Frank Beamer and Va Tech close the Week 1 schedule with Boise State.
Suspensions, quarterback controversies and lopsided pointspreads. Welcome to College Football 2010.
Opening week kicks off with seven games on Thursday and continues through Monday.
The biggest Week 1 matchup – Boise State versus Virginia Tech at FedEx Field in Maryland – is the final one on the opening week card going off Monday at 5 p.m. (PT) and televised by ESPN.
There are 37 current games on the Week 1 betting lines board and 16 of them have spreads of 14 points or higher. That’s a little more than 43 percent, which happens with non-conference scheduling where powerhouse BCS teams meet foes from weaker leagues such as the Sun Belt and Western Athletic Conference.
The largest spreads are defending national champion Alabama a home 39-point favorite against San Jose State. The next highest is Nebraska minus 36 in Lincoln versus Western Kentucky.
Other big spreads are Florida laying 35 at home against Miami of Ohio, Oregon minus 33 hosting New Mexico, Oklahoma laying 31 ½ at home to Utah State and Auburn a 31-point home ‘chalk’ versus Arkansas State.
The highest current totals are SMU-Texas at 62 followed by Arizona-Toledo and Tulsa-East Carolina, each at 60. Texas-Rice is 59. The lowest ‘over/under’ is Army-Eastern Michigan at 42.
There have been a number of line moves of three points or more judging from Las Vegas Sports Consultants’ openers to current number. Wisconsin, for instance, has been bet up to 21-point road favorites against UNLV after opening 17.
Oklahoma has gone from 28 ½ to 32 point favorites versus Utah State and Georgia is up to 28-point favorites after opening minus 24 ½ against UL-Lafayette.
Colorado has drawn early steam for its in-state matchup versus Colorado State going from minus 10 ½ to 13.
UCLA opened a one-point road favorite against Kansas State, but the Wildcats currently are 2 ½-point ‘chalk.’ Cincinnati-Fresno State opened pick’em, but the Bulldogs have climbed to three-point favorites at some books.
The most notable line move, however, is on Thursday’s Minnesota-Middle Tennessee State game. Middle Tennessee State, expected to be the class of the Sun Belt, opened as 4 ½-point home favorites against the Gophers of the Big Ten.
But the Gophers are currently three-point favorites after star Blue Raiders quarterback Dwight Dasher was declared ineligible for violating NCAA amateur legislation for allegedly receiving a $1,500 loan from an 80-year-old gambler.
Dasher’s situation was the most high profile, but there have been other suspensions.
Missouri senior running back Derrick Washington has been suspended indefinitely accused of sexually assaulting a woman. He rushed for 865 yards last year and scored 10 touchdowns.
North Carolina could be facing a suspension of between six and a dozen of its players due to the NCAA looking into academic infractions. The Tar Heels may be without a number of their defensive players from a unit considered to be among the best in the country.
The North Carolina-LSU matchup currently is not on the betting board due to the potential suspensions. The line had wavered between pick’em and one point either way before news of possible multiple suspension became public.
Georgia running back Washaun Ealey was suspended for at least one game after being arrested and charged with hit and run and driving on a suspended license. He led the Bulldogs in rushing last year.
Texas El-Paso suspended wide receiver Evan Davis following his arrest for domestic abuse.
Louisiana Tech suspended linebacker Kiamni Washington and three wide receivers – Cruz Williams, Tim Molton and R.P. Stuart - because of violation of team rules.
Some coaches haven’t decided yet on their starting quarterback, or at least aren’t tipping their hand.
That’s the situation at Nebraska where Bo Pelini won’t reveal if incumbent starter Zac Lee has held off redshirt freshman Taylor Martinez and sophomore Cody Green.
Michigan coach Rich Rodriguez hasn’t named his team’s starting quarterback either with the battle between returning starter Tate Forcier, Denard Robinson and Devin Gardner. It wouldn’t be a shock if all three played against Connecticut on Saturday afternoon.