Miami at Ohio State
Saturday, 9/11/10, 3:40 PM EDT, TV: ESPN
Opening Point Spread: Ohio State -10
Current Betting Line: Ohio State -9
Opening Total: 45
Current Total: 47
Current Moneyline: Ohio State -360/Miami +300
Point Spread Info from above taken from Bookmaker Sportsbook.
Miami is set to make its first road trip of the 2010 season when it visits Ohio State on Saturday afternoon in Columbus. The meeting will be the first since the two teams met in the National Championship game at the 2003 Fiesta Bowl. The Hurricanes earned its first shutout win since 2006 with a 45-0 victory over Florida A&M on September 2 at Sun Life Stadium. The team is currently 26-16 all-time against current Big Ten teams and is seeking to win its fourth straight games against a non-conference opponent on the road, which includes wins over Central Florida and South Florida last season. Miami is 6-2 against Top 5 teams since the 2000 season, with the lone losses coming at No. 5 Florida in 2008 and the aforementioned Fiesta Bowl. The squad is 3-0 ATS as an underdog of 3.5 to 10 points and 14-7 against the college football point spread in this situation since 1992.
The Hurricanes are led by junior quarterback Jacory Harris, who completed 12 of 15 passes for 210 yards and three touchdowns all before halftime. His top target was senior receiver Leonard Hankerson, who caught two early touchdowns and finished with 115 yards on six catches. Miami’s quick strike capability was on full display against Florida A&M, as it took the offense just 1:40 to score its first touchdown of the 2010 season. The ‘Canes totaled three scoring drives of under two minutes against FAMU. Offensively, the team posted 20 scoring drives under two minutes in 2009, which was among the best in the nation. Miami is just 0-1 ATS versus Big 10 teams over the last three years and 5-3 ATS against the conference over the past 18 years.
Ohio State picked up its 32nd consecutive home opening win, with an impressive 45-7 victory over Marshall at the Horseshoe. The 529 yards of total offense against the Thundering Herd was the most in a season opener under head coach Jim Tressel. The Buckeyes are currently ranked second nationally and are aiming for their sixth consecutive Big Ten Championship in 2010. The squad is 53-5 at Ohio Stadium since the start of the 2002 season and the team is only one of three FBS teams to record at least 10 wins in each of the past five seasons (Virginia Tech, Texas). Tressel has compiled an impressive 26-2 home record against non-conference opponents and 34-14 against teams ranked in the Top 25. Ohio State is 2-0 ATS as a favorite of 3.5 to 10 points the last three years and 29-20 ATS in their last 49 games in this situation.
The Buckeyes are led by Heisman Trophy hopeful Terrelle Pryor at the quarterback position, who tossed three touchdowns in the opener. “Every game is about maturity,” Pryor said. “It’s 12 weeks in a season. Let’s see what happens next. I’m excited to play Miami.” He has produced a 20-3 record as Ohio State’s quarterback, including an 11-2 record in 2009. The defense has always been a strength of the program, holding 53 opponents to 21 points or fewer since the start of the 2005 season. OSU has allowed 13.3 points per game since the start of the 2005 season, which is the best scoring defense among FBS teams in that span.
Bettors will be interested in knowing that the Hurricanes are 2-6 in their last eight games on field turf. Ohio States steps in on a five-game ATS run in non-conference games, but is 3-7 ATS in their last 10 games after scoring more than 40 points in their previous game. We have no real opinion on this game from a side or total perspective but we have released a handful of saturday college football picks already that figure to win once again like last Saturday’s 4-1 mark we posted.
