Wednesday, October 31, 2007

2008 NFL Draft Countdown

Nothing more to say about the Gophers that hasn't already been said. The key for this program is RECRUITING, RECRUITING, RECRUITING! And from the sound of it, if the verbals can stay true to their word, things will definitely be on the up & up for the program.

Today's rant is going to be of the Vikings variety, which is rare for me since I stopped giving a shit about the Vikings after 41-Doughnut at the Meadowlands in 2001. But I am a fan of watching former Gophers, along with all college players hitting the draft. Call it fresh faces & new blood, I suppose, but there's just something about the draft that interests me. With that, I offer what the Vikings "should" do.

I think T. Jack is awful. He has no calmness, is a total spaz, and he can't throw accurately & throw to the right guy to save his life. With that said, if he's healthy, he should be the QB for the rest of the season. The bottom line is 2007 is a wasted season for the Vikings. Even if they went on a role, do you really think they're going to take down Dallas for the NFC? Take your medicine & keep rebuilding. Let's find out for sure on Jackson. Let him play out the entire season. If he sucks, then we know. If he builds a little, then you can go in that direction. But I think the most important thing for the Vikings is this: LOSE EVERY GAME POSSIBLE! People want to look at the way the Vikings ended the season so poorly last year. Yes, it was true, but there was a big time benefit to that: the Vikings were in a #7 draft position and were able to take Adrian Peterson. Do the same thing this year. You can answer your question about Jackson. If he seems to have found it, you can go after an OT in the Jake Long form (or a WR, but I'm not big on this current crop of receivers, except if DeShaun Jackson comes out). If he isn't the answer, there seems to be a decent crop of QB's to look at drafting, including Brian Brohm, Andre Woodson, Matt Ryan, or even a step below with Chad Henne & John David Booty. Build up your young talent base. It's the only way to get better. Cleveland is in the right direction (although giving up the #1 to Dallas may be tough, but they did get Brady Quinn out of it, which isn't that bad a move). They have Quinn, Edwards, & Joe Thomas to build around. They obviously won't be able to answer the RB position this year without the #1 & go after a Darren McFadden, but you can always find RB's a bit later (Marion Barber anyone?). Unless they're able to make a move for a Drew Brees type veteran, find the young core & build. The Vikes need some safety help as they're getting older at the position (perhaps Kenny Phillips if he comes out), I think they need another CB (Griffin would be ok as a nickle, but I'm not sold on him being a #2), need some help on the right side of the OL, and the obvious concerns at WR & QB. Just like with the Gophers & RECRUITING, the Vikings need to RESTOCK & go young.

Monday, October 15, 2007

Scoops's Extended Quick Hits: 10/15/07

It’s been a few weeks, I apologize. I’ll try to give anything & everything that comes to my mind. Another note: Pliers & I are going to try to start a chat every Thursday or Friday & we’ll post the chat transcript on the blog, so that should be of some entertainment. On to a two week edition of “Scoops’ Quick Hits”:
-Gophers: A rough two weeks. I was unable to view the Indiana game, but from the sound of it, I didn’t miss much. There have been some defections and a 21 point blown lead to Northwestern. Here’s my take:
-Offensively-They are getting better & showing signs of life, which is a complete positive. You want to see them take a step each & every week as an improvement. It’s hard to tell because NW is not a great D and they got blitzed by Michigan State the week before as well, but the offense is showing improvement. What I didn’t like was the 3rd quarter INT by Weber. The Gophers D actually came up big & got a turnover. A big 1st down, and Minnesota was up 35-14, in complete control of the game. I said to myself “get out of the 3rd quarter with the same score & at worst, NW having the ball in their territory to start the 4th quarter. But a crucial 1st down INT where Weber tried to toss it over the middle. I don’t get on playcalling that much, because it’s often judged on how successful it was (I’ll always remember when the Vikings in 1999 ran a 3rd & 35 draw to LeRoy Hoard up the middle and he rumbled for 40 yards to get the 1st down and everyone was talking about the brilliant play call because it caught the Broncos off guard. Are you serious? How many times have you seen that same call, which isn’t a bad call, you’re just not trying to turn it over, and it doesn’t work? I’d say about 90% of the time in those situations). But a 1st down, when Weber & Jay Thomas were having a lot of success running the ball, late in the 3rd quarter, a pass down the seam over the middle was not a correct play call. Weber shouldn’t have thrown it, and the play shouldn’t have been called. Other than that, a few blunders here & there, but you can’t expect anything more, at least I can’t. Weber is growing each game and should be a tough stop the last three games for Illinois, Iowa & Wisconsin. Big Wheel came up with is best game as a Gopher, which is good for him. He’s had a nice comeback year this year after being in Mason’s doghouse last year. With Decker only a sophomore, and others like Herndon, Spry & Howell (who didn’t play on Saturday), I like the direction. The short yardage needs to get better, but the offense is heading in the right direction. Improvement from one week to the next, that’s all I look for as a fan of amateur athletics. And the 2 point play was THE RIGHT CALL! Why go when you’re forced to go? And who says that the Gophers are absolutely going to score the next OT? By that line of thinking, the Gophers are absolutely going to score, why not do it when it’s in your control? I thought they would have a bit more savvy of a play, like some sort of option where the RB can toss it as well, but the play they called was a typical 2 point play, so I can’t say it was a bad call. The RT didn’t have his best block, and it looked like the jumped Decker, so I credit Northwestern for making a good play, but it was the right call. You may as well live & die with what got you to that point. One more point, I liked that Valentine & the TE’s, both Simmons & Tow-Arnett, got a bit more involved. Valentine on a few touches short yardage and as a 2nd back blocking, and some passes to the TE’s.
-Defensively: they have ZERO linebackers. It’s almost painful to watch. I think Hightower is the best of the lot right now, and he is the only LB making any plays, but he was completely fooled in OT. Shevlin: what can you say? This guy is awful. He makes bad reads, seems like he has no football sense, and is constantly overrunning & out of position. On the 4th down QB option play, he completely left his gap & overran and allowed the QB to run untouched. If he breaks down & stays at home, he at least has an opportunity to make a play. Along with the ugly LB’s is the fact that they get no pass rush whatsoever, and they have no depth at any position. Dominique Barber is making plays, and I didn’t think the secondary was awful as a whole considering the team they were playing and the pass rush that was provided. But the bottom line is the defense doesn’t have the athletes to make anything happen, mostly at LB, then at the CB & DE positions. And that won’t change until the recruiting aspect gets better. They need more athletes & more depth.
-Coaching: I’ve already touched on the 1st & 10 INT late in the 3rd quarter that was the turning point of the game, so no need to dive in to that anymore. The other questionable call I felt was the 3rd & 5 stretch with a little over 2 minutes left in the game. With 3rd & 5, I thought the right call was a QB draw. And it looked like after the pass routes somewhat broke down, Weber could have taken off and gotten close, perhaps not a 1st down, but no worse than a 4th & 2. But I would have not kicked the FG in that position. I know what Brewster is thinking….44 yard FG, a D-I kicker should be able to hit that, and you hit it, you ice the game. But I had absolutely zero confidence in Monroe or anybody on that team to make that kick. I thought going for it on 4th down was the better option. There was a better chance of lining up Wheelwright 1 on 1 and tossing him a jump ball than Monroe hitting that kick. You want to show confidence in a guy, but they just don’t have anybody that can make that kick. Those two were the only real beefs I had. They tried to blitz a lot, including the 4th down play in regulation, and the LB’s simply got stuffed. Especially Shevlin, it looks like he’s blitzing just to do it. If you’re going to blitz, there has to be a purpose to it, and he has no clue, going back to having zero football sense.
-Overall: If you bet on Minnesota, you made money this weekend, so from that aspect, you can look at the expectations. But this was a game they had won, and to quote the immortal Denny Green, “they let ‘em off the hook!” This program won’t change until the losing attitude & the deer in the headlights look changes. You know it was going through the heads of those players “here we go again” after the turnovers, the NW touchdowns, and the failure to make some plays. I credit the offense for getting back on track, especially in overtime. But you’re not only changing poor talent, you’re having to change a losing culture as well. And if I hear anybody talk about “16 starters back from a bowl team,” I’m going to jam a screwdriver into my ear. First off, they were replacing a new QB, an experience 3 year starting senior QB, with a redshirt freshman QB, putting in a new offense that was built on zone running to one with 3 & 4 wide receiver sets. They’re blowing the whole thing up, so the starters on the offense doesn’t mean that much to me. On defense, the starters were bad in the first place, and it got worse when Daniels, Massey & D Jones got booted off the team. Not only that, but the bad players are getting injured as well (Cooley, Steib & Sherels) so you’re now going to their backups. There is zero CB depth left, and they’re down to true freshmen next to Barber at safety. VanDeSteeg is the only DL player with any talent, and he’s limited right now, so a bad pass rush got even worse in the first place. This team was 6-7 last year with practically the best turnover margin in the country! That is amazing. They had about as efficient an offense last year as you could have, turnover wise, and they still lost more games than they won. Not only that, but they didn’t beat a Big Ten team with a winning record last year. For final proof, just look at the 2003 & 2004 recruiting classes.
2003:
Maurice Alexander
Neel Allen
Tony Brinkhaus
Samad Cain
Adam Galbreath
Paris Hamilton
Jamal Harris
John Jakel
Keith Lipka
Rhys Lloyd
Laurence Maroney
Pete Martinsen
Mark Mullaney
Brandon Owens
Logan Payne
Amir Pinnix
Stephon Rhea
Micah Rucker
John Scroggins
John Shevlin
Steve Shidell
Brian Smith
Desi Steib
Jeff Sundsmo
Justin Valentine
Ernie Wheelwright
Byron Williams

Let’s break it down: you have good players in Brinkhaus, Steve Shidell, Amir Pinnix & Wheelwright, a good player in Valentine that isn’t in a friendly offense, then you have contributors in Jamal Harris, Neel Allen, Desi Steib, & John Shevlin. That’s about it. Your seniors are supposed to be the lifeblood of your program, and this is what you have. They obviously lost Maroney two years ago, and Logan Payne graduated last year, and Brandon Owens had a chance to be good with an unfortunate career ending injury. But after that, look at those names.

2004:
Maurice Alexander
Dominique Barber
William Brody
John Carlson
Matt DeGeest
Adam Ernst
Jason Giannini
Deon Hightower
Leland Jones
Justin Kucek
Tommy Leavitt
Mike Maciejowski
Steve Moore
Tony Mortensen
Everett Pedescleaux
Gary Russell
Johnny Sampy
Sam Scroggins
Hussain Shakir
Jack Simmons
Andre Sloan El
Nhemie Theodore
Will VanDeSteeg
David Wess

I remind you, this is the next class AFTER a 10-3 season & beating a good Oregon team in the Sun Bowl, with Barber, Maroney & Tapeh making national names for themselves. In this class, you have Dominique Barber that is a great player, VanDeSteeg, Simmons, Hightower, & DeGeest contributing, and that’s about it. Russell left school, Mortensen is the backup QB, & John Carlson had a career ending injury. Also, Kucek is the teams current punter. But this is the true senior, redshirt junior class. Look at the names a second time.

In college football, recruiting is getting to be the name of the game and is the lifeblood of the program. You have a down class and it can kill you. You have two down classes, and you feel the effects a few years down the line….have multiple bad classes and you have a 1-6 football team when you’re trying to switch systems. Let’s look at the current verbals that Brewster has already gotten, with a 1-6 team mind you:

Jonathan Dandridge, DB, 6-1, 175, 4.48, Detroit, MI
Roszell Gayden, OL, 6-7, 285, 5.2, 5.5, Robbinsdale, MN
Ryan Grant, LB, 6-1, 215, -, 5.4, Eden Prairie, MN
Vincent Hill, WR, 6-0, 190, -, 5.8, New Berlin, NY
Brendan Kelly, DE, 6-6, 225, 4.69, 5.6, Eden Prairie, MN
Brandon Kirksey, DE, 6-3, 250, -, 5.3, St. Louis, MO
Eric Lair, TE, 6-3, 210, 4.56, 5.6, Houston, TX
Simoni Lawrence, DB, 6-1, 207, 4.45, 5.6, Upper Darby, PA
Sam Maresh, LB, 6-2, 240, 4.7, 5.8, Champlin, MN
John Nance, ATH, 6-4, 185, -, 5.4, St. Paul, MN
Shady Salamon, RB, 5-10, 175, 4.55, 5.5, St. Paul, MN
Padric Scott, DT, 6-1, 285, 5.2, 5.4, Tallahassee, FL
Gary Tinsley, LB, 6-1, 220, 4.6, 5.5, Jacksonville, FL
D.L. Wilhite, ATH, 6-4, 235, -, 5.4, Lexington, KY

Two 4 stars already in Vincent Hill & Maresh, with the possibility of landing Willie Mobley & Michael Floyd, no matter how long a shot they are. And they’re getting players at positions they need: Dandridge will most likely be playing next year as will Gary Tinsley. And the 2 stars they are getting are nice players. Come back to me in 2011 when you’re watching a Gopher game and the name “Padric Scott” gets mentioned as the “Chevrolet Scholar of the Week” during the game with his 3.89 GPA as a pre-dentistry major so you can tell me where you heard it first.

Overall, this is the state of Gopher football. Not a 1-6 record…not being unable to go to the Insight, Champs, or Motor City bowl game….not losing to Florida Atlantic (who game South Florida a game) or Bowling Green….not playing well with Ohio State for a stretch….and not the remaining games. Wins are good & losses are bad, let’s not forget that, but it’s the process I’m after, and it’s going to change only with recruiting, especially on the defensive side of the ball.

Other takes:
-Told you about Wisconsin that they were a mirage. And they still have Ohio State & Michigan coming up. And if Minnesota’s offense keeps improving, not even that game is a gimme. You’re looking at 4-4 AT BEST in the Big Ten for Wisconsin.
-Michigan is getting a bit better and may be the only shot to knock off Ohio State.
-Iowa beating Illinois surprised me. Illinois’ players aren’t ready to handle success. Iowa’s still not that good and a winnable game for the Gophers.
-LSU losing wasn’t the shocker of the world, but Kentucky putting up the offensive numbers they did against LSU’s defense was a shocker to me.
-Cal losing to Oregon State was a shocker. Crazy week of CFA.
-I think Ohio State should be in position to lock up one of the championship game bids by default. They haven’t played anyone, that’s the bottom line. But they also have taken care of their business, something USC & Oklahoma didn’t do. You can’t tell me Stanford & Colorado (although they’re slowly turning things around there, piece by piece) are that much better than Purdue & Washington. OSU has taken care of their end, that’s all they can do, and they may get rewarded for it.
-South Florida is a fun story, but they will lose at least a pair before it’s all said & done.
-What may not be certain is Boston College…I think they have the best shot of also going undefeated of the majors. Arizona State will drop one to either Cal, Oregon or USC, and Kansas will as well, to either Mizzou or Oklahoma with a Big XII title game.
-Pro Football: I casually watch the Vikings, but watching Adrian Peterson is FUN! The acceleration is the best in football. Other than Tomlinson, I wouldn’t have any other back in football right now. And think when he picks up the blocking & receiving aspect of the game.
-Hockey: Wild doing what they need to do, and good win for the Gophers this weekend. Those 2 wins will look nice when PWR season is playing out in March.

Monday, October 1, 2007

Lesson #1: You lose $ with $coops!

What a crazy weekend in college football.
-Florida going down to Auburn: I figured that would be a Gator lock, were they looking ahead to LSU or does Auburn have the Gators' number? Anyway, what cool veins by the Auburn kicker, despite the always "classy" Urban Meyer trying to pull the dirty late time out. They should totally stop that on FG attempts, almost like a "no more bets" hand washing at the roulette table. You need last second Time Outs for QB's if there's something they need switched or the play clock goes down and with defense in case they don't have enough players out there. But FG attempts? No reason to have to call a time out. Just my beef.
-Texas getting slammed by Kansas State AGAIN! I did think Texas wasn't as good as advertised and they were going to get what was "supposed" to be coming to them in Dallas at the Cotton Bowl next weekend, but the way they lost AT HOME was embarassing.
-Oklahoma choking a 24-7 lead at Colorado. In firm control, the Sooners let their hands off the wheel in cruise control to blow it to an average at best Colorado team. That suddenly makes the Red River Shootout next weekend rather less interesting.
-Rutgers losing: Doesn't shock me as much; I did say Rutgers was going to lose a cheap game eventually.
-West Virginia losing at South Florida: Look, I know USF is much improved and the crowd was totally geeked up, but if West Virginia wants to be taken seriously as a national title contender, they can't lose games like this. The yardage discrepency was scary in favor of West Virginia, yet turnovers & big plays killed the Mountaineers. I don't care how many 1 loss seasons & beating Georgia in a BCS bowl game wins they have; YOU CAN'T LOSE TO SOUTH FLORIDA IF YOU WANT TO BE TAKEN SERIOUSLY AS A NATIONAL TITLE CONTENDER!
-Cal & Oregon's great game: I did feel Oregon would squeak it out since it was in Eugene, but Cal got it done. If you want to watch an athlete, watch a replay of DeShaun Jackson's TD reception as he just bolted by the Duck defender down the sideline to tie it up. And fumbling at the 1 into the endzone? You may as well change his name to "Byner" while he's still on campus.

Other takes:
-Wisconsin continues to get lucky, this time because too many MSU idiots are left over from the John L Smith era for Dantonio to work with. I think their luck runs out because of Juice Williams this weekend.
-Minnesota: I actually didn't think they played horrible. Weber had his worst game yet, but I think that was due to Ohio State's defense. OSU's defense IS AS GOOD AS ADVERTISED! Not one player jumps out (including Animal); they all can run & tackle.
-USC eeked it out in Seattle. If you look at the USC dynasty run, they always seem to have one of these games (2003 L @ Cal, 2004 tight win in the fog @ Oregon State, 2005 @ Arizona State). If it becomes habit, I'd worry if I was a USC fan. Usually, it's not. But trips to Oregon & Cal won't be a picnic.
-Rough week ATS going 3-7. And think about it....two of those wins were Minnesota & Indiana! Was only really super off on the Texas-Kansas State game. Wisconsin once again does me in, and Purdue & Michigan were close. The PSU-Illinois game was a back & forth one for me all week.

Next week had so much potential with the Red River & LSU-Florida game.....now? I do think the LSU-Florida game will still be great as it will be the first time LSU plays against a good defense that won't be facing a short field all game. I do think Texas is a step below Oklahoma. We'll also find out a bit more about both Ohio State & Purdue, although traditionally with these teams, this is where OSU shines & Purdue tends to bow down.

Friday, September 28, 2007

End of September: 1 week until Gators & Tigers!

It was a so-so week for Scoops. Out in Vegas, I made the following bets:
-Minnesota (+14): Earned the push, was hoping for the late TD to push it over with the ensuing onside kick with about 20 seconds left, but I’ll take a push after that ugly 1st half.
-Alabama (-3): Lost this one. They tied it up with less than a minute left, got the missed FG at the end of regulation, and took a 3 point lead after their first possession in OT, so wasn’t out of the water. But then Stafford went downtown on the first play in OT for UGA and it was lights out for Scoops.
-Wisconsin (-7): This one pissed me off. Wisconsin should have trounced Iowa and they played like a bunch of pussies. Nothing’s worse than betting on Wisconsin to win and they do, but don’t cover. That makes my lifetime record of betting on games involving the Badgers at 1-3, including them ruining a 3 team bowl teaser I had in 2004 with Minnesota +3 on Alabama (won outright), Michigan +7 (lost to Texas by 1), and Georgia –10 (Georgia was leading all game and gave up a late INT TD with less than two minutes left to win by 7).
-3 Team Teaser Parlay, Wisconsin (-3.5), Purdue (-8.5) & Oregon (-11.5): Make that 2-3 with Wisconsin, as their last minute FG pushed it to a 4 point win. Oregon wasn’t looking so hot being down by 10 at halftime, but they took care of Stanford.

With the amount of money put down, only lost $10, so not awful, considering my history in Vegas. Two lost bets: the over on the Minnesota/Purdue game at 71. I felt over, but just didn’t pull the trigger, and Pliers’ lock of the under in the TCU/SMU game. As for last week’s picks, an unimpressive week at 4-5-1. Time to get back on the horse and get at it again:

MINNESOTA (+23.5) over Ohio State: Call me a homer, but I just don’t see Ohio State winning by more than 3TD’s. I see Tressel playing it close to the vest and not wanting to make mistakes, because his job is simply to win. As for Minnesota, it’s their first shot at a team that shouldn’t be chucking it around 50 times, although teams have been known to alter their game plans for the defense. Actually, I didn’t think the Gophers D played so awful. Painter had his and the total yards were quite Minnesota like, but it was a total mismatch. Dorien Bryant could have caught 40 passes over the middle of the field at will if Purdue really wanted to. I see Minnesota stressing ball security & only turning it over 2 times this week (what a statement). Scoops’ Pick: Ohio State 38, Minnesota 17

WISCONSIN (-7.5) over Michigan State: I hate betting on both teams. MSU hasn’t been right for me once all year, & Wisconsin is just not a good football team, but there they sit with a 4-0 record. I think Wisconsin gets back to their style, & wins by 10. Scoops’ Pick: Wisconsin 27, Michigan State 17

Michigan (-16.5) over NORTHWESTERN: I think Northwestern is the worst team in the Big Ten, and they’ll get to battle that distinction in two weeks with Minnesota. Michigan did what they had to do last week, and it looks like they’re going to ride the tail of Hart all year long, like they should have done the first game of the year. Michigan still is in a good position to possibly run the table in the Big Ten, as crazy at it sounds. Scoops’ Pick: Michigan 38, Northwestern 14

Indiana (+11) over IOWA: Iowa lost a tough one last week, and the problem with Iowa is they don’t have the offense right now. Their defense is playing tough, but will get a stiff challenge against an offense that had its way with them last year. I see Iowa winning, but not covering. Scoops’ Pick: Iowa 24, Indiana 17

PURDUE (-22) over Notre Dame: Every other Big Ten they’ve played has covered against the Irish, so why shouldn’t Purdue? Purdue’s defense may be a liability when it comes to winning the conference, but Notre Dame isn’t going to challenge that aspect. As for the offense, Purdue should have a relatively easy time moving up & down the field. Scoops’ Pick: Purdue 41, Notre Dame 14

Penn State (-3) over ILLINOIS: Tough game to call, actually. Illinois is putting up points and should be Penn State’s biggest challenge yet, including Michigan. But I see Penn State being able to cause just enough Juice turnovers to pull out the victory. Scoops’ Pick: Penn State 24, Illinois 20

National Games:

USC over WASHINGTON: USC’s defense is an animal & Jake Locker will be running for his life. As for the offense, it’s slowly starting to click & get in BCS mode. Scoops’ Pick: USC 38, Washington 14

TEXAS (-21) over Kansas State: Revenge time for the Longhorns. Last years head scratching loss in Manhattan I’m guessing has been preached all week & the Horns get their revenge. Scoops’ Pick: Texas 45, Kansas State 13

California (+5) over OREGON: Oregon started out slow last week, possibly looking ahead to this game. I do see Oregon winning at home, but Cal has the athletes to hang with them and it will be a FG game. Scoops’ Pick: Oregon 34, California 31

Clemson (-3) over GEORGIA TECH: Georgia Tech’s loss to Virginia was not a good loss last week. They’ve seemed to slip a bit since BC smashed them at home. Clemson will bring the fans down interstate and will get it down on the rode. I don’t know if Clemson’s for real or not, but this is a game they should win if they are. Scoops’ Pick: Clemson 27, Georgia Tech 20

Last week ATS: 4-5-1. Season ATS: 17-14-1

Friday, September 21, 2007

Week 4 - Easy Rider

Ahhhh, it sure was satisfying going 5-2 last week. I won't lie, I didnt think much of my picks at about 2PM after TCU donked off their game at Air Force (wow, TCU takes that Ravens superbowl model to the extreme...talk about a lack of an offense...UGLY) I was feeling a little down. Then John Parker Wilson (or whatever that SEC Haircutted freak is called) decided to show Houston Nutt what a man of will really was. Thankfully D-Mac showed everyone what athleticism brings to the football table. Not bad. Not bad at all.

On a completely unrelated note, what's going on in College Station? I was one of many folks who thought that five or six years ago with Coach Fran showed up at the A & M campus that the Aggies were going to quickly become a Big-12 powerhouse. What happened? From what I understand, Fanchione is a real dick, so I can't say that Im all that dissapointed in their stagnant decline, but I have to say I am surprised. Is Mack Brown really that good that he poaches ALL of the top tier talent? I just don't get it. Getting blown out by Miami is just an embarrasment, and I wonder how much longer the Aggie faithful are going to sit idly by and watch their program flounder about. Watch out for some douchebag like Glen Mason to scoop that job up once it becomes available.

So anway, now it's week Four, which is without a doubt the most boring week of College Football so far this season. I'm about as excited for this weeks games as I am for the return of Ian MacKellen to the stage in "King Lear". That being said, I will watch football all day on Saturday since that is what I do. Some people rape babies, others beat their wives...I watch football on Saturdays.

Here are my picks this week. Tough week this week...

Penn State (-3) over MICHIGAN. Sorry Scoops, I have to disagree with you on this one. Michigan had a loaded offense, but without Drew "The Stork" Henne firing bullets around the field I just don't think that they can outscore Penn State. The Big House has seen a tremendous fall from grace as a big time advantage for the home team (Wolverine fans are conspicuously quiet these days) and Penn State is going to be the first team this year to introduce a real defense to the Maize and Blue. Freshman QB + Worst Michigan Start in Years (pressure) + Worst Michigan Defense in Decades + Joe Pa hammering PSU kids with tales of bygone upsets = PSU win by 10.

Washington (+6) over UCLA. I agree with Scoops on this one. Locker is a stud, that UCLA defense just is not as good as everyone thought it was, and Willingham is flat out a better coach than Karl Dorrell. Plus, UW has to be a little edgy since they lost at home against OSU last week...Im thinking they are looking to prove themselves, and what better way than a quick jaunt down the west coast the hellhole that is Los Angeles and put a whoopin on the Bruins?

Purdue (-14) over MINNESOTA. OK, so now I'm taking three road teams. So what? Scoops bleeds Maroon and Gold (seriously, I've seen blood stains), and while his concern about taking a road team with a double-digit spread is very astute, I just hate this matchup for the Gophers. As Scoops pointed out below, the Minnesota defense is TERRIBLE, and their secondary is the weakest link. Combine dome conditions, a solid running game, a team that runs the spread and throws the ball all over the field AND boasts the most efficient passer in the Big Ten and I think you got a blowout comin. As a Gopher fan, I hope I'm wrong. But I don't think I am. Tiller's squad is going to rack up about 60 points on the Gophers, and it ain't gonna be pretty.

ARKANSAS (-6.5) over Kentucky. Another great find by Mr. McCracken. Kentucky has NO ANSWER for D-Mac (but, really, who does?) and they are just primed for a letdown game after beating the Brohminators last week. I think that comeback ignited the Razorbacks, and I get the feeling that they realize that each week they are playing for their Head Coach to keep his job. The real question in this game is which offensive star is going to be picked first in the next NFL draft - Woodson or D-Mac?

WISCONSIN (-7) over Iowa. I really think Iowa might be in deep trouble after dropping that game to the Cyclones last week. I hate to pick so many favorites, but I really think that Wisconsin is just starting to get in their groove where they rush for 400 yards in 9 straight games, and Iowa has to be heartbroken and in complete soul searching mode after losing to an Iowa State team that had previously lost to Kent State and Northern Iowa. Watchout, Hawkeye Fans: as much as I love Kirk Ferentz, I think the realities of recruiting in such a vaccuum of talent are finally catching up to him. Don't worry, Kirk, the Michigan job should be waiting for you in February.

The UNDER on TCU/SMU at 52. Wow. Now that is an easy pick. TCU's offense is about as effective as Dennis Miller giving a speech to an elementary school, and SMU has not been good at football since the Ford administration. This is going to be an ugly, stinking, rivalry-style slugfest, with the emphasis on SLUG. Here's to hoping that this game is NOT on ESPN Gameplan.

South Carolina (+19) at LSU. This is a really, really strange line. I will admit that LSU looks like a clone of an NFL defense right now, and that is impressive. Glen Dorsey should be playing for the Arizona Cardinals right now. That being said, I just like the odds of The Old Ball Coach putting something together to stifle that highly talented LSU team. When was the last time Spurrier got blown out when he had comparable talent on the field? OK, the Redskins notwithstanding, I feel like it has been a long time. Im not going to look that up. But anyway, how many points do you really see these teams scoring? A 19 point spread is going to take some work. Spurrier pulls through in this one, although LSU still wins by two TDs.

Last Week - 5-2. Season 14-7.

Thursday, September 20, 2007

SCOOPS' WEEKEND CFB PICKS

I’m heading out to Vegas on Saturday. Won’t be able to bet on all the games I like, but am taking a look at a few certain games. Here’s my picks for the week.

MINNESOTA (+14) over Purdue: One of the rules that I may not 100% always follow, but always, 100%, take into consideration while viewing a line regarding college football is “beware of the road, double digit favorite.” In some cases, it doesn’t matter, like with USC last week in Lincoln. But Purdue isn’t in that class where you can ignore it and not take it into consideration. I think Purdue wins, scores and scores 45+ points and throws for over 500 yards, and Ryan Collado & Jamal Harris are going to have nightmares of Dorien Bryant that may haunt them for the rest of their lives, but Purdue does not have a good defense, and Minnesota will be able to keep pace on offense. Scoops’ Pick: Purdue 55, Minnesota 45.

OHIO STATE (-22.5) over Northwestern: Northwestern suffered an even more embarrassing loss than Minnesota did last weekend, losing to Duke at home. Meanwhile, Ohio State passed their first actual test kicking some of the starch out of the Washington bandwagon. Dangerous spread since OSU isn’t exactly scoring in bunches right now, but expect a big dose of Beanie Wells and a runaway Buckeye win in C-Bus. Scoops’ Pick: Ohio State 34, Northwestern 9.

Illinois (-2.5) over INDIANA: Crazy game to figure. Indiana had a close win over Akron, while Illinois blasted Syracuse on the road. I’m leaning towards the team with the best athlete, which is an edge to Illinois because the ball is in Juice Williams is a little bit better than Kellen Lewis and Juice can make things happen to multiple people, whereas I think Lewis can be taken out of his game if Hardy is somewhat negated. I like Illinois to barely cover, but I’m not touching this game with a 10 ft. pole, at least until I know a bit more about each team than what Syracuse & Akron can show. Scoops’ Pick: Illinois 38, Indiana 34.

MICHIGAN (+3) over Penn State: Big Ten game of the week. Only thing these two teams have in common is they both thrashed Notre Dame at home. Henne being out hurts Michigan because he’d be able to handle what PSU’s defense can throw at them a bit better mentally than Mallett can. But I’m sticking with my preseason prediction that this is Penn State’s only Big Ten conference loss. Morelli, while strong armed, isn’t the dynamic athlete that has plagued Michigan thus far and I see a heavy dose of Mike Hart to ease the pain of Mallett. Michigan gets back to their roots slamming the ball on the ground and does just enough. Scoops’ Pick: Michigan 24, Penn State 20.

WISCONSIN (-8) over Iowa: I’d feel a bit better about Iowa if they had a QB that somewhat resembled Big Ten talent. Wisconsin is scoring points & that will continue. I expect a close 1st half and Wisconsin to pull away in the 2nd half. Scoops’ Pick: Wisconsin 34, Iowa 23 [LEAD PIPE LOCK]

NOTRE DAME (+12.5) over Michigan State: Betting with Notre Dame? I’d say it’s more of a “learned my lesson” with Michigan State. MSU’s offense isn’t good enough to be a double digit favorite on the road versus anyone right now. I expect a South Bend style effort in defeat by Notre Dame, but enough to cover the spread. Scoops’ Pick: Michigan State 20, Notre Dame 14.

National Games:

Washington (+6.5) over UCLA: How is Jake Locker going to respond after the whipping he took versus Ohio State? Call it Midwest coast bias, but I think UCLA is overrated and has been somewhat put a tier up than what they are since they shocked USC last December. They got embarrassed in their bowl game to a mediocre Florida State and got smashed at Utah last weekend. I think Washington pulls the outright upset here. Scoops’ Pick: Washington 38, UCLA 30.

Texas Tech (-6) over OKLAHOMA STATE: OSU suffered an ugly loss last week and Texas Tech thinks they may have something this season. Definitely not enough to contend with the Sooners or Longhorns in the Big XII South, but enough to get a 10 point victory in Stillwater & cover the spread. Scoops’ Pick: Texas Tech 45, Oklahoma State 35.

ARKANSAS (-6.5) over Kentucky: Kentucky pulled the upset of the weekend last week over Louisville, but a home win over an interstate rival is a bit different than going on the road in SEC country. Go with the better athlete, which is Darren McFadden, and go with the Razorbacks to avenge last week’s last second loss at Bama. Buyer beware of any game where Houston Nutt is involved in coaching. Scoops’ Pick: Arkansas 31, Kentucky 20.

ARIZONA STATE (-12) over Oregon State: Dennis Erickson has ASU off hot, which should be good enough for the win & cover. Plus, Oregon State is quite turnover prone (not at Auburn or Minnesota level, but they don’t exactly cherish ball possession). Buyer beware of ASU’s penchant for acquiring penalties at an alarming rate. But then again, what do you expect from a bunch of ASU students coached by a man who has had nothing but thugs everywhere he’s gone? Scoops’ Pick: Arizona State 34, Oregon State 17.

Last Week ATS: 7-4. Season Record ATS: 13-9

Monday, September 17, 2007

Scoops' CFB Quick Hits

Here’s my quick hits from the past weekend that was college football:
-Minnesota’s defense is BAD. It is even worse than what was previously thought. Things are going to get rough the next two weeks. The offense has some potential, but they can’t keep turning the ball over. I think 3 Big Ten wins would be super at this point, which doesn’t seem that far of a stretch considering the Big Ten this season.
-USC continues to do their thing. As does Oklahoma & LSU. It will be interesting to watch what happens the rest of the season as they try to impress pollsters & go BCS watching if all happen to run the table. It’s funny to think that losses like UCLA at Utah may have a big impact in who’s playing for the national title.
-I stand by my prediction: Wisconsin will drop 2-3 conference games, minimum. Being tied with the Citadel a week after barely scratching out a win at UNLV, who got blasted this past weekend, is not a good sign.
-If you think things are bad for Gopher fans, things are a lot worse for Notre Dame. In fact, I couldn’t laugh any harder. I wasn’t a huge Ty Willingham guy, but to see him run out of town and the praise for Charlie Weiss because he lost a close game to USC is hard to stomach. I normally don’t play the race card, but you have to have Weiss play by the same standard as Willingham. If Notre Dame isn’t at where their expectation bar is set at by the end of 2008, you have to consider dismissing Weiss, if you’re going to play by those rules. I think the guy laughing at all of this, along with Willingham, is Bob Davie. The guy may have not been the best fit for Notre Dame head man, but he is a fantastic football mind and I’m sure he’s laughing each & every Saturday night from whatever booth he’s broadcasting from saying to himself “man, was getting let go from that place the best thing ever for me.”
-Things aren’t too good down in Iowa City either. Two wins over a marginal team and an awful team followed by a loss to a sub-par team that lost to a I-AA school last week. And Scoops called it, at least spread wise.
-And not to toot my own horn, but my lead pipe lock of Florida over Tennessee was like stealing money. Tennessee couldn’t win down there when they were good. You honestly think they were going to keep it under double digits this past weekend? And Teabow can throw the football. He’s fun to watch.
-Entertaining Texas-UCF game on Saturday. And I’m not too high on Texas, but I don’t fault them for their win at all. UCF was playing with crazy heart & emotion, two dangerous things in college football. Any win out of that new stadium festive atmosphere was a good win for the Longhorns.
-I would move Florida up into the top tier now with USC, Oklahoma & LSU. But getting a win in Baton Rouge is going to be a difficult task. Think about the athletes on that field, especially when Florida’s offense is going up against LSU’s defense. That right there is going to be the regular season game of the year, at least pre game of the year.

Scoops’ Record ATS: 7-4. Season Record ATS: 13-9

Thursday, September 13, 2007

Week Three - Time for Blastoff...

After a stellar week 1, I stumbled a little out of the gate with my week two picks. I didn't have a losing record, but 4-3 isn't what I have come to expect out of myself (if ND had made one out of two catches in the endzone last week I would have been 5-2, but that is a different story. I hate Chuck Wheat). This week will be different. Peoria will not be denied. Here's how I like 'em.

TCU by 7.5 at Air Force. Impressive that A.F. went into Ogden and beat the Utes last week, but TCU's defense is a completely different animal than the broken legacy of bygone days at Utah with Urban Meyer and Alex Smith's ghost parading around campus. TCU wins this one big, and Air Force musters MAYBE 14 points, one score which will come on special teams. I'd take the under here if it wasnt 42!!!!!!!!!

Arkansas getting 3 points at ALABAMA. Are you serious? Nick Saban is a difference maker, for sure, but being favored against Arkansas? Who made this line, Gene Stallings' grandson? I know Tuscaloosa can be a tough place to play, but DMac is the best player in college football and Alabama doesnt have any Freddie Roaches or DeMeco Ryans flying around that side of the ball. Arkansas wins by 10, at least. LPL

Ohio St. by 4 at WASHINGTON. Jake Locker? Great player. Going to be a top 10 draft pick from what I understand. Boise State? Good win, Mr. Willingham. Really, way to beat up on the WAC darling. Ohio State? They have what is called "A Defense." Sure, they probably are not going to score too many points, but in the past two games they have allowed a Safety and two FG's. That's 8 points. I'm not saying Akron is exactly a juggernaut, but intrastate rivalries are always tenuous and the Buckeyes kept them off the board (offensively anyway) for the entire game. Locker is in for a whole new world of pressure and coverage. Ohio State wins going away, and Tyrone is going to have to lick his wounds and prepare for the arduous Pac-10 schedule.

The OVER on the Purdue/Central Michigan game at 66. Purdue has lots of fireworks to play with, and it seems like large conference teams usually score lots of points against MAC schools...but I think Central Michigan might score a few themselves with that spread offense they run. This would be a fun game to watch...if only I had the Big Ten Network.......

Pittsburgh to cover 11.5 at MICHIGAN STATE. Call me crazy, but I still do not think that Michigan State is that good. They are at home, which means that they will win this game, but not going away. I like Pitts toughness and they run a really physical style of offense...Michigan State has yet to be punched in the mouth. If they are anything like the last 6 years of Michigan State teams, one smack in the lips will be enough for them to crumble like overcooked toaster strudel. LPL

VANDERBILT by 5 at home vs. Ole Miss. If you ask me, Ole Miss is in trouble...they have a failing program that is going to be at the bottom of the SEC for a while. They hung in tough against Missouri for a while and squeaked past a weak Memphis team in week 1. Vandy, fresh off a tough loss against Alabama should be hungry to show their fans how much they want it at home. Go Commodores!

GEORGIA TECH by 6.5 at home vs. Boston College. I usually never bet on BC games...they are to me what alcohol was to Bing Crosby...bad news. However, this week seems like a perfect setup. A great defense at home against an overrated QB in Mr. Ryan. Georgia Tech has one of the best defenses in the country. BC just blew their load beating a weaker NC State team coached by their newly found archenemy. Huge letdown game for BC, and I believe Ga. Tech is VERY good, especially on Defense. Watch out Mr. Ryan, the Yellow Jackets are comin'.

I cant wait for Saturday....

SCOOPS' TIP OF THE DAY!

I'm here to help and serve the greater sports community.

If I had to rank the greatest 4 websites of all time, my list would go like this:
4) www.hockeydb.com (So much hockey info that you can get lost and be in it for days. Just click on a team's draft, click on a few players you know, and let the fun begin. I was able to find my cousins stats from his 96-97 & 97-98 seasons with the North Iowa Huskies in the USHL)
3) www.imdb.com (Similar to hockeydb.com, only go with movies & actors. You're able to answer questions like "what happened to the original Jennifer Parker from Back to the Future?" & "what happened to the blonde harlot from Teen Wolf?")
2) www.youtube.com (All I have to say is that I punched up "Colorado Football" and I got to watch Darian Hagen & J.J. Flannigan perfect a 30 yard option pitch downfield go for a 60+ TD to tie the score against Nebraska in their classic 1989 game)
1) www.wikipedia.com (There is no debate. Movie quotes? More explanation of the movie "Seven?" Assisination of JFK? Iran-Contra Affair? It has it all. As for sports fans, my tip is simply go to wikipedia.com, and type in "Veer." With all the food for your football brain provided by said topic and all the linked up topics off of it, you are taking your own risk into a football frenzy that may never let you out. Don't say I didn't warn you!)

Wednesday, September 12, 2007

SCOOPS’ WEEKEND COLLEGE FOOTBALL PICKS

LAST WEEK ATS: 6-5. SEASON ATS: 6-5.

The season is starting to get into full swing. We know a little bit about some teams; a lot yet to be displayed. We’ll find out about USC & Nebraska this weekend, and others attempt to munch on some cupcakes before the conference races begin.

Minnesota (-8) over FLORIDA ATLANTIC: My gut feeling is Minnesota either loses outright or wins this game by 14+. Considering the opponent, I tend to go with the conference team. The Gophers’ defense is atrocious. They are getting absolutely zero pass rush and the blitzes they run are having no result. Add to the fact that Brewster benched Duron Cooley in place of true freshman Curtis Thomas, giving the Gophers a defensive backfield where 3 of the most 5 played guys are true freshmen. Brewster’s philosophy is the right one: if we’re going to get burned and give up points, let’s do it with freshmen and hope they learn something along the way. The reason I like Minnesota is the offense is showing some life, Weber’s passing was better from week 1 to week 2 which should only improve more with week 3, and I still don’t think Dunbar has even scratched the surface with the playbook. There is practically no vertical game with the spread right now and not many quick slants over the middle have been shown, something that was a trademark with Dunbar’s offenses at Northwestern. And I still don’t think you see it this weekend. I see an efficient passing game mixed in with more Minnesota running. Scoops’ Pick: Minnesota 34, FAU 16.

MICHIGAN (-7) over Notre Dame: A battle of freshmen QB’s. I think the big difference is the supporting cast that’s around Mallett. But I do think Clausen has a bit more success this Saturday. Just not enough. Scoops’ Pick: Michigan 27, Notre Dame 17.

MICHIGAN STATE (-10) over Pittsburgh: Michigan State moves to 3-0 with the home win, getting ready for a road trip to Notre Dame, the team than began the downfall of John L. Smith. The offense is putting up points and will continue to do so. Scoops’ Pick: Michigan State 38, Pittsburgh 24.

IOWA STATE (+17.5) over Iowa: Jack Trice Stadium has been nothing but a house of horrors for the Hawkeyes. Even their wins haven’t been spectacular. It’s Iowa’s first real road test, and Gene C. will have the troops fired up. Iowa wins, most likely by more than a score, but 3+ scores isn’t in line for Jake Christensen’s offense. Scoops’ Pick: Iowa 24, Iowa State 13.

Ohio State (-4) over WASHINGTON: This one has potential upset written all over it. Ohio State is seeing a team with a pulse for the first time, while Washington already has a quality win under its belt over Boise State. I think the difference here is Ohio State’s defense should have enough success defending the Huskies’ passing attack. Scoops’ Pick: Ohio State 20, Washington 13.

PENN STATE (-34) over Buffalo: Buffalo is awful and Penn State will feast on them. Expect a few 30+ yard TD’s from the offense, a defensive TD, and possibly even a Williams punt return for a TD. PSU rolls. Scoops’ Pick: Penn State 48, Buffalo 7.

Illinois (-12) over SYRACUSE: The woes for the Orange continue as Juice & Zook head into the dome. Syracuse got skunked by Iowa and was a Washington whipping boy. Illinois should be a step below the others, and the margin may be a bit closer than the others, but the results are going to be the same. Scoops’ Pick: Illinois 38, Syracuse 20.

NORTHWESTERN (-16.5) over Duke: A battle of the intellectuals shall occur in Evanston this Saturday. Problem for the Blue Devils is Northwestern is more talented. Look for the Wildcat defense to have a better performance than they did against Nevada and the offense to continue to role. Scoops’ Pick: Northwestern 38, Duke 14.

NATIONAL GAMES:

FLORIDA (-8) over Tennessee: The Vols record of 1-5 at the swamp since Peyton Manning threw that lights out seam pass that nearly killed his WR should be enough to make people scared of the Vols. But throw in the fact that Tim Teabow is playing lights out football right now and that he’s only going to get better. Also, when in doubt when it comes to SEC football players running around and smacking each other, always go with the team that has the best athlete, and that’s Florida’s Percy Harvin. Scoops’ Pick: Florida 34, Tennessee 23.

OREGON (-16.5) over Fresno State: I think the triple OT loss at A&M is going to take its toll for another week. It’s also not good to toss in the fact that Oregon is cranking things up on offense and went into complete cruise control the 2nd half against Michigan last week. Dennis Dixon is the real deal and will be a killer in the Pac Ten this season. Scoops’ Pick: Oregon 41, Fresno State 20.

Southern California (-10) over NEBRASKA: This is Nebraska’s chance to make a statement. Unfortunately, USC is simply a better football team. It would be one thing for simply a higher ranked team to go into Lincoln, but USC’s players have played in so many crazy environments over the past Carroll years that it doesn’t even bother them anymore. USC’s defense eats up Nebraska and Booty pulls away in the late 3rd, early 4th quarters for the win. Scoops’ Pick: USC 34, Nebraska 17

Monday, September 10, 2007

Scoops' CFB Quick Hits

Some quick thoughts on the college football weekend:

-Wisconsin is going to lose at least 2-3 Big Ten games this year.
-Penn State is better than most everyone thought, except for Pliers & myself, who both had PSU 1st & tied for 1st respectively. I don’t care who it was against. There was never a bigger 21 point ass kicking in college football history than what was shown Saturday night in Happy Valley. There’s no way Wisconsin is winning in that stadium, and I don’t think Ohio State is either.
-I do think it’s too early to give up on Michigan, at least in terms of Big Ten terms. I’d definitely put them below PSU, & OSU, but I still could see them being a 6-2 or 5-3 Big Ten team. The offense is just too talented. Oregon slapping on 39 wasn’t surprising, but Michigan’s offensive woes was.
-I think Minnesota is in line for a 4-8 record. I see them beating Florida Atlantic by at least 14 points, but the Big Ten is going to be a grind. Purdue is going to put up 600 yards of offense on Minnesota, Ohio State will be closer than what some think, but will still win by at least 10 points, and Indiana & Northwestern definitely aren’t gimme wins. I think Minnesota will squeeze out 2 of the remaining 6 Big Ten games, but will be playing a whole different brand of football the last two games against Iowa & Wisconsin. Anything can happen in those two, but my money says 4-8 to 5-7. With Minnesota, you have to expect the worst until the culture of losing changes.
-LSU is freaking scary. However, watching the Taylor kid of Tech running the ball at QB in the 2nd half was fun to watch. The kid is like a created video game QB. When he was making the LSU defensive players look slow, you know you’re fast.
-Oklahoma is cranking it up as well. Unlike Pliers, I do think highly of Randy Shannon & Miami. That was an impressive win by the Sooners. More importantly, they are not going to have any type of grind during the conference season unlike LSU or USC.
-Oregon looks like they could be a pesky offense, and USC does travel to Eugene. Pesky game for the Trojans.
-I think Rutgers loses a cheapie outside of West Virginia & Louisville.
-Scoops’ question of the week: Is South Carolina ready to challenge Florida for the SEC East? Nice win at Georgia. But the Gators are a whole different ball. Teabow looks sharp.
-As a whole, I do think the Big Ten is down a bit this year, but this stuff goes in cycles. The conference was down in 1997 with only Michigan & Purdue winning bowl games, but was back up in 1998 & 1999, went down in 2000, was awful in 2001, but back up in 2002, decent in 2003 & 2004, back up in 2005, and somewhat down last year & this year. I think Penn State is the cream of the crop, but is definitely a tier down from LSU, Oklahoma, & USC. But PSU is right along at the next tier with West Virginia & Florida, and I would put them above Texas, Cal, Louisville, Ohio State & Wisconsin.

Gambling News & Notes:
-I am 99.8% sure that Scoops will be missing his first Gopher conference game at home since 1993 as he'll be in Las Vegas that weekend. He'll be taking extensive notes of certain teams this week to make sure he's educated.
-LAST WEEK ATS: 6-5. SEASON: 6-5.

Friday, September 7, 2007

Week 2. Ahhh yes, we can start to settle into the season now. My picks went 5-2 last week, and if I hadnt made an emotional choice (Minnesota and the Brew-Dogs) and a random choice (The Midshipmen...nguh), I would have been 5-0. Fuck it, dude. Here is week 2...

BOISE ST. by 2.5 at WASHINGTON Boise has most of their secondary coming back and Washington is a pass-first team with their new QB, who is a Stud. I still see a Boise win here...short trip to Seattle, and that stadium isn't what it used to be. LPL

Missouri by 6 at MISSISSIPPI. Chase Daniel is the real deal, and Ole Miss just isn't that good. They lost their best LB of all time last year and that hurts, especially against a Pinkel offense (yeah, I just said Pinkel...sue me).

The OVER on the Missiou/Ole Miss game at 54. Not a lot of defense with those teams right now. This is a good pick. LPL

The OVER on the Penn. St/Notre Dame game at 43.5. This seems like easy pickins. Anthony Morelli and co. are good for at least thirty on ChuckWheat's peaked Defense, and Jimmy Classen gets the whole week to prepare? I like UND to score at least two TDs, this should be an Over.

The UNDER at 50 on the Southern Miss/Tennessee game. Southern Miss returns 9 starters from the #1 scoring defense last year, and Tennessee has a good mix of a little offensive ineptitude and classic SEC defensive atheleticism. I like the Under. If this game wasn't at Neyland Stadium I would take Southern Miss to cover...they are 13.5 point dogs at one site.

OKLAHOMA by 10.5 at home vs. Miami (FL). Randy Shannon doesn't know what he is getting into here. That Oklahoma team that lost to Boise in the Fiesta Bowl last year was young and talented. They didn't lose anyone of consequence (well, I guess Adrian Peterson was of consequence, and so was Paul Thompson...but hey, the new QB had a 14.9 Yards per attempt day last week...even against a shitty opponent that's pretty darn good). They are going to THROTTLE Miami. Kirby Freeman? Are you serious? The Sooners bring back most of their dominating O-Line, and Miami's best player (unsurprisingly) is a Free Safety. That doesn't bode well for the Canes. Welcome to the Norman Jungle. Sooners win by 20. LPL

COLORADO ST. to cover 14.5 at home vs. Cal. This is my "out on a limb" pick of the week. I might put money on this, but my gut feeling is that Cal is pretty damn good but this is a total letdown game for them. They built up Tennesse for the last, oh, I don't know, SEVEN MONTHS. Think Inigo Montoya...you killed my father, prepare to die. Now what? Colorado St. hung in there for four quarters and beat Colorado in OT last week. It is tough to go into Colorado State and win, and they clearly have more talent than they have had in the past. Watch out Tedford, this could ruin your entire season. OK, so they wont lose. But 14.5 points? I think I like the Rams here.

Thursday, September 6, 2007

Scoops' College Football Picks: 9/8/07

Big Ten Games:

MINNESOTA (-9.5) over Miami, OH: This spread is practically dead on as I think it will be a 10 or 11 point victory for Minnesota. Miami will move the ball on Minnesota, but doesn't chuck it around as much as Bowling Green. Minnesota has some DL depth and will cause a bunch of 2nd & 3rd & longs. As for the offense, a dramatic improvement will be shown from week 1 to week 2. Scoops Pick: Minnesota 34, Miami 24

MICHIGAN STATE (-18) over Bowling Green: Michigan State had A LOT of success running the ball last week against UAB and will see the success that Minnesota had running the ball against the Falcons. Defensively, MSU has idiots, but better athletes to contend with BG's dink & dunk spread offense. Scoops' Pick: Michigan State 38, Bowling Green 17

Oregon (+8) over MICHIGAN: Michigan can and will score, but this defense is awful. Dixon is an absolute beast at running the spread option; a poor man's Vince Young if you will. Michigan outscores Oregon at the Big House, but not by more than 8. Scoops' Pick: Michigan 38, Oregon 34

PENN STATE (-17.5) over Notre Dame: Not exactly the best place for Jimmy Clausen to get his first start of his career. Penn State's defense is a bunch of animals and their offense looks like it may have a great season as well. This one could get ugly! Scoops' Pick: Penn State 34, Notre Dame 9

IOWA (-22.5) over Syracuse: Iowa's offense looked lackluster and it will be when the Big Ten season rolls around. But Syracuse is BAD! They looked bad both play wise and jersey wise against Washington. Scoops' Pick: Iowa 31, Syracuse 3
NORTHWESTERN (-9) over Nevada: This isn't your typical Nevada offense and Northwestern's offense is getting better & better and will be its typical pesky self once the Big Ten season rolls around. Scoops' Pick: Northwestern 34, Nevada 20

UNLV (+25) over Wisconsin: Wisconsin will roll, but this spread is just too high for my liking on the road. The temps will be in the 100s and it's the highest ranked team EVER to play in Las Vegas, not counting Tark's early 90s Running Rebs. It may take a quarter or two for Wisconsin to get rolling considering the high UNLV will be on, and that's enough to make the spread call. Scoops' Pick: Wisconsin 34, UNLV 14

National Games:

LSU (-12.5) over Virginia Tech: Fast black athletes running around and smacking people. I couldn't sum up LSU football any better. Scoops' Pick: LSU 27, Virginia Tech, 10

TCU (+8) over Texas: Texas just doesn't have it, at least not at this point they don't. Scoops' Pick: TCU 20, Texas 17

OKLAHOMA (-10.5) over Miami (FL): Miami will be ready for this one, but Oklahoma has title thoughts, and they aren't losing to Miami at home and will squeeze out the spread victory. Scoops' Pick: Oklahoma 34, Miami 20

Boise State (-3) over WASHINGTON: Is Washington as good as their score against Syracuse indicates? Is Boise still the magical team? Tough game for both teams as Boise brings the entire city on west I-90. Scoops' Pick: Boise State 34, Washington 27

Tuesday, August 28, 2007

Peoria's Lead Pipe Locks


The Pliers have SPOKEN!

Throughout the year, I will be posting my general picks as well as my "lead pipe locks" every week. Not that I condone betting on College Football. But everyone does it. Kind of like Cocaine and Anal Sex.

Without any further ado, here are my Week 1 Picks. My picks are in BOLD and the Home Team is in CAPS. All lines are taken from Covers.com. As of right now, there are no real O/U lines posted so I will save those for another day.

WISCONSIN by 14 vs. Washington St. This should be a BlOwOuT...Wisconsin is very good this year, especially on the O-Line/RB front, and WSU has no D-Line to speak of. Washington St. will score some points, but not nearly as much as P.J. Hill and Company. I bet Wisco has 300 yards rushing before the end of the day.

MINNESOTA by 16 vs. Bowling Green. The start of the Tim Brewster era will end in a blow out of the lowly Bowling Greeners.

Purdue by 7 at TOLEDO. See a theme here? So what, I like the Big Ten. Purdue is going to be better than most people think.

Georgia Tech getting 3 at NOTRE DAME. Wow. This is my pick of the week. Here is the tale of the tape as I see it: Claussens first start at ND, huge expectations, inexperience at the OL, QB controversy, a weakened defense - ND. Gone is Reggie Ball, new QB was great in Bowl Game, Gone is Calvin Johnson, Strong OL, Strong DL, 9th ranked pass defense in nation, senior LBs all over, 17 of 22 starters from harrowing bowl game loss to a very strong WVU team. GT wins this by two touchdowns; if TD Jesus wasn't presiding over the matter, GT wins by at least three TDs. AND THEY ARE GETTING 3 POINTS!! LPL

Navy by 21 at TEMPLE. This is a pure parlay filler...I have no clue about this game, but Navy isn't bad and Temple is awful.

Kent State getting 4 at IOWA STATE. The best team in the MAC against the worst team in the Big 12. ISU lost 4 starters on the OL. They return a good QB but nobody else on Offense. Kent's got a mobile quarterback with experience and a chip on their shoulder from a late season meltdown last year. Go Golden Flashes! I smell upset in Ames...

Louisiana State by 17 at MISSISSIPPI ST. I know, I know, Ol' Sly Croom's squad is getting better. But so is Les Miles' team. The last four times they have played the scores looked like this - 48-17, 37-7, 51-0, 41-6. Seriously, how many points are the Dawgs gonna score on LSU? 6? 12? I like LSU to cover this spread. LPL







Bo Pellini And Co. will Wreck Mr. Crooms Party

Wednesday, August 22, 2007

Bar Poker Tournament

I have been meaning to hit the bar poker circuit for quite some time. I’m your typical house player: I know what beats what, somewhat know what I’m doing, and just enjoy playing. I’m not an odds guy, I don’t analyze what my payback will be, and typically only have 1 rule that I try to live by: Don’t Play Trash. But I finally was able to make it to a tournament. I hit up Saba’s in Shakopee. Interesting place, this Saba’s. If anyone has been to downtown Shakopee lately, it’s the typical bar for a type of place: smoky & a melting pot of whites, blacks, Indians, Mexicans, Chinese, Russians, & I’m sure there was somebody from Portugal. But that’s what’s great about gambling.

Tournament field had 48 strong, 6 tables of 8 people. Come to think about it, I couldn’t even tell you how many chips each player started with. I guess I should have counted. It was at least $1,000, but it could have been $1,500 or even $2,000. Anyway, stacks looked the same so tournament started. It was a nice mix at the table: the slutty little 23 year old blonde that was probably homecoming queen, the go-tee guy missing sleeves that was sporting the “World Poker Store” hat, the chubby 40 year old woman who most likely watched 20 hours of poker a day while eating Blue Bunny New York Vanilla, the visor kid who thinks he’s the next Mike McD, the nice quiet older guy next to me, and another of the same next to him. We were missing a spot so they got blinded in and the table had 7. I start out a bit slow, just wanting to see how people are playing. Slutty girl plays just like she was 19 and on her first weekend at St. Cloud State by being very aggressive, Ice Cream girl chases a few flushes & straights, and Mike McD vocally analyzes each & every play of his. I stay cool & quiet for a while, mostly because I wasn’t getting the cards. I limp in on a small blind call and get beat by slutty girl once. And I slow played Ice Cream girl with a set of 4’s and took half of her stack and check raised World Poker Store hat guy with a set as well. Basically, treading water, waiting for the kill. I’m not trying to be Mike McD guy, but one of the rules he said that I do try to play by is the goal of winning one big hand an hour. Well, it happened with slutty girl. Dealt 10-9 suited, I call. Flop comes up 6-7-8, not suited and no flush possibility. Slutty girl is first to act and instantly goes all in. Scares everyone out, but I had her covered and call, knowing she couldn’t have me beat and her only way of beating me was catching something on the turn & river. She turns over a pair of 5’s, doesn’t draw a 5, 9 or 10 on the turn, and her night is done as I nearly double up with one swift kick to her uterus.

I pretty much tread water for the next 20-30 minutes, as Ice Cream girl goes out next, with me having nothing to do with it. The rest of the table was pretty steady, minus Mike McD spouting off his odds before each play. Two more people from a different table get brought into our game, one medium stacked and one very light. Light guy lasts probably 3 hands, and I make my next big score as a big blind getting dealt J-7. Able to see the flop for free, a J-7-4 gets tossed out. I raise the big blind, and new guy raises all in. I have him covered, but barely, so make a decision to go all in since the worst thing that can happen to me is I get to go home and go to bed. He flips over A-J, and draws dead with no ace, so I double up again. I go from middle of the pack to the table chip leader. Mike McD says to me “I like you. You don’t get greedy & are patient.” Well, I got that going for me, which is nice.

With the table now at 5, they bring in a woman from another table named Mercedes to join in on ours. Not quite at my rule of “Never playing poker against a guy named after a city,” but perhaps “named after a car” should be tossed in as well. Mercedes, Thunderbird, Mustang, Intrepid, Trailblazer, Mitsubishi….all potential poker nemesis’. Mercedes acts like she knows what she’s doing and quiet guy #2 to the left of me gets knocked out as his chips simply slowly leave him. They then move 5 of us to a different table and 1 (World Poker Hat guy) goes to a different table. At this new table, I notice two things. 1: There’s 16 people left, so in my first run, I’m already top half. Not horrible. And 2: I’m now at a table where the other 7 all know each other. Not a big deal, but obviously a sign that they all play Bar League Poker. Anyway, not two hands in, I get dealt pocket 8’s. I raise heavy, trying to get anybody thinking of catching a card on the flop out. Works for all but 1 guy. Flop comes up Q-Q-4, two of them clubs. He checks, and I feel like I may get him, so I check as well. Out comes a 6, not a club. He bets all-in. I have 2x as many chips, so it would cripple me if he got me, but I’m sensing he’s on a flush draw. I call, and he turns over Q-7. I’m suddenly down with only an 8 to save me. River comes….and 8. First bit of luck of the night. Said player is pissed, saying “I played that perfectly.” You know what, he did have me fooled. But it won’t be the last time he gets burned on the river. I just say “I got lucky” and accept it as that. Lucky, but lots of chips in my stack.

Very next hand: Pocket Jacks. I raise 2x big blind, which is a big amount by this time in the tournament. I want anybody with with an A, K, or Q out of here. Guy next to me goes all in (has about ¼ of the chips I have) and guy next to him goes all in (has about ½ the chips I have). Guy next to me (original quiet guy to my left from previous table) has A-K. Guy next to him as pocket queens. I’m suddenly down….but flop sports a Jack. Next two cards draw dead and in two hands, I knock out 3 players. Luck yes, I’m not going to complain. With the most chips at my table, I do play a few hands I probably wouldn’t earlier in the night, but mostly get trash and do a lot of folding considering my chip stack. Two other guys get knocked out (Mike McD being one of them) by others at the table, and they move in the remaining people at the other table so there’s 8 of us left at the final table. One of them is World Poker Hat guy, and another is a Russian guy named Alex sporting a Russian soccer jersey and a “No Limit” poker hat. Apparently, Alex is a final table regular and has the biggest chip stack (I’m 2nd).

Tangent time: what’s the deal with poker gear? Is it an intimidation thing? Is it because Mike Matasow sports a “Full Tilt” poker jersey? I realize why those guys wear them: money. But why would anybody buy poker gear?

Anyway, three guys get knocked out rather quickly with the blinds being $1,000-$2,000 and they were short stacked in the first place, so in about 3 minutes from the start of the final table, I’m guaranteed 5th place, which earns points in the Bar Poker League standings (top-8 earn points, you get 5 guaranteed for participating, after that, it goes 100-75-60-50-40-30-20-10). Me and another guy trade some chips back & forth, me losing big on pocket 6’s to his pocket 8’s, and me winning on K-Q over his A-10 and catching a King on the flop. I also earn praise from Alex KGB with laying down pocket 6’s in another hand in which he raised pre-flop, him sporting pocket 9’s. “Berry good laydown. Well played.” So I got Alex’s attention, at least. Well, blinds keep going up, chips keep getting exchanged, and suddenly, there’s 3 of us left. Top-3: not bad for a first time. Alex takes out guy number 3, so it’s me & him left. He has me 2 to 1 in chips, and a few folds by both of us in heads up occur. Then I get dealt A-J, action on him. He puts me all in. I figure if I’m going out, I’d rather have some ammo in my gun, so I call. KGB flips over A-10. Flop comes up empty, turn tosses over a Jack, and I double up. We exchange chips a few more hands, and then I get dealt pocket 2’s. Nothing great, but unless he has pocket something, I’m ahead of him. He’s small blind and calls, so I’m thinking he has at least a decent card. Flop comes 10-5-3, two clubs & a spade. He raises. Thinking he wouldn’t be playing trash and unless he had a J-10 or face-10, I figured I had him, I guessed that he was on a flush draw. I put him all in. He instantly calls. Once again, I guess incorrectly. Alex flips over a 10-5. First thing this makes me wonder is why would he call at 10-5 pre-flop. Anyway, he had me in a different guessing neighborhood. 4 comes out, so I’m down to my last card. Yet, just like the last time I guessed incorrectly, out comes a DEUCE on the river! Saba’s Tuesday night poker tournament goes to Scoops. Alex, surprisingly, takes it in stride and just says well played. Perhaps not well played, but the guy does get it. Anything can happen in poker and no reason to get pissed off at other people for playing what they played. He was the one that played 10-5 in the first place and got lucky on the flop. Sometimes luck goes back the other way.

It’s 1AM at this point (tournament started at 9PM) and I’m exhausted. I take my $50 Saba’s Bar & Grill gift certificate for winning, say my goodbyes and leave. It does make me think about people that play in the World Series of Poker and other tournaments. Yeah, you’re not running and doing a lot of physical activity, but I can see how a poker tournament would be very mentally draining. Sitting, waiting, having to be patient. It is definitely a draining experience. And the bottom line is that it’s luck. You can know all the odds and all about reading people & stuff, but eventually, you have to get the cards. This is why it will always be unknowns that win the World Series of Poker. At some point, everyone can learn the odds. But reading people is interesting. I never thought much about it, but just by playing in a bar tournament teaches you things. I learned that I have to make decisions at a slower pace. For the most part, I know what I’m going to do, but I make the act so quickly when it comes to my turn. By just being a bit more patient & waiting another 10-15 seconds to make my decision would help. And watching people does help. On my one pocket 6 laydown of Alex, for some reason, I just sensed that he wasn’t just holding A-J or K-Q…he had a pocket pair and it was better than mine. Hard to explain, but I just had that sense.

But I can cross “Win a Bar Poker League Tournament” off my list of things to do in life.