Archive: 2009 Week Nine NCAA Football Top 25 Previews
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Thursday, October 29th, 2009
North Carolina Tar Heels (4-3) @ # 13 Virginia Tech Hokies (5-2)
Time: 7:30pm EST
Spread: Virginia Tech - 16.5
Over/Under:
Preview: The North Carolina Tar Heels, losers of three of their last four games will invade Virginia Tech and look to take down the Hokies. North Carolina is coming off their 30-27 loss to Florida State on Thursday night. The Tar Heels led most of the way, 17-6 at halftime, and 24-20 after three, but were unable to slow down the Tar Heel offense in the second half. Shaun Draughn led the Tar Heels offensively, carrying the ball for 126 yards in the loss. On the season, Draughn has rushed 111 times for 481 yards and a touchdown. North Carolina is the lone ACC - Coastal team that has yet to win. For Virginia Tech, after taking the week off, the Hokies will look to regroup from their 28-23 loss at Georgia Tech. The Hokies other loss in 2009 came during the opening week of the season when Alabama topped them 34-24. Virginia Tech is tied with Georgia Tech, Duke and Virginia at the top of the ACC - Coastal, all with one loss.
Friday, October 30th, 2009
# 21 West Virginia Mountaineers (6-1) @ South Florida Bulls (5-2)
Time: 8:00pm EST
Spread: West Virginia - 3.5
Over/Under:
Preview: The Mountaineers will head south and take on the USF Bulls. West Virginia is coming off a 28-24 win over Uconn, at home on Saturday. The Mountaineers with their win moved to 2-0 in Big East play. That unbeaten mark is tied with both Pittsburgh and Cincinnati. In the win for West Virginia, Noel Devine rushed for 171 yards in the second half of the game. The lone loss for West Virginia on the season came at Auburn. The South Florida Bulls, after winning their first five games of the year have dropped their last two. Their most recent loss, on Saturday, was a 41-14 blow-out, at the hands of Pittsburgh. This will be the third straight game for South Florida against a ranked opponent.
Saturday, October 31st, 2009
Georgia Bulldogs (4-3) @ # 1 Florida Gators (7-0)
Time: 3:30pm EST
Spread: Florida - 16
Over/Under:
Preview: The Georgia Bulldogs have had a frustrating first seven games to start 2009. All their misfortunes and their poor play can be turned around significantly with a big win on the road this weekend. The Bulldogs will travel to Gainesville to take on the Florida Gators. The Bulldogs, who at the beginning of the season had their eyes on a national title have dropped three games thus far. Georgia started the season with a road loss at Oklahoma State, and then more recently were downed by LSU and Tennessee. The Bulldogs have been outscored 194-189 through seven games this season. For Florida, the Gators in two straight weeks have snuck out with a narrow victory. First it was late game field goal to lift the Gators over Arkansas, followed by a disputed interception return to put the game at Mississippi State out of reach. The Florida defense forced the Bulldogs to turn the ball over three times in the win. The Gators quarterback Tim Tebow has thrown for 8 touchdowns and also rushed for 6 more on the season. Tebow, for the second time in his collegiate career, threw for two interceptions in the win.
# 3 Texas Longhorns (7-0) @ # 14 Oklahoma State Cowboys (6-1)
Time: 8:00pm EST
Spread: Texas - 9.5
Over/Under:
Preview: Arguably the biggest game of the weekend features the Texas Longhorns making the trip to Stillwater to take on the Oklahoma State Cowboys. Texas, undefeated on the season sit as the # 3 team in the BCS standings, behind Florida and Alabama. The Longhorns are coming off a complete blow out win 41-7 over Missouri. Colt McCoy tossed for 269 yards in the win, with 108 going to top receiver Jordan Shipley. McCoy has thrown for 14 touchdowns on the season, while Shipley leads the team with 5 touchdowns. The win for Texas came immediately following the Red River Rivalry win over Oklahoma. Under Mack Brown, the Longhorns are now 12-0 in games following the rivalry game. Oklahoma State comes into this affair after a 34-7 win over Baylor. The Cowboys offense is averaging 37 points per game, while the defense has yielded just 20 points per game. The Cowboys lone loss came on September 12th to Houston. The Cowboys are led by Zach Robinson and his 1547 yards and 12 touchdowns. Both the Longhorns and the Cowboys are tied at the top of the Big 12 - South with unbeaten records.
Indiana Hoosiers @ # 4 Iowa Hawkeyes (8-0)
Time: 12:00pm EST
Spread: Iowa - 17.5
Over/Under:
Preview: Can the Iowa Hoosiers be the first team to upend the red hot Iowa Hawkeyes? Michigan State thought they had that shot on Saturday, but the Hawkeyes had other thoughts, scoring as time expired to win a thrilling 15-13 game. The Hawkeyes lead the Big Ten with a 4-0 mark, ahead of one loss teams, Penn State and Ohio State. Iowa’s Ricki Stanzi has completed 137 of 240 passes for 1715 yards and 12 touchdowns, including the game winner to Marvin McNutt. Iowa has allowed just 118 points in 8 games this season. Indiana will look to put a stop to losing four of their last five games. The lone win in that span for the Hoosiers was a 27-14 win over Illinois. Indiana held a big lead early on Saturday; 28-17 at halftime, but were held scoreless in the final half falling 29-28 to Northwestern. Three of the final four games on the season for Indiana, are against ranked foes.
# 5 USC Trojans (6-1) @ # 10 Oregon Ducks (6-1)
Time: 8:00pm EST
Spread: USC - 3
Over/Under:
Preview: In one of the top games on the weekend, the USC Trojans will travel to Eugene Oregon to take on the Ducks. The winner of this game will be in solid position to represent the Pac-Ten in the Rose Bowl. The Trojans have one conference loss; a 16-13 loss at Washington. USC has won four straight since that defeat, including their most recent action over Oregon State 42-36. Freshman quarterback Matt Barkley burned the final 5+ minutes off the clock for the Trojans in the win. The only disturbing statistic for the Trojans was the Beavers picking up just under 500 total yards of offense against a USC defense that was ranked as ninth best in the country. Oregon comes in leading the conference standings, at 4-0. The Ducks have wins over California, Washington State, UCLA and Washington. Oregon’s lone loss came out of conference play, starting the season on the road at Boise State. The Ducks quarterback Jeremiah Masoli has completed 78 of 129 passes for 905 yards and 5 touchdowns. Oregon is scoring 34 points per game.
UNLV Running Rebels (3-5) @ # 6 TCU Horned Frogs (7-0)
Time: 4:00pm EST
Spread: TCU -33.5
Over/Under:
Preview: The UNLV Running Rebels will look to slow down one of the nation’s hottest teams on Saturday afternoon. TCU, coming off their road win at BYU is 7-0 on the season at the top of the Mountain West Conference. UNLV is coming off a 34-17 doubling up at New Mexico. The Running Rebels snapped the four game losing streak, in which they allowed 187 in those four games. UNLV is 1-3 in conference play. The Horned Frogs have been winning games with their defensive prowess. TCU limited Max Hall and the high powered Brigham Young offense to just seven points. In the last two games, TCU has allowed just 13 points, and are allowing just 12.7 on the season. The Horned Frogs are tied with the Utah Utes at the top of the Mountain West. Andy Dalton, the Horned Frogs quarterback has completed 106 of 166 passes for 1464 yards and 11 touchdowns. TCU running back Joseph Turner has ran the ball 86 times for 435 yards and 8 touchdowns.
San Jose State Spartans (1-5) @ # 7 Boise State Broncos (7-0)
Time: 3:00pm EST
Spread: Boise State -34.5
Over/Under:
Preview: The San Jose State Spartans are the next team that gets the opportunity to derail the unbeaten Boise State Broncos. The Spartans are 1-5 overall, and have scored just 99 points in six games. San Jose State’s lone win came on September 26th against Cal Poly. The Spartans have yet to win a Western Athletic Conference game, falling at Fresno State and with Idaho. The Spartans defense has struggled this season, allowing 33.5 points per game. The Broncos have been both an offensive machine, and a defensive juggernaut. Boise State is coming off a 54-9 thumping over the Hawaii Rainbow Warriors. Kellen Moore threw five touchdown passes in the win over Hawaii. On the season, Moore has thrown for 21. San Jose State has scored 283 points in seven games this season. The Broncos are tied with Nevada at the top of the WAC.
# 8 Cincinnati Bearcats (7-0) @ Syracuse Orange (3-4)
Time: 12:00pm EST
Spread: Cincinnati - 15
Over/Under:
Preview: The Bearcats continue to roll, and have gotten off to their best start since 1955. Backup quarterback Zach Callaros threw for 253 yards in the 41-10 win over Louisville. Callaros was behind center due to the injury for starter Tony Pike. Pike, before the injury had completed 128 of 199 passes for 1633 yards and 15 touchdowns. On the season, Cincinnati is averaging 40.7 points per game, while the defense has been excellent; yielding just 13.7 points per game. The Bearcats are tied at the top of the Big East Conference with a 3-0 mark. Syracuse picked up their third win of the season on Saturday, a 28-14 win over Akron. Quarterback Greg Paulus has been a solid force for the Orange, throwing for over 1,200 yards and 9 touchdowns thus far. The Orange also beat Northwestern and Maine on the season. Syracuse is at the bottom of the Big East Standings with an 0-2 mark.
Tulane Green Wave (2-5) @ # 9 LSU Tigers (6-1)
Time: 8:00pm EST
Spread: LSU - 34
Over/Under:
Preview: In a non-conference affair featuring two Louisiana schools, the Tulane Green Wave will take on the LSU Tigers. The Green Wave are just 2-5 overall, and 0-4 within Conference USA action. Tulane is coming off three straight losses, including their most recent; a 43-6 blowout loss at Southern Miss. Tulane’s two wins on the season came over McNeesse State and Army. Tulane is scoring just 15.3 points per game. LSU picked up a 31-10 win over the Auburn Tigers on Saturday. LSU continued their streak of not losing back-to-back home games since 2001. The Tigers quarterback Jordan Jefferson threw for two touchdowns and ran for another in the win. Jefferson on the season has thrown for 9 touchdowns. The Tigers are in second place in the SEC West - only trailing Alabama.
# 11 Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets (7-1) @ Vanderbilt Commodores (2-6)
Time: 7:30pm EST
Spread: Georgia Tech - 12
Over/Under:
Preview: The Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets will go out of Atlantic Coast Conference play and take on the Vanderbilt Commodores. Georgia Tech will come into this affair, winners of five straight games, including a 34-9 win at Virginia. The Yellow Jackets Anthony Allen scored on a 20 yard run in the fourth quarter to seal the deal for them. Josh Nesbitt, Georgia Tech’s quarterback threw for 85 yards, and rushed for 82, and also scored 2 touchdowns. The Yellow Jackets picked up 447 yards of total offense. Georgia Tech is tied with three other teams at the top of the Atlantic Coast Coastal Division, all with one loss. The Commodores have struggled mightily, especially on the offensive end. Vanderbilt is averaging just 16.6 points per game, and in their last two losses have scored just 10 points in each. The Commodores two wins on the season came at home to Western Carolina and at Rice. Vanderbilt is the lone SEC team without a win.
# 12 Penn State Nittany Lions (7-1) @ Northwestern Wildcats (5-3)
Time: 4:30pm EST
Spread: Penn State - 14
Over/Under:
Preview: The Penn State Nittany Lions were able to go into the Big House in Ann Arbor Michigan and blast the Wolverines. Penn State’s Darryl Clark continues to shine, as he threw for 230 yards and 3 touchdowns. Evan Royster rushed for 100 yards as well in the win. The Nittany Lions have allowed just 71 points in 8 games, for an incredible average of 8.9 points per game allowed. The Nittany Lions are tied with Ohio State, with one Big Ten loss, trailing the Iowa Hawkeyes. The Northwestern Wildcats are coming off a thrilling come from behind 29-28 win over the Indiana Hoosiers. Northwestern trailed 28-17 at halftime, but used a 12-0 second half to spark the win. Northwestern is in need of one more win to become bowl eligible, but two to guarantee a position. The Wildcats will play three of their last four games against ranked foes.
Wyoming Cowboys (4-3) @ # 16 Utah Utes (6-1)
Time: 8:00pm EST
Spread: Utah - 17
Over/Under:
Preview: In a Mountain West Conference game, the Wyoming Cowboys will look to upend the Utah Utes from the top. The Cowboys, at 4-3 overall, are 2-1 in conference play, trailing Utah and TCU. Wyoming has wins over Weber State, UNLV, Florida Atlantic and New Mexico. The Cowboys are coming off a loss in which they were blanked by Air Force on October 17th. The Utes narrowly escaped Air Force this past Saturday; 23-16 in overtime. The Utes quarterback Terrance Cain has thrown for 11 touchdowns on the season, and in the win over Air Force, threw a 90 yard pass to David Reed. The Utes are scoring 27.9 points per game on the season.
New Mexico State Aggies (3-5) @ # 17 Ohio State Buckeyes (6-2)
Time: 12:00pm EST
Spread: Ohio State - 39.5
Over/Under:
Preview: The Ohio State Buckeyes will go out of conference play on Saturday when
they host the New Mexico State Aggies. The Aggies come into Columbus losers of two straight games; at Louisiana Tech and with Fresno State. The Aggies three wins came over Prairie View A+M, New Mexico and Utah State. New Mexico State plays within the Western Athletic Conference. The Buckeyes are coming off a 38-7 blow-out win over the Minnesota Golden Gophers. The win for Ohio State snapped the one game losing streak, as the Buckeyes were downed at Purdue the week before.
Ohio State’s quarterback Terrelle Pryor threw for two touchdown passes, and ran for another in the win. The Buckeyes remain one game back of Iowa within the Big Ten standings.
Southern Mississippi Eagles (5-3) @ # 18 Houston Cougars (6-1)
Time: 1:00pm EST
Spread: Houston - 6.5
Over/Under:
Preview: The Southern Mississippi Eagles will look to stay atop the Conference USA’s East Division with an upset win, on the road Saturday. Southern Mississippi, at 3-1 in conference action, is tied with both Marshall and East Carolina. The Eagles are coming off two straight wins; both at home, over Memphis and Tulane. The Eagles are scoring 32.8 points per game, while their defense has allowed just 20.6 points per game. Southern Mississippi’s three losses on the season have come to Kansas, UAB and Louisville; all on the road. For the Cougars, they are in a four way tie, at the top of the Conference USA - West Division. The Cougars are coming off a 38-15 win over Southern Methodist. In that win, quarterback Case Keenum threw for 233 yards. On the season, Keenum has tossed 20 touchdowns, and for 2734 yards. Houston’s lone loss came on October 3rd at UTEP.
# 19 Miami Hurricanes (5-2) @ Wake Forest Demon Deacons (4-4)
Time: 3:30pm EST
Spread: Miami - 7
Over/Under:
Preview: The Miami Hurricanes will look to bounce back at Wake Forest, following their disappointing 40-37 overtime loss to Clemson. The Hurricanes were unable to slow down Clemson quarterback Kyle Parker and running back C.J. Spiller in the loss. The loss was the second conference loss for the Hurricanes. Freshman quarterback Jacory Harris has been solid for Miami, throwing for 1774 yards and 13 touchdowns on the season. The Hurricanes have wins at Florida State, Georgia Tech and another at home over Oklahoma on the season. For Wake Forest, the Demon Deacons need a win to move back to over .500. The Demon Deacons were edged on Saturday by Navy 13-10. Despite the .500 record, Wake Forest is still tied at the top of the Atlantic Division of the Atlantic Coast Conference. The Demon Deacons, at 2-2, are tied with Boston College and Clemson. Riley Skinner, the Demon Deacons quarterback has thrown for just under 2000 yards on the season, and 16 touchdowns.
# 22 South Carolina Gamecocks (6-2) @ Tennessee Volunteers (3-4)
Time: 7:45pm EST
Spread: Tennessee - 4.5
Over/Under:
Preview: Steve Spurrier and the South Carolina Gamecocks will head to Knoxville to take on Lane Kiffin and the Tennessee Volunteers. The Gamecocks are coming off the 14-10 win over Vanderbilt, while the Volunteers ran into bad luck, falling 12-10 at Alabama. The Gamecocks used a 43 yard pass from quarterback Stephen Garcia to put the game away on Saturday. Garcia finished the game with 312 passing yards, and has thrown for 1794 on the season. This game will be the first of two straight road games for South Carolina. Tennessee’s Johnathan Crompton had an effective game against a solid defense, throwing for 265 yards. It all went for naught then Terrence Cody of Alabama blocked a field goal as time expired. The field goal would have won the game for the Volunteers. The Gamecocks are 3-2, trailing just Florida in the SEC - East, while the Volunteers are 1-3 in the SEC - East.
# 24 California Golden Bears (5-2) @ Arizona State Sun Devils (4-3)
Time: 3:30pm EST
Spread: California -6.5
Over/Under:
Preview: The California Golden Bears will take their high powered offense on the road, at Arizona State to take on the Sun Devils. The Bears have averaged 47 points per game in their last two games, after scoring 6 in two straight losses. California’s Jahvid Best has rushed for 775 yards and 11 touchdowns through 7 games this season. California is coming in off a 49-17 pasting of Washington State. The Bears have scored 246 points in 7 games. The Sun Devils are coming off a 33-14 loss at the hands of Stanford on Saturday evening. The Sun Devils loss snapped their two game winning streak. Both teams are tied with a 2-2 Pac Ten record.
# 25 Mississippi Rebels (5-2) @ Auburn Tigers (5-3)
Time: 12:21pm EST
Spread: Mississippi - 3.5
Over/Under:
Preview: Jevan Snead and the Mississippi Rebels picked up their second straight win on Saturday; 30-17 over conference foe Arkansas. Snead has led the offense with just under 1500 yards and 14 touchdowns on the season. The Rebels have two losses on the season; at South Carolina and at home with Alabama. The Rebels are scoring 30.1 points per game, while their defense has yielded 13.6 points per game. Mississippi is 2-2 in SEC play, trailing Alabama and LSU. The Tigers have dropped three straight games, since their 5-0 start. The most recent loss for Auburn was a 31-10 defeat at the hands of the LSU Tigers. Auburn’s Chris Todd has tossed 12 touchdown passes on the season. The Tigers are 2-3 in SEC play.
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