It,s great to be a Florida Gator go Gators,

If you can get some solid QB play, Florida will be a team on the rise!

Florida hired an awesome coach. Look out for the Gators especially in 2020.

Coach Urban Meyer and Ohio State have a mess on their hands. The cover up gets you eventually.

I don't know, they'll figure it out what is right for their program based on the facts surrounding all of it.

Ohio State's win total has been taken off the board at a few online places, not sure about Vegas.

Certainly a distraction for the team. And add in that Ryan Day has been named acting head coach, with no head coaching experience, while their are two former HCs on the staff in Kevin Wilson and Greg Schiano - that could create some resentment within the ranks. Ofcourse Kevin Wilson has his own baggage and we know about the Schiano controversy.

Just found out UCLA's practices are closed to the public. Well it saves me a trip out to Westwood; more time to spend on the Whipping Post! 😛

GO BRUINS!

Hey Strat I am in your neck of the woods for a family vacation from November 9 to 19. If you are venturing to USC UCLA I'd love to tag along or even drop in to say hi at your tailgate. And of course rid you of any food going to waste.

Long way away, just planting the seed.

Cheers

Going to go to one or both of Northwestern's first two home games, Duke and Akron.

Tickets for Akron can be had for $2 and Duke for a whopping $3.

Going to go to one or both of Northwestern's first two home games, Duke and Akron.

Tickets for Akron can be had for $2 and Duke for a whopping $3.

Can tickets be had for cheap for a Big Ten home game?

Going to go to one or both of Northwestern's first two home games, Duke and Akron.

Tickets for Akron can be had for $2 and Duke for a whopping $3.

Northwestern picked up Clemson transfer 5* Hunter Johnson. He's a real good QB.

Hey Strat I am in your neck of the woods for a family vacation from November 9 to 19. If you are venturing to USC UCLA I'd love to tag along or even drop in to say hi at your tailgate. And of course rid you of any food going to waste.

Long way away, just planting the seed.

Cheers

Cool leaf! This year's showdown is at the Coliseum. Sorry but I don't go to games there anymore; too much of a hassle.

Good luck to the Ducks this season. I think the Bruins play at Eugene. I don't think they've won there since 2004. Should be a heck of a game especially with CCK returning.

Just found out UCLA's practices are closed to the public. Well it saves me a trip out to Westwood; more time to spend on the Whipping Post! 😛

GO BRUINS!

Just saw a snippet on ESPN about The Pac Ten. UCLA only has a 1% chance of winning the conference. Wow. How the mighty have fallen. 😮

Just found out UCLA's practices are closed to the public. Well it saves me a trip out to Westwood; more time to spend on the Whipping Post! 😛

GO BRUINS!

Just saw a snippet on ESPN about The Pac Ten. UCLA only has a 1% chance of winning the conference. Wow. How the mighty have fallen. 😮

I'm surprised they even have a 1% chance considering there isn't a Pac Ten conference.

Well, there's still a Big Ten with 14 teams. 😉

Well, there's still a Big Ten with 14 teams. 😉

Well done! GO BRUINS!

Going to go to one or both of Northwestern's first two home games, Duke and Akron.

Tickets for Akron can be had for $2 and Duke for a whopping $3.

Can tickets be had for cheap for a Big Ten home game?

$2 OR $3 too rich for your blood? 😉

If you've never been to a Northwestern game, plan a trip to Chicago. Evanston is just a short train ride away. Campus is a short walk from the train station. The stadium is really cool. Much smaller than Michigan or Michigan State. I think even MAC schools like Western or Central Michigan.

Coach Urban Meyer and Ohio State have a mess on their hands. The cover up gets you eventually.

I don't know, they'll figure it out what is right for their program based on the facts surrounding all of it.

Ohio State's win total has been taken off the board at a few online places, not sure about Vegas.

Certainly a distraction for the team. And add in that Ryan Day has been named acting head coach, with no head coaching experience, while their are two former HCs on the staff in Kevin Wilson and Greg Schiano - that could create some resentment within the ranks. Ofcourse Kevin Wilson has his own baggage and we know about the Schiano controversy.

Strange place, Ohio...

Big 12 thoughts...

OU - Who replaces Baker Mayfield? Whoever does has the luxury of having a fine offensive line. About that defense, tho...

Iowa State - Yeah, I said Iowa State. Sleeper. Maybe. Sorta. Probably not. But still...

West Virginia - Been trying to figure this team out for a few years now. Strong starts. Inexplicable fades.

K-State - See West Virginia. When does the Snyder Era end?

TCU - Pieces are in place. Now what?

Texas - Maybe this is the season they realize that they aren't entitled to anything just because they are Texas. Nah, won't happen.

Texas - Maybe this is the season they realize that they aren't entitled to anything just because they are Texas. Nah, won't happen.

Maybe they'll regret letting Mack Brown go as they should. My opinion of course.

[Edited on 8/6/2018 by Lee]

UCLA practices closed? Can't you just get a hotel room overlooking the field and see everything there?

Duke @ Northwestern should be good game! I think Hunter Johnson has to sit out a year on the transfer, but that is an amazing land for NW, believe I heard that is their first ever 5* kid.

Big Xll football should be really great this year. OU is at the top, deservedly so even without Baker they have alot on O to do damage with, like Bhawk says, it is always the D that you worry about. But otherwise try picking who finishes 2nd or even last in the Big Xll. KU should be last, but they could also win maybe as many as 4 games this year? I see the league being super competitive and should produce good games weekly. Teams seem really even this year outside of OU. Texas might be ready to turn a corner and WVU has big expectations. But Baylor will be better, ISU will still be solid, OK St will drop off, but will still be decent, seems a little easy to overlook TCU which is never good. K St is typically tough. They are playing D at TTech for a change.

Here is something I saw on Kansas State won 5 games last year where their opponent outgained them in total yards. Vs Baylor -31, Vs Kansas -142, Vs TTech -119, Vs Ok St -89, Vs ISU -115. Some of those are huge yardage discrepancies to still win a game while being outgained like that. But that is kind of KSt's MO, turnovers, special teams, smoke and mirrors, they make a living out of winning games like that almost annually. Still just to realize that of their 6 wins vs IA/FBS/P5 teams last year, they only outgained 1 of the 6 teams they beat...which was UCLA without Rosen.

Speaking of Northwestern, They have a really good home schedule; Michigan, Nebraska, Wisconsin and Notre Dame out of their seven games. You can buy single game tickets to any of them except for Michigan & Notre Dame. You can only get those if you buy season tickets. Pretty good way to shake money out of people.

Can't say that I blame them. There will be more fans there of both other teams than there will be for Northwestern.

[Edited on 8/8/2018 by Lee]

Going to go to one or both of Northwestern's first two home games, Duke and Akron.

Tickets for Akron can be had for $2 and Duke for a whopping $3.

Can tickets be had for cheap for a Big Ten home game?

$2 OR $3 too rich for your blood? 😉

If you've never been to a Northwestern game, plan a trip to Chicago. Evanston is just a short train ride away. Campus is a short walk from the train station. The stadium is really cool. Much smaller than Michigan or Michigan State. I think even MAC schools like Western or Central Michigan.

I want to visit all the Big Ten stadiums but would prefer to see a Big Ten matchup.

I want to visit all the Big Ten stadiums but would prefer to see a Big Ten matchup.

Gotcha. The only cheap Northwestern Big Ten game is the last game of the season against Illinois, November 24th. Thanksgiving weekend though. That's rivalry weekend across the country and that's as close as those two have to having a rival since they are in the same state I guess.

You can get in for seven bucks.

Bad news, sounds like could be some trouble in T-Town as Jalen Hurts expresses some dissatisfaction with team communication with him. Not surprising in the times we live, his father is speaking out to, it may be a forgone conclusion that Hurts will be a grad transfer after this season. Adding to the story, Saban had said a couple months ago he had "no idea" if Hurts would be on the roster for week 1. Rare for such an issue to arise on a Nick Saban team with as much influence and control he has over the players and the media.

Good news, Yahoo's Fantasy App has pick'em leagues capability this year!

I just got tickets to Wisconsin vs uh, New Mexico. Haven't been to a UW football game since I was a sophomore in college, used to live right next door to the stadium. Figured I'd go since I'll be in town for my parents' 50th anniversary. Camp Randall always has a great scene, we always partied with the alumni as they wandered through their old hood (or parked on our lawn), fed them some brats and beers so I guess it's my turn now 😉

I just got tickets to Wisconsin vs uh, New Mexico. Haven't been to a UW football game since I was a sophomore in college, used to live right next door to the stadium. Figured I'd go since I'll be in town for my parents' 50th anniversary. Camp Randall always has a great scene, we always partied with the alumni as they wandered through their old hood (or parked on our lawn), fed them some brats and beers so I guess it's my turn now 😉

Yes, roles reversed! Sounds like a great time!

3 weeks until the first Thursday of the season!

Just looked at the line on the Michigan / Notre Dame game. Opening line was ND by seven. Now it's 2.5. That's quite a swing.

[Edited on 8/12/2018 by Lee]

Just looked at the line on the Nichigan / Notre Dame game. Opening line was ND by seven. Now it's 2.5. That's quite a swing.

I thought I saw Michigan was always favored in that one. What site do you use?

The first post of this thread. Unless I read it wrong I thought it said ND -7. Not sure why Michigan would be favored on the road in that one. Don't know.

I still can't bet futures for whatever reason. I want to bet the over / under on a few teams.

They did have 7 but got pounded and they moved it to 1. Odds makers whiffed on that one. Usually early season opening numbers have low max bets to protect the books if the market finds an error.

Michigan is now - 2.5. If it moves to 3 before the game I'll bite and take the points. Not sure how a line can move 9.5 points within a few weeks though.

They did have 7 but got pounded and they moved it to 1. Odds makers whiffed on that one. Usually early season opening numbers have low max bets to protect the books if the market finds an error.

Curious: What do you mean by "got pounded"? By what? Money moving? Obviously not a game since nobody has played yet. Sure seems like a lot for a line to move that much when no games have been played yet. At least ND has a QB with some semblance of a track record. Hopefully Michigan's new guy can do something I guess.

Yeah, "pounded" meaning the sportsbook online or in Vegas took alot of action on one side.

There is another website I frequent for college football called capping the game and people were posting there people's twitter and stuff on how large bets would be made on certain win totals or games were the players/bettors obviously found a flaw or weakness in the early number. The sportsbook hopes to limit their exposure on the early numbers because people who bet for a living or are really good at it can have a huge advantage in knowing personnel and what a number should be, so when the book releases a number vastly different from their's they pounce.

I do think Michigan should be favored at Notre Dame and expect them to win.

ND does return Wimbush as well as Book, but Wimbush is going to have to elevate his game to a much higher level this year for ND to be more successful. And while generally you can expect players to get better with time and experience, it is going to be hard for him because he loses two great OL protecting him. ND's OL will still be good, but losing two first round DCs you'd expect them to be down a notch atleast early in the season. Then Wimbush has also lost alot of weapons around him, RB Adams is gone, #1 WR St Brown is gone (2 of top 3 receivers gone), so more is going to be expected of Wimbush and based on his poor passing last year, it could be difficult for him to come out of the gate and just carry the team on his shoulders.

Couple that with Michigan's D, which is to me, one of the top 5 Ds in the country. ND's O is going to face significant challenges in this game I think.

Michigan's O is not without question of it's own. Patterson is good player from Ole Miss, but coming to a new team with a new system and getting chemistry with his new teammates can't be understated. And playing on the road vs ND's solid D adds to that as well. I think Patterson having played against good Ds in the SEC in hostile environments will help him. And then looking at the Michigan offense as a whole, and contrasting it with Notre Dame, Michigan returns all their key skill players, while ND is replacing them. I expect big years from Tarik Black and People-Jones in their second season now. It is going to all come down to Michigan's OL which has under achieved and is perhaps lacking on talent.

Michigan's offense at times last year was simply bad. Tons of sacks allowed, threw more INTs than TD passes, bad ypp, ppg, Michigan's O was one of the worst in the Big Ten last year. I expect that to change this season as long as Patterson adapts well. Combine that with Michigan's D which I think will be even better this year, having potential to be among the nation's best for sure makes for a team that should be as good as 10-2, if not even better. They get it started week 1 with a W.