College Football Week 15: Early Lines and Point Spreads

It’s hard to believe we are 15 weeks into the college football season and nothing has been decided as far as most of the bowls and even the national title picture.

While we don’t have anything like a full schedule of games, we have some nice quality and some real meaningful ones that should keep everyone glued to their TV sets. I’ll be in Las Vegas during the latter part of the week for the Manny Pacquiao-Oscar De La Hoya fight but as has been the case in the past, things here should go pretty smoothly (fingers crossed).

Because of the limited schedule and because of the time or lack of that I’ll be able to spend on things this week I am at least planning on not having the picking contest this week and just having our big season ending contest for the bowls. While I may change my mind, that is where I stand right now though the free newsletter will go out as normal and if anything may go out a little early this week.

With the games being limited we can expect even more line movement than usual as people tend to play heavier on the limited action instead of being able to spread things out across many games, I think we have seen this all season long with the mid week games as 3- and 4-point moves have been common, sometimes making a one time underdog a favorite. In any event, I will probably list all of the opening lines for the bowls and that will be it for the season as far as these opening lines articles go.

While I never consider these my best work, they are usually some of my most read articles of the week. It just goes to show some of those all star “think out every word” type of writers that sometimes people just want actual information, even if it isn’t breaking news. I’m glad everyone has found this series useful and I plan on continuing it next season and moving it into other sports as well as the network we are working on starts to spread its branches.

In any event, let’s look at what Vegas says is going to happen this week:

 

On Tuesday, Middle Tennessee State is +4 at Louisiana Lafayette. This is the type of game that leaves people mystified as to how anyone can know anything about these teams. Those who visit my site regularly know that we have a very well educated group of fans and we all know these teams as well as anyone, this should be a decent game, better than some of that lower tier MAC stuff we have been seeing on Tuesdays.

On Thursday, Louisville is +11 at Rutgers. I am starting to wonder how long of a leash they are going to give Steve Kragthorpe at the ‘Ville, especially after they were getting used to winning. Greg Schiano has done a nice job getting Rutgers on track as the season was setting up to be a disaster early on.

On Friday, Buffalo is +14 1/2 against Ball State in the MAC Title game held in Detroit. Ball State looks to close out the deal on their perfect regular season while Buffalo continues to try and earn respect. These are two good teams and this should be a fun one to watch.

On Saturday, Army is +11 against Navy. While many of these players will never play football again,  the rivalry that is this series is as big as the game itself and it also might be the most competitive contest between these two in years.

Pittsburgh is +2 1/2 at Connecticut. Pittsburgh is coming off of a big win as an underdog against West Virginia while UConn is coming off of a tough loss on the road at South Florida. Both of these teams need this one to improve their bowl standings and the odds makers didn’t seem to underestimate the importance of it.

South Florida is +7 at West Virginia. Last week put an exclamation point as to how disappointing of a season this has been for them as they lost against to Pittsburgh in the Backyard Brawl in a game they led much of the way. It should be interesting to see which West Virginia Team shows up for Senior Day as Pat White celebrates his last game in Morgantown.

Washington is +33 1/2 at Cal. Washington has yet to name a successor to Ty Willingham as Ty coaches his last game for the Huskies. As we all saw last time out that a bad season got worse in Washington as they lost to Washington State in the Apple Cup.

USC is -30 at UCLA. When we look at the 1 loss teams the Trojans have been the odd man out all season long even though their 1 loss came early and came on the road. This game means a lot to both teams as it still is one of the defining games in college football.

Arizona State is +10 1/2 at Arizona. Neither of these teams are very good and while Arizona has had a better year they haven’t been able to step it up and get wins in games against tough opponents. While ASU isn’t considered a tough opponent, rivalry games are always tough games.

Cincinnati is -7 1/2 at Hawaii. I am thinking when Cincinnati scheduled this game they thought the trip would be the highlight of their season, little did they know they would be headed to a BCS bowl game, that’s how far the Bearcats have come.

Arkansas State is +11 at Troy. I was all aboard the Troy bandwagon earlier this year until the injuries took over, maybe it’s time I get back on.

Western Kentucky is +7 at Florida International. FIU has had a string season considering they have won more games than in their entire existence. WKU has still yet to beat a D-1 team this season and has only beaten 1 in their entire history.

See the rest of the Week 15 opening lines and point spreads.

Go to Source

Mitch’s Week 14 College Football Picks (Part Three)

After last Saturday’s 14-5 record against the spread and 7-2 mark in games I gave a confidence rating of 7 or higher, I’m ready to put it on line for another weekend of action.

As we wind down the season it really has been an amazing journey to reflect upon on this day of giving thanks. While up until a few months ago I had a newsletter that was very lightly distributed through email chains of forwards, it has grown into a community of some of the most educated college football fans I have ever come across.

While we don’t always agree or cheer each other on, we do respect one another and use facts to back up our points which is something that gets left behind at a lot of places.

While for at least the near term you aren’t going to stumble across a fluff piece here and we aren’t going to let something slide because someone uses a word or two that we need to look up in the dictionary, we do what the The College Football Place was intended to do, just “get real about college football”.

As our forum membership gets bigger by the minute, with our free newsletter and picking contest growing exponentially by the day, and our monthly viewership getting close to a half a million, we have far surpassed any goals I had for the site at this point in time and I am grateful.

While I think at some point my goal was to become part of a larger and more established site, now I am content to work with some other smart people to build our own community that can stand side by side with the biggest sites in the industry and according to Google, in some searches, we’ve already passed them; pretty amazing stuff and a lot to be thankful for.

Anyways, before I get too gushy around the holidays, we have some real rivals about to trade helmet paint this weekend and there isn’t going to be a lot of love in the air. We covered a lot of ground with our first two sets of picks and we’ll continue on with more of the great games on tap for this week.

 

Texas -35 Vs. Texas A&M (Thursday 11/27/08, 8 EST) 7 out of 10

For Thanksgiving night the boys at ESPN decided to deliver to the public a real Turkey of a game that is bound to lay an egg. Texas A&M has been nothing short of horrible defensively as they rank 113th in the country in total points allowed and 114th in total yards allowed.

While their major deficiency is against the run where they give up well over 200 yards per game, I look for Longhorn QB Colt McCoy to carve up their secondary and serve it up on a platter with a side of mashed potatoes.

The Texas secondary has been beatable but the Aggies don’t have anything to attack it with. I don’t expect these Pilgrims and Indians to sit down over a meal and decide to coexist; these two teams and fan bases do not like each other.

Texas is 8-3 against the spread this year while Texas A&M has only covered 4 times in 11 tries. The home team has dominated in this series going 8-2 against the spread in the last 10 meetings.

Aside from covering 5 of the last 6 times these two have met, Texas is 9-3 against the spread in their last 12 overall. Texas is also 6-1 against the spread in their last 7 following an against the spread win and is 7-2 against the spread in their last 9 following a straight up win.

Texas A&M is 1-4 against the spread when playing a team with a winning record and  are 0-5 against the spread the last 5 times they have teed it up on a Thursday.

This is a huge spread for what is a rivalry game but I believe the Longhorns score early and often and run it up against the Aggies in front of their home crowd.

See the rest of Mitch’s week 14 part 3 college football picks against the spread.

Go to Source

What to Watch for – Week 14

The Buckeyes, along with the rest of the Big Ten, are in the clubhouse while most everyone else — minus 4 Pac-10 schools and a few Big East schools — finish up this weekend, conference title games notwithstanding.  Presuming there’s anything interesting going on, it should be a nice occasion to stuff your face with leftovers while watching stirring rivalry games like LSU-Arkansas… and Colorado-Nebraska… and Auburn-Alabama… and Kentucky-Tennessee…. hmmmm…

Anyways, here’s what’s on if you have nothing else to do.

Thursday

• Texas A&M @ Texas (ESPN, 8:00PM ET).  Texas A&M were the lead aggressors in this rivalry through most of the 1990s, dropping only 3 decisions during the decade if memory serves correct (1990, 1995, 1998).  However, the course of the rivalry — and certainly the direction of both programs — has changed dramatically since the arrival of Mack Brown to Texas in 1998.  Still, in spite of College Station now being the dusty outpost of the Big 12 South and Austin now being house to a national contender, Texas A&M has a two-game winning streak in this rivalry.  It’d be cool if it continues, but I wouldn’t count on it.

Friday

• West Virginia @ Pitt (ABC, 12:00PM ET).  A lot of football will be played on Friday, though I’m not entirely sure why.  On the topic at hand, this marks the first Backyard Brawl since the ugly “Oh my God how did they lose this?” Backyard Brawl from last year.  The 4-7 Pitt Panthers upset the 2nd ranked Mountaineers, in Morgantown, 13-9 in a game that was supposed to be a coronation ceremony for the BCS Championship Game-bound Mounties.  As it was, WVU’s explosive offense was held to just one second quarter touchdown as the Mounties lost their outright Big East crown, lost their chance at a national title and, well… lost their coach in the process as well¹.  Judging from the course of the program under Bill Stewart, the hangover from this loss isn’t going away anytime soon.
• Mississippi State @ Ole Miss (ESPN360.com, 12:00PM ET).  I’m 99.9% positive this game will be on Raycom Sports, but I’m too lazy to look it up.  I’ve been down here for 3 years now and work with a good number of Mississippi State fans (Starksville is like an hour and a half from Tuscaloosa), and still haven’t gotten a clear answer on why it’s called the Egg Bowl.  This game is one of the more underappreciated, if not the most underappreciated, in the Southeastern Conference.  It’s the only rivalry situation I’ve encountered where teams shout at each other to, quote-unquote, go to hell.  Granted, such wishes are pervasive in just about every rivalry, but often implicit or substituted in lieu of the obscenity brought to you by the letter F.  In the Egg Bowl, though, it’s explicit.  Of course, one of the reasons why this rivalry may be so unknown elsewhere might be attributable to the fact that it’s the state of Mississippi, which, as I like to say, is the Alabama of the South.  If you constructed an alternative reality of states below the Mason-Dixon Line and delineated North and South one step further, Mississippi would carry the new stigma of being Hyper-Southern… like Southern in a fourth or fifth or sixth dimension kind of way.  Sci-fi Southern.  It’s that bad.  At least Georgia has Atlanta as a cultural mecca.  Alabama has Birmingham, a pretty sophisticated city when you look deeper into it.  Mississippi has… umm… hmmm.  Moreover, both teams usually suck, adding to the invisibility of the rivalry on a national stage.
• LSU @ Arkansas (The SEC Network, 2:30PM ET).  The rematch of the 2007 classic which, in a just world, should’ve cost LSU a shot at a national title last year.  Instead, it’s written into the BCS clause that LSU gets to host its own national title games.  But oh well.  LSU is trying desperately to add a 5th loss to its record, having been thwarted at doing so by a furious 4th quarter rally against Troy.  LSU is an interesting program for a variety of reasons.  One of the most intriguing elements to LSU is that it is a program without a real rivalry.  Since the SEC split into two divisions in 1992, the SEC has tried long and hard to create a rivalry for the Tigers.  The Florida Gators, an SEC East opponent (obviously), appears on their schedule every year, never being cycled off, for that very reason.  Further, a rivalry has been hyped up between the Tigers and the Crimson Tide, and not all of it reducible to Nick Saban.  Indeed, before Nick Saban arrived, LSU had not beat Alabama in Baton Rouge for 30 some-odd years.  This lead to the expression down here among the savages “The Tide Always Rolls in Baton Rouge”, though it’s pronounced more like “Tha Tiiiiiiiiiide ahlways rolls in Bahtawwwn Ruuuge. Rooooooooollllll Tiiiiiide”.  Getting back to Arkansas, the need to manufacture some kind of rivalry has led to Arkansas being their designated season finale, having been the case since the Razorbacks joined the conference in 1992.  They even created a trophy for the occasion, a “Golden Boot” signifying how the shape of the two states, when juxtaposed, looks boot-ish.  Are you interested yet? Are ya? Yeah, I didn’t think so…
• Colorado @ Nebraska (ABC, 3:30PM ET).  In 2007, these two defensive heavyweights combined 116 points in regulation in a 65-51 victory for the Buffaloes.  The only thing making that game watchable was the infamous introduction of the Buffaloes by Eric Cartman (defense, offense).  Since ABC/ESPN/WWL/Disney-whatever stopped doing those player introductions — for whatever reason — I can think of no reason to watch this game.  Go do some shopping instead.
• Fresno State @ Boise State (ESPN2, 6:00PM ET).  A Boise State loss gives the Buckeyes an in-road to the BCS… if you’re interested…
• UCLA @ Arizona State (ESPN2, 9:30PM ET).  It’s been awhile since I’ve dialed up UCLA in one of these, mostly because their games haven’t been worth watching and, naturally, have not been on national television.  But now, His Coachness Rick Neuheisel will be returning to my moving pictures box so I may behold his divinity.  I think this will be the first UCLA game I’ve watched since the Tennessee game, where the beauty of His Coachness was confirmed.

Saturday

• Georgia Tech @ Georgia (CBS, 12:00PM ET).  This game doesn’t have any conference implications.  Georgia was out of the running after Florida kicked them in the jimmy a while back.  Georgia Tech is done with ACC play and needs Virginia Tech to lose against Virginia in order to play in the ACC title game under first year head coach Paul Johnson.  That said, if you are not rooting for Georgia Tech in this game to go 2-0 against the SEC this season, I hate you and we cannot be friends.  Paul Johnson is the man.
• Syracuse @ Cincinnati (ESPN360.com, 12:00PM ET).  Cincinnati wins this game and they win a BCS spot.  So lose damn you.  I don’t want to have to hear about Cincinnati making a BCS game while Ohio State may not.
• South Carolina @ Clemson (ESPN2, 12:00PM ET).  It’s ACC-SEC rivalry week.  Root for the ACC accordingly.
• Virginia @ Virginia Tech (ESPN, 12:00PM ET).  If Va Tech loses this, then Georgia Tech gets in the ACC Championship Game.  I’m all for more Paul Johnson on national television, especially as it becomes clear that he can run a gimmick offense without the proper talent and still get instant results whereas Rodriguez struggled so mightily up north.
• Auburn @ Alabama (The SEC Network, 3:30PM ET).  Don’t let anyone tell you otherwise: This rivalry is, far and away, the most overappreciated rivalry in college sports.  The fans like each other too damn much — so much that they often interbreed, giving birth to those stupid “House Divided” license frames that are everywhere down here.  Even the thought of a holding a family together in light of these differences validates, for me, that the differences aren’t that important.  And down here, it’s clear to me that Alabama easily obsesses more about Tennessee than they do about Auburn.  I think this town is about 30-35% Auburn fans, openly so, and I’ve been heckled more for my Ohio State shirts down here than any one of my Auburn-inclined coworkers have been for their Auburn truck decals… or truck flags… or license frames… or sunglass straps… or belt buckles… sigh.  Anyways, Alabama has never beaten Auburn in Tuscaloosa, though the rivalry was played in Legion Field before that point (1948-2000, I think)… giving birth to the Iron Bowl monicker.  This rivalry sucks, and in terms of venom, it’s not on the level of Florida-Georgia, Alabama-Tennessee, Tennessee-Florida or even Mississippi State-Ole Miss.  On the game at hand, if Alabama can’t win this and send Auburn home for the holidays with seven losses, then Tuberville truly has their number.  He’s won 6 straight against Alabama, the most for Auburn in the history of the series.
• Florida @ Florida State (ABC, 3:30PM ET).  Again: it’s ACC-SEC Rivalry Week, but, in this game, don’t get your hopes up.
• Maryland @ Boston College (ABC, 3:30PM ET).  If Boston College wins, they advance to the ACC title game for the second straight year under second year head coach Jeff Jagodzsh1qjkjkjkjkjimililinski, or whatever that dude’s name is.  It doesn’t appear that BC is missing Tom O’Brien at all.  On the flipside, if BC loses, Florida State goes to the ACC title game representing the Whatchamacallit Division against either Va Tech or Georgia Tech in the Whatsitcalled? Division.
• Kentucky @ Tennessee (ESPN2, 6:30PM ET).  Kentucky is 6-5. Tennessee is 4-7.  So what does ESPN do with this game? You guessed it: primetime night game.  Ohhhh yeah.  If you thought making Kentucky-Vanderbilt a night game was the worst thing that ESPN could do, guess again, buster.  On the game at hand, no matter how awful Tennessee is, Kentucky can never beat them.  Tennessee has won 23 straight in this series.
• Oregon @ Oregon State (???, 7:00PM ET).  If Oregon State wins this one, they’re in the Rose Bowl.  If they lose this, Ohio State seems to be in prime real estate for a BCS berth.  Even then, that’s not the reason I want Oregon State to lose this game.  With Penn State going to Pasadena for the first time since the 1994 season, the last thing I want to see is some shitty rematch between Penn State and an Oregon State team that the Nitts destroyed earlier this season.  I want Penn State-USC dammit.
• Oklahoma @ Oklahoma State (ABC, 8:00PM ET). BEDLAM.  Oklahoma State looks for its first victory over the Sooners since Les Miles beat them in 2002.  If you remember, it was this same upset of the Sooners in 2002 that virtually ended, once and for all, all petty talk from national commentators about how Oklahoma was more deserving of a spot in the title game in spite of their loss to Texas A&M earlier that year.  The Big 12 South is screwy this season.  If Texas (v. A&M), Texas Tech (v. Baylor), and Oklahoma (@ OK State) all win, the top ranked team in the BCS goes to the title game.  Presently, that’s Texas though a victory over higher ranked Oklahoma State might push the Sooners over the Longhorns.  A loss by any one of them makes it a tiebreaker situation.  Intransitivity is fun, isn’t it?
• Notre Dame @ USC (ESPN, 8:00PM ET).  There was a period under Lou Holtz where the Irish won 11 straight in this series (1983-1993).  Now, USC has won 6 straight and at least appear to be able of blowing that streak out of the water with the least of effort.  Have fun with that game, Notre Dame fans.

1. Albeit losing Rodriguez wasn’t caused by the Pitt loss, per se, just made possible by it.

Go to Source

OSU bowl destination unclear

By LARRY PHILLIPS

NNCO

 

COLUMBUS — Ohio State’s 42-7 thrashing of Michigan clinched a share of the Big Ten championship Saturday but didn’t clear up the Buckeyes postseason plans.

 

Penn State’s 49-18 dismantling of Michigan State sends the Nittany Lions to the Rose Bowl. They tied the Buckeyes for the league title, but won the tiebreaker by virtue of their head-to-head win in Columbus.

 

That leaves Ohio State’s Bowl Championship Series bid in the hands of other teams, including but not limited to Oregon State, Utah and Boise State. Should the Beavers win out, including a game next week with archrival Oregon, they will win the Pac 10 and likely push USC to an at-large spot in the BCS.

 

That would almost certainly nudge the Buckeyes toward the Capital One Bowl in Orlando with either Utah or Boise State earning the final at-large berth in the 10-team BCS field. Should Ohio State land in the BCS, the Sugar and Fiesta bowls are considered the most likely destination.

 

Amid the postgame locker room glee, junior receiver Brian Hartline said the bowl’s outcome, not the location, is the priority.

 

“No more bowl losses,” said Hartline, who caught two passes for 71 yards and two touchdowns against the Wolverines. “We need to finish this season off right.”

 

WEDDING PARTY: Hartline is engaged to be married May 23. One of his groomsmen will be backup quarterback Todd Boeckman.

 

A year ago, Boeckman led Ohio State to an outright conference crown and an appearance in the national championship game. He established a rhythm with both of his receivers, including Hartline and Brian Robiskie.

 

However, Boeckman got off to a slow start this season and was benched in favor of freshman Terrelle Pryor. Boeckman was a good soldier all season and got back into action Saturday, hitting on all three of his passes for 64 yards. One toss was a 46-yard strike to Robiskie. Another was a fitting, 18-yard touchdown strike to Hartline.

 

“Todd is a great friend and when you see a friend (get benched), you feel for them,” Hartline said. “So it meant a lot to me and I think to him to get that touchdown.”

 

FIRST AGAIN: In his first rivalry game, Pryor didn’t play particularly well, but he was effective. The Pennsylvania native tossed a pick on his first series, but made a touchdown saving tackle that loomed even bigger when Michigan failed to score off the break.

 

Pryor wound up 5-of-13 passing for 120 yards and two scores.

 

“This is why I came here to play in games like this against Michigan,” Pryor said. “You hate them, but you respect them.”

 

BY THE NUMBERS: This is the first time Ohio State has beaten Michigan five consecutive years.

 

The Buckeyes won four straight from 1934 to 1937 before future Heisman winner Tom Harmon put an end to the streak enjoyed by coach Francis Schmidt.

 

From 1960 to 1963, Woody Hayes won four straight before a stifling Michigan defense controlled the Buckeyes in a 10-0 shutout for the Big Ten title in 1964. Jim Tressel now is 7-1 against the Wolverines.

 

PANTS GALORE: Boeckman is one of 28 seniors (including fifth-year seniors) on the Ohio State roster. He now has five pairs of gold pants trinkets, which are awarded for every victory against Michigan.

 

“My mom has a couple, and I think my sister has a couple,” Boeckman said. “It never gets old getting them.”

 

GROUND DOWN: Ohio State outgained Michigan 416 to 198, including a 232 to 111 margin on the ground.

 

“I thought we tackled pretty well for the most part,” Michigan coach Rich Rodriguez said. “I didn’t think (big running plays) were something that surprised us, one was a power and one was a sweep, we just didn’t execute.”

Go to Source

Pigskin Punditry No. 15: Rivalry Week Begins

Normally I try to come up with a fun or interesting topic to lead this piece off each week. Some weeks it works well. Other weeks, my pregame writing falls flat.

But I don’t really feel the need to comment on too much this time of year. It’s time for a big batch of rivalry games.

 

These are the games that matter even if the teams facing each other are 1-10 and 0-10. Like two state rivals would ever be that bad at the same time.

 

What’s that? There is a game like that on the upcoming schedule this week? Yes, even the Apple Cup (or the “Crapple Cup” as ESPN.com’s Ted Miller dubbed the game this week) could have some drama. Because someone has to win it; there are no ties in college football.

 

But I guess Donovan McNabb already knew that.

 

On to the picks:

 

 

 

Ohio State 31, Michigan 13

 

Rich Rodriguez’s long season comes to a whimpering conclusion, as he stares in envy at Terrelle Pryor and wonders what could have been. At least Rich can take solace in the fact that he will be kept warm all winter long thanks to the extremely hot seat that an historic 3-9 record at Michigan will bring him.

 

 

 

Vanderbilt 17, Tennessee 10

 

Vandy has played Tennessee close the last few years. And Tennessee’s uninspiring 13-7 loss to Wyoming (!) tells me all I need to know.

 

 

 

Florida __, The Citadel 3

 

Name the score for this one. Although I really think it should be against the law for a BCS squad to be playing nothing more than a glorified scrimmage this late in the season. Might as well have taken a bye this week instead.

 

 

 

Notre Dame 24, Syracuse 6

 

Well, things turned out okay for the Irish last week – until the final two minutes. Syracuse has already ousted Gregg Robinson and might sleepwalk through this game. I don’t see the Irish losing to Syracuse at this point. If they do, though, Charlie’s bottom is going to get toasted.

 

 

 

Washington State 7, Washington 6

 

See above comment about ties not existing anymore.

 

 

 

Penn State 24, Michigan State 20

 

Senior day in Happy Valley. It could be Joe Paterno’s final home game as head coach (then again, we say that every year). Michigan State has had two weeks to get ready for this game, and are in the somewhat untenable situation (for them) of rooting for Michigan to beat Ohio State so they have a chance to go to the Rose Bowl.

 

But I think the Penn State senior wide receivers will want to go out with a bang, and will pull out a late touchdown to beat Michigan State and head off to Pasadena.

 

 

 

Stanford 24, Cal 20

 

Both teams are good at rushing the ball. Cal is a bit better at getting stops in their 3-4 alignment. But even USC had trouble stopping the Stanford running game, and they knew it was coming.

 

Stanford will regain the axe and achieve bowl eligibility, though, because their high risk, high reward defense will make a big play against Kevin Riley.

 

 

 

Utah 30, BYU 23

 

Utah completes their second undefeated season this decade by beating their arch rivals. I just like Utah’s defense a bit better in the end, although BYU will give Brian Johnson some fits early on.

 

But Johnson leads a late touchdown drive to lead Utah to the Fiesta Bowl (possibly) for the second time in four seasons.

 

 

 

Oklahoma 45, Texas Tech 42

 

So I doubted Texas Tech against Texas. I doubted Texas Tech against Oklahoma State. I was wrong both times.

 

My basic refrain, though, remains the same: That kicking game should make me nervous if I am a Red Raider fan. At some point, it will come back to bite them, and Oklahoma is not a team that you want to face on the road in that scenario.

 

A lot of offensive talent will be on the field for this game, and containing Sam Bradford and the no-huddle offense will be a tough task for the Red Raider defense.

 

But Graham Harrell and Michael Crabtree and company will be able to hang with the Sooners. In the end, though, a missed field goal that would have sent the game into overtime will cause some major BCS upheaval.

Go to Source

Don’t Take Michigan Lightly

It would be easy for an Ohio State fan to take a look at this
Saturday’s annual rivalry game against Michigan and presume it will end
in a Buckeye blowout.

There is a chance that happens. The Wolverines are in the middle of one
of their most challenging seasons in the program’s history. A change of
coaches, playing scheme, and the graduation of many long-time starters
has left our rivals with a 3-8 record.

With this in mind, it would be easy to take this game lightly. I caution you not to do so.

One thing I’ve learned in my years of playing and watching this game is
that when Ohio State and Michigan play, each team brings its best
effort to the field. Time and time again I’ve watched the favored team
lose because the underdog played its best game of the season.

I have no doubt whatsoever that Michigan is going to have its best game
of the season Saturday. I’m sure of it. Although they’ve had struggles
this year, this is still a team that possesses some nice talent. I
expect that talent to be on display against us on Saturday.

This will also be coach Rich Rodriquez’s first time participating in
this game. Coach Rodriquez is well known for being an innovative and
imaginative offensive coach, so I expect him to have a few tricks up
his sleeve against us. Defensively, Michigan has plenty of players back
from last year’s group that did a good job of slowing our offense in
Ann Arbor.

So while some may be looking at this game and thinking it doesn’t have
quite the cache as usual, I’d offer this: When Michigan and Ohio State
play, records matter little. This game will be a battle. You can bet on
it.

BOWL TOUR 
One thing I did want to note is that once our game with Michigan ends
our plans for the Buckeye bowl game will start almost immediately. Our
staff will be hard at work over the next month getting our tour, Bowl
Bash, and other items ready for alumni.

If we beat Michigan and Michigan State beats Penn State, we will have
honed in on a shot at the Rose Bowl. In the event that we earn a Rose
Bowl bid on Saturday, we will start the pre-sale of our tour
immediately. 

I’d encourage you to check our Bowl Tour headquarters Web site here: TOURS. Following this page will give you everything you need to know about how to join us for our always popular bowl tour.

Go to Source

Terrelle Pryor: Talented Freshman Prepares for First Michigan Game

With his first season nearing its conclusion, Terrelle Pryor looks to continue his dazzling performance against a Michigan—a team that has looked lost at times this year.  His team towers above a Wolverine squad that sits at 3-8, and is looking up at an OSU machine that has its eyes on a fourth straight Big Ten title. 

The Wolverines come in with the 66th ranked defense in the nation, but one that has been playing tough as of late.  The intensity of the rivalry game against the Buckeyes will definitely get them fired up. They are sure to come at Pryor with a ferocious attack. 

Scott Shaffer, the defensive coordinator for Michigan, has a talented young mind that will look to exploit the youth and inexperience that Terrelle Pryor still shows occasionally.  However, Michigan does not have the talent/skill players need to compete with Ohio State this year. 

Look for Pryor to lead a quick drive, or two for a field goal, or touchdown and then be controlled by Michigan for most of the game as old-fashioned power running takes over. 

The Wolverine offense is the X-factor here, regarding Pryor’s success.  If they can sustain drives early and often then look for a more conservative approach from Coach Tressel and Pryor.  However, if Michigan’s offense plays like they have been playing at times (awful), then look for good field position for Pryor and a long day for the Michigan defense.

Although he will be playing against a lesser opponent, Terrelle Pryor will be bearing the weight of the seniors and the expectations for an entire fanbase.  If what has happened thus far in his career is any indication, then he should be prepared to etch his name in Buckeye lore.

Go to Source

College Football Pick’em: Lisa vs. James Doker

Ok guys, we have a tie! Lisa and Tim tied winning four games each last week, and to be honest, ties are overrated. They stink. So it’s time to kick it into fifth gear and start cruising past the guys.

New totals:

Lisa 45/100

Boys 49/100

Up next? James Doker, a Florida boy! Hooray! James sent his picks in and we agreed on almost every one of them, so to make things interesting, I changed some of mine. I don’t want any more ties!

About James…..

I’m in my senior year at UF, majoring in Mathematics. My mom’s a Florida grad so I’m a lifelong Gator, but I grew up in Tallahassee in the 90’s, so I’ve experienced the best and worst of that rivalry.

Interestingly enough, the two other Gator fans that went to my elementary school are currently my college roommates. I’m a huge college football fan in general, and I can’t stand the NFL. Over the summer I was pretty active on b/r, but once the season (and college semester) started, my free time dropped way off.

I haven’t written anything in a while, but I was featured in an article by SI.com’s Stewart Mandel just a few weeks ago (link: The Big 12’s flowing future | FanNation). I used to hate the BCS, but now I realize the only thing better might be a 4-team playoff (no more no less).

Thanks James, good luck, Go Gators!

The games……

 

Notre Dame -3.5 @ Navy

Lisa: Navy. Oh for crying out loud, why the hell is Notre Dame favored? I’m rooting for the Middies to make it two straight over the Irish, and finally experience Weis’ alleged genius mind since he’s calling the plays.

James: Navy. They have a winning record, right? Then ND can’t beat ‘em.

 

Texas -13.5 @ Kansas

Lisa: Kansas. I originally chose Texas, but what the heck, let’s make this interesting. Maybe Mangino has an upset card hidden in his jacket somewhere.

James: Texas. I’m a big Kansas hater, and Texas has a lot to play for.

 

Georgia -7.5 @ Auburn

Lisa: Auburn. Georgia is a better team, but after they let Kentucky score 38 on them, I have lost confidence in them; Auburn covers.

James: Georgia. Georgia’s D has been bad lately, but Auburn’s O is much, much worse.

 

Wisconsin -13 v Minnesota

Lisa: Minnehaha. It’s for the Paul Bunyan Axe, and although Minnie has faltered lately, this is a big rivalry game. Golden Gophs cover.

James: Minnesota. Wisconsin will probably win, but not by much.

 

BYU -3.5 @ Air Force

Lisa: BYU. Ok, I had Falcon as the upset (my second fave mascot behind Uga), but since James took the Force, I’ll go with BYU and hope Max Hall lights it up.

James: Air Force. BYU needs to be on the field to score, but the Falcons can eat the clock with the best.

 

Florida -21 v South Carolina

Lisa: Florida. There is no way the Gamecocks stay with the Gators, but it will be interesting to see what trick play Spurrier pulls out of his visor.

James: Florida. I can’t pick against my Gators (plus, they’ve blasted “good” SEC defenses each of the past four games).

 

Oregon -3 v Arizona

Lisa: Arizona. Oregon is the sexy pick, but they are not looking very strong, and the Wildcats are fired up behind Tuitama. Arizona in a mild upset.

James: Oregon. I’m really on the fence about this one, but I have more faith in the Ducks.

 

Nebraska -7 @ Kansas State

Lisa: Nebraska. Since Ron Price was fired, I am not too sure how motivated this bunch is. Edge to Nebraska in a close game, but the Huskers cover.

James. Nebraska. Might have turned a corner last week. Either way, Kansas State is going nowhere.

 

UCLA -7.5 @ Washington

Lisa: Washington. The little half point in the spread is too much. The Bruins win by a touch, but don’t cover the spread. Besides, Ty has to win one game this season, doesn’t he?

James: UCLA. I don’t care how bad the Bruins are. Everyone’s better than Washington.

 

Florida State -7 v Boston College

Lisa: Boston College. In keeping with a theme all season, five more Seminoles players were suspended yesterday, and this time, it’s the receivers unit. The humanity of it all.

James: Florida State. No faith in BC, plus Gameday’s in Tallahassee! (…for the FAMU game).

Go to Source

Michigan-OSU To Kick Off At Noon

COLUMBUS, Ohio — The Michigan at Ohio State football game on Saturday, Nov. 22, will kick off at noon Eastern, the Big Ten Conference announced Saturday night.

The rivalry game will be televised by ABC to a national audience.

Ohio State (8-2, 5-1) is tied for the Big Ten lead heading into next Saturday’s game at Illinois. The Wolverines (3-7, 2-4) play at home against Northwestern next weekend.

Stay tuned to NBC 4 and refresh nbc4i.com for the latest sports news and information.

To send a news tip or submit a story idea, e-mail stories@nbc4i.com.
NBC 4 POLITICS: Headlines, Interactives & Video

MORE: NBC 4 Local News | Local Crime News

NBC 4 SPORTS: Sports News, Video

Go to Source