...not trying to be an arse...or start any chit...or chit in someone's thread saying they're making a bad pick...or whatever, but if interested, here's my take.
...remember last year? TN hyped pre-season...could have a chance at the NC after they win the SEC.... BIG FLOP. Remember 1998? Rebuilding season...Peyton's gone.... They'll struggle this year.... Surprise!!! NC. :shrug:
...fast forward. This year...CAL is loaded. If they get by Tennessee, then USC is the only thing standing between them and a NC. TN is rebuilding...lost 6 of the front 7 on D. Ainge & Cutcliff have the weight of the world on them....
CAL is stacked on D!!! ...not to mention the best RB pair in the country. Tedford is 10X's the coach that Phat Phil is.... CAL will win this one easy!!!
...yet line has moved from CAL -2 to TN -2...back to TN -1...and will likely be CAL -1 by gametime....
...travel across country...playing in one of the most hostile 107k+ environments...in the SEC...and you're gonna come in here and play smash-mouth football...and you're from what conference? LMAO...sorry. :142smilie
...that is...with all due respect. no offense intended.
keep it coming Taoist..no offense taken, THIS IS WHAT THIS FORUMS ABOUT...opinions, insights, timelines like the one you just layed out...VERY TRUE...but honestly, the books aren't just putting lines out their on crunching some numbers...they have looked at all these trends, they have studied them for years, they watch every big program (and every other program with spreads applicable) and they knew everything you just told me, before last season even came to a close...lines reflect all the knowledge of the world of the books, and they put them out based not only on what they think the spread SHOULD BE, but what will give thm even action...so i know i went to 50 different points here, but the line reflects, like you said, Tennessee's tendancy to COME OUT AND MAKE A BLAST when they are supposed to get even worst...but lets be honest here, Peyton left a program with a ton of talent on it, and with Fulmer in in his prime, with a NFL teams worth of recruits left on board after Peyton made the move to the big leauges...this is not hte case this year...like I said, two programs that have gone in COMPLETLEY DIFFERENT DIRECTIONS...Tenn won games they should have lost last year, and lost games people didnt even doubt would get close to a loss (only a spread loss), much like CAL was a few years ago when they beat USC in C-Palmers last year...but this CAL team is stacked..and like you said, everyting points to CAL, and yet the line has gone in Tenn favor...Put in the notion that when CAL lost its all conference DB, the line didnt even budge: it actually went even lower...SOOOOOOOOO many times I learned the hard way when I just bet a game because "it looks to easy, everything points to team A, team B is the team to pound"...and boom I have lost...thats one lesson I learned, sometimes a game that looks solid, IS SOLID...and after looking at the game for the last few months, everything tells me that this is the big game that will start Cal's best window of oppurtunity too get passed USC and give Tedford his shot at NC...sure Tenn looks lik a solid bet, if you are considering that Tenn sucked ass last year, and now have a chance to redeem themselvs against what many consider a sure shot BCS team etc...but Cal has been getting ready for this game since before their bowl win over Tenn...the big game they scheduled to MAKE A STATEMENT...and what better place than one of the nations toughest venues, against one of the nations most succesful team/coach over the last decade...but even with all the angles I look at to doubt my CAL bet, it ALL leads me back to a offensive genius with his best defense since he got to CAL, with who I consider the most complete running back in the game (with a proven All-Conference BACK UP), and the hunger to put their names on the BCS committees teams to watch list, and not have to wait until they play USC to see whether they are BCS worthy...Tedford has been building this team the last few years to get it to where it is now, and their is now way he lets a team with this much talent lose in its first game, especially when a win at Knoxville vs Tenn makes waves regardless of how bad Tenn see is...and with Tenn having what I consider one of its weakest clubs in years, I can't even budge when it comes to reconsidering my bet...
Marshawn Lynch carries CAL to a pure blowout, and Tedford will prove once again that he can groom ANY QB with potential into a All-Conf mold player without years of experience needed...
I may upgrade this play, call me nuts on week 1, but watching local clips of CAL and Lynch, and also trying to absorb as much Tenn info/clips as I can,I just cannot wait for the team that has been building itself to the caliber that they are at right now, to come out FIRING and for Lynch to begin the season that will lead him to be the #1 pick of the New York Jets next season...perfect replacement for Curtis Martin, same strength and running style (strong, yet elusive), but he has much more of a explosive factor than Curtis...
Gl guys...maybe im wrong, but even if Tenn wins 35-0, with the team Cal has compared to that of Fat Phils, I wouldnt even think twice betting it 10 times out of 10..
gl, and love your posts Taoist...I wanna hear ALL THE DIRT, all the diff angles that make Cal look like a trap...like I said, thats what maks this site great
