This Week's Vegas Oddsmakers' Top 25
As always, featuring 30 teams and the not-to-be-contested wisdom of Las Vegas Sports Consultants, which tells you which college teams are the best, scoreboard be damned. And speaking of Las Vegas, if you're like me, you went to Vegas at the all-star break and put $20 on the Padres to win the World Series, just for fun, because nothing's more fun than watching the best closer in Major League Baseball history blow two games in the final three days of the season in spectacular fashion to keep his team out of the playoffs.
Today is where Vegas really starts to shine. Oklahoma loses? Who cares! They're still the third-most fearsome team in the country. South Florida and Kentucky are undefeated? Who cares! Do you really think they'd beat OU on a neutral field? Yeah, Vegas doesn't either.
Biggest frauds, according to Vegas: All those undefeated teams. Kentucky is ranked 11 spots too high by the AP. Virginia Tech is ranked nine spots too high. Boston College is ranked seven spots too high. South Florida is ranked six spots too high. Also, LSU shouldn't be No. 1.
Biggest sleepers, according to Vegas: There are many, starting with UCLA and Penn State, both ranked an astounding 12 spots too low by the AP. Florida State is ranked nine spots too low. West Virginia is ranked eight spots too low, as is Arizona State. Oklahoma is ranked seven spots too low. Oregon is ranked six spots too low, as is Texas. BYU and Georgia Tech also bear watching.
Vegas looked smart when: Overvalued Alabama lost to undervalued Florida State. Vegas had the Seminoles higher last week; the AP didn't. Overvalued Clemson lost to undervalued Georgia Tech; Vegas has been high on the Yellow Jackets all year. Vegas darling Arizona State plowed through Stanford.
Vegas looked dumb when: Vegas was high on WVU and low on South Florida; that didn't work out. Vegas was high on Oregon and low on Cal; that didn't work out either. Vegas really liked Penn State last week; ditto.
Games to watch: Kentucky at South Carolina Thursday night; Vegas says Kentucky is a fraud, and likes South Carolina. Florida at LSU; Vegas is a bit lower on LSU and a bit higher on Florida than the AP. Cincinnati at Rutgers; Vegas says Cincinnati is trifling. Texas vs. Oklahoma; Vegas thinks they'll both win.
Numbers after the jump. AP rankings in parentheses.
1. Southern Cal (2)
2. LSU (1)
3. Oklahoma (10)
4. Ohio State (4)
5. West Virginia (13)
6. Florida (9)
7. California (3)
8. Oregon (14)
9. South Carolina (11)
10t. Arizona State (18)
10t. Wisconsin (5)
12. South Florida (6)
13. Texas (19)
14. Boston College (7)
15. Georgia (12)
16. Missouri (17)
17. Florida State (26)
18. UCLA (30)
19. Kentucky (8)
20. Hawaii (16)
21t. Clemson (22)
21t. Rutgers (21)
23. Purdue (23)
24t. Nebraska (25)
24t. Virginia Tech (15)
26. Georgia Tech (--)
27t. Penn State (39)
27t. Brigham Young (--)
29. Kansas State (24)
30. Michigan (33)
Not ranked by Vegas: Cincinnati (20th in the AP).
By Dan Steinberg |
October 2, 2007; 11:13 AM ET
| Category:
College Football
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Posted by: Kim | October 2, 2007 11:26 AM
Further proof that Vegas and college football should have nothing to do with each other...
Posted by: sitruc | October 2, 2007 12:23 PM
As a still recovering from the weekend OU fan I find this fascinating...and maybe just a bit weird??
Posted by: alexandriamom | October 2, 2007 04:53 PM
I think you have ASU ranked 5-8 spots too low.
Posted by: Stanford | October 3, 2007 02:54 AM
odd to me that michigan is slow low on the list, when other teams they have significantly higher up have lost games as well, I'd see Michigan beeating a number of teams between 10 and 20 - oh well
Posted by: uscfan | October 3, 2007 11:44 PM
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Haven't seen ASU and Vegas linked together like this since Stevin 'Hedake' Smith.