
It’s been a few miserable weeks for college football lately between UNC players selling shoes (I mean how is a guy supposed to pay for all that free tuition?), Prick Meyers (don’t get me going) and Maryland taking full moral and legal responsibility for the death of a player (good) but still hasn’t figured out what to do with the head coach (huh?), a Meyer disciple by the way.
Just forget about all that. College football is way to fun to worry it and you can’t do a thing about it anyway. What you can control is how you pick and bet on games. Yes!!!
After a small appetizer of games last week, College Football starts in earnest this weekend starting with four games Thursday night and another six on Friday.
And what better way to get ready for the games than to do my write ups from the hotel next to the the home of the 49ers - Levi Stadium.
Thursday games:
Just forget about all that. College football is way to fun to worry it and you can’t do a thing about it anyway. What you can control is how you pick and bet on games. Yes!!!
After a small appetizer of games last week, College Football starts in earnest this weekend starting with four games Thursday night and another six on Friday.
And what better way to get ready for the games than to do my write ups from the hotel next to the the home of the 49ers - Levi Stadium.
Thursday games:

UConn +23.5 vs Central Florida – The returning undefeated national champions hope to keep last year’s magical season alive. They will be doing so under the guidance of new head coach Josh Heupel, former OC at Mizzou. While they will be breaking in a new HC they do return QB McKenzie Milton which should bode well to keeping the number 1 scoring offensive mojo going.
UConn went to an up tempo offense and the numbers improved but the defense regressed by the same amount as the Huskies went 3-9. Now they need to replace 9 starters on a bad defense
UCF will be wanting to run up the score in order to stay in the playoff hunt so this could get ugly.
But I’ll pick with my heart and take UConn and the points. No quatloos though. Big Al rule and all.
UConn went to an up tempo offense and the numbers improved but the defense regressed by the same amount as the Huskies went 3-9. Now they need to replace 9 starters on a bad defense
UCF will be wanting to run up the score in order to stay in the playoff hunt so this could get ugly.
But I’ll pick with my heart and take UConn and the points. No quatloos though. Big Al rule and all.

Tulane +6.5 vs Wake Forest –Tulane only lost twice at home last season falling to #21 ranked South Florida by six and to Cincinnati by one with wins at home over 10 win Army and Houston Jonathan Banks is an experienced quarterback that had solid production passing and rushing last season while LSU transfer Justin McMillan is also on the roster.
Wake Forest had problems stopping the run last season and one of the worst losses of the season came against another triple-option team falling 38-24 at Georgia Tech.
The Demon Deacons have returning experience but replacing long time quarterback John Wolford has been a challenge. Kendall Hinton has been suspended for the first three games while Jamie Newman is injured as freshman Sam Hartman is expected to start.
I’ll take Tulane at home and the points against a Demon Deacs team starting a frosh at QB and a defense that struggles with the triple option. Put me down for a quatloo.
Wake Forest had problems stopping the run last season and one of the worst losses of the season came against another triple-option team falling 38-24 at Georgia Tech.
The Demon Deacons have returning experience but replacing long time quarterback John Wolford has been a challenge. Kendall Hinton has been suspended for the first three games while Jamie Newman is injured as freshman Sam Hartman is expected to start.
I’ll take Tulane at home and the points against a Demon Deacs team starting a frosh at QB and a defense that struggles with the triple option. Put me down for a quatloo.

New Mexico State +21.5 @ Minnesota – That was a disaster Aggies. Last Saturday, they didn’t get a first down until the final drive of the first half while recording negative rushing yards for the game. And now they have a short turnaround going from a Saturday night game to a Thursday game.
But the pathetic offensive results were against a Wyoming defense that is likely the best on the group of five. And at least thet have a game under their belts and a desire to burn the tape.
After all the hoopla and fanfare, P.J. Fleck’s first season with the Gophers fizzled as a 3-0 start wound up with a 5-7 finish in the standings with only two Big Ten wins. The offense was among the worst of all power conference programs with only 22 points per game and 309 yards per game. The Gophers responded by inserting freshman quarterback as Zack Annexstad as the starter. The Gophers do have a veteran offensive line and should remain a quality defensive team looking for a breakthrough second season.
I think the spread got out of line after the Aggies epic failure in game one. I’ll take NMSU but no quatloos. They really might just be that bad.
But the pathetic offensive results were against a Wyoming defense that is likely the best on the group of five. And at least thet have a game under their belts and a desire to burn the tape.
After all the hoopla and fanfare, P.J. Fleck’s first season with the Gophers fizzled as a 3-0 start wound up with a 5-7 finish in the standings with only two Big Ten wins. The offense was among the worst of all power conference programs with only 22 points per game and 309 yards per game. The Gophers responded by inserting freshman quarterback as Zack Annexstad as the starter. The Gophers do have a veteran offensive line and should remain a quality defensive team looking for a breakthrough second season.
I think the spread got out of line after the Aggies epic failure in game one. I’ll take NMSU but no quatloos. They really might just be that bad.

Northwestern +1.0 @ Purdue - Northwestern owns the nation's current longest winning streak by a Power 5 team at eight games and aims to extend its run by beating Purdue for the fifth straight time.
The Sheriff likes the Boilers for his reason below but he’s a homer.
Purdue went 7-6 last season in Jeff Brohm’s first year as head coach. It was the first winning season for Purdue since 2011. The defense was vastly improved, as they went from 117th in scoring defense to 24th. The problem for Purdue this season is that most of the defensive starters are gone including both starting CBs.
And for all the improvement in Boiler Land, The Wildcat defense was still better, ranking 20th in the FBS by allowing only 20.1 points a game.
Brohm can’t decide on a starting QB, never a good situation (outside Tuscaloosa) while Northwestern will start 3 year starter Clayton Thorson. He’ll have easy going against two new CBs.
If the Sheriff can go with his heart then Brucey and I can too. Go Cats. Put me in for another quatloo.
The Sheriff likes the Boilers for his reason below but he’s a homer.
Purdue went 7-6 last season in Jeff Brohm’s first year as head coach. It was the first winning season for Purdue since 2011. The defense was vastly improved, as they went from 117th in scoring defense to 24th. The problem for Purdue this season is that most of the defensive starters are gone including both starting CBs.
And for all the improvement in Boiler Land, The Wildcat defense was still better, ranking 20th in the FBS by allowing only 20.1 points a game.
Brohm can’t decide on a starting QB, never a good situation (outside Tuscaloosa) while Northwestern will start 3 year starter Clayton Thorson. He’ll have easy going against two new CBs.
If the Sheriff can go with his heart then Brucey and I can too. Go Cats. Put me in for another quatloo.

There's a pretty good slate of Friday games:
Western Kentucky +37.0 @ Wisconsin – Giving 37.0 to a pretty good Fun Belt team? That’s way too much. Especially for a team that likes to run the ball.
Put me in for a quatloo and part of my first team selection for the Point Whore Parlay.
Stanford -14.5 vs San Diego State – It’s a revenge game for the Cardinal. The Aztecs upset Stanford 20 -17 as 9.0 point dogs last year. Now the come to Palo Alto without star RB Rashaad Penny. Stanford has their star RB Bryce Love.
The hook scares me off from anything more than a quatloo bet.
Syracuse -5.0 @ Western Michigan – The last time Syracuse HC Dino Babers faced WMU, he was the HC at Bowling Green and he blew them out 41-27. QB Eric Dungey returns for the Orange and he showed get the air attack going against a WMU defense that graduated star CB Darius Phillips.
I’ll lay the points out of affinity for Doofus Daughter #2 but no quatloos. The Broncos are a solid team with a good defense and aerial attack to keep it close.
Western Kentucky +37.0 @ Wisconsin – Giving 37.0 to a pretty good Fun Belt team? That’s way too much. Especially for a team that likes to run the ball.
Put me in for a quatloo and part of my first team selection for the Point Whore Parlay.
Stanford -14.5 vs San Diego State – It’s a revenge game for the Cardinal. The Aztecs upset Stanford 20 -17 as 9.0 point dogs last year. Now the come to Palo Alto without star RB Rashaad Penny. Stanford has their star RB Bryce Love.
The hook scares me off from anything more than a quatloo bet.
Syracuse -5.0 @ Western Michigan – The last time Syracuse HC Dino Babers faced WMU, he was the HC at Bowling Green and he blew them out 41-27. QB Eric Dungey returns for the Orange and he showed get the air attack going against a WMU defense that graduated star CB Darius Phillips.
I’ll lay the points out of affinity for Doofus Daughter #2 but no quatloos. The Broncos are a solid team with a good defense and aerial attack to keep it close.

Colorado -7.5 vs Colorado State – There was another ugly performance last week. CSU stuck up the joint losing at home to a bad to middlin’ Hawaii team, 43-34
The Rainbows showed the way to victory – dink and dunk passing against a woeful defense with no pass rush. Buff QB Steven Montez can do that. I’ll lay the points (and the hook) for a quatloo.
Trend bettors take note - The under has hit in each of the past four meetings in this game. Also, Colorado has gone under 6 straight games and 13-3 in the past 16 against Mountain West foes. The under is 5-1 in Colorado State's past six against the Pac-12 and 6-2 in the past eight neutral-site contests (game is at Mile High).
Massachusetts +18.5 @ Boston College – Boston College RB A.J. Dillon rushed for 1,589 yards and 14 touchdowns last season, and he'll be running behind an offensive line returning all five starters.
UMass rolled up a 63-15 win last week against FCS Duquesne to cover a 21 1/2-point number. UMass has a high octane offense and they have covered four of the past five on the road, and five of the past seven overall.
I'll put the first Mini Mega of the year on the Minutemen and make it pick number 2 on Point Whore Parlay.
The Rainbows showed the way to victory – dink and dunk passing against a woeful defense with no pass rush. Buff QB Steven Montez can do that. I’ll lay the points (and the hook) for a quatloo.
Trend bettors take note - The under has hit in each of the past four meetings in this game. Also, Colorado has gone under 6 straight games and 13-3 in the past 16 against Mountain West foes. The under is 5-1 in Colorado State's past six against the Pac-12 and 6-2 in the past eight neutral-site contests (game is at Mile High).
Massachusetts +18.5 @ Boston College – Boston College RB A.J. Dillon rushed for 1,589 yards and 14 touchdowns last season, and he'll be running behind an offensive line returning all five starters.
UMass rolled up a 63-15 win last week against FCS Duquesne to cover a 21 1/2-point number. UMass has a high octane offense and they have covered four of the past five on the road, and five of the past seven overall.
I'll put the first Mini Mega of the year on the Minutemen and make it pick number 2 on Point Whore Parlay.

And of course, the biggest game of the weekend
Michigan State -23.5 vs Utah State – State returns the most starters in FBS and finished with 10 wins. Utah state returns the 3rd most but went 4th in the MWC Mountain division.
There will be a lot of experience on the field but one team's is much better than the other.
The MSU defense will be great as usual. I’ll be watching to see if Lewerke is consistent and LJ can hang on to the ball.
State rarely covers big spreads. Dantonio likes to use the opportunity to play subs rather than roll up the score. I’ll pick them anyway (I always do) but no quatloos this week or any week.
And the Sheriff weighs in with not his usual 3 but 4 picks. He must be feeling it.
Michigan State -23.5 vs Utah State – State returns the most starters in FBS and finished with 10 wins. Utah state returns the 3rd most but went 4th in the MWC Mountain division.
There will be a lot of experience on the field but one team's is much better than the other.
The MSU defense will be great as usual. I’ll be watching to see if Lewerke is consistent and LJ can hang on to the ball.
State rarely covers big spreads. Dantonio likes to use the opportunity to play subs rather than roll up the score. I’ll pick them anyway (I always do) but no quatloos this week or any week.
And the Sheriff weighs in with not his usual 3 but 4 picks. He must be feeling it.
Ah, the smell of college football is in the air …
Purdue (-2.5) vs Northwestern - West Lafayette is a LONG way from Malibu but the Sheriff has not forgotten his college days in rural Indiana. BIG 10 action opens the college football season Thursday night on ESPN, and Purdue is looking to follow up last year’s encouraging first season under HC Jeff Brohm (7-6 with a win over Arizona in the San Francisco Bowl) with another winning season and an even better Bowl in 2018. Should be a great game but Boilers will prevail.
Doofus: Nope, but I like the rest of the picks
Arizona (-11.5) vs BYU - Khalil Tate won the Sheriff a lot of money betting the OVERs last year and he should develop into an even better passer in 2018 under the tutelage of new HC Kevin Sumlin. The Wildcats are the Sheriff’s pick to win the PAC-12 South and should dispatch the Mormons with ease Saturday night in the Desert.
Cal (-7) vs North Carolina - Cal opened the 2017 season on the road against the Tar Heels with an impressive win that included a brand new starter at QB in Ross Bowers. The rematch is in Berkeley and Bowers is back as the Cal starter so the Bears should sweep the series with an easy win to kick off the season.
Doofus: and don't forget ttat 13 TarHeels are suspended for selling shoes.
UCLA (-16.5) vs Cincinnati - The most interesting story line in the PAC-12 this year is how well Chip Kelly will do at UCLA. Kelly is known for his offensive innovation, but the biggest change to UCLA football may be the changes his staff is incorporating on the defensive side of the ball and in the running game, two areas which were abysmal under Jim Mora. Kelly has not named a starter at QB as of Monday morning, but the smart money is on Dorian Thompson-Robinson, a true freshman 5-star from Bishop Gorman high school in Vegas who has the kind of athleticism that should allow him to thrive under Chip Kelly’s spread offense. There will be growing pains in 2018, but UCLA should be competing for PAC-12 titles starting in 2019 and beyond.
Purdue (-2.5) vs Northwestern - West Lafayette is a LONG way from Malibu but the Sheriff has not forgotten his college days in rural Indiana. BIG 10 action opens the college football season Thursday night on ESPN, and Purdue is looking to follow up last year’s encouraging first season under HC Jeff Brohm (7-6 with a win over Arizona in the San Francisco Bowl) with another winning season and an even better Bowl in 2018. Should be a great game but Boilers will prevail.
Doofus: Nope, but I like the rest of the picks
Arizona (-11.5) vs BYU - Khalil Tate won the Sheriff a lot of money betting the OVERs last year and he should develop into an even better passer in 2018 under the tutelage of new HC Kevin Sumlin. The Wildcats are the Sheriff’s pick to win the PAC-12 South and should dispatch the Mormons with ease Saturday night in the Desert.
Cal (-7) vs North Carolina - Cal opened the 2017 season on the road against the Tar Heels with an impressive win that included a brand new starter at QB in Ross Bowers. The rematch is in Berkeley and Bowers is back as the Cal starter so the Bears should sweep the series with an easy win to kick off the season.
Doofus: and don't forget ttat 13 TarHeels are suspended for selling shoes.
UCLA (-16.5) vs Cincinnati - The most interesting story line in the PAC-12 this year is how well Chip Kelly will do at UCLA. Kelly is known for his offensive innovation, but the biggest change to UCLA football may be the changes his staff is incorporating on the defensive side of the ball and in the running game, two areas which were abysmal under Jim Mora. Kelly has not named a starter at QB as of Monday morning, but the smart money is on Dorian Thompson-Robinson, a true freshman 5-star from Bishop Gorman high school in Vegas who has the kind of athleticism that should allow him to thrive under Chip Kelly’s spread offense. There will be growing pains in 2018, but UCLA should be competing for PAC-12 titles starting in 2019 and beyond.
Remember the 2018 GO JUMBO trip is Nov 3 at the Westgate SuperBook