The “World’s Largest Cocktail Party” is always one of the best games of the season, and after a fantastic game last year at Ever Bank Stadium, the Georgia Bulldogs and the Florida Gators are sure to have another great tussle this season.

Georgia Bulldogs @ Florida Gators Picks & Info
Georgia Bulldogs @ Florida Gators Date: Saturday, October 29th, 2011
Georgia Bulldogs @ Florida Gators Location: Ever Bank Stadium, Jacksonville, FL
Georgia Bulldogs @ Florida Gators Spread: Florida Gators pk

The Bulldogs really should have won this game last season after storming back from a 21-10 deficit in the third quarter to force overtime. QB Aaron Murray was just a very young freshman when he came into that game against the Gators, but he came out with some battle scars that made him a significantly better signal caller for the rest of the year. Murray is definitely the real deal and is going to probably have a career that rivals that of the departed Matt Stafford. WR AJ Green is no longer on the roster, but there is no doubt that Murray is going to be the key to a rebuilding bunch of Dawgs.

Georgia Bulldogs vs. Florida Gators Past Games (Since 1995)
2010: Florida 34 – Georgia 31
2009: Florida 41 – Georgia 17
2008: Florida 49 – Georgia 10
2007: Georgia 42 – Florida 30
2006: Florida 21 – Georgia 14
2005: Florida 14 – Georgia 10
2004: Georgia 31 – Florida 24
2003: Florida 16 – Georgia 13
2002: Florida 20 – Georgia 13
2001: Florida 24 – Georgia 10
2000: Florida 34 – Georgia 23
1999: Florida 30 – Georgia 14
1998: Florida 38 – Georgia 7
1997: Georgia 37 – Florida 17
1996: Florida 47 – Georgia 7
1995: Florida 52 – Georgia 17

The Gators are definitely in a rebuilding mode as well this year. Head Coach Will Muschamp is bringing in an entirely new offensive system by using former Kansas City Chiefs Offensive Coordinator Charlie Weis. This is great news for QB John Brantley, who was lost trying to run the Urban Meyer, Tim Tebow type of offense. The question is whether a very, very young defense is going to be able to stop these Dawgs. We’re not overly optimistic. The good news is that there are two months of the season before this game comes up on the slate, but we’re not so sure that this season is going to really end up going the way of the orange and blue, especially if this game against the Bulldogs is lost after dominating this series for so many years.

Georgia Bulldogs @ Florida Gators @ 5Dimes Sportsbook (as of 7/16/11):
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Georgia Bulldogs (pk) @ Florida Gators

The “Backyard Brawl” is always one of the biggest games of the season, and this year, it really could be the difference between which one of these teams ends up moving on to the Orange Bowl to play in the BCS. There is a lot of different flavor in this game this year though, as both teams have new head coaches to break in that will be playing in this rivalry for the very first time.

Pittsburgh Panthers @ West Virginia Mountaineers Picks & Info
Pittsburgh Panthers @ West Virginia Mountaineers Date: Friday, November 25th, 2011
Pittsburgh Panthers @ West Virginia Mountaineers Location: Mountaineer Field, Morgantown, WV
Pittsburgh Panthers @ West Virginia Mountaineers Spread: West Virginia Mountaineers -4.5

The biggest question for the Panthers is the style of offense that they are going to be running under Head Coach Todd Graham. Graham brought over the majority of his staff from Tulsa in the offseason, but it is clear that QB Tino Sunseri isn’t running the same offense that any of these Tulsa QBs have run in years past. That being said, the pace could be picked up quite a bit, and a team that averaged just 367.1 yards per game could be significantly improved. Watch out for RB Dion Lewis, who could be poised for a huge junior season after a year full of injuries and setbacks as a sophomore.

Pittsburgh Panthers vs. West Virginia Mountaineers Past Games (Since 1995)
2010: West Virginia 35 – Pittsburgh 10
2009: West Virginia 19 – Pittsburgh 16
2008: Pittsburgh 19 – West Virginia 15
2007: Pittsburgh 13 – West Virginia 9
2006: West Virginia 45 – Pittsburgh 27
2005: West Virginia 45 – Pittsburgh 13
2004: Pittsburgh 16 – West Virginia 13
2003: West Virginia 52 – Pittsburgh 31
2002: West Virginia 24 – Pittsburgh 17
2001: Pittsburgh 23 – West Virginia 13
2000: Pittsburgh 38 – West Virginia 28
1999: West Virginia 52 – Pittsburgh 21
1998: West Virginia 52 – Pittsburgh 14
1997: Pittsburgh 41 – West Virginia 38
1996: West Virginia 34 – Pittsburgh 0
1995: West Virginia 21 – Pittsburgh 0

For WVU, it’s all about the defense. This squad knows that it has the goods to shut down any offense that comes its way; after all, this unit did rank No. 4 in the country last year in scoring (13.5 PPG) and total defense (263.5 YPG). Offensively, the big issue is whether QB Geno Smith is really going to be able to pick up the slack or not. He threw for 2,763 yards last season, which really isn’t good enough for a QB that isn’t all that mobile. However, he only threw seven picks against 24 TDs, three of those scores of which came against U-Pitt last year.

Pittsburgh Panthers @ West Virginia Mountaineers @ 5Dimes Sportsbook (as of 7/11/11):
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Pittsburgh Panthers (+4.5) @ West Virginia Mountaineers

Don’t be overly surprised if we end up seeing the exact two teams playing for the ACC Championship this season that we saw last year. That means the Virginia Tech Hokies (Current 2011 ACC Odds: 2.80 to 1 at 5Dimes Sportsbook) and the Florida State Seminoles (2011 ACC Lines: 1.65 to 1 at 5Dimes Sportsbook) probably have the best ACC odds on the board.

The best thing that these two teams have going for them is that they don’t play each other in the regular season, meaning both dodges the hardest game on the slate. V-Tech always seems to have a fantastic team under Head Coach Frank Beamer, who is one of the most underappreciated coaches in America. Florida State has a solid returning defense and should be getting great play out of new, yet experienced QB EJ Manuel. There are high hopes for both of these teams this year, and both think that they’re not only contenders for the ACC title, but contenders for the National Championship as well.

If there’s a team that could figure it out this year, it is the Clemson Tigers (Current Odds To Win The ACC: 7.25 to 1 at 5Dimes Sportsbook). The Tigers do host Florida State, where they have dominated this series in recent years. However, they just lost one of the best defensive players in the conference in DE DaQuan Bowers and will have a difficult time replacing him and his pass rushing skills. The team that is sure to hurt is the North Carolina State Wolfpack (Odds To Win ACC 2011: 26 to 1 at 5Dimes Sportsbook). Not only do the Wolfpack have to break in a new quarterback now that QB Russell Wilson was let out of his scholarship in the offseason, but Head Coach Tom O’Brien and company have to deal with a schedule that includes games at Florida State, at Boston College, and home against both North Carolina and Clemson. It’ll be a tough road this year for the Pack for sure.

2011 Odds To Win The ACC @ 5Dimes Sportsbook (as of 7/10/11):
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Florida State Seminoles 1.65 to 1
Virginia Tech Hokies 2.80 to 1
Miami Hurricanes 4.70 to 1
North Carolina Tar Heels 7.25 to 1
Maryland Terrapins 15 to 1
Clemson Tigers 16 to 1
Boston College Eagles 26 to 1
North Carolina State Wolfpack 26 to 1
Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets 53 to 1
Virginia Cavaliers 63 to 1
Wake Forest Demon Deacons 205 to 1
Duke Blue Devils 210 to 1

2011 Odds To Win The ACC Atlantic Division @ 5Dimes Sportsbook (as of 7/10/11):
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Florida State Seminoles 1 to 1.80
Maryland Terrapins 6 to 1
Clemson Tigers 6.25 to 1
Boston College Eagles 9.75 to 1
North Carolina State Wolfpack 9.75 to 1
Wake Forest Demon Deacons 75 to 1

2011 Odds To Win The ACC Coastal Division @ 5Dimes Sportsbook (as of 7/10/11):
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Virginia Tech Hokies 1.25 to 1
Miami Hurricanes 2 to 1
North Carolina Tar Heels 2.95 to 1
Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets 21 to 1
Virginia Cavaliers 25 to 1
Duke Blue Devils 77 to 1

2011-12 Top 25 College Football Games of the Year
#25 San Diego State Aztecs @ Michigan Wolverines

The Michigan Wolverines and the San Diego State Aztecs aren’t going to be putting on the biggest show of the year, as neither of these two are going to be National Championship contenders this year, but they are still clearly going to a ton of storylines, as former SDSU Head Coach Brady Hoke tries to take down his former team in his new maize and blue.

San Diego State Aztecs @ Michigan Wolverines Picks & Info
San Diego State Aztecs @ Michigan Wolverines Date: Saturday, September 24th, 2011
San Diego State Aztecs @ Michigan Wolverines Location: Michigan Stadium, Ann Arbor, MI
NCAA Football Lines: Michigan Wolverines -7

This is a year in which Michigan is expected to do a lot better now that the Big 10 has expanded to 12 teams. QB Denard Robinson is going to end up as a Heisman Trophy contender again this season, as he is going to end up putting up some gaudy statistics. He threw for 2,570 yards and rushed for 1,702 yards last year, and he really came out on nowhere to do so. Scoring isn’t an issue for Big Blue. It accounted for 489.1 yards per game a season ago and put up 32.8 points per game.

San Diego State Aztecs vs. Michigan Wolverines Past Games
2004: Michigan 24 – San Diego State 21

The issue is going to be whether there is going to be any defense to stop the San Diego State offense. Michigan really struggled last season, allowing a ton of points to a ton of teams. The Wolverines will be up against it going against an offense that averaged 458.1 yards per game last year. RB Ronnie Hillman is going to have his work cut out for him picking up the slack for an offense that must replace a number of departed players… not to mention its head coach from a year ago.

San Diego State Aztecs @ Michigan Wolverines Game Odds @ 5Dimes Sportsbook (as of 7/10/11):
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San Diego State Aztecs (+7) @ Michigan Wolverines

We have waited for over a month to sink our teeth into this one! Finally, the BCS National Championship Game is here, and NCAA football betting fans can’t wait to watch the Oregon Ducks take on the Auburn Tigers for all of the marbles. Just when you thought we had every angle of this game covered, think again! Today, we’re tackling some of the best props on the board for the biggest game of the year.

Will there be a score in the first 4 1/2 minutes?
Let’s be remotely reasonable here. Every single season, we look and see two teams with these great offenses playing for all of the marbles in the BCS Championship Game, and every single year, we think that we are going to see all of these points hit the board right away in the first quarter and that the scoring will just never look back. Sometimes, like when the USC Trojans played the Texas Longhorns, we end up with that great offensive shootout. Others, like when the Florida Gators beat the Oklahoma Sooners, we get a complete dud. Either way, it usually takes teams quite a while to get into the swing of thing. Sure, it wasn’t all that long ago that WR Ted Ginn Jr. returned the opening kickoff of the National Championship Game for a TD, but we know that the likelihood of that happening here is slim to none. These offenses are going to take awhile to get into the swing of things, and it certainly isn’t going to happen right away in the first 4 1/2 minutes of the game. Even in that Texas/USC epic battle, there was only one score in the entire first quarter. There’s no reason to think that this isn’t a winning proposition at least 60 percent of the time. There will be No Score in First 4 1/2 Minutes (-115 at Hollywood Sportsbook) in the BCS National Championship Game.

LaMichael James Longest Run Over/Under 30.5 Yards
When something happens eight times in 12 games and the sportsbooks are only asking you to make a 50/50 proposition call on it, you just have to jump at the opportunity. Sure, the Tigers held teams to right around 100 yards rushing this year, but this is an exception. You know that Oregon is going to get its yards in this one. It might be a frustrating night for the Heisman Trophy runner up, but James is certainly capable of ripping off at least one run of at least 31 yards in this one. He did that in each of his first five games of the year and three times down the stretch. James should be able to do this at least once. Don’t be shocked to see his longest rush be Over 30.5 Yards (-115 at Hollywood Sportsbook).

Will Kenjon Barner score a TD?
Let’s be real here with Barner for a second. Sure, he had 17 carries in each of his last two games against the Arizona Wildcats and the Oregon State Beavers, but his numbers are inflated thanks to the fact that he had five scores in the first game of the season when RB LaMichael James was suspended. Barner has only found pay dirt three times since then, and two of those scores came against Oregon State. The odds on this prop should probably be about -300 for ‘no’, but because of the fact that the ‘total’ is so high in this game, the oddsmakers are hoping that you fall into all of the traps and bet ‘yes’ on every single one of these props. Not everyone can score a TD in the title game, folks. Barner will be one of those that doesn’t get a chance to celebrate in the end zone. He will Not Have a TD (-170 at Hollywood Sportsbook) against the Tigers.

Will Mario Fannin Score a TD?
Don’t get suckered into the fact that Fannin scored five TDs this year. Two came against the Chattanooga Mocs, and one came against the South Carolina Gamecocks when the SEC Championship Game was already well out of reach. Do you really believe that this game is going to be a blowout? Unless there are some major injuries to either RB Michael Dyer and/or RB Onterio McCalebb to speak of, we’re not even so sure that Fannin gets onto the field, let alone scores a TD in more than one out of four games. He will Not Have a TD (-320 at Hollywood Sportsbook).

Philip Lutzenkirchen Over/Under 1 Reception
Maybe we’re getting suckered into this one just a tad, but we have seen more out of Lutzenkirchen of late than we did for the rest of the season. Maybe he is more likely to have no receptions than two receptions, but we have a feeling that the big guy, one of the feel good stories in this game, will at least get his hands on the pigskin once. Don’t be shocked if he’s a surprise TD scorer, as he is a great option near the end zone. However, the stellar tight end has been the target of at least a couple of passes in each of Auburn’s last three games. We’ll take our chance that he at least gets the one catch, and gets a second one somewhere along the way. Lutzenkirchen should have Over 1 Reception (+110 at Hollywood Sportsbook) against the Quack Attack.

It’ll be a college football betting dichotomy on Sunday night in San Francisco, as we get our chance to sink our teeth into one final appetizer before the main course and the BCS National Championship Game on Monday. The Nevada Wolf Pack will look to run over the Boston College Eagles in a game that should be a ton of fun at Candlestick Park. These two teams have a lot to prove, but they are complete opposites of one another. Don’t be surprised if these three keys to the game prove to make the difference on which club beats the Kraft Fight Hunger Bowl odds.

Key #1: The Eagles have to flex their defensive muscles
We know that the Nevada offense is going to get its yards and its points, but there is no reason to think that a month and a half of preparation for this game isn’t enough for the Eagles to be able to put up a great fight here in San Francisco. This is a team that prides itself on the fact that it hasn’t allowed a team to score more than 16 points against it in basically half of a season, and though that clearly won’t stay the case after the Kraft Fight Hunger Bowl, it is a fantastic goal. BC had the No. 1 ranked rushing defense in the land this year at just over 70 yards per game, and Head Coach Frank Spaziani is doing a lot of things to be able to help this team out. RB Montel Harris is sure to carry the ball at least 20 times in this game (more on this later), which should chew up some clock and keep the Pistol loaded on the sidelines for Nevada.

Key #2: Colin Kaepernick and Vai Taua have to want to go out victorious
QB Colin Kaepernick and RB Vai Taua have done a lot of things in their illustrious careers here in Reno. Kaepernick became the first man from a non-BCS conference to have at least 20 TDs both on the ground and through the air in the same season this year, and he is only the third to be able to pull off the feat in the history of major college football regardless of conference affiliation. He has thrown for 9,906 yards and 81 TDs, and has rushed for 4,091 yards and 59 TDs in his great career. Taua is now out of the shadow of the man he used to split the backfield with, RB Luke Lippincott. He accounted for 1,750 yards and 22 TDs this year, giving him 4,524 yards and 44 TDs on the ground with another 58 receptions for 561 yards and eight TDs as a receiver. These two have been a part of the only trio of rushers to ever have 1,000+ yards in the same season when they pulled off the feat last year, and they have averaged over 500 yards of offense per game in each of the last three seasons. What they have not done, though, is win a bowl game. In fact, you have to go back to the 2005 Hawaii Bowl in an OT victory against the UCF Knights to find the last win in a bowl game. This team was shut out three years ago by the New Mexico Lobos and was held to just 10 points against the SMU Mustangs last year. It would be a real travesty to see these two leave college without tasting what a bowl victory is like.

Key #3: Chase Rettig has to take care of the pigskin
We don’t care who you are. If you are turning the ball over and making little mistakes against the Wolf Pack, you’re going to lose. Just ask the Boise State Broncos how well they did when they were making dumb mistakes in the second half against these guys. We’ve already talked about the importance of RB Montel Harris, as he is sure to have his touches and will keep this offense moving. This junior has already accounted for 3,599 yards and 27 TDs on the ground in his career, and this is going to be a real showcase game for him here in San Francisco. However, the man of the hour on this offense is QB Chase Rettig. Just a freshman, Rettig was sort of thrown into the fire this year when neither QB Mike Marscovetra nor QB David Shinskie could get the job done. Rettig basically has half of a season of experience now as the team’s starting quarterback, and he threw for 1,117 yards and six TDs against seven picks. He doesn’t have to be a hero, but Rettig is going to have to make a few plays here and there just to keep this offense going. If Nevada is forcing him into some dumb, freshman mistakes though, the Eagles are in a boatload of trouble.

Teams that have programs that are clearly heading in the opposite direction right now look to gain some momentum in the BBVA Compass Bowl in Birmingham on Saturday afternoon. The Pittsburgh Panthers will try their best to beat the NCAA football betting odds against the up and coming Kentucky Wildcats. Beating the BBVA Compass Bowl lines in this one could be tough, and though the spread has gone the way of the Panthers for the majority of the last two weeks, the line is inevitably going to be very tight. Which way should you go? Hopefully these three keys to the game will help you out!

Key #1: Pittsburgh has to want to be here
We know that this is a very difficult task for the Panthers. There is no doubt that a Kentucky team that fought all season long in the SEC just to finish at .500 is going to be thrilled to play in a bowl game this year under first year Head Coach Joker Phillips, but there is a real question there for U-Pitt. The team’s Head Coach Dave Wannstedt won’t be here in Birmingham, as he was forced to step down after another very iffy season that resulted in a second tier bowl bid. Defensive Coordinator Phil Bennett is going to be taking over as the team’s head coach for this game, and he very well could end up using this as his interview to be the next man in charge of the team. The only reason this is possible though, is because Head Coach Mike Haywood, who was signed just a few weeks ago, was released from his duties after being arrested for a domestic violence call against him. Now, to top it all off, the up and down Panthers aren’t playing in a BCS bowl game, something that looked like a near certainty at the start of November, as they blew a two game edge in the conference and are stuck playing in one of the last bowl games of the year in one of the least desirable locations for a duel.

Key #2: Morgan Newton needs to prove that he is a superstar in the making
Phillips really had a tough time deciding who his quarterback was going to be in camp this year, and he decided to go with experience over athleticism, choosing QB Mike Hartline over QB Morgan Newton. Here at the BBVA Compass Bowl though, he really doesn’t have a lot of options. Hartline was suspended for this game a month ago, and he won’t be making the trip to Birmingham with the team. Instead, the ball belongs to Newton, who will inevitably take most of the snaps over the course of the day. Newton only threw the ball seven times this year, and he had just four carries, but he brings a level of athleticism to the table that kind of looks like another SEC quarterback with the last name of Newton… No, we’re not confusing Morgan for Cameron, but we know that UK’s Newton does have the ability to make plays both with his arm and with his legs, and he can really confuse the defense for the Panthers if he takes full advantage of his skill set. Newton just has to relax and let the game come to him in his first career start, and he should be fine, especially if he listens to Key No. 3…

Key #3: The ball must get into the hands of Randall Cobb
The Panthers have a fantastic defense, ranking No. 9 in the country and ranking in the Top 25 against the rush, the pass, and in scoring. However, this unit clearly has some chink that can be exposed, and it is going to be up to Cobb to make those cracks even bigger. Cobb touched the football an average of 11.8 times per game this year, but that isn’t going to cut it here in the BBVA Compass Bowl. Cobb has the ability to really light up a game in a hurry, as he will take the snap directly as a Wildcat QB, where he can throw the ball, run the ball either to the inside or to the outside, or hand it off, he can take wide receiver sweeps, and he can catch passes. Between those three things, he accounted for over 1,400 yards this year with 15 TDs. Not only does Cobb getting his numbers put points on the board directly for the Wildcats, but it takes attention away from RB Derrick Locke and WR Chris Matthews, the two of which ended up with 19 TDs between them on the year. If the Panthers can’t figure out where Cobb is at all times when he breaks the huddle, they are going to be in a ton of trouble, as this young man can really do it all on the field.