College Football Conference USA Title Game Southern Miss @ Houston Odds, Free Picks and Predictions – Week 14 NCAA Football Spreads and Odds

CUSA Championship College Football Picks and Spreads: Southern Miss Golden Eagles @ Houston Cougars 2011 NCAA Football Vegas Odds, Free Picks, and Expert Predictions on ABC 12/3/11: While the Conference USA title game isn’t usually headline news, this year’s installment has the chance to be historical. The sixth-ranked Houston Cougars (12-0) have a chance to become just the fifth team to qualify for a BCS bowl without being a member of a conference with an automatic bid. Standing in the Cougars’ way are the 24th-ranked Southern Golden Eagles (10-2), who would love to continue to climb the polls by playing the role of spoiler. Doing so will be easier said than done, and the Golden Eagles are 12 ½-point underdogs in this one.

There is no question that the pressure is on the Cougars this Saturday. A win for Houston puts them in elite company in terms of non-BCS conference schools, potentially changing the stature of the football program. At the same time, a loss will instantly thrust Houston back into the realm of irrelevancy and into a bowl game that they could have played in with three or four losses. The Cougars have handled their business so far, beating their toughest competition with ease in the final weeks. However, Saturday’s game against a Southern Miss team with nothing to lose will be Houston’s true test.

Of course, no team reaches the 12-0 mark without having some great players, and Houston is fortunate to have one of the best quarterbacks in college history under center. Case Keenum is likely on his way to New York as a Heisman finalist, and given his numbers this season and in his career, he more than deserves the honor. Keenum has thrown for more than 4,700 yards and 43 touchdowns this season, powering the Cougars to the top-scoring offense in the country at 52.7 points per game. For his career, Keenum is the all-time leader passing touchdowns and passing yards.

While Houston has been an offensive juggernaut, the Golden Eagles haven’t been bad in their own right. Southern Miss ranks 15th in the country in scoring and has a balanced attack that averages more than 260 passing yards and 200 rushing yards per game. Throw in the Golden Eagles’ defense that ranks 25th in the country, giving up less than 20 points per game, and Southern Miss has the tools its needs to compete with the Cougars. More importantly, the Golden Eagles have flexed their muscles against some legitimate competition, winning at Virginia and Navy.

The X-factor could be Houston receiver Patrick Edwards. He has 1,496 yards and 18 touchdowns on the season, and he has had at least three touchdowns in three of his last five games. Edwards and Keenum have been in sync down the stretch, and when Edwards is making big plays in the passing game, Houston’s already powerful offense becomes next to unstoppable. He is one player that when he is in the zone, Southern Miss may not be able to stop.

In the end, the issue for the Golden Eagles could be keeping pace. Southern Miss has only played two conference opponents that have .500 records or above, and the Golden Eagles are 1-1 in those games and have failed to top 27 points. Houston will probably be pushing the 40-point mark Saturday, and Southern Miss’ track record against top competition doesn’t bode well. The Cougars have outscored opponents all season, and a letdown seems unlikely now that Keenum and company are one game away from history. The spread just isn’t enough when the top offense in the country is involved.

Prediction: Houston Cougars (-12 ½) Cover the Spread

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