1.  Steve Janus: Steve has been earning himself quite the following after winning numerous football handicapping awards over the past decade.  He netted the most units overall in both 2006 and 2009 and is consistently near the top of our college football leaderboards every single season.  Join him for another championship caliber season today!

2.  Steve Merril: Here’s a handicapper that has grown a reputation for his success in every sport, but his college football picks might be the best of the bunch.  Steve has been making his clients money year after year.  You’ll always want to know which side of the big game he’s on! Get on board for a long-term package with Steve Merril and we know you’ll keep coming back for more!

3.  Mike Lineback: Lineback takes a more low-risk approach to college football betting, which is probably why he consistently wins at a higher percentage than our other handicappers.  Mike will never force a play just to have action and he often times waits until just a few hours before game time to put out his picks.  If you are able to stay disciplined and you have the free time to get your bets in a few hours before games start, buy Mike Lineback’s college football season pass, period!

4.  Pure Lock: Pure Lock is another NCAA football handicapper that professes quality over quantity.  These guys normally find one play per week in college football and this play will be one of the strongest picks you’ll find on our site.

That should give you some great ideas about which handicapper you are going to choose this football season.  Don’t forget to check this week’s college football lines to see which sportsbook is giving the best edge for your bets.

The first thing that we recommend to everyone who wants to get serious about making money is to open up a couple different accounts at the sportsbooks so they can use line shopping to get the most value out of their bets. Over the course of the season there are going to be plenty of games that either push or come close to the number, but what if you could have turned those close losses into pushes or those pushes into wins by simply shopping around for the best line and getting a better point spread?

You can do so and it won’t cost you any extra money if you open up accounts at a couple of different sportsbooks. Of course we have done the homework for you and found a couple of places that we are recommending everyone open up an account at this year.The first on the list is SportsBetting.

This is a solid operation that does a great job of converting credit cards for deposits and gives payouts to customers quickly and easily. The other great thing about SportsBetting is that they have a large volume of players and most of them are recreational. This means that you are going to get a unique line set that caters to the public, which means that if you like betting on underdogs or going against the grain then you are going to get some great odds with this book. Plus the bonuses and the chance to win $1,000,000 are a couple of other great reasons to signup today with SportsBetting.

The second book we want to recommend is WagerWeb. This is one of the books that keep the players in the forefront with an array of betting options and prop opportunities to keep you interested in every aspect of the game.

WagerWeb is also a great site for those of you who are new to the online betting world because they give a tour of the site and have guides written to assist you in getting started. Plus there are articles every week detailing different sporting events and giving some insight into what the bookmakers are thinking.

If you are looking for a one-stop shop then WagerWeb can be that place.There are a couple of other books that everyone should check out and we’ll just give you a couple sentences promoting each one.

Bodog is a great book for new players and they have easy deposit methods where you can use your checking account. When it comes to bonuses you can’t really go wrong with BetUS. They offer up to 50% in new signup bonuses and have an easy to use site.  Bookmaker is where the line originates, so if you want to get your action in early in the week,then this is the place to go.

With that said, we’re going to take a peek at another key tilt, our matchup of the week is the Fighting Irish facing off against the Wolverines. Both of these teams looked dominant in their first games of the season, and now the heat is on for the two prestigious programs to see which can keep their progress heading in the right driection by picking up the win here.

Charlie Weis likely couldn’t have expected a better way to the season last week against Nevada. Granted, Nevada couldn’t muster a score of any kind throughout the contest, but it was the solid and fatal passing game that prospered under quarterback Jimmy Clausen. The junior, who is finally living up to the hype, passed for 315 yards on 15-of-18 and four touchdowns. His wideouts Michael Floyd and Golden Tate look like a fairly high impact duo, while tight end Kyle Rudolph is physically talented enough to reign at both catching passes and blocking. The rushing game, though, still appears shady, and 178 yards via the run against a rocky Wolf Pack defense still doesn’t mean a whole lot. Still, Notre Dame was able to cover as 14.5-point chalk in front of their home faithful.

The Wolverines, just the same, suprised their fans, but it was the new faces that did the most to seize the allure of the U of M admirers. True freshman quarterback Tate Forcier tossed three TDs and led the offense for the majority of the game, not making any slips. Another new star coming on strong is the speed merchant Denard Robinson, who got some hype in the preseason for not tying his shoes when playing. Seemingly he doesn’t need to, as a sizeable 43-yard dash and score displayed he acknowledges precisely what to do when the ball is in his hand. Similar to the Irish, Michigan covered the spread, as a 31-7 victory surpassed the 13 points they were favored at home to Western Michigan.

Now on to this matchup. And the determining factor with two offenses that can both light up the scoreboard should be the defenses and which outfit is more capable of showing up when called upon. Personally, and this may be me being biased towards Michigan, the Wolverines have a swifter and sounder defensive unit. I think they can get more heat on the quarterback, and the secondary looks more likely to be able to stop the other’s the passing game. And that will be the determining factor, as Weis will sure enough be aggressive in marching down the field and see how able Clausen can be in tearing up the defensive backs of the Wolverines for some action in the passing game.

The Fighting Irish come in as 3.5-point road chalk. However the point spread can be found at 3 if you compare between books. I would think keep steady between 3 and 3.5, and that could be key, as this could be a close game the whole way up in Michigan. The dog has cashed all but two of the previous 10 games in this series, but the Irish are 7-3 ATS in the past 10 versus Michigan. The Irish’s last victory in Ann Arbor was in 2005, and U of M has won four of the past five at home over Notre Dame. No total has been published yet, but if I had to make out a guess, I would guess around 44 or 45. Cash in with Doc Sports if you want winning football picks this weekend.

PITTSBURGH UNDER 7.5 wins

The Pittsburgh Panthers are one of the numerous teams in the ordinary Big East who could either win the conference or battle the Orange in the bottom. There’s a lot of uncertainty in the conference with Rutgers, West Virginia, USF and Pittsburgh among those who could taking home the title. Upon first look in Pittsburgh you’ll find no LeSean McCoy who stabilized the position in addition to LaRod Stephens-Howling who has also departed. The Pittsburgh Panthers return 15 starters but are disabled by Dave Wannstedt who isn’t exactly a coaching mastermind. The schedule also doesn’t do the Panthers much good.

Automatic Victories (4): 9/5 Youngstown State, 9/19 Navy, 10/10 UConn, 11/7 Syracuse

Sure Defeats (2): 9/26 @ NC State, 10/16 @ Rutgers

Up in the Air (6):

9/12 @ Buffalo — The Bulls played them tough in Pittsburgh falling 27-16 to the Panthers and were only down 1 entering the 4th frame. Pittsburgh were beaten by Bowling Green last year on their home turf and the Bulls have similar talent. James Starks and Naaman Roosevelt will need to have a great game for the Bulls to pull it off.

10/2 @ Louisville — The Panthers have gone down in seven of their last eight to Louisville ending a seven game losing skid last season. The Cardinals bring back 13 starters and a deadly offense that will need time to get in rythym with new QB Justin Burke, the NC State transfer.

10/24 vs. USF — Matt Grothe and George Selvie direct the spotty Bulls. Last year Pittsburgh delivered the goods in Florida but the Bulls won the game in Pittsburgh two seasons ago. USF lives and dies by their stiff defense and has shown they can win in hostile environments beating up NC State last season.

11/14 vs. Notre Dame — The Irish will be much better this season and are 12-3 since 1988 against Pitt. Last season the Panthers won 36-33 in 4OT against the Irish in South Bend so want back will be on Notre Dame’s minds.

11/27 @ West Virginia — Revenge will be embedded in this one as well. The Panthers have won two in a row in this rivalry but Jarrett Brown and Jock Sanders pace an offense that can score a lot of points if need be. West Virginia may also have the strongest secondary in the conference.

12/5 vs. Cincinnati — Eight starters on offense are back plus possibly the best head coach in the Big East in Brian Kelly. The Bearcats possibly need this game for bowl eligibility. The Bearcats won last year’s meeting.

Additional considerations:

TCU UNDER 9 (+110) – Tough road trips to UVA, Clemson, Air Force, Brigham Young and a sneaky trip to Laramie could help the Under.

OKLAHOMA STATE OVER 9 (+110) – The Cowboys just need to win one game out of the group of Texas, @ Oklahoma and Georgia.

If you are looking for more football picks to help you beat the spreads, purchase a package from Steve Merril!

It will not be an easy task, since Graham had to supplant a quarterback and five other offensive starters. Junior Jacob Bower has attained the inside track as the signal caller, after sitting on the sidelines last year. The front five has to be reconstructed in order for Bower to win. If these factors come together speedily, Tulsa can work up on its 8-3 against the spread September record. On defense, eight players return, however, according to the head coach they will be asked to play with more heart, after conceding 30 points or more six times last year. “Defensively, we have to return to doing what we’ve done in the past of being productive, and that’s a unforgiving attitude to play to the football and return to a hard edge mentality defensively,” Graham said. “What we have to get better on defense is not giving away the big play.” Sportsbook.com has Tulsa as 13.5-point visiting favorites with total of 64 and they are just 4-7 against the spread in that role under Graham.

Tulane has won six games in two seasons under coach Bob Toledo and everyone associated with the program understands this has to be the year to get showing positive signs. “We understand we’ve really got to start winning,” wide receiver Jeremy Williams told the Times-Picayune. “We’re not worried about the future. We’ve got to get it done tonight.”The Green Wave welcome back seven starters on offense and redshirt sophomore Joe Kemp who won the quarterback derby. Tulane will be aided by the return of running back Andre Anderson, who was fourth in the nation in rushing and all-purpose yards when he was lost in the seventh game of the year. Tualne will have to score points to stay with the Golden Hurricane, however, they are just 4-10-1 at the pay window when an underdog at their own stadium. Tulane begins this season with misleading defensive statistics. Tulane was 14th in the country in pass defense, giving up 173 yards per contest. That was at least in part to surrendering 218 (5.7 yards per carry) yards per game rushing. Senior DE Logan Kelley anchors a very practiced defensive line that must upgrade its game in 2009. Tulane is 7-23-1 at the pay window in its last 31 conference matchups.

Tulsa plays four of their first five games as a visitor, including the first three. It should be noticed that they haven’t covered their last four road games. The Green Wave is 0-4 SU and ATS versus the Golden Hurricane in C-USA action, with an average margin of 33 points per game. This conference clash goes at 8 ESTon ESPN, with Tulsa 7-2-1 OVER as visiting favorite. Do your football betting at Sportsbook.com and take advantage of Reduced Juice Fridays (-105).

I’ve been talking it over with some football experts here in Las Vegas and we can’t remember ever confronting a college football season like this.

- Every legitimate national championship threat has to replace significant skill position talent, or high impact players on defense.

- There are at least 15 teams who can make reasonable cases that they’ve got a shot to play in the BCS championship game if they can win their big games.

- The addition of a 12th game to everyone’s schedule this year has taken away many bye weeks. If you’ve already scanned through the schedules, you know that many teams will be eight or nine games deep into the schedule before they get a week off. Some go straight through until getting a break around Thanksgiving. That means injuries and depth will play a bigger role in college football this year than ever.

So, you may be asking how anyone could project a national championship favorite or even a reasonable top ten. Or, how could anyone even trust their power ratings in the opening week? Remember how bad those early polls were last year? Tennessee was a consensus #2 in the country in the preseason even though they wouldn’t make it to a bowl. A lot of popular dark horse picks ended up with four losses or more.

How do you handicap college football games in this kind of environment? Here’s what I suggest:

- First, remember that the oddsmakers are in the same boat you are. They’re in one of their biggest positions of weakness in quite some time. That should boost your confidence right off the bat.

- Be conservative if you have yet to gain a strong feel. You’ve probably heard that a sports bettor’s biggest advantage is that he can pass any game while the oddsmakers have to put up a number in all of them. The oddsmakers will be putting up a few guesses. If you’ve got insights about a certain coach or a certain team, you’ll be able to cherry pick some great winning situations.

- Consider playing second half lines. The best way to get a read on two teams going head-to-head is to watch them play each other. In the old days, this was of no benefit to bettors because only full game lines were available. Now, you can watch the first half and bet on the second half. The oddsmakers will be floundering here as well with so many games going on simultaneously. You can cherry-pick the ones you watch and look for soft spots.

- Give extra weight to experienced quarterbacks. They’re more valuable than normal this year because so many big name teams will be breaking in newcomers. This is going to be a big deal in the first few weeks of the season. This should affect your thinking on both sides and totals.

- Remember to look for climate advantages. The Southeast and Southwest have had brutally hot summers (and are still having them). It’s very likely that any teams from mild weather will fade badly in the second halves of games played in very hot weather. This is something that often trumps differences in experience, so you can still play this edge with confidence.

- To set the tone for your late season college football handicapping, start paying very close attention now to which teams have depth and which don’t. Every year, many of the smaller programs fade badly in the final month of the season. They may get up for their rivalry game, but otherwise, they’re blowout fodder for the powers. Without the bye weeks this year this will happen to more programs and it will happen earlier than ever before. I think this particular angle will offer up several big play opportunities in the second half of the season.

I know you’ll be watching a zillion games on TV in the coming days. We all will! Make notes of any depth-related comments you hear from the announcers, and eyeball for yourself how well the backups do when they get a chance to perform. It will pay off time and time again down the road.

We’re coming up on what could prove to be a very unique season. The oddsmakers are talking tough. But I know they’re scared to death about these early games. They know in their hearts that they’re just guessing with the early numbers. Analysts like you and me who use the right approach will be able to teach them a lesson about making college football picks!

Remember that you can get free NCAA football picks all season long so you can see how each handicapper examines each game before you ever purchase a premium football picks package.

Notre Dame and USC have each produced seven Heisman winners, the most of any schools in college football history. However, the Ohio State Buckeyes have produced five Heisman winners, accounting for a total of six trophies (Archie Griffin won back-to-back Heismans in 1974-75). While Notre Dame’s Brady Quinn was the odds-on favorite to win this year’s award entering the season, Ohio State QB Troy Smith is the early leader in my second Heisman Trophy top-10 poll of the young season. The entire poll appears below.

Heisman Trophy Top-10
(Monday, September 11)

1) TROY SMITH (Ohio State) Last Week: 1 Texas used its early September 25-22 win over Ohio State in Columbus to catapult the Longhorns to their first undisputed national title since 1969. Ohio State is hopeful its impressive 24-7 win last Saturday night in Austin, which ended Texas’ 21-game winning streak, will be a similar springboard. Whether Ohio State will claim this year’s national crown or not is unknown but the team is off to a great start, as it entered the year as the nation’s No. 1 team in both major polls and has increased its lead by opening 2-0. Similarly, Troy Smith had a much better season debut than Notre Dame’s Brady Quinn and Smith was very good again Saturday night in Austin. Smith completed 17-of-26 passes for 269 yards with two TDs and no INTs in the win against Texas. It marked Ohio State’s ninth consecutive win with Smith completing 67.1 percent of his passes for an average of 254.6 YPG with 18 TDPs and just two INTs. The win over No. 1 Texas gives Smith a 7-1 record vs ranked opponents in his career. Smith is being compared to Texas’ Vince Young but we’ve yet to see Smith run anything like Young these first two games. while Smith averaged 50.7 YPG (4.9 YPC) and ran for six TDs as Ohio State closed last year win seven straight wins, he’s had eight carries so far in 2006, losing a total of 14 yards. However, that’s ‘pinching pennies’, as Smith has been great! Ohio State will host Cincinnati this Saturday. His season stats are: 35-of-51 68.6 percent 566 yards with 5 TDPs and 0 INTs.

2) BRADY QUINN (Notre Dame) Last Week: 3. After a less than spectacular opening game in ND’s season opening 14-10 win over Ga Tech (no TDPs but a TD run), Quinn was sharp in Saturday’s 41-17 win at home over Penn State. Quinn was 12-of-16 for 150 yards with two TDPs in the second quarter alone and his third TDP in the early fourth quarter put the Irish up 41-3. He finished 25-of-36 for 287 yards with three TDPs and no INTs. last year Quinn found himself in Weis’ offense, throwing for 3,919 yards (64.9 percent) with 32 TDPs and just seven INTs. While he’s yet to have a breakout game in his first two, it should be noted that after two games last year, Quinn had thrown for just 367 yards. He then got hot, topping 300 yards in five of his last 10 games (he topped 200 yards in all 10 games), with four games of better than 400 yards. He averaged 355.2 YPG over those final 10 games and he may need similar numbers to chase down Troy Smith in this year’s Heisman race. Notre Dame hosts No. 11 Michigan this Saturday. His season stats are: 48-of-74 64.9 percent 533 yards with 3 TDPs 0 INTs / 15 attempts 15 yards 1.0 YPC 1 TD.

3) ADRIAN PETERSON (Oklahoma) Last Week: 5 Peterson had his second straight good game as the Sooners beat the Washington Huskies this past Saturday, 37-20. He ran for 165 yards on 32 carries and scored two TDs, for his 18th career 100-yard game. The good news for Peterson is that Oklahoma QB Paul Thompson has looked just fine in the first two games, averaging 249.5 YPG through the air while throwing for two TDs in each of the games as well. If Thompson can continue at this rate, Peterson should have a ‘monster’ season. Peterson and the Sooners get a real test this Saturday, as they will visit Eugene to play No. 18 Oregon in a rematch of last year’s Holiday bowl, a game won by Oklahoma, 17-14. His season stats are: 56 attempts 304 yards 5.5 YPC 3 TDs / 3 catches 75 yards 1 TD.

4) STEVE SLATON (West Virginia) Last Week: 4 Slaton barely broke a sweat last Saturday as the Mountaineers crushed Division I-AA Eastern Washington, 52-3. He scored the game’s first two TDs on runs of 49 and 17 yards and was on the sidelines before the half. He finished with eight carries (had 31 last week!) and 105 yards with those two TD runs. It marked his seventh career 100-yard game and West Va is 7-0 in those contests. Slaton did not play in three of West Va’s first four games last year but topped 100 yards in five of the team’s final eight games in leading the Mountaineers to an 11-1 season . He finished last year with 1,128 rushing yards (5.5 YPC) and 19 TDs (17 rushing). The Mountaineers host Maryland Thursday night. His season stats are: 41 attempts 308 yards 7.5 YPC 4 TDs / 1 catch 12 yards 0 TDs.

5) TED GINN JR (Ohio State) Last Week: 2 Ginn was the main focus of the Texas defense last Saturday night but he still managed five catches for 97 yards. Also, the extra attention paid to him allowed Anthony Gonzalez to shine for the Buckeyes, as he led the team with eight catches for 142 yards (both career highs!) with one TD reception. Ginn was far from silent in the game, making a 46-yard reception in the first quarter and hauling in a 29-yard TD catch right before the half, allowing Ohio State to take a 14-7 lead in the game’s second half. As mentioned last week, for a WR to challenge for the Heisman, he need to make big plays returning punts and/or kickoffs. Through two games, Ginn hasn’t made any “highlight” kick returns. His season stats are: 9 catches 220 yards 24.4 YPC 3 TDs.

6) MIKE HART (Michigan) Last Week: 6 Hart and Henne led Michigan to a Rose Bowl appearance as freshman and last year struggled through a 7-5 season. While Henne is off to a very mediocre start in Michigan’s 2-0 start to the 2006 season (21-of-41 for 248 yards with two TDPs and no INTs), Hart has put together back-to-back 100-yard games. That makes 12 in his career and it’s a significant stat as the Wolverines are 11-1 when Hart tops the century mark.Hart ran 19 times for 116 yards in Michigan’s 41-17 win over Central Michigan this past Saturday, tying a career-high with three rushing TDs. He added two catches for a modest total of 11 yards as well. Michigan will visit South Bend to play No. 2 Notre Dame this Saturday. Hart and Michigan will have a chance to make a real statement this week, after facing Vandy and CMU. His season stats are: 50 attempts 262 yards 5.2 YPC 3 TDs / 3 catches 13 yards 4.3 YPC 0 TDs.

7) ERIK AINGE (Tennessee) Last Week: 10 After two quiet years at Tennessee (last year he completed just 45.5 percent of his throws with just five TDPs), Erik Ainge has flown out of the gate for the Vols. He led Tennessee to a 35-0 lead against then-No. 9 Cal on September 2 and finished the game with four TDPs (the last three covered 42, 80 and 50 yards). This past Saturday he was at it again, completing 24-of-29 passes for a career-high 333 yards with three more TDPs and one INT. The Vols led 31-17 in the game but Air Force scored two TDs late (the second one with 1:35 remaining after recovering an onside kick), but was stopped on the two-point conversion try, allowing the Vols to escape with a 31-30 win. While Ainge’s TD throws were of the shorter variety this week (4,5 and 4 yards), he’s truly been one of this season’s biggest early surprises. Ainge and Tennessee get a major test this Saturday, as the seventh-ranked Gators invade Knoxville. His season stats are: 35-of-47 74.5 percent 624 yards with 7 TDPs 2 INTs.  Don’t miss out on this limited-time $500 match bonus from BetUS.  It’s for players that want to take their college football betting to the next level.

KENNY IRONS (Auburn) Last Week: 7 Auburn shutout Mississippi State this past Saturday 34-0 for the team’s 18th win in its last 19 SEC games. However, RB Kenny Irons saw his seven-game regular season streak of 100-yard rushing performances come to an end when he was held to just 69 yards on 21 carries (no TDs). MSU’s concentration on Irons allowed FB Brad Lester to get into the end zone twice, gaining 40 yards on five attempts. Anyway, Irons will get his chance this coming Saturday when Auburn hosts No. 6 LSU. You may remember (LSU does) that Irons had a career-high 218 yards rushing in last year’s 20-17 OT loss to LSU in Baton Rogue. His season stats are: 41 attempts 252 yards 6.1 YPC 1 TD / 4 catches 36 yards 9.0 YPC 0 TDs.

9) CHRIS LEAK (Florida) Last Week: NR In his first year in Urban Meyer’s offense, Leak’s numbers dropped from 3,197 passing yards (29/12) in 2004 to 2,639 yards (20/6) last year. Leak seemingly has the hang of things in his second year in the offense, as he threw for a career-high 352 yards in Florida’s 42-0 win over UCF this past Saturday. It was Florida’s most lopsided win since a 63-3 win over Florida A&M in 2003 and its first shutout since beating Miss St 52-0 in 2001. Leak ended the game 19-of-29 with four TDPs and just one INT, while running four times for 16 yards. It marked his seventh career 300-yard game and he’ll lead the Gators into their showdown with No. 13 this Saturday in Knoxville. His season stats are: 40-of-59 67.8 percent 600 yards with 7 TDPs and 2 INTs / 9 attempts 4 yards 0.4 YPC 0 TDs.

10) GARRETT WOLFE (Northern Illinois) Last Week: NR I like to use my 10th spot to spotlight a player and this week it’s Garret Wolfe. Players don’t win the Heisman while playing in the MAC and Wolfe’s Northern Illinois team has opened the 2006 season by starting 0-2, thereby erasing even the remotest of chances he may have had,. However, Wolfe ran 24 times for 196 yards (two rushing TDs) in Northern Illinois’ 35-23 loss to Ohio (go Bobcats!). The 5-7 senior is one heckuva of a player, having rushed for 1,656 yards with 21 TDs (18 rush) in 2004 and 1,580 yards with 17 TDs (16 rush) in 2005, averaging 6.5 YPC in both seasons. He’s opened the 2006 season by topping 100 yards in both games, giving him 16 career 100-yard efforts. In seven of those games he’s topped the 200-yard mark, including a career-high 325 yards vs Eastern Michigan last year. His season stats are: 50 attempts 367 yards 7.3 YPC 2 TDs / 5 catches 114 yards 22.8 YPC 1 TD.

Dropped Out:

No. 8 Graham Harrell (Texas Tech)
No. 9 Michael Bush (Louisville)

Get even more winning college football picks from our top handicappers all week long, right here.  No site brings you a better selection of expert football picks.

As sports bettors, we all seem to remember our “bad beats” while taking for granted our “lucky wins.” One must remember that for everyone suffering from a bad beat, someone else is celebrating a lucky win. One often hears a bettor talk about having the “right side” or “wrong side” of a game. After more than two decades in this business, I’ve resigned myself to the proposition that there are no right or wrong sides but rather winning and losing sides. Here’s some of this past weekend’s “bad beats and lucky wins.”

The college weekend started on Thursday with Oregon State at Boise State. The Beavers opened the game with a long TD drive and after Boise State was held to a three-and-out on the team’s first possession, OSU returned the punt for a TD. Up 14-0 and getting between 7 1/2 and nine points, the Beavers NEVER scored again. ‘Over’ players suffered a tough loss as the total was around 59 or 60 and the halftime score was 28-14 Boise. Boise made it 42-14 with almost 12 minutes left in the game and one more TD would push the game over. With no pressure on them, the Beavers easily drove to the Boise 20 yard-line but an offensive holding call set them back and they were eventually stopped on downs at the 18. No one scored after that.

Friday night Pittsburgh was in Cincinnati to take on the Bearcats. Pitt closed a 7 1/2-point favorite and the total closed 44. Pitt led just 7-0 at the half, making the ‘under’ look pretty safe. Pitt went up 23-0 midway through the third and led 26-7 after a FG with just about 7 1/2 minutes left in the game. However, things changed quickly. The Bearcats, whose only TD to that point had been after recovering a fumbled punt at the Pitt 17, drove 79 yards for a score and added a two-point conversion to make it 26-15. Pitt then promptly fumbled and Cincy was faced with a 4th and one around the Pitt 10. The Bearcats decided to go for it and were stopped with about 3 1/2 minutes left. Pitt bettors looked safe, as did under bettors. However, Pitt couldn’t run out the clock and punted, leaving Cincy time for just one play. Pitt intercepted Cincy’s pass and returned it for a TD, leaving under bettors shaking their heads, as the final read, 33-15!

Saturday’s games provided a number of beauties. Last year at Clemson, BC beat the Tigers 16-13 in OT, in the school’s first-ever ACC road game. Saturday’s game was expected to be close as BC opened as a the small favorite but questions surrounding the health of QB Ryan saw the money make Clemson the small favorite by Saturday. Clemson jumped out to a a10-0 lead and led 17-10 at the half. However, BC returned the opening KO of the second half for a TD and the game remained tied at 17 into the fourth quarter. Clemson went up 24-17 but BC tied it with 4:59 left.

In OT, BC was held to a FG on its first possession and after a 22-yard completion, the Tigers had 1st and goal at the three. Lined up in a full-house backfield, Clem ran a sweep(?), losing four yards! BC then sacked the Clemson QB on second down and the Tigers had to settle for a FG. In the second OT, Clemson got the ball first and overcame a 2nd and 26 situation from the 41 with consecutive 20-yard completions. The Tigers scored but saw the extra-point blocked! BC then won the game on its possession by scoring and converting the extra-point (34-33).

Fresno State has made a habit of beating BCS schools under Pat Hill but the Bulldogs have suffered some heart-breaking losses to Oregon over the years. Last Saturday was no different. Midway through the third quarter Fresno State tied the game at 17-all. Oregon responded with a long drive but was forced into a FG attempt. FSU blocked the try but instead of allowing the ball to roll dead, FSU attempted to recover the ball. It squirted free and Oregon recovered at the FSU five-yard line. The Ducks scored to go up 24-17.

The Bulldogs tied the game on a 74-yard TD drive with just under 11 minutes to go. However, the Ducks mounted one last drive and faced a third-and-goal at the FSU four-yard line with just about five minutes left. On third down the Ducks were stopped and they set up for the go-ahead FG. Oregon was a 3 or 3 1/2-point choice, so a 27-24 final would see the game land “on the number”, or given FSU bettors a half-point win. Oregon faked the FG attempt (remember FSU had blocked the last try) and kicker Paul Martinez took the pitch for a four-yard TD, scoring the first TD of his eight-year football career. The 31-24 final also gave Oregon the ATS win.

A quick look at Va Tech’s 35-10 win over North Carolina could give one the impression that the Hokies dominated the Tar Heels. Not so. NC’s first three drives all reached inside the Va Tech 35 but the Tar Heels came away with just three points. The last of those three drives resulted in an interception which was returned to the NC one-yard line, setting up Va Tech’s first TD. Va Tech’s second TD came after a blocked punt was recovered at the NC one! Leading 21-3 in the third quarter (Tech closed as 13-point favorites), the Hokies added a 69-yard interception TD and their other fourth-quarter TD was also set up by an interception.

Let’s not forget the NFL. The Sunday night game featured Peyton vs Eli and while the Giants outrushed the Colts 186-55 for the game and Eli played Peyton to a standstill, the Colts got the win and cover. Indy led 16-7 at the half (Colts were three-point favorites) but the Giants got to within 16-14 in the third quarter. An Eli fumble near mid-field in the late third quarter led to an Indy TD in the early fourth but Giants closed to 23-21 with about eight minutes left. NY got the ball back deep in its own territory when everything went wrong for Giant bettors.

Eli completed a third-and-two pass for about 20 yards (apparently getting out of danger) but NY was called for offensive pass interference (phantom call!). Naturally on the ensuing play, Eli’s pass was intercepted. The Colts faced a third-and-two of their own with about 1:30 left in the game. If the Colts could convert, they’d run out the clock for a two-point win, giving the Giants the cover. However, Indy didn’t convert and Vinatieri’s 33-yard FG (I thought he had a broken foot!) gave Indy the 26-21 win and the cover!

Arizona got to open at home for the first time since 1988 and was rewarded with a game against the 49ers (13-35 these last three seasons). The Cardinals opened as 7 1/2 point favorites but were bet up to 9 1/2 or even 10. The 49ers scored first but Arizona quickly took a 21-7 lead. A 49er FG with 8:52 left in the game cut Arizona’s lead to 31-24 but a 13-play Arizona drive led to a FG with just under two minutes left, restoring that 10-point lead. SF quickly moved 44 yards and on FIRST DOWN, kicked the ‘covering’ FG from 44 yards. SF then recovered the onside kick but went nowhere. However, for Cardinal bettors, the damage had already been done.

Under players cashed 12 of 16 tickets in Week 1 (games averaged just 34.6 PPG) but should have been 14-2! The Jets/Titans game opened 37 and closed 35 1/2. The Jets led 16-0 into the 4th with the Titans getting nowhere. Then, the Titans but together a nine-play 80-yard TD drive plus converted on the two-point try. With just over six minutes left, Pennington was hit and fumbled on a third-and-10 play from the NY Jets’ 11. Tennessee recovered at the one. The Titans scored and again converted the two-pointer (you can’t make this up!). Now under players were sweating and praying the game would be decided by a FG. No such luck, as Pennington drove the Jets on a seven-play 57-yard TD drive, giving the Jets a 23-16 win and over bettors a rare win in Week 1.

In the Dallas/Jacksonville game (total of 37), the Cowboys jumped out to a 10-0 lead in the first quarter and the Jags returned in kind by outscoring the Cowboys 10-0 in the second. No one scored in the third and under players still looked safe with the Jags leading 17-10 late in the fourth. It still didn’t look too bad when Jacksonville made it 24-10, as there was just over three minutes left and Dallas hadn’t scored since the first quarter, However, that T.O. is a “money player” and he caught a 21-yard TD pass from Bledsoe, capping a 79-yard drive that took only 1:19.

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Recap: All four teams ranked in the Top 25 won this past Saturday, and the conference as a whole went 7-1. The two most impressive wins came from USC and Oregon at their home fields against Nebraska and Oklahoma, respectively. The lone loss from the Pac-10 falls on the shoulders of Stanford, which was embarrassed at home against Navy by the tune of 37-9. The same four teams: USC, Oregon, Cal and Arizona State are again ranked in the top 25.

A Silly Voter: And journalists are supposed to be smart, right? Associated Press poll voter and Charlotte Observer columnist Ken Tysiac said he mistakenly sent the AP his Sept. 10 poll instead of his current one. Essentially, the vote broke a tie between Arizona State and Boston College. And in fact, Tysiac had Arizona State ranked so low, the Sun Devils dropped two spots to No. 22. He became aware of the mistake when his home paper published his picks and everyone believed he officially fell off his rocker when Notre Dame was still ahead of Michigan after the Wolverines thwarted the Irish at home 47-21.

What Quarterback Controversy? At the beginning of the season, Arizona State head coach Dirk Koetter named Sam Keller the starter. After an uprising from the players, Keller transferred and last year’s backup, Rudy Carpenter, (who replaced Keller when he was injured), took the job and has been phenomenal. Despite throwing two interceptions Saturday, Carpenter still has a 9:4 touchdown-to-interception ratio, and Arizona State averages 285 yards through the air (good for 15th in the nation).

Still a Dynasty? Despite winning 47 of their last 49 games, national championship hype has been quiet when speaking of the USC Trojans. USC has efficiently gone 2-0, successfully avoiding any confrontations on the road against an Arkansas team in Week 1, and a ranked Nebraska team this past week. Matt Leinart’s replacement, John David Booty, has quietly been one of the best quarterbacks in the nation. Booty has a 158.0 passer rating, including a nifty 6:0 touchdown-to-interception ratio. “We’re not as quick as we were last year, yet, but it’s a scrappy bunch,” Booty told the Washington Post. “It’s definitely a work in progress, and we’ll get better as the season goes on.”

Ducks Under Radar: The teams in the Pacific Northwest just don’t get enough love. The Oregon victory over Oklahoma has now been overshadowed by suspensions of referees and outcries from Oklahoma’s university president. How about giving credit to the Ducks for scoring two touchdowns in 22 seconds? Mike Bellotti’s spread attack has been phenomenal this year. The Ducks rank 9th in the nation in total offense (473 yards per game), which has put them on their way to 37.7 points per game and a 3-0 start. Dennis Dixon has completed 65.4 percent of his passes, and RB Jonathan Stewart averages 6.8 yards per rush. You can make some money if your college football picks follow these undervalued teams.

A Look Ahead: Pac-10 play begins for six teams — the most notable game coming with No. 22 Arizona State heading to No. 21 Cal (the Bears are -7.5 on WagerWeb.com). Jeff Tedford’s crew wants to prove it deserved to be ranked after the embarrassing loss to Tennessee to open the season. The trendy sleeper pick in this conference at the beginning of the season was Arizona. The Wildcats get their shot against USC this week (Trojans are -21 at WagerWeb.com). In a battle for the presumable cellar of the Pac-10, Washington State (-10) and Stanford face off.

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We all look at matchups and stats when assessing college football point spreads and potential winning angles. Another area most noticeable in college sports is emotion. Sometimes things happen on and off the field that can affect a team`s attitude. Rivalry games, bounce-back spots and revenge situations are several.

One factor cropped up on Saturday. Last week, undefeated USC dropped to No. 2 behind Texas in the bowl championship series standings after being No. 1 all season. Coach Pete Carroll dismissed the slip, but several players said after the game that they used it as motivation. “It`s definitely something in the back of our minds,” said WR Steve Smith. “What are they doing? They`re messing us up. We just have to show them on the field.” And they did, not only winning but covering as a 30-point favorite. USC amassed a season-high 745 yards and the defense shut down Washington State`s high-powered attack, 55-13. It worked, too, as USC grabbed back two first-place votes from Texas in Sunday`s AP poll.

One of the plays I had Saturday was South Carolina. I thought Tennessee was vastly overrated based on its play and erratic offense this season, and the Gamecocks were getting no respect as a +14 dog. South Carolina had never won at Tennessee, and there was the extra emotion of Steve Spurrier against Phil Fulmer. Sparks often fly, both on the field and off, when those two hook up. It was also interesting that Randy Sanders resigned as Tennessee`s offensive coordinator on Monday, two days after the Volunteers lost their third straight game with another weak performance. Tennessee`s offense is one of the worst in the country, averaging 16 points a game. They are 99th in total offense, 98th in rushing offense, 79th in passing offense and 101st in passing efficiency, all factors as to why they have been overvalued.

Emotion certainly played a roll when Notre Dame hosted USC a few weeks ago. All the money came in on the Irish as a double-digit dog, and the public and sharpies were right as Notre Dame not only covered easily but came within a few seconds of winning.

The Miami/Virginia Tech matchup this week is going to elicit emotion, as well. Both teams have a good rivalry and are fighting for the top spot in the ACC Coastal division. This week some players from Miami were talking about their last trip to Blacksburg in 2003, when the Hokies ripped them, ending a long Miami win streak. Players and coaches do recall many times what happened in recent years. Think back to the Oklahoma/Texas game a few weeks ago. The Texas players delighted in pouring it on a Sooners team that had beaten them 5 straight years. Channeling emotion can be a big edge – of course, you then have to have the talent on the field to help make an upset possible.

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