At 12:00 PM ET on Saturday, we will be playing the Clemson Tigers (336) plus the points versus the Florida State Seminoles (335). THE SITUATION: Clemson (2-1) has won two straight games after their 48-14 win against FAU as a 24.5-point favorite last Saturday. Florida State (3-0) remained unbeaten this season after their 31-29 win at Boston College as a 27.5-point favorite on Saturday.

REASONS TO TAKE THE TIGERS PLUS THE POINTS: Clemson will be circling the wagons for this contest as they look to redeem themselves from their Week One upset loss at Duke and maintain their College Football Playoff hopes alive. This game will be just the second time in the Tigers' last 60 home games at Memorial Stadium where they will be an underdog. After making the College Football Playoffs in six straight years, Clemson has lost three games in each of the last two seasons. Was this program temporarily propped up by two great coordinators while getting lucky with two generational talents at quarterback in Deshaun Watson and Trevor Lawrence? Both offensive coordinator Tony Elliott and defensive coordinator Brent Venables left the program after the 2021-22 season to become head coaches elsewhere. Head coach Dabo Swinney seemed to point the finger at D.J. Uiagalelelei as the source of the problem when he benched him for freshman Cade Klubnik in the ACC Championship Game. Swinney brought in Garrett Riley to implement the Air Raid offense he installed as the offensive coordinator for TCU last year — and the defense remains loaded with blue-chip talent destined for the NFL. Klubnik remains a work in progress, especially with the vertical passing game — but Clemson should be able to move the ball on the ground to set up advantageous passing situations. Running backs Will Shipley and Phil Mafah have combined to generate 130.3 rushing Yards-Per-Game on 6.4 Yards-Per-Carry. Shipley continues to be one of the best running backs in the country by averaging 6.1 YPC and producing +3.6 YPC after contact. This duo has helped the Tigers rank 12th in the nation in Success Rate on offense. The Seminoles have been vulnerable with their run defense. They rank 122nd in Opponent Rush Explosiveness Allowed after Boston College ran for 150 yards against them. Stopping the run was an issue for this team last season as well as they ranked 74th in the nation by allowing 156.4 rushing YPG — and they ranked 63rd in Opponent Rush Success Rate Allowed. The Clemson defense has only allowed 19.7 Points-Per-Game and 246.7 YPG. While Duke quarterback Riley Leonard burned them on a 44-yard rushing touchdown in their opener, they did hold the NFL prospect to just 175 passing yards on his 38 attempts. The Tigers rank 15th in the nation in Opponent Pass Success Rate Allowed and 23rd in Opponent Rush Success Rate Allowed — and they rank eighth in Havoc Rate. Clemson has only allowed 366 total yards in their last two games since the loss to the Blue Devils — and they have covered the point spread in 11 of their last 14 games after not allowing more than 200 total YPG in their last two contests. And while their last two games have gone Over the Total with at least 62 combined points scored in both games, they have then covered the point spread in 23 of their last 33 games after playing two games in a row where 60 or more combined points were scored — and they have covered the point spread in 5 of their last 6 games after playing two straight Overs. Florida State wants to believe the glory days back for the Seminoles in the fourth season under head coach Mike Norvell after their opening week upset victory against LSU in Orlando. Last year, they led the ACC by outgaining their opponents by +164.6 net YPG — and 11 All-ACC players are back from that group that won their final six games. Depth remains an issue for this team that is still rebuilding after four straight losing seasons. While they looked great against LSU and then Southern Mississippi, they got outgained by a mediocre Eagles team last week by -107 net yards with their defense giving up 457 total yards. That contest was their first game on the road — and they stay on the road this week for perhaps their biggest game in the Norvell era. Florida State has failed to cover the point spread in 5 of their last 7 games after a win by three points or less on the road — and they have failed to cover the point spread in 12 of their last 18 games after a win on the road by three points or less against a conference rival. They have also failed to cover the point spread in 37 of their last 8 road games after covering the point spread in two of their last three games.

FINAL TAKE: Have the Seminoles turned just one corner — or all of the corners — necessary to return to College Football Playoff contention? They have lost seven straight games to the Tigers — and the last time they beat them in Memorial Stadium was 2013. Now they are favored which is a rare motivational opportunity for Dabo Swinney in his sixteenth year running the program — and Clemson has covered the point spread in 11 of the 15 home games as an underdog against a ranked opponent under his leadership. 25* CFB ACC Game of the Month with the Clemson Tigers (336) plus the points versus the Florida State Seminoles (335). Best of luck for us — Frank.

FRANK’S CUTTING ROOM FLOOR FOR SATURDAY, 9/23:

My “Cutting Room Floor” plays are the situations I considered the closest to being worthy of investment but did not make the “final cut” for my official plays today for subscribers. The last play I cut for Saturday afternoon is with the Cincinnati Bearcats plus the points versus the Oklahoma Sooners. Cincinnati (2-1) looks to bounce back from their 31-24 upset loss at home to Miami (OH) as a 14-point favorite last week. First-year head coach Scott Satterfield’s teams have covered the point spread in 8 of their last 11 games after an upset loss in their last game. The Bearcats did outgain the RedHawks by +180 net yards after generating 538 yards last week — and they have covered the point spread in 5 of their last 8 games after gaining 475 or more yards in their last game. Oklahoma (3-0) remained unbeaten this season with their 66-17 win at Tulsa as a 28-point favorite last Saturday — but the Sooners  have failed to cover the point spread in 5 of their last 7 games after winning two or more games in a row. They have also failed to cover the point spread in 6 of their last 9 games on the road when favored. Take Cincinnati plus the points. Best of luck — Frank.

Frank Sawyer’s Hollywood Sports is on a 7 of 9 (78%) Football Game of the Month run which includes their 25* CFB Saturday ESPNU Game of the Month winner last week with Ohio’s UPSET VICTORY against Iowa State! Now Frank UNLEASHES his 25* CFB ACC Game of the Month this afternoon — DO NOT MISS OUT!

At 3:30 PM ET on Saturday, we will be playing the Kansas Jayhawks (344) plus the points versus BYU (343). THE SITUATION: Kansas (3-0) has won their opening three games of the season after their 31-24 victory at Nevada as a 28-point favorite last Saturday. BYU (3-0) remained unbeaten this year after their 38-31 upset win at Arkansas as a 9-point underdog on Saturday.

REASONS TO TAKE THE JAYHAWKS PLUS THE POINTS: Kansas dominated the Wolf Pack last week but had trouble translating red zone trips into more points — they gained 442 total yards of offense and outgained Nevada by +179 net yards. The Jayhawks have covered the point spread in 20 of their last 30 games after a win on the road. They have also covered the point spread in 5 of their last 6 games after a straight-up win where they did not cover the point spread as the favorite. They return home where they have covered the point spread in 4 of their last 6 games when favored — and they have covered the point spread in 17 of their last 23 home games after winning two or more games in a row. BYU rallied from a 24-21 halftime deficit in their upset win in Fayetteville last week — but they have failed to cover the point spread in 15 of their last 18 games on the road after allowing 24 or more points in the first half in their last game. They pulled off the upset victory despite getting outgained by -143 net yards by the Razorbacks. BYU committed just their second turnover of the season last week — but they have then failed to cover the point spread in 4 of their last 5 games after not committing more than one turnover in three straight games. The Cougars have also failed to cover the point spread in 5 of their last 8 games after winning three or more games in a row. They stay on the road for the second straight game this week — and they have failed to cover the point spread in 7 of their last 10 games after playing on the road in their last game. They have scored 79 points in their last two games — but they have then failed to cover the point spread in 5 of their last 7 games after scoring 31 or more points in two straight games.

FINAL TAKE: BYU faces their inaugural game as a member of the Big 12 against a conference rival in this one — and they have failed to cover the point spread in 11 of their last 17 games in the first half of the season. 8* CFB Saturday Afternoon Discounted Deal with the Kansas Jayhawks (344) plus the points versus BYU (343). Best of luck for us — Frank.

At 7:30 PM ET on Saturday, we will be playing the Ohio State Buckeyes (423) minus the points versus the Notre Dame Fighting Irish (424). THE SITUATION: Ohio State (3-0) has won their first three games of the season after their 63-10 win against Western Kentucky as a 30-point favorite last Saturday. Notre Dame (4-0) has won their opening four games of the season with their 41-17 win against Central Michigan as a 35-point favorite on Saturday.

REASONS TO TAKE THE BUCKEYES MINUS THE POINTS: The Fighting Irish have dominated their first four opponents by scoring at least 41 points in all four of their games — and they have generated at least 456 yards in their last three games after putting up 444 total yards in Ireland against Navy in their opening game of the season. But Notre Dame has failed to cover the point spread in 15 of their last 24 games after scoring 31 or more points in four straight games — and they have failed to cover the point spread in 3 straight games after gaining at least 40 yards in three straight games. Can the Fighting Irish compete for the College Football Playoff by repeating the power rushing attack they successfully deployed last season —and if not, is adding Sam Hartman at quarterback enough to transform the passing attack against elite competition? The Irish lost their first three games in the first three games under head coach Marcus Freeman last season with them only scoring 23.7 PPG and generating 5.6 Yards-Per-Play in their first six games. But after switching to a power-rushing attack, the Fighting Irish scored 38.7 PPG and averaged 6.2 YPP — and they returned two great starting tackles to serve as the foundation for this approach. Hartman offers the hope of a more sophisticated passing attack after passing for more than 300 YPG in the last two seasons for Wake Forest. But is there a true number-one wide receiver option from a unit that ranked sixth-to-last in receptions of 40 or more yards last year? Ohio State covered the point spread for the first time this season with their 53-point win against the Hilltoppers last week — and they have covered the point spread in 7 of their last 9 games after not covering the point spread in two of their last three games. Additionally, the Buckeyes have covered the point spread in 8 of their last 11 games after a win at home by 17 or more points. After their two-game home stand, they go back on the road for the second time this season — and they have covered the point spread in 5 of their last 6 games after a two-game home stand. Head coach Ryan Day has reached the College Football Playoff in three of the first four years under his leadership — but is his zeal to mold a team prepared for those potential games making the Buckeyes vulnerable against their biggest obstacle to winning a Big Ten Championship? Michigan has beaten them by 15 and 22 points in the last two seasons by controlling both sides of the line of scrimmage. Previous head coach Urban Meyer has subtly suggested that the program has gotten softer regarding their physicality with all the speed on the roster — and Day is certainly aware of this criticism. After four years of Justin Fields and C.J. Stroud under center, Day has to find a new quarterback this season amidst this challenge. And attention must be paid to their defense that allowed 87 combined points and a whopping 8.9 Yards-Per-Play in their last two games against the Wolverines and then Georgia in the playoff semifinals. The progress on defense is very encouraging after Ohio State has given up only 20 combined points this season. The Buckeyes rank 10th in the nation in Finishing Drives Allowed. The development at quarterback has been slower — but junior Kyle McCord comes off his best game of the season as he completed 19 of 23 passes for 318 yards with three touchdowns and no interceptions.

FINAL TAKE: Notre Dame does not have the roster talent of the Georgia and Michigan teams that have handed them their most recent three losses going to September of 2021. Ohio State has covered the point spread in 24 of their last 34 games on the road when favored by up to seven points — and the Fighting Irish have failed to cover the point spread in 4 of their last 5 games at home with the Total set in the 49.5-56 point range. 8* CFB Ohio State-Notre Dame NBC-TV Special with the Ohio State Buckeyes (423) minus the points versus the Notre Dame Fighting Irish (424). Best of luck for us — Frank.

At 7:30 PM ET on Saturday, we will be playing the Penn State Nittany Lions (426) minus the points versus the Iowa Hawkeyes (425). THE SITUATION: Penn State (3-0) has won their first three games of the season after their 30-13 victory at Illinois as a 14-point road favorite last Saturday. Iowa (3-0) has won their first three contests after their 41-10 win against Western Michigan as a 28.5-point favorite on Saturday.

REASONS TO TAKE THE NITTANY LIONS MINUS THE POINTS: The question for the Hawkeyes entering the season was where they could develop an even mid-level offensive attack. They scored only 17.7 Points-Per-Game and generated just 251.5 total Yards-Per-Game last season, ranking 122nd and 129th in the nation. Head coach Kirk Ferentz, in his 25th year with the program, may be forced to abandon nepotism if things do not improve this year with his son, Brian, only renewed on a one-year contract to continue as the offensive coordinator with the stipulations being the team has to register at least seven wins while generating 25.5 PPG. The senior Ferentz turned to Michigan for help by bringing senior quarterback Cade McNamara and senior tight end Erick All as transfers to help jumpstart the offense. But there are reasons why both players were not first-stringers for the Wolverines last year. The Iowa defense should once again be thought with 10 of the 16 players who logged at least 200 snaps returning. They were second in the nation by allowing only 13.3 PPG and 270.8 YPG. But Ferentz’s style of play on offense helps the defense — so significant changes on offense could disrupt the formula on defense. Iowa scored only 24 and 20 points in their opening two games against Utah State and Iowa State. The Hawkeyes finally toppled their offensive coordinator’s necessary quota against the Broncos last week — but it was not because of their passing attack. McNamara only completed 9 of 19 passes for 103 yards with two touchdowns and two interceptions. He is a gamer who led Michigan to the College Football Playoff two years ago — but the Wolverines coaching staff moved off him for J.J. McCarthy because there is a ceiling to his potential given his arm talent. To make the situation even worse, McNamara will be undermanned this week due to injuries. Iowa will be without their top two running backs, Kaleb Johnson and Leshon Williams, as well as their top tight end Luke Lachey for this game. The Hawkeyes have failed to cover the point spread in 31 of their last 53 games after covering the point spread as a double-digit favorite in their last game. And while they have covered the point spread in their last two games as the favorite, they have then failed to cover the point spread in 18 of their last 28 games after covering the point spread as the favorite in two straight games. Penn State has covered the point spread in 40 of their last 63 games after a victory on the road against a Big Ten rival — and they have covered the point spread in 9 of their last 10 games after a point spread win. With two of the four College Football Playoff teams in their division in the Big Ten conference, can the Nittany Lions reach the elite level necessary to compete against Ohio State and Michigan? They have lost nine of their last 12 games against the traditional Big Two in the conference since 2017. Even worse, they are winless in their last ten games against top-ten opponents in the last six seasons under head coach James Franklin. The hope is that the team is ready to take this final step with the offense turning over to sophomore blue-chipper Drew Allar at quarterback after four years of the capable if unspectacular Sean Clifford under center. Allar struggled in his first start on the road in his career last week by completing only 16 of 33 passes for 208 yards. But the offense still generated 483 total yards against the Illini with Singleton and fellow sophomore Kaytron Allen leading a rushing attack that ran for 164 yards. The Hawkeyes' run defense may not be quite as stout this season — they rank 69th in the nation in Opponent Rush Success Rate Allowed and they rank 74th in Line Yards Allowed.  

FINAL TAKE: With rain expected with winds up to 10 miles per hour, the respective rushing attacks may be even more important tonight -- and that gives the edge to Penn State. The Nittany Lions have covered the point spread in 11 of their last 13 games when favored — and they have covered the point spread in 7 straight games when favored in the 10.5-14 point range after their late cover with Franklin’s aggressive late game management. 10* CFB Iowa-Penn State CBS-TV Special with the Penn State Nittany Lions (426) minus the points versus the Iowa Hawkeyes (425). Best of luck for us — Frank.