of college overtime
Hawkeyes: SERIES: 3-13-1 SU L17G - favored once: lost SU... 2-5 in 2nd of BB HG
(17) Oregon at UCLA
Ducks: 1-4 conf RF's < 6 pts... 1st road game since season opener at Boise State on 9/3
Bruins: 10-1 conf dogs 7 < pts... 10-1 H w/ conf rev... 21-6 HD's, including 12-1 vs opp off SU and ATS win... Neuheisel in preferred puppy role
(19) Auburn at ARKANSAS
Tigers: 1-7 vs .500 or less SEC opp... SMART BOX fade: 5-0 FAT CAT... Tigers have scored one-point less this season than they did all last year...
Razorbacks: 9-1 HD vs opp w/revenge... upended Tigers in Auburn as 16.5-point dogs last year
(20) BYU at UNLV
Cougars: SERIES: 4-8... Cougars travel well and will have as many fans here as the Rebels...
Rebels: Sanford: 13-22 of a loss... outscored 35-0 last quarter-plus against Nevada last week...
Baylor at (21) OKLAHOMA
Bears: 1-5 A off 3+ HG... 4-11 DD dogs w/ conf rev
Sooners: 4-0 SU and 3-0 ATS L3Y after scoring 20 or less points... Stoops: 10-3 off loss vs con, including 6-0 SU and ATS vs foe he beat in most recent meeting / suffered two 1-point losses w/Sooners: won the following games 64-0 and 59-0
(23) Georgia Tech at FLORIDA STATE
Yellow Jackets: 5-0 dogs in 2nd of BB RG... Johnson: 14-4 SU and 15-3 ATS away vs opp off loss, including 14-0 ATS as a dog or favorite of 10.5 or less
Seminoles: Bowden: 13-4 SU and 12-2-1 ATS off back-to-back losses w/Seminoles (10-0 pick or fav / 6-0 vs con)... 5-1 w/ conf rev... major concern is FSU's 0-4 SU and ATS mark in L4 lined home games
Other ranked teams:
(7) USC, (2) Texas, (10) Cincinnati, and (24) South Florida off this week. (6) Boise State, (11) Miami Florida and (12) Penn State playing non-lined opponents this week.
Check out all of Marc's Pregame Pros picsk for this weekend