Wednesday, October 31, 2007

Vindy's Picks Week 10-2007

2007 COLLEGE SEASON JUST BIG HOAX

LAS VEGAS, Nevada (REUTERS)....For a few fleeting, glorious moments this year, there was hope...hope of good things on the field in Tampa, Florida; Chestnut Hill, Massachusetts; Lawrence, Kansas and even in Durham, North Carolina. But on the brink of All Hallow’s Eve, the 2007 college football campaign was exposed for what it truly is...fake, bogus, a grand illusion. Criss Angel of the TV series "Mind Freak" said he’s been conducting the elaborate hoax, using smoke & mirrors, nearly-invisible wires, mass suggestion and stadiums with trap doors and false walls to dupe fans, coaches, players, even the media into believing wins and losses that didn’t actually occur. In reality, USC and LSU are undefeated and trying to hold on for post-season spots in Baton Rouge, Duke and Temple are a combined 1-14 SU with a spread record of 3-12, South Florida is a middle-of-the-back Big Least team and Michigan whacked Appalachian State by nearly three touchdowns to open its season. Said one member of Angel’s camp, "If ya think this was out there, wait ‘til ya see which traditional doormats make the Sweet 16 next March!"

Vindicator managed a second straight Thursday night win, but even Criss Angel couldn’t help our hero do better than 8-7-1 for Week Nine (72-87-4, .453). On the Night of the Living Spread, beware of...

THE WEBER KID’S 2007 WEEK 10 FORECAST

THURS. NOV. 1
#11 Virginia Tech over GEORGIA TECH taking 2 1/2:
How deflating will very late loss to Boston College be for the Hokies? Doing its part to help conserve water in drought-stricken Georgia, the NCAA has mandated that the Bees can’t wash their unis until they become bowl-eligible!...Virginia Tech 17 Wreck 14

SAT. NOV. 3
#1 OHIO STATE over Wisconsin giving 15:
Before turning the game off when State went up 24-7 on Vin’s alma mater early second half, he watched the Buckeyes pass their way easily, barely breaking a sweat, up and down the field in the "hostile" "white-out". Badgers lost to the Lions by 31. Lions lost by 20 to the Buckeyes. Badgers have allowed 6 total points over last two games. State puts that up more that on first drive here...OSU 27 Wisky 7

#2 BOSTON COLLEGE over Florida State giving 6 ½: Eagles lucky to escape Blacksburg with a win, but that’s the kinda’ good fortune that carries teams to the title game. The "under" is probably a better call than a side...BC 20 ‘Noles 10

#17 ALABAMA over #3 Louisiana State taking 7 1/2: Ya think the Tigers’ll be up for getting their first crack at former coach Nick Saban since he left Baton Rouge following 2004 season? History suggests State will cover if they win outright. Bengals are only 1-1 ATS facing the Tide since beginning of ‘05...Bengals 21 'Bama 16

#4 OREGON over #6 Arizona State giving 7: Decoys on a 24-14 spread run vs. PAC-10 colleagues. First real road test for the Sun Devils. Vindy’s previous calls for shootouts have failed miserably, so...Mallards 38 ASU 24

Texas A&M over #5 OKLAHOMA taking 21: Baggies were kept off the board by Kansas until the 7:20 mark of the 4th Quarter and face a better (and rested) defense here. Looks like a lot of points though, given A&M’s lost by this many only once and Sooners’ biggest conference game margin is 10...OK 29 A&M 13

#7 West Virginia: IDLE (next vs. Louisville 11/8)

#8 KANSAS over Nebraska giving 19: Huskers lost starting QB Sam Keller for the duration and need to win out to go somewhere in December. They won’t. Fightin’ Manginos have beaten the line seven times in a row and almost got the "lock" designation last week (and in 20-20 hindsight...they shoulda’!). It’s a big number, not big enough to back Big Red....Jayhawks 44 Nebraska 20

COLORADO over #9 Missouri taking 4: Over last 29 conference matches, Mizzou is 11-15-2 against the number and are barely 1-1 ATS this season in its only two road games (a total of 1 ½ points separates the Tigers from 2-0 or 0-2). Buffs need one more victory for a post-season berth, are 3-1 ATS at home this year, own Oklahoma’s only SU loss in ‘07 and were competitive in close losses to FSU and Kansas. Field goal fest... Missouri 16 Buffs 15

Troy over #10 GEORGIA taking 16 ½: LOCK OF DA’ WEEK. Troy is 22-15 ATS since beginning of Division I-A play in 2001, including a nifty 5-2 spread record against the SEC. Trojans coach Larry Blakeney said he plans to send HIS whole team to the end zone to cheer Troy’s first TD of the game (and has T.O. and Chad Johnson on standby just in case his boys don’t draw a flag for excessive celebration!)...Joja’ 24 Troy 13

#12 Hawaii: IDLE (next vs. Fresno State)

Oregon State over #13 USC taking 15: Beavers have covered last two vs. the Trojans (and those squads were obviously better than this year’s edition) and fare well in general playing other PAC-10 teams. Booty may return under center for SC...Trojans 24 OSU 17

#14 Texas over OKLAHOMA STATE giving 3: Steers have only two spread wins in last trips away from Austin, but somehow we still don’t have the warm-and-fuzzies over Cowpokes back-to-back SU wins over Nebraska and K-State, which followed a one-point defeat at College Station . State’s last four games vs. the Longhorns have been losses by 26, 19, 21 and 39. Bowl-eligibility will probably wait until finale at Baylor...Texas 38 OKSU 31

#15 Michigan over MICHIGAN STATE giving 4 1/2: The UM solar car team was in Australia last week trying to return the Panasonic World Solar Challenge trophy to the U.S. for the first time since the inaugural challenge back in ‘87. Wolverines gridiron squad ran on solar power last week without its star RB and QB, and still managed a push on a 24-point line. Spartans in usual late-season slide...Big Blue 29 MSU 17

#16 UCONN over Rutgers taking 3: Nice to see Huskies gettin’ some pollster love after flying well-below the radar while compiling 7-1 SU record (and just a one-point road loss away from being undefeated). Knights’ only away tilt resulted in a cover at Syracuse as 16 1/2-point chalk. UConn has allowed no opponent more than 17 points and averages only 13.4 points-against. First of three away games in final four for NJ State...Dogs 23 Paladins 16

Vanderbilt over #18 FLORIDA taking 16: Commodores have covered nine of last dozen getting points on the road.. Back in May, the UNC Center for Study of Retired Athletes declared that NFL athletes who had three or more concussions were three times as likely to suffer clinical depression. And here Vindy attributed his industrial-strength blues to all those forecast losses by the Gators over the past few years. Turns out it was all those times he banged his head on the sportsbook counter after losing bets instead!...Crocs 28 Admirals 14

Tennessee Tech @ #19 AUBURN: No line.

#20 SOUTH FLORIDA over Cincinnati giving 5: These two are a combined 0-4 straight over last two weeks. Somebody’s once-promising season goes into the tank here. After buckling under pressure being hunted on the conference road, we like the Bulls to recover nicely at home. ..USF 24 Bearkats 17

#21 BOISE STATE over San Jose State giving 26: Broncos getting back in the swing of things. Spartans haven’t covered well away from home the last four-plus years. SJSU has one road spread win in five tries and posted zeroes on the scoreboard in two of ‘em...BSU 37 SJSU 7

VIRGINIA over #22 Wake Forest taking 1: Might come down to who can more successfully work in a few aerials into their run-first game-plan. Cavs were Vindy’s pick to win the ACC and need a victory to stay one-up on the Hokies in the Coastal Division...Cavaliers 24 Deacons 20

ARKANSAS over #23 South Carolina giving 3 ½: Wear-and -tear of failed late comeback at Tennessee might be the back-breaker for South Carolina. Hogs have dug in, allowing more than 10 points to only one of last five foes (oddly, that exception was I-AA UT-Chattanooga!)... Sooeeeeeeeey Pigs 17 Poultry 12

#24 TENNESSEE over UL-Lafayette giving 30: Cajuns have a single win on the year and have nothing to lose. Vols need this one to lock in bowl-eligibility ‘cause there’s no guarantees among the next three games to finish out the regular season...Rocky Top 41 UL-Laugh-at-us 6

#25 Clemson over DUKE giving 16: Dukies are 4-1 ATS on the road this year, but only 1-2 thus far in Durham and a paltry 3-10 as home dogs. Website about Duke’s coach sponsored by Vegas bookies this season: RaisetheRoof.Com; sponsored by Duke alumni: RazetheRoof.Com and sponsored by Californians who know nothing about the Blue Devils: RaisintheRoof.Com. ...Tigers 35 Duke 10

BETWEEN THE HASHMARKS
A bunch of NBA refs were caught gambling. Hey...even professional hoops officials like Vindy’s Picks!

A Baylor assistant resigned recently after citation for urinating on the bar in Waco. So much for the joke about a Bear doing you-know-what in the woods!

Division III Trinity University pulled off 15 (count ‘em, 15!) laterals on the game’s last play to beat Millsaps last week. Hmmmm...eleven players, fifteen laterals. Did they shovel the ball to coaches, cheerleaders,...fans from the stands????

NFL commish Roger Goodell wants to expand the NFL to, among other cities, Beijing. First 5000 to the stadium get lead paint decorated bobble-head dolls!(And don’t forget to try the shellfish nachos, guys!).

Among other pay-the-celeb-to-attend-games mishaps for the Miami Dolphins this year was P. Diddy’s cancellation because he wanted (and didn’t get) a private jet. Note to the ‘Fins PR folks....our humble forecaster would gladly accept a ticket for Greyhound or Amtrak for an all-expenses-paid trip to Dolphin Stadium! Call me!!!! (Whaddaya mean Vindy’s not a celebrity???!!!)

The Minnesota Vikings defensive ends are calling themselves "Salt and Pepper". Meanwhile, the Golden Gophers defensive ends are being referred to as "Saffron and Coriander"!

Indy Racer Danica Patrick wants more women’s items endorsements, including fragrances. We’re thinkin’ Midnight on Pit Row, Skoal #5 and Burning Rubber aren’t gonna’ be big marketing winners!

"Wish I Had That One Back": Yep...we called the "wish" pick on the Kentucky-MSU game!

"Locked in a Box?": Vin took it in the "lock" shorts again as Virginia lost SU to NC State (6-3, .667).

Shoppe Talk: Gators now 1-6 after having their cocktail glasses shattered by Georgia.

Vindy’s Week 10 Best Bets: Last Week: 2-2 Season: 12-25-1 (.324)
BOWLING GREEN -7 over Akron, Ball State +6 ½ over INDIANA, East Carolina -5 over MEMPHIS, Texas El-Paso -7 over RICE, Weeziana Tech -4 over IDAHO

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