According to CBS Sports, Rich Rodreguez has decided to play all three QB's in the Western Michigan game. That, in itself, is not a big deal, but this statement is. RR said that people should not assume that the QB that handles the first snap is necessairily the #1 QB. He says that at this time, he does not have a #1 QB.
That should be enough to raise all kinds of red flags in their game against Western Michigan. If he plans to rotate QB's in game 1, look for a bunch of proceedure calls against Michigan. I have never been a fan of rotating QB's, and when you put three QB's into the mix, that just makes things worse.
This statement makes it seem as if RR has no idea if what is going on with his QB situation. The fact that he was seeking yet another QB this summer indicates that no matter what he says, he is not happy with the three QB's he has now. To me, this definately puts Michigan in the "don't play on" catagory until things get straightened out, which will probably take a few weeks. My future wager of Notre Dame -2.5 at Michigan in week 2 is looking a lot stronger now.
Thoughts?
I had dinner with an executive from major hotel in Las Vegaslast night. We were discussing football, and what the books will do this year. Here is part of what he had to say.
He said that the economy is going to hit the books hard this year. Because of that, look for more line changes than normal because the books are not going to be able to pass off action if the wagers become to one-sided, like they did last year. The books will make more of an effort to get as close to a 50/50 split than they have in previous years, and that means more line movement.
He said that while there may not be a huge difference in wagering lines in Vegas, the offshore books may be different. They are not nearly as coordinated or as big as the Vegas books, so you may see a bigger difference in lines at various offshore books. If you can divest, and spread your action over several books that can be trusted, you will be able to shop for lines.
He also suggested that lines should be played as early as possible (as in Sunday afternoon or evening, depending on where you reside) and as late as possible (meaning an hour or less before game time) to be able to detect line movements, avoid the "tricks of the trade" (lead lines, bait and switches, etc...) and look for possible middles.
That is the sum of what he suggested. Good luck to all this season.
The Big 10 is back to the "Big Two". Just replace Michigan with Penn State. There is a big log jam in the middle.
The contenders: Penn State gets QB Clark and RB Royster back. They will have to lead a group that will be inexperienced up front. The defense should be tough in the front 7, but very inexperienced in the secondary. The schedule is an 11 win gift, wrapped up and ready to be handed to JoePa. They get Iowa and Ohio State at home, and the non-con schedule is straight from the bakery. All cream puffs.
Ohio State. The Buckeyes have to develop their offense in a hurry, with Pryor the only returning starter from last year. The defense will be strong up front and in the secondary, but loses all 3 of it's LB's. Ohio State gets tested early by USC, and travels to Penn State. That probably spells 10-2 or better for the Bucks.
Midpack Madness: A bunch of teams will fight for positions 3-8 in the Big 10. Your guess is as good as ours, so here goes.
Illinois. Juice Williams returns at QB and brings experience with him. The offense should shine this year. The defense has numerous holes to fill, especially in the back 7. Missouri, Ohio State, Penn State, and Michigan State make up 4 of the first 5 games.
Michigan State. Having to find replacements for QB Hoyer and RB Ringer will not be easy. There is experience at WR and on the line. The defense, with 8 starters returning, will hae to pick up the slack until the offense gets on track.
Iowa. RB Greene went pro, and Iowa now must find a replacement. QB Stanzi will have to improve on his passsing game. Iowa will again depend on a stingy defense, led by strong LB's. The line will have to be rebuilt. Iowa has road games against Penn State, Ohio State, Michigan State, and Wisky. Ouch.
Michigan. It could not get any worse for Michigan, after last years fiasco. They return 9 starters on offense, and if Freshman QB Forcier canlearn the offense, Michigan should be able to score. The defense is the problem, with only the LB corp in good shape. The schedule is rather soft.
Northwestern. The 'Cats must replace the skill players on offense, but the line looks solid. The defense returns 8 starters and should continue to show the improvment started last season. Fitgzerald is a very good coach, and Northwestern normally flies under the radar. Can they do it again?
The pretenders.
Minnesota. Lots of returning starters for this group, so may think that they should be a challenger, but how good are the returners? The offense returns 10, but must show better balance. That means running the ball, especially now that they are playing outdoors. The defense is quick, but must win more battles up front. Minny went bowling last year, with 7 wins. This year, No. Illinois, Bowling Green and Montana State are replaced by Syracuse, Air Force and Cal, a bit more challenging. The rest of the schedule, save one game, is no help.
Indiana. A new offense hopes to get better results than last years 3 win campaign. A lot of starters return. Indiana must improve the ground attack and stop giving up so many points. It will be a stretch for a bowl appearance here.
Purdue. Danny Hope takes over from the legendary Joe Tiller. Hope is what is neeed because Purdue is very thin and inexperienced at QB, WR, and RB. the OL is experienced, and must leand the way. The defense returns 7 starters, but needs to lead the team while the offense gells. A tough assignment for this team.
Here are some odds posted at the Greek for Conference winners that I will be glad to fade:
Miami +500 to win the ACC. Right. The same odds as North Carolina, and smaller odds than Georgia Tech. This group of losers will most likely start 0-4. Tough way to win a conference.
Auburn +800 to win the SEC. That should be at least doubled. +1500 is more like it. This team has no offense at all.
Kansas AND Nebraska at +250 to win the Big 12. That is right. Not just the North, but the Conference Championship. OU and Texas are +150, an you are telling me that these two phonies from the North are that close to the South's leading teams? Give me Okie State at +800 before I take any team from the North.
USC -300 to win the Pac 10. Way too short for a team that loses it's starting QB, front 7 on defense, and plays the toughest away schedule in the NCAA. +300 would be more like it, but in an apparent attempt to rip off Pac 10 fans, those are the odds for Cal and Oregon, both of which play USC at home