It is fall break time at the University of Kansas! I am very excited to be out of school for 4 days...
Heading down to Arkansas and then College Station tomorrow, to meet up with some girls I studied with in Costa Rica this summer... :scared
Should be a good time.
Thus, the early write-ups... I like the Big 12's card this week... but then again, last week I did too... :shrug:
Here goes:
Colorado +7 (TT)
--- You can feel this team about ready to break out. In every game they play, you can see flashes of the new coaching staffs work... you can tell the players are starting to get it... they just havent been able to implement it enough on the field to get a victory.
I think they do, this week. I think they keep this one close, and I think they knock off the Red Raiders, who were just embarrased at home by Missouri. Their passing game hasnt gotten off the ground yet, pardon the pun, and they have a QB controvery brewing... not the kind of stuff you want as a big road favorite against a frisky team that has shown signs that they might be getting it.
Nebraska -10 (@KSU)
--- Simply the best team in the Big 12 North against the worst one. I feel like Nebraska is at least 3 TD's better than KSU.
KSU remarkably has a 4-2 record... they have beaten 3 awful non-conference teams and somehow ripped off a huge comeback against OSU last week that almost caused me to throw my TV. I think they finish this season at 4-8.
I have the same concerns with them that I voiced last week... not a lot of talent there, and the coaching staff is trying to plug new kids into the scheme to take on seasoned Big 12 teams (like QB Freeman, a true frosh, and their true frosh RB... whose name escapes me).
Nebraska by 17-21 in this one.
Texas A&M +2.5 (Miss.)
--- CLASSIC, CLASSIC example of betting against the public while taking some hints from the linesmakers.
I was leaning towards A&M before I capped this one... but my capping plus the line movement puts me squarely in the camp on the Aggies on this one.
I see 87% (87%!) of the public on the Tigers. With that huge percentage, guess what the line did? It dropped a half point, from Mizzou -2.5 to Mizzou -2. Hmm... something fishy is going on there. That has nothing to do with capping.
This does: TAMU is exceptional at Kyle Field. They have a great fan base, and they play their hearts out, their.
TAMU is going to attack this game like they went at KU last week, I think. They will start conservatively, and pound the ball. They do the shotgun offense where they are constantly giving their QB the option to take off with it... and it opens seams. They also have 3 very good RB's.
In the 2nd half, when a mediocre Mizzou defense starts to tire, they are going to start to get run over by 275 lb. RB Lane... who is an ABSOLUTE BEAST. They then put in Goodson who carves people up. If they have a lead at halftime... this one is over.
McGee is also playing much better... I like his future. Combine all this with Francione coaching for his job... and you get a BIG Texas A&M upset.
(If you know what's good for you... stop reading now...)
:scared
You didn't stop? Ok... I apologize in advance...
Kansas -3 (OSU)
---- Most agravating team in the nation to bet on or root for. The Jayhawks are a team that clearly hasnt learned how to win yet.
There are a lot of reasons for this... But I will give you the biggest 2:
1. The offense hasnt gelled yet. Mostly because of Meier's injuries and Barmann's sporadic play... but also because the team refuses to play close to the vest and just pound RB Cornish... They clearly have no offensive identity.
2. The defense is VERY VERY young. They have a lot of talent... Rivera and Talib will both be playing on Sunday's... but they lost all 3 LB's last year, a good chunk of the D-Line, and the teams best player, CB Gordon. The defense generally plays very well in the first half, and implodes when the game is on the line... (although the local media doesnt blame this on the players... they blame it on the coaching staff which telegraphs all their blitzes well ahead of the snap to allow QB's to audible hot routes and hang big plays... this theory also has lots of validity... Toledo's 4th and 24 play, Nebraska's long TD drive's, and TAMU's long 1st down pass on 3rd and a mile all came on blitzes where the LB's creaped up well before the ball was snapped).
Anyhow... Despite the loss last week (a game in which they dominated, BTW) this team is still VERY tough at Memorial. They didnt lose a game their, last year... and are now 3-1 there this year (and should be 4-0).
OSU is a poor Big 12 team that couldnt beat KSU on the road last week... KSU is awful, and will probably be double digit dogs when they come to Lawrence next month. That alone makes KU a viable play, I think. However, there is definately something to the theory that some teams just 'havent learned to win..' and KU definately fits this. This team SHOULD be 6-0. Laugh all you want, but their 3 losses all came after KU led in the 4th quarter, 2 of which came in OT, all in games where KU HEAVILY outplayed the competition (Toledo and Nebraska in OT, TAMU last week).
If you play KU, PRAY for Meier to play. Barmann is above average when he is on... and he can be a very good QB when hot... but when he isnt on, like last week, he sinks not only the offense, but the team.
KU MUST win this game. They dont have a choice if they want to make a bowl game... Mangino should have them ready.
(In other words, look for the Cowboys to get their asses kicked, and make up a 3 TD defecit in the last 10 minutes or so... :com: )
Heading down to Arkansas and then College Station tomorrow, to meet up with some girls I studied with in Costa Rica this summer... :scared
Should be a good time.
Thus, the early write-ups... I like the Big 12's card this week... but then again, last week I did too... :shrug:
Here goes:
Colorado +7 (TT)
--- You can feel this team about ready to break out. In every game they play, you can see flashes of the new coaching staffs work... you can tell the players are starting to get it... they just havent been able to implement it enough on the field to get a victory.
I think they do, this week. I think they keep this one close, and I think they knock off the Red Raiders, who were just embarrased at home by Missouri. Their passing game hasnt gotten off the ground yet, pardon the pun, and they have a QB controvery brewing... not the kind of stuff you want as a big road favorite against a frisky team that has shown signs that they might be getting it.
Nebraska -10 (@KSU)
--- Simply the best team in the Big 12 North against the worst one. I feel like Nebraska is at least 3 TD's better than KSU.
KSU remarkably has a 4-2 record... they have beaten 3 awful non-conference teams and somehow ripped off a huge comeback against OSU last week that almost caused me to throw my TV. I think they finish this season at 4-8.
I have the same concerns with them that I voiced last week... not a lot of talent there, and the coaching staff is trying to plug new kids into the scheme to take on seasoned Big 12 teams (like QB Freeman, a true frosh, and their true frosh RB... whose name escapes me).
Nebraska by 17-21 in this one.
Texas A&M +2.5 (Miss.)
--- CLASSIC, CLASSIC example of betting against the public while taking some hints from the linesmakers.
I was leaning towards A&M before I capped this one... but my capping plus the line movement puts me squarely in the camp on the Aggies on this one.
I see 87% (87%!) of the public on the Tigers. With that huge percentage, guess what the line did? It dropped a half point, from Mizzou -2.5 to Mizzou -2. Hmm... something fishy is going on there. That has nothing to do with capping.
This does: TAMU is exceptional at Kyle Field. They have a great fan base, and they play their hearts out, their.
TAMU is going to attack this game like they went at KU last week, I think. They will start conservatively, and pound the ball. They do the shotgun offense where they are constantly giving their QB the option to take off with it... and it opens seams. They also have 3 very good RB's.
In the 2nd half, when a mediocre Mizzou defense starts to tire, they are going to start to get run over by 275 lb. RB Lane... who is an ABSOLUTE BEAST. They then put in Goodson who carves people up. If they have a lead at halftime... this one is over.
McGee is also playing much better... I like his future. Combine all this with Francione coaching for his job... and you get a BIG Texas A&M upset.
(If you know what's good for you... stop reading now...)
:scared
You didn't stop? Ok... I apologize in advance...
Kansas -3 (OSU)
---- Most agravating team in the nation to bet on or root for. The Jayhawks are a team that clearly hasnt learned how to win yet.
There are a lot of reasons for this... But I will give you the biggest 2:
1. The offense hasnt gelled yet. Mostly because of Meier's injuries and Barmann's sporadic play... but also because the team refuses to play close to the vest and just pound RB Cornish... They clearly have no offensive identity.
2. The defense is VERY VERY young. They have a lot of talent... Rivera and Talib will both be playing on Sunday's... but they lost all 3 LB's last year, a good chunk of the D-Line, and the teams best player, CB Gordon. The defense generally plays very well in the first half, and implodes when the game is on the line... (although the local media doesnt blame this on the players... they blame it on the coaching staff which telegraphs all their blitzes well ahead of the snap to allow QB's to audible hot routes and hang big plays... this theory also has lots of validity... Toledo's 4th and 24 play, Nebraska's long TD drive's, and TAMU's long 1st down pass on 3rd and a mile all came on blitzes where the LB's creaped up well before the ball was snapped).
Anyhow... Despite the loss last week (a game in which they dominated, BTW) this team is still VERY tough at Memorial. They didnt lose a game their, last year... and are now 3-1 there this year (and should be 4-0).
OSU is a poor Big 12 team that couldnt beat KSU on the road last week... KSU is awful, and will probably be double digit dogs when they come to Lawrence next month. That alone makes KU a viable play, I think. However, there is definately something to the theory that some teams just 'havent learned to win..' and KU definately fits this. This team SHOULD be 6-0. Laugh all you want, but their 3 losses all came after KU led in the 4th quarter, 2 of which came in OT, all in games where KU HEAVILY outplayed the competition (Toledo and Nebraska in OT, TAMU last week).
If you play KU, PRAY for Meier to play. Barmann is above average when he is on... and he can be a very good QB when hot... but when he isnt on, like last week, he sinks not only the offense, but the team.
KU MUST win this game. They dont have a choice if they want to make a bowl game... Mangino should have them ready.
(In other words, look for the Cowboys to get their asses kicked, and make up a 3 TD defecit in the last 10 minutes or so... :com: )
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