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Carrie Stroup here with your California vs. OSU spread. All College Football betting odds available at Sportsbook.com here. Claim up to $250 in FREE CASH when you open an online wagering account. Use bonus code CARRIE STROUP.
Sportsbook.ag Line & Total: Ohio State -17 & 54
Opening Line & Total: Buckeyes -17.5 & 52.5
No. 12 Ohio State looks to improve its record to 3-0 when California visits The Horseshoe on Saturday afternoon.
These teams meet for the first time since 1972. Cal led 36½-point underdog Southern Utah by just three points after three quarters last week and allowed 31 points for the second straight game. Meanwhile, Ohio State has piled up 87 points in two games, thanks to 664 total yards and seven scores from QB Braxton Miller, but the Buckeyes defense has been burned through the air, allowing 281 passing YPG (96th in FBS).
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Even with the non-cover in the 31-16 win over UCF last week, the Buckeyes are still 12-5 ATS in non-conference games since 2009. Their coach, Urban Meyer, is a whopping 21-4 ATS (84%) in non-conference home games in his coaching career. Meanwhile, the Bears have typically not traveled well in recent times, as they are 3-11 (SU and ATS) in their past 14 non-home games.
Cal senior QB Zach Maynard has been pretty efficient this season, completing 34-of-53 passes for 474 yards, 3 TD and 1 INT. He threw just six incomplete passes (17-of-23) in the win over Southern Utah. The Bears offense though will need inconsistent senior RB Isi Sofele to have a huge game on Saturday. Sofele rushed for 104 yards on 19 carries against Southern Utah, but has reached 100 yards rushing just once in his past three road contests. Sofele eating up clock is also necessary to keep his subpar defense off the field. This unit allowed Southern Utah, an FCS school, to throw for 292 yards and 4 TD last week. The Bears have allowed 411 total YPG so far (76th in nation), and will definitely have their hands full trying to stop Miller.
Miller has rushed for 302 yards already, which ranks fourth in the nation among all players, not just quarterbacks. He’s also been very accurate in his passing, completing 18-of-24 throws against UCF last week. Dating to last season, Miller has scored at least two touchdowns in eight straight contests. Junior RB Carlos Hyde is looking to bounce back from a rough game against the Knights, when he carried the ball just seven times for 27 yards. Defensively, the Buckeyes boast one of the better run defenses in the nation, giving up a mere 102 rushing yards over two games (7th-best in FBS). However, the defense needs to provide more pressure on the quarterback, tallying just three sacks and five Tackles For Loss (2nd-lowest in nation) so far this season.
- Carrie Stroup, Gambling911.com Senior Reporter
