NCAA Football Picks – Ohio St @ Miami-Fl Odds and Predictions on ABC – Week 3 NCAA Football Spreads and Odds

Week 3 Free College Football Picks and Spreads: Ohio St Buckeyes @ Miami-Fl Hurricanes 2011 NCAA Football Vegas Odds, Free Picks, and Expert Predictions on ABC Saturday 9/17/11: Things have come full circle for both the Ohio State (2-0) and Miami (0-1) football programs since the two teams met in 2002 to play for the national title. Now, both teams are dealing with suspensions and other NCAA sanctions as the 16th-ranked Buckeyes travel to Miami to face the Hurricanes. Needless to the say, the mighty have certainly fallen since the two teams faced off for the most coveted prize in college football. In large part because of the suspension handed out by the NCAA, Miami enters the matchup as a 2 ½-point favorite.

Sadly, this weekend’s meeting will likely be decided by the players that will be missing the game because of rules violations than the players on the field. The Buckeyes will be missing top receiver DeVier Posey, starting running back Dan Herron, and star offensive tackle Mike Adams. Throw in the whole Terrelle Pryor fiasco, and nearly every key component for the Ohio State offense that defeated Miami last year is going to be missing against the Hurricanes this weekend.

Miami can relate to what the Buckeyes are going through. The Hurricanes dropped the season opener against Maryland in large part because starting QB Jacory Harris was out due to suspension, along with playmaking linebacker Sean Spence. Unlike the Buckeyes, Miami will get Harris and Spence, along with three other players, back from suspension for this weekend’s contest. While Harris may have to shake off some rust, at least he is in the lineup. The same cannot be said for the Buckeyes’ top playmakers.

If Ohio State is going to compete despite the suspensions, the team has to get better play out of the quarterback position. Coach Luke Fickell is sticking with Joe Bauserman as the starter, but he struggled during last weekend’s scare against Toledo. The Hurricanes defense is a notch or two above the unit the Rockets put on the field, which could spell serious trouble for Bauserman and the Buckeyes’ offense. Thanks to the suspensions, Ohio State doesn’t have an experienced ground game to turn to either.

The question for Fickell becomes whether or not to turn to true freshman QB Braxton Miller if Bauserman continues to play poorly. Having covered high school football in the Midwest, I watched Miller carry an otherwise below average Wayne team within 11 points of a state title in Ohio’s toughest division. That being said, there is massive jump in competition at the collegiate level, and it is asking a ton of Miller to bail out the Buckeyes on the road against Miami. The Hurricanes enjoy an excellent home field advantage, and throwing Miller to the wolves could end in a disaster. However, Miller’s ability to make plays with his legs could have the same instant impact that Pryor had in his freshman season.

Regardless of who the Buckeyes have under center, the edge at the quarterback position is going to go to the Hurricanes because of the return of Harris. Granted, he has had his ups and downs, including a four-interception performance in Columbus last season. This time around, he will be facing a weaker Ohio State defense, and given the state of the Buckeyes’ offense, Harris shouldn’t have to try to bring his team from behind as he did a year ago. He will also have the benefit of a much-improved running game led by Lamar Miller.

If the Buckeyes had their full arsenal of weapons at their disposal, they would undoubtedly be the favorites heading into Saturday’s matchup. However, suspensions have decimated the Ohio State offense, while the Hurricanes bring a more balanced scoring attack to the table this year. Without an experienced QB to turn to, the Buckeyes seem to be facing a near impossible situation going into Miami. Unless Miller is able to come off the bench and save the Buckeyes, the Hurricanes should be able to take advantage of this golden opportunity to knock off Ohio State.

Prediction: Miami Hurricanes (-1 ½) Cover the Spread

Free College Football Picks and NCAAF Predictions: Miami-Fl -1.5 to cover the spread

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