TFLS Boosts Conference Into Season

NCAA Football Betting Lines

Philadelphia, PA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - An attacking defensive line makes all the difference in the world. Disruptive forces up front can control the tempo of a game with a relentless pursuit of the ball. They are a quarterback's worst nightmare, causing havoc with their non-stop pressure and can negate even the best rushing games by holding their ground. Here are the top defensive linemen at the FBS level for the 2011 season.

 

QUINTON COPLES - This talented playmaker came out of last year's UNC scandal unscathed and as a result was showcased along the defensive front week-in and week-out for the Tar Heels. The 6-6, 285-pounder played all along the defensive line and dominated in opposing backfields, leading UNC in both TFLs (15.5) and sacks (10), en route to All-ACC First-Team honors. He is on everyone's shortlist this season for All-American accolades and should produce big numbers as the top preseason pick at defensive end.

 

VINNY CURRY - A highly productive downlineman for the Thundering Herd in 2010, the 6-4, 260-pound Curry led all defensive linemen in Conference USA in tackles (94) and finished fifth nationally in sacks (12), while placing second in the C-USA in TFLs (18). The First-Team All-conference performer could have bolted for the NFL following that junior campaign, but made the decision to return and finish what he started at Marshall.

 

ANDRE BRANCH - Ultra-talented Da'Quan Bowers has moved on, but a recent trend of superb athletes at the defensive end position should continue at Clemson, with the 2011 version coming in the form of the 6-5, 260-pound Branch. Developing as a well-rounded end that can play the run or the pass, Branch was overshadowed by Bowers and tackle Jarvis Jenkins in 2010, but still finished with 49 tackles, 5.5 TFLs and four sacks. Those numbers will skyrocket in 2011 as he is now the man up front for the Tigers.

 

JEREL WORTHY - There is a ton of hype surrounding the centerpiece to Michigan State's defensive line. The 6-3, 305-pound Worthy is as good as it gets at the tackle position and is projected as a top-10 pick in the next NFL Draft if he continues to perform for the Spartans. A tough-as-nails anchor up front, Worthy walks the walk and talks the talk. As a sophomore in 2010, Worthy led all defensive linemen on the team with 40 tackles, including 8.0 TFLs and 4.0 sacks, earning All-Big Ten Honorable Mention. Has played in 26 games in two years at Michigan State with 24 starts. He continues to improve and similar growth in 2011 will result in a monster season and plenty of notoriety.

 

ALAMEDA TA'AMU - A huge anchor in the middle of the defensive line for the up and coming Huskies, Ta'Amu has the ability to dominate down low at 6-3, 330 pounds. Started all 13 games for Washington in 2010 as a junior, earning All- Pac-10 Honorable Mention with 39 tackles, 5.0 TFLs and 1.5 sacks. In the new- look Pac-12, Ta'Amu has the potential to be mentioned among the best the conference has to offer.

 

KHEESTON RANDALL - Playing defensive tackle for the Longhorns comes with a great deal of responsibility, considering the long list of distinguished playmakers in the middle for UT in recent history. This season, Mack Brown is hoping that the 6-5, 295-pound Randall adds his name to that list. An All-Big 12 Honorable Mention in 2010, the sky is the limit for Randall, who has played in 34 career games, with 22 starts. He posted 39 tackles a year ago, with 13 TFLs and one sack. He is certainly viewed as a playmaker on the rise for Texas and has the ability to pick up national honors in 2011.

 

Atlanta, GA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Alabama and Virginia Tech will begin the 2013 college football season by playing in the Chick-fil-A Kickoff Game in Atlanta. The two schools played in the same contest in 2009 with the then-No. 5 Crimson Tide earning a 34-24 win over seventh-ranked Virginia Tech.

 

"We've had the opportunity to open the season twice before in Atlanta, and the experience has been extremely positive for our team and our fans," said Alabama coach Nick Saban. "The Chick-fil-A Kickoff Game in the Georgia Dome is a great venue for college football. It has a bowl game feel, and the staff has done an outstanding job of making it a first-class event. We have a lot of respect for coach [Frank] Beamer and the Virginia Tech program, and we look forward to another great game in 2013."

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Big 12 Conference betting odds

Work left to do: Texas Tech, Oklahoma State, Kansas State

Texas joins Texas A&M and Kansas as locks after getting league win No. 11. Texas Tech greatly helped its own hopes and crippled OK State's with the two-point win Saturday. Is K-State the last reasonable hopeful? Could be an elimination match in Stillwater on Tuesday, at least for the Cowboys.

Work left to do:

Texas Tech [18-11 (7-7), RPI: 44, SOS: 12] A critical two-point win over OK State leaves the Red Raiders with Baylor and at Iowa State left. Get both and the Red Raiders likely are good to go. Get one and there could be some interesting comparisons with a K-State team that could finish two or three games "ahead" of them in the standings but doesn't have any of the quality wins Texas Tech has. Not a lot in nonconference play (against Arkansas in Little Rock being the best win, by far) to lean on.

Oklahoma State [18-9 (5-8), RPI: 50, SOS: 35] Still without a road win, the Cowboys now need to win two on the road just to get to .500 in conference play. It's hard to recall a team (OK, other than Clemson) falling so precipitously from lock status to almost certainly out of the NCAAs at this point. There are wins to be had in the last three, including a very big home game against K-State on Tuesday, but this team is reeling. Can you tell the pressure to win is getting to them with the way the final possession played out at Texas Tech? There are some good nonconference performances to lean on, specifically beating Missouri State and Syracuse on neutral floors and Pitt in OK City, but if the Pokes don't right this very, very soon, that won't be enough.

Kansas State [20-9 (9-5), RPI: 56, SOS: 96] It pays to be in the Big 12 North. The nine league wins are Colorado (twice), Missouri (twice), Iowa State (twice), Baylor, Nebraska and (a good one against) Texas. That helps explain the middling computer profile. The win over USC is nice, but the nonconference leaves a lot to be desired. The game at OK State in Stillwater on Tuesday is huge, as it could KO the Cowboys and leave K-State with a home date against Oklahoma with which to work.