The red flag is definitely waving when it comes to Appalachian State's offense. The Mountaineers were held to only three points last week by Old Dominion, which is 2-4 and has surrendered 42 or more points in three games.

Appalachian State's star quarterback Malachi Singleton suffered an ankle injury in that game. He is questionable. But even if Singleton plays, he is likely to be severely restricted. Backup Mountaineers QB Henry Hasselbeck isn't much of a passer.

Coastal Carolina's defense has been playing better than its offense. The Chanticleers are run-oriented and have lacked consistency. They rank 113th in turnovers. 

The Chanticleers beat Marshall, 27-21, last week but were the beneficiary of seven Marshall turnovers.

Toledo is the top scoring team in the Mid-American Conference and 13th best in the nation averaging 42.4 points per game. That average goes up to 48 points a game if you go by the Rockets' last four games. Junior quarterback John Alan Richter leads the MAC in both passing yards (1,362) and passing touchdowns (13).

Buffalo doesn't have the defense to slow down Richter. The Bulls  rank 116th in scoring defense, surrendering 30.6 points a game, are 114th in pass defense and 117th in yards allowed per game at 406.4.

But while I am expecting Toledo to do the heavy lifting in getting this total Over, I would not be involved if I didn't think Buffalo could contribute.

Toledo's defense showed vulnerability giving up 24 points to Ball State last week. That was the most points the Cardinals have scored in their four games against Division I opponents.

Bulls sophomore quarterback Jason Wright is improving and he has two of the best skill position players in the MAC, running back Messiah Burch and wide receiver Chance Morrow. Burch ranks in the top three in the MAC in rushing yards and Morrow is in the top three in receiving yards.

Star QB Dante Moore is out for Oregon. Luckily for the Ducks, they have one of the best backups in the country in former Nebraska QB Dylan Raiola. The Ducks also have one of the top receiver groups in the country with Dakorien Moore,  Evan Stewart and tight end Jamari Johnson.

UCLA has not faced an offense of this caliber. The best offense the Bruins went up against is Purdue and the Boilermakers produced 38 points, 488 yards of offense and 8.3 yards per play. UCLA ranks 90th in pass defense.

The Bruins are going to contribute their share of points here, too. Only four teams average more rushing yards than UCLA, which has elite running back Wayne Knight. He is averaging 9.1 yards per carry on 49 attempts and has scored nine touchdowns. Oregon ranks even worse than UCLA in pass defense at 100th.

Both teams were idle last week so the offensive game plans could hold a few surprises.

Only 15 teams throw for more passing yards than Arizona. The Wildcats have a combination of an aggressive passing approach and one of the steadiest quarterbacks in the country, Noah Fifita. He has thrown for 84 touchdowns and 10,314 yards during his collegiate career, ranking first and second, respectively, among active FBS quarterbacks in those categories. The Wildcats have passed on 61.6 percent of their offensive plays.

Cincinnati has used a balanced approach to average 40.5 points a game. Gi’Bran Payne, Cole Tabb and QB JC French IV have combined to score 12 rushing touchdowns. French has thrown for six more TDs while completing 74.5 percent of his passes.

The Bearcats also have one of the best punt returners in the nation as Caleb Smith is averaging 27.5 yards per punt return.

Purdue was averaging 39.3 points a game during its first three games until losing, 49-10, to Notre Dame last week. The Boilermakers' Ryan Browne is one of the more underrated QB's in the country completing 71.3% of his passes for 1,135 yards with a 7-to-1 TD/INT ratio. He should do well again as Purdue is stepping  way down in class defensively facing Illinois.

The Illini's defense ranks 120th in pass defense. After giving up 42 points and 518 yards to Ohio State, the Illini let go their defensive coordinator Bobby Hauck.

Fortunately for Illinois it has a strong offense sparked by East Carolina quarterback transfer Katin Houser, who has completed 68.6% of his passes for 1,021 yards with a 9-to-2 TD/INT ratio. He passed for 462 yards against Ohio State.

Purdue ranks third from the bottom in scoring defense giving up 39.5 points a game and 446 yards per game, which ranks 7th from the bottom.

Strong offenses coupled with weak defenses are why both Purdue and Illinois have each gone Over in all four of their games this season.

Add the name of Florida running back Jadan Baugh to the list of Heisman Trophy candidates. He is the second leading rusher in the country with 600 yards. He also has scored 11 touchdowns.

The Gators could be the best offensive team in the country. They are second in scoring at 53.5 points per game and 5th in most yards gained. Yes, they played Campbell. But Florida still is averaging 48 points in SEC play going against Auburn and Mississippi.

Missouri is down defensively from last season. The Tigers, though, can chip in offensively to push this total Over averaging 35.8 points a game and showing a good passing attack behind Austin Simmons.

Oregon State is the only team in the nation with a top-10 passer, Braden Atkinson, and a top-10 receiver, Jesse Legree. The Beavers rank second in the nation in passing yards. They are going to put up plenty of points against UTEP, which gives up 37.7 points per game and ranks 128th in pass defense efficiency.

The Miners should do their part to get this total Over. They put up 51 points against Texas Southern and 17 against Michigan.  Oregon State is 103rd in passer ratings allowed this season.

I don't see Arkansas State having much success moving the ball against a very strong TCU defensive front. The Red Wolves also have drastically slowed down their tempo. Only four teams are playing at a slower pace than the Red Wolves.

The Horned Frogs have surrendered just two touchdowns in two games.

Despite a 63-7 win against Grambling, the jury remains out on TCU quarterback Jaden Craig and a wide receiving group that has dropped too many passes. The Horned Frogs were held to only 10 points by North Carolina in their opening game. 

First off, Notre Dame has an elite defense. The Fighting Irish held opponents to fewer than 18 points a game last season and should be even better this season with nine starters back.

Michigan State does not have an explosive offense. The Spartans are about ball control. None of their skill position players rank among the upper tier in the Big Ten.

The Spartans are respectable on defense. Only 22 teams have given up fewer yards per game than the Spartans.

Yes this is a step-up game for Michigan State after victories against MAC foes Eastern Michigan and Toledo. But Notre Dame's offense is overrated. Their running backs are way down from last season and aside from Jordan Faison their receivers haven't been impressive.

The Fighting Irish put up 52 points against Rice. The Owls, though, gift wrapped some of those points with four fumbles, including one that was returned for a Notre Dame touchdown.

Notre Dame scored 41 points against Wisconsin, yet managed only 350 total yards.

There is going to be a weather element, too, that favors the Under. The forecast is for heavy rain and wind up to 10 mph. 

These two teams met last season and Navy won, 42-32. There were a combined 74 points and 947 total yards. So I am not scared off by this total.

Florida Atlantic has trouble stopping the run. That is a major problem when playing Navy. The Midshipmen just rushed for 506 yards in beating Towson, 42-15.

The Owls play at one of the fastest tempos in the country. Caden Veltkamp is a capable quarterback for the Owls. Florida Atlantic is a passing team and Navy has a weak secondary. This matchup pits offensive strength against defensive weakness.

First off, I don't see Florida A&M even scoring in this game. Not against Miami's elite defense and not with a backup quarterback. The Rattlers, an FCS program from the Southwestern Athletic Conference, are averaging 16.5 points a game playing against Albany State and South Carolina State.

The Rattlers lost their starting quarterback, Isaiah Knowles, for the rest of the season after he suffered a broken thumb on his throwing hand during the second half of last week's game against South Carolina State. There is a steep drop off from Knowles to backup Dustin Fletcher.

 Stanford, an ACC team, could only manage 6 points against Miami last week.

The key to making this Under work is trying to figure out how many points Miami is going to score.

The Hurricanes and their quarterback, Darian Mensah, were super sharp in putting up 45 points against the Cardinal to open the season.

But how motivated will the Hurricanes be? This is a sandwich spot for Miami between ACC opponents with Wake Forest on deck. Miami isn't going to risk Mensah, Malachi Toney and its other star offensive players by playing them for too long in this lopsided matchup.

Miami also is likely to run the ball a lot in the second half to eat clock. Florida A&M's best player could be its punter, Bobby Engstler. He is averaging 43.7 yards per punt and already has put four punts inside the 20-yard line.

Engstler should be a huge plus for the Under.

LSU's offense is getting a lot of attention thanks to the hiring of Lane Kiffin. But I could see the Tigers starting slow here. Clemson has a solid defense and LSU has a new offense.

LSU QB Sam Leavitt missed spring camp recovering from a foot injury. He has not had much of a chance to get in sync with LSU's many new wide receivers. Note, too, LSU's offensive line has only one returning starter.

Clemson also is breaking in a new starting QB with Christopher Vizzina replacing the departed Cade Klubnik. Clemson was far from being elite offensively last season ranking 72nd in points and 105th in rushing.

The Tigers are on the road facing an LSU defense that is ranked as the best in the SEC by ESPN's ratings and top-three in the nation. Tough venue, tough defense for Vizzina. 

When you think of high scoring offenses in the Big Ten the name Rutgers doesn't immediately come to mind. But the Scarlet Knights averaged 46.3 points a game in their three non-conference games last season playing Ohio, Miami of Ohio and Norfolk State. Those teams weren't any good and neither is UMass, which has one of the worst defenses in the country.

Rutgers actually has two of the best skill position players in the nation in running back Antwan Raymond and wide receiver KJ Duff. They can prop up QB Dylan Lonergan and make him look good against such an atrocious defensive foe.

UMass should contribute to this total going Over. The bar is not set high here. Rutgers finished 131st out of 136 FBS teams in yards allowed. last year. The Minutemen actually have some decent skill position players in QB Pop Watson, deep threat Jacquon Gibson and athletic tight end Matt Oanei.

International games can cause sluggish offenses. Look for that to be the case here between North Carolina and TCU in Dublin, Ireland. There is a 60% chance of rain, too, leading up to the game. This is likely to cause slippage as the game is being played on a grass field.

Both North Carolina and TCU have excellent defensive lines and each team is breaking in a new quarterback - Billy Edwards for the Tar Heels and Jaden Craig for TCU.

Edwards has had opportunities at Big Ten schools, but has never impressed. Craig lacks Big Four experience having played at Harvard.

Tar Heels coach Bill Belichick is a defensive mastermind and he's had plenty of time to prepare. The Tar Heels had a top 40 defense last year and it looks better this season. 

Don't be fooled by Oregon putting up 51 points against James Madison in its first round playoff game. The Ducks do not fare well when going against elite defenses. They averaged a combined 18.3 points in regulation against Indiana, Iowa and Penn State.

Texas Tech bought maybe the best defense in the country. The Red Raiders ranked in the top three in fewest points, yards and rushing yards. They have surrendered less than 11 points per game.

The Red Raiders' offense is good, but not nearly as consistent as their defense. Oregon's defense held opponents to an average of 16.3 points per game and ranked sixth in fewest yards and passing yards.

These defenses are not given enough respect with this high of a point total. 

FIU has dangerous weapons in Kejon Owens, who finished 10th in the nation in rushing with 1,298 yards, and Alex Perry, who had 816 receiving yards and nine touchdowns.

The Panthers' attack really picked up down the homestretch averaging 43.2 points in their last four games. 

There are three main factors why I like the Under here: Western Michigan's strong defense, Eastern Michigan's inept offense and the Broncos controlling clock with their heavy run attack.

Western Michigan has averaged fewer than 12 passes per game during its last two games. The Broncos certainly are going to stay heavy run-oriented since the Eagles give up the most yards on the ground per game in the country. Despite that Eastern Michigan has been stingy giving up points in its last two games holding Ball State to nine points and Bowling Green to 21 points.

The Broncos give up the 13th fewest yards in the country and rank 21st in scoring defense yielding only 20.3 points per game.

The weather is another plus for the Under. The forecast is for rain during the day. It should stop by the evening, but the wind will be blowing at 10-to-15 mph.

The total has come down in this matchup and for good reason. Air Force lost its emerging star quarterback, Liam Szarka, to an arm injury in the second quarter of its 26-16 loss to Connecticut last Saturday. Not only was Szarka an outstanding runner, but he was that rare Air Force quarterback who posed a threat through the air.

The Falcons will be going back to being heavily run-oriented now with converted fullback Kemper Hodges behind center. New Mexico's defensive strength is its 17th-ranked run defense.

The Lobos could only manage 20 points against Colorado State last week in a 20-17 victory as a 16-point home favorite. Air Force only has given up an average of 20.7 points during its last four games.

Bad weather, lackluster offenses, solid defenses and slow tempo all factor in making this an Under play. 

Michigan surrenders the 13th-fewest points in the nation at 17.2. Northwestern hasn't broken the 22-point barrier in its last four games. The Wildcats rank 111th in scoring at 21.9. 

The Wildcats do give up fewer than 20 points per game and the Wolverines have a well below average passing attack. 

Neither team is explosive and there is going to be heavy wind in Chicago for this matchup with winds in the 15-to-30 mph range.

The bar is not set high for Eastern Michigan's defense here. Ball State ranks in the bottom-10 in many major offensive categories. The Cardinals are averaging 16.4 points a game. 

Ball State's defense is better than its offense. The Cardinals have surrendered 20.6 points a game during their last three games. 

Eastern Michigan ranks 90th in scoring and 80th in total yards. 

Making it worse for the offenses is there is a weather factor. The forecast is for heavy wind.

Rarely in its school history has Wisconsin had a good quarterback. The Badgers are not getting good quarterback play again this season, which is putting it kindly. But the Badgers also have lost their traditional feared running game under Luke Fickell.

Wisconsin's offensive stats are mind-boggling bad: Last in the nation in yards per game and third-from-the bottom in points per game at 12.5. The Badgers are averaging fewer than seven points a game if you go by their last four games.

The Badgers do rank 25th in run defense.

Washington is averaging 15.5 points in its two Big Ten road games playing Michigan and Maryland.

Both teams play at a slow tempo. There could be some weather issues, too. The forecast is for 50% possibility of rain and winds in the 10-to-15 mph range.

Wisconsin's Billy Edwards Jr. was a lower-tier Big Ten quarterback. But without the injured Edwards, Wisconsin's offense has totally fallen apart. The Badgers are averaging a puny 6.8 points per game during their last five games.

I don't see the Badgers doing anything against an athletic Oregon defense that gives up the seventh-fewest points and sixth-fewest yards per game.

The Badgers are more respectable defensively ranking 18th against the run and 47th in total defense.

There also is a weather factor here with the forecast calling for an 80 percent chance of rain and winds in the 10-20 mph range.

Both of these offenses have been extremely disappointing.

South Carolina is averaging fewer than 25 points a game. That average would be even worse, but the Gamecocks have come up with some big defensive/ special teams plays to set up their offense. That's not something that can be counted on to continue.

South Carolina's defense, though, ranks 34th surrendering fewer than 19 points per game.

LSU's defense has played much better than its offense. The Tigers rank 7th defensively permitting just 12.2 points per game. The Tigers are 119th in rushing and their passing attack has not met preseason expectations.

The Tigers have played four Division One opponents. The combined point total in those games is 27 points against Clemson, 30 points versus Louisiana Tech, 30 points against Florida and 43 points against Mississippi. 

Points will not be hard to come by here. Florida State ranks first in the nation in scoring and yards. True the Seminoles have played two cupcakes, but they also put up 31 points against Alabama.

Virginia's defense is a huge step down from Alabama's. The Cavaliers rank 74th in pass defense and North Carolina State ran for more than 200 yards against them.  

Dual-threat quarterback Tommy Castellanos is the centerpiece of a well-balanced Florida State attack.

Virginia is no slouch offensively either ranking fifth in yards and 11th in scoring. The Cavaliers and USC are the only two FBS teams with at least 1,000 yards rushing and more than 1,200 yards passing. Well seasoned Virginia quarterback Chandler Morris has three receivers  who already have 1,000 career yards.

The Cavaliers' offensive line has protected Morris well, too, as he has been sacked only once in four games.

Two good quarterbacks. Two bad defenses. A reasonable total. Add it together and it puts me on the Over. 

NC State has the ACC's leading rusher, Hollywood Smothers, to go with quarterback CJ Bailey. The Wolfpack are averaging 31 points a game. 

Duke is giving up 32 points a game and has trouble stopping the run and pass. Opposing quarterbacks have completed nearly 68% of their throws against the Blue Devils. 

Darian Mensah gives Duke a very good quarterback, though. NC State ranks 131st in pass defense. The Blue Devils play at a fast pace, which is another plus for the Over.

Troy's starting quarterback, Goose Crowder, suffered a shoulder injury for the second consecutive season. Crowder is a mediocre quarterback, but he's the best that Troy has.

The Trojans are going to need to effectively run the ball and that's going to be tough to do against a Buffalo defense that ranks 37th in the country in run defense. The Bulls are giving up fewer than 20 points per game.

Troy has faced far more talented offenses going against Clemson and Memphis. Neither of whom were able to score more than 28 points against the Trojans.

Both teams are ground-oriented, which is going to run clock. That's good for the under.

Texas State's GJ Kinne and Arizona State's Kenny Dillingham are among the five youngest coaches in the country. They also are among the sharpest offensive minds.

The Bobcats have scored 95 points in two games this season. They have been balanced on offense averaging 280 yards per game on the ground and 250 through the air. However, their defense is extremely weak having allowed a combined 63 points to Eastern Michigan and UT-San Antonio. The Bobcats are giving up an average of 427.5 yards per game.

The Sun Devils have the offense to take advantage. I expect quarterback Sam Leavitt to be far sharper than he was against Mississippi State last week. Not only is Leavitt one of the best QBs in the country, but he has a top-three wide receiver in Jordyn Tyson. ASU is going from playing an SEC opponent to a Sun Belt Conference foe.

Navy has averaged 36 points per game the past two seasons playing UAB. The Midshipmen won those games easily. Navy is going to get its points again this season, but the Blazers also have enough firepower to contribute their share in getting this total Over.

UAB opened its season with a 52-42 win against Alabama State, piling up more than 500 yards of total offense. Jevon Jackson, a transfer from UTEP, looked great rushing for 166 yards and two TDs on 17 carries. Coached by former NFL quarterback Trent Dilfer, Blazers QB Jalen Kitna should be one of the better quarterbacks in the American Conference. He had a good day, too, against Alabama State.

Navy's Blake Horvath is the best quarterback in the conference and Eli Heidenreich could be the best combination of RB/WR in the league.

The Midshipmen opened their season in excellent offensive form with a 52-7 win against VMI while gaining 556 yards.

I'm expecting more than 60 points to be scored here so I'm going Over.

These are the two best defenses in the country with the numbers to prove it.

Ohio State gave up the fewest points, total yards, yards per play and also was No. 1 in pass defense. Oregon was the only team to score more than 17 points on the Buckeyes. Ohio State has permitted an average of only 13 points during its last nine games, while going against Tennessee, Texas, Oregon and Penn State during this span. 

Notre Dame's offensive line has been banged-up. The Buckeyes have two potential first-round choices in their defensive line with Jack Sawyer and J.T. Tuimoloau. 

The Irish have the No. 2 scoring defense in the nation. They rank 12th in pass defense and have 19 takeaways, which was the fifth-highest. Benjamin Morrison is in the discussion for best cornerback in college football. 

Notre Dame has given up 14 or fewer points in seven of its last 10 games.

Neither quarterback, Will Howard nor Riley Leonard, is a downfield gunslinging threat.

Notre Dame has one of the top defenses in the country and draw Georgia backup quarterback Gunner Stockton, who is untested. Carson Beck is out with an elbow injury.

The Bulldogs still have tremendous talent on defense, but their skill position talent is down this season particularly at running back. Georgia ranks 99th in rushing.

Defensively, though, Georgia has three potential first-round picks that all could go in the top 15 if they declare for the draft - Mykel Williams, Jalon Walker and Malaki Starks.

Notre Dame plays at a slow tempo and will be keeping the ball on the ground. That's going to take a lot of time off the clock.

Indiana averages 43.3 points a game, which is the second-highest in the country. Only Oregon was better in the Big Ten Conference on third downs. The Hooisers had just eight turnovers all season, third-fewest in the nation.

Hoosiers coach Curt Cignetti is an offensive guru. He has the right quarterback to operate his system in Kurtis Rourke, a rhythm passer who has five good receiving targets.

I have a red flag about Notre Dame's defense after the Irish surrendered 35 points, 559 yards and 29 first downs to USC in a 49-35 victory in their last game. USC QB Jayden Maiava had a big game with 360 yards passing and three TD throws against the Irish. I like Rourke more than Maiava.

But Notre Dame is favored for good reason. The Irish have a balanced attack. They have a physical offensive line that can dominate the line of scrimmage against Indiana's defensive front. Cignetti isn't going to sell out to stop the run like he did against Ohio State. That turned out to be a disaster in a 38-15 road loss to the Buckeyes. Indiana just doesn't have a strong enough defense to control Notre Dame.

Losing star players to opt outs and the transfer portal is a sad reality to handicapping bowl games nowadays.

In the case of West Virginia in this Frisco Bowl that also means a coaching change as Neal Brown was fired. Rich Rodriguez will take over next season. That leaves Chad Scott as the interim coach for this game. He's the Mountaineers' offensive coordinator.

The Mountaineers' transfer portal losses mainly came on defense. They will be short on cornerbacks and won't have their star linebacker, Josiah Trotter. Even with a full deck on defense, West Virginia gave up more than 36 points a game during their past six games.

Memphis certainly has the offense to take advantage behind four-year starting QB Seth Henigan, who has thrown for nearly 14,000 yards and 102 touchdowns during his career. West Virginia ranks eighth-from-the-bottom in pass defense.

I don't trust Memphis' defense, though. The Tigers surrendered 56 points to Navy, 44 to North Texas and 44 to Texas San Antonio. They rank 115th in pass defense.

West Virginia has scored at least 31 points in four of its last five games.

Not only is this a rivalry game, but the stakes are huge because the winner becomes bowl eligible while the season is finished for the loser. That should provide for maximum intensity.

This is the lowest total on a Virginia game all season. It's justified. The Cavaliers' attack has regressed. Virginia is averaging 14.7 points in its last four games.

Virginia Tech has quarterback issues. Because of injuries to Kyron Drones and backup Collin Schlee, the Hokies could be forced to start third-string freshman Pop Watson. That would mark Watson's first college start. He was not accurate passing when forced into action in last week's road loss to Duke.

The Hokies' best weapon could be Peter Moore, who is one the best punters in the country.

Arkansas State is a bad defensive team. UL-Monroe, however, is heavily ground-oriented and  plays at the second-slowest pace in the nation.

The Warhawks rank fourth-from-the-bottom in passing. If you discount a 38-point performance against a horrendous 1-9 Southern Mississippi team, Monroe is averaging 15.4 points in its last seven games.

Arkansas State has scored fewer than 20 points in five of its last eight games. Monroe ranks 23rd in pass defense.

Heavy wind, slow tempo and bad offenses all put me on the Under.

The forecast is for a chance of rain with winds gusting in the 16-22 mph range.

Both teams rank in the bottom 25 in terms of pace. Michigan State plays especially slow.

Neither team has explosive playmakers. Purdue is averaging a puny 7.5 points in its last four games. Michigan State has been held under 20 points in six of its last seven games.

The total has been bet down in this important SEC matchup and for good reason. The defenses are better than the offenses.

Tennessee gives up the fifth-fewest yards and points per game in the nation. The Volunteers' front seven is in the argument for best in the country.

Georgia's ground game is down from past seasons and QB Carson Beck has noticeably regressed. Beck has been picked off nine times in the last four games and has 12 interceptions on the season.

The Bulldogs give up 18.4 points a game, which ranks 17th in the country. Georgia also is 13th in defensive total yards.

Tennessee QB Nico Iamaleava has been inconsistent and is not 100 percent healthy. Iamaleava has surpassed 200 yards passing in just three of nine games. The Volunteers' offensive line commits a lot of penalties and is not good in pass protection.

So this figures to be a conservative game with each team relying on their defense to pull it out.

After playing Kentucky and Alabama, Tennessee steps way down in class taking on Mississippi State. There isn't a worst defense in the SEC.

How bad are the Bulldogs' defensively? They are giving up 42.6 points in five SEC games. They rank 129th out of 134 teams in yards allowed and they are the second-worst in the country in stop rate, a metric that is the percentage of defensive drives ending in a put, turnover, or turnover on downs.

Tennessee QB Nico Iamaleava is coming off a strong game against Kentucky completing 28 of 38 throws for 292 yards and a touchdown. The Volunteers rank 12th in scoring averaging 38.1 points a game. Iamaleava should have plenty of time to scan the field since the Bulldogs have only two sacks in their five SEC matchups.

Mississippi State should contribute its share to this total going Over. The Bulldogs are averaging nearly 400 yards in SEC play while converting their third downs at close to a 40 percent rate. Michael Van Buren Jr. will be making his sixth consecutive start since replacing injured Blake Shapen in mid-September.

The Bulldogs are averaging 31.2 points in their last four games. They put up 31 points on Georgia.

This total is too short considering how fast these teams play and their current form.

East Carolina's last three games have averaged a total of 80.6 points being scored. 

Florida Atlantic has had at least 58 combined points scored during its last five games vs. FBS opponents. Florida Atlantic just surrendered 44 points to South Florida, who was playing without its starting QB. The Owls gave up 526 yards, including 320 rushing yards, in that loss to the Owls.

East Carolina yielded 34 points and 405 yards to Temple in its last game while scoring 54 points. Temple is a bottom tier offense averaging fewer than 21 points a game, while ranking 119th in total yards.

Memphis QB Seth Henigan holds the school record for touchdown passes with 91. Henigan should face little difficulty adding to that total against a Texas San-Antonio secondary that ranks 125th in pass defense.

The Roadrunners are coming off a 46-45 road loss to Tulsa. Making that defeat so bad for UTSA is it blew a 35-7 halftime lead!

Memphis is surrendering an average of 36 points during its past two games playing UNC Charlotte and North Texas.

Neither defense can be trusted. This game also is on a fast track being played indoors at the Alamodome.

These are two of the weaker defenses in the ACC. Stanford gives up 31.5 points a game, which ranks 108th in scoring defense. North Carolina State allows 31.1 points per game, which is 105th.

Both Stanford and Clemson have enough playmakers to take advantage of these below par defenses. Cardinal wide receiver Elic Anyomanor is one of the most talented pass catchers in the country. Stanford QB Ashton Daniels is a dual threat, who has completed 62.2 percent of his passes and leads the team in rushing.

Wolfpack QB CJ Bailey is getting better each week since replacing injured Grayson McCall. Bailey has thrown for more than 300 yards each of the last two games and has a 4-to-1 touchdown-to-interception ratio. Stanford ranks 123rd in pass defense.

Navy has gone Over in all five of its games this season. No surprise since the Midshipmen have scored at least 34 points in every one of their games. The Midshipmen rank No. 2 in the nation in rushing offense and 16th in total offense.

Charlotte ranks 119th in yards allowed per game. The 49ers give up 31.7 points a game, which ranks 111th.

The 49ers' offense is off their best game producing 55 points against East Carolina two weeks ago. The 49ers had their bye this week so they should have a few new wrinkles to throw at Navy.

Sure this is a very high total. But it's totally justified. The two teams played last season and Texas State won, 77-31. The Bobcats ran up the score, too, in that one. So neither of these teams is going to let up no matter what the score is. 

Texas State is all about scoring under offensive mastermind G.J. Kinne. The Bobcats are averaging 37.6 points a game. The Over has cashed in four of their five games.

Arkansas State has a porous defense ranking 120th in total defense. The Red Wolves, though, have a big-time wide receiver in Corey Rucker. They can do their part to get this total Over against a pedestrian Texas State defense. 

James Madison was upset, 21-19, by UL Monroe in its last game as a 17-point road favorite. I believe the Dukes, though, are much more like the powerhouse they were during the previous two games when they scored 63 points on Ball State and 70 points against North Carolina.

Alonza Barnett is an outstanding dual threat QB. Coastal Carolina is a sloppy tackling team that ranks 116th in rum defense and 98th in scoring defense and total defense. This was against weak competition, too.  

The Dukes are going to get their points. The key is can Coastal Carolina do its share of scoring? I believe the Chanticleers can. James Madison has faced four weak offenses in its five games. North Carolina put up 50 points against the Dukes.

Coastal Carolina has put up at least 40 points in three of its five games. The Chanticleers just put up 45 points against a respectable Old Dominion defense last week.

Eastern Michigan plays at a slow pace and ranks 103rd in yardage. The Eagles are far from explosive.

Don't expect any explosion from Kent State either. The Golden Flashes rank last in yards and second-to-last in points averaging 10.3.

Kent State is down to third-string QB Tommy Ulatowski because of injuries. Because of this the Golden Flashes are going to have to rely on an ineffective ground attack that averages a puny 1.67 yards on the ground. They won't be playing fast either.

There is little doubt about Toledo's offense. The Rockets have produced 49 points against Duquesne, 38 points vs. UMass and then 41 points and 454 yards against Mississippi State last week. Doing that against an SEC opponent on the road is impressive. 

Rockets QB Tucker Gleason has thrown for 662 yards and has a 9-to-0 touchdown-to-interception ratio this season. 

But some have doubts about Western Kentucky's quarterback situation after TJ Finley suffered a leg injury. He'll be out for this game. Sophomore Caden Veltkamp will replace him.

I'm not one of those who have doubts that the Hilltoppers will put up a lot of points with the quarterback change. They have a quarterback-friendly system that has produced an average of 40 points in their last two games against Eastern Kentucky and Middle Tennessee. A shutout loss to Alabama opening week skews Western Kentucky's overall offensive numbers.

Veltkamp has a career mark of throwing for 821 yards with a 10-to-1 touchdown-to-interception ratio. 

Both teams play at a fast tempo, too. 

Toledo averaged 35 points last season and 33 points two years ago. The Rockets are averaging 43.5 points in two games this season. They have a balanced attack. Mississippi State ranks 121st in run defense. So the Rockets are going to get their share of points. 

Mississippi State is averaging 42.5 points a game through two games. The Bulldogs have committed just one turnover. They are facing a Rockets defense that ranks 73rd in defensive total yards despite playing easy opponents, Duquesne and UMass. 

Blake Shapen is an underrated quarterback and the Bulldogs have surrounded him with good receiving targets. 

Another key is tempo. Both of these teams rank in the top 20 in terms of pace. 

North Carolina State needed to upgrade at quarterback. The Wolfpack certainly did that landing transfer Grayson McCall, who has more than 10,000 passing yards and 109 all-purpose touchdowns. The Wolfpack put up 38 points against Western Carolina in their opener last week. 

Tennessee has its own emerging star quarterback in Nico Iamaleava. He helped lead the Volunteers to a 35-0 whipping of Iowa in a bowl game last season and he was sharp in Tennessee's, 69-3, shellacking of Tennessee-Chattanooga last week with three TD passes and 314 yards passing before sitting out. The Volunteers played at an exceptionally fast tempo in that game. 

So look for a shootout here with two outstanding passing attacks, playing at an up-tempo pace. 

Michigan State's offense is terrible. The Spartans are averaging 11.9 points in their last 11 games. New QB Aidan Chiles wasn't impressive, nor was the Spartans' offense, in last week's opening win, 16-10, at home against Florida Atlantic. The Spartans couldn't reach 300 yards against Florida Atlantic.

Maryland was much more impressive in a 50-7 opening-week victory against overmatched Connecticut. The Terrapins, though, are breaking in new QB Billy Edwards Jr. after four years of having Taulia Tagovailoa behind center. Edwards is going to have it much rougher stepping up against Michigan State's defense, which is way ahead of its offense.

I see Maryland turning in a good defensive performance, too, as the Terrapins have improved the past couple of years defensively and are facing an extremely weak offense.

SMU ranked eighth in scoring and 16th in total offense last year. After a slow three quarters in their opener against Nevada, the Mustangs' offense has gotten back on track producing 76 points in their last five quarters.

The Mustangs have a star quarterback in Preston Stone and plenty of speedy skill position weapons for Stone to utilize. BYU's defense was way down last season. The Cougars gave up an average of 37.5 points in six road games last season. I don't see the Cougars holding SMU below 35 points.

The key question then becomes how much can BYU score to push this total Over?

I believe the Cougars' offense can produce their share of points and not just because SMU is rebuilding its defensive line and secondary.

BYU QB Jake Retzlaff displayed a big arm in passing for 348 yards and three touchdowns in a 41-13 victory against Southern Illinois last week.

Texas A&M has made seven quarterback changes during the past two seasons. The Aggies still have an unsettled offensive line and are not scary at the skill position spots.

Notre Dame's defense should be able to handle the Aggies. The Irish ranked in the top 10 defensively in many important categories, including fifth in yards allowed and seventh in scoring defense.

Defense is the strength of Texas A&M especially in the defensive line where Purdue transfer Nic Scourton comes on board after leading the Big Ten in sacks last year. Notre Dame lacks experience in the offensive line where three starters departed, including star tackle Joe Alt.

The Irish are breaking in skill position players, too, including QB Riley Leonard. Texas A&M's first year head coach Mike Elko is familiar with Leonard since he coached him at Duke last year.

Texas-San Antonio's defense improved starting in Week 4. The Roadrunners held their last seven opponents to an average of 21.4 points. Marshall's offense is very unimposing. The Thundering Herd ranked 93rd in scoring and 89th in total yards.

And that was with their regular QB, Cam Fancher. Now Marshall won't have Fancher, who entered the transfer portal. Next man up for Marshall is Cole Pennington. He's a redshirt freshman and the son of Chad Pennington, the former Jets quarterback. Pennington saw action in three games. He threw six interceptions and had no TD passes.

UTSA's offense was decent, but not as good as some expected. The Roadrunners could manage only 16 points against Tulane in their last game.

I don't see many points being scored in this LA Bowl matchup of UCLA vs Boise State. UCLA has one of the best defenses in the country despite playing in the pass-happy Pac-12, which had the best quarterbacks of any conference.

The Bruins rank 15th in scoring defense giving up 18.1 points. They also ranked third in the nation in run defense and 11th in total defense.

Boise State QB Taylen Green was named the Mountain West Conference Freshman of the Year. Unfortunately for the Broncos, Green transferred to Arkansas following the end of the regular season. So true freshman CJ Tiller will start against the Bruins. Tiller has yet to throw his first college pass. The Broncos also lose Green's rushing threat. He was second on the team in rushing touchdowns with nine. Tiller faces a UCLA pass rush that had the sixth-most sacks in the country with 41.

The Broncos peaked defensively down the stretch holding their last four foes - New Mexico, Utah State, Air Force and UNLV - to an average of 15.7 points.

UCLA has quarterback problems. The Bruins' highly-touted freshman QB, Dante Moore, entered the transfer portal. That leaves Ethan Garbers and Collin Schlee. Both are banged-up and neither has been overly effective. The Bruins could manage just a combined 24 points against California, Arizona and Arizona State during three of the last four games.

The skill position players on these two teams get the publicity, but the defenses are very good.

Louisville ranks 19th in total defense. The Cardinals catch a major break with Florida State QB Jordan Travis out. The Seminoles could only manage 24 points against Florida last week minus Travis. The Gators had surrendered an average of 41.2 points during their last five games before holding Florida State to 24 points.

Backup Seminoles QB Tate Rodemaker completed fewer than half of his passes for only 134 yards and no touchdowns against the Gators. FSU stud wide receivers Keon Coleman and Johnny Wilson are far less effective without Travis throwing to them. Florida State is more run-oriented now with Rodemaker under center. Louisville has the 12th stingiest run defense in the nation.  

Florida State has held its last eight opponents to 20 points or fewer. The Seminoles have faced better quarterbacks than Louisville's Jack Plummer.

Note, too, that the game is being played in Charlotte where the weather forecast is for an 80 percent chance of rain. That should ensure more running plays.

There were 69 points scored when the teams met earlier in the season with Washington winning, 36-33, at home. I don't see nearly that many points being scored in this rematch. Not only do the teams know each other much better now, but Huskies QB Michael Penix Jr. isn't playing nearly as well. Penix had a 20-to-3 touchdown-to-interception ratio during the first six games this season. However, in his last six games Penix has a 12-to-5 touchdown-to-interception ratio.

Oregon's defense has picked up the pace, too, holding Arizona State to 13 points and Oregon State to seven points during its last two games. The Ducks have held their last five opponents to an average of 14.4 points. These were quality opponents, too - Utah, California, USC, Arizona State and Oregon State.

Washington has looked better, too, defensively. The Huskies are giving up an average of 23 points in their last three games facing Utah, Oregon State and Washington State.

Maryland has a Tagovailoa as its quarterback. Unfortunately for the Terrapins that quarterback is Taulia Tagovailoa and not his brother, Tua. The Terrapins' offense has tailed off badly in their last six games dealing with Big Ten opponents. 

Maryland is averaging 20 points during its past half dozen games. Rutgers ranks 11th in the nation in fewest yards allowed. The Scarlet Knights give up 19.1 points a game.

Think defense here - typical of the Big Ten - because I'm not overly fond of Rutgers quarterback, Gavin Wimsatt, either. He hasn't thrown for 200 yards in a game all season. Rutgers is averaging 7.3 points in its last three games. The Scarlet Knights also play extremely slow, ranking in the bottom-10 in tempo. 

Maryland shut out Rutgers in last season's game. 

Woody Hayes would be proud. Ohio State ranks No. 2 in the nation in fewest points allowed at 9.9 per game.

Minnesota is a ground-oriented team. The Gophers rank 125th passing. So they'll be staying on the ground.

The key to making this Under work is how many points will Ohio State produce?

The Gophers have a slightly above average defense. Ohio State has Michigan in its game of the year up next. So the Buckeyes won't want to show much. Just dominate early and get out. That was exactly what they did against Michigan State last week.

Ohio State went up 35-3 against the Spartans. The Buckeyes then took their foot off the gas pedal winning, 38-3.

Not only have these two run-oriented teams improved defensively, but they also have greatly slowed down their pace. 

North Carolina State has gone Under in seven of its last eight games. The Wolfpack have held their last three opponents - Wake Forest, Miami and Clemson - to a combined average of 9.6 points. The Wolfpack rank 20th in fewest yards allowed per game and are fourth in the nation in takeaways. 

Virginia Tech ranks 22nd in fewest yards allowed. The Hokies held Syracuse to 10 points and Wake Forest to 13 points during two of their past four games. North Carolina State is averaging 18.2 points in its last four games. 

Both teams rate among the top-10 in slowest tempo during their last three games.  

There hasn't been more than 41 combined points scored during North Carolina State's last four games. The average combined score during their Wolfpack's last four games is 31.5 points. Virginia Tech has been held to 17 or fewer points five times this season.

This is a get well game for Washington State's sagging offense. California has surrendered at least 50 points in four games this season. I like Cam Ward to have a strong game for the Cougars against Cal's 127th-ranked secondary.

California should have success passing, too. Washington State ranks 118th in pass defense and 88th in run defense. That should mean a strong game for Jaydn Ott, one of the best running backs in the country.

These teams play at a fast pace, too.

This is too high of a total given that Nevada might be lucky to put up two touchdowns even against a bad Utah State defense. The Wolf Pack have scored 14 or fewer points in five of their nine games. Their QB choice is either ineffective Brendon Lewis untested, raw redshirt freshman, A.J. Bianco. 

Nevada's offensive line has allowed 74 tackles for a loss, fourth-highest in the country. Utah State ranks No. 2 in the Mountain West Conference in tackles behind the line of scrimmage. 

The Aggies are just an average rushing team, but they rank 26th in passing yards. Nevada's defense has shown improvement holding their last three opponents to an average of 17 points. Utah State is turnover prone. The Aggies have thrown 13 interceptions. Only four teams have been picked off more times. 

This total is too high given UCLA's outstanding defense. The Bruins have held foes to an average of 14.9 points a game. They rate No. 2 in run defense and 12th in total defense.

The Bruins could have the best pass rush of any team, too, and Colorado has yielded 35 sacks. Laiatu Latu may be the premier pass rusher in the nation. He has 17 career sacks for the Bruins in 1 1/2 seasons. 

The total is so high because Colorado averages 34.4 points and has a terrible defense. That defense, though, has shown improvement versus the run and is better in the secondary when Travis Hunter plays. He's as good on defense as he is on offense, which is saying a lot.  

UCLA, though, isn't going to take a lot of chances with its quarterbacks. Freshman Dante Moore has been limited in practice due to an injury and Ethan Garbers isn't a gunslinger. Garbers is expected to get the start, which likely means a more conservative game plan from Chip Kelly. 

There's a stand-alone college football game on Friday. That makes this dull American Athletic Conference matchup between Charlotte and Florida Atlantic significant. The marketplace has been active, betting the total up.

It's the wrong move.

Two bad offenses against two mediocre defenses spell Under here especially given the style of play Charlotte employs.

The 49ers are averaging 8.2 points in their last four games. They are the second-lowest scoring team in the nation averaging 14.6 points per game on the season. Their offense has produced 11 TD's in seven games.

Charlotte's QB's have a 4-to-8 touchdown-to-interception ratio. That's why the 49ers run the ball more than 60 percent of the time even though they rank 87th in rushing. They play slow, too, ranking in the bottom-10 in tempo.

Florida Atlantic's defense is nothing special. But neither have been the other defenses the 49ers have struggled against.

The 49ers are better on defense. Florida Atlantic is on its second QB after losing Casey Thompson to injury. Daniel Richardson has thrown more interceptions than TD passes. The Owls rank 103rd in rushing yards and 95th in total yards.

If you discount a 56-point explosion against South Florida and its bottom-10 defense, the Owls would be averaging 14.2 points in their last five games.

Kansas State has a top-25 offense in yards and scoring, averaging 35.8 points. Texas Tech averages 34.2 points and has a stud running back, Tahj Brooks. He's the fifth-leading rusher in the nation.

But what makes going Over this total enticing are the weak pass defenses. Kansas State ranks 107th in pass defense. The Wildcats have a cluster injury problem in their secondary, too.

Texas Tech QB Behren Morton is getting better each week since replacing injured Tyler Shough. He had his highest ranked game this past week.

The Red Raiders rank 95th in pass defense. Kansas State senior QB Will Howard, well praised before the season, is due to perform better. This is his opportunity.

Tulane and Memphis certainly are capable of big-scoring games. But I don't see it happening in this matchup.

The Green Wave's Michael Pratt is one of the better QB's in the country. But Tulane has been plagued by turnovers and poor red zone production. Memphis has one of the better defenses in the American Athletic Conference.

So does Tulane. The Green Wave have held their past three opponents to an average of 11 points. One of these foes was Trent Dilfer's UAB, which just scored 56 points against South Florida last Saturday.

The Green Wave rank 10th in run defense, which is bad news for Memphis running back Blake Watson. The Tigers do lead the AAC in time of possession. So I believe they will stay committed to a ground attack in order to keep the ball away from Pratt. Plus Memphis QB Seth Henigan has been hurt by interceptions. He's been picked off five times on 175 throws.

South Florida's Byrun Brown is one of the nation's more underrated dual threat quarterbacks. The Bulls are really starting to click under new coach Alex Golesh with Brown operating the offense at the fifth-fastest pace in the country.

The Bulls scored 42 points against Rice and 44 versus Navy in their last two games. UAB plays no defense under its new coach, former NFL QB Trent Dilfer. The Blazers are giving up an average of 43.5 points in their last four games. They rank 120th in total defense. This is a defense worse than what South Florida has encountered the past two weeks when it averaged 43 points.

Dilfer, though, has made the Blazers a downfield passing threat. The Blazers have the nation's No. 22 passing offense. Pass defense is South Florida's weakness. The Bulls rank 122nd in pass defense. They have only three takeaways.

Like South Florida, UAB plays at an extremely fast tempo. So don't be deterred going Over such a high total.

I'm expecting a stronger defensive battle here than the oddsmaker perceives.

First-year Purdue coach Ryan Walters was the defensive coordinator at Illinois before getting the Boilermakers job. He knows the Illini well. Illinois is averaging just 22.3 points, which ranks 99th.

I was expecting more from Purdue QB Hudson Card, a transfer from Texas. The Boilermakers' offense has yet to fully click.

Another key to making an Under work here is misleading defensive statistics. The numbers are skewed because both teams have faced three strong offenses, especially Illinois. The Illini have gone against Toledo, Kansas and Penn State.

Purdue has faced Fresno State, Syracuse and Wisconsin.

I'm getting involved in this total now that the marketplace has shaved off a couple of points. We have two really bad defensive teams here.

Virginia is the worst defensive team in the ACC. The Cavaliers rank 127th in scoring defense allowing 37.8 points a game and are 113th in defensive total yards.

Eagles QB Thomas Castellanos is in line for a big performance. He's passed for 909 yards and eight TD's while also leading the Eagles in rushing with 280 yards. Helping the Over is BC playing at a top-15 tempo.

Virginia should put up its share of points no matter who the quarterback is, either strong-armed gunslinger Anthony Colandrea or Tony Muskett, who started the first game but suffered a shoulder injury. The Cavaliers have one of the better receivers in the conference in Malik Washington. He's had three straight 100-yard receiving games.

Florida coach Billy Napier did a wise thing. He brought in defensive guru Austin Armstrong from Southern Mississippi. The Gators are giving up just 13.5 points a game with Armstrong as their defensive coordinator.

I don't like Kentucky's skill position talent as much as last season. The Wildcats could get exposed offensively here having played weak opponents Ball State, Eastern Kentucky, Akron and Vanderbilt. The Gators should be able to get numerous sacks on Devin Leary, who has been picked off five times.

Kentucky does have a solid defense, though, ranking in the top 20 in total defense and 10th in run defense. I'm not a fan of Florida QB Graham Mertz, who was a huge disappointment at Wisconsin before transferring to Florida.

Both teams play at a very slow tempo ranking in the bottom-18 in pace.

Marvin Harrison Jr. is the best wide receiver in college football. Sam Hartman is in the Heisman Trophy discussion especially if Notre Dame wins this game. Early marketplace activity has been on the Over knowing these two skill position superstars are playing.

I see it differently.

I look at how strong these two defenses are and find this total to be too high. Ohio State is giving up an average of 6.6 points in its three games. The Buckeyes just held Western Kentucky's Austin Reed to 207 passing yards and one TD. Reed is the FBS active career leader in passing yards. Reed isn't Hartman, but he's still darn good.

Notre Dame ranks ninth in the country in fewest points allowed. Only 15 teams give up fewer yards per game than Notre Dame.

I have questions about Ohio State's offense at this stage of the season. The Buckeyes' offensive line hasn't looked that good. Neither has their ground attack. QB Kyle McCord is unproven against this caliber of opponent. If McCord was that good, he would have been named the starting QB going into the season rather than three games into the year.

Duke showed how strong it is defensively holding Clemson to seven points. Connecticut doesn't have the weapons to seriously challenge the Blue Devils defense. The Huskies, who are on their second quarterback, average only 15 points and 314 yards. Duke has the No. 5 run defense in the country. Connecticut allowed nine tackles for losses during their 24-17 loss to FIU last week.

The Blue Devils are more of a grind-out team rather than explosive. This is their first road game. They have Notre Dame on deck. So the Blue Devils aren't likely to show this weak opponent any wrinkles in their playbook saving any trick plays for Notre Dame.

Duke is going to be ground-oriented and doing it at a slow pace.

Weather could factor, too, in limiting the score. Rain and heavy winds are in the forecast.

At first glance this total may look right given how well Miami QB Tyler Van Dyke is playing and the threat Temple poses through the air thanks to E.J. Warner, son of Hall of Fame QB Kurt Warner.

But look at the weather forecast. It's grim to say the least: 90 percent chance of rain and heavy wind in the 20-to-30 mph range.

The 20th-ranked Hurricanes aren't thrilled to be traveling to Philadelphia for their first road game. Miami isn't going to show much against this lowly opponent. The Hurricanes play slow - only six teams go at a slower tempo - and will just want to get this game to finish fast. Temple has been good against the pass ranking 23rd in pass defense.

Miami ranks in the top-20 in fewest yards allowed per game. Temple only averages 24 points a game and that's going against weak competition in Akron, Rutgers and FCS Norfolk State. Warner is off to a slow start and the Owls rank 87th in rushing.

Wisconsin is more balanced on offense, but weaker on defense. Purdue is weak defensively. So look for a higher total than what the oddsmaker has projected.

The Boilermakers are surrendering 30.3 points a game and rank 108th in total defense.

SMU transfer Tanner Mordecai is Wisconsin's best QB since Russell Wilson. One thing that hasn't changed about the Badgers is having a star running back. That's Braelon Allen. But he's not even the Badgers' leading rusher. Chez Mellusi is. He and Allen are averaging a combined 174 yards rushing a game. They each have four TD's.

Purdue hasn't faced this good of an offense having played Fresno State, Virginia Tech and Syracuse.

The Boilermakers aren't going to get many stops. But the Badgers are going to encounter their own defense struggles trying to contain QB Hudson Card as their secondary is way down from past seasons. Wisconsin ranks 115th in pass defense.

Georgia Southern QB Davis Brin threw for 383 yards against Wisconsin last week. Card is better than Brin.

Both teams play at a faster than average tempo, too.

I'm expecting a quarterback shootout between Chevan Cordeiro, perhaps the top quarterback in the Mountain West Conference, and Toledo stud DeQuan Finn. Both quarterbacks are mobile and have good receiving weapons particularly Finn, who has an excellent trio of Jerijuan Newton, CC Ezirim and Junior Vandeross.

San Jose State has played two Division I schools - Pac-12 foes USC and Oregon State. The Spartans couldn't stop either team on the ground or through the air. The result was giving up 56 points to USC and 42 to the Beavers.

Toledo just put up 71 points on Texas Southern in its last game. The Rockets' other game was a 30-28 road loss to Illinois.

Never mind the quarterbacks. It's the strong rushing attacks, California's weak defense and fast pace from both teams that will get this game to go Over.

Auburn rushed for 289 yards and six TD's in a 59-14 win against UMass last week. Sure UMass isn't very good. But the Tigers looked great running the ball behind an upgraded offensive line. Cal has a weak defensive line, not good at stopping the run nor pressuring the quarterback.

The Golden Bears rushed for 357 and six TD's in their 58-21 opening week road victory against North Texas. That total went Over by 26 points. Jaydn Ott gives Cal one of the best running backs on the West Coast.

Cal's high-scoring wasn't a fluke. The Bears brought in Jake Spavital to be their new offensive coordinator. His style is to play fast. Auburn gave up five yards per rush attempt to UMASS, which was its average last season. So Cal and Ott should find success on the ground again.

The Tigers play up-tempo, too, under their first-year head coach Hugh Freeze, who has an outstanding reputation for building high-octane offenses.

Neither team was sharp in their openers last week.

Arizona State managed only three points during the second half in its 24-21 win against FCS foe Southern Utah. The Sun Devils were 34 1/2-point favorites.

The Sun Devils are going with a true freshman at quarterback, Jaden Rashada. His task and learning curve are going to be far more difficult this week. ASU's offensive line is a weakness after losing key linemen in the transfer portal and a projected starter going down with an injury. Oklahoma State has a big and physical defensive front seven. The Cowboys had five sacks in their opener.

The Cowboys were not impressive, either, in their 27-13 win against Central Arkansas last week. Oklahoma State coach Mike Gundy is using a three-player committee at quarterback. That's not a good sign.

The teams met at Oklahoma City last year and the Cowboys won, 34-17. Arizona State is better on defense this season.

I'm not impressed with either team's quarterback situation. I do respect both team's defenses, though. Tempo is important, too. Each team plays slow. So I find this total too high.

Middle Tennessee State has four starters back on a defense that ranked fourth-best in the red zone. Missouri still hasn't fully settled on a quarterback between Brady Cook and Sam Horn. They have one of the weakest quarterback situations in the SEC.

Missouri has a strong defensive front. I don't see the Blue Raiders, which lost a lot of offense from last year, being able to run successfully on the Tigers, nor is QB Nicholas Vattiato going to hurt them through the air.

The Blue Raiders were held to just seven points and 3.5 yards per play by Alabama in their opener. Now they face another tough SEC defense.

They don't get the publicity of quarterbacks like Caleb Williams and Drake Maye, but Oregon State's D.J. Uiagalelei and San Jose State's Chevan Cordeiro are two of the better QB's in the country.

Cordeiro could be the best QB in the Mountain West. Uiagalelei couldn't live up to his potential at Clemson as the replacement for Trevor Lawrence, but figures to get coached up at Oregon State under head coach Jonathan Smith and offensive coordinator Brian Lindgren.

Uiagalelei can rely upon an excellent offensive line and two good running backs, Damien Martinez and Deshaun Fenwick. San Jose State is down on defense from last season. The Spartans surrendered 56 points to USC last week.

San Jose State covered against the Trojans, though, by scoring 28 points. The Spartans averaged six yards per play. Cordeiro threw for three TD's. Just as important, the Spartans played at a fast pace.

Oregon State, like San Jose State, looks to be down defensively from last year.