Category Archives: college football

2013 NCAA Football – Week 5 Betting Picks Against Spread

Wow, I actually have my college football betting line post completed before Friday? I deserve a Pumpkin Spice Latté, or ‘PSL’ as it’s known in the suburbs and cul-de-sacs (I roll hard).

After last week’s college football snooze fest, we have a lot of good games on Saturday. After Saturday, the college football landscape will be less muddy. The good teams will be known and the pretenders will have money left on their night stand.

Will Wisconsin ruin Ohio State’s national championship aspirations? Can Notre Dame hold off Oklahoma? Which SEC powerhouse will win the LSU/Georgia game?

We answer those questions and pick all the big college football games on Saturday…we also sneak in a few smaller games in the MAC and Mountain West conferences. Continue reading →

2013 NCAA Football – Week 4 Betting Picks Against Spread

I apologize for being a little late with this week’s college football picks against the spread, I’ve been immersed with winning my fantasy baseball leagues and giving out fantasy football advice to friends and readers.

I’ve had a decent year so far picking college football games, but I’m looking to have a big week on September 21st in Week 4 of the NCAA football season.

Can Johnny Manziel forget last week’s loss against Alabama? Will Notre Dame and Florida ramp up their play after poor performances early this season?

We answer those questions and help you decide who you want to bet on this week (we mention a possible addition in a parlay). Continue reading →

‘National Signing Day’ – All-Name Team

‘National Signing Day’ has come and gone. Now that the young men have picked their hat out of a line reminiscent of the shell game on “The Price Is Right”, we have a better idea of which colleges won the recruiting battle. You may not know who these young men are right now, but in a few years, some of these men will be in line to win the Heisman Trophy and/or a National Championship. Until then, we only have the names of these future college football stars to go by.

Here is a list of some of the best names of the incoming 2013 college football class…and a few players who already have famous names. Here’s a hint, one of their fathers had an exciting Sunday. Continue reading →

Sports Crush: ESPN’s Samantha Steele

ESPN’s College Gameday will have a new face this fall. Samantha Steele-Ponder will be called up to the Majors and take the spot vacated by Erin Andrews, who recently left to join Fox Sports.

Steele has been working at the Longhorn Network and worked sideline duty at various college football and basketball games for ESPN.

With the departure of Michelle Beadle and Andrews, she will most likely be the new female face of ESPN along with Charissa Thompson and Sara Walsh.

We fill you in on Steele’s background and attach a mini photo gallery to help you get to know her a little better.

Steele-Ponder, 26, is a graduate of Liberty University and her father is a football coach. She worked for Fox Sports Net and Fox College Sports before landing a job at the Longhorn Network.

She will be hosting the pre-Gameday show on ESPNU at 9am, helping at the College Gameday broadcast on ESPN, and take over sideline reporting duties during the Thursday and Saturday night football games. She will be thrust into the spotlight and college boys will surely be giving her the same rude catcalls they yelled at Andrews for years.

She’s the perfect addition to the broadcasts. She’s professional, extremely likable, and cute as a button.

Here is an ESPN podcast that introduces Steele as the new addition to College Gameday.

If you wish to follow her on Twitter, she can be found @SamSteelePonder. We wish Miss Steele the best of luck this fall.

Steele married Christian Ponder during the 2012 NFL season. He is a very lucky guy!

Here are a few pictures of Samantha Ponder on the job.

(photo credits: Samantha Steele-Ponder, Getty Images, and ESPN)

I Hate Joe Theismann

BenMaller.com, which is a rumors page ran by the weekend late-night radio host for Fox Sports Radio, posted a rumor about Joe Theismann that has left me speechless. He is rumored to be in the running to replace Pat Haden as the color commentator for Notre Dame games on NBC. Haden left to be the athletic director at his alma mater, USC, so a replacement will need to be added by this fall. Can I go an entire season without driving to South Bend and cussing out Theismann? Let’s find out…it could be a long season

I have had a long history of hate when it comes to Joe Theismann. I am too young to remember his playing days, but listening to him as a color commentary analyst during football games have been atrocious. He worked on the broadcast of ESPN’s “Sunday Night Football” from 1988 to 2005 and then one failed year on “Monday Night Football” when ESPN bought the rights. The sheer tone of his voice leads to the hairs standing up on my arms and a rise of my blood pressure by 20%.

I know that I am over-reacting and I am a bit tongue-in-cheek about it, but I just think that he isn’t good at his job. He is too critical of the teams and often tries to overshadow the game by hogging airtime away from the play-by-play commentator. There was a reason why ESPN let him go from MNF, he clashes with nearly ever on-air personality. He doesn’t clash on a personal level, I’ve never heard anything about him not getting along with crew, but his style doesn’t fit with many people. Tom Hammond is the play-by-play commentator for Notre Dame broadcast and he is a true professional. He has covered nearly everything on NBC sports from football to the Olympics. If Theismann is chosen as Haden’s replacement, I’m sure Hammond will do his best to make it work.

I guess I am a little biased when it comes to how critical Theismann is on the teams during the games. He has called many Indianapolis Colts games over the years and all the quarterbacks during that time, Jeff George to Peyton Manning, he has ripped for not being polished. Yes, he ripped Manning for not being polished, even though this was early in his career, it’s ridiculous. Anyone who has watched a game in which he is broadcasting knows how worked up I get, it’s almost comical.

Theismann isn’t the only former Notre Dame album rumored for this position, but is the only one that has national appeal. I hate to say this, but he would probably be the best choice if Notre Dame is looking to increase their ratings.

I hate Joe Theismann.

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A Sports & Entertainment blog that focuses on absurdity in sports, snarky banter, updates on Tim Tebow’s virginity, and decent sports gambling advice.

Seantrel Henderson Is A Beast

Seantrel Henderson was the last big name to announce where he was going on National Signing Day for college football. I live in Columbus, OH and I’ve been hearing about this guy for a few weeks now and all of the local radio hosts were salivating at the chance that he’d be a Buckeye. Well, Henderson threw everyone a curveball tonight and he picked USC.

Notre Dame, USC, Ohio State, Minnesota, and Florida were all in the hunt for the 6’8, 300-pound Offensive Lineman. He’s a senior at Cretin-Derham Hall High School in St. Paul, Minnesota. It appeared that the University of Michigan was the early favorite, but he changed his mind more times than you can count on both hands. No one had any idea what college he was going to pick leading up to tonight’s live broadcast on CBS College Sports Channel. He is going to be the left-tackle at USC, protecting QB Matt Barkley’s blindside for the next few years. I doubt he will redshirt since he already has a professional body and appears to have nice technique. Lane Kiffin has proven that he is a great recruiter, let’s see if he can coach all this talent and win championships. Here is the video of Henderson picking USC and another video which is Henderson’s junior year highlight reel.

A Sports & Entertainment blog that focuses on absurdity in sports, snarky banter, updates on Tim Tebow’s virginity, and decent sports gambling advice.

What’s Next For Juice Williams?

I guess the blame for Ron Zook’s disappointing last two seasons have finally fell upon Juice Williams. He said today that he is going to bench Williams in favor of junior quarterback, Eddie McGee. Williams was the taste of the town two seasons ago when he upset Ohio State in the Shoe and lead his team to a Rose Bowl bid. It has been a rocky road since then and now the senior has found himself on the bench. What is next for Juice Williams? Could the NFL be in his future?

In 2005, Isiah “Juice” Williams, was one of the top quarterback recruits in the nation. He played for Chicago Vocational Career Academy and chose to stay close to home and play in-state at Illinois. A lot of the successful college quarterbacks at that time were Vince Young, Troy Smith, and you could even add Marcus Vick in that discussion. They all fell in the same category as a duel-threat quarterback that can use his legs to move to the ball. Since that time, Vince Young has fluttered in the NFL, Troy Smith has barely sniffed the ball for the Baltimore Ravens, and Vick (either one) has fell into legal problems off-the-field. It could be the paradigm-shift that has caused teams and colleges to stray away from those types of colleges, but Williams can’t blame anything except for his own ability.

A strong running game with Rashard Mendenhall helped Williams beat Ohio State and head into the Rose Bowl in 2007. When Mendenhall left for the NFL, Illinois became one-dimensional and had to rely on the passing game and Williams’ feet to move the ball. A series of injuries and suspensions have lead to a disappointing season in 2008 and at the beginning of this year. Arrelious Benn hasn’t been 100% this season and when you take away a target like that, the quarterback will suffer. Eddie McGee has shown that he is a better passer than Williams and also has some speed that could be useful, but Williams’ intangibles are still better. He has clearly been rattled by his lack of production and maybe sitting him down is the best for the team. I wouldn’t back a plan that would permanently bench Williams, he’s a weapon, try to get him into the game in a Wildcat type of play-set and you could benefit.

If you are looking toward the 2010 season, getting McGee into the game for some regular reps is a smart decision, but Zook can’t bet that he’ll be around for it. Zook has taken a lot of heat for putting together great recruiting classes, but not getting much out of them. If he does get fired after this season and I ran a major program, I would hire him as an assistant coach and only let him recruit. He has shown that he can recruit with the best of them, but his coaching ability is suspect to this point.

Do I think that Juice Williams can play in the NFL? Not right now, but if the Wildcat system catches on even more, he could be a nice undrafted free-agent signing. I could see him going up to Canada and trying his ability out up there. If he is a success, maybe he can catch on with a team has a 3rd string or practice squad player. This benching is bad news for Williams and his professional career, but he must remember this moment and keep working. You never know what can happen, Matt Cassel never even started a game in college and he’s a starter in the NFL.

A Sports & Entertainment blog that focuses on absurdity in sports, snarky banter, updates on Tim Tebow’s virginity, and decent sports gambling advice.

NCAA Football – Week 4 Betting Picks

I did some research this week and I like a lot of games this week. The games taking place on or around September 26th has some nice bets for you guys out there. Mississippi is barely favored against South Carolina, how can that happen? I know the flu has hit the Rebels, but can that shave a touchdown off the score? See what that line is and what my picks are against the spread for Week 4 of the college football season.

I left Notre Dame off of my picks this week because they are completely unreadable. A different squad appears on the field every week. They lost Malcolm Floyd and Jimmy Clausen has turf toe, they could beat Purdue, but they are favored by 7 points in West Lafayette. I would just stay away from that game, both teams are bound for either a collapse or a big game. That is the riskiest play of the week.

Mississippi (-3) at South Carolina (+3) – My pick is Mississippi

I know that Mississippi said that a lot of the team has flu-like symptoms, but they are a top 5 team. South Carolina have looked a little ugly this season, but I like the Rebels in this game. Out of all of my football picks, I like this one the best. Try to get in early on this game, I think this line will move toward Ole Miss by gameday.

Missouri (-7.5) at Nevada (+7.5) – My pick is Missouri

Nevada looked horrible last week and really haven’t played good this year. Missouri has steam-rolled teams and doesn’t look like they miss Chase Daniel or Jeremy Maclin. I like Mizzou a lot in this game.

Wake Forest (-2) at Boston College (+2) – My pick is Wake Forest

Speaking of teams that have looked horrible, I believe BC is in the group. wake Forest has played okay, but I see them winning this game by a field goal to a touchdown in New England.

Illinois (+14) at Ohio State (-14) – My pick is Ohio State

The Buckeyes played very good against Toledo and finally showed me something this year. Illinois is very bad, plus they are either getting hurt or suspended, so morale is low for Illinois. Ohio State has something to prove and will win this game easily.

Pittsburgh (+1) at NC State (-1) – My pick is Pittsburgh

Pittsburgh has played very good this year and had a nice win against Navy last week. NC State has also showed some signs, but I like Pitt in this game. The Panthers’ offense is up-tempo and will put up points.

Washington State (+45) at USC (-45) – My pick is Washington State

Washington State isn’t washington, so don’t expect an upset here, but 45 points is awfully high for USC’s offense at this point in the year. USC will win this game easily, but I don’t see them covering.

Louisville (+14) at Utah (-14) – My pick is Utah

Lousville had a nice showing against Kentucky and Utah’s offense flowed against Oregon, but fell short. I like Utah in this game, Louisville was a 14-point dog against a bad Kentucky team. Utah is a better team than Kentucky and will cover.

Colorado State (+15) at BYU (-15) – My pick is BYU

BYU had a bad game against Florida State, but they will bounce back against Colorado State. The Cougars were over-matched by the speed of the Seminoles and Colorado State doesn’t have the speed to beat BYU.

Miami (-3) at Virginia Tech (+1) – My pick is Miami

I didn’t know what kind of team the Hurricanes were until last week. I am sold on them and they will go into Blacksburg and beat Va Tech. The Hokies caught a lucky pass to squeak by last week, something that won’t happen against the Hurricanes.

Minnesota (+2.5) at Northwestern (-2.5) – My pick is Minnesota

Northwestern lost to Syracuse and Minnesota lost to Jahvid Best, oh yeah, I guess the entire California team too. Northwestern will be able to run all over Minnesota and win this game.

I hope you enjoy our picks. They are for entertainment purposes and please bet responsibly.

A Sports & Entertainment blog that focuses on absurdity in sports, snarky banter, updates on Tim Tebow’s virginity, and decent sports gambling advice.

Review – Doc’s Sports 2009 Football Journal

Doc’s Sports sent over their 2009 Complete Football Journal which has the complete schedule of college and NFL football and much more. I looked through this publication from cover to cover and there are is a ton of information that anyone who is in a fantasy football league, casual or avid sports betters, or even just a casual fan that is in a pool at their workplace can use. Check out this review and see where you can get a copy of your own.

Doc’s Sports, which has been in the sports betting business for 38 years, has issued their 38th annual guide for the hardcore football fan. The information that is compiled in this book is extremely useful. You have the scores from the entire 2008 college football season, 2008 trends from the NFL season, and some tidbits for each week of the season for college and NFL games. Continue reading →

How The Big Ten Can Be Relevant Again

Big Ten Football has been disappointing over the last few seasons. They havn’t won big games against elite teams in the SEC, Pac-10, or ACC. The offenses are boring and even the defenses are falling behind the other teams across the country. There are a lot of things plaguing the conference and we are going to point out a few ways how Big Ten football can be relevant again.

The last big game the conference won on a national stage was when Ohio State played Michigan as the #1 and #2 teams in the country back in 2006, so a Big Ten had to come out victorious. Since that game, USC has beaten Illinois, Michigan, and Penn State in consecutive Rose Bowls and have also beaten Ohio State twice. USC has owned the Big Ten and the Rose Bowl has turned into a sacrificial ritual of a “good” Big Ten team. It is only one of the things that has turned the public’s opinion of the conference upside-down.

They Must Successfully Recruit In The South – The SEC and Big-12 conference has a stranglehold on the most fertile area of high school talent in the nation. Texas and Florida produce elite talent on a yearly basis and schools in the region are at an advantage. It’s a lot to ask for the Big Ten to go down there and spend their recruiting dollars on the South when they believe that Ohio, Michigan, and Pennsylvania are also a region with great talent. I can’t argue against that, the Midwest does produce some fine talent, but they need to expand their search. I know they do attempt to recruit down there, but it appears that a team like Ohio State is settling on the 4th best wide receiver in the state of Ohio, instead of the 7th best wide receiver in Texas, which would probably be better.

A Big Ten Championship Game Is Needed – I know that it is a tradition that Big Ten Football is finished by Thanksgiving, but college football has changed. You played a ten game season back then and now teams are playing twelves game seasons, other conferences are playing games two weeks after the Big Ten has finished. You can have a true winner of the conference and get one more elite game to help your conference winner’s BCS chances. It hurts them in the final polls and almost makes the conference forgettable.

Must Schedule More Elite Non-Conference Games – It may save teams money, but playing a handful of games against MAC teams isn’t going to get people paying attention to your conference. Ohio State have had a couple home-and-home series the last few years with USC and Texas, it was a step in the right direction. Even though Ohio State went 1-3 in those series, they were marquee games that made the nation take notice of the Big Ten. The Ohio State/Notre Dame series must be re-established. There was some great games between those teams and they are locally a rival. Wisconsin has done a decent job at scheduling tough opponents this season, Fresno State and California, other teams should take notice.

Persuade Notre Dame To Join The Big Ten – Now that Notre Dame looks to have re-gained a little big of their swagger, the Big Ten may have missed their chance to snatch Notre Dame up. The NBC television contract is probably the major obstacle in this, because the Big Ten has their own network now. The NBC deal would have to expire for the Big Ten to have a shot. It would add one more elite program to the mix. Ohio State has been the only constantly good team over the last six seasons. Iowa, Wisconsin, Michigan, Penn State, and even Purdue have all had their ups and downs. There needs to be at least three great teams in the conference for a number of years to earn the respectability the SEC and Big-12 have earned this decade.

More Imagination In Their Offenses – I remember when Joe Tiller took over as head coach at Purdue, you would have thought that he re-invented the wheel. He started throwing the ball all over the place with Drew Brees and they knocked the entire conference for a loop. The conference has prided itself on the power running game, but that offense is stale. They can take a few notes from nearby MAC teams and if the offenses that are taking place in that conference happened in the Big Ten with better players, there is no telling what kind of damage they could do in the BCS.

A Sports & Entertainment blog that focuses on absurdity in sports, snarky banter, updates on Tim Tebow’s virginity, and decent sports gambling advice.

Is Jim Tressel On The Hot Seat?

Ohio State faces USC this weekend and things could be getting pretty hot under Jim Tressel’s sweater vest. The last top 10 team that Ohio State beat was Michigan in November of 2006. They have been spanked in their last few bowl games and didn’t win at home against Penn State last year. This USC game is more than just a circled game on their schedule, for Jim Tressel, it could be for his job.

Jim Tressel’s approval rating in Columbus has been near 75-80% for nearly his entire tenure as football coach of Ohio State. He won a National Championship right away when he took over and he’s been a good ride. They have been a staple in BCS bowl games since it’s incarnation and he’s kept his nose clean when it comes to NCAA infractions. Why am I saying that he’ll be on the hot seat? It’s not only me, the local ESPN radio affilate here in Columbus has also brought it up. They say if he loses to USC, his approval rating would drop below 50% for the first time. We all know, once the approval rating drops below half, something little can sway people to the most popular side of the argument.

If Ohio State loses to USC and it’s close, even closer than their bowl game against Texas last year, I think he’ll be fine. He’ll be fine until the Buckeyes go to Happy Valley and play Penn State on the road. If they lose both of those games, they could be in danger of not making a BCS bowl game. There are a lot of good teams this year and especially in smaller non-BCS conferences. BYU and Boise State already have a pretty good win on their resume and there’s 12 more weeks of college football left.

I’m not saying that Jim Tressel will get fired if they lose to USC and Penn State this year, but it will be the first time this discussion will be taking place. If they lose to Michigan at the end of the year, the discussion could turn into screaming. The pressure will be turned up to win next season, since Terrelle Pryor could leave after next season, since he would be 3 years removed from high school. If Pryor puts up big numbers, he’ll be taken in the first round because of his athleticism and upside. Tressel would be left with another young quarterback and would have to start over. Troy Smith isn’t walking through that door. Ted Ginn isn’t walking through that door. A.J. Hawk isn’t walking through that door.

A Sports & Entertainment blog that focuses on absurdity in sports, snarky banter, updates on Tim Tebow’s virginity, and decent sports gambling advice.

Ohio State vs. USC – Top 5 Previous Meetings

The Ohio State game against USC this weekend will be a star-studded event. The rumor is that some of USC’s famous ex-NFL elite will be at hand. The use this technique a lot and I think it intimidates the other team’s fans and it’s great for recruiting. I wanted post five videos from previous Ohio State vs. USC games here to get people to realize the history behind this game.

The Ohio State University and the University of Southern California have played each other 22 times. USC currently holds the edge with an overall record against the Buckeyes, it currently stands at 12-9-1. The Trojans have won the last six meetings and the last time Ohio State came out victorious was a 42-21 victory in the 1974 Rose Bowl.

Not only has some of the best players from each school’s history played each other during their college careers, but Pete Carroll was an assistant at Ohio State in the 80’s.

Here are moments from the top 5 Ohio State/USC games in history

A Sports & Entertainment blog that focuses on absurdity in sports, snarky banter, updates on Tim Tebow’s virginity, and decent sports gambling advice.