NCAA Football: Week 2

Northwestern -6 1/2 Duke - Best number on the board. This line has been held down nicely by the fact that Duke sprung the upset last year in Chicago. But that game was a little bit fluky, and about as misleading as outcomes can be. The Wildcats outgained Duke by almost 200 yards, lost the turnover battle, and had 3 empty trips inside the Duke 10. Last week, breaking in 3 new offensive linemen, Northwestern started slow before getting their offense in a groove (and winning this blog some money). Duke played FCS James Madison, a team that doesn't even pretend they want to throw the ball (11 attempts last week), and gave up 5.1 yards per carry on the ground. Duke will have a lot of trouble with Northwestern's balanced, improving attack. Northwestern is 4-2 against the number in their last 6 against Duke and covered in their only attempt last year as a road favorite. Duke was 1-4 ATS and 0-5 straight up and home last season.

Notre Dame -21 1/2 San Diego State - Neither one of these teams were very good last year, but the Irish return pretty much everybody and add an inexplicably good recruiting class. There is pretty much no way they're not vastly improved, and they may even up being a pretty decent team. San Diego State loses a ton, including a 3000 yard QB that was also their leading rusher and accounted for over 75% of the team's total offense.

Akron +4 1/2 Syracuse - Even I underestimated how badly Greg Robinson sucks last week, so this is a team to keep betting against until they figure it out. The Orangemen were a very impressive 2-5 ATS, 1-6 SU in the friendly confines of the Carrier Dome last season, and they struggled mightily against Northwestern's defense last week. Akron's defense might be better. They were pushed around and simply out-manned against a good Wisconsin team that ran up 404 rushing yards against them last week. Syracuse doesn't provide nearly as much of a threat and will have no choice but to have Akron hang around in this one.

Leans:
Kansas -20 1/2 Louisiana Tech
Central Michigan +24 Georgia
Bowling Green -6 Minnesota
Oklahoma -21 1/2 Cincinnati

More to come....