Welcome back Box. I think you're one of the best, most reliant on the internet. As was asked above, do you have any thoughts on the upcoming season or any early games you're looking forward to watching? My early games to look forward to are: The 1st nationally televised game (SC vs NC ST), BYU vs OU and UGA vs OSU. BOL Box!
Delta: Usually play ROUGHLY 5 plays a week - give or take.
PaintYourWagon: If you search the forums, you can dig it up. Do and advanced search for threads I have started in the college forum. I have separated it over the years.
Superchuck: I'm interested to see with all of the noise and dust that the Mountain West has kicked up this past offseason if voters will take them into greater consideration to play in a title game if they go undefeated. I'm not sure if there is any bowl tie in that would prevent a MWC team from playing for a title, and if there isn't and we see an undefeated MWC team, I think they get in this year. I also want to see how my Gators defend their title with a bullseye on their back and if Tebow can go down as the greatest college QB ever. He'll have to stay healthy to do so and he has been injured the past 2 seasons, but the timing has been perfect of his injuries. May or may not be so lucky this year. He'll have a tough battle as Bradford and McCoy return - among others. And the Gators changed their offense to get him out of the shotgun, and put him under center to work on his footwork for the NFL. Love him or hate him, it'll be interesting to see how it all plays out.
Early season strategy is to ignore the rankings, and play senior-laden teams that are on the up and up over big name hyped schools with young defenses or teams in general. Lots of line value early in the year.
PaintYourWagon: If you search the forums, you can dig it up. Do and advanced search for threads I have started in the college forum. I have separated it over the years.
Superchuck: I'm interested to see with all of the noise and dust that the Mountain West has kicked up this past offseason if voters will take them into greater consideration to play in a title game if they go undefeated. I'm not sure if there is any bowl tie in that would prevent a MWC team from playing for a title, and if there isn't and we see an undefeated MWC team, I think they get in this year. I also want to see how my Gators defend their title with a bullseye on their back and if Tebow can go down as the greatest college QB ever. He'll have to stay healthy to do so and he has been injured the past 2 seasons, but the timing has been perfect of his injuries. May or may not be so lucky this year. He'll have a tough battle as Bradford and McCoy return - among others. And the Gators changed their offense to get him out of the shotgun, and put him under center to work on his footwork for the NFL. Love him or hate him, it'll be interesting to see how it all plays out.
Early season strategy is to ignore the rankings, and play senior-laden teams that are on the up and up over big name hyped schools with young defenses or teams in general. Lots of line value early in the year.
1.5* NC State Wolfpack -4.5 -110
A couple of things I like about this side enough to play it, and a few things I don't like that keep the play small. I don't like the line at 4.5 - it's just not a great number. Then again...homefield advantage on these Thursday night games has made numbers like this a non-factor because of the momentum and snowball factor. I also don't like the ACC's track record in games against the SEC. But that is a blanket trend, and not one specific to this matchup. I also don't like when the better defense is getting points. These are the reasons I am keeping it small.
That all being said, I like NC State in this game.
Don't mistake South Carolina as being a live dog in this game - they are a wounded dog. If any other washed up coach not named Steve Spurrier was on the sideline, this line would be a bigger spread. If South Carolina didn't play in the SEC, this would be a bigger spread. And if USC hadn't spanked a Russell Wilson-less Wolfpack team last year on opening night, this would also be a bigger spread. So we've established that the line has value because of the names Steve Spurrier and SEC. It creates an obvious underdog scenario that a lot of bettors fall into. "Steve Spurrier and an SEC Team GETTING POINTS? They beat these guys 34-0 last year."
Not sure how many guys saw Russell Wilson play last year as a freshman, but he was pretty special last year. He is a tremendous ability to slow the game down, not be overwhelmed by the pass rush, and make plays on the run, or with his feet unlike some of these guys that like to bail early out of the pocket. He's the X-Factor in this game, and he's the reason why NC State should be able to move the ball well against a USC defense that was gutted by graduations and the NFL draft.
On the flip side, Stephen Garcia was recruited to be the savior of the Cocks. But his short career has been marked by inconsistency, interceptions and off the field troubles. He has hardly been the leader that a struggling football team needs that is desperate for leadership and new direction. Garcia has been unable to rally his troops and unable to move the football yet. The graduation of WR Kenny McKinley and TE Cook leave a struggling USC offense void of playmakers and very few guys in the system that showed any promise. The Cock offensive line has been horrible, and Garcia doesn't have the protection or the playmakers needed to help a young QB get acclimated to the college game.
Spurrier brought in a bunch of new coordinators and assistants to change the way they do things, and the new players + the new systems may cause confusion in week1 as they have not had a chance to gel yet. Reports from USC Camp has been the offense has been sputtering vs. the first team defense and not moving the ball. The most impressive player out of camp has been a 5 foot 6 niche running back that has been squeeking through holes.
Spurrier has also lost his mojo. He came in with a lot of promise, but nothing has changed in South Carolina. The rumblings have begun that he's not the same guy and this is the year that he is officially shown as washed up. Spurrier's stock is going down, not up. And coaches stock who is going down do not come out on the road and beat upstart programs in their house. NC State was embrassed by the Cocks last year, and they have revenge on their minds and will not be taking them lightly.
Spurrier got his ego shattered in the NFL, the men's game changed him and his coaching style. He has transitioned his style into a defensive minded coach that isn't scared to win tight games. The problem is his defense was gutted by the draft. Stud playmaker Captain Munnerlyn is gone. Stud linebacker Jaspar Brinkley is gone. Others signed as free agents. Sure Norwood is back, but he is a one man show instead of a complimentary pass rusher liek he used to be. The Cocks will have other pieces emerge but they don't have that chemistry on the defensive side of the ball yet.
The Wolfpack defense was horrible last year, but the good news is South Carolina couldn't move the ball against anyone. NC State really came into their own towards the end of last year and started to come together and win some games. They were a team to watch for 2009. South Carolina was a team that I circled as being down. They weren't very good last year and they lost all of their key pieces on both sides of the ball, with very few proven players left in the cupboard.
Coach O'Brien has his team on the up and up, and a big opening night home win against an SEC foe and a guy like Spurrier is just what the doctor ordered for this up and coming program. I expect a hostile crowd, a few big conversions by Wilson to break USCs back, and the crowd and momentum to finish this thing off as they rattle a young, mistake prone Stephen Garcia like they did last year vs USC in route to 4 INTs.
NC State 27
South Carolina 20
A couple of things I like about this side enough to play it, and a few things I don't like that keep the play small. I don't like the line at 4.5 - it's just not a great number. Then again...homefield advantage on these Thursday night games has made numbers like this a non-factor because of the momentum and snowball factor. I also don't like the ACC's track record in games against the SEC. But that is a blanket trend, and not one specific to this matchup. I also don't like when the better defense is getting points. These are the reasons I am keeping it small.
That all being said, I like NC State in this game.
Don't mistake South Carolina as being a live dog in this game - they are a wounded dog. If any other washed up coach not named Steve Spurrier was on the sideline, this line would be a bigger spread. If South Carolina didn't play in the SEC, this would be a bigger spread. And if USC hadn't spanked a Russell Wilson-less Wolfpack team last year on opening night, this would also be a bigger spread. So we've established that the line has value because of the names Steve Spurrier and SEC. It creates an obvious underdog scenario that a lot of bettors fall into. "Steve Spurrier and an SEC Team GETTING POINTS? They beat these guys 34-0 last year."
Not sure how many guys saw Russell Wilson play last year as a freshman, but he was pretty special last year. He is a tremendous ability to slow the game down, not be overwhelmed by the pass rush, and make plays on the run, or with his feet unlike some of these guys that like to bail early out of the pocket. He's the X-Factor in this game, and he's the reason why NC State should be able to move the ball well against a USC defense that was gutted by graduations and the NFL draft.
On the flip side, Stephen Garcia was recruited to be the savior of the Cocks. But his short career has been marked by inconsistency, interceptions and off the field troubles. He has hardly been the leader that a struggling football team needs that is desperate for leadership and new direction. Garcia has been unable to rally his troops and unable to move the football yet. The graduation of WR Kenny McKinley and TE Cook leave a struggling USC offense void of playmakers and very few guys in the system that showed any promise. The Cock offensive line has been horrible, and Garcia doesn't have the protection or the playmakers needed to help a young QB get acclimated to the college game.
Spurrier brought in a bunch of new coordinators and assistants to change the way they do things, and the new players + the new systems may cause confusion in week1 as they have not had a chance to gel yet. Reports from USC Camp has been the offense has been sputtering vs. the first team defense and not moving the ball. The most impressive player out of camp has been a 5 foot 6 niche running back that has been squeeking through holes.
Spurrier has also lost his mojo. He came in with a lot of promise, but nothing has changed in South Carolina. The rumblings have begun that he's not the same guy and this is the year that he is officially shown as washed up. Spurrier's stock is going down, not up. And coaches stock who is going down do not come out on the road and beat upstart programs in their house. NC State was embrassed by the Cocks last year, and they have revenge on their minds and will not be taking them lightly.
Spurrier got his ego shattered in the NFL, the men's game changed him and his coaching style. He has transitioned his style into a defensive minded coach that isn't scared to win tight games. The problem is his defense was gutted by the draft. Stud playmaker Captain Munnerlyn is gone. Stud linebacker Jaspar Brinkley is gone. Others signed as free agents. Sure Norwood is back, but he is a one man show instead of a complimentary pass rusher liek he used to be. The Cocks will have other pieces emerge but they don't have that chemistry on the defensive side of the ball yet.
The Wolfpack defense was horrible last year, but the good news is South Carolina couldn't move the ball against anyone. NC State really came into their own towards the end of last year and started to come together and win some games. They were a team to watch for 2009. South Carolina was a team that I circled as being down. They weren't very good last year and they lost all of their key pieces on both sides of the ball, with very few proven players left in the cupboard.
Coach O'Brien has his team on the up and up, and a big opening night home win against an SEC foe and a guy like Spurrier is just what the doctor ordered for this up and coming program. I expect a hostile crowd, a few big conversions by Wilson to break USCs back, and the crowd and momentum to finish this thing off as they rattle a young, mistake prone Stephen Garcia like they did last year vs USC in route to 4 INTs.
NC State 27
South Carolina 20
on this play at an earlier line as well, and have scar u6.5 season total so i agree w/ most everything you say...but one thing we disagree upon...
both secondaries are weak, but i have nc st front 7, specifically against a weaker o-line, as better than scar front 7, specifically w/out geathers and adjiboye and w/ pepper resigned to 25-30 plays because of knee injuries
so i don't feel the better defense is getting points, as this is my biggest play of week 1
:toast:
both secondaries are weak, but i have nc st front 7, specifically against a weaker o-line, as better than scar front 7, specifically w/out geathers and adjiboye and w/ pepper resigned to 25-30 plays because of knee injuries
so i don't feel the better defense is getting points, as this is my biggest play of week 1
:toast:
