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Frisco Football Classic Bowl 2021: North Texas vs. Miami (OH) Odds, Fantasy Tips
December 22, 2021
It's OK if you have never heard of the Frisco Football Classic.
The Frisco Football Classic was created this season by the NCAA to allow all of the bowl-eligible teams to participate in the postseason. In past years, some six-win Group of Five teams missed out on bowls because there were too many teams for the available bowl slots.
The North Texas Mean Green and Miami (Ohio) RedHawks were drawn against each other for the Conference USA-versus-MAC clash at Toyota Stadium, which also hosted the Frisco Bowl on Tuesday night.
Both teams enter Frisco, Texas, with 6-6 records. North Texas reeled off five straight wins to become bowl-eligible, while Miami was one win away from qualifying for the MAC Championship Game.
The two sides have very different approaches offensively. North Texas averages 246.2 rushing yards per game, and Miami averages 282.6 passing yards per contest.
Frisco Football Classic Info
Date: Thursday, December 23
Start Time: 3:30 p.m. ET
TV: ESPN
Live Stream: ESPN.com and ESPN app
Game Odds
Odds via DraftKings Sportsbook
Spread: Miami (Ohio) (-2.5)
Over/Under: 55
Money Line: Miami (Ohio) (-130; bet $130 to win $100); North Texas (+110; bet $100 to win $110)
Daily Fantasy Tips
Roster Miami's Jack Sorenson
Miami wide receiver Jack Sorenson is the best individual talent participating in the Frisco Football Classic.
The senior produced 69 receptions, 1,290 receiving yards and 10 touchdowns in the regular season and has six 100-yard performances in his last seven games.
Sorenson could be targeted heavily by quarterback Brett Gabbert, the younger brother of NFL quarterback Blaine Gabbert. The wideout has a four-game scoring streak and is only a few games removed from a 14-catch, 283-yard performance versus the Ohio Bobcats.
The Gabbert-Sorenson connection helped Miami finish 20th in the FBS in passing yards per game, and the duo will be the RedHawks' key to victory.
They are facing a North Texas defense that allowed 226.1 passing yards per game. They were just below that average in the last two matchups with bowl-eligible sides, giving up an average of 217.0 yards through the air against the UTSA Roadrunners and UTEP Miners in two of its last three contests.
Sorenson will test the Mean Green's secondary, and he is expected to receive a ton of targets in his final collegiate game.
The Miami senior could end up as the centerpiece of daily fantasy football lineups because of his expected high target rate.
Trust North Texas' Rushing Attack
North Texas had a 100-yard rusher in three of its last four victories.
The Mean Green shifted to a more run-heavy offense after their 1-6 start, and that approach produced a five-game winning streak to become bowl-eligible.
North Texas could follow the recent bowl trend of winning by dominating the line of scrimmage. The Wyoming Cowboys and Tulsa Golden Hurricane flexed their muscles on the interior on the way to double-digit victories in the last few days.
DeAndre Torrey carried most of the rushing load this season with 248 carries, 1,214 rushing yards and 13 touchdowns, but Ikaika Ragsdale and Isaiah Johnson both had 100-yard games in November.
As long as Torrey plays, he should be the first North Texas running back chosen for DFS lineups. Ragsdale and Johnson could be solid options as well, though.
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