The SEC East really started to take a turn last season when the mighty Florida Gators finally fell from the top of the division down to the rest of the pack, and the up and coming South Carolina Gamecocks finally had their day. These two will meet for the second straight season in what could possibly be considered the SEC East Championship Game.

Florida Gators @ South Carolina Gamecocks Picks & Info
Florida Gators @ South Carolina Gamecocks Date: Saturday, November 12th, 2011
Florida Gators @ South Carolina Gamecocks Location: Williams-Brice Stadium, Columbia, SC
Florida Gators @ South Carolina Gamecocks Spread: South Carolina Gamecocks -6.5

The Gators were really shell shocked last season when they were beaten at home by the Cocks with the SEC East crown on the line. This is going to be an incredibly important game for Head Coach Will Muschamp as he tries to restore order in Gainesville for the blue and orange. QB John Brantley had a terrible game when these two met last November, accounting for just 130 yards on 16-of-31 passing with an INT and no scores. In fact, things got so bad that Head Coach Urban Meyer decided to use plenty of Jordan Reed and Trey Burton under center. Needless to say, there is definitely a lot of sour taste in the mouths of the Gators right now that needs to be washed out.

Florida Gators @ South Carolina Gamecocks Past Games (Since 1995)
2010: South Carolina 36 – Florida 14
2009: Florida 24 – South Carolina 14
2008: Florida 56 – South Carolina 6
2007: Florida 51 – South Carolina 31
2006: Florida 17 – South Carolina 16
2005: South Carolina 30 – Florida 22
2004: Florida 48 – South Carolina 14
2003: Florida 24 – South Carolina 22
2002: Florida 28 – South Carolina 7
2001: Florida 54 – South Carolina 17
2000: Florida 41 – South Carolina 21
1999: Florida 20 – South Carolina 3
1998: Florida 33 – South Carolina 14
1997: Florida 48 – South Carolina 21
1996: Florida 52 – South Carolina 25

Head Coach Steve Spurrier did his share of beating the snot out of the Gamecocks when he was coaching Florida, but for the first time since leaving Gainesville, he was able to win a game at Florida Field against the team that he guided to national prominence. It was also the first time that the Gamecocks had ever won the SEC East, and just the second time that they had beaten the Gators since the SEC starting having a championship game. QB Stephen Garcia really needs this one though, because he was brought here to Columbia to beat the Gators and put the Gamecocks on the map. He’s still just 1-2 in his three seasons against Florida though, including getting beaten pretty badly in 2009 in Columbia. It almost seems odd that SC is the favored side in this one, but it is pretty clear, especially after watching RB Marcus Lattimore account for well over 200 total yards on the ground last season in Gainesville, that the Gamecocks do have the better of these two teams. It’s only a matter if they can exorcize the demons of history and take care of the Gators for a second straight season.

Florida Gators @ South Carolina Gamecocks Game Odds @ 5Dimes Sportsbook (as of 7/20/11):
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Florida Gators (+6.5) @ South Carolina Gamecocks

Breaking down the new Pac-12 football odds are going to be tough this year, but even though both Colorado and Utah are going to be high flyers in this newly formed super conference, we know that the USC Trojans are the cream of the crop for the most part. SC will have its work cut out for it though when it takes on the Stanford Cardinal, a team with a legit chance of winning the National Championship.

Stanford Cardinal @ USC Trojans Picks & Info
Stanford Cardinal @ USC Trojans Date: Saturday, October 29th
Stanford Cardinal @ USC Trojans Location: Los Angeles Coliseum, Los Angeles, CA
Stanford Cardinal @ USC Trojans Spread: USC Trojans +2

This is one of the two biggest games of the year for the Cardinal (the other being the game against Oregon). The truth of the matter is that this game probably won’t have many implications in terms of who is winning the Pac-12 to Stanford, because a loss to the Ducks probably kills any chance of going to the Rose Bowl unless the U of O is once again in the National Championship Game. However, this is a game where QB Andrew Luck can continue to prove once again that he is the truly elite passer in the nation. The redshirt junior threw for 3,338 yards last season and accounted for 35 total TDs against just eight picks. He could have a tough time against the USC defense, but in all likelihood, the man that probably would have been the top pick in the NFL Draft this past year could be in for another field day.

Stanford Cardinal vs. USC Trojans Past Games (Since 1995)
2010: Stanford 37 – USC 35
2009: Stanford 55 – USC 21
2008: USC 45 – Stanford 23
2007: Stanford 24 – USC 23
2006: USC 42 – Stanford 0
2005: USC 51 – Stanford 21
2004: USC 31 – Stanford 28
2003: USC 44 – Stanford 21
2002: USC 49 – Stanford 17
2001: Stanford 21 – USC 16
2000: Stanford 32 -USC 30
1999: Stanford 35 – USC 31
1998: USC 34 – Stanford 9
1997: USC 45 – Stanford 21
1996: Stanford 24 – USC 20

This is one of those games where the Men of Troy can man up and come up big even though there is no hope of going to the Rose Bowl or winning the Pac-12 due to their probation from the Reggie Bush incident. USC still has a ton of talent offensively, and many forget just how good QB Matt Barkley really was a season ago. Also a junior like Luck, Barkley is trying to prove that he is a worthy first round NFL Draft choice next season. He threw for 390 yards and three scores against Stanford down on the farm last season, and accounted for 2,791 yards and 26 scores on the campaign. There’s going to be a question about the Trojans’ rushing game and their defense, neither of which played well in this fixture last year, and if that doesn’t improve, it could be the third straight season in which the Cardinal came into LA and stunned the Trojan faithful.

Stanford Cardinal @ USC Trojans @ 5Dimes Sportsbook (as of 7/22/11):
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Stanford Cardinal (-2) @ USC Trojans

There is definitely going to be a ton of offense this year in Conference USA, as there are some ridiculously high flying teams that could average well over 35 points per game if given the chance. The team that might be in for the biggest year is the favorite to win Conference USA, the Houston Cougars (Current Conference USA Odds: 2.45 to 1 at 5Dimes Sportsbook). Last year turned out to be a disaster for the Cougs, as they lost QB Case Keenum for the season just two games in, and things just never really got on track. Keenum was granted a medical redshirt and will likely end up breaking all sorts of NCAA passing records this year, but Houston will only go as far as its defense is going to take it, and this unit really, really struggled all season in 2010.

The defending champs of Conference USA should once again be fantastic this year. The UCF Knights (2011 Conference USA Lines: 4.20 to 1 at 5Dimes Sportsbook) really have picked up a ton of momentum over these last few seasons, and thanks to the play of QB Jeff Godfrey, many in the Sunshine State are wondering where the men in black and gold really fall in the pecking order of teams in the state. A win in the Liberty Bowl last year was incredibly impressive, and there is no doubt that there is some major defensive talent on the field for the Knights. The question is whether Head Coach George O’Leary can withstand the heat that he is taking from the university’s loss of a lawsuit against the family of the deceased Ereck Plancher. If he can and UCF can keep its level of play up without distractions, these are fantastic NCAA football odds.

That is to say, if the Knights can get past their road test with the Southern Mississippi Golden Eagles (Current Conference USA Odds: 3.25 to 1 at 5Dimes Sportsbook). Last season, UCF almost ended up losing Conference USA due to the fact that it was beaten by a very strong Southern Miss side that has a slew of returners this season. Head Coach Larry Fedora thinks that he doesn’t just have a contender in Conference USA, but that he has the potential to crack the Top 25 and maybe even the BCS when it’s all said and done. We’re not ones to argue with him, especially since Houston is dodged on the schedule.

2011 Odds To Win The Conference USA @ 5Dimes Sportsbook (as of 7/21/11):
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Houston Cougars 2.45 to 1
Southern Mississippi Golden Eagles 3.25 to 1
Central Florida Knights 4.20 to 1
SMU Mustangs 8 to 1
Tulsa Golden Hurricane 8 to 1
UAB Blazers 16.50 to 1
East Carolina Pirates 20 to 1
Rice Owls 25 to 1
Marshall Thundering Herd 30 to 1
Tulane Green Wave 52 to 1
Memphis Tigers 70 to 1
UTEP Miners 70 to 1

2011 Odds To Win The Conference USA East Division @ 5Dimes Sportsbook (as of 7/21/11):
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Southern Mississippi Golden Eagles 1.40 to 1
UCF Knights 1.90 to 1
UAB Blazers 6.60 to 1
East Carolina Pirates 7.75 to 1
Marshall Thundering Herd 12 to 1
Memphis Tigers 27 to 1

2011 Odds To Win The Conference USA West Division @ 5Dimes Sportsbook (as of 7/20/11):
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Houston Cougars 1 to 1
Tulsa Golden Hurricane 3.50 to 1
SMU Mustangs 3.65 to 1
Rice Owls 11 to 1
Tulane Green Wave 20 to 1
UTEP Miners 27 to 1

The Mountaineers and the Tigers make for strange bedmates with one another. We tend to find it odd that a team with so many tough games like LSU is going to add another insanely difficult trip to Morgantown, but we know that West Virginia and the rest of the Big East badly need to secure some out of conference victories like this one to prove that they are a conference that is worthy of a spot in the BCS every year.

LSU Tigers @ West Virginia Mountaineers Picks & Info
LSU Tigers @ West Virginia Mountaineers Date: Saturday, September 24th, 2011
LSU Tigers @ West Virginia Mountaineers Location: Mountaineer Field, Morgantown, WV
LSU Tigers @ West Virginia Mountaineers Spread: West Virginia Mountaineers +3

If there was ever a game on this schedule that the LSU defense really needed to excel, this would be the game. The Bayou Bengals know that this early in the season, it’s going to be hard for QB Jordon Jefferson and company to really have things together, and we know that going against this West Virginia defense is going to make the challenge even more difficult, especially on the road. Last season, the offense only accounted for 236 yards for the Tigers, and seven of their 20 points came via a 60 yard punt return for a TD by the departed Patrick Peterson.

LSU Tigers vs. West Virginia Mountaineers Past Games (Since 1995)
2010: LSU 20 – West Virginia 14

If QB Geno Smith and company don’t figure out how to get more than 178 yards of offense, this could be an ugly, ugly game in Morgantown. The ‘Neers were just awful last season against LSU on the road, going just 2-of-13 on 3rd downs. The good news is that the offense really should be better with Smith out there for a second season, and we know that the defense, as always, should be tough. Remember that this was a unit that did hold LSU to those aforementioned 236 yards, and if it wasn’t for a breakdown on special teams, perhaps the Mountaineers would have been able to pull off the upset to keep LSU out of any discussions for a National Championship. If West Virginia doesn’t win this game, the best that it is going to be able to do this year is go to the Orange Bowl as the winners of the Big East. This is the chance to make the big time statement.

LSU Tigers @ West Virginia Mountaineers @ 5Dimes Sportsbook (as of 7/21/11):
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LSU Tigers (-3) @ West Virginia Mountaineers

There are very clearly two favorites in the Big 10 this year, and we wouldn’t be surprised if they ended up playing each other in the first conference title game. The nearly odds on favorites are the new kids on the block, the Nebraska Cornhuskers (Current Big 10 Odds: 1.90 to 1 at 5Dimes Sportsbook). Big Red is making its debut in its new home, which might make it a little difficult facing a slew of new opponents that it hasn’t seen before. Still, with an amazing defense and a young quarterback with a ton of upside in QB Taylor Martinez, hopes are high. The schedule is rough with roadies at Wisconsin, Penn State, and Michigan, which could make life difficult, but we aren’t so sure that there are any other real contenders in the Legends Division.

The other team to watch out for is the Wisconsin Badgers (2011 Big 10 Lines: 3.50 to 1 at 5Dimes Sportsbook). The Badgers would have been amazing this season without picking up QB Russell Wilson, but now that he is playing in Madison, it’s clear that this is a legitimate National Championship contender. Defensively, Head Coach Bret Bielema always comes up with a great squad, and the running game with RB Montee Ball and RB James White will be fantastic. This is a great schedule for the Badgers as well, as they don’t play a game on the road until October 22nd.

With Ohio State dealing with a ton of problems with players suspended and QB Terrelle Pryor leaving the team, we want no part of the Buckeyes. That being said, the only other team that we can really see making a bit of a stink here is the Michigan Wolverines (Current Big 10 Odds: 19 to 1 at 5Dimes Sportsbook). Big Blue really hasn’t had a great season in quite some time, but the first year of the Brady Hoke era could be something special. QB Denard Robinson is one of the most dynamic players in the entire country, and there isn’t a team that he can’t beat by himself. The problem is a horrendous defense that was absolutely torched a number of times last year. If Hoke gets the job done and improves this unit though, the rest of the conference really needs to look out.

2011 Odds To Win The Big 10 @ 5Dimes Sportsbook (as of 7/20/11):
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Nebraska Cornhuskers 1.90 to 1
Wisconsin Badgers 3.50 to 1
Ohio State Buckeyes 5 to 1
Penn State Nittany Lions 5.75 to 1
Michigan State Spartans 12.25 to 1
Michigan Wolverines 19 to 1
Iowa Hawkeyes 20 to 1
Northwestern Wildcats 24 to 1
Illinois Fighting Illini 28 to 1
Purdue Boilermakers 95 to 1
Indiana Hoosiers 135 to 1
Minnesota Golden Gophers 150 to 1

2011 Odds To Win The Big 10 Leaders Division @ 5Dimes Sportsbook (as of 7/20/11):
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Wisconsin Badgers 1.50 to 1
Ohio State Buckeyes 2.35 to 1
Penn State Nittany Lions 2.50 to 1
Illinois Fighting Illini 11 to 1
Purdue Boilermakers 34 to 1
Indiana Hoosiers 48 to 1

2011 Odds To Win The Big 10 Legends Division @ 5Dimes Sportsbook (as of 7/20/11):
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Nebraska Cornhuskers 1 to 1.65
Michigan State Spartans 5.50 to 1
Michigan Wolverines 7.75 to 1
Iowa Hawkeyes 8 to 1
Northwestern Wildcats 9.50 to 1
Minnesota Golden Gophers 53 to 1

Even when the Florida State Seminoles and the Miami Hurricanes didn’t share the ACC together, their annual rivalry was always one to be remembered, and it was a game that had a ton of bowl game and National Championship implications. This year could be no exception, as both teams have their sights set on not just bragging rights in the Sunshine State, but in the ACC as well.

Miami Hurricanes @ Florida State Seminoles Picks & Info
Miami Hurricanes @ Florida State Seminoles Date: Saturday, November 12th, 2011
Miami Hurricanes @ Florida State Seminoles Location: Bobby Bowden Field at Doak Campbell Stadium, Tallahassee, FL
Miami Hurricanes @ Florida State Seminoles Spread: Florida State Seminoles -8

The Canes could be in some trouble in this duel if QB Jacory Harris doesn’t play better than he historically has in this series. Yes, he did manage to pull off the upset in Tallahassee two years ago on Labor Day night to kick off the season, but he really needs to get on his high horse this year to make sure that he can pick up the slack for an offense that really is lacking a lot of star power. This is going to be the first taste for Head Coach Al Golden in this series, and he could be in for quite a rude awakening, especially if he defense, which was ranked No. 21 in the country last year, struggles.

Miami Hurricanes vs. Florida State Seminoles Past Games (Since 1995)
2010: Florida State 45 – Miami 17
2009: Miami 38 – Florida State 34
2008: Florida State 41 – Miami 39
2007: Miami 37 – Florida State 29
2006: Florida State 13 – Miami 10
2005: Florida State 10 – Miami 7
2004: Miami 16 – Florida State 10
2004 (Orange Bowl): Miami 16 – Florida State 14
2003: Miami 22 – Florida State 14
2002: Miami 28 – Florida State 27
2001: Miami 49 – Florida State 27
2000: Miami 27 – Florida State 24
1999: Florida State 31 – Miami 21
1998: Florida State 26 – Miami 14
1997: Florida State 47 – Miami 0
1996: Florida State 34 – Miami 16

The Noles have had to suffer a ton of catastrophic losses at the hands of the Hurricanes. Kickers have had nightmares about last second field goals in Tallahassee for well over a decade, and only recently, has Florida State really gotten its footing back in this series. Of course, there is only one win against the Canes at the Doak since 1999, and that was on Labor day 2005 in an ugly 10-7 win. Of course, Head Coach Jimbo Fisher made a great impression last year on this series, winning 45-17 down in South Beach. This one is a heck of a lot later in the season than it normally is, making the stakes even higher. However, this should be an advantage to FSU, knowing that QB EJ Manuel, assuming that he stays healthy, will have a ton of games under his belt and should be accustomed to being the man of the hour for the garnet and gold.

Miami Hurricanes @ Florida State Seminoles Game Odds @ 5Dimes Sportsbook (as of 7/20/11):
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Miami Hurricanes (+8) @ Florida State Seminoles

For years, the Florida Gators and the LSU Tigers have put on some absolutely epic performances, including a number of upsets of teams ranked No. 1 in the country. This year, the Bayou Bengals could be sporting an awfully high ranking when the once mighty Gators come to town, and this should be a clash that you won’t want to miss, as both of these teams could be vying for their respective places in the SEC Championship Game as a result.

Florida Gators @ LSU Tigers Picks & Info
Florida Gators @ LSU Tigers Date: Saturday, October 8th
Florida Gators @ LSU Tigers Location: Tiger Stadium, Baton Rouge, LA
Florida Gators @ LSU Tigers Spread: LSU Tigers -7.5

This could be the start of an ugly decline to the season for the Gators, as this in the second of four straight horrendous games on the slate. Head Coach Will Muschamp knows that QB John Brantley is going to be under the gun going against a stout LSU defense, and that this will be his toughest task of the season. The biggest problem that UF has is that there is no time to prepare for this game, which comes just a week after the home date with the Alabama Crimson Tide. The defense for UF is going to have to be big in this one, because if the Bayou Bengals get into the high 20s or the low 30s, this one is as good as finished.

Florida Gators vs. LSU Tigers Past Games (Since 1995)
2010: LSU 33 – Florida 29
2009: Florida 13 – LSU 3
2008: Florida 51 – LSU 21
2007: LSU 28 – Florida 24
2006: Florida 23 – LSU 10
2005: LSU 21 – Florida 17
2004: LSU 24 – Florida 21
2003: Florida 19 – LSU 7
2002: LSU 36 – Florida 7
2001: Florida 44 – LSU 15
2000: Florida 41 – LSU 9
1999: Florida 31 – LSU 10
1998: Florida 22 – LSU 10
1997: LSU 28 – Florida 21
1996: Florida 56 – LSU 13
1995: Florida 28 – LSU 10

We’re going to talk a lot about the Tigers in these Top 25 games this year, as they have a slew of big time games that could decide their season. This is a spooky spot for Head Coach Les Miles and company, though. Florida is going to be a vitally dangerous opponent, and with games having already been played against Oregon, Mississippi State, and West Virginia, this could be a huge letdown spot in the schedule. Even with the loss of DB Patrick Peterson, the Bayou Bengals are still going to be amongst the top teams defensively in the nation, and we expect to see even better numbers than the 311.9 yards per game that this unit allowed last season. This is a game that the Tigers shouldn’t lose, but the way that this series has gone with a slew of road teams winning over the years, you just don’t really ever know.

Florida Gators @ LSU Tigers @ 5Dimes Sportsbook (as of 7/17/11):
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Florida Gators (+7.5) @ LSU Tigers