Thanks CG. It might take a much bigger move to get me on Stanford. It could happen. While I like the situation here and noting Stanford's gutty play the past week or 2, losing Gerhardt is big, but not necessarily a death warrant. What I find interesting here is Stanford's lines on both sides. I think they have an edge over ND. That makes it hard for me to think ND.
Thanks CG. It might take a much bigger move to get me on Stanford. It could happen. While I like the situation here and noting Stanford's gutty play the past week or 2, losing Gerhardt is big, but not necessarily a death warrant. What I find interesting here is Stanford's lines on both sides. I think they have an edge over ND. That makes it hard for me to think ND.
Conan, I'm with you on UCLA and Arizona (like Arizona real big), but I don't agree with the play on Stanford. I've watched Stanford play twice this year, and while I think they are decent on offense, their defense is just not very good. I watched the Stanford/Washington game Saturday night and was not impressed with the defense on either teams.
Notre Dame is an improving team and I think ND wants EVERY game more than their opponents. ND lost the respect of the nation and they need to get it back. The only way to do that is to win every game impressively and go to a bowl. I think we see a focused ND team in this game, and if that happens, they will out-talent and out-class Stanford in this matchup.
Conan, good luck to you this weekend and let's make the bookies cry . . . . .
Notre Dame is an improving team and I think ND wants EVERY game more than their opponents. ND lost the respect of the nation and they need to get it back. The only way to do that is to win every game impressively and go to a bowl. I think we see a focused ND team in this game, and if that happens, they will out-talent and out-class Stanford in this matchup.
Conan, good luck to you this weekend and let's make the bookies cry . . . . .
Conan, ND will lose all the games they get outplayed on their OL. If you think Stanford DL can outplay them, then you take the points. ND still has no real running game but the passing game is improving every week. The defense has been stepping up with a lot of blitzing. May want to rethink Stanford if they have a new qb in there.
Oregon State Beavers
I'll have to make a case for the Oregon State Beavers.
Appears the betting public thinks that every time a college football team pulls off a major "upset," the team will fall flat on their faces in the proverbial emotional letdown the following week. I don't see this as a theory that is 100% foolproof.
I'm confident that Mike Reilly has this version of OSU football heading in the right direction after getting "upset" by Stanford, getting crushed by Penn State in Happy Valley. They dismantled Hawaii, and as we all saw last week - "upset" USC.
One of the main reasons I think OSU is playing much better is their running game - led by Jacquizz Rodgers. The Trojans aren't the only team that's had trouble tackling Rodgers. The 5-foot-6 Rodgers is the nation's leading freshman rusher with 449 yards. He has also scored six touchdowns.
Utah boasts the Mountain West's top defense (231.4 yards per game), and is fifth in the nation against the run (60.2 ypg), but coach Kyle Whittingham knows stopping Rodgers won't be easy.
"(Rodgers) is extremely productive, he's strong and quick. We've got to focus on slowing him down," Whittingham said. "He is like all great backs - when nothing is there he will find a way to make yards."
Run the ball efficiently with Rodgers. Safe passing with an improving Lyle Moevao.
The Beavers hold a 9-4-1 edge in the all-time series.
Don't get me wrong. I think Utah wins the game. I just don't see an "easy" cover ATS for them in this one.
My score prediction:
28
20
Good luck with your play on this game if you bet it. :toast:
I'll have to make a case for the Oregon State Beavers.
Appears the betting public thinks that every time a college football team pulls off a major "upset," the team will fall flat on their faces in the proverbial emotional letdown the following week. I don't see this as a theory that is 100% foolproof.
I'm confident that Mike Reilly has this version of OSU football heading in the right direction after getting "upset" by Stanford, getting crushed by Penn State in Happy Valley. They dismantled Hawaii, and as we all saw last week - "upset" USC.
One of the main reasons I think OSU is playing much better is their running game - led by Jacquizz Rodgers. The Trojans aren't the only team that's had trouble tackling Rodgers. The 5-foot-6 Rodgers is the nation's leading freshman rusher with 449 yards. He has also scored six touchdowns.
Utah boasts the Mountain West's top defense (231.4 yards per game), and is fifth in the nation against the run (60.2 ypg), but coach Kyle Whittingham knows stopping Rodgers won't be easy.
"(Rodgers) is extremely productive, he's strong and quick. We've got to focus on slowing him down," Whittingham said. "He is like all great backs - when nothing is there he will find a way to make yards."
Run the ball efficiently with Rodgers. Safe passing with an improving Lyle Moevao.
The Beavers hold a 9-4-1 edge in the all-time series.
Don't get me wrong. I think Utah wins the game. I just don't see an "easy" cover ATS for them in this one.
My score prediction:
Good luck with your play on this game if you bet it. :toast:
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SoonerBS, with all due respect I have to disagree with that angle. From my experience, teams that don't normally put great distance between themselves and their opponents are rarely motivated by how many points they need to score to make an impression. As a matter of fact, that idea has worked in reverse according to my recollection. Maybe it's because looking up at the scoreboard is a distraction. Maybe it's the wrong kind of pressure. I can't say but if Notre Dame players are focusing on how many points they need to score, they might even get upset. I don't know what CW has told his players, if anything, but that could be the wrong thing to say. If I was Weiss, I'd be more focused on execution and keeping them on the winning track. The points will take care of themselves if they do that and Stanford is unable to keep up.
I see now Oregon St. has moved up to -12 most places and Skybook has them at 12.5. It seems that powerful 5-0 Utah at home is nothing to sneeze at. They often demolish their opponents at home and certainly in this game they may feel they have a debt to collect from last season's opening loss to the Beavers. A circled game for them, possibly.
Say all the good things you want to about Oregon State this week. It seems to be in vogue to do that with that big upset under their belt. It also seems that expecting them to have a let down is also a pretty popular notion. That along with Utah's BCS busting expectations leave little room for doubt what the outcome will be.
But one thing keeps coming back to haunt me about this "obvious" play on Utah. First of all, it's nothing too outlandish to say that the Beavers are "giant killers" as it should be obvious that they can beat anyone they play when their game is on. They've pulled at least one big upset every year. But so what? That's no reason to expect another "slaying" just because it's possible.
The idea that sneaks up on me is "you can only kick a dog so many times until he bites you." I'm talking about the way they've been beaten on the road on TV every Thursday for the past few years. So far this year it has been Stanford and Penn St. Last year it was Cincinnati. The year before that it was Boise St. This is getting pretty old. They are an automatic loser in these situations, and they know it.
No they are not the type of team that's apt to bask in the glory of a big win too long and lose focus. That's not them. Falling apart on the road is, especially when it's the Thursday TV game. The question is not can Utah be dominant here and beat the daylights out of the Beavers. The answer to that question would obviously be yes. The question is have the Beavers really turned the corner this season off a typically slow start and are they ready to beat the "on the road Thursday night big TV game" bugaboo? This is a tougher challenge for them than beating the Trojans at home. (Been there done that twice in 3 seasons.) Now what about a team like Utah on the road? I haven't seen a real good effort in that scenario since they nearly nipped LSU back on '04. (I'm not including neutral field bowl games. That's not the same situation.)
One thing I can say on behalf of the Beavers is that they have a substantial arsenal of offensive weapons this time around and they seem to have found their mojo since their loss @ PSU in W2. Has their defense gelled to the point of slowing down a team like Utah (after stymieing USC's offense.) That's a tall order, but a taller one would be: "Are they capable of consistent execution playing their A-game from one week to the next?"
Their ability to run the ball vs Utah means everything in this game.
Say all the good things you want to about Oregon State this week. It seems to be in vogue to do that with that big upset under their belt. It also seems that expecting them to have a let down is also a pretty popular notion. That along with Utah's BCS busting expectations leave little room for doubt what the outcome will be.
But one thing keeps coming back to haunt me about this "obvious" play on Utah. First of all, it's nothing too outlandish to say that the Beavers are "giant killers" as it should be obvious that they can beat anyone they play when their game is on. They've pulled at least one big upset every year. But so what? That's no reason to expect another "slaying" just because it's possible.
The idea that sneaks up on me is "you can only kick a dog so many times until he bites you." I'm talking about the way they've been beaten on the road on TV every Thursday for the past few years. So far this year it has been Stanford and Penn St. Last year it was Cincinnati. The year before that it was Boise St. This is getting pretty old. They are an automatic loser in these situations, and they know it.
No they are not the type of team that's apt to bask in the glory of a big win too long and lose focus. That's not them. Falling apart on the road is, especially when it's the Thursday TV game. The question is not can Utah be dominant here and beat the daylights out of the Beavers. The answer to that question would obviously be yes. The question is have the Beavers really turned the corner this season off a typically slow start and are they ready to beat the "on the road Thursday night big TV game" bugaboo? This is a tougher challenge for them than beating the Trojans at home. (Been there done that twice in 3 seasons.) Now what about a team like Utah on the road? I haven't seen a real good effort in that scenario since they nearly nipped LSU back on '04. (I'm not including neutral field bowl games. That's not the same situation.)
One thing I can say on behalf of the Beavers is that they have a substantial arsenal of offensive weapons this time around and they seem to have found their mojo since their loss @ PSU in W2. Has their defense gelled to the point of slowing down a team like Utah (after stymieing USC's offense.) That's a tall order, but a taller one would be: "Are they capable of consistent execution playing their A-game from one week to the next?"
Their ability to run the ball vs Utah means everything in this game.
Sounds Familiar
Ummm.....the success of the Beavers hinges on running the ball effectively....that's exactly what I wrote to you in this thread! d1g1t
Also, strength of schedule so far favors Oregon State. OSU has played Penn State and USC. Utah has played Michigan and who?
The Beavers are battle tested and I'm betting that they will keep up the pace. :thumbsup:
Good luck if you bet the Utes.
I'll put my money with Mike Riley's squad +12.5! Soumi
Ummm.....the success of the Beavers hinges on running the ball effectively....that's exactly what I wrote to you in this thread! d1g1t
Also, strength of schedule so far favors Oregon State. OSU has played Penn State and USC. Utah has played Michigan and who?
The Beavers are battle tested and I'm betting that they will keep up the pace. :thumbsup:
Good luck if you bet the Utes.
I'll put my money with Mike Riley's squad +12.5! Soumi
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You think I wrote all that just to mention the running game? There's so much more that goes into this bet. I tried to cover a lot of territory. It don't matter who the Utes have beaten, it's who the Utes can beat and that covers a lot more ground than just Michigan (in the big house.)
This game is about the Beavers showing up on the road in a hard place to win and bringing their A game with them. Why take a leap of faith and bet they will keep up the pace? When have they gone out and taken care of business (OOC) on the road? I'd have to go back 5 years or more and look it up. I'm not saying they can't win this game. But why now? I also think they might get more than 12.5 if you wait. That's why I haven't bet this game yet.
BOL with your bet. I'm still thinking about it. Gonna read the blogs some more so I maybe I can answer that question why. To me it's a big question because this lines up to be a very big game in big ways for OSU.
It's Official, Jahvid Best is Out for 2 Weeks
BERKELEY, Calif. -- California running back Jahvid Best will miss at least one game with a dislocated left elbow, but the versatile speedster won't require surgery.
Best was injured in the third quarter of the Golden Bears' 42-7 victory over Colorado State last Saturday. The sophomore is third in the nation with 215.5 all-purpose yards per game, and third in the Pac-10 with 105.3 yards rushing.
Best, who fumbled two times while rushing for 85 yards against the Rams, was hurt while putting out his arm to cushion a fall. Freshman Shane Vereen has played well in the Bears' first four games as Best's backup or his replacement in the backfield when Best lines up as a receiver.
California (3-1, 1-0 Pac-10) hosts Arizona State (2-2, 1-0) on Saturday, followed by an off week. Best hopes to be available for the Bears' trip to Arizona on Oct. 18.
BERKELEY, Calif. -- California running back Jahvid Best will miss at least one game with a dislocated left elbow, but the versatile speedster won't require surgery.
Best was injured in the third quarter of the Golden Bears' 42-7 victory over Colorado State last Saturday. The sophomore is third in the nation with 215.5 all-purpose yards per game, and third in the Pac-10 with 105.3 yards rushing.
Best, who fumbled two times while rushing for 85 yards against the Rams, was hurt while putting out his arm to cushion a fall. Freshman Shane Vereen has played well in the Bears' first four games as Best's backup or his replacement in the backfield when Best lines up as a receiver.
California (3-1, 1-0 Pac-10) hosts Arizona State (2-2, 1-0) on Saturday, followed by an off week. Best hopes to be available for the Bears' trip to Arizona on Oct. 18.
DUDE!
I wouldn't make a bet like that for less than +5000, then I'd only put $10 on it. I'm sure you know even as a Coog fan that WSU is the best fade in the conference this year.
Hang in there. Wulff seems like a winner... eventually.
Recap:
Stanford+7.5/ND* ??? (I'm waiting on a better number in this one)
UCLA-16.5/WSU** (best bet)
ASU+9.5/CAL*
OR+16.5/USC*
AZ-19/UW*
16-8 (67%) on the year. +11 uints
I may just make some kind of wager on every game this week just to see if I can run the table. Won't be for much more than a bowl of soup... a small bowl.
CG, I've been thinking more about Stanford and I will only bet them if ND gets severely steamed. They took advantage of a very disorganized Beaver team in W1 and beat them but didn't come even close to beating them in the stat department. Beaver errors gifted them that game. ASU and TCU both beat them soundly on the road. At home they were on their heels most of the time vs SJSU but they ended up pulling the game out but they were far from impressive. If this team can go on the road and give ND a game, they sure didn't show it @ UW last week. Considering their level of competition, they ended up looking more like 1 of 2 bottom dwellers fighting for air. Botom line, I'll probably not play this game unless ND gets steamed and the line moves 2.5 - 3 points. Otherwise I lean towards the Irish.
Updated: (I really like all of these)
UCLA-16.5/WSU** (best bet)
ASU+9.5/CAL*
OR+16.5/USC*
AZ-19/UW*
16-8 (67%) on the year. +11 uints
Leans on ND and Utah at the moment with the present numbers available. ND is still 7 at BetJM, Utah is 11.5 also at BetJM. I'm really on the fence with both of these games as there is a solid argument to be made for both dogs as well as both chalks with the lines as they currently are set.
Banged Up Beavers
September 30, 2008 1:45 PM
Posted by ESPN.com's Ted Miller
Oregon State paid a price for its huge win over then-top-ranked USC.
With a date Thursday with 15th-ranked Utah looming, the Beavers could be down not just three starters but three of their best players.
WR Sammie Stroughter is nursing a hip pointer.
CB Brandon Hughes is nursing a hamstring injury.
SS Al Afalava is nursing a groin injury.
Mike Riley just said on the weekly Pac-10 teleconference that all three are questionable, noting that none of the threesome practiced Monday, which functioned as a normal "Wednesday practice" for a Saturday game.
He also said that OG Jeremy Perry could play for the first time against Utah. Of course, he said the same last week and Perry didn't play vs. the Trojans.
September 30, 2008 1:45 PM
Posted by ESPN.com's Ted Miller
Oregon State paid a price for its huge win over then-top-ranked USC.
With a date Thursday with 15th-ranked Utah looming, the Beavers could be down not just three starters but three of their best players.
WR Sammie Stroughter is nursing a hip pointer.
CB Brandon Hughes is nursing a hamstring injury.
SS Al Afalava is nursing a groin injury.
Mike Riley just said on the weekly Pac-10 teleconference that all three are questionable, noting that none of the threesome practiced Monday, which functioned as a normal "Wednesday practice" for a Saturday game.
He also said that OG Jeremy Perry could play for the first time against Utah. Of course, he said the same last week and Perry didn't play vs. the Trojans.
Holyshit.
Utah has a killer passing game and the Beavers are now without one of their lockdown corners and their best defensive player (SS Afalava.) This is starting to look more and more like a play on Utah. If the Beaver rush can't keep the heat on Johnson all day, they are going to get burned.
Utah has a killer passing game and the Beavers are now without one of their lockdown corners and their best defensive player (SS Afalava.) This is starting to look more and more like a play on Utah. If the Beaver rush can't keep the heat on Johnson all day, they are going to get burned.
Kevin Riley is not "the man" anymore
Here's an interesting story about Tedford and Cal's QBs. The article reports that Tedford has reopened the starting QB competition at Cal. Surely this could mean that Longshore will get more playing time. There seems to be this problem there about their starting QB achieving a level of mediocrity after a few games. Nate Longshore began the season throwing 2 picks in his first few attempts. Apparently he has been forgiven and now Tedford hopes someone, Longshore included will lead this offense effectively. I'm not sure that the problem is the QB. I am wondering. This has been going on there for a few years with several QB's in the same boat. Meanwhile guys like Kyle Reed, a Cal reject now at SJSU, has established himself as one of the top QB's in the WAC. Hmmmmm.
Here's an interesting story about Tedford and Cal's QBs. The article reports that Tedford has reopened the starting QB competition at Cal. Surely this could mean that Longshore will get more playing time. There seems to be this problem there about their starting QB achieving a level of mediocrity after a few games. Nate Longshore began the season throwing 2 picks in his first few attempts. Apparently he has been forgiven and now Tedford hopes someone, Longshore included will lead this offense effectively. I'm not sure that the problem is the QB. I am wondering. This has been going on there for a few years with several QB's in the same boat. Meanwhile guys like Kyle Reed, a Cal reject now at SJSU, has established himself as one of the top QB's in the WAC. Hmmmmm.
