This Week's Vegas Oddsmakers' Top 25/30
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 and polls be damned. As mentioned last week, this is turning into a banner season for Vegas to stick by its convictions, never mind results on the field. You can have your Hawaii-South Florida BCS game; Vegas and I will take Oklahoma and Southern Cal, thanks very much. But to be more serious, why is the AP gonna punish Florida for that loss AT the consensus No. 1 team in the country while rewarding South Florida for beating the Florida School of Hair Design? Ditto with Texas. No fair.
Biggest frauds, according to Vegas: The usual suspects. Cincinnati, Kentucky and Illinois are all ranked 10 spots too high by the AP. South Florida is ranked nine spots too high. Boston College is ranked six spots too high.
Biggest sleepers, according to Vegas: There are many, and not only from the power conferences. BYU, for example, is ranked 18 spots too low by the AP. Penn State is ranked 18 spots too low. Michigan is ranked 12 spots too low. Texas is ranked 10 spots too low. Southern Cal is ranked eight spots too low. Florida is ranked seven spots too low, and Florida State is ranked six spots too low. Also, Arkansas should at least be receiving votes.
Vegas looked smart when: Vegas said South Carolina should handle overrated Kentucky; the Spurriers did so, fairly easily. Vegas was a bit higher on Florida than the AP; the Gators nearly pulled off a win at LSU. Vegas never gave up on Penn State, and was rewarded with a nice enough win. Vegas still liked Georgia Tech, and but for that holding penalty, things should have worked out for the Jackets. Vegas fave Florida State won again.
Vegas looked dumb when: UCLA. UCLA. UCLA. Yuck. Vegas darling Arizona State was also disappointing. Vegas thoroughly expected Rutgers to take care of Cincinnati; er, nope. Oh, and Vegas had Southern Cal as the No. 1 team in the country. Whoops.
Games to watch: Vegas is higher on Michigan and lower on Purdue than the AP; expect the Mike Harts to roll. Vegas is higher on Penn State and lower on Wisconsin than the AP; go Derrick Williams. Vegas has LSU crushing Kentucky. And Vegas certainly thinks Arkansas will give Auburn a game; the AP apparently gave Arkansas zero votes.
Numbers after the jump. AP rankings in parentheses.
1. LSU (1)
2. Southern Cal (10)
3. Oklahoma (6)
4. Ohio State (3)
5. West Virginia (8)
6. Florida (13)
7. California (2)
8. Oregon (9)
9. Missouri (11)
10. Boston College (4)
11. South Carolina (7)
12. Arizona State (14)
13. Texas (23)
14. South Florida (5)
15t. Florida State (21)
15t. Virginia Tech (12)
17. Hawaii (16)
18. Michigan (30)
19t. Penn State (37t)
19t. Kansas (20)
21t. Auburn (22)
21t. Arkansas (NR)
23t. Georgia (24)
23t. Wisconsin (19)
25t. Brigham Young (43)
25t. Cincinnati (15)
27. Kentucky (17)
28. Illinois (18)
29. Texas Tech (31)
30. Purdue (28)
Not ranked: Tennessee (25th by AP).
By Dan Steinberg |
October 9, 2007; 2:51 PM ET
| Category:
College Football
Previous: Did Sellers Crush Kennedy? |
Next: Redskins Dance Off
Get This Widget >>
Posted by: Anon | October 9, 2007 03:00 PM
Vegas has no business assisting oddsmakers for college football. Not because of any of that integrity of the sport crap, but because they don't know college football at all. These rankings continue to be horrible.
Posted by: sitruc | October 10, 2007 02:09 PM
How can Georgia possibly still be in the Top 25 while Tennessee is still below them. Do you not watch the games? They are overwhelmingly better than them.
Posted by: jkonig | October 10, 2007 07:55 PM
What game was vegas watching?KY HAD 4 TURNOVERS and was still in the game until late.If played 10 times KY would win 7.They flat out beat themselves.They definately arent top 10 caliber but have excellent win at ARK.Laying my money on the cats at home this weekend.LSU 41 KY 35.Gimme them points vegas and in the end these wildcats will be 9-3 and playing after x/mas.
Posted by: dave c | October 12, 2007 01:22 AM
The comments to this entry are closed.
Finally!
I am shocked to see that Tennessee is not even in the Top 30 after last weeks performance. It will be interested to see if they crack the list after their next two road games - @ Mississippi State and @ Alabama.
Worth the wait, although I certainly didn't want to wait.