Ohio State pass rusher Chase Young, arguably the top defensive player in the country, has been suspended indefinitely. We look into how this affects the NCAA Title and Heisman Trophy futures odds, while also breaking down the odds with our best bets for two college football matchups tonight and a pair of contests on Saturday. **video
CHASE YOUNG SUSPENDED INDEFINITELY
Chase Young will not play in Ohio State’s game versus Maryland on Saturday. The details of the suspension are still ongoing, with the report issued from the school only describing it as an NCAA issue from 2018. But with no timetable set for his return expect the NCAA Championship futures odds to adjust with the Buckeyes at +250 prior to the news. Young was arguably the top defensive player in the country (and maybe the best player overall) with 13.5 sacks and 15.5 tackles for loss through the Buckeyes first eight games of the season.
Ohio State was a 43.5-point favorite at home against Maryland this week and while Young’s absence might not make much of a difference to that line, expect their title odds to shift and don’t be surprised if his Heisman odds (+800) come off the board entirely. On the flip side, Ohio State quarterback Justin Fields and running back J.K. Dobbins could see their own Heisman odds improve if they carry the Buckeyes in Young’s absence.
The Buckeyes defense has been incredible this season and has more than just Young, but no unit can lose a player of Young’s caliber and not be affected. With Maryland averaging just 8.5 ppg over their last two games and getting shut out by Penn State earlier this season, they will be hard-pressed to go Over their team total of 10.5 on Saturday, even with Young out. But if Young misses the Buckeyes crucial game against unbeaten PSU next week, the line will certainly be adjusted.
HEISMAN ODDS FROM THE SUPERBOOK AT WESTGATE (AS OF NOV 4)
Joe Burrow +120
Jalen Hurts +250
Tua Tagovailoa +300
Chase Young +800
Justin Fields +1,200
J.K. Dobbins +4,000
Justin Herbert +4,000
Chuba Hubbard +4,000
NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP ODDS FROM THE SUPERBOOK AT WESTGATE (AS OF NOV 4)
ALABAMA +200
OHIO STATE +250
CLEMSON +350
LSU +500
GEORGIA +1,200
NOT COVERING THE SPREAD
The Tulsa Golden Hurricane won’t be competing in a bowl game this year, but it won’t be for lack of effort. The Golden Hurricane seek their first American Athletic Conference win of 2019 following several close calls as they tangle with the visiting Central Florida Knights on Friday. Tulsa has narrow losses to Memphis and SMU on its resume this season, and four of its five covers have come against teams presently ranked in the College Football Playoff. UCF, on the other hand, has gone just 1-5 ATS in its past six games overall and continues to deal with injuries among its running back corps.
With Tulsa enjoying the home-field edge and boasting a top-40 pass defense despite its poor record, we like the hosts and the points against a Knights team that has been an ATS disappointment of late.
UPSET BREWING?
At the beginning of the season, the thought of Oregon State knocking off the Washington Huskies would have been absurd. But that’s not the case heading into their Friday night encounter at Reser Stadium in Corvallis, with the Beavers sitting ahead of the Huskies in the conference standings. And Oregon State could be a major pain for Washington if it can continue being successful on third downs, coming into this one with the 12th-highest conversion rate in the country (49.1 percent). The Huskies are well down the list by comparison, ranking 101st in the nation at 35.7 percent.
Extending drives at a high rate should give the Beavers enough added possession time to make good on the home cover – and if you’re feeling particularly brave, you could take Oregon State to win this one outright.
MORE LIKE DEAD-ZONE
The Georgia Tech offensive revolution has been a major disappointment as the Yellow Jackets continue playing out the string Saturday against host Virginia. Having done away with its run-heavy attack in favor of more balance, Georgia Tech has struggled mightily to produce points – particularly in the red zone, where the Yellow Jackets rank dead last in conversion rate (55.6 percent) while having made just 18 trips inside the opponents’ 20-yard line to date. Virginia has held opponents to a 78.3-percent success rate inside the red zone while allowing just 23 visits all season.
The Cavaliers haven’t been as defensively stout as they have in recent years, but they still boast one of the most formidable defenses in the nation – and should have no trouble keeping Georgia Tech below its team point total.
A SPECIAL PROP BET
The Michigan State Spartans have bigger things to worry about than the absence of their No. 1 receiver as they prepare to face the Illinois Fighting Illini on Saturday. In addition to being without Darrell Stewart Jr., who will miss the game with a leg injury, the Spartans are matching up with an Illini defense that comes in as the top-ranked unit in the nation in forced turnovers (22) and defensive touchdowns (five). The Illini had a pair of defensive scores in last week’s 38-10 drubbing of visiting Rutgers, and they’ve forced a whopping eight turnovers over the course of their current three-game winning streak.
With the Spartans having scored a pair of defensive TDs of their own – and both offenses expected to struggle this weekend – we like the defensive/special teams touchdown here.
