Indiana Hoosiers @ Northwestern Wildcats Football/NCAAF October 5, 2024 @ 3:30 PM Analysis: HC David Braun did a great job coaching the Cats' (8-5) in his inaugural season with upsets over Minnesota, Wisconsin, Illinois & Utah in the Las Vegas Bowl. It's going to be a steep climb getting BACK to being bowl-eligible this season after making the decision to go with a sophomore QB in Jack Lausch (replaced senior Mike Wright) trying to find chemistry with a team that has a BEVY of injuries (3 O-Linemen, 3 WR's, a K & 8 defenders) entering this week (2-2 after beating Miami, Ohio & Eastern Illinois) & are averaging just 17.3 PPG. They take on a Hoosiers squad they were pummeled by the last time out in 19' by a 34-3 count @ Bloomington's Memorial Stadium. My bottom line says it's that SAME Indiana team that's desperate to change the culture (after Tom Allen went an antarctic 9-27 SU the past 3 years) under the new direction of HC Curt Cignetti (52-9 @ James Madison the previous 5 seasons) who inherits a near-perfect 21 of 22 starters on both sides of the ball. He has a talent-rich group that's jetted out to a 5-0 SU record, outscored their opponents 274 to 65 & outgained their foes by a whopping 273 YPG. In CFB, it's all about the QB's. Senior Kurtis Rourke (11/2 TD/INT ratio, 73% completions) has taken over the reins & he'll be throwing darts to 2 dominant WR's in Elijah Sarratt & Ke'Shawn Williams on several of his targets. Here's where we'll play this. Let's travel into Ryan Field in Evanston to play the INDIANA HOOSIERS -6 1/2 @ -280 for 8 Stars as my Big 10 Play of the Week! (WIN) + 800 Kansas Jayhawks @ Arizona State Sun Devils Football/NCAAF October 5, 2024 @ 8:00 PM Analysis: There's many things to take under HEAVY consideration here & we'll start by saying it's tough to go with a team like Kansas whose turned the ball over 13 times this season. After they dismantled the Lindenwood Lions in a non-cover opener 48-3 (Lindenwood is a Division I FCS competing in the Ohio Valley Conference), HC Lance Leopold's squad lost in succession to Illinois, UNLV, West Virginia & TCU. His 1-4 SU team seems to be be run heavy but they do it well. Getting the bulk of those carries is Devin Neal but they have a decent dual-threat QB in Jalon Daniels. The flip of the coin looks @ a 3-1 SU ASU team also looking to change the culture hiring a new HC in Kenny Dillingham (youngest Power 5 HC who came over from being OC @ Oregon) last season. I feel having 2 weeks to prepare here is BIG intangible that can't be ignored. He has a good Redshirt Freshman QB under center with Sam Leavitt (a Michigan State transfer portal guy that lead the West Linn HS Lions to a 6A State Championship in Oregon) who has talent around him in dual-threat RB Cam Skattebo & WR Jordyn Tyson. My bottom line says it's tough to ignore the Jayhawks No-show 1-14 SU record in Game 5's as well as the Sun Devils being a take-me-to-the-window 15-2 versus the number when off an ATS loss taking on a team of the same. Let's roll down to Tempe's Sun Devil Stadium to play the ARIZONA STATE SUN DEVILS + 4 1/2 @ -280 for 8 Stars as my Big 12 Ugly Pig Play! (WIN) + 800 Mike Handzelek's 2024-25 CFB Overall Record: 12-5 for 71% + 3,265 Net Units Mike's Hi-Roller Parlay Record: 1-2 for +500 Net Units