New Years Musings

2-0 last night gets us to 9-5 in the numbered musings, and damn if I didn't go 4/4 yesterday overall as I ended up taking the points with USF. Believe it or not, the also rans are 6-0 on sides. I continue to be 0 for my life on totals. Here's for today! Happy New Year. This used to be easily the most fun day of the year, now it's just merely a great day. Big Ten is 2-0 to start the bowls, but I think it goes careening downhill today, at least striaght up.

15 Texas Tech -8 v Northwestern: (Bet US): I hate to fade Pat Fitzgerald, but this Northwestern team is just nowhere close to the teams we're used to seeing from Fitz. they can't stop anyone on defense, as their last two games showed, and they've been totally non-competitive since Dan Persa went out. Texas tech's defense is their achilles heel, but NW can't do much of anything with Evan Watkins back there, unles he's miraculously figured out how to be an effective Qb in the past 3 weeks of practice. Texas tech's 17th ranked offense will be going against a defense that has given up more than 8 yards per play their last two games. I'll be rooting for the Cats, but I think the Big Ten's perfect start ends in this one..and probably gets worse from there.

16. Michigan State +10(bodog) v Alabama: Too many points for Bama here. I think motivation will be an issue for them since they already have 3 losses in a year they expected to repeat as National Champs, and even though they get a Big ten team that had a great year, it's not one of the name schools. These two teams are pretty similar statistically...I just think it has a chance to be a sleepwalking type game for Bama here.

17. Penn State +7 v Florida: I really don't like Penn State's defense, but Florida's offense is even more offensive. I see no reason to lay 7 points with a team that can't score. Maybe they'll have a superhuman effort for Meyer in his last game, but I have to go off what I've seen. Penn State has been better on offense since switching to McGloin...he's good enough to get enough points to cover this I believe, assuming he doesn't toss a couple pick 6's.

18. Mississippi State -3 (bought the 1/2 pt) v Michigan. I agree with the masses that Michigan will score on MSU, but MSU has gotten a lot better on offense the past couple of games against muchbetter defenses than this.They are also pretty solid in every phase..no real glaring weaknesses, unlike Mich Shit Gan. Michigan will find a way to fuck things up like they always do under DickRod. They'll look unstoppable for awhile, then they'll kill themselves with turnovers, or their terrible kicking game, or their horrendous coverage units. Then DRob will get hurt like he does every game. I'll be stunned if they sack up and actually win this.

19. TCU -3 v Wisconsin: Offenses good. TCU defense good. Wisconsin defense just ok. That pretty much sums up the basis of my play here. Add to that that TCu will have a huge edge in the return games, and there is a distinct motivational edge for TCU in this one in my opinion, and it just makes me feel even better about the side. I'll be rooting my ass off for Wisconsin, but I think they have fallen in absolute unconditional love with themselves. How could they not, with wvery media member slobbing their knobs over the past 60 days? Much has been made about the schedule discrepancy, but you can find some close to common opponents on their schedules, and TCU matches up just fine.

20. UCONN +17(bodog) v Oklahoma: Big risk here, since UCONN has never been on this stage, but they have experience beating big time programs, having throttled Spurrier last year in some also ran bowl game. Oklahoma just isn't that impressive on paper, and with Bob Stoops' awful BCS record, how do you lay this much? Another tough motivational situation here for Oklahoma as well. How do you get up for UCONN? If UCONN can slow down the quick spread attack(and I'm not sure if OC Kevin Wilson has left for IU yet) they will be in good shape. They're ranked 15th against the pass nationally, so we'll see.

That's it, take care!!!