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PLAYBOOK / MARC LAWRENCE
COLLEGE FOOTBALL
BALL ST over C Michigan by 20
Staying in the MAC, 8-1 Ball State must win here to remain unbeaten
in conference play and keep the heat on current MAC West co-leader
Northern Illinois. The Gonads slug it out with the Huskies the following
Wednesday and should they emerge victorious over NIU, a home game
against pitiful Miami Ohio will be the only hurdle standing in the way
of a trip to the conference championship game for BSU. However, it’s
the upcoming battle against the undefeated Huskies that makes us wary
here: the Ballers are just 1-4 ATS as a pick or favorite – and 0-3 ATS off
back-to-back SU wins – the week before tangling with the sled dogs from
DeKalb. We can’t take advantage of that chink in the armor, not with a
CMU squad that’s 0-5 ATS as conference dogs in Game Nine and 0-3 SUATS
in the last three series meetings. Besides having to overcome a lookahead
to the NIU showdown, Ball State HC Pete Lembo must also devise
a game plan for the Chippewas that will reveal nothing of importance
to the Huskies’ coaches when viewed on fi lm. That in itself is enough to
keep us out of this midweek MACer, despite the fact that regular season Wednesday night home chalk off back-to-back wins are an eye-popping
11-1 ATS! Chips proved they’re down but not completely out when they
ambushed Ohio U on the road a few weeks ago, 26-23, so tonight’s big
line could easily prove troublesome. Reluctantly, we’ll pass for now.
SPORTS REPORTER
COLLEGE FOOTBALL
*BALL STATE over CENTRAL MICHIGAN by 21
The 3-5 SU visiting Chippewas, Dan Enos’ slaughtered side, enters this off a 17-day
break during which we thought for sure he’d be shown the door, but it hasn’t happened.
The Chips are actually 2-2 in the MAC, but their 435 yards per game allowed defense
doesn’t figure to make too many stops against the balanced offense of 8-1 SU, 6-2 ATS
Ball State, whose defense will give up yards (422 per game) but has shown a knack for
getting turnovers this season (23 of ’em in eight games). BALL STATE, 41-20.
WINNING POINTS
COLLEGE FOOTBALL
Ball State* over Central Michigan by 18
The Cardinals have a big edge at quarterback -- Keith Wenning has 80 career TD
passes -- and are extra-tough in Muncie. But CMU won outright as a 20-point dog
in their last road game and Pete Lembo’s crew has Northern Illinois on deck.
BALL STATE 38-20.
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