Seriously, what did I do to deserve this?!? About 3 weeks ago I made a vow to break this 2 year writing slump I’ve been in and start back writing consistently. And then, two of the most frustrating experiences I’ve ever dealt with happened. Not once, but twice, in the last week and a half I’ve spent over 2 hours working on a college football preview only to have my internet service disconnect, thus leaving me with NOTHING as opposed to having about 2,000 words of pure pigskin delight. The dejection I experienced left me feeling like I was going to (a) pass out, (b) throw up, or (c) pass out into my throw up. With that said, I’m pretty sure all of this is in vain and only my eyes will see what follows.
During this college football season I will be looking at the lines Vegas has put down on some of the week’s feature matchups and will give my advice on what you should probably tell your bookie if you’re anything like my 80+ year-old grandmother (an avid bettor).
#13 Georgia at #9 Oklahoma State (-4.5): The Bulldogs are loaded up front on both sides of the ball and sophomore WR A.J. Green has star written all over him. For those reasons Georgia is going to be a handful this year; however, the Cowboys may have the country’s sickest tandem in QB Zac Robinson, RB Kendall Hunter, and WR Dez Bryant. My Pick: Oklahoma State.
#20 BYU vs #3 Oklahoma (-22) in Arlington, TX: I firmly believe the Sooners will win the Big 12, defeat Texas in Dallas on October 17th, and play for (and again lose) the National Championship to the Gators, all while star QB Sam Bradford reels off yet another statistically breathtaking season. I also believe they will dispose of the Cougars; I just don’t believe they will do so by more than 3 TDs. Even if TE Jermaine Gresham were playing, I feel like there’s too much firepower coming from BYU’s offense. Between the prolific QB Max Hall and RB Harvey Unga (coming off of consecutive 1,000+ yard seasons), I think the punters should be fully rested for Week 2. My Pick: BYU.
#5 Alabama (-6.5) vs #7 Virginia Tech in Atlanta, GA: If Darrell Evans was suiting up for the Hokies Saturday night, I may have a different opinion, but sadly he’s not. Also, considering the Tide will have their super soph Julio Jones lining up, I think Alabama takes their first step toward notifying the entire country that while Ole Miss is getting all of the preseason hype, they will be the team representing the SEC West in the Championship Game in early December. My Pick: ‘Bama.
Maryland at #12 California (-21): RB Jahvid Best could easily be invited to the Downtown Athletic Club at the end of the year, and the Bears’ defense is nothing to snivel at. On the other side, the Terps defense was depleted after last season and anytime you lose someone like Darrius Heyward-Bey, it’s never easy to bounce back; however, look for sophomore Torrey Smith to become college football’s Devin Hester following up on his ACC single-season record for KR yards as a freshman. Cal will win, but...My Pick: Terps.
Miami at #18 FSU (-6.5): I remember when this game had an elite cast of stars like Deion Sanders, Michael Irvin, Warrick Dunn, Derrick Brooks, Warren Sapp, Ray Lewis, and so on. Now, they’ve transgressed from Oscar-worthy to barely finding work on Lifetime movies. It’s pathetic how far both programs have fallen. Though neither team impresses me, I’ll go with the home team to cover the spread. My Pick: FSU.
Charleston Southern at #1 Florida (-73!?!?!?!?!!!!): Absolutely ABSURD! I think the Gators will repeat as National Champs. Tebow will lead the troops yet again, and Urban Meyer will continue making Gainesville forget who Steve Spurrier was. Charleston Southern clearly sucks. No doubt about it. They are totally overmatched. They are Kathy Bates in a beauty contest with Beyonce. However, there’s a reason why there has never been a spread this INSANELY high before. Anytime a team can score 10 TDs, a field goal, hold their opponent scoreless, and STILL not cover the spread, I have a problem with that. My Pick: Charleston Southern.
During this college football season I will be looking at the lines Vegas has put down on some of the week’s feature matchups and will give my advice on what you should probably tell your bookie if you’re anything like my 80+ year-old grandmother (an avid bettor).
#13 Georgia at #9 Oklahoma State (-4.5): The Bulldogs are loaded up front on both sides of the ball and sophomore WR A.J. Green has star written all over him. For those reasons Georgia is going to be a handful this year; however, the Cowboys may have the country’s sickest tandem in QB Zac Robinson, RB Kendall Hunter, and WR Dez Bryant. My Pick: Oklahoma State.
#20 BYU vs #3 Oklahoma (-22) in Arlington, TX: I firmly believe the Sooners will win the Big 12, defeat Texas in Dallas on October 17th, and play for (and again lose) the National Championship to the Gators, all while star QB Sam Bradford reels off yet another statistically breathtaking season. I also believe they will dispose of the Cougars; I just don’t believe they will do so by more than 3 TDs. Even if TE Jermaine Gresham were playing, I feel like there’s too much firepower coming from BYU’s offense. Between the prolific QB Max Hall and RB Harvey Unga (coming off of consecutive 1,000+ yard seasons), I think the punters should be fully rested for Week 2. My Pick: BYU.
#5 Alabama (-6.5) vs #7 Virginia Tech in Atlanta, GA: If Darrell Evans was suiting up for the Hokies Saturday night, I may have a different opinion, but sadly he’s not. Also, considering the Tide will have their super soph Julio Jones lining up, I think Alabama takes their first step toward notifying the entire country that while Ole Miss is getting all of the preseason hype, they will be the team representing the SEC West in the Championship Game in early December. My Pick: ‘Bama.
Maryland at #12 California (-21): RB Jahvid Best could easily be invited to the Downtown Athletic Club at the end of the year, and the Bears’ defense is nothing to snivel at. On the other side, the Terps defense was depleted after last season and anytime you lose someone like Darrius Heyward-Bey, it’s never easy to bounce back; however, look for sophomore Torrey Smith to become college football’s Devin Hester following up on his ACC single-season record for KR yards as a freshman. Cal will win, but...My Pick: Terps.
Miami at #18 FSU (-6.5): I remember when this game had an elite cast of stars like Deion Sanders, Michael Irvin, Warrick Dunn, Derrick Brooks, Warren Sapp, Ray Lewis, and so on. Now, they’ve transgressed from Oscar-worthy to barely finding work on Lifetime movies. It’s pathetic how far both programs have fallen. Though neither team impresses me, I’ll go with the home team to cover the spread. My Pick: FSU.
Charleston Southern at #1 Florida (-73!?!?!?!?!!!!): Absolutely ABSURD! I think the Gators will repeat as National Champs. Tebow will lead the troops yet again, and Urban Meyer will continue making Gainesville forget who Steve Spurrier was. Charleston Southern clearly sucks. No doubt about it. They are totally overmatched. They are Kathy Bates in a beauty contest with Beyonce. However, there’s a reason why there has never been a spread this INSANELY high before. Anytime a team can score 10 TDs, a field goal, hold their opponent scoreless, and STILL not cover the spread, I have a problem with that. My Pick: Charleston Southern.
David Hobgood
David Hobgood is a co-founder and editor of Blickees.com He covers the NBA, MLB, NFL, college basketball and the PGA Tour. He currently teaches English at Frederick Douglass Academy VII in Brooklyn, NY. Mr. Hobgood received a Bachelor of Arts Degree in English from North Carolina State University. While at North Carolina State, Mr. Hobgood wrote a bi-weekly sports column for "The Technician" Newspaper.