Houston vs Tulsa 2011 College Football Odds: The Houston Cougars have climbed to 8th in the BCS standings because of their undefeated record of 11-0 overall and are tied with Tulsa University atop the Conference USA West Division standings with a 7-0 league mark. There is nothing more than the Tulsa Golden Hurricane (8-3) would rather do than put itself on the map by upsetting the Cougars when the schools play this Friday on Skelly Field. FSN will televise the game with a 12:05 p.m. start time.
If the game is as close as its College Football Odds , installed by bookmakers favoring the Cougars by -3 1/2, it should be a doozey. Viewers and gamblers should see plenty of scoring too. Oddsmakers at offshore sportsbook JustBet.cs opened totals betting (over/under) against the posted combined score number of 75 1/2.
This game has far reaching consequences beyond just winning a division championship. While both schools have designs on winning C-USA outright, Houston especially needs to win-out to have any chance of getting to a BCS bowl or for that matter, into the BCS championship race. But for right now, the schools need a win to continue their quest for the division championship. The winner of Friday's game will host the Conference-USA Championship Game.
Senior UH quarterback Case Keenum returned this season after suffering a torn ACL vs. UCLA in the third game of the 2010 season. Keenum returns to captain a UH team which has won 35 games with him at the helm in four years as a starter, including 21 consecutive at home. After leading the nation in total offense in 2008 and 2009, Keenum is back atop the that list in 2011 with 393.0 total yards per game. He also leads the country in passing offense with 388.1 yards per game.
Now in his fourth season at Houston, head coach Kevin Sumlin has created an offense ranked among the nation's best each season. In fact, his 2011 offense is the MOST prolific in NCAA history. This 2011 Houston offense is one of the most prolific in NCAA history, averaging 618.3 yards per game in total offense.
While the Cougars' offense gets plenty of attention, Tulsa's is not chopped liver. The Golden Hurricane is humming on offense. Against UTEP last week and for the second straight game this season, Tulsa had at least 500 yards on offense. The Golden Hurricane displayed balance, rushing for 217 yards and passing for 283. Tulsa didn't attempt a field goal against UTEP and didn't punt. Also notable; Tulsa is minus-four in turnover differential compared to Houston at plus-10.
This is a dangerous trip for UH going against probably the second best team in the league and a hungry team also. TU has picked up some momentum since earlier losses to Oklahoma State and Notre Dame. This is a seasoned group of Golden Hurricane players so an upset is a possibility. However, the line is friendly and UH is at least 3 1/2-points better. Will they be that Friday? My Pick – Houston -3 1/2.
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