FanNation - The Republic of Sport

I know it's late on a Saturday morning.  I know you didn't ask for my advice, that you don't want my advice, that you don't need my advice.  But you're gonna get it, because predicting the outcomes of college football games is the one true way we can all keep this nation strong, free, and great.  So here's a few quickies- just trust me on these:

A big sports network you may have heard about is attacking today's overall Saturday story with the "Day of Revenge" angle, and that seems like a good starting point.  My first hunch is that Sly Croom has obviously restored credibility, dignity, and a winning attitude to the other SEC Bulldogs, and that's just awesome; but he's also knocked off a superior 'Bama squad not once, but twice, but thrice? Nah, I just don't see it happening.  Neither, apparently, do some odds makers who have a whole slew of facts, figures, and general knowledge at their disposal.  The number stands at 22 as of this moment, so we know the odds are a long way off for State to get the hat trick.  I hate to back a big favorite outside of the Big 12 (the classic formula being X vs. Baylor, where X is ANY of the other 11 teams- though even that formula no longer holds up), but screw it- I say The Tide roll- perhaps by 4 or 5 td's.  I mean- look at these teams' respective records, folks- on September the 13th the Bulldogs hosted Auburn and lost 3-2 (hope you didn't pound the over in that one).  Wow- I'm not even sure what, if anything, that fact means to picking today's match up- but wow; Roll Tide...

Want some more?  Okay then; I hate to follow clichés like this, but in the Iowa Purdue match up you have the Hawkeyes- very credible and formidable this week as a direct result of toppling some in conference undefeateds- laying out a 17.5 point welcome mat to the Boilermakers.  So my cliché-wagon that I'm getting on is the "let-down game;" I know, this one's obvious, and goes without saying, but let's just go with it.  I don't know if the entire cliché’s relevant here ("the Hawkeye's sure came out flat today, huh, Kirk?" or "well, Iowa's sure got a target on their back now, don't they just?"), but look at a few of the numbers in this one, and at the fact that Joe Tiller's on his way out and might want to have a somewhat respectable swan song- and also note that Purdue won this same contest by a score of 31-6 last season.  Yeah, we'll grab Purdue today with their 17 and the hook.

What else?  I don't know... the Golden Gophers start a full 14 points ahead of the Badgers at Camp Randall, and I say it's a bargain. Minny's 7-3 today, whilst disappointed-with-how-the-season'-played-out Wisconsin is playing solid .500 ball at this late date in the '08 campaign (5-5, that is).  Take those points; I say Minnesota's losses these last two weeks were hiccups- and this is one of them pure rivalries, I think...

And... interesting note- In the span of the last 20 minutes, the number in the Penn State/Indiana pillowfight has rolled from 35 and a half to 34 and a half- and now back to 35 plus a half.  Not sure what to make of that- but I guess if you like the Hoosiers one bit not to lose by a hundred now's yer chance... I personally do not like this one so don't take that as an endorsement.  

Okay, I also think that more than 37 points will be put up in the Vandy/Kentucky game (I mean- the Wildcats topped that total against my beloved Dawgs just last week...).  This may seem like a lay-up- but remember to never look a gift horse etc.

In addition, I think Colt McCoy, Mack Brown, and the 'Horns are done messing around (even if they are down to the fourth string center as a result of racism and/or injury...).  They're spotting KU 13 and a half, and for some reason I love them to cover this by at least that last half point.

Oh, and about that revenge business, remember Stanford last year?  Remember the jaw-dropping upset?  Remember Surfer Pete and the Men of Troy thinking about this these last 12 months?  Well, that number stands at 24 right now, and I say the Trojans will score 3 td's before the Tree gets into his Ponderosa Pine suit.  Yeah- here's your flat-out vengeance game of the day, I say.  Mark my words, my friends, and good luck out there.