Written by Webmaster | Friday, 02 January 2009
When No. 3 Texas (11-1 SU, 9-3 ATS) plays No. 10 Ohio State (10-2 SU, 5-6 ATS) in the Fiesta Bowl and many online sports betting fanatics believe the Longhorns will be playing with a chip on its shoulder after being snubbed from the BCS national championship game.
No. 3 Texas vs. No. 10 Ohio St.
Buckeyes' Terrell Pryor will make some good plays on the ground and in the passing game, and we all know Texas' gunslinger Colt McCoy will be firing bullets, making for what could be the most exciting BCS bowl game of them all.
Texas has something to prove in the teams' third meeting in four seasons. College football betting enthusiasts watched the Longhorns win in Columbus 25-22, on their way to winning the 2005 national championship. The Buckeyes won in Austin 24-7, on their way to the championship game a season later.
Ohio State lost each of their toughest games this season when they were defeated by USC and Penn State, but freshman quarterback Pryor brings an added dimension to the field and seems to be getting better each game. Of course, it helps having a running back in Chris “Beanie” Wells in the same backfield.
Pryor completed 62.2 percent of his passes for 1,158 yards and threw 12 TDs and four interceptions in nine games as starter. He also rushed 99 times for 424 yards and five scores during that span, finishing as the second-leading rusher (553) on the team behind Wells (1,091). An early season injury cost Wells the opportunity to possibly win the Heisman Trophy, but otherwise he's been dominant this season. His combination of speed and power makes him one of the best backs in the nation.
—Buckeyes are 4-1 ATS in their last 5 vs. Big 12.
—Buckeyes are 23-8 ATS in their last 31 games on grass.
—Buckeyes are 0-4 ATS in their last 4 non-conference games.
—Buckeyes are 1-4 ATS in their last 5 Monday games.
—Buckeyes are 4-1 ATS in their last 5 games overall.
For Texas, everything revolves around quarterback McCoy, who has been nothing short of phenomenal this season. McCoy just finished one of the best regular seasons in Texas history, setting school records with 3,445 yards and 32 TDs to go along with an NCAA-record 77.6 percent completion rate. He excels at getting the ball out of his hands quickly and accurately, and allowing his receivers to make plays after the catch. And when his receivers are blanketed, McCoy is equally effective with his legs as evidence by his team-leading 576 rushing yards and 10 rushing touchdowns. The Longhorns were 11th in the nation with 299.5 yards in the air.
However, McCoy and the Longhorns haven’t faced a defense as good as Ohio State’s this season, who limited opponents to the sixth-fewest passing yards per game (164.3). The Buckeyes are experienced and physical on this side of the ball and allowed 13.1 points per game. They were eighth in total defense, allowing 279.3 yards per game, while the Longhorns ranked 50th (339.9) and gave up 18.6 points per game.
—Longhorns are 1-4 ATS in their last 5 vs. Big Ten.
—Longhorns are 6-1 ATS in their last 7 neutral site games.
—Longhorns are 6-0 ATS in their last 6 non-conference games.
—Longhorns are 7-2 ATS vs. a team with a winning record.
—Longhorns are 10-3 ATS in their last 13 games overall.
BetPhoenix NCAA football odds list Texas the 8½-point favorites with a game total of 53. And, don't forget to checkout all the props wagers. If you bet on NCAA football, this is one you don't want to miss as the bowling season winds down.
—Longhorns are 9-3 ATS in their last 12 games as a favorite.
—Longhorns are 4-10 ATS in their last 14 games as a favorite of 3.5-10.0.
—Longhorns are 2-6 ATS in their last 8 bowl games as a favorite.
—Longhorns are 0-5 ATS in their last 5 bowl games as a favorite of 3.5-10.0.
Fiesta Bowl Fact: The Fiesta Bowl, now sponsored by Tostitos tortilla chips, is a United States college football bowl game played annually since 1971. Originally, the game was hosted in Tempe, Arizona at Sun Devil Stadium where it remained until 2006. University of Phoenix Stadium in Glendale, Arizona is the current venue.
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