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09/08/2010 - Huntington, WV (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - State rivals will square off in Huntington on Friday night, as the Marshall Thundering Herd welcome the 23rd-ranked West Virginia Mountaineers to town.
On opening weekend, West Virginia cruised past Coastal Carolina as expected by a 31-0 final. Members of the Big East Conference, the Mountaineers are led by Bill Stewart, now in his third season at the helm. There are 16 starters back between the offense and defense, so expectations are fairly high in Morgantown.
As for Marshall, which is a member of Conference USA, it had the unenviable task of taking on second-ranked Ohio State in Columbus to open the season last week. Put simply, the Thundering Herd were outclassed, as they fell to the Buckeyes in a 45-7 final. That lopsided defeat spoiled the debut of Doc Holliday, the new coach at Marshall.
"I told our team that I was proud of the effort that they gave," said Holliday. "I was not proud of the fact that we did not follow the plan to win."
West Virginia has won all nine previous meetings with Marshall, including double-digit victories over the Herd in each of the last four seasons.
While many starters do return for West Virginia, Geno Smith is a fresh face under center. In the opener against Coastal Carolina, Smith completed 20-of-27 passes for 216 yards with two touchdowns and one interception.
"I want Geno to know I have all the confidence in the world in him and the other 10 players out there with him," said coach Stewart. "I wanted that young man to know he's our guy, we're going with him and I wanted to showcase him right from the get go."
Noel Devine ran for 111 yards and a score for WVU, and the speedy back now has nearly 3,500 rushing yards in his brilliant collegiate career.
"People expect him to go out and run for 300 yards against these guys," said Stewart of Devine. "They spent the whole day trying to take Noel out of the game plan. That's why we threw the ball."
Jock Sanders paced the WVU receivers with eight grabs for 71 yards and a score, and the Mountaineers finished the contest with 400 total yards. They were 9-of-17 on third-down conversion attempts and held the ball for over 32 minutes.
Defensively, West Virginia stifled Coast Carolina, limiting the overmatched Chanticleers to 186 total yards on 60 offensive plays. Of the 14 third-down conversion attempts that Coastal faced in the tilt, only two of those were successful. WVU was particularly strong against the run, permitting a mere 63 yards on 33 attempts. The Mountaineers didn't record any sacks, but they did post a pair of takeaways. Terence Garvin paced WVU with seven total tackles.
"I really liked the way our defense played," said Stewart. "I am really pleased with the way our defense adjusted and reacted during the football game."
Looking forward to this weekend's game, Marshall's new head coach showed great respect for West Virginia.
"We come from playing the best team in the Big Ten Conference to now playing the best team in the Big East Conference," said Holliday. "They are the most talented Big East team out there."
Holliday's offense posted just 199 total yards and recorded 11 first downs against Ohio State, which possesses one of the best defenses in all of college football. The Thundering Herd were 4-of-14 on third-down conversion attempts and turned the ball over three times.
A major problem for Marshall was that its receivers dropped far too many passes. Both Brian Anderson and Eddie Sullivan saw time under center, and both were victimized by the drops. Anderson completed 17-of-28 passes for 135 yards and figures to be under center for much of this weekend's tilt.
Moving over to the defensive side of the ball, Marshall was simply not match for the high-powered and well-balanced Ohio State offense. The Thundering Herd were gashed for 529 total yards and 23 first downs, and OSU was able to hold the ball for nearly 35 minutes of the contest. With zero takeaways, Marshall failed to make the type of impact plays necessary to keep a game close against an elite opponent. Mario Harvey recorded 10 total tackles in the tilt, while Vinny Curry had a pair of sacks.
<< Hogs host Warhawks in non-conference action
Little Rock, AR (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The 14th-ranked Arkansas Razorbacks of the
SEC will attempt to knock off the UL-Monroe Warhawks, a team from the Sun Belt
Conference set to open its season.
In December, ULM announced Todd Berry as the prog
<< Sunshine State showdown pits Bulls against Gators
Gainesville, FL (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The eighth-ranked Florida Gators struggled
a bit in their season opener, and they are undoubtedly eager to get back on
the field this weekend against the South Florida Bulls in a non-conference
affair from The
<< Utes open Mountain West slate against visiting Rebels
Salt Lake City, UT (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Vaulting into the AP poll at the 20th
position, the Utah Utes are at home again this week as they kick off their
Mountain West Conference schedule against the UNLV Rebels at Rice-Eccles
Stadium in Salt Lake
<< No. 4 TCU hosts FCS foe Tennessee Tech
Fort Worth, TX (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - With one of the toughest games on their
schedule already out of the way, the fourth-ranked TCU Horned Frogs now focus
their attention on the Golden Eagles of Tennessee Tech in a non-conference
showdown at Amon
Spartans face another uphill battle in bout with Badgers >>
Madison, WI (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The San Jose Spartans continue their early-
season trek through some of the most treacherous waters imaginable as a week
after taking on the defending national champion Alabama Crimson Tide, they
head north to bat
Traditional national powers collide in Tuscaloosa >>
Tuscaloosa, AL (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - One of the premier matchups on the 2010
college football docket takes place in Tuscaloosa this weekend, as the top-
ranked and defending national champion Alabama Crimson Tide square off against
the 18th-ranked
Bruins host Cardinal in Pac-10 opener >>
Pasadena, CA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The 25th-ranked Stanford Cardinal kicks off
its Pac-10 Conference slate against UCLA at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena.
Stanford vaulted into the national rankings following a convincing 52-17
victory over Sacramen
Cardinals shoot for needed series win in Milwaukee >>
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - It took a lot longer than expected, but Milwaukee reliever
Trevor Hoffman finally picked up his 600th career save. The St. Louis
Cardinals would have preferred that he waited a few more days.
The Cardinals will try to rebo
Many fans thought it was the best side in the nation by the end of last season. This year, the polls have built on Georgia's momentum and granted it the No. 1 preseason ranking, followed by Ohio State and USC. (The Associated Press has the Buckeyes at No. 2; USA Today took the Trojans.)
"To have people believing we have one of the best teams in the nation going into this thing, it's exciting for us," Bulldogs coach Mark Richt told the AP. "I don't think anything is guaranteed, but we certainly have put ourselves in position where at least the college football world thinks we're pretty good."
Georgia Bulldogs - 9.5 wins
There's no question they're good, but the Bulldogs have one of the toughest 12-game schedules in the nation, mostly because they play in the powerhouse Southeastern Conference. Away games at No. 15 Arizona State, No. 7 LSU and No. 10 Auburn loom large, with contests between the hedges versus No. 24 Alabama and No. 18 Tennessee as well as the World's Largest Cocktail Party in Jacksonville versus No.5 Florida.
Ohio State Buckeyes - 10 wins
Like the Bulldogs, the Buckeyes also have a number of tough road contests in 2008. After two scrimmages dressed up as real games versus Youngstown State and Ohio, it's off to face USC. Other tough away games include No.13 Wisconsin in October and No. 20 Illinois in November. Granted, it should be pretty easy sledding at the Horseshoe. In fact, the only ranked team that travels to Columbus is No. 22 Penn State, in October.
USC Trojans - 10.5 wins
A similarly light schedule awaits the Trojans of Southern California, which is why the oddsmakers' total is one win more and the over is currently commanding -150 odds. Pete Carroll's troops only play three ranked teams in 2008, and all of those games are at home. After what should be an easy trip to Virginia to start things off on Aug. 30, the Trojans get two weeks to prepare for Ohio State in Los Angeles. Their two other ranked opponents, No. 21 Oregon and No. 15 Arizona State, visit in consecutive weeks to start the month of October. After that, the competition eases up. Of course, this is the same highly-touted school that lost to Stanford in 2007 and Oregon State in 2006. And don't discount the fact that USC plays its biggest rivals, Notre Dame and UCLA, back-to-back to close out the regular season. On paper, the Trojans are far superior, but motivation will be high for the Irish and Bruins, especially if their historic foes are in national-title contention.
Odds to Win the Heisman Trophy
Tim Tebow, Florida - 7/2
He won it last year, so it's no surprise he's the favorite to do it again, making him just the second player to go back-to-back. Ohio State's Archie Griffin turned the trick in 1974 and 1975, and Tebow's coach, Urban Meyer, is pretty sure his star quarterback can match the Buckeyes legend.
"There has never been anyone quite like him," Meyer told the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. "I am very lucky to be his coach."
Chris Wells, Ohio State - 5/1
The man they call "Beanie" was a star recruit out of high school, so it's not like nobody knew who the star tailback was before he rushed for 576 yards as a freshman in 2006 and 1,609 as a sophomore. But perhaps his finest moment came last year versus Michigan when he rumbled for 222 yards and two touchdowns in the Buckeyes' 14-3 victory over the hated Wolverines.
Knowshon Moreno, Georgia - 8/1
If the Bulldogs are to live up to expectations, they'll need a huge effort from their sophomore running back. This might be the last year of college ball for Moreno, who rushed for 1,334 yards and for 14 touchdowns as a freshman, while adding 253 receiving yards on 20 receptions, so expect big things for the man from Belford, N.J.
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Oddsmakers have released the odds for the 2009 AP NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year Award and Seattle Seahawks linebacker Aaron Curry has been made the opening favorite.
Seattle took Curry with the fourth overall pick in April's NFL draft and plan on inserting him into its starting lineup right away. The Hawks traded linebacker Julian Peterson in the offseason, so Curry is expected to have a significant role in Seattle's defense next year and that's one of the primary reasons he is the favorite to win the NFL ROY Award.
Oddsmakers from online sportsbook MySportsbook.com have made Curry a 5/1 favorite to win this year's NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year Award. Given that he was the best defensive prospect in this year's draft and how he'll have plenty of opportunities to make plays in '09, Curry offers a ton of value at 5/1.
Another thing working for Curry is the position he plays. A linebacker has won the defensive ROY award six straight times and eight of the last nine years. Jerod Mayo, Patrick Willis, DeMeco Ryans, Shawne Merriman, Jonathan Vilma, Terrell Suggs, Kendrell Bell and Brian Urlacher were the most recent linebackers to take home the award.
Following Curry at 5/1 are Tyson Jackson (Chiefs) at 7/1, James Laurinaitas (Rams) at 8/1, Brian Orakpo (Redskins) at 10/1, Rey Maualuga (Bengals) at 10/1 and Jerry Peria (Falcons) at 10/1.
All the players mentioned above are expected to start for their respective teams, but Jackson and Peria are going to have a tough time being recognized on a national level given they're both defensive linemen. D-linemen rarely put up the numbers that it takes to win an individual award like the ROY.
A couple of players with some value are Clay Matthews (Packers) at 12/1 and Larry English (Chargers) at 15/1. Matthews is expected to start at outside linebacker in Green Bay's new 3-4 defense and could rack up a ton of tackles. English, who was an impressive player at Northern Illinois, is expected to be a situational pass rusher for the Chargers and could rack up a ton of sacks.
For complete odds on the 2009 AP NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year Award, see below. And for complete odds for the 2009 AP NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year Award, click the link provided.
2009 AP NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year Award
Robert Ayers (DEN) 12/1
Ron Brace (NE) 25/1
Everette Brown (CAR) 16/1
Darius Butler (NE) 40/1
Patrick Chung (NE) 30/1
Aaron Curry (SEA) 5/1
Brian Cushing (HOU) 12/1
Vontae Davis (MIA) 30/1
Louis Delmas (DET) 30/1
Larry English (SD) 15/1
Evander Hood (PIT) 25/1
Tyson Jackson (KC) 7/1
Malcolm Jenkins (NO) 25/1
Paul Kruger (BAL) 50/1
James Laurinaitas (STL) 8/1
Sen'Derrick Marks (TEN) 20/1
Clay Matthews (GB) 12/1
Aaron Maybin (BUF) 15/1
Rey Maualuga (CIN) 10/1
Roy Miller (TB) 20/1
Michael Mitchell (OAK) 45/1
Fili Moala (IND) 30/1
Brian Orakpo (WAS) 10/1
Jerry Peria (ATL) 10/1
B J Raji (GB) 7/1
Clint Sintim (NYG) 35/1
Alphonso Smith (DEN) 40/1
David Verkune (CLE) 20/1
Jason Williams (DAL) 30/1
Field (Any Other Player) 6/1
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