James Madison will be looking to pull off an all-time upset when it faces Oregon in the first round of the College Football Playoff.
The best college football betting sites have Oregon as a -21.5 favorite. College football player props are also available to bet on now.
Below, we will look at all of the player prop projections for all of the top offensive players in this CFB Playoff clash.
Oregon vs James Madison computer picks
 James Madison |
 Oregon |
|---|---|
| Barnett Over 141.5 passing yards (-114) | Dante Moore Over 233.5 passing yards (-114) |
| Knight Under 70.5 rushing yards (-115) | Whittington Under 82.5 rushing yards (-114) |
| Ellis Under 28.5 receiving yards (-114) | Dakorien Moore Over 49.5 receiving yards (-115) |
| Sanchez Over 17.5 receiving yards (-115) | Sadiq Under 57.5 receiving yards (-112) |
James Madison computer picks
Alonza Barnett III Over 141.5 passing yards
Projection: 161.4 yards
Alonza Barnett will not be confused with Drew Mestemaker any time soon when it comes to racking up passing yardage. The James Madison Dukes quarterback is averaging just 194.8 yards per game through the air this season.
The Oregon Ducks, meanwhile, have the third-best pass defense in the country as they are giving up only 144.3 yards per game through the air.
Even though Oregon’s defensive game plan will be geared toward stopping JMU’s elite run game, potentially opening up opportunities for Barnett to shine, this is just a whole different level of team that JMU is used to facing. I just can’t see Barnett cracking this number.
Wayne Knight Under 70.5 rushing yards (-115)
Projection: 47.9 yards
As mentioned above, JMU has an elite run game — led by Wayne Knight. Knight is averaging 97.1 yards per game on the ground, and he most recently posted 212 rushing yards against Troy.
Oregon ranks 20th in run defense in the nation, and sixth in the Big Ten. It’s a good, but not great unit.
Dan Lanning’s D will no doubt be primarily focused on Knight in this one, though, and Oregon has elite athletes on defense that JMU just didn’t face this season. Plus, this number is far too high.
The computer likes Knight to go way Under, as it projects a 47.9-yard rushing day for the Dukes' back. I’ll agree with the computer and take the Under.
Landon Ellis Under 28.5 receiving yards (-114)
Projection: 25.3 receiving yards
Barnett likes to feed all his receivers, and the Dukes have a different leading receiver from game to game. For instance, in JMU’s last game against Troy, Braeden Wislowski, Nick DeGennaro, Jaylan Sanchez, and Wayne Knight were all tied for the team lead in catches on the day with just 2.
Landon Ellis had only one grab for nine yards.
There’s just too much variance here to be confident that Ellis will reach this number.
I’ll agree with the computer and once again take the Under.
Jaylan Sanchez Over 17.5 receiving yards (-115)
Projection: 26.4 yards
It’s the same story for Jaylan Sanchez. Barnett is a football socialist, so Sanchez’s individual numbers probably won’t be there.
Sanchez is averaging just 2.1 catches per game this season. That’s not enough touches for me to think he’ll crack this number.
I’ll go against the computer here and take the Sanchez Under.
Oregon computer picks
Dante Moore Over 233.5 passing yards (-114)
Projection: 236.6 yards
The JMU defense has not allowed a passer to throw for over 200 yards in its past five games. In fact, quarterbacks are averaging just 150 yards per game in that span.
Dante Moore has thrown for over 257 yards in his last three games, but he is not too far removed from back-to-back clunkers. Against Wisconsin on Oct. 25, Moore completed just 9-of-15 passes for a measly 86 yards. He followed that up with a weak 13-for-21, 112-yard performance at Iowa.
I think the JMU defense will be up for the challenge. I like them to hold Moore Under 233.5, while the computer thinks he’ll squeak Over.
Noah Whittington Under 82.5 rushing yards (-114)
Projection: 69.5 yards
While JMU’s pass defense is strong, its run defense is exceptional. The Dukes rank second in the nation in run defense, allowing just 76.2 yards per game on the ground.
Against a similarly strong run defense (Washington) on Nov. 29, Noah Whittington posted just 47 yards rushing on 17 carries. Plus, this number is just too high against an elite run defense.
Dakorien Moore Over 49.5 receiving yards (-115)
Projection: 59.1 yards
Dakorien Moore was enjoying a strong freshman season before going down with a non-contact knee injury in early November.
Rust could surely be an issue against JMU’s pass defense.
In addition, Moore’s receiving yardage totals prior to the injury were not exactly elite. He did not have a 100-yard receiving day on the season, and he only went over 70 yards once this season (89 yards in 2OT vs. Penn State).
This number is too high for my liking. I’ll take yet another Under and disagree with the computer.
Kenyon Sadiq Under 57.5 receiving yards (-112)
Projection: 48.7 yards
Kenyon Sadiq’s receiving yardage totals are just too erratic for me to trust that he can reach this surprisingly large number for a college tight end.
Here are the receiving totals for his last four games:
- 1 catch for 6 yards vs. Wisconsin
- 8 catches for 96 yards vs. Minnesota
- 6 catches for 72 yards vs. USC
- 4 catches for 11 yards at Washington
I just don’t trust it. I’ll roll with the computer here and take the Under.
