College Football Week 9 continues on Saturday night and we will see the No.5 Notre Dame Fighting Irish travel to Norman, Oklahoma to take on the No. 9 Oklahoma Sooners. The game is scheduled for an 8:00 PM (Eastern) start time and it will be televised live on ABC. Currently the odds for the game have Oklahoma favored by 12.5 points, while the total sits at 48. Currently 54% of the Public is on Notre Dame, while 56% is on the Under. Find out what side the Public is taking on all the games by clicking HERE.
Free Analysis: Brian Kelly's Irish have put themselves in the conversation regarding a national championship thanks to a stifling defense that has led the team to a flawless 7-0 mark at this point. With wins over the likes of Michigan State, Michigan and Stanford, last weekend's clash with BYU could have been regarded as a trap game and for a while it looked as though it might end up being true. However, the defense pitched a second-half shutout and the Irish rallied from a 14-7 deficit to take a 17-14 victory. The Irish played without their starting quarterback last week, as Everett Golson sat out the game because of a concussion suffered the week prior. Golson will return to action this week and presents his own problems with his athleticism. On the year, the sophomore has completed just under 60 percent of his passes, for 968 yards, with four TDs. Tight end Tyler Eifert (19 receptions, 319 yards, three TDs) is a valuable asset downfield. The ground attack has picked up its pace of late and is now responsible for just under 200 yards per game. The key is backfield depth, as Theo Riddick (451 yards, 4.7 ypc, three TDs), Cierre Wood (393 yards, 6.0 ypc, two TDs) and George Atkinson III (301 yards, four TDs) are all capable of big plays. The offense has been adequate for Notre Dame, while the defense has been downright awesome. The Irish have yet to give up a rushing touchdown in 2012, and currently rank second nationally in scoring defense (9.4 ppg) and sixth in total defense (280.7 ypg). Two-time All-American linebacker Manti Te'o is the undeniable leader on defense for the Irish. The favorite to win the Butkus Award, Te'o currently leads the team in tackles (69), with four interceptions and two fumble recoveries to his credit.
By virtue of their early season loss at home to Kansas State, Bob Stoops Sooners are on the outside looking in at the national title picture. However, the team can thrust itself back into contention with a win over Notre Dame. Oklahoma may be peaking at the right time, entering this contest with a three- game win streak in tow, including a 52-7 pasting of Kansas last week. The Sooners won't back down from challenging the strength of the Irish defense, as they have a balanced attack that moves the football well. Oklahoma is averaging a hefty 44.7 ppg this year, averaging 199.7 yards per game rushing and 288.5 yards passing. Senior quarterback Landry Jones has performed well for the most part, completing 62.7 percent of his throws, for 1,644 yards and 12 TDs. His top target down the field is wideout Kenny Stills (38 receptions, 471 yards, four TDs). The rushing game in Norman is spearheaded by tailback Damien Williams, who is averaging 7.5 yards per carry and has amassed 552 yards and seven TDs this year. Oklahoma has also had success on the defensive side of the football, holding foes to just 15.3 ppg. The Sooners have been particularly stingy against the pass, yielding a mere 164.3 ypg (ninth nationally). The Sooners are paced by the safety tandem of Tony Jefferson and Javon Harris. Jefferson came into the season regarded as one of the nation's best and has looked the part, leading the team in tackles (48), with one interception.
Free Pick: While I feel my Irish are in for a long day, I just cannot pick against them, so we will look to take the Under in this game. The Irish really don’t have a lot of offense and they will be up against an Oklahoma defense that has been looking very good of late. Oklahoma comes in allowing just 313 ypg and 16 ppg in their last 3 games. A Big part ofd the Irish offense is their running game and they will need to use it to shorten the game and keep the Sooners high powered offense off the field, but the Sooners have allowed just 116 ypg on the ground at a mere 3.1 ypc, Overall the Sooners allow just 4.4 yards per play, which is 15th in the country. Now the Irish defense comes in as one of the best in the nation, allowing 280.7 ypg and just 9.4 ypg on the year. The do allow just 170 ypg through the air, but haven’t faced a passing attack like they will today. Still I feel that Brian Kelly will come up with a plan to at least SLOW the Sooners offense down enough to keep them for putting up a ton of points. The Irish also don’t allow too many big plays as they have allowed just 4.3 yards per play, which is 9th in the country. This will be a game where the offenses will have to slowly move down the field. The Irish don’t have enough offense to put many points on the board vs this tough Sooner defense, while their own defense should hold Oklahoma to 28 points or less. 40 points at most here.
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College Football Free Picks: Notre Dame at Oklahoma Betting
What college football bettors need to know about Notre Dame Fighting Irish at Oklahoma Sooners on Saturday (10/27/12) - a free pick from Oddsmaker Tony Sinisi with Marco D'Angelo and host Scott Spreitzer.