Florida State at Oklahoma
Saturday, 9/11/10, 3:30 PM EDT, TV: ABC
Opening Point Spread: Oklahoma -10
Current Betting Line: Oklahoma -7
Opening Total: 56
Current Total: 58
Current Moneyline: Oklahoma -290/Florida State +240
Odds taken from Bookmaker online sportsbook, get updated odds on our college football betting lines page for all games.
Florida State returns to Oklahoma for the first time in 35 years for a nationally-televised game of ranked teams. First-year head coach Jimbo Fisher is seeking his first win against a nationally-ranked opponent, but the Seminoles trail the all-time series 1-4 versus the Sooners. Four of those meetings have come in the Orange Bowl, including the last three, with the team dropping a 13-2 contest in the 2001 Orange Bowl. The squad will be looking to secure its third road victory against a Top 10 opponent in its last four attempts. During the 2009-10 season, Florida State captured a dominating 54-28 win over BYU in Provo, Utah, snapping the Cougars’ 18-game home winning streak. The Seminoles are an even 5-5 ATS on the road the last two years and the total is 7-3 O/U in those contests.
The Seminoles moved up three spots in the polls thanks to a dominating 59-6 victory over Samford on September 4th in Talahassee. Quarterback Christian Ponder played his first game since suffering a season-ending shoulder injury last November, completing 12 of 14 passes for 167 yards and four touchdowns. He will look to take advantage of an inexperienced Oklahoma secondary in just the second game of the season. “He’s mature enough to handle that situation,” said Fisher of Ponder. Florida State played 13 true freshman against the Bulldogs in the opening week, the second-most among FBS schools. The team is 2-1 ATS as an underdog of 3.5 to 10 points over the last two seasons and 7-7 ATS in this spot since 1992.
Oklahoma defeated Utah State, 31-24, in Normal last Saturday night, nearly blowing an early 21-0 lead. Running back DeMarco Murray was the star, rushing 35 times for 218 yards and two touchdowns. The carries and yards were career highs. He was joined offensively by wide receiver Ryan Broyles, who had 142 yards receiving with two scores as well. “We need to get more people contributing, but those are definitely two games that we definitely need to feature as much as we can every game,” offensive coordinator Kevin Wilson said. The Sooners are 7-4 ATS at home the past three seasons and the total is 6-5 O/U in those contests.
The Sooners lack of confidence from last week’s showing will be quickly left behind, as the team has a nation-leading 31-game home winning streak. Over that span, the squad has outscored its opponents by nearly a 1,000-point margin (1,393-464), an average score of 45.4 to 14.9. Head coach Bob Stoops will have the unfortunate pleasure of taking on his brother, Mark Stoops, who serves as the defensive coordinator at Florida State. Stoops has compiled an impressive 41-12 non-conference record, including a 28-1 mark in Norman. Oklahoma is 14-10 ATS as a favorite over the last three years and 76-87 ATS since 1992.
Bettors will find that the Seminoles don’t bounce back well off a SU win, producing an 8-22-1 ATS mark in their last 31 games. Oklahoma also disappoints with a 0-5-1 ATS record in its last six games following a SU win. The best play was florida state +10, but that number is long gone, at this point the game looks lined right and we would pass. If you wanted more advice for on the saturday games, check out the free college football picks page offering our emailed free selections.
