Tuesday, August 28, 2007

Vindy's Picks Week 1-2007

NCAA ADOPTS NASA RULE

INDIANAPOLIS, Indiana (REUTERS)...Inebriated astronauts at lift-off?! Yep. NASA thought common sense would apply to pre-flight substance consumption, then had to explicitly bring that concept to the forefront. Why then couldn’t there feasibly be coked-up coordinators, looped linebackers or soused safeties come game time? The NCAA has considered the possibility and now implemented a minimum 12-hour pre-game, no-substance use policy similar to NASA’s "bottle-to-throttle" rule. College insiders are calling the new regulation "wine-to-sideline". Several new nicknames have since popped up on the Internet, including some tailored to specific positions or substances, such as "crack-to-sack", "grass-to-pass" and "weed-to-read".

Having spent this spring and summer squandering his drive-thru gym membership and fresh from completion of summer practices at Daddy Two-A-Day Camp with his pre-season forecasting strategy team of Attorney General Alberto Gonzales, Barack Obama, Ghost Rider, Sanjaya, deposed astronaut Lisa Nowak, "Scooter" Libby, voice-over guy Don LaFontaine; the Rutgers women’s hoops team, Hannah Montana, that guy who dumped Carmen Electra in the TV commercial, Borat, Daniellynn Stern, former Army Surgeon General Kevin Kiley, Fergie, Brett & Garrett Reid; former MIT dean-of-admissions Marilee Jones and NBA referee Tim Donaghy; our prestigious prognosticator is off-and-running with the bat on crack (somethin’ like that ) and presents...

THE WEBER KID’S 2007 WEEK 1 FORECAST
(now with 0% trans fat)

THURS. AUG. 30
#2 Louisiana State over MISSISSIPPI STATE giving 18: LOCK OF DA’ WEEK.
Hmmm...scary line, but Bulldogs did beat ‘Bama away last year and nearly defeated Joja’ between the hedges. Still, the return of former starter Matt Flynn at quarterback for the Bayou Bengals should take the sting outta’ losing JaMarcus Russell to the pros...LSU 35 MSU 7

Murray State @ #10 LOUISVILLE: No line.

#16 RUTGERS over Buffalo giving 32: Bulls return 18 starters for the first time this century and should bolster the ATS record if not the actual straight-up win-loss record, but not here. Knights open the season ranked for the first time in their history. Buffalo actually toppled Rutgers in the not-so-distant past, but that was against the 2002 squad that went 1-11.... Paladins of Piscataway 44 Bulls 7

Weber State @ #24 BOISE STATE: No line.

SAT. SEPT. 1
#1 USC over Idaho giving 46:
Trojans take on only three opponents that had losing records in ‘06. This is one of ‘em. "Citizens of Los Angeles...there is no cause for alarm. That ice floe appearing across the field from USC in the Coliseum is simply the five returning offensive starters for the Potato-Heads". USC has won last two openers by combined score of 113-31... Troy 55 Curly Fries 3

#3 WEST VIRGINIA over Western Michigan giving 23 1/2: It’s its 2006 opener, Vindy seriously underestimated WVU following the Marshall "Spy Gate" scandal. We won’t do that again here. Only concern might be the pass defense. Mounties are 7-1-1 ATS in last 9 matches in Morgantown. Half of our projected title game pairing wins going away...’Eers 42 WMU 13

Arkansas State over #4 TEXAS taking 40 ½: Indians are 3-1 ATS last four against ranked clubs. Excluding nifty 11-2 in 2005, Steers have covered only 30 of 63 since start of 2001 campaign. Assuming Arkie State can’t run effectively, they can put up enough through the air to stay within this line (even though 236 passing ypg allowed by UT last year was somewhat skewed by the 519 posted by Texas Tech) . Sophomore jinx for Mr. McCoy? ...’Horns 38 ASU 14
Appalachian State @ #5 MICHIGAN: No line.

Western Kentucky @ #6 FLORIDA: No line. (Tough spot for I-A’s newest entry against last season’s national champ.)

#7 WISCONSIN over Washington State giving 14: Badgers have lofty expectations to live up to this year. Rather smallish line suggests Wisky will rely on clock-eating running game and defense with a new man under center. Coogs have covered 8 of last 10 non-conference road tilts...Varmints 28 Wazzou 7

North Texas over #8 OKLAHOMA taking 40 1/2: Cue Kermit the Frog, who will entertain the visitors with a rousing version of "It Ain’t Easy Bein’ Mean Green"!...Sooners 44 UNT 10

East Carolina over #9 VIRGINIA TECH taking 24: Pirates are 18-6 against the number the last two years, though they only have 5 returning starters on offense (and 4 of ‘em are linemen). Taking the field should be cathartic for the Hokies, who will have a nationwide "12th Man" all season long. Huge game at LSU next for Tech...VT 27 ECU 6

Youngstown State @ #11 OHIO STATE: No line.

#12 CAL over #15 Tennessee giving 5 ½: Nice. A match-up of ranked teams right outta’ the gate. Bears were on wrong end of unexpected thrashing in Knoxville last year. There’ll be 13 Cal starters looking for some payback. Vols haven’t posted a winning ATS campaign since the ‘99 regular season...Cal 28 Rocky Top 16

Oklahoma State over #13 GEORGIA taking 6 ½: Like a lot of other folks out there apparently (this line opened at at 9), we’re thinking the Cowpokes offense will continue to be explosive under one of those third-year coaches, Mike Gundy, that Vin noted in an earlier post. State manages first upset on the season against Joja’s reasonably new defense...OKSU 31 UGA 30

#14 Ucla over STANFORD giving 17: Cardinal takes the field with its fourth coach in last seven seasons. Bruins traditionally have problems putting Stanford away, but did win by 21-0 and 31-0 in ‘04 and ‘06, respectively. UCLA is not-real-impressive 3-9 against the line in last dozen as road chalk...Bruins 24 Trees 0

#17 PENN STATE over Florida International giving 38: Good bet for the opening "wish I had it back" selection since multiple Lions suspensions for an off-season assault problem and JoPa’s tendency to not run it up on weak opponents makes this a risky pick. We’ll rely on the State defense to keep FIU off the board... THE ALMA MATER 42 Gilded Panthers 0

#18 AUBURN over Kansas State giving 13 ½: We prefer the Warhawks squad that belts teams it should traditionally over Wildcats team that typically debuts asleep at the wheel as evidenced by last season’s holy-crap-we-just-beat-I-AA-Illinois State 24-23. Some of KSU’s previous season opening victories weren’t real stellar either ... Tigers 41 K-State 20

#20 NEBRASKA over Nevada-Reno giving 21: Wolfpack’s a much better play at home than away. Nonetheless, we considered taking Reno and the points initially. UNR features sophomores at QB and RB and have covered only three of last dozen on the road. Big Red is 4-1 ATS in last 5 lined openers. A cover here would go a long way toward building respect and hopes for the Nebraska season many expect...Children of the Corn 38 Reno 14

Troy over #21 ARKANSAS taking 24: Trojans got an ugly September sked this year that includes two SEC teams on the road and a visit from Oklahoma State. We’ll ignore the whole "off-season issues distraction" thing, but we like the ‘Hogs to just handoff to Heisman-hopeful RB McFadden and thwart Troy on D...Arkansas 24 Troy 6

Baylor over #22 TCU taking 21: Bears have exactly zero bye weeks in ‘07, so they better take advantage of the energy they have for now. Only recent meeting of these two was last year’s 17-7 win by the Frogs. Toads are the chic pick to be this season’s BCS-buster. With trip to Austin on deck, we figure them to be conservative... Ribbit 21 Bares 7

#23 Hawaii: IDLE (next @ Louisiana Tech)

Montana State @ #25 TEXAS A&M: No line.

MON. SEPT. 3
#19 Florida State over CLEMSON giving 3:
No faith in this pick and frankly...we’ll just take a push. Historical trends side with Tigers at home in general and as host vs. the ‘Noles. The elder Bowden broke out the broom and cleaned house of his assistants in the off-season. Can’t be any worse on offense. State has its highest number of returning starters (14, including the QB) since the ‘03 season. It’ll need the speed on defense to slow down Tigers running game. FSU goes in with revenge after Clemson took last two (and three of last four) outright. Combined, these clubs have been victorious in 34 of last 37 season premieres. Somethin’ has to give...so we’re givin’ the nod to the... Injuns 17 Clemson 12

BETWEEN THE HASHMARKS

By the way, NCAA officials are applying the 12-hour policy to practice days as well, leading at least one anonymous coach to dub the ruling, "swill-to-drill"!

As a result of the aforementioned off-season, off-campus incident, JoPa will ensure the entire Lions team will be cleaning Beaver Stadium every Sunday following each game in Happy Valley. Coulda’ been worse. They coulda’ been tasked to change JoPa’s Depends every Sunday!

According to the May 7th ish of ESPN: Da’ Mag, a Florida woman got de-cleated from her personal water-craft by a leaping sturgeon. Said fish has since been offered a scholarship to play defensive back at Florida International!

This Fall’s must-see TV...America Ferrera stars in a dual role as both pitcher and catcher (No...not that kinda’ pitcher and catcher) for the local minor league baseball team in... "Ugly Battery". Also on ABC, Ferrera brings her glasses and braces into the sportsbook to make a few wagers on..."Ugly Bettor"!!!

Shoppe Talk: Vindy hopes to stave off last season’s Grill-master Supreme Award-winner, Notre Dame, who thwarted Vindy’s Picks nine times in a dozen opportunities!

Vindy’s Week 1 Best Bets: Last Week: 0-0 Last Season: 35-30-3
BYU -5 ½ over Arizona, WEEZIANA-MONROE +5 ½ over Tulsa, Virginia -4 over WYOMING, FLORIDA ATLANTIC -2 ½ over Middle Tennessee State

Up next...Vindy’s Picks welcomes back the NFL, "salutes" Michael Vick and recaps more events of the off-season!

Sunday, August 26, 2007

Third Year Coaches for 2007

Professional handicapper Phil Steele has often extolled the value of having a coach in his third year with a team as a positive. Among the rationale offered is that players have had a couple of seasons to play within the new coach’s system and the coach has more of his own recruits on the team. While there is certainly a multitude of factors that account for the success or not-so-success of a team during any given season, just for fun, we crunched a few numbers for coaches who were in their third year with the same team for the 2006 season. There were eleven Division I-A coaches who fit the criteria. On average, those coaches had 8 returning offensive starters (more often than not having a returning starting QB) and 8 returning defensive starters. Of the eleven teams from 2006, five had at least one more straight-up win than the previous season, six clubs improved their ATS records by at least one more win.

Here are the 22 coaches starting this season in their third year with their respective clubs, last season’s SU and spread records and returning offensive-defensive starters (* indicates a returning QB) then and now:

‘07 3rd Year Coach ‘06 SU/ATS record (‘06 returning starters) ‘07 returning starters

Les Miles, LSU 11-2/6-7 (6*-5) (6-8)

Ed Orgeron, Ol Miss 4-8/5-4-2 (5-5) 9*-6

Urban Meyer, Florida 13-1/5-7-1 (6*-6) 6-2

Steve Spurrier, SC 8-5/9-3 (7*-5) 7*-10

Ron Zook, Illinois 2-10/5-6 (9*-10) 8*-9

Mike Gundy, OKSU 7-6/7-4-1 (9*-5) 8*-7

Ty Willingham, Wash 5-7/6-5-1 (6*-8) 6-6

Walt Harris, Stanford 1-11/3-9 (10*-6) 8-8

Dave Wannstedt, Pitt 6-6/5-6 (6*-6) 8-6

Greg Robinson, Syracuse 4-8/8-4 (6*-4) 7-5

Kyle Whittingham, Utah 8-5/7-4-1 (6*-7) 10*-6

Bronco Mendenhall, BYU 11-2/10-2-1 (8*-4) 6-7

Mike Sanford, UNLV 2-10/4-6-1 (7*-5) 8*-6

Mark Snyder, Marshall 5-7/4-7 (9*-6) 7*-7

Skip Holtz, ECU 7-6/10-3 (7*-6) 6-8

Brent Guy, Utah State 1-11/3-9 (7*-6) 8*-11

Hal Mumme, NMSU 4-8/7-3 (6-6) 10*-7

Dick Tomey, San Jose State 9-4/9-3 (7*-2) 7*-8

Charlie Weis, ND 10-3/4-8-1 (7*-9) 4-5

Bill Cubit, W. Michigan 8-5/8-5 (6*-8) 8-8

Frank Solich, Ohio U. 9-5/7-6 (9*-9) 5-6

Shane Montgomery, MI-OH 2-10/4-8 (5-2) 8*-6

Periodically, we’ll keep our readership notified of the progress (or regression) made (if any) of these squads. Stay tuned....

Saturday, August 18, 2007

Comparison of 2007-08 Preseason Bowl Projections


A COMPARISON OF PRESEASON PROJECTED 2007-08 BOWL MATCH-UPS

Vindy offers a comparison of projected bowl selections from a multitude of sites/forecasters, including our humble host Vegas Vindicator, College Football News, Phil Steele, CBS Sportsline, College Sports Television, a couple of writers from ESPN (Ivan Maisel and Paul Schlabach) and The Sporting News, fellow forecaster DpD and the folks at Sports Illustrated. One or two sources only gave up their BCS game predictions (those girly men!). FYI...Vindy’s 2006-07 projections yielded a few correct individual post-season team placements, but exactly zero correct bowl pairings...

DEC. 20
SAN DIEGO CREDIT UNION POINSETTIA: MWC vs. Navy/At-Large

Vindy’s Picks: Colorado State vs. Navy
CFN: BYU vs. Navy
Steele: BYU vs. Navy
Sportsline: Utah vs. Navy
CSTV: Kent State vs. Navy
ESPN (Maisel): Utah vs. Navy
ESPN (Schlabach): Utah vs. Navy
Sporting News: Utah vs. Navy
DpD: Utah vs. Navy
SI: BYU vs. Navy

DEC. 21
R&L CARRIERS NEW ORLEANS BOWL: Sun Belt Champ vs. C-USA
Vindy’s Picks:
Louisiana-Monroe vs. Memphis
CFN: Troy vs. SMU
Steele: Troy vs. Tulsa
Sportsline: Louisiana-Lafayette vs. SMU
CSTV: Troy vs. SMU
ESPN (Maisel): Troy vs. Central Florida
ESPN (Schlabach): Troy vs. East Carolina
Sporting News: Troy vs. Central Florida
DpD: Middle Tennessee State vs. Marshall
SI: Troy vs. Houston

DEC. 22
PAPAJOHNS.COM: BE (or MAC) vs. C-USA
Vindy’s Picks:
East Carolina vs. South Florida
CFN: South Florida vs. Southern Miss
Steele: Central Florida vs. Pitt
Sportsline: South Florida vs. Houston
CSTV: Central Florida vs. South Florida
ESPN (Maisel): South Florida vs. Memphis
ESPN (Schlabach): Cincinnati vs. Marshall
Sporting News: Tulsa vs. Pitt
DpD: South Florida vs. Southern Miss
SI: Cincinnati vs. Memphis

NEW MEXICO: MWC vs. WAC
Vindy’s Picks:
Wyoming vs. San Jose State
CFN: Air Force vs. Nevada-Reno
Steele: New Mexico vs. Fresno State
Sportsline: Colorado State vs. San Jose State
CSTV: Utah vs. San Jose State
ESPN (Maisel): New Mexico vs. Fresno State
ESPN (Schlabach): Wyoming vs. Nevada-Reno
Sporting News: BYU vs. Nevada
DpD: Wyoming vs. Nevada-Reno
SI: Utah vs. Fresno State

PIONEER PUREVISION LAS VEGAS: MWC Champ vs. PAC-10 #4
Vindy’s Picks:
TCU vs. Arizona State
CFN: TCU vs. Arizona State
Steele: TCU vs. Arizona
Sportsline: TCU vs. Arizona State
CSTV: TCU vs. Oregon
ESPN (Maisel): BYU vs. UCLA
ESPN (Schlabach): TCU vs. UCLA
Sporting News: New Mexico vs. Arizona
DpD: BYU vs. Oregon State
SI: TCU vs. Arizona State

DEC. 23
SHERATON HAWAII: C-USA vs. WAC
Vindy’s Picks:
SMU vs. Hawaii
CFN: Marshall vs. Fresno State
Steele: UTEP vs. New Mexico State
Sportsline: Rice vs. Hawaii
CSTV: Houston vs. Hawaii
ESPN (Maisel): UTEP vs. Hawaii
ESPN (Schlabach): Houston vs. Hawaii
Sporting News: Hawaii vs. Oregon
DpD: Hawaii vs. Tulsa
SI: Hawaii vs. Marshall

DEC. 26
MOTOR CITY: B10 #7 vs. MAC
Vindy’s Picks:
Troy vs. Ohio
CFN: Northwestern vs. Central Michigan
Steele: Northwestern vs. Toledo
Sportsline: Cincinnati vs. Central Michigan
CSTV: Notre Dame vs. Central Michigan
ESPN (Maisel): Michigan State vs. Miami-Ohio
ESPN (Schlabach): Minnesota vs. Central Michigan
Sporting News: Minnesota vs. Miami-Ohio
DpD: Cincinnati vs. Central Michigan
SI: Northwestern vs. Western Michigan

DEC. 27
PACIFIC LIFE HOLIDAY: B12 #3 vs. Pac-10 #2
Vindy’s Picks:
Oklahoma State vs. California
CFN: Missouri vs. California
Steele: Nebraska vs. Oregon
Sportsline: Nebraska vs. California
CSTV: Missouri vs. UCLA
ESPN (Maisel): Nebraska vs. Oregon
ESPN (Schlabach): Nebraska vs. California
Sporting News: Nebraska vs. California
DpD: Kansas State vs. UCLA
SI: Missouri vs. UCLA

TEXAS: B12 vs. C-USA
Vindy’s Picks:
Kansas vs. Tulsa
CFN: Texas Tech vs. Houston
Steele: Auburn vs. Houston
Sportsline: Texas Tech vs. Central Florida
CSTV: Kansas vs. Tulsa
ESPN (Maisel): Kansas State vs. Houston
ESPN (Schlabach): Texas Tech vs. Central Florida
Sporting News: Texas A&M vs. UTEP
DpD: Texas A&M vs. Western Michigan
SI: Kansas vs. UTEP

DEC. 28:
CHAMPS SPORTS: ACC #4 vs. B10 #4 or #5
Vindy’s Picks:
Virginia Tech vs. Purdue
CFN: Boston College vs. Purdue
Steele: Clemson vs. Wisconsin
Sportsline: Miami vs. Iowa
CSTV: Georgia Tech vs. Iowa
ESPN (Maisel): Miami vs. Iowa
ESPN (Schlabach): Boston College vs. Iowa
Sporting News: Georgia Tech vs. Iowa
DpD: Kansas vs. Northwestern
SI: Miami vs. Iowa

EMERALD: ACC #7 vs. PAC-10 #5
Vindy’s Picks:
Georgia Tech vs. Oregon
CFN: Clemson vs. Oregon State
Steele: Virginia vs. California
Sportsline: Clemson vs. Oregon
CSTV: Maryland vs. Arizona State
ESPN (Maisel): NC State vs. Arizona State
ESPN (Schlabach): Maryland vs. Oregon
Sporting News: Wake Forest vs. Arizona State
DpD: Florida State vs. Arizona
SI: Virginia vs. Oregon State

DEC. 29
MEINEKE CAR CARE: ACC #6 vs. BE
Vindy’s Picks:
Boston College vs. Rutgers
CFN: Miami vs. Pittsburgh
Steele: NC State vs. South Florida
Sportsline: Wake Forest vs. Rutgers
CSTV: Miami vs. Rutgers
ESPN (Maisel): Clemson vs. West Virginia
ESPN (Schlabach): Clemson vs. South Florida
Sporting News: Miami vs. South Florida
DpD: Miami vs. Pitt
SI: Wake Forest vs. South Florida

AUTOZONE LIBERTY: C-USA Champ vs. SEC #6
Vindy’s Picks:
Southern Miss vs. Arkansas
CFN: Tulsa vs. Alabama
Steele: Southern Miss vs. Tennessee
Sportsline: Southern Miss vs. Alabama
CSTV: Southern Miss vs. Kentucky
ESPN (Maisel): Southern Miss vs. Alabama
ESPN (Schlabach): Southern Miss vs. Alabama
Sporting News: Southern Miss vs. Arkansas
DpD: Houston vs. Tennessee
SI: Southern Miss vs. Alabama

VALERO ALAMO: B10 #4 or #5 vs. B12 #4
Vindy’s Picks:
Ohio State vs. Missouri
CFN: Iowa vs. Nebraska
Steele: Purdue vs. Texas A&M
Sportsline: Purdue vs. Missouri
CSTV: Illinois vs. Kansas State
ESPN (Maisel): Purdue vs. Missouri
ESPN (Schlabach): Purdue vs. Missouri
Sporting News: Purdue vs. Missouri
DpD: Minnesota vs. Texas Tech
SI: Purdue vs. Texas A&M

DEC. 30
PETROSUN INDEPENDENCE: B12 #7 vs. SEC #8
Vindy’s Picks:
Kansas State vs. Vanderbilt
CFN: Kansas State vs. Arkansas
Steele: Texas Tech vs. Arkansas
Sportsline: Kansas State vs. Kentucky
CSTV: Oklahoma State vs. Alabama
ESPN (Maisel): Texas Tech vs. South Carolina
ESPN (Schlabach): Kansas State vs. Kentucky
Sporting News: Oklahoma State vs. Kentucky
DpD: Oklahoma State vs. Washington State
SI: Texas Tech vs. Notre Dame

DEC. 31
BELL HELICOPTER ARMED FORCES: MWC vs. PAC-10
Vindy’s Picks:
Nevada-Reno vs. Arizona
CFN: Utah vs. Washington State
Steele: Utah vs. Oregon State
Sportsline: BYU vs. Washington State
CSTV: BYU vs. Arizona
ESPN (Maisel): Wyoming vs. Washington
ESPN (Schlabach): BYU vs. Oregon State
Sporting News: TCU vs. Houston
DpD: TCU vs. Oregon
SI: Wyoming vs. Oregon

SUN: B12/BE/Notre Dame vs. PAC-10 #3
Vindy’s Picks:
Auburn vs. USC
CFN: Oklahoma State vs. Oregon
Steele: Oklahoma State vs. UCLA
Sportsline: Notre Dame vs. Oregon State
CSTV: Texas A&M vs. Oregon State
ESPN (Maisel): Notre Dame vs. California
ESPN (Schlabah): Notre Dame vs. Washington State
Sporting News: Notre Dame vs. Oregon State
DpD: Notre Dame vs. California
SI: Louisville vs. California

ROADY’S HUMANITARIAN: ACC #8 vs. WAC
Vindy’s Picks:
Clemson vs. Boise State
CFN: Virginia vs. Boise State
Steele: Maryland vs. Boise State
Sportsline: Maryland vs. Boise State
CSTV: Clemson vs. Boise State
ESPN (Maisel): Wake Forest vs. Boise State
ESPN (Schlabach): ESPN (Schlabach): Wake Forest vs. Boise State
Sporting News: Clemson vs. Boise State
DpD: Boston College vs. San Jose State
SI: Clemson vs. Boise State

GAYLORD HOTELS MUSIC CITY: ACC vs. SEC #5
Vindy’s Picks:
Miami vs. Florida
CFN: Florida State vs. South Carolina
Steele: Georgia Tech vs. Vanderbilt
Sportsline: Boston College vs. South Carolina
CSTV: Wake Forest vs. South Carolina
ESPN (Maisel): Georgia Tech vs. Tennessee
ESPN (Schlabach): Miami vs. Auburn
Sporting News: Virginia vs. South Carolina
DpD: Georgia Tech vs. Alabama
SI: Boston College vs. South Carolina

CHICK-FIL-A: ACC #2 vs. SEC
Vindy’s Picks:
Florida State vs. Georgia
CFN: Maryland vs. Tennessee
Steele: Virginia Tech vs. Florida
Sportsline: Georgia Tech vs. Tennessee
CSTV: Boston College vs. Tennessee
ESPN (Maisel): Maryland vs. Kentucky
ESPN (Schlabach): Georgia Tech vs. South Carolina
Sporting News: Boston College vs. Alabama
DpD: Wake Forest vs. South Carolina
SI: Georgia Tech vs. Auburn

INSIGHT: B10 #6 vs. B12 #6
Vindy’s Picks:
Michigan State vs. Texas A&M
CFN: Minnesota vs. Texas A&M
Steele: Illinois vs. Kansas State
Sportsline: Minnesota vs. Oklahoma State
CSTV: Purdue vs. Texas Tech
ESPN (Maisel): Northwestern vs. Texas A&M
ESPN (Schlabach): Oklahoma State vs. Indiana
Sporting News: Illinois vs. Texas Tech
DpD: Penn State vs. Nebraska
SI: Illinois vs. Kansas State

JAN. 1
OUTBACK: B10 #3 vs. SEC
Vindy’s Picks:
Penn State vs. Alabama
CFN: Ohio State vs. Florida
Steele: Iowa vs. South Carolina
Sportsline: Penn State vs. Georgia
CSTV: Ohio State vs. Auburn
ESPN (Maisel): Ohio State vs. Auburn
ESPN (Schlabach): Penn State vs. Georgia
Sporting News: Ohio State vs. Auburn
DpD: Iowa vs. Georgia
SI: Penn State vs. Georgia

COTTON: B12 #2 vs. SEC
Vindy’s Picks:
Nebraska vs. South Carolina
CFN: Oklahoma vs. Auburn
Steele: Missouri vs. Alabama
Sportsline: Texas A&M vs. Arkansas
CSTV: Nebraska vs. Arkansas
ESPN (Maisel): Oklahoma State vs. Arkansas
ESPN (Schlabach): Texas A&M vs. Arkansas
Sporting News: Oklahoma vs. Tennessee
DpD: Missouri vs. Arkansas
SI: Oklahoma State vs. Arkansas

GATOR: ACC #3 vs. B12/BE/Notre Dame
Vindy’s Picks:
Maryland vs. Colorado
CFN: Georgia Tech vs. Rutgers
Steele: Miami vs. Notre Dame
Sportsline: Florida State vs. Oklahoma
CSTV: Florida State vs. Oklahoma
ESPN (Maisel): Florida State vs. Rutgers
ESPN (Schlabach): Florida State vs. Rutgers
Sporting News: Florida State vs. Rutgers
DpD: Clemson vs. West Virginia
SI: Florida State vs. Nebraska
CAPITAL ONE: B10 #2 vs. SEC #2
Vindy’s Picks:
Michigan vs. Tennessee
CFN: Penn State vs. Georgia
Steele: Ohio State vs. Georgia
Sportsline: Ohio State vs. Auburn
CSTV: Penn State vs. Georgia
ESPN (Maisel): Penn State vs. Georgia
ESPN (Schlabach): Ohio State vs. Tennessee
Sporting News: Penn State vs. Georgia
DpD: Wisconsin vs. Auburn
SI: Ohio State vs. Tennessee

ROSE PRESENTED BY CITI: B10 Champ vs. PAC-10 Champ
Vindy’s Picks:
Wisconsin vs. UCLA
CFN: Wisconsin vs. UCLA
Steele: Michigan vs. Texas
Sportsline: Michigan vs. UCLA
CSTV: Wisconsin vs. California
ESPN (Maisel): Michigan vs. Texas
ESPN (Schlabach): Michigan vs. Oklahoma
Sporting News: Michigan vs. UCLA
Lindy’s: Michigan vs. California
DpD: Michigan vs. LSU
SI: Michigan vs. Rutgers

ALL-STATE SUGAR: SEC Champ vs. at-large
Vindy’s Picks:
Oklahoma vs. Louisville
CFN: Michigan vs. Hawaii
Steele: West Virginia vs. Hawaii
Sportsline: Florida vs. Louisville
CSTV: Michigan vs. LSU
ESPN (Maisel): LSU vs. Louisville
ESPN (Schlabach): Florida vs. West Virginia
Sporting News: Florida vs. Wisconsin
Lindy’s: Tennessee vs. West Virginia
DpD: Florida vs. Ohio State
SI: Florida vs. Oklahoma

JAN. 2
TOSTITOS FIESTA: B12 Champ vs. at-large
Vindy’s Picks:
Texas vs. BYU
CFN: Texas vs. Louisville
Steele: Oklahoma vs. Louisville
Sportsline: Texas vs. Wisconsin
CSTV: Texas vs. Louisville
ESPN (Maisel): Texas Christian vs. Wisconsin
ESPN (Schlabach): Texas vs. Louisville
Sporting News: Texas vs. Louisville
Lindy’s: Texas vs. Wisconsin
DpD: Boise State vs. Louisville
SI: Texas vs. Wisconsin

JAN. 3
FED-EX ORANGE: ACC Champ vs. at-large
Vindy’s Picks:
Virginia vs. Iowa
CFN: Virginia Tech vs. West Virginia
Steele: Florida State vs. Penn State
Sportsline: Virginia Tech vs. West Virginia
CSTV: Florida vs. West Virginia
ESPN (Maisel): Virginia Tech vs. Florida
ESPN (Schlabach): Virginia Tech vs. Florida
Sporting News: Virginia Tech vs. West Virginia
Lindy’s: Virginia Tech vs. Oklahoma
DpD: Virginia Tech vs. Texas
SI: Virginia Tech vs. West Virginia

JAN. 6
INTERNATIONAL: BE/Notre Dame vs. MAC #4 or #5
Vindy’s Picks:
Notre Dame vs. Western Michigan
CFN: Notre Dame vs. Miami-Ohio
Steele: Rutgers vs. Kent State
Sportsline: Pittsburgh vs. Ohio
CSTV: no pick
ESPN (Maisel): Pittsburgh vs. Toledo
ESPN (Schlabach): Pittsburgh vs. Ohio
Sporting News: Ball State vs. Maryland
DpD: Rutgers vs. Ohio
SI: Middle Tennessee vs. Ohio

GMAC: C-USA #2 vs. MAC
Vindy’s Picks:
Houston vs. Toledo
CFN: East Carolina vs. Toledo
Steele: Memphis vs. Western Michigan
Sportsline: Tulsa vs. Western Michigan
CSTV: no pick
ESPN (Maisel): Tulsa vs. Western Michigan
ESPN (Schlabach): Tulsa vs. Ball State
Sporting News: SMU vs. Western Michigan
DpD: East Carolina vs. Akron
SI: Tulsa vs. Toledo

JAN. 7
BCS CHAMPIONSHIP: BCS #1 vs. BCS #2
Vindy’s Picks:
West Virginia vs. LSU
CFN: USC vs. LSU
Steele: USC vs. LSU
Sportsline: USC vs. LSU
CSTV: USC vs. Virginia Tech
ESPN (Maisel): USC vs. Oklahoma
ESPN (Schlabach): USC vs. LSU
Sporting News: USC vs. LSU
Lindy’s: USC vs. LSU
DpD: USC vs. Oklahoma
SI: USC vs. LSU

Monday, August 13, 2007

Preseason Projected 2007-08 Bowl Match-Ups

Yeah, yeah...we’ve read all the blog comments about the absurdity of forecasting bowl match-ups out this far. Let’s face it..."expert" projections are made based on number of returning starters, coaching turnovers, expected decline/improvement of teams based on experience or lack thereof, players coming back from prior season injuries, increase/decrease in strength of schedule, yada yada yada. But you all know as well as Vindy does that there will be turnovers, upsets, blown officiating calls, injuries, off-the-field "issues"and possibly random acts of nature that will impact the anticipated progression of the season.

THE WEBER KID’S 2007-08 PRESEASON BOWL MATCH-UPS

(Selected via taping school names to the bottom of 119 rubber ducks and pulling them outta’ the bubbling jacuzzi at random until all 64 bowl slots were filled...OK, maybe we put a little more into it than that.)

DEC. 20
SAN DIEGO CREDIT UNION POINSETTIA:
Colorado State vs. Navy

DEC. 21
R&L CARRIERS NEW ORLEANS BOWL:
Louisiana-Monroe vs. Memphis

DEC. 22
PAPAJOHNS.COM:

South Florida vs. East Carolina

NEW MEXICO:
Wyoming vs. San Jose State

PIONEER PUREVISION LAS VEGAS:
TCU vs. Arizona State

DEC. 23
SHERATON HAWAII:

SMU vs. Hawaii

DEC. 26
MOTOR CITY:

Troy vs. Ohio U.

DEC. 27
PACIFIC LIFE HOLIDAY:
Oklahoma State vs. California

TEXAS:
Kansas vs. Tulsa

DEC. 28
CHAMPS SPORTS:

Virginia Tech vs. Purdue

EMERALD:
Georgia Tech vs. Oregon

DEC. 29
MEINEKE CAR CARE:

Boston College vs. Rutgers

AUTOZONE LIBERTY:
Southern Miss vs. Arkansas

ALAMO:
Ohio State vs. Missouri

DEC. 30
PETROSUN INDEPENDENCE:
Kansas State vs. Vanderbilt

DEC. 31
BELL HELICOPTER ARMED FORCES:

Nevada-Reno vs. Arizona

SUN:
Auburn vs. USC

HUMANITARIAN:
Clemson vs. Boise State

GAYLORD HOTELS MUSIC CITY:
Miami vs. Florida

CHICK-FIL-A:
Florida State vs. Georgia

INSIGHT:
Michigan State vs. Texas A&M

JAN. 1
OUTBACK:
Penn State vs. Alabama

COTTON:
Nebraska vs. South Carolina

GATOR:
Maryland vs. Colorado

CAPITAL ONE:
Michigan vs. Tennessee

ROSE PRESENTED BY CITI:
Wisconsin vs. UCLA

ALL-STATE SUGAR:
Oklahoma vs. Louisville

JAN. 2
TOSTITOS FIESTA:
Texas vs. BYU

JAN. 3
FED-EX ORANGE:
Virginia vs. Iowa

JAN. 6
INTERNATIONAL:
Notre Dame vs. Western Michigan

GMAC:
Houston vs. Toledo

JAN. 7
BCS CHAMPIONSHIP:
LSU vs. West Virginia

Tune in this December to see how we fared.....

Tune in later this month as we post a comparison of several sites’ post-season prognostications and even later when we put up thoughts on this season’s third-year coaches...and, of course, Week One’s Top 25 regular-season ATS picks (somewhere around August 28)!