MistaFlava's 2008 CFB Record: 0-0 ATS (+0.00 Units)
Welcome to my 2008 College Football Season. I have fans and I have haters but all I can keep doing is capping games and letting things take me where they take me. I enjoy capping sports and I enjoy making money. I also enjoy posting on forums like this one which is why I'm back for another season of posting. College Football is a complex sport to cap an things can chang from one week to another. The general idea here is that 1 unit = $100 and the goal for the season is $10 000. I wish you all luck in your tailing, capping and juss bomb dropping.
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Thursday, August 28
Baylor Bears +11 (5 Units)
The Wake Forest Demon Deacons have quite the task on their hands right now because as much as this looks like an easy win for this program and as much as it looks like this team can just walk right in here and play some okay football to win, that's just not the case. The Deacons are coming off a 9-4 season that saw them make it to the Meineke Car Care Bowl where they took care of business and beat Connecticut 24-10. This is one of the most balanced teams in the ACC because they are not an offensive powerhouse nor are they a defensive juggernaut. So the bottom line is that players on both sides of the ball feed off each other to succeed and that has all the makings of a very good team. However, I have quite a few concerns about this Wake Forest team in this game because not only do they have to start the season on the road but they are favored in this game which can't be good for a team that is 4-7 ATS in the last seven season as a road favorite. I know these two teams have not faced each other in quite some time but Wake Forest is 0-4 SU lifetime against the Baylor Bears and they are actually 1-12 SU lifetime versus teams from the BIG 12. For whatever reason the matchup is just not good for the Deacons when it comes to taking on the bigger boys from the BIG 12 and tonight should be no different. Baylor's defense allowed 37.0 points per game last season and they return only six starters on defense but I think they unit as a whole is going to improve because their offense is going to be much better as well. Apart from QB Riley Skinner and RB Josh Adams returning for Wake Forest, a total of only 5 starters on offense are back and it could take some time for the new personel to make the needed adjustments in this case. Three of the teams top wide receivers from 2007 are gone and that means Wake is going to rely mostly on the rushing attack to carry this team to victory. The Deacons have been a very good team to bet on when it comes to non-conference action but for those of you who already forgot they beat Duke by only 5 points on the road last season as a favorite and somehow lost to Virginia on the road once again as a favorite. I just don't trust that this team can come out of the gates and make an impact right away. Jim Grobe has a good squad in front of him but it will take a bit of time to gel this new offense which is why it's good that they do not have an ACC Conference game until Sept. 20 against Florida State. Until then we are not going to see the true Wake Forest team.
I don't know how many of you have noticed this apart from me but Baylor's basketball team flashed quite the different kind of athlete this season which is a sure shot sign that better athletes are starting to make their way to this school. Baylor is coming off a 3-9 season in 2007 which was not only expected but also a bit obvious seeing how the program has been in a state of freeze for quite sometime now and they have not won more than 5 games in one season since God knows when. Well things could be about to change this time around as the team that managed to score only 18.2 points per game last season are bringing back 9 starters on offense and Art Briles is going to let some of these guys loose. Breaking in a new coach is never easy but change can work wonders sometimes and Briles, who had 4 Bowl game appearances in his five seasons with Houston, is definitely a guy who knows how to win football games. Season opening games have not been kind to Baylor over the last six seasons as they have gone 1-5 SU in those games but if you look back at their schedules you will notice that Baylor is 5-2 SU in their last seven home openers which somehow coincides with their season opener this time around. Baylor beat Rice 42-17 in their home opener last season, they beat three I-AA teams the three seasons before that in their home openers and they kept things close with UAB in 2003 as a +9 in their home opener losing 24-19 but covering the spread. So I think it's safe enough to say that this team is going to show up ready to play some football tonight. With only 4 starters back on offense last season the offensive was horrendous but Briles is here to turn things around and even though it may mean making mistakes, I have no doubts he is going to unleash this offense to do whatever they can in this game. Briles knows how to run an effective run-pass offense so expect some immediate results as guys like QB Blake Szymanski (22 TD passes last season) is back and so are his three superstar WR's who have potential NFL talent. Wake Forest returns a whopping 9 starters on the defensive side of things in this game but all that means is that they are going to play just as a well as last season which was allowing 22.2 points per game (6.8 points per game more than they did in 2006 which was surprising). I think they key to this game for the Bears is to avoid the turnover bug because the Deacons have some real pests on the defensive side of things and it won't be easy recovering from too many turnovers. I really like Baylor in this spot and think they match up quite well against ACC opponents like Wake Forest. I expect some big plays on offensive as Briles has never been one to hold back in any kind of game. If you don't believe me check his numbers at Houston and then come talk to me. Szymanski had some huge games last season so Briles has something to work with and if he can get his QB connected with WR Thomas White, the Bears are going to win this game.
What a game this is going to be. Floyd Casey Stadium should be packed and absolutely rocking in this game because the expectations for this Baylor team have been raised and the beginning of the Art Briles era is going to make a difference. The line for this game has trap written all over it because the experts have picked Wake Forest as a very likely contender to win the ACC Atlantic Division this season while Baylor has been pegged as a bottom feeder in the BIG 12 so why in the world would the line be so low for this game? That's because much like their basketball program this past season, Baylor is on the comeback trail and they are going to open some eyes to the public. The line is sitting at something below the two touchdown mark which is very intriguing to the public eye but I just don't see how Wake Forest could just walk in here and run the show. Yes they are a good team but they are not ready to win huge as of right now and getting out of here alive is probably going to be their goal. The Baylor Bears on the other hand have been on fire when it comes to home openers the last 7-8 seasons and this should be no different. When full, this stadium can really make some noise and full it should be tonight with the new interest in the Baylor sports team because of their basketball program. Wagerline currently has 10 of their experts on Wake Forest for this game and only one expert is on Baylor. I know I've made some crazy predictions over the years so why not make another one. I am calling for the Baylor QB situation to really develop with a few guys probably getting some playing time under Briles and I think the risk taking tactics of Briles are really going to payoff in this game and we are going to see some really big plays. BOOK THE BEARS FOR A WIN HERE...SHOCKER!
Trend of the Game: Baylor is 5-2 SU in their last seven home openers.
Baylor 24, Wake Forest 23
Oregon State Beavers -3 (10 Units) ***PLAY OF THE NIGHT***
The Oregon State Beavers have done one thing well over the years under Mike Riley if you ask me and that is win on the road when they are expected to. With Riley on the sidelines this team has managed to go 6-2 ATS as a road favorite the last four seasons and that is a great sign for a team that should open their season with a bang tonight. The Beavers are coming off a 9-4 season in 2007 and to top things off they went to the Emerald Bowl and beat the crap out of the Maryland Terrapins as a -5 favorite. So the team comes into 2008 on quite the high. My only concerns about this team would be that they cannot score points which was a problem at times last season but they have 7 starters back on the offensive side of things and I think they are going to be way too much for Stanford to handle. Oregon State is a team that has lost each and every one of their road opening games with Mike Riley on the sidelines so you would think for once this team would be interested in kicking the season off on a positive note and giving the 9 year Beaver coach something to smile about. Replacing RB Yvenson Bernard is going to be tough they have sensation WR James Rodgers available to burn the Cardinal defense on some sweep routes as he rushed for 586 yards last season on only 50 carries for a whopping 11.7 rushing yards per carry. Stanford's defensive line is weak this season and Rodgers is probably going to have a field day against this defense that allowed 28.3 points per game last season but that does return 9 starters. Having said that, QB Sean Canfield now has another season under his belt and his late season performances have me thinking this kid can really turn things around and have a good year. Turnovers were a problem for him last season but Stanford has not been known to force many turnovers so I don't think it will matter much. The team is not all that good this season as they are in a bit of a transition state but Riley is a very good coach and the offense should have no problems scoring points in bunches tonight. There is no doubt Stanford has improved things on the defensive side of things but they are still inept on offense and that is going to hurt them in this game. I am calling for Rodgers to have a huge game here and I think Canfield is going to enjoy the early season a lot more this season than he did the last time around. RB Ryan McCants also makes his debut tonight and that is probably as exciting as it gets for this program because this kid can be just as good as Bernard was the last few season. I am calling for an Oregon State huge win to start the season and give coach Riley his first road opening win since his return to the program in 2003.
The Stanford Cardinals are supposed to have a great season and that is saying a lot for a team that has managed to win only 34 games the last eight seasons for an average of 4.2 wins per season. The Cardinal are coming off a 4-8 season in 2007 which was better than expected for many and which saw them get wins over San Jose State, USC (probably the biggest upset of 2007), Arizona and California. So yeah you would think this program is on the rise big time with wins like that because if you can beat teams like the Golden Bears and the Trojans, you should be able to beat just about any of these teams in the PAC 10. Having said that, the momentum from last season is gone, this team did not benefit from having extra Bowl Game practices and there are still way too many question marks on both sides of the ball to back them with our money here. The Cardinal return an impressive 16 starters this season which means they have experience and they should be ready to put up a fight but I dont like their overall chances in this game. Oregon State's defense could struggle in this game because although they allowed only 22.6 points per game last season, they are now returning only 3 starters on defense and have to break in quite a few new youngsters. Having said that, it's not like Stanford can do much better than the 19.6 points per game they scored last season or the haha 10.6 points per game they scored per game the season before that. QB TC Ostrander is gone and I don't know if that is a good thing or a bad thing for this program but I do know that his backup QB Tavita Pritchard completed only 50.0% of his passes in 2007 for only 5 touchdowns and 9 interceptions. CB's Tim Clark and Brandon Hughes both combined for 3 interceptions and 20 pass breakups last season and they are going to be the defensive captains that lead this team on that side of the ball. Stanford is only 2-8 ATS the last two seasons as a home underdog and although they have played well in some games, it won't be easy to match what they did last year. They have the most returning starters in the PAC-10 this season but that doesn't mean they are going to win. The Cardinal don't have a running game to speak of so the fact that they have to pass the ball all night is not good news against this very good Beavers secondary that will be hungry to make plays early. I think Stanford is going to be a decent team to bet on later this season but for now they are not about to win this game. No Chance.
The PAC 10 opens its doors tonight with quite the in-conference matchup as two teams who should be much improved this season collide. But before I even get into anything, anyone who thinks Stanford is actually going to be that much better this season has be smoking some of that good stuff and if you have some, pass some. Nevermind that, I don't want my money on Stanford, no way. The PUBLIC is leaning to Oregon State and I think this is a freebie. As much as I want to back Stanford at times this season because of their upset wins over USC, Arizona and Cal last season, that was then and this is now. Times have changed and time has elapsed since those wins. I think it's going to take Stanford half the season to get things going again. If you are looking for an interesting side story please keep in mind that Stanford head coach Jim Harbaugh was Mike Riley's QB in the NFL back in 1999 so you know this is personal and you know Riley is not about to lose to a guy he used to coach. Harbaugh is nowhere near a proven football coach at this level and I don't think I would ever trust him with my money. Stanford has lost three straight home openers going down to UC Davis, Navy and UCLA the last three seasons. Even if Oregon State comes out of the blocks with absolutely nothing going in this game, Standord just doesn't have enough fire power on either side of the ball to make things happen and make Oregon State pay for their state of uselesness. I think the Beavers are going to pound away on Stanford in the second half. Should be fun.
Trend of the Game: Oregon State is 6-1 ATS in their last seven PAC 10 Conference games.
Oregon State 28, Stanford 13
***The remaining Week 1 selections for the weeend will be posted later on tonight after the completion of these two games.
GOOD LUCK TO ALL!
:toast:
Welcome to my 2008 College Football Season. I have fans and I have haters but all I can keep doing is capping games and letting things take me where they take me. I enjoy capping sports and I enjoy making money. I also enjoy posting on forums like this one which is why I'm back for another season of posting. College Football is a complex sport to cap an things can chang from one week to another. The general idea here is that 1 unit = $100 and the goal for the season is $10 000. I wish you all luck in your tailing, capping and juss bomb dropping.
-----------------------------------------------------
Thursday, August 28
Baylor Bears +11 (5 Units)
The Wake Forest Demon Deacons have quite the task on their hands right now because as much as this looks like an easy win for this program and as much as it looks like this team can just walk right in here and play some okay football to win, that's just not the case. The Deacons are coming off a 9-4 season that saw them make it to the Meineke Car Care Bowl where they took care of business and beat Connecticut 24-10. This is one of the most balanced teams in the ACC because they are not an offensive powerhouse nor are they a defensive juggernaut. So the bottom line is that players on both sides of the ball feed off each other to succeed and that has all the makings of a very good team. However, I have quite a few concerns about this Wake Forest team in this game because not only do they have to start the season on the road but they are favored in this game which can't be good for a team that is 4-7 ATS in the last seven season as a road favorite. I know these two teams have not faced each other in quite some time but Wake Forest is 0-4 SU lifetime against the Baylor Bears and they are actually 1-12 SU lifetime versus teams from the BIG 12. For whatever reason the matchup is just not good for the Deacons when it comes to taking on the bigger boys from the BIG 12 and tonight should be no different. Baylor's defense allowed 37.0 points per game last season and they return only six starters on defense but I think they unit as a whole is going to improve because their offense is going to be much better as well. Apart from QB Riley Skinner and RB Josh Adams returning for Wake Forest, a total of only 5 starters on offense are back and it could take some time for the new personel to make the needed adjustments in this case. Three of the teams top wide receivers from 2007 are gone and that means Wake is going to rely mostly on the rushing attack to carry this team to victory. The Deacons have been a very good team to bet on when it comes to non-conference action but for those of you who already forgot they beat Duke by only 5 points on the road last season as a favorite and somehow lost to Virginia on the road once again as a favorite. I just don't trust that this team can come out of the gates and make an impact right away. Jim Grobe has a good squad in front of him but it will take a bit of time to gel this new offense which is why it's good that they do not have an ACC Conference game until Sept. 20 against Florida State. Until then we are not going to see the true Wake Forest team.
I don't know how many of you have noticed this apart from me but Baylor's basketball team flashed quite the different kind of athlete this season which is a sure shot sign that better athletes are starting to make their way to this school. Baylor is coming off a 3-9 season in 2007 which was not only expected but also a bit obvious seeing how the program has been in a state of freeze for quite sometime now and they have not won more than 5 games in one season since God knows when. Well things could be about to change this time around as the team that managed to score only 18.2 points per game last season are bringing back 9 starters on offense and Art Briles is going to let some of these guys loose. Breaking in a new coach is never easy but change can work wonders sometimes and Briles, who had 4 Bowl game appearances in his five seasons with Houston, is definitely a guy who knows how to win football games. Season opening games have not been kind to Baylor over the last six seasons as they have gone 1-5 SU in those games but if you look back at their schedules you will notice that Baylor is 5-2 SU in their last seven home openers which somehow coincides with their season opener this time around. Baylor beat Rice 42-17 in their home opener last season, they beat three I-AA teams the three seasons before that in their home openers and they kept things close with UAB in 2003 as a +9 in their home opener losing 24-19 but covering the spread. So I think it's safe enough to say that this team is going to show up ready to play some football tonight. With only 4 starters back on offense last season the offensive was horrendous but Briles is here to turn things around and even though it may mean making mistakes, I have no doubts he is going to unleash this offense to do whatever they can in this game. Briles knows how to run an effective run-pass offense so expect some immediate results as guys like QB Blake Szymanski (22 TD passes last season) is back and so are his three superstar WR's who have potential NFL talent. Wake Forest returns a whopping 9 starters on the defensive side of things in this game but all that means is that they are going to play just as a well as last season which was allowing 22.2 points per game (6.8 points per game more than they did in 2006 which was surprising). I think they key to this game for the Bears is to avoid the turnover bug because the Deacons have some real pests on the defensive side of things and it won't be easy recovering from too many turnovers. I really like Baylor in this spot and think they match up quite well against ACC opponents like Wake Forest. I expect some big plays on offensive as Briles has never been one to hold back in any kind of game. If you don't believe me check his numbers at Houston and then come talk to me. Szymanski had some huge games last season so Briles has something to work with and if he can get his QB connected with WR Thomas White, the Bears are going to win this game.
What a game this is going to be. Floyd Casey Stadium should be packed and absolutely rocking in this game because the expectations for this Baylor team have been raised and the beginning of the Art Briles era is going to make a difference. The line for this game has trap written all over it because the experts have picked Wake Forest as a very likely contender to win the ACC Atlantic Division this season while Baylor has been pegged as a bottom feeder in the BIG 12 so why in the world would the line be so low for this game? That's because much like their basketball program this past season, Baylor is on the comeback trail and they are going to open some eyes to the public. The line is sitting at something below the two touchdown mark which is very intriguing to the public eye but I just don't see how Wake Forest could just walk in here and run the show. Yes they are a good team but they are not ready to win huge as of right now and getting out of here alive is probably going to be their goal. The Baylor Bears on the other hand have been on fire when it comes to home openers the last 7-8 seasons and this should be no different. When full, this stadium can really make some noise and full it should be tonight with the new interest in the Baylor sports team because of their basketball program. Wagerline currently has 10 of their experts on Wake Forest for this game and only one expert is on Baylor. I know I've made some crazy predictions over the years so why not make another one. I am calling for the Baylor QB situation to really develop with a few guys probably getting some playing time under Briles and I think the risk taking tactics of Briles are really going to payoff in this game and we are going to see some really big plays. BOOK THE BEARS FOR A WIN HERE...SHOCKER!
Trend of the Game: Baylor is 5-2 SU in their last seven home openers.
Baylor 24, Wake Forest 23
Oregon State Beavers -3 (10 Units) ***PLAY OF THE NIGHT***
The Oregon State Beavers have done one thing well over the years under Mike Riley if you ask me and that is win on the road when they are expected to. With Riley on the sidelines this team has managed to go 6-2 ATS as a road favorite the last four seasons and that is a great sign for a team that should open their season with a bang tonight. The Beavers are coming off a 9-4 season in 2007 and to top things off they went to the Emerald Bowl and beat the crap out of the Maryland Terrapins as a -5 favorite. So the team comes into 2008 on quite the high. My only concerns about this team would be that they cannot score points which was a problem at times last season but they have 7 starters back on the offensive side of things and I think they are going to be way too much for Stanford to handle. Oregon State is a team that has lost each and every one of their road opening games with Mike Riley on the sidelines so you would think for once this team would be interested in kicking the season off on a positive note and giving the 9 year Beaver coach something to smile about. Replacing RB Yvenson Bernard is going to be tough they have sensation WR James Rodgers available to burn the Cardinal defense on some sweep routes as he rushed for 586 yards last season on only 50 carries for a whopping 11.7 rushing yards per carry. Stanford's defensive line is weak this season and Rodgers is probably going to have a field day against this defense that allowed 28.3 points per game last season but that does return 9 starters. Having said that, QB Sean Canfield now has another season under his belt and his late season performances have me thinking this kid can really turn things around and have a good year. Turnovers were a problem for him last season but Stanford has not been known to force many turnovers so I don't think it will matter much. The team is not all that good this season as they are in a bit of a transition state but Riley is a very good coach and the offense should have no problems scoring points in bunches tonight. There is no doubt Stanford has improved things on the defensive side of things but they are still inept on offense and that is going to hurt them in this game. I am calling for Rodgers to have a huge game here and I think Canfield is going to enjoy the early season a lot more this season than he did the last time around. RB Ryan McCants also makes his debut tonight and that is probably as exciting as it gets for this program because this kid can be just as good as Bernard was the last few season. I am calling for an Oregon State huge win to start the season and give coach Riley his first road opening win since his return to the program in 2003.
The Stanford Cardinals are supposed to have a great season and that is saying a lot for a team that has managed to win only 34 games the last eight seasons for an average of 4.2 wins per season. The Cardinal are coming off a 4-8 season in 2007 which was better than expected for many and which saw them get wins over San Jose State, USC (probably the biggest upset of 2007), Arizona and California. So yeah you would think this program is on the rise big time with wins like that because if you can beat teams like the Golden Bears and the Trojans, you should be able to beat just about any of these teams in the PAC 10. Having said that, the momentum from last season is gone, this team did not benefit from having extra Bowl Game practices and there are still way too many question marks on both sides of the ball to back them with our money here. The Cardinal return an impressive 16 starters this season which means they have experience and they should be ready to put up a fight but I dont like their overall chances in this game. Oregon State's defense could struggle in this game because although they allowed only 22.6 points per game last season, they are now returning only 3 starters on defense and have to break in quite a few new youngsters. Having said that, it's not like Stanford can do much better than the 19.6 points per game they scored last season or the haha 10.6 points per game they scored per game the season before that. QB TC Ostrander is gone and I don't know if that is a good thing or a bad thing for this program but I do know that his backup QB Tavita Pritchard completed only 50.0% of his passes in 2007 for only 5 touchdowns and 9 interceptions. CB's Tim Clark and Brandon Hughes both combined for 3 interceptions and 20 pass breakups last season and they are going to be the defensive captains that lead this team on that side of the ball. Stanford is only 2-8 ATS the last two seasons as a home underdog and although they have played well in some games, it won't be easy to match what they did last year. They have the most returning starters in the PAC-10 this season but that doesn't mean they are going to win. The Cardinal don't have a running game to speak of so the fact that they have to pass the ball all night is not good news against this very good Beavers secondary that will be hungry to make plays early. I think Stanford is going to be a decent team to bet on later this season but for now they are not about to win this game. No Chance.
The PAC 10 opens its doors tonight with quite the in-conference matchup as two teams who should be much improved this season collide. But before I even get into anything, anyone who thinks Stanford is actually going to be that much better this season has be smoking some of that good stuff and if you have some, pass some. Nevermind that, I don't want my money on Stanford, no way. The PUBLIC is leaning to Oregon State and I think this is a freebie. As much as I want to back Stanford at times this season because of their upset wins over USC, Arizona and Cal last season, that was then and this is now. Times have changed and time has elapsed since those wins. I think it's going to take Stanford half the season to get things going again. If you are looking for an interesting side story please keep in mind that Stanford head coach Jim Harbaugh was Mike Riley's QB in the NFL back in 1999 so you know this is personal and you know Riley is not about to lose to a guy he used to coach. Harbaugh is nowhere near a proven football coach at this level and I don't think I would ever trust him with my money. Stanford has lost three straight home openers going down to UC Davis, Navy and UCLA the last three seasons. Even if Oregon State comes out of the blocks with absolutely nothing going in this game, Standord just doesn't have enough fire power on either side of the ball to make things happen and make Oregon State pay for their state of uselesness. I think the Beavers are going to pound away on Stanford in the second half. Should be fun.
Trend of the Game: Oregon State is 6-1 ATS in their last seven PAC 10 Conference games.
Oregon State 28, Stanford 13
***The remaining Week 1 selections for the weeend will be posted later on tonight after the completion of these two games.
GOOD LUCK TO ALL!
:toast:
ope:
Good to see you are still around! Good luck this season
