It's Close Enough- Week 1 College Football Talk/Leans

[molta02]

Ok, we are close enough to college football!!!

Anybody got some early leans or thoughts on week 1?

My early leans include-

LSU; Wyoming; Mizzou; Florida St; Central Michigan

Who do you guys like early on.

[live jive]

west virg -23

[***THA FIX***]

GT+3
Over 52- OK ST/GA

[10DimeBry]

i havent broken the card down yet but here are a few i like so far

wyoming
baylor
cal

[kbsooner21]

i havent broken the card down yet but here are a few i like so far

wyoming
baylor
cal

Just curious as to why you like Baylor? They lost a ton of seniors off last years team. And Baylor doesn't exactly just reload either ya know.

[Three Jack]

Rutgeres, laying major wood, jumps off the page to me. Buffalo is AWFUL!

[vinnyvegas]

Georgia Tech +3

LOVE IT

[jcindaville]

I think Notre Dame will suck and Rook is the team mascot

[vondie]

Rutgeres, laying major wood, jumps off the page to me. Buffalo is AWFUL!

Buffalo went 7-4-1 last year ATS. That is a HUGE number for rutgers to lay....Im going to have a nice size bet on those bulls.

Also like GT +3 early.

[Spearit]

I don't know if Rook is a Leprecaun but I do know that
the Utah/ Oregon State game should be worth watching.
Oregon States win over USC last year and the fact that 18 starters are returning - gives me the impression that this could be a great year for the Beaver.
They have to get a new QB up to snuff but the defense looks solid and the team is ready to go.
On Utahs side they have an awesome offense and the defense is not as good as States. So it really depends on what Oregon State has at QB.

I am leaning toward playing this one under the first half.
New QB and a dynamic LB crew for Oregon State.
The WR's for Utah will certainly show up in the 2nd half making this game really special!

--------------------------------------------
What to watch on offense ... Always striving for balance, the Beavers have the tools to achieve it once again. Behind a very physical and battle-tested offensive line, Bernard is a slashing workhorse, who'll register a third straight 1,000-yard season, provided defenses aren't able to crowd the line of scrimmage. The job of keeping defenses honest likely belongs to Canfield, a big, strong lefty, who nearly cut into Moore's playing time last season. Whoever's throwing passes will spend plenty of time searching for Stroughter, a poor man's DeSean Jackson of Cal, who can break open a game whether he's catching passes or fielding punts.

What to watch on defense ... For a defense that requires its linebackers to be big, fast and instinctive, the Beavers have three good ones in seniors Derrick Doggett, Alan Darlin and Joey LaRocque. They'll set the tempo for the unit, especially in run defense, but the key in 2007 will be to continue pressuring opposing quarterbacks, without relying too heavily on the blitz. The Beavers were third nationally in sacks a year ago, which protected young and vulnerable corners Keenan Lewis and Brandon Hughes.

The team will be far better if ... Canfield limits his turnovers and gives opposing defenses reason to reconsider stacking the box. The Beavers are in real good shape everywhere else, including the kicking game, so if the sophomore can blossom quickly, a Holiday Bowl berth and another ten-win season are within reach.

The Schedule: While the non-conference schedule (Utah, at Cincinnati and Idaho State) isn't without its charm, the real meat is on the road with five Pac-10 away dates, all of them nasty. The conference season starts out at Arizona State, followed by home dates with UCLA and Arizona, but trips to Cal, USC, Washington State and Oregon will force the Beavers to prove themselves. They don't get any back-to-back home games after early October.

Best Offensive Player: Senior RB Yvenson Bernard. A case could be made for WR Sammie Stroughter as well. With back-to-back 1,300-yard campaigns along with 25 touchdowns, Bernard is one of the nation's most productive returning backs. While he's not a blazer, he's good at getting through the hole in a hurry and is tougher to bring down than he looks.

Best Defensive Player: Senior LB Derrick Doggett. The leader of what should be one of league's best linebacking corps, Doggett is one of the Pac-10's fastest linebackers and a blur into the backfield, with five sacks and 14 tackles for loss last season. He's been named to the second-team All-Pac-10 team two years in a row, and should be in the hunt for first-team honors this season.

Key player to a successful season: Sophomore QBs Sean Canfield or Lyle Moevao. Everything is in place for a big season with a nasty defense, tremendous backfield, veteran offensive line and All-America caliber kicker. However, it'll all fall apart unless Canfield or Moevao can make consistently good decisions, keep mistakes to a minimum and not be a liability.

The season will be a success if ... the Beavers win nine games. That might seem like a major downer considering all the returning talent coming off a ten-win season, but the Beavers needed 14 games to get to double-digits. It'll likely take three wins among the tough five Pac-10 road games, and a bowl win, to get to ten again. Getting to nine should be hailed as a successful year.


Key game: Sept. 22 at Arizona State. A win in the Pac-10 opener should mean a 4-0 start going into home games against UCLA and Arizona. More importantly, it would establish OSU as a legitimate player in the conference race. Considering the road games ahead, a loss would likely end all title hopes before they begin.

[BillMill71]

Real Early Leans

Still have a lot to look at, but here are my thoughts on the 8/30 games

8/30

Mia Oh +6 (may not play)
Iowa St -4 (may not play)
LSU -17
Oregon St -6.5

[kbsooner21]

Still have a lot to look at, but here are my thoughts on the 8/30 games

8/30

Mia Oh +6 (may not play)
Iowa St -4 (may not play)
LSU -17
Oregon St -6.5

What do you like about Iowa State Bill? I was leaning towards Kent myself

[molta02]

I find that Kent/Iowa St game tricky myself. Kent should be one of the better teams in the MAC, and Iowa St is pretty bad this year. However, its tough to take the small school here w/out getting many pts.

[kbsooner21]

I find that Kent/Iowa St game tricky myself. Kent should be one of the better teams in the MAC, and Iowa St is pretty bad this year. However, its tough to take the small school here w/out getting many pts.

IMO I think the points are low for a reason. I can easily see an outright Kent win here.

[molta02]

IMO I think the points are low for a reason. I can easily see an outright Kent win here.

agreed. if i had to choose, i'd go with Kent. iowa st defense pretty shaky too.