Texas quarterback Quinn Ewers (3) passes against Georgia during the second half of an NCAA college … [+]
Another shakeup in the AP Top 25 college football poll ahead of the final weekend of play in October. The Oregon Ducks are the new No. 1 with 59 first place votes followed by No. 2 Georgia Bulldogs (2), who trounced last week’s top team Texas 30-15 in Austin. Alabama has fallen to No. 15 and Tennessee moved into the top 10 following the Volunteers victory over the Crimson Tide 24-17 causing another tear down the goal posts celebration two weeks after Vanderbilt beat Alabama.
SEC Dominance Includes Vanderbilt Joining Top 25
The Week 9 schedule features five Top 25 matchups and and four top 10 teams have a bye including No. 2 Georgia and No. 7 Tennessee. But the SEC’s biggest games continue with the No. 8 LSU Tigers (6-1) at No. 14 Texas A&M Aggies (6-1). The Tigers and Aggies are the only undefeated teams in conference play making the first place showdown in College Station a big one for third year LSU head coach Brian Kelly and first year coach Mike Elko. LSU’s one-dimentional offense is averaging 324 passing yards per game to rank top 10 in the country. The LSU offensive line has allowed just 2 sacks this season with A&M next fewest (7) sacks allowed and the Aggies more balanced offensive attack rushing (200) and passing (205) for 200+ yards per game.
Vanderbilt (5-2) cracks the Top 25 this week for the first time since 2013 – the second-longest absence among power conference teams from the AP Top 25 since Rutgers in 2012. The Commodores ranking is likely a short stay facing No. 5 Texas as an 18.5 point home underdog.
Big Ten Best At Top Including Indiana
Also, 10 teams remain undefeated this season. Three Big Ten teams are undefeated including No. 1 Oregon, No. 3 Penn State and No. 13 Indiana Hoosiers (7-0, 4-0 Big Ten) – the conferences most surprising team. ESPN’s College GameDay will make its second-ever trip to Bloomington and first with its full Saturday pageantry on the IU campus when Indiana hosts the Washington Huskies Saturday. The show will air for three hours from 9 a.m. to noon ET, hosted by Rece Davis, Desmond Howard, Pat McAfee, Nick Saban, Kirk Herbstreit and former Indiana head coach Lee Corso.
Indiana enters the weekend with the nation’s third longest active winning streak. A win by the Hoosiers will match the longest winning streak to start a season in program history. The Hoosiers are also scoring 44 points per game (top 3 in country) with a passing offense averaging 299 yards per game (top 12). But the Huskies counter with the nation’s No. 1 pass defense allowing just 127 yards per game, 50% completions and 13 pass receptions per game – both top 5 and 4.4 yards per play defense overall (top 10). Washington is a live ‘Dog this week and worthy of a bet.
So is Kansas (+10) in their in-state rivalry and Big 12 battle at No. 16 Kansas State (6-1) in a Saturday night showcase on ESPN. The Jayhawks (2-5) have suffered numerous close losses this season, but still have a stronger, balanced offensive attack averaging 195 yards per game both rushing and passing this season.
Army (7-0) and Navy (6-0) in the American Athletic Conference both remain undefeated and in the Top 25. Army has the nation’s longest active win streak at 11 games, and Black Knights QB Bryson Daily was the Associated Press national player of the week for his performaces last Saturday in a 42-28 win over East Carolina. The senior quarterback rushed for 5 touchdowns and threw for another keeping Army undefeated and also tied for the best against the spread record this season at 6-1 ATS.
Miami QB Cam Ward was runner-up for AP player of the week after passing for 4 touchdowns and his school-record seventh straight 300-yard passing game in a 52-45 win at Louisville. The senior signal caller leads the nation with 362 yards passing per game, 24 touchdown passes and 45 passes of 20 yards or longer while currently the co-favorite (+200) to win the Heisman Trophy with Boise State RB Ashton Jeanty.
Mountain West First Place Showdown In Las Vegas
Another most watched and wagered game is Friday night in Las Vegas, where the top two teams in the Mountain West have a rematch of last year’s conference championship game. No. 17 Boise State (5-1) and UNLV (6-1) are both 2-0 in conference play ahead of the Friday night feature, billed as the biggest game in UNLV Rebels program history.
The Broncos and Rebels both run and pass for an average of more than 200 yards per game – two of 10 teams in the country with stronger and more balanced offensive attacks joining Power Four programs Ohio State, Penn State, Tennessee, Texas A&M, Iowa State, Kansas State, Clemson and Wisconsin. Also, unranked New Mexico and two Conference USA teams playing Wednesday, Liberty and Jacksonville State, also run and pass for an average of more than 200 yards per game.
The Rebels defense and linebacker group gets a key player back from injury this week to assist in trying to slow Broncos star RB back Ashton Jeanty. The junior Heisman hopeful is on his way to one of the greatest statistical seasons for a running back in college football history. Jeanty has 1,248 rushing yards in six games and averages 9.9 yards per rush. Watch him run as the headliner Friday night at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas.
FanDuel is the official odds provider for The Associated Press, who selects voters for the AP Poll from sports reporters around the country who cover college football.
AP Top 25 Week 9 Matchups and Odds
College football odds from FanDuel Sportsbook refresh periodically and are subject to change, including on props and live betting. All times Eastern and betting favorites (-) listed.
Thursday, Oct. 24
- 7:30 p.m. | No. 19 Pitt (-6.5) vs. Syracuse | ESPN
Friday, Oct. 25
- 10:30 p.m. | No. 17 Boise State (-3.5) at UNLV | CBSSN
Saturday, Oct. 26
- 3:30 p.m. | No. 1 Oregon (-21.5) vs. No. 20 Illinois | CBS/Paramount+
- No. 2 Georgia | Bye
- 7:30 p.m. | No. 3 Penn State (-6.5) at Wisconsin | NBC/Peacock
- 12 p.m. | No. 4 Ohio State (-25.5) vs. Nebraska | FOX
- 4:15 p.m. | No. 5 Texas (-18.5) at No. 25 Vanderbilt | SEC Network
- 7 p.m. | No. 6 Miami (-20.5) vs. Florida State | ESPN
- No. 7 Tennessee | Bye
- 7:30 p.m. | No. 8 LSU at No. 14 Texas A&M (-2.5) | ABC
- No. 9 Clemson | Bye
- No. 10 Iowa State | Bye
- 3:30 p.m. | No. 11 BYU at UCF (-1.5) | ESPN
- 12 p.m. | No. 12 Notre Dame (-12.5) vs. No. 24 Navy (in East Rutherford, New Jersey) | ABC
- 12 p.m. | No. 13 Indiana (-6.5) vs. Washington | Big Ten Network
- 3:30 p.m. | No. 15 Alabama (-13.5) vs. No. 21 Missouri | ABC
- 8 p.m. | No. 16 Kansas State (-10.5) vs. Kansas | ESPN2
- 12 p.m. | No. 18 Ole Miss (-20.5) vs. Oklahoma | ESPN
- 8 p.m. | No. 22 SMU (-11.5) at Duke | ACC Network
- No. 23 Army | Bye
Others receiving votes: Washington State 46, Syracuse 15, UNLV 5, Duke 2, South Carolina 1, Nebraska 1, Liberty 1.
Next Saturday’s biggest game on Nov. 2 is Ohio State at Penn State, where FanDuel has an advance point spread of Buckeye’s -3.5 point favorite and game total of 49.5 points.
More big game betting action ahead and to conclude the month of October as college football’s biggest games draw the most watch and wager action with the top teams pushing for conference titles and a spot in the new 12 team College Football Playoff.
You can bet on it.
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