| Team | Projected Wins |
|---|---|
| Ohio State | 10 |
| Penn State | 8.5 |
| Wisconsin | 8.5 |
| Michigan | 8 |
| Illinois | 8 |
| Iowa | 7.5 |
| Michigan State | 7 |
| Purdue | 6.5 |
| Northwestern | 6.5 |
| Indiana | 5 |
| Minnesota | 4.5 |
... but for a true read on how the upcoming season will play out, it's usually a good idea to go to the guys in Vegas*. Not satisfied with the thousands of ways to bet on college football, they've introduced over/unders on win totals. The chart to the right represents the forecast for Big Ten teams.
The 10 wins predicted for Ohio State seems about right. The only team that's picked to win more games is USC at 10.5. Keep in mind that this figure should represent what the public will bet equally against and outside of Ohio, there are plenty of folks that are thinking under for OSU right about now.
Eight seems kind of high for Michigan and kind of low for the Illini, but when you start looking at the schedule, you start comparing Mizzou on a neutral field vs. Utah at home and other factors (like the Illini's brutal conference road slate) and it doesn't seem so strange anymore.
With Northwestern's OOC schedule of Syracuse (lowest predicted win total at 2.5), Duke, Southern Illinois and Ohio U., there's a good case to take the over on them. Keep in mind that their conference road schedule consists of Iowa, Indiana, Minnesota and Michigan.
What say you, grizzled prognosticators? Any easy money in that lineup?
(The inspiration for this post brought to you by Get the Picture and Sin City -- which for the first time in decades, really needs your business.)
*Don't worry, Phil Steele is still the HAL 9000 of CFB. His cult hast truly bubbled over in 2008.
Comments
You have to get out of Illinois, it is blinding you. Take the under on them.
The m*ch*g*n fan here in the office - the guy who gets manicures and wishes he could have a period - bet me a pizza on m*ch*g*n's record this year. Unfortunately, he took 8-4, and I had to go under. I think that was likely a mistake on my part. A record of 8-4 seems about right.
I'm on record here saying that OSU will be 9-3, so it'll be interesting to see if I get screwed by going under the line on both my bets.
Joe, please put down the crack pipe and get help.
Oh man. That 1/2 point on PSU is begging you to take the under. Looking at their schedule, I just don't see them winning 9 games. A new QB and a young defense should provide for some growing pains. Damn you Jason! I have to go call my sponsor.
TLB, you're repeating yourself. I seem to recall being one of the few pegging the Illini with finishing high in '07:
http://www.elevenwarriors.com/...
Guess I should follow form in this season of flip-flopping..........take the over for the Fighting Illini.
Joe, while I still think you are completely crazy for thinking the Bucks lose 3 this year, I think your scUM coworker might be losing some of his manicure money with that bet. The blue do not win 8 this year, and let me the first to go on the record saying they lose their first game to Utah in the big house. Kinda bitter sweet, because it will make the conference look even worse, but a great way to start the Dickrod era!
That article quoting Vegas' woes is from 2 years ago. I saw gas at $3 a gallon and checked the date. Vegas is probably hurting worse now...
Haha! Did you see that ULCA is off the board? I guess Vegas was worried about Neuheisel betting on his own team.
Good catch, FLBuckeye -- it had been a couple of days since we'd made an error in a post and we were starting to grow concerned. Here's a more current look:
http://www.usatoday.com/printe...
Classic....you know how we do it.
I have a feeling Illinois is kinda like the housing boom. It was fun while it lasted, but now things are looking a little grim. No huge downturn, in my mind, but they won't be good until Juice Williams gets his head right in big games on a consistent basis.
Now, if Juice Williams plays every game like he did (or perhpas, like we let him play) against us last year, they'll be unstoppable.
please don't ever use Juice Williams and unstoppable in the same sentence.
"...let me the first to go on the record saying they lose their first game to Utah in the big house. Kinda bitter sweet, because it will make the conference look even worse, but a great way to start the Dickrod era!"
I agree that Utah might well be a loss, but I can't imagine m*ch*g*n blowing another home opener. Utah's tough, though. What about the Domers? Can Notre Dame pull it off? I do think m*ch*g*n struggles with p*nn st*t* for once, and may drop games to Wisconsin and Sparty. I hope they end up 7-5, though; I'd love to clean $500 off m*ch*g*n Boy.
This OSU team just feels too similar to the '05 squad for my tastes. I'm not sold on their defensive line, and safety play is a huge issue. They look good on offense, though, so long as Boeckman isn't laying tosses up for grabs. It's too bad you can't play a 3-6-2 defense; they're just dripping with linebacker talent - three and four deep. The 'backers are amazing to watch in workouts and practice.
I suspect they drop the USC game pretty decisively (34-21 or so), then drop another to Wisconsin. 10-2 is likely more reasonable, but I just keep looking at the p*nn st*te and Sparty games, and wondering, that's all.
I hope they run the table, though. If they do, they might end up playing a Big 12 school, and I'd like to see that - a LOT.
The scUM - Notre Dame game this year is going to be kinda like the feeling you get when flipping through the channels and stopping on Maury just to hear him say "You ARE NOT the father." Sure, you feel a little sleazy for watching such a train wreck unfold in front of your eyes (especially since you know there's something better on). You know that someone will be jumping up and down as the other cries, and you probably should be concerned about the kids. But ultimately, even though you know that you have wasted some precious time in your life due to the fact that no one (including the viewers) really wins, you can't keep that guilty smirk from crossing your face.
I cry a little inside while watching Maury. I cry for all of civilization.
Great post.
Tyler is relaying a personal experience he had when Maury told him he wasn't the father. He then proceded to do the "Not yo baby daddy dance."
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