Chris

    UPSET ALERT!!!!!!!!!!!

    Wednesday, September 10, 2008, 05:41 AM EST [General]

    Wisconsin, who must travel cross-country to take on Fresno State, a 24-7 winner at Rutgers in their season opener. The Bulldogs are both ranked and hungry. Wisconsin is a great home team (won 16 straight at Camp Randall), but only so-so on the road. Last September, they went to UNLV as 25-point chalk and barely escaped the victor. TAKE FRESNO STATE PLUS THE POINTS.....

     

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    College Football Week 3 Oddsmakers Poll

    Wednesday, September 10, 2008, 05:18 AM EST [General]

    Rank

    Team

    Rating

    Previous Rank

    Notes

    AP

    USA

    1

    Southern Cal

    114.5

    1

    Extra week to prepare for the Buckeyes visit.

    1

    1

    2

    Florida

    110.0

    5

    Tebow takes matters into his own hands. Gators cover the spread on late FG.

    4

    4

    3

    Oklahoma

    109.9

    3

    Bradford thinking Heisman, Sooners thinking title.

    3

    3

    4

    Missouri

    109.7

    4

    Tigers score on first five possessions. Offense is rolling.

    6

    6

    5

    Ohio State

    109.5

    2

    Special teams saved the day vs. Bobcats. Time for showdown. Wells???

    5

    5

    6

    Georgia

    109.0

    7

    Defense dominated Central Michigan.

    2

    2

    7

    Texas

    107.8

    8

    Colt McCoy lights up UTEP.

    8

    8

    8

    Texas Tech

    107.1

    9

    Winning but not as flashy as Red Raiders are accustomed to.

    12

    12

    9

    Penn State

    105.9

    10

    Solid on both sides of the ball.

    17

    17

    10

    Oregon

    105.5

    14

    Points a plenty versus hapless Utah State

    16

    14

    11

    California

    105.2

    21

    Bears "Best" the Cougars. Cross country trip to Maryland next.

    23

    25

    12

    West Virginia

    105.1

    6

    Mountaineers dominated by upstart Pirates. New O-Coordinator on hot seat.

    25

    24

    13

    Kansas

    104.5

    11

    Reesing rips Louisiana Tech to the tune of 412 yards. Top 25 match up.

    13

    11

    14

    LSU

    104.1

    11

    Game with Troy put on hold.

    7

    7

    14

    Auburn

    104.1

    15

    Held off Southern Mississippi.

    9

    9

    14

    Brigham Young

    104.1

    11

    Controversial win in the Great Northwest. Beat UCLA in Vegas Bowl last yr.

    18

    15

    17

    South Florida

    104.0

    19

    Overtime survival for the Bulls against their rival.

    19

    18

    18

    Clemson

    103.8

    17

    Hammered Citadel, Wolfpack on deck.

    27

    23

    18

    Texas Christian

    103.8

    17

    Frogs entertain Stanford this week.

    NR

    NR

    20

    Wisconsin

    103.5

    20

    51 unanswered points after trailing Marshall 14-0.

    10

    10

    21

    Oklahoma State

    102.5

    25

    Easy stretch continues. Countdown is on to Mizzou match up.

    NR

    NR

    21

    South Carolina

    102.5

    16

    A second half nightmare at Vandy. Looking ahead to Georgia???

    NR

    NR

    23

    Arizona State

    102.1

    25

    Easily handled the Cardinal. Carpenter is cruising. UNLV next.

    15

    13

    23

    Arizona

    102.1

    24

    Cats with another strong offensive performance over Toledo...

    NR

    NR

    25

    Alabama

    102.0

    22

    Bama struggles with Tulane... Western Kentucky on deck.

    11

    16

    25

    Utah

    102.0

    23

    Utes throttle UNLV in 2nd half.

    22

    22

    27

    Tennessee

    101.5

    25

    Vols home opener this week, hosting Alabama Birmingham.

    30

    NR

    28

    East Carolina

    101.1

    NR

    Upsets??? Two for two. Now they're vastly over rated...

    14

    20

    29

    Virginia Tech

    101.0

    28

    Hokies remain offensively challenged.

    NR

    NR

    29

    Cincinnati

    101.0

    28

    Nothing to be ashamed of vs. Oklahoma. No votes in AP, it was Oklahoma.

    NR

    NR

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    10 Worst Coaches in College Football

    Wednesday, September 10, 2008, 01:29 AM EST [General]

    One of my main handicapping tools is looking at coaches, particularly bad ones. My guess is the average bettor on the street doesn't put a lot of stock in coaches. However, fading bad coaches in the right spot can make you a lot of money. I decided to rank my ten worst coaches in college football. These are the guys I trust the least and coaches I try and stay away from if possible. As you will notice, four of these coaches - including the Top 3 - reside in the Big East Conference. Here is my list of the worst CFB has to offer, starting from No. 10: 

    10. Les Miles, LSU - Miles probably isn't the tenth worst coach in the country but I wanted to put him on the list because he is an idiot. People talk about how he "led" LSU to the National Title last year. I would argue that they won it in spite of Miles. Despite having an NFL-caliber squad, LSU dropped two games to inferior teams. I can live with the Kentucky loss. That was a tough SEC battle on the road. But being at home and losing to Arkansas with a spot in the National Championship Game on the line is inexcusable. Then, LSU was on the verge of losing to Tennessee until Erik Ainge hand delivered them the SEC Title. If you watch Miles during the course of a game, he makes a lot of terrible decisions. His team is loaded with talent but sooner or later his luck will run out. Miles staying at LSU is the best thing that ever happened to Michigan.

    9. Tom Amstutz, Toledo - It's hard to argue with Amstutz's overall record (55-22) but I think this program is on the decline. Toledo used to be a MAC powerhouse but I don't see that being the case any longer. The other reason Dumbo is on this list is because I think he may be the one coach that's crooked. Don't forget, Toledo has already had a huge point shaving scandal and I'm not so sure that Amstutz isn't a part of all that. Two times in the last four years I've seen him give up early in the fourth quarter. Instead of trying to get back in the game, Amstutz was worried about running out the clock. I'm sorry but there's something fishy in that approach.

    8. Tommy Bowden, Clemson - One of the way's I rate coaches is how they perform with the talent they are given. For example, Jeff Fisher gets a high rating from me because his teams are always competitive even though they don't have a bunch of Pro Bowl players. Nobody does less with more than Tommy Bowden. There is no shame in losing to an SEC team like Alabama. But to come in and get run off the field like you don't even belong there comes down to coaching. His teams are always tight and not well prepared in big games. I don't know how many more years Clemson can be loaded with talent and end up in the Music City Bowl before Mini Bowden gets the boot.

    7. Mike Sherman, Texas A&M - There is one thing I hate. I hate when a coach comes in and says he's going to run his system even when he doesn't have the right players. When Bill Belichick came to New England, he ran the 4-3 at first because he didn't have the linebackers to use the 3-4. That's good coaching. Sherman comes to Texas A&M and puts in a pro-style offense with a running quarterback. Does that make sense to anyone? You know what Sherman is? A good offensive coordinator. You know what he isn't? A good head coach, as I'm sure the Packers fans on this board can attest to. He'll be out of a job in two years.

    6. Tyrone Willingham, Washington - I'm sorry, I just think this guy sucks. I've seen enough of him screwing up gameplans, making terrible decisions and not being competitive against top tier teams. Washington used to be a football powerhouse. They need a big-time coach to come in and get this program back on its feet. Willingham seems like a nice guy but he's probably more qualified to be coaching in high school, not at a big-time Division I school.

    5. Bill Stewart, West Virginia - Would you hand the keys of your brand new Porsche over to a blind man? Well, that's essentially what West Virginia did when it hired Stewart. This guy wasn't even a candidate before the bowl game win over Oklahoma and 24 hours later he's the head coach. And after he was hired, you couldn't find one single person who liked the move. I always get suspicious when a guy gets hired by his Alma mater and is gushing so much saying things like, "This is my dream job. I don't ever want to go anyplace else." Well Bill, you won't have to worry about that because no one else would hire you. As bad as things may be for the Mountaineers this year, wait until next season when Pat White leaves. My guess is that will be Stewart's last year in Morgantown.

    4. Joe Glenn, Wyoming - Talk about an awful coach. I always love these coaches that change offensive systems every year. That's a great way to screw with the heads of 19-year old kids. Make them learn a new offense every season. Of course, none of those systems have worked. This team looked so putrid against Air Force you would have thought they just paid a bunch of guys off the street and put uniforms on them. Big things were expected out of Wyoming this year but my guess is you will see another losing season and the last of Glenn.

    3. Steve Kragthorpe, Louisville - It takes a special man to come in and destroy an entire program within one year. Steve Kragthorpe is that man. Watching this team over the last two years, it looks like no one on the field has any idea of what they're doing. Players are always confused, putting their arms up in the air and arguing with each other. Kragthorpe installed a new power running game this season. It was so powerful that it managed a whopping three points against Kentucky. Louisville better can this guy at the end of the year because it doesn't take long for a program to fall of the map. Just ask Syracuse.

    2. Dave Wannstedt, Pitt - I will always have a soft spot in my heart for Wannstedt because he was the Cowboys defensive coordinator when they won the Super Bowl back in 1992. But as a head coach, you'll be hard-pressed to find more of a clueless buffoon on the sidelines than the 'Stache. Someone I know once asked Bill Belichick who the biggest jerk he ever coached against was. His reply? You guessed it, Dave Wannstedt. The 'Stache was supposed to bring Pitt back to its glory days but instead, he's losing to teams like Ohio, Bowling Green and Navy. That's not going to get it done. Unless Pitt makes a serious run this season, Wannstedt will be the linebackers coach for an NFL team this time next season.

    1. Greg Robinson, Syracuse - Was there ever any doubt? Did you really have to scroll down to see who was No. 1? It's hard to believe but four years ago Syracuse actually went to a bowl game. That's how far the Orange have fallen under this joker. Things went from bad to worse this season as Syracuse opened the year with losses to Northwestern and at home against MAC lightweight Akron. If that doesn't get Robinson fired, I don't know what will. They will probably win one game this year against Northeastern and to be honest, that is no longer a gimmie. Growing up near Syracuse - and I'm sure Matty and Oopie can back me up - the Carrier Dome was one of the biggest home field advantages in all of sports. When that place is packed, the noise is deafening. Now you can hear a pin drop in the mighty Dome. Syracuse has a long ways to go before its back on the national stage and I think everyone on the planet knows Robinson isn't the man to get them there.

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    LVSC Oddsmaker Top 30 College Football Poll: Week #2

    Friday, September 5, 2008, 12:48 AM EST [General]

    Rank

    Team

    Rating

    Previous Rank

    Notes

    1

    Southern Cal

    114.4

    1

    Loaded with talent and speed. Sanchez looked great.

    2

    Ohio State

    111.3

    2

    Another business like win... Loss of Wells potential blow.

    3

    Oklahoma

    109.9

    3

    Sooners feature incredible depth across the board.

    4

    Missouri

    109.7

    4

    Handled Illini in classy fashion.

    5

    Florida

    109.6

    5

    Workmanlike win over Warriors.

    6

    West Virginia

    108.4

    6

    White leads explosive offense.

    7

    Georgia

    108.3

    7

    Cupcake opener to work out the kinks. Lose DT to knee injury.

    8

    Texas

    107.6

    8

    Professional performance against a well coached team.

    9

    Texas Tech

    106.9

    9

    Fell asleep in 2nd Qtr. against Eastern Washington.

    10

    Penn State

    105.0

    13

    Entertain Beavers this week in Happy Valley.

    11

    LSU

    104.9

    15

    Did not overlook Appalachian State.

    11

    Brigham Young

    104.9

    11

    Visit Washington this weekend off solid opener.

    11

    Kansas

    104.9

    12

    Sent Florida International packing.

    14

    Oregon

    104.8

    16

    Superior athleticism on display against Washington.

    15

    Auburn

    104.1

    18

    Defense was impressive, new Offense struggled.

    16

    South Carolina

    104.0

    14

    Spurrier stubborn... Smelly should be starter at QB

    17

    Clemson

    103.8

    10

    Inexperienced Offensive line pushed around.

    17

    Texas Christian

    103.8

    17

    Frogs justified oddsmakers high opinion at New Mexico.

    19

    South Florida

    103.6

    19

    Rivalry game on deck at Central Florida.

    20

    Wisconsin

    103.4

    20

    Wisky dominates on the ground.

    21

    California

    103.2

    21

    Big win over quality Michigan State team.

    22

    Alabama

    102.5

    NR

    Saban turns the tide... Well prepared in the trenches.

    23

    Utah

    102.0

    NR

    Very solid on both sides of the ball.

    24

    Arizona

    101.9

    24

    French fried (Idaho) spuds... 70-0!!!

    25

    Tennessee

    101.5

    21

    All-American PK misses 3 FG's in loss to UCLA.

    25

    Oklahoma State

    101.5

    28

    Traveled west and wasted the Cougars. Defense improved.

    25

    Arizona State

    101.5

    27

    Nothing fancy against Northern Arizona.

    28

    Virginia Tech

    101.0

    21

    Outplayed by improving East Carolina squad.

    28

    Cincinnati

    101.0

    25

    Easy win over inferior opponent.

    30

    Boston College

    100.9

    29

    Pitched a shutout at Kent State.

     The Next Ten:  Illinois, Wake Forest, UCLA, Nebraska, Florida State, Fresno State, Tulsa, Michigan State, East Carolina & North Carolina.

    Dropped out of Top 30:  Oregon State (30) & Rutgers (26).

    0 (0 Ratings)

    Lions sign Rudi Johnson, cut Tatum Bell

    Monday, September 1, 2008, 07:08 PM EST [General]

    The Detroit Lions have confirmed that free agent running back Rudi Johnson has agreed to terms on a one-year contract with the team. Because the deal was struck after 4 p.m., after the league offices closed, the signing won't be official until Tuesday morning.

    Johnson, who rushed for 1,000 yards in three straight seasons with the Cincinnati Bengals (2004-06), replaces Tatum Bell as the No. 2 running back behind starter Kevin Smith. The Lions aren't expected to announce any roster moves until Tuesday, but Bell told a Denver television station that he's been informed that he'll be released. The addition of Johnson, an eight-year veteran, might mean the Lions will use more of a platoon system at running back.

    After practice on Monday, Lions head coach Rod Marinelli said, "I just had a chance to watch him in some drills (during a workout) and he's impressive. He's a big, thick guy who has great feet. I played against him over the years so I know he's a very physical back. He's a guy with a lot of talent and a lot of experience.''

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