Rogers' Early NYE Afternoon ANNIHILATION >> SIZZLING 10-3 Bowl Run!
(NCAAF) LSU vs. Louisville,
Total: 59.50 | -107.00 Under
Result: Loss
The set-up: The 7-4 LSU Tigers will meet the 9-3 Louisville Tigers in the Citrus Bowl (Orlando), in a late-morning start (11:00 ET). QB Lamar Jackson toyed with defenses for most of 2016 en route to becoming Louisville's first Heisman Trophy winner but its he'll likely face his toughest test of the season on Dec. 31 against LSU, which ranks sixth in scoring defense (16.4 PPG ) and 14th in total defense (323.0 YPG)

LSU: The Tigers opened the year No. 3 in the AP's preseason poll but lost its first game 16-14 in Green Bay to Wisconsin. When the Tigers lost 18-13 at Auburn on Sept. 24th to fall to 2-2, Les Miles was fired. Assistant Ed Orgeron replaced Miles and the team went 5-2, losing 10-0 to Alabama and 16-10 to Florida. However, Orgeron has been hired full-time and LSU will be a dangerous team in this one. That said, RB Leonard Fournette will not play after declaring for the NFL Draft earlier in the month. One year after rushing for 1,953 yards and 22 TDs (both school records), he was dogged by an August left ankle injury that forced him to miss four regular-season games in 2016. Despite missing nearly half the season, he'll leave as the Tigers' single-season leader in rushing yards per game (162.8), career rushing yards per game (119.7) and 200-yard games (five). Finding a QB (or passing game) will be "Job-1" for Orgeron moving forward, as LSU enters this contest ranking 101st of 128 FBS schools with 187.6 YPG passing.

Louisville: The Cardinals were in contention for the College Football Playoff spot in mid-November but lost their final two games, at Houston and inexplicably at home to state rival Kentucky (as a four-TD favorite), to finish 9-3. Jackson wasn't at his best in the final two games, as Houston sacked him 11 times and he committed four turnovers against Kentucky. However, he earned an easy Heisman victory. And, why not? Jackson is the only player in FBS history to throw for 30-plus TDs (30) and rush for 20-plus TDs (21) in the regular season. He set the ACC record for TDs responsible for in a single season (51) while breaking the single-season school marks for rushing yards (1,538) and 100-yard rushing performances (eight). Louisville second in the nation in both scoring (45.3 PPG) and total yards (558.8 YPG), which overshadows a defense which ranked 32nd in points allowed (23.3 PPG) and 12th in total yards allowed (316.2 YPG).


The set-up: As good as the LSU defense is, I do not expect them to contain Jackson and Louisville (remember, Kentucky scored 41 points on 581 yards!) plus LSU won't miss Leonard Fournette all that much with Derrius Guice filling in (he has 1,249 yards and 14 TDs at 8.0 YPC). The Louisville defense is not in the class of Alabama's or Florida's, the two teams which beat LSU under Orgeron. In LSU's five wins after Miles was fired, the Tigers averaged 43.4 PPG. Make the Over an 8* play in this one.