UCLA Bruins (5-0 SU, 5-0 ATS) vs. Stanford Cardinal (5-1 SU, 2-4 ATS)
College Football Week 8
Date and Time: Saturday October 19, 2013 3:30pm EST
Where: Stanford Stadium, Palo Alto CA
TV: ABC/ESPN2
by Tim, Football Handicapper, Predictem.com
Point Spread: UCLA +6.5/STAN -6.5
Over/Under Total: 55
Be preparedOh Baby The University of Califorina Los Angeles and Stanford are making preparations for a monster game this Saturday! Lately, Stanford has clocked the Bruins 5 straight timesincluding twice in 6 days last year—and the Bruins are running hot. Around Palo Alto, a specter of doom threatens Utopia leaving Vegans and Theorists unprotected and exposed. Zippo lighters on the Stanford campus have been recalled; there will be no worshipping of football teams this year. Energy and explosiveness describe aptly this 2013 Bruin football team. Red-faced paints each Stanford starter after a horrible loss to Utah last week. Scintillating football is what well get when Stanford and UCLA tees off this weekend!
By the numbers; UCLA is 5th in the nation in total offense, 27th in total defense, and 24th in turnover margin. UCLA is 7th nationally in points scored but sit only 41st in Red Zone offense? Defensively, UCLA is 40th in Red Zone scoring and tied for 37th in total sacks. UCLA is also the least penalized team in all of College Football. A HUGE number is; UCLA is 2nd in the Nation in defending on third down. On queUCLA is 5th in the nation offensively in 3rd down conversion percentage. UCLA is getting it done on both sides of the ball. NOTE: UCLAs game against Nebraska was MASSIVE for the program. This team has come together and plays harder for each other than the wildest hallucinations of Rick Neuheisel! In Ricks defensebattling Elmer Gantry (aka Pete Carroll) was holding aces and 8s while being All In. Neuheisel was Kiffinedironicallybefore USC defined the term!
Stanford Cardinal (Cardinalnot the bird, the colorwho names a football team a color?) isnt as explosive or overbearing (or reasonable) as UCLA. It seems a little surprising that Stanford is a 6.5 point Favorite since Stanford is 72nd in the country in total offense, 48th in total defense, and sits 49th in the nation and 7 spots ahead of UCLA in Time of Possession. Time of possession should suggest that both teams grind out wins the same way? Upon further review, this assessment could not be further from the truth.
Offensively, Stanford is 102nd out of 125 teams in plays over 10+ yards with 73 in 6 games. UCLA is tied for 17th in only 5 games—that is5 GAMES—with 110 plays of 10 yards or more in just 5 Games! On defense, Stanford is 48th in giving up plays of 10+ yards while UCLA is 15th. In summation: Stanford is No Bueno making big plays and Sorta No Bueno in giving up big plays. UCLA is both Bueno and Bueno in making and preventing big plays. UCLA can score quickly, can grind it out, keeps other teams from grinding it out and busting big plays. Lets look at the 2 QBs to pick a Winner here.
Comparing these 2 teams statistically shows an overwhelming edge to UCLA in most team related categories. The 2 QBs probably could help solidify a Winners pick in this game. Nationally, Stanford QB Kevin Hogan is 73rd out of 100 Division 1A QBs and UCLA QB Brett Hundley is 17th. The eye test? UCLAs Hundley looks like a legitimate NFL 1st round selection while Hogan is probably the reason Stanford chooses to run the ball most of the game. Against Washington, Hogan made poor pass after poor passin the dirt; over heads—finishing 12/20 for a hungee! The following week against Utah, with the game on the line and needing Hogan to Step to, Hogan looked like the backup at St. Regis Philbin during Parents Night in a rainstorm! Hundleywellis an NFL 1st rounder and plays like it.
I have ZERO idea why Stanford is a 6 and a hook to 7-point Home Favorite here? Perhaps the reason is: Stanford owned UCLA last year, and the last 5 yearsbut this is a different year, and a very different and dominating UCLA team! Stanford defensively is very tough up front and in the middle. UCLA spreads people out and gains most of their yardageLIKE UTAHbetween the sidelines and the defensive ends. Tyler Gaffney can run all-day and UCLA should win by 2 TDs! If Stanford throws the ball, this game could get out of hand for the Cardinal very quickly! Barring any potential catastrophic during the game injuries for UCLA, Stanfords best possible scenario is UCLA 38-Stanford-24.
Like my buddy Dirt always says: Going to Stanford not only means growing as a football player butmore importantlygrowing as a person. This game should be a life lesson for each student-athlete on Stanfords team; Get your degree! UCLA is gonna pull out the whippin stick this Saturday!
Vegas adjusts the line according to public interest and input. The public is dead wrong this time. Stanford should be a 8 point dog in this matchup! According to the numbers and teams played that are similar, UCLA is not only going to cover, UCLA will win this game straight upunless the goofy bus wrecks or UCLA stops at Taco Bell before the game (satire! Not sayinjust sayin!!)!! UCLA will NOT be looking to Oregon in week 8theres a Come Upp-ance coming straight through Monterrey with a chainsaw in hand (Silly and pointless Tree mascot!)! Vegans, Theorists, and Utopian-ites will be overheard Where has our self-esteem gone?! Madame, Sir, your self-esteem has just left the building! UCLA dominates!
Tims Pick to Cover the Point Spread: UCLA +6.5
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