By Marc Lawrence
Along with the Breeder's Cup it's an action packed weekend in college football as the jockeying continues for positioning in the major polls.
Here are the teams currently ranked in the Top 25 of the current USA Today/Coaches Poll. Listed below as stats, fact and trends surrounding this week's football card. Home team in CAPS. All results are ATS - Against The Spread - unless noted otherwise...
Friday, November 6th
(5) Boise State at LA TECH
Broncos: SERIES: 4-1 L5... 7-0 after San Jose St... 5-1-1 Game Nine... 4-1 as RF's 14 > Pts... 4-1-1 A vs conf rev... 9-3 Fridays (5-1 A)... 5th road game in 7 weeks for Broncos
Bulldogs: SERIES: 3-1 L4 H... 3-0 Game Nine... 4-1 as DD HD's... 6-3 weekdays... 1-5 H off BB RG
Saturday, November 7th
(Vanderbilt at (1) FLORIDA
Commodores: 5-1-1 L7 A vs conf... 6-1 conf road dogs 27 > pts... 4-1 Game Ten dogs... *0-3 vs 1.000 opp (Gm 6>)
Gators: 7-2 Game Nine... 1-5 H in between RG... 2-6 conf HF's 21 > pts... 2-4 HF's before Gamecocks
Central Florida at (2) TEXAS
Knights: 4-1 before BB HG... 7-2 Game Nine... 1-4 non-conf dogs 20 > pts
Longhorns: 11-1 H off BB RG... 7-3-1 non-conf HF's 28 > pts... 0-3 Game Nine... 4-9 after Okla St
(9) LSU at (3) ALABAMA
Tigers: SERIES: 4-0-2 L6 A... 18-8 SEC RD w/revenge (4-0 SU and ATS last four)... 9-2 A off 3+ HG... 9-3 conf dogs > 7 pts... defense is heating up - allowed 9 PPG last four games; held six opponents to 13 or less points this season... 1-6-1 after Tulane... 1-5-1 w/ conf rev
Crismson Tide: 3-0-1 Game Nine... 4-1 vs conf rev... 0-5 conf HF's 10 < pts... 1-3-1 w/ rest... Saban: 3-7 fav less than 13 with rest during regular season... offense has regressed last four games (averaged 490.5 YPG first four games of season; 329.5 YPG last four games)
(4) TCU at SAN DIEGO STATE
Horned Frogs: 0-4 Game Nine away... 0-3 after Unlv... 2-7 RF's 14 > pts... 1-3 before Utah
Aztecs: SERIES: Host 4-0... 4-0 after New Mexico... 7-2 in 2nd of BB HG... *1-9 as HD's > 13 pts... 2-15 off BB SU W
Northwestern at (6) IOWA
Wildcats: SERIES: 3-1 L4... 1-5 off BB HG... check status of QB Kafka, left last week's game in 2H vs PSU and Wildcats fell apart without him 2-9 before Illinois... 2-5 vs conf rev
Hawkeyes: 4-1 w/ conf rev ... 1-5 L5 as DD conf favs... 0-4 con H off H... 1-3 after Indiana... have trailed in every game they've played this season
Connecticut at (7) CINCINNATI
Huskies: 4-1 A vs conf rev... 1-4 dogs in 1st of BB RG... 2-5 as conf RD's 7 > pts... brutal last second-loss at home versus Rutgers last week means Huskies will need to win two of final four games to go bowling... Huskies off back-to-back losses in which they won the stats over 100 yards each game
Bearcats: SERIES: Host 4-0 - but series fav is 1-3... 6-0 before W Virginia... 7-1 Game Nine... 1-4-1 after Syracuse... 3-6 conf favs 8 > pts... Kelly: 2-5 SU and 1-6 ATS w/revenge vs opp off SU and ATS loss
(8) Oregon at STANFORD
Ducks: SERIES: 6-1 L7 / 6-1 L7 A... 4-0 after HG vs Usc... 4-1 Game Nine... 7-2 A vs conf rev... 6-2 as conf RF's... teams that beat USC are 11-22 SU and ATS next game
Cardinal: 3-0 in 2nd of BB HG... 9-3 off SU conf win 17 > pts... 2-5 after Ariz St... *2-5 conf HD's < 7 pts... Cardinal 5-10 away, but 12-5 home w/Harbaugh, including 9-1 SU and 10-0 ATS last ten
(12) Ohio State at (10) PENN STATE
Buckeyes: 5-0 w/ conf rev... 4-1 A off BB HG... Buckeyes looking to avenge only home loss last year... Tressel: 12-3 SU and 11-4 ATS w/revenge, including 6-1 SU and 7-0 ATS last seven... *1-5 conf RD's 8 < pts... 1-4 bef Iowa
Nittany Lions: 8-1 off BB RG... 3-1 after N'Western... 0-4 H vs conf rev... 1-8 HF vs. .700 or greater opp off SU and ATS win... 2-6 HF's < 10 pts
Wake Forest at (11) GEORGIA TECH
Deacon Demons: 4-1 as DD conf RD's... 8-3 as dogs 8 > pts... 1-6 Game Ten... 1-3 bef HG vs Fla St... Grobe: 5-1 SU off three straight losses... need wins in two of final three game to get bowl nod
Yellow Jackets: SERIES: 4-1 L5 H... 3-0-1 H off BB RG... 1-6 favs off non-conf RG... 4-11 as conf HF's 7 > pts
(13) Southern Cal at ARIZONA STATE
Trojans: SERIES: 3-1 L4 A... 5-1-1 Game Nine away... 3-1-1 after Oregon... 0-3 before Stanford... 1-6 conf RF's 13 > pts... allowed season high yardage in each of their last two games
Sun Devils: 5-2 conf HD's 7 > pts... 0-5-1 after California... 1-5-1 w/ conf rev... 1-4 Game Nine
Syracuse at (14) PITTSBURGH
Orange: 4-1 in 1st of BB RG... 1-3 Game Nine... 2-7 conf dogs 15 > pts... 2-5 after Cincy... only 2nd game away from Carrier Dome for Orange this season
Panthers: Wannstedt: 7-0 H vs opp off loss... 8-2 H vs conf rev... 3-1 after S Florida... *1-4 conf favs > 18 pts... 2-6 w/ rest... 1-3 in 2nd of BB HG
(15) Houston at TULSA
Cougars: SERIES: 3-1 L4... 3-1 Game Nine... 0-4 conf RF/RD 3 < pts... 1-6 A vs conf rev... 2-6 after S Miss
Golden Hurricane: SERIES: 3-1 L4 H... 4-0 after Smu... 4-1 conf HF/HD 3 < pts... 9-0 home vs. .500 or greater con opp off win...7-3 H w/ conf rev (lost 70-30 last year)... *2-7 off SU conf home W
New Mexico at (16) UTAH
Lobos: 11-1 w/revenge vs opp off back-to-back wins... Lobos allowing 367 YPG, +1 net TO's last five games as opposed to surrendering 487 YPG, -7 net TO's first three games
Utes: 1st place battle with TCU on deck... 1-3-1 fav before Frogs
Virginia at (17) MIAMI FLA
Cavaliers: SERIES: 3-1 L4... 5-1-1 A w/ conf rev... 3-11 Game Nine... 3-8 RD's > 2 pts off BB HG... 5-1-2 as DD conf RD's
Hurricanes: 0-2 after Wake For... 1-5 favs 3 >pts vs conf rev... 1-4 conf HF's 13 > pts... 3-10 H in between RG... Canes were outgained, 555-356, in one-point win over Wake last week and have allowed season high yardage in last two games
(18) Oklahoma State at IOWA ST
Cowboys: 12-1 before Texas Tech... 6-1-2 conf RF's 10 < pts... 5-1 afterTexas... 4-1-1 vs conf rev
Cyclones: SERIES: 4-1 L5 H... 4-1 Game Ten... 1-5 as HD's 10 < pts... 1-4 in 1st of BB HG... 2-7 before Colorado
Washington State at (19) ARIZONA
Cougars: SERIES: dog is 5-1... cashed in five of last six games
Wildcats: 7-18 HF's more than 3 pts... Cal and Oregon on deck
(20) Oklahoma at NEBRASKA
Sooners: SERIES: 3-0 L3... 4-0 as RF's vs conf rev... 4-1 after Kansas St... 7-2 before Texas A&M... 0-4 Game Nine away
Cornhuskers: SERIES: 4-1 L5 H... 3-0 dog vs sub .727 opp off a win of more than 10 points... 5-1 H in between RG... 4-1 HD's < 10 pts... 0-7 after Baylor.. 1-5 Game Nine... playing off back-to-back previous home losses (as 10-and-20 point favorites)
Navy at (21) NOTRE DAME
Midshipmen: SERIES: 9-0 L9 A... 6-1 dogs off BB HG... 5-2 A in between HG... 7-3 RD's < 10 pts... 1-3 Game Ten
Fighting Irish: 0-4 Game Nine... 1-14 H vs all Military schools... 2-10 favs vs rev... 3-7 HF's 8 < pts... 1-6 favs this season
Badgers: SERIES: 3-0 L3... 0-9 fav off win vs opp w/revenge off double-digit loss... Michigan revenger on deck
Hoosiers: 4-11 HD vs opp off SU and ATS win... 10th straight game no rest... off back-to-back cruel defeats in which they held big leads against Iowa and Northwestern last two weeks... need wins in two of last three games to go bowling
Oregon State at (23) CALIFORNIA
Beavers: SERIES: 3-1 L4 / 3-0 L3 here...with both teams tied at 3-2 in PAC 10 play this game is vital for bowl positioning... beat Bears last two seasons
Golden Bears: 9-2 HF's vs .666 or greater opp, including 4-0 last four
(25) BYU at WYOMING
Cougars: SERIES: 5-0 L5... but: 0-9 w/rest regular season when win percentage greater than .666
Cowboys: 15-3 home w/revenge off ATS win (9-0 last nine)... lost 44-0 at BYU last year... Cowboys riding a five-game ATS win skein... take the points
Check out all of Marc's Pregame Pros picks