@EdgySam Picks in the Early #FBS Games

Maryland over Syracuse: The Terps are the higher rated team, and, as opposed to their first two games, come into this contest vs. Syracuse as an underdog. If you follow me and the CollegeEdge, you know I look for spots where the higher rated team comes into game as a dog. Orange are 2-0. They have their two wins vs. Villanova and Central Michigan. First tough matchup of the year for the home team.
Take Maryland. If spread is at +2.5, I would buy the .5 point.

Two smaller plays: Georgia over Troy. Troy lost a good QB from '13 squad. Freshman starts this year. Bulldogs will romp

Virginia Tech over Georgia Tech: Two of my favorite coaches go against each other. This is a CollegeEdge ratings pick. I have the Hokies rated considerably higher than the Yellow Jackets. VT has the better of the new QBs and they also have a quality I always look for when a defending the option: experience at the D-Back position. Hokies have all 4 starters back at the D-Back position. I have a tremendous amount of respect for G.T. coach Paul Johnson. He's the main reason I didn't put this pick in the Maryland category.

@Edgysam Picks: #UConn vs. #USF

This is a night where @edgysam will turn to his CollegeEdge ratings for a selection.
I have the home team Bulls as the higher rated team. According to my ratings, not knowing anything about how either team has played, I would have made USF a minimum of a 7-point favorite in the game. The problem is I do know how both teams have played, and both teams have been bad so far. I completely understand how this line could open at USF -4 and, so far, drop to -1.
But, USF does have an experienced offensive line(all 5 starters back), and a defense that at least showed some life vs. Maryland in a 17-24 loss. Plus, USF is home in the only game on the FBS schedule. The Bulls should be relatively pumped up.
Take USF, and in a smaller play, take the under in the same game.

@Edgysam Kicks Butt on Weeknights - Why?

Over the years, @Edgysam and the College Edge have had a lot of success handicapping the weeknight FBS schedule. Over those same years, I've tried to figure out why. One of the reasons was the simple fact the weeknight schedule includes only one or two games. It's nice to narrow your focus on only two to four teams.
My picks over this past weekend have opened my handicapping eyes to a more important reason why I do a pretty good job on weeknight games. I also think this sort of revelation will help me with weekend games as well.
I lost two picks this past weekend where the teams I selected were the much higher rated teams under my College Edge ratings: Virginia Tech and USC. The problem in both games, a problem I acknowledged, was both teams were coming off of gigantic wins the prior week: the Hokies over Ohio St.; the Trojans over Stanford. Any rational handicapper had to look at these two sides and seriously consider there might be a  letdown. I thought the ratings edges would overcome the letdown possibilities. I was wrong.
So, how did those two bad losses open my eyes to my Thursday successes and possibly help me in my future handicapping?
Weeknight games on ESPN or FoxSports are the highlight games of that night. Those college kids are the focal point of the entire nation. In some cases(like last week's game between LaTech and North Texas), it might be one of the only times any of these players will ever experience that kind of exposure.
The chances of a letdown on this national stage are far less likely than they would be on a schedule-crowded Saturday. In my opinion, the College Edge ratings I've developed over the years are more likely to hold true on weeknights. Letdowns are less likely to have an effect on those games.
On crowded weekend schedules, I have always considered intangibles like the letdown possibility, Henceforth, I need to give that even more consideration.

@EdgySam Gives Out His 12:00p.m. Picks

Last week I didn't like any Noon-starting games, this week, I like FIVE. Well, the excitement starts early today. Here are my five plays:
Indiana: time to put up, or shut up. Lots of starters back, including good, experienced QBs
Maryland: tough matchup vs. West Virginia, but, Terps have loads of starters back, too.
UCF: I think Missouri is overrated.
Virginia: I have them rated higher than the favored team in this game.
Virginia Tech: East Carolina scary enough that I don't expect a letdown from the Ohio St. conquerors.

@EdgySam asks: Is #Baylor Spread Too High?

Probably.
I am no longer afraid of big spreads. There was a time when I'd automatically eliminate games with spreads of -20 or higher. What the hell was I thinking? As I wrote earlier this week, there are bargains to be found at every spread level.
Baylor will score tonight, and score a lot. Head Coach Art Briles is merciless as far as running up the score. They are facing a Buffalo defense, which lost one of the best defenders in all of college football last year, #1 DC, LB Khalil Mack, and which has only 4 total starters back on defense.
What's making me hesitant to give out Baylor (for now) is the fact Buffalo is home, and the Bulls have an experienced returning QB in Joe Liciata and an experienced offensive line. I am also a little alarmed by the 3-4 injuries in the wide receiver corps, including the loss of 3rd AA wr Antwan Goodley( of course, Bulls defense might not be able to do anything about those string of injuries).
Right now, edgysam thinks this line might be a little too high, but, I have plenty of time to reconsider.

#EdgySam Pick in #LaTech vs. #NorthTexas #AAC Game

@Edgysam gets a #GoldSheet every week. I have a library of them going back to 1980! I have the utmost respect for the knowledge the Gold Sheet imparts. I don't use their weekly picks for my picks, but, I read everything I can on their sheets to see if they write about something I may have missed.
Tonight, the sheet gave me two things to consider I missed: North Texas' success, recently, at home vs. the spread, and, the fact Louisiana Tech is playing their third consecutive road game in the short span of 12 days, an unusual way to start a new season.
Those facts, plus the large drop from +6.5 to +3, will keep me from making Louisiana Tech a major play. I have both teams' college edge ratings almost exactly the same.
The Gold Sheet weekly publication picked North Texas. My major disagreement with that pick was the new, efficient QB play of LaTech's Cody Sokol. He is the 56th rated QB coming out of his HS class, and an Iowa transfer. This type of highly rated QB rarely plays on a program like LaTech's. The quality of QB has improved immeasurably from '13! The Gold Sheet never mentioned Sokol in its synopsis.
Take Louisiana Tech Bulldogs and keep an eye out for a very special talent at RB: Kenneth Dixon

@EdgySam 2013 College Bowl Offer: YO, It's a Money Back Pledge!

@EdgySam and the #CollegeEdge start the college football season in the warmth of July by doing team ratings on every Division 1, FBS college team. I've started every season that way for at least the last 30 years.
Those ratings are probably the most important factor in my handicapping of college football games, and the cool thing:  those ratings change every darn week of the season. A team has an injury, the ratings change. I hand write the stats for a team's games every week. You know what happens: the ratings change.
Nothing is more important in my handicapping analysis than my team ratings. Is it the only factor I use when making my final decisions? Hell no, but, it's, without a doubt, one of the biggest pieces of the handicapping puzzle.
When I approach a College Bowl Season, and each individual bowl game, I pretty much will have what I consider each team's final ratings going into that game. A season's worth of weekly adjustments and study and analysis come to a head when I make my final handicapping decisions. And, you know what's cool: my team ratings are all of my doing. It's 30 years of trial and error, and a continual learning process.And, it's all mine!
When you sign up with me for the bowl season, you get a hard-working dude who will put every ounce of his effort into making your experience a profitable and fun one. I will work all 35 bowl games. I will analyze sides as well as totals, and I will make recommendations that I expect you to follow. And, if I do not hit 53.8% of my College Bowl picks, you will get $33.00 of the $35.00 paypal payment returned. If you send a money order for $35.00, you'll get the whole amount back. That's right, if I don't produce this bowl season, I don't get paid.
Recommendations will be given mostly in 1-unit increments. Stronger plays will be accorded a 2-unit status. 1-unit plays will count as one win, or, one loss toward my overall Bowl record. 2-unit plays will count as two wins, or, two losses toward my overall Bowl record.
So, using the first bowl game as an example, if I give out Washington State as a 1-unit play, and WSU wins, I start the season with a 1-0 record. If I give out the over in the same game as a 2-unit play, and the game goes over, I will have started the bowl season 3-0. I usually give out about 6-10, 2-unit plays during a typical Bowl Season.
Here's is the part of the Bowl Season that will raise the fun level to new heights. Not every bowl side or total will reach the level of a 1-, or, 2-unit play. But, I have a lean on almost every side and total. For those "leans," I'll recommend that you make those leans part of small parlay plays. Nothing big. Just something to have fun with. These "lean" plays should be very small and will not be counted against my overall Bowl percentage record.
So, that's where it stands: I've put in the time. Let me work for you this Bowl Season. There are 35 stinking games, and you'll have an interest in every single one of them. I've worked my ass off to get to this point, and it's the most wonderful time of the year. Why not join me?
On this page, you will see my offer to your right. Click the $35.00, College Bowl Offer and let's get ready, together, for one hell of a Bowl-Ride!
Texting is the preferred way to distribute the picks, but, I will try to accommodate all requests.