JoePa's College Football Week #9

[blineman88]

Why is this line dropping? WVU -4.5 now!

[joepa66]

Too many going with the weeknight home dog? :dunno:

I got it at -5.5...time to refinance? Nah, don't think so, WVU will stuff the run and the 'Eers are clearly the better team. UConn's only hope is if they can pass like USF did.....and that ain't happening!

[RahStahMan]

GL tonight JoePa!
:beerbang:

[DaBullz]

GL tonight and Saturday. Glad to see I'm in good comapny for tonights game with you and a lot of other pposters. Love the NIU pick but the line and movement don't make any sense to me. Probably going to play it anyway.

[blineman88]

I still like NIU, also, been riding them all year! I noticed in one of the books they were off the board. I don't care I ride a streak, at least thats what my wife says when she does laundry :beer2:

[joepa66]

Don't see anything on NIU's site or the MAC site about any injuries, etc. Gonna keep digging, but I just think Chad Spann's running and Chandler Harnish's efficiency in the passing game will be too much for WMU to contend with.

[BUNK MORELAND]

Northern Illinois is the least penalized team in the MAC

PENALTIES G No Yds Avg/G
------------------------------------------
1. NORTHERN ILLIN 8 29 298 37.2
2. TEMPLE.............. 8 41 338 42.2
3. BUFFALO............ 7 33 307 43.9
4. BALL STATE........ 8 43 368 46.0
5. EASTERN MICHI.. 8 41 395 49.4
6. MIAMI............... 8 49 408 51.0
7. OHIO................ 8 48 410 51.2
8. AKRON............... 8 49 425 53.1
9. WESTERN MICH . 7 41 374 53.4
10.CENTRAL MICHI. 8 48 436 54.5
11.KENT STATE........ 7 42 399 57.0
12.BOWLING GREEN 8 55 469 58.6
13.TOLEDO.............. 8 68 545 68.1

[joepa66]

NIU-Western Michigan Breakdown

Huskies 6-2 (4-0)
Broncos 3-4 (2-1)

WMU's sophomore QB Alex Carder (1,939 passing yards) is the the best MAC quarterback and the Broncos are going to fling the ball around. The question is whether Carder, who has nine interceptions, takes care of the ball. NIU quarterback Chandler Harnish continues to produce through the air and on the ground and take care of the ball and leads the MAC in passing efficiency.

NIU's Cameron Bell’s emergence at RB enhances the Huskies’ rush attack, ranked 11th in the nation, even more difficult to stop. He averages 6.8 yards per carry and Chad Spann (854 yards) could break 1,000 yards for the second consecutive season on Saturday and is the only MAC rusher averaging over 100 yards per game. NIU is first in rushing O while the Broncos D is 9th in the conference against the run. Western Michigan is averaging 2.9 yards per carry on the ground and their leading rusher, Aaron Winchester has just 201 rushing yards.

NIU's defense has the definite edge as they are ranked 3rd in Total Defense, and WMU ranks 8th. The Huskies are 2nd in turnover margin at +6 on the year and rank 3rd in pass defense with WMU right behind at 4th. NIU is also 1st in scoring defense while WMU is 6th.

Western Michigan hasn’t played in a close game yet and has played poorly at Waldo Stadium but should be feeling better after a 2-for-3 road trip. The Huskies haven’t won a close game outside of a closer-than-it-should-have-been Week 2 escape win over North Dakota but did win at Minnesota and barely lost at Illinois. The question is if WMU can keep stay close and win their biggest game of the year? They'll be focused on the run which should open up things for Harnish while the NIU D will have little to worry about from the Bronco running attack.

Western Michigan may be able to break a few big plays on the Huskies defense, but they’ll have trouble slowing down the Huskies’ balanced attack. And next week the Huskies could essentially return home for a MAC West championship game against Toledo while WMU will face rival CMU.

[redsfann]

gonna see if i can round up Hodown and reddsfan up for the Iowa tailgate...

:thumbs:

[oakas]

Glad to see you on Oregon State, JoePa. This game is a big one for me this week.

I have been looking at your Georgia selection all week but can not pull the trigger, probably because the dirty pricks got me a couple of times this year.

Good luck my friend.

[joepa66]

Oakas, nice to have ya around. Actually that's Oven Mitt on that game.....but he feels pretty good about it......You're gonna have to hook up with Flyers, Hodown et. al for the OSU/Iowa game in the corn bro!:thumbs:

Oh, and all my adds are at the top of this thread as usual!:thumbs:

[joepa66]

I don't care I ride a streak, at least thats what my wife says when she does laundry :beer2:

:laughing::laughing::laughing:

[joepa66]

BOOMER SOONER........at the top! :thumbs:

[hodown]

Joe, you're not backing your boys today? I kinda like them I must admit. Who's starting in place of Bolden today and what does he bring to the table. PSU is more physical and can control clock with the run game, and I'm not sold on Michigan being a road fave at night in Happy Valley, just not.

[jpix]

Joepa, thanks for the MASSILLON VS. MCKINLEY article......


Good Luck today..:thumbs: