College Football's Must See Games - Oklahoma State at Texas A&M (Oct 10)

NCAA Football Betting

Oklahoma State Cowboys at Texas A&M Aggies
Saturday, October 10
BetUS NCAA Football Advance Betting Odds: OKLAHOMA STATE -13

Here are some of the NCAAF betting trends as they relate to this matchup:

• OSU has covered one of its last seven games
• OSU has played seven of its last 11 games UNDER the total
• OSU has covered nine of its last 12 games as a favorite
• A&M has played seven of its last ten games OVER the total
• A&M has played five of its last eight home games OVER the total
• A&M is 2-7 ATS in its last nine games as an underdog
• A&M is 1-4 ATS in its last five games as a home underdog

Also....

• A&M has won 10 of the last 13 meetings SU
• Four of the last five meetings have gone OVER the total
• A&M has won five of the last six meetings SU as the home team

Mike Sherman got a rude awakening in his first year as coach of the Aggies, as he tried to transition the program from more of a power club to a finesse team. So Jarvorskie Lane, who was the bruising fullback and a mainstay on Dennis Franchione's club, barely got a tumble for Sherman. Stephen McGee, who was drafted by the Dallas Cowboys, is gone, so Jerrod Johnson, who has tremendous size and stepped in very well (21 TD's, 10 INT's) as a sophomore when McGee was injured, picked up the baton from the outset.

Although the team’s first two opponents ( Utah State and New Mexico) were lesser lights, the results have been stunning. After the first two games of the season, Texas A&M stood first nationally in total offense, averaging 589 yards a game, and Johnson had 671 yards and six TD passes without an interception.

Ten starters returned on offense for the Aggies, and Sherman, who piloted the Green Bay Packers to playoff appearances prior to this, added some impressive recruits, not the least of whom is Christine Michael (yes, that's a young man), who might be one of the top two or three freshmen in the country at his position. He’s averaged over six yards a carry thus far. Uzoma Nwachukwu, another true frosh, caught three touchdown passes against Utah State.

Defense figures to be Sherman's albatross as the season progresses. A&M allowed 37.4 ppg last year, and they were balanced on the defensive unit, as they allowed 5.2 yards per rush and 64% pass completions. They lost five starters on defense, and it is hard to tell what kind of barometer the first two games can offer. The Aggies dropped the quarterback ten times in the first two games to place second in the nation, and Von Miller, with six sacks, led all Division I defenders with six sacks in the early going.

We know what is capable out of Oklahoma State, which is nothing if not explosive and has fallen into the pattern of pouring it on against weaker clubs, scoring more than 50 points five times (including 56 against the Aggies). At the season’s outset, it could be argued that there is not a better "trio" in college football than what the Cowboys have in quarterback Zac Robinson, running back Kendall Hunter (who had 1555 yards last year) and receiver Dez Bryant (who had 1480 yards and 19 TD's last year, and broke out with 161 yards against Rice). This season, however, Hunter has been slowed with a high ankle sprain, and the Cowboys, after an emotional win to start the season against Georgia, fell flat with a loss to Houston the next time out. The offense has not been running on all cylinders, and part of this has to be attributed to instability in the offensive line, although Hunter would be expected back the game with the Aggies.