The 52.4% Barrier: why you have to keep your football wagers the same

You've established a bankroll. Let's say you've determined you can afford to lose $5,000 in a football season. This is what you should wager on games that you consider the best plays of the year, and what I call my major releases: 3%-5% of your total bankroll on each of your major plays during the football season. I prefer 3%. So, in my case, 3% of $5,000 is $150.00. I will wager $150.00 on every one of my major plays, without exception! Why?
You need to hit the magic mark of 52.4% of the major plays you wager on to win money, based on a vigorish commission of 10%. The only way you can guarantee you will win money at the end of the long football season if you hit 52.4% of your major plays is by keeping all your major wagers unwaveringly, the same. Let me illustrate: you have wagered on 100 major plays in a college season. Your record for the year was 53-47. At $150.00 wagered per play, you would have won $7950.00 on your winning plays. At $150.00 wagered per play, you would have lost $7755.00 on your losing plays. Profit at the end of the season: +$145.00.
If you want to put yourself in a position to lose money in a football season, EVEN IF YOU HAVE PICKED MAJOR PLAYS AT A +52.4% rate, go ahead and vary your bets, go ahead and bet teasers, go ahead and bet parlays, go ahead and bet if bets, go ahead and do all the things which will make the house smile.
Let me finish this by illustrating a potentially disastrous college football Saturday. You have four major plays on this coming Saturday. You've wagered $100.00 on each of the first three games. All three of those major plays won. Now, you have a night game, and you're hot, and besides, there's no way the home team can lose on ESPN, so you wager $500.00 on your last major play of the day. The play loses(sound familiar). You hit 75% of you plays on the day. But, due to a total lack of discipline, and common sense, you've won $300.00 on your winning plays, but, lost $550.00 on one. Keep the major play investments the same, and you've won $190.00 on the day. Instead, you've lost $250.00 on the day. Nuff said!

The ACC Coastal Preview: Going out on a limb: Virginia and Duke will not win it

Any one of four teams can win this division, and yes, Duke will be pretty competitive this year!
Miami has the talent to return to the top of the ACC and to national prominence. My negatives are the loss of RB Graig Cooper to injury(though Miami probably has more than enough recruits to overcome his potential season loss), and coach Shannon's 11-13 conference record(8-16 ATS)...I know you read everything I write, so you know how I feel about North Carolina. If they can avoid suspensions, they have the best defense in the ACC( maybe the country), a very good coach and 10 returning starters on offense. They win the ACC Coastal and the ACC...G.T. has coach Johnson, a unique offense with a QB who can run it, and decent returnees on defense. They won't win it because this is the first year in their new 3-4 defense, and they will have adjustment problems somewhere along the line... Virginia Tech has coach Beamer, and a very good offense, so as usual, the Hokies must be considered a threat. But, on defense they've suffered some great losses, and have only 3.5 starters back. I love Beamer, but, he won't win it this year... Duke will be a pain-in-the-neck this year. They have a very good coach, David Cutcliffe, who knows how to run offenses. That's good because he has 8.5 starters back on offense, including one of the highest rated QBs to play at Duke in their history. And, the Duke defense won't be stellar, but, they won't be that bad. The Blue Devils will be a fun team to follow this year. We'll get a chance to see how good some of these teams can be very early. Check these early season matchups: Boise St.vs. V.T.; Miami vs. Okla.; North Carolina vs. LSU. Whew!

CAN N.CAROLINA WIN THE NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP

North Carolina has a chance to be one of the real surprises of the college football season, and the damn players on that team may have put that chance in danger. The potential suspensions are a cloud over a team has a chance to be spectacular.
But, let's talk about the potential Tar Heel championship.
Their defense will be spectacular. They have 3 all-league performers in their defensive backfield;they have 2 all-league performers at the linebacking spots; and they have 2 all-league performers in the line, including DE Quinn, who had 11 sacks! This may be the best defense in the country.
On the offense, all 6 of the talent positions return, as do 3.5 starters on the offensive line.
Another aspect of North Carolina's chance to surprise this year is the experience of head coach Butch Davis. He's been through national title runs with Miami, and I think the calming effect of his "having been there" will help the Tar Heels if they do get on the run I think they are capable of.
If you are a gambler, North Carolina is worth a small investment to win the national championship.
It just figures that North Carolina has many things going its way, and its players may have jeopardized their team's chance to do something really special.

Yo, Gamblers:Take This Advice...A fan's, handicapper's, and gambler's musings on college football, and other stuff.

The gambling season starts this Thursday night. What I'm about to write is covered in more detail at my web-site, www.college-edge.com, and probably is something you should have read about earlier, and that is the importance of having a bankroll devoted solely to your sports wagering. In the absence of money you've actually set aside for gambling purposes, bankroll might also be considered the money you've determined you can lose this football season.
Let's keep this simple: if you want to conquer the most challenging aspect of sports gambling, discipline, know exactly what it is you can afford to lose in a season. It will keep you from betting scared, and from betting erratically. Knowing what you can afford to lose will keep you calm only if you've developed a sound game-plan on how much you should risk per play. What good is it to determine you can afford to lose $5,000 in a season, and then wager $1,000 per game?
My next posting will offer you advice on what to wager on each game, or, play, based on your bankroll( or what you can afford to lose).

The Big 10 Preview: A fan's, handicapper's,(and gambler's) musings on college football(and other stuff).

Iowa's one weakness would seem to be at OL. That is the area where Coach Frentz got his experience, and he always seems to get the job done there. Eight starters back on defense, including 27 sacks in the DL. Ferentz is incredible ATS(against spread)in 2 categories: 58-36 vs. conference teams; 30-19 as home fav.;25-16 as an away dog. Awesome numbers...38 points per game in '09 for MSU, and they do get QB Cousins back.. on defense they get back 6.5 starters, including a tremendous leader at LB Greg Jones, who had 145 tackles, 9 SACKS, and,oh yeah, was a 1st team All-American...I think Northwestern will be good this year, but, we will just have to see how well new QB Persa performs. He has an expd. offensive line, as well as decent talent position players. Their very experienced linebacking corps should lead...OSU will be a contender again this year. They have 14 starters back, a Heisman candidate at QB, good linebackers, strong cornerbacks, and a coach who simply wins his conference games(59-13 vs. Big 10). For those of us who follow such things, coach Tressel is also a phenomenal 43-28 ATS in conference games. I will not pick them to win the National Championship because I believe QB Pryor will cost his Buckeyes one or two games with sub-par performances...Joe Pa's hiring Bobby Bowden to be his Offensive coordinator. Why not?Even with Bowden, PSU's problems exist in two key areas: QB and Linebackers. They are very inexperienced at both. I originally felt PSU could beat an over-rated Alabama team, but the Nits' inexperienced LBs will have too much trouble handling 'Bama's tough offense. If their new QB(Newsome?) can survive, PSU will still be a good team...Purdue should stink this year. What did I write about bad teams? You can make good money on bad teams... If OSU doesn't win the Big 10, Wisconsin will. GREAT OFFENSE that will just batter opposing defenses. The Badgers have to hope the defense contributes close to what they produced last year. Last year Wiscy returned 4 starters on def. This year they return 6+ starters, so I'll predict the Badgers will do enough on defense to make a real run at the Big 10 title. They play their two major rivals for that title, OSU and Iowa, on consecutive weekends in Oct.

Has the savior arrived at Notre Dame? A fan's, Handicapper's(and gambler's) musings on college football(and other stuff).

When Rodriguez went to Michigan, I thought his arrival would mean a fantastic stretch for the Woverines. That may still happen, but, what has happened to Rodriguez has made me slightly leary on the arrival of coach Brian Kelly to the Notre Dame scene. Having expressed that caution, I do believe Kelly will return the Irish to prominence and become the next great coach at South Bend.
He has great athletes at Notre Dame, and he seems to be a great recruiter. But, what has really impressed me about Kelly was how he developed lower-rated QBs at Cincy into game-winning leaders. e.g. Zach Collaros replaced Tony Pike last year after a Pike injury. Collaros was the 192nd rated QB coming out of high school, and he immediately stepped into Pike's cleats with great stats.( Pike, by the way was only rated 115th coming out of high school).
Here's my problem with N.D. this year: there is no leader on either offense or defense. But, they do have 14 starters back, and like Texas, and Florida, and OKlahoma, and other elite programs, THEY GET THE GREAT RECRUITS.
Kelly takes over a program with pressures he has never experienced before. Unlike Rodriguez of Mich., I think Kelly will continue his recent streak of success.

My thoughts on the Big 11( oops, I mean Big 12). A fan's, handicapper's,(and gambler's) musings on college football( and other stuff).

What the heck is Nebraska doing leaving the Big 12? I guess history doesn't mean crap anymore. Here's the problem for the rest of the Big 12: the Huskers can win the Big 12 this year, and, gulp, the National Championship. Their offense will be spectacular this year, and, even with the loss of Reggie White-like Ndamukong Suh(my favorite player last year), their defense will be very tough once again( strong CBs, and a leader on defense in DL Jared Crick). Will the Big 12 teams on their schedule allow them to leave the league unscathed???The dysfunctional pair of Kansas and Texas Tech have new coaches this year. I believe Mangino and Leach should be credited with turning two moribund programs into consistent winners. Kansas will be in trouble this year under new coach Turner Gill, and Texas Tech may survive the loss of "the genius" Leach, because tested new head coach Tommy Tuberville has a lot starters back on offense, and will attempt to continue the spread offense Leach perfected. Can he???Missou my be the surprise of the Big 12. Good coach, 8 starters back on offense, 7 starters back on defense, including 2 HM Big 12 CBs...Oklahoma over-rated? I think so. QB Jones needs to impress more, their RBs have been below norm for an Okla. program, and they lose 4 key all-league performers at #1DC DE, Lb, and both CBs( have you picked up yet how important I believe the Cornerback positions are)...Jump against Ok.St. early before the linemakers adjust. The Cowboys will be bad this year... Hope Baylor QB Griffin stays healthy this year. He controls the ball so well( he is a double threat) he not only makes his offense better, but his defense plays better as well...Texas loses Colt McCoy, but, they plug in the #2 rated QB from his graduating high school year, Garrett Gilbert. They also return 2 all-league cornerbacks. And, remember, the Longhorns continue to get the best athletes EVERY year... Look out for Texas A&M this year. They may have the best QB in the league in Jerrod Johnson , and fantastic talent at both RB and receivers. Despite the return of LB Von Miller, who had an incredible 17 sacks last year, it's the questionable defense which will need to respond if the Aggies are to make a national statement. Look for A&M in over-the-total spots...How the teams respond to Nebraska leaving, and how Kansas and T.T. respond to the losses of what I believe were two fantastic coaches, makes the Big 12 an interesting follow this year.

What the heck is Rich Rodriguez? A fan's, handicapper's(and gambler's)musings on college football(and other stuff).

Rich Rodriguez turned the program around at Tulane(the Green Wave has since returned to the depths of college football). After a 3-8 first year in West Virginia, he developed the Mountaineers into one of the most dangerous programs in the NCAA.
He then took over the Michigan Wolverines. The first year they were pretty bad, but, I was not terribly surprised. He only had three starters back on offense, and he was introducing a new offense. Heck, he had a bad first year at W.Va., so he could be excused for a bad first year at Mich.
Last year, though, was scary. Rodriguez's teams gave up 166, "377", 127, 229,and 251 on the ground vs. their last 5 opponents! Did you ever think you'd see that with a Wolverine defense?
I don't think Rodriguez has lost his ability to coach, but, is it possible his players at Michigan just will not buy into his system? The fact that some players turned him in last year concerning his practice schedules was pretty scary for Rodriguez and the program.
Looking at this year's squad, I still believe this program can be turned around, and quickly. The high recruits are still there, the new offense is now in its third year, Rodriguez made a great hire at defensive coordinator in Greg Robinson, and the team has 14 starters back.
The problem with those returning starters is the fact I don't see a clear-cut leader on either the offense or defense, which forces me to repeat an earlier question: when was the last time you saw a Wolverine team without clear-cut leaders?
Rodriguez has always been a good coach for my wallet. For that reason, I will hold out hope that, like Tulane and West Virginia, he will eventually be a good fit in Michigan.

Complimentary horse picks from Dan at Saratoga

Race 1 at Saratoga from Dan,our horse racing expert: 2-3-7-8
Race 2 at Saratoga from Dan, our horse racing expert: 1-3-2-6


Dan is good, and it is my hope that one day he puts in book form the system he's developed over the years. I've sat there and waited for Dan to give me his picks for a whole Philly Park card, and in less than 10 minutes time, he's done his math, and given me his releases. He really is unbelievable. Sam

Bad teams deserve love too...A fan's, handicapper's, (and gambler's) musings on college football(and other stuff).

Wash. St. and Okla. St. will both probably be bad this year.But, I come to that conclusion from different perspectives for each team.
The Cougars have been bad the last two years, and there is no reason to believe they will improve much this year. It'll be tough getting involved with them this year because from the very beginning of the season, the lines in their games will reflect how bad they are.
Okla. St. will be bad this year, but, I don't think as many people realize how far the Cowboys will fall this year. The QB is gone and the replacement is ???; the offensive line is almost completely new, as are the RBs and WRs. On def., only 4.5 starters return, including a very weak def. backfield.
Just as you can make $ on good teams, you can make $ on bad teams. Ok.St will be bad this year, and I'm looking forward to spots to go against them. Cheer for Ok.St. to kick WSU's butt in the opening week. I'm hoping that will create some bad lines further down the line in games involving Ok.St. Clue: I am really looking forward to the Tulsa/Ok.St. game Sept. 18th.

And, coach of FSU's Seminoles...Jimbo Fisher? A fan's, handicapper's,(and gambler's) musings on college football(and other stuff).

It will be extremely unusual not seeing Bobby Bowden on the sidelines for FSU, not to mention the absence of Mickey Andrews on the defensive side of the ball. I have always felt coaches like Bowden and Paterno have the right to decide when they will leave. Bowden wasn't given that choice, so, Jimbo Fisher now gets to prove FSU's hierarchy was right. We will get a chance to see if this new trend of announcing a successor while the successor is on staff will work in this instance. Normally, a team with a new coach goes through the growing pains of a new system. That won't happen here. And, coach Fisher is really lucky to have a tremendous nucleus of starters back on offense, including QB Ponder, 4.8 starters back on the O-Line, including a 1st AA leader at LG Hudson, the top 7 RBs back from last year, and a serviceable, if not spectacular, receiving corps.
The defense is the question mark, but, one thing that hasn't changed is the outstanding recruits who will populate that defense, and that's why that defense could still rebound from last year's poor performance. The new blood at defensive coordinator will also be a probable positive. They get an experienced Mark Stoops at that post, who has been a defensive coordinator at Arizona the last 6 years(just wondering why Mark left his brother's staff in Wildcat country).
I think FSU makes a nice comeback this year. The Oklahoma game on Sept. 11 will not make,or break the Seminoles, but, it may give us an indication of how good FSU will be this year.
I think FSU will be a good buy in over the total situations. I think their offense will be that good. So, what do you think: should coaches in the Bowden, Paterno category have the right to choose the time of their leaving?

Can this non-BCS win it all? A fan's, handicapper's,(and gambler's) musings on college football( and other stuff)

TCU can win the National Championship this year! One of college football's most under-rated coaches is Gary Patterson, and the Horned Frogs coach has his team in position to win it all! Their offense has great, great depth at RB( 3 Rbs avgd over 6.5 y.p.c.), they have one of the best wr corps in the nation, and nearly 4 starters back on the offensive line, including a 1st team MWC player at the all-important Center spot. And, that side of the ball may not even be the strength of the team!
Last year, TCU had only 4 starters back on defense, and proceeded to give up only 12.8 points per game, 80 yards rushing and 158 yards passing. Opposing offenses completed only 474% of their passes! Yo, people, this year TCU has 7 starters back on defense. Yes, they lost AA DE Hughes, but, they have 3 starters back, including 1st and 2nd All MWC linemen, respectively.
They lost a 3rd team AA, but, get back 2 strong starters at the linebacking spots.
The one weakness on this team is at the CB position, where TCU lost 2 All-leaguers. If they do not win it all, it will be because of this position.BUT, coach Patterson has proven to me his ability to overcome the losses of key players on his prior outstanding defenses, and I believe he will do it again this year.
Oregon St. may be their toughest test, but, that game is being played in Texas. The other tough test on the schedule is the Utah game on the road. If they win both of those games, the only thing that keeps the Horned Frogs out of the championship game is the politics of the BCS!

Baylor's year depends on 1 player...A fan's, handicapper's,(and gambler's) musings on college football(and other stuff).

Let's really keep this simple: If QB Robert Griffin plays, the Baylor Bears will be a decent team, and will be worth looking at this year.
If QB Robert Griffin has not fully recovered from his knee injury, and does not play at 100%, or, at all, the Baylor Bears will be bad.
QB Griffin is that good, and, that much of a difference maker. If he doesn't play, man, will I look for opportunities to go against them.

Are the Sooners over-rated? A fan's, handicapper's,(and gambler's)musings on the college football season(and other stuff)

Okla. will have a good team because the Sooners always get the great recruits, and that in itself will make them competitive. They have no Big 12 o-linemen back, their QB Jones had an okay year in '09, the RBs, again, were just okay in '09, and the receivers were above average. On defense, they lose #1DC McCoy at DE, they get only 1 starter back at the linebacking position, and they lose 2 All Big 12 cornerbacks.
This team is over-rated. I will look for spots to go against them. They do not deserve to be the favorite in the Big 12 South!

Illinois... I like Coach Zook, but...A fan's, handicapper's,(and gambler's) musings on college football( and other stuff).

I like Illinois' coach Ron Zook. I believe the reason he's such a good recruiter is he appears to be a genuine nice guy. I have wanted to see him succeed. The problem is I think he's a bad head coach. He did a mediocre job at Florida with outstanding talent, and the bottom line for me at Illinois was the progress QB Juice Williams made under Zook. Williams was the #11 rated QB out of high school. He had good years in his 3 years as a starter, then totally regressed as a senior. It may not be fair, but, I don't think that would have happened with a better coach leading the Illini. That team should not have been 3-9 last year. Period.
Now, this year, Zook has a fr. at QB, non-descript talent on the offense, and what I believe will be a mediocre defense. If Illinois loses badly to Missouri in the opener, the season could spiral out of control. Zook was a good special teams coach. After this season, I believe that's the role he will serve on another Div 1A team.

Missouri...Can QB Gabbert finally replace Chase Daniel...A fan's, handicapper's,(and gambler's) musings on college football(and other stuff).

Qb Gabbert, the #10 ranked QB coming out of high school, had a pretty good year in '09 with an inexperienced crew. He had a 24-9 TD to int. ratio, and 8.1 yards per attempt. Not bad for a first year starter. This year, with a powerful offensive scheme under coach Pinkel, and with four of his five offensive linemen back, as well as a good RB in Washington, I predict another powerful offense from the Tigers.
On defense, they have a tremendous leader in DE Smith, who was the defensive player of the year with 12 sacks, and two returning CBs, both of whom were Honorable Mention Big 12 players.
Missou will be dangerous because their offense will be good, and their defense, though not a spectacular one, will be good enough to most times, allow the Tiger offense to stay in most, if not, all games.
Missouri will be a team I will look to in the early part of the season. The dangerous part of the season starts Oct. 9th. In four consecutive weeks they play Colo., Tex.A&M, Okla., and Nebr. Phew! If they survive that stretch, look out for the Tigers.

Can Coach Snyder return to glory? KSU... A fan's, handicapper's,(and gambler's) musings on the college football season(and other stuff).

It's completely coincidental that my follow-up to the coach Paul Johnson blog is this coverage of another coach I believe deserves mention as one of the greatest in college football, and his name is Bill Snyder. The biggest distinction I will make between Snyder and Johnson is this: Johnson is one of the greatest right now; Snyder is one of the greatest of all time. I make that distinction because Snyder returned last year to coaching after a spectacular stint as a KSU coach. My biggest question is that Snyder returned at the age of 70, and I wonder if he can still perform the miracles he performed in his earlier KSU days.( I have often used KSU as a model for a team can do when they have a good coach. The Wildcats may have been the worst Division 1 team in the nation, prior to Snyder's arrival. When he showed up, the Cats made it to 11 consecutive bowls and were in national contention numerous years. His accomplishments at KSU are what gave me hope at Temple. I always argued that if Snyder could do it at KSU, any program could be turned around)
Snyder has a tough job, again on his hands. But, here are encouraging signs for me: Snyder continues to recruit top-rated Junior College players, who, like in Snyder's past, will help Immediately; the Wildcats improved rushing the ball from 133 y.p.g in 2008, to 180 in 2009 under Snyder(and their 1000 yard rusher returns), and, more importantly, Snyder's rush defense improved from 218 y.p.g. in 2008, to 105 y.p.g. in 2009!
Those aren't minor differences, so it's my hope Snyder can return to glory. After all, if he follows Joe Paterno's lead, Snyder has a good 13-18 years left at KSU!!!!!
Question: Can a 70-year-old college football head coach relate to today's kids? Your opinions wanted.

College Football's Best Coach? Georgia Tech... A fan's, handicapper's,(and gambler's) musings on the college football season(and other stuff)

G.T.'s coach Paul Johnson had a monumental stint at Navy prior to coming to the Engineers. Navy was 1-20 in the two years prior to Johnson's arrival(does anyone remember how bad those Navy teams really were). After an initial 2-10 season under Johnson, went 43-20 with the Middies, and went to 5CONSECUTIVE BOWL GAMES! Are you kidding me? From a gambler's standpoint, Johnson went an incredible 41-27 ATS. Fast forward to his present stint with G.T., and it seems Coach Johnson has barely skipped a beat. He's now 20-7 with the Yellow Jackets, and(gulp) 16-8 vs. the spread, and his team won the ACC last year. And, this year?
Well, he lost his #1 Rb in Jonathan Dwyer, but, everyone else returns, including QB Nesbitt, so don't be surprised if G.T. runs the ball even better than last year.
On defense, again G.T. loses another outstanding player in DE Morgan who had 12.5 sacks. But, the big story on D, is the return of 7.5 starters, the move to a 3-4 defense, and one of the best hires, in my opinion of the off-season: former Virginia head coach Al Groh is now the Yellow Jacket defensive coordinator! Look for another great year from one of my favorite coaches, Paul Johnson.
Question: Who do you think is college football's best coach? Be prepared to defend your choice.

ISU...A fan's, handicapper's,(and gambler's) musings on this college football season( and other stuff)

The Cyclones will have three outstanding components on their otherwise weak team: QB Austin Arnaud, who will be a double threat in both passing and running the ball; RB Robinson, who ran for 1195 yards rushing( 5.2 y.p.c.); and an offensive line that returns 4 0f 5 starters from last year. Listen, ISU will have a pretty bad defense( they lost their #1 tackler, and all of their LBs from last year), so pick ISU this year with great caution . I do believe their offense will be pretty strong, and because of that, it'll be worth keeping an eye on how they play early in the season. This offense has the ability to get on a roll... I believe the Cyclones will be a team to consider in over/under plays. It's always a good combination to have a team with a powerful offense, and a potentially bad defense. Why? The Cyclones will score, and give up a lot of points, so, my mouth is watering over over-the-total recommendations...ISU has been a traditionally sub-par Big 12 team, but, like Florida, they are 21-12 vs. non-conference teams(ATS). Look for spots where a team that is sub-par in a strong division, but, plays a team from a weak division. Case in point: ISU vs. No.Ill on Sept. 2nd.( come to think of it, this may be the opening game of the college football season).

A fan's, handicapper's, ( and, gambler's) musings on this college football season(and other stuff)...Florida

The Gators lost QB Tebow, an experienced receiving corps, seven starters on defense, including 16 sacks at the DE positions, and 1st team AAs at MLB and, at CB. Yo, let's not forget the coach left the team for a short period of time at the end of last season due to physical reasons, which had other SEC teams commenting on how that was going to have ill effects on Gator recruiting. So, expect Florida to have a down season, right? Yeah, okay. Florida gets all the best recruits, and will continue to do so as long as Meyer stays at Gainesville. At every position, they have some of the highest rated recruits for those positions, and, unfortunately for their opponents, a great head coach in Meyer. Believe it or not, the team with the best chance to defeat Florida for the SEC East title is South Carolina, and I just don't think that will happen...the Gators open against Miami,Oh, and USF. Did you know Meyer is 17-3 ATS(against the spread) vs. non-conference teams? You would think Florida would have let-down syndrome against non-SEC teams, considering the toughness of the SEC schedule, but, that's not the case. Why???

A fan's, handicapper's, and gambler's musings on the college football season(and other stuff)...Temple

A fan's, handicapper's, and gambler's musings on the college football season(and other stuff)...Temple

I went to Temple, so I think it's appropriate that my opening salvo for this college football season starts with the Temple Owls.
I never thought I'd even consider what I'm about to write, but, with an experienced offensive line, a very good running game( Heisman candidate Bernard Pierce?), a d-Line that returns 20 sacks, an experienced linebacking corps, and, most importantly, a tremendous head coach in Al Golden, I'm about to predict that if Temple can play Penn St. tough on Sept. 25th, the Owls will have a good chance of being ranked in the top 25 this year. Of course, this is all predicated on the Owls kicking Villanova's butt on Sept. 3rd.
Here's a question for the gamblers out there: Do you bet on a team you have an emotional interest in? In past years, I've refused to bet for, or, against teams I had too strong an emotion for. I can tell you right now, I'm so pumped up over Temple beating Villanova, I don't think there is any way I can keep my emotions in check, and, staying as dispassionate as possible, to me, is one of the keys in handicapping and gambling.
So, my question to those who have read my opening blog: do you believe it's a good or bad idea to wager on teams in which you have a rooting, emotional interest?