5* NCAAF *Friday Night Feast* (ESPNU) on Tennessee -3

Tennessee vs. North Carolina State, 08/31/2012 19:30 EDT, Score: 35 - 21

Point Spread: -3/-115 Tennessee

Sportsbook: BookMaker

Result: Win

5* NCAAF *Friday Night Feast* (ESPNU) on Tennessee -3
The Vols have the edge in terms of talent, especially on the all-important defensive side of the football. They ranked 28th nationally in total defense in 2011 with 340.5 yards allowed per game, and I expect them to be even stingier now that coordinator Sal Sunseri has installed Nick Saban's 3-4 scheme.

I think the fact that Tennessee, which went 5-7 last season, is favored against an NC State team that went 8-5 last year speaks to its superior talent and its 19 returning starters.

Offensively, Tennessee will be without Da’Rick Rogers this season, but I still have a lot of faith in the receiving corps. Justin Hunter, a 6-foot-4 world-class high jumper, and Cordarrelle Patterson, one of the top-rated junior-college prospects in the 2012 class, are poised for big seasons.

The Volunteers are 4-1 ATS in their last 5 non-conference games, 7-2-1 ATS in their last 10 games as a favorite and 5-2 ATS in their last 7 games as a favorite of 3.0 points or less. Take Tennessee.