Bowl Eligibility Possibilities

With only a few weeks left in the college football regular season, some teams are on the bowl game bubble needing to win one or more of their remaining games to become bowl eligible. This can provide us with some added motivation for these teams and in the right spots, we can cash some tickets.

 

A quick look at some teams for this week that can become bowl eligible with a win:

 

Syracuse Orange (3-2, 6-3)

 

Syracuse has the necessary six wins for bowl eligibility but two of those came against FCS competition and teams are allowed to use only one win against the lower division. The Orange have three chances starting this week at Rutgers where they are a road favorite. This is the first time they have been a road chalk against a BCS team since 2003 when they were favored by six points at, you guessed it, Rutgers. They lost 24-7. 

 

Iowa St. Cyclones (3-3, 5-3)

 

Not many expected Iowa St. to make it to a bowl game last season after a 2-10 season in 2008 but the Cyclones did just that and won over Minnesota. They have a chance for back-to-back bowl game... [More]

NCAA Early-Season Betting Tips

It is hard to believe but the college football season is upon us! While it signals a near end to summer, it also signals the start of the best time of year in sports in my opinion. Some will argue March Madness and futball people will argue the World Cup but football is where it is.

 

Handicapping the early part of college football can be a challenge as there is not a whole lot to go by. Unlike the NFL, past history (even back to last season) needs to be looked at cautiously because of the turnover that college programs go through.

 

How do we tackle these early season games? There are a number of factors we need to take into account and use to our advantage.

 

Experience

 

This is one of the bigger aspects of early betting. As mentioned, turnover is big in this game so teams coming back with a lot of returning players usually have a big edge against teams with little experience returning. This is especially important across the offensive and defensive lines.

 

Depth

 

Fall cam... [More]

NCAA Win Totals - The Unders

Last week I took a look at some NCAA season win totals that looked like good ‘Over’ bets. This week I will look in the other direction with the NCAA Unders.

 

The totals I am posting are from one sportsbook and could very well not be the same number you get at another sportsbook. The key is to shop around and remember that the best over/under numbers do not necessarily mean they are the best bets as juice can play a significant role in the future betting as well.

 

Under 9 Oregon Ducks +125 (BEST BET)

 

The Ducks have put together back-to-back 10-3 seasons so expectations are once again high with 17 starters returning. Oregon is the popular pick to win the Pac Ten title for a second straight season and it has been put into some preseason polls as a top 10 team. The talent is there for it to happen but there are some questions, some big questions, that could prevent a repeat.

 

Head coach Chip Kelly started right where former coach Mike Bellotti left off and he did so with only 10 starters returning last year. He had the benefit of a strong offensive attack led by potential Heisman candidate quarterback Jeremiah Masoli but an openin... [More]

NCAA Win Totals - The Overs

Last week I took a look at some NFL season win totals that looked like good ‘Over’ bets. This week I will look at the college ranks, starting with the NCAA Overs.

 

The totals I am posting are from one sportsbook and could very well not be the same number you get at another sportsbook. The key is to shop around and remember that the best over/under numbers do not necessarily mean they are the best bets as juice can play a significant role in the future betting as well.

 

Over 8 North Carolina Tar Heels -115 (BEST BET)

 

North Carolina is coming off its second straight eight-win season and back-to-back bowl games for the first time since 1997-98. This year’s version could be one of the most talented Tar Heels teams in recent memory but winning the ACC is still going to be a challenge. First off, the offense needs to improve as it went the wrong way last season and second, playing in the ACC Coastal Division is no cakewalk.

 

Head coach Butch Davis is entering his fourth season as the North Carolina head coach and he has done a great job in turning the program around. Two straight bowl games are huge but walking away with two losses, ... [More]

NCAA Future Looks - the Sleepers

We have reached the point where it is a downhill drive to the start of football season. The hazy days of summer consist of MLB, WNBA and CFL. Needless to say, I’m looking forward to football.

Because of the late Labor Day holiday this year, we won’t be having any August college football. As much as I want the season to get here, I think it is a good thing as to be perfectly honest, football should not start until September. That’s just the way it is.

We are 43 days from the season opening kickoff between Presbyterian and Wake Forest (NL sorry folks) and that means it is time to look at some futures. Precisely, BCS Championship futures. Five teams, Oklahoma, Alabama, Ohio St., Florida and Boise St., all have odds in the single digits showing not much value. Let’s get the season started with some possible National Championship sleepers.

Nebraska Cornhuskers (+1200)

Nebraska may not be considered a real sleeper as there is a lot of buzz surrounding the Huskers this season. However, with Oklahoma being the Big XII favorite, Nebraska can fall into this category. What better way for Nebraska to exit the Big XII, a conference it never wanted to be a part of anyway, with a conference title and a National Championship?

The Huskers bring back 17 starters including 10 on offense and that is important since the offense was not a strong unit last season. Replacing Ndamukong Suh is impossible but the defense, which has improved by 28 ppg and 205 ypg over ... [More]

The Changing of the College Sports Landscape

Wednesday was arguably the single biggest day in collegiate athletics that I have seen that will affect the future of the sporting landscape. One day is all it took to completely change the dynamic of college sports.

First, Nebraska decided to leave the Big XII and move to the Big Ten. It isn’t official yet but it is going to be made official very soon. This is going to create a domino effect and the once mighty Big XII will be left in shambles. Colorado is expected to join the Pac Ten as early as Thursday and that could trigger a mass exodus.

I’m not a fan of these moves at all. I’m a traditionalist when it comes to college sports, namely college football. I don’t like change as it messes up so many things that are good about the game. A lot of young readers may not remember the Southwest Conference or the Big Eight Conference when they dissolved in 1996 to form the Big XII, the first superconference. I didn’t like it then and this is why I don’t like it now.

We all know what this is about and it is unfortunate that money has taken over college sports. There are going to be many rivalries that will come to an end but depending on where the majority of the teams go, some could still remain in effect. Who are the losers? Kansas, Kansas St., Baylor and Iowa St. will be left holding their ‘you know what’.

There has been an argument the last few y... [More]