Ohio State at Miami Odds
Written by Jack Jones - Google +
The No. 15 Ohio State Buckeyes will travel to face the Miami Hurricanes in Big Ten versus ACC action this Saturday. This is a rematch from last year’s 36-24 victory by the Buckeyes in Columbus. These two schools have been in the headlines quite a bit lately thanks to offseason suspensions to players who accepted gifts and money. Both just want to win, and will look to put those distractions behind them Saturday.
The Week 3 college football spreads show Ohio State as a 2-point road favorite.
Ohio State
After trouncing Akron 42-0 in their opener, the Buckeyes had to survive a scare last week. Toledo came to Columbus and gave Ohio State all they could handle. The Rockets jumped out to a 15-7 lead in the first quarter and were only trailing 22-27 heading into the fourth. That ended up being the final as both defenses held in the fourth, and Ohio State still hasn’t lost to an in-state opponent for over 90 years.
If not for a self-inflicted wounds by Toledo, that streak would have been snapped. They threw an interception, had 102 yards in penalties, botched two field goal attempts, and gave up a special-teams touchdown. The Rockets actually outgained Ohio State 338-301 for the game.
Leading the way for the Buckeyes was QB Joe Bauserman, who went 16 of 30 for 189 yards and a touchdown without throwing a pick. Carlos Hyde had 76 rushing yards on 20 carries with two touchdowns. Devin Smith led all Buckeye receivers with 67 yards on only two catches.
The Buckeyes will be without three key players on offense in top receiver DeVier Posey, left tackler Mike Adams and 2010 leading rusher Daniel Herron. They are also without Terrelle Pryor, who had 346 total yards and two touchdowns against Miami in last year’s match-up.
Miami
The Hurricanes are coming off a very disappointing loss 32-24 loss to Maryland. They will have nearly a full two weeks to prepare for Ohio State, giving them a clear advantage. Miami led Maryland 24-23 with only 1:39 left before a 32-yard field goal put the Terrapins ahead by two. They got the ball back with a chance to take the lead, but an interception by Cameron Chism that was returned 54 yards for a touchdown with only 39 seconds left sealed the game for Maryland.
New head coach Al Golden had his team prepared well enough to be competitive considering he was without eight suspended players, including quarterback Jacory Harris, linebacker Sean Spencer and defensive linemen Adewale Ojomo and Marcus Forston. Stephen Morris played admirably in Harris’ place, throwing for 195 yards while rushing for a touchdown. His two interceptions proved costly, though. The defense is the biggest concern as the Terrapins outgained the Hurricanes 499-367. That said, Miami had their chances but their -3 turnover margin did them in. Lamar Miller had a big day on the ground, rushing for 119 yards and a touchdown on only 18 carries.
The Hurricanes will welcome back several players who served one-game suspensions. Spence, Forston and Ojomo all return on defense. On offense, Harris returns to his starting QB role in place of Morris. He will be getting a shot at redemption after not living up to expectations up to this point in his career at Miami. Harris threw 14 touchdowns and 15 interceptions last year, regressing from a 2009 campaign in which he threw 24 touchdowns and 17 picks.
Betting Trends
Last year’s game turned into a blowout thanks to many mistakes from the Hurricanes. Ohio State only outgained Miami 419-352, but finished +4 in turnovers. They forced four interceptions from Harris and didn’t give it away once. Of course, Pryor was a big reason for the Buckeyes success, and if Harris can play like Pryor did last year, Miami will have a chance to pull off the upset.
No team has been as good as Ohio State on the road in recent years. The Buckeyes are 22-7-1 ATS in their last 30 road games overall. Ohio State is also 10-1 ATS in their last 11 non-conference games. Miami has not been a safe bet at home for years. The Hurricanes are 19-40-1 ATS in their last 60 home games. They also have not taken advantage of their off weeks, going 3-12 ATS in their last 15 games following a bye.
Stop back by this weekend for college football advice from expert handicapper Jack Jones.
Got something to say?
