First plays of the season. These games are 3 weeks away, but I think these two home dogs both close lower by game time. SMU might get as low as 8 and Illinois might drop to +4. I make these numbers even lower than that. I'll take value as I find it. My plays: One unit = 2.5% of season's bankroll. Two units =5%.

SMU +10 vs. Texas Tech 1*
Illinois +5-1/2 vs. Missouri 1*

South Carolina -29

It's a lot of wood, but I think Spurrier wants to prove the nay-sayers wrong, and start the season off with a bang. At Florida, he certainly used to run up scores and cover big numbers to please the alumni. I see no reason they don't come out guns-a-blazin, and cover the big number.

_________________
Good people drink good beer - Hunter S. Thompson

<º)))><

Waiting for the time when I can finally say
That this has all been wonderful, but now I'm on my way

Troy +24

_________________
Good people drink good beer - Hunter S. Thompson

<º)))><

Waiting for the time when I can finally say
That this has all been wonderful, but now I'm on my way

I don't wish to incur incur anyone's wrath here by posting a goodbye message, but I thought I owed it to you to at least tell you that someone else will need to organize the wagering contest for this season. I'll be posting my plays at Ryan's site (sportstalkunderground.com), if anyone's interested in them. Good luck to all. Have a profitable season.

Sorry to hear it Coast. See you at Sportstalkunderground.

courtesy pinnaclesports.com

Week 1 Christmas Is On the Line aka Gimme 'Da Meat aka IT'S DIVISION ONE FOOTBALL!

A three pack for all you degenerates who need the earliest of CFB action.

I'll post up a $100 AB steaks(and seafood if Nas repeats) gift certificate for the winner.

The contest will run from now through the end of the NFL regular season and the college bowls. A nice prize will be given at the end of the contest (at least $100 in value). You must pick at least 50 games during the season to qualify for the prize. You don't have to make a pick every week and new people can come in and join the contest anytime. You can pick any number of games you like each week from the college or NFL card, using the lines posted here every Tuesday. Best record (% against the spread) wins. Weekly tallies will be given to show the current standings. One requirement: You must provide at least one sentence of analysis (or one sentence fragment will suffice if you are from the Jurko school of grammar) to support each pick. You must post your picks before your games kick off. You can post them all at once or in separate posts, but they must be posted in the current week's contest thread.

Buffalo U +32 @ Rutgers

The Bulls are 12-79 since moving to Division I-A in 1999, including 4-45 on the road. Rice and Co. will only chop a moderate amount of wood out of Buffalo.

Buffalo 9 Rutgers 40


LSU -17 @ Mississippi St.

Flynn at QB for LSU will roll up the Bulldogs by sunset. MSU fourth season under coach Sylvester Croom, has lost six straight season openers.

LSU 38 MSU 20


Utah +6.5 @ Oregon St.

Utes widespread offense has Brian Johnson and the Beavers have a question mark at the position.

Utah 29 Nice Beavers 28

_________________
CSFMB: Home of the small minded

I'm glad the contest is back.

First Picks

LSU-17 vs Miss. ST- This could be close early with LSU breaking in a new quarterback, but LSU pulls away and big late and Miles may want to prove something here after his comments about USC.

Rutgers -32 vs Buffalo- Rutgers dreams of a Big East title and they start with a blow-out win, because Buffalo usually wins one game a year and it isn't this one.

Week 1

Mississippi State +18 (bookmaker)
Big home dogs in conference games on Thursday night always do well, and LSU has a new QB going into hostile territory in Starkville. LSU clearly is the superior team, but I think the Bulldogs will hang around on national TV, this is their bowl game. LSU may also be looking ahead to Va Tech the next week.

Troy +24 (sportsbook)
Troy covered against FSU and Georgia Tech last year, and dismantled Rice in their bowl game. Most of their offensive weapons are back, and the spread offense should cause trouble for the Hogs, who lost good players on defense.

Texas -39 (sportsbook)
I hate laying this many points, but Mack Brown likes to whip these I-AA teams. I am seeing a score of 63-7.

Auburn -12.5 (bookmaker)
I'm not sure why there is so much love for K State, the number was at 14. There is a lot of turmoil in Manhattan, and this is not how they want to start the season, against a loaded Auburn team. Auburn has a much better defense, and better skill position players. This one will get ugly early.

Georgia Tech/Notre Dame under 46 (bookmaker)
ND lost their big three on offense, and GT lost Johnson, so a lot of weapons from last year are gone. I see a lot of pounding the rock on both sides, as both teams will hope to minimize mistakes.

Nebraska -21
Nevada lost their QB, top rusher, and top receiver from last season. A trip to Lincoln is the last thing a team with new skill position players wants. Nevada will have a hard time moving the ball against a very stout Husker defense.

_________________
Good people drink good beer - Hunter S. Thompson

<º)))><

Waiting for the time when I can finally say
That this has all been wonderful, but now I'm on my way

Louisiana-Monroe +3 against Tulsa

Louisiana-Monroe was just a hair away from being a good team last year. They return an ungodly amount of players on both sides of the ball. They are a team to watch this year. Tulsa on the other hand lost a ton. They have also been very bad over the last decade in road openers.

Kent State +3.5 at Iowa State

I really like this play. A seasoned Kent State team coming in a little under the radar after a bad second half of last season. The bad second half was due to a QB injury. He is back now, along with the top RB and entire OL. Top defense in the MAC has 7 starters back.

ISU will be playing for a new coach with few back from last year. QB does return but he had more INT than TD last year. I believe no starters are back from the OL.

Kent was a very good road dog and ISU was a horrible home favorite last year. Make this one a three star play.

Colorado State +2.5 agains Colorado in Denver

This is one of the fun early season rivalry games. It always seems like the Rams are underrated and this year is no different. The only thing I wonder is whether year 2 of the Buffaloes new system will make a difference.

Wyoming +3.5 against Virginia

Wyoming is going to win this one straight up. 3.5 at home is a gift.

Oklahoma State +6 at Georgia

It looks like Saturday is going to be a dog day for me...but not a bulldog day.

Hawkeye Vince is taking a few for this weekend:

Eastern Michigan +19 @ Pitt
Pitt lost it's three best offensive players from last season and wasn't very good on D. EMU may not be an upper echelon MAC team, but the lack of quality from Pitt may keep this close.

UAB +21.5 @ Michigan State
Michigan State has a poor defense so should lead to a couple of garbage TDs by UAB and their offense is predicated on the run, helping the clock run out. MSU has no business laying huge wood on any D1 team.

Western Michigan @ West Virginia -23.5
West Virginia returns most of the one most prolific offenses in the country. They make every game like a track meet. Western Michigan will want to slow it down a bit but look at their schedule from last year, they didn't play anyone near this caliber of opponent.

Texas -23 (1st half)
Same reasons as above.

Navy -20.5
Temple is absolutely brutal, and will have no chance to stop the running attack of Navy.

_________________
Good people drink good beer - Hunter S. Thompson

<º)))><

Waiting for the time when I can finally say
That this has all been wonderful, but now I'm on my way

20.5 is a lot of wood for an option team Chus. Are you just throwing that one out there for some action on Friday?

No, I think Temple will get pwn3d.

_________________
Good people drink good beer - Hunter S. Thompson

<º)))><

Waiting for the time when I can finally say
That this has all been wonderful, but now I'm on my way

Syracuse +3.5 vs Washington- This game should be titled, we were good 10 years ago, now we are stuggle to just win 1 game. Syracus at home against a freshman quarterback, may take or let Washington win by a field goal.

It's a great day as college football is back.

Virginia -3 vs Wyoming- I have heard talk Virginia is an up and coming team with an upstart quarterback, I don't know much about Wyoming, so Virginia gets a nice start today.

Idaho and USC over 58.5- Usc may get this by halftime, but Idaho doesn't have much of defense, but can score about 14-20 points.

Virginia Tech -28
&
over 41.5

ECU's QB is out, and the Hokies will probably score one on D, and once on special teams. This one will get out of control early.

_________________
Good people drink good beer - Hunter S. Thompson

<º)))><

Waiting for the time when I can finally say
That this has all been wonderful, but now I'm on my way

Florida International +38

This is way too many points for a Joe Pa coached team to cover.

_________________
Good people drink good beer - Hunter S. Thompson

<º)))><

Waiting for the time when I can finally say
That this has all been wonderful, but now I'm on my way

Just 1 for week 1

New Mexico -3.5 Utep

New Mexico should be able to run all day on this Utep D. NM D isnt bad either, cant see Utep scoring alot.

4-0 on Saturday, easily could have been 8-0, but laid off a few games.

Texas Tech -8 vs SMU- I know nothing about SMU, but I know TExas TEch likes to throw the ball all over the field and are good at it and coach Leach is starting to get some defense there.

Clemson +3 vs Florida St.- Bowden Bowl, FSU has made a lot of changes, it will be intresting to see if they work, but at Clemson and I think Clemson will be able to run the ball, to give their new quarterback time to get use to the game, so I LOVE THE TIGERS!