Vindy's Picks Week 3-2010

NFL TO PILOT BLIND SERVICES

HOUSTON, Texas (UPI)....At the behest of the owners, players and fans, a local charitable organization known as Taping for the Blind will conduct a one-season experiment, with volunteers working literally side-by-side with visually-challenged officiating crews to verbally paint the picture on the football field for them. Currently, members of the company read various types of written materials including magazines, such as Playboy, providing thorough descriptions of pictures as well as text on tape then transmit those recordings over the radio to listeners who could not otherwise see the words and images themselves. Service providers would remain within arm’s length of officials on the field, rattling off pre- and post-snap descriptions of plays as they unfolded, even counting off seconds on the waning play-clock, allowing optically-impotent referees to make correct calls, especially on plays that are not reviewable. Success on the pro gridiron could lead to expansion of the program to the basketball court, hockey rink and the soccer pitch. Said one anonymous international player, “If we’d had this during the World Cup, we would’ve beaten England!”

After tallying Week Two’s 5-13 (14-18-1, .437 season), our own not-so-omniscient oracle stole a page outta’ JetBlue flight attendant Steve Slater’s book and cussed out a bookie then snared a couple of cocktail waitresses before escaping down the emergency chute into the poker room, taking out a row of slot machines along the way!

Vindy ain’t blind, but would be willing to don the dark glasses and fake it if it meant some winsome reader would come to Vegas, cozy-up to the pretentious prognosticator and softly whisper the words to...

THE WEBER KID’S 2010 WEEK 3 FORECAST
(At least as pretty as Jonah Hex)

#1 Alabama over DUKE giving 24: Blue Devils’ shift from running game to air game under Coach Cutliffe (up 100 passing ypg last year) could help them vs. young ‘Bama secondary. Rush defense has also improved 30 ypg, but those who watched Trent Richardson last week saw him carry 3 to 4 Nitwit Lions as he reeled off yardage on every tote of the rock. Tide also gets last year’s Heisman candidate Mark Ingram back. Ouch. Duke has gone 4-1 ATS in its last 5 vs. teams outside the Already Comatose Conference but just 2-4 ATS the last 2 years as a home dog...Tide 38 Duke 9

Ohio over #2 OHIO STATE taking 30: Doesn’t really matter who we pick here, does it?! It’s gonna’ be wrong. Buckeyes have covered just 2 of last 7 facing intra-state clubs. Ex-Buckeye running back Maurice Clarett has returned to his former school to take classes. He’s also just landed a one-year contract with the UFL’s Omaha Nighthawks. We’re just wondering if the former jailbird of three-and-a-half years was marketing himself as a “lockdown corner”! OU has experience on defense. They’ll need it...OSU 35 Bobblecats 7

#3 Boise State over WYOMING giving 23 1/2: Having spent themselves emotionally last week in Austin, Cowpokes will provide little resistance for the rested Potato-Heads, who need to devastate the remaining teams on their schedule after Virginia Tech lost outright to FCS squad James Madison. Boise on 7-3-1 ATS run as road chalk. No question, Wyoming will be battle-hardened by the time MWC play starts...Boise 45 Wyoming 17

Baylor over #4 TCU taking 22: The return of QB Robert Griffin, who threw for two scores and ran for two others vs. Buffalo, from injuries that wiped out most of last season for him gives the Bears a shot to make this respectable. Baylor is 7-3 ATS as a road dog over last two years. Froggies are just 6-8 vs. non-conference teams after leeting Oregon State hang around...Toads 24 Baylor 10

Portland State @ #5 OREGON: No line.

TEXAS TECH over #6 Texas taking 3: This clash has been pretty entertaining in three of the four seasons, with the Steers winning by 10 last year and 4 in 2006, while losing by 6 in 2008. ‘Horns offense has been crawling early and UT is on 2-6 ATS skid going back to 2009. The fave in this series has not fared well and an outright win by Tech isn’t outta’ the question. Raiders allowed New Mexico to put its first 17points on the board, but beat them by 35...Steers 27 Tech 25

Air Force over #7 OKLAHOMA taking 17 1/2: DeMarco Murray could bust the century mark in any given game for Oklahoma, but despite allowing a 100-yard rusher and almost allowing a second, Pilots kept BYU off the scoreboard for the final three quarters in romp vs. BYU. USAF is a crapshoot getting points away from the Academy and 3-3 ATS facing ranked teams. Air Force has finished each of last three years plus-double-digits in sacks. OK threw for almost 400 yards while blowing out the ‘Noles...Sooners 31 Flight Platoon 20

#8 Nebraska over WASHINGTON giving 3 1/2: Sled Dogs duped Vindy into thinkin’ he had made some cash takin’ Syracuse with 13 points by spotting the Orange an early 10-point lead before Jake Locker threw for 289 yards and four touchdowns (three to Jevan Kearse. Huskers failed to cover after posting a 31-3 halftime edge on Idaho. Gotta’ wonder if Nebraska’s looking ahead this week to next Saturday’s game vs. South Dakota State!...Huskers 27 UDUB 20

#9 Iowa over #24 ARIZONA giving 2: During all games played in Arizona this year, coaches can challenge an opposing player’s citizenship once each half. If the call on the field is reversed, the player-in-question is immediately deported and the opposing team is not charged with a time-out. Any reviews during the last two minutes of each half can only be initiated by Border Patrol officials up in the booth. We prefer the “under” here, but will take...Iowa 17 AZ 13

#10 Florida over TENNESSEE giving 14 1/2: A promising start for Tennessee vs. Oregon quickly became Rocky Toppled in the second half. Deja vu here. UF commissioned a Tallahassee-based sculptor. They better be keeping an eye on said-artist’s progress or there’ll be three statues of ex-Gators sporting the bronze version of Seminole war paint on their faces!...Gators 29 Tennessee 12

#11 WISCONSIN over Arizona State giving 14: Badgers turned in the kinda’ molasses-fast effort vs. San Jose State that we were expecting in opener against UNLV. Devils have been lousy 2-7-1 ATS as road dogs, but have lowered opponents’ points and rushing yards under Dennis Erickson. ASU has faced only a pair of double-A teams this season, but won both those games convincingly...Wisky 27 ASU 10

#12 Arkansas over GEORGIA taking 2 1/2: Razorbacks have walked off with a victory in just one of their last nine away games and the offense, like several others, has been fighting inertia until the second half. Joja’ was without star receiver Green in last week’s loss (one of the very few games we called correctly!) And will be again. ‘Dawgs won wild 52-41 shootout in 2009...Hogs 34 Joja’ 31

Furman @ #13 SOUTH CAROLINA: No line.

#14 Utah over NEW MEXICO giving 22 1/2: Utah’s special teams were definitely special in last week’s 28-point win (and ATS win) vs. the Rebels, who had two shots to bring home the backdoor cover from inside Utes’ 5-yard line very late in the game. Lobos, who lost 35-14 last year and are being led by a freshman QB this season, don’t seem to have the wherewithal to do likewise (and drew 16 flags in blowout by Texas Tech). Utes are now 25-8 against the line in the MWC over the past four-plus seasons... Utah 41 Lostos 13

Mississippi State over #15 LSU taking 7 1/2: Another game we’d simply prefer to play “under” the total. First trip of a horrible road schedule for the Bulldogs, who also visit Houston, Florida, ‘Bama and Ole Missed. MSU would like to avenge 2009's 30-26 loss. We think not, but we’ll take ‘em with the points in what we expect to be low-scoring chess match...LSU 19 MSU 13

Clemson over #16 AUBURN taking 7: Clemson has won 15 of 23 games under Coach Swinney, but lose CJ Spiller to the NFL CU hasn’t been impressive against the Top 25, going just 2-5 SU and ATS in last 2 years. There’s experience on the offensive line, but youth around it. The best team in the ACC right now might just be...Maryland???!!...Auburn 17 Clemson 14

#17 Miami: IDLE (next @ Pitt 9/23)

#18 Southern Cal over MINNESOTA giving 12 1/2: In May, we caught an Internet headline reading, “Weber Named Minnesota Starting QB”...didn’t know whether we’re suiting up for the Golden Gophers or supplanting Brett Favre! (And with Brett pulling his usual preseason flip-flop, Vin decided to bounce back-and-forth between Mankato and Minneapolis to get in a few extra reps with the respective first-stringers just in case!)...USC 27 O-fers 10

Wake Forest over #19 STANFORD taking 16 1/2: Trees come off 35-0 whitewash of UCLA, a game in which they got the benefit of four miscues by the Bruins. Wake won this 24-17 last year and they’ll need to pressure QB Andrew Luck to have a shot to make two in a row. That won’t be easy. Stanford registered 21 sacks last season while yielding just 7. Deacons seem to bring their best efforts for ranked squads, covering 10 of last 14 in those opportunities. More often not, Deacons keep it close, with 15 of last 25 regular season tilts being decided by 7 or less and 18 of those 25 ending with a final margin of 10 or fewer...Stanford 31 Wake 21

Massachusetts @ #20 MICHIGAN: No line.

Maryland over #21 WEST VIRGINIA taking 10: UPSET PICK OF DA’ WEEK. Box Turtles started 1-3 SU last year, with only victory coming over (GASP!) James Madison, but we watched the Terps stuff Navy’s ground game on 4th-and-goal at the one two weeks ago for the upset. Mounties had to score a TD and 2-point conversion with 12 seconds left to send match at Marshall to overtime. Noel Devine’s Heisman campaign takes another hit... Terps 24 ‘Eers 20

Kent State over #22 PENN STATE taking 21: We ain’t backin’ the alma mater until the true freshman and his offensive supporting cast prove they can bring a couple of first-half drives to fruition. Lions on 1-4 ATS slide vs. non-conference and just 1-6 skid laying points at Beaver Stadium. PSU opened with 4 straight spread losses in 2009 and has been a bet-against-in-September club for several (other than ‘08). Golden Flashes should be worthy play vs. the MAC later and we’ll take ‘em here too following cover at Boston College last week...PSU 26 Kent 7

#23 Houston over UCLA giving 3: LOCK OF DA’ WEEK. Bruins crumbled late to lose at Kansas State and stumbled their way to the wrong end of aforementioned shutout by Stanford, who actually scored through the air but did much of the work by land. Cougars have been horrible road chalk...failing to cover in 9 of last 10 in that role, but we don’t see UCLA trading enough sixes with Case Keenum and his bevy of X-Box receivers. Houston has its own potent rushing game as well if needed...Houston 38 UCLA 27

#25 OREGON STATE over Louisville giving 19: We looked at this for lock until spread shot up this high, but despite Cards’ senior-heavy offense, very few starting defenders return and Louisville beat I-AA Eastern Kentucky last by 10. Beavers are rested after hanging tough with TCU. The Birds will need turnovers to make a game of this. OSU had only 11 turnovers all of last year and have none so far this season. Rodgers brothers should both have good days...Beavers 48 Louisville 20

BETWEEN THE HASHMARKS

BTW, Vindicator spent part of the off-season designing a Braille coaches’ challenge flag!

Break up the Dakotas!! Hats off to the University of South Dakota Coyotes for toppling the Gilded Gerbils of Minnesota just one week after one of those FCS teams up north took out Kansas!

Elsewhere in the Land of “Huh???!!”: James Madison (#11 in Week Two’s FCS poll) 21-16over Virginia Tech, Liberty (#18) 27-23 over Ball State, unranked Gardner-Webb (who got three votes) 38-37 in OT over Akron and #23 Montana State losing late 23-22 to Washington State after holding a 22-7 edge after three quarters. (BTW, USD was not even on the poll radar!). Hold yer breath, Ann Arbor! The Wolverines host #20 UMass this Saturday!!!!!

The Who played halftime of last year’s Super Bowl. Songs that coulda’ been part of the set: “We’re Not Gonna’ Take It...to the House”, “Mama’s Gotta’ Squeeze Eight in the Box”, “Won’t Get Fooled Again” (a duet with George W. Bush), “Behind the Line of Scrimmage Blue Eyes”, “I Can See for Les Miles”, “Eminence Front Four” (Seven), “I’m Free...Safety”, “Love Ain’t for Quarterback Keepin’”, “The Song is Overtime”

Super Bowl XLIVwas brought to you by Hyundai. The original sponsor was actually Toyota, but officials feared the coin toss would get stuck and just keep on flippin’!!!!

Earlier in the MLB season, Ken Griffey, Jr. was found asleep in the Seattle clubhouse while being sought as a pinch-hitter late in the game. Final box score for Junior...no runs, no hits, No-Doze????!!!!!

World (hic)Cup Part III- Lingerie model Larissa Riquelme promised to wear nothing but body paint and run thru the streets if Paraguay won the tournament. Argentina coach Diego Maradona vowed to do likewise. Neither brought home da’ hardware, but Riquelme is still welcome to run au natural around Vindy’s house. Argentina was beaten by Germany, but in a show of global sportsmanship, Vindy offered Coach the opportunity to streak his neighbor’s home instead!.

Black Shirt: Goes to Gamecocks RB Marcus Lattimore for the 182 rushing yards and two scores vs. Georgia that got Vindy one of his five correct picks of Week Two.

“Wish I Had That One Back”: Weber would like to reconsider his WVU over Marshall pick, wishing he’d stuck with his initial Herd assessment of Week One!

“Locked in a Box?”: As noted earlier, the Rebels fell short at Utah, dropping the lock tally to 1-1 (.500).

Shoppe Talk: Buckeyes hang around and get joined by the Utes and the Longhorns, all at 0-2 for the forecast.

Vindy’s Week 3 Best Bets: Last Week: 1-3 Season: 3-6 (.333)
MIAMI-OHIO -7 ½ over Colorado State, North Texas +5 1/2 over ARMY, Troy -3 1/2 over ALABAMA-BIRMINGHAM, LOUISIANA TECH +4 over Navy