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. Unlike the BCS, Vegas is not at all intrigued by the idea of a scrappy ACC team making a last-minute road comeback in the rain, leading to televised images of their celebrating, vomiting, Heisman Trophy-threatening QB. Vegas is thinking if you want to be in the BCS final, you better beat Virginia Tech by a heck of a lot more than four. Vegas also loves Bill Belichick, incidentally. Vegas would have attempted to score after recovering the Redskins' final onside kick. (And Vegas says the BCS final should be Ohio State-LSU.)
This week, Vegas is refusing to acknowledge that teams like Florida and Cal keep losing, and refusing to agree that teams like U-Conn. and Virginia would be anything but large underdogs against the previously mentioned teams.
Biggest frauds, according to Vegas: Boring Alabama is ranked 10 spots too high by the BCS. Virginia Tech is ranked eight spots too high by the BCS. Boston College is still ranked seven spots too high by the BCS, as is Georgia. Arizona State, Wisconsin and Hawaii are ranked six spots too high. Also, Connecticut is ranked about 22 spots too high, while Virginia and Wake Forest shouldn't even be in the Top 35.
Biggest sleepers, according to Vegas: BYU, as always, remains tragically underrated: 22nd according to Vegas, in nowhere land according to the BCS. Cal is also now tragically underrated: 14th according to Vegas, unranked by the BCS. Ditto for the real 16th best team in the land, South Carolina. Southern Cal and Florida are ranked 12 spots too low by the BCS. Clemson is ranked seven spots too low. Penn State and Tennessee should not be ignored.
Vegas looked smart when: Vegas frauds Kentucky, Virginia and Virginia Tech all lost, which was nice, but overall it was a shoddy week for the oddsmakers.
Vegas looked dumb when: Big Vegas fave Florida lost to Vegas-hated Georgia. Huge Vegas fave Cal lost to Vegas-hated Arizona State. Big Vegas fave Southern Cal lost to Vegas-wary Oregon. Perpetual Vegas fave Penn State was blown out. Like I said, a bad week.
Games to watch: Virginia Tech, which Vegas has been low on all year, faces Georgia Tech, which Vegas has been strangely backing. Vegas expects overrated Wisconsin to get pounded by Ohio State. Vegas loves LSU and absolutely hates Alabama; the Tigers play at 'Bama this week. Vegas has been slow to embrace Oregon but really dislikes Arizona State, which is at the Ducks. Vegas has been fond of Florida State and, as mentioned, hates Boston College, which hosts the 'Noles. Lots of chances for Vegas to redeem itself this week.
Numbers after the jump. BCS rankings in parentheses.
1. Ohio State (1)
2. LSU (3)
3. Oklahoma (6)
4. West Virginia (7)
5. Oregon (5)
6. Missouri (8)
7. Southern Cal (19)
8. Florida (20)
9. Boston College (2)
10. Arizona State (4)
11. Michigan (12)
12. Texas (15)
13. Kansas (9)
14. California (NR)
15. Auburn (16)
16. South Carolina (NR)
17. Georgia (10)
18. Clemson (25)
19. Virginia Tech (11)
20. Hawaii (14)
21. South Florida (18)
22. Brigham Young (NR)
23. Penn State (NR)
24. Tennessee (NR)
25. Boise State (22)
26. Arkansas (NR)
27t. Wisconsin (21)
27t. Alabama (17)
29. Georgia Tech (NR)
30. Oklahoma State (NR)
Not ranked by Vegas: U-Conn. (13th in BCS), Virginia (23rd), Wake Forest (24th).
By Dan Steinberg |
October 31, 2007; 11:59 AM ET
| Category:
College Football
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Get This Widget >>
Posted by: Scroot | October 31, 2007 12:21 PM
Michigan loses to a 1AA team and has an inexcusable blowout home loss to Oregon, who is very good but nobody should overwhelm them that much at home. They then proceed to beat a bunch of crapy Big Ten teams, some MAC teams and the football team formerly known as Notre Dame. This makes them the number 11 (12) team in the country? Let's be serious, people.
Posted by: SnorlaxMcSoggybottom | October 31, 2007 12:54 PM
I hate Vegas.
Posted by: sitruc | October 31, 2007 01:32 PM
Nov 17th is coming and OSU will realize Michigan isn't the same team that started the season. Not to mention they're currently winning despite having 2nd and 3rd stringers throughout the line up and not even USC can claim that. Everyone that thought a 2 loss team couldn't make the championship will be shocked as Michigan climbs the next few weeks. There's no telling what will happen if OSU loses at Michigan. It's a free for all at this point - EVEN with 2 losses.
Posted by: Chris S. | October 31, 2007 03:31 PM
Just wondering why Vegas is so high on South Carolina after going eight quarters without a touchdown?
Posted by: Coach | October 31, 2007 04:38 PM
Good call on the sleeper BYU. They have one of the best run defenses in the country and a good offense. They have beaten some solid football teams in New Mexico and Air Force. Given their affiliation with the MWC and its failed TV channel, however, they are doomed to anonymity and a second-tier bowl game.
Posted by: Guy | November 2, 2007 09:43 AM
BYU is definately underrated. They're a quality team who will never get national attention because of BC$ bias and a bad television deal. Go KU.
Posted by: Peaches O'Hoolihan | November 2, 2007 10:18 PM
The comments to this entry are closed.
Hokies eight spots too high...give me a break!