FLORIDA vs OKLAHOMA
When: 12/30/2020 8:00 PM
Where:

TV: 8:00 PM
LINE: 3
PREDICTION: OKLAHOMA , FLORIDA

Oddsmakers currently have the OKLAHOMA listed as 3 point favorites versus the FLORIDA, while the game’s total is sitting at 72.

The only other time Florida and Oklahoma have played, in the BCS Championship following the 2008 season, the focus was largely on the quarterbacks.

This time around, with the Gators’ Kyle Trask and Sooners’ Spencer Rattler, the position is once again front and center when the teams meet in the Cotton Bowl on Dec. 30 in Arlington, Texas.

That first meeting featured a pair of Heisman winners in Tim Tebow and Sam Bradford.

While Rattler isn’t a Heisman contender, yet at least, and Trask’s chances to win the award probably disappeared with Florida’s recent two-game winning streak, both have been critical in their team’s success.

They’ve also taken wildly different routes to stardom.

Rattler was a five-star phenom in the Phoenix area who had his pick of schools before choosing to sign with Oklahoma.

He was among the Heisman favorites by oddsmakers entering this season even though he had never started in college.

The redshirt freshman put together a strong season, throwing for nearly 280 yards per game, 25 touchdowns and seven interceptions while completing 68.0 percent of his passes.

“(Rattler) can run around, extend plays, scramble, and make things happen with his feet as well as having a really live arm,” Florida coach Dan Mullen said.

Trask had none of the hype.

He wasn’t even the starting quarterback at his high school, instead serving as the backup to D’Eriq King, now Miami’s quarterback.

But Trask stuck with the team and eventually drew the attention of Florida coaches, who offered him a scholarship.

Trask, now a senior, didn’t get a serious opportunity to start for the Gators until last year when Feleipe Franks suffered a season-ending injury.

Trask’s numbers last season during his eight games as a starter are nearly identical to Rattler’s – 277.5 passing yards per game, 24 touchdowns and seven interceptions. Their team’s 8-2 records in those games are even identical.

But Trask has emerged as a star this season, throwing for 4,125 yards and 43 touchdowns – 11 more than any other FBS quarterback – with just five interceptions.

“He’s done a really good job of using the weapons,” Oklahoma coach Lincoln Riley said. “They’ve got a tremendous scheme that really features what he does well. But you can see, having watched him a little bit more last year, you can see obviously the improvement he’s made.”

Trask will be without one of his top targets for the game. Tight end Kyle Pitts, the favorite for the Mackey Award as the top tight end in college football, announced he was opting out of the bowl game to prepare for the NFL Draft.

While Oklahoma’s offense has garnered plenty of attention since Riley arrived, the Sooners (8-2) have their best defense in recent years. The defense is keyed by their front, which is averaging 3.8 sacks per game, sixth-best in FBS, while allowing just 90.6 yards per game on the ground, No. 3 nationally.

Florida (8-3) has struggled defensively in spots this season, including recently, allowing an average of 511.5 yards and 44.5 points per game in losses to LSU and Alabama.

The post FLORIDA vs. OKLAHOMA 12/30/2020 Free Pick & CFB Betting Prediction appeared first on IdealCapper.

OKLAHOMA vs IOWA ST
When: 12:00 PM ET, Saturday, September 15, 2018
Where: Jack Trice Stadium, Ames, Iowa

TV: 12:00 PM
LINE: 18.5
PREDICTION: IOWA ST , OKLAHOMA

Oddsmakers currently have the IOWA ST listed as 18.5 point favorites versus the OKLAHOMA, while the game’s total is sitting at 55.

Kyler Murray could only watch from the sidelines last year as Iowa State overcame an early 14-point deficit to end its 18-game losing streak to Oklahoma. The reigning Big 12 Offensive Player of the Week will try to be one of the primary reasons the fifth-ranked Sooners continue their overwhelming success on the road in this rivalry on Saturday when they visit the Cyclones in the Big 12 opener for both teams.

Kyle Kempt made his first career start in this game a season ago and threw for 343 yards and three touchdowns, including the go-ahead score with 2:19 remaining as Iowa State stunned Oklahoma 38-31 – the Sooners’ only regular-season loss in 2017. Just like last season, the Cyclones will enter this contest coming off a low-scoring defeat, as they could muster only 188 total yards in their season-opening 13-3 loss to Iowa. Even without Heisman Trophy winner Baker Mayfield, who moved onto the NFL, Oklahoma is averaging 56 points in two games with Murray at the controls, including a 49-21 victory over UCLA last week. The Sooners have won 74 of the 82 meetings with Iowa State and own a 23-game winning streak in Ames dating back to 1960.

TV: Noon ET, ABC. LINE: Oklahoma -17.

ABOUT OKLAHOMA (2-0): Murray (28-of-44 with 515 yards and five touchdowns), who ranks second on the team with 95 rushing yards and third in the conference in total offense (303.5), may be asked to carry even more of the offense after leading rusher Rodney Anderson suffered a season-ending knee injury versus the Bruins. Freshman T.J. Pledger (14 carries, 83 yards), sophomore Trey Sermon (16, 82) and senior Marcelias Sutton (9, 71) have each seen action out of the backfield in each of the first two games and will be counted upon to carry a ground game averaging 247.5 yards. Sophomore CeeDee Lamb erupted for 146 yards receiving against UCLA and added 63 yards on two punt returns for a career-high 209 all-purpose yards last weekend.

ABOUT IOWA STATE (0-1): Kempt is “day-to-day” according to coach Matt Campbell after the senior was unable to return to the game after trying to play through and before ultimately succumbing to an ankle injury in the second half against Iowa. Sophomore running back David Montgomery was limited to 59 total yards versus the Hawkeyes and also held to 55 yards rushing on 17 carries in last year’s upset, but he set career highs with seven receptions and 89 yards versus the Sooners. Mike Rose recorded 11 tackles and a pass breakup while becoming the first Iowa State true freshman defender to start a season opener since 2006 last weekend, while fellow linebacker Willie Harvey added nine stops and is the team’s active leader in tackles for loss with 22.5.

EXTRA POINTS

1. Oklahoma’s .915 winning percentage against Iowa State is the best by one FBS program against another (minimum 50 games played).

2. Only one of the Cyclones’ last nine opponents has scored more than 20 points since their upset of the Sooners last season.

3. Oklahoma has won an FBS-high 16 consecutive true road games and a conference-record 14 straight Big 12 away contests.

PREDICTION: Oklahoma 34, Iowa State 17

The post OKLAHOMA vs. IOWA ST 9/15/2018 Free Pick & CFB Betting Prediction appeared first on IdealCapper.

UCLA vs OKLAHOMA
When: 9/8/2018 1:00 PM
Where:

TV: 1:00 PM
LINE:
PREDICTION: OKLAHOMA , UCLA

Oddsmakers currently have the OKLAHOMA listed as point favorites versus the UCLA, while the game’s total is sitting at .

The post UCLA vs. OKLAHOMA 9/8/2018 Free Pick & CFB Betting Prediction appeared first on IdealCapper.

FLA ATLANTIC vs OKLAHOMA
When: 12:00 PM ET, Saturday, September 1, 2018
Where: Gaylord Family – Oklahoma Memorial Stadium, Norman, Oklahoma

TV: 12:00 PM
LINE: -20.5
PREDICTION: OKLAHOMA , FLA ATLANTIC

Oddsmakers currently have the OKLAHOMA listed as -20.5 point favorites versus the FLA ATLANTIC, while the game’s total is sitting at 69.

Kyler Murray isn’t going to have much time to replicate the success of his predecessor at Oklahoma, but it appears coach Lincoln Riley has no plans to hold him back in his final year of college football. The former five-star recruit could have his work cut out for him Saturday, however, as the fifth-ranked Sooners kick off their season at home against Florida Atlantic.

Murray, who won a camp battle to fill the void left behind by the departure of Heisman Trophy winner and overall No, 1 NFL Draft pick Baker Mayfield, is expected to leave the program following the season after he was the ninth overall selection in the 2018 Major League Baseball draft. “I don’t coach with fear. This is football. … (Injuries) are part of the game,” Riley told reporters last week when asked if he had a “fear level” in trying to keep Murray healthy for his future employer. The Owls are coming off a Division I school-record 11-win season and enter 2018 after reeling off 10 straight victories to close out the school’s first season under coach Lane Kiffin. FAU is the preseason favorite to repeat as Conference USA champions and figures to rely heavily on Devin Singletary again after the junior running back rushed for 32 touchdowns in 2017 – the third-highest total in FBS history.

TV: Noon ET, FOX. LINE: Oklahoma -21

ABOUT FLORIDA ATLANTIC (2017: 11-3): The Owls return 15 starters, including Singletary and linebacker Azeez Al-Shaair – the preseason Conference USA offensive and defensive players of the year. Singletary led FBS with 63 runs of at least 10 yards in 2017 and rushed for a school-record 1,920 yards – 528 more than second-place Alfred Morris in 2009 – including 12 straight 100-yard efforts to end the season. The quarterback position is less settled, as former Oklahoma player Chris Robison, Last Chance U star DeAndre Johnson and Rafe Peavey are all battling to replace Jason Driskel (2,247 yards, 15 touchdowns and four interceptions in 2017).

ABOUT OKLAHOMA (2017: 12-2): Running back Rodney Anderson led all Power Five players with 1,333 yards from scrimmage from Oct. 21 on, including 201 rushing yards in the College Football Playoff loss to Georgia. Fellow preseason All-Big 12 selection Marquise Brown (1,095 receiving yards and seven TDs) set a school record with 265 receiving yards against Oklahoma State last year and will be asked to step up more often following the departure of tight end Mark Andrews to the NFL. Preseason All-Big 12 Newcomer of the Year selection Brendan Radley-Hiles – a highly touted five-star recruit – is expected to make an immediate impact at cornerback after Oklahoma lost three starters in its secondary.

EXTRA POINTS

1. Oklahoma placed seven players on the preseason All-Big 12 first team, while Florida Atlantic saw six players land on the Conference USA first team.

2. Singletary already owns the school record in rushing touchdowns (44). He is also only 589 rushing yards shy of breaking Morris’ school record of 3,529, set from 2008-11.

3. The Sooners (579.6 yards per game) and Owls (498.4) ranked first and ninth, respectively in FBS in total offense in 2017.

PREDICTION: Oklahoma 45, Florida Atlantic 31

The post FLA ATLANTIC vs. OKLAHOMA 9/1/2018 Free Pick & CFB Betting Prediction appeared first on IdealCapper.