The final Saturday… Now what do we do?
In some ways it seems like it has taken forever, and in other ways it’s as if it only just begun, but the end of the college football regular season is upon us. Lots of games on tap today, and a few look pretty interesting. Here’s the last shot at tying up some profit until bowl season starts:
Central Michigan (-3) vs. Miami of Ohio – The MAC Championship won’t be the highest profile game of the day, but it should be a good one. I really like the Central Michigan offense. Dan LeFevour is a pleasure to watch at QB, and the unit is piling up the points lately. The defense can’t stop anything, but I’m not convinced that Miami has the offense to keep pace if this becomes a shootout. On a neutral field that should have a strong Central Michigan presence I like the Chippewas here. Pick: Central Michigan.
Tennessee (+7.5) vs. LSU – There are a lot of reasons in my mind to like Tennessee here. LSU lost some swagger, and their shot at a title, last weekend. Their coach is on the way out the door. Tennessee is playing well over the last month, and should have a huge boost coming off an emotional win against Kentucky last year. Tennessee QB Matt Flynn is questionable, and probably won’t be at his best even if he does play. I’m not confident that Tennessee will win, but I do like their chances of of keeping it close, and getting that extra half point on top of the touchdown makes them good value. Pick: Tennessee.
Missouri (+3) vs. Oklahoma - The top ranked team in the country is an underdog at a neutral site – this truly is a bizarre season. Missouri is in top form, they have the ultimate motivation to play for, and they showed last week that they can handle the pressure of huge games. Oklahoma struggled badly against Texas Tech, and the Mizzou offense is similarly elusive and explosive. It would be entirely different if the Tigers were heavily favored, but taking them and the points seems like a pretty solid idea. Pick: Missouri.
Arizona (+6.5) at Arizona State - USC will probably have the Pac-10 title wrapped up by the time this game kicks off, but I don’t expect that to diminish the effort the Sun Devils will show here. For one, this is a huge rivalry for the team, and a chance to redeem themselves after a frustrating loss to USC. They also have a chance to play in a very big bowl game, and that would be a great way to cap a an outstanding an unexpected first year under Dennis Erickson. This line is as low as it is because Arizona has won three straight, but they have not been against good competition, so I am not buying it. Pick: Arizona State.
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